Mania (8 page)

She spoke through my fingers as she reached out to shake their hands. “N-ice to m—feet, y-ouf.”

I dropped my hand to my side but couldn't help smiling. There was something infectious about Libby. You couldn't be near her and not notice it.

Parker and Finn were smiling back at her already. Parker said, “It's nice to finally meet someone who can keep Jack in line.”

Libby's expression turned very serious and she said, “It isn't easy, but I teach a class on Wednesdays and Thursdays at midnight. There might be some ritual sacrificing involved, but I promise results.”

Finn shook his head and chuckled. “I like this girl already.”

“Everybody does,” I said, draping an arm around Libby's shoulders. “So, Lib, do you feel up for going on an adventure?”

“With three hot guys?” She put her arm around my waist and grinned at Parker and Finn. “Always.”

“Hot, huh?” It felt weird to have Libby calling my little brother hot.

She swatted at my chest with her free hand. “Don't act like you don't know it.”

I shook my head and decided to move on before she went any further.

“We may be gone for a few days … maybe weeks.” I felt the smile fall from my face and watched Libby's expression grow more serious in response to mine. “It's going to be dangerous.”

“With you, it always is.” The small smile that remained didn't waver. “What kind of trouble are you stirring up this time?”

I gave her the wickedest grin I could manage. “Chemistry trouble.”

She froze in place, eyes widening as her back straightened. “Please tell me we get to melt something huge.”

Finn burst out laughing. “Are you telling me that in the adopt-a-Night-Walker program, we picked Jack when we could've had this girl?”

Libby giggled and then shook her head at Finn. “What a big mistake that was.”

“You don't have to tell me that.” Finn gave her a mockingly sad face and an exaggerated sigh. Parker just stood there laughing and watching me.

“Too late now.” I shrugged with a half-smile and Libby linked her arm through mine. I didn't care that they were teasing me. Everything felt so much lighter with Libby around that it didn't bother me in the least. But with Libby, I'd learned a long time ago how to tease her back. “I should've known better than to let you around these two. You're going to corrupt them.”

“Who? Me?” She struck an angelic pose, her hands pressed together like a prayer, and winked at Parker.

I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and whispered low enough that only our group could hear. “You remember that he's my little brother, right? Take it easy or I'll feel duty-bound to protect him from your … charms.”

Libby had been the only person I'd ever trusted enough to tell my family secrets to … until Parker. And with him, it wasn't so much because I trusted him at the time as because he
was
one of the secrets.

“You know no one is safe from my … charms.” Libby put one hand on her waist and repeated the word back to me exactly the way I'd said it. Parker's eyes widened, and Finn looked like he was having the best day ever.

“And of course I remember,” she continued. “You think I could forget a juicy bit of gossip like that?” Slipping out from under my arm, she backed toward her trailer. “I'll grab my pack, and then we can say goodbye to Marisol and Randall together.”

When I nodded, she turned and jogged away. We walked up to stand in the shade of a nearby double-wide and waited. The rebels had set up their trailers in something resembling a circle, which left a big open area in the middle. Dead center in the clearing was a huge fire pit that I'd sat by and roasted marshmallows over when I was little. Lawn chairs of all shapes and sizes sat in front of the trailers, some empty, some full.

Many familiar faces gathered together, talking in low voices and watching us from those seats. When I caught their eyes they waved, but they watched Parker and Finn with undisguised curiosity and a little fear. If I didn't have Parker and Finn with me, most of the rebels probably would've come over to say hello by now. But with strangers here, they kept their distance and watched us. This camp had learned to be less than welcoming, and to distrust new people.

But it was good. They were safer this way. When I glanced back to see if Parker and Finn had noticed how much attention they were getting, I saw them both staring at me.

“Wow … ” Parker said as he and Finn stepped up beside me. “Libby was … ”

“Refreshing,” Finn filled in.

“Yeah, she does that to you.” I stretched my neck to one side and shrugged.

“No.” Parker's smile widened. “
She
does that to
you
.”

Finn laughed, but tried to smother it when I turned my gaze on him.

“I've never seen you smile so much or be so … relaxed.” When I frowned at him, Parker turned to look in the direction Libby had run. “I don't mean it in a bad way,” he added. “It's a very good thing. It's nice to see you have another mode besides drill sergeant.”

Finn muttered under his breath, “Having some emotions didn't kill you either.”

I felt frustration flare up inside me. I didn't know what Parker really wanted from me, but apparently what I was doing wasn't enough. So instead of responding, I turned away and saw Libby step out of her trailer on the other side of the clearing.

Just as she headed toward us, I heard the first gunshot. I watched as Marisol crumpled to the ground. Screams replaced laughter as the rebels ran. Chairs toppled over as they scrambled for cover behind the nearest protection they could find.

My instincts kicked in. I leapt toward Finn and Parker, grabbing their arms and slamming them both into a safe spot behind the closest trailer. The instant I had them around the corner, I heard two more shots; one hit the tree behind where we'd been standing.

“Stay here!” I shouted and peeked around the corner. Libby was bent over Marisol on the ground, and another man lay nearby. The rebels were quickly organizing to fight back, and I heard Randall shouting orders from somewhere on the other side of the clearing. There were already more guns firing, from inside and behind the trailers. The initial shots had come from my left, but now they came from everywhere. With everyone shooting, it was only a matter of time before someone hit Libby—on purpose or by accident.

Either way, I
couldn't
let that happen.

Taking a breath, I stayed low and ran out after her. She had her hand over the wound on Marisol's chest, but it was clear the shot had already done its job. Marisol's lifeless eyes stared up at me and branded my soul. It was like I could hear her in my head:
Get Libby out of here.

Reaching out with my right hand, I closed Marisol's eyes and then wrapped Libby in my left arm. She fought me, but she weighed so little there wasn't much she could do to stop me. I felt the air move when a couple of bullets whizzed by, but we made it over to Parker and Finn safely.

“No, Jack!” Libby shouted the instant I put her down. She started to run back out, but even in her grief, she was smart enough to stop. “Marisol can't be … I can't just leave her there … ”

I pulled her against my chest and smoothed the back of her hair. I tried to swallow my own shocked pain as I looked for the safest path back to the van. I couldn't help Marisol anymore. I needed to focus my attention on keeping Libby, Parker, and Finn alive.

“I know, Lib … but I have to get you all out of here before someone else gets hurt.”

“No! Leaving is what
you
do!” Libby yelled at me, tears streaking down her face. I forgot everything around us and just stared at her. I'd never seen her like this. “But not me. I can't just leave right now, Jack. I won't!”

Libby always showed exactly what she felt, plainly on her face. Right now her eyes were filled with pain and rage. I knew I couldn't take her out of here right now or she would never forgive me. I wasn't planning on running out on the rebels in the middle of all this—I just wanted to get Libby, Parker, and Finn to a safe place first.

But I didn't argue with her. Libby was suffering, and if lashing out at me helped her deal with this, I could take it. I closed my eyes for an instant and rubbed the bridge of my nose with my right hand.

“What's going on, Jack?” Parker yelled. “Who's doing this?”

Opening my eyes again, I leveled my gaze at my brother and gave him a hard look. “Who do you think?”

He paled and looked past me at Marisol's body. “I—I didn't think it was this bad.”

“I didn't share all the gory details of this war with you, but I told you it isn't a game. I told you they kill people.” The truth was, I'd left out a lot of the more horrific specifics. I'd never told him about the appalling things their leader, Steve Campbell, had done to those he'd caught. I'd never explained the things I felt he didn't need to know.

Pulling Libby in for another hug, I stared at my brother over the top of her head. “This is what reality looks like, Parker.”

“I know. You told me.” His voice was so soft I could barely make it out over all the commotion. “But seeing it is different.”

“It is.” I suddenly felt guilty for bringing him here. Maybe I should have forced him to let me come alone. It was a stupid mistake. “You shouldn't have seen it. Dad didn't want you to see this.”

“No.” Parker's eyes had fresh fire in them. It surprised me, even though it probably shouldn't have. He wasn't ready to run. He was ready to fight. “I needed to see this … and now I need to help. You
have
to let me help, Jack. What can I do?”

“Libby, you stay with Finn.” When Libby started to protest, I just talked over her. “You want me to stay and help. To do that, I need to know you're safe. We won't leave until we stop this, Lib. I promise. Parker, come with me.”

Finn stepped forward next to Libby. “Shouldn't we call the police or something?”

I couldn't stop the harsh laugh that escaped. “Yeah, sure. Go ahead and call them. That should help.”

Finn looked offended. “Why not?”

I peeked around the corner of the trailer toward the area where the shots were coming from. Two police cars were parked there. I hoped maybe I'd been mistaken, but no. When I'd run out to get Libby, I'd caught a quick glance at flashing lights on top of a white car out of the corner of my eyes. “Because, Finn, the Takers aren't stupid, and they can take over anyone they want. The police are currently the ones shooting at us.”

Ten
Parker

“What? They took over cops?” Finn said as both he and I gaped at Jack.

I turned my eyes on all the rebels around us. None of them looked at all surprised. Libby just looked devastated. But Takers were obviously responsible. It was the only option that made sense. They hadn't announced themselves. They hadn't told us all to come out or tried to arrest us.

They had just started shooting.

And they hadn't been trying to scare us—they'd been shooting to kill.

The rebels were shooting back. Hiding behind cars, trailers, and metal walls. They appeared to have plenty of ammo. They had seen this, and worse, before.

“It's a definite possibility. You guys keep forgetting. They can use
anyone
, Finn.” Jack lowered his chin and gave Finn a hard look. “You should know that better than anybody else.”

Finn shivered and nodded. Thinking of Finn made me remember something I'd almost forgotten …
someone
I'd almost forgotten … Chloe. Was she still in the van? I could see in Jack's face that he'd had the same thought.

“Finn, take Libby and head back to the van. Check on Chloe and make sure she isn't causing any trouble and doesn't go anywhere.” Jack's eyes darkened. “I'm going to need to have a little chat with her when I get back.”

I shook my head. “You think she had something to do with this?”

“Maybe … but I'm certainly going to ask.” He shrugged and tossed Finn the keys. “If anyone heads in your direction, or the shooting stops and we aren't there within fifteen minutes, drive away until we call you to come back.”

Finn hesitated and looked at me. When I gave him a firm nod, he took Libby's arm and started toward the van. She wasn't resisting anymore. Her eyes were vacant, her mind elsewhere.

Jack put both hands on my shoulders until I locked my eyes on his. “Stay with me and don't get shot.”

“Uh … okay,” I barely got out before he took off. We dodged in and out around trailers, through trailers, and under trailers until we got over to where Randall was holed up with two guns and a huge bucket of ammo.

“What can we do?” Jack asked, pushing me back until I felt like I'd been plastered against the side of the trailer. My heart was banging a staccato rhythm in my ears. A couple of feet in either direction and they could see me. It was surreal and terrifying.

Randall eyed us both, then spoke to Jack. “Can he handle a gun?”

“No,” we both said at the same time.

“You said these guys are being controlled by the Takers?” Everything about what was happening in this camp felt wrong, and I couldn't find a solution that felt right.

“They could've been blackmailed into it or something else, but it's more likely they've been taken.” Jack hesitated, like he could see my argument coming from a mile away.

“How can we kill them?” I asked.

“Easy,” Randall scoffed before firing off another six rounds. “They're shooting at us.”

I gave Jack a hard look. “If they've been taken over, they're like Finn.
They
aren't doing this. If we kill innocent people, then we're no better than the Takers.”

Randall spun around with his eyebrows impossibly high. “What did you just say?”

Jack groaned and put a hand on Randall's shoulder to mollify him. “What do you want us to do, Parker? I know what you're saying, but we have to defend ourselves.”

Randall waved dismissively in my direction and started shooting again.

“Find a way to stop them without killing them,” I pleaded. “If anyone can do that, I know it's you.”

Jack stared at me, expressionless, for several seconds but I could see the battle raging behind his eyes. He reached into both boots and pulled out a knife in each hand. “I can't promise not to hurt them … but I promise not to kill them. Good enough?”

I nodded. “That'll work.”

Randall looked back at us like he was getting ready to argue.

“I'm going to have to get closer.” The muscles in the side of Jack's jaw clenched so fast it looked like a spasm. “Try not to shoot me, Randall.”

The rebel leader shook his head. “I'll do what I can. You be careful, Jack.”

“I'm going with you,” I said. Jack didn't respond, so I followed him as he darted past the backs of several trailers, circling around to where we could see a single police car parked.

“We'll knock them both out and let the rebels sort out whether they are innocent or guilty later,” Jack said.

I listened intently and followed Jack's movements like my life depended on it—which it probably did.

When we got behind them, Jack held up his fist to tell me to stop and wait. It was the same communication he'd taught me when we attacked the Takers' base. I watched him carefully, waiting for his next instruction. The two officers were by the car, firing over their doors with a ton of ammunition scattered in boxes across the front seat. I counted to ten, watching and waiting.

Jack seemed to be listening for something specific, but I couldn't tell what … until I saw Jack find him. He pointed to a third officer twenty feet to our left. The third man had ducked behind a tree to reload.

Jack gave me a confident nod and I could tell exactly what he was thinking:
Three armed men? When we have no weapons? No problem.

How on Earth could we be related? My thoughts were more along the lines of,
We don't outnumber them. We obviously need more people to help … and bulletproof vests.

When the third guy finished reloading and started shooting in a different direction, Jack signaled and we moved. The shooter behind the tree had his sights on his victims in the clearing. He didn't hear Jack sneak up until it was too late. Jack wrapped his arm around the cop's throat and squeezed tight until, a few seconds later, the man stopped fighting back.

Slowly lowering the guy to the ground, Jack felt for a heartbeat. When I heard the guy take a breath, I finally felt like I could take one too.

“H-how did you know when to stop?” I whispered, so quietly that I wasn't even sure Jack had heard me until he answered.

“Three seconds.” He grabbed a thick but short stick from nearby and stood up, handing it to me. “Dad taught me those three seconds are the difference between being a fighter and being a killer, between victory and defeat—and for your enemy, those three seconds are the difference between life and death. Three seconds after they pass out is enough time to be sure your enemy is fully unconscious, but it's
usually
not enough time to kill him.”

“Usually?” I took the stick but didn't even look at it. My stomach felt a little uneasy about our conversation.

“Yeah … ” Jack's mouth formed a grim line, and he started inching toward the shooters by the police cars before finishing quietly. “It's the ‘usually' part that can make things a little tricky.”

He gestured for me to follow him behind a tree. Once there, he kept peeking out and then ducking back in.

His frown deepened every time he looked out until I asked, “What's wrong?”

“I can't find a good position to get the older officer based on where he's standing. The only place I can hit him from here is neck or head … both lethal.” He tapped the hilts of his blades together and shook his head. “I need to make him move.”

Sneaking a glance around the tree, I could see what he was talking about. I swallowed back a rush of fear, knowing what I had to do.

“Be ready,” I said, knowing Jack would argue with me if he knew my plan … but what was all my running good for if not a situation like this?

“What?”

“Don't let me die. Now go!” I whispered, then bolted out from behind the tree in a direction where the older officer couldn't help but see me and would have to step away from the car to get a good shot.

Before I even made it ten feet I heard the zipping noise of Jack's blade slicing through the air. The younger officer cried out. I didn't look back, but I heard footsteps as the older officer stepped away from the car and followed me. My heart pounded thunderously in my head. Everything was moving so slow—yet so fast that I couldn't move or do anything to protect myself.

Another zipping noise sounded just before the next gunshot rang out. Pain burned through the left side of my head; I tripped and fell to the ground as everything around me slowed down. Visions of Addie laughing, my mom smiling at me across the kitchen counter, Finn goofing off in the backyard … they pelted me from all angles.

My life, here and gone in an instant.

The gun fell from the officer's fingers as he yelped out in pain. I just caught sight of a whirl of motion near the car before a crowd of rebels with guns surrounded all three men.

I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't blink. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack running toward me. I thought I could hear him yelling my name.

“Parker! Parker, are you hurt?” His voice began to slice through my haze. “Parker! Did he
hit
you?”

I slowly turned my face toward my brother. The sheer wild panic I saw on his face was nearly as shocking as the fact that I'd been shot. Drawing in my breath, I felt the world start moving like normal again, and color rushed back into Jack's face when I finally said, “I—I'm okay … I think I'm okay.”

Jack reached out to the left side of my head and his fingers came back with a drop of blood. “He just nicked the top of your ear. You're one lucky idiot.”

“I guess I gotta be lucky at something,” I groaned as I rolled over and up onto my knees. Relief flowed through me at the knowledge that it could have been so much worse. “Besides, it worked, didn't it?”

Jack smiled and I saw respect in his eyes. “It did.”

The chaos all around us had stopped. There were no bullets, no yelling. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath as it watched our fight end.

Jack helped me up and then jogged over to a nearby trailer. He came back with a couple of dishtowels in his hands. He crossed to the older officer, who glared at him over the top of his gag. Some rebels stood ready with rope to tie him up, but were waiting for Jack as he carefully retrieved his knife from the man's biceps, wiped it off on one of the towels, and sheathed it. He tied the cloth tight around the man's wound. By the time he'd finished, I'd taken Jack's other dishtowel and walked over to the younger officer. This one looked more scared than angry and was in quite a bit of pain.

I considered repeating Jack's steps, but the knife was embedded in the man's forearm. I was nervous that if I pulled it wrong, I might do more damage than good.

Jack stepped up, grabbed the hilt of the knife, and looked at me. “Ready?”

I nodded. When he pulled out the knife, I quickly tied the cloth tight around the man's arm. The wound was still really bleeding, but the towel did its job. The rebels tied this cop up as well. Jack wiped the knife on the makeshift bandage before sticking it back in his boot.

“We're not a bad team, you know?” I spoke the words hesitantly, but I felt I needed to say it. Jack needed to recognize that I could be more than just someone who always got in his way.

He nodded but didn't look at me. “I know.”

Randall approached us. He'd taken a bullet to the shoulder since I'd seen him a few minutes before, but someone had already wrapped it up and he looked like he'd be fine.

“That was incredibly brave—and incredibly foolish. But thank you, both of you.” Randall shook his head and looked over his shoulder at a few of the others, who were covering Marisol's body with a white sheet. “I'd hoped things might get better after … after what Danny did.”

“They will.” Jack was trying to sound confident, but the hesitation in his tone was hard to miss. “I just need more time.”

Randall leaned toward him. “What are you working on, Jack?”

“Danny gave me something I have to sort out.” Jack spoke the words quietly, looking around us as though there might still be someone we couldn't trust who was listening.

“God, please no.” Randall paled as he spoke, and it took me a moment to catch up. “Please tell me he didn't give you the formula to Eclipse. I thought we were finally done with that. If he gave it to you—”

“No, Randall.” Jack reached out and placed his hand on the man's shoulder to reassure him. “Danny made sure no one can make Eclipse. That plague is gone, for good.”

The color returned to Randall's face. I wondered if maybe I should quietly slip away and go check on Finn and the others at the van, but then Jack gave me a look that glued me in place.

“All I can tell you right now is that
we
are trying to help, and that it's very important.” Jack looked me straight in the eye for several seconds. His message came through: something had changed back there and he meant what he was saying—
we
. Then he turned back to Randall. “Danny left me a message. He told me to tell you that ‘it's time to begin'? I know he was pretty paranoid by the end, but does that mean anything to you?”

“Yes,” Randall said without hesitation, and deep sadness fell over his face like a shadow. “I have something to give you. Wait here while I go get it.”

“We have to go check on our friends.” Jack looked reluctant to leave, but we both knew we needed to make sure everyone else was all right. “Meet us at the van?”

Randall nodded and walked away as we turned back the way we'd come.

I looked at the people shuffling around the clearing. They looked damaged, but resilient. Marisol was the only one they'd lost. Even the other man they'd hit was awake and bandaged. It looked like he would make it, too. They'd been lucky.