Gracie Weiss- Los Angeles, California

12:45 am PST

Gracie played with her food, furrowing her brows and biting the inside of her lip. Her whole stomach was in knots, and all she wanted to do was ask Jim her burning questions, especially since it seemed like the man on the phone was fine with it.

But she didn't know how...

Jim cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, and she instantly looked at him with wide innocent eyes to see that he was smiling sadly at her. His head was cocked to the side, and he studied her with a look in his eyes that she had no idea if she liked or not. "Are you ok, Grace?" her mentor asked gently and raised an eyebrow in question.

Gracie wrinkled her nose and pursed her lips in annoyance while she shook her head. She didn't say a word and continued to try to eat her food, even though she couldn't seem to get the food around the pit in her stomach.

"Hmph." Jim tucked his head closer to his chest while he studied her with a sad smile on his face. "What question is bugging you the most, Grace?" he asked and raised the eyebrow higher in question, studying her as if he thought there was some way her face would give him the answers that he needed.

Gracie sighed and shook her head, looking away from him while she fiddled with her food. "How long?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper before she looked at him again with a cold hard look in her eyes that sent a shiver down the three men's spine.

Jim made sure to keep his face blank, and he slowly blinked and studied her further, silently waiting for her to continue with her question, even though he already knew what it was that she wanted to ask.

How long had you known that I was different..?

Jim took a bite of his food and didn't say a word, waiting for her full question, and Graice rolled her eyes and scowled, narrowing her eyes while they flashed with warning.

"Jim," she said, not hiding the warning tone in her voice.

"Gracie," he replied and tucked his head closer to his chest with a small smile on his face, and she rolled her eyes again and pursed her lips in annoyance. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Finally, the female in front of him sighed and shook her head, rubbing the bridge of her nose and pursing her lips further in annoyance. "How long have you known that I was able to do the stuff that I was able to do?"

"And what do you mean about the stuff that you are able to do?" he asked and tucked his head closer to his chest, and Gracie scowled, looking very unimpressed while she studied the male before her. He bit back a small chuckle and lifted his head just a tad. "Come, now, Miss Weiss," he teased playfully, and she rolled her eyes and scowled. "What is it that I have done?"

"It is what you haven't done, Jim," she said and gave him a pointed look, raising both eyebrows in unison. "And you haven't answered my question because I know that you know what I am implying."

"Do I?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question, even though she could tell that he did. "I mean, I might not know what you mean, so I think it would be a good idea if you tell me, Miss. Weiss." He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat while he placed the bowl on the table beside him. "There is no need to be afraid of the answers that I may hold."

One of her drivers snorted as soon as Jim said that, and they glanced at him with an unimpressed look on their faces. The driver bowed his head and didn't say a word while his whole body grew tense as if he was afraid that Jim would do something to him for "speaking out of term."

Gracie bit back a tired sigh and shook her head before she moved a hand through her hair and across her face. "How long have you known that I could control earth, Jim?" she asked, finally while she rubbed the bridge of her nose when a headache appeared out of nowhere. "Did you see me do it? Is that why you are not so freaked out by it?"

Jim shrugged and pressed his lips into a thin line, and a look of something flashed through his eyes that Gracie didn't see with her eyes closed and her lips pursed. "Unfortunately, that is not something that I am able to discuss," he said with a shake of his head before he tucked his head closer to his chest, biting back a sad smile. "You will know in time."

Gracie bit back a small groan and shook her head. "But, Jim," she said and looked at him, moving her hand from the bridge of her nose and resting it on the side of her bowl. Pain and sadness filled her eyes, and she looked exhausted as if she was tired of being in a losing battle in which she didn't know the rules or how to win this stupid game called life. "Please. Tell me. Why can't you?"

Jim sighed and shook his head while he moved a hand through his hair and across his face. "Orders, Kid," he said before he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. "I have orders that I have to follow, and unfortunately, that is one of them that I have to follow right now."

"And another?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "What is another order that you have to follow right now?"

Jim bit back a tired smile and tucked his head closer to his chest. "I have to take you back to base now," he said and placed his bowl on the table, and instantly, the two other men in the room followed suit and placed their bowls onto the table beside them. "We have been gone long enough, and they need to get ready to transport the others."

Gracie frowned and hesitantly placed her bowl down on the bale beside her. She furrowed her brows and looked between the three of them before she looked solely at Jim. "Others?" she asked and cocked her head to the side, studying him further. Her heart skipped a beat before it started to pound harder and faster in her chest while a wave of excitement washed over her. "What others? Are there others like me?"

"In a way, yes," he replied and nodded in confirmation. He groaned and stood, stretching ever so slightly, and the other men and Gracie followed suit, standing when he stood. "However, that is all that I am allowed to tell you. You will be able to meet them later after you are all rested and fed at base."

Gracie hesitated and slowly nodded, furrowing her brows and biting the inside of her lip. "Will it be safe?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She cocked her head to the side and studied him, silently making up her mind that she would go with them, especially since she still trusted Jim with her life.

"It will be," he said and nodded in confirmation, and a small smile appeared on his face. "It will be safe for you, Grace. I promise."

Gracie furrowed her brows closer together and nodded. "Then I will go," she said and looked at him with wide eyes filled with nervousness and excitement. "I will go so that you all will not get into trouble with whoever it is that you are taking orders from."

Jim breathed a small sigh of relief and nodded. "And that is all that I ask," he said and cleared his throat while he shifted on his feet. "Now, go ahead and pack an overnight bag. We will do the dishes and take out the trash so that it doesn't stink up the place while you are gone. After that, we will take our leave, and you will start your new life somewhere else and somewhere new."

Gracie slowly nodded and did what she was told to do while the three men did what they could with the food and the apartment so that it would be ready for Gracie's return, even if that was so far in the future where even she didn't know how and couldn't read...

Oh, Gods...