Part 6
Riley had gotten up at eight, showered and dressed before going out the main room of their dorm. On the table sat a brown paper bag with a note. She yanked the note off and read it out of curiosity.
We decided to save you a trip and bring your breakfast. I recommend using the bacon to wake up Kat.
Malcolm
Riley chuckled and opened the bag. Inside we're two styrofoam takeout containers and two styrofoam cups. She took them all out and opened the two takeout containers. Six chocolate chip pancakes were in one and the other had eight big strips of bacon. She examined the cups. One had Riley written on the side and the other had Kat. She decided to be lazy and use her telepathy to wake Kat.
Rise and shine sunshine. Shower and I'll give you food.
Bite me, Riley. It's way too early to be doing this.
Come on Lexa going to be here soon.
I repeat my earlier statement. Way too early!
Fine, you've had plenty of warning.
Riley walked over and pounded on Kats door.
"Get up!" She hollered.
No response. Riley opened the door and poked her head in.
"Come on princess, rise, and shine. It's a beautiful morning, the birds are singing, the sun is shining, the bacon is getting cold." Riley clapped her hands.
Kat telekinetically launched a pillow at her. Riley ducked and let it fly over her.
"Have your way then," Riley smirked. Using both her hands she telekinetically flipped Kat's bed.
"What the!" Kat started, instantly righting herself.
"Good morning sunshine." Riley chuckled turning around.
"Was that really necessary?" Kat huffed.
"Yes because you made it necessary," Riley smirked before leaving.
Nine was a blur as he headed for the gym. Malcolm's text "911 gym" was all he needed and meant only one thing. Father of the year was up to his old tricks again. This is has got to be the third time this week. No wonder the girls so frail. Her body can't physically take much more of this if he keeps persisting. He almost ripped the door off its hinges entering the building. Sydney was in there doubled over panting.
"Get up! You're never going to get better if you don't push yourself. Again!" An older gentleman with watermelons for arms demanded.
Nine also noticed to two poor peacekeepers that were shaking with fear. He knew the man was colonel Arnold, head of security, a waste of flesh, and a grade A jerk. Sadly he was also Sidney's father.
Sidney forced herself to stand up and turned to the one guard and all her muscles tensed. Sidney was drenched but it wasn't water it was sweat. Her short hair was plastered to her head with sweat too. He already knew her face would be the same color as scarlet. With a gasp, she fell to her knees and every muscle in her body trembled.
"Get up and do it again!" Arnold demanded.
"I can't!" Sidney cried, she stumbled when she talked.
"Again!" Arnold screamed at her.
"I can't it hurts!"
Before Nine could stop him Arnold approached his daughter and punched her in the jaw.
"You will do it again you worthless child or I will punish you again!" Arnold commanded.
"No please. I swear I can't do it again!" Sidney pleaded.
Arnold delivered a swift kick to her torso. Sidney was crying out in pain and agony now. Nine rushed forward and grabbed Arnold by the collar and threw him up against a nearby wall.
"What is wrong with you! This is child abuse!" Nine screamed at him.
"I'm helping her get better." He growled.
"This is not making her better. Look at her. She has barely eaten or slept in the past week and is a walking skeleton covered in bruises! She is not improving but deteriorating!" Nine barked at the man. "This is the third time this week I've caught you doing this to her. One more time and I'm reporting this to the board. She is still a child and this is child abuse. Now get outta my face before I pulverize you." Nine hissed.
He released Arnold. The man glared but stalked off. Nine rushed back to where Sidney was curled up on the floor barely making enough noise to signal she was in pain. She was literally barely more than a sack of bones, no meat on her bones. When he tilted her head to him her green eyes were hazy and practically glazed over. All the short spikes that were her hair regrowing were glued to her head with sweat. He scooped her up carefully. Her head slumped against her chest. She tried to say something but her eyes slid shut and her body went limp. Her nose started to bleed again. Nine cursed and speed out of there headed for the infirmary.
She needed Taylor now.
Every healer they had was probably more like it.
Sidney had just turned sixteen two months ago. He should know as a birthday present father of the year had shaved her head so she could focus on her training. He'd never met a human he'd wanted to pound into the ground more than Arnold. But all that mattered currently was that Sidney survived long enough to get out of here.
Nine sighed and sunk into his chair and half-heartedly flipped through the paperwork on his desk. This day was just going to continue going downhill he feared. There was a knock on his door.
"It's me," Malcolm spoke.
"Come in, Malcolm." Nine called.
He stood up and looked out his window at the quad. He rubbed his shoulder where the prosthetic met his shoulder. Malcolm came in and shut the door behind him. He held a small folder against his chest with one lanky arm.
"How bad is it?" Nine questioned, he sounded very defeated.
"She'll pull through. Taylor, John, and Marina are all with her still." Malcolm softly explained.
Nine turned away from the window and ran a hand through his hair. He decided to sink into his couch. Malcolm picked a chair across from his to sit in.
"Sidney had a stroke, that's what caused the nose bleed. Taylor wanted to see if she'd recover without having to heal her but then Sidney had another seizure. Sidney's body has nothing left to fight with. They have her on an IV to rehydrate her and hope she'll pull through. All three did use their healing on her but you can't heal someone from pure exhaustion." Malcolm continued half-heartedly.
Nine could sense the sadness in his tone. He buried his face in his hands.
"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner? I could've stopped the egghead from nearly killing his daughter." Nine sighed.
"It's been a busy week. Lexa and I were getting our friends ready to evacuate Sidney and you seemed so flustered by the board that we couldn't bring it up. You seemed stressed enough. We instead sent her file to Gia to show to Casey and Cecilia. That they could come snatch Sidney before she died." Malcolm replied wearily.
"Well get ready to send them more info. I couldn't stop it but we can warn them." Nine spoke running his hands over his face.
Malcolm looked alarmed.
"What is it?" Malcolm questioned.
Then Nine's door opened and in came Lexa with both girls.
"Who died?" Riley questioned.
Damn it! I can't tell them about it. Riley and Kat can't know or it'll jeopardize their mission. Project LANE gene will only end in disaster.
Riley was surprised she was reading her father's mind. But she would ask in private what his thoughts meant. Nine forced a smile on his face.
"Did you have fun?"
Riley gave him a knowing look. She saw right through his happy mask.
"Are you sure I can't get out of this? The high heels will break my neck." Kat complained.
"You'll be fine. Now there's still time for you girls to see Susan. Good luck." Nine suggested.
What are you hiding? Riley mentally asked him before leaving.
Once both girls with girls were gone Lexa shut the door.
"Okay who forgot to mention my daughter is telepathic?" Nine sarcastically questioned.
Both of them looked confused.
"Excellent no one knew she's telepathic moving on." Nine leaned back and crossed his arms.
"What's the major malfunction I've missed?" Lexa inquired, sitting next to Nine on the couch.
"Before I had to go deal with the father of the year I was reading a file emailed to me by Earth Garde. Do you know what they've been working on? It's horrendous. Humanity finally has its cure." Nine angrily explained.
"But that's not all, they've found the location of the refugee camp. Tomorrow morning they're going to pull out all the stops and attack the camp. Approximately four hundred people are now at risk."
Riley tripped on her skirt as she left her room to sit in the main room and wait for Kat. She sat down on the couch and slipped her silver heels on. Her silky navy blue dress was beautiful but the skirt had a lot of layers, too much for her. As if on cue there was a knock on their door and she got it. A woman wearing a pretty yet simple teal ball gown stood there. She wore white wedges and her blonde hair was swept up in a simple updo held in place by a silver clip.
"Hey, Taylor." Riley greeted letting her in.
"Riley please tell me you're not going to be like your father and wear your hair down?" She questioned.
Riley laughed. "I heard that he was going to wear a man bun."
"Sounds about right. Now sit down." Taylor commanded.
Riley sat down at the little table they had in there room. Riley handed over to two silver combs with what looked like sapphires decorating them. To Riley, this was standard protocol. At the end of summer right before she leaves for school is another similar event to celebrate the opening of the academy so many years ago. Taylor went to work skillfully working with her nimble hands.
"You should've gone to school for cosmetology." Riley teased.
Taylor laughed. "If I did that I couldn't use my legacies as often. What's the point in having a healing legacy if I don't use it?"
"Good point."
"Besides who would keep your father in line? Lexa can't do it all the time. And what would you do without me?" Taylor inquired.
"Figure out how to do my own hair." Riley quipped.
Taylor chuckled. "I'm sure you'd manage. Who does your hair when you with your mom?" Taylor inquired.
"Myself. As if I'd let her or anyone else do it." Riley huffed.
Taylor stifled a laugh and continued working. She has just finished when they heard Kat grunt in annoyance from her room for the millionth time.
"You okay Kat?" Riley questioned. Kat's door opened and she walked out holding her dress up.
"Remind me to kill your father." She grumbled.
Taylor smiled and walked over to help Kat.
"You do know telekinesis is a great help with zippers you can't reach," Taylor suggested.
Kat rolled her hazel eyes in annoyance. "Now do I seriously have to wear this? What is this even!" Kat demanded, holding up a pair of stockings.
"It's stocking Kat. They're like leggings." Riley explained.
"Come on I'll help. They are a hard thing to get on." Taylor suggested.
She followed Kat into Kat's room. Riley could sense the amusement Taylor was trying not to show. Had Kat seriously never seen stockings before?
Riley was reading the book she'd brought with them while waiting. Yes, she brought a book on a mission.
Ya never know when you'll need a book.
Besides, it was a book given to her by Mrs. Raya. It was a worn hardcover book that was a faded blue. The writing on the side was missing letters but she knew the title. Son of Neptune. It was the second book in that series Mrs. Raya has given her. It was one of her favorites. But then someone knocked on the door. She put her book back in her backpack and went to get it. It was Malcolm and Nine. Both stared at her in awe. Riley smiled and let them in.
"Riley you get more and more beautiful each year." Nine complimented.
"And from what I've heard you get drunker each year." Riley teased.
"Lexa." He sighed.
"Where is she by the way?" Riley questioned.
"Bowing out for the evening. Someone's gotta watch Sidney." Malcolm answered.
"Kat?"Nine questioned.
"Still with Taylor," Riley answered, trying to keep the smile off her face.
Then Nine's phone chirped. "Come on. Now what?" He muttered pulling it out of his pocket.
"Malcolm, they require our presence again. Board meeting to discuss the grand reveal tonight. Make sure everyone is on the same page." Nine explained, sounding rather annoyed.
"It's a good thing all the other members are human. If not we'd be in trouble." Malcolm chuckled. Nine laughed.
Because we are so not on the same page about what's going down tonight.
Riley looked at father, slightly startled to have read that thought. This was hopeless, her telepathy turned on and off haphazardly. She tried to send one back.
What is it, dad?
Nine looked alarmed before turning to leave with Malcolm.
Riley? Are you reading my mind?
Riley sat back down on the couch.
Not intentionally but accidentally got a thought.
And what thought was that? That you're becoming such a beautiful young lady?
Cut the crap dad, what is going down tonight?
Come find me when Taylor gets the pair of you there. We'll stroll through the garden with Kat."
I'm holding you two that.
Of course. Now get out of my head. I don't want you to be broadcasting my thoughts on our wonderful board.
Hey, I have no control over what I do read so I'll try my best.
Riley. He warned.
Yes, father. Then she distracted herself by continuing her book.
After a few more chapters Taylor and Kat emerged. Kat was wearing a dark shimmering green ball gown with off the shoulder sleeves. Underneath were black strappy wedges. She had similar jewelry except for gold whereas Riley's was silver. Kat's hair had been put into a braided crown and secured at the back of her head with jeweled pins.
"I don't remember signing up for this," Kat grumbled.
"Where they'd go?" Taylor inquired.
"Last minute board meeting for final details." Riley groaned.
"Well, then I guess I'm supposed to escort you to the building. Maybe that's why I was told I had to come tonight." Taylor shrugged. She opened the door and they filed out.
The building was still the same as last year for a different ball Riley attended. The decorations were elegant and fancy, go figure. The theme seemed to be Earth Garde colors, blue, green, and white. Taylor led them through the crowds trying to find Nine and Malcolm or John and Marina, not that Riley knew those two. Taylor finally had spotted them in with another couple whispering in the corner. She was just about to start shoving through the crowds of ball gowns, tuxedos, and military uniforms when a male voice called out.
"Hey, where's your anatomy book?" Taylor turned around and her face lit up.
"Kopano!" She squealed.
"Hey what about us? We chopped liver? After all the work it took to get Nigel presentable." A Spanish woman teased.
"What are all you guys doing here?" Taylor questioned.
"No bloody clue." A man answered.
"Nigel! Looking snazzy in that suit." Taylor complimented.
"Nine invited us as a surprise for you." The African boy answered.
Riley grabbed Kat and they pushed their way to the corner where Nine was talking quietly. It was just him and Malcolm now.
"Alright, I promised an explanation for two and a moonlight stroll through the garden." Riley huffed.
"Malcolm you can go talk to John and Marina some more if you want." Nine suggested.
Malcolm seemed to knowingly nod and slip away.
"Come on. This way." Nine gestured to a side door with glass etching a few feet away.
Once outside he clasped his hands behind his back and casually strolled through the small garden path leading to the beach.
"I swear I had no clue about any of this until this morning when it was in my email. Earth Garde has been researching and has come up with something new." Nine started.
Riley could sense he was dancing around the subject.
"Spit it out, dad," Riley demanded.
"Earth Garde has finally found the cure humanity has been waiting for." Nine sighed. His face fell and his shoulders slumped. He stopped at the edge of the garden and beginning of the beach.
"But that's not all. Tomorrow morning they're going to descend on the refugee camp with no mercy."
"How do they know where it is!" Kat demanded, throwing her hands up in the air and getting in his face.
"I couldn't tell you but the location is south of Rainbow waterfall down Peter's kill to where it passes Lake Awosting. The land in between Peter's kill and Lake Awosting is where they have set up camp." Nine answered solemnly. Kat cursed and kicked the ground.
"The moment this is over feel free to get out with Sidney." Nine replied.
"John is paging me. It's time for the festivities to begin." With this announcement, he turned on heel and lead them back through the garden to the banquet hall.
