But he wasn’t finished just yet. “I’ve been infected—the Code Red thing. I’ll be sick within hours. Dead within days.” He just threw it out there—like a bomb . . . like it was nothing.
But it wasn’t nothing. It was huge, his news, and I had a million questions about how and when and who, but none of those questions found their way to my lips. I was dizzy and heavy and tangled all at the same time.
Tyler must’ve been inside my head and realized how disoriented I suddenly felt, because his hand shot over to find mine.
“Listen, kiddo,” my dad finally said. “Going up there . . . with them, it might be my only shot. Maybe they’ll help me, the way they helped the kid there.” My dad nodded at Tyler.
I glanced at Tyler, and could hear what he was saying, that his case was different. They’d come to get him. They’d chosen to take him.
Besides, hadn’t they already said: no more Returned?
And even if that wasn’t the case, he went on, Your dad would be forcing himself on them. And he is old. Older than the rest of us.
But what about Agent Truman? I countered, because they’d taken him when he was around my dad’s age.
I had to believe he at least had a shot.
Tyler stopped arguing, probably because he knew he’d lost. I’d already made up my mind.
“And you call me stubborn,” I said as I reached for my dad’s hand, pulling him the rest of the way into the ship. The two of them helped me move Adam out of the pilot’s seat. We did our best to make Adam comfortable on the floor with a cargo blanket we found.
Tyler disembarked then, giving my dad and me a few minutes alone, and because good-bye was too hard, I started showing my dad what he’d need to do, which was almost nothing. I’d already tapped into the ship’s systems, or it had tapped into me . . . either way it was already powering up, preparing to launch.
I indicated the ship’s control panel, which mostly consisted of the joystick and was pretty basic, really. From below, I’d navigate the thing myself, if necessary, until he was safely through the bay doors. After that, he could handle it until the M’alue took over.
Then, when I couldn’t put it off any longer, I leaned over and kissed him lightly on his whiskered cheek.
Swallowing, because the last thing I wanted was for my voice to wobble, I said, “’Bye, Dad.” I said it like he’d be back soon. That everything would be 100 percent fine. “Be safe.”
I started to straighten, and then changed my mind. There was no way I could leave things that way. This was no time to pretend this wasn’t a total mess.
I dropped back down, over the top of him and wrapped my arms around his neck. I buried my face in his beard, and when I tried to talk, my voice fell apart. “I love you, Dad. And I don’t blame you for what happened,” I told him, because he needed to know before he went. “I’ll never blame you.”
He was already strapped in, but my dad managed to reach his arms back up and around me too. “I love you too, Supernova. Don’t ever forget who you are. You’re my girl. You’ll always be my girl.”
I didn’t have to see him to know he meant it. He wasn’t doing this for the world; he was doing this for me.
Watching as the bay doors opened, I was caught in a strange sort of limbo between agony and relief.
My dad had done it. The hardest part was over, the ship was launched and Adam was on his way home.
But my dad . . .
I clamped my eyes shut. I can’t do this now, I told myself as I checked the clock. Less than an hour until the M’alue launch their attack.
We’re running out of time.
I didn’t know the whole story, only that it had been Molly who’d exposed my dad after she’d pulled a gun on them and he’d hit her with a fire extinguisher. Griffin and Thom had caught up with them shortly afterward, and now everyone was here as my dad’s ship cruised away.
If we’d had more time, I would’ve asked to hear everything, but instead, we had to finish this thing.
“You all need to leave,” I said, turning to face them.
Simon scowled. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, get as far away from here as possible.”
“What about you?” I was surprised to find Griffin’s big brown eyes pooled with worry. It wasn’t like her.
I tried to explain. “This isn’t about me. We don’t have the security code we need.” I held up Dr. Clarke’s key card as I looked around at their faces, people who’d become my friends . . . and Agent Truman. “But even if we did, someone would have to give up their codes, and no one with that level clearance is gonna cooperate willingly. We’re running short on options. But, look . . .” I showed my hands as threads of electricity sparked between them. “Whatever this is, I can use it. I can bypass their security and blow this place sky-freaking-high. And trust me, you won’t wanna be anywhere near here when I do.” I grinned, but no one was smiling back at me.
Tyler shook his head. “No way. I’m not leaving you,” he insisted.