Chapter 6- One Good Turn Deserves Another and the Truth
Anna capped the pen in her hand. She had just finished the algebra test that her teacher gave every Friday. The test covered everything they had learned that week and usually John Diggle, Oliver, or Felicity would help her cram for the test. It was much like what Cayden and Jim would do when she or Owen had tests in school too. Anna felt a small margin of relief that at least she got to wear her regular clothes for these tests. Today she had opted for a yellow and brown plaid shirt, jeans, and a soft pair of short boots, with buckles.
Anna had twenty minutes to spare, so she pulled out The Captive Bride by Gilbert Morris and Rebel by Linda Windsor. She would finish the first and start the second before class was even over. The teachers didn't mind that she read books in class as long as she finished her assignments. When shy, quiet, Julie Davenport got caught reading The Emerald Isle by Angela Hunt, the history teacher nearly went thermal as they were supposed to do a chart about the Middle Ages and not read romance novels. The teacher had lectured them for hours, saying that she didn't mind them reading as long as they finished class assignments first.
Anna found her mind going to Adrian Chase. She wondered how that was even going. It had been a few days since Anna and Felicity had gone to Helix, asking Alena for help to catch Adrian. She then wondered if Alena even knew Cayden and, if so, where he was. Anna hadn't seen him, but he could have been out doing a chore, although she had to wonder what a hacktivist considered a chore. She even wondered if Owen wasn't too far wrong when he called their father's group "Weirdos." Judging by Alena's appearance, Anna was inclined to agree with Owen.
The rest of the day went by quietly. Since starting school Anna had made friends with Al Dowen, Carrie Portman, and Rachel Howland and her twin brother Jonathan. Everyone there came from some rich family, but these four were the only ones who didn't act like a bunch of entitled snobs. They were all planning to go out to the movies on Sunday. These things like movies had to wait for Sunday as Carrie was Jewish and Friday was the start of Shabbat and she would be at the synagogue tomorrow morning and afternoon and Al and Anna would be at church on Sunday morning.
Anna had just finished at her locker, getting her gym clothes and the books she needed for the weekend. She had a paper due in her lit class on "Sense and Sensibility" and since she was almost done with the book, she could start the paper this evening. Anna stopped in surprise. Felicity was waiting outside and, by her face, looking really agitated. "Felicity, what's wrong?" Anna asked.
"You remember Jordan Pierce?" Felicity asked.
"Yeah. I helped you and Alena look him up. What happened?" Anna asked, putting her backpack in Felicity's back seat.
"Jordan Pierce was found murdered. The elevator he was on went out of control," Felicity explained.
"Okay. How does that happen?" Anna asked in a slow voice.
"The only way would be that the elevator would be hacked. You didn't-?" Felicity started to ask.
"No. I only hack desk computers, cell phones, and laptops. Elevators are not among the norm for me," Anna said.
"Okay. Good. Just checking," Felicity said a look of relief on her face.
"Did you consider Alena? She was with us when we discovered Jordan Pierce," Anna asked.
Hmmm, good point. Come on. Let's ask her," Felicity said and they got into her car.
This time Anna didn't even look around at Helix when they entered. If Cayden was there she would have heard her name from him. This time she and Felicity wanted to know if Alena or Cayden had committed murder. For their sakes Anna hoped they hadn't.
"Alena, what did you do? I have the code, Alena. I know your work. Curtis and me saw the footage. You hacked that elevator. You killed that A.R.G.U.S. agent-" Felicity said, in an almost screamed whisper.
"Just slow down," Alena said.
"Yes or no, Alena?" Anna asked sharply.
"Kind of," Alena said with a small voice and smile.
"Kind of? In what world does "kind of" work, Alena?" Anna asked, almost screaming herself.
"I didn't mean to kill him, I swear. I'd never knocked anyone out with an elevator before, and apparently there's a learning curve," Alena said
"Alena," Felicity and Anna both said faintly as if they couldn't believe it.
"I need you both to hear me out for one second," Alena said.
"You murdered someone," Felicity said.
"Accidentally, and for a good cause," Alena said, sounding so self-righteous it was ridiculous.
"I can't believe we're hearing this, Anna," Felicity said, apparently on the same page as Anna.
"Cayden James. He's the most skilled hacker the world has ever known," Alena said, the words like a lightening bolt to Anna's heart. Dad, Anna thought, feeling slightly dizzy. Now she would find out what happened with her father.
"If he was I would have heard of him," Felicity said, confirming that Oliver hadn't told her or Curtis to look up Anna's father.
"No, you wouldn't have, because he's just that good. He's a ghost. He's also the person who formed Helix," Alena said. No kidding. How many times he forfeited a relationship with me and Owen for this place, Anna thought sarcastically.
"What does that have to do with-" Felicity started to ask.
"Eight months ago he was scooped up by A.R.G.U.S. Not arrested, not charged, just taken. And now he's being held without cause. Being tortured, who knows what else. And I had to take this off that A.R.G.U.S. agent so we can free him," Alena said, with what looked like a chip key in her hand.
"Alena, you killed someone," Anna said.
"Before you and Felicity get too judgmental, know you're gonna help me free Cayden from wherever A.R.G.U.S. is holding him," Alena said stiffly.
"Why would we do that?" Felicity asked.
"Because before he was taken, Cayden was working on a biometric tracker that could recognize a heartbeat. Powerful enough to scan anywhere in the world," Alena said.
"Anywhere Adrian Chase is," Felicity said as Alena held out the chip key.
"One question, Alena. What was Cayden doing the night he was taken?" Anna asked.
"He was at a basketball game at the high school. We all told him not to go because of A.R.G.U.S., but he said he had made a promise that he'd be there," Alena said, nearly causing Anna's heart to stop and the blood to drain out of her face.
"Oh, lord, he kept his promise," Anna said in a soft voice that was close to tears.
"Anna, what are you saying?" Felicity asked.
"He made that promise to me, Felicity. Cayden James is my father. The last time I saw him was the day before he was taken. He promised me that he'd show for my brother's basketball game. Alena, is this Cayden?" Anna asked, pulling out a picture of her, Owen, and Cayden on her fourteenth birthday.
"Yeah, that's him. You are his daughter?" Alena asked in a sense of awe.
Yeah. I was so angry. I thought he had lied to me and Owen. Felicity, we have to save him. Please," Anna asked as tears streaked down her cheeks and she sank onto a chair as she started to cry much as she had the night her mother, Jim, and Owen were killed.