Bethany ran a possessive hand up his leg and side. “What if we get separated?”
His grip tightened. “Don’t follow me. If I’m captured, don’t let them take you too.”
“I’m pretty sure if they can overpower you, I don’t stand a chance.”
“Run and hide. Go back to the Bluffs.”
“No,” Bethany said. “Not when I’m this close to my brother.”
“You don’t want to be in their hands, at their mercy. Daniel might not even be there.”
“Everyone needs Tech. It would be in their best interest not to abuse me.”
“I don’t think they care.” Lucas sighed. “But you might have a point.”
“So do we have a plan?”
“Once we get to the Nevada shore, I’ll have a better idea. Let’s just get there first. I’ve spent two years trying to get back there.”
“And you still don’t have a plan?” Bethany said.
He thwacked her on the ass. “The plan is to infiltrate the prison, free my pack, and make sure that the scientists can’t continue their work.”
“You’re going to kill them?”
Lucas didn’t answer for a bit. “Does that bother you?”
Bethany sighed. “You seem very matter-of-fact about it.”
“They deserve it. You’ll have to take my word on it.”
“I do,” she said. “I just realized that I’ve been hoping my brother is there. But if he is, he’s in trouble.” Bethany clutched at his shoulders. “What do they do to Shifters there?”
“If he survived the experiments, every day is agony.”
Tears leaked out of her eyes. “He could very well be anywhere or dead or...” Her voice caught on a sob that shook her.
Lucas held her but said nothing.
“I’m okay,” she said a few minutes later, wiping her tears with the heel of her hand.
“If Daniel isn’t there, we have a deal. I will stay with you until we find him.”
Bethany nodded. “Right.”
“And after we find him and my pack is safe, we can discuss us in a more permanent relationship.”
“Do you think we can be together? Will your pack allow it?”
“If we save them, I don’t think they’ll hold you being a Tech against you.”
Bethany snorted. “You’d be surprised.”
“I think we’ll be fine. It’s only been a few days, and I’m not bored yet.” He flashed her an easy grin.
“I want a chance,” Bethany said. “I want to be in your life.”
Lucas rubbed her back. “We’ve got things to do first. We have to get to know each other when it’s not a crisis.”
“I know.” She laid her forehead on his. “I know.”
Lisa came in after a few hours. Bethany and Lucas hadn’t been sleeping, but Bethany jumped when the door opened. For a moment, she wished she could keep him safe in the train with her, but she realized Lucas wouldn’t be caged.
“Are you two decent?”
“Does it matter?” Lucas answered back.
“No, but we’ve got to go out with the rest of the Shifters. Half of us are going on the ground, the other half in the air.”
“Which one are you?”
“Ground.”
Lucas grunted. “I’ll go with you.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
Lucas leaped from the bed and was in cougar form by the time Bethany had the blanket wrapped around her. The slowing of the train made getting down from the bunk less than graceful, but she was still able to open the door of the compartment for them and watch them leap from the train.
Bethany realized Lucas hadn’t said good-bye to her. She sighed and got dressed, feeling abandoned yet not really understanding why. It figured. She found the man of her dreams, and they might not live out the week.
Luckily, Lem had plenty of work for her to do to keep her mind off her love life. Even better, none of it involved her channeling energy through her body. She helped serve dinner to the remaining caravan members and clean up afterward. And in keeping busy, she almost missed the first attack on the train. What she thought was just railroad sounds turned out to be the first wave.
“Get down on the floor.” Vera’s voice compelled her to hit the deck without thinking. The tinkling of glass as rifle fire exploded into the kitchen car prompted Bethany to hide under the long prep table.
“What’s going on?” Bethany said.
The brakes on the train screeched, and anything that wasn’t bolted down—including Bethany—slid hard and fast into the front of the car. She banged her shoulder hard and twisted to avoid a falling shelving unit. Covered with cornmeal, Bethany dragged herself free.
“They blocked the tracks.”
“The Shifters were supposed to clear the way,” Bethany said. “Can you see Lucas?”
“I can’t see much of anything. But we’re here. At Bellevue station.”
“I don’t hear any more gunfire,” Bethany said. But she did hear running feet and shouted orders to hold ground.
“Want to go out and look around?” Vera asked.
“I’m not much in a fight.”
“If they can’t see you, they can’t shoot you.”
“I’ll stay here, thanks,” Bethany said, trying to hide among the debris.
“You may be able to see Lucas,” Vera taunted.
“That’s not playing fair.”
“All you have to do is concentrate on my voice. I’m going to direct you. Just follow me. I’ll pull you and then you pull me and then we’ll be free.”
“This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.”
“Come to me, now.”
Bethany closed her eyes as her arms and legs jerked.
“Not with your body. That’s just useless meat. See the waves? Like the radio waves?”
“No, I feel them, though.”
“Push into them. Be the music.”
Bethany thought about songs and which ones made her float free and away from her problems. Her portable media player flared up and started to shuffle through songs. “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” flitted up.
“Get serious,” Vera said. “Get angry. Get moving.”
“I can’t,” Bethany said.
“Focus. Concentrate.”
But Bethany couldn’t do it.
There was roaring, and the gunfire started up again. This time from inside the train.
“Are they boarding us?” Bethany said.
“Everyone’s leaving the train.”
The train rocked as an explosion hit. The briny smell of bleach hit her again. “Oh no,” Bethany said, scrambling up to her knees.
Lem pushed his way into the car. “We gotta get out of here.”
“What’s happening?” Bethany let him pull her to her feet and together they ran through the dining cars.
“They’re trying to blow up the train.”
When they got to the car connectors, Bethany saw a war going on. There were Shifters fighting nomads, and the hunters were trying to lay down covering fire.
“Where are we going?”
“To the station. Clark says we’ll be safe once we get inside the terminal.”
“I’m not sure I trust Clark.”
“What are your choices?”
Bethany sighed. “I’ve got to grab my things.”
“No time.” Lem started to strong-arm her off the train.
“I’ll be right back,” she said, twisting away and running through the compartments.
“What’s worth your life?”
“My daddy’s gun and bullets.”
Lem sighed. “Okay, I’ll go see if I can find Jesse and Karen. You get inside the terminal. Don’t make me come looking for you. We’ll be right behind you.”
Bethany put on a burst of speed and made it back to her compartment. She refused to look at the bodies in the corridor. There was blood, but no one was moving. The gunfire had stopped, and she was able to take al
l her gear and Lucas’s in quick movements. She jumped off the platform that she and Lucas had made love on and hit the rough cement. Concentrating on being as inconspicuous as possible, she ran for the terminal.
A woman with many piercings in her face whooped and tried to swipe her head off with a crude rock hammer. Bethany shot her in the chest and sidestepped around her. Reaching out with her senses, Bethany felt the station humming as Vera tried to push some power. With a grunt, she shot a load of power that lit up the night with floodlights and whooping alarms. The distraction was enough that she was able to shoot her way into the station.
The station was half of a building with a great crater leading down into tunnels. Wires, junked cars, and other debris piled to make a barrier. Bethany headed past rusted metal, leapt over piles of crates. Once she was behind cover, she cut off the energy, dropping everything into darkness. She hoped the Shifters could use the distraction to their advantage.
Running deeper into the terminal, she turned on the floor lights and the ventilation system. She saw her human friends enter the station. She, waved them into the tunnel she was in.
“Can you keep the lights on?” Karen asked.
Bethany nodded and sat down to get closer to the electronics. She felt Vera calling to her, but her voice was distant. The station was like a dormant volcano, and she was the catalyst. Freeing energy into the subterranean wires started the central air system and the power doors. More people flooded in from the train as new entrances came live.
“Don’t leave me,” Vera wailed.
Bethany’s body twitched, and she felt blood spurt out her nose. Then she was free, floating above the station. She looked down on her body, looking so still. Lem and Jesse were clutching each other. Karen guarding all of them with a nasty-looking crossbow. Drifting down the corridors humming with energy, Bethany fired up a few electric engines on rusted trucks. With a push, they spurted forth, and she gloried in the power as she piloted them through the main doors, surprising a group of nomads off their feet. Bethany lost control of the trucks, and they idled.
“Over here.”
Bethany darted toward the voice and saw Vera for the first time. She was chained to the train, a willowy blonde with hooded dark eyes and nightmarish scars all over her naked body.
“Free me.”
“How?”
“Pull. Break them.”
Bethany yanked them, but nothing happened.
“Not like that. Come closer.”
Bethany drifted so they were nose to nose.
“Like this.”
Vera attached her mouth to hers, and the world exploded. Chains flew everywhere, and in the bowels of the tunnel, an electric engine train fired its cylinders. Laughing, Vera grabbed her hand. “Let’s go into the trucks you’ve brought us.”
“I don’t know what to do.”
Vera gathered her energy around her, thrusting Bethany into the engine, and just like that Bethany was the engine.
“Drive!” Vera said and drove a tight, fast victory circle before speeding off.
Bethany flexed her mind. Felt the brake, the gas pedal, and the engine humming like her heart. She laughed and revved the engine. It was like riding her bike—no, it was like she was the bike. They frolicked around the battle, startling the nomads—chasing them away.
But then Bethany saw a familiar cougar. Lucas was lying on his side, bleeding, possibly dying. She beeped the horn until rescue came.
Chapter Eleven
Lewis and Clark Expeditions
CLARK HATED THIS SHIT. Hated that he just couldn’t buy or fuck these people into submission. He blamed Misha. He blamed Lewis – who was nowhere to be seen. At least Clark had Flint and Lynn with him. Damage control showed him that he lost about half of his caravan and the back-up train was damaged, but could probably still make it to Colorado, if they could catch a break and pin down Misha. That bitch had to die.
“OK Lynn, I need you to find us any Shifter that’s not with us.”
“How am I supposed to know if they’re our guys or not?”
“Good point. If they attack us Flint will kill them. We good?”
Flint nodded and they left the terminal to try to end the battle.
“The Tech was a surprise,” Lynn said.
“She certainly is,” Clark said.
“Over there,” Lynn said and fired off three rapid cross bow shots.
Mid leap a wolf came down hard and didn’t move.
“I thought you didn’t know who was on our side or not. He hadn’t attacked yet.”
“Why take chances?” Lynn said.
Clark smacked her on the ass. “I like how you think.”
“Where are they?” Flint said looking around him with frightened, quick movements.
“Big one coming in.”
Clark felt the beat of wings and grabbed both Flint and Lynn’s gun arms. “Hold your fire.”
“Are you crazy?” Lynn said.
“Dragon!” Flint cried and broke free.
A black lizard with enormous wings and a scaly body sank down on its haunches and snarled around him.
Flint brought up his gun.
“Don’t shoot.” Clark snarled and aimed his pistol at Flint.
The lizard shimmered and a naked Lewis appeared in its place, looking just as pissed off.
“Misha’s retreating. I have a feeling she’s going to come back with reinforcements tonight. To take advantage of the dark. She wasn’t expecting the Tech though. If we can load up those electric trucks and the caravans, we can hold off her team here while the majority of our caravan moves on. Shifters and hunters stay. Everyone else pushes on to Colorado. Have them follow the tracks. When we’re clear we’ll catch up to them on the train.”
“I don’t like splitting up,” Clark said.
“You’re a dragon,” Flint said.
Lewis looked at Flint. “We can explore that later, preferably with my dick in your mouth. But right now you need to let the grownups talk.”
Lynn laughed.
“Shut it, Lynn,” Clark said.
“We’re too bloated to travel as a group. The nomads will pick us off at our extremities. The trucks and a few caravans should be able to punch through . No one’s going to go after a Tech caravan unprepared.”
Clark nodded.
“Make it happen. I’ll try to buy us a little time.”
“Don’t do anything stupid.”
Lewis sneered and then exploded into his dragon form, blowing the trio back with a mighty gust from wings that were suddenly there. He kicked aloft and disappeared into the night sky.
“I don’t believe it,” Flint said.
Large clanking sounds from the horizon cut off further conversation as walking scrap heaps staggered towards the train.
“Lady Tech,” Clark hollered. “We need you.”
“Let’s get to those trucks,” Lynn said.
The three of them ran towards a honking truck. Clark barely glanced at the dead Shifter on the ground next to it. Flint and Lynn piled into the bed of the truck and Clark launched himself into the driver’s seat. He put the truck into drive, but the shift stick went back to park.
“Come on. We don’t have time for this. Scrap golems are headed this way.”
The radio in the truck turned on and started to tune to different stations. Music from classical, to big band jazz filtered through the cab and out into the night.
“That’s seriously weird,” Lynn said.
But then it stopped on a staticy station.
“Hear me?”
“What?
“Put Lucas in the truck.”
Clark blinked at the Tech’s voice coming through the radio. “Who the bloody hell is Lucas?”
“The cougar next to us.”
“Forget him. He’s dead. You can have your pick of Shifters. We need to get back to the train and load up and then get out of here. Hopefully keeping out of range of those golems.”
“He’s not dead. P
lease.”
Clark looked over his shoulder. “Well, you heard the Tech. Pick him up.”
Grumbling, it took both Lynn and Flint to haul up the bleeding and unconscious cat and slide him into the truck bed. All the while, the ominous clash of twisted gears and stomping metal came closer.
A second truck careened through the wreckage and launched itself straight at the walking junk piles. It scored a direct hit, knocking the components to into pieces.
“That will buy us some time,” Bethany droned over the radio.
“Drive us to the terminal. I want all the non-fighters to help with the train.”
Clark was a little alarmed by the speeds they were travelling, but he was also very happy. They were faster than horses. If they did this in three waves, they might be able to keep the enemy on the run.
“Jesse,” Clark said and jumped from the truck as soon as it was stopped. “You and Clem . . .”
“Lem.”
“Don’t interrupt. Get as many people you can to off load the horses and get the wagons hitched up. Flint and Lynn, you coordinate the goods off the train.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to blow the station. It’s too vulnerable. We’ll find another way point.”
“Wait,” Jesse said. “We’ve got people still in there.”
“Get them out then. We’ve got to get moving before full dark. The trucks will provide us light and we’re going to travel straight on until morning.”
Lewis flew after the nomads, keeping the giant, scurrying scorpion in his sight.
HE BECAME AWARE OF his mistake when fire exploded into his side and Misha in dragon form followed up the blast by grasping his wings in her talons.He had been careless and now would pay the price. But he wasn’t going to go down easy. Wheeling on her, he tried to bite her underbelly, gnashing at the soft underside. She jerked back, smacking him across the eyes with her barbed tail. Blinded, Lewis pumped his wings, but they were damaged and he began to lose altitude. He raked his back claws against her chest, when she got too eager too greedy. But she still drove him to the ground with her teeth in his neck. She clamped down until he passed out from lack of oxygen.
When Lewis came to, he was chained to four spikes in the center of a large pavilion
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