Indigo Incite (The Indigo Trilogy) (25 page)

“I do.
I’ll wander in and let them take me. I’ll be able to see how to get in and then
I can mentally communicate with Liliana and give her the directions. Once
inside, Toby and I will work to get proof of their existence and find out what
they’ve been up to.”

Tyler
had told her about his crazy plan, but now that the plan was ready to be put
into action, she didn’t like the sound of it. She turned to him with a frown.
“Why do you need to get proof? Don’t you think that might be dangerous? Can’t
you just try to find your brother and get out of there?”

“No, we
need to do more than that. If we just get out of there and run, they’ll
eventually track us, again. We need to make sure that they’re going to leave us
alone, for good.”

“How do
you plan to do that?” Grace asked.

“I’m
under no illusion that a couple of teenagers are going to stop them. I mean,
they’re a government agency with a lot of power behind them. So, why not pit
one agency against another? That’s where you come in, Eddie. When you said that
you could speak Spanish, you gave me an idea.”

“Did I?
Why do I get the feeling that this plan of yours is going to be completely
crazy?”

Liliana
groaned. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Tyler
laughed. “It wouldn’t be a great plan if it wasn’t a little crazy.” He turned
to Eddie. “I’m thinking that you can easily pass as a native Mexican. If you
can lead the Federales to the compound, we can let them take over.”

“But, I
thought that the IIA had an agreement with the Mexican government to be left alone,”
Liliana said.

“Sure,
but what if they thought the IIA was trying to get drug money past them,
without forking over their fair share?”

“The
Federales are the police though, right?” Grace asked. “Why would they want a
share of drug money?”

“The
Federales try to make a show at stopping drug runs across the border, but
they’re also aware that they can’t stop everyone, so they agree to look a blind
eye now and then for a certain fee. If they thought that the IIA was trying to
get money past them without paying up, they would take it upon themselves to
try to stop them.”

Liliana
raised her eyebrows in question. “How do you know all of this?”

“One of
my old roommates from my, uh…special school, used to be in a gang. He told me a
lot of stories.”

“Hmm…I
see. But what happens when they raid the place and find out that there’s no
drug money?”

“It
doesn’t matter. Once they’re in, they’ll find me and Toby and whoever else
they’re holding captive, and the compound will be shut down. Before that
happens, however, we’ll make sure the IIA knows we have enough proof of their
existence, so they won’t come after us again. I know it won’t shut them down. It’ll
just put a slight damper on their operations for a while. But hopefully it will
keep them away from us for good. What do you think?”

“I like
it,” Eddie said with a grin.

Liliana
shook her head. “I don’t like it…but it is a smart plan. I’ll give you that.”

Eddie
turned to Grace. “What do you think?” Her eyes were focused on the gas station
and she didn’t comment. “Grace?”

Her eyes
remained fixed on the building. “Someone’s here.”

Eddie
followed her gaze. “Who? Who’s here?”

“I’m not
sure, but I can feel him…I think it’s a tracker.”

Liliana
turned toward the gas pumps and closed her eyes to listen to the thoughts of
the nearby patrons. She noticed that Tyler did the same. Unfortunately, every
thought was in Spanish and she couldn’t understand.

“I can’t
understand a word that anyone is thinking,” Tyler grumbled.

“Me
neither.” Liliana chuckled. “Anyway, I don’t see anything odd, but if Grace
feels that a tracker is nearby, we should probably get out of here.”

“Agreed,”
Eddie said. “I guess it’s time to hit the road and put this plan into action.”

*****

Eddie
pulled off the road and into a grove of trees that provided cover from any
passersby. Then he turned to Tyler. “So…now what?”

“Now we
figure out which direction the compound is and I wander around until they find
me.”

They
stepped out of the car into the Mexican wilderness and Liliana took a deep
breath of fresh, mountain air. The temperature was noticeably cooler than it
had been at the gas station. She stood close to Tyler, who had spread the map
out on the hood of the car. He looked back and forth from his surroundings to
the map a few times, before he spoke. “All right, I think I’ll wander through the
woods parallel to the road for about a half mile or so, and then I’ll make my
way out to the road. It looks like the entrance to the compound should be near
there. I’m sure I’ll be noticed on the security cameras fairly quickly. I’ll
let you know when we’re ready for you to lead the Federales in. Until then, I
guess just hang tight and watch my back.”

“You’ve
got it,” Eddie said. “You take care of yourself.” They shook hands and then
drew each other in, to what Liliana thought of as a man hug—a quick half hug
with a fist pound on the back.

Grace
stepped in to give him a hug and said, “We’ll be waiting for you. Be careful,
okay?”

“I
will,” Tyler assured her.

Then
Eddie and Grace wandered away to look at a lizard on a nearby rock. Liliana
assumed that their feigned interest in the reptile was supposed to give her a
moment of privacy with Tyler.

“So…”
she said, “this is it, huh?” She stood in front of him and looked up into his
beautiful eyes.

“Yeah,
there’s no turning back now.”

She
sighed. “No, I suppose not.”

Then,
without another word or warning, he swooped her into his arms and kissed her.
The kiss was everything she could have hoped for and more. In that moment,
their thoughts and emotions seemed to be as one.

With
obvious reluctance, Tyler set her back on the ground but continued to hold both
of her hands in his. “I expect another one of those when I come back,” he told
her.

She
smiled. “Oh, I’ll give you more than one. You can count on it.”

They
were silent for a moment as they stood beneath the trees and looked into each
other’s eyes.

Finally,
he broke the silence. “I’d better get going.”

“You be
careful. You hear me?”

“I
promise.” He squeezed her hands and then let go. “All right, guys, I guess this
is it. With luck, I’ll see you soon.”

After
one final round of goodbyes, Tyler wandered into the trees, with nothing but
the access card hidden under the lining of his shoe. Liliana stood silently
beside Grace and watched his departure until he had disappeared entirely.

From the
protection of the treetops, a concealed chipmunk scolded Tyler. A slight breeze
rustled the leaves, but otherwise the forest lay silent. Through the trees, he
spied a section of dirt road about thirty feet below. Somewhere on the other
side of the road, he would find the entrance to the tunnel. With luck, the
guards would find him first.

Can
you hear me, Liliana?
he asked silently.

I’m
right with you
,
Liliana thought back.
Are you doing okay?

Yeah,
I’m good. I think I should be pretty close to the entrance.

Okay.
Be careful. Keep me posted.

The
rocky terrain down the hill was slippery and slow going, but he eventually made
it to the road without breaking a leg. Ian had warned that security cameras
were located discreetly throughout the surrounding premises and along the road
that led to the entrance. If he was in the right location, security should already
be alerted to his presence.

He
didn’t have to wait long. He had wandered along the road for about two minutes
when an ATV zoomed up at breakneck speed and came to a sudden stop, two feet
away. Ten seconds later, he was surrounded by three men, who had appeared from
behind nearby trees with handguns. If he
had
wanted to run, he wouldn’t
have had a chance.

“Hey,
it’s that kid,” one of the guards announced to the rest of the security team.
“He’s not an intruder. He’s one of them.” He then turned to Tyler. “What are
you doing out here, kid? Henry’s not going to be happy when he discovers you’re
out.”

They
obviously mistook him for Toby, a misconception that could play to his benefit.
“I, uh, just wanted to get some fresh air. Sorry. I wasn’t planning on staying
out long. Actually, I think I’m a little lost.”

“Well,
come on. I’m going to have to take you back. Hop up and you can ride with me.”
He patted the seat behind him.

Tyler
did as requested and climbed onto the rear of the ATV. The guard called into
his walkie-talkie, to announce they were headed back to the tunnel, and then
cranked his neck around to make sure his passenger was seated. “You holding on,
kid?”

He
grabbed ahold of the rear bars. “Yep, I’m good.”

They
flew down the road for about a quarter of a mile. The guard parked the ATV
about ten yards from the base of a rock outcropping. From there, they made
their way across uneven ground, strewn with lava rocks until they came to what
looked like a dead end. They were surrounded on three sides by tall boulders.
Just when Tyler thought there was nowhere to go, he followed the guard around
the tallest boulder, on the left, and saw that they were standing atop a rock
stairway.

“Prepare
yourself, kid. Henry’s going to want an explanation. Next time you decide to
take a walk, you need to let someone know. Take someone with you who knows his
way around so you don’t get lost.”

“Yeah, I
know. That probably wasn’t the smartest move on my part.”

“Well,
hopefully the boss is in a good mood. Follow me.”

Tyler
nodded and followed the guard down the stone steps.

When
they reached the bottom, they came to a metal door. The guard entered a code
into a security panel and was answered by a soft buzz. He pressed the handle on
the door and Tyler found himself in the middle of a long, carpeted corridor. If
he hadn’t known that he was under a mountain, he would have thought that he was
in a hotel. He couldn’t help but wonder if Toby was behind one of the many
doors they passed along the way.

They
stopped at the last door on the right. Opposite the door was another flight of
stairs, which led down. The guard knocked and waited. In a moment, the door
slid open, sideways, and they were greeted by a tall distinguished-looking man.
He was clean-shaven, had salt and peppered silver hair, and wore an expensive
suit.

“What is
this I hear about you wandering about in the woods, Toby?”

Tyler
couldn’t sense if the man was angry or simply curious. He tried to read his
thoughts, but they seemed oddly blank, as though he was intentionally blocking
them from Tyler.

“I’m
sorry. I just wanted some fresh air.”

“Well,
next time you want fresh air, you need to go through the proper channels. You
can’t just wander about unescorted. I would ask how you got out in the first
place, but I don’t think that’s necessary. I’ve been hearing about some of your
many talents, including your little outing to the game room the other night.”

Tyler wondered
what else they knew about Toby’s ‘talents’ and what his brother had been up to.

“I need
to get back out to my post, Henry,” said the guard. “Is it okay if I leave him
here, with you?”

“That’s
fine, Jake. A job well done. Thank you.”

“No
problem, sir. Take care, kid,” he said to Tyler and then retreated in the
direction from which they had come.

“Well
now, Toby, I would hate to think that you were trying to escape just when we
were starting to come to some sort of an understanding. Would you like to
explain what you were
really
doing out there?”

Tyler
decided that it was as good a time as any to let him know his true identity. He
would find out soon enough, anyway.

“Actually,
sir, the truth is—”

He was
interrupted by the appearance of a man who had just arrived at the top of the
stairs.

The
newcomer glanced back and forth between them. “Hey, Henry, what’s going on
here?”

“Hi,
Jesse. Our friend, Toby, was just about to explain what he was doing outside of
the compound.”

Jesse
glared at Tyler and shook his head. “That’s
not
Toby. You’re Tyler,
aren’t you?”

“Tyler?”
Henry’s gaze swiveled from Jesse to Tyler, and he stared at him with intent.
“You’re Tyler?”

Momentarily
speechless, Tyler looked back and forth between the two men and then presented
Henry with an awkward grin. “Um…hi.”

Henry
didn’t respond but turned back to Jesse. “How did you know?”

“Because
I just came from talking to Toby just a minute ago. And because I can hear the
thoughts of this one.” Jesse nodded his head in Tyler’s direction.

Tyler
made a mental note to immediately block all thoughts.

“What
are you doing here?” Jesse demanded.

Tyler
had practiced his cover story repeatedly during the long drive and was prepared
for their inquisition.

“Obviously,
I’m here to find my brother.”

“But how
did you find us?” Henry asked.

“We’re
twins. We have a connection, you know? Wherever he goes, I go.”

“I
should have known that Toby would find a way to contact you. I don’t know why
we didn’t expect it. We’ve been out looking for you, and here you come,
waltzing in our back door. Did you think you were going to break him out?”

“Break
him out?” Tyler scoffed. “Are you kidding? With all of those armed guards,
outside? I’m not crazy. No…I want to join you. If you’ll let me.”

“Forgive
me for being a bit…skeptical, but your brother hasn’t exactly been cooperative.
Why should we believe that
you
want to work with us, when he has
refused?”

“Well,
for one, I’m not my brother. We might look identical, but we don’t act the
same, and we don’t think the same. We never have. He’s always been the
more…cautious one, I guess you’d say.”

“So you
just decided to run away from home and join him in Mexico?”

“I’m
sure you’re aware that we’ve lived with a foster family most of our lives. They
haven’t exactly been nurturing, to say the least. With my brother gone, there
was no way I was going to stay there by myself. My home is wherever Toby is,
and if this is where he’s going to be, then this is where I want to be, too.”

“Hmm, I
see. Jesse, can I speak with you for a minute in my office?” He turned to
Tyler. “Stay right here. There are cameras everywhere, so don’t think about
going far.”

Tyler
smiled. “I’ll wait right here.”

The door
slid shut after Jesse followed Henry into his office. Tyler closed his eyes in
concentration, and although he couldn’t audibly hear their words, he could hear
their thoughts that were formed before their words were spoken.

Do
you believe him
?
Henry asked.
Could you hear what the boy was thinking
?

The
boy’s smart, just like his brother. I can sense that
, Jesse responded.
I could tell
that he was blocking his thoughts from me, so it’s hard to say. I think he
might be for real though. I know he and his brother are close. Maybe if he’s
willing to work with us, he can convince Toby to cooperate, too. I’d say it’s
at least worth a shot.

Is
there any word on the others?

No,
there’s been no sign of them.

Why
don’t we bring him in and ask?

The door
opened, and Tyler, who was leaning casually against the wall, acted as though
he wasn’t aware of the conversation that had just transpired behind the closed
door.

“Tyler,
why don’t you come on in to my office for a few minutes? I’d like to get to
know you a little better.”

Tyler
accepted the invitation and sat in a plush upholstered chair in front of a
massive mahogany desk. Jesse sat in a matching chair beside him, and Henry took
a seat in a black leather chair behind the desk. The man leaned back and
cracked his knuckles one at a time.

“So I
understand that you would like to join us. I think that we might be able to come
to some sort of an arrangement.”

“I’d
like that,” Tyler replied.

“I can’t
help but wonder, though, whatever happened to your other friends?”

“My
friends?”

“Yes. You
see, we’re interested in recruiting as many talented, young individuals such as
yourself as possible. I’m afraid there may have been some sort of a
misunderstanding. I’d like to have the opportunity to sit down with them and
explain the great work that we do here and invite them to join our team. I
wonder if you might know how I could contact them.”

Tyler
knew that he had to lie and lie well. Jesse would try to search his mind to
discover their whereabouts and observe his face for implications that he may be
lying. He also knew that, in order for any great lie to be plausible, there was
a need for a substance of truth.

“My
friends…I assume you’re referring to Eddie, Liliana, and Grace.”

“That’s
right. I understand that you were all together. When was the last time you saw
them?”

Here
goes
, Tyler thought.
Time to put on the poker face
. “I was with them in Arizona two days
ago.” This, at least, was true. “That’s when I decided to break off from them
and come down here. They tried to stop me, but I told them that I wanted to be
with my brother.”

“And you
haven’t heard from them since?”

Tyler
shook his head. “No.”

“Well,
that is unfortunate. They would be a valuable asset to our team, that’s for
sure. Would you happen to know how to contact them? A phone number, perhaps?”

He was
sure that if the man wanted their phone number, he was powerful enough and had
enough connections that he could access it. Tyler shook his head and tried to
look disappointed. “No, I’m sorry.”

“Well
then, I guess we’ll have to just keep trying on our own. I’m sure we’ll find
them, eventually.” His words were casual, but his menacing tone was undeniable.

Tyler
didn’t respond, and Jesse finally broke the uncomfortable silence. “Well, I’m
sure that you would like to see your brother.” He turned to Henry. “Would you
like me to put him in the empty room next to Toby?”

“That
would be fine. Perhaps later this evening, Tyler, after you’ve had dinner and
have had a chance to see your brother, we may talk again.”

Tyler
smiled. “Sure. I’d like that.”

Jesse
stood to leave, and Tyler was happy to follow. Not only was he anxious to see
Toby, but he was ready to leave the vicinity of Henry’s uncomfortable,
speculative stare. Tyler knew that the man didn’t believe his story, but he was
also confident that Henry wouldn’t turn him out into the Mexican wilderness
either.

Just as
Tyler reached the door, Henry called out, “I’m sorry, Tyler. One more question,
if you don’t mind.”

Tyler
turned. “Yes?”

“You
mentioned Eddie, Liliana, and Grace. What about your friend Sarah? Where was
the last place you saw her?”

He
didn’t care if Henry believed him or not. He wasn’t about to give any
indication of Sarah’s whereabouts. She and her baby had to be protected at all
costs. “She wasn’t interested in coming with us. She stayed in Washington.”