Alternative Tactics

Ch. 8: Intel is a Stupid Word

Chapter 8: Intel is a Stupid Word

Helena led us off campus without saying anything else. It made me a little nervous and I was suddenly glad Cyric hadn't let me go alone. This was beginning to get massively sketchy. 

Eventually, we reached a little side road. Parked under the shade of a few trees was a non-descript silver car. My stomach felt queasy and I wondered if I was nervous or sick. Helena crossed the street to get to the car. 

"We're going to my home. there's rooms for you to stay in tonight, I'm not sure how long it'll take. If you'd rather go to a motel, knock yourself out. I plan to tell you what you need to know, and yes Rosalyn, I'll answer a couple questions about your mother since I know you're curious. Now please, get in the car." She said, she sounded almost bored. She fished keys out of her purse and unlocked the car before sliding into the driver's seat. I was nervous, the plan sounded kind of ominous and unsafe, but we were here now, and I was curious.

"You sure you want to do this?" Cyric asked me. I knew he still thought this was a bad idea but I didn't care. 

"Yup." I replied, and I went around to the other side of the car, slipping into the passenger's seat while Cyric got in the back. Helena didn't ask if we had seat belts on or anything like that, she just started driving, and I hoped I made the right decision getting into this car. 

~*~

I felt steadily sicker as we drove. I'd never been prone to carsickness before, and having just driven for nearly three days straight with Cyric without getting carsick, I couldn't put it down to whatever had given me all aspects of the Hidden's powers. I hoped my body wasn't getting ready to have me vomit up my blood again, and if it was, I hoped it wouldn't happen in the car. 

I didn't watch where we were going, I let my head rest against the headrest and closed my eyes, taking deep breaths in the hope that maybe I could ward off whatever was making me feel ill. 

There was no conversation in the car for the first couple of minutes, and then Cyric spoke, directing the conversation towards Helena. "How did you find that number to call Rosalyn?" He asked. Helena rolled her eyes, keeping her gaze on the road ahead of us.

"Really boy? My husband was an H.O. agent with your parents, I found that number in his old address book, listed under the name 'Dextri home' and it wasn't hard to figure out that you'd go back to where you once lived." She replied. I was pretty sure this agitated him, how easily she found us.

"On a completely different topic, I have a name, you seem to know it, why do you refuse to call me by it?" He asked. I opened my eyes at this, to glance at Helena. Cyric couldn't see her expression, but I could. There was something a lot like fear in her eyes, and her shoulders were tense, her face betrayed both her annoyance and her anxiety. 

"Be careful. You're only here because of Rosalyn and I have no qualms about getting rid of you if I decide you've become especially bothersome with your questions and such." Helena told him coldly. I frowned, feeling deeply unsettled. I couldn't pinpoint who Helena was. She'd seemed caring back in the hospital all that time ago, rushing, and nervous and maybe even annoyed, but definitely kind. Now, she seemed a lot colder, more detached, and I wondered if she'd been acting back then, or if something had happened to change her in the months since I'd last seen her. Anyways, her threat seemed to quiet Cyric, and the car slipped into silence until I couldn't help it anymore.

~*~

 I'm pretty sure the car ride lasted about an hour and a half, but I'm not sure, I may've drifted off at one point.

Eventually, we arrived at the bottom of the hill. Looking up, I could see huge, black, wrought iron gates, and then a barrier of trees. Helena drove up and stopped at the gates, she pulled a little grey remote out of her pocket and pressed a button, the gates slid open and she drove in. They shut soundlessly behind us. We drove through the trees for a minute or two before they thinned, revealing a beautiful old, manor.