Cryostorm (4 page)

Georgia had come into her strength a few months ago, but it’d been getting better and better each week. Plus, it’d be good to flex some muscle because I was fuming. I wasn’t quite sure why, I mean, what had I expected? To be able to call Scott up and ask him how his day was? No. But still, I thought we’d be able to watch from afar at least.

But to have reports and not share?

My heart thrashed. Good thing I had layers of Gore-Tex on, because my heart would have cracked through my chest and flopped onto the ground otherwise.

Nate reached for my arm. “What’s wrong?”

I batted his hand away. “We’ll talk as soon as we move this thing. Or better yet, let’s find a secluded place, and I’ll give you a little frostbite.”

Tim led us to the front of the plow, put us in the positions he figured to be most helpful. Didn’t really matter. Three of us had super strength. If we had something to anchor our feet to, we could pick this thing up, twirl it around, and set it down with no problem. But there was all this damn ice.

“Okay, Frank,” Tim yelled out.

The machine roared to life and three bright floodlights ignited above the cab where Frank sat. The snow falling obstructed my view for the most part, but I saw his body moving around. The smell of exhaust and cool air wrapped around my senses.

“Ready?”

Grinding deep within the machine vibrated, probably him finding a gear.

“Go.”

I pushed with some of my strength, and my feet sunk deep into the snow, but it worked as an anchor all right. The same happened with Nate and Georgia so we pushed. Crackling ice and crunching snow sounded but we got some movement.

I stepped forward, still giving it only a fraction of my power. I glanced at Nate and he watched me. Probably holding back on his strength as well. Georgia’s skin gave off a subtle hint of pink as she pushed. Still working to keep her strength under control, her flame sometimes ignited if she pushed it too hard.

Within minutes, we had the plow backed out onto the part that had been plowed. Over the hum of the massive engine I heard Frank say, “I don’t believe it.”

“You’d be surprised what the right leverage and pushing can move,” Tim said.

Nate stepped beside me, and I hadn’t even noticed. “So, by the murderous stares you’ve been giving me, I’m assuming I’ve done something wrong.” Nate stood, with his hands by his side. My heart almost cracked at the remorse showing in his downturned eyes.

No. I had to stay strong. If he was keeping things from me, I had to know. I needed to know. I—

“Let’s find someplace where we can power up and blow off some of this steam.” I glared at Nate. “Otherwise, I might accidentally freeze something of yours I shouldn’t.

Chapter 5

I
rocketed an ice ball at the base of the widest cottonwood tree I’d ever seen. The crack echoed throughout the trees surrounding us. Snow up to my knees slowed me down as I walked but that didn’t stop me. I unleashed a stream of snow and sleet and traced it up that oak tree until I couldn’t see it in the flowing snow anymore.

From the corner of my eye, a burst of orange flames ignited, and I saw Georgia throwing fireballs at tree trunks. Some dissipated beneath the snowflakes, but the more potent ones sure didn’t. They were so hot, the tree caught on fire and I had to spray it down.

“No fair. I can’t practice in this weather. I hate the cold.” Her pink glow intensified.

I held out my bare hands and realized I wasn’t affected by the cool elements as much as I thought I was. But then again, my hands were covered in ice from using my power.

“Are we going to talk soon?” Nate asked.

He stood a few feet from me, gloved hands to his face, and he was blowing on them. Probably freezing. I’d been at my tantrum of powers for nearly thirty minutes.

“I’m cold,” Tim said.

“Come here.” Georgia reached for him with her illuminated hands. “I’ll warm you up.” She winked and Tim hurried to her. “Um, yeah, we’ll see you later, guys,” Georgia said as Tim led her deeper into the woods.

The wind picked up, and the stinging breeze pelted my cheeks. I glanced around. I couldn’t even see the floodlights that the hotel had on all sides of it because of the snow. So, I reached up, sprayed a wall. I guided my frosty stream to shape a curved roof, kind of like an igloo I’d seen on TV, but I left the opening bigger so I didn’t have to crawl in.

“Come on, Nate. I got a bone to pick with you.”

He followed me into my makeshift shelter. Guess I was a bit off on how tall to make it. The top of his head grazed the ice ceiling.

I sat on the snowy floor and tried to cross my legs, but found it a little difficult in all the snow gear I was wearing.

“Look, I know what you’re going to say, but let me say, first, that I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push you.” Nate melted to his knees in front of me. “I don’t know the rules of having a girlfriend. I mean, I’ve read about them, learned what I know mostly from that and watching other people, but actually having a relationship. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

“Nate—”

“No. Let me finish. I’m sorry I made you mad. I thought you wanted to be close to me as much as I wanted to be close to you. I didn’t mean to disrespect you, Mandy. That’s the last thing I would ever want to do. I l—”

“Wait. What are you talking about? I’m pissed as hell with you because you’ve been lying to me about Scott and Jasmine.”

“Lying? I’ve never lied. I—”

“So
technically,
leaving out important details on purpose is lying. Didn’t learn that in your textbooks growing up?”

Okay, I was a jerk. I admit it. And the pain that flashed across Nate’s face was proof of that.

I suck
.

“Wait. I’m sorry. I—” I leaned forward letting my face fall into my hands. “Damn it I’m going nuts. I didn’t think this dying thing would be so hard. How have you done it for so long?”

“I died to The Center, not a loving brother.”

“Then you have to tell me what’s going on with him. You know, don’t you? You’re not telling me.”

“That’s what you meant by omitting details on purpose is lying.” He nodded. “Right?”

“Nate, I’m really pissed at you about this.”

“You don’t trust me?”

“Of course I do, I—just—well that’s my brother, Nate. He’s all I have left since The Center
murdered my parents. Georgia only got to know him a few months before we had to die.”

“To keep him safe, remember.”

“I know, but still.”

“That’s what you’re so upset with me about, not about what happened in my room?”

My tummy flopped. I totally loved what happened in his room, that wasn’t an issue at all, but how far we would have gone had Georgia and Tim not come in, that’s another story.

He shuffled, still on his knees, toward me. “Mandy?”

He flashed his puppy-dog eyes at me and my insides melted. Not a chill left in my entire body with only a look from him.
Amazing.

“No.” I cupped my hands over his cheeks. “I loved being close to you. We should probably have the sex talk soon, but first…How is Scott? I need to know.”

“How will knowing make it easier for you? Won’t it make you crave to be with him?”

Tears stung. I hated crying. Felt weak, but I couldn’t help it. I missed my brother. After seeing him at my and Georgia’s funeral via the camera on Martin’s lapel, I’d broken. Our decision to die to protect them was made and now I was regretting not being able to see Scott every day. Or at least talk to him.

“Mandy? How will knowing make it easier for you? Won’t it simply add to the burden of your guilt?”

“You sound so old sometimes, you know?”

“Well, I’m not really sure how old I am in the brain actually.”

“Gross. I’m dating an old fart.”

“But we’re still dating.”

“Of course we are. I’m just pissed at you right now.”

“I don’t like that you are.” He reached his gloved hand toward my face and brushed his knuckles down my cheek. “I hate it, actually, but I’m glad it’s not because of what happened in my room. I really enjoyed that. And yes, I want a…
sex talk
…as well.”

“Do you even know what I mean by that?”

“I have an idea,” he said with a smile. “Though it’s more commonly called that when a parent is going to educate the child on how babies are made.”

“Old fart!” I batted his shoulder. “Please, tell me something. Anything. Is Scott okay? Is he safe?”

“Do you ask only about Scott and Jasmine and not Zach?”

I swallowed hard.

“Does this anger at me have something to do with him?”

“No.” The howl of the winter wind outside our cozy igloo drowned out my voice, but I felt only the heat of shame on my cheeks. Some of it had to do with Zach. I wondered what he was doing more than once. Not because I still loved him. I mean, I’ll always love him a little because he was my first love.

Nate tucked his chin toward his chest. “Now who’s lying?”

“Hey, I—” I couldn’t finish my objection.

“It’s okay.” He cleared his throat. “I understand.”

“No. It doesn’t mean anything. I’m—well—I’m worried. They’d tried to snag him before. His mother was killed. I don’t want anything bad to happen to him. Please, can you tell me something?”

“They are all safe.” He looked at the icy floor.

“What are they doing? Does he still have the smoothie store? Jasmine’s still protecting him, right?”

Nate drew in a deep breath, looking everywhere but me. My fear spiked a ten out of ten on the fear meter. “What?”

“I don’t want you to hurt, Mandy.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Knowing what they do in their everyday lives yet not being able to be a part of it. That’s a pain I don’t want you to experience. You’ve been through enough.”

“But you can know everything and I can’t?”

“I’m protecting you. That’s my job now. Remember?”

“Job?” That was the most unromantic thing ever said.

“One I take very seriously because I . . . care for you so much.” He finally fastened his stare on me. “So much, Mandy.”

“Then share with me what’s going on.”

His shoulders sagged. “Agents sniffed around them for two months. Watching, waiting. They’ve since left. We truly believe they accept you and Georgia are dead.”

“That’s good.”

Nate stood and showed me his back. “The store is still running. Very busy. The outpouring of support for your death was enormous. Families came in and took care of Scott. Made him food for many weeks.”

My heart swelled, yet cracked at the same time.

“Martin often sees his shadow where your room was. Pacing.” Nate cleared his throat. “Jasmine stays in constant contact with Jess watching the airwaves for Lois, even for you and Georgia.”

“Me and Georgia. You think he knows we’re alive?” I hopped to my feet.

“It was mentioned in passing once, remember? And he knows of my, Tim, and Martin’s story.” Nate faced me. “He might know. But we can’t give him any hint of it, because if an Agent that we aren’t aware of is still watching, if they doubt your death, the hunt will be back on.”

“I thought it was still on. We live as if it were.”

“We must always think it is on. Always.”

“Well, that wasn’t so bad. Why were you scared to tell me this?”

“There’s more.”

“Oh.”

“Jasmine and Scott are engaged. Their wedding is next month.”

“What?” My knees turned to rubber. “Married?”

“Yes. I’m sorry.” His head hung low.

I sagged to the igloo floor. My brother was going to get married and I was missing it? So soon after our deaths, too. Jasmine must really be helping him through his grief. I was lucky he had her. Never thought my brother would get married, not with the life we led.

Then again, Jasmine leads the same life. Nate stared down at me with wide, compassionate eyes. He and I had that life, too. Even more so than Scott. We literally were on the move every few days, following leads for Lois, tracking Bev, although, activity at her place seemed to slow since we’d killed psycho-Agent, Andrey.

Could be rebuilding, though. I shook my head.

And what about Zach? I didn’t dare ask for fear of hurting Nate. Maybe I could look at his Facebook—wait, Georgia said it was silent for the month.

“And Zach?”

“He dropped out of school. Stays home most days. Works in his Dad’s garage sometimes.” Nate clasped my shoulders with his fuzzy hands. “Martin says he looks very depressed. Doesn’t shave or clean up. Slouches when he walks.”

Tears stung my eyes. The vibrant, confident jock I met my senior year was gone. Because of me.

“I’m sorry, Mandy. You see now, why I didn’t tell you?”

I nodded. I hated that I knew all this, but yet I was glad I did. The absolute definition of bitter sweet. Couldn’t celebrate Scott’s marriage and couldn’t help ease Zach’s pain.

I just couldn’t win.

Chapter 6

“L
et’s get you back to the hotel.” Nate nudged my shoulder, and I looked up at him from the floor of our igloo. “Earlier, I found a weather report that said there’s a chance of the storm breaking in the next day or so.”

“Then where?” I didn’t sit up or even move other than to suck in a deep breath. My heart felt like a lead balloon. I’d gotten exactly what I’d asked for—information about my family.

Now I wanted to puke.

“We’re going to find Lois.”

“Yeah, that’ll be the day. We thought she was here. At this hotel, and we were wrong.
Again.
”

“Tim and I have talked about how elusive she’s been.”

“Reeks of Agent, doesn’t it?”

“Yes. But no one’s perfect.”

“Except you.”

“Sorry?” He rubbed his hand up my arm, coaxing me to a sitting position, but I leaned against the wall. “I am
not
perfect.”

“Yes, you are. How else would you tolerate me and my moods? My accusations.

My—”

“First of all, your moods are wonderful. As for your accusations, well, you love your brother so much. I can see how it hurts you not knowing.” He pushed up to his haunches. “But now that you know, was it worth it?”