Chapter 4, Part 2
1779 Words
Surrey, United Kingdom.
February 11th, 2138.
*
Valeria POV
I stifled a yawn and tried to focus on the Maths class that had been going on forever. The rest of the class seemed just as bored as I was, and I found myself staring out the window instead.
A black car parked in front of the school and I instantly tensed, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of my stomach. I saw Sam Grayson, Mr Sampson’s assistant, get out of the car and hurriedly walk inside the school. Sam and I had met several times, and I really liked her. She was in charge of the tech department in the division that Mr Sampson was the leader of, and even though she was fascinated by my powers, she never made me feel exploited or used.
I looked up when the door to the classroom opened and the principal poked his head in.
“Valeria, there’s someone here to see you.”
The entire class turned their heads to me, and I started packing up my school books. When I left the classroom, I saw Sam waiting outside. I instantly could tell that something was wrong. She looked really flushed and stressed, like she had been running or something.
“What’s wrong?” I asked in alarm.
“I’m sorry to disturb you like this, Valeria.” Sam said, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. “I just didn’t know what else to do.”
“It’s okay.” I replied. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Eric.” She said. “He’s in a lot of trouble.”
I gulped and glanced at the principal.
“The kind of trouble that needs a special kind of help?” I asked cryptically.
Sam nodded.
“It’s very public though.” She whispered.
I fell silent for a moment, digesting what she was saying.
Mr Sampson was in trouble and needed me to use my powers where people could see it.
“Do you know what you’re asking me to do?” I mumbled.
Sam nodded.
“You are in every right to say no.” She replied. “I wanted to give you the chance to decide for yourself. But I know that it comes with a price for you.”
I looked up at her with determination in my eyes.
“I don’t care.” I replied. “He’s done nothing but help me, never asking anything in return. Now it’s time for me to help him.”
Sam grinned and hugged me.
“Thank you.” She whispered in my ear. “We don’t have much time.”
She turned to the principal and showed her ID, telling him that she needed to take me out of school for a few days, and that she already talked to my parents, and if he needed to confirm that, he could just call them. Then she took my hand and we started running out of the building.
Sam quickly drove us to Heathrow where a private plane was waiting for us. I stared at it with eyes wide as saucers since I had never seen such a plane before.
Immediately when we sat down, Sam started to give me some details as to what was really going on.
“The new NATO building has been taken over by a group called Libertas.” She explained. “Eric and I were there to deliver a flash drive with some very sensitive information. The kind that could be life threatening if it gets into the wrong hands. Eric was carrying it in a briefcase locked with a passcode only he knew, and the briefcase was designed with a failsafe, so that if anyone entered the wrong passcode three times or tried to open the case by breaking it, it would destroy the flashdrive.”
“So Eric is the only one that can open it.” I said.
Sam nodded.
“Libertas operatives stormed the building and started taking people hostage.” She replied. “It’s been two hours, and from what I’ve been told, they are still silent. They haven’t responded to any attempts at contact and they haven’t given any demands.”
“Do you actually know that he’s still alive?” I asked.
Sam shook her head.
“They haven’t given any proof of life. “She replied. “But they seemed to know exactly where Eric was going to be with the briefcase, and they are probably careful not to make any rash decisions before they are able to open the case.”
I tensed as the plane took off and stared at Sam.
“That could mean that they are trying to force him to open the case.” I whispered.
Sam sighed.
“I know.” She whimpered. “It’s been two and a half hours already, and I don’t really want to think about what they are doing to him.”
We sat in silence for a moment, and I saw how shaken up Sam seemed.
“How are you holding up?” I asked.
Sam glared out the window.
“I should never have left the room.” She muttered. “I should be in there with him.”
“I don’t think he would want that.” I replied.
“But still.” She huffed.
I smiled softly.
“Have you told him?” I asked.
“What?” Sam asked.
“That you’re in love with him”. I replied.
Sam’s eyes widened and her face turned red.
“I-I respect him.” She stammered. “He’s my boss, and we’ve worked together for a long time.”
“But you want more?” I pushed.
Sam pursed her lips and I chuckled.
“Sorry.” I said. “I still haven’t learned when the questions I’m asking are weird. It’s none of my business.”
Sam smiled.
“It’s okay.” She replied. “It’s just not worth it. He’s really professional with me, so I have no idea if he feels the same way, and besides, if we got together, we couldn’t work together anymore.”
“Conflict of interest?” I asked.
She nodded.
We waited impatiently for the plane to land, and we raced by car to the NATO headquarters. They had put up riot fences a block away from the building, and a large crowd had gathered, trying to get a glimpse of what was going on. Our car was let through once Sam showed her ID and they glanced questioningly at me before letting us through.
When Sam parked the car, I looked at all the police and military personnel running about, everyone on high alert.
Someone came running towards us when we got out of the car, and I vaguely recognized him.
“Still nothing new.” He said to Sam and smiled at me. “Hi Valeria. You probably don’t remember me, but I was on the team that found you in the factory.”
I smiled when I remembered that he was the one that had shot Master Dryden before he could execute me.
“I remember.” I replied. “I owe you my life.”
He shrugged.
“Just doing my job.” He replied.
He gestured to a table where a group of people who seemed to be commanders or leaders were discussing something. We walked up to them and Sam cleared her throat to get their attention.
“May I suggest another plan?” She asked and gestured to me. “I went to get some help, and I think she can help us get into the building.”
They all looked at me up and down and one of them started laughing.
”Now is not the time for jokes, Grayson.” He replied.
”She’s a f*cking kid.” A woman grumbled.
I ignored them and walked up to the table where I saw a map of the building. A hand tried to push me back, but I grabbed it and glared at the man.
“Do. Not. Make. Me. Move.” I said, a warning in my tone.
He seemed taken aback by my cold protest, and I took advantage of that to look at the map again.
“This is outrageous.” A third man said and slammed his fist on the table. “Leave! All of you.”
We all froze when the phone rang. A man answered and everyone waited silently during the conversation.
“They just made their demands.” He said. “They want an exit, and they said that they are taking a hostage with them, they didn’t really seem too keen on giving him back.”
Sam and I looked at each other. It was evident that they were talking about Eric.
Suddenly one of the men realized that we were still listening.
“Are you deaf?” He bellowed. “Get out of here!”
I smiled coldly at him and pulled Sam and Lieutenant Matthews away from there.
“What do you think?” Sam asked. “We can’t just sit back and let them handle this?”
I shook my head absentmindedly when I looked at the design of the building.
It was standing in the middle of a large square, surrounded by cobblestone bricks. There was quite the distance to the next building, and it was too far to reach from any of the surrounding buildings.
I crouched down on the ground and placed my palm against the cold asphalt as I scanned the ground around the building. Several minerals I didn’t recognize, but something instantly piqued my interest. Small packs of explosives around the perimeter.
Mines.
And something told me they had been armed.
“There are mines along the edge of the building.” I whispered to myself and turned to Lieutenant Matthews. “According to the map they were looking at, there is less security on the top floor, and they probably await an attack from the ground. Can you get in through the roof if I help you get up there? I can create a distraction from the ground so that they will focus on me, and you can rescue Mr Sampson.”
He nodded.
“I can get my team ready.” He said and I nodded.
He walked away to two men and a woman dressed in tactical military gear, and Sam turned to me.
“What kind of distraction are you planning?”
I smirked while I loosened the tie on my school uniform.
“I have something special in mind.”
- Writer
