The Forbidden Trilogy (42 page)

The breath she'd nearly choked on whooshed out of her mouth.
"We need to get to the back door."

They followed her to the door, one seldom used by the
guards. She turned the handle, but it was locked.

"Gary, little help."

The air around them sizzled with little currents as Gary
worked his magic on the metal lock. The door popped open and the four of them
walked through.

No one so much as breathed on the walk through the long
corridor. At the corner, where it turned into the main break area, they
stopped, and Lucy peered around.

Mr. Black sat at a table alone, reading a magazine and
drinking a soda. Her sweaty palms left a streak of moisture on the wall, and
she nearly fell forward into the room when she lost traction. Neil caught her
by the jacket and pulled her back.

They had to get close to Mr. Black. She waved for them to
move forward when he rose and walked into the men's room a few feet from the
table.

Perfect.

With no other guards around, the four walked into the men's
room.

Lucy hoped Greg still had control of the cameras; otherwise,
they'd have guards all over them in seconds.

Mr. Black's feet peeked out from the middle stall. Lucy
nodded to Mary, who presumably started leaking pheromones or something.

When Mr. Black came out of his stall, his eyes had a
glazed-over, lustful look that made Lucy want to puke. "What are you— Who
are—"

Mary sashayed over to him with her
come hither
look.
She ran her finger over his cheek and lip. Her voice came out as a purr.
"Don't worry about them, just focus on me. I'm here to make you very
happy."

Lucy stifled her gag and focused on the mission. "We
should ask him about the other kids—the babies and little ones. We need to know
where they are before we escape, so we can rescue them next."

Gary checked his watch. "Just hurry. Greg can't keep
his powers going for long. We need to get to the command center."

Lucy faced Mr. Black. "Where are they, you son of a
bitch? Where are you guys keeping the other kids?"

His eyes didn't waver from Mary's body. "Nowhere
important. Nowhere with such a view."

Lucy raised her hand to slap him but Mary grabbed it.
"My thrall will only work if he's focused on me. Now, can we go? I'm
bored."

Disappointment surged through Lucy. How would they save the
other kids and shut down Rent-A-Kid for good? She wished they'd had more time
to plan this out.

They led Mr. Black to the command center right next to the
break room. Two guards stopped them at the gate. "Sir, you know we are not
permitted to allow unauthorized personnel back here."

Gary flicked a finger, and the soldier dropped his gun. Mary
used the distraction to whisper in Mr. Black's ear.

The thumping of Lucy's heart could be heard in other
countries. Their entire plan hinged on getting into the command center. If Mary
couldn't get Mr. Black to do what she wanted.... Lucy didn't want to think
about that scenario.

Mr. Black addressed the men. "I have been instructed to
interrogate these students in a secure location. The Seeker himself issued
these orders. Do you dare question him?"

The Seeker's name had the intended effect. The guards
stepped back and allowed them through.

"Take a break, boys. This is top secret, and I need you
out on patrol making sure no other kids create problems."

They entered the control room and discovered a third guard
still on duty. When he saw Mr. Black, he snapped to attention.

Lucy cursed herself for not getting better intel on this
location. She raised an eyebrow at Mary, who nodded and leaned into Mr. Black
again, rubbing her body against his just enough to entice him.

The guard in the room stared slack-jawed at the scene in
front of him. No one moved for several long moments as they waited for the
guard to follow the command. He adjusted his gun, setting everyone there on
high alert. "Sir? What's going on? Do you need help with these
students?"

"No, I just need time alone with them to ask some
questions."

He looked from Mr. Black to Mary, then back again. With
skepticism in his voice he asked, "Are you sure, sir?"

Mr. Black's arrogance still claimed the stage, even under
Mary's spell. "Yes, I'm sure. Do you dare question me?"

Lucy remained still and waited to see how this would play
out. The guard headed to the door as if to leave, but moved his gun a fraction
of an inch toward the group.

It was enough for Lucy.

She whipped Mr. Black's pistol out of its holster and
knocked out the guard with a blow to the head.

Gary backed up and covered his mouth. "Holy crap. Did
you kill him?"

"No. He's just unconscious. Neil, you're up."

Neil had the unique ability to mimic any sound at all,
including any human voice. He got on the radio and, in the voice of Mr. Black,
spoke to the guards. "Units One, Two and Three, there's been a schedule
change. Please report to the main headquarters for further instructions."

Neil went down the list of snipers, guards and patrol units,
until he'd sent everyone to the main headquarters, where another team would set
fire to the building and trap them in. Once they'd eliminated that threat, Gary
could use his metal power to tear apart the gates, and those who wanted could
escape in the chaos.

"Neil and Gary, go get the others. Mary, keep Mr. Black
happy." Lucy didn't want to think about what that would entail.

Lucy took control of the main computers and permanently looped
the cameras so Greg could take a break. With their abilities fading in and out,
they needed to do as many things without powers as possible.

Luke arrived a few minutes later with a team ready to
collect supplies and initiate phase two.

A metal case on one wall housed weapons and other fancy
equipment. Luke called to Gary. "You ready?"

Gary held up his hands and pushed them apart as if he was
swimming. As he did, the metal on the doors pried themselves apart. Luke smiled
and handed out guns and earpieces to the team leaders.

Lucy walked over to Luke. "Guns? Really? I'm not sure
that's such a great idea."

Gary cocked his weapon and practiced levitating it with his
powers. "We need them, especially if our powers give out or the guards
fight us. Not all of us can beat them up. We have this one chance to escape,
and we can't blow it."

Luke shrugged. "I don't disagree with the kid, Sis.
We're not inviting these guys out for a tea party, we're inciting a rebellion.
We need weapons."

"All right. Luke, you and your team start a fire in the
main HQ where all the guards are. Man, you've got to love the military mindset
of obeying orders without question. Gary, you back him up and attack any guards
that try to escape."

When everyone had cleared out, Lucy pulled up a chair next
to Mr. Black and his lap-warmer, Mary.

"I need him to tell me where the other facilities
are."

"You are just no fun," Mary purred.

"Come on, Mary, we don't have much time."

"Fine." She rubbed her leg up and down his and
massaged his arm. "Mr. Black, tell us where the other kids are,
please."

"They're not here. But they're not far."

"Mmmhmmm... that's a good boy. What else can you tell
us? An address perhaps?"

Mr. Black stared at her chest and opened his mouth to
answer, then snapped it closed. His head jerked, and he pushed Mary off his lap
and onto the floor.

Lucy's earpiece came to life. "Sis, you ready for the
fire?"

Lucy saw Mr. Blacks' eyes clear and knew something had
happened.

Mary's panicked crawl across the room confirmed it.
"Lucy, my powers, they're gone." She huddled in a corner and
shivered.

Lucy whispered into her mouthpiece. "Luke, stand down.
Something's wrong."

Mr. Black stretched himself to full height and laughed.
"Do you really think I'm that stupid, that I didn't know your plan? I knew
you'd try something, which is why I had the Seeker implant part of his
consciousness in my mind. Disgusting, I know, but necessary to make sure you
couldn't use me for your scheme."

Was that even possible? Could the Seeker really do that?
Sam had said he was powerful, but—

Lucy couldn't tell if he'd lied.

In that moment, she knew they'd all lost their powers.
Things were about to fall apart quickly.

Outside, soldiers issued orders to those in their command.
Lucy could hear the groups fanning out across campus. She remembered all the
students with guns and imagined what would happen if they used them.
"Gary, stand down. Abort plan. We screwed up. It's too late. You need to
get everyone back to the dorms."

Through the window, Lucy saw a man dressed in a white robe
lead a group of soldiers toward the control room. The man seemed more god or
angel than human. His long white hair touched his waist and he had pale, nearly
translucent skin. He wore dark glasses, though it was night, but had no trouble
navigating the path.

Gary's voice crackled in Lucy's ear, rousing her from the
reverie that had settled over her. "It doesn't matter. We have to attack
now. If we die, we die, but we can't give up and let them win."

"Gary, please, don't start shooting. Our powers are
gone. We will all die—and it
does
matter. If we live, we have tomorrow
to fight. If we die, it's over for good."

Soldiers crashed into the control room brandishing guns.
They parted like the Red Sea when the man in white moved through them.

He spoke with a voice of honey and wine—sweet and
intoxicating—and Lucy knew he was the Seeker.

"Please, lay down your weapon and surrender peacefully.
There's no need for this kind of uprising amongst friends."

Tension filled the room. Lucy prayed to any god who would
listen that none of her team tried to play hero and take out a guard or the
Seeker.

Then, the last person in the world Lucy expected to take up
the hero role walked up behind the Seeker. Mary grabbed a chair....

...and swung it at his head.

The Seeker didn't turn to face his attacker, or even move at
all, but Mary screamed.

She dropped the chair and clutched at her head as if someone
were frying her brain. She collapsed to the floor in a heap, and stayed there,
motionless.

Neil screamed and ran out of the building.

Without a command, the guards fired on them.

Lucy ran to the window with the intention of breaking it and
jumping out.
Have to get to Luke. Have to regroup.

Luke's voice called out in her earpiece. "Lucy! What's
happening?"

She opened her mouth to answer him, but something bit her
shoulder. She reached her hand around to swat at it and discovered blood. A lot
of it. All hers.

The room collapsed in on her, and then darkness took her.

The dingy motel room had two double beds with cheap, ugly
comforters on them, two dressers, a television, and a desk with internet
hookup. As uncomfortable as it looked, the promise of sleep enticed me. My baby
kicked against my ribs and pressed down on my bladder.

"This is your stop, Dude," Drake told Brad.

We were about an hour from the Rent-A-Kid site. Drake and I
would leave in the morning to take down the Seeker and help my friends escape.
Brad would work with Father Patrick and anyone else he could find, to help us
once we got the kids out.

Brad nodded and pulled out his computer. "What if you
don't make it? Then what?"

"There's no Plan B. If we fail, get the hell out of
here and stay off the radar, got it?"

Despite the non-smoking request, the room smelled of stale
cigarettes, booze and sex. Maybe a shower with a lot of fruity shampoo would
get the stench out of my nostrils.

Hot water had a soothing effect on my body, but did nothing
to wash the gore and blood from my mind. Drake had killed a man. He'd done it
right in front of me. How could I ever look at him the same again?

By the time I had finished my shower, my body had nothing
left to give. I collapsed on the bed next to Drake.

"Feeling any better?"

"I feel cleaner, which is a step up from being covered
in blood."

His face fell. The pain in his eyes compelled me to reach
for his hand, but my heart kept a distance I didn't know how to bridge.

"Hey, guys, you're not going to believe this."
Brad held up his laptop and flinched in pain from the movement. He had showered
after me, and now all of his bruises were at least clean. "Someone donated
$500,000 through my website to help us rescue the kids. And I've got emails
from large scale media outlets who want in on the story."

He smiled like a kid at Christmas. "There are thousands
of responses. This is amazing."

Drake sat up. "Maybe we should wait to attack. We could
muster up some backup, go in with guns blazing?"

My forehead wrinkled in worry. "Maybe. I don't know. We
should check in with Luke and Lucy before we cancel our plans." Postponing
our assault would give me and my baby time to recover. It would be safer,
smarter, and likely more successful.

But a shadow of doubt nagged at me.

Drake massaged the tension out of my shoulders. I tried not
to pull away at his touch. His bloodied knuckles had already started healing,
but the memory of fists pounding into bone and flesh would haunt my dreams for
a long time to come.

"Why don't we connect with them in the morning before
we leave? It's late, and you're exhausted. Expending that kind of energy right
now is probably not the best idea."

He had a point. "Okay. Set the alarm. First thing
tomorrow we move forward with our plan."

Brad shut down his computer and unpacked his clothes for
sleep. "What plan would that be? Do we have a real plan?"