We enter cautiously, as I felt my way for the light switch, Jayden had left everything intact including paying for the bills just in case Steph needed the apartment, he truly thought of everything, I realized, as I finally reached the switch and pressed it on. Hopefully he didn't include the factor that my power could be talking to electrical appliances so I can find out about him, I smiled as the light filled the room, almost instantly to reveal a computer and a cellphone. Steph picked it up quickly, and sighed audibly.
"It's not his business phone, just the personal one—most likely he didn't talk business on it—or his present location," she truly looked defeated as she rested it back on the counter. Ah, Stephanie—ever the optimist, I thought sarcastically.
"Geez, don't give up so quick, we got this far—let me try..." I inhaled deeply, willing my voice to go as loud as the contents of the room and no more, "Did anything in here, hear Jayden talking about where he was going for his latest mission?" I asked. I was somehow getting more use to the idea of talking to objects, I realised. Jayden's personal phone instantly rang. I blinked and picked up, and noticed there was a message keyed in on e-mail.
"I don't have a proper speakers, so I can't talk—he only bothered to buy a proper cell phone for his work," I read aloud.
"I...sympathize with you," I found myself saying, it showed me a smiley face.
"It's fine, but to your question, he never told me directly but since you had set me to turn on automatically my microphone was on and I picked up the sound of his business phone as he said he was going to Aswan, Sudan." I paused.
"Where's Aswan, Sudan?" I asked, Steph shrugged, "Jayden's computer can you tell me where's Aswan, Sudan?" In a moment the computer whirled to life, and opened a google map, zoomed in on some place in Africa.
"Right here," it said, I bit my lip, this is like the ultimate cheat, getting someone's appliances to betray him.
"Doesn't Jayden not want us to know..." I found myself asking, "Why are you guys telling me this?" Both the phone and the computer responded simultaneously, except the computer had a speaker, so it went first.
"You've brought us to life—you're more important than our owner," I raised my brow and looked down at Steph who just shrugged her shoulders.
"Can't understand the loyalty of household appliances," she voiced. I read the email, it said the same thing.
"I suppose not."
"By the way I don't mind being able to hear them but it could be problematic having to say it aloud and having them talk aloud all the time," she stated. I smiled, she was just like Jayden always thinking ahead, I am proud to say—I still found no problem with it—till that point. She had a very good point, it's not exactly something I want dad hearing.
"Is it possible, that only I can hear you?" I asked them, "And that you can answer based on my thoughts instead?"
"Just exchange with us, as you would an elite," the computer said, I nodded then commanded the appliances to return to their previous state.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
" No wonder you think it's a friend deprived power, you're being truly friendly with them," Steph said laughing as we ran back home. I cringed slightly.
"Thanks Stephanie," I replied sarcastically, although in truth, it was more like a master and their subjects kind of relationship instead—odd...I wonder what kind of element my power is under to get that...
"So now, the only problem is, getting to Aswan, Sudan, Africa," she stated thoughtfully, breaking into my thoughts again, "And we probably don't even know the language there," she finished.
"I'll buy a translator or something," I said.
"And about getting there?" Steph pointed out, pulling open the door to our house.
"I'll work something out," I smiled reassuringly, "The only problem is convincing my dad to let me leave home."
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"Are you sure about this?" my dad asked again, practically pleading I'd say 'no'. I had told him Steph needed to see her brother about something urgent so I was going to take her with me. The most challenging part was convincing him there was no other way—that and not telling him we'd be flying from California to Africa. He thinks we're going to New York though. I kissed him on the cheek, and then Sherry.
"You don't have to worry about us, we'll be back in less than two weeks," I restated. "Sherry be good okay," Sherry nodded.
"Why is it going to take that long anyway," he complained again.
"I told you it's very urgent," actually I didn't tell him anything, I completely avoided the reasoning, and I added the extra time just in case everything took longer than we anticipated, since we're going into a war and all—expecting the worse should only be natural. I smiled, "We'll be back before you know it." I added, "Love you guys I turned to walk away as Steph said her goodbyes also and ran after me."
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"Are we really going to be okay? Aside from Jayden, we could very well be entering a war zone," Steph asked nervously. I smiled reassuringly at her.
"Despite what may, we promised to get Jayden out, right?" I said confidently.
"Right!" she chirped. I smiled confidently at her, there was no way things would be left at this if I could help it—and as fate would have it, somehow I could.
&&&&&&&
Steph peered out, the window to look out at the clouds around us, then turned back to me in a few minutes.
"I can't believe you did that," she stated, looking incredulously at me. We had bought tickets with Jayden's account for her and I to get to Africa, there I borrowed an old plane from someone who rented it for a few hundreds and with that I asked the plane to fly to Aswan Sudan specifically. Pretty nice in fact, I thought almost smug, we were presently flying with no pilot through the African skies. Unfortunately it was beyond nerve wrecking, I kept asking the plane if it was sure it could fly, all it said was, 'I can fly as well as the best person who flew this plane.' Have I mentioned it was on sale because the last pilot crashed it, and they just fixed it up? Finally I could feel the plane land, I melted happily into my seat.
We left the plane in a local hanger and then walked out into the main part of town.
"So—how are we going to find Jayden?" Steph asked again. I inhaled a deep breath entering into my elite state.
'Does anything here know where the E-elites are?' I asked wildly.
'I do!' a reply came instantaneously, I'm really starting to like this power.
***********************************
Jayden PoV
I back slashed into one of their necks, and then cut down another two in one strike, before I landed gracefully on the ground.
"If it were possible I'd have said you were actually improving, Jayden," Esther said, his customary smile laced across his face. I could feel my stomach turn slightly, gosh I want to see her smile. I released a breath, I missed my sister too—but I had convinced myself this was for her, and she'd be better off—I must be darn selfish cause I'd rather have Tia here even if it wasn't good for her.
"I'm at your command," I replied, loyally. The hate engraved in Tia's face after I was so subordinate to Esther flashed through my mind again. Every spare second I had I remembered her eyes that looked so menacing, that said she would kill me if she got the chance and worse still the look in her eyes that showed that she felt she was utterly betrayed by me and was about to cry. In that moment, I'd rather her kill me than show me such as expression, I realized, after agonizing about it for the past two weeks, the only thing that wiped those thoughts from my mind was fighting these humans in this war, I was actually glad, Esther over worked me.
"Well it's time you ate, it'd be a waste if you starved," I shrugged.
"I won't starve that easily."
"I'm glad you're eager, but still—come," Esther said, turning to lead, I hid a cringe from appearing on my face, and just followed him obediently again. If I had my way I'd have his head rolling every since, the thought flashed through my mind quickly and I pushed it out just as quick—I had too much to lose, and a promise to keep, I deemed. We walked through the breeze way of the city where dust and sand flew up everywhere. Why on earth was E-Elites meeting in the wild lands of Africa? I questioned silently, trying to think about something else. I had watched Esther, since coming there, he had an additional two guards, one was acting as mine. Was he seriously thinking I'd be beaten? His guard opened the door allowing me then Esther to pass, followed by the other man. I hadn't even bothered to learn his name, since he'd probably die soon anyway. Even though elites had an advantage, the humans had numbers, and a humongous amount of weapons, this war had claimed plenty of human and elite lives alike. A smile slid momentarily cross my lips, if Tia was here she'd probably say something about how important those lives were and how I should respect them, not just add another to the death toll prematurely.
"Your seats are here," a waiter announced, bowing his head slightly. I sighed, I was getting bored with this culture, everyone showed respect—and it made Esther feel as if he was on top of the food chain. Esther sat, followed by me while the guards stood beside us.
"Esther, are the guards really necessary, these blokes piss me off, I'd kill 'em my self," I stated drumming my fingers slightly on the table, looking up murderously at the two.
"It's necessary—besides that, you seem restless, Jayden, that's unlike you," I barely glanced up at him to notice a small smile was forming on his face—mischievous as always, "Does it have something to do with that girl? She's quite attractive—despite she smells of human," At the mention of 'human' his eyes blackened, his sole goal was to eliminate all humans—if he included Tia in that count, we were going to have a problem, I growled slightly. I still wasn't happy about the incident with Sherry—although the fact he threatened to attack Tia annoyed me more though, but I've my hands tied, and the only reason I tried to get further involved was because Steph was about to move and that would have been troublesome.
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