As the days drifted by, Aidan had yet to give Lydia an answer to the idea of joining her escape plan. Whenever she asked, he would tighten his lips and say, “I don’t know yet.” She hadn’t yet found a good opportunity to ask Jando at all.
One day Lydia went to look for him. Jando proved to be difficult to find, however. She searched for hours and was close to giving up but thought she’d check a few more spots.
The Center seemed dead. Eerily empty. Many of the training rooms were deserted, and the laboratories were running on a skeleton crew because it was the weekend.
She double-checked the training room that Jando usually occupied. Nothing. Where could he be? He wasn’t in the dorms or on the fields. Could he be on another floor? She decided to start looking on the top floor, thinking that was more promising. If nothing else, she’d have a good view of the entire Cave. Maybe she’d missed him during her search and would see him from higher up.
She took the elevator. It dinged silently when she reached the top floor. If anything, the offices were quieter than on the ground floor. Lydia walked down the halls, checking the windows. At one end, she stood at the window, surveying all like an overseer. Arthur must experience the same from his tall perch. She fancied herself in charge, watching all the people below.
Lydia retreated to the elevator after searching every corner for Jando.
“Lydia?”
She turned around. No one else was in the hall. But a voice was speaking nearby. A woman’s voice.
“So what did they demand of her?”
It was Sylvia, talking to Arthur in his office. Softly, Lydia crossed the carpeted floor and laid her ear against the door.
“They demanded her,” Arthur said. “Or else they will release the SN91 disease in the city. They will call the Golden Springs police the morning of the day after tomorrow and give us the meeting place. They’ve asked to deal with us. No one else or they will kill the hostages.”
“Do we know who sent the message?” Sylvia asked. Lydia quietly dropped to her knees. She saw a pair of black shoes and a pair of high heels moving about in the space under the door.
“No,” Arthur said. “No name, just the picture of the hostages.”
“Should we assume Heather and Finster?”
Arthur sighed. “It’s likely it is those two. Rooke knows we have Lydia. Work under that assumption, but be mindful of any other possibilities. For all we know, another party might be the culprits.”
“If it is Heather and Finster, it’s a trap,” Sylvia said.
“I know,” Arthur walked around his desk. “They’re trying to draw us out, but for what?” He paused, musing aloud. “Not our location. Those attempts were always slow, methodical. This is pressing. What would they need with her?”
“Obviously her ability,” Sylvia suggested.
“Obviously, but why? What would they force her to do? They can’t possibly expect us to give her up. So what are they planning?” Arthur’s shoes paced the carpet in a line. “They already nabbed Mark. Yet they need Lydia as well.” He stopped and swung his hands. “We won’t find out by standing around here. So I need you to head to Colorado. I put in a call to have some other agents join you, but they are out on the East Coast. They won’t arrive in time.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“Although they said they would speak only with us, you’ll be coordinating with local police and FBI Special Agents Rogers and Gould. I know, I know,” he said, interrupting her clucking tongue. “But Rogers has promised to play ball with us on this, if only for the city’s sake.”
“That’s a relief,” she said.
“I trust you can put aside your animosity,” Arthur said. “Here’s all the information you’ll need. Your first priority is the hostages. Then you take care of any rogue BEPs. Be prepared for anything.”
“Right,” Sylvia said as Lydia watched Arthur’s shoes disappear behind his desk. She heard Sylvia flip through the file. “Wait. These are the hostages?”
“Yes,” Arthur said slowly. He sighed. “Arnold and Debra Penner. Lydia’s parents.”