Page 181 of Cerulean Truth
“One of the Board members stabbed me at Alliance. I wasn’t in my right mind when we returned.”
“And are you now?” Stephen snapped. “For fuck’s sake, James. We’re talking about the location of a nuclear weapon! Get your mind out of the gutter and find the damn thing!”
“I will,” I hastily promised, already translating my Offensive gear.
Stephen stared at me. “Are you all right?” he asked, his tone softening.
“Physically, I’m perfect. Maurice fixed me up; you wouldn’t even know I was ever hurt in the first place.”
Stephen frowned. Sensing he might press me for more answers, I quickly said goodbye, explaining I’d portal into Alliance immediately to search for the Amplifier.
Nexing the Maumars was next on the list.
Maria’s face appeared, looking as stern as ever.
I skipped the formalities and asked her instantly about the Amplifier’s location.
“We’ve been looking for the Amplifier since our return,” she said without preamble. “The Offensives of Alliance haven’t been able to find it.”
I wasn’t surprised. “Where have they searched so far?” I asked, trying to get a sense of their efforts.
“Everywhere we could think of,” she replied, frustration evident in her voice. “The old bunkers, the storage facilities, even the hidden compartments in the Alliance headquarters. It’s like the thing vanished into thin air.”
“Anything unusual during the searches?” I probed.
She shook her head. “Nothing. It’s as if the Amplifier never existed.”
“I’ll go look for it myself,” I said, determination hardening my voice. “Maybe a fresh set of eyes will help. I’ll return as soon as possible.”
My Leader’s expression softened slightly. “Be careful, James.”
“Always. I’ll keep in touch and update you on my progress.”
“Good luck,” she said before she vanished.
I took a deep breath. Time was running out, and I needed to find the Amplifier before it fell into the wrong hands.
Before portaling out, I tried nexing Emma but she didn’t accept. Leaving her unsupervised didn’t sit well with me, especially with Julian lurking around. But I couldn’t bring her to Alliance again, since we’d barely gotten out alive last time.
There was only one person I trusted to take care of her.
Portaling into Nino’s personal training-room, I was surprised to find Matthew there as well.
“James?” Nino looked up as I entered the room.
“I need to talk to you,” I ordered shortly. She was my friend, but I was also her First Offensive, thus her superior.
She straightened her back and gave me a curt nod.
Matthew, sensing I wasn’t there as his friend, stayed behind as she crossed the room toward me.
“I need to leave for a few days. Emma will stay here. I need you to protect her from whatever possible threat. Feel free to relay the message to Matthew and Jackson. I’m counting mostly on you, but they can keep her company if they want.”
Nino didn’t ask any questions, simply nodded again. Message understood.
Before I turned around and left through another portal, I asked Matthew, “Any chance you know where Emma is at this moment? I can’t seem to find her.”
Matthew shrugged. “I think I saw her this morning getting breakfast with The Elder.”
