When Lightning Burns [COMPLETED]

Chapter 20: Men In Black

           

"Is this the right building, love?" Bea asked.

Julie blinked. They were back in the city, stopped in front of her apartment. It was still dark. She wasn't sure what time it was, but it couldn't be that far off from the morning. She stretched, "Yes. Thanks for the ride."

"I still can't believe you can zap people but you can't drive," Selina said from the front seat.

"Thanks again." Julie got out of the car. They seemed nice enough, but she was too tired from her performance and escape to care much if she kept in contact with them.

"Okay, hon. Go get some rest," Bea said with a wave and then drove off.

Julie leaned her head against the wall in the elevator. She wanted to get off this thing, take a shower, and crawl into bed. She walked down the hall and put her key in the lock. Not a sound came from Rory and Luke's place. Thank god. She could tell them what happened later.

"Julie?" Luke yelled the second she opened the door. Oh, they were waiting for her in her apartment. Great. "What happened to you? Rory and I stayed around after the dance, and then you disappeared. Where have you been?"

"Yeah, A.R.S.E. finally found me." She giggled. How did people say that with a straight face? She was so tired she didn't care.

"What?" Rory turned white and glanced at Luke, who cursed.

"I got out." She shrugged. "Oh, and I got this."

She handed Luke the thumb drive she had stolen.

"What is it?" He frowned at the small, black drive.

Julie poured a glass of juice. The tart orange hit her tongue, and she guzzled it. Her stomach growled, and she grabbed a banana. "I copied their computers. I zapped a guy right when he was working on something and took a few minutes to copy the files. I thought maybe we could do something with it."

"What?" Luke stared at her. "Why would you do that?"

"Isn't that what they do in all the spy movies—copy files and stuff? I figured there may be something there we could use." She tilted her head to the side. What was their problem? She had escaped. She hadn't needed them at all. "You said last time that you wanted to get into their computers."

Rory stared at her like he'd never seen her before.

Luke ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I guess so. Maybe Ike will know someone. He has a few odd contacts, being a wizard."

She frowned. "I should've gotten that girl's number."

"What girl?"

Julie waved him off. He didn't need to know about the women she'd hitched a ride with to get back here. "Come on. I'm fine. Can you guys let me get some rest? Our flight to Seelie is in four hours right, Rory?"

"Are you serious?" Rory asked. His grey eyes were still wide. "So that's just it?"

Luke's face was blank. Smart. What more did they want? She'd gotten kidnapped and rescued herself. That was what the lessons were about.

Julie looked between them. "Oh, don't tell me you called everyone, did you?"

They all just stared at each other.

Crap.

She should have realized. She'd gone missing—of course they did. Hopefully her family hadn't had time to do anything drastic before she got back. Jamie needed her father there. She couldn't be mad at Rory or Luke for calling everyone in to help her, but she was irritated, even if she knew that feeling was stupid. She called her parents.