Scorched (9 page)

Connor headed out the front door, preparing for the trip back to the interstate. As he plodded down the front steps, he found himself glancing back at the house, a pleasant ache settling in his stomach as he thought of Trin, waiting inside. He could still feel the ghost of her lips against his own and it made him smile like a first-year academy student.

Then he frowned.
What
the
hell
was
he
doing?
Only jeopardizing his entire mission. After all, what was the one thing the Council had warned him about—above everything else?

Do
not
get
attached.

Of course, that order had seemed much simpler when given back in the sterile, cold debriefing room, deep underground, two hundred years in the future. After all, why would anyone want to get attached to
her
—the girl destined to bring dragons back into the world? The one who had set in motion the Scorch that had led to the deaths of millions of innocent people? People like his father. He should want Trinity Foxx dead.

And yet, somehow, at that moment, all he could think of was running his hands through her glossy black hair, fingering each and every strand. Pulling her into his arms, breathing in her baby powder scent…

What
is
wrong
with
you? You’re a Dragon Hunter. Get a grip!

He shook his head, firming his resolve. She was a weakness. And he couldn’t afford weaknesses. His mission was too important. The entire world was depending on him to succeed. Not to mention his father.

He’d let his father down once. He wasn’t about to do it again. When the time came, he would do what he had come here to do. No excuses, end of story. They were his orders after all. And Connor always followed orders.

SMOKE

“Trinity! Wake up! Wake up!”

Trinity shrieked as rough hands grabbed her, shaking her shoulders, forcing her awake. Her eyes flew open. Connor stood above her, a strained expression on his face. “They’ve found us,” he said in a tight voice. “We have to get out of here.”

The jolt of terror was a better wake-up call than any shot of espresso, and Trinity was up in an instant, stuffing her feet into her shoes. As she looked around, eyes still bleary, her foggy brain tried to piece together the night. Connor had left to get her grandfather. She’d gone upstairs, drained from her trip to the Nether, and collapsed onto her old bed, hoping to rest her eyes for just a moment before they returned.

“Where’s Grandpa?” she asked. “Did you get him?”

He shook his head grimly. “There was…a complication,” he told her, shoving a coat, then a backpack into her hands. The dragon egg was inside, she realized, feeling the warm, smooth shell under the canvas, even now tempting her to pull it from its sheath and cradle it in her arms. Pushing the urge from her mind, she slipped the straps over her shoulders instead. Then she turned to Connor. He put a finger to his lips.

“They’re downstairs,” he hissed. “We need to go out the window.”

Who
was downstairs? The government? Or worse…the Dracken? Panic surged through her as she watched Connor force open a creaky window at the other end of the room. A complication. What did that mean? Was her grandpa all right? Or had they gotten him after all? A cold knot formed in her stomach as nightmarish possibilities whirled through her brain.

“Go!” Connor instructed, gesturing to the now-open window. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Forcing down her fear, Trin managed to climb out through the window frame onto the sloped roof. The temperature had dropped and the wind rushed in her ears. Thank goodness Connor had thought to give her a coat. Gingerly, she slid her way down to the edge of the slick roof, peering over the side. Oh God. She bit her lower lip, terror racing through her. They were still up so high!

“You’ve got to jump!” Connor commanded, his voice suddenly in her ear, startling her and almost causing her to slip. She hadn’t heard him come up behind her. “I’ve jammed the window, but it won’t take them long to break it.”

She stared down at the ground below, which seemed to weave in and out of focus. Her stomach roiled. “I’m…I’m afraid of heights,” she confessed, a sudden dizziness overwhelming her.

Connor looked at her as if she were crazy. “But you’re Fire Kissed!” he protested.

“What?”

He waved her off. “Never mind,” he said. “I’ll go first.” Without pausing, he proceeded to push himself off the roof, landing hard on the ground with an
omph
. After righting himself, he looked back up at her, holding out his arms. “I’ll catch you,” he shouted. “But you have to jump now!”

The ground loomed, seeming a thousand miles away. Above, she could hear a banging sound, footsteps entering the bedroom.

“Come on!” Connor begged from below. “Hurry!”

The window began to creak.

Trinity sucked in a breath, realizing she had no choice. She closed her eyes and slipped off the roof. Air whooshed in her ears like thunder as she flailed to the ground, her mind spinning with visions of cracked ankles and smashed wrists—

Strong arms seized her, breaking her fall. She opened her eyes. Connor’s face was inches away, his mouth locked into a self-satisfied smirk. “See?” he said, setting her down onto the ground. “I told you.” He motioned to a motorcycle leaning against a dilapidated fence. “Get on behind me,” he instructed as he threw a leg over the bike.

She stared at him, her still half-asleep brain torn with confusion. “Where did you get a motorcycle?”

He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Just come on! We’ve got to go, now!”

She reluctantly complied, climbing on behind him and holding on tight. Above them, the window shattered and a voice called out into the night.

“Trinity! Wait!”

She tried to look up, but the motorcycle took off, flying across her former front yard at way too fast a speed. Down the road, up the off ramp, and back onto the abandoned interstate without slowing down. She tightened her grip, clinging on for dear life as icy wind blasted her already frozen ears and the potholes from the abandoned highway caused the bike to bounce and weave dangerously.

As they passed old exit 13 without slowing down, Trinity bit her lower lip, worry worming through her insides. What had happened with her grandpa? Connor had promised her he’d get him. Did he now mean to leave him behind?

“Where are we going?” she tried to ask, her pulse kicking up in alarm.

But he either couldn’t hear her or chose not to answer.

“Connor! Could we
please
stop for a moment? I’m about to fall off the bike.”

The sun was rising, bruising the horizon with blues and pinks, as Trinity squirmed in her seat. They’d been riding for hours and she was sore and frozen, not to mention confused and scared. All she wanted to do was stop for two seconds and get some answers. Like why had they had to make such a quick escape? Who had come after them at her mother’s house? And, most importantly, what had happened with her grandpa and where was he now?

To her relief, Connor pulled the bike up to a stop sign, then dropped his feet to the ground. “Sorry,” he said, allowing her to dismount before parking the bike a few feet off the road. “I just wanted to make sure we put enough distance between us and them. We can rest here a few minutes.”

As he knelt down to check the bike, Trinity assessed their surroundings. They’d left the highway hours before, Connor choosing back roads over main thoroughfares in an apparent attempt to keep a low profile. Which was smart, she supposed, even though she found the desolation more than a bit creepy. From what she’d been able to tell, they’d crossed into New Mexico over an hour ago, and since then there’d been nothing but brown, empty desert, stretching out on both sides of the road, as far as the eye could see. The only signs of life were the beady-eyed vultures, circling the roadkill, and they hadn’t passed another car in hours. And here she’d thought Old Oak Grove was in the middle of nowhere. Her hometown was a bustling metropolis compared to this

Except…she squinted her eyes, peering south. Was that a small town out there, far in the distance? From here she could just make out the shadows of a few one-story buildings, scattered across the landscape. Some tiny, nothing town the rest of the world had forgotten, she supposed, just waking up, ready to face the day.

To celebrate Christmas, she realized dully. Because it was indeed Christmas morning, as much as it didn’t feel like it. She sighed. What was it about this particular holiday that seemed determined to make everything in her life go to hell? Next year—if they survived all this—she should just cancel the whole event.

The thought made her cringe. What was she doing here? All alone, in the middle of the desert, a fugitive from the law, with nothing more than the clothes on her back and a mythical dragon egg in her pouch. And her grandpa still MIA.

She fumbled for her phone. Maybe he’d left her a message…

“No!”

The phone was knocked from her hand. It skittered to the ground, the screen cracking on impact. Trinity turned to Connor in shock. “What are you—?” she started, but the words died in her throat as she caught the look in his eyes.

She dove for her phone. But he was too quick, grabbing it and slamming it down on the pavement. Trinity watched, horrified, as her only link to her grandpa smashed into a thousand useless pieces.

“What the hell did you do that for?” she demanded furiously.

Connor stared at her, his blue eyes wild. “You can’t let anyone know where we are!” He grabbed her roughly by the hand, his fingernails digging into her burn. She screeched in surprise and pain. “Now get back on the bike. We need to keep moving.”

She yanked her arm away, staring at him in disbelief and fury. What was going on here? This was not the same Connor from the night before. The one who’d held her close and comforted her—the one who’d kissed her softly and promised to keep her grandpa safe. It was as if he’d transformed into another person altogether.

“Connor, what’s wrong with you?” she demanded, the hurt in her voice impossible to hide. “You’re scaring me!”

Connor let out a frustrated breath, squeezing his hands into fists, then loosening them. “Look, I’m sorry,” he muttered. “It’s just…I don’t think you understand how much danger you’re in here. I’m only trying to protect you.”

“I know you’re trying to protect me,” she tried to reason. “But I also need some answers. Like where are we going, for one?”

He frowned. “To see some friends who can help us.”

Friends?
Trinity cocked her head in confusion. He’d never mentioned any friends. In fact, it was pretty clear he’d been on a solo mission. She stared at him, warning bells going off in her head.

“What about the volcano?” she asked slowly.

A shadow of confusion flickered across his face before he was able to mask it with a reassuring smile. But it was enough. Fear cut her to the core. Oh God. She’d been such a fool.

“You’re not Connor,” she realized aloud. “You’re Caleb. His twin.”

He looked at her for a moment, as if trying to decide something. Then his mouth quirked to a grin. “At your service, m’lady,” he quipped, dropping to an exaggerated bow. He actually had the nerve to look pleased with himself. She squeezed her hands into fists.

“How dare you?” she cried, furious beyond belief—at him for tricking her, at herself for falling for such a stupid trick. “You can’t kidnap me!”

He raised an eyebrow. “Um, I think the word you’re looking for is ‘rescue.’ I
rescued
you.”

“Oh really? Since when is dragging someone out of their bed in the middle of the night considered a rescue?”

“Simple. When that
someone
is in the clutches of a guy who plans to kill her.”

She stared at him. Stunned. He gave her a smug smile, followed by an impish shrug. It was all she could do not to punch his lights out.

“You’re crazy,” she growled. “There’s no way Connor would…” She trailed off, doubtfully. Was she really so sure of that? After all, she’d only met the guy yesterday…

No. That was crazy. Connor had saved her life. More than once, in fact. If he’d wanted to kill her, he could have easily done it. He’d had a million opportunities.

“Look, I’m sorry I had to trick you, but trust me, it was for your own good. If you’d just get back on the damned bike, I’ll explain everything.” He made a step toward her.

“Get the hell away from me!” she hissed. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Caleb regarded her, a regretful look on his face. Now that she realized it was him, she could clearly see the differences in their eyes. “I’m sorry, Trinity,” he replied. “But I’m afraid you have no choice.”

He lunged at her with lightning speed. But she was ready for him. Grabbing the backpack, she slammed the egg at his head with all her might, half praying it would just break, then and there, and end this once and for all.

But the egg remained intact. Caleb, on the other hand, collapsed onto the ground, out cold.

Trinity: one. Crazy evil twin from the future: zero.

Trinity tossed her head with satisfaction, kicking him a few times to make sure he was really out. Then she turned to the motorcycle, giving it a doubtful look. Even if she did figure out how to turn it on, she’d never be able to ride it. Instead, she yanked out what appeared to be an important wire, then took off down the road on foot. She turned back once, to make sure Caleb hadn’t made a quick recovery. But he was still prostrate where she’d left him.

“Come on, dragon,” she whispered to the egg in her pack. “Let’s get out of here.”

Trinity’s skin glistened with sweat as she stepped into a sleepy little diner a few miles from where she’d left Caleb lying unconscious on the roadside. She’d chosen to skip the first town she’d come to—feeling it would be too obvious a hiding spot—and forced her feet to keep moving until she came across this tiny restaurant completely off the beaten path. There was no way he’d find her here. At least not anytime soon.

The bells hanging from the front door chimed merrily as she entered and the few locals sitting at the counter gave her curious looks before going back to their breakfasts. After catching sight of her reflection in the beer sign mirror hanging on the wall, she could see why. She was red-faced and wild haired from her run in the early morning air.

Breathing in the comforting smells of frying eggs and burnt coffee, she walked purposely through the diner, stopping at the ancient pay phone at the very back. Picking up the receiver, she shoved some change in the slot, then forced her trembling fingers to dial her grandpa’s number. When there was no answer, she tried her best friend Caitlin’s cell—the only other number she knew by heart.

After a few rings, her friend’s cheery voice greeted her into voicemail. “Hi, you’ve reached Caitlin! I’m either on the other line or purposely ignoring you. Or maybe Mrs. Mitchell confiscated my phone for texting in class again. That bitch. Leave a message and if I deem you worthy, or at least hot, I’ll call you back. Mwah!”

Trinity’s heart sank. Of course. Caitlin’s family had gone to Disney World for Christmas. They were probably hurtling down the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror that very second.

Leaving Trin stuck in this real-life version alone.

“Caitlin!” she cried into the phone, not willing to give up. “It’s me, Trin.” Feeling the eyes of the other patrons on her, she lowered her voice. “I’m…well, I’m at this diner. In some town in New Mexico.” God, she didn’t even know where she was. How could she expect her friend to help her? “I think I’m in trouble, Caitlin!” she confessed, her breath hitching. “And…well, I don’t have my cell anymore. But I’ll wait by the payphone, okay?” She read the number off the phone’s base in case it didn’t get picked up by her friend’s caller ID. “Call me as soon as you can!” she pleaded before reluctantly hanging up.

“You just here to make calls or you want breakfast too?” asked the blond, ponytailed waitress behind the counter. Her voice was gruff, but there was something kind in her brown eyes, which crinkled at the corners. Trin slunk over to one of the red-vinyl stools and took a seat. Reaching her grubby hand into her pocket, she pulled out a few random coins—all the money she had in the world after making her calls.

“Can I get a cup of coffee for this?” she asked. She wasn’t the biggest coffee lover in the world, but she was exhausted from her all-night ride.

The waitress—her nametag identified her as Mary—studied Trinity for a moment, then seemed to make up her mind. “Sure, honey,” she said, reaching under the counter to pull out a cracked ceramic mug with remnants of pink lipstick still clinging to the rim. “In fact, we’re running a Christmas special this morning. Buy one coffee, get eggs and toast free. And bacon too if you’d like it.”

“Hey, Mary, how come you ain’t told me about that special?” called the old trucker at the other end of the counter. The waitress shot him an amused look.

“Shut up and eat your oatmeal, Stu,” she scolded. “Your wife would skin me alive if I let you eat bacon and you know it.” She gave Trin a knowing look and Trin found she couldn’t help but smile back. The down-home normalness of it all was starting to help her relax. All the horror of the last twelve hours was beginning to feel like a bad dream. “Now, did you want those eggs scrambled or sunny side up?”

Trinity ordered scrambled, her empty stomach growling in anticipation, and Mary turned to the griddle to start preparing her breakfast. Sipping her coffee, she looked over at the pay phone, praying Caitlin would call her back soon. Not that she had any idea how her friend would be able to help her. Especially from inside the Magic Kingdom. How would she even be able to explain what was going on—when she didn’t even know for sure herself?

She closed her eyes, feeling defeated. What was she going to do?

“Are you sure you’re okay, hon?” Mary asked, coming over to refill her mug. “No offense, but you don’t look so good.”

Trin’s first instinct was to say she was fine. But something in Mary’s face made her change her mind. “There’s this guy,” she confessed, squirming in her seat and sneaking a peek out the window into the nearly empty parking lot. “He’s…well, I think he’s after me.” God, she sounded like a paranoid freak.

“A boyfriend of yours?”

Trin shook her head. “No. Just someone…I met.” She looked up at Mary. “I’m in trouble,” she confessed. “I’m far away from home. I don’t have any money and I’m afraid he’s going to find me.”

Mary frowned. “That’s it. I’m calling Sheriff Baker.” She walked over to the phone behind the counter. Trin wondered if she should try to stop her. After all, she was a wanted felon at this point. If the police figured out who she was, they were going to take her away. Though at the moment a jail cell seemed like a better alternative than running into Caleb again. At least she could keep the egg out of his hands. Connor had told her the government was the least of their problems, that the Dracken were the biggest threat.

Connor. Where was he now? Did he have her grandpa with him? If only she could figure out a way to get back to Old Oak Grove. She looked around at the other diners. Maybe one of the truckers was going her way and could give her a lift. Of course it was dangerous to just get in a truck with a stranger. But considering the alternative…

A flash of movement outside caught her attention. She turned, her eyes widening in horror as they fell upon none other than Caleb himself, striding purposely toward the diner, his right eye swollen into an ugly purple bruise from where the egg had hit him. She dove off her stool and straight to the bathroom, her throat closing, cutting off air. How had he found her so quickly? It was as if he’d known she’d be there somehow!

She scanned the small room, desperate for an escape route, but realized there was no window and she was, for all intents and purposes, trapped. Outside, she heard the door bell’s jangle; Caleb was now in the building. She slipped into the far stall and yanked the door shut behind her, sitting on the toilet with her feet up, trying to still her erratic pulse.

Maybe he was just here to order a cup of coffee to go.

Yeah, right.

A moment later, the bathroom door burst open. “Trinity!” he called. “Get out here now!” She heard a crash and realized he’d kicked open door number one. Followed quickly by door number two. How many stalls were there in this bathroom? Three? Four?

“I know you’re in here!”

BANG!
Door number three. She stifled a squeak of fear, not knowing why she bothered. He’d find her in a—

BANG!
The door burst inward and she found herself face-to-face with her enemy. He gave her a disappointed look. “You’re really going to have to learn at some point that I’m not the bad guy,” he muttered as he grabbed her roughly by the arm and yanked her off the toilet seat. She struggled in protest until he pulled out a small pistol that looked just like Connor’s laser one—and pressed it against her back. Her mind flashed to the man at the museum, his head exploding in a burst of green goo, and she reluctantly stopped fighting.

“That’s better,” he soothed. “Now let’s go.” He gestured toward the bathroom door. “Ladies first.”

Somehow, some way, she managed to force her feet to cooperate and shuffle forward toward the bathroom’s exit. When she stepped back into the diner, the pay phone started ringing. She glanced at it longingly.
Caitlin
…

Caleb stiffened, turning to Trin, a horrified look of realization on his face.

“You didn’t,” he whispered accusingly.

“What if I did?” she demanded, somehow finding her voice. “Does that spoil your little kidnapping plan?” She forced herself not to look over at the phone, even though every fiber in her being wanted to dive across the room to answer it. She realized all the other diners had cleared out, probably after seeing Caleb’s gun, and only Mary remained, a frightened but determined look on her face. The waitress started toward Caleb.

“Look here, you leave that girl alone!” she cried in a voice bordering on hysteria. Trin’s eyes misted as the waitress came to her defense. At the same time she wished the woman would just turn and run out the front door—out of danger.

“You don’t understand,” Caleb cried, sounding exasperated. “I’m trying to save her life!”

Blue lights flashed through the diner’s windows as two cop cars whipped into the parking lot. Caleb let out a frustrated breath. “You really are determined to make my job as difficult as possible, aren’t you?” he groaned, shaking his head. He turned to Mary. “Is there a back door?”

“Like I’d tell you!” she shot back as the police officers entered through the front. The bells jingled merrily, the sound jarring with the current situation.

“Mary, what seems to be the—”

Before they could finish their question, Caleb had the waitress by the ponytail, yanking her back. Mary screamed in protest as he dragged her in front of Trin, his laser gun pressed against her head. “Get back!” he screamed at the cops, who were now fumbling uselessly for their own weapons. “Drop your guns. On the floor. Or I’ll kill her. I swear to God!”

The small-town cops, looking confused and frightened, obliged, dropping their firearms and crawling down to the diner’s black and white tiled floor.

“Please don’t kill me,” Mary squeaked. “I have kids at home. Three little girls.”

“Let her go!” Trin added, horrified by the fact she’d managed to drag a poor innocent mother into this whole mess. “I’ll go with you. Whatever you want. Just let her go.”

He ignored her. “Just be a good girl,” Trin heard him whisper to Mary, “and lead us to the back door.” Raising his voice, he added, “Stay still and count to a hundred. Or I’ll kill her!”

As the cops began to count, the three of them backed through the kitchen and out the rear door. Trinity looked around, wondering if she should make a run for it. But Caleb still had the gun pinned on Mary, and she wasn’t about to let the kindly waitress get hurt or killed on her account.

“Let her go!” she tried again instead, turning to Caleb with pleading eyes. “I’m the one you want, not her.”

To her surprise, he nodded, releasing Mary. The waitress fell to the ground, crying out as her bare knees scraped against concrete.

“I’m sorry,” Caleb said, looking surprisingly remorseful as he held out a hand to help the waitress to her feet. Mary refused his assistance, shooting him a death look as she scrambled up on her own. Her legs were cut and bleeding, her hair had come loose from its ponytail. Caleb sighed and dropped his hand. “Fine. Have it your way,” he said with a shrug. Then he turned to Trinity, his face hard and cold.

“Now, if you’re done messing around,” he said, “we’re late for our date with the Dracken.”