Away From the Sun (31 page)

I can hear shots coming from Gabe’s direction. He must be shooting now, expecting me to come out of the barn, but he doesn’t know that I’m trapped. I know he can’t give me much time. I look down at the greyskins below me. I would be able to kill all of them if I had a little while, but there is no time left.

As I lie on my belly, I listen to the soldiers talking. “If she pops her head up, take her out!” a voice says.
 

“She might be out of the barn,” another answers.
 

But then I hear Paxton’s voice almost as clear as if he were standing next to me. “She’s still in there. Surround it and torch it.”

They’re going to light me on fire?
Jerks
. I cling to my gun when I hear his words. I try to determine exactly where he is by the sound of his voice, but I can’t be certain. I know that if I look out from the window I’ll see that he’s somewhere to the left.
 

I check my gun and find that I have only a single bullet left. They may try to torch me but it won’t be because I didn’t try to defend myself.
 

Gabe’s revving engine blares through the farm, though I’m not sure where he’s headed.
Away from here, I hope.
I don’t know why, but I feel the need to stand—to take my final, defiant shot before they set the barn on fire. I’m in front of the window in full view of the soldiers. My eyes scan the horizon quickly until I spot Paxton about a hundred feet away from me. I aim my gun at him and for a moment, I’m pretty sure we lock eyes. He doesn’t have time to bring up his gun before I pull the trigger.
 

I don’t get to see if I hit him because I’m forced to drop as more bullets rip through the barn like it’s paper. The truck engine is getting louder and when I look toward the barn door, I see Gabe backing it into the opening as fast as he can. Snapping bones and the splattering of blood are the sounds that come as Gabe rams the back of the truck into the greyskins below me. It’s a long drop, but I’ve got to make it.
 

My feet land in the middle of the truck’s bed and pain shoots up and down my legs. I grimace, but don’t let out a scream as I smack the top roof of the truck and Gabe slams his foot against the gas. A couple of the greyskins that hadn’t been run over reach out for me, and they are close too, but we’re out of the barn before they can scratch me.
 

The truck rides out into the open air and we are met by speeding bullets as Paxton’s men come up on us. I duck my head low, hoping that Gabe isn’t shot in the back of the head as we drive out.

I knew he would do it. I knew he would come back for me. There was no way Gabe was leaving this place without me.
 

The truck is loud, but I still try to listen toward the farm. I hear a lot of voices. Most of them are yelling at each other about letting us get away. Some are talking about hot-wiring one of the other trucks and giving chase. But those aren’t the voices I’m looking for. I turn my head several times until I hear it, and the moment I do, I want to slam my fist against the truck.
 

“We need to get back to the trucks,” Paxton’s voice yells out. He’s giving orders to several people and he doesn’t sound hurt at all. I was sure that I had lined the shot up just right. I was sure I killed him.
 

Gabe doesn’t let up on the gas, and I don’t want him to. I want him to keep driving until we can’t anymore. But we might have to pull over sooner than expected. When I look at my hands, I see blood dripping off my fingers, and I feel a sudden sharp pain in my side. Somehow I didn’t feel it until now, and the pool of blood around me tells me that the bullet wound I’ve got is serious.
 

I need to call out to Gabe. I’ve got to tell him that I’m going to die if we don’t stop the bleeding. But no words pass by my lips. I’m not sure he would be able to hear me over the truck engine anyway.
 

He’ll stop soon,
I think.
 

It’s the last thought I have before I close my eyes.
 

Ashley and Lydia both lie dead on the floor next to me. I look up at Samuel while he wipes a smudge off of his gun. His callousness makes me sick.
 

“Why don’t you kill me?” I ask

“Because you’re going to help me find Jeremiah and Mitch,” Samuel answers. “Their time is up, and I know you know where they are.”

“But Ashley just told you that she killed them,” I say.
 

“And I believe Ashley is a liar,” he argues. “You’re going to take me to where they stand or where their bodies lie. Either way, their time is up.”

I look toward the door, knowing that Samuel’s time is about up, too. I don’t know where they are, but I won’t have to lead him to Mitch. Mitch is coming here. I don’t look forward to the abuse he’s going to dole out to me, but I know it’s only because he doesn’t understand. He can’t understand what I saw. Ashley was going to kill him, wasn’t she? According to her, she killed all the others too. But now, I’m not so sure. What if she was bluffing all along?

I don’t have time to contemplate it as the door swings wide and Mitch rushes through. The look on his face is pure shock and anger. I hear the click of Samuel’s gun readying just above my head, but little does he know, Mitch would probably like to see me die.
 

Mitch walks forward calmly. Confidently. He carries no weapon in his hands. I look back at Samuel and see that he no longer points the gun at me, but at Mitch.
 

“My, my,” Samuel smiles. “I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re here, but you’re a little late, I’m afraid.” He motions toward Ashley’s body. “Of course, you showing up only confirms that killing her was a good call on my part.”

“Drop the gun,” Mitch tells him.

Samuel’s gun falls to the floor as he lets go of it.

“Don’t make any movements unless I tell you to,” Mitch says.
 

I look back at Samuel and he has a blank stare across his face. When I look at Mitch, I can see tears welling in his eyes as he looks down at Ashley’s body.

“I want both of you to stand against the wall and stay quiet,” he says, not even looking at us.
 

I don’t know how. I don’t know why, but my limbs seem to move involuntarily at his command. What is this strange influence that Mitch possesses? I get up off the floor and walk to the wall and set my back against it. I stand only a few feet away from Samuel. I have seen all this before, but I still can’t figure out why he’s able to control us like this.
 

But then a thought strikes me and I feel my mouth fall open.
The Starborn blood.
That’s why the canister felt lighter than before. Mitch had already been in the room. This was the power that was in the blood. With a command, Mitch can now make anyone bend to his will. That’s why Samuel dropped the gun. That’s why we’re standing against the wall. Then I think about Ethan. He’s coming for me, but now I don’t want him to. He’s only going to suffer the same ending as us.

Mitch falls to his knees next to Ashley and scoops her bloody head into his arms. He begins to sob uncontrollably as he buries his head into her neck. “This was never supposed to happen!” he screams. He looks up and his eyes find me. I dread what’s coming next. “This would have never happened if you hadn’t been so stupid!”

He sets Ashley’s body down on the floor gently. He then stands and starts walking toward me. I shut my eyes as he reaches high into the air and slaps his hand against my cheek. But he’s not finished. His arm comes back and this time it’s his knuckles that catch my other cheek. I see a bright white light, but this time it’s not a vision; it’s from the dull, aching pain.
 

I can feel the tears and blood trickle down the side of my face. Mitch screams in my ear, yelling for me to get back up and stand against the wall. I do so without argument. I have to. I have no other choice. The tears that fall have little to do with the pain I feel in my face, but more to do with the fact that Ethan rushes into the room, probably after hearing the commotion.
 

I can feel my eyes widen when I see Ethan. He’s carrying a rifle and is ready to fire, but Mitch commands him to stop, get against the wall and do nothing without permission. Ethan does as he’s told without argument.

Mitch then turns back to me with large tears streaking down his face. His jaws are clenched tightly as he grits his teeth. He rears back and slaps me across the face again. The pain is blinding, but at least I’m able to keep myself up this time.
 

This is as far as I have seen. Past this point, I don’t know what is supposed to happen. All I know is that my theory of multiple futures to choose from is out the window. Everything I’ve seen so far has happened except for the vision I had of Remi and Evie, and the vision of Ethan walking through the street…

The realization hits me like a truck. Touching someone multiple times gives me multiple futures, but not alternative ones. The things I have seen all happen at different times. They are not possibilities based on decisions I make. I saw Ethan kissing me on the roof—of course that was going to happen
before
he was shot in the middle of the street. But even so, that doesn’t mean it will happen soon. There is still time to figure out how to stop it.
 

Mitch turns away from me and faces Samuel. “You killed her, didn’t you?” he says. “Answer me!”

“Yes,” Samuel says.
 

Mitch sticks his fingers in his hair and pulls, biting his lip as if to hold in some immense anger that would cause him to lash out. “You’ll get what’s coming to you soon enough,” he says. He now looks at Ethan. “And what are you here for, to finish the job?”

“I’ve been looking for Waverly,” he answers.
 

“Oh, I get it,” he says. “You two are a thing, are you?” He spits on the ground in front of him. “You two have no idea what you were doing. You messed everything up.”

“She was going to kill you,” I say. “She said that she killed the others. Remi, Gabe, Jeremiah…”

“She didn’t kill any of them,” he answers, looking toward Samuel. “She was working both sides. With us and with Shadowface. Your Remi and Gabe are not even in Elkhorn anymore. And I was recently with my father.”

I stare at the floor in disbelief, completely blindsided by the fact that Ashley had been on our side. I wasn’t the one that killed her, but I might as well have been.
 

“Our goal has only ever been to take down those that want power over others,” Mitch says. “She was dying because of you.”

I don’t have any words. It’s true. Maybe if there had not been fighting and war in the streets, she could have gotten proper medical attention, but as it was, she had been bleeding out and was not long for this world either way.

Like seeing only the corner of a painting, a short glimpse into the future hardly lets you see the whole picture.
 

“Do you know what it’s like losing the
one
person that you love?” Mitch asks.
 

I don’t know if he’s waiting for an answer, but one passes by my lips anyway. “Yes.”

He stares at me, his eyes ablaze with anger, his cheeks wet with tears. “Well,” he says, “maybe it’s time you revisit that feeling.” He looks at Ethan. “You there.”

Ethan looks at him.

“Take a walk on the street at the west side of the building,” Mitch commands. “Make no noise. Just keep walking.”

“No,” I say. My chin and lips tremble.
I know what is about to happen now. I understand. I can’t let it happen! I won’t let it happen!

But I’m fixed to my spot. There is nothing I can do because Mitch has a hold of my body. Is there a way for my will to overpower his? Is it possible for me to retake control?

I try, but no matter what I do or think, I can’t move my legs. It’s as if Mitch used his words to strap invisible bindings to me, and I can only go free with his say-so.
 

Ethan starts to leave the room, and just before he walks through the door, our eyes connect and he smiles at me briefly. He knows this is it. He knows there is no stopping it, and this is his way of telling me that it’s all right.
 

But it’s not all right. He turns and closes the door behind him. The dread and fear I feel is the worst I can remember.
 

“Please don’t do this,” I say. The front of my shirt is wet from my streaming tears. The night Ethan and I just spent together was so sweet. I can’t imagine that it was our last one. He has been with me through the hardest part of my life. He’s been my rock.

“I know it has all been a mistake,” I continue. “I know that I shouldn’t have shot Ashley, but I was only doing what I thought was right.”

“That’s the problem isn’t it?” Mitch says, staring out the window. “People are always doing what they think is best. Of course, that’s how all of this started in a way. Shadowface was doing what she thought was best.”

“She?” I say.
 

Mitch smiles and shakes his head. “My mother. Olivia. I just found out.”

“I can help you,” I plead. “Ethan and I both. We can help you finish this.”

“I have a purpose for you,” Mitch says. “But first, Ethan is going to be out of the picture.”

“Please don’t,” I say.
 

“Come look out the window,” Mitch says.

My feet move in that direction, even though all I want is to run downstairs and try to stop Ethan from walking away.

Below, Ethan begins his slow pace down the street. This part of the building faces away from the fighting that has been going on in the other part of Elkhorn. That’s why I didn’t recognize it in the vision. I’ve never seen this street before.
 

Ethan walks confidently, rifle in his hands. He knows what is about to happen, but I don’t think he fears it like I do.

Mitch walks away from the window. I don’t even have to watch him to know that he’s going to pick up the rifle that is next to Ashley’s body. In just a few seconds, he’s going to aim the gun at Ethan and take the shot. When Mitch comes up next to me with the rifle in his hands, everything within me wants to take it from him and beat him with it, and then shoot him until there are no more bullets. How could he be this cruel? I know he’s hurting, but it was a mistake. They shouldn’t have been so secretive.