Chapter Seventeen

Several months ago I'd been a student walking through the hallways of a high school in the year 2010. The old hallways had always smelled of teenage sweat and mildew. There'd been students of all sizes, skin colors and religions at the school, but despite the diversity, I'd always known that I was different.

I had looked different and I definitely hadn't acted like the other students. They'd tried not to make eye contact with me. They must have feared, if I looked them in the eye they would turned to stone, or something along those lines. As if my name was Medusa, instead of Esa.

It had been a lonely time during those three years when I lived in a place called San Diego. The city had always been bustling with activity, but no one had seemed to care about me. Then Samuel had appeared at the high school and everything changed. There'd been something familiar about him. The way he'd looked at me had sent chills through my body.

For some reason, after I had been gone for three years with no memory of who I was, Dr. James had sent Samuel to retrieve me. Why? What had changed to make her want me to return to the year 2105? She was the one who had put me into hiding, and she was the one who took me out. There had to be more to the story. There had to be a reason why. It wasn't Paul, Troy or anyone on the team. It was Dr. Marie James. She was the mastermind behind everything.

I looked over at Samuel, who was placing the Oxspys over Gave. "Did Mom, I mean, Dr. James, ever tell you why she suddenly decided it was time for you to get me?"

"No," he responded, his shoulders slouched. I had no doubt Samuel had wondered the same thing. He was too smart not to put the pieces together. He softly continued, "She just provided me with details on how to find you."

"Anything else? I don't understand what she's up to." I couldn't help the tone of my voice. I knew it sounded accusatory, as if Samuel had been part of the master plan. Maybe he had. Maybe not. One thing I did know: I had been too trusting since my return.

"Maybe she's not up to anything." Samuel shot an icy glare at me. "Esa, not everyone is after us."

His response caused me to take a step back. "Samuel, what aren't you telling me? I'm tired of secrets."

"So am I," he snapped. "You and Dr. James were working on something when you disappeared. Esa, you volunteered to go."

"That's what we've been told, but who really knows the truth?" My hands shot up into the air as I vented my frustration. Dr. James, Paul, Troy and Luther all had their own agendas. Did they care about any of us on the team or were we just their little science experiments.

"All I know is, you and Dr. James were plotting something, and then you were gone. Think about it, Esa. You're not really a victim but more of an accomplice."

His words cut me to the core. This was a different side of Samuel. He was angry.

"I'm sorry," I finally managed to whisper. "I didn't realize how you felt."

He straightened and put his hands on his hips. "Let me tell you how I felt. I felt abandoned. None of my family trusted me enough to fill me in on a plan that they had apparently been working on for a while."

"I didn't mean to hurt you," I said softly placing my hand on his shoulder. "You have to believe me, Samuel. I don't remember what happened, but I know I would never intentionally hurt you."

"Esa, for a while, I considered you dead. You understand that, right? You were dead to me." His jaw muscles tightened and he looked back down at Gave.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled again, but I couldn't help but think about his words. There was something in the way he was talking that scared me, but it also made me realize how screwed up everything was.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The tiny Oxspys moved over Gave's body, stopping at various points, making odd noises.

After several seconds, Samuel turned to his screen. "Hmm. Just as I thought."

"What?" Audrina asked, peering over his shoulder.

"It's different. Completely different," Samuel said, pointing to the outline of Gave's body. "Your bodies are changing, but ours are the same."

Samuel studied us, as if he waiting for an answer.

"Something must have happened after the shooting," I responded, looking over at Audrina. "Maybe it was Paul who did something to us."

"Jerk." Audrina sneered. She clenched her fists and punched the top of the metal table. "I swear, both of your parents are crazy."

"What does that mean?" I had to agree with her that both Dr. and General James seemed self-centered and odd, but I really didn't want someone else to judge my parents.

"It means they don't care about us, Esa! Don't you get it? They have set us up time and time again. I'm scared that one day I won't have anyone on this team by my side. It's absolutely horrible." Audrina's bottom lip began to quiver as she wrapped her arms protectively around herself.

"Don't worry, Audrina. I'm not going to let anything happen to the team," Samuel said, placing an arm over her shoulders.

I looked my teammate square in the eyes. "Neither am I." She had to know that she could trust me. This team was everything to me. They were my friends...my family.

Samuel glanced at another monitor. "Crap. It's time for us to go," he said, grabbing ahold of his medallion. We all jumped without looking back, knowing someone was just outside the door.