Hawkins returned to the living room, knowing Fitzhugh was in good hands, and that they’d soon have some answers. He put his hand on Harvey’s shoulder in silent question as he gazed at PM Watson’s empty office on the monitors mounted on the wall.
“Sorry sir. They were gone by the time we got the feed going. Looks like they left in a hurry, but we couldn’t chance sending anyone in until we knew what we were dealing with.”
Both men knew the Guardians were limited when a Light Worker, even one who’d turned traitor, was involved. Hightower might sense shifts in the Energy, thereby eliminating the advantage otherwise gained by the element of surprise. After the explosion at Council Headquarters, they couldn’t risk another demonstration of Hightower’s temper, especially in an area as densely populated as London.
“You handled it just fine.” A slight twitch of Harvey’s lip was the only indication he understood the rare compliment Hawkins offered. “I suspect wherever they are now, it’s heavily shielded and extremely remote.”
“Probably not a mile underground this time, though?” Harvey asked.
“Probably not, but I’ll get Phil’s team on it right away. They may be able to find something before the trail goes cold.” Hawkins’ sudden disappearance was far less unsettling to Harvey than his appearance had been to Fitzhugh.
“…get a handle on where they went?” Phil was saying as Hawkins appeared in the mess hall at the Bass Lake compound.
“I see you already know.” Hawkins smiled grimly.
“Sasha and Mariel have been following the energy signatures of those three.” Phil explained, unable to completely mask a note of fatherly pride. “They tried to follow when Watson and Hightower left London, but Hightower showed some unprecedented sense and shielded instead of using the diversionary tactics he’d been employing before. Either that, or a signature we hadn’t mapped did his shielding for him. Both girls report sensing an odd sort of vacuum feeling when the two disappeared. They have trace amounts of their energy signatures, but nothing definitive right now.”
“Maybe we’ll get something out of Fitzhugh, assuming he even knows where all of Hightower’s hiding places are.” Hawkins replied.
“My guess is that he keeps a lot of secrets from his partners. He’s not exactly the trusting type and is sure to have several escape plans.” Phil observed.
“Considering he was able to fool the Council for years; I wouldn’t doubt it.”
“Not just years.” Phil said grimly.
“What do you mean?” Angry color flooded Hawkins’ face.
“Kyra discovered that birth records have been altered for centuries, successfully masking the fact that Hightower and everyone who held his seat before him were actually from the same family. Fitzhugh and Watson are tied to a second family whose records have also been subtly altered over the years.” Phil waited patiently after dropping this bombshell, knowing Hawkins’ acutely logical mind, while invaluable in one who regularly dealt with military tactics, would require a few moments to switch gears and process the information before reaching any conclusions.
Trays of food appearing on the tables indicated breakfast was being served, so both men filled their coffee cups and joined Karl, Barbara and Anita at one of the tables while Hawkins tried to reconcile the implications of Phil’s words. Phil watched the man’s jaw tighten to restrain the emotions threatening to reveal his thoughts while he carried on silent conversations with several of his team leaders.
Kyra, Ty, Sasha and Mariel spotted the somber group as soon as they walked through the door of the mess hall and immediately changed directions to join the adults at the table.
“Any luck?” Phil asked when they arrived.
“Not much.” Sasha replied with disgust. “The bast…” Her mother’s raised brow made her revise her next words. “The creep sure knows how to cover his tracks!”
“Have you tried using the technique you used to get around Hightower’s redirection illusions?” Barbara asked.
“Yes.” Mariel replied ruefully. “But this one is different. For some reason, it doesn’t feel quite like Hightower’s normal tricks. In fact, it doesn’t feel like Hightower at all. We’ll figure it out, but it may take some time.”
“Time we may not have.” Hawkins broke in. “That’s the second time in the last five minutes someone’s implied we’re still missing a piece of this puzzle. At this point, I’m inclined to agree and frankly, whatever the missing piece is, you’d better figure it out. We need the information like, yesterday if we’re going to get ahead of Hightower and company.”
Everyone at the table froze. Was it possible someone else was working with Hightower and his cousins? Someone they hadn’t detected? Was it even possible there was someone who was Gifted and had escaped the Council’s notice? Voices rose as everyone tried to talk at once, tossing out theories both plausible and ridiculous. Kyra sat silently, her face blank as her mind flitted, computer-like through the facts they’d been able to prove.
Suddenly, her face lit up with excitement. “Can you get us the computers and any other records from Fitzhugh’s underground hideout?” Her words met with a stunned silence before everyone turned to the Guardian Captain’s.
“Sure.” Hawkins agreed. “Soon’s we clear the air of Harvey’s stink bomb. I was able to block it out for a short time but wouldn’t want to send anyone else down into that stench.” His words caused a ripple of laughter around the table. Harvey’s ingenious idea for ensuring Fitzhugh’s cooperation when Hawkins arrived to take him into custody was already the source of considerable amusement among the Star Guides; at Bass Lake as well as the other compounds.
Finishing his breakfast, Hawkins rose. “Guess I’d better get back to Adamsville and help pick the brains of some of the folks we rounded up. I doubt we’ll get anything useful out of them, judging by what we’ve already learned about Hightower’s little pyramid of accountability, but ya never know. He might have let something slip that would be meaningless to Fitzhugh, but invaluable to us.”
Noting the looks of discouragement on the faces of his daughter and her best friend, Phil pulled Sasha close. “Honey, if nothing else, you’ve managed to help clear the mess in Adamsville and temporarily halt Hightower’s mischief.”
“Maybe.” Sasha sulked. “But we’re hardly done. And now it looks like we completely missed a fourth person.”
“You’ve made an amazing beginning. If the missing person is even as Gifted as Hightower, you can be certain he knows how to avoid detection. You kids have taught us all a thing or three. Don’t forget that.” Phil gave her a quick squeeze. “I think it’s time we cleared out the house in Adamsville. You’ll be resuming regular classes soon even if it’s up here for now. The sooner we get back to something close to normal, the better!”
“But dad!” “But Phil!” the girls cried in unison. “What about finding Hightower and Watson? What about saving the Transition?”
“That isn’t going to happen overnight, girls.” Phil cautioned. “All of you need to continue with your regular education too. We’ll keep the compounds in effect until we’re sure Hightower and his bunch are no longer a threat, but you have to live your normal lives as well.” Noting the stubborn set of the girls’ jaws, he continued. “Let’s call working on this project your reward for fulfilling your other obligations.”
Both girls knew Phil and the other parents well enough to know they couldn’t argue or tease their way out of following this directive. Before they could try, Tess’s appearance distracted them.
“I’d like to go back to the house in Adamsville with you.” Her words brooked no argument, and the girls were gratified to see that even their parents answered to a higher authority. “I need to make sure all traces of your energetic signatures are cleared. You were pretty sloppy about it. You should have taken care of it before allowing yourself to be captured.”
“OK” Phil agreed. “Is tomorrow too soon?” He looked a bit shamefaced after Tess’s subtle reprimand. He really knew better than to leave a site without clearing the energy. The Council’s disinterest in his initial findings was no excuse for being incautious about his own actions. It was always more than just the safety of his immediate family at stake.
“No, it’s perfect. The sooner we clear the place, the better. I dislike being ignorant of the enemy’s whereabouts or what he might be able to use to his advantage.” Tess disappeared before Phil could reply.
“I’d suggest we wrap things up and make sure there are notes for the others who will be here when we’re out in the field. We’ll want to maintain continuity so we don’t waste time getting back up to speed every time something needs to be handled less remotely.” Barbara told the four teens who lingered at the table as if unwilling to think about months without their parents nearby.
Nodding miserably, they all rose, moving as if they were heading towards their execution. Leaving things undone was painful to all of them.
“Please pack a bag tonight, Sasha. We’ll leave for Adamsville after breakfast tomorrow.” Barbara pulled her daughter into a tight hug, noting how her body tightened at the thought of returning to the town she’d learned to hate.
“If you don’t mind, I think we’ll tag along and help you secure everything.” Karl’s words brought smiles back to Mariel’s and Sasha’s faces as it meant they wouldn’t be separated again, even for a few days. Recognizing the message beneath his words, Barbara smiled and nodded. She and Phil wouldn’t be going off on their own again.