Split Second

“Oh.” I had almost forgotten that my grandfather worked for the Bureau. There were a lot of things I didn’t remember about him. He had died ten years ago in the line of duty. I was sure the Compound didn’t want to let go of a hero, even if he was a dead one. I glanced at my closed door. “Dad took my flash drive.”

“I know. I’m trying to talk to him about that.”

“What does he have against it?”

“He’s always thought natural development was the best. We’ll figure something out soon, okay? Why don’t you get some sleep?”

“Okay. Good night, Mom.”

“Good night.”

An hour later, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, my brain buzzing. It wouldn’t let me rest. Two relatives have left the Compound, the man in the Tower had said. He had used the word left. As in, of their own will. That couldn’t possibly be referring to my dead grandma.

Scar-Face had slipped, and he knew it. It was hard to believe my dad had lied to me again, to my face like that, but it was the only thing that made sense. So who else was living out here? Someone related to my dad? Was it possible he had a sibling or something? I got up and listened outside my dad’s door. The deep, even breaths of sleep reverberated through the thin wood. Unlike Laila’s dad, mine was a very light sleeper. I had to try anyway.

The knob turned smoothly, but the hinges protested with a loud squeak as I pushed open the door. I paused, holding my breath. His breathing was still even. The thick carpet pushed between my bare toes as I stepped into the room. His phone still sat on the dresser. I just wanted to see the list of contacts he kept stored in it. All I could hear was my heart pumping blood in a swooshing rhythm. I tried to keep myself calm. I didn’t need my ability acting up right now.

I took the ten more steps to his phone and swiped it up before I could talk myself out of it. Then I swiftly walked out into the hall. I let myself recover for a minute and then took the stolen phone to the living room.

I slid my finger across the black screen, and four empty boxes appeared like a slap to the face. Oh yeah, password. Laila had made it look so easy when she’d stolen Poison’s number from her dad’s phone a few weeks ago.

What number combination would my dad use? I started with the four corners and the screen flashed red. I tried my birthday. Nothing. Then his birthday. And holding my breath, I tried my mom’s birthday. It didn’t work, and the phone locked me out for fifteen minutes. Great. This could take all night.

I was right. Two hours later I still couldn’t figure out the stupid password, and I had already fallen asleep twice on the arm of the couch. Now I was locked out again. I leaned my head on the arm and rested my eyes for just a minute. When I opened them again, the gray of early morning tinged the living room. Was I really going to have to wait until he decided to come clean?

I replaced my dad’s phone and went to bed.

CHAPTER 16

Laila: Is a guy touching my shoes a good enough reason to kill him?

The next day, Kalan showed up at my house. I opened the door, expecting her to say she’d changed her mind about wanting me to Erase someone’s memory. Instead she handed me an envelope. I looked inside. “Cash? You don’t want to use your card?”

She looked over her shoulder, then said, “It’s less traceable this way.”

I felt as seedy as my dad in that moment, and a shudder went through me.

“The list is in there too, but it’s not my fault Connor hasn’t claimed an ability.”

“What?” I pulled out the list and flipped through the pages until I found Connor Bradshaw. Next to his name it stated, “Unclaimed.”

“Maybe he doesn’t have an ability.”

My eyes shot to hers. “Of course he has an ability. He’s Para.”

She bit on her thumbnail. “Maybe he wasn’t born with the potential to develop one.”

I gave a single laugh that sounded shakier than I meant for it to. The statement touched a nerve. “Have you ever heard of that happening to anyone?”

“No. But I looked up his transcript, because I thought maybe I’d be able to tell his ability from the classes he’s in.”

“And could you?”

“Not really. He does awful in his Para classes but aces all his Norm classes. That boy has issues.”

“Obviously.” I refolded the list and shoved it back into the envelope. Useless.

“Anyway, I fulfilled my half of the bargain. Here’s your half.” She handed me a piece of paper with a name, address, and date on it. “His bedroom is on the second floor, second window on the right if you’re looking at his house from the front.”

“Parents? Siblings? Are they around a lot?”

“Yes. He lives with both his parents and has two sisters.” She shrugged when I sighed. “Good luck.”

“This won’t have anything to do with luck.”

She smiled. “And that’s why I asked you in the first place.”

I stared up at his window. He had just shut the blinds. Mike Petty. We were in the same science class. He seemed nice enough, but whatever. In and out with as few people involved as possible—that was the easiest way to Erase a memory. That meant no parents, no siblings.

The tree in front of his house seemed climbable had I been in the habit of climbing trees. I looked down at my feet. Why had I worn my heeled boots again?

I walked up to the tree and gave it a little kick with the pointy toe of my boot. The lowest branch was reachable, so I grabbed hold and tried to hoist myself up. My shoes slid all over the bark.

This wasn’t happening with shoes on. I unzipped my boots and pulled off my socks, leaving them at the bottom of the tree. The cold grass seeped into the bottom of my feet, causing goose bumps to form on my legs. I took a deep breath and reached up. Two scraped palms, one cut ankle, and many breathless curses later, I was perched on the branch closest to his window. I tapped on the glass.

Mike’s face appeared, and I waved. He opened the window. “Laila?”

“Let me in before I fall.”

He powered up the screen and reached out a hand for me. I let him help me inside.

“What are you doing here?” he asked once I stood inside his room. It was littered with clothes and smelled like moldy grass.

“I needed the winter break homework assignment for science.”

“And you couldn’t have called?”

“That would’ve been easier.”

He laughed and gave me a once-over.

“If you’re done looking, get it for me so I can go.” It would’ve been so much easier if his back were to me—if he were looking through his backpack or something. That way I could spend a little time rooting around for some older brain paths. The easiest memories to Erase were the most recent. Kalan wanted three weeks ago. I would have to count backward for that.

“And if I’m not done looking?” He took a step toward me.

I rolled my eyes. “Not happening.”

He took another step forward.

“Ugh.” I gave a frustrated sigh. “Seriously?” With an ability like mine, knowing how to make someone unconscious in under ten seconds came in handy when I needed time to get away after an Erase. I should’ve just used it right away.

I let him reach me. Even let him put his arm around my waist, then I pinched hard on the pressure point between his neck and shoulder, enhancing the effect with my ability to cut off brain connections, and he went down. I might’ve tried to soften the fall, but he deserved it.

I didn’t have to touch a person’s head to Erase their memories, but it made it easier. And because I had to concentrate a little harder for this one, making sure I got the right path, I placed my hands on his head. Three weeks ago. The short-term memories buzzed around, and I felt past them to the stored memories. It may have been harder to find and Erase long-term memories, but it was easier to cover them up. People generally didn’t notice when they forgot what happened on a certain day several weeks ago. It didn’t strike them as weird. Whereas if they lost the last five minutes, that was odd to them. I performed both kinds of wipes on Mike, because he couldn’t remember I was here.

I opened one of the magazines next to his bed and placed it next to him. Hopefully, he’d just think he fell asleep reading. It was why I’d waited until night to do this, so his brain would trick him into thinking he just forgot.

I took one last look at Mike’s unconscious form and then looked back at the window and my scraped palms. I should’ve held out for the five hundred dollars. I stepped out onto the branch, reached inside his window, and pushed the button to lower the screen. As it powered down, I held on to the branch above me and walked toward the trunk. When I reached it, I sat down to try to swing to the ground. That’s when I saw Connor standing at the bottom of the tree, holding my boots.

“I thought these looked familiar,” he said.

“You keep track of my shoes?”

“Mike is a customer.”

“That doesn’t explain the shoe fetish.” I sat on the branch. “Make yourself useful and catch me.” Without waiting for his answer, I pushed myself off the branch. I thought this might give me a clue as to what his ability was. The momentum of my fall knocked him over, but he softened my landing.

“Ouch,” he said, pushing me off and getting back to his feet. He brushed off his pants. “For someone who doesn’t trust me, you had no problem flinging yourself at me.”

“Flinging myself? Please. That didn’t require trust. I landed on you. It required aim.” I made sure to look at his face as I said, “Besides, I figured, with your ability, I’d be fine.”

His face gave away nothing, not even a hint of surprise or confusion. So did that mean he had an ability that would help him in a situation like that? What ability would that be? Time Manipulation? Maybe he could speed up his reaction time to things. I once heard of a guy who could increase the blood flow to his muscles, making himself stronger when he needed to. Maybe he had an obscure ability like that.

“You and Mike, huh?” He nodded toward the window.

“Ew. No.”

“Then what?”

“None of your business.”

Connor moved to the tree and reached up to the lowest branch.

“What are you doing here?” I asked. “Tracking me again?”

“Like I said, I have a delivery.”

“Might want to wait. He’s not exactly up for visitors right now.”

Connor climbed the tree like he was in the habit of climbing trees. I pulled on one boot and zipped it up, then used the tree to balance while I pulled on the other. I walked to my car, but before I had the chance to get in, Connor called out.

I turned to see him standing at the base of the tree. “What?”

“What did you do to him?”

“He’s fine. I’m surprised he’s not up already. Just a little pressure point.”

“Is he going to remember you were there?”

He knew my ability? Anger flared up in me. “Who told you?”