Nevada

Chapter 11: After several hours of wandering the ship, both Ryder and Marshall were beginning to feel the effects of a very long day.   What had started as a quick exploration after lunch had turned into an all-day adventure.   They’d discovered observation decks overlooking the endless ocean, watched passengers gather around pools and lounges, gotten lost more than once in the ship’s maze-like corridors, and somehow found themselves on nearly every public deck aboard.   By the time evening arrived, Ryder’s feet were aching.   “I think this ship gets bigger every time we walk somewhere.”   Marshall laughed.   “You’ve said that at least five times.”   “Because it’s true.”   The corridor stretched ahead of them as they made their way back toward the staterooms.   Most passengers were beginning to settle in for the evening. Some headed toward dinner reservations while others disappeared into theaters and lounges.   The atmosphere felt calmer now than it had earlier in the day.   Almost peaceful.   Ryder yawned.   Marshall immediately noticed.   “Tired?”   “A little.”   “A little?”   “Okay, a lot.”   Marshall grinned.   “I figured.”   When they finally reached their floor, Ryder felt relieved to see the familiar hallway.   His room suddenly sounded wonderful.   A chance to sit down.   Maybe watch some television.   Maybe stare out the window and think about Avalon.   Tomorrow would be another full day at sea, and he wanted to be rested for it.   He stopped outside his cabin and reached for his key card.   Then Marshall spoke up.   “Hey.”   Ryder looked over.   “Yeah?”   Marshall hesitated.   A small smile appeared on his face.   “Want to see my room?”   Ryder blinked.   “Your room?”   “Yeah.”   “I’ve already seen it.”   “Not really.”   Marshall casually leaned against his door.   “You were in there for like twenty minutes yesterday.”   Ryder thought about it.   That was true.   Most of the time they’d spent there watching television and talking.   He hadn’t paid much attention to anything else.   “Sure.”   Marshall’s smile widened slightly.   “Cool.”   Something about the expression made Ryder pause.   Not suspicious exactly.   Just curious.   Marshall seemed unusually eager.   “What?”   “What what?”   “You’ve got that look.”   Marshall laughed.   “What look?”   “The one that means you’re up to something.”   “I’m not up to anything.”   That answer did not inspire confidence.   Still, Ryder followed him across the hallway.   Marshall unlocked the door and stepped inside.   The cabin lights flickered on.   The room looked mostly the same as before.   Two beds.   A television.   The desk.   The window overlooking the dark ocean beyond.   Nothing seemed different.   Ryder looked around.   “Okay.”   Marshall closed the door behind them.   “Okay what?”   “What am I supposed to be looking at?”   Marshall suddenly looked far more nervous than Ryder expected.   Which was unusual.   Marshall rarely got nervous about anything.   For a moment he seemed to reconsider whatever he had planned.   Then he took a breath.   “You know I worry about you sometimes, right?”   Ryder immediately frowned.   “What does that mean?”   Marshall rubbed the back of his neck.   “It means you’re my friend.”   The answer caught Ryder off guard.   Marshall continued.   “You spend a lot of time taking care of everything yourself.”   Ryder didn’t know what to say.   The statement wasn’t wrong.   “You don’t ask for help much.”   “I manage.”   “I know you do.”   Marshall smiled.   “But that doesn’t mean you always have to.”   The room grew quiet.   Outside the window, moonlight reflected across the ocean.   Ryder shifted awkwardly.   Emotional conversations had never been his favorite thing.   Marshall knew that.   Which was why he kept going before Ryder could change the subject.   “When we were back home, I kept thinking about this trip.”   “The trip?”   “Yeah.”   Marshall glanced toward the window.   “You’ve never done anything like this before.”   Ryder nodded.   “That’s true.”   “And I wanted to make sure you actually enjoyed it.”   The sincerity in Marshall’s voice immediately softened Ryder’s expression.   Because for all of Marshall’s jokes and teasing, moments like this reminded Ryder why they had remained friends for so many years.   Marshall genuinely cared.   Even when he was annoying about it.   Especially when he was annoying about it.   Ryder shook his head with a small laugh.   “You’re weird, you know that?”   Marshall grinned.   “I’ve been told.”   The tension broke.   The serious moment faded.   And before long the two found themselves sitting on opposite beds, continuing their conversation about the ship, Avalon, and everything they hoped to see once they finally arrived.   For a little while longer, neither worried about tomorrow.   They simply enjoyed the comfort of friendship as the ship carried them steadily through the night toward whatever awaited them beyond the horizon.   Marshall smiled and motioned for Ryder to sit on the edge of the bed while he crossed the room toward the closet. The younger boy watched curiously as Marshall slid open the door and reached toward the back shelf. After a moment, he pulled down a navy-blue duffle bag that looked as though it had already been packed with care.   Setting it on the bed between them, Marshall unzipped it.   Inside were a few neatly folded pajama sets, a small toiletry kit filled with travel-sized shampoo, toothpaste, and other necessities, along with a handful of odds and ends that someone might forget when preparing for a long trip. Ryder looked over everything, wondering why Marshall was showing him the contents.   Then Marshall reached deeper into the bag.   He pulled out two sealed packs of diapers.   Ryder immediately recognized that they were different from the training pants he was currently wearing. These were thicker. Much thicker. The bulky padding was obvious even through the packaging.   Ryder’s cheeks immediately flushed pink.   “Marshall…”   Marshall sat down beside him, keeping his voice calm and gentle.   “Hey, it’s okay.”   Ryder stared at the packages, unsure what to say. Part of him felt embarrassed. Another part of him felt strangely relieved knowing someone had thought this far ahead.   Marshall picked one of the packs up and turned it over in his hands.   “I know you’ve been worried about this trip,” he said softly. “New place. New people. Sleeping on a ship. Being away from home.”   Ryder lowered his eyes.   That was putting it mildly.   Everything about this cruise felt enormous. The ship. The ocean. The responsibility. Even the excitement had become overwhelming at times.   Marshall continued.   “I figured the last thing you need is to spend every night worrying about accidents or whether you’re going to wake up uncomfortable.”   He set the package back into the bag.   “These are designed for overnight use. They’ll hold more and keep you dry longer. That means you can actually sleep instead of worrying all night.”   Ryder swallowed hard.   The fact that Marshall had gone out of his way to think about something so personal touched him more than he expected. He wasn’t making fun of him. He wasn’t treating him like a burden.   He was trying to help.   Marshall gave him a small smile.   “Chase and I picked them up before the trip. Just in case. We wanted you to enjoy yourself.”   The words hit Ryder right in the heart.   Not because of the diapers themselves.   Because somebody had cared enough to prepare for him.   To make sure he would be comfortable.   To make sure he felt safe.   For a moment Ryder couldn’t find the words.   Finally he managed a quiet, “You really did all this for me?”   Marshall nodded.   “Of course we did.”   Ryder felt a warmth spread through his chest that had nothing to do with the cruise ship or the cabin around them. For the first time since boarding, some of the anxiety he’d been carrying seemed to loosen its grip.   The trip still felt big.   The ocean was still vast.   Tomorrow would still bring new experiences and challenges.   But as he looked at the packed duffle bag and the thoughtful supplies inside, Ryder realized something important.   He wasn’t facing any of it alone.

Hey everyone! So, I just fleshed out this chapter and the following two. The two after this one should now have all the details punched in and I basically just need to finish writing them and complete my edit. Still not entirely easy, but now I don’t need to come up with pretty much anything else, which in turn will save me a lot of time. This is basically a long-winded way of saying that I should have the next two chapters up sometime before this weekend. I’m not sure which of the two of the following three days it will be, but there will be back-to-back chapters at some point. Also… there are two flashbacks in this one. I tried to figure out another way to do it, but I realized this was about the only way with the way this plot is going. The end is coming for this story, and I knew I needed to explain one thing and show more background. I think it’s obvious when it happens and what is happening… but just a warning. And looking ahead as well… there is another poll out for what I next write. This may be the last one, but for now, the three options as well as the link can be found back in other chapters as well as most recently in chapter 27. And just in case you forgot my method or are new here, this poll will remain open until I post my final chapter. When that will be exactly will be posted at the latest during the second to last chapter. Now… last but not least and as usual, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter of my story! Chapter 31: The Best Laid Plans… Addy started to bounce in her seat as she sucked down her delicious chocolate shake in front of her parents, it was topped and completed with the whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles surrounding her red and white striped straw. It was thick and yummy… a perfect treat to celebrate her graduation from kindergarten today. Around her and her family, the Blue Apollan restaurant buzzed with life strangely for being a Tuesday and many huddled around the strange and funny signs and various decorations that littered the surrounding eatery. Smells of burgers and onion rings and even an underlining smell of fresh cold beers lingered in the air. Big, Middles, and Littles alike all loved the place for their fast and relatively cheap service without compromising on quality. A person felt valued here without spending a fortune… perfect for a kindergarten graduation event.   At least that’s what everyone thought when Addy chose it. The past year had been tough, and everyone in their little family seemed to be feeling it now. Warren was heading deep into high school, and he seemed stressed every day about the prospect of going off to college… or which ones he would even be accepted into. Her daddy was taking on more responsibilities at the company and was away a lot during the week. He made sure to come home on the weekends to be with his family as much as he could, but there was just something about the weekdays that appeared to be draining life out of him. And for her mommy… ever since the argument with her daddy about something called ‘FOY,’ she had been out of sorts. She was still Addy’s mommy and still the best at it… but she didn’t smile as much anymore. So, Addy had chosen this location… not far from their house, not too much money, delicious food everyone had smiled at before, and critically, a place she could down her shake in pure bliss. Normally, her mommy and daddy would only let her have the single glass, but today was a special occasion and Addy knew that she could slurp up the extra contents in the frosty metal accompanying glass as well. So, everyone won… and that and the chocolate shake made Addy very happy. Her dad, most likely used to giving speeches in front of large crowds, then stood and tapped his glass. The family stopped and looked at the patriarch. “Now, I’ll keep this short and sweet today, but I just wanted to take a moment to cheer you on, Addy. You’ve just completed the first step in a long road of learning, and already, I can already tell how smart you are and how gentle you are with people. I’m sure whatever you do and whoever you’ll no doubt help, if this year is any indication, you’ll do wonders.” “Cheers to Addy!” her mom added, raising her glass which the rest of the family followed along. “Cheers, little sis,” Warren said with a smile and a rub to her shoulder. Addy blushed, still not liking all the attention paid to her. “And don’t forget Warren!” she piped up. “He graduated from 10th grade as well! Can’t forget that!” Everyone laughed and smiled. From her family down to the slithering inch worm pulsating on the ground looking for a wet patch of mud to dive into, Addy always seemed to care about everyone else as well. Her mom smiled, recognizing an instinct in her daughter that she was very familiar with herself. “Thanks, sis.” This time, much to Addy’s embarrassment, he then tussled her hair playfully. “Warren… stop!” she groaned, trying to fix her hair just as fast as it had messed with it. Addy’s dad just chuckled and raised his glass higher. “To my kids… the shining the stars of the future… your mother’s and I’s pride and joys!” They all cheered and drank their various drinks… her dad a beer, her mom a simple seltzer, her brother a cola, and herself her chocolate milkshake… still frosty and tasty as the first sip and gulp she had tonight. With their food arriving, most everyone was pretty engrossed in whatever was in front of them… but her mom clearly wanted to mention something as she placed her wrap down. “So, kids… your dad and I were talking, and he might need to join us later, but… we were thinking of maybe taking the boat out this weekend. What do you all think about that, huh?” “The boat?” Addy was almost bouncing in her seat in excitement at her mommy’s suggestion. “Great idea, but… Saturday or Sunday?” Warren questioned. “I’m hanging out with Tina and Ben and Harry and the rest on Saturday. And I really don’t want to kick off the summer with them by saying no…” Their mom sighed. “I guess Sunday then…” There was a resignation yet delight on her face. Addy couldn’t understand it, but to anyone else, it was the sign of a mother looking at her child and grateful that he was doing well with his friends in this case… but saddened that it meant him spending less time with his family nowadays. Addy was just happy to take the boat out again. She didn’t like the life jacket she had to wear whenever the boat was moving, but she liked it the other 90% of the time. “And Daddy? Sunday okay for you?” Her dad nodded as he set his beer down. “Of course. I’ve got to use that new reel Mr. Allen designed for me sometime, don’t I? I betcha I can catch the best fish on Sunday.” “Nuh-uh,” Add protested. Warren butted in. “That honor is mine, Da…” Their dad’s cellphone went off. Everyone stopped and looked at him, and with a resigned sigh, he reached its spot on his belt, and he looked at who was calling. His face seemed to fall before looking at his wife. “Sweetheart… sorry… I… I’ve got to take this. It’s…” He trailed off and winced. She looked crestfallen but she nodded all the same. “Go. Take your phone call. We’ll be right here when you get back.” She paused and swallowed. “Just try to hope for the best…” He nodded gravely and slipped out the side of the booth. Addy was about to protest and whine for him to come back and that work could wait… but her mom was a little too quick. “So… what are your all’s plans for this summer, huh? Gotta plan now so we can make sure e get them all end before you two head back to school.” Her cheeriness was a mask for her own fears about whoever was on the other end of the phone call… but it worked well enough. “Well…” Warren started up first. “I’ve already made a few plans with the gang. I think there was talk of a camping trip… maybe even something down south…” As Addy’s mom started to object, Addy essentially tuned it all out herself and turned to look at her dad off to a side hallway to the restrooms where her dad was now standing. With each moment she looked at him, he looked sadder and almost like the energy had been taken right out of him with whatever he was hearing. ‘I wonder what’s that all about? He mentioned something about a big plan… a snatch and grab I think?’ She sighed. ‘Hope Daddy is okay…’ Addy just hoped she would never be in that position… whatever it was. *              *              * Two weeks had now passed, and Addy was settling into her new role as a divisional director and Oliver was coming out more of whatever had happened to him and caused his previous, albeit temporary, regression. She still suspected the bars were the culprit, but she also still couldn’t find any information to back that claim up. Speaking with a few others, however, like Emily and Sam, both felt the same way when Matilda, Sam, and Cara had slipped as well after eating them… and then got better when they stopped by Addy’s suggestion after a panicked phone call from both late at night. It got so bad that it even came up at the bunker meeting… with no plan of action though due to lack of evidence. And if that wasn’t distressing enough, Addy was having serious doubts about being a board member with the current roster still aligned there. Drakos, Bouras, and Allen ruled over the board with an iron fist. Her vote still counted, but without any of them bending, two votes were already in their pocket at all times, and they ensured that any ties went in their favor as well. By now, Addy had lost count of how many policies and Littles would be affected because of her apparent lack of power. Her dad and her talked about it all and even drank a glass in their name each time it happened… but that never made it any easier. And Addy always felt a pang of guilt whenever she saw another ad for Juventas… or saw a Little with one of their products. “I don’t understand why we’re not going in right now,” Addy said in frustration and going so far as to smack her hand on the table down in the bunker. “We have plenty of evidence that Drakos and Bouras have screwed with Littles illegally for decades now. How is that not enough?” “We’ve been trying since we got on last year,” Elena noted, pointing to herself and Josh. “But we never get anywhere,” Josh added. “We think we’re getting close, but right before we loop in the authorities, it all just ends up in the trash or dead ends. If we’re going to put ourselves out there in front of the board that have literally made people just disappear before… we need something solid.” “Very right, Josh. And Addy… the problem is that when we do find evidence 90% of the time, it’s all circumstantial,” her dad noted with a sigh. “He’s right,” Emily agreed. “With my captain likely on the take from someone high up on the board as well, there’s just simply no way we can make a case against them with what we have right now. He can be a good man, but if he’s going to walk away from a little incentive money to look the other way sometimes… he’s going to need something substantial.” Addy gritted her teeth. Her conscience was getting the better of her, and she began to question practically everything. “I’ve been there for two weeks now. You brought me on and even suggested Oliver to come into my care to better infiltrate Juventas. Now, Oliver’s practically a Little and I’m on the board. What am I missing here? Or… did you all just lie to me back then and were trying to rope me along for the fun of it?” Emilly shook her head. “No, Addy. I understand you’re frustrated. Trust me, I get it. But… the plans changed…” She walked over to her and looked at her friend intently. “Tell me… do you remember what happened the night when Patrick and Cara were kidnapped last year?” Addy saw Sam shudder a little still at the notion. “I mean… yeah?” She rubbed the back of her neck. “I was so upset that the detail kind of get a little blurry… but the big stuff.” Emily nodded. “Well, then let me refresh your memory on the little stuff as well…” *              *              * Addy burst into Dr. Halgen’s office almost as soon as she had heard it happened… and in front of the building by the cliffs no less. As she passed, in the main hall, several Littles were crying. The rest of the staff were trying to comfort them as best they could, but everyone was scared and in a panic. This place had been secure… but obviously not enough. From the little she had heard, it had taken less than 15 minutes to confirm it, but now, there was no denial. A kidnapping… an honest to goodness kidnapping had occurred and two Littles were now gone. “What are you doing about my two Littles?” she demanded, not caring about protocol anymore or who heard her as she slammed down on the desk in front of her. “Why do I feel like I’m the only one who cares about finding them instead of just crying and falling to pieces or just talking even? What’s being done to…?” She paused when Sam and Dr. Halgen gave her a dirty look and she then looked to her left. “Oh…” There, huddled in the corner and looking just as apprehensive and fretful were Sam and Lloyd trying their best to comfort each other. Daphne was also there… but Addy never really liked her. She came from money and Cara had eliminated the rest of her caregivers until it was just her… so there was nothing Addy could do at this point. She just hoped that when all this was over, Daphne wouldn’t flake on her Little. But deep down, Addy knew that she would if things went bad for Cara… “Addy…” Dr. Halgen puffed out her chest and strutted over. “It’s good to see you care so much about your Littles here… but this is the time for action from the professionals. Please… leave it to us to find them. As soon as we do, we’ll let you know.” Addy looked over for support and Sgt. Emily gave her a weak smile instead. “Sorry Addy… there’s just not many leads we have right now. This just happened and everyone’s on alert… but until we have a lead or someone we can poke at or question, then we’re doing everything we can right now… as frustrating as that might be.” She paused. “To all of us.” Addy’s patience had just about run its course, and she had been sitting on a notion for months now… and now was time to collect. Without thinking of consequences after, she pushed Dr. Halgen back with a strong and forceful hand to her chest. “Listen here,” she whispered threateningly. “I’ve known you for years now. I respect you and you know that. But… one of the reasons you run this place is because you have contacts in the outside world.” Dr. Halgen, half confused and half scared almost spoke up… but Addy stopped her cold. “And don’t try to deny it. I know you have those contacts… it’s how you make this place run and got the tech to spy on the caregivers and do background checks on them as well. And, if you ever want to be viewed as trustworthy or valuable around here ever again with your nurses and from any potential clients this place will ever see again… you will use those contacts, do your job, and find those Littles… tonight.” Everyone who had heard was astonished but curious. Everyone who had only seen looked horrified. “Addy…” Sgt. Emily came over to her friend and slowly removed her hand from her mentor’s chest. “I’m sure if Dr. Halgen had a contact, she wouldn’t hesitate to use it. But in this case, she hasn’t… so she doesn’t.” She turned back to Dr. Halgen. “Isn’t that right, doctor?” But to the surprise of most everyone in the room, save for Addy, she winced. “Well…” “Oh my… what the hell, Halgen?” Addy watched her friend’s temper flare up over the potential lead she had been hiding from her. Emily was in on the future operation to fix Juventas too and so was Dr. Halgen. If she had a contact and wasn’t using it, it was clear the reason for her disappointment… who knows where they would be now if she had used it before. “Look,” Dr. Halgen straightened up the front of her pantsuit. “The contact that could help us tonight is a little… well, shy. They’re already taking a big risk to even talk to me in the first place. They do this favor, which might not even work, that’s probably it for them. If it pans out, I could never use them again…” There was a hushed tension in the room. Half seemed gob smacked… the others looked ready to throw a punch. “Dr. Halgen…” This time it was Sam approaching her with Lloyd’s support soon after. As part of the periphery search operations, he seemed just as eager to throw a punch as Sam was shocked. “For Patrick… for Cara… please, doctor. Please don’t let them suffer. I… I can only imagine what’s being done to them…” Her lower lip trembled and she seemed to melt away. Taking the burden on herself and off her growing friend as of late, Sgt. Emily stepped up and confronted her co-conspirator in all this mess. “Kelsey… come on. Be reasonable. You might lose your contact, and we can deal with that later, but… you know the type of people we’re dealing with…” Dr. Halgen looked back at Sam more than Lloyd or Daphne and sighed. “Oh… darn it.” She stomped her foot on the ground and groaned. “Fine… I will do it. Just… I need a minute to coordinate with them…” She then walked off and disappeared into the hallway and the sound of the front door signaled she was outside. Addy stepped forward to get closer to Sam without the others hearing. “Emily… what did you mean by ‘the type of people we’re dealing with?’ Is there something I should know?” She glanced at a few of the officers marking different items on a large map nearby. “Is there something not being actively shared with everyone else?” Sgt. Emily looked around as well before coming back to her friend… and nodding. “We picked up the intrusion on the cameras. The system is designed to alert us… but the fence was cut into and the perpetrators snuck in here… and old back fence that the cameras don’t cover completely. And…” She winced and lowered her voice even further than it had been. “Only someone with firsthand knowledge about the defenses here would have known about that gap in the cameras…” Sam looked at her friend in shock. She knew that things were sketchy around here and there was likely a mole in Psyche… and she knew directly how bad things were with some of the other more pro-Big nurses. But a mole… that was heavy even for her own heart. ‘Does the board at Juventas know about this? They do security for us…’ But she couldn’t think about all that and sighed, knowing she needed to help in some way tonight for her own sake if no one else’s. “Emily… tell me what I can do.” Emily nodded and pulled her friend off to one side. “Look… I know I’m not supposed to know about these things… but the nanobots you all use from Juventas. I know you have some in the Littles themselves and the stuffies they’re given. I know you can’t get those codes… but your dad can. I know it’s a lot to ask, but…” Addy held up her hand. “Say no more. I will talk to that man for the sake of these Littles. Maybe after this, he’ll see that what I do just isn’t wiping butts or cuddling Littles anymore…” Emily smiled, fully aware of the tension between Addy and her dad… but he was a member on the board, and she knew more than even Addy at this point about him. “I’m sure…” She smirked. “You just never know about some people…” Addy smiled, full of hope, nodded, and then ran out of the room to make an important phone call. “Yeah… it’s me Dad…” She took a breath. “Listen… you know I wouldn’t call normally, but… I have a bit of an emergency here I need your help with…” *              *              * “Wait…” Addy heard that story and had recalled that day more times than she could count by now. In retrospect though, she started to see some of it differently. “Am I responsible for everything getting delayed and the board not getting taken down and… Dr. Halgen’s disappearance?” Josh and Elena both winced. But Emily stepped forward and shook her head. “No, Addy. You’re not responsible. It turns out, we would have known about her contact sooner or later. You just prompted the ‘sooner’ part of it all.” She sighed. “Plus… I think she was doing it for herself…” Addy frowned in confusion. “Herself? Hold it… did she have something to do with the kidnapping?” “No,” Sam confirmed. “Definitely not.” “But she had a Little before, Addy,” her dad quickly filled in. “Blair… cute kid by you mom’s account and even came from another Psyche facility back in the day. All before you met her in college… but he was broken before you mom fixed that facility… they pushed him too far and one day, like a toddler, he wanted to see his mommy… and crossed into oncoming traffic.” “No…” Addy felt stunned, trying not to picture Oliver ever doing that. “I… I never knew that…” “And that’s how she wanted it,” Emily confirmed. “She didn’t want that secret out about herself, thinking it was a liability or something… but it motivated her in her various future roles within the Psyche company. She wanted Littles regressed to a point, mostly to be free…” “But never fully regressed to the point where they would be like Blair…” her dad said with a sigh. “Too far gone to even realize that they needed to look both ways… or to recognize the danger of a road full of speeding traffic.” Addy was nearly in shock from such a secret from a person she had known for years by now. “She must have blamed herself…” She looked at the ground and for a moment, almost began to wonder if her old mentor had gone missing on purpose. But she ultimately shook her head of the notion… she needed to know more. “But wait… the operation did stall afterward because of what happened… right?” Emily nodded. “That’s right. Halgen probably felt some guilt with it all and pushed her contact more than she likely had to. It and the nanobots you gave us access to not only guaranteed Patrick’s and Cara’s location, but we also discovered the key to their hideout’s defenses.” Addy had heard that tone enough to know there was a problem with it all. “And? That can’t be all…” “And her contact at Juventas gave away too much… exposed himself,” her dad verified with a grimace. “He knew things and told her details only he would know because of his position…” Everything began to swirl in Addy’s mind. At first, she only blamed Penny for the leak… but there had always been a question about the security perimeter. Yes, Penny could have known and passed the information on… but it didn’t feel right. She was a nurse and she didn’t have access to the security codes that had shut down the power grid or the security scanners that would have caught the kidnappers two steps within the compound. And now… this informant of Dr. Halgen’s, a person from Juventas, had known precise details on the hide-out’s security defenses. Addy’s heart froze at a thought that began to make more sense with each new piece of information she had. “Wait… are you saying… no… but… yes… yes…” She took a deep breath. “Are you saying that Juventas is… responsible for the kidnapping?” Her dad stepped forward. “Now, hold on. We don’t know that. It could be just a bad coinci…” “Oh, bullshit, John!” Sam snapped. “You’ve seen the links between it all as well as the rest of us! They kidnapped my Cara and Patrick for a lot of reasons, but in part because they were tied to your daughter and they knew that if she was poked, an informant could be exposed in their ranks. And spoiler… they were!” Emily sighed and patted her friend on the shoulder to ease her down. “I’m afraid she’s right, John… after all, we know that not long after… that mole went missing.” “Hold it… missing?” Addy questioned. ‘First the mole, then Dr. Halgen? Should they all be worried now?’ “Missing,” Josh confirmed. “We were informed by Dr. Halgen soon after to keep an eye on him… She said she was worried for his safety.” “Only except about a week after I got onto the board,” Elena picked up, “he went missing. Official word was that he was transferred to some place new Juventas site in Dakota… but when we checked the facility records there… not one word of him…” There was silence for a moment… the evil of Juventas seeming only to grow now by the week. “But to answer your question, two things happened,” Emily noted. “First, the contact was taken away likely by their still-present secret ops division. Originally used by Mr. Thanatos, they seem to be largely off the books these days instead of totally gone like we had assumed after the Losantiville incident shakeup in the company, and his disappearance has made us suspect that there are files we don’t even know about in Juventas as well.” “And second,” Josh continued, “as for your other question, originally, Oliver was going to be used to infiltrate the daycare to get you close to the executives by starring in some of my marketing ads part of the time and becoming friends with other Littles of the board members in company daycare.” “But because Dr. Halgen’s contact was compromised,” Sam picked back up, “we don’t know if he talked and now that Dr. Halgen’s missing… we can’t take that chance doubly so now.” Addy could barely comprehend what they were all saying to her now. It seemed so impossible… yet so likely she knew it was true. She had watched her parents and then her brother turned later into paranoid and fretful people every time the phone rang. She later discovered, after accidentally picking up the home phone, just the kinds of sticky things that Juventas was up to. One time, in about 11th grade, Addy had picked up and heard something about a brain injection going horribly wrong. She yelped and hung up the phone immediately. But through it all, a new part of her was beginning to burn like it hadn’t in some time. She had been in survival mode, but hearing all this today, her cause for the complete overhaul and arrest of guilty parties in Juventas rushed to the front of her mind. She pounded her fist on the table in the bunker and looked at everyone else. “Okay, damn it. What are we going to do about this?” Some giggled… some looked proud. “Addy… these things take time,” her dad tried to note, however. “Have a little patience and…” “John… you brought her into this group because you knew we needed a fresh perspective,” Emily noted, gesturing to her friend. “This is what we wanted. We need a new plan and…” “I said no,” Addy’s dad reemphasized, seeming more frustrated now than before as if they already had this conversation about her. “But Dad,” Addy said, looking a little disappointed at her father’s inaction now. “Come on. The evidence is out there. We need to go after the board now.” She looked down at the several files about dozens of cases of Littles they suspected were wrongfully treated in the past year by the company. “I mean, how many Littles are we going to allow to disappear or be hurt or experimented on before we do something? Why can’t you…?” “I said no!” her dad thundered, pounding his fist onto the table before wincing and backing up. “I admire your enthusiasm… even your zeal, honey. But… I’ve been dealing with the board a lot longer than any of you have. Right now, we have each other and most of us are out of harms way. We have no plan and no evidence to base one off. You all are not ready… we’re not ready.” And before anyone could object, he slammed his notebook with some files and plans together and nodded to the group. “And I think that’s where we stop it today.” Without another word, he turned and marched right back upstairs. Addy was incredibly disappointed. She wanted actions here and revenge against the terrible people now controlling her life and hurting so many others. But she knew her dad, and when he left the table, that meant the end of the discussion. So, she started to stand and pack her own things up. “Wait one second, Addy,” Emily noted, looking around her to see if her dad was truly gone. A slam of the door upstairs signaled that he was, and she turned to her friend. “Don’t be too hard on him. I see your disappointment, but also… remember that he’s been under threat for years. Until recently, you were his main vulnerability, but now he’s “Right…” She winced, feeling she had judged him too harshly and too quickly. He had gone through this with his wife, but now she was gone and both his children were in the proverbial lion’s den. And worse, one was forced into submission by the threatening of his wife and Little, and the other was no suggesting action against such people that could easily make her disappear. “I keep forgetting about that.” She started to repack her things, now a little shame hovering over her heart. “Actually…” Emily started up once more. “We just might have a solution to our problem here… if you’re interested…” Addy looked back at them and nearly slammed her items back down, some of that guilt now getting replaced by enthusiasm. She understood why her dad was being so obstinate with all this… but that didn’t mean she had to be. “Well… yes!” she exclaimed. “Of course!” Some around the table laughed at that. Emily just smiled. “Well, I’m glad you’re interested, but let me tell you…” She took a deep breath in. “We have a plan, but it’s risky. If you were caught, even your dad couldn’t help you, and with what you know now of Juventas, you’ll know the penalties that might seek for you.” The table visibly grimaced. “So, with that in mind… are you still in?” An hour and a half later, Addy parked her car where they had told her to and was sprinting through the grass as fast as she could while still crouching down to avoid being seen. When Emily had asked her, she didn’t even hesitate. And then when they explained their plan to her… she was even more in it than before. Simply put, the name of tonight’s mission was to infiltrate Juventas HQ, sneak in, go the server room, and then retrieve files that could help them bring down Juventas. And for Addy, she knew this was her big break to discover things to not only bring the board down, but to help Warren and find the truth of the bars as well. “Harbor, harbor…” she clicked into her walkie-talkie, using the code word the group had agreed on… just in case they were being monitored. “This is Apple… come in… over.” The walkie-talkie only spurted out fuzz for a moment. “Roger, Apple…” Addy wasn’t the biggest fan of her nickname for today, especially when Emily said it over the walkie… but if someone was listening, she very well couldn’t use her real name. “Are you at the fence now like we discussed? Over…” “Roger,” Addy replied. “At the fence and awaiting instructions as briefed. Over…” “Good,” Emily replied. “We’re working on our end to ensure the fence should go down. If you look up, you should see a red blinking light right now if our end is correct. Once it turns green though… go through the fence where we told you. Check for the spot and be prepared. Once it’s green, you might only have a minute… Over…” Addy looked up and saw it. The red flash near the woods was especially obvious. She also looked ahead and saw the gap that had been cut and yet disguised in the chain-link fence last year. It wasn’t reported because the fence was electrified and no amount of pulling could get past that. At least until the red light turned green. Seeing her chance and remembering the time limit, Addy dashed to the fence and then right through the gap, coming out on the other side, unscathed and unbarbecued. And quickly, she found the pair of bushes to conceal her location for a moment. “On the other side. Thank you, Elena…” She paused, almost setting the walkie down… until she remembered protocol. “Oh… over…” “She says you’re welcome,” Emily quickly responded. “Now… this should be our last communique for a while unless you absolutely need us, so remember… go through the doors and go to the red zone, then the corridor marked ‘Z’ and push through the double doors at the end of the hallway. Once through, enter the code. And then…” “And you’re sure the code is still good?” It was the one part of the plan Addy still didn’t like. She was promised it was good… but it was the biggest hurdle that would squarely be placed on her shoulders. “It’s an old code,” Emily confirmed, “but it checks out. Just trust us on it.” She paused for a second. “And after… go to the server room and insert the USB drive we gave you. It will take you to the files you are looking for. Anything in that file is gold to us… over…” “And I exit like nothing happened,” Addy repeated for clarity’s sake if nothing else. “After all, I am a board member… over…” “Exactly. And Addy?” There was a sigh over the walkie talkie. “Good luck… over…” Addy clicked her walkie-talkie twice and then stuffed it away. Looking back, the light above the fence blinked red once more already. ‘No stepping out now…’ She then turned her attention back to main building and walked right over. Being late at night, she only ran into a single security guard. But Addy was on the board now. Board business was above suspicion and interrogation. While the ‘disappearing’ program was atrocious… it did work wonders for a ‘no questions asked’ type of environment. Walking up to the building, she entered the double doors leading inside with her own ID card. It would need to be scrubbed… but Elena said she could do that on her end right after. It was a lot of trust in her abilities tonight, relying on her days in college where apparently, she was a bit of a rebel… but so far it had worked and Addy knew she needed to hurry up. Besides Oliver, she didn’t want her dad to know about any of this… and that meant getting home in the next hour. Understanding and remembering the building layout a little better, the red zone was next to the blue zone which was next to the cafeteria, so she rushed over and soon found the corridor marked ‘Z.’ It was a little tricky, but pushing down its length, she soon came to the double doors… and eased right on through. There, on the other side of them, was the keypad. ‘Okay, you all… a lot of trust in this…’ Addy began typing in the numbers. They had told her that it was due to an IT person sleeping on the code for years and never erasing it from the system… but she felt it was more than that. There was an almost pause and hushed silence in their explanation like it wasn’t just some random code… but that it was also ‘safe.’ And with her nerves already shaky, Addy made sure to focus on that word more than anything else. And her gut seemed to work as the door soon beeped and she pushed through… revealing a server room at least 80 yards deep and about 30 to 40 different rows all stacked up. But at the head, was a single computer. ‘There you are…’ Addy raced over and found the log-on screen blink before her. She reached into her pocket and removed the USB drive. ‘One use and then it’s done… disintegrates apparently…’ She winced and slotted it in, hoping to get it on one try. She did. The log-on screen was soon bypassed, and the file tab was immediately opened and scrolled by literally thousands of files, each one more enticing than the last. Already, at a glimpse, she caught sight of things like lollipop shots, WoundBond gel, and even Nerve Booster cream. All were designed for Littles… to hurt… to trick… to make them more into the Littles the company wanted them to be. She shuddered over a few, having seen them firsthand. But finally, her interest was truly piqued when the file opened to ‘For Board Members Eyes Only.’ Addy questioned it fully, because she should have seen this before on her laptop, something made specifically for a board member and not just the generic one that other employees were given. This should have been familiar to her… instead of completely new like it was. “What the…?” But Addy then remembered she was ‘supposed’ to be covert and slammed her hand over her mouth. In the big server room, she was the only one and no one seemed alerted. But time was still a factor at play. The longer she was here, the greater her chances of getting caught were. Addy remembered, ‘Anything in that file is gold to us…’ and that’s exactly what she did. She pulled another USB drive and copied everything she could… it was just slow in here apparently. But while that was cooking, she brought up another tab. ‘I wonder…’ Coming here, yes, she wanted to bring down Juventas however she could. Now more than ever, that was her main goal… but this was a unique opportunity for her that she knew wasn’t going to come into play anytime soon after. So, her first thought… find Warren’s leverage over him. And soon enough, she found an entire folder dedicated to just him. ‘His blackmail and leverage stuff has to be in here. Maybe if he sees who’s actually responsible… we can get him on our side.’ Learning from her dad more every day, she might have been defying him tonight, but she also knew to always think ahead. Today’s priority was information they could use and form another case against Juventas… but she knew she needed boar support as well. She had her vote and Josh’s and Elena’s if they coordinated. That was three votes against Bouras and Allen. If she got Warren on their side without fear of losing Julia or Jakey… the vote would be two to four. And in their favor… Drakos couldn’t do a thing then. She smiled wide as the files transferred over and she even went digging for anything she could about the bars. Oddly enough, there was only one… classified even higher and locked. ‘Hmmm… that’s weird. I wonder…’ A click echoed off the hallway. Someone might be coming… ‘Shoot.’ Addy was happy with what she got, and she snagged the file about the bars as well before ripping the two USB drives out. As noted, the hacker one disintegrated into her hand. ‘Woah…’ Dusting it off, she placed the other USB in her bra. It wasn’t great… but it was safe… and she had a backup plan in mind. With her evidence now in tow, she dashed out of the server room and down the hallway and… “Hey!” a voice froze Addy solid in the dim hallways so close to midnight and she turned. “Yeah… I thought that was you. Addy…” Mr. Allen stepped closer, his face full of suspicion. “What are you doing here so late? And…” He turned to where she had just come from. “Where are you coming from at this hour?” Addy stared back at him and swallowed hard. She had been caught. The only question now was simple… could she still salvage this and leave… or was she entirely screwed?

If you like exploring, this is the place to talk about everything exploration. Being blind, I am drawn to new areas of exploration. Using the voice app on my iPhone SE, as well as the Be My Eyes app, I am able to take pictures of a lot of the places I explore. I wish I knew a way to submit the photos I had taken of my most recent place of exploration, but they are bigger than the 100 KB limit. Is there anyone out there who could tell me the steps I could take to make these photos upload? Your help would be greatly appreciated. I think you would like to see the things I am able to see in a sense. Yes, we, as blind individuals, she in our own way with our other senses in combination with the great advances in special apps and other technology.

I am wondering if there are other blind individuals on this website. I have been blind all my life due to retinopathy of prematurity, and I think it would be need to meet others who are blind from either the same condition or something else and talk to them about different apps, their interests, whatever.

Haha no worries! Readers always have different ideas of how books should end or even be written than the authors themselves, and frequently it would just plain ruin the intention the author had with the work in the first place... I think I've read a short story or two with a roughly similar overall premise, but nothing serious.  Good to know, though! I'd hate for that hellish place to exist for much Longer..