I hope some people are enjoying this.
Chapter Five:
I got bored after an hour of staring at the cylinder and went downstairs. Uncle Matt had made pancakes.
"Chocolate chip," he said. "Your favorite."
"Any leads on what you don't want me to see?" I asked.
"Everyone in the BAU is working on it," he said. "Eat up."
I took some pancakes.
"Where is my mom?"
"She's at the BAU," he said. "She's working to find your father."
"You know I could just read your mind and find all the answers," I said.
"I've been practicing mindfulness all morning," he said. "You'll have a hard time finding the answers."
I sighed. Grownups could be so stupid at times.
"Hey," he said. "We're going to get your dad back. I don't doubt it for a second."
"What am I supposed to do all day?" I asked. "Sit and panic?"
"Try reading," he said. "Uncle Dave will be here to watch you while I head in."
"To watch me?" I said. "I'm almost thirteen and there are armed guards around the entire house."
"You know what I mean," he said.
I munched on the pancakes. His were always dry. All I could think of was dad in the bomb vest. It was ticking down to at least seven hours now.
There was a knock on the door. Uncle Dave appeared holding a stack of board games.
"Hey kid, have you ever played Battleship?" he asked.
"With my brothers a couple times," I said.
"Sounds like fun," Uncle Matt said. "I wish I could stay."
"I'm going to go change," I said.
"Don't be gone too long," Uncle Dave said. "I already have my pieces in place."
My adoptive family was composed of some of the smartest people on the planet. Yet this was their strategy for keeping me from thinking of my dad: Board games.
I went upstairs and snuck into Michael's room. I was remarkably patient for someone my age. Which is how I managed to save up for a phone I bought at a mall kiosk with Rose when our parents thought we were hiding in the bra section. I kept the "burner phone," as they call it, in the bottom of Michael's desk.
Rose texted me back immediately.
"OMG U R the talk of the school. Teachers can't pull us away from our phones. Did my dad take yours?"
"And my computer, I can't text long. Uncle Dave is babysitting."
"That sucks. They have no idea you know?"
"Yep."
"I'm freaking out! What is going to happen? Even Elly seems like she cares."
"Then the world must be coming to an end."
"Astra?" Uncle Dave called out.
"G2G. Check back later."
"I'll be right down," I called out.
I quickly changed and went downstairs.
"Can we play poker instead?" I asked.
He laughed.
"I'm not as dumb as I look. I'm still hurting from the last time you beat me."
"That was like three months ago."
"Your father was a brilliant player too," he said. "Come on."
We sat down in front of the battle stations.
"When was the last time anyone talked with my bio mom?" I asked.
"About three years ago," he said. "She asked how you were doing."
"What'd you say?"
"That you were a happy and healthy, bright young lady," he said.
"Why can't I see a picture of her?" I asked.
"Astra," he said with a sigh. "We've been over this. Your parents have too. She always avoided pictures out of fear they'd be traced."
Reading his mind, I could see he had repeated it so many times in his head, he was starting to believe it.
I didn't try to read his mind for clues for the game. He actually seemed to enjoy playing with me while I went through the motions. Anything to distract from my dad with the bomb vest.
"Scrabble time!" he said.
"No criminology terms," I said.
"Deal," he said with a smile.
He had spelled eczema when his phone rang. He quickly left the room to take it.
The guards burst in. Aunt Tara appeared.
"Honey, grab some clothes," she said. "We need to move you."
"What's going on?" I asked.
Something bad had happened. Aunt Tara was always harder to read because of her psychology training.
"There is no time. Get some things," she said. "Hurry."
I ran upstairs and put some clothes, the cylinder, and a notebook in my backpack. I then ran into Michael's room and called Rose. She picked up instantly.
"They blew up your parents Astra!" Rose sobbed. "Your mom was there trying to get the vest off when… Oh god, all the blood!"
I dropped the phone. I fell to my knees.
Aunt Tara appeared. She quickly put two and two together and grabbed me by the shoulders as I sobbed.
"We're going to take care of you," she said. "I promise."
…
The rest of the day was a blur. I spent hours in a van crying as Aunt Tara stroked my hair. I was an orphan again before I turned thirteen.
Henry was waiting at the heavily guarded ranch. He hugged me tightly. We cried together.
Eventually it was just the two of us in a small kitchen. Michael had called earlier to say he was on his way. Henry made grilled cheese sandwiches for the two of us. We ate in silence.
After hours of crying I finally realized I needed to do something. Henry was my best hope.
"I think you need to tell me the real story behind how I got adopted," I said.
"You really think now is the time to bring all that up?" he asked.
"I know dad was forced to repeat gibberish over and over, except the only word anyone could decipher was my name. What do you know Henry?"
He wouldn't look at me.
"Please. It got them killed. You've got to know something."
"Mom and Dad swore me to secrecy," he said. "They said it was the only way to protect you."
"What's the real story?"
"Uncle Spencer had disappeared six months ago when a woman showed up during an investigation in Omaha. When Mom come back from the case, she was carrying you and a suitcase of stuff. I was told you were my new sister as your mom was in danger."
"That's it?" I said.
"I was a kid myself back then," he said. "I know there are visible holes now. I don't know."
"What do you think?" I asked him. "About where I'm from?"
"I think, Uncle Spencer fell for a dangerous woman. The two hearts, mind reading, and clairvoyant dreams, those are just part of who you are."
I sighed.
"I know you want better answers Astra," he said. "But I don't have them."
"I'm going to bed," I said.
He grabbed my hand.
"I'm not going to say we're going to be okay. But I'm going to take care if you and Michael. I promise. We'll figure something out. We're family, right?"
I hugged him. We held on for a long time.
…
Making sure the door was shut to my room, I went to my backpack and pulled out the cylinder.
"You're going to help me," I said. "You have answers I want. Show me something that will help me find who killed my parents."
The cylinder suddenly burned my hands. I dropped it, and it landed perfectly on a round end.
A blinding blue light came out of it. I closed my eyes. When I opened them, the cylinder was the size of a phone booth.
An opening appeared. I didn't hesitate to go inside. Even in my haze of grief, going inside felt like I was coming home.