Split Second

He went silent. “What? It’s not a big deal. They didn’t do anything when Trevor found out the first time.”

“That’s because he found out on his own, idiot. It was an accident. This was intentional.”

“But they didn’t even believe me. Said they’d been monitoring her and had no proof of any breaches. So I told them I’d get them proof.”

“This is worse than you think. Beyond just a normal breach. They’ve been monitoring her because of Bobby.” I let out a frustrated sigh. “She’s basically on probation because Bobby said that she stole a piece of his ability.”

He cussed. “He’s lying.”

I wasn’t sure whether Bobby was lying. Addie did have an advanced ability that was beyond anything she’d ever had before. Maybe it was the result of Bobby. But unlike the DAA, I didn’t think it was a bad thing. “Well, they’re not going to think Bobby is lying at all. They’re going to think Addie knows exactly what she’s doing. How are you going to fix this?”

“I’m not. It’s done. But I’m very persuasive. I’ll make sure they don’t do anything drastic.”

“Well, that’s not good enough for me, Duke. You are not going to do this to Addie again. You are not going to use her and manipulate her just to make yourself happy. So you will either help us fix this or I will Erase every memory you have of her from your head the next time I see you.”

He was quiet for at least ten long seconds. Then he said, “I’ll meet you back at her house.”

I pointed to the exit sign that showed her exit, and Connor nodded and pulled off. I hung up on Duke. “We could be in for some trouble.”

He pulled to a stop at a crossroads.

“Three lights, then make a right.”

“I remember.”

Oh right. We’d just done this. I reached to the backseat and smacked my brother. “You ready for some action?”

He popped up like he always did, muttering nonsense. “I told him to stay in the cart.”

Connor raised one eyebrow at me.

“Yeah, his body wakes up before his brain. It’s very entertaining.”

Eli unbuckled his seat belt and started to get out of the car.

I pushed the auto door locks. “Whoa there, kid. We haven’t stopped yet.”

Connor pulled over. I unlocked the doors, and Eli got out.

“Am I in an alternate universe?” he asked.

“You could say that.” I hooked my arm in his elbow. “Come on, little bro. I have a best friend to save.”

He gave a happy sigh. “Addie.” My brother had the biggest crush on her.

“I do not,” he objected to my thoughts.

We walked up the pathway to the front door. I raised my hand to knock, when I realized how late it was and how hard it was going to be to explain our arrival to her dad.

“Window?” Connor asked, one step ahead of me. Eli was finally up and alert, and he followed us around the back to Addie’s window. I knocked softly. Nobody came.

“Do you think she’s okay? What if the CC has her?”

Connor didn’t answer, just knocked again, harder.

Addie parted the curtains. She was wearing a fancy dress and looked like she expected us to be someone else. Her eyes went wide, then she opened the window. “What are you doing here?”

I summarized how Duke had screwed us all over.

“What are we going to do?” she asked.

“Maybe your dad can help us.”

She gave a laugh. “My dad? I don’t think he’ll look kindly on all the rules I’ve broken.” She bit her lip. “Maybe my grandpa can help us. He doesn’t trust the Compound at all. He’ll probably know what to do.”

“Can you sneak out?”

She opened the window wider and popped out the screen. “Yes. My dad doesn’t even know I’m home yet.”

I called Duke as we walked back to the car. “Change of plans. Meet us at her grandpa’s house.

Duke was in the hall when we arrived, his elbows on his knees, looking like he actually felt bad. Maybe I wouldn’t have to kick him too hard. He stood up as we walked toward him.

I crossed my arms. “Ah, here’s the charming ex-boyfriend who recorded you and let the CC listen in.”

“Well, technically, I didn’t let them listen in, I forwarded the recording to them after we . . .” He trailed off when he obviously realized by the look on Addie’s face that technicalities weren’t important to her. “I’m sorry.”

She took a deep breath. “That was over an hour ago. Why aren’t they looking for me yet?”

He shrugged. “Who knows?”

I was proud of the cold look she gave him when she knocked on the door.

Her grandfather answered, his eyes weary. I recognized him from a few pictures I’d seen around Addie’s house.

“Sorry for waking you up. We have an emergency we were hoping you could help us with.”

“Of course. Anything.” He held the door open wider, and we walked inside. “Let me get you all something to drink, then you can tell me about it. Have a seat.”

“Addie’s grandpa is young,” Connor whispered.

“I guess,” I said, as I watched the white hair on the back of his head disappear out of the room. He seemed grandpa age to me. Maybe Connor’s grandpa was ancient.

Connor moved to the coffee table to look at some of the ridiculous modified devices. Just when I was about to tell him they were the handiwork of a crazy man, he pulled out his pocket knife and started unscrewing the back of a little black box with one of the tool attachments. Whatever. He could play.

“Can I borrow your phone? I need to try Trevor again.”

I handed her my phone. “Yes, he should be here.”

“Do you think . . .” She got a panicked look on her face. “You think the CC is taking care of him first?” She didn’t even wait for my answer, just dialed.

Connor settled in at my side, pulled me close by the front pocket of my jeans, and said under his breath, “Something’s not right here.” He held up his hand, and resting on his palm was a small chip.

“What is that?”

“A high-tech listening device. Compound-made. I got it out of that black box on the table.” He looked around. “Where did Grandpa go again?”

Right at that moment, her grandpa walked back in, carrying a few glasses of ice water. My vision blurred, and I blinked a few times until he came back into focus.

He smiled. “Here’s the first round. Let me go grab two more.” He set the waters on the coffee table and left.

Connor was right. Something wasn’t right here, and I couldn’t figure out what. I just knew that I had never felt a stronger desire to leave a place. So strong, I thought maybe Duke was projecting his feelings. A quick glance confirmed my suspicions—he looked uneasy as well.

“I thought you said he was a Healer,” Eli whispered.

“He is,” I said.

“I could hear his thoughts loud and clear.”

“And what was he thinking?” I asked.

Addie and Duke must’ve overheard our conversation, because they took a few steps closer for the answer.

“He thought, ‘My backup better get here soon. I can’t contain all of them.’”

My eyes darted to Connor. “Does that mean he’s not a Healer after all?”

“I think that’s the least of our worries. We better go.”

Almost as if on cue, we all headed for the front door. Addie’s grandfather stepped in front of it from a side hall.

“Where are you going?”

“My dad is expecting me,” Addie said. “It’s late.” It wasn’t even eleven-thirty, but the late excuse was a good one.

“I’ll call him and tell him where you are.”

“Okay,” she said, obviously trying to buy us time.

I watched for his reaction to that, and my tired vision went blurry again. No. It wasn’t my vision that was going blurry at all. I remembered Face and the little patch on his cheek that was always fuzzy no matter what face he wore. This was a different presentation of that same weakness. “You’re a Perceptive.”

I hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but it came to me like a lightning strike and I couldn’t hold it in. The face of Addie’s grandfather faded away to the dark-haired man we had seen in his apartment last time we were here.

Addie threw her hand over her mouth with a gasp.

Oh. That’s why Connor thought he looked young. He was. I hadn’t realized that a Perceptive couldn’t alter Connor’s vision. No wonder Face had to trust him.

The man locked the door and entered a code into a keypad next to it. “Sit down,” he said. “All of you.”

CHAPTER 39

Addie: On the count of three, run.

The dark-haired man we had seen the other night and who had come to my house with Scar-Face stood before us.

“What have you done with my grandpa?”

“I’ve done nothing with your grandpa. I believe your father is still trying to get clearance to move his grave here.”

My heart felt like it wanted to stop. That or burst out of my chest. I remembered the name in my father’s phone attached to this address. And the name my father had introduced him as in my own living room. Why hadn’t I made the connection before? “Brett Miller.”

He only smirked. I felt so stupid. Of course my dad had the CC contacts for this area in his cell phone.

“Why would you do that to me? You gave me my grandfather back only to take him away again?”

“We’re going to Erase these memories of your grandfather. He was part of your test. We needed to make sure you were loyal to the Compound. He offered you a safe place to divulge secrets, so we could tell if you were averse to authority. It’s a shame. You were so close to passing. But then something changed.” He looked at Duke.

“I thought my father was lying to me.”

“We are going to Erase it,” he said again, as if that made everything okay.

“Do you have no conscience?” Laila asked. “You made her think her grandfather was still alive.”

Considering how awful I felt, I was tempted to tell Agent Miller to get it over with. Erase the reincarnation of my grandfather from my mind. Erase this whole experience from my mind. But I knew I couldn’t. I needed to remember this. Remember what awful lengths the Compound was willing to go to. Taking away the memory of pain didn’t keep a person from having to suffer through it.

“Your whole plan would’ve blown up in your face if I had told my dad.”

“But you didn’t, did you?” He smiled, like his statement meant more than he was saying. “My partner helps people make good decisions.”

Connor gave a disgusted grunt. “She was Persuaded not to.”

“I was Persuaded not to?” I had to repeat the statement because I couldn’t believe it. Scar-Face was a Persuasive. “But then why did you warn Trevor and me that the CC was waiting for us then, that one day we were here?”