"Yay you guys are back, can we please talk about what we're doing with him since death isn't an option," Palmer says and I swat her arm for being so brutal.
"What she means to say is, we can't keep him here forever," I respectfully say.
"I say we make him leave the country, go wherever Dane is," Kai suggests.
"Or I can just wipe his memory of Dane and send him home," Palmer says.
"No, he doesn't deserve such an easy way out," Lorenzo says.
"If we make him flea, we can track him and warn them," I say eyeing Palmer.
"What are we missing?" Lorenzo asks.
"Palmer remembered Dane's plan to control all the fulminares, if Salutis takes him back then we're screwed because Dane will have an army under his control. So we need to find Salutis and warn them," I explain.
"What if they don't believe us?" Kai questions.
"Palmer can show them what she saw in Dane's workers head when she saw Dane plotting the takeover," I suggest.
"The takeover really? What is this, the zombie apocalypse?" Lorenzo criticizes my choice of words.
"That is irrelevant. We need to find out how we're going to make Arlo leave. And when he gets there, how are we going to talk to Salutis?" Kai raises points we haven't thought of yet.
"Arlo loves TJ, we fake kidnap him and tell him if he doesn't leave then TJ dies," Palmer suggests.
"No ways," Kai says jumping in to defend his best friend, that's sweet.
"Oh relax we're not actually going to kill him," Palmer says making Kai sound dramatic.
"What if Arlo calls our bluff?" Lorenzo asks.
"We'll deal with 'ifs' later. Right now we need to figure out how we communicate with Salutis," I say.
"We put a tracker in Arlo and wherever he goes, Kai and I will go, and when they see Salutis we can snatch a business card or whatever and we'll set something up," Lorenzo says.
"The best evidence we've got is in Palmers head, she needs to be there," I add.
"And she will, well I will, I will just shift into Palmer and show them."
"Do you have Palmer's memories?" I ask.
"No but I can transfer it to him like I did with you and the fighting stuff," Palmer says.
"Okay, that plan is perfect then, we use TJ to get Arlo out, we put a tracker in him, Kai and I follow until we get to Salutis, and we warn them. Perfect."
"Not perfect. Arlo could refuse to go to Dane. We need to give him a little bit of incentive," Palmer says looking at Kai like she has something in mind.
"What?" Kai asks, clearly not understanding where Palmer is going with this.
"You must shift into TJ and we'll torture you in front of Arlo."
"Absolutely not. You are not torturing my boyfriend," did I just say boyfriend... and out loud?
"Come on Ave, you can just heal him," Palmer says now making me sound dramatic.
"That doesn't stop him from feeling the pain. No ways," Kai walks to me until he is an inch away from my face and starts talking, "I'll be okay, I can handle it, and you'll just heal me up when it's over," he says softly and then plants a quick kiss on my lips.
"Fine," I reluctantly agree.
"Okay then let's do this," Palmer says.
We set up a chair with ropes right in front of unconscious Arlo, Kai shifts into TJ and we tie him to the chair. Lorenzo went home to fetch a tool kit aka torture kit and Palmer and I get the tracker for Arlo. I asked Malachi to meet us at a coffee shop with it, and he did, it costed a few hundred dollars but I guess it's worth it. It's one that you swallow, and according to Malachi it latches on so Arlo won't be able to shit it out. We shove it down his throat and pull out the tablet that it's connected to. The tracker is fully functional. Lorenzo is right on time, he walks through the door with the kit.
"You sure about this?" I ask Kai one last time.
"Yeah I'm sure," he says not very convincingly but I stand back.
"Okay you ready?" Palmer says to Kai and he nods.
"Let's wake this dickhead up," Lorenzo says and then picks up a bottle of water and sprays it all over Arlos face.
"Man fuck you!" Arlo wakes up angry but his face softens when he sees 'TJ' sitting in front of him.
"TJ? I swear if you guys lay a hand on him I'll fucking kill you all!"
"Well we won't need to if you just do what we say," I calmly respond.
"Kai would never let this happen to his best friend, where is he?" Arlo asks aggressively.
"You're right, he wouldn't let us, that is exactly why he doesn't know," I say the last part softly into his ear.
"Uncle Arlo what's happening?" Fake TJ says in a scared voice.
"Nothing man, you gon be alright. I promise," Arlo says buying Kai's act.
"Don't make promises you can't keep," Palmer says smiling and Lorenzo picks up an automated screwdriver and says, "You're going to leave here and go directly to Dane and give him a little message from us."
"I don't know where Dane is," he replies.
"Bad choice to lie," Lorenzo says while switching on the machine in his hands on and starts drilling through Kai's arm.
"AHHHHHH!" Kai screams, but Lorenzo stops when Arlo starts speaking.
"Okay okay! I know where he went but I don't know where he is," Lorenzo turns the machine back on. "...but I'll find him," he says just as Lorenzo was about to make a new hole in his arm.
"You leave tonight," Palmer says.
"Yes little girly I leave-" He starts screaming out in pain, Palmers eyes are glowing, I'm guessing she didn't like what he said.
"Palmer," I say and she stops.
"I need to know TJ will be safe if I go," Arlo says.
"He will, I promise," I assure him. Palmer and I get Kai out of there and I heal him immediately.
"You good?" I ask.
"Peachy," he sarcastically replies.
Palmer and I stay to watch Arlo, Lorenzo and Kai go home to pack, Kai arranged for Sammy to stay with Melanie and Palmer until he gets back. But they're not leaving until they see which country Arlo goes to because Kai said he needs time to book a first class flight, dramatic I tell you.
When it's 7 pm, Palmer and I release Arlo, "Any funny business, we'll know and TJ will pay the price. And tell Dane this isn't over.," Palmer warns.
"I got it," he barks, we untie him and watch him leave, we open the tablet and watch the tracker move. I told Palmer the tablet stays with me for now because I don't necessarily need sleep so I can watch it. I uber home, well first with Palmer back to her place and then to mine.
I text Kai that I am home and he does the same. Then I text,
"You better not leave without saying goodbye."
And he replies,
"Firstly, I'm never saying goodbye to you, goodbye is forever, it's more of a 'See you later alligator' situation. Secondly, you're going to call me everyday, so stop being dramatic."
"Damn right I'm gonna call you every day. I need my daily dose of vitamin Kai."
"And I need my daily dose of vitamin Amanda."
"Asshole."
"You love this asshole."
"With everything I've got."
YOU ARE READING
Salient Secret
Teen FictionA teenage girl living in a world that wants her dead. She's not afraid to die but she's afraid to live. She gets stuck with a life she didn't ask for. Her new life comes with an epic love story, but will that be enough to save her from herself...
