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Hunter licked his lips. This felt like a trick question, and the wrong answer wouldn’t be something he could take back.
His father didn’t wait long. He shook his head. “You’re not ready.”
“I’m not ready because I didn’t say I could kill my classmates? You’re not making any sense. What does this have to do with one stupid surveillance job?”
“Sometimes watching leads to action.”
Hunter felt like the right answers kept springing up in front of him; he just couldn’t grasp them quickly enough. “Fine. If it comes to that, I’ll stand back and let you guys do the action part.”
“That’s not how this works. If you’re there, you’re there. Nothing halfway, right?”
Hunter nodded. “Right.”
“This is a different surveillance case.” His father flipped open the file folder. “These aren’t full-blown Elementals causing major problems.”
“Then . . . what are they?” Hunter reached for the file, but his dad snapped it closed.
“They’re teenagers. Your age. They haven’t come into their full powers yet.”
“So it’s safer—”
“No.” His dad laughed, but there wasn’t any humor about it. “There’s nothing safe about this one. Not from what I’m reading. These could be four of the most powerful Elementals to surface in years.”
“What have they done?”
“I don’t know yet. There are conflicting reports about deaths and threats and . . . hell, I can barely wrap my head around what’s going on in that town. But really, Hunter, it’s not about what they’ve done.”
“What’s it about?”
His dad leaned back in his chair. “It’s about what they can do.”
Hunter stared at him.
“Say I agreed, and I took you along as a decoy. You’re a teenager; you could fit right in.” He glanced in the file again. “Your mom’s folks even live right in the area. We wouldn’t have to think of an excuse for you to be there.”
“Yes,” said Hunter. “Yes. I’ll do it.”
“And what if you determined they were as powerful as these reports say? Could you kill them?”
Could he kill complete strangers? “If they were using their powers to hurt people, I would do what I had to.”
“What if they’re not using their powers to harm anyone?” said his father. “What if they’re good kids? Boy Scouts? What if they help people?”
Hunter swallowed. “Then . . . why would you kill them?”
His father smiled, a little sadly. “You’re not ready.”
“But—”
“Enough, Hunter. We have work to do.” He lost the smile. “And if I catch you spying again, you’re not going to like the results. Do you understand me?”
Hunter walked out and slammed the door behind him—before realizing he was probably driving his father’s points about immaturity home.
He went back to the kitchen and grabbed his backpack. He should probably put the weapons back before he got in trouble for that, too. He slammed the door to the basement, too, wanting to punch a hole in the drywall. He jammed the key into the gun locker door and punched the buttons, practically breaking a finger in his fury.
Only when he reached into his bag was he careful. He pulled the zipper free on the table and looked inside.
Then he kept on looking.
