Not So Different

Chapter 14

At 9:36 a.m. I flopped onto my borrowed Sentinel bed grinning up at the ceiling of my room with a huge, stupid grin on my face.  Chris and I had stayed up in the tree for nearly three hours, until Cobweb had spotted us (thank goodness we hadn't been kissing at that moment) and bugged us, or mostly me I guess, until we came down.  Even with Cobweb's intrusion I hadn't been able to get the smile off of my face.  I was just so happy.

Chris had KISSED me.  Or had I kissed him?  I didn't really think it mattered.  I knew I was acting like those boy crazed girls that I always made fun of but I didn't care.  I just new kissing Chris was exhilarating and I couldn't get him out of mind.  Then again, I hadn't been able to stop thinking about him for a while.  I had been worrying myself sick that he didn't like me after the kiss on the cheek incident but now I knew that he did like me and the thought caused me to feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  My stomach fluttered at the thought. 

An insistent knocking sounded from my door and I stood up, shaking off my day dreams, and walked over to the door, opening it gently.   A scared looking Peter was waiting there, and his expression shocked me.  Peter always appeared calm, collected, and peaceful, but now he appeared fearful and nervous.  "Peter, what's wrong?"

"We are on high alert, Ms. Rowan," He said with his normal formality even in his current state.  "We have been alerted that enemies may be coming to do us harm.  I was sent to collect you and Mr. DeClancy to take you to a more secure part of the building."

At first I wondered why Chris and I were receiving special security when  a thought hit me.  "It's the Tea Partiers, isn't it?" 

Peter hesitated, then nodded, "I believe so, yes.  Now we must hurry."  I grabbed my phone and jacket, I was only wearing a light T-shirt and jeans, and followed Peter into the hall where he proceeded to knock on Chris' door.  Chris came out and smiled when he saw me, causing my stomach to do summer salts, but his smile vanished when he saw Peter's expression.  With out a word he grabbed his door, closing it quietly, and we started off down the hall, Peter in lead. i saw his cat like eyes flicker with unease.

"If we are on high alert and waiting for the Tea Partiers, shouldn't an alarm be going off?"  I asked Peter as he hurried us through the safe house. 

"Once our battle forces are organized the alarm will sound.  All fully trained people that wish to fight when needed are given a pager that goes off, signaling them to head to the armory.  We wait to set off the alarm unless the threat is fast approaching so that our forces can assemble without having to push through crowds of panicking people," Peter explained.

At any other time I would have been impressed by the system, but as we scurried deeper into the safe house I found a rising sense of dread bubbling up in me.  The Tea Partiers were coming.  I shook myself.  I shouldn't worry, the Sentinels were protecting us and I could actually protect myself now after training.  As if sensing my disease Chris grabbed my hand and squeezed gently.  I smiled and squeezed back.  We were just walking down an empty and seemingly unused hallway when the alarm began blaring. 

Chris, having superb mutant hearing, winced and covered his ears, trying to mute the sound.  Peter looked at him sympathetically.  "Sorry about the alarms," He said apologetically as he swiped an all access key card over an electronic lock that only a few rooms, the important ones, in the safe house had.  The rest were key locks.  The door opened with an electronic click and swung inwards revealing a white walled room with tile floors.  A guard stood on either side of the room and a few chairs and a table sat in the middle.  A box of some sort sat in the back. 

Peter motioned us into the room. "Welcome to the safe room of the safe house," He said with a  nervous smile, "You will be safe here."

"You're not staying?" I asked.