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ONCE AGAIN, BEN AND I are waiting on Isaiah to make another FoodGo order—although, if Ben had his way, we would probably find another match for our charge. Is he right to be skeptical about Angelica? Am I wrong? He's making me question myself, but Isaiah specifically wanted Angelica, and I see no good reason—beyond superficial ones—why we couldn't make it happen. For now, I'm sticking to the plan.
I don't want Mom to lecture me again, so I decide to take another mission while we wait. As soon as I touch the “accept” button on my LightTab, I hear an awful screeching sound. I've completed three thousand, three hundred and twenty-eight missions in my afterlife career, but I've only heard this one other time. I've just been assigned to a Code Red mission. It's been identified as a high priority mission by one of the Archangels, and it's only given to someone with a really high rating—someone like me. It isn't meant for someone with a poor rating, like Ben, but what other choice do I have? If I left him behind, Amber would probably find another reason to lecture me.
On my first Code Red mission, I had to stop terrorists from deploying a bomb. Code Red missions require fast action, so I can't wait for Ben to respond to my texts. I warp to his dorm, appear by his bed, and yell, “We have to go!”
Ben, who was playing video games with his roommate, flings his controller across the room when he sees me. “Holy shit!” he shouts. “Do you think you could learn how to knock on a door?”
“Nope. We have to go.” As I drag Ben out of bed, I toss a smile in the roommate's direction. Whoever he is, I don't want him to think I'm unfriendly.
“What's with the rush?” Ben asks. “Is Isaiah's house on fire or something?”
“No. We're putting Isaiah on hold for a moment. I accepted another mission. It's... a Code Red mission.”
“What's that?” Ben asks.
It takes me a moment to respond, because I'm distracted by my student's fashion sense. Ben manifests the ugliest gray sweater I've ever seen. It looks like it's been worn a thousand times, because it's even got holes in the sleeves.
Ben says, “I see that sneer on your face. Don't judge. This is my favorite sweater. Oh... and this is Vineet, by the way. He's cool.” Ben points at his roommate, still playing their video game.
Vineet gives me a bored wave and a lackadaisical, “Hi.”
Ben runs a hand through his hair, presumably to tame his messy curls. Checking his reflection in a mirror, he asks, “So... you were saying something about a Red Mission?”
“A Code Red mission,” I reply. “It's a mission that requires fast action. They're very rare and very important.”
“And they trust me with this mission?” asks a chuckling Ben.
“They trust me with it,” I correct him. “I don't think they were taking my rebellious student into account.”
“Well then... let's do this. I'm ready,” Ben says, sounding more enthusiastic than usual. “Code Red mission, here we come!”
Ben and I warp to a scene that doesn't immediately scream “Code Red” to me. A little blonde girl is eating turkey and potatoes with a man who appears to be her dad. She's pushed her peas to the far side of her plate, and there's very little expression on her face to tell me what she's thinking.
“You're not much of a vegetable eater, I see,” says the man sitting across from her. “Would you like something else? Some applesauce, maybe? Or how 'bout a yogurt?”
The little girl doesn't say anything, and the lull in their conversation gives me a chance to do some research.
I tell Ben, “Our charge is Katy Mikaelson, an eight-year-old girl from San Angelo, Texas. She's a good student, a talented dancer, and she has a tabby cat named Buckles.”
“Buckles, huh?” Ben chuckles. “That's random.”
I don't disagree with him. Sometimes the LightTab will cough up some seriously irrelevant information.
“You're not eating much of your turkey either,” says the man sitting across from Katy. At first, I definitely thought he was her dad, but now I'm not so sure. There's something off about their vibe. “If you'd like, I can cut it into little pieces for you.”
The man reaches over to stroke Katy's ponytail. A whimper slips out of her as she leans away from his hand.
“Do you want me to cut it up for you?” the man asks again—but Katy doesn't say a word.
“There something slimy about this guy,” Ben says. “I don't know if its his tie, his glasses, his voice, or a combination of those things, but... I don't like him.”
For once, Ben and I agree. To sate my curiosity, I use the LightTab to identify the guy we don't like.
Steven Cabrera, 46, accountant. That doesn't say much about him, so all I can do is watch and wait as the scene unfolds.
“Did anyone tell you why this is a Code Red mission?” Ben asks.
“No... unless I missed a message or something.” As I double check my recent texts, I listen to Steven's conversation with Katy.
“We haven't known each other for long, but I'd like it if you called me Dad,” Steven says. “I know you don't have a dad, Katy. Wouldn't you like having a dad?”
“Okay, that was just straight up creepy,” Ben says. “And look at Katy! She looks really uncomfortable.”
Steven suddenly grabs Katy's ponytail and yanks back her head. Bringing his face closer to hers, he hisses, “I'm getting tired of the silent treatment, honey. You either need to start talking now, or I'm putting you in the bad girl's room.”
When Katy finally speaks, her voice is quivering. “I want... my mom.”
Steven says, “Well, now you have your dad, and that's the way it's going to be. Eat your food, be good, and answer my questions, or you're going into the bad girl's room again tonight.”
Ben tries to punch Steven's face, but his fist flies through him. “Man, I really don't like this guy. I have an overwhelming urge to kick his ass, and I can't.”
I ignore Ben and contact Katy's permanent guide, thinking he'll be able to shed some light on the situation. A moment later, a guy with an ugly Hawaiian shirt, a lei, and a Mai Tai stumbles into the room.
“You're Katy's permanent guide?” I ask, my voice tinged with disbelief.
Between sips of his colorful cocktail, Katy's guide replies, “Yep. Pardon my appearance, ma'am. I was just partying it up in Oahu.”
“I need you to clarify something for me. This man...” I point at Steven, “is definitely not Katy's father, right?”
“Nope. Definitely not. Katy's dad left her mom when she was a baby. I kind of remember his face, and it wasn't this guy, that's for sure.”
“Nick...” I address her guide by name, “I think Katy's been kidnapped. I'm not one hundred percent sure, because there wasn't a message attached to this mission, but it was identified as Code Red, so—”
“Kidnapped?” Nick shrieks. “Damn, that sucks... but you look like a lady who could handle anything. I leave this mission in your capable hands. Take care of her!”
Nick disappears, presumably to return to his party. I'm a little shocked, but I shouldn't be. Sometimes I forget that not everyone is as dedicated to guidework as I am. In my years as a spirit guide, I've met all types—those who care, and those who couldn't care less.
Ben says, “Wow, he didn't even care that his own charge was kidnapped? That guy was even worse than me.”
Steven suddenly screams, “Eat your turkey!”
Katy shakes her head so fast, her ponytail flies.
“I'll give you one more chance,” Steven threatens. “I'm not even asking you to eat your vegetables, because I know you don't like those. If you don't start eating your turkey after I count to three, I'm taking you to the basement. One.”
Katy plunges her fork into the meat.
“Two.”
She leans back in her chair and crosses her arms.
“Three.”
In her last act of defiance, Katy pushes her plate off the table. As potatoes and peas rain on the carpet, Steven squeezes Katy's arm and forces her to stand.
“I think I've tolerated more than enough!” Steven screams, dragging her across the room. Ben and I follow closely, and to my surprise, my student looks just as concerned as I do.
“I want to go home!” Katy cries.
“Well... guess what? That's not happening.” Steven throws open a door and shoves Katy down a dark flight of stairs. She almost loses her footing as she stumbles down the first few steps. “After what you did, you're lucky I'm not tying you up like one of the dogs!”
Steven slams and locks the door, leaving Katy alone in a cold, black, windowless basement.