Natalie Whipple: Blindsided

I force myself to look right at him, his steely eyes not expressing one wisp of emotion. “Yes, sir.”

“Good. Now, please don’t be too alarmed—we’re doing this as a security precaution. Since this school is the largest usable facility in Madison, we’ll have to share it with you students until we resolve the current syndicate issues. If you pass, you’ll be cleared to continue attending school as normal, okay?”

“Okay…” With what Bea said about their interest in Radiasure, I can’t help wondering if there’s more to it.

“All right.” Major Norton looks at a paper in front of him. “First question: Are you working for your father?”

“No,” I say quickly.

Major Norton raises his dark eyebrows, seeming surprised that I wasn’t lying. “Okay. Have you ever worked for your father?”

I pull at the hem of my dress, ashamed. “Yes.”

“When did you stop?”

“Six months ago, me and my mother escaped.” It seems like longer than that sometimes, but right now it doesn’t feel long enough.

The Major makes a note on the paper. “Interesting. And you’ve lived in Madison for the entire six months?”

“Yes.”

More note scratching. “Do you know why your mother chose this town?”

I glare at him, angry over his implication that my mother is suspicious. She was the biggest victim in all this. “My older brother Graham, not my mother, chose it because it was a good decoy location. He lied to my father about looking into Radiasure while he helped us get settled. Besides, it’s also small and remote and deep within Juan’s territory, who’s my father’s biggest rival.”

“I see.” He purses his lips, as if that wasn’t the answer he wanted. “Since you’ve lived here, have you used your ability to commit crimes?”

My heart about jumps up my throat as I search through the past several months. “I don’t think so, unless eavesdropping on my friends while they think I’m sleeping counts. Because I’ve done that a few times.”

He smirks. “No, it doesn’t count. I’m assuming you did use your ability to commit crimes prior to living here?”

“Yes…” Maybe I will get in trouble after all. I’ve stolen enough to keep me in jail for the rest of my life. “But I was under my dad’s control—I wouldn’t have done it if I had a choice.”

“We are aware of your father’s ability.” He seems surprisingly sympathetic. “I won’t hold those actions against you. Next question: Have you ever seen Radiasure?”

“Yes.” I can’t seem to escape that drug no matter what I do.

“Have you ever consumed Radiasure?”

“No.”

Again, he looks surprised that’s my honest answer. I find that particularly insulting, as if all syndicate-born people live and breathe the drug. Sure, a lot of them do, but they’re also not stupid enough to waste a power boost on an ability that can’t be boosted. “Are you aware of Madison’s history?”

“Yes.”

He raises an eyebrow. “What do you know?”

“That it’s the remnants of an old town called Radison, where they used to manufacture Radiasure. The factory was destroyed during the drug riots, when the FDA officially outlawed the substance.”

Major Norton is quiet for a long time, and I get the sense that other students didn’t know this information. What if he asks me where I got it? I’d rather not have to tell him about Miles and Spud. That’s too close to secrets I’d like to keep.

“Do you know anything else about Radison?” he finally asks.

“No, not really. I mean, I’ve seen the ruins out in the desert, but that’s about it.”

“What were you doing out there?”

“Running.” This time I stare the Major down, wondering if he’ll pick up on the half truth. He doesn’t seem to. Maybe I won’t have to expound on the time I also hid out there. “I like to run in the desert sometimes with my friends. There isn’t exactly a lot to do here, you know?”

“I see.” He scribbles more on his paper. “And do you go to these ruins often?”

I gulp. “Not really.”

“Is there anywhere else you like to go in the desert? Other…interesting landmarks?”

The caves come to mind immediately, but I really don’t want to tell him about those. They are a Pack secret. So I pick another common running location and hope for the best. “We visit this waterfall in a valley south of the ruins. It’s not much, but there’s a pretty creek and tiny pond, a few trees.”

“Sounds like a nice place.” The Major smiles at me. “Well, to my surprise, it seems like I’ll be able to clear you, Miss McClean.”

I let out a long breath. “Oh good. So I can go?”

“Yes.” He stands and extends his hand to me. I take it, and his shake is on the verge of painful. “You’ll be eighteen next year. We could use someone with your talents and knowledge.”

“Oh, um…” Yeah, no, never. “Thanks. I’ll think about it.”

“Please do. I’d draft you if I could.”

I cringe as I head for the door, words escaping me. Always a tool. I guess that’s one thing the government doesn’t have in common with syndicates—they can’t force me to work for them.

“Oh, Miss McClean?” Major Norton says just as I’m about to open the door.

I turn. “Yes, sir?”

His eyes lose all of the feigned friendliness. I know this look—Graham does it just before he makes a threat. “I wouldn’t go running out in the desert anymore if I were you.”

“Yes, sir.” I leave, his command only making me want to go out there more than ever.

The soldiers at the secretary counter give me a clearance card and shuffle me out the door. Seth is right there, looking at me with what I’m pretty sure is relief. I have a feeling he made the effort to watch the whole thing, and will now get a killer headache because of it. They take Seth in before I can say anything to him, and I stand there in a fit of nerves.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” a soldier says after a couple minutes. “School has been canceled for the rest of the day. You can go.”

“Oh, I was just waiting for my boyfriend.” I feel stupid telling this man about my relationship, but I don’t want to leave Seth here. “Is that okay?”

He doesn’t seem impressed with my loyalty. “I guess, but I’m gonna have to ask you to stay at least fifty feet away from the office.”

“Sure.” I do as he says, though it seems stupid. Fifty feet is the average distance for people with sensitive hearing—it should be obvious that’s not my ability. I settle in a small patch of shade offered by one of the courtyard’s trees. Pulling out my dreaded math book, I wait.

And wait.

And wait.

I thought I was in there a long time, but my phone says Seth’s been answering questions for over thirty minutes now. Or not answering. My guess is he was totally blindsided by the human lie detector thing like I was.

As the time pushes forty-five minutes, I start to panic. He’s so stubborn he probably isn’t speaking at all, and now he looks suspicious so Major Norton is asking even more questions. How will he get around telling the Major his real ability? He’ll find out somehow. Maybe he already has. And Seth is eighteen—are they trying to sell him on enlistment, too?

Just after an hour passes, the office door opens, and I rush over. Seth looks pale, and though he does a good job hiding it I can tell he’s spooked.

“Are you ok—?”

“Let’s go. Now.” Seth hooks his arm with mine, his long, fast strides hard to keep up with. The guards watch us as we walk down the quiet walkways. Everyone else has already cleared out, and I feel like an intruder in my own school.