Almost Everything by Tate Hallaway

Author:Tate Hallaway
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: David_James Mobilism.org
ISBN: 9781101574904
Publisher: NAL
Published: 2012-02-07T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

“They took my mom.”

Even though Bea kept saying it between sobs, I couldn’t believe it. No way.

I snuck a look at Mom. She was still humming to herself as she spread mayo on two slices of whole wheat. The sun set outside the window, and its golden rays highlighted the gray in her curls.

Did she know? Was she party to what happened to Bea’s mom?

It wouldn’t be the first time my mom was involved in something completely evil, but something about this rang false. Hadn’t I heard her telling Mr. Kirov she’d never allow the lottery during her reign? But then she had asked about Nik being on board for something I hadn’t heard. …

A kidnapping, though? I looked at Nik, who watched me with curiosity in his eyes. I made the sign language letter B with my hand up and thumb curled into the palm. He nodded that he understood but then turned his attention back to Mom, as if neither concerned nor hiding anything.

Okay, I was pretty sure that meant he didn’t know what was going on—unless Nik was a better actor than I gave him credit for.

“Ana,” Bea was saying, “you’ve got to help. Talk to your mom. Talk to your dad. Please. It’s my mom! We can’t let her die. Not like this.”

Her voice was reaching such a fever pitch, I was worried my mom might actually hear. I turned my head slightly, to hide the receiver a little. “Hang on. I can’t really talk here,” I said in a way I hoped would allow Bea to catch my drift. “But I’m on top of it, I swear. On our friendship.” I whispered the last three words. In grade school we’d made a blood oath to always help each other. She knew how seriously I took that.

“Okay, okay.” She was calming down a bit. At least she was taking breaths between each word now. “But the sun is going down, Ana.”

It was already twilight.

Would they do something tonight already?

“Trust me, please,” I whispered, glancing over my shoulder. Mom had gone into the pantry to return the mayo to the fridge. I chanced a slightly louder, “I’ll text, okay?”

“Can I come over?”

I thought about the Elder meeting that Mom supposedly had later tonight. “I’ll let you know. It might not be safe.”

“I have to do something.”

Mom was coming back. “I know. I’ll text you.”

My hands shook as I slid the phone back into my pocket. Despite the humid, hot air blowing through the window screen, ice settled along my skin.

I stared at my mom, trying to read her mind. I supposed she might be just devious enough to be hanging around at home to have an alibi, as it were. She’d know I’d rush to Dad or otherwise try to stop the hunt. Maybe she planned to ensnare me this morning because she wanted to keep me from interfering tonight.

That was a deeply frightening thought.

“Who called?” she asked casually.

I shrugged, not entirely trusting myself to speak. “Nobody,” I muttered.

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