Wow, that was close!
No kidding.
The building started to sway precariously and then collapsed. If I didn’t bring down the city, this had all been for nothing. The impact had restored a bit of energy, but I didn’t have another big shot left in me. I need to learn to hold back some power instead of bleeding myself dry.
Don’t beat yourself up over this. It’s not like you destroy cities every day.
I studied where I’d made my cuts. Why isn’t it falling? The weight alone should have collapsed the section.
The beetle shifted, freeing itself from the pile of concrete and brick that had been the Supply Depot.
I’ve failed. I dropped on to the roof; I couldn’t stop this thing. The Reclaimers would take the base, and more importantly the translocator, along with everyone that Warden couldn’t send to Atlanta before the base fell. It had been a risk, but I thought it would work.
For the record, it shoulda worked. I’ve got nuthin’ to lose, I’ve been dead for years. She paused a moment. I’ll take goin’ down swingin’ than living forever stuck in Grim Reaper’s scythe.
Thanks. The sound of missiles launching roused me from my reverie. What are they shooting missiles at? I got to my feet and watched the rocket trails. To my amazement, Dad flew over the beetle, firing bolts into the monster. The projectiles hurtled toward him, but he dodged to the side and let them strike the ceiling above him.
Each impact deposited more rubble to the already clogged streets of the base. The second launch proved to be too much for the already weakened section of roof. Metal shrieked against stone to announce that whatever held Dallas up had stopped working. A large fracture appeared, but not in the nice square I’d cut; the fissure ran lengthwise through the center of the base’s ceiling.
I guess I did too good of a job. I ran for the far end of the roof. The next building had only one story. I leapt, landing with a thud as my legs couldn’t adjust to the tremors that had started. The crack widened, dropping the husk of a car into the middle of the street.
We’ve got to get to the translocator. Pepper said as calmly as she could, but the trickle of dirt had turned into an avalanche of concrete, cars, and city. Well, there you go. Just needed a little push to get started.
Dad streaked through the falling debris. “Jump on my back.”
I did as instructed. In a second, he threw himself off the building. We plunged for a scary moment before he compensated for the extra weight.
He skimmed the ground, swerving as larger chunks of Dallas crashed into the soon-to-be former Underground base. We spun, twisted, curved, and soared in and around the unfolding disaster. A tanker truck crashed in front of us, causing Dad to veer frantically to clear it. I tried to pull my arms away from his neck so he could avoid it easier, but his grip caught my wrists as we just missed the jagged tangle of broken metal.
I looked up, and we had passed the crack, though billowing dust chased us as the buildings of Dallas crashed down into the base below. There was no way the beetle could survive a city block falling on it. Dad pulled up short, and I jumped off his back. We stood outside the translocator, but my heart stopped as I saw where he pointed.
Before us, gray repelling lines hung just outside the munition dump’s entrance. I wanted to smack my head. The beetle hadn’t been the threat; it had been a distraction. They led the fighters off so they could get to Warden and the translocator.
Turns out the Reclaimers had left someone behind to protect their people. Two sharp cracks of a weapon firing were all the warning we got. I felt the disruptor band hit my leg, wrapping itself around me, knocking me to the ground. The small coil of power I hadn’t been able to use vanished. Dad laid out next to me.
What the hell?
Disruptor band. They shut off my Gift.
Three armed Reclaimers pointed rifles at us. The lead one barked. “Don’t move or we’ll shoot you. You’re under arrest in the name of the Protectorate.”
We both put our hands behind our heads and waited. They pulled Dad to his feet, then me. The one behind me jammed the muzzle of his rifle into my back hard. “Let’s go.”
“Sure thing, but we might want to hurry,” I said, looking back to where the ceiling continued to crack open, raining more of downtown Dallas.
“What the...”
That moment of distraction was all I needed. Blaze’s morning boot camps had prepared me to take advantage of any opening to end a fight quickly. Three of the guards stopped to gawk as a line of faded yellow taxis crashed to the ground thirty feet from us. I spun and kicked my guard straight in the crotch. His scream rose a few octaves as he collapsed, holding his injured manhood.
Dad, having many more years of combat experience than I, swept the second guard’s legs from under him before upper cutting the third, knocking him out cold. I kicked the downed guard in the head before he could regain his feet. We left the whimpering man who’d curled into a fetal position. He wouldn’t be going anywhere soon.
I tugged at the band, trying to get it off, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Don’t bother; we’ll need help to get them off. Right now, we need to get out of here and fast.” Part of a glass skyscraper crashed through the widening fissure. In a matter of minutes, the Underground’s Dallas base would be no more.
With no powers, I did the next best thing. I retrieved two rifles from the sleeping beauties and tossed one to Dad. He caught it and started checking it over. I did the same, turned off the safety, and headed for the door.
The room outside the translocator stood empty, but loud voices yelled inside. A couple of kids cried wails of anguish. Inside, you couldn’t fail to notice the increasing volume of the base being destroyed from above. I stole a peek around the corner; it wasn’t good. Four Reclaimer’s held a group of evacuees and our team at gunpoint. Izanami and Boulder were laid out in front of the control panel, disrupter bands wrapped around their legs as well. Abby’s head lay in Mom’s lap. A once white wrapping around her leg seeped red. Mom stroked her hair as the men interrogated Warden.
I stepped back and told Dad what I’d seen. A putrid smell had invaded the room through the open door. I didn’t want to know what had collapsed out there that smelled so horrid.
How much time do we have left? Pepper asked quietly. The good thing about conversing with a person in your brain is that even the loudness of a dying city didn’t blot out her voice.
Not long. We’ve got to get the rest out of here.
“Only thing we can do is shoot them quickly and hope. You take the two on the right.” Dad squeezed my arm. I smiled back at him. We’d made it through a lot today. We needed to get everyone to safety. “On the count of three.”
I knelt in the doorway; Dad stood above me. He tapped me on the shoulder. I counted one, two, three, and pulled the trigger. The closest guard’s head burst as the round took him just behind the ear. The second didn’t have time to process his buddy’s death before the bullet took him. The other two soldiers didn’t fare any better.
I ran over to check on Abby and Mom. Dad went to Warden, who wiped at the gore covering her face. Any closer and the man would have fallen on her. Dad gestured, screaming to be heard over the roar of the destruction outside.
Mom hugged me and pointed to Abby’s leg. All I could make out were “shot” and “doctor.”
My heart dropped into my stomach. At least she didn’t have a disruptor band on; she’d already be dead if she did. Her healing would have to see her through for a little longer. “Go! Now!”
She nodded and ran to the group huddled off to the side. She got them moving. Dad had a wide-eyed Warden at the control panel to get us out of here. Something large impacted on the room’s roof.
Thank God for Carbinium, Pepper whispered in my head.
The munition dump’s walls and ceiling were embedded with Carbinium plates, an alloy that could withstand any known Gifted. I doubted it could withstand a building landing on it, however.
I pul
led Izanami to the launch pad and returned for Boulder and Molly. He’d regained his senses, so we guided him over. Dad carried Abby, and Mom followed. Then he ran and grabbed Warden, who tried to fight him off. Finally, Dad threw her over his shoulder, hit something on the control panel and dashed to us, leaping over the spinning rings of the translocator.
Warden punched him after he’d set her down. “I didn’t arm the self-destruct! The Reclaimers will be able to use it to enter all our bases.”
Dad pointed as the concrete roof sagged under the weight of the destroyed city. The light flared; the last image I saw was the munition dump’s roof collapse as we teleported to Atlanta.
A frightened-looking girl sat at the control panel in Atlanta as we all exited the translocator. Specter stood next to her, relief plain on her face. We had made it.
We had rescued Waxenby and finally completed our mission. Hopefully it was enough to stop the future Eiraf had predicted.
The girl, I think her name was Angela, ran over to Warden. “We received a message a few minutes ago.”
She dragged her fingers through her dust ridden hair. “What message?”
“Return to Castle. Blaze collapsed and is still unconscious.”
So much for being done.
37
We must go now! Pepper’s anxiety raged in my head like an angry metal fan in a mosh pit.
We will. Just calm down. I might as well have been yelling into an empty room for all the good it did.
I checked out our team. Dad and I had disruptor bands still fastened to us, Abby had a hole in her leg, Waxenby swung in and out of consciousness, and Mom bordered on complete exhaustion. It’d had been a long night for us.
Dad broke the silence of the group. “Warden, can you assist with the bands and patch Abby’s leg up? We’ll be leaving as quickly as possible.”
Warden nodded. Her eyes had a dull cast to them, exhaustion and sorrow having taken its toll. “Thank you for the assist back there. Losing the base would have been problematic.”
Molly and Specter hovered around Warden like nervous bees around a flower.
“Of course. I know we see things differently at times, but we are on the same side.” Dad’s complexion had an ashy cast to it. I couldn’t tell if it was from the fight or if the loss of his powers was taking a toll on him. I noticed bright red blisters covered his arm where his suit had been torn. My hands were somewhat less blistered, but I’d been healing since using the burst of heat in Dallas.
She studied him for a moment before turning to Angela and sending her off with instructions. “I’m not sure we are, but we can discuss that another time. Angela will bring a tech and a med to look at Abby’s leg. Someone will take you back to your vehicle when you’re ready.”
She gestured to her team. Izanami, Molly, and Specter followed, but Boulder didn’t move. Warden glanced over her shoulder at him, a quizzical expression on her face. “We need to figure out what to do next. You coming?”
Boulder shook his head. “No, I’m going with them.”
Warden spun on her heel and closed the distance between them. “Boulder, your place is here with us. We need you.”
He blanched a bit but held firm. “I can’t stay here. Too many memories.”
Specter put her hand on the big man’s arm. “Please, Boulder. We’ve already lost so much. Losing you would be too much to bear.” A tear ran down her cheek.
Boulder lowered his head but shook it all the same. “I can’t stay.”
“We’ll miss you,” Molly said, hugging Boulder around the chest. He gently hugged her. “Will you come back?”
He didn’t say anything. His eyes never left Warden’s face.
“It isn’t your fault,” Warden said simply. “That thing used you to kill him.”
Nothing. He could have been made of stone for the amount she moved him.
Finally, her shoulders slumped, and she gripped his arm above where he held Molly. “Stay safe and come back to us when you can, if you can.”
“Thank you.”
Molly and Warden released him and left the room. Izanami and Specter said their goodbyes and were gone.
Mom stepped over to him. His eyes had followed his friends as they left, and he still stared after them. “Why?” was all she asked.
Boulder turned to her. “I want to fight, and Warden will close up and ride the storm out. That wouldn’t avenge Salvo.”
“You can kill Reclaimers until there are none left, but it won’t bring him back.” Mom’s voice was soft and gentle like the night I’d had a nightmare and couldn’t sleep.
“I know, but it’s all I’ve got.”
A few minutes later, a technician and a nurse entered the room. He attached alligator clamps to the band on my leg, pressed a couple of buttons, and the thing fell off. I could feel my power swirling again. He did the same for Dad and Boulder before leaving.
The nurse took longer. He examined Abby’s leg thoroughly, including prodding the hole with a metal probe. “There is a foreign object in there. We’d have to get her to a surgeon to remove it.”
Mom glanced at Dad before addressing the nurse. “Is she in any danger if it’s not removed now?”
He scowled as he thought. “I’d recommend you seek immediate treatment, but given how fast Gifted heal, I don’t think so. I would get it removed as soon as possible.”
“Thank you.”
A few minutes later, Abby had a clean bandage on her leg and could get around well enough to walk.
Once the nurse had left the room, Boulder spoke. “Salvo was my best friend.” He paused, wiping the tears from his eyes. “I will do whatever you ask of me if you’ll allow me to accompany you.”
Dad reached out and shook his hand. “We’d be honored to have you join us.”
“I’ll carry Mr. Waxenby and get you back to the van.” Without another word, Boulder slung the unconscious man over his shoulder and led the way out of the vault.
I would hate to be on the wrong side of Boulder. Pepper remarked as I watched his back. As we wound our way through the Atlanta base, a low alarm rang, alerting the citizens that an attack could be imminent. People rushed around, readying weapons and getting barricades erected. The guards at the gate let us through without issue. Warden must have called ahead.
Fighting won’t solve anything. Wendi’s memory isn’t any less painful for all the Reclaimers I’ve killed.
It’s tough, but gets easier, I promise.
It would or it wouldn’t. So many things in my life were outside my control to the point I had a disembodied ghost using my head as her crib. I felt like Ashe from League of Legends running through the mazes, fighting a never-ending battle I couldn’t walk away from.
At least we had rescued Waxenby, but other than a few bouts of screaming, he’d been dormant. How could he be important to Eiraf’s cause?
We walked until we reached the Underground’s vehicle. Funny, the walk felt much shorter when we had first arrived, but that was hours and several lifetimes ago. Boulder laid out Waxenby in the bed of the truck, then started up the engine as we all climbed in. Abby rode shotgun with her leg out the window. I sat with Mom and Dad in the back, holding on to Waxenby so he didn’t bounce too much.
Dawn was a couple of hours away by the time we reached the van. Exhausted, we stored what little gear we had left and got in. Dad got us out of the Atlanta site fast since we were short of time. I crashed in the backseat, only waking when Dad and Mom traded driving duties as the sun rose. We hit a convenience store and bought out half their food. Stale hot dogs taste great when you haven’t eaten for a long time. I washed it all down with a couple of Mountain Dews and was back asleep as soon as my head hit the seat.
After a few double backs to make sure nobody followed us, we arrived back at Castle. Mimi met us at the garage entrance; the dark bags under her eyes indicated she hadn’t slept much. Mom swung herself over the side and was next to Mimi in an instant. They conferred for a second before Mom yell
ed back to us. “Blaze is in the control room. I’m going to go see what’s going on.”
The rest of us climbed out of the van. Waxenby had gained a somewhat conscious state, like when Jose would drunk-stumble around. Boulder helped him to walk as I helped Abby limp along. Her leg looked better but whatever was lodged in there needed to come out at some point. Dad gathered up the gear and headed for the armory. I admired his attention to detail even though he had to be exhausted.
By the time Abby and I had navigated the stairs and entered the control room, Dad was leaning against the wall by the window to the mechanical room. Marcel had drinks and sandwiches laid out on the table for us, the junk normally on top of it piled underneath. A cot sat next to the control panel. Wires ran from the console to Blaze. The wall reflected all his vital signs. Mom knelt next to Blaze, holding his hand and speaking softly.
Abby pulled away, choosing to slide down the wall to take the weight off her good leg after the long descent. Boulder helped Waxenby into a chair where he stared off into space but was conscious. Mimi brought a bottle of water, trying to get him to drink. Boulder slumped next to him on the floor. Marcel delivered drinks and sandwiches like when we worked at the Lair.
I need to see him, Pepper said, urging me to move faster.
All I wanted to do was sleep but worry and Pepper’s prodding won out. I crossed to the opposite side from Mom, grabbing Blaze’s free hand.
“Oh, you. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you,” came out of my mouth.
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