Amped: A Kid Sensation Companion Novel by Kevin Hardman Read Free Book Online Page A

rudimentary outlines of a plan.
    “This can work,” I said, after reviewing everything for the umpteenth time.
    “There is still the problem of the vault,” Li said, “where the documents we want are stored. If the power is cut, the door is designed to remain locked. If the power stays on, getting past the automated entry system will require that you have a key and the passcode, as well as pass a retinal scan.”
    “But you said the vault can be opened from the
inside
without all that.”
    “Yes. If you are already inside, the system is designed to let you exit without harassment, as it assumes you gained entry legitimately.”
    “If Jim were here he could simply phase through the walls like a ghost,” I said. It was one of the many powers my boyfriend had. And of course, now that I needed him, the idiot was a million light-years away.
    “Yes,” Li agreed. “Someone with a phasing ability could easily get inside and let you in. Do you know of anyone else with that talent?”
    “Not exactly,” I said, a faint smile crossing my lips.

Chapter 8
    “I hate to point out the obvious,” Smokey said, “but you do realize that what you’re talking about is illegal?”
    He had joined me and Li in the latter’s room, following a phone call that I had made to him a short time earlier. In essence, we needed him if we were going to get the hospital records from Locke Infinite.
    “I mean, this is breaking and entering,” Smokey went on, “not to mention a dozen other crimes.”
    “So what?” I said. “It wouldn’t be the first time we broke into a place.”
    “That was completely different and you know it,” Smokey retorted. “That was a rescue operation.”
    What Smokey and I were referring to was a break-in of a government facility that we – along with Jim – had orchestrated a few months back, the purpose of which had been to extract some kids being held against their will.
    “There were people being illegally detained – basically imprisoned,” Smokey continued. “Breaking into that place was morally justifiable.”
    “Should I be hearing this?” Li asked softly.
    “What you’re talking about now,” Smokey said, ignoring our android friend, “is burglarizing an organization that, as far as we know, hasn’t done anything wrong.”
    He had a point. We had a legitimate basis for the “criminal” activities we’d engaged in before. I’m not sure it was possible to defend my current plan of action, but I had to try.
    “Look,” I said, “to the best of our knowledge, my biological mother’s medical records are at Locke Infinite. Moreover, based on the circumstances under which I was found, she’s probably dead. In the ordinary course of events – if we’d had a normal mother/daughter relationship – I’d be entitled to those records. As it is, with the little evidence we’ve got, I’ll
never
be able to prove a legal right to them. That means I’ll never be able to see them. And truth be told, I
should
be able to review them – to see if women in my family have a history of cervical cancer, or heart disease, high blood pressure, whatever! But since I can’t prove a right to them, the only way I’m
ever
going to see them is by taking them, whether it’s today, tomorrow, or ten years down the road! So while breaking into Locke Infinite may not be legal, morally it’s the right thing to do.”
    Li and Smokey just stared at me. I hadn’t meant to climb up on my soapbox, but it had taken me my entire life to get this far on this particular journey, and nothing was going to stop me from crossing the finish line.
    I decided to extend an additional olive branch. “If it makes your decision any easier, we plan to put the records back when we’re done. They’ll never know anything was ever missing.”
    “Alright,” Smokey finally said with a nod. “We go in.”

Chapter 9
    I hate lying to Esper. Not just because she’s essentially my mother, but because – since she’s telepathic