Unity and Destiny Pt. 02

Nicola shook her head. "Well, that doesn't narrow it down much, does it? Thank you, Jacob. I'm sorry I'm such a bitch tonight."

"You're upset," he said with a sad smile. "You manage better than you used to."

"Thank God," she agreed.

When Jacob left for home, Nicola turned to Javier.

"There is someone we haven't talked about: Lukas."

Javier started to shake his head, and Nicola rushed on.

"He knows things, Javier. Maybe he already knows where she is in that spooky way of his, and he has other resources that we don't. I agree with all the reasons we've avoided bringing her up with him, but this might be her life, Javier."

Javier swallowed and slowly nodded. "You're right. We might have to ask for his help, because I've been worrying about something else we haven't talked about. What if her disappearance doesn't directly relate to the sculpture? What if there's someone else, someone strong enough to have found her, and they pulled on her the way Abuela did?"

Nicola froze, thinking it through.

"Oh, God, Javier, you could be right. That would explain a lot of things, wouldn't it? Maybe it's someone who knew about Abuela and kept a very low profile, but now that she's gone, and Esther doesn't have Abuela's strength yet—oh, no. And then the night before she left, she would have been at her weakest. We should have thought of this before. Kept a closer watch on her."

"No, we can't think that way," said Javier. "If Esther wanted to slip out, there was never anything we could do to stop her. But remember how strong she is. She beat *Franklin*, Nicola. No one is going to whammy her forever, if that's what this is."

"I think we have to contact Lukas," Nicola said. "We don't need to tell him how important Esther is in the grand scheme. He already knows how much she means to you and Raj. There's nothing suspicious about reaching out to him. The last time we heard from him he seemed friendly enough, and he trusts me."

"All right," Javier said. "I'll send him an e-mail. I'll describe the car and when she left and ask if he has any information. You're right—he must have access to all sorts of things at this point. Police databases, that kind of stuff."

He quickly sat down and composed it, before he lost his nerve. He signed both of their names. When Nicola nodded over his shoulder, he sent it off.

"When do you think he'll respond?" Javier asked.

"Mmm, midnight out there," she said. "Five minutes, if he thinks it's interesting. And I hope my name's enough for that."

They stared at the screen as the minutes stretched. And then, sure enough, a reply. Javier fumbled for the keystrokes to decrypt it.

Javier and Nicola,

Greetings, and I understand your concern. I do not have any immediate answers. Send me the license plate and any credit card numbers she may have used, and we can discuss further options in person. There will be a plane waiting for you in Truckee.

-Prime

They gaped at the e-mail.

"In person?" Javier sputtered. "On the East Coast? Is he crazy?"

"No," Nicola said slowly. "He knows something he's not telling, or he wants us to think so. Maybe he has other business to discuss, and he thinks a direct meeting will be most efficient from his perspective. And he's judging that since we've waited two days already, we'll accept a delay, and that contacting him implies we've already run out of things to do locally."

"We're going to go, aren't we," Javier said. "God, I wish he weren't so smart."

Nicola sighed. "We're pretty smart, too. And if we left now, we might even be back here by tomorrow afternoon. You know fast he can turn things around."

"I just worry about what he wants to discuss," Javier said. "And what we're going to give away hoping he can get Esther back. I guess I should send the information. I suppose it's a good sign if he has the resources to make use of it."

To their surprise, Selena wanted to come with them.

"I've dealt with this type my whole career," she said. "Thinks he knows more than everyone in the room, that all the power is on his side. I could see when he was holding back."

"Lukas would wonder why you're with us," said Nicola. "And then he'd go digging through your record and see what a fantastically, unexpectedly successful businesswoman you are, and perhaps he'd learn about your personal habits along the way, and then he'd guess on his own some things you've kept secret your entire life. And what you'd tell us is that Lukas is telling the truth and also holding things back at every step, because that's what he always does. He knows enough that he never has to lie or boast. No, Selena, I don't think you've dealt with anyone like him before."

Selena shook her head in frustration, but Javier agreed with Nicola. Better to expose as few people to his scrutiny as possible.

"You know, my plane's still at Truckee as well," Selena said.

"Oh! I had no idea you flew up here," said Javier.

"It's a lot smaller than Lukas's, obviously. But if it comes to searching from the sky, I have fantastic eyesight, and my plane is probably more suited to that anyway. Don't give away too much to Lukas."

Kat gave Javier a hug. "I'll watch for messages and let people know what's up. And I'll hack all the FBI databases and see what they have."

"What?" Nicola blurted, but Javier started laughing.

"She's joking," he said. "Mostly."

"Yeah," Kat said. "But I'm going nuts trying to figure what I can do. I might break in somewhere just to let off steam. Good luck."

* * *

There were no guards this time, just the two quiet men flying the plane. Javier tried to get some sleep against the dark window, while Nicola did the same in front of him. The drive to Truckee had been enough time to agree on what they should and shouldn't say to Lukas.

In response to Javier's request, Lukas had promised that they would be back before the next evening. Nicola said they could trust that. Javier hoped that Esther would be back at the camp on her own when they returned, and that all this was just an overreaction. He didn't really believe it, though.

He was irritable and exhausted when they landed, and Nicola didn't seem any better off. They took their small bags and silently climbed into the waiting limo.

Lukas's house, if that's what it was, reminded him a bit of the sprawling place he'd had somewhere in the Midwest, although Javier hadn't seen the outside of that one. This one was three stories of faux-Victorian ugliness. Once again he found himself led to a bedroom, this time with the bathroom across the hall. It all felt unpleasantly familiar.

"He'll see you in a half hour," said the man who led them there. "Please feel free to freshen up."

Nicola sighed. "Mind if I take the first shower?"

"Don't use all the hot water."

She almost smiled at that.

Javier's hair was still damp when they marched up the stairs to Lukas's lair. He supposed there wasn't any scenario where he'd feel prepared for this.

The top of the grand staircase led to an ornate double set of doors. A ballroom or something? Inside there was even more equipment than the previous location. Immense flat-screen monitors, racks of servers, and other equipment he wasn't sure about. Many of the monitors were displaying dense screens of text, flashing too quickly for Javier to read more than a few words. It was disorienting and intimidating.

"Hello, Nicola and Javier," said Lukas, turning in his seat and gesturing at some empty chairs.

Lukas was Raj's age, in his early thirties. He'd trimmed his light brown hair much shorter than the last time, but otherwise he seemed unchanged, with his unsettling stare and strangely blank affect.

"Lukas," Nicola said. "Thank you for seeing us. Any news?"

He nodded. "There are several highway cameras on I-80 between Sacramento and Reno. The camera at the Nevada border recorded a car that could be yours, heading east, at a time within the expected range. I sent this detail an hour ago to Raj, who I assume will share it with your other colleagues. I also have the strong intuition she has continued some distance past Reno, but I'm afraid I can't tell you why I believe that. You understand it is the way my mind works, sometimes. Too much compression."

Javier nodded, trying to accept the information at face value. He couldn't think of any special place Esther would be going in that direction. But it was much better than nothing.

"Now, perhaps you could tell me something. Do you have a particular reason to be so worried about her disappearance? I'm sure you know that most people who disappear return within a few days. It would help if I better understood."

"Esther was upset, for personal reasons," Javier said. They'd agreed on this story. "And because of her upbringing she's not particularly world-savvy. Even if she just broke down somewhere, she could be in trouble. Plus, she tends towards paranoia, thanks to the InfoCorp people who chased her and killed her dad. Not to mention all the business last summer. I'm sure you can understand."

"Yes, of course," said Lukas, gazing at Javier in that unnerving fashion. "Now, the next step I could take is to acquire recent satellite surveillance. But you must understand, there's a kind of diplomacy involved. The agencies who hold this footage are jealous of it, and neither my position nor the remnants of the Unit are as central as you may believe. So it would be helpful if you could tell me more to convince me why I should expend my limited resources on this task."

Javier swallowed. They'd agreed they didn't need to tell him about Esther's uniqueness.

"Lukas," Nicola said. She was clearly angry, or doing a good job pretending. "I helped you against Franklin. We all did. Esther's important to us personally. If you won't help us further, I can accept that, but don't play your games with us."

Lukas nodded, looking distant for a moment.

"Yes, Nicola. You are correct to reprimand me. Let me tell you some interesting facts, and perhaps you will understand that we are still allies. First, Esther is an exceptional mathematician, more so than Raj has implied. He and Anatoly are both brilliant, but one of the papers they authored this year is something else again. I understand why Esther did not want to be listed as a co-author, but her influence is clear."

Javier nodded nervously. He supposed they should have expected Lukas to uncover as much.

"Next: our raid on the Unit last summer was easier than it should have been, given how badly I underestimated Franklin's forces. We all know the difference that Mark made, but Franklin was also less effective than he should have been. For a time I imagined this was Mark's doing, as his strength and sensitivity were obvious enough, and you implied he had other skills that helped you to break into the Unit's computers. But when I reconstructed the events, I discovered there was a three-minute period when Mark was unconscious, nearly dead of a gunshot wound, while Franklin was still alive. And yet someone helped me defeat Franklin. It was not Mark. It was the person who inherited the compound where you live in California, along with substantial funds. Yes, you had clever people hiding all that paperwork, but if I could discover it, with enough effort others could as well. Esther is much more than you have told me, and I wish you would tell me how much more. Because the global situation is vastly more dangerous than you could know, and those with the Changes face greater risks each day."

Javier tried not to let his expression change, but he couldn't think of what to say. Lukas already knew so many of their secrets.

"So, you know she's valuable to you as an ally," said Nicola. "We all are. And isn't that reason enough to help us, rather than antagonize us?"

Lukas sighed. "That was not my intent. And yes, I will continue to help you. Satellite surveillance may take some time, and there is no guarantee. I will send you updates. Are you sure there is nothing else you'd like to tell me? If only to help me find your friend?"

Javier and Nicola glanced at each other, but they stayed silent.

Lukas watched them with his blank expression. "Very well. Nicola, I have a new secondary encryption key, if you're ready."

She looked annoyed, but after Lukas rattled off over a hundred hexadecimal digits, she nodded again. Nicola wasn't Esther, but Javier occasionally forgot how good her memory was.

Lukas turned around to his computers. A minute later, someone came to collect them.

* * *

Javier drove back from Truckee, as Nicola admitted she hadn't slept at all on either plane flight.

"You realize, we actually did well," she said, suppressing a yawn. "We didn't tell him anything he didn't know already. It's just as well we understand how much he knows."

"Or at least what he was willing to admit he knows," said Javier. "You're so right about him. He's creepy without even trying. I'd be a lot more terrified if I wasn't already full up worrying about Esther. What do you think he meant about the world situation?"

"That worried me," said Nicola. "He would only be monitoring events directly affected Changed people. Maybe some of the shit we read about is more important than we think. The bombings in Europe, the Britain First crazies. Abuela never implied there was anything special about this country when it came to the Changes. Lukas was born in Switzerland, after all. And he would be in a position to know a lot. What if another government is already aware of our existence? The US government practically was. I'm still not sure how well Lukas has covered all that up."

"We need Esther," Javier said. "We need to get her back, and then make sure she's focusing on protecting herself while she learns. I'm so scared for her, Nicola."

"Me too," said Nicola. "Let's see if the others have learned anything. Or, who knows, maybe Esther will be waiting for us."

Of course Esther wasn't in camp, but Kat reported a message from Lukas. "There was a credit transaction for gas in Fallon, Nevada."

"Where's that again?" Javier asked with excitement.

"East of Reno," Nicola said, pulling out the map. "Just as Lukas thought. God, if she was going that way, there's empty land for ages. Do you think she just needed isolation? Does that make any sense?"

"Maybe," Javier said slowly. "Something she wanted to try where there were no people around to distract her. Or people she might hurt or put in danger. Yeah, that actually sounds plausible. Maybe she's not as confused as we've been worrying."

"But then she's been gone longer than she planned," said Nicola. "And maybe she was testing something dangerous. Ugh. Too many possibilities."

"I could fly along highway 50 in Nevada," said Selena. "Maybe she pulled off the road somewhere."

Javier shook his head. "Let's wait on that. There's still too much land to cover. Maybe Lukas will help us narrow it down some more."

Selena disagreed. "It's too late today, but let me do this tomorrow if we don't know anything more. It's only my time we'll lose, and we might get lucky. I'll cover a pretty wide swath."

Javier rubbed his eyes and nodded. It was still only two and a half days. Esther was tough. She'd be all right, wherever she was.

* * *

The images made no sense. It was like a movie, but one where none of the frames bore any clear relation to the others. And most of the time it was a great blur. It repeated, but with everything jumbled differently. Esther distantly felt the others here, their bodies touching around and through hers, but they were ghosts. Figments of the past. She was starting to suspect their memories had been somehow imprinted in the placement of the carefully scattered rocks, as Abuela had done in her sculptures. Or perhaps it was in the walls themselves.

Day and night had blurred together. She was losing all sense of time, and in her more lucid moments she understood what danger she was in. Deep as she was in the canyon, the rock walls blocked the sun for much of the day, but her skin was still reddened with sunburn. Eventually she'd rolled a few feet to lie under the overhang, next to the trickle of water. Sometimes she roused enough to drink. A part of her brain told her this wasn't a safe spot, something about the water, but she couldn't think properly. And she would die without water. Food, maybe she could do without for longer, but she was so weak. Her body expended so much energy simply to keep warm at night, or cool during the day. No free lunch, as Mark said.

Her abilities had been sluggishly returning, or so she thought. Her mind was confused, well beyond her physical weakness. The rocks again. She had several times tried crawling back, or even farther up the canyon, and each time she'd found herself forced to a halt. She no longer had the energy to try. Her senses felt equally imprisoned, as though the rocks reflected them back to her.

Was this a trap? Had those people in the visions been trapped as well? If so, they'd clearly escaped. Scratched patterns on the rock face spoke of past visitors, but there was no other obvious evidence. The images in her visions suggested a time in the past. The clothes, the vehicles, and especially that one scene.

The woods were *exactly* as she remembered in her earliest memories. She would swear the image was within a year before or after her mysterious arrival to her parents. If Abuela wasn't directly involved with this group, she wouldn't have understood the scene's significance. But someone had known all those years ago to place her where she could be found by a loving, grieving family. And it stood to reason that these people had been involved.

Had her birth parents been here? Were they two members of this strange gathering, maybe even the two ghosts who'd recently been having sex beside her? No one looked particularly like her. But while the physical signs were mostly subtle, all of them had the Changes.

Esther groaned as the *pulsing* grew stronger in her head. These times of lucidity felt less and less frequent. She desperately called out with her senses. Javier, Mark, Nicola. Perhaps she could make someone hear this time.

But the last thing she felt as she succumbed was her own cry for help, rebounding and merging with the memories in stone.

* * *

Five days. Javier stared bleakly at the top of the trees, the last rays of sunlight lighting their crowns.

They'd had some of their best sex here, right on this slab of rock. It was back when Nicola had run away to Lukas, and Esther had wanted to find her. They'd guessed back then that Esther could feel further through bedrock than anything else.

At lunch Kat had suggested they move to Fallon, to make it easier for her to call them. But Esther would be looking for them in camp, and that mattered, too. Maybe she was looking for him right here. Waves resonating somehow through the bedrock, if only he could hear them.

He heard a sound behind him, but he ignored it.

"Javier?" Kat crouched beside him. "Mark took me out here. He said you needed to move before it got colder."

He didn't respond. He'd barely noticed the cold.

She pulled on his arm, but he was too heavy. He watched the light fade off the last treetop.

"Javier, we're still looking. Selena will find her eventually. Or Esther will call us from St. Louis with a stupid Esther story. Don't you dare give up. I'm going to get Mark to carry you."

With a grunt, he got himself sitting up. Kat was crying, and suddenly he felt terrible. They were all grieving and hoping at the same time, just as he was. He didn't get the luxury of making them worry about him, too.

He followed them back to camp, and Kat took him right to his cabin. When she started undressing him, he shook his head and focused on her.

"I'm putting you to bed, Javier," said Kat, undoing the last buttons of his shirt. She was still struggling not to cry. "If you need someone to take care of you, at least it's something I can goddamn manage."