FUTURITY

TAOS, NEW MEXICO

CREAK!

On the wraparound porch, the white screen door opened, and a tall girl stepped out. Her sun-like hair fell past her shoulders and swayed in the breeze. Her blue eyes locked on Jason's. His heart skipped a beat.

"Hi, I'm Rachel. Welcome to Taos, New Mexico." She held out her hand. "You must be Jason."

Jason shook her hand and opened his mouth—then closed it.

"What took you so long?" Leon said, towering over Jude a few yards away.

Jude looked up in mock seriousness. "I was taking a shower." His lip curled, and his brown eyes twinkled. "No, but seriously, I came as fast I could. Sorry, Leon."

"That's Jude," Rachel said to Jason. "He serves as a resident brat and my brother."

Jason laughed and said, "Did Leon tell you about me?"

"Yeah, he called us last night." 

Jason nodded. That was possible. He'd dozed most of the trip to Colorado Springs. Rachel glanced at Leon, who pushed past them and went inside.

Jude chuckled. With a broad smile, he turned toward Jason and eyed him with a quizzical look. "You sure look like trouble."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Uh . . ."

Jude laughed at Jason's reaction. "Just joking with you, buddy." He slapped Jason's shoulder and walked off.

"As I said, he's a brat," Rachel said, smiling.

"So why did Leon wait so long to ask for Jude's help in the first place?"

Rachel shrugged. "Because he doesn't like people doing favors for him unless it is necessary."

A middle-aged man exited the house and stepped down the stairs. His dark eyes studied Jason as he smiled.

"Oh, this is Samuel Cage. He's Jude's and my dad and the head honcho of the place," Rachel said.

Samuel offered his hand to Jason. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Jason," he said. His voice was deep, warm, and kind. He smiled again, which made the lines across his face more defined. Jason assumed Rachel and Jude, who was white, had been adopted by this African-American man.

Jason tentatively smiled back and shook his hand. "Thanks." He then glanced over in Jude's direction. "Did he just teleport us?" Samuel nodded. "Yes, he can go anywhere he's been or has seen. That's why he had to wait until you sent a picture. He needed to see where to go."

Jason remembered seeing Ian Isaacs hold up the van with nothing. He stared at Samuel. "So there are people who can move things with their minds—"

"It's called telekinesis," Samuel interjected.

"—and people who can teleport to whatever place they want.

Could you please explain?"

Samuel looked at Jason. "There's not much to explain because I don't know enough about it myself. We've decided to keep these abilities a secret since we can't predict how others will react." Then his eyes grew less severe. "How about we get that out of your face?"

Jason blinked and raised a hand. He flinched in pain. Small shards of glass protruded from his forehead.

Samuel walked to the house, and Rachel followed. Jason hurried up the porch after them.