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Geery sighed dramatically.

I threw the tunnel over to Mom.

Geery repeated in a soldier-like voice.

At that moment the woman came out of the office with a bewildered expression on her face and meandered back towards her car.

I glanced at Mom, who was watching the office door—and clutching a weapon.
A gun
.

I would have protested further, but Everett came around the side of the main building.

to
him?>

A soft swoosh rang through the air. Everett dropped like a rag doll on the sidewalk.

Mom streamed.

I watched Mom shuffling towards Everett, dumbfounded.

She repeated, the sound bursting inside my head.

I jumped and scurried towards the figure strewn on the sidewalk.

Mom slid her arms under the shoulders of Everett’s limp body.

Geery asked.

I told her. I straddled Everett’s legs and grabbed his feet. With Mom at his shoulders, we dragged him to a central point between the two trees.

Mom spoke to Geery. She kneeled next to Everett’s limp body.

Geery streamed.

I asked when the stream with Geery closed. I tried to stay between Everett and the school, as if I could block what had happened from witnesses. As if that would actually help. As if this whole thing wasn’t totally insane. I asked, trying to stay rational.

I took a step towards the tree, then paused.

She didn’t even look ruffled.

Mom had rolled Everett onto his stomach and seemed to be playing with his arms. She stood up and stepped back.

Everett was propped up on his elbows as if studying something on the grass.

I stared into Mom’s eyes to see if she was really serious.

Mom reached into the inside lining of her jacket and pulled out a second gun.

I took a step back with my hands up in surrender. There was absolutely no way…

“Please tell me you’re kidding,” I said out loud. “I just figured out my cell phone.”

  she streamed.

  She thrust the gun into my hand, then returned to her position behind the other tree.

I held the gun loosely in my hand and walked to the tree. I studied the curious body, casually propped like he was searching for bugs. I closed my eyes, opened a tunnel, and leapt into his head. He wasn’t able to respond, which normally meant that I’d have to leave a message and go.

But I pushed forward, searching for a way in. For all I knew, the Stones were already on to us. I wished I could stream with Dad to check on Jesse, but my brain was busy enough as it was.

I felt my tunnel run into another black wall, like the one I’d hit the last time I’d tried to stream with Everett. But at least it didn’t bounce me out this time. I used my energy to push on it. But it didn’t budge. Then I felt Mom’s added energy, which made it possible for me to press forward. Suddenly I felt a swoosh and slipped inside.

But any enthusiasm I may have felt was short-lived. Gloom enshrouded me. I started to pull back, overcome with a sudden rush of anger.

With a look of encouragement, Mom used her energy to resist my reluctance and push me forward.

But instead of gratitude, I felt hatred. How could she ask me to do this? Why did she even bring me to this stupid planet? Why hadn’t she trained me for situations like this?

Mom nodded, her eyes tender and full of understanding.

It was Everett, I realized. His rage and anger. He was filled with it. I didn’t really hate Mom. I gulped and moved on, looking for his voice, the same way I’d looked for Jesse’s vision back at my house. And finally it found me, latching onto my throat. But this wouldn’t be as easy as observing Jesse’s sight. I had to speak through it. My tunnel surrounded the voice. I swallowed and tried to get used to the odd sensation of a tunnel in my throat—two voices in my mouth. I made sure Everett’s was in front of my own—the dominant voice—then pictured Dr. Tom and Dr. Alison in their classrooms. The stream in my throat extended toward their classrooms. I’d had no idea I could do any of this. That anyone could do any of this.

The deep pompous voice startled me. I glanced at Mom and continued.

A voice replied. Dr. Tom’s.

I shivered. It worked! I put my thumb up to Mom.

I caught my breath and thought for a moment.

He sounded annoyed.

My heart was beating wildly. My mind racing.

I licked my lips, salty from nervous sweat. I couldn’t think. Nothing came. Then I heard Mom’s voice and repeated what she said.

There was a heavy sigh.

A female voice joined the conversation.

I looked at Mom while clutching the gun in my clammy hands, my stomach inhabited with an entire forest of butterflies. I wanted to ask her when, or how, or who, to shoot. But I didn’t know how to keep the Stones from hearing the question.

I raised my eyebrows to Mom, trying to express with my eyes the hundred reasons why I couldn’t do this.

Mom shook her head, looking as calm as ever.

Despite being positive that this would completely and embarrassingly fail, I pushed my back against the tree to steady myself. Tried to slow my erratic breathing. And held the gun against my chest, my finger on the trigger. From my position behind the tree, I had a clear view of both of the Stones’ classrooms.

Mom streamed.

I could feel the throbbing of my heart in my hands, which were ready on the gun. I wasn’t sure which scared me more—the thought of actually hitting my target, or the consequences of missing. I breathed deeply, trying to stop from quaking.

Dr. Tom’s door opened first.

My gaze darted from him to Dr. Alison’s closed door. She
had
to come. There’s no way they’d believe it if Everett insisted again that they approach at the same time.

Dr. Tom’s deep voice came through.

This time I was ready with my reply.

He bellowed.

The panic in my voice was easy to fake.

Dr. Alison’s door flew open seconds later.

I let out a heavy sigh and gripped the gun even tighter. My finger felt sticky on the trigger, but I didn’t dare move to dry it off.

Mom streamed.

I peeked from behind the tree. Both were jogging in our direction.

I dropped the stream from Everett’s throat and tried to form a tunnel emanating from my hand. But it started from my forehead like I was used to. I focused on my trembling hand, concentrating, envisioning it.

Mom encouraged me.

The tunnel floundered from my head…

Mom’s voice was insistent.

I started to quake, my head buzzed. Finally, a tunnel sprang from my hand with the gun in the center. I pushed away from the tree, facing them. Pointed the gun at Dr. Tom’s chest.

Mom streamed.

I pulled on the trigger and willed the charge forward, just like Mom had said. A swish rang in my ears. Dr. Tom looked up, obviously stunned to see me facing him. He glanced towards his wife just as both of them fell. Their limp bodies dropped in the middle of the lawn several feet away from Everett.

“Come on!” Mom yelled. She rushed to the bodies, put her arms under Dr. Tom’s shoulders and dragged him in Everett’s direction. “You get her!”

The gun fell to the ground, hitting my foot. I stumbled over it while I ran to Dr. Alison, causing it to bounce several feet away. “What are we doing now?”

“Damage control. Get them propped up.” She had placed Dr. Tom on his stomach with his head near Everett’s. “Get Mom in here too. They’re going to have a little family reunion.”

I started to slip my arms under Dr. Alison’s torso but felt a spark and jumped back. Electricity cascaded off the body. I looked up at Mom, puzzled.

“Don’t worry,” she called. “They’re neutralized.”

“We didn’t kill them?”

Mom smiled. “No silly. They’re fine. Just keep moving.”

“Why didn’t Everett’s body shock me?”

“Because I’d absorbed the extra energy by the time you touched him.”

Of course. Made perfect sense. In an insane kind of way.

I should have been relieved to know that I hadn’t just murdered Dr. Tom. But for some reason my anxiety kept mounting. I braced myself and thrust my arms forward. Ignoring the sparks that ran up my arms, I dragged the body across the lawn and dropped her near the others. Mom had rolled Dr. Tom to his belly. I did the same.

“Sit down,” Mom said. “Put her head on your lap.”

I stared at her. She’d gone mad. She’d truly gone mad.

“Do it!” she yelled. “And laugh!”

“Laugh?”

“Yes, we’re just enjoying this nice day. And get Geery again. I need to know if Rameer has the mole.”

I dropped onto my knees, sent a stream to Geery, and pulled Dr. Alison’s exquisite sleeping head onto my lap. Waves of electricity coursed off the body. Came Geery’s excited response.

I closed the connection. “Geery says it’s done. Are you going to tell me what kind of weapons we just used? I didn’t think we could use Nreim technology.”

“We can’t,” Mom said. “Those are harmless toy guns. I added a piece of metal that neutralizes their electro-magnetic field when sent with enough force.”

“Toys?”

“Yes,” she smiled. “Just plastic toys made on Earth. But surprisingly full of potential. Much like you.”

I turned my head so she wouldn’t see me grin. “I need to stream Dad,” I said.

“Already did. They’re both fine.”

 I finally felt a wave of relief. Jesse was fine. We’d succeeded. Then I remembered that this was the easy part. “I don’t suppose I could convince you and Dad to just let Jesse walk away?”

Mom looked at me sympathetically. “I’m certain the interrogation of these three is going to uncover the secret you’re hiding for this boy.”

I sighed. No argument came to mind. Our fate was in the hands of the governing council. I leaned back on the grass and studied the group that had caused me so much trouble. They looked so casual: this little nafarian family hanging out on the lawn. “Now what?”

“Now we wait again.”

“For what?”

“For help.”

“You told the agency?”

“Don’t worry. It’s safe now.”

“But what if somebody called the police? There’s a whole school full of potential witnesses over there.”

“All phone lines within a five mile radius are currently jammed.”

“You can do that?”

“I couldn’t until the Stones went down. We just have to hope no one placed a call when they saw Everett drop.”

“You
hope.
You always hope.”

“Yes, I do a lot of that.” Mom grinned at me. “And it paid off today. You did great.”