A day had passed since the team's visit to the Smithsonian and, more importantly, the attack on The Vault.
Emily, along with the other original six members of the Prime Task Force and a few senior Atlas agents, sat in Director Shaw's office, waiting for him to arrive. Over the past couple of weeks, he had been meeting with various members of the United Nations committee in an effort to sway them to their side.
Following the news from The Vault, he had canceled all his scheduled meetings and rushed back to The Acropolis.
Out of breath and red in the face, he entered the room and took a seat at his desk. "Sorry I'm late everyone."
"No problem, sir," Chase said.
"I'm sure we all know why we're here, so I'll skip the boring parts." Director Shaw looked around at anyone, checking if anyone objected. No one did. "Good." He typed something on his desk's keyboard and the television on the other end of the room switched on.
A video relay from a security camera in The Vault played on the screen. Emily squinted at the footage, which might have well been a picture of nothing. Every now and then, a flicker of light would disturb the darkness—but it was often fast and fleeting.
"What exactly are we supposed to be looking at?"
Director Shaw fast-forwarded the video. While still dark, red and white lights pulsated through the shadows. Emily spotted Chase battling a man who seemed to be shooting bolts of electricity out his palms.
"Wait a minute," Theo said. He zipped out of his seat and materialized next to the screen a millisecond later. He pointed at the platinum-haired woman standing next to the Prime Chase had been fighting. "Is that Frost? How'd she even get out her cell? And who's that guy? And why're the lights off?"
"One question at a time, pal," Oscar told him. "Your head's gonna overheat."
Nodding, Theo returned to his seat with his rapid fingers tapping the wooden armrest. Emily grit her teeth at the noise and shot him a pointed look.
He gulped and stopped. "Sorry, Em."
"We don't have all the answers yet, Theo," Director Shaw replied. He turned to Chase, whose gaze was stuck on the televisions screen. The boy's jaw was taut as his blue eyes flashed with hidden fury. "But Chase might have some. He was there."
Everyone turned to him.
Chase folded his arms across his chest. "I don't know much, but I do know that whoever broke Frost out The Vault is affiliated with the same Primes from the Times Square attack."
"How do you know that?" Emily asked.
"And why would they be freeing ex-Kismet mercenaries?" Theo asked. He held his head in his hands. "Is anyone else feeling light-headed? Where's my asthma pump...?"
The video on the television screen resumed for a few seconds before pausing again. The camera had followed the action to the ground level of the cellblock, where Chase and a squadron of Atlas agents had cornered Frost and her accomplice. Emily squinted at the image. Through the hazy footage, she noticed shadows gravitating toward the two Primes.
What the hell?
The shadows, which had taken the shape of a massive raven, lifted from the ground like a marionette. In the center of the darkness, she could see a hooded woman floating. Before the Atlas agents could even react, she, Frost, and the other Prime had vanished from view.
"That's Shadow," Stella revealed. "This isn't good."
"No," Director Shaw agreed. "It is not."
"How'd they even know where The Vault is?" Andre asked. He stroked his chin, which had begun to sport a beard. "It's not exactly an easy place to find."
Emily nodded. That was a good point. The Vault was one of the most secure places in the world. And it wasn't like it could be found on Google Maps or anything. The only way someone could have found its coordinates is if they had access to them.
Her blood turned to ice within her veins.
A mole.
Surely that was the answer. How else would those Primes have found the prison? Someone was passing them information. That had to be it.
Her eyes narrowed, she studied the faces of everyone in the room. No one looked guilty. But, then again, who did?
"How they found The Vault isn't of great importance at the moment," Director Shaw said. "Why they have broken into it is. If they were willing to risk their freedom to rescue an ex-terrorist, then they may pose a larger threat than we thought. They must be dealt with quickly."
A few of the senior agents spoke up, suggesting what course of action to take. Chase and Stella chipped in with a few ideas of their own, but everyone else stayed quiet for the most part. There wasn't too much to say, as they still had no idea what really was going on.
As Emily stared at the shadowy raven on the television screen, she felt the gears in her head crunching as they began to spin. The attack on The Vault and the protest on the PRA in Times Square couldn't have been coincidences. They were too close together. Too related.
These rogue Primes had a plan. They were crafty, slick, and had information. They were dangerous.
She began to wonder if they'd be able to stop them before it was too late.
"When I talked to one of the Primes back in New York," Chase began, "he told me they were fighting against the PRA. He said they were trying to finish what Kismet started. Maybe that's why they broke Frost out of jail."
Beside him, Stella nodded. "Maybe they're planning another attack. An attack that will stop the PRA from progressing."
Emily's eyes widened. She could practically feel the air leave the room. Realization slowly surfaced on everyone's face. Swallowing hard, she turned to Director Shaw, who was staring down at his hands.
"Senator Crane's rally," she whispered, almost to herself. "They're attacking the rally."
"I think you're right." Director Shaw pinched the bridge of his nose. "How did I not see this coming?"
The rally was just in two days' time. Senator Crane, who was knee-deep in his campaign for president of the United States, was slated to speak at a convention in the suburbs of New York. If an attempt on his life was in the wings, there was no doubt that that was where it would happen.
Emily gripped her seat's armrest. "We have to stop them."
Director Shaw nodded. "I'll consult with my senior agents regarding teams. We'll get word to Crane's camp and see how we can further secure his rally." He looked around at everyone. "I know how some of us may feel about the senator, but it is in all of our interests to make sure he lives. If he becomes a martyr, the PRA is almost guaranteed to go through."
They all nodded.
While Emily didn't like—or trust—Senator Crane, she knew that his death would send ripples across the world. The public would have even more reason to hate Primes.
She thought back to that reporter from the museum. Her mouth twitched as his words echoed in her head.
"You're living weapons. Ticking time bombs. And, sooner or later, one of you is going to explode."
If they failed to protect Senator Crane, then they would've been proving him—and countless others—right. They couldn't let that happen.
So, for the time being, Emily was willing to ignore her feelings regarding Crane and protect him with her life. Even if he wouldn't do the same for her.
Director Shaw faced the six teenagers in the room. "You all can go fill in your team members. We'll message you shortly with more details on the plan."
"We won't let you down, sir," Chase promised the man.
Emily nodded. "You can count on us."
"For all of our sakes," he said, "I hope you're right."
#
Emily and her friends had found the other members of their team waiting in the common room.
Holly and Danai were both in the kitchen. The redhead was teaching the latter how to make a kale-infused smoothie. Though, she didn't seem too interested, as she was staring ahead lazily with a soda can in her hand.
Zach, Angus, and Lucky were sat on the couch with game controllers in their hands. The three boys were bickering over some mission in the game they were playing.
"Luck, why aren't ya' followin' me?" Angus whined.
"You keep running past the chests," Lucky answered with a shake of his head. "I'm trying to get a one-hundred percent on this quest."
"Guys!" Zach yelled. "Did you know you can teabag in this game?!"
Emily screwed her face at the three boys while walking over to Kai, who had been sitting on one of the sofas with a Surf Girl magazine. She lifted her green eyes from the pages.
"Hey," she said as Emily took up the seat next to her. "What'd Director Shaw say?"
"We've got a new gig," Oscar revealed from beneath the front door.
Zach zoomed over to him in a flash of green. "You mean a mission?" He grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Do I get to go? Please tell me I get to go."
Oscar ruffled the boy's blond curls before walking past him. "Not sure, kid. But Director Shaw will let us know soon."
"What is the mission?" Danai asked from the kitchen.
Emily glanced at Chase. The two of them shared a look of apprehension before the latter answered.
"We're going to be providing some extra security at Senator Crane's next rally."
Danai narrowed her eyes at him. "You've got to be kidding." She turned to Holly, whose eyebrows were raised in surprise. "Please tell me he's kidding."
"He's not," Stella told her. "That's our mission and I trust that you all will take it seriously."
"There's no way I'm protecting that slimy bastard." She swiped her hand through the air. "No way."
Emily understood her frustrations, but now wasn't the time to get hung up on their political stances. Their freedom was at stake.
"We're not doing this for him," she explained. "We're just doing this so the United Nations doesn't have even more cause to sign the PRA."
Danai simply stood behind the kitchen counter with a deep scowl on her face.
"Wait a minute," Angus said after pausing the video game he had been playing, "who're we even protectin' him from? Surely no one would try and attack him broad daylight."
"You'd be surprised," Oscar retorted solemnly.
Emily tilted her head at him. She studied his face, desperately trying to peer through his coal-black eyes and into his mind. While he did seem to be in better spirits from the museum fiasco, something was still lingering around him.
She just didn't know what it was.
"We're protecting the rally from the Primes involved in the Times Square incident," Chase answered. "And probably a few others. We have no idea how many Primes they've got on their side. We've gotta be ready for any and everything. No slipups. Everyone got it?"
They all nodded at their team captain.
Emily thought back to all the times they had failed. The Nexxus Industries lab. Manchester. Moscow. Cairo. Her gaze darkened. They couldn't fail. Not again.
"Good," Chase said. "We've gotta make sure Crane's rally goes on without a hitch. And if something does happen, we have to make it a priority that no civilians get hurt."
"This so exciting!" Zach jumped into the air. "I hope we get to fight some bad guys. I really want to fight some bad guys."
"Alright, what'd I tell you about the coffee?" Theo asked him with an arched eyebrow.
"I know, I know," Zach whined. "Only one cup a day. But it's so good." He bounced on his toes. Green wisps of energy floated from his arms and hair
Chase shot the boy a stern look before continuing his pep talk. Once he finished, they all settled in around the common room to watch some stupid movie Angus had put on. Within minutes, Emily had snuggled into Kai, who had her arm draped around her shoulder. A warm, cozy feeling her surrounded her like a weighted blanket.
Soon, she felt herself sinking into her. She was falling. And not in a bad way. It was almost like she was slowly dropping through a sky of thick, fluffy clouds. The rays of sunshine wrapped around her body, illuminating her as if she were an angel. And she was anything but an angel.
But when she was with Kai, she might as well have been one. The girl made her better in ways that no one else could. Whenever she thought about her, butterflies would flutter in her chest and her heart would swoon.
She was falling.
And she'd hit the ground eventually. If the PRA got signed, then it'd be sooner rather than later. Her stomach churned at the prospect of losing Kai one day.
The uncertainty hanging over her team's next mission surfaced in her head like a dead body in a cold lake. Everything was hanging in the balance of Crane's rally. If they failed to keep him safe, they could say goodbye to their lives as they knew it. She stole a glance at Kai, who was laughing at some lame joke the movie had made.
She wasn't ready to lose her. Not yet.
"Hey, you okay?" Kai asked her. "You look like you're about to cry."
She hadn't even realized her eyes had been welling up. Sniffling, she turned away from her and scowled. "I'm not crying."
Kai furrowed her brows before wrapping Emily into a hug. "Hey, we're going to be alright. Everything's going to be okay."
With a heavy exhale, she hugged her back tightly.
For all their sakes, she hoped Kai was right.