Page 20 of Bound By Water
Horror at the thought of the pain he must have felt, knowing what happened, and the overwhelming guilt weighing him down because his son had gotten his abilities. “I’m so, so sorry, Lionel.” What a terrible burden to bear—for him and his son, Greer.
“Did my parents know about all this?”
He nods and thrusts the photo into his backpack.
“Why didn’t I inherit my father’s ability?”
He lifts a shoulder. “I don’t know. Nor do I know why your power waited until today to show up.” His eyes are distant for a second. “Abilities are evolving so fast, and we don’t have a good way to predict the changes. That’s the reason Hightower was given command of the task force. To find the origin of our powers and to determine if we’re a danger to society. Unfortunately, his wife died at the hands of someone with psychic power. Since then, he’s used extreme methods to capture the most powerful individuals. The powers above him know little of what he’s doing, nor do they ask. Basically, they condone his handling of the situation.” Bitterness coats his voice.
He strides over and grabs my shoulders. “I failed my son, but I won’t fail you. I promise, Willa. I’ll do everything in my power to get you to safety.”
“I know,” I assure him, patting him on the back. “Don’t worry. I’ll do whatever you tell me to do.”
Tension eases from his shoulders and he heaves a sigh, his relief almost palpable. “You need a new identity, but we don’t have time to do this right. For now, I’ll have Brad use Greer’s information with your photo.” His tone is gruff as he sifts through papers in the hutch. A second later, he holds out a paper, and I take it from him.
“Greer’s birth certificate,” I say, reading the document. He was only a couple of years older than me. “Am I disguising myself as a boy?”
“Greer was actually my mother’s name, too,” he says with a small smile. “It can go both ways.” He pulls out his phone and positions me next to the white wall in the hall. “No smile.” Once he snaps the photo, he sends a copy of it and the birth certificate to Brad.
I take a deep breath. “Greer.” I repeat the name a few times. It will take time to get used to it. “I’m honored.” Tears well up, but I refuse to think of this as a permanent change. It’s temporary until I get somewhere safe.
While Lionel stuffs weapons and other necessary items into a large duffel bag, I grab food and drinks for us. We don’t know whether we’ll be traveling by car or plane, but it gives me something to do and keeps my mind from replaying the details of last night over and over.
An hour later, we back out of the driveway in my little hatchback. Once we meet up with Brad, he and another friend will continue on in my car, ditching it a few hours away from the city to throw off Hightower’s men. I bite my lip, hating the thought of putting someone else in danger, but Lionel chuckles and informs me that they’re ex-Army Rangers and extremely capable of taking care of themselves.
CHAPTER11
WILLA
Brad’s older, like Lionel, but he’s not what I imagined, with his shaved head, tattoos, and military demeanor. As he listens to Lionel, his eyes never leave the area around us. His friend is pretty quiet, too, his voice barely above a murmur when he asks for my keys. I bite my lip, looking around the abandoned gas station off an exit in the middle of nowhere.
“Give Mace your coat and phone,” Brad orders me.
I glance at Lionel and see him nod, so I hand my phone and coat to the other guy. Cold sweeps around me, making me shiver, but it’s eclipsed by the oversized dark hoodie tossed into my arms. When I look at Brad, he motions for me to put it on.
“Mace is about your size. With a wig and some modifications, the cameras will think he’s you,” Brad’s voice is clipped as he explains the reason for the switch. “We’ll try to buy you a day or two. Make the most of it.” This time, he’s looking at Lionel.
While I put on the hoodie, Lionel and Brad talk quietly about the plan. Their low murmurs are almost impossible to hear, but I catch the words train, major, and Raven. Headlights shine as a vehicle takes the exit, and we all tense. Lionel moves me to the rear of the car and pulls out his handgun. Brad slips into the shadows of the building. When it passes by without slowing, I breathe a sigh of relief, but none of the men do.
“What?” I ask, bewildered by the expressions on their faces.
“Keys,” Lionel barks without answering me. Brad tosses him a set of keys, and hands him a small black backpack. “Go pack has cash, IDs, couple of burners, and a few other necessities. I’ve tagged it with a tracker. Train station is two clicks to the east. Watch your six. I’ll let Phoenix know you’re on the move and hand off your coordinates. Good luck.”
Phoenix? Is that a person?I wonder but don’t interrupt.
The two clasp hands, and Lionel gives him a quick salute. “I owe you.”
Brad snorts. “Hell, I owe you at least a couple of life debts. See you on the other side.” He walks over and slips into my car, which has been running with the lights off for several minutes.
Lionel motions for me to join him. “We’ve got a little over a mile to walk. Let’s get moving before the car comes back.”
My eyes dart around the dark parking lot. “Why would it return?”
He shines his flashlight onto a small dirt path on the side of the highway, and I walk toward it.
Lionel’s voice is gruff as he answers, “It might not, but we don’t believe in coincidences. Too many close calls.” An engine revs in the distance. “Pick up the pace.”
I start jogging, and as I get to the bridge, Lionel pulls me under it. A car passes by, then a few minutes later, another follows.
