Trigger Read online

  “So you think only certain people can reach that state?”

  “I think that people who are talented are more likely to achieve it than others, and that’s why they excel beyond everyone else. Think about how you felt at those times you did things you didn’t know you were capable of doing. You could see and hear more clearly. Your focus was better. Every part of your body and mind was in harmony, so you were functioning at the highest level possible. When you attain that level of synchronicity, you can outperform almost anyone else.”

  “Almost anyone?”

  “Anyone except maybe another person who can reach that same level,” he observed.

  “What happens then?”

  “You have an epic battle.”

  “This sounds similar to segmentation.”

  “It is similar because they are connected. In order to be able to achieve that perfect cohesion and attain euphoric suspension, you often need segmentation. If you can’t segment your emotions, at least on some level, then it would be almost impossible to achieve a state of euphoric suspension.

  “What you are saying makes sense, but this is all so new to me. What does it matter if I am talented?”

  “If you’re talented, it may help to explain the bounty on you.”

  “How so?”

  “That could be the exact reason they’re after you.”

  “How would anyone know if I’m talented or not? Even if they did know, why would they go to all this trouble?”

  “If you’re talented, then either they want you for your talent or they see you as a potential threat. If they get to you first, then it doesn’t matter which option it is. They can deal with you and move on.”

  I shook my head in adamant denial.

  “What if someone spotted you back in the States?” he postulated. “They may have been trying to find a way to approach you and failed. When you came to Europe, they may have seen that as the best opportunity to obtain you.”

  “I wouldn’t think that abduction is the best method of recruitment.”

  “Not all groups try to recruit the way Aerial does,” Chase explained. “Some have more extreme methods of persuading people to join their ranks.”

  “Are you talking about brainwashing, compulsion, or even torture?” Things were getting scarier by the second.

  “Yes.”

  I gulped before speaking. “Well, let’s hope I’m not talented then.”

  “Recruiting you is better than the alternative,” he said.

  “What’s the alternative?” I asked, my mouth so dry I could barely swallow.

  “If they’ve no use for your talent, or believe that you’re a threat, their solution would most likely be to take you out.”

  Despite the fact he was talking about people wanting to kill me, I remained calm.

  “Okay, how do we find out for sure if I’m talented?”

  He frowned in concentration. “I’ve spoken with spotters quite a bit about this. It’s my understanding that just because someone displays some facets of a talented individual, or pulls off some extraordinary feats, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re truly talented. I need to talk to a spotter.”

  “How do we find a spotter?”

  “We already did. Niko was one of the best spotters in the business. Although he never liked that as much as he enjoyed fiddling with his computers and other gadgets.”

  “Wouldn’t he have said something if he thought I may be talented?”

  Chase was ill at ease. “It would have been pure speculation at that point. He doesn’t have first-hand knowledge of anything that you have done. He may have some suspicions based on the fact that there’s a bounty on you, along with what he has heard about what you can do. Even if he did suspect it, he may have had his own reasons for keeping it to himself.”

  “Why would he do that? I thought he was your friend?”

  “Perhaps he wanted to confirm it before he said anything.” He considered for a second. “Or, he may have had another reason for not telling us.”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. If that’s the case, though, I don’t like the implications.”

  I looked out the window at the passing scenery. Despite thinking that things couldn’t get any more complicated, they were. Instead of finding answers we were finding more questions, which was very frustrating

  “If this is all true, then what is the plan when we get to Sevilla?” I asked.

  “Same as before. Find the people who are after you, and then we finish this.”

  His confident yet deadly tone was both terrifying and thrilling.

  I nodded slowly. Our original plan may still be the same, it was just everything else, maybe even me, that had changed.

  CHAPTER 15

  AFTER SUCH an eventful day, it wasn’t surprising that I fell asleep even though I tried not to. The train rounding a sharp corner shook me awake. When I looked up, I found Chase watching me.

  “Don’t you ever sleep?” I was irritable. I also desperately needed to brush my teeth. His superhuman-like power to stay awake and always look ready to go was beginning to become very annoying.

  “I sleep.”

  “All evidence to the contrary,” I shot back.

  He flashed a mild grin in response.

  “My teeth feel like they are wearing a fur coat,” I said, rummaging in my pack for my toothbrush, a bottle of water and the small tube of toothpaste. “How long before we reach Madrid?” I asked as I headed for the door.

  “Not long.” He made no move to go with me, or stop me, so I figured it was safe.

  The hallway and all the compartments in our car were empty. A few minutes in the bathroom made me feel almost normal again. I felt much better as I made my way back to my seat.

  “What track does our next train leave from?” I asked as I sat back down.

  “Track 5.”

  “How long do we have between trains?”

  “About fifteen minutes.” He was back to staring out the window. The sun was high up in the sky indicating it was late-afternoon.

  The country landscape began fading. Houses were closer together. The roads were bigger and busier. The train slowed as we arrived at the train station. A female voice came over the speaker, firing off information in smooth Spanish. All I caught were the words “Madrid Atocha” multiple times.

  When the train came to a standstill, Chase made his way down the corridor with me on his heels. He paused at the exit until a decent-sized crowd of passengers were walking past. With one quick step, he was on the platform. Then he helped me down.

  We walked swiftly to keep pace with the crowd. We had come in on track 15, so we had to make our way across the building. Fortunately, it didn’t take long to get to Track 5. Our next train was already starting to warm up. Walking the length of it, we ended up at a car near the back again.

  Once we were inside, he shut the doors to the compartment. Then he went to the window to watch the other travelers get on the train. By my watch, we had less than five minutes to departure. So far so good, I thought.

  Those five minutes dragged by while I paced anxiously between the window and the door. When the final whistle blew, I sat down. As soon as the train started to move, I felt better instantly. Chase seemed more at ease as well, even though he didn’t sit down. He shot me a look before slipping out of the compartment. He was only gone for a brief time. When he got back, he finally looked relaxed.

  “Nothing?” I was hopeful.

  “We have the whole car to ourselves.” He appeared pleased by this.

  “You said you had a place to stay in Sevilla?” I asked as I sipped some water.

  “Yes, it is called the Hostel Buen Dormir.”

  “Hostel Good Sleep? That sounds perfect.”

  “There is a rooftop room that has some great views, not to mention multiple exit points to neighboring rooftops. It’s very out-of-the-way, and very private. It’s ideal.”

  “The family knows you?”
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br />   He actually had the decency to look chagrined. “They know one of my identities. I act more like the real me around them than most people,” he admitted.

  “Whatever helps you sleep at night,” I muttered.

  “The hotel is a short walk from both the central terminal and the Cathedral de Sevilla. The cathedral is across the street from the Café Alcazar. After we stake it out, we’ll put together a strategy.”

  “So we’re trusting in this information from Niko completely?” I had been hesitant to bring it up, but the question had been nagging at the back of my mind.

  Chase eyed me curiously. “What do you mean, exactly?”

  “You’re taking the information that he gave you as fact? That this order or whatever regarding me came out of Sevilla. That I’m supposed to be brought here?”

  “Yes.”

  “Look,” I began warily, “I obviously don’t know Niko like you do, but I’m wondering why he would point us toward this cafe? What if it’s a trap? In fact, he may not even know it’s a trap. I’m just wondering if walking up to this place is the best idea.”

  “Niko would not betray me and it would take a great deal of skill to use him to get to me. If he found out someone was trying to use him, he would do whatever he could to warn me. Besides, at this point our only choice is to go to Sevilla. Either the answers are there for us to find, or we get another clue.”

  I didn’t argue because he was correct. I still felt that something was off.

  “As long as we go into the situation ready for anything, we’ll be ok,” he said, interrupting my thoughts.

  The conductor showed up to check our tickets. Although I watched him closely, he didn’t really pay attention to us or act suspiciously. Sometime later, I checked my watch and saw that we would be arriving soon.

  “Are we walking to the hotel or taking a cab? You said it was close to the station.” I broke the long-standing silence.

  “Let’s take a taxi. I would like to take an indirect route on the off-chance that someone did follow us. That way we won’t lead them to where we will be staying.”

  “What if we can’t have this wonderful rooftop room you talked about?”

  “It’ll be available. They only rent it out to very special guests. It isn’t easy getting that status with these people.”

  I wondered how he had managed to garner that standing, but didn’t feel like asking.

  “When we arrive at the station…” he began.

  I cut him off. “I know the drill.”

  “I know,” he said simply.

  I eyed him sharply, wondering if he was referring to my memory or my other supposed “talents.” Not wanting to ask, I let it go. I craved silence in order to think. Chase must have recognized I needed space because he left me alone. We didn’t speak for the remainder of the ride to Sevilla.

  “We’re here,” Chase said unnecessarily as the train reached the station.

  “Ready!” I stood up and stretched my sore muscles.

  We got off the train and blended in easily with the large crowd in the terminal. We stayed with the group until we were outside, where we headed toward a line of taxis waiting nearby. Jumping into the first one, Chase used Spanish to give an order to the driver, who immediately pulled into traffic. They continued to converse as we sped through the streets, weaving around vehicles.

  After about ten minutes, the driver pulled over in front of a fairly large hotel located on the corner of a busy street. Chase handed him some money with a final remark. The guy was laughing as we got out of the car. Chase was already heading into the building, so I hurried to keep up.

  The large hotel was very fancy. It looked nothing like the small family-run hostel he had described. “What are we doing here?”

  “Just follow me.” He was brusque.

  I trailed him as he dodged smoothly around several people. He avoided a doorman and a bell boy, bypassed the front desk, and crossed the large lobby in seconds. Following him down a bland hallway, I was confused until I saw a door with an exit sign above it.

  I hustled out the door onto the street after him. He had already stopped a taxi. I was barely in the cab before we pulled away from the curb. With Chase speaking in Spanish, the driver crossed several lanes of traffic and made a quick turn.

  “Well, that was interesting.”

  “Basic evasive maneuvers,” Chase murmured quietly in case the driver spoke English.

  “Yeah I got that. You could have told me what we were doing.”

  “Sorry, I am not used to explaining myself.” He sounded truly apologetic. “You figured it out quickly enough.”

  “Yeah, but for a minute there I thought we were going to splurge on a deluxe suite,” I said dryly.

  “I’ll take you to a place more luxurious.” He smiled slightly as he added, “We’ll order a lot of room service.”

  The way he said it made my palms sweat. “Don’t make a promise you can’t keep,” I said breathily.

  “I never do.” His voice was soft as he leaned toward me.

  My heart skipped two beats.

  Before anything else could happen, I realized that our intimate moment was being closely observed by the driver. Self-conscious, I pulled back. The spell was broken, but there was still an electrical current in the air between us. Apparently, the driver felt it too, because he said something that made Chase laugh. I couldn’t understand his words, but I could understand what his tone implied.

  The driver was quiet as he wound through the cobblestone streets. Sevilla was a treat for the senses with large, pale stone buildings, ornate street lamps, wrought-iron balconies, and overflowing baskets of flowers in a variety of vibrant shades.

  The taxi stopped in front of a very narrow side street. About twenty yards down was a small sign that read “Hostel Buen Dormir.” The street that housed the hotel was a few blocks down from a main road with lots of shops and restaurants. There were no people milling around in this part of the neighborhood. The side street was too small for the taxi to drive down, so we walked. The night was fairly quiet, although I could hear the sounds of revelry a short distance away.

  “This is it?”

  “Yes, come on in.”

  In front of Hostel Buen Dormir was a large archway with artfully crafted wrought-iron double doors. Inside the entrance were vibrant green potted plants. Beyond the entryway was a circular great room with huge vaulted ceilings. Stairs to the upper floors went off to the right. To the left was a luxurious, interior courtyard. The whole building was clean, quiet, and presented an aura of tranquility.

  In the forefront of the great room was a tall desk. Behind it was an older woman who called out a warm greeting when she spotted Chase. Then she did something I did not expect. She came around the desk and gave him a big hug. He returned the embrace, greeting her in a familiar and teasing way reminiscent of how I spoke to a favorite aunt back home. I stood quietly to the side as the two conversed. Chase motioned me forward. The woman was looking at me curiously, but with a welcoming smile.

  “Jordan, this is Carmen. She is the owner of this lovely place,” Chase introduced the smiling woman. “Carmen, esta es mi amiga, se llama Jordan.”

  “Buenas noches, senora.” I extended my hand.

  Carmen was still eyeing me curiously, “Buenas noches, Senorita Jordan, bienvenidos a mi casa.”

  I detected a slight hesitancy in her warm words. I wondered why she appeared so mystified.

  “Gracias.”

  Her eyes left me as Chase again began talking with her while she went behind the desk to grab a room key. I noticed as she handed him the key that he hadn’t given her an advance deposit, a credit card or our passports. Most hotels insisted on these with foreign travelers. The fact that she didn’t require them spoke volumes about Chase’s connection with this place.

  Carmen tried to lead us up the stairs, but Chase shooed her back to the desk. After kissing him on the cheek, she went back to her post. He spoke seriously for a moment bef
ore she responded in a reassuring manner.

  Finished with his conversation, he led the way up the stairs to the second floor. At the end of the hallway was a narrow flight of stairs that ended at a heavy wooden door. Pushing the door open, a burst of fresh night air hit me dead-on. I followed him out onto a large open rooftop.

  There were two rooms. One appeared to be a laundry room with a clothesline stretching across the roof in front of it. Beyond the clothesline, the city was laid out before me. This was definitely not the highest rooftop in the area, but there were not a lot of tall buildings in general, so I could see quite far. The sounds of voices and laughter carried to me on a light wind delicately scented with night-blooming jasmine.

  On the opposite side of the roof from the laundry was a tidy guest room with two double beds, a small refrigerator and a television set. The bathroom was through a door to the left. The walls were whitewashed and decorated with lively tiles in a Moorish pattern. The terracotta floors were sparkling clean. The whole place felt very homey.

  Dropping my bag on one of the beds, I walked back outside. It was fully dark outside now, so the lights of the city sparkled in front of us. Chase trailed me to the low balustrade, where we gazed at the view.

  “This place is amazing.”

  “I know.”

  “Just look out there.” I jutted my chin out at the city below. “I know you’ve seen it but, wow! And this place.” I spun around to look over the rooftop. “Carmen, she acted like she was your long-lost aunt or something.”

  Chase looked out at the panoramic view as he spoke, “Sevilla is one of my favorite cities in the world. This hostel and Carmen are very special to me.”

  “She may like you, but she looked at me like she expected a third eye to pop out of my forehead.”