[OLD PREVIEW] The Zodiac Operation (#4)

Five

What if this is pointless? What if he doesn't answer?

Claire took a deep breath. No harm in trying Dad's cell again, right? It had been a few weeks since her last attempt to reach him.

"Hey, Spencer?" she asked.

Spencer looked up from the laptop and smiled. "Claire! How can I help you?"

"I was wondering if I could try calling my dad again."

"Of course." Spencer stood up and sat the laptop on the camp chair that was on the verge of falling apart. "I think Dr. Williams has the phone."

Claire followed Spencer to the other side of the clearing, where Dr. Williams was deep in discussion with the scientist staying in their camp. She happily handed the phone over to Spencer, and Claire and him headed to a quiet corner of the camp.

Heart racing, Claire punched in her Dad's number and held the phone up to her ear. It rang once. Twice. She'd resigned herself to another command to leave a voicemail when the ringing stopped.

"Hello?"

Claire couldn't believe her ears. "Dad?"

"Claire?"

Claire's face broke into a smile. "Dad! I was so worried. You weren't answering for weeks."

"I'm so sorry. My phone died and I was being followed for a while. By the time I was able to make calls again, I couldn't reach you through your ship's phone. I was afraid it was the one they mentioned on the news."

"It was. After it sank, everything was really chaotic."

"I'm just glad you two are okay."

A pit opened up in Claire's stomach. "Dad, we don't know where Victoria is. She went missing right before the ship sank."

"I know."

Claire frowned. "You do?"

"Yes. She told me everything." After a moment, he clarified. "Victoria's with me."

~

After narrowly escaping SCI, Victoria and the Neutrals wandered in the woods for a few hours. They were finally forced to stop so that the weaker kids could get some rest.

"We need food and water," Ben said. "Some of them might not make it much longer."

"I'll go into town," Victoria offered.

"I'll come with you."

Victoria shook her head. "Stay here and look after them. I'll be fine."

Seeing no other choice, Victoria stole some water bottles, bread, and various snacks that she hoped would have enough nutritional value to sustain them. She entered a supermarket, grabbed a backpack, and shoved everything inside. She used a copy as a distraction when confronted, and managed to escape with a decent haul. She did this several more times over the next few weeks.

Her second trip was the one where she saw the news report on the ship that sank off the California coast.

The Fortuna was gone. For all Victoria knew, the Supers could be too. If they were still alive, they were on the other side of the country. She had no way to contact them. She hoped Claire would contact her telepathically, but as the days passed that hope faded.

"I'm so sorry," Ben had told her when she came back with the news.

"If I had a phone, I could try some of our cell numbers. But I only remember a few of them." Victoria paced back and forth. "Maybe I could try calling my dad again."