It was Ben.
Chapter 91
Ben's Story
Emma’s heart rate was elevated when she fell into my arms.
I didn’t expect this kind of greeting and wasn’t prepared for the reaction my human body disclosed. Outwardly, I was awkward, afraid to touch her. My palms got clammy, and my breathing accelerated. Inside, I wanted nothing more than to hold her and sweep away her fear, to tell her who I was.
“Sorry.” She pulled back. Tears flowed down her cheeks.
“Hey… what’s going on?” I asked in the most soothing voice I could muster, given the hybrids nearby. Molly, disguised as an older woman, detained them momentarily. She kept her identity hidden, so as not to scare them away prematurely.
“These… these…” she whimpered before wiping her eyes and clearing her throat. “I’m sorry. It’s just that my phone died, I was lost… and then, these guys started following me. I… I was scared. That’s all.” She gave a weak smile, but I heard her thoughts when my hand rested on her arm. She was happy to see me, and it wasn’t just because of the situation.
I looked to the group of hybrids crossing the parking lot. They stood tall and confident, walking in a pack with the biggest one in the middle, slightly ahead of the other two. I nodded in their direction. “These the guys?”
She glanced at them. “Yes.”
“Go inside and wait for me.”
She nodded, and I watched her until she was safely in the restaurant. Molly remained in disguise, lingering between two buildings and near a portal, a safe distance away.
“Hey. The girl’s with us,” one of the hybrids called to me. The balls of these guys, I thought. Not that it surprised me.
I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
“Yeah? Well, I do,” the blond-haired one answered as he moved closer to me.
A dozen agents that Molly summoned surrounded the hybrids in inconspicuous spots around the parking lot. Three were atop the two-story building next door, a handful were hidden between cars, and some were crouched behind bushes lining the parking lot. Several were even in plain sight on the sidewalk and in the restaurant.
What are you doing here? I asked in a frequency they would be able to hear. And what do you want with the girl?
The tall one, clearly the alpha by his position of lead hybrid amongst his two flanking rank, stopped mid-stride. Something’s wrong, he said to his buddies. He glanced around, not knowing the voice came from me.
You’re right. Something’s wrong. Where’s Victor?
With the mention of his name, the alpha hybrid nodded and the three dispersed in opposite directions, my team in pursuit. Frankly, I was getting tired of chasing hybrids, but I knew we needed to capture these guys. The tall one was not here to warn us like the one back in London.
This one was out to kill.
***
Emma watched from the window in McDonald’s entry. As I approached her and our eyes met, she smiled. It made leaving my team in London worthwhile.
“Hungry?” I asked.
She hesitated, but I insisted. Having held her in my arms minutes earlier, I knew her last meal was pancakes her aunt made for breakfast.
“So what are you doing here?” she asked after we got our food and sat down in a booth. “In Evanston, I mean. I thought Claire said you had some family thing.” She took a bite of her chicken salad.
“We did. Have some family thing. In Libertyville. My buddy and I are headed to a party down the street.” I nodded toward a couple at a booth on the other side of the restaurant. “And you? How did you get lost here in Evanston?”
I listened intently to her story. When she finished, I suggested calling Lucas and began to dial before she could protest.
“Lucas. How are ya?” I said when he answered. “I heard you’re here in Evanston. You with TJ and Drew?”
“No, they went back already. Where you at?”
“I’m just getting a burger, but I’m headed to a party in a few.”
“Oh. Yeah. We’re headed to the city now. To some club.”
“Really? That’s cool. Who’s with you?” I asked.
“Trent and some buddies of Ray’s. You know? My stepdad. This guy’s got some club downtown and doesn’t care that we’re minors. You wanna come?”
Tracking what Lucas was up to interested me, but when Emma’s eyes met mine, it didn’t matter. “Yeah, hey. I’d love to. But I’ve got friends waiting for me. Oh. And hey, I’ve got Emma here. She’s been looking for you. Her phone died or something. Here she is,” I said, handing over the phone.
Lucas was hanging out with his stepdad’s buddies. Something wasn’t right about that.
On it, Molly said in response to my thoughts. I didn’t even have time to issue orders.
You shouldn’t be doing fieldwork, I retorted. Then again, I camouflaged her from the action in London, so she likely didn’t realize the full impact of her exposure.
Let it go, Ben. I know about the hybrid in London.
I should’ve known the girls would talk. I’d prefer you let tracking agents follow Lucas. You need to go back to Wisconsin, or at least meet Emma and I at the safe house. She sneered. Okay, fine. Do it your way. But I’m going on record as having directed against it.
Parker? Jorgenson’s thoughts interrupted our conversation. Commander E agrees with you, but there’s no other available agent with Molly’s experience. Bianca and Claire have subdued the hybrid in London and are detaining him now. By all expectations, we believe Victor to be in London, so if Molly’s up for it, let her do it.
Yes, sir, I said, knowing I already lost the battle.
I ignored Emma’s conversation with Lucas. He’d let her down. At least I wasn’t the one to break the news he was a loser.
Lucas did it himself.
Chapter 92
Emma's Story
Lucas was a jerk.
“I called you, and you didn’t answer. Emma, they were my ride. I had to go,” he said.
I shouldn’t have trusted him. And the worst part was that I couldn’t even complain to Aunt Barb about what happened since I wasn’t supposed to be here. What if I wouldn’t have run into Ben? I mean, really? Lucas just left, when I was on my way to meet him?
“Look, we’re at a house just a few blocks from the bar. We can come get you,” he said, then added, “if you want.”
“No, thanks,” I answered and hung up. I was steaming mad, and Lucas knew it. Even if Ben couldn’t take me back to my car in Highland Park, I knew there were trains running most of the night. I just had to get back to the Davis Street station, that was all. I picked at my salad, as Ben finished his burger. I wasn’t hungry anymore.
The couple Ben knew on the opposite side of the restaurant glanced our way. “Looks like they’re ready to go,” Ben said. The auburn-haired girl smiled back, and the guy nodded. They looked to be about our age, or maybe a little older.
“Oh.” It suddenly dawned on me that he wasn’t here to be my knight in shining armor, though he played that part well. My little crisis interrupted his plans for the night. “Sorry. Thanks for rescuing me… and for dinner.”
He put his hand on my arm. “Don’t go. Come with me… it’s just a few friends, and then I’ll drive you back.”
“Um… my car’s in Highland Park.”
“Okay, then I’ll drive you to your car. Later.”
My heart raced, and I was sure my face was bright red.
Of course, I had to accept his offer.
Chapter 93
Ben's Story
Emma blushed easily.
I reached for her hand, as we crossed the street. Reading her thoughts, I was flattered. I held back my smile, made small talk, and occasionally glanced at the Sleeper Agents that I introduced as friends. They followed us the two blocks to the safe house on Clark. The single-family home on Hinman was much nicer, but with looming hybrids in the area, I couldn’t risk the distance. For now, the rundown, thre
e-story, brown brick home would do. Not to mention, it was more realistic for a college party than the grandma-style Cape Cod.
Music thumped as we neared the safe house. Two agents on the porch greeted us when we arrived. They were rookies like Claire, but with other responsibilities. One tracked immortals, and the other did reconnaissance missions. The house was filled with agents from all divisions and tenures, a result of the Victor sighting and hybrid scare earlier that evening.
The tall building housed three apartments, one per floor. Doors were heavily guarded. Indestructible walls and unbreakable glass prevented unauthorized entrance. It was common in all safe houses. The only way in was with security clearance—something Victor would never receive. Even the portal in the attic was monitored.
“Hey, Ben!” a seasoned agent said, though we never worked together before. “Want a beer?”
“Sure. Emma, did you want one?” I asked, not letting go of her hand.
She nodded in response, although I felt her reluctance. I introduced her to the girls on the couch and the guys playing beer pong. She smiled and courteously asked and answered questions better than I expected, being the stranger in a group.
“Parker!” Pete Jorgenson’s spoken voice surprised me. I turned to see my handler with an open Guinness.
“Hey. Haven’t seen you in ages,” I said, shaking his extended hand. “Pete, this is Emma.” Jorgenson’s appearance was a youthful twenty, without the receding hairline we were accustomed to back in our world.
“Emma, good to meet you.” He reached for her hand and kissed the back of it.
A bit over the top, don’t you think? I glared at him.
“It’s nice meeting you too, Pete.” Emma blushed.
“It’s about time Ben brought someone to one of our parties.” He winked at Emma, and then continued. “You don’t look like a beer-drinking girl. How about a hard lemonade?” He didn’t wait for a response. Instead, he turned toward a girl in the kitchen, who opened a bottle, poured its contents into an ice-filled plastic cup, and handed it to her.
“So, Emma, tell me about yourself. How did you and Parker, here, meet?” he asked, not skipping a beat.
I glared at him again.
Emma’s rosy cheeks turned fire red, and she looked to the floor.
“Oh, I don’t mean to put you on the spot,” Jorgenson said. “I’m just happy he’s found a girlfriend.”
I was about to scream in his thoughts, when Emma regained her confidence. “Actually, Pete,” she said, “we’re just friends. Ben was my knight in shining armor tonight. He found me wandering and lost… with no cell phone.”
“Is that right?”
She nodded, taking a sip from her drink. “How long have you known Ben?” Emma asked.
“Seems like forever,” he responded, glancing my way. He took a liking to her spunkiness, which was good for me since it allowed me to fix Emma’s phone and check in on my team. It was a window of distraction that Pete took advantage of. He and Emma began whispering and laughing.
What did you find? I asked Molly after learning that Claire and Bianca had everything under control back in London.
I followed the alpha’s scent back to a house on Astor, she answered.
Any sign of the hybrid or his pack?
One was caught. Two are at large. He’s being held in the city, she said. The house has been cleared. I’m going in. I watched through her eyes as she opened the wrought iron gate, climbed the handful of stairs, and entered through the double doors. The foyer was rich in detail with wide, cherry trim. To the left was a long sitting room. A Victorian loveseat in dark blue was against the wall. Rose-colored wing chairs sat at the window, separated by a pedestal table with an old, hand-painted red lamp.
As Molly ventured deeper into the room, she noticed a buffet near the open staircase. Atop the chest were antique photo frames filled with pictures of men and women. Her heart thumped faster, as she glanced at the collection. Memories of the London apartment filled her thoughts.
A picture of a young, dark-haired man with an older gentleman caught her eye. She picked it up and stared into it, though she didn’t speak her thoughts. Others were of the same younger man in various stages and outfits. Some looked hundreds of years old, while others only decades. She opened the top drawer of the chest and found dozens of loose prints. Molly shuffled through them and again found the image—the same photo—of herself.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she gasped. This time, it was because the note in pencil on the back read Mom.
Chapter 94
Emma's Story
The lighthearted look on Ben’s face disappeared.
His eyes squinted, and his smile was gone. Ben went from mingling around the room for an hour, like the party’s host, to staring intently at the guys at the beer pong table. The game temporarily stopped, and I wondered if something happened.
As soon as the thought came to me, Ben looked up and winked.
Even though he didn’t hover at my side, he was still incredibly attentive. I felt like a married couple that kept tabs on one another at an event—glancing at each other occasionally, nodding when they wanted a refill, or signaling when it was time to leave. Mom and Dad did that, I realized, as I watched Ben move to another group of people near the door. He shook hands with one guy, then looked over at me and smiled.
“He was quite popular in high school,” Pete whispered when he noticed my stare.
I chuckled. Pete would have talked to me all night. I was sure of that. He was nice, polite, and funny. He told me story after story about them growing up together, followed by joke after joke. He had me laughing so hard, tears welled up in my eyes, which caught Ben’s attention and brought him quickly to my side.
“I found a charger for your phone,” Ben said after he pulled me into the empty kitchen.
“Great. Thanks.” He was more accommodating than I was used to.
“Here.” He handed the phone to me.
I shook my head, bewildered. “Where’s the charger?”
“It’s already charged. See? Full bars,” he answered.
“Wow. That was fast!”
“Now you can call your friends whenever you want to leave.”
My heart pitter-pattered and I paused, trying to formulate the right words. “I’m not ready to go yet,” I finally said.
“Good. ’Cuz I don’t want you to leave either.” A smiled crossed his face.
I was lost in his chocolate-brown eyes.
He leaned toward me, and I was sure he would kiss me. I hoped he would, anyway. He moved closer, and I felt his breath on my cheek. My heart raced, and my palms got clammy.
As his lips neared mine, a dark-haired girl barged in from the back hall. Her entrance startled me, and the moment between Ben and me was gone. I could tell the girl was crying as she mumbled an apology when she saw us. It looked like she was crying. Seconds later, she was wrapped up in Pete’s arms.
“Was that Molly?” I asked.
“Um, no,” Ben answered.
I looked back to the girl, realizing she was shorter than Molly and had curly hair in a different shade.
“What happened to her?” I asked, more to myself than to him.
Ben shrugged. “I’m not sure. Come on.” He grabbed my hand and led me out of the room.
The guys playing beer pong asked if we wanted to join the game. Before we could respond, Melissa called and arranged to pick me up. Ben gave her directions and within a few minutes, she was there.
Even though he held my hand when we walked out, Ben didn’t try to kiss me again.
Chapter 95
Ben's Story
The last thing I wanted to do was put Emma in a car with her human friends.
I had her in a secured location and all to myself. Well, almost all to myself, before Molly blew it.
“I’m so sorry, Benjamin,” Molly pleaded to me minutes later. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“Obviously
!”
“Not clearly, anyway,” she added. “I was just looking for someone to talk to.”
Molly was calm given the circumstance and even though I was angry for her poorly timed entrance and initial lack of disguise, I completely understood her emotions. I didn’t understand how she could have left a child—Victor’s child—behind all those years ago.
“I had no idea the baby survived,” she said to me in the third-floor conference room of the safe house. We were alone in the soundproof room that rookie ears couldn’t penetrate.
“You didn’t check?” I asked, irritated. “You died when you were pregnant with Victor’s baby, and you didn’t realize the baby survived?”
She looked to the floor, silent.
It wasn’t like her to be absentminded. “Molly, how far along in your pregnancy were you… when Victor killed you?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. It was so long ago—”
“Think!”
“Six, seven months. Maybe. Benjamin, I’m not sure.”
“And it didn’t dawn on you to check what happened to the baby?”
“I was a human going through transition and admissions. I wasn’t in any frame of mind to think about that.”
“What about later?”
“What about later?” She repeated my words sarcastically.
“Did you ask about it? Did you wonder what happened to your baby?”
“No, Benjamin. I didn’t.” Molly tilted her head to one side and glared at me.
“What kind of mother are you?”
“How dare you, Benjamin Parker Holmes. I am not a mother!” Molly’s piercing eyes flared, and I knew I hit a nerve. “What about you? Did you ever think about your son, Danny?”
“That’s not even a comparison!” I knew she had a point. I took a deep breath. While I checked in on Danny several times since my death, I wasn’t regularly following his life path. He had another decade left in his contract and when the time came, I’d be there.
“Funny how the rules are different for you, Benjamin!”
Pete Jorgenson appeared in the doorway. His presence silenced us and lowered the anger level within the room.
“Knowing what happened to Molly’s child wasn’t her responsibility. It was the job of her Admissions Counselor to know what happened to the fetus. My staff is already on top of it and, right now, it appears to have been reported as too gestationally young to have lived. We have no record of assignment. No immortal spirit listed on the books,” Jorgenson stated.