Chapter 30
I’m sorry, but we have to call this in,” Colt said. He could tell something was wrong, but it didn’t make sense. Jonas was just sitting there with narrowed eyes. His neck was flushed and his fists were clenched like he was angry . . . but why? If he’d actually pinpointed the exact coordinates of the gateway, then there was a chance they could shut it down before the Thule had a chance to open it.
“Spill it,” Oz said.
“Leave him alone,” Danielle said. “Can’t you see he’s upset?”
“He’s hiding something.”
“No, he’s not.”
Jonas looked at Danielle and then Oz, his eyes brimming with tears behind his glasses. “Yes, I am.” His voice was weak, barely a whisper as the words spilled from quivering lips. “Nobody is supposed to know about it—not the military. Not even the president.”
“What are you talking about?” Colt asked.
“That was the deal,” Jonas said.
“You’re not making any sense,” Oz said.
Jonas ran his fingers through his hair and pulled until he grimaced under the pain. “Please don’t make me do this.”
“Do what?” Danielle said, her voice gentle as she placed her hand on his forearm. “Jonas, listen to me. We at least have to tell Colt’s grandfather.”
“No.”
“What deal?” Colt said. “Why wouldn’t the president know about your hometown?”
“It’s complicated.”
“That’s not good enough,” Colt said.
Jonas shook his head.
“Tell me now, or I’m calling this in.”
“No!” Jonas jumped out of his chair and took Colt by the forearm.
Colt winced. He looked up and saw Jonas snarling. Had his eyes always been gold? Wait. Were his teeth pointed? Colt blinked once and again, wondering if he was losing his mind or if the medication Dr. Roth had given him was making him hallucinate. Was Jonas a Thule? No. That was impossible. Everyone on campus had to take a daily blood test to prove that they were human.
“Sorry,” Jonas said, letting go. The contorted rage was replaced by contrition. Embarrassment. Shame. “It’s just that . . .”
“We get it,” Oz said. “Your dad is in some kind of witness protection program or something, but you know what? I don’t care, because I’m not going to sit back and do nothing while an army of angry six-armed aliens is getting ready to break through and eat our livers.”
“You don’t understand.”
“You’re right, I don’t.” Oz glared at Jonas, his chest heaving.
“Oz, please,” Danielle said, but Beauty couldn’t stave off the Beast.
“For someone with an IQ that’s off the charts, you’re acting like an idiot,” Oz said.
“Wait a minute.” Everyone turned to look at Ethan, who was studying a holomap that was hovering over a metal disc in the middle of the room. “This is it, right? Your hometown?”
Jonas nodded but didn’t say anything.
“It’s the place where the military blocks transmissions so they can test stuff,” Ethan said.
“Yes,” Glyph said, his eyes lighting up. “It’s the exact coordinates of the United States National Radio Quiet Zone.”
“Is your dad some kind of super scientist who works for the government?” Grey asked. “You know, like Leonard Nimoy?”
“I believe Cadet Arnold meant to say Nikkola Tesla,” Glyph said. “Leonard Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician, and—”
“We get it, Wikipedia,” Oz said, cutting him off. “He was on some boring science fiction show. Whatever. Can we get back to the whole gateway thing?”
“Help us understand,” Danielle said. “Is the Radio Quiet Zone supposed to be a secret?”
Jonas sighed. “Not exactly.”
“Then you know that if you’re right—if the gateway opens up in your hometown—it’s going to trigger what amounts to nuclear fission,” Danielle said. “And the entire state of West Virginia is going to get ripped open like a Christmas present. There won’t be anything left.”
Jonas closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked at Colt. “I’ll make you a deal,” he said. “Let me go there and verify the data. If their readings match the report, then I’ll make the call myself.”
“And what are we supposed to do in the meantime? Sit around and wait?” Oz said. “What if the Thule open the gateway before you get there?”
“For all we know, the data could be off,” Jonas said, his chin up and shoulders back as he stood in front of Oz. “Someone . . . well, something could have infiltrated the Tesla Society and planted false data.”
“Why would they do that?” Oz said.
“To divert us from the real gateway,” Danielle said.
“Wait, you’re on his side?”
“It makes sense,” Danielle said. “If we call it in and we’re wrong, they’ll never believe us again.”
“They don’t believe you now.” Oz turned to Colt. “It’s your call, but if you ask me, we should call it in.”
“Please,” Jonas said. “Give me twenty-four hours. That’s all I’m asking.”