Page 15 of Lost to Thievery
“I’mdefinitelyon the right side,” Liam grinned at me in appreciation.
“And why was that ever in question, Taylor?”
Everyone practically jumped from their chairs, standing at attention. I whipped around at the commanding tone of Director Devereux, who closed the boardroom door behind him. His eyes whipped through the room as everyone greeted him, then stopped at me.
“Good morning, Director.” I smiled sheepishly at him. He had a way of making me feel like a kid. I guess everyone in the room felt that way.
“Ava,” he nodded in greeting, “I hope my agents made you feel welcome here.”
“Yes, thank you…sir,” I added quickly, still not able to make my smile look any less stupid. The truth was, I felt like an outsider, who everyone knew didn’t belong. I wasn’t part of their little agent club. I was just another clue for them to dissect. I constantly felt like I was in one of those nightmares where I was completely naked in front of the whole school, when in a room with them. And I hoped it wouldn’t be like that the entire timewe all worked together. If it wasn’t for Owen, I guess it would have been way worse.
Director Devereux was still looking at me, so I clamped my hands behind my back, trying my best to look like I had my shit together.
The director turned to the agents. “I hope you are all up to speed on the case. And if you’re not, you do not belong in this room. Now I don’t need to remind everyone that this is a sensitive case… and a hard one. If you don’t think you can handle it, then now is the time to leave.” He stared the agents down, but everyone stood entirely still. “Good. Nothing of this investigation leaves this room, am I clear?”
Everyone answered in unison, “Yes, sir.”
Except for Liam, “Crystal.” His neck turned red, giving the director a smile just as sheepish as mine.
“I want to be informed on every new lead, every step you take. Is that clear, Becket?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll keep you updated,” Owen answered. He was the only person who didn’t seem flustered in Director Devereux’s presence. Even Marshall stood stiffer than usual.
“All eyes are on us.Don’tembarrass me.” The director turned and walked out. Everyone loosened a breath.
“How the hell did you do that?” Liam gaped at me.
“Do what?” I asked, feeling flustered with all the eyes on me again. Even Owen was staring at me.
Syntax laughed, walking over to me. “Girl, Director Devereux just called you by your first name. He doesn’t callanyoneby their first name.”
The helicopter ride was quiet and incessantly noisy at the same time. We had picked up the park ranger and his map beforeheading to our destination. George, the ranger, had greeted me curiously but was decent enough to keep his questions to himself. Seeing him opened a floodgate of memories. The day at Rainbow Falls and the afternoon after the ranger had left looped in my mind, again and again and again. And I had a sickening feeling it would be worse when I saw the cabin again.
It was only me, Owen, Emerie and Liam heading to the cabin. Syntax and Marshall had stayed behind; Syntax was trying to crack the encryption on Grayson’s laptop and Marshall was incessantly studying the footage from Mexico, trying to learn how the Apparitions think, how they fight.
“We’re coming up on the coordinates now,” the pilot informed us.
I looked out of the window at the forest stretching as far as I could see. It was magnificent. But the sight of it would forever be tainted by the loss, the betrayal.
“There,” the ranger pointed out the window. A small clearing in the treetops, almost unnoticeable, appeared. Next to it, you could see the roof of the cabin. But only if you knew what to look for.
“Holy shit, George. You were right. We would have never found it on our own,” Liam mused in awe.
George nodded knowingly. “Like I said. Needle in a cornfield.”
“Weapons ready,” Owen ordered as the helicopter circled the clearing. “We don’t know what’s waiting.”
But we did. Marshall didn’t even bother to come. His time was better spent on studying the failed takedown of the Apparitions with his team.
Just like all the other places we would findnothing. The only thing left was memories and pieces of my soul, haunting the cabin, stuck in a loop of shattering moments, the beautiful ones, again and again.
The damp forest air hit me as the helicopter doors opened, bringing in a nauseating wave of nostalgia, crippling me.
Owen turned back towards me when I didn’t move from my seat. “You okay?” he asked loudly over the whirring of the blades.
“I can’t do this,” I cried as panic prevented me from breathing. I gasped for air, my chest rapidly moving up and down. What had possessed me to come here? I was going to throw up.
Owen clasped his hands around my shoulders, pressing hard. “Yes, you can. Now breathe, Ava.”
