2
The hallways were nearly empty as I jogged through them, looking for the room where Ryan, Aiden, Alex, Jam, and Lin were gathered. It amazed and disturbed me that the number of Shifter leaders had dwindled down to three, which made it all the more important to preserve and protect what was left of us. However, it didn't make much sense that Lin, Jam, and I were also invited to attend the meeting. None of us were 15 yet, and I'd just recovered from almost being killed only months ago. But I didn't want to complain; by this point I was pretty much praying for any action to happen so that our time of training finally paid off.
My mind wandered over to the different times when Aiden had said that I was really important to our cause, but he'd never give me a reason. This was something that frustrated me almost as much as not being able to find them, like feeling the pain of a thorn wedged into the back of my leg. If I hadn't been held up training, I would've already been there with them. But now, I was late, and Ryan hadn't bothered telling me where to go…
That's when I saw light pouring out from an employee's breakroom down the hall I was in. Upon a quick investigation, I knew this was the place I was looking for. To the left, there was a kitchen area with cupboards, a refrigerator, and a microwave. A long table with six chairs sat in the middle, three of them already occupied. Aiden was sitting in the one farthest from me with his arms folded across his chest, a tired, zoned-out expression on his face. He looked like he could fall asleep at any minute, which wouldn't have surprised me in the least, since he was prone to that type of thing. But, I couldn't blame him; I was feeling pretty wiped out myself from the training, even though I hadn't been doing that much of it. Alex was crossing from him, leaning over a laptop with a frown on his face. Whatever he was working on, he wasn't happy with it.
Jam sat in the chair next to him, staring off into space, and it struck me on how similar they looked, besides the fact they were brothers. The striking eyes, strong chin, and light brows were unmistakable. Lin and Ryan were behind them, in quiet conversation, lounging in an area that had a bunch of couches. Much of the room was surrounded in shadows, but there was light coming from fluorescent bulbs in the kitchen and above the table, creating an almost ominous atmosphere. Everybody looked up at me when I entered, making it feel like the only lights in the room were all pointed at me. I had a distinct feeling that no one was going to talk first, so I did instead.
"Nice of us to meet up in a more comfortable place. Very homey."
"You're late," Ryan responded curtly.
I felt my anger start to burn, but held it back the best I could. "Sorry to disappoint you," I replied, giving Aiden a fist bump as I sat down next to him.
"It doesn't matter," Ryan said, standing up and walking over to the table. "We decided to wait for you before we got down to business."
"Thanks," I said, a little sheepishly. It was kind of embarrassing when you're the only one everyone is holding back for.
"Well, to begin," Ryan started officially. "Our spies have finally discovered where our enemies have been hiding out this entire time."
"Where's that?" Jam asked.
"The same place where we were living under," he replied. "The old high school."
"Seriously?" Lin cried out. "They've been there for five months and we didn't bother to, like, do anything about it?"
"None of us knew they were inside," Ryan explained. "We had assumed they moved somewhere else, like we did. But after the police had left, I guess that it was better to stay there."
"So, what are we going to do?" I wondered. "Can we just gather our guys, and ambush their base?"
"No, we can't," he said. "It'd be walking into a trap. They have their security ramped up ten fold, not to mention that it would be pretty suspicious to other people if they saw a group of teenagers sneaking into an abandoned building."
"According to the report our spies made, they've got high-tech laser systems set up all around the premises," Alex said, his deep voice filling the room. "Any step within 50 feet will have us shocked with a large amount of electricity if we're seen."
"Can it be hacked?" Jam asked, tilting his head to look up at him. Even though they were both sitting, he only reached a little past Alex's shoulder height.
Alex shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I don't think it's worth it. They'll probably be able to detect someone trying to get into the system."
"Do they stop you from Shifting over them?" I asked skeptically, before Jam could respond.
"No," he said. "Which is making me think they want us to confront them there."
"Of course they do," Aiden said plainly, speaking for the first time since I arrived. His voice wasn't as low as Alex's, but close to it. "That's why they didn't leave. They want us to find them and go after them to wipe us out for good."
"We don't really know that, do we?" Lin asked, walking over. "I mean, sure they tried to kill us before, but is that their actual endgame?"
"What other reason could there be?" Jam jumped in.
Lin and I opened our mouths to answer, but Ryan beat us to it.
"You're right. That could be our objective, but we can't fully know if it's true. That's why we're having this meeting."
"So, it wasn't just to see our pretty little faces before we go off to war?" I spat bitterly. Lin snickered, but I was just tired of Ryan talking the lead every time. I understand he's a Shifter Leader and all, but he wasn't seeming to let Aiden or Alex have a say in the discussion.
He continued, though, ignoring my comment. "Here's what we're going to do. We'll sneak back into the high school, restrain and capture one of their Shifters, and interrogate them."
"That's it?" Jam questioned.
"For now," Ryan replied. "We shouldn't do anything major until we know what's going on."
"Why couldn't we just take them out now?" I burst out, my tolerance beginning to dwindle. "We have the manpower; our army's been training for months. What's the hold up?"
Ryan sighed and closed his eyes, running his hand through his hair. His eyebrows were narrowed slightly, and I could tell he felt just as angry as I did. I stood up.
"They're more powerful than you could possibly imagine," Ryan replied carefully. "They could kill us in a blink of an eye. You heard what they did the night before we were supposed to move. They wiped out over three-quarters of our Shifters. Even if most of them were beginners."
"But we're stronger too," I argued. "And from my point of view, both sides are evenly matched."
"How so?" Ryan asked, raising an eyebrow.
I faltered, not expecting him to want clarification. "Well, for starters, both sides have, what, like, 20 guys? Also, they only have three leaders. We've got six."
"You should know that numbers aren't everything," he retorted. "And where'd you get six from?"
Now it's my turn to raise an eyebrow. "There are six of us in this room."
"Technically, Aiden, Alex, and I are the leaders," he said stiffly. "I think we have more experience in the planning department."
"Well, we," I gestured to Jam and Lin, who were attempting to ignore the standoff, "have more experience in the common sense department."
Ryan's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth, but before he could make a comeback, Aiden intervened.
"Alright, guys, enough," he said sternly, pushing his way in between us. "None of us need you acting like little kids, so sit down."
Even after all this time, Aiden could still project such an amount of authority into his voice that it forced you to do what he said, as if it made you afraid of what would happen if you didn't.
I seemed to be the only one affected like this, and I sat down timidly, staring at him. Ryan didn't look apprehensive, but still grabbed a seat at the table nonetheless.
"But, I agree with Ryan, Jason," Aiden continued, more softly this time. "It's no use putting ourselves at risk until we know what they're trying to do."
"And I suppose you think that they're stronger than us too?" I replied in annoyance.
"I didn't say that," he said, an element of his frustration returning. "But they are well trained in their abilities."
"So, anyway," Ryan continued. "Before I got interrupted," I scowled, "I was going to say that the six of us will take the subway back to the station closest to the high school so as to not get detected easily. That should bring us within a few blocks of the school."
He pressed a button on the pad he was holding and an aerial view of the map popped up on the screen by the door. I immediately recognized it as a Light View, one of the most advanced quality viewing screens in the 22nd century. Ryan zoomed out and added two red glowing icons; one for the school and another for the subway station.
"We should get there in a few hours, which would be around 9 pm. After that- what is it, Jason?" He asked in annoyance upon seeing my raised hand.
"Why not bring everyone?" I questioned. "We could outnumber whoever we're trying to catch and knock him out."
"We'd already outnumber him," Ryan deadpanned back. "And besides, it's no use to attract that much attention."
"And, so, we're just sneaking around the school looking for some random person?" Jam asked, bringing the conversation back on course. "You think that will work? They'll be able to spot us pretty easily."
For the first time since I got here, Ryan smiled. "Not necessarily." He held out his left hand and the water bottle on the couch burst into particles and reformed into a transparent wad of fabric in his hand.
Lin looked intrigued. "What's that?"
"This is an Invisible Suit," he explained. "It has the power to turn the wearer invisible for as long as they keep it on."
"How does that work?" I asked skeptically.
"It has something to do with the material. I really don't know," Ryan replied.
"Put it on!" Jam said enthusiastically.
Ryan looked at him in surprise for a second, then set the pad down and started to pull the suit over his head. Lin and I chuckled, but stopped as he let it cover his body. All of us stared in shock at where Ryan stood, and even Alex looked up from his computer to see.
The place where Ryan had been was now totally unoccupied. The suit had, indeed, turned him completely invisible.
"I...I don't know what to say," Jam managed to get out.
Two hands reappeared where he was standing and pulled the suit off, gradually revealing his whole body.
"Pretty cool, right?" Ryan replied, grinning. "Getting in and out should be a breeze. Just as long as you don't bump into anything. Or anyone."
"It'll probably get tough when we find this person," Lin pointed out. "We'll have to somehow get him out of there."
"Ok, I have to ask," I burst out. "Are we literally just going after anyone? Like, don't we have someone specific?"
Ryan sighed. "Yes, Jason. I was getting there."
He picked up the pad and pressed one of the buttons. An image of a guy in his late teens filled the Light View. His profile revealed a gray T-Shirt, strong chin, and cobalt blue eyes. While Lin, Jam, and I looked at him in confusion, Alex and Aiden gave a shuddering intake of breath. It was clear that they recognized him.
"Brydon Tucker," Ryan stated. "He's more of a hacker than a fighter and supposedly is the only other guy who has the secret information that Brandon, Tyler, and Kaitlyn have been hiding."
"What do we do if we see him?" Jam asked tentatively.
"Knocking him unconscious would be the obvious choice," he replied plainly. "I have a pack of Stunning darts that we can use. They should work immediately."
Ryan went over a few more things: the best places to sneak into the school, avoid everyone other than our target if possible, and, most importantly, don't venture into the underground Shifting training area. After that, we left the Employee Break room and went into our makeshift rooms to get ready. We still had an hour before we left, so there was a good amount of time to pack up. However, there really wasn't that much to bring. Ryan had given us all Invisible Suits and two Stunning darts each. Any object we looked at could change into anything we desired, so that meant we didn't have to drag swords or shields along for the ride.
I ended up laying down on my bed and watched Aiden scroll through his phone. A sudden urge to ask him about his dream the night before arose within me. There must've been something terrible that caused him to wake up screaming. But then, thinking about it, I decided not to. We were about to venture into the house of the most powerful and dangerous people on earth, and we didn't need any distractions. Instead, I closed my eyes, and asked myself for what seemed like the hundredth time how we got this far.