Read The Gifted for Free Online

heard. How is it coming?”
    “I think I've got it down,” she said. “It
gets tricky with the gunpowder, but I seem to have it under control
now.”
    “Gunpowder!” I yell as I imagine her blowing
up everything in sight.
    “Just kidding,” laughed Tracy. “But yes,
General, I’m ready.
    The general ignored me. “And Han, you can
fold paper.”
    “How's that supposed to help?” I asked.
    “You'd be surprised,” said the general.
    “Now you must prepare to leave. You will meet
in 20 minutes in the hangar. This is what you’ve been training for,
so you should be good to go.”
    “Yeah, great to go,” said Guido, “to our
deaths.
    “Did you think we were sending you out by
yourselves?” said the general. “I want you to meet someone.” From
the back of the room a mountain of a man stood up and walked
forward. He was enormous. He must have stood at around six and a
half feet tall and had the general shape of a gorilla, only without
all the hair and fleas. When he moved, it looked like his muscles
were planning to break out of his shirt at any moment. “This,” said
the general, “is Brock.
    “Nice to meet you,” said Brock in a deep,
smooth voice.
    “Okay, now I feel better,” said Guido from
near my right ear.
    Han looked awed, “Can I get your
autograph?”
    “Maybe later,” said Brock.
    Tracy spoke up, “Okay, he's big, but what can
he do?”
    Brock smiled. “I’m fluent in eight languages,
am a master in six forms of martial arts, and I have this!” Brock
pulled out a long steel pipe. Looking closer, I saw that it was a
gun. “Maybe you know the Smith & Wesson .50 Caliber Magnum is
the largest handgun on the planet. Some call it ‘the King of
Handguns.’”
    “Is that what that is?” said Guido.
    “No,” said Brock with another smile, “this
would eat a .50 caliber for breakfast. This is a .65 caliber. The
guy who invented it tested it only once. Blew his thumb clean off.
Luckily he had it sewn back on. He promptly threw it away and I
kindly volunteered to take out the trash that night. You'll sleep
safer knowing this is under my pillow.” He kissed his gun and
smiled.
    “We’ll take him,” said Guido.

Chapter 8: I hit a brick wall
    We walked back to our rooms without talking.
When you know you may not live much longer, what can you say? “Hi,
nice knowing you. I sure hope we don't all get shot today!”
    On our way to the hangar, the general came up
alongside me, and in a stern voice said, “follow me.” I followed,
feeling like I was in trouble with the principal.
    He took me out to a small office down the
hall. I thought maybe it was his, but didn’t want to ask.
    He turned to me once I closed the door. “Now,
let me explain some things to you before you go and get everyone
killed. Brock is the leader here. Your gift means nothing other
than it’s a way to get you accepted by the other gifted kids. I
know you are used to people looking to you for advice. You are used
to being the leader, but that’s because people feel you can
lead. That’s your gift, but you are no leader. Try that on this
mission and you will likely get people killed. Hear that, killed!
Now you have no training in leadership, you do not know combat
tactics or even how to negotiate. You are in essence, useless on
this mission except to do what Brock tells you to do. Do you
understand?”
    I felt numb, like I was detached from my
body. “Yes, sir,” I said. “M-may I leave now?” I didn’t know what
else to say.
    “Yes,” he said. “The others will be getting
suited up so you can join them.”
    “Thank you,” I said. I left and walked toward
the hangar where the others waited for me. I felt awkward, like I
had lost connection with my body.
***
    When I got to the hangar, I saw the others
standing next to some lockers. They were talking and putting on
their wetsuits. I found a locker with my name on it and started
getting ready.
    “You alright?” asked Han.
    “Sure,” I said.
    I could