We walked for hours until we finally got to a motel. When we got settled into our rooms Taj pulled out a map and started drawing out points with a highlighter. I had never seen her so quiet and so focussed. I left her to it and took a shower, while I pondered upon our current predicament.
When I was finished I lay in bed, thinking of all the dreams I had of my mother with her trying to warn me. And all the times Taj had warned me even though I didn't fully know why, until this point. I drifted into sleep shortly after then jolted from another dream. When I awoke Taj was laying sleep in the bed next to mine. I replayed the conversation I had with Andrew earlier in the day over and over until my head spun. And I knew I would have no peace until I had an explanation.
I went to the bathroom and locked the door, and dialled the only person who could give me answers.
"I need to talk to you."
"I told you not to contact me." Andrew answered.
"I deserve an explanation."
"What more do you need to know? You're safe, and that's more than I can say for me or my own family.
"I am in danger because of you and my family is barely alive, so excuse me if I do not currently pity your situation. I deserve to know the truth, Andrew."
He did not speak for a moment. "Meet me at Mel's Cafe in an hour."
"I will be there."
I left without telling Taj where I was going. It would just lead to an argument and I had no time. I sat outside the cafe with an untouched strawberry Danish and mocha cappuccino in my hand while I waited. Nervously shaking my leg and checking the time, it wasn't long before I heard the roar of his car engine.
He drove up around the corner, dangerously enticing as the first time I had seen him. And when he stepped out of the car and stared back at me with those honey coloured eyes I had to remind myself the real reason we were meeting. He jogged up the stairs and sat in the chair across from me.
"You know it's dangerous for us to be seen together." He said, not looking at me.
"Why?" I asked, without hesitation.
"You know why."
"That's not what I meant. Why did you do it? All those months, why did you use me that way? Making me believe you really liked me just to get information out of me. Why?"
He tossed a few peanuts in his mouth from the bowl set on the table.
"I was protecting my family. I had a job to do. So I did it. You may not fully understand it Zillina but I'm bet your aunt does. Besides," he shot his piercing eyes at me now, "You were doing the same thing."
My breath paused at his admission. How did he know?
"Come on Zillina. I am an Epsill, I am trained to know these things." He answered as if reading my mind.
"I had to." I said simply.
"I know. And I understand why you did it." He sat back, chewing more peanuts. "Look, there was a time when being an Epsill was all I wanted. My father would always come home with exciting stories of the field and it got me interested. The power, the respect, serving the country you love, protecting your people. I worked hard to climb levels in Warrior training and as soon as I was old enough to be recruited I found out all I could and did all I could to make sure recruiters noticed me. And when I became an Epsill I worked even harder to make rank. I had a great trainer and he fought harder than I did to make sure I was up for promotions as soon as I was ready. But even with all that, there comes a time when you have to step aside from your skills and training and think with your heart. There comes a time when morals have to overstep duties." He reached for my hand and held it on the table. "Zillina, you have to understand that I never meant for any of this to happen."
I stared at our hands on the table.
He continued, "When you are ordered to serve out a mission, be it a capture, watch or terminate, you are desensitised to your target. You study your target as if you would a history book, without any emotional attachments. You do the job and complete your mission. With you it was different. I studied your background like I would any other but when I got to know you – the real you, I knew I was in trouble."
I choked back the sob that was threatening to expose how deeply I truly felt for him.
"You don't have to do this Andrew. You don't have to complete this mission. We can fix this. We can find a way."
"I can't. Keeping you alive is the first priority for me and I can't do that if I am the reason you are in danger."
"I can't stay alive if you don't help me. It's not just about me anymore Andrew. Taj is just a neck deep in this as I am. This started with her and my mom."
"Zillina the best way I can help you is if..." His voice trailed off and I could almost see the blood drain from his face as he glanced over my shoulder.
It felt like ice water rushed through my spine. They had found us.
"Get up and walk through the cafe. Go to the kitchen and exit through the back." He whispered his eyes never wavering.
"What about you?" I whispered back.
"I'm right behind you. Zillina go."
I risked a glance through the cafe window as I made my way to the back. Duncan stood with the bird that attacked me in the forest perched on his shoulders like a pet parrot. His eyes wandered around the cafe until they seemed to find Andrew. They were in on it together the entire time. He started for the entrance as his hand reached behind his back and pulled a gun.
Andrew jolted from the chair and met me inside the cafe.
"Didn't I tell you to keep moving? Go." He said, practically shoving me through the kitchen as the Manager told us we were not allowed around there.
We were almost at the back exit when I heard the explosion of gunfire. Screams and the sound of dishes crashing rang out all around me as Andrew screamed at me to keep my head down and keep running. We ran through the alley leading back to the parking lot and squatted down behind a car for cover.
"So, about that whole 'keep Zefron a secret from humans' thing." I said, trying to catch my breath.
"The treaty is Zefron's problem, not Caleb's. He really doesn't care for rules, he makes and breaks his own to get the job done." Bullets pierced the windshield of the car beside the one we were crouched behind.
"Don't make this any harder on yourself Andrew. Bring the girl out so we can go home!" Duncan called out.
"Duncan is going to get himself killed." Andrew's brow creased as he signalled for me to move to the next vehicle.
"Duncan? He is the one holding the gun, Andrew so I would say he is pretty damn protected at the moment." I retorted.
"The cops that are about to light this place up say differently. I'm willing to bet some good Samaritan already called 911."
I spotted a delivery truck parked up ahead. Andrew's mind was in sync with mine as we signalled to each other and ran for it at the same time. Keeping our heads low and ignoring Duncan's taunts. "Besides, he's using silver bullets. You can tell by the way they keep exploding in the cars. The ammo is too heavy for him to carry much so he's about to run out."
"Andrew! You had your orders, now you follow them like a good Epsill! Bring the girl and Caleb won't punish you for being a traitor." Duncan called out.
"Not a chance, Duncan. I'm dead either way. At least this way another innocent life doesn't have to get taken."
More bullets blew through the windows of the delivery truck. "This won't stand for much longer." Andrew said to me.
"You think?" I answered sarcastically.
"Okay, Duncan you win. I'm coming out just stop shooting!"
"What? No." My voice cracked as I heard what Andrew was doing.
"Shh. From the sound of the sirens, the cops are around the corner and coming in heavy. I'm buying us some time." He grabbed my hand and kissed my fingertips. "You're okay. We're going to be okay."
"You have five seconds before I blow this truck up Andrew! Five!"
"Okay hold your fire! We're coming out!" Andrew called back. "Sit tight, Lina." He whispered to me.
"Andrew, don't." I held onto his arm and tried to plead with him.
"Three!" Duncan continued.
"We're okay." He said as he loosened my fingers from his arm.
He stood up and raised his arms above his head in an act of surrender. "Hold your fire!"
The sirens sounded closer but not close enough.
Andrew stepped out from behind the truck arms still in the air. "She won't come out until she is sure you won't shoot. You want the girl you drop your weapon."
"Do you really think you are in a position to negotiate right now, Sergeant? Zillina come out or I'll shoot your boyfriend where he stands!" Duncan called out to me.
I got up and moved forward. Andrew glanced at me "Zillina don't!" he shouted right before I heard the shot and watched as the bullet hit Andrew. He went down and laid still.
I heard an animalistic scream rise from within me as I tried to race forward. Arms grabbed and held me in place and hands covered my mouth. Instinctively I turned around to swing and saw Aunt Taj's tear-filled eyes staring down on mine.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She kept saying as she held me.
I started screaming at her as that scream turned into a cry.
Andrew laid still, his blood staining the ground.
I heard what sounded like a distant call for someone to drop their weapon and get down on their knees.
Taj kept her hand over my mouth until a police came around the truck and told us to come out with our hands raised.
"You ladies okay?" He asked us.
"He's hurt! Help him!" I screamed as my eyes wavered between Andrew and the officer.
When the officer did nothing but offered me sympathetic eyes I ran and knelt beside Andrew, ignoring all the warnings to stop where I was. I shook him, but he did not move.
"Andrew you better wake up right now!" my voice trembled as the tears threatened to burst forth once again.
Taj placed her hand on my shoulder, "Lina, don't do this to yourself."
"He's not dead."
"Lina,"
"No!" I whispered now as I turned toward her, "If he had gotten hit with a silver bullet he would have exploded. He's not dead."
Another officer came from behind. "Ma'am I'm going to ask you to step back so we can take care of him now."
Taj's head snapped up at the sound of his voice. Her face riddled with shock as she looked up at the tall dark officer. Her lips trembled before she finally said, "Steven?"
I glanced up at him and recognition of the person – no longer a boy – Taj was once in love with. He looked the same as the picture she had pinned to her journal that was taken at her Warrior training.
He looked down at her and barely shook his head before he turned to address me once again. "I need to take care of him. Let me take care of him."
"How long?" Taj's voice quaked.
Steven stooped beside Taj and removed his uniform cap. "Long enough."
"You knew where I was this whole time?"
"Taj, not now. I need to go before they realise I don't belong."
Taj's mouth hung as she continued to stare at Steven as if he was a ghost.
"Steven, help him." I said trying to snap them out of it.
"Sixteen years and that's all you have to say to me?" Taj continued as if she had not heard me.
"You were the one who left Tajahne. Without another word, without a trace, you were gone. You left, not me." Steven looked back at Andrew, then the scene before us. "I have to go."
Taj jerked away when Steven reached for her hand. "Make sure no one is looking." He said to me.
"What are you going to do?"
"Take him home."
"What? No!" I wanted to keep Andrew safe from everyone and everything. He looked so fragile and innocent laying there. It suddenly made sense why Andrew didn't explode as he would have if he'd gotten hit with a silver bullet. Steven was the one who shot him.
"I have to. I'm under orders."
"To hell with your orders!"
Steven held on to Andrew tightly before saying, "I'm sorry."
Colours swirled around them and the wind picked up. And then within a second, he was gone and so was Andrew.
For a second I just knelt there, staring at the bloodstained spot where they once were.
An officer jogged over to us. "Where is the guy that got shot?"
I barely heard Taj trying to explain away Andrew's sudden disappearance. The world blurred away and it sounded like my head was under water.
Andrew was gone.