THE PRODIGIES

Chapter XXIII

"We have to show them."

Chance is pacing around the room.

I told him that we need to go to a library to actually access what's on the drive. I even slipped in how I went inside his head in the midst of him freaking out. He stopped for a second but hasn't said anything about it. I'm sure we'll have a separate conversation about that later.

My sisters have entered the room and now we're all standing around facing each other.

"We can't tell them. Nobody knows we even have this information. What do you think would happen if they knew?" Bree asks Chance.

"They'll know what to do." He replies.

"We're one step ahead of the mole and whoever they're working for. We have to take advantage of that without putting everyone else in danger." I step in front of Chance trying to be reasonable.

"We're going to go to a library unless you have a laptop?" Bree tells him.

Chance sighs. "When we were leaving the facility my granddad, -I meant Mr. Axel, told me to get one."

"Where is it?" I ask him.

Chance goes over to the bed and sits. He shakes his head.

"We can't use it though. I only brought one. My mom, Mr. Axel, and Penelope use it. The library is the best choice right now."

"We aren't supposed to leave the hotel. How are we gonna sneak out?" Mila speaks up for the first time.

We all fall silent.

I think we should just leave. They'll come and check up on us around 10pm, and we'll be back by then. I let this be known, but still, Bree thinks it would be better if at least two of us stayed behind.

That most definitely won't work. Mila can't lie to save her life. I just don't care to lie. We need Chance because he's good with computers. Bree isn't going to sit in a hotel. She would want to be at the library bossing everyone around. We all have to go and just hope for the best. Hope that we don't get caught and that we make it back to our room safe. We can't afford to wait another day. We have to find out what's on the drive.

So it's settled. We're all leaving. We decide to catch a taxi instead of ordering an Uber. We don't want anyone tracking our cards. Chance has cash so that'll do.

We make our way out of the suite. The trios rooms are close by so everyone is silent as we pile into the hallway. We don't say a word. We just saunter on by. We get to the elevator and wait for it to open. I quickly think of the possibility that Mr. Axel, Penelope, or Skylar could be in this elevator. That would be horrible.

A few seconds pass by and then we're in. We go down to the lobby and head straight for the door. We don't bring attention to ourselves. We go about it like we're going to the movies or something. Ironically enough, it feels like we're in a movie. Unexplainable things keep happening. Now look at us. We're sneaking off to a public library to examine a junk drive that an employee of an ex-SFA agent gave to us just before he was killed by two freaks with superpowers. Not to mention we're accompanied by the son of a woman who used to have super powers, and who used to be best friends with our "could be" deceased mother who also turned out to be a superhero. And oh yeah, let's not forget that we have super powers too. That's crazy, right?

We get to the doors of the hotel and go out. A crowded street of cars and busy people await us. It makes me wonder about the location of the jet that we took from the facility to DC. Valet doesn't park jets. I'm sure of it. So where did they leave the jet? I never asked, but now I'm curious.

Anyways, we stand outside the crowded street as Chance hails us a taxi. Once we're inside, Chance, who sits in the passenger seat, gives the driver the address to Northeast Neighborhood Library. This is the closest public library that closes at 8pm on Thursdays.