Grim Vengeance

by Jennifer Reinfried

  “Sitting around arguing about this isn’t doing any good.” Emma glanced at Mari but wasn’t interrupted. “We’re here now. If we’re going to do this, let’s do this.”

  No one argued. One by one, they carefully exited the vehicle. Shawn jumped out of the van last, eyeing the woods that surrounded a few far away abandoned buildings. Mari stood close to him, her gaze steady but fearful. She took his hand. I should tell her about the kiss. No, wait, that’s a horrible idea. Thoughts of her freezing time and killing Emma and possibly even him clouded his mind. Nope. Can’t tell her.

  “How the hell do we know they aren’t going to like, snipe us from one of those places?” Lucas was staring at the buildings ahead, face wary.

  “Because they would have already done so by now.” Duncan took off the light jacket he’d been wearing on the drive, tossing it into the van and shutting the door without looking.

  “We agreed this was a trap. Are there even hostages here other than Claire? They could just kill us like Emma said and be on their way.”

  Shawn tried to quell the uncomfortable churn in his chest. “Jaxon won’t do that.”

  Emma glanced over at him. “Are you positive of that?”

  “No...I’m not.” How could my brother have gotten so far from a hero? What did I do wrong? I tried to help him, tried to get him to come with. Instead, he killed Naomi and fled Duncan’s home in Colorado, running off to kill a bunch of innocent people. He swiped a hand through his shaggy hair. And why can’t I control my fucking emotions? Why did I kiss Emma, knowing the consequences? Why can’t I forget about her even when I’m with Mari? Why can’t I just—

  Emma. No. Is she using her power against me? Of course she is. Is she? Goddammit, why can’t I focus?

  The rest of the group was already taking tentative steps forward, trying to look in all directions at once. Mari urged him into motion with a gentle tug on his hand. He smiled at her but could tell it didn’t reach his eyes.

  “What more can we do?” Duncan was saying. “We either walk in to our deaths now or get to Lab 15 and fight for the lives of the people they’re holding.” He stopped and looked at them. “Mari’s right. We freeze, get inside, take the fight to them.”

  Without another word, they all made contact with each other.

  Time froze.

  Duncan made a noise somewhere between a scoff and a grunt. “Let’s move.”

  It’s time.

  It’s finally time.

  We’ve waited, waited enough, but it’s been worth it.

  They’re coming. They’ll be here any minute. and the group has no doubt been running on adrenaline since Jax spoke with Duncan. Draining themselves with the anticipation of the final confrontation.

  A storm is coming.

  It’s a sign.

  That’s when they’ll show up. I know it. Tonight. Just as the rain hits.

  I have Vance. I have Jaxon. And we have our bait.

  Soon, I’ll have Emma.

  She’s so close I can taste her.

  Smell her.

  Feel her.

  I know the first thing I’m going to do when I get my hands on her.

  But that has to wait. Only a little bit longer.

  First, I need to kill that fucking time stopper.

  Having Vance’s power, Aaron won’t hear me coming.

  And when time freezes, I won’t.

  The moment I get my hands on Mari, we will have won.

  I’ll have won.

  And then I’ll cripple the Russian fuck and leave him for Jaxon while I get away with Emma.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Charlie leaned back, staring at the last entry he’d written in his journal. He picked it up, flipping through the pages full of his precise handwriting. Only a single blank page remained, the paper indented from words he’d written previously. He snapped the book shut and stood from the little table in the community room, sliding his pen and the journal back into the side pocket of his briefcase.

  A muffled thump came from behind him, from the room where Vance was being held. Charlie eased forward and yanked open the door to find the Russian, limbs still bound tight, glaring up at him with a dazed expression. His eyes drooped, snapped open, drooped again. The gag they’d used was damp, and sweat trickled down the man’s square face. A smear of blood had dried on his cheek where Charlie had cut him after sedating him. He’d used two fingers to wipe a generous amount of the blood in his usual spot on his hip, pulling the Russian’s Evo power into him to prevent the mind reader from hearing his thoughts when they neared.

  “It’s almost time.” Counting back the time he’d injected the sedative, Charlie eyed Vance, who shook his head slowly from side to side. “They’ll be coming soon. You and I have work to do.”

  Vance tried to speak, but it only came out as a muffled groan. The captive man panted, sweat now covering his face and neck, staining his shirt. But his eyes, filled with hate, were brightening. The look put Charlie on edge, and he turned, nearly colliding with Jaxon.

  “Don’t sneak up on me like that,” Charlie said harshly.

  Jaxon didn’t take his eyes off of Vance. “Pay more attention next time.”

  “The hell do you want? Weren’t you checking on Michael?”

  “I don’t give a shit about him. He’s locked up, just like the hostages. I came to tell you...” His voice trailed off. He stared at the Russian, face contemplative. Then he stalked forward before Charlie could stop him and kicked Vance across the face. The force sent the Russian’s head flying backward into a nearby shelf. Canned food toppled to the floor, raining down in a clatter.

  “You unstable little shit.”

  Jaxon grinned. “Oh, cheer up. The Synths are here.”

  —-

  Shawn stood near the front door of Lab 15, his gaze shifting along their surroundings. He flexed his hands into fists and opened them again, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

  The rest had taken up a position close by. A loud peal of thunder shook Shawn to his core, reminding him that time was once again unfrozen. He shuddered as a chill ran down his spine.

  No one knew where to go. What to do. Where to even look.

  If Mari freezes again, we run the risk of her being drained when we need time stopped the most. If we just burst inside, they could kill us in an instant. We need some way to make this a fair fight, and then we’ll take them down. Nice and quick. And once the threat is finally over, we’ll—

  “He’s calling.” Duncan’s words cut through the silence. Answering his cell on speakerphone, eyes hard, he growled, “I’m here.”

  “Oh, hey.”

  Shawn blinked at the sound of his brother’s voice, so casual, as if they weren’t about to rip each other to shreds.

  “You guys can just come in. No need to wait outside.” Jaxon chuckled.

  “No.” Duncan began to pace. “No one’s going anywhere until I know Claire and the hostages are safe.”

  “Come in and see for yourself. We haven’t hurt a soul. The adults are locked in a large storage closet across the hall from where the kids are kept. All of them are fully healthy, albeit pretty thirsty.”

  “I’m not negotiating this, dammit. Put my wife on the phone.”

  “No.”

  “Jaxon. You expect us to just waltz right in, right into your trap, without knowing what’s inside?”

  There was a sigh on the other line, soft and tinny coming through the phone’s speaker. “Fine. You want to see?”

  The ground began to tremble. Startled, Duncan dropped his phone, whirling to face the building once more. Shawn stepped in front of him, shoulders squared, head held high. He watched Lab 15 shake, its walls vibrating. The single door nearby buckled. With a roar, the building was suddenly missing its roof. It flew away from them, debris falling to the ground.

  Shawn’s jaw dropped. Thunder crashed again, drowning out the sound of the roof crushing trees. The front wall crumbled into rubble before them, exposing the inside of t
he lab.

  “There you go.” Jaxon’s voice came out of the dropped phone but also from ahead where he stood, arms crossed, an amused expression on his face. “Now you can see me, and I can see you. No one else is here with me.”

  A sudden cry from Isaac made Shawn’s blood go cold.

  “And now I have leverage.” Jaxon stepped forward, over the fallen wall, picking his way carefully over chunks of cement. “If you freeze now, my hold continues, even if I can’t do anything else.”

  Glancing over his shoulder, Shawn saw Isaac clutching his chest, eyes wide with pain. Is that true? How can we even know without risking Isaac?

  “Not fun, is it?” Jaxon said. “When someone fucks with your heart? Like your bitch did to my brother.”

  “Let him go, you shit.” Emma stepped closer to the building, fear present only in her eyes, but Shawn surged forward and clamped a hand on her shoulder.

  “Don’t.” He met her eyes, which were wild with anger and frustration. “It’s me he wants most of all. If I go to him, you guys can freeze and get to the hostages. Just give me thirty seconds.”

  She stared at him. “He’ll kill you.”

  “No. He won’t. I can feel it. I’ll be fine.” Shawn pushed her back toward the group gently and turned to face his brother, trying to ignore the sound of Isaac’s suffering.

  “Where’s Charlie?” Duncan snapped.

  “With the hostages. Making sure none of them try anything while I talk to my brother.”

  Shawn snorted. “Talk? Right. We’re just going to go over everything, make some good points on both sides, and everyone’ll walk away unharmed.”

  “I’m not here to hurt you.” Jaxon dropped his hands to his sides.

  “Bullshit.”

  “Aaron?” Duncan whispered.

  Trailing two fingers up and down the scar on his face, the blond man shook his head. “I don’t hear Charlie at all. Just that fuck and the hostages.”

  “What do you want me to say?” Jaxon shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I want the criminals. I want to finish the job you and I started years ago.”

  “We were wrong to do what we did.” Shawn took a tentative step forward. Keep him talking. Focused on me.

  “Oh?”

  “Those we killed only created more pain. And we no doubt made more criminals.”

  “So Julie’s death...?”

  “Was horrific.” Another step forward. “Unjust. But our revenge just caused more. You saw the aftermath. Cassie’s death. The roof. Emma’s—”

  “Don’t bring that bitch up.” Jaxon glared at him, teeth clenched. “I can kill her right now. Before you can stop me.”

  Shawn tried to keep the pity he felt off his face. “That’s true. I know. But then Mari would freeze, and we’d be free to stop you as we see fit. Don’t make us do that. Don’t make me do that, Jax.” When his brother didn’t respond, he took one more step forward, hands raised. “Not everyone is purely evil. Or good. What people do can be awful, but it isn’t our right to hurt them back.” Please see reason. Please listen.

  “Like hell it isn’t.” Jaxon smiled. “Because it wasn’t their right to hurt me in the first place.”

  Shawn gave him a helpless look. He blinked as raindrops began to fall. “Jax, I can’t help you if you won’t listen to reason.” Another step forward brought him within a yard. Only a few more steps and I can grab him. Knock him out or...or...

  “Help me? I don’t need your help. I’ve been wiping out this filth on my own since you decided to change sides. Speaking of.” Jaxon grinned. “You’re losing one of your bad guys.” He gestured at Isaac, who was gasping on the ground in Emma’s arms, his face pale and sweat-slicked. “One of the two criminals you’re protecting.”

  “Jax...”

  “I could snap his neck right now. Or rip out his heart like I did to Dad.”

  Shawn froze, eyes wide. Unable to ignore blossoming rage, he gritted his teeth. “Mari...” Nothing happened. He glanced back at her, confused. She was looking between his brother, Isaac and Emma.

  “Mari.”

  “Give them to him,” she snapped.

  “What?” everyone said at once.

  “Those two.” She gestured at Emma and Isaac. “He wants them so badly, do it. They’re not us. They’re not family. They’re the reason we’re here. So let him have them.”

  “You have to tell me this is a joke.” Duncan stepped forward, putting himself between her and Jaxon. “They’ve helped us, come all this way to—”

  “Take them!” she yelled. “Kill them, and let us go. That’s all you want, isn’t it?” Stepping back from the group, she waved a hand at Isaac and Emma, disgust on her face.

  “No.” Emma stood, fury on her face. She turned and faced Jaxon. “Let us in unharmed. Let us take the hostages and the children. Now.”

  Jaxon held up his hands. “Like I said. I don’t—” His head twitched to the side, and his expression went from calm to furious in seconds. “Fuck off, Dad! Get the fucking hell out of my head!” He whirled around, pulling at his hair. “You do not control me!”

  Shawn stared at him in shock. “You’re fucking insane...” he mumbled.

  His brother’s eyes focused and he grinned. The fading light of dusk darkened as one by one his wraiths came forth. Shawn’s eyes widened, and he stumbled backward.

  “See, insane or not, I still have powers greater than you ever will.” Jaxon’s head twitched, and a single wraith shot forward, reaching out for Shawn. “I want to hear your screams as I tear your skin off.”

  “Mari, dammit, freeze!”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “That’s it,” Charlie whispered. He gripped Vance’s left shoulder in a tight squeeze, pushing him forward. Cold raindrops fell on his shoulders, soaking through his shirt and chilling his skin. “Almost there.”

  The Russian glared at him. Redness dotted his cheeks above the gag in his mouth. He grunted and lifted his bound hands, raising both middle fingers.

  “You’re so damn lucky I have to turn you over to Jax alive.” Scowling, Charlie ground the barrel of his pistol into Vance’s lower back. “Otherwise I’d cut off your head and just use your blood. One more noise and I shoot you in the gut.”

  Vance rolled his eyes and made a “hurry up” gesture.

  Stepping with care, cautious not to make a noise, they made their way through the trees behind the group they had lured.

  Shawn’s voice cut through the quiet, shouting with urgency. “Mari, dammit, freeze!”

  Charlie grinned and clenched Vance’s shoulder harder, ensuring the man’s Evo power flowed through him. The world froze. Leaves stopped fluttering in the wind. Birds in the sky ceased to move. Fat intermittent raindrops stopped falling and now hung mid-air. He swallowed a manic chuckle and continued forward with the Russian in tow. It’s working. It’s going to work.

  He stepped forward, pushing the Russian, rain masking the sound of their approach. The Synths all stood frozen in place, backs to him. None of them had been in contact when Mari stopped time. And here I thought I’d have to shoot a few first. A quick glance showed him Emma facing the lab, and he nearly sighed with relief. Instead of going to her, though, Charlie reached for the time stopper, who was pulling a pistol from the back of her jeans and walking toward a frozen Jaxon. He pulled the gun away from Vance, still keeping a hand on his shoulder, and placed the barrel against the back of her head, burying it in her wet blonde hair.

  Mari let out a gasp and stopped, but didn’t turn.

  “Good girl.” Charlie pressed up against her. He grinned at Vance. “Thanks for your help.” He let go of the Russian, gripped the back of Mari’s neck, and put a bullet in Vance’s stomach.

  At the sound of the discharge, Mari screamed and released her hold on time. Charlie was faster. He used her power to continue the freeze, ensuring everyone except Mari was now under his hold.

  Other than Vance clutching his stomach wound, no one moved.

&n
bsp; “What...what...?” She began to tremble against him.

  Charlie bent his head down and inhaled her scent, pulling her body closer to his.

  She elbowed him in the gut.

  Gasping, he gritted his teeth. Mari wrenched away, but he dug his fingers in her hair and yanked. With a cry of pain, she stumbled backward, hands flying to her scalp, jaw clenched.

  “Nice try,” he whispered. When he placed the gun to her temple, she stopped moving and looked up at him. Shock registered on her face in a slow wave.

  “No...”

  Charlie smiled. “Hiya.”

  “She has fight,” Vance said in a soft voice. The Russian had pulled his gag from his mouth. He sat where he’d fallen to his knees behind Charlie, both hands holding the bullet wound in his stomach. Blood trickled past his thick fingers, washing away in the rain, but his face showed no trace of pain. His pale blue eyes almost seemed amused.

  Mari, however, began to struggle once more as she stared at the Russian.

  “Now, now.” Charlie pressed the pistol against her head harder. “You know damn well if I kill you, no one will be able to save your friends from Jaxon.”

  At that, Mari stopped moving.

  Vance let out a curse in Russian. “Quit fucking around and kill me.”

  Keeping his grip on the time stopper, Charlie whipped his gun toward Vance and shot him in the stomach again. He grunted this time, but stayed upright.

  “Please.” Mari’s voice trembled but her eyes didn’t waver. “Just take me. Use me, Charlie. I’ll go quietly, do whatever you need me to do.”

  “You? No. As much use as you would be to me, I made a deal.” Charlie glanced at Vance and winked. “Which included keeping you alive. As much as I’d love to kill you right now...” He put a third bullet into the Russian, this time into his left kneecap. Vance howled in pain. “At least now you won’t bother me while Mari and I catch up,” Charlie added with a grin.

  He caressed the back of Mari’s neck with the nose of his gun. “Well. Now we have all the time in the world, don’t we, gorgeous?”

  She whimpered but continued to glare at him.