فصل 21

Chapter 21: A Brief Stop

I wasn’t sure when I was going to tell everyone about Nichelle. Initially, I was planning on breaking the news on the two-hour ride to the airstrip, but everyone was already so tired and emotionally drained that I decided against it. Taylor found out accidentally. About a half hour after we’d left the ranch I was lying against her in the back of the bus when she suddenly said, “You’ve got to be kidding.” “About what?”

She looked around to make sure that no one else could hear us; then she whispered, “We’re really going to pick up Nichelle?” I couldn’t keep anything from her. “Yes.” “When were you going to tell us?”

“Why do you ask questions when you already know the answer?” “I wouldn’t do it now,” she said. “Everyone’s grumpy.” “I’m waiting until we’re on the plane.” “They’re going to freak, you know.”

I took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. “I know.” * * *

It was around nine o’clock when we boarded the same plane we’d flown in on—a Gulfstream G650. The copilot stored our bags in the back of the fuselage as we climbed aboard. Taylor and I sat in the back.

After we’d taken off, Ostin, who had finally regained his composure, said to me, “Based on where I believe we are, I’m guessing our flight to Taiwan will be about fifteen hours. Am I right?” “Probably,” I said. “Except our first flight isn’t to Taiwan.” “I figured that,” he said. “Our first stop is probably in Hawaii or Japan to refuel. Which is it?” “Neither,” I said.

“What?”

I looked at him for a moment, then stood. “All right, everyone, I have an announcement to make.” Everyone turned back to look at me.

“Before we go to Taiwan we’re going to make a brief stop in California. We’re going back to Pasadena.” No one said anything so I added, “To pick someone up.” “Who?” Zeus asked.

Taylor looked at me sympathetically.

“We’re getting Nichelle.”

For a moment everyone just looked at me like they were waiting for the punch line of a bad joke. Then they exploded.

“You gotta be kidding,” Ian said.

“What?!” Zeus said. “What for?”

“She’s coming with us.”

“Tell me you’re not talking about Hatch’s wicked little pet, Nichelle,” Tessa said.

“She’s not his pet anymore,” I said. “He abandoned her.” The look of shock in their eyes didn’t diminish. Or maybe it was pure revulsion. I was ticking badly. “Th-the council thought it would be a good idea to have her join the Electroclan,” I stammered.

“Michael, I know Nichelle,” Ian said, shaking his head. “Trust me, it’s a bad idea.” “I’ve known Nichelle longer than all of you,” Tessa said. “It’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard. It’s like concrete-parachute bad. The girl’s creepy.” “And mean,” McKenna added. “She’s mean and she likes it.” “She’s reptilian,” Ian said. “You can’t trust a reptile.” “They can’t make us do this,” Zeus said. “We can just say no. What are they going to do, fire us?” “It was my decision to bring her with us,” I said.

Everyone went quiet. Zeus and Ian both folded their arms. Even Ostin’s forehead furrowed.

“Look, I know it sounds crazy. But something tells me we’ll need her. Hatch’s electric kids will be there to guard Jade Dragon. And if we have to fight them, the Elgen guard, and the Lung Li, having her powers will help.” “Help who?” Zeus said. “What if she turns on us?” “If we get her close to them she’ll just run back to them,” Ian said. “You know she will.” “Maybe not,” Taylor said. “Hatch left her to die. Even Nichelle must understand that.” “How will we even find her?” Zeus said. “It’s been months since we left her. She could be anywhere.” “The resistance has been keeping track of her,” I said. “After we left her she moved in with some guys she met. She’s working at a taco stand in Pasadena. That’s where we’ll meet her today.” “What guys?” Zeus asked. “Elgen?”

“No. I don’t know who they are. They just said they’re some gangster guys she met on the street.” “What if she won’t come?” McKenna said.

“Then you don’t have anything to worry about—except the Elgen, the Lung Li, and Quentin, Torstyn, Tara, Bryan, and Kylee.” “And the Taiwanese army,” Taylor added.

Everyone was quiet again. Then Ostin broke the silence. “Michael may be right. Maybe we should at least check her out.” “I’m telling you, it’s a bad idea,” Ian said.

Zeus was still upset. “If she turns on us, I’ll fry her like bacon.” “Unless she gets you first,” Tessa said.

“If she turns on us,” Jack said, “I’ll punch her out, then you can fry her.” “Fair enough,” I said.

The flight to California took a little less than three hours, though it felt much longer. I think I was as anxious about picking up Nichelle as I was about rescuing Jade Dragon. After we’d landed and disembarked, the pilot came out on the tarmac to speak with me.

“Michael, we need to fly out of here by seven o’clock, so you need to be back no later than six. We’re under the jurisdiction of the air traffic controllers, so we can’t bend the rules.” “We’ll be here,” I said. “With or without her.” “Good luck.”

I looked at the others. “I’m going to need it.” I wrote down the address of the taco stand where Nichelle was working and we split up into three taxis, Jack and Zeus taking charge of the other two.

“Let me do the talking with Nichelle,” I said. “If you get there before me, don’t let her see you. Don’t do anything until we’re all together.” Everyone was still upset, but at least no one spoke out.

As everyone walked to their cabs I said, “Jack, hold on a second.” He turned back. “Yeah?”

I walked up to him. “Back in the plane, you didn’t say much about Nichelle. Do you think it’s a dumb idea?” He looked at me for a moment, then nodded. “Yes. But sometimes those are the kind that work.”