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  You want to speak for me? Holden sounded perplexed. Why?

  "You need to be heard. To be seen." I was sure I had turned an unattractive shade of pink as heat crawled up my neck toward my ears. "I would like to help," I mumbled. I couldn't hold anyone's eyes now. I felt like I was admitting something big, allowing these people to see how I felt. Like they all saw my attraction. Time to skedaddle…

  "Yeah, well, I'll see you tomorrow, I think." I was more than ready to escape after that awkwardness. "Thank you, Commander James for this introduction. When and how should I contact you to move forward?"

  Commander James was still staring at Holden while he replied to my announcement. "Use the com. It's wired to contact me directly. We can set up to proceed with evaluations and new recruits." Finally, he pulled his attention away from Holden and walked toward me. "Thank you for joining the team, Nathalee. I really do believe you will be an immense asset." Holden snorted, anger seeming to seep from his pores.

  Time to go! The commander extended his hand to me. I shook it briefly, he then repeated the gesture with my father and we said our goodbyes. Moments later, Dad and I were headed into the main portion of the gym, toward blessed fresh air.

  As we pushed out into the afternoon, I stopped and closed my eyes, falling back against the building and exhaling deeply. Wow, that was intense. Is that my life now? Dad bumped my shoulder playfully. "New purpose, here you come." I had to snort a laugh at him. The man had done a one eighty in a matter of twenty-four hours, but he was my rock.

  "Yeah, here I come."

  CHAPTER 9

  WALKING TOWARD THE HOUSE, I reflected on the fact that I hadn’t noticed any major mental input from Dane throughout the encounter with Holden. Was he a blank slate or was I just too preoccupied to notice his internal musings? Questions for a different day. Now, I needed a bath. The stink of the gym clung to me and I wanted to be rid of it.

  The trip home took us through most of Minefield proper, with us cruising past most everything but the fields. Landmarks we reached evoked strong feelings when I looked at them. The school reminded me of my faults. The spires reaching into the sky like grasping fingers, manicured and polished facade screamed order, rigidity.

  Contrastingly, the barn brought to mind the harmony in nature. The railed fencing, horses casually munching on grass or frolicking with one another. The paths all wandered, taking scenic and roundabout ways. The people who visited coveted the atmosphere and peace which the place provided.

  Main Street held our most flourishing businesses, especially restaurants and bars. And because I was all about the food, I liked it there…when it wasn’t bustling, which wasn’t often enough for my taste.

  Dad and I walked in silence, both steeped in our own thoughts about the meeting and my future. We passed many people but didn’t acknowledge anyone. Whether that was because no one saw my father, or those who did, recognized the thoughtful look on his face and knew it meant he wasn’t mentally present, I wasn’t sure and didn’t care.

  Today marked the beginning of a new way of life for me. No more staying on the outskirts, or tuning people out. I would now actively seek to glean information from others. Hopefully, I could hone my ability in smaller areas, not have to scan a large number of innocent and unsuspecting people in order to ferret out the ones we needed…but that was a farfetched dream, I think.

  Unless I was only brought in under controlled and contained circumstances, I would need to pry, and be all right with it, or at least deal with it. I would also need to know how to defend myself adequately. My strength could help me, but only so much. I was not as strong as full Primals, especially males. I think my tactics here should be surprise and evasion. Hopefully Dane or Holden would be able to give me pointers and training.

  Once we reached home, my father and I went our separate ways. He veered toward the kitchen, presumably to speak with my mother about my recruitment into enforcement and what we’d learned so far. I continued down the hall to my bedroom, grabbing comfy clothes to lounge in for the rest of the evening.

  I stepped across the hall and into the bathroom, pausing to put my clothes on the counter and turn on my music. Tonight I was in the mood for something catchy and upbeat. Something that made me believe I was now pointed in the right direction, no longer a spiraling compass, but one pointed due north.

  A couple bands came readily to mind as I set my playlist. With lively tunes permeating the space, I turned on the shower and got lost in the pulsing melodies until steam filled the room. I stepped under the decadent spray and let the heaviness fall from my limbs.

  I woke late Saturday morning having no intention of seeking company. My day was to be filled gophering –from home–for Dr. Parmore. Another day of tedium and feeling sub-par.

  There was so much I needed to learn and understand about the law, criminals, rights—what little we had—and procedure. Not to mention how not to draw attention to myself, either with other enforcers or those we were tracking. But I couldn't sidetrack myself with those thoughts, not for a few days yet. Not until I had given the professor time to find a replacement. She’d be thrilled.

  One more week.

  I went looking for lunch after a few hours of boredom. I was starved as my rumbling stomach so kindly reminded me, so I decided on ground beef and gooey cheese laden nachos to keep my tummy from consuming itself. It was highly satisfying. With my cloying appetite appeased for the moment, I decided to locate the parental unit who was home.

  I headed toward my mom's gadget room, assuming that to be where I'd find her. My hunch was proven correct as I tuned into my mother's mental signature. She was trying to remedy the short in one of her data chips. I stopped and leaned against the doorway to observe.

  Golden hair was piled high atop her head in a hastily applied bun, cheeks flushed and eyes narrowed. I even saw her tongue peeking through pouting lips as she attempted to fit a tiny piece onto the chip. A gifted telekinetic, her specialty ran toward refined, minute movements and placement. Making it perfect for her tiny technology. This in turn made her highly sought after for specialized and custom tech pieces. I wonder if she made the communication device Commander James gave me…

  The gadget room was organized chaos, especially to someone who had no working knowledge of information systems and engineering. There were neat piles all about the room, covering almost every available surface. Each pile contained items which looked similar but with minor differences, such as color, length or width. To the untrained eye, it was junk or excess. To my mother, it was the missing component, or the corrected length. It made me smile. I loved watching her work, and when she was enthralled in a project, she didn't mind me hearing her.

  I think she hoped that maybe some of it would sink in. Unfortunately for her, the things she worked on involved those subjects which I was awful at. I stepped into the room and peered down at her work when she looked to be at a point she wouldn't mind interruption. "Hey, Mom."

  She looked up, gave me a slight smile, and leaned back in her chair to rub her eyes. "Hi, Nathalee. How is your day going?"

  "All right, doing lecture notes and handouts for Monday’s classes," I shrugged. She nodded. I swirled my fingers at her workstation. "Having any luck kicking your short?"

  "I think I've fixed the connection." Her eyes lit at that proclamation. I was about to inquire further when my phone chimed, interrupting my follow up. Mom went back to work without a second thought as I ambled into the hallway to check the message.

  Jade: I'm bored and my parents are hovering. Wanna meet at the gardens?

  Me: Sure. I'll grab us some drinks on the way over.

  Jade: Sweet! See you in 20?

  Me: Affirmative

  "Mom, I'm going to go meet up with Jade at the gardens for a few, do you need anything?" I looked back over my shoulder in time to see her head shake in the negative, a mumbled "No thank you, sweetheart" barely audible. Dad was on shift at the hospital so it would be up to me for dinner, seeing as Mom was
in her "zone" and wouldn't notice the time. I'll grab pizza on the way home.

  I scooped up my messenger bag and threw it across my body as I reached for the door. The gardens weren’t much more than a mile from the house and with the coffee shop between here and there, I figured I could walk it. I liked traveling the streets, noticing all the homes and businesses. Most people rode a bike, if not in a car and definitely didn't look at the places they passed. They didn't notice when and where people were absent. I did, and I relished this time to absorb my surroundings without absorbing so many conflicting thoughts.

  My walk took me away from the residential area consisting of small but tidy brick homes with minimalist landscaping, all of which were Sage households, and into the business district of town.

  Here the pavement was patchy with weeds and everyday debris. The building faces boasted large windows and bright displays for whatever lay inside. Even here, though, there was pride. The ones who owned businesses were fierce in keeping them up and running as best as possible. The little coffee shop that Jade and I adored went by the name "The Corner Bean," and was no exception to this rule.

  Run by a Primal couple who had enhanced smell and taste, respectively, their blends were a-maz-ing. There were such masterful hints, undertones, and afternotes in their creations that their business never experienced a lag. This specialty was one which did well for the ninnies and allowed for Minefield to receive monthly supply shipments in exchange for creating blends, which could be sold to the masses.

  Most of the money generated could be used to keep Minefield running. Many profitable businesses actually operated this way, which was a double edged sword: giving control to the outside world but also keeping the town from falling into total disrepair from a lack of restorative materials.

  Today was no exception in the number of patrons, and I waited ten minutes for our drinks. My chai tea latte was the perfect blend of spice and sweet, and Jade was always well satisfied with her coffees. I didn't get that though. I detested coffee. It gave me a bad taste just thinking about drinking it and I chased away a disgusted shiver, continuing past the establishments leading to the gardens.

  Sipping on the spicy goodness contained in liquid form, my eye caught on the barn coming up on my left. The white fencing, lush green grass, beige dirt, and iconic red barns always relaxed me. I couldn’t help but swing my arms more loosely and walk with longer, more fluid strides as I took it in. It was like the space brought out my inner Primal, making me much more graceful than I ever was elsewhere.

  “Oh crap,” I muttered as I remembered that I had expected to make it to the barn today for another lesson with Holden. I had completely forgotten, and now I was not only on my way elsewhere, but I realized I had no way to contact Holden to let him know I wouldn’t make it. Making a quick decision, which really wasn’t hard, I waited for a hole in traffic and bounded across the street as quickly as I could while carrying two piping hot liquids.

  I didn’t see him in the riding area as I walked along the fence and toward the entrance. There were plenty of horses grazing in their enclosures, and there looked to be noticeably more people moving around on the grounds than I was used to seeing, but none were Holden. I wanted to give him a heads up, to apologize, but I couldn’t spend forever looking either. I moved down the dirt lane toward the barn where I had met him previously, still managing to get lost in the atmosphere the place created.

  Approaching the open barn doors, I peeked inside. I was greeted by many horse sounds, but no human ones. The horses in residence all made little noises letting me know they were there; neighing, feet stomping to scare off flies, tails swishing and blowing noses came from various areas.

  Jasper was here and it was no surprise that he alone made each sound at different moments. I said a quick “Hey, handsome,” receiving a whinny in response. Turning away from the barn interior and its familiar scents: dust, animal, sweet hay and woodsy pine, my eyes moved restlessly to scan the surrounding areas but I still didn’t see Holden anywhere. Maybe he wasn’t here. I shrugged, thinking to myself that at least I had attempted to apologize for bailing on him today, and made my way back to the street.

  As I came to the entrance of the green jungle, I pulled up short with the thought that the enforcement training center was just past here. I couldn't see it from this angle, but I couldn't help but look. Continuing into the gardens, I kept to the bricked path and admired the growth. Manicured lawn for lounging and games stretched to the left while a kids’ play area unfolded on the right. Past those were the flower gardens, blooming in vibrant shades ranging the color wheel and attracting both bees and butterflies. The entire space ringed in dense foliage.

  The path I was on bisected the flower gardens and led to a pristine wood bench situated at the base of a large oak tree. Jade had her legs pushed out in front of her, arms spanned across the back of the bench. Her head was tilted against the tree, eyes closed and lips turned up.

  This was Jade's peace, just as the barn was mine. I studied her while she soaked up the serenity, lost to the branches’ whispers. Though we heard the reverie of others nearby, no one was overly close. Neither of our abilities were in overdrive here. Jade was dressed simply in jeans and a red long-sleeved top. Her mass of golden hair was pulled over a shoulder to drape down her side. The flip-flops sporting a cartoon kitty with a big red bow completed her casual look.

  I figured with both of us in decent moods, she may not have tuned into me yet. I decided to have a bit of fun with her. I crept to close the gap between us, being careful not to step into her beam of light and ruin my fun. Nearly touching her right leg, I leaned forward, almost brushing her ear.

  "Boo!"

  Jade jumped nearly out of her skin and let off a satisfying squeak of alarm, almost taking out my nose, and our drinks, but I was able to dodge her flailing fist and knee to avoid the hit. Backing up further, I chuckled in amusement while Jade gave me a death glare. So worth it! I thrust coffee into her hands, hoping it would earn me points after that stunt. Lord knew I’d need them. Jade was crafty and would come up with some inventive way to return the favor I just bestowed upon her.

  "You suck, Nat," she grumbled, sipping her drink, but the tension left her body as soon as she swallowed her first mouthful. "You're lucky you came bearing gifts after that crap," she smirked. The nectar was cradled in both hands close to her face as she sat breathing it in. Jade liked to say just the smell of Corner Bean coffee could get her high, and watching her now, I would be inclined to agree.

  "So, what'd the parents do today?"

  Jade huffed a long-suffering sigh and thrust out her arm not holding the coffee. "The usual. They keep trying to get me to decide to take the counselor route. They think it's a ‘safe’ path." Air quotes encased "safe" and she rolled her eyes, conveying contempt of her parents' mantra. They hovered and tried to dictate to Jade how she should live her life, treating her asthma and small stature as weak and frail, as would most.

  Jade and I, however, hated being put into those boxes that Sages were generally crowded into. We didn't want to do something just because it was safe. Safe was overrated and mundane. We wanted to make a difference somewhere. I had found where I could do that. Could Jade?

  As I was finishing my cup of decadence, a wavelike tone began emanating from my messenger bag. Luckily for me, the beverage was too low to slosh over the sides when I started at the sound. Jade pointed at my bag. "You're ringing."

  "Very perceptive of you, thanks."

  "I try." Jade smiled brightly at me, her self-satisfaction evident.

  The banter between us was as familiar as our gifts, and I cherished it. Finally I located the source of the tone and pulled it away from my bag. The enforcer com, its blue shield pulsed with light in time to the tone it sang. Seeing Jade's confused expression, I realized I had yet to tell her about Commander James and my pending job. I vowed to tell her all about it, leaving nothing out…after I answered this thing.

  I ran my thumb ac
ross the shield, just as I had when I contacted the commander the day before last and spoke when it seemed I had been connected. "Hello?" I shrugged at Jade in an attempt to convey that I was just about as clueless as she was. I mean, I wasn't an enforcer yet, was I?

  Commander James's deep voice spilled from its depths, much louder than one would think possible. "Nathalee?"

  "Yes, sir?"

  "We've had an incident that I believe you may be able to help us get to the bottom of. Would you be willing to come back to the CP and listen to someone for us?"

  "CP?" The term was lost on me.

  "Command Post. Sorry, I forget that not everyone I speak to understands Enforcese."

  My brow drew together in confusion yet again, "Enforcese?" I need to learn lingo, it seems.

  A deep chuckle came over the line as he explained, "Just a term I use to describe things that apply only to being in enforcement. There are many, and they are just easier to use when talking about such issues."

  The longer the conversation went on, the more confused Jade's thoughts became. She was almost convinced I was seeing this Commander James privately. That I had a new man in my life and had yet to tell her. She was working herself up to being right pissed at me for not telling her about him. She wasn't right in thinking that I hid him from her…though, she did have a right to be mad at me for not telling her about him at all, and I would accept her ire, later.

  "I'm in the gardens now, actually, so I can be there in just a few minutes. I assume the CP is where we met previously?" Jade was about to burst. She was so worked up, her eyes were spitting green fire at me in a glare so intense, I was sure that if she could shoot lasers, I would be nothing but ash in front of her.

  I smirked as an idea struck. "Commander, do you have an empath on the team?" If he went for this, Jade and I had found what we had been looking for: something bigger than us. A way to be useful, to do something meaningful. After the commander answered in the negative, I told him I was bringing Jade with me. At that declaration, and most likely my burgeoning excitement, Jade's thoughts veered toward acceptance. She was happy to be included and finished off her coffee with a triumphant smile.