Stolen Moments

1. Transportation

"Just a few drinks, Jas. Then you can skip off to the hotel and study your little heart out."

"Miles." I groaned. "I have two restorations and a full manuscript to translate by next Monday. Besides I'm already on thin ice with Cesar."  

"You bruised his ego and rightfully so." My fellow student tossed his long auburn braid over one shoulder in irritation. "The man should have done his research. It'll blow over." He waved his hand dismissively while I snorted. A smirk crossed his face as he leaned into me so close that I could feel his breath on my neck. "You work too hard Jasmine." His voice dropped to a seductive note. I fought the urge to shiver as a blush crept to my checks. "All work and no play makes Jimmy a dull boy." he cooed directly into my ear.

I pushed his face away playfully and collected my papers. Sweat was making its way down my spine but it had very little to do with the summer heat.

Miles made a habit of picking on me like this. It was all in good fun, and I'd been known to get him back occasionally, so I allowed it. He was brilliant, attractive, and pretty much my only friend, but even after four years I still kept a certain distance between us. I often wished it didn't have to be this way. Miles was just too easy for me to talk to; and the fear that I'd slip up and give myself away was always present.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I smiled while slipping my bag over my shoulder. As usual Miles sighed before turning his attention elsewhere. The sun was dipping down and the promise of a cool night hung in the air. I decided to take a different route tonight because I wanted to stop by the local bazaar. Alice and Ruby, my sisters, would be turning thirty next month and I still hadn't found them anything. I didn't know the area very well but was confident I wouldn't get lost. Or if I did I'd call Miles to come get me.

People drawn out by the cooling temperature began to clutter the streets. I nodded to the faces I recognized. I'd spent the last five months documenting tombs, grave sites, and excavating ancient cities long buried by the sand, all under the guidance of Professor Cesar Kline. For the next two years, if I stayed off Cesar's nerves, I would be in Egypt as part of his team working to uncover the day to day lives of people who had lived thousands of years before. Miles, three others and I, had beat out countless applicants from around the world to be part of this. For me the desire to be included in the expedition had been stronger than most, and not just for the extra credits and experience; but because up until just a few years ago I'd never been allowed the luxury of world travel.

History wasn't a subject that enthralled most people my age but I wanted to know and understand how the old empires rose and fell. To get into the minds of the great men and women who had ruled them and see life through their eyes. Examine their choices and decide what I'd have done in their place. History, the one subject that never failed to fascinate, my chosen field of study which I wanted to make a lifelong career; a decision my family didn't understand and never hesitated to make their confusion very clear. In fact, Dad had gone so far as to claim I was wasting my potential, though he hadn't phrased it as kindly. My sisters while more gentle with their words were no less displeased.

Up until my seventeenth birthday my family and I had been government property. Thanks to my parents and I, we had new identities, freedom of sorts and more money than we could hope to spend. We'd only succeeded due to some special skills of mine; genetics manufactured and given by men in white coats. Abilities that had failed to be replicated in my sisters for reasons the scientists couldn't figure out. My uncle and his band of loyal fanatics only possessed half of what the scientists had given me, but that didn't make them any less dangerous. A very special team had been put together to defeat them. To be perfectly honest my role in the operation, while critical, was actually very small and easy. The rest of the team couldn't say that. Some hadn't lived beyond that night to register an opinion.

We were released from service and free but my family was never alone. Before we left the base General Neelson told us he'd be watching, purely for our safety of course, which was ridiculous. Black vans sometimes followed me. Whenever I left the country the same middle aged couple mysteriously appeared a few doors down in my hotel. I'd invited that couple to brunch once or twice and we'd had a slightly awkward but enjoyable time.

They weren't causes for concern just minor annoyances. I guess it made sense for them to keep an eye on us. Losing billion dollar assets couldn't be tolerated even if they were living, breathing, people instead of objects locked in bunkers. I'd gotten used to these 'tails' so when the man in dark robes began to shadow my steps I didn't think anything of it. Until he was joined by another just as big and heavily muscled with what appeared to be a gun on his right hip.

I walked faster. Thanks to my enhanced abilities I had the speed advantage but with the streets getting more clogged it wasn't doing me much good. I broke off down a dark alley and ran. I tried to find my cell phone but my damn oversized bag seemed to have eaten it like it did my many tubes of Chapstick. All I had to do was punch in a four digit code. It would send an S.O.S. to my handler who would instantly ping my location and send back up.

A man with a wagon full of fabric suddenly blocked my path as the first gunshot was fired. His horses reared but didn't bolt away. As another shot popped off the man ducked and screamed something in Egyptian I didn't understand. I tensed my legs and jumped. Unfortunately I wasn't thinking, and in my panic had overestimated the lift I needed. There wasn't enough time to soften my landing, so I crashed on the other side of a tall fence smashing my phone which I finally managed to find. A string of curses fell from my lips as I realized the damage wasn't something I could fix in the next few minutes. I looked back to see the stalkers still in pursuit but much farther back, and now on the other side of a fence.

The wagon merchant fled in terror. A strangled cry escaped my throat as a bullet threw up dirt next to my foot. It'd been a long time since someone had shot at me. I gulped down a lung full of air and ran. The fence seemed to be the boundary line of a construction site but all the lights were extinguished; which sucked because tonight was a new moon. My night vision was pretty good although at the moment I found myself wishing it was a hell of a lot better.

I risked a glance back and suddenly there was no ground under my feet and I was falling. I impacted something metal and hard; I pinched my lips against a scream from a broken leg, arm, and wrist. Only after the pain reduced slightly did I notice the stickiness and scent of fruit. What were watermelons doing in this hole? Two dark shapes appeared far above me. I heard a click as the safety of a gun was released. I tried to knock them back with telekinesis. Unfortunately I hadn't practiced in a while and the pain was making it hard to focus.

Light flooded the hole stunning both me and the attackers; a voice from an unseen speaker boomed, "Ten seconds to test." My eyes widened in shock. I had mistaken the military base for a construction site. The robotic voice counted down. I tried to move but my broken limbs were having none of that. The men disappeared as blue light filled my vision.