“On what?” Cosmos asked, already scanning the queries.
RITA’s voice lowered, tinged with caution. “You.”
His breath stilled.
“They’re digging intoyourpast, Cosmos,” she added.
Avery scanned the data with a frown. “They’re looking at your activities, funding trails, historical appearances. But it’s not about the gateways. It’s something older. Deeper. This dates back to before I joined CRI. BeforeCRIas we know it existed. Why? What is soimportant that they would risk a major confrontation with us? And who are Kiki, Eric, and Brie? Former employees?”
RITA hesitated before she responded, “No, they are someone very special.”
Cosmos stiffened, his eyes glued to the data stream.
Avery frowned harder. “Special? How? And why haven’t I heard of them before if they are on your radar?”
“Cosmos?” RITA asked, studying his face.
Cosmos gave RITA a curt nod. “Tell her. If this gets nasty, we’ll need her and the rest of the team.”
The screen shifted to show three teenagers. Avery frowned and pursed her lips. Cosmos knew nothing pissed Avery off worse than kids being caught in the middle of a power struggle. She had been like a dog with a bone when she discovered what Runt had gone through thanks to Runt’s father.
“These are old images. I have newer ones of Kiki and Eric, but not of Brie. Each of them have special… abilities,” RITA said, her tone shifting subtly. “Not all anomalies are alien, Avery. Some were born right here on Earth. Brie has the power to heal. Eric’s are a little more difficult to explain.”
“Try,” Avery said dryly.
“Eric’s gifts focus on retrocognition with some clairvoyant ability,” RITA explained.
“Great, so he can envision things that have happened like ghosts moving around or sense things that are about to happen. I like the first ability better. At least he won’t know we’re coming for him,” Avery replied.
“Yes, well, it is Kiki that you have to worry the most about. She can kill with just athought.”
Avery stared at RITA as if she was waiting for her to add on a ‘Ha-ha, just joking’ at the end of her statement. When RITA continued to look back at her with a sympathetic smile, Avery rolled her eyes and focused on him.
“Is she for real? This Kiki can think ‘I’ll kill him, her, or everyone’ and they just drop dead?” Avery asked.
Cosmos bowed his head. “Yes, in theory.”
“Well, actually, it was in practice on that rooftop in—” RITA began before she snapped her mouth shut.
Avery looked back and forth between him and RITA before replying.
“Perfect. Just what we need—superpowered humans on top of bad ones and aliens.”
Sparks of amusement flashed through RITA’s avatar. “You’re one to talk. You would be considered to have both superpowers, and youaremarried to an alien.”
“I don’t have superpowers, it’s called training. And leave my husband out of this conversation,” Avery snapped.
Cosmos rubbed the back of his neck and stared at the glowing streams of code. Timelines intersected and patterns emerged that hadn’t connected before. That was one of his superpowers… besides getting into trouble.
He sighed. He should have seen this coming.
“KSS think I’m a Founder, don’t they?” he inquired in a low voice.
“Yes,” RITA confirmed. “I’m afraid they do.”
“Damn it,” Cosmos muttered. He dropped into the nearest chair, sloshing coffee over his fingers but not caring. “That’s bad. Terrible.”
Avery crossed her arms. “Okay, I’m officially out of the loop again. Whoarethe Founders? And why do I feel like we just stepped in galactic dog shit?”
