“Dad.”
His dad didn’t look up this time, he looked down at his favorite sneakers, sneakers Tash recognized. Tash called out to him a third time, but yet again, he didn’t hear him. Suddenly the awful blackness he’d dreamt about before burst through the light-filled windows like a huge wave and began to swallow up the walls of the creepy building, and it was heading straight for his father.
Tash screamed, “Dad! Watch out! Run!”
Tash jerked awake on a yell, his heart pounding, sweating and shivering. He was crazy afraid. He didn’t know what to do. He tried to get hold of himself—it was a stupid dream, that’s what it was, wasn’t it? Still, Tash sat frozen, his heart in his throat, chills raising goose bumps on his arms. He wished his mom was there with him and not in heaven with God. She’d hug him and kiss his forehead and maybe sing to him, and his father would come in and hug them against him and sing with his mama. But his mama wouldn’t ever be with him again. Was his father gone now, too, trapped in that strange place? Would that horrible black wave swallow him? What could he do?
Tash jumped out of bed and ran down the hall to Uncle Rebel’s bedroom. The door was open. He didn’t wait, didn’t think, just ran to the big bed, pulled back the covers, and crawled in.
“Tash? What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?” Uncle Rebel’s voice sounded sort of scratchy, like he’d been really deep asleep.
Tash managed to stutter, “I-I saw my dad and he was in this really weird place like where aliens live and this horrible black wave was coming through the bright windows, coming right at him. I knew it was going to swallow him whole. Uncle Rebel, what if it wasn’t just another dream? Maybe I was seeing what’s going to happen to him. What if that black wave kills him before we can do anything? We’ve got to stop it, Uncle Rebel.”
“Shush now, Tash. You had a nightmare, a doozy. Come here.”
Rebel gathered him in, felt Tash burrow even closer. He was cold, shaking. Rebel ran his hands up and down his back, heard him hiccup against his neck. He recognized the scent of his new soap, advertised to smell like a fresh meadow. His dreaming about his dad being in danger in a strange place made sense, given all that had happened. Rebel said, his voice easy, “It’s okay, Tash. You’re safe with me. Breathe slowly, that’s right. Let the dream fade. Now, tell me about this place where you saw your dad and this black wave coming at him.”
Tash gave a final hiccup, whispered, “It wasn’t like a regular building, even though it had walls and windows. It was really big. There were colored windows—”
“Stained glass?”
“Yes, but not like the ones in St. Paul’s in Philadelphia Mama really liked. There were columns everywhere—and colors, red and yellow and green, and statues that looked like they were from the Planet Zod. Uncle Rebel, I saw Dad, I really saw him.He was sitting all alone on this weird bench and there were a lot of them—”
“Pews, like in a church?”
“Yes, they looked normal, like regular chairs, but everything else was really crazy looking. H-he didn’t know that black wave was coming toward him. It’s going to hurt him, Uncle Rebel. And he doesn’t know!”
Rebel felt him trembling, squeezed him. He whispered, “It’s okay, Tash. That sounds really scary, but it was only a nightmare, all right? Just a really bad, vivid nightmare.” He hugged him close, kissed his forehead.He thought he’d really seen his dad?He believed he’d seen something that hadn’t happened yet? And it was going to happen to Archer?
Rebel’s logical brain fought the idea. The dream wasn’t realistic, it was fantastic, a science fiction setting from a child’s imagination. Where could Archer be that looked anything like that? He’d been thinking all day about what Joanna had told him. They believed both Tash and Autumn were psychic, gifted. She and Ethan believed what the kids said they could do, they indeed could, including Tash being prescient. What if the building where he’d seen his father wasn’t real, woven out of a child’s nightmare images, but the threat to Archer was? Was that possible? He began rubbing Tash’s back in light circles. He remembered Joanna’s words:Just be yourself with Tash.
Rebel said quietly,“I spoke to Autumn’s mom today. I meant to talk with you about my visit with her earlier, but then the FBI agents came. She told me that what you said about being gifted is true, that Autumn is too. I didn’t want to believe her, and to be honest, I’m still not sure. Give me time, Tash, give me time.” What to say to an eight-year-old kid about logic? “This building you described, I don’t know of such a place. Tell me more about it.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it either, but it was real, Uncle Rebel, I know it was real. How could I dream something I sawso clearly and it’s not really real? And I saw Dad. And he was there.”
“Okay. Then it’s up to me to find this place that has pews like a church and looks like science fiction.”
“So you don’t think I’m crazy anymore?”
“I never thought you were crazy, Tash. I’ll make you a deal. You can tell me anything and I promise I’ll listen.”
“Good. That’s good. You’ll find this place, I know you will. It’s real.”
“Yes, I will.” But what if there wasn’t any such place on this planet? Rebel felt Tash’s small hand slowly relax against his chest. He said nothing, lay still, listening to Tash’s breathing even out into sleep. He stayed awake a long time, wondering, doubting, and listening to Tash breathe, feeling his heartbeat.
Where are you, Archer?
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Washington, D.C.
Friday morning
Rome picked Elizabeth up at Savich’s house and drove to the Hoover Building through insane morning traffic. He saw no sign they were being followed.
He said, “How are you feeling this morning? Any bruises, sore places, pulled muscles?”
“A bit sore here and there, nothing aspirin couldn’t handle. How about you?”
