“Standard-issue military Stabiliser,” Kaiden informed the rest of them. “One shot will knock you unconscious for ten minutes; a second shot in that time will kill you.”
Alex looked at him questioningly but he avoided her gaze, along with everyone else’s. She wondered if advanced weapons knowledge was common in Medora, but for some reason, she doubted that was the case.
“What’s our plan of action?” she asked, taking the clearly unwanted attention off him.
“First off, we need to find the outpost Hunter’s note refers to,” Tom said.
“It’s over there,” Kaiden replied, pointing to a part of the wall that rose higher than the rest, almost like a tower.
While his answer seemed the logical choice, Alex wasn’t sure why he seemed so convinced. Apparently Tom was doubtful as well.
“How do you know?” the apprentice asked.
“I’ve been here before,” Kaiden said.
Alex wasn’t the only one gaping at him, but she was the first to get over her shock.
“That sounds like a good enough reason to me,” she said, moving the attention off him again. “Now we just have to figure out how to get over there and back without being seen. Any ideas?”
“I don’t think we all need to go,” Pipsqueak said. “There’s no point in everyone getting caught.”
“Pip’s right,” Tom agreed. “The more of us who try to sneak in, the less stealthy we’ll be.”
“I’ll go,” Kaiden said. “I already know where to look.”
“I’ll go with you,” Declan said.
“No, I’ll go,” Jordan said. “My gift will get us in and out without being seen.”
When everyone but Alex looked at him in question, he explained how his gift of transcendence could make him and anyone he touched disappear. Their anxious expressions vanished with his words and they were immediately more confident of the mission’s success.
“Did anyone think to bring a ComTCD?” Tom asked.
“I did,” Skyla said as she pulled her sparkly pink Device from her bag and handed it over.
“That’s, um, very pretty,” Tom said, holding the glitter-covered piece of tech precariously between his fingers as if fearing the bedazzlement might be contagious. “Anyone else?”
“Here,” Pipsqueak said, handing over her plain black ComTCD.
“I’ll open a link between us so we can stay in contact,” Tom explained, fiddling with both Devices.
“You won’t be able to see us while I’m using my gift,” Jordan said, securing his and Kaiden’s backpacks to the tree.
“I’m not using the holograph function,” Tom said. “Just the audio setting so we can hear what’s going on around you in case something goes wrong.”
“We’ll be fine,” Jordan said, but he accepted the offered ComTCD and slid it into his pocket.
Kaiden didn’t look as confident as Jordan, and Alex was pretty sure she heard him mumble under his breath, “This isn’t going to work.” But despite his words, he shimmied down the tree, followed closely by Jordan. When they were at the wall, Jordan reached out to grasp Kaiden’s shoulder and both of them disappeared from sight.
“Now we wait,” Declan said. He sounded as miserable as Alex felt at being left behind. If she could have come up with a valid reason for joining them, she would have. But here she was, stuck sitting safely in a tree and waiting anxiously for their return.
Minutes passed and with them came whispered updates through the ComTCD.
“We’re through the gate.”
“We’ve reached the other side of the compound.”
“We’ve found the stairs leading to the command outpost.”
“We’re on the top of the wall.”
“We’ve just entered the command centre.”
“We can see—”
An unknown voice interrupted the update. “General Drock, I sense intruders.”
“Search the room!” said another, louder voice. “Seize them immediately!”
“Their thoughts are scattered, General. I can’t hear why they’re here, but I do sense that they’re hiding near the doorway,” the first voice said.
“Run!” came Jordan’s cry.
“After them!” ordered the authoritative voice.
Alex’s heart was thumping in her chest as she imagined the scene playing out in the compound.
“What do we do?” she asked. “We have to help them!”
“If we go in there now, we’ll only cause more problems,” Tom said. “Give them a few minutes. Between both of their gifts, they should be able to escape.”
Alex had no idea what Kaiden’s gift was, but unless he could teleport them both out, she didn’t see how he’d be able to help their situation.
“Kaiden’s been in there before, Alex,” Declan said, squeezing her arm in comfort. “He’ll have a few tricks up his sleeve, don’t worry.”
Despite his words, Alex could see Declan was just as concerned as she was.
They waited ten nail-biting minutes before they heard anything, but finally the update came.
“We got away. We’re coming back out.”
Alex felt like cheering, but she knew it would be stupid to make such a noise. She waited nervously for Kaiden and Jordan to appear, and when they did, she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or yell at them. They were panting when they climbed up the tree and it was clear they’d been running for their lives.
“What happened?” Tom asked once they’d caught their breath.
“One of them was gifted,” Kaiden said. “A very strong mind reader.”
“Did you get the package?” Pipsqueak asked.
The frustrated looks on their faces answered for them.
“You’re both safe,” Alex said. “That’s the main thing. It was a reckless task to begin with, something Hunter never should’ve asked us to do.”
“But that envelope holds the next Bubbledoor,” Pipsqueak said miserably. “We need it to get out of here.”
“What do you suggest we do, Pip?” Tom sounded irritated. “The entire compound will be on high alert now. And if there’s a mind reader in there, they’ll all know the moment any of us enter that command centre.”
Alex froze and looked up at Jordan. His eyes begged her to stay silent, but she knew what she had to do.
“I can get in there,” she whispered. The words stuck in her throat, so she made herself repeat them, loud enough for the others to hear.
“Weren’t you listening, Alex?” Tom said. “There’s a mind reader in there. We won’t be able to get within twenty feet of that envelope, not while he’s around.”
“He won’t be able to read me.”
Her classmates looked at her as if she was crazy, all except Jordan, who seemed resigned to accept her decision.
“My gift allows me a certain amount of… um… choice, when it comes to other people using their gifts on me,” she explained vaguely. “The mind reader won’t be able to sense me at all, let alone read my thoughts. I’m the only chance we have at getting that envelope.”
“Prove it,” Pip said.
Alex glanced at her. “What?”
“Prove it,” Pip repeated. “Touch my hand.”
Giving her a searching look, Alex did as ordered.
Pip’s face scrunched in concentration and her grip tightened almost painfully. She was breathing heavily by the time she let go of Alex’s hand, staring at her with incredulous eyes.