The Child Thief 5: Ghost Towns Read online

  “I’m sorry,” she finally said. “You know Nathan.”

  I knew I should’ve left Corona to deal with whatever important security things she had been talking about with Nathan. And I knew I didn’t have a good reason to be personally offended. But I couldn’t help the way I felt.

  “He could’ve spared us the time,” I told her, unable to suppress the emotion. “The parade planning could’ve waited.”

  I immediately regretted saying it. But to my surprise, Corona seemed more confused than offended.

  “Nathan wouldn’t have walked out on you guys over the parade,” she said softly. “He has a lot on his plate right now, including many more teams that need his attention and are also seeking information. He has to spread his time between everyone on his teams and on different bases, even if you guys are obviously his favorites.”

  She delivered the last line with a wry smile.

  “Maybe you could help us instead,” Nelson said from beside me.

  She was right. Why hadn’t I thought of that? Corona was the second-in-command for the organization. If Nathan was too busy, then we should be able to propose our mission to Corona instead.

  But Corona put her hand up.

  “I know how important finding your family is,” Corona said. “But I’m sorry. I can’t prioritize the needs of the few over the needs of many. You’ll have to speak to Nathan. You’ll have to trust the process.”

  “How did you know?” I asked. How could Corona have possibly known that we were here to talk about Hope and Rylo?

  “We extracted the data from the archives drive,” Corona said. “I knew you would’ve done the same, albeit more selectively.”

  The second drive. The one Nelson had given Nathan, with the information from the archives. Of course. But if Corona had realized that we would be desperate to start a mission to find our children, surely Nathan had, too. So how could he have pushed us aside when he knew how important it was to us—and that we would absolutely need his help, if we were going to accomplish it?

  “I promise you, we will get to that. But we have to take time to plan and recuperate. And we have other missions that need our attention in the meantime, too,” Corona continued.

  It was the same line of reasoning that I had used against Henry just the day before. These things took time. And we had to do them the right way. But it was so hard to accept that logic. I couldn’t focus on anything else. I didn’t want to be here anymore. I wanted to be with Hope.

  But what could I say to convince Corona? And how would we ever get Nathan and Corona’s help if I tried to insist that they needed to drop everything just so I could get my daughter back?

  In the end, I nodded in agreement. It physically pained me to do so, but I couldn’t see any other option. I saw Nelson sigh and nod as well, while Jace shifted his weight awkwardly in the back of the room.

  We turned to leave, and I thanked Corona for her time from the doorway.

  As I shut the door, Corona said simply, “I know how you feel.”

  As we started our walk back toward the dorms, I thought about what Corona had said; she knew how we felt. Then I remembered.

  “Corona lost a child, too,” I said to Nelson and Jace. “That was what Corona meant at the end.”

  Nelson nodded. “Yeah, I was just thinking about that maybe we shouldn’t assume they can’t understand our feelings on the matter. Corona might feel the same way. And who knows how long she has been waiting.”

  Jace put his arm around my shoulders. It was heavy, but I felt comforted by his warmth and his presence.

  “We’ll find them,” Jace said. “We’ll find all of them.”

  I leaned into him. I had to believe that. I had to believe that I would bring Hope home someday, even if it was taking longer than I wanted it to. I had been trying to bring her home for two years. And now I was closer than I had ever been. I just had to keep going.

  At least we were safe and together in Edgewood to do our planning. Or were we? I suddenly remembered the information we had overheard before entering Nathan’s office.

  “I think I interrupted that meeting between Nathan and Piper yesterday,” I began. “I think—”

  But I didn’t get the chance to finish my thought. Just then, two huge figures rushed at us and plowed into Jace, lifting him up and beginning to run off with him. Jace didn’t even fight back in his surprise.

  The act was so sudden that I stood paralyzed for a moment, watching Jace as he was swept away from us. But then my logic and strength returned.

  “Jace!” I yelled, Nelson and I taking off after him.

  5

  Jace hung limply in the grip of his two abductors for the first few seconds. But then he dug his heels into the sidewalk and turned his tall, broad frame to take on the men on either side of him. I raced up to them, ready to fight beside him, and knowing Nelson would be right there with me.

  But to my surprise, Jace began… laughing?

  “Denver! Alf!” he yelled joyously.

  A moment later, the men were trading playful punches and hugs.

  Denver and Alf. Jace’s friends from his life before OH+. I had met them once before and been charmed by their carefree attitudes and genuine personalities. Where had they gone afterward? Back to the woods? Had they been working with Nathan separately?

  I smiled broadly and put the guesswork to the side when they turned to me.

  “Robin!” Denver said, towering over Nelson and me, at almost the same height as Jace.

  Before I could answer, I was being lifted up by my waist. Denver had picked me up and rolled me into a bear hug as if I were a ragdoll. After a moment, he set me back down.

  Alf was next, hugging me tightly but—thankfully—allowing me to stand on my own.

  “You two hitched yet?” Alf asked playfully.

  I watched Jace turn a deep red. And as I felt my face flush, I wondered if we were matching shades.

  After being introduced to Nelson, Denver and Alf began walking alongside our trio on our way back to the dorms.

  “How long have you been here?” Jace asked them.

  “We got here yesterday,” Alf replied. “We’ve been hunting for you ever since.”

  “What are you guys doing in Edgewood?” Nelson asked. I knew where she was going with the question. Nathan had kept almost all of us together so far, so I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had assigned Denver and Alf to our mission crew as well.

  “Surveillance,” Denver said. “And what a sweet gig it is! We get to run around the woods all day just outside the projection. It’s almost like being back at home.”

  Surveillance. So they were outside of the city itself. Outside and in the real world. Maybe they knew something about the government ship sighting over Edgewood.

  “Do you guys watch the security feeds, too?” I asked, hoping to get to my question quickly.

  “Nah,” Alf said, shaking his head. “We’re not tech-savvy enough for that. We’re on the patrol side of things.”

  “We prefer the fresh air, anyway,” Denver said with a smile.

  I couldn’t help but smile back. I was glad Jace had Denver and Alf again. I hoped they’d help brighten Cloyd’s mood, too. Because the closer I got to Jace, the harder it was getting to avoid Cloyd, and at some point, his dislike for me was going to become a problem.

  We split up once we got back into the dorms, Jace following Alf and Denver to catch up and Nelson and me returning to our rooms to get ready for the parade.

  I opened my closet as soon as we got back into the room.

  “Were you expecting to see evening gowns?” Nelson asked.

  “Well… yeah, actually,” I replied, almost sheepishly. Alexy had mentioned that there was a formal event that evening. Surely Nathan was providing us with outfits.

  I wasn’t alone in the thought, because a moment later, Jackie knocked on our door wearing new street clothes, courtesy of Little John.

  “Did you guys get a little creeped out by
how well your supplied clothes fit, or is just me?” she asked as she walked in.

  I smiled, remembering the wonder I felt at being immediately provided with clothes and shoes in my size upon arriving in Edgewood.

  “Nathan probably knows your blood type, so I don’t think shoe size is that much of a stretch,” Nelson added.

  “Well, I was happy to see the jeans. But did you guys get your dresses for tonight yet?” Jackie inquired.

  “What is it with you two?” Nelson asked, rolling her eyes.

  I chuckled. I couldn’t imagine either of them in formal attire, just as they probably couldn’t see me that way, either. I had only ever seen them in combat boots. I wondered if Nelson had ever even owned a pair of heels. Even if her family had been solidly middle class, she didn’t strike me as the heels type.

  “Look, I haven’t been able to do anything fun since we’ve been in Edgewood,” Jackie replied. “And I was in a wheelchair for the last event. I’m going stir-crazy!”

  “She just wants to see what Linus looks like in a tux,” I countered. Jackie guffawed.

  Gabby came knocking next, undoubtedly enjoying a brief reprieve from her boisterous family.

  “No dresses here, either,” I said, before she had the chance to ask.

  Gabby strode into the room and plopped down on the floor, and Nelson, Jackie, and I assumed seats beside her. It was comforting to be able to sit and talk, especially after all of the emotional upheaval of the past few days.

  Nelson and I shared the strange details of the conversation we had overheard that morning.

  “A government ship?” Jackie asked, her eyes wide with fear. “Why are we planning a dance?! We should be evacuating!”

  “Corona didn’t seem as concerned,” Nelson replied.

  “Yeah, and I trust Nathan. If he thought we needed to evacuate immediately, I think we’d already be on airships,” I said.

  “Why would a government airship even be over Edgewood?” Gabby asked.

  It was a fair question. Edgewood was far enough from civilization that it didn’t get much air traffic. And it didn’t seem to be under the flight path of any airship carriers—especially government ships. I had never seen a ship or plane over Edgewood before. But, then again, I hadn’t been looking that closely.

  “Unless it followed you guys back from Smally,” Jackie said resolutely. Her words carried an icy chill that settled into all of us.

  “Well, since Corona wasn’t worried about it,” Nelson said, “we just have to trust her.”

  An uncomfortable silence followed. The thought of a government airship hovering over Edgewood was terrifying enough, but the revelation that Nathan was concerned about the stealth tech we relied so heavily on made it much worse. Corona’s doubts, however, felt strange. Was she really that comfortable with a tech that Nathan and Piper obviously knew more about?

  Then a thought occurred to me.

  “Gabby, Nelson told me about Nathan claiming credit for Pandora’s Box. Didn’t Robert tell you he invented it?”

  Gabby shrugged. “Yeah, but it turns out he was telling me a lot of lies. So what does it matter?”

  Nelson caught on. “Yeah, but how would Robert have gotten it in the first place? Since he obviously gave it to you to use.”

  Gabby gasped, drawing her hands up to her mouth, as if she’d just realized something. Something important. Instead of saying anything, though, she just stared over my head with wide eyes.

  “Gabby, what is it?” I asked breathlessly. Had she remembered something that Robert had said or done?

  “Look at the time! The parade is about to start!” she sputtered. Then, without another word, she jumped up and ran out the door.

  Nelson, Jackie, and I stared after her.

  “I forget that she’s sixteen sometimes,” Jackie said.

  I laughed nervously. At least Gabby wasn’t feeling as saddled with as much confusion and anxiety as the rest of us were. And I couldn’t really blame her; at sixteen, I had definitely been more concerned with my social life too. Until I suddenly didn’t have one.

  “Well, how about it, ladies?” Nelson asked, standing. “Up for a parade?”

  “Why not?” I asked rhetorically.

  Edgewood might be in the government’s sights, and I was no closer to finding Hope than I had been when we left Smally. But what else was there to do until I could speak to Nathan directly? I could sit alone in my room and worry… or we could go try to have fun.

  The three of us walked out of the dormitory hall together, past the dining hall and into the bright light of the afternoon. The main street outside of the dorm was buzzing with people. And… I did a double take at the street. Now that I looked, I realized there were way too many people. Or at least way too many people for it to be only Edgewood inhabitants.

  “Looks like Nathan went all out,” I said. “There must be people from his other bases here today.”

  I wondered how they could’ve all traveled here safely. Especially if there were security concerns around Edgewood now. Maybe these other bases weren’t quite as far apart and separated as I had previously thought. Or could they be working together more closely as Little John reached some sort of mission apex?

  The throng of people was huge and diverse, with a healthy mix of men and women from different backgrounds. But the most exciting part of the crowd was the number of children it contained. Kids everywhere, from newborns being carried and pushed in strollers, to teenagers walking alongside their parents or friends. Children ran and skipped and yelled with joy. My heart swelled at the sight of a toddler grasping his mother’s hand tightly as he walked unsteadily beside her. He was obviously new to the whole walking business.

  It was amazing the kind of joy the sight brought. It had been so long since our country had looked like that. Now it was a stark dichotomy: the wealthier classes with hordes of well-dressed children, mostly looked after by a staff of nannies and caretakers, versus dirty masses of poor people with no money, no children, and no hope. But seeing so many happy families together reminded me that even the chance of someday returning to that sort of life was worth fighting for.

  On the main street proper, small floats drifted by languidly, their little cannons popping with confetti and treats. The crowds stooped to pick up the bounty: fresh flowers and little wrapped pieces of candy.

  Nelson, Jackie, and I found our group, with the exception of Gabby, on the main street right in front of the dormitories. Nelson went to stand next to Alexy, and Jackie smiled at me and then walked toward Ant and Abe, leaving me standing by myself. But it didn’t last long. Jace appeared at my side with a big smile, Denver, Alf, and Kory beside him. I was slightly relieved not to see Cloyd anywhere. Whether it was due to chance or due to Cloyd and Jace’s uncomfortable exchange the last time I had seen them together, I was just happy that another chilly reception wouldn’t rain on my parade.

  The floats were a beautiful sight, decorated in fresh-cut flowers, streaming ribbons, and elaborate paper-and-tissue designs. They were large and intricate, and large teams must’ve come together to make them quickly in a labor of love. As a float shaped like a dove rolled past, its cannon fired off a burst of candy and flowers. Jace stooped to gather some of it, but a sight across the street seized my attention.

  It was a little girl, maybe two years old. She was wearing a fluffy little dress and tiny white sandals, toddling on chunky little legs, holding a wicker basket in one hand, and stooping to scoop candy up from the street as her mother gazed on lovingly.

  For just a second, I imagined that she was Hope. I imagined watching her as her mother, a little over-cautious as she stepped closer to the street, but letting her have her fun and gather her candy. I imagined telling her that she could have one piece today but needed to save the rest for later. I imagined picking her up and twirling her in the air before bringing her down close to me and hugging her tightly.

  One day, I promised myself.

  At that moment, Jace came b
ack up with a rose in his hand. “For you,” he said, pushing a strand of my hair behind my left ear and tucking the stem of the rose into it.

  I looked up at him and blushed. Denver, Alf, and Kory just stared in wonderment at him. They must not have been used to seeing this side of him.

  The last of the floats rolled by then, and the crowd began to walk up the street to a stage and podium. This was obviously where Nathan would be making his appearance.

  By the time we got there, the crowd was milling around in anticipation of his arrival. All around us people were laughing and introducing themselves and their families to others. Many people seemed to be in the midst of reunions with old friends. This must not have been the first time the Little John bases had mingled. Either that or people had been separated into different cities after their recruitment period was over, or even after they’d known each other in the outside world. Either way, the air was thick with joy and laughter.

  A particularly large and noisy family caught my attention to our right. Kids between the ages of four and eleven or twelve were running to and fro between their parents. But there were too many children and adults to be just one nuclear family. I imagined it was a group of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings. The adults were talking loudly among themselves, occasionally shushing or reprimanding their herd of children. And, as I looked closer, I began to realize how familiar they looked.

  Then I realized exactly why. In the middle of their large group—a crowd unto themselves—stood an annoyed-looking Gabby.

  I made eye contact with her and smiled. She seemed relieved to see me, and immediately started walking toward me just as I walked toward her family. We met in the middle.

  “I haven’t seen your whole family together since we met,” I told her. “How do they like Edgewood?”

  “Well, no one can complain about seasickness anymore,” Gabby said. “But they have found plenty of other things to complain about.”

  I laughed. I had come from a large family as well, but it was much different. My family had been overly concerned with their appearance and reputation. My mother was always receiving some sort of new, expensive treatment to keep her skin young or her hair thick and healthy. Sometimes the side effects from those treatments kept her locked away in her rooms for weeks, unwilling to show us what she looked like without makeup or proper dress. And my father had been gone so much. If he wasn’t at work he was locked in his study working from home, or away on a business trip. Sometimes I felt closer to my nannies. But there was a wall of formality or professionalism that they had been afraid to cross, so we never got as close as families should.