Page 31 of Finding Fate

My throat tightens, and I feel myself choking up as I look at the photo. It’s me and very clearly my mother and father, their faces virtually the same as they were in the few memories I’ve conjured up of them. We’re standing in front of a weeping willow tree. My dad is holding me sideways, and I’m laughing and smiling as my mom reaches over and tickles me.

It’s not staged or planned. This is a perfect moment that was captured on film forever. And as I look at it now, I can remember this day like it happened yesterday.

I can smell the spring air, carrying sweet floral notes, and feel the breeze licking my skin. I hear both of my parents laughing.

“Thank you,” I say, holding it close to my chest. Zeke wraps an arm around my shoulders and holds me.

“I love you, Addison,” he says. He kisses the top of my head.

“I love you more,” I reply, turning and smiling at him. “You’ve made my life feel like it’s worth something. Thank you.”

We sit in silence for a while, looking at the photo, while I share the memories I have of it with him. His phone buzzes loudly in his pocket, and he pulls it out to look at it. The smile fades from his lips, and he looks at me with confusion in his eyes.

“What is it?”

He doesn’t say anything, but he shows me his phone screen, and I feel my heartbeat still as I read the words.

You’ve taken out only one of our many facilities. You might have won this battle, but you won’t win the war.

There’s no name or signature, but we don’t doubt what this is about.

Axiom.

They’re still out there, and they won’t stop until they capture all of us.