had no wish to ever become mortal.
Still, all were more or less open about their feelings on the subject, or
pretended to be. Very few would ever stoop to such an insidious act as
betraying the larger cause, but determining who would’ve done so might be
difficult depending on a number of factors Rebecca refused to consider. She was
no longer in the loop where efforts to contain the Eternal Order were
concerned, but they were rumored to have been forcibly disbanded long ago.
Surely this wasn’t their handiwork.
“I’ll get that
proof for you.”
A weight lifted
off of Rebecca’s chest. “Good. Now, Robert and Bobby will want to see you while
you’re in town.”
“I’ll stop by
tonight after I’ve visited the Archives.”
“I put in a
request a few days ago for the files you’ll need. They should be waiting for
you, but please don’t hesitate to request additional information.”
“I won’t.”
Jerusha smiled and the mischief returned to her expression. “My mother, the
director. Always so on top of things.”
Rebecca laughed
and settled in for a little girl talk with her daughter.
* * *
Night had fallen
by the time James reached the IECS compound. Once he’d gotten the ball rolling
with a call to Maya, it hadn’t taken long to make arrangements for an extended leave
from work and find somebody to take over his classes.
Saying goodbye
to Amelia had been the hardest part. Even the promise of frequent calls and her
visit during the Labor Day holiday before school started hadn’t been enough to
dampen her tears. When he’d stopped by to see her the night before he’d left,
she’d clung to him, and the guilt of leaving her had nearly overwhelmed him. Linda
had reassured him they’d be ok a dozen times, but it hadn’t assuaged his worry.
Because his time
at the IECS was likely to be long, he’d opted to drive down over two days. The
long journey had left too much room for second thoughts. Several times, he
caught himself searching for exits so he could turn around and head back home.
Each time, he forced himself to remember that Amelia would be fine, his work
was important. He’d see her soon.
He called Maya
when he crossed the South Carolina-Georgia line and let her know he was near.
An hour later, he entered Tellowee, the small town bordering the IECS. He
pulled over twice and checked the directions Maya had e-mailed him, and finally
found the main gate.
James stared at
it, glanced around and glimpsed the IECS sign, then stared again. From where he
sat, a ten-foot high brick wall extended to either side, bright lights
scattered evenly along it. Two guard shacks flanked the main entrance on the
outside. A sturdy iron gate blocked the road into the compound. In the
distance, he could just make out guard towers, adorned with what he could’ve
sworn were machine guns pointed toward the peaceful town.
Surely not. He
blinked, shook his head, and put the vision down to two days of hard driving.
Maya stepped
into the beams of his headlights, startling him. She waved, then came around to
the passenger’s side and slid inside. “Hey. The guards need to do a vehicle
check, and then we’re good to go. Pop the trunk and the hood, would you?”
What followed
was surely the most bizarre security check James had ever been through. Four
guards stepped out of the guard shacks, two from each one. A fifth approached
from the side holding the leash of a German Shepherd. All were dressed
completely in black, with Kevlar vests visibly thickening their torsos and
handguns strapped onto their waists. Each carried a machine gun slung over a
shoulder. The dog handler was the only male. The rest were tall, well-built
Amazons, their expressions so neutral and flat, their faces might as well have
been made out of stone.
One guard
stepped to the back of James’ car and rummaged through the trunk. Another walked
around the car holding a long-handled mirror to the ground. A third inspected
the engine.
James
Still, all were more or less open about their feelings on the subject, or
pretended to be. Very few would ever stoop to such an insidious act as
betraying the larger cause, but determining who would’ve done so might be
difficult depending on a number of factors Rebecca refused to consider. She was
no longer in the loop where efforts to contain the Eternal Order were
concerned, but they were rumored to have been forcibly disbanded long ago.
Surely this wasn’t their handiwork.
“I’ll get that
proof for you.”
A weight lifted
off of Rebecca’s chest. “Good. Now, Robert and Bobby will want to see you while
you’re in town.”
“I’ll stop by
tonight after I’ve visited the Archives.”
“I put in a
request a few days ago for the files you’ll need. They should be waiting for
you, but please don’t hesitate to request additional information.”
“I won’t.”
Jerusha smiled and the mischief returned to her expression. “My mother, the
director. Always so on top of things.”
Rebecca laughed
and settled in for a little girl talk with her daughter.
* * *
Night had fallen
by the time James reached the IECS compound. Once he’d gotten the ball rolling
with a call to Maya, it hadn’t taken long to make arrangements for an extended leave
from work and find somebody to take over his classes.
Saying goodbye
to Amelia had been the hardest part. Even the promise of frequent calls and her
visit during the Labor Day holiday before school started hadn’t been enough to
dampen her tears. When he’d stopped by to see her the night before he’d left,
she’d clung to him, and the guilt of leaving her had nearly overwhelmed him. Linda
had reassured him they’d be ok a dozen times, but it hadn’t assuaged his worry.
Because his time
at the IECS was likely to be long, he’d opted to drive down over two days. The
long journey had left too much room for second thoughts. Several times, he
caught himself searching for exits so he could turn around and head back home.
Each time, he forced himself to remember that Amelia would be fine, his work
was important. He’d see her soon.
He called Maya
when he crossed the South Carolina-Georgia line and let her know he was near.
An hour later, he entered Tellowee, the small town bordering the IECS. He
pulled over twice and checked the directions Maya had e-mailed him, and finally
found the main gate.
James stared at
it, glanced around and glimpsed the IECS sign, then stared again. From where he
sat, a ten-foot high brick wall extended to either side, bright lights
scattered evenly along it. Two guard shacks flanked the main entrance on the
outside. A sturdy iron gate blocked the road into the compound. In the
distance, he could just make out guard towers, adorned with what he could’ve
sworn were machine guns pointed toward the peaceful town.
Surely not. He
blinked, shook his head, and put the vision down to two days of hard driving.
Maya stepped
into the beams of his headlights, startling him. She waved, then came around to
the passenger’s side and slid inside. “Hey. The guards need to do a vehicle
check, and then we’re good to go. Pop the trunk and the hood, would you?”
What followed
was surely the most bizarre security check James had ever been through. Four
guards stepped out of the guard shacks, two from each one. A fifth approached
from the side holding the leash of a German Shepherd. All were dressed
completely in black, with Kevlar vests visibly thickening their torsos and
handguns strapped onto their waists. Each carried a machine gun slung over a
shoulder. The dog handler was the only male. The rest were tall, well-built
Amazons, their expressions so neutral and flat, their faces might as well have
been made out of stone.
One guard
stepped to the back of James’ car and rummaged through the trunk. Another walked
around the car holding a long-handled mirror to the ground. A third inspected
the engine.
James
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