DEREK BANGED THROUGH THE side door, leaving us on the porch.
“Dad!” he shouted, loud enough to make my ears ring. “Dad! You need to get down here!”
Chloe held open the door and whispered to me, “I could say he’s not always like this, but I’d be lying.”
She ushered us all in. I heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up to see a man in jeans, pulling on a T-shirt as he hurried down. He was about my dad’s age, Daniel’s height, and slender. Kit Bae, Derek’s adoptive father. Kit’s son was coming down behind him. He looked like his father, except for his light brown hair. Simon Bae.
“Hey, bro,” Simon called sleepily. “What’s—?”
He stopped. His gaze traveled over the kids crowding into his hall and he gave a sharp shake of his head.
“Apparently, we have visitors,” he said. “I gotta hear this one.”
A woman appeared at the top of the stairs. A petite blonde, pulling her robe tight. Lauren Fellows. Chloe’s aunt. The doctor who’d worked with the Edison Group.
A girl pushed past her. Taller than Dr. Fellows, with short dark hair and piercing dark eyes. Kit’s daughter. Simon’s half sister. Victoria Enright. Antone’s message said she was related to the Nasts’ witch, but distantly, which explained the different spelling of the surname. I was just really glad Antone had given us all the details—and that I’d listened to his message about a half-dozen times on our trip—or I’d never keep all the relationships straight. I suppose they were about to have the same problem with us.
“We need to go,” Derek said. “Everyone, back upstairs, pack your things.”
“Wh-what?” Simon said.
“Slow down,” Kit said as he reached the landing.
Derek towered over him, but moved back so he wasn’t looming. “They know where we are. The St. Clouds. They’ve found us.”
Kit’s gaze swung to us, and I stepped forward to explain, but his gaze moved to Chloe and she took over.
“These kids are from Project Phoenix. They escaped. Maya and her brother”—she pointed at me and Ash—“their father told them to come here.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Derek cut in. “The St. Clouds know where we are. Which means we need to leave. Now.”
“Hold on,” Kit said, raising his hand.
“Didn’t you hear me?”
“Yes, Derek, I did, but—”
“Derek?” Dr. Fellows called as she descended the stairs. “Why don’t you go upstairs while we talk. I think that would be best for everyone.”
From her tone, you’d think she was talking to a misbehaving puppy.
Chloe shot her a look. “That isn’t necessary. We all just need to give Maya and Daniel a minute to explain.” She glanced at Derek. “Please.”
Derek looked from Chloe to his father, then nodded. Simon brushed past Kit. He gave us a smile, friendly but cautious, and went to stand by his brother and Chloe.
“You are explaining, right?” a voice said.
I looked up. It was Victoria, still on the steps, staring at me.
“Waiting for that explanation,” she said.
I lifted my brows and turned to Kit. “The St. Clouds know where you are. They’ve known for months. They’re just wearing you down, waiting until something goes wrong or you get tired of running, then they’ll pounce.”
“How did they find—?” Kit began.
“Not important right now,” Derek cut in. “She’s explained it to us; we’ll explain it on the road. The point is that our cover has been blown.”
Kit moved quickly to the window. “They’re watching us now?”
I shook my head. “They have someone doing spot checks, but since you’ve only got one means of escape—your van—that’s what they’re monitoring. With a tracking device.”
“So now can we leave?” Derek said.
“How?” Victoria said, walking down the rest of the steps. “Set off on a midnight hike to town? Like that’s not going to be noticed.”
“Tori’s right,” Kit said. “If they’ve been monitoring us for months, there’s no need to rush off in a panic. Tomorrow we’ll look for the tracking device. If we can’t find it, I’ll get to town and rent us another van. Then we’ll leave.”
Derek clearly did not like this idea. Neither did Ash—his scowl had deepened more than usual. Daniel looked uncomfortable, which is pretty much how I felt. I might not have been in Derek’s mad rush to leave, but I didn’t think we should hang around. I looked at Daniel. He glanced at Kit, then shrugged, leaned over, and murmured to me, “It’ll be morning soon enough.”
“Let’s go into the living room,” Kit said. “I’m sure we have a lot to talk about.”
I let Daniel tell the story this time. I was too anxious, as I realized how foolish our mission was. These people were never going to negotiate with a Cabal. They might even think we were using them to get what we wanted. Were we doing that? We needed Dr. Fellows and, more importantly, Kit Bae to handle negotiations. They’d both worked for the Edison Group and Mr. Bae was a lawyer. But it was true that our position was stronger if we brought the Genesis subjects along to sweeten the deal.
Daniel didn’t mention any of that. Not yet. Instead he stressed that we’d come here for help. We were on our own, separated from our parents. Not helpless—Ash was quick to make that clear—but not naive enough to think we could handle the Cabals on our own. That was what he said—“handle” them. For now, everyone could interpret that as they liked.
After that, Kit said we should get some sleep. Anyone who was hungry could help themselves to the kitchen. Otherwise, grab a couch or bunk up with the other kids, and we’d reconvene in the morning.
As the others went to look around, I ducked away and waited in the back hall until the last figure left the living room.
“Mr. Bae?” I said, stepping out.
He turned, saw me, and smiled. “It’s Kit.”
“Can I talk to you for a minute? Outside?”
He followed me out the back door to the stoop. I held out the mini recorder.
“Calvin Antone gave me this. He’s my . . . Well, Daniel explained that. Anyway, this is what he gave me when we escaped. It was instructions and information and . . . a suggestion. A really detailed suggestion, actually. About how we might all get out of this mess. I added my own ideas at the end.” I swallowed. “I don’t think you’re going to like any of it, and obviously it’s totally up to you, but I’m hoping even if you don’t agree with what he suggests, you’ll help us do it.”
He looked at the recorder. “We could just talk about it.”
I shook my head. “Just listen tonight. Please, we can talk in the morning.”
“All right.” He took the recorder. When I turned to leave, he stopped me. “We will help you, Maya. However we can. Lauren and I were part of all this. The experiments. We take responsibility for that. We’ll make sure you’re safe now.”
I thanked him and went back inside.
They’d put Chloe in Victoria’s room, and Hayley and I were supposed to sleep there, too, leaving Chloe’s bedroom for the guys. Chloe wasn’t in Victoria’s room, though. She was off with Derek, I guessed.
That left me with Hayley and Victoria—Tori, as everyone called her. She sat cross-legged on her bed, watching us like we were stray cats someone had stuck in her room—strays that were liable to pee on her ankle boots and shed all over her designer jeans. Hayley was anxious, and when I tried to calm her down she snapped at me, and Tori made some snarky comment and I decided they’d do just fine if I left them together. I couldn’t possibly sleep anyway.
When I went downstairs, I’ll admit I was looking for Daniel. I shouldn’t feel guilty about that. But after what Rafe had said, now even something so simple felt electric with subtext. But all I heard was Kit and Dr. Fellows, talking in lowered voices in the living room.
I went into the dining room, opened the curtains, and peered out. I dimly heard the back door open and shut, then soft footsteps, but I paid little attention until a voice said, “Do you see something?”
I turned to find Chloe hesitating in the doorway.
“Just thinking,” I said.
“Worried?”
“Just thinking of my parents. Home.” I thought of a segue from there. Broaching the topic that would eventually need to be broached. “Is this your home now? On the run, I mean.”
“I hope not.”
“Where do you plan to go from here?” I paused, then hurried on. “I don’t mean your next destination. I’m not fishing. I just mean . . . what do you do? Keep running?”
She walked in, voice low. “I don’t know. I spent most of my life moving around. My dad and I had just settled in one place when all this happened. I . . .” She shrugged. “I guess I’m hoping it doesn’t last much longer. I want a home.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I know you do, too, even if you don’t like to admit it.”
I thought she was talking to me. Then Derek stepped into the doorway.
“He wasn’t eavesdropping,” she said to me. “He just doesn’t like me being alone with strangers in the house.” She aimed a pointed look his way. “Even if I end up rescuing him from danger as often as he rescues me.”
Chloe waved him over. As she did, someone else poked his head in. Rafe.
“Maya?” He looked at the other two, then me. “Can we talk?”
“Rather not.”
He lowered his voice. “Please?”
“Later,” I said. “Just not tonight. Okay?”
He nodded and retreated.
“Sorry about that,” I said when he was gone. “Inconveniently timed relationship angst.”
“Relationship?” Chloe looked from me to the now-empty doorway. “You and Rafe? Oh, I thought . . .” She trailed off and shook her head. “Never mind. So you were saying—”
“I thought you were with Daniel,” Derek cut in.
Chloe gave him a look as I inwardly flinched.
“We’re just really good friends,” I said. “We all grew up together. Well, the Salmon Creek subjects, anyway.”
“That must have been nice,” Chloe said, a touch of wistfulness in her voice. “Not the experiment part, of course, but . . .”
“We didn’t know about the experiment. It was just a really good life. They made it that way—we know that now. But even without all the extras, it was a great way to grow up.” I turned back to the window as my eyes prickled with tears. “It could drive you nuts, being with the same kids all the time, but I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Except . . .” I shrugged, still looking out. “They made a mistake not telling us. If we’d grown up with it, things might have been different.”
“Us, too,” Chloe murmured. “I’m not sure it would have fixed all our problems, but I wish I’d known. So all you guys grew up together, then. Well, except Rafe and Ash.”
I nodded. “Speaking of my brother, I should probably check on him. Have either of you seen him?”
They shook their heads. I said I should go find him and I’d see them in the morning.