Crossroads (Crossroads Academy #1) (29 page)

Just goes to show how much Pratt knows about
his students. If he knew anything about their fashion tastes, he’d
know, as I do, that there is nothing in the mall Blaine would deem
worthy of wearing.

“I’ve heard enough. I have to go.”

Anya looks around helplessly, as I slide into
the drivers’ seat. I’m sure she’s trying to figure out what Aldo
would want her to do at this point. She knows he would never
approve of violence against me. I don’t care if they help me
escape, as long as they don’t stand in my way.

“By all means,” smiles Blaine, moving away
from the front of the vehicle. He’d be thrilled to see me go, even
if it means my death. I wonder if it’s so that he can have Nik all
to himself again or if it’s to save his own skin. It won’t be easy
to explain his role in all of this.

“Wait.” Nik grabs the car door, preventing me
from shutting it. “If you run now, you’ll always be running. Don’t
let him do that do you, Katia. You’re a fighter. Stay here and face
him.”

“I can’t.” I can’t do it. I know I can’t. He
always wins in the dreams. I’m not strong enough. Maybe some day;
but not today. The very thought of facing those beady red eyes in
real life terrifies me.

“You can do this. I’ll help you,” Nik
promises. His voice is steady as are his eyes. It’s not his fight,
but he’ll throw himself into the fire without a second thought
because it’s the right thing to do. If only I were as
courageous.

“No.”

“We need you here, Katia. We need to find
Damian and stop him. It’s the only way to protect the school. It’s
the only way to protect the others.”

Our eyes meet, but I remain silent as I
consider his words.

“You need to see this through to the end.
This is what you’ve been training for, isn’t it? You won’t be able
to live with yourself if you walk away now.”

Damn him! I know he’s right, but I don’t want
to admit it. Not to myself, not to any of them. They’re all staring
at me expectantly.

“I’ll help you find Damian. But that’s
it.”

“So,
how do we play this?” I might be willing to stay and help, but this
is Nik’s show. This is his area of expertise, not mine.

“First we have to figure out how we’re going
to get past the Pazitor.”

“I’ll take care of that,” Anya volunteers. “I
should be able to get them away from the main gate for a couple of
minutes, but you’ll have to hurry.”

“What are you going to do?” I ask. It’s
probably the last thing I should be worrying about, but I don’t
want her to get into trouble.

“Distract them. What else?” She pauses. “I’ll
think of something. Maybe tell them I saw some students sneaking
off campus. Don’t worry about me, Katia. I’m not going to be the
one in danger.”

“She’s right,” Nik affirms. “We’re going to
need weapons if we’re going after Damian. He’s the primary target,
but Luka may be nearby. He probably will be. He wouldn’t leave his
newest protégé to fend entirely for himself. We have to be
prepared.”

“Are you two serious?” Blaine asks. “You’re
just going to go out there and hunt him like an animal?”

“What choice do we have?” I ask angrily.
“He’ll kill again, probably tonight, if we don’t find him.”

“And it’s not going to be just the two of
us,” Nik interjects. “It’s going to be the three of us. You’re
coming too.”

“No way! I don’t want any part of this,” he
cries, waving his hands in protest.

“Too late. You’ve been part of this since you
brought Luka here. You’re as responsible for this bloodbath as
anyone. And frankly, you can’t be trusted to stay here alone. You
owe Katia a debt, and you are going to help us.”

It’s not a question. Nik won’t be taking no
for an answer. Not that Blaine has the guts to challenge him
anyway. Whether he likes it or not, Blaine is coming along for the
ride.

Nik turns to me. “I’ve got the key to the
armory. Blaine and I will get the weapons. You and Anya stay here.
We’ll meet you at the gate in ten minutes. Be ready.”

I nod in agreement. “Here. Take this,” I tell
him dumping the contents of my duffel on the floor of the car. “You
won’t get far if they see you taking off with half the schools’
weaponry.” I hand him the bag.

“Good luck,” he tells Anya. I feel a
tightening in my chest when he hugs her. I hope it won’t be their
last. As he turns to leave, Nik gives us one final reminder: “Ten
minutes.”

**********

Anya and I approach the front gate quietly,
staying to the bushes for cover. There’s no sign of Nik or Blaine.
Either they’re late or they’re well hidden.

“What do you think?” I whisper. I’m not sure
we should proceed until we know they’re here.

“I think Nik always keeps his word. He said
ten minutes. He’s here somewhere even if we can’t see him.” She
shifts, twisting around to face me, as we huddle in the shrubbery.
“Be careful tonight. Aldo will never forgive me if anything happens
to you. Hell, I’ll never forgive myself.” She hugs me showing an
unusual amount of emotion.

“We’ll be fine,” I promise crossing my
fingers behind my back. For once I hope I’m not lying.

“It’s show time,” she says shoving me deeper
into the bushes and stepping onto the path. I watch as she
approaches the gate, gaining speed as she goes. Anya’s running at a
full sprint when she reaches the gatehouse. The Pazitor come out to
meet her, and she skids to a stop.

I can’t hear what she tells them, but she’s
waving her arms and pointing to the eastern border of the campus.
The three of them take off and run past me in a blur. Once they’re
out of sight, I step from the bushes hesitantly and head for the
gate. I see two dark figures approaching from the west. Anya was
right. Nik was true to his word.

“Let’s go.” He’s got my bag slung over his
shoulder. It’s full to bursting. Nik reaches into the gatehouse and
presses the release for the main gate. It swings open silently, and
we slip through.

I steal a glance at my companions. Nik looks
focused, confident. Blaine on the other hand looks a little green.
Good, I think. Maybe he’ll think twice before stealing another
computer. Besides, it’s reassuring to know that I’m not the only
one scared out of my mind. I remind myself that this is what I’ve
been preparing for, but this isn’t training and the stakes are so
high. Although I fear it, failure is simply not an option.

We go straight to the woods and don’t stop
until we’re in a mile deep. It’s much darker here in the woods than
it was on campus. There is only natural light, and the stocky trees
block most of the moonlight that spills down from above. Nik drops
the duffle to the ground and unzips it.

He looks expectantly at Blaine and me. “We
shouldn’t go any further unarmed. It’s too dangerous.”

“I’ll take the crossbow,” I tell him, quickly
claiming my preferred weapon. He hands me the bow, and I feel
marginally better about this endeavor with its hefty weight in my
grasp. I check to make sure it’s fully loaded and discover that
Nik’s already filled it with Annihilators. He hands me additional
bolts, which I stuff in my jacket pocket. Just in case.

I watch as he hands Blaine a pistol. Nik
quickly reminds him how to remove the safety and reload. Blaine
pockets two spare clips looking miserable.

“We should start where the last body was
found,” Nik tells us, loading his own weapon, also a pistol. He
tucks it into the waistband of his jeans. The weapon is hidden by
his jacket. “Damian has been making his way closer to town. I
checked the map, and I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of where
we’ll find him if we hurry. He’ll be looking to feed soon.”

“Lead the way,” I tell him, glad to have
someone who’s less directionally challenged to chart our course.
I’d probably get lost on my own.

Nik slings the bag of remaining weapons and
ammunition over his shoulder and takes off running. Blaine and I
exchange uneasy looks and follow. I’ll have to keep an eye on him
tonight. I still don’t trust him. Why would I?

We run for a while without stopping, and I
gauge the distance to be more than ten miles. I’m reminded of the
story Anya told me about her own nighttime trek through the woods
with Nik. The run is easy. I haven’t run this kind of distance
since I played soccer. I’ve never run this kind of distance at
these speeds though. We navigate the terrain with ease. Our eyes
are meant for this type of hunt.

I feel the thin line between reality and my
nightmare world begin to fade as the trees fly past, their branches
reaching for me as I pass. The smell of pine and sap are in the
air. I do my best not to let the fear control me. My body is
performing well, and I fly over the ground without stumbling.
Mostly, I’m comforted by the fact that I’m not alone. This
knowledge allows me to stay the course.

Nik slows up as we approach the edge of the
forest.

“What now?” Blaine asks.

“We hunt,” Nik says simply.

The three of us spread out and start combing
the forest. It doesn’t take me long to get frustrated. “We could be
here all night.”

“Patience,” Nik cautions.

Screw that! I’ve got a better idea. I take
off into the forest at a breakneck speed leaving Nik and Blaine
behind. My new prey is much easier to track and find. In a matter
of minutes I’ve taken down a whitetail doe. Even with four legs the
creature doesn’t stand a chance against my speed. I break her neck
in one swift motion and carry the carcass back to where Nik and
Blaine are still hunting.

They both stare at me in shock. Little do
they know the best is yet to come.

I rip off the head in one fell swoop and
watch as the blood pours out. Pushing aside my revulsion at such an
unnecessarily violent kill, I race along the forest edge spreading
the blood over the foliage. When the body runs dry, I discard it in
the woods and return to where Nik and Blaine wait.

“Interesting approach.” Nik is amused at my
impatience. It doesn’t matter. It’ll get the job done.

“Now we wait.”

We spread out again, casting a wider net this
time in which to ensnare Damian. I sit in my perch unmoving with
only my thoughts to keep me company. I wonder how my life has come
to this. I wonder if I’ll see Aldo again when this is all over, if
I’ll have a chance to apologize to him for my earlier outburst. I
wonder if I’ll even survive. I told Nik that I’d only stay for
Damian, but deep down I know there’s no way I can leave with Luka
still on the loose. After all, he’ll never stop hunting me and
there’s only one way to break the connection between us.

It doesn’t take long for Damian to catch the
scent of fresh blood. As expected, he shows up within the hour.
He’s wary, but it doesn’t deter him. He approaches slowly. I can
hear him although he’s not in my line of sight yet. I signal to
Blaine and Nik to stay put. I don’t want them spooking the kid. If
he senses danger, he’ll run. I get up slowly and retreat deeper in
to the forest confidant he’ll follow. He doesn’t disappoint.

He moves noisily and makes no effort to hide
his presence. I’m not sure if it’s lack of skill at hunting or
overconfidence. Probably the latter, I decide. He’s been killing
adults for days with no problem. The very thought of this child
taking innocent lives sickens me. I take a deep breath and force
the thought from my mind. I have to keep moving. I can’t afford to
humanize Damian. I can’t afford to feel anything for him. Not if
I’m going to do what has to be done, what I’ve come to do.

When I find a clearing I stop. This will
work. The clearing is large and relatively circular in shape
despite its natural formation. The earth is carpeted with lush
green grass, and there are a couple of fallen moss covered trees,
which on a different day might provide a nice spot for a picnic
lunch. My senses take it all in. I bask in the moonlight which is
brighter here without the cover of trees. There are so many stars
in the sky tonight. They illuminate the entire clearing and reveal
early spring blooms fighting their way through the earth. It’s as
good a place as any to die.

I stride to the center and wait. He’s got my
scent now and is following closely. It won’t be long until I am
reunited with Damian. Will he remember me?

He bursts into the clearing, wild eyed and
twitching. Nothing in the world could have prepared me for this. I
couldn’t have imagined this Damian in my wildest dreams. There is
nothing left of the sweet eight year old I remember. The boy from
the newscast, the one that Rutland will mourn, is gone.

Damian’s once happy face is contorted into
that of a monster. His lips are bloodstained. Dried blood is caked
on his face and his clothes. He’s filthy. His Sponge Bob sweatshirt
is a grotesque reminder of what once was. Damian’s eyes are crazed
with bloodlust. He begins to salivate at the sight of me.

“Damian?”

He gurgles in response and shows me his
teeth. He licks his lips and smiles at the taste of the old blood
which coats them. It’s difficult to look at him without
disgust.

“Damian? Do you remember me?” I try again as
a wave of nausea sweeps over me.

Once again, he gurgles incoherently in
response. It’s futile. There’s no reaching him. As sure as I’m
standing here, I know that he’s beyond help. He’s delirious with
the sete de sange. The bloodlust has destroyed him. His gaze is
fixated on my throat, the desire to kill obvious. He’s consumed by
it. There’s not a trace of the real Damian left. This monster has
taken his place.

I know what I have to do. I steel my
conscience and throw the crossbow aside.

“You’re thirsty?” I ask, dropping to my knees
in the grass. His face lights up. He starts gurgling again and
dances around in anticipation of his next meal. Still, he holds
back. His instincts are intact for all the good they’ve done him.
He senses that I’m a danger to him even though I’ve discarded my
weapon.