"Let's summarize the situation," Simpson suggested, and counted off the facts on his fingers. "Vilschka's armored hide is now composed of the material the FBI wants. We know she's in Idaho Springs and there are a lot of mines up there. Harpies are attracted to the scent of your venom. But the scent can be masked with latex gloves." He leaned forward in his chair and rested his forearms on his knees. "Can we get some of the venom, to use as bait?"
Victor traded a look with Reason and Defiance, then answered, "Aye."
"Then here's my plan. We plant some venom in a nearby mine then rig it with explosives. Then we bring the mine down on the harpy when she goes in to investigate."
"Yes!" Elaina exclaimed, pumping her fist.
Reason turned toward her and gave her an amused frown, looking a little shocked.
"What?" she laughed.
He slowly lifted one eyebrow as he gazed down at her. "You're a bloodthirsty lass, aren't you?"
Everyone laughed while Elaina grinned proudly.
"When it comes to harpies, we're all a little bloodthirsty," Mac chuckled. "Even Mim."
Mim nodded with enthusiasm, her long dark hair bouncing around her shoulders. "Even me," she agreed.
Only Defiance was unaffected by the mood in the room. His face was still set in a thoughtful look of concern. "Your plan will trap the harpy," he pointed out to Simpson. "But we need her dead."
"The explosion won't kill her?" Simpson asked, looking surprised.
"Probably not," Victor answered.
"Well, we'll have to dig out the mine to get what we want," Simpson said. "We'll take care of that when we reach her."
"Alright," Defiance pressed. "But we need to be clear on this point. The harpy has to die. As soon as possible."
"Can you pull this off without involving too many people?" Elaina asked next.
"A few others at the bureau will be involved," he answered. "I can't check out explosives like they were library books, and I'll have to submit a plan for the harpy's capture. But nobody else needs to be there. And the bureau won't want to draw attention to the operation. They won't want the hills crawling with agents and the skies full of helicopters. Nobody needs to be there until it's time to go in and dig out the harpy, and when that happens we'll make it look like we're building a private road to the mine or something mundane like that. And I don't have to tell anybody what I'm using as bait to lure the harpy into the mine. I can just tell them I'm using meat."
"Deer meat," Defiance suggested.
"Okay," Simpson chuckled. "Deer meat it is."
"What makes you think the harpy's still up there, in Idaho Springs?" I asked anxiously, worried that something was going to go wrong.
"Havoc destroyed her wings and it would take a while for them to mend," Victor explained. "But you make a good point; Vilschka won't stay there forever. She'll wait around for a while, hoping that Chaos will return to her. But if he doesn't, she'll start looking."
"Looking for Chaos?" I asked.
"For him, or for us, or for others like us," Defiance muttered and eyed Simpson carefully. "She might even return to Limon to see if she can track down my brothers. That's why we have to make this happen as soon as possible."
"So…there are more of you?" Simpson suggested tentatively, lifting one dark eyebrow.
"Aye," Victor admitted reluctantly. "Two others. But they're…missing. We lost them out in Limon and haven't been able to find them."
Simpson nodded and looked serious. "Well, maybe I can help you look for them after we have this harpy business out of the way."
Chapter Thirteen
The pack made plans to meet Simpson at MacKenzie's house in a week and a half so they could travel up to Idaho Springs together. Havoc was assigned to stay behind with the girls—us—and he looked disappointed that he wouldn't be part of the action.
"We don't need to be guarded," Elaina spoke up swiftly and Whitney nodded her head in agreement.
"Yes, you do," the guys barked, all at once.
"We couldn't focus on the mission if we were worried about you," Valor insisted. "You must be protected."
"But there's no danger," Whitney reasoned. "Not here in Pine Grove."
"It's no use arguing," MacKenzie said, laughing softly as Valor pulled her into his arms and nuzzled his face into her neck. "They can't help their protective instincts. And they always get their way."
"Damn right," Valor murmured huskily, his eyes hooded as he looked down at the pink mark he'd left on the side of MacKenzie's throat.
Simpson chuckled. "I think that's my cue to get going."
"We should probably be on our way as well," Reason suggested. He stood and pulled Elaina up beside him.
The pack walked us out to the driveway, Havoc opening the car door for me and noticing the skateboard sitting on the floor behind the driver's seat. "Do you skate?" he asked eagerly.
"A little," I admitted.
"Really? Maybe you could show me a few tricks," he suggested.
"I don't know how I could get away without my father noticing," I said, feeling doubtful about my chances. "I was lucky to sneak off today."
Simpson cleared his throat to get my attention. "Actually, it had nothing to do with luck."
I turned and stared at him.
"I suggested your father's trip to my supervisors, telling them I wanted to see what you did when you were finally free to move. Don't worry. I won't report your visit up here. And I think I can arrange for you to get your freedom back by having my department pass along the same story to your father. They'll assure him that you'll have a tail on you wherever you go."
"What if he asks you to report my movements to him?"
Simpson smirked. "I'll tell him the information is classified."
"Well, in that case," I told Havoc. "I'll be up here next weekend…if I can get a ride."
"We'll bring you up with us," Elaina offered.
"You're sure that's not a problem?"
"I'll be bringing Reason up to join the others on the mission," she said as Simpson got into his black SUV and turned it around in front of the garage.
As we watched the federal agent head down the driveway, I realized that I hadn't apologized to Chaos when I'd had the chance. Again, I wondered what the guys would think of me if they'd known what I'd said to him. My apprehension must have shown in my face because Mim asked me what was wrong.
I leaned back against the side of the car and faced the pack. "The first time I saw Chaos's wings…I thought maybe he was working with Vilschka. I even thought maybe he was one of them. I actually accused him of being a harpy."
"There are no male harpies," Valor corrected me swiftly.
"I know that now," I answered in a low voice.
Elaina looked appalled. "But that would be like comparing the Mona Lisa to the scrawling on a bathroom wall."
"I know," I agreed miserably. "It would be like comparing a sea hawk to a turkey vulture."
"Or an artic wolf to a hyena," Whitney suggested. She was only trying to be helpful but I was SO not feeling it.
Havoc eyed me speculatively while I stood there stewing in my own juices. You're uncommonly honest, aren't you?" he suggested on a low burst of laughter.
"I can't help it," I muttered, privately thinking he was right. A normal person would have kept their mouth shut.
"You can be honest without confessing everything," Elaina snickered.
"Hang on," Havoc insisted, waving her off. "I like an honest lass. Anything else you want to confess?" he asked, his eyes glinting.
"No," I mumbled.
"No? Oh, come on. Anything else you want to tell us…like how many boys you've—"
"Havoc!" MacKenzie warned him.
"Kissed," Havoc said innocently. "I just wanted to know how many guys she's kissed."
"One," I answered in a low voice.
"One," he echoed and the pack grew silent as they realized what that meant; I'd never kissed anyone before Chaos. Then his mouth curved into a
wicked grin. "Wanna make it two?"
"Havoc!" MacKenzie shouted.
"What?" he asked, acting all innocent again. "I was just thinking it's been a while since we got out the Parcheesi board."
"Don't you dare try to hustle her into a game," MacKenzie scolded him.
"Parcheesi?" I questioned. I knew Parcheesi was an old board game but…
"He always wins," Whitney warned.
"And the price is a kiss," Elaina laughed. Then she forced her features into a stern frown and leveled it on Havoc like a laser beam.
"How could you suggest such a thing?" Mim teased him gently. "While Chaos is trapped in his stone form and can't do anything to stop you?"
"I don't think he'd care," I sighed. "Not after the things I said to him."
Havoc rolled his eyes and pointed at the garage doors. "Are you serious? Did you miss what just happened in there? My cousin glommed onto your mouth like you were made of chocolate."
I almost smiled.
"Don't feel bad," Victor advised me gently, sauntering in my direction and resting his hand on my shoulder. "You were under a lot of stress while you were a prisoner. And the things you were seeing couldn't have made much sense. Any sensible person would have reacted the same way."
"So you guys…forgive me?" I asked in my usual clumsy, awkward way.
Victor slipped his arm around my shoulders and gave me a one-sided hug. "There's nothing to forgive. But if it makes you feel better, aye, we forgive you. Now you only need to forgive yourself, m'dear."
So maybe Elaina was right and confessing wasn't a smart move in general. But I felt better and was glad I'd told them. Now there was only one person left to deal with. I stared at the garage doors. "I never told Chaos I was sorry," I mumbled.
"He knows now," Valor said. "He can hear every word we're saying."
"Really?" I asked, surprised and even disappointed because I felt like I needed to do more. But Elaina was already in the car and Reason was waiting to close my door for me. They were ready to go and I didn't want to keep them waiting. And with a last backward glance at the closed garage doors, I joined them in the car.
So I had about ten days to get through before I saw the pack—and Chaos—again and I thought the time would drag. But even though I'd recently survived a bizarre abduction by a mythical creature, the next week and a half turned out to be the strangest so far. I was sitting in Algebra when I first noticed it. It didn't seem all that earth shattering at first, just a little weird. But I could hear what was going on in the class next door. No big deal, right? Maybe the sound was echoing through the building for some reason. But when I tuned out the distracting math lesson, I noticed other conversations going on throughout the school.
It wasn't like the voices were overlapping and drowning each other out. Because for some reason, my brain was able to process each of the conversations separately. And I understood what everyone was saying, all at the same time. I could even hear Andrew Waters and Theo Baker talking about girls in the boy's bathroom. Ugh. And I'd thought they were two of the nicer guys at school. I'll never make that mistake again.
I was so distracted by my suddenly-enhanced hearing that I almost overlooked the change in my classmates. Some of them looked different. Like some of the girls that I hadn't thought were all that pretty suddenly looked nicer. And some of the popular guys that I used to think were hot…just didn't look that hot anymore. I spent most of my time walking around staring at people…and listening in on conversations, some of which I'd rather not have heard. I didn't need to know what Parker was doing with Stephanie in his car at lunchtime.
But that wasn't even the most bizarre part. Because now Joey Blazic looked cute. Not hot, but definitely cute.
Then after school on Thursday, something even weirder happened. I slipped out the school's back doors to avoid the buses lined up at the front doors. Everyone was supposed to take the buses home but I avoided that little picnic whenever possible. Because I mean, who wants to be trapped in a rolling yellow can with a bunch of peers who don't like you, right? Anyhow, Joey caught up to me just outside the building and tagged along as I was sneaking through the senior parking lot. He kept slinging his arm over my shoulder and I kept shrugging it off, trying to walk fast so he wouldn't be able to keep up.
All of a sudden he stopped dead in his tracks and I breathed a sigh of relief as I hurried away from him…only to find some guy standing in my way. Slowly, I lifted my gaze to his face, surprised to find that I didn't recognize him. He was at least four years too old for a high school student and had more stubble on his face than most mob assassins. All kidding aside, he was big and looked dangerous. The words tattooed on the backs of his fingers tended to reinforce that impression. And the guy standing behind him didn't look any less threatening, even if he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt decorated with surfboards that looked disturbingly like bananas.
Anyhow, the guy in front of me was glaring over my shoulder at Joey. "Yo, Joey," he growled. "Who's your girlfriend?"
"I'm not his girlfriend," I said swiftly, and moved to step around him.
But he put out a huge hairy arm and stopped me.
"Hey, C-Cleaver," Joey stuttered.
"Cleaver?" I questioned him, trying to keep things light. "Like Beaver Cleaver on the old TV show?"
"No, more like meat cleaver," Joey said, looking a little pale as I glanced over my shoulder at him.
Cleaver wrapped his thick fingers around my biceps. "You owe us some money, Joey."
"I'm workin' on that," Joey answered, talking in a strange, high voice I barely recognized.
"That's what you said last time," Cleaver growled, and tightened his hold on my arm.
I looked down at the large hand squishing my biceps like it was made of playdough. "What does this have to do with me?" I asked, getting nervous.
"You're his girlfriend," Cleaver growled.
"No, I'm not," I insisted, feeling desperate and looking around at the students filtering through the rows of cars. But I didn't have a single friend in that parking lot besides Joey, and his friendship wasn't exactly working for me. "Joey, tell them I'm not your girlfriend."
Joey looked anxiously from me to the Cleaver and finally grew a pair. "She's not my girlfriend. Let her go."
"See?" I snapped, and pulled my arm free, surprised that I didn't run into more trouble trying to separate myself from the mauler. He seemed surprised too, and reached for me again. But I dodged him. "Look," I reasoned as I backed away from him. "If he doesn't have the money, he doesn't have the money. You can't get blood from a stone."
"Maybe not," Cleaver agreed. "But you can get blood from a girlfriend."
"Me?" I squeaked and quickly backed up several more steps while he kept pace with me. "Why me? Why not go after him?"
He looked down at me and leered. "Because you're prettier. And I can have a whole lot more fun with you than I can have with him."
"Leave her alone," Joey insisted without moving any closer to him. "I'll get you the money. I just need a little more time."
"And I just need a little of your girlfriend," Cleaver grunted, reaching out to grab me again and wrapping both of his big meaty hands around my wrist.
I twisted and spun away from him, trying to yank my arm from his grip and was astonished when his feet left the ground. As I completed the three-sixty, he lost his grip and went flying, crashing into his friend and knocking them both to the ground. I stared at the two guys sprawled on the asphalt pavement then up at Joey. "Run!" I shouted. And we both took off.
"What happened back there?" he asked a few minutes later when we were hiding behind the convenience store a block away. "How did you lift Cleaver off the ground?"
"I don't know," I panted. "But I think you'd better pay those guys. Who were they anyhow?"
"Cousins," he answered mournfully.
I stared at his face. "They were your cousins?"
He lifted his chin in a quick nod. "I have a lot of cousins. Some of them I don't e
ven know."
"How much money do you owe them?"
"Lots."
"Look, Joey," I told him seriously. "I don't know what all you're involved in, but I don't do anything illegal. My father works for the FBI."
He jerked his head around to stare at me. "Are you serious?"
"Crazy serious," I answered, lifting my eyebrows for effect.
He frowned and searched my eyes for several heartbeats. Then he said, "Look, Torrie. I don't want to be a jerk about it, but maybe this thing between us ain't gonna work out."
For the next few seconds, I stared back at him and wondered if it could really be that easy. "Maybe not," I agreed, trying to look something less than ecstatic.
"But we can still be friends, right?"
"Riiight," I answered, and shouldered my backpack, heading past the dumpsters and across the parking lot for home.
"Call me?" he shouted out.
"Don't hold your breath," I answered, but not loud enough for him to hear.
And on Friday afternoon in P.E., I bench pressed two hundred pounds. I'm not kidding.
So all of these new powers—like enhanced hearing and super strength—sound like good stuff, right? Wrong. Because I was starting to freak; I thought I'd caught something from that harpy. Like harpyitis or the harpies simplex virus. And I was afraid I was gonna turn out to be like Vilschka. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time checking myself out in the girls' bathroom, making sure my hair was still intact and looking for wings sprouting from between my shoulder blades.
Chapter Fourteen
I was still preoccupied when it was time to meet up with Reason and Elaina for the trip to Pine Grove on the weekend. Sitting in the backseat, I watched the scenery go by and privately worried about harpyitis while they chattered together like two cool young artists who were madly in love with each other. Of course, I was afraid to discuss any of my symptoms with them in case they confirmed that I was turning into a monster, even though that's what a responsible person would have done if she wanted to protect her friends.
After Elaina pulled up MacKenzie's driveway, I opened the car door and got out with my skateboard. Havoc was in the garage with a huge pair of wooden clogs on his feet, dancing with a little girl. I say she was little but she wasn't much shorter than me. She was younger though. She looked about twelve, with long brown hair and pretty green eyes. Turns out she was MacKenzie's little step sister.
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