Indigo Incite Read online

  “Good thinking,” Toby said. “See if you can find the list with our names on it. If other people on the list start to go missing, it could spread suspicion toward the agency.”

  Tyler located and downloaded the list. He found their names, along with Eddie, Liliana, Grace, and Sarah, and at least fifty others. He also downloaded a few interesting emails—emails he was certain the agency wouldn’t want falling into the wrong hands.

  He removed the flash drive and held it up. “I think we have more than enough information here to secure our safety.”

  “So what happens next?” Rebecka asked.

  “Eddie should arrive with the Federales in the morning. Before they get here, we need to make Henry aware that we have this information. And then, in theory, we just need to sit back and wait until Henry and his friends are detained."

  Tyler removed the access card from the computer and placed it in his pocket with the flash drive.

  “Can you think of anything else we should do before we go?” Toby asked.

  “Nope,” Tyler replied. “I think we’ve done enough damage for one evening.”

  His brother spun toward the door and stared with intent. “Shh, someone’s coming.”

  Rebecka looked up and turned an ear to listen. “Are you sure? I don’t hear anyone.”

  “I don’t hear him either, but I can see him, in my mind. There’s a man who just walked into an office down the hall. Would anyone else have reason to come in here besides Henry?”

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  “He went into a room a few doors down. Come on. Let’s get out of here before he comes out, again.”

  Toby peered into the hall to ensure that it was clear and then ushered Tyler and Rebecka out of Henry’s office. He closed the door, but before they could turn for the stairs, they were stopped by a muffled noise that came from a room down the hall.

  Tyler looked down the hall; every instinct told him that he should run. They still might have time to sprint down the stairs and remain undetected, but for some unknown reason, he stood frozen—not from fear, but from curiosity. He saw that Toby was equally as curious.

  “What are you two waiting for?” Rebecka whispered. “Come on.”

  “Whoever’s down there…I feel like we know him,” Toby said.

  “Yeah, well, whoever it is, you don’t want him to catch you here, do you?”

  Before they had time to contemplate further, they heard a door open. They stood motionless, afraid to breathe, as they watched a man step into the hall. His back was to them, but he seemed oddly familiar.

  “It can’t be,” Toby said.

  “Is it?” Tyler asked.

  “Who? Who is he?” Rebecka whispered.

  The man turned toward them then, and he appeared just as shocked at their appearance as Tyler felt.

  “It’s Dad,” the twins said in unison.

  CHAPTER 20: FEDERALES

  With strong-willed insistence, the girls conquered the battle of dinner selection. They would not be eating in their motel room.

  “We’ve spent a week hiding from the IIA, and now you want to throw that all away by parading yourselves in public?” Eddie had argued when the girls proposed that they go to the restaurant located on the bottom floor of their motel.

  “Do you really think a tracker is going to be looking for us here?” Grace had retorted. “This is probably the last place they would expect us to be. And besides, if they are looking for us, they’re going to find us whether we’re in a motel room or in a restaurant. We’d actually have a better chance to escape out in the open. If they come to our motel room, there’s no other exit except for the door.”

  “She does have a point,” Liliana had agreed.

  Eddie had made an attempt to look serious but failed horribly when he tried to hide a smile. “Why do I feel like I don’t have a choice?”

  Grace had grinned. “Because, you don’t. Come on. It’ll be fun. This might be the last night that the three of us get to spend together. Don’t you want to have a little fun?”

  As the only male in the group, and the eldest of the three, Eddie felt a weight of responsibility to keep the girls safe. At the same time, he had to admit that a couple of hours spent downstairs, did sound more appealing than sitting in their cockroach-infested, rundown motel room.

  “Fine,” he had agreed. “But, Grace, if you get any visions or feelings that something might be wrong, you have to promise that we’ll leave right away.

  “Does that mean we can go?” Her eyes twinkled with merriment, and he couldn’t help but smile in return.

  “Do you promise?”

  “Of course. I’m not stupid. I promise, if anyone even looks at us cross-eyed, we’ll get out of there. Is that good enough for you?”

  “Until we’re all safe, it will never be good enough, but I guess it will have to do.”

  “Thank you! Let me get changed and then we can go.” She turned to Liliana. “I have a couple of dresses in my bag. They might be a little long, but otherwise they should fit. Would you like to borrow one?”

  “Sure, thanks.” She examined the dresses Grace had laid out on the bed. “I don’t know how you have such a wide assortment of clothes. I just packed enough to fit in my small bag. I feel like I’ve been wearing the same clothes for days.”

  “That’s only because I packed for a vacation to Florida. I planned to lay out by the pool every afternoon and hang out with my boyfriend every evening.”

  Their conversation piqued his attention, and he turned to Grace with interest. “You have a boyfriend?” He shouldn’t be surprised. After all, Grace was stunning. She probably had a handful of guys lined up and waiting back home.

  Grace had looked slightly embarrassed, and it was obvious that she didn’t want to answer. “Um…yeah. I mean, we’re dating, and I call him my boyfriend, but he really isn’t more than just a friend. You know? I just don’t feel that…spark.”

  “Well, give it time. Sometimes the best relationships start out as just a friendship.”

  “Yeah…maybe.” She had promptly changed the subject and then excused herself to the bathroom to change.

  So now he sat on the edge of the bed and waited for the girls to ‘pretty up,' as Grace had explained. He contemplated the fact that she had a boyfriend. He found that he was both jealous and relieved and couldn’t decide which emotion was stronger. He couldn’t deny that she was gorgeous and fun to be around, but a relationship with Grace could never work. For one, there was no way her parents would approve of a long-distance relationship with a college student from another state. There was also the fact that he couldn’t shake off the attraction he felt to Sarah. He knew that she was married, and he had no desire to break up her marriage; but nevertheless, the draw to her was there and it wouldn’t go away. It wouldn’t be fair to Grace if he was with her, but his thoughts were of Sarah.

  Then he reminded himself that Jenna waited back home. He needed to decide if he would ask her out when he returned.

  Life had been easier when his sole focus had been on school. Just a week ago, he had been concerned with his research project and had told himself that he wouldn’t get involved with a girl until he was finished. Now, only a week later, three girls occupied his mind. How had that happened?

  *****

  The moment they entered the restaurant, all eyes turned to the beautiful blond and the exotic Chinese girl, who were both donning flattering, form-fitting dresses. Eddie’s protective instincts kicked into overdrive; he stepped between the two, placed a possessive hand around each girl’s waist, and steered them to a table in the corner. His body language and facial expression stated that the girls were his, and no one ought to get any ideas.

  The town wasn’t exactly a hot tourist location, and it appeared that they were the only Americans in the restaurant. The tables were filled with some families but mostly men who looked like they had just gotten off of a long day of work on the farm, men who would like nothing better than
to befriend the beautiful girls. He began to question the legitimacy of his agreement to eat out; perhaps room service would have been a better idea after all.

  Grace placed a hand on his forearm. “Relax. Look, there’s no sign of any trackers. We’re fine, and the place looks fun. See? They’re getting ready to start a band, and there’s a dance floor. Let’s just enjoy dinner, okay?”

  “Yeah…it’s not trackers that I’m worried about,” he mumbled. But then he saw the happiness written on her face and didn’t want to spoil the mood. “You’re right. We’re here. We might as well have fun.”

  After the waitress took their orders, the girls watched the band set up on stage. Eddie brooded over the conversation that would take place in the morning, with the Federales. He had gone over the dialogue in his head, visualized how it would play out, and considered various questions they might ask. He hoped that he was prepared.

  Liliana tapped his shoulder. “What did he say?”

  Snapped out of his musing, he turned to her. “Who?”

  “The guy at the microphone.”

  “Oh, um, it sounds like their fiddle player is out tonight, so he apologized that they might sound a little off.”

  Liliana turned to Grace. “You play the violin, don’t you? Isn’t that kinda like a fiddle?”

  “Um, sort of. I guess so. I’m not going to get up there and play, though. I don’t know any Mexican music.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad. It would have been fun to hear you play.”

  Their food arrived a few minutes later, and while they ate, they listened to the band and watched patrons take to the dance floor.

  Grace tapped her foot to the music and grinned at Eddie. “This is fun. Aren’t you glad that we came? Much better than sitting in a motel room.”

  “It is fun,” Eddie agreed. “Though I think the band would sound a little better if they had a fiddle player.” He winked at Liliana.

  “Oh, absolutely,” Liliana caught on. “A little bit of fiddle music is exactly what they need.”

  Grace laughed. “I told you, I don’t know any Mexican songs.”

  “Haven’t you noticed that they’ve played some American music, too? Maybe you know some of the same songs.”

  Grace didn’t respond and looked toward the stage.

  Eddie took advantage of her hesitation, grabbed her hand, and pulled her to her feet. “Come on.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “I’ll introduce you to the band.” He hauled her to the front of the room before she could argue.

  He waited until their song ended and then beckoned the guitar player to the edge of the stage. He explained in Spanish that Grace was his friend from the U.S. and that she would love to join in and play the fiddle.

  The band leader looked Grace up and down, and for a moment, he wondered at the wisdom of putting her on stage. He immediately explained that Grace was his girlfriend and let him know, in no uncertain terms, that she was his and his alone.

  “I understand,” the man told him, in Spanish. “I will guard her as if she were my own daughter.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Can she sing?”

  Eddie looked at Grace, who waited patiently, with a smile on her face. He knew she hadn't understood a word they'd said. “I have no idea, but it wouldn’t surprise me.”

  “Ah, well then, maybe we can get her to sing for us, too.”

  She nudged his arm with her elbow. “What did you say to him?”

  “I said that you’re very happy to help them out.”

  “Oh, well, okay then. He doesn’t mind?”

  “No. He’s happy that you’re willing to play.”

  The man presented Grace with a wide grin that revealed several missing teeth. He offered her a hand and in Spanish said, “We will be honored for you to join us.”

  She looked blankly at Eddie for translation.

  He nudged her in return. “Go ahead.”

  She accepted the band leader’s hand and he pulled her up, onto the stage. He then handed her the fiddle, and she tried it out to get a feel for it. Apparently pleased, he grinned and spoke to her in broken English. “Do you…know…Elvis, 'Jailhouse Rock'?”

  “You speak English?”

  “Only little.”

  “Yeah, I know 'Jailhouse Rock'.”

  He smiled. “Good.”

  Eddie called up to her, “I’ll be right back there at the table with Liliana. Have fun!”

  She looked uncertain but managed a weak smile. “Um…okay.”

  He resumed his seat and turned his chair so that he faced the stage. When the band leader announced that Grace would join the band for the evening, the men at the table nearest to them whooped and hollered.

  One of the men turned to him. “That’s your girl?”

  “She is.” His clear, firm response left little question in the matter.

  “She’s very pretty.”

  “Yes. Yes she is,” Eddie agreed.

  Their discussion stopped then when the band started up. The song was sung in heavily accented Spanish, but it was still enjoyable. Eddie wasn’t surprised that Grace had an impressive talent for the fiddle. She looked natural onstage, even out of place as she was, with a bunch of Mexican guys in cowboy boots.

  “I hope you don’t mind my saying so, but I can see that you like her,” Liliana said. “Your aura seems different tonight.”

  “I’m just trying to make sure that she’s safe. I’m looking out for you, too. I feel responsible for you both.”

  “Oh, I get that, and I appreciate it. I do. There’s something else though. When you’re around her, I sense that you like her, but you don’t want to admit it. Am I right?”

  Eddie was silent for a moment as he thought about the truth behind her words. She had seen right through him and had hit the nail on the head. The band started another song, and he turned to watch with rapt interest so that he wouldn’t have to immediately answer her question.

  “I don’t want to hurt her,” he said finally. He turned to Liliana. “If Grace thought there might be a chance for her and me, she would get her hopes up. I don’t want to disappoint her. The odds that it would ever work out between us are slim to none. Like I said before, I’m trying to keep her safe, not just physically, but emotionally, too.”

  “Relationships are never a sure thing, but I’ve always believed that it’s best to follow your heart. If the two of you are meant to be together, it will find a way to work itself out.”

  “You’re right, but what if we aren’t meant to be together? Just because two people like each other doesn’t necessarily mean that they should be together.”

  “But you admit that you do like her?”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, I do. I’ll admit it. But, life is going to go on. I have a life to get back to and so does she. Long-distance relationships never work out.” Eddie sucked in his breath when he saw Liliana’s reaction to his words. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I’m sure that you and Tyler will stay together. You two are obviously meant for each other.”

  “You think so?”

  “Of course. I can’t see auras, but I imagine yours lights up when you’re around him. I can definitely see it in your face, the way you smile at him, and the way he smiles at you, too. The two of you seem natural together. It’s like you’ve been friends for years and not just a couple of days.”

  “That’s exactly how I feel. I feel like I’ve known him forever. I hope that we can find a way to still see each other once this is all over. Who knows where he’ll end up. If the state thinks he’s a runaway, do you think they’ll lock him up?”

  “I doubt it. Besides, if the Federales find him tomorrow, they’ll inform the state that he was kidnapped. When that happens, they’ll just return him to his foster family.”

  “That’s a good point. I hadn’t thought about that. From what he says though, his foster family isn’t very nice. There’s probably no way they’d let him fly to Seattle to see me.”


  “You just have to think positive.”

  Liliana smiled. “You’re right.” She was silent while she listened to Grace and the band and then said, “I’m worried about him, Eddie.”

  “I know, but everything’s going to be okay. We have to believe that. Tomorrow, I’ll lead the Federales to the compound, and everything will be set right.”

  The song ended then, and Eddie and Grace applauded.

  Eddie watched while the singer spoke with Grace. He pointed to the microphone, something else was said, and then she set the fiddle down and followed him to the front of the stage.

  “We are in luck this evening,” the singer announced in Spanish to the restaurant patrons. “Our special friend from America has agreed to sing for us.”

  Throughout the evening, between traditional Mexican songs, the band had added several songs by Willie Nelson and Garth Brooks to the mix. It was obvious that the members of the band were big fans of American country music. Eddie was surprised that Grace knew the music; many of the songs had originally been performed well before her time.

  When she stepped up to the microphone, the crowd cheered. She glanced across the room to their table, and Eddie and Liliana both gave her two thumbs up. She turned and said something to the band, and then they started up a familiar tune. He was held captive by her beautiful voice and found it impossible to break his gaze from her sparkling eyes.

  Three songs later, Grace bowed to the audience when they roared in appreciative applause. Then the band leader stepped up to the microphone and called out, in Spanish, “I think this pretty lady deserves a dance. Would her boyfriend like to meet her on the dance floor?” He beckoned for Eddie to step forward.

  Eddie could see that Grace didn’t have a clue what had been said, but then the band leader turned and said something to her. Her eyes immediately found him across the room. He remained seated, his gaze transfixed to her.

  Liliana chuckled. “Go on. You should never leave a girl standing alone on a dance floor.”

  “You’re right.” He stood and headed toward the front of the room and the beautiful blonde awaiting him. He kept his eyes on her as she hopped down from the stage, and they met in the middle of the floor amid a half dozen other dancing couples.