Page 62 of Bound By Water
“I do,” I admit with a half-smile. “Can’t wage war without them. I hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but I’ve been preparing for the possibility for a while.”
He nods in satisfaction and shrugs. “They were never going to promote me beyond Sergeant. Too unpredictable for their taste. I’m in.”
Beckett’s grey eyes have a sheen to them I didn’t expect. “For years, I’ve lived under their thumb, forced to use my powers to influence my friends and fellow soldiers. This compound is the first time I’ve been able to use my abilities to help those like us. Thanks to you. I’m in.”
Steven, a young officer, steps up. “My wife is pregnant. I can’t leave the Army or the safety of this compound. She comes first. I’m out.” He hesitates. “But I’ll help behind the scenes. Now, if you’ll excuse me. Plausible deniability and all that.” His arm snaps up in a salute. “It’s been an honor serving you, Major Harrison.” He strides out of the office.
Two others follow, leaving seven of us.
Jax looks around. “I assume you have a plan to grow this little group of ours?”
“Of course,” I assure him. “I’ve been speaking to our field team leads. I’ll send word tonight. Anyone who wants to join us needs to be here as soon as possible.”
First Lieutenant James Brock, who has the incredible ability to conjure realistic illusions, raises a finger. “Why so quick?”
“It’s taken some time, but we finally located one of Raven’s facilities,” I reveal in a quiet voice. “Our first objective is to slow or stop his current efforts. Give him a real target to focus on. If we strike a blow, a hard one, he’ll turn his attention to us.”
Sam whistles. “Guess we’re jumping in with a bang. Surveillance?”
Quaid stands up. “We’ve got numbers, guard routines, and the usual. Right now, we need to finalize our team and get an understanding of the pool of powers at our disposal. Once we have that information, we can create an attack plan, which is where you come in. There are civilians here who want to fight. Powerful users. At least a dozen. I’ve met them all. David. Talia. Edward. Gabe. To name a few. All we need to do is ask. If they say yes, you and I’ll assess whether they’re ready to join this mission or in need of further training.”
Adam, a young sergeant who joined us a year ago, steps forward. He’s been in charge of the stealth missions to save those on the streets. The program has been highly successful. He’s also the one who puts potentials to sleep so they can’t reveal our location.
“I’ve got a team that’s ready. They’ve been talking about leaving and creating their own group. There’s eight to ten of them. Powerful and trained.”
Quaid nods. “Trained is key. If they’re ready, let’s get them up to speed quickly.” Adam nods and sits down to jot a few notes. “Make sure you give Adam a list of their names and abilities.”
Speaking of lists… I pick up the one on my desk. “Beckett, I need you to find us a new place.” Because of the trials the Army put him through, his powers make it hard for him to engage in combat. “I’ve got a list, but I don’t have time to vet them and get everything else done. Would you mind?”
A relieved smile appears. “Thanks,” he replies, taking the sheet from my hand. “I assume we’ll need it by Friday.”
“Affirmative,” I answer with a grimace, aware of the short timeline. “It can be basic. We’ll figure out the rest.”
Once everyone has their orders, they head out, leaving me to make the calls to the rest of our team. Most of my officers are aware of the other cells, but they don’t have any details. That information has been closely guarded by my father and myself. Too often knowledge gets leaked because too many people are in the know.
But first, I have to make two calls. Technically, I should call my CO first, but the storm of my resignation will hit my father hard. I dial his cell.
“Oliver,” he says in his deep, gravelly voice. “I don’t have an answer for you. The joint committee is still debating.”
I take a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I’m resigning. My next call is to my CO, but I thought you should know first.”
I’ve been dreading this conversation all day. Disappointing my father isn’t something I do. Exceeding his expectations is my usual M.O. Not once have I ever taken a stand against him, but I’ve spent a year handling this his way, lying low and saving the few I can. Essentially, keeping Phoenix a secret from the rest of the world.
“Don’t be stupid,” he says after a second. “We’ll figure out a way to curtail Hightower, even if this committee doesn’t give me the vote I want.”
“They can’t afford to vote in your favor,” I reply with a sigh. “You and I both know it. If we don’t stand, they’ll crush us. We need to go on the offensive.”
Everyone in congress knows I am one ofthem. The military documented every experiment they conducted and shared it with the powers that be. Those trials nearly shredded me and my team to the bone, but they got the answers and the lethal soldiers they needed.
“Give me forty-eight hours,” he orders in a tone that leaves no room for disobedience. He’s used to getting his way, but not this time.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I evasively reply. By then, he’ll have heard from my CO, and it will be a done deal. “Good night… Sir.” I tap the red button and hang up. So many times, I’ve wanted to call him Dad. The closest I ever came was Father, but even then, it didn’t sit right. Sir has always been easier for us both.
CHAPTER32
WILLA / GREER
Spitting out the toothpaste, I bend over to rinse my mouth and, eyes wide, watch the water flow up toward my mouth. I fill it with water, swish it around, then spit. The water turns and flows down into the sink again. That’s new.
