(REWRITING) The Skylar Experiment : Coveting

Chapter Forty-Nine - Finally Home

RILEY

I ENDURED the drive in a thumping fear that vans would jump out from the void and tail us, bathing in questions and spinning thoughts. We had been disturbingly lucky.

That mutant took care of our pursuers, but I couldn't begin to wonder the where to the how. She appeared out of thin smoke and vanished just as suddenly. Her intervention had been downright blood-drenching to witness, and clearly they wanted her more than us. So much for exposure, huh.

Luc pulled up to the cabin and I scoured the surrounding woods, afraid that agents were hiding in the shadows, waiting to draw us to our knees. We entered the house, dumped our outer layers absentmindedly on hangers. 

With NIO pulling the strings on hunters running amok, and most likely in other places, we were screwed six ways from Sunday.

I flumped on a chair and let my hands fall on the table. "That was..."

"Yeah."

Luc lumbered to the sink and poured himself a glass of water. He returned with two. I hadn't realized how thirsty I'd been, and I emptied the glass in one go.

"I didn't want to believe it. Those past days, I was trying to tell myself I was missing something." He stressed his hair with a stiff hand. "She didn't tell me. How could she not tell me, even if those were suspicions or intuition?"

His eyes were riveted at my feet where I'd tossed the backpack, as if the weapon would start talking. I could tell he was second-guessing if he'd known his sister well. Lauren had kept this heavy secret that never should have stayed one. What else did she hide? 

"Maybe she didn't get to," I murmured, but didn't expect it to help.

We contemplated our glasses until he said, "Well, I'm not going to make the same mistake. We need to warn everybody."

I hated to be that girl who never weighed her opinion and kept relying on others, but I preferred following his lead with whatever he decided now. Luc's family was his to manage, and he knew better than I on how to break it to them.

"And that girl on the bridge?"

He shook his head. "I have no idea who that was. There aren't that many of us, so I know a lot of names, especially those who live in nearby towns... Wait."

"What?"

"Remind me what happened with Finn on the soccer field. How did you know he was mutated?"

"He... He appeared and called me out, waving that book I'd lost. I had to go get it. He was super weird and arrogant, then I reached out to take my book, he grabbed my forearm," I did a brief demonstration, "and squeezed so hard, I lightly bruised under my coat, but the marks were gone by tomorrow."

Luc's brows furrowed. "And he left after that?"

"No, he threatened me over Emma and did that weird flash thing with his eyes. He said he could do much worse than the others."

"Weird flash how?"

"I don't remember... It was brief and faint? It pulsed."

Upon hearing the last part, he shot up from his chair with an F bomb. I watched him pace around, then go still. "Sunshine, that's not a mutated hunter. Pulses exist only on us, even if a mutated hunter is throwing the kitchen sink at us."

But I didn't understand. What was he doing with agents at the Maple Diner? He read the confusion on my face, then he dropped his hands on the back of the chair. 

"Finn's not from here," he explained. "That's probably why he's avoiding the rest of us, because I would have sensed the difference. NIO might still have a bunch of minions like him in line..."

I gripped the edges. "They still keep mutants?"

"Why wouldn't they?" his tone roughened. "It's their whole schtick. Making super footsoldiers and killing those who resist. Why wouldn't they call in a mutant on our asses after years of failure in this town? Lauren was their only win. Every other person they killed, they paid it with their own blood, too."

"He hasn't done anything so far, and that girl on the bridge—"

"—is not one of us. Neither of them are. Okay, I don't know what she was doing out there, or if it had anything to do with us, but I'm not going to trust that." He paused for a second, head dipped. "I don't even know how many of our own I can trust. Michael shut my sister down even when it was obvious we might have a big problem on our hands. He refused to listen when it was our turn."

"If you want to tell everyone, we can't hide it from him and those who agree."

Luc sighed as he scratched the side of his head. Another moment passed. I've always felt safe in this cabin, with its seclusion and privacy, and because he roamed around acting like he had eyes behind the head. Even between these walls, I now pictured a sword dangling above us. 

"People are going to be upset. New Year is in a couple of days and it would ruin the gathering. But Michael cannot know what we know before we announce it." He closed his eyes. I could tell the last hours' incidents burdened him. At least we were two to carry it. "What do you think?"

I imagined the festivities spent cowering in fear and disillusion. "Waiting a few days could be okay."

"Easier said than done, Sunshine."

I winced on a smile. "The only thing that's changed is that we know, now. They're still going to poke us with a stick through hunters, but they'll stay hidden. From what you told me, they want to keep their existence a secret just as much as you guys. That means they can't just barge in to kill us without frightening the masses and exposing themselves, right? We can keep laying low while we figure it out." 

Or was it wise to think we could measure up to an organization like NIO? 

I tapped my chin. "How do we make sure Chuck doesn't get out of line? Hunters know he knows. Let's not give them a weapon against us."

Luc's face seemed to lighten up. "That's a job cut out for me. Smarty-pants."

"Shut up." I bit my lip—already my mind was drifting to another place. "Wouldn't NIO know where we live... like through our school records at least? Why haven't they... done anything about it yet?"

"Our homes and cars go under different names. We've been careful about leaving a trace. All they can do is stalk us, but we never let people follow us. Everything on paper tells a different story." 

I fiddled at my sleeves with bloodless fingers. The fact that they've been cautious was a relief, but I wasn't included under the umbrella. "My house is unprotected. My dad is unprotected."

Luc's thoughts seemed to churn. He ran a hand over his mouth, computing over all the implications, and I knew he'd realized that no watchdog trick like with the Wanderers would work here. Not that I'd ever ask this of them; it was selfish. 

"Somehow, if they could have known about your place the whole time and they haven't acted on it, then they must have a reason. Their squad of vans... maybe it was a warning. We'll have to keep an eye on that. The second you see something suspicious around your place, you call me, okay?" 

I nodded weakly, wondering if there was a clock ticking. 

We simmered on those thoughts and agreed it was the safest option. Making noise was a recipe for disaster, and we couldn't change a thing yet. 

I checked my phone to see a text from Dad, a deep pang of hurt resonating within me. I wanted to hug him, spend all the time I could with him if tomorrow looked so insolvable.

Luc walked me there, and even he perused between the trees in case we were tracked. The hike helped us cement our decision despite the worsening unease. I also didn't like holding the news back from Luc's people and not warning them right away, but they deserved a last moment of joy... before bursting the bubble. 

My identity wasn't covered like the rest of them, and who knew what NIO might do with that, and why they've refrained from tapping into that knowledge so far. 

  ➹➹➹