Seth calls for Brady, and then we make the trek back to town. When we get to Madison’s borders, we’re more careful to look out for Juan’s men. No way he’ll rat us out this time. I constantly feel like I have eyes on me lately, and tonight is no different even if the coast seems clear. By the time we reach their street, I’m ready for bed. But the test awaits—then the decision on what to do next.
Seth’s steps slow drastically, to the point that I have to look back to see what the hold-up is. His arms are spread wide, and he walks as if he just went blind. My stomach drops. “Again?”
“Just…um…” His voice is shaky, and I can tell he’s doing his best to look normal. “Shouldn’t talk out here.”
I walk back to him and put his arm around me, so I can guide him. “This is really not funny.”
“Tell me about it,” he says through gritted teeth.
“Do you need to go home?” Brady asks. “I can have Hector start without you guys.”
“Maybe that would be…” Seth trails off, his eyes on his house. By his expression, it’s clear he sees something he doesn’t want to be seeing. I’m starting to understand just how much his ability must have sucked when he was a kid and couldn’t control it well. “There’s someone in there with Dad.”
“What?” Brady is clearly confused. “Who?”
Seth closes his eyes tightly, but still I see tears at the rims. “It’s one of Juan’s guys.”
Brady shrugs. “So he’s buying more drugs, what’s the big deal?”
“No.” Seth looks at his brother. “Juan’s guy gave Dad money—not the other way around. Which means he’s doing something for the syndicate.”
Chapter 22
“No way…” Brady stares at his house as if he can see what Seth does. “He’s too drunk or high to do anything useful for anyone. You must’ve seen it wrong. Maybe he was giving him change.”
“A thick stack of bills is change?” Seth says through his teeth.
Brady shrugs. “All ones?”
I don’t know what to say. On the one hand, I’d like to point out that their dad could be the spy who planted the bugs, so Seth shouldn’t be so harsh on Graham. But when I look at Seth, it’s obvious he already knows. And more than that, it’s tearing him apart inside. I want to take away the betrayal he must be feeling—I know all too well how deep a wound like that can go.
“Let’s go before that guy comes out,” I finally manage to say.
“They’re still talking.” Seth doesn’t take his eyes off his place. “Damn, I need to learn lip-reading.”
I grab his arm, worried he’ll overuse his already-unpredictable ability. “If Juan’s guy comes out and sees us we’ll be hosed. C’mon.”
Seth doesn’t move. “If he’s…I didn’t think I could hate him more. How could he do that to his own sons?”
“Stop,” Brady says, still seeming firmly in the denial camp. “You’re reading too much into it.”
Seth shakes his head, but tromps towards the Navarros’ house. Brady and I follow him in nervous silence. Sure hope he doesn’t take out his anger on Hector, Bea, and Carlos. Though I guess it wouldn’t be the first time they’ve dealt with a rampaging Seth. He opens the door without knocking, and we find them in the living room watching late-night TV.
Hector raises an eyebrow when he sees Seth. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just stressed about this test.” Seth sets his backpack on the coffee table and pulls out the tubes. “You have everything ready to go?”
Hector sighs, as if he knows Seth isn’t telling him something. “Yeah, in my room.”
“Let’s get this over with.” I head for the hall. May as well find out once and for all if we have what everyone is looking for. After that we can figure out who bugged us and what Mr. Mitchell is up to, if anything. I’m still on the fence like Brady—I’ve never seen the man sober and can’t imagine anyone trusting him for reliable information.
Though, well, the information hasn’t been reliable, has it?
Hector has a hot plate set up on his desk. There’s already a beaker on it filled with a clear liquid. A thermometer sticks up out of it. He turns on the heat. “I’ve already mixed the right chemicals together for the test. Just have to heat it to exactly one hundred and thirteen degrees.”
“Why one hundred and thirteen?” I ask.
He shrugs. “That’s what it said in the formula. Merinite doesn’t like to bond with other substances, and apparently they found the temp helps.”
“Huh.” I’m glad I have smart friends.
“So are we actually cooking Radiasure?” Carlos asks as he plops on his brother’s bed. “Because if Mom and Dad catch us we’ll never see the outside of the confession booth again.”
Bea rolls her eyes. “Nothing new for you.”
“It’s not Radiasure, anyway,” Hector says as he checks the liquid’s temperature. “This is only part of the process for making it—the part that primes the merinite so they can use it.”
“How are we supposed to know if it’s right?” Brady asks.
“If it’s merinite, it’ll bond and the reaction will make the substance thicker and brighter.”
I nod. “That’s what their scientist girl said at the waterfall, too.”
“Good to know.” Hector doesn’t stop watching the temperature rise. “Do you know anything else about her? Maybe we can find some of her research, see what kind of stuff she studies.”
I clench my jaw just thinking of my one conversation with her. “She wouldn’t tell me anything—said even her name was classified and no one she knew in real life had a clue she was doing this.”
Seth gives me the look. “You never said she talked to you.”
“When I was locked up. But like I said, it was useless. She wanted me to talk. I wouldn’t. She left me to my impending torture. The end.”
Seth folds his arms, thinking. “If security on her is locked down so tightly, I wonder how Graham found out she was the best person to hold ransom. Unless he already knew.”
My eyes narrow. After what he just saw at his house, he still has the gall to imply that Graham is up to no good? “There are plenty of ways to get supposedly secure information, and that was pretty much my brother’s job since he was ten. So.”
“It was also your brother’s job to drag you back to Vegas every time you left.”
My jaw drops, but before I answer Bea stands between us with her hands out. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What’s going on here?”
“Oh, nothing,” I growl. “Seth just thinks Graham’s behind the bugs.”
“No way!” Bea says at the same time Carlos exclaims, “That makes perfect sense!” Hector is the ever-level-headed one with, “We can’t rule it out, though it doesn’t completely add up.”
“Ugh.” I don’t need more opinions on this topic, because I want to trust my brother. He shouldn’t be the first one I suspect every time something bad happens. “How long will this take? I’m tired.”
“Almost there.” Hector measures the right amount of cave water and pours it in. “The reaction takes about three minutes.”
Also like the scientist girl said. This comforts me because any way we can match her test means we’re doing it right. I may not know much about her, but I’m sure she’s brilliant. Otherwise she wouldn’t be so important to Major Norton. The seconds feel like they’ve stretched out as we all stare at the beaker. The liquid is slightly blue now, but not as much as the cave water on its own. Just how bright is it supposed to get?
“This must be how it feels to wait for a pregnancy test,” Carlos says about two minutes in.
Bea smacks the back of his head, though she bites back a smile. “Dumbass.”