Brianna Acero and the Second One's Return

62. We uncover Khan's secret

"Saint Oscars, 28-11," says Daniel, reading the message out loud. "Alright, what are we looking at?" He asks, waiting for Khan to explain himself.

Khan nods, waving his arms as he talks, as if that will help him get his point across.

"I got this message over a month ago, sent to me by an anonymous identity." He points at the words, the only two words, that light up on the screen. "This was the name of the orphanage my daughter was going to visit in Cana, for her annual visit to the children across America."

Daniels expression betrays nothing, but I catch the slight twitch of his lips, of him trying to hold back his surprise. Even he knows how important that trip is, and how important it is to keep the location a secret. Ever since her first visit, when the President announced the lucky children's home that would be getting a visit from the one and only Diana Khan, the location has never been disclosed to the public. That first trip was the first time Diana was kidnaped, when she was no older than ten years old. One of the more important compounds at the time managed to find her, but it took them a week of frantic searches to finally get a lead. The President kept an extra close eye on his daughter since then, taking all the necessary precautions and then some to make sure she was safe.

"And how is this going to help you prove you are innocent? All this shows me is that the secrecy in the Mar is not as secret as you lead everyone to believe, and that somehow someone managed to find out where your daughter would be heading," asks Jack, unimpressed.

"Because, just after I changed the location of where her visit would be taking place, and when, the same anonymous person sent me another message. I don't think they know where she is, but they threatened to harm her if I didn't do as they said. They told me to meet them at an abandoned factory in a week, that there we would discuss our arrangements. They wanted me to pay them a large sum of money to keep Diana safe. Once we knew our special security and information teams couldn't track down the sender, I was ready to pay whatever it took."

I cock my head at that. He does care about his daughter? It's obvious just by the way he said her name. It is so evident that he adores her, so why does Diana seem to dislike him so much?

"And where, pray tell, is that message they supposedly sent you?" asks Daniel, starting to worry about the same thing I am: that the president isn't our ghost.

Khan pulls up another file, Diana's file, where he has stored away the message. I spot it, clear as day, the exact same words he just told us from the screen.

"You have to believe me," he says again, softer this time, probably trying to stay on Daniels good side. "I didn't do anything to those Elites. Once we learned what was happening we sent out teams to hunt down the person responsible. When they all appeared dead I decided to take a different course of action. I have spies tracking him down as we speak, the best in the entire world. They will find him eventually."

He sounds so sure, and yet we know how hard it is to find this guy. Best in the world or not, it would take them too long to finally pin him down.

"You could have just faked the message," says Jack, still hesitant to believe the Presidents story. Hesitant to believe that we failed yet again.

"How can we be certain that you didn't use your Gift against your people, the same ones you swore to rule over with a loving a guiding hand."

At that the president's eyes widen, eyebrows disappearing into his hairline, wrinkles appearing on his forehead.

"So that's how they have been killing the Elites? Using their Gift?" he massages his chin, thinking. "I was missing this piece of information."

That makes me stare at him in shock, my blood boiling.

"Do you know anything about what's happening Mr. President, or do you just ignore what your intelligence tells you, too busy hiding behind these walls to stand up and protect your people?"

He stares at me, dumbstruck, not having expected those words to come out of my mouth. Honestly, I didn't expect them to come out of my mouth either.

"I do not know what you are talking about child, but I do not hide. I am doing everything in my power to help, I put my life on the line by arranging a meeting with the man behind all this chaos, and yet you accuse me of doing nothing?"

He stands up to face me, towering over me, but I stare right back at him. That is, until Kalen pushes him back, standing between us. The president stumbles, and if it weren't for Daniel keeping a hand on his shoulder he would have fallen on his behind

"If you really have nothing to hide," says Kalen, ice in his words, "then tell me this, what is your Gift?"

We all freeze at Kalen's words, even Daniel goes disconcertingly still. Has he gone completely insane? How could he ask that? And yet, if you stop and think about it, it's a brilliant question. I nod, backing up my friend.

"The only real way you can prove you aren't our killer is by proving that your Gift is not like his. I'm willing to bet you don't even know what his Gift is, and we won't tell you, lest you decide to show us yours. So, Mr. President, for your own good, I suggest you tell us."

Khan has gone completely white, his skin taking on a sickly gray color. He shakes his head, so fast I'm surprised his neck doesn't crack with the movement.

"I'm sorry, but what you are asking of me is impossible," he says, backing into the table. Daniel raises an eyebrow, stepping closer to Khan.

"Unless you want to spend the rest of your life in a jail cell, I suggest you tell us your Gift Khan, or we will eventually have to force it out of you."

At his terrorized expression Daniel seems to lose some of his edge, noticing how hard this must be for the man. He hasn't told anyone his Gift, no one in his family ever has, and now to have to share his most well-kept secret? I can understand it must be a stressful moment, but he has to tell us so that we can make sure he isn't who we are looking for. So we can be sure that we are back to square one.

"We promise that your secret will not leave this room. You have my word, as board member of the Landa compound I will never tell another soul what you tell us here today."

I smile slightly, watching as Kalen and Team A nod along with our mentor.

Khan sighs in defeat, and he raises his haunted eyes to look at all of us in turn.

"I can't tell you," he says, "because it is not just my secret to keep. If I tell you, I put Diana in danger."

I groan internally. What is with all the secrecy?! What did he mean he would be putting Diana in danger? She's just a Norm! Her Gift can't be that important... can it?

It seems Kalen has thought ahead however, because what he asks next has my mouth falling open in shock.

"Diana isn't a Norm, is she? You just wanted all of us to believe she is, to protect her."

The Presidents frown deepens, and he runs a hand through his dark locks. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he nods, and I feel like if any more secrets are shared my brain may just explode. My neurons can't take any more surprises.

"No, she isn't," Says Khan, confirming Kalen's suspicions. "She is probably the most dangerous Elite in the world."

Daniel nods.

"But what does Diana's Gift have to do with yours? Did she inherit your Gift?"

Khan shakes his head.

"No. There is a reason I can't tell you what my Gift is," he says, staring Daniel dead in the eye, sorrow shining behind his dark blue orbs.

"Because I don't have a Gift."

At that moment the world could have exploded, and I don't think I would have noticed.

"I'm sorry, come again?"