Chapter 8 – Cindy’s Dream

As Brant started reading the letter Cindy shoved the ring into her pocket and picked up her chair that she had knocked over not long before, Michelle and Amy didn’t seem to notice. “It’s damn Hartono again! I knew he was the only one capable of doing this,” he shouted, raising his voice unnecessarily high. He slouched back down in his chair again.

“How could they though? Callie should have been able to protect herself well enough,” Michelle questioned; this was obviously a major loss for them.

“Her martial arts should have protected her, yes, I honestly don’t know Chelley.” Brant admitted. So that was Callie’s other power, besides mind reading.

Amy changed the subject, noticing that Michelle was pretty upset, “Why are you here anyway? We weren’t expecting you until tomorrow.”

“It’s because I have some information and it could have been what we’d been waiting for, but without Callie I don’t know if we can make it happen.” Brant told her looking up from the note.

“Can I see the note please?” Cindy asked curiously.

“Sure Cindy, if you can read it,” Brant acknowledged.

Everyone was quiet for a while. No one really knew what to say, or if they did they didn’t want to. Brant slid the note across the table and Cindy picked it up then uttered a quiet “thanks”.

It turned out Brant was the one to interrupt the somber silence, “What I was going to do today was sabotage the meeting between the Protector and Mr. Hartono.” He said ‘Mr. Hartono’ with such animosity that it made Cindy wonder why Brant hated him so much.

“How’d you find out about the meeting?” Michelle asked with interest. Michelle was so different now, so different to her usual fun-loving self. She was glum and disappointed. Cindy wouldn’t be seeing any of her smiles for a while.

“I have my ways. He’s also planning on stealing the statue from the Protector, so it’s a good chance for us to steal it from one of them. I’ve waited all these years for an opportunity like this and now…” Brant trailed off.

“Oh my gosh!” Cindy exclaimed as she looked up from the note. “This is so creepy!”

“What is?” Was all Brant could say. Michelle and Amy looked in her direction for the first time since coming back with the note.

“You know that dream I was gonna tell you about, Amy,” Cindy couldn’t contain her excitement.

“Yeah?” Amy replied a little puzzled.

“It was just like this!” Cindy stopped to catch her breath. “Callie got kidnapped and then some strange people took her somewhere, then I met a man, which must have been you, Brant, then you two came back with a note that said exactly this,” she said excitedly, holding the note high in the air.

“No way,” Michelle proclaimed, “Yesterday the vision and now this!” She let out a big breath and turned to Brant.

Cindy left out one part of her dream, the part about a boy her age. She didn’t want to tell them about that, that was private.

“A vision?” Brant asked.

“Yes, but never mind about that now, can you remember where they took Callie?” Michelle quizzed intensely; Cindy saw a glimmer of hope flicker across usually cheerful brown eyes.

“Not exactly,” Cindy’s hand felt for the ring in her pocket, checking that it was still there. “I think it was a warehouse or a factory, something like that,” Cindy vaguely recollected.

“Think harder, were there any distinguishing things around the place?” Michelle interrogated; her heart was set on finding Callie.

“I’m not sure…” Before Cindy could finish her sentence she became lost, lost in Michelle’s eyes. Another vision. Brilliant colours flashed in front of her eyes then she saw a younger Michelle sitting behind a tree, alone and crying. Suddenly Callie walked up to Michelle and started comforting her. She lifted Michelle to her feet and held her hand then they walked off together. Now she understood why Michelle was so upset, she was so close to Callie. Another vision, it was of Callie, and she was tied up…

“Cindy? Cindy?” Everyone was gathered around her, looking worried.

“Cindy are you okay?” Amy inquired. “What happened?”

“I had…”

Michelle butted in, “Another vision? Is that it?”

“Yes,” Cindy answered. She was feeling weak but she didn’t want to forget what she just saw.

“Get her a glass of water,” Brant instructed Amy, then turned to Cindy.

“Cindy, what did you see? Take your time,” Brant said thoughtfully.

“Callie…” She closed her eyes.

“No-no-no, don’t close your eyes,” Michelle warned.

Cindy forced her eyelids open. “Stratton factory,” Cindy murmured.

“Callie’s in the Stratton factory, is that it?” Brant asked.

“Yes…” Cindy blacked out.