Indigo Incite (The Indigo Trilogy) (27 page)

Jesse
released his arm and looked squarely at Tyler. “If you and your brother are up
to something, you won’t get away with it, so don’t bother trying anything.”

Tyler
shook his head. “We aren’t up to anything.”

“For
your sake, I hope not. I like you two. I’d hate to see anything bad happen to
you.”

“Understood,”
Tyler said and smiled. “Do you think you could help me down to the nurse now?”

*****

Two
hours later, right on cue, Rebecka informed Toby that the guard was out for the
count.

You’re
sure?
Tyler heard
his brother ask silently from his room.

Positive
, Rebecka thought.
I’m standing in
the control room right behind him. He’s out good.

You
didn’t give him too much of the stuff, did you?
Toby asked.

Hmmm…I
hope not. I wonder how much I was supposed to give him?

Are
you serious?

Tyler
heard a chuckle in her thoughts.
No I read the directions on the bottle. I
gave him just the right amount. Don’t worry. Now hurry up and get down here.
I’ll meet you at the bottom of the stairs.

Even
though Tyler could have easily unlocked the door with a simple touch, it was
faster to use the access card that had remained hidden in his shoe throughout
the day. The plastic card served a dual purpose; it would open any door within
the compound and, when inserted into Henry’s computer, would grant them access
to his records and files.

Within
moments, Tyler was out. He released Toby from his room as well, and a minute
later they met Rebecka outside of the security room. From there, they followed
her up the stairs, to Henry’s office.

When
they reached the door, Toby whispered, “You don’t think Henry will still be in
his office, do you?”

“No, he
always goes home after lights out,” Rebecka whispered back. “There are others
who might be in their offices though, so we need to hurry and get inside,
before anyone sees us.”

Tyler
pulled out the access card and ushered everyone in. Then he slid the door shut
and looked around. “I’ll work on getting logged into the computer. Why don’t
you guys check out the file cabinets and see if there’s anything worthwhile.
Rebecka, we’re going to need a flash drive. Do you have any idea where I might
find one?”

“Yeah,
there should be something in his desk. Let me see what I can find.”

Tyler
inserted the access card and entered the password, and suddenly a world of
information awaited him. Now he just needed to figure out where to go.

“I found
a flash drive,” Rebecka announced. “Here ya go.”

“Thanks.”
He accepted the small device and inserted it. “Now then, what sort of information
should I be looking for?”

Toby and
Rebecka peered over Tyler’s shoulders.

“I would
start with the access list,” Rebecka said. “Anytime someone uses their access
card, their entry gets documented. The list will show who entered the compound
and when they entered. There are some people who might not want the public to
know that they were here.”

“Perfect,”
Toby said.

“Okay,
what next?” Tyler asked after the access list had been downloaded.

“Well,”
Rebecka said, “besides the CIA, I know there are other groups and individuals
who provide funding for their own gains and purposes. They wouldn’t want a list
like that to become public knowledge.”

It took
a few minutes, but Tyler eventually found what they were looking for. Not only
did the list include dignitaries from other countries, it also included certain
politicians and a few celebrities.

He saved
the list of names to the flash drive and then noticed a folder labeled,
‘tunnels.' After he clicked on it, his eyes widened when he realized that the
new page contained a list of hidden tunnel locations and their corresponding
passwords. Not surprisingly, Edwards Air Force Base was among the list. Another
click and Tyler opened maps of the underground locations. With a few more
clicks, the tunnels folder was also saved. “You never know when access might
come in handy, again,” he explained. “And I’m sure they wouldn’t be happy if
proof of the tunnel locations became public knowledge.”

“Good
thinking,” Toby said. “See if you can find the list with our names on it. If
other people on the list start to go missing, it could spread suspicion toward
the agency.”

Tyler
located and downloaded the list. He found their names, along with Eddie,
Liliana, Grace, and Sarah, and at least fifty others. He also downloaded a few
interesting emails—emails he was certain the agency wouldn’t want falling into
the wrong hands.

He
removed the flash drive and held it up. “I think we have more than enough
information here to secure our safety.”

“So what
happens next?” Rebecka asked.

“Eddie should
arrive with the Federales in the morning. Before they get here, we need to make
Henry aware that we have this information. And then, in theory, we just need to
sit back and wait until Henry and his friends are detained."

Tyler
removed the access card from the computer and placed it in his pocket with the
flash drive.

“Can you
think of anything else we should do before we go?” Toby asked.

“Nope,”
Tyler replied. “I think we’ve done enough damage for one evening.”

His
brother spun toward the door and stared with intent. “Shh, someone’s coming.”

Rebecka
looked up and turned an ear to listen. “Are you sure? I don’t hear anyone.”

“I don’t
hear him either, but I can see him, in my mind. There’s a man who just walked
into an office down the hall. Would anyone else have reason to come in here
besides Henry?”

“No, I
don’t think so.”

“He went
into a room a few doors down. Come on. Let’s get out of here before he comes
out, again.”

Toby
peered into the hall to ensure that it was clear and then ushered Tyler and Rebecka
out of Henry’s office. He closed the door, but before they could turn for the
stairs, they were stopped by a muffled noise that came from a room down the
hall.

Tyler
looked down the hall; every instinct told him that he should run. They still
might have time to sprint down the stairs and remain undetected, but for some unknown
reason, he stood frozen—not from fear, but from curiosity. He saw that Toby was
equally as curious.

“What
are you two waiting for?” Rebecka whispered. “Come on.”

“Whoever’s
down there…I feel like we know him,” Toby said.

“Yeah,
well, whoever it is, you don’t want him to catch you here, do you?”

Before
they had time to contemplate further, they heard a door open. They stood
motionless, afraid to breathe, as they watched a man step into the hall. His
back was to them, but he seemed oddly familiar.

“It
can’t be,” Toby said.

“Is it?”
Tyler asked.

“Who?
Who is he?” Rebecka whispered.

The man
turned toward them then, and he appeared just as shocked at their appearance as
Tyler felt.

“It’s
Dad,” the twins said in unison.

With
strong-willed insistence, the girls conquered the battle of dinner selection.
They would not be eating in their motel room.

“We’ve
spent a week hiding from the IIA, and now you want to throw that all away by
parading yourselves in public?” Eddie had argued when the girls proposed that
they go to the restaurant located on the bottom floor of their motel.

“Do you
really think a tracker is going to be looking for us
here
?” Grace had
retorted. “This is probably the last place they would expect us to be. And
besides, if they are looking for us, they’re going to find us whether we’re in
a motel room or in a restaurant. We’d actually have a better chance to escape
out in the open. If they come to our motel room, there’s no other exit except
for the door.”

“She
does have a point,” Liliana had agreed.

Eddie
had made an attempt to look serious but failed horribly when he tried to hide a
smile. “Why do I feel like I don’t have a choice?”

Grace
had grinned. “Because, you don’t. Come on. It’ll be fun. This might be the last
night that the three of us get to spend together. Don’t you want to have a
little fun?”

As the
only male in the group, and the eldest of the three, Eddie felt a weight of
responsibility to keep the girls safe. At the same time, he had to admit that a
couple of hours spent downstairs, did sound more appealing than sitting in
their cockroach-infested, rundown motel room.

“Fine,”
he had agreed. “But, Grace, if you get any visions or feelings that something
might be wrong, you have to promise that we’ll leave right away.

“Does
that mean we can go?” Her eyes twinkled with merriment, and he couldn’t help
but smile in return.

“Do you
promise
?”

“Of
course. I’m not stupid. I promise, if anyone even looks at us cross-eyed, we’ll
get out of there. Is that good enough for you?”

“Until
we’re all safe, it will never be good enough, but I guess it will have to do.”

“Thank
you! Let me get changed and then we can go.” She turned to Liliana. “I have a
couple of dresses in my bag. They might be a little long, but otherwise they
should fit. Would you like to borrow one?”

“Sure,
thanks.” She examined the dresses Grace had laid out on the bed. “I don’t know
how you have such a wide assortment of clothes. I just packed enough to fit in
my small bag. I feel like I’ve been wearing the same clothes for days.”

“That’s
only because I packed for a vacation to Florida. I planned to lay out by the
pool every afternoon and hang out with my boyfriend every evening.”

Their
conversation piqued his attention, and he turned to Grace with interest. “You
have a boyfriend?” He shouldn’t be surprised. After all, Grace was stunning.
She probably had a handful of guys lined up and waiting back home.

Grace
had looked slightly embarrassed, and it was obvious that she didn’t want to
answer. “Um…yeah. I mean, we’re dating, and I call him my boyfriend, but he
really isn’t more than just a friend. You know? I just don’t feel that…spark.”

“Well,
give it time. Sometimes the best relationships start out as just a friendship.”

“Yeah…maybe.”
She had promptly changed the subject and then excused herself to the bathroom
to change.

So now
he sat on the edge of the bed and waited for the girls to ‘pretty up,' as Grace
had explained. He contemplated the fact that she had a boyfriend. He found that
he was both jealous and relieved and couldn’t decide which emotion was
stronger. He couldn’t deny that she was gorgeous and fun to be around, but a
relationship with Grace could never work. For one, there was no way her parents
would approve of a long-distance relationship with a college student from
another state. There was also the fact that he couldn’t shake off the
attraction he felt to Sarah. He knew that she was married, and he had no desire
to break up her marriage; but nevertheless, the draw to her was there and it
wouldn’t go away. It wouldn’t be fair to Grace if he was with her, but his
thoughts were of Sarah.

Then he
reminded himself that Jenna waited back home. He needed to decide if he would
ask her out when he returned.

Life had
been easier when his sole focus had been on school. Just a week ago, he had
been concerned with his research project and had told himself that he wouldn’t
get involved with a girl until he was finished. Now, only a week later, three
girls occupied his mind. How had that happened?

*****

The
moment they entered the restaurant, all eyes turned to the beautiful blond and
the exotic Chinese girl, who were both donning flattering, form-fitting
dresses. Eddie’s protective instincts kicked into overdrive; he stepped between
the two, placed a possessive hand around each girl’s waist, and steered them to
a table in the corner. His body language and facial expression stated that the
girls were his, and no one ought to get any ideas.

The town
wasn’t exactly a hot tourist location, and it appeared that they were the only
Americans in the restaurant. The tables were filled with some families but
mostly men who looked like they had just gotten off of a long day of work on
the farm, men who would like nothing better than to befriend the beautiful
girls. He began to question the legitimacy of his agreement to eat out; perhaps
room service would have been a better idea after all.

Grace
placed a hand on his forearm. “Relax. Look, there’s no sign of any trackers.
We’re fine, and the place looks fun. See? They’re getting ready to start a
band, and there’s a dance floor. Let’s just enjoy dinner, okay?”

“Yeah…it’s
not trackers that I’m worried about,” he mumbled. But then he saw the happiness
written on her face and didn’t want to spoil the mood. “You’re right. We’re
here. We might as well have fun.”

After
the waitress took their orders, the girls watched the band set up on stage.
Eddie brooded over the conversation that would take place in the morning, with
the Federales. He had gone over the dialogue in his head, visualized how it
would play out, and considered various questions they might ask. He hoped that
he was prepared.

Liliana
tapped his shoulder. “What did he say?”

Snapped
out of his musing, he turned to her. “Who?”

“The guy
at the microphone.”

“Oh, um,
it sounds like their fiddle player is out tonight, so he apologized that they
might sound a little off.”

Liliana
turned to Grace. “You play the violin, don’t you? Isn’t that kinda like a
fiddle?”

“Um,
sort of. I guess so. I’m not going to get up there and play, though. I don’t
know any Mexican music.”

“Oh,
that’s too bad. It would have been fun to hear you play.”

Their
food arrived a few minutes later, and while they ate, they listened to the band
and watched patrons take to the dance floor.

Grace
tapped her foot to the music and grinned at Eddie. “This is fun. Aren’t you
glad that we came? Much better than sitting in a motel room.”

“It is
fun,” Eddie agreed. “Though I think the band would sound a little better if
they had a fiddle player.” He winked at Liliana.

“Oh,
absolutely,” Liliana caught on. “A little bit of fiddle music is exactly what
they need.”

Grace
laughed. “I told you, I don’t know any Mexican songs.”

“Haven’t
you noticed that they’ve played some American music, too? Maybe you know some
of the same songs.”

Grace
didn’t respond and looked toward the stage.

Eddie
took advantage of her hesitation, grabbed her hand, and pulled her to her feet.
“Come on.”

“Where
are we going?”

“I’ll
introduce you to the band.” He hauled her to the front of the room before she
could argue.

He
waited until their song ended and then beckoned the guitar player to the edge
of the stage. He explained in Spanish that Grace was his friend from the U.S.
and that she would love to join in and play the fiddle.

The band
leader looked Grace up and down, and for a moment, he wondered at the wisdom of
putting her on stage. He immediately explained that Grace was his girlfriend
and let him know, in no uncertain terms, that she was his and his alone.

“I
understand,” the man told him, in Spanish. “I will guard her as if she were my
own daughter.”

“Thank
you.”

“Can she
sing?”

Eddie
looked at Grace, who waited patiently, with a smile on her face. He knew she
hadn't understood a word they'd said. “I have no idea, but it wouldn’t surprise
me.”

“Ah,
well then, maybe we can get her to sing for us, too.”

She
nudged his arm with her elbow. “What did you say to him?”

“I said
that you’re very happy to help them out.”

“Oh,
well, okay then. He doesn’t mind?”

“No.
He’s happy that you’re willing to play.”

The man
presented Grace with a wide grin that revealed several missing teeth. He
offered her a hand and in Spanish said, “We will be honored for you to join
us.”

She
looked blankly at Eddie for translation.

He nudged
her in return. “Go ahead.”

She
accepted the band leader’s hand and he pulled her up, onto the stage. He then
handed her the fiddle, and she tried it out to get a feel for it. Apparently
pleased, he grinned and spoke to her in broken English. “Do you…know…Elvis,
'Jailhouse Rock'?”

“You
speak English?”

“Only
little.”

“Yeah, I
know 'Jailhouse Rock'.”

He
smiled. “Good.”

Eddie
called up to her, “I’ll be right back there at the table with Liliana. Have
fun!”

She
looked uncertain but managed a weak smile. “Um…okay.”

He
resumed his seat and turned his chair so that he faced the stage. When the band
leader announced that Grace would join the band for the evening, the men at the
table nearest to them whooped and hollered.

One of
the men turned to him. “That’s your girl?”

“She
is.” His clear, firm response left little question in the matter.

“She’s
very pretty.”

“Yes.
Yes she is,” Eddie agreed.

Their
discussion stopped then when the band started up. The song was sung in heavily
accented Spanish, but it was still enjoyable. Eddie wasn’t surprised that Grace
had an impressive talent for the fiddle. She looked natural onstage, even out
of place as she was, with a bunch of Mexican guys in cowboy boots.

“I hope
you don’t mind my saying so, but I can see that you like her,” Liliana said.
“Your aura seems different tonight.”

“I’m
just trying to make sure that she’s safe. I’m looking out for you, too. I feel
responsible for you both.”

“Oh, I
get that, and I appreciate it. I do. There’s something else though. When you’re
around her, I sense that you like her, but you don’t want to admit it. Am I
right?”

Eddie
was silent for a moment as he thought about the truth behind her words. She had
seen right through him and had hit the nail on the head. The band started another
song, and he turned to watch with rapt interest so that he wouldn’t have to immediately
answer her question.

“I don’t
want to hurt her,” he said finally. He turned to Liliana. “If Grace thought
there might be a chance for her and me, she would get her hopes up. I don’t
want to disappoint her. The odds that it would ever work out between us are
slim to none. Like I said before, I’m trying to keep her safe, not just
physically, but emotionally, too.”

“Relationships
are never a sure thing, but I’ve always believed that it’s best to follow your
heart. If the two of you are meant to be together, it will find a way to work
itself out.”

“You’re
right, but what if we aren’t meant to be together? Just because two people like
each other doesn’t necessarily mean that they should be together.”

“But you
admit that you
do
like her?”

He
shrugged. “Yeah, I do. I’ll admit it. But, life is going to go on. I have a
life to get back to and so does she. Long-distance relationships never work
out.” Eddie sucked in his breath when he saw Liliana’s reaction to his words.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I’m sure that you and Tyler will stay together.
You two are obviously meant for each other.”

“You
think so?”

“Of
course. I can’t see auras, but I imagine yours lights up when you’re around
him. I can definitely see it in your face, the way you smile at him, and the
way he smiles at you, too. The two of you seem natural together. It’s like
you’ve been friends for years and not just a couple of days.”

“That’s
exactly how I feel. I feel like I’ve known him forever. I hope that we can find
a way to still see each other once this is all over. Who knows where he’ll end
up. If the state thinks he’s a runaway, do you think they’ll lock him up?”