Brianna Acero and the Second One's Return

65. We find Diana... but we're not alone

"Is he here?" asks Kalen, standing with me in front of Saint Thomson's door.

Thanks to the President we made it to the orphanage in less than an hour, using one of his fancy cars to avoid traffic. Mara and team A stayed behind with Jayson and Cassie at the Mar, keeping an eye on Khan. He may be innocent, but that doesn't mean he's completely off the hook. We need to make sure he won't go running to the council to report what we did to him.

The orphanage looks exactly like it did in my visions. It's an older building, with brick walls and a stone roof, with columns and trim that make it look more like a Greek temple than an orphanage. It has a large rod iron gate that we had to drive through to get to the entrance, driving past the sign that reads "SAINT THOMSON'S HOME FOR CHILDREN" It's located in the middle of a large field, grassy hills covered with all kinds of flowers going as far as the eye can see, which must have been where I saw the children playing. It's a lovely location, and I can't think of a better place for these kids to live.

Daniel shrugs at Kalen's question, looking around, trying to find any sign of Dominic.

"There weren't any other vehicles when we came in, so I'm willing to bet we got here before him. But just in case don't let your guard down, stay alert and remember your training."

Kalen and I nod, watching as our mentor knocks on the giant wooden doors. We wait, and about two minutes later a little old lady appears before us. I recognize her as the woman from my vision, and I swallow past the lump in my throat, remembering her lifeless body on the floor. Looking at her now I can tell she isn't as old as I had originally thought, probably early sixties. She has grey hair and kind brown eyes, but they observed us with caution.

"Hello ma'am, my name is Daniel Ravenson, from the Landa compound, we are here on official council business sent by the President himself."

Rose, that's what Diana had called the woman, frowns, closing the door slightly. I recognize the signs instantly, how her eyes dart between us and over her shoulder, the way she clutches the door tighter and purses her lips together, forcing a smile. She is ready to close the door on us and run at any given second, probably on strict orders from Khan to keep Diana safe from any unexpected visitors. Before Daniel has a chance to scare her off, I step towards her, trying to look as non-threatening as possible. I hide my gloved hands behind my back.

"Hello Rose," I say. "My name is Brianna, I'm Diana's friend."

Rose's mouth opens in shock, and she seems even more concerned than before. Daniel is also staring at me in surprise, but his reaction is much better hidden than Rose's. Kalen doesn't seem to be bothered by my sudden bouts of knowledge anymore, he probably already figured out I had gotten her name from my vision.

"How do you know my name?" Asks the woman, warry.

I smile, trying to put her at ease.

"Diana told me! She wanted me to know where she was in case of an emergency, and she knew you wouldn't believe me if I told you, so she told me your name. We are here to help her, not harm her."

Now Kalen frowns at me, not remembering any of what I was saying from our conversation with Diana. I look at him with a forced smile, urging him to play along. He nods, and a friendly look appearing on his face as well. Meanwhile Daniel just stands silently at our side, clearly not used to his students taking charge of situations such as these.

"We are here to take Diana back home," says Kalen, drawing Rose's attention towards him.

"There has been an emergency and her life is in danger. Please, could you take us to her?"

Rose stares at us in confusion, obviously not having expected a complete stranger to come to her doorstep and demand to see the president's daughter. But she is a clever woman and doesn't let us in that easily.