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Authors: Daniel Sweren-Becker
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saw the change in her face, the new angles of her nostrils and the flush of her cheekâwhatever the âor elseâ was that she had only implied, James wasnât interested in finding out. So he backed toward the staircase, climbed up to the backyard of the church, and shut the door behind him.
As he stood there trying to figure out what to do next, a cool breeze rustled the branches of a tree above him. Should he go back down there and make up something about the wind? No, he didnât want to do thatâit would only make him look stupider. He would be grateful to never encounter that girl for the rest of his life.
James knew Cody was somewhere in the basement of that church, but he still didnât know if she was actually in danger. As he walked back to the street, he looked helplessly at the small illuminated windows that rested just above the ground. Something was happening down there, but the glass was clouded over and he couldnât see inside. Maybe he could slip in through the front doors and find a different way downstairs. Granted, they were locked, but they seemed a lot easier to get past than that girl.
Then, as he made his way back to the front, he noticed a metal grate set against the foundation of the church. He walked over and saw that it was covering some ancient heating equipment with plenty of room in the window well for a person to squeeze in on either side of it. And best of all, James saw on the boarded-up window down there that the wood had half-crumbled off already. He knelt down next to the grate and tried to pry it up with his fingers. It didnât move easily, but he could tell it was just grass and mud holding it down. He pulled harder, got the grate in the air, and gently leaned it against the church, taking care to be as silent as possible. Then he lowered himself into the well, landing softly on the gravel bottom. He turned his attention to the boarded-up window and found a crack that was almost big enough to see through. He could tell there were people on the other side and could hear voices now. If he could just shift it open a little more, heâd have a clear view of what was going on.
But just as James was about to peer inside, he heard the gravel crunch behind him. Before he could turn around, his face was pinned against the concrete wall of the church basement.
âI told you to leave.â
It was the same voice that James had heard in the hallway. He twisted his neck just enough to see out of the corner of his eye. The girl was standing behind him with a gun pointed at his head.
Â
CHAPTER 5
CODY HAD SPENT most of the meeting trying not to draw any attention to herself. Between not knowing exactly what was going on and seeing that everyone else was a few years older than her, it seemed wise to find a seat in the back and keep her head down. When she had arrived at the church earlier, she found Kai outside, and he greeted her warmly and led her downstairs. But as other people filed into the large storage room, Kai took a seat up front and left Cody to fill in the blanks herself.
It was pretty obvious that everyone in the room was a One. There were maybe two dozen of them, and Cody realized she had never been in one place with so many Ones before. The thought thrilled her as she contemplated the talent and potential that was gathered in this grimy church basement. At the same time, she had the unfamiliar feeling of being intimidated. It wasnât just that they were older; they also had a confidence and seriousness that she envied. It was the same feeling Kai gave off in the diner, that mix of passion and self-control that Cody found so difficult to balance in her own life.
So Cody sat in the back and listened. A well-dressed, preppy guy named Brandon stood up and began to speak.
âWelcome to the Northern California chapter of the New Weathermen,â he said. âI know many of us have been talking in smaller groups, but itâs time we
As he stood there trying to figure out what to do next, a cool breeze rustled the branches of a tree above him. Should he go back down there and make up something about the wind? No, he didnât want to do thatâit would only make him look stupider. He would be grateful to never encounter that girl for the rest of his life.
James knew Cody was somewhere in the basement of that church, but he still didnât know if she was actually in danger. As he walked back to the street, he looked helplessly at the small illuminated windows that rested just above the ground. Something was happening down there, but the glass was clouded over and he couldnât see inside. Maybe he could slip in through the front doors and find a different way downstairs. Granted, they were locked, but they seemed a lot easier to get past than that girl.
Then, as he made his way back to the front, he noticed a metal grate set against the foundation of the church. He walked over and saw that it was covering some ancient heating equipment with plenty of room in the window well for a person to squeeze in on either side of it. And best of all, James saw on the boarded-up window down there that the wood had half-crumbled off already. He knelt down next to the grate and tried to pry it up with his fingers. It didnât move easily, but he could tell it was just grass and mud holding it down. He pulled harder, got the grate in the air, and gently leaned it against the church, taking care to be as silent as possible. Then he lowered himself into the well, landing softly on the gravel bottom. He turned his attention to the boarded-up window and found a crack that was almost big enough to see through. He could tell there were people on the other side and could hear voices now. If he could just shift it open a little more, heâd have a clear view of what was going on.
But just as James was about to peer inside, he heard the gravel crunch behind him. Before he could turn around, his face was pinned against the concrete wall of the church basement.
âI told you to leave.â
It was the same voice that James had heard in the hallway. He twisted his neck just enough to see out of the corner of his eye. The girl was standing behind him with a gun pointed at his head.
Â
CHAPTER 5
CODY HAD SPENT most of the meeting trying not to draw any attention to herself. Between not knowing exactly what was going on and seeing that everyone else was a few years older than her, it seemed wise to find a seat in the back and keep her head down. When she had arrived at the church earlier, she found Kai outside, and he greeted her warmly and led her downstairs. But as other people filed into the large storage room, Kai took a seat up front and left Cody to fill in the blanks herself.
It was pretty obvious that everyone in the room was a One. There were maybe two dozen of them, and Cody realized she had never been in one place with so many Ones before. The thought thrilled her as she contemplated the talent and potential that was gathered in this grimy church basement. At the same time, she had the unfamiliar feeling of being intimidated. It wasnât just that they were older; they also had a confidence and seriousness that she envied. It was the same feeling Kai gave off in the diner, that mix of passion and self-control that Cody found so difficult to balance in her own life.
So Cody sat in the back and listened. A well-dressed, preppy guy named Brandon stood up and began to speak.
âWelcome to the Northern California chapter of the New Weathermen,â he said. âI know many of us have been talking in smaller groups, but itâs time we
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