Chapter Nineteen
By the time we had landed in Brooklyn, the president of the United States and other various leaders around the world had told all of humanity of the success of our mission. We watched the speech from the flight as the French President announced, “In a joint effort of military members from around the world, we have stopped this attempt of global terrorism. Showing them that the people of this world will fight for their way of life. They will not blindly be led.”
He went on to thank varying countries and administrations. Really, my team should’ve gotten the trophy. Saving the world on my resume was going to have to be enough.
Exiting the plane, there were only three things I wanted: a bed, my family, and Cole. The lights and sounds of the city buzzed in my ear as we walked out of the flight hangar. A line of SUVs waited as the sun set behind the city.
I breathed in the air, grateful that I had the time to do so. I would have moments in the future when I would look back on this mission as the one that shaped my world. The last month had not only altered my perception of the government, but had dramatically changed the path my life was going to take.
Cole dropped his arm around my shoulders and tucked me into his side, placing a soft kiss in my hair. “I have a surprise for you.”
I looked up to meet his eyes, and he nodded toward the waiting SUV. The door opened. My parents stepped out, followed by James. I wiggled out of Cole’s arm and ran to them, like in a cheesy movie. I jumped into my dad’s arms and felt my mom’s warmth from the other side.
“Ju-ju bean, I’m so glad you’re home safe,” my dad whispered into my hair.
A dam of tears burst, the stress of the last few days emptying out on my parents’ shoulders.
“Shh, honey, you’re safe now,” my mom soothed.
“Besides, you were totally badass out there,” James said with a squeeze of my shoulder. I turned and punched him in the arm.
“Don’t cuss. Mom will be pissed.”
He smiled and pulled me into a gangly armed hug.
Mikey slid out of the SUV, making eye contact with me. My heart warmed.
“Mikey? Mike?” I took off running and leapt into his arms without a second thought. I leaned back with my legs still linked around him. “They found you. I’m so glad they found you.” I turned his cheek from left to right. “You’re good?”
He nodded with a smirk.
“I want you to meet someone.” I slid down his body, realizing just how much more defined his muscles had become over the last year. Then I mentally slapped myself for the thought.
I looked back to see a steaming Cole walking toward us.
“Mikey, this is Cole, my boyfriend. Cole, this is Mike. We were at Eisenhower together and then were partners for a year.”
They shook hands and had some sort of stare down that equated to a pissing contest.
“Right, so should we head back to HQ?” I asked.
Cole slipped his arm around me and pulled me into a kiss, the kind of kiss that so was not acceptable in front of one's parents.
“Feeling the need to mark your territory, baby?” I whispered to his lips.
Hank pulled the two of us apart.
“Come on. Let’s go to dinner in the city before we head back to The Sway,” he said.
As we were getting up to leave our table, I saw a shimmer of a form standing behind Hank.
Meg is behind you, I thought toward him. He glanced behind him to the invisible form.
“Excuse me a moment,” he said, pushing away from the table as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.
The silence that followed his departure was fifteen shades of awkward. Until James started showing off by extending his lanky arms across the table to steal the remainder of the food on Cole’s plate.
When Hank returned, his mouth was set in a hard line.
“We’ve got a problem.” His voice sounded grim and Meg’s invisible form was standing behind him to the right. “The Letum have gathered kids with abilities, ones that we missed. The children are being trained and given a drug similar to the Eisenhower protocol, but worse.”
My face dropped while adrenaline pumped through my veins. “How can it be worse? We’ve got to help them.”
I noted the excitement covering Mikey’s features.
A smile pulled at Hank’s lips. “I thought you might feel that way.”
I sat between Cole and Mikey, who both rode with my family back to the compound in the Catskills. The introductions were slightly awkward with my dad, Who may or may not have threatened to hang them both from a tree if they ever mistreated me.
“Jue, the people here have been explaining about Transcendents to your mother and me,” my dad said, looking carefully at James, Cole, and me. “Well, I’m really good with numbers. Like, genius good with numbers.” He shrugged.
“Do you think…?” I started to ask.
“So I had them run some tests,” he continued. “Looks like you got that funky gene from dear old Dad.”
Pride beamed from his eyes. I heard footfalls behind me and turned to see Hank and Harrison approaching my family reunion. He stuck his hand out toward my dad.
“Hank Thomas. I just wanted to thank you for raising such an incredible girl. She and Cole will make a perfect match.”
My eyes went wide.
I hadn’t even really introduced Cole yet. Dinner was too brief to get into what we are, I yelled toward Hank.
A smirk crossed his lips.
Cole stepped forward and held his hand out.
“Sir, ma’am.” He nodded toward my parents. “It’s good to meet you. Julia has told me so much about you.”
My father held Cole’s grip longer than was actually necessary and breaking to the point of uncomfortable. James gripped Cole’s shoulder.
“Thanks for bringing my big sister back safe, man.” They did some form of a bro hug and then James turned to Harrison. “Kiya will be glad to know you’re here in one piece, too, after all that work she did to heal you.”
Mikey stood awkwardly to the side, like a makeshift bodyguard. I snapped my attention to Harrison.
“You got all the way back here?” I asked in awe. “Harrison, that’s kick ass.”
He shrugged and smiled. I pulled him in for a hug. “Thanks for saving my life, like, five times. I owe you big time.”
A slight blush crept across his cheeks.
“I’ll find some way for you to repay me,” he said with a wink to Cole.
I swear Cole growled at Harrison, which I found kind of hot. So there was definitely something messed up in my brain. Cole’s big hands wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me back to him. Mikey glared at Cole. This was so bizarre. I could’ve possibly just stepped into an episode of The Twilight Zone.
“About this match thing. Hank, Cole, you’re going to have to explain that to me,” my dad said with a furrowed brow.
I wondered how well that would go over. Oh, yeah, by the way, Dad, people with abilities are matched for life. I found my soul mate at nineteen, so yay for me.
Yeah, he was totally going to flip out. Hank snorted. I slammed up my walls. I needed to get back in the habit of keeping those babies up.
“We have to debrief at the compound in fifteen minutes and then we will do Mike’s initiation,” Hank said.
I reached for Cole’s hands. “Here we go. Back to work. I thought they’d at least have cake for us.”
Cole barked out a laugh, and Mikey chuckled behind me.
“You want a cake, Ju-Ju, I’ll make you fifty of ’em. What kind do you like? No, wait, chocolate with vanilla frosting. Right?” Mikey asked.
I stopped in my tracks.
“You remembered,” I said through a grin.
Cole pulled open the doors to the main hall, and applause erupted across the room. Yells of a job well done and praises were sung out. The real life, freaking-transcendent, President of the free world stood on the stage. The crowd parted. I shook hands and smiled at dozens of happy faces as Cole guided me toward the stage.
“Julia, Cole, Harrison, Quade, Kiya. Please come up front. Myself, and the joint chiefs of my staff, would like to present you with the Distinguished Medal Cross. While it won’t be recognized outside of this organization and your names will never be written down for history’s records, know that on this day, we acknowledge your strength, courage, bravery, and sacrifice on behalf of the republic and all of mankind. We are grateful for your service.”
Various directors popped open very official-looking boxes, presenting us with the medal hanging on the sky-blue ribbon.
I allowed a few tears to escape as the moment was appropriate for emotion. I still had a long way to go in the vault I kept myself locked down in, but I knew I’d make it out. We turned to the audience, medals in hand, and the cheers of congratulations rang out.
I haven’t forgotten the kids, Hank. We need to start on that quick, I thought out.
A buzz filled my head.
Take tonight, Julia. Be a nineteen-year-old. Tomorrow will come soon enough. Take a moment to enjoy your youth. You have the rest of your life to act responsibly.
I smiled at Hank, and he winked at me in return.
Tonight, I would be young.
If only I could stay forever that way…
End Book One