Page 30 of Empowereds

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I f anyone had told Enzo that he would be glad to see Milo, he wouldn’t have believed them. And even as he guided the armored truck toward Milo’s waiting one, he wasn’t sure if he should be glad to see him. Enzo’s bruises from their last encounter had just faded.

And yet his first thought upon seeing the man was that Milo was here to keep Charity from going to the city. And the thought filled him with relief.

When they pulled up, Milo got out of his truck, smiling at them. Or at least smiling at Charity. She jumped out of the cab and ran to him. He gathered her into a hug and buried his head into her hair. “How’s married life?”

“Better than I expected.”

He eyed Enzo over the top of her head. “Is he still working for the government?”

Enzo reached them. “I unofficially resigned this morning.”

“Huh,” Milo said. “I guess I owe Gregor some money then.” He released Charity but kept a protective arm wrapped around her shoulder. “When Dad told me to wait here to switch vehicles with you, I told him there was no way I’d want anything that you managed to find, barter, or steal on your way down the mountain. But I stand corrected.” He waved a hand in the direction of the armored truck. “This is impressive.”

“What else did Dad tell you?” Charity asked. “Did he know he would be captured? Did he tell you how to free him?”

Milo’s head reared back in shock, and he dropped his arm from her shoulder. “Dad’s been captured? When? Where is he?”

Charity gave her brother a rundown of what they knew. Enzo hoped Milo would say something to Charity about not putting herself in danger for a hopeless cause. Instead, Milo cursed and kicked a nearby rock, making it skitter across the ground. “He didn’t say anything to me. He must not have known. I should come with you to help break him out.”

“No, you shouldn’t,” Enzo said. “You should take Charity and leave this to me.”

“No offense,” Milo said, sounding like he meant every bit of offense, “but I don’t trust you. I’m coming,”

Enzo crossed his arms and fixed him with a hard stare. “You’re a liability. And I’m not just saying that because the government wants to capture and torture you. I actually don’t have as much of an issue with that outcome as one would suppose. The problem is you’re too hotheaded. You’ll get us caught.”

Milo’s shoulders went back. “Listen, city boy?—”

Charity held up both hands to stop the fight. “Milo, what exactly did Dad tell you?”

Milo crossed his arms, matching Enzo’s stance. “He told me to wait along this road until you showed up. I’m supposed to switch vehicles with you and take the new one to New Salem. But,” he raised a hand, anticipating a protest, “Dad never said when I should take the new vehicle to New Salem. I can take it there after we rescue him.”

Milo clearly had too much eagerness and not enough forethought or worry for his sister.

Enzo said, “If we leave an armored truck this close to the city, I can guarantee you someone will find a way to steal it before we come back. You, my new brother-in-law, need to disable the tracking device, take Charity, and head somewhere safe. I’ll go to the city and do what I can to free your father. You work on cars, so I assume you know how to disable a tracker?”

Milo snorted. “Won’t be the first time I’ve done it.”

Charity turned to Enzo, her chin lifted. “I’m supposed to go with you.”

Bad idea. “How do you figure that?”

“Dad didn’t tell Milo to switch vehicles with Enzo. He said to switch vehicles with us . That means we’re supposed to go to the city together.”

“No,” Enzo said, “that’s semantics. You can’t risk your life on whether he meant you-singular or you-plural.”

She wasn’t listening to him. She checked her phone for service and punched the number in her phone. After a moment, she slipped it back into her pocket. “Inaccurate zip code. I bet it really is the code for his jail cell.”

Probably, but that didn’t mean Enzo was taking her. “Your father could have meant you singular and just figured he didn’t have to be specific about telling you to go with Milo because any rational person would stay far away from the government officials who are hunting you.”

He could see the optimism growing in her expression. “My parents told me to memorize the number. That must mean I’m supposed to go to his cell to use it.”

“Or you’re just supposed to tell me the number,” Enzo said. “That’s also an option.”

She turned to Milo. “We’ll need something to barter our way into the city. What can you give us?”

Milo reached into his pocket. “I’ve got an extra magazine. You can have that.” He handed her the bullets.

Enzo reached for them. “I’ll take the bullets. Charity, you need to go with Milo.”

She slipped the clip into her pocket. “I’ll be okay. My father provided me with a vehicle and a number. He wouldn’t have done all that if I’d be captured.”

Enzo was being sucked into a logical vortex. “Is that how his visions work? Are you sure?” How could he argue with what he didn’t understand? He only knew that when he’d seen Milo, he’d felt relieved. He’d thought Charity would be safe after all, and now that hope was draining away.

Milo got a toolbox from his truck, then tossed Enzo his truck keys and held out his hand for the ones to the armored truck. Enzo reluctantly dropped them into Milo’s palm. Charity had taken another step toward Milo’s truck as though it were all decided.

“Okay,” Enzo told her, “we’ll go to the city together, but you’re going to stay with Callum while I go to the prison.” He still needed to come up with a plan. Ben hadn’t provided one of those.

Charity changed her trajectory and went to hug Milo goodbye. “Give the family my love. Tell mom that?—”

Milo put his hands on her shoulders. “You can tell her yourself. I’m not going to take her any messages that sound like you think you’re heading to your death. Mom would never forgive me for letting you go if I did that. I’ll see you when you have Dad.”

She nodded.

“You’re going to be able to rescue him,” Milo said. “Otherwise he wouldn’t have told us to make the switch.” Milo walked backward, still talking to her, this time with a smirk. “Unless he’s just playing favorites again. Maybe he knew a runaway government truck would have more trouble making it across the border to New Salem.”

Charity gave him a smile. “I’m sure that’s it. Dad always did like me best.”

Enzo was on edge the entire drive through the city. The familiar streets, places he’d driven hundreds of times before, all seemed ominous now. He constantly looked for the pedestrian who paid too much attention to them, to the person sitting in a car who could pull out and follow him. But no one stopped them. They drove to Callum’s apartment building unhindered.

Enzo scanned the street and surrounding area. “What did Callum say when your parents asked him to run an identity check on me?”

“They didn’t actually do that,” she said. “They figured you’d give them your name.”

“Why did they figure that?”

“Because they were dropping us off at the cabin, and we had to be married first.”

That sort of logic wasn’t a lot of comfort.

Enzo and Charity had no way of knowing whether Callum or his parents would be home. They didn’t call beforehand. The government kept records of all calls made, and Enzo wanted to limit their trail as much as possible.

He parked in the apartment’s garage, and they took the stairs to Callum’s floor. Charity nearly bounded up the steps. As soon as she rang the doorbell, the dog in the apartment next door barked in gleeful suspicion.

Well, that would let all the neighbors know someone had come for a visit. Enzo was thinking like an officer, amassing potential witnesses.

Finally, Callum opened the door. He wore a cushioned medical collar around his neck but looked well enough otherwise. His eyes lit up in happy surprise, and he waved for them to come inside. “What are you guys doing in town?”

Enzo and Charity followed him into a small front room. “We ran into some trouble,” she said. “We’re hoping you can help us.”

Callum shut the door. “Computer stuff? If you came here because you need help picking crops, you’re about to be disappointed.”

Furniture crowded the room. Couches huddled close together, and an antique cabinet stood awkwardly next to a bookshelf. An oversized desk sat in the corner with a computer perched on top.

“Are your parents here?” Enzo asked.

“They’re still at work.”

That was for the best. Less people to convince. Less people to implicate.

Charity and Enzo sank into the nearest couch. Callum took the one across from them. His neck looked like it was being stretched by the medical collar.

“Everything went well with your surgery?” Charity asked.

Callum tugged at the collar. “Yeah. This thing is just to make sure I don’t do something stupid like reopen the wound and bleed to death. The doctor will take it off next week.”

“That’s good.” She leaned forward, running her hands across her thighs. She seemed to be struggling to know where to start. “Remember how you said you’d like to help us?”

Callum brightened. “Did you decide you want a city job after all?”

“No,” she said. “We have a favor to ask you. A really big favor.”

Callum’s eyebrows raised. “How big are we talking?”

“Think treason,” Enzo said. Prison was also a distinct possibility.

Instead of being taken aback, Callum laughed. He probably thought they were joking. “Now I’m intrigued.”

Intrigued was better than horrified.

Charity clasped her hands in her lap, a supplicant at an altar. “My father was arrested yesterday, even though he’s never broken any laws.”

Callum sucked in a breath. “What? Why did they arrest him?”

“They think he’s a threat.” Her voice wavered and broke. “They’re mistaken about that. He’s never done anything wrong.”

Callum swore and rubbed his forehead. “They found out about the city he’s building, didn’t they? We told you that was a dangerously bad idea.”

Charity’s blue eyes turned pleading. “He’s only ever helped people, just like he helped you. Please, we need you to break into the federal prison database, find out which cell he’s in, and change Enzo’s facial recognition status so he’s able to have access to open the lock.”

Not a small list or an easy one.

“Enzo’s facial recognition?” Callum repeated. “Why would he be in the database?”

Enzo shifted uncomfortably. He’d never been ashamed of his profession before. It was a new feeling. “I’m actually a special ops officer.”

Callum jerked backward. “Are you serious? Why did you pose as a harvester?”

“Long story,” Enzo said. “Bad ending. Can you help us?” Everything depended on that answer. Enzo was either about to risk his life or comfort Charity as she dissolved into tears.

Callum lifted his hands in frustration. “It wouldn’t do any good. They have encrypted locks, don’t they?”

“Yes,” Charity said, “but we’ve already got that taken care of.”

Callum shook his head, his chin rubbing against the top of the collar. “They’re not like passwords on your phone. They change every time you use them.”

Charity swallowed. Her mouth twitched. Enzo could tell she was weighing how much to say. “That doesn’t matter. We have the code.”

Callum shook his head again. “The only way you could have that code is if it’s sent to you through a secure system or if you’re a psychic.”

Charity just stared back at him, her eyes imploring.

Callum straightened, awareness dawning on his face. “Wait, are you a psychic?” He whirled on Enzo. “Is that why you posed as a harvester? To search for Empowereds?”

“She’s not a psychic,” Enzo said.

Callum’s gaze darted between Charity and Enzo. “So is it Ben? Is that why he’s in prison?” Before anyone could answer, he spun on Enzo accusingly. “Did you turn him in?”

Enzo tried to form words. Justifications sat on the tip of his tongue, but none of them sounded true anymore.

“He’s helping us now,” Charity said.

“But beforehand,” Callum said acidly, “he turned your father in?” It wasn’t really a question, but another accusation. Either Callum had gotten to know Ben so well that he’d already known he wasn’t a threat, or his dislike of the government extended to the police force.

“Most Empowereds are dangerous,” Enzo said. “I didn’t realize Ben wasn’t until too late. Now I’m trying to help him.”

“ Blight. Blight. Blight.” Callum shot to his feet and paced across the room. He looked like he wanted to hit something. Possibly Enzo.

“The government suspected our family,” Charity said calmly. “They sent Enzo in to confirm. If he hadn’t done it, they would’ve sent someone else. Probably not someone who would be willing to help me break into the prison to free my father.”

“You’re not going,” Enzo said. “Only I’m going. That is, if Callum is able and willing to hack into the database and help us.”

Callum still paced. “You know what they’ll do to me if they find out I helped free an Empowered, right?”

Charity held out her hands as though she could give him something. “If things go badly, you’re welcome to come live at New Salem with us.”

Callum grunted, unimpressed with the offer. “And what sort of place is it? Do they have skyscrapers and universities and shopping centers?”

“The buildings and schools are small,” Charity said. “Shopping is done at neighborhood markets. But last year, the residents took money earmarked to buy another communal car and used it to plant trees and flowers along the streets because that way, the walk would be more pleasant for everyone. Overall, it’s a lovely place.”

“Great,” Callum said. “It has flowers.”

Enzo opened his mouth to speak, but Charity put a hand on his knee to stop him. “Callum, you’ve always said you owed Milo, Zia, and me for your freedom. But we weren’t the ones who saved you. It was my father. He saved us all by telling me to carry matches. That morning, he also told us we’d bring home something extra from the market. We brought you home.”

Her eyes never wavered from Callum’s face. “The government wants to capture me so they can force him into giving them information. If my father doesn’t give it to them, they’ll hurt or kill me.”

“And that is why,” Enzo interrupted, “Charity will be staying with you while I go to the prison. She can’t fall into their hands. Do you understand that?”

Callum let out a breath like he’d been punched. “They would do that?” He shut his eyes. “Of course they would. The government has never cared about sacrificing its citizens.”

He stalked over to the desk, plunked down on the chair, and turned to his computer. “I’ll see if it’s even possible to break in. I’m not promising anything.” His fingers flew over the keyboard. His forehead wrinkled in concentration viewing incomprehensible lines of numbers and symbols that only people who went to tech schools understood.

“If you can get us in,” Enzo said, “we’ll need help with one other thing.”

Callum scoffed. “Just one?”

Only one that Callum could help with. “There’s a camera by the guard station. We’ll need a way to disable it, otherwise, as soon as I pull a gun on the floor guard, the security guard watching the cameras will send reinforcements. Is there a way you can hack into the camera feed as well?”

“No,” Callum said, his attention still on the streams of numbers. “I would need access to their onsite computers, and they’d never give that to an unauthorized stranger.”

“Is there a way to break the cameras?” Charity asked.

“Yes,” Enzo said, “but that would only buy us a couple of minutes. Once the security guard couldn’t solve the problem by rebooting the camera, he’d send someone to check out the situation.” Enzo would need more time to free Ben and get out of the building.

Charity picked at one of her fingernails in nervous agitation. “Then we’ll have to rely on every security system’s weak point —human nature.” To Callum, she said, “Can you find out who’s working today’s shift and call them when we need a distraction? Pretend to be the hospital calling about a family member.”

Enzo was the one to shake his head this time. “Security guards don’t answer any non-work-related calls during their shift.”

“It’s a boring job,” Charity said. “I bet they do. I especially bet they would if Callum made it look like a hospital was calling. You could do that?” she asked Callum.

“Yes,” he said with forced patience, “but I need to figure out if I can actually do the difficult part before you add more requests.”

They let him work, silently watching him as the minutes added up. Twenty went by, then thirty.

Enzo grew restless. What was Schmitt doing right now? Would he go to the trouble to contact Shreeve’s unit and ask when they’d left? Was it possible Callum had double-crossed them, alerted the authorities to their plan, and was just stalling until the police showed up?

Finally, Enzo said, “It’s been almost an hour.”

“I know,” Callum said. “You’re lucky I’m incredibly fast. Ben is in cell three-fourteen.” He moved away from the screen to show Enzo’s file sitting on the screen, complete with the classified information. “So here’s the problem. Enzo is already in the system, yes, but he’s listed as missing and presumed dead. I can’t give a dead man’s face any credentials.”

Disbelief ran through him. “I talked to Schmitt at six this morning. He hasn’t fixed that?”

“Nope,” Callum said. “You’re not undead yet. Either he’s busy or doesn’t completely trust you. Even if I gave you someone else’s name, the first time somebody ran a facial scan on you, you’d be caught.” Callum pressed a few buttons, and Charity’s picture came up. “I was checking to see if I could give Charity the right credentials since she has the advantage of being alive.”

“No,” Enzo said. “She can’t go anywhere near the prison.”

At almost the same time, Charity said, “Can you?”

Callum’s gaze shifted between the two. “Yes. I can switch out her face for one of the guard’s. She’ll become Clova Jackson.”

Enzo fixed Charity with a stare. “Absolutely not. You’re the last person who should go there.” He motioned in Callum’s direction. “It would be better to switch his face for some guard’s. They won’t torture and threaten to kill him if he’s caught.”

Callum snorted. “Even if I wanted to do that, and incidentally I don’t, a teenager wearing a medical collar wouldn’t pass for a prison employee.”

True, but that didn’t change the outcome. Enzo wasn’t about to let Charity throw away her life. He stood up. “Then we can’t go. I’m sorry.”

He raised his voice to stop the protests already springing from her mouth. “Your parents wanted me to keep you safe. You know that. We’ve got to leave the city. We’ll go to New Salem if you want.” He was even willing to live in her poor, flower-lined city if it would appease her. He just couldn’t watch her die.

Charity stayed sitting on the couch. “My father wouldn’t have given me the code for his cell or told Milo to switch vehicles with us if our rescue mission ended up killing me. I’ll be all right. You have to believe that.”

Enzo stared at her, at those blue eyes that had become so familiar, and felt the press of the walls caving in on him. What she said made partial sense. Ben wouldn’t tell her to do something fatal. And yet, Enzo had little faith in such wispy instructions. “A number and a vehicle switch—those could be for a lot of reasons not related to you breaking your father out of prison.”

“You don’t have to come with me,” she said. “If I fail, you can tell Schmitt I escaped and acted on my own. If this doesn’t work, you can return to your old life.”

She was wrong about that. He could never return to his old life. “I’ll go with you.”

He didn’t point out that the visions probably weren’t working to ensure his safety. Enzo was an expendable player. Charity had married him because the visions knew he would protect her—in the same way that Ben had instructed his children to bring Callum home with them because Callum could one day help break him out of prison.

Callum was fulfilling his part. Enzo would do the same. He would go with Charity, and if necessary, lay down his life to protect her.