by S. S. Segran
37
The men advanced, two of them training their weapons on the teens and Marshall. Kody recognized the giant who strolled calmly toward them and could hear the venom in the man’s voice over the sound of the engines. “You really think you can get away? From here? From us?”
The orange-haired man holding the shotgun spoke, his Australian accent pronounced. “You’ve caused a damn lot of destruction, lass.”
Kody glanced at Tegan, wondering what in the world she and Mariah had done.
“You better be well worth it,” the Australian continued. “If not for the order to keep you alive, I’d gladly put a bullet between your eyes.”
“Too bad we’re not allowed to shoot to kill,” the giant sighed, his tone thick with sarcasm.
The Australian smirked. “Can still shoot to maim, though.”
Kody, Aari, Tegan and Jag backed up slowly but stopped when Marshall stepped forward to stand protectively in front of them. “What do you want with them?” he called. “They’re just kids!”
“Kids!” The giant tossed his head back, letting out a humorless bark of laughter. “These girls probably caused us six figures in damage!”
The Australian lifted his head slightly, scanning Kody and the others. “Where is she?” he demanded. “Where is the other girl?”
“You have no right to take them,” Marshall warned.
“We’re talking about rights now, are we?” A wad of spit launched from the giant’s mouth. “Hand them over.”
The Sentry rolled his shoulders and snarled. “Over my dead body.”
The giant shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He signaled his cohort.
Kody saw the blast leave the Australian’s shotgun before he heard the report. He opened his mouth to yell, watching in helpless horror as his heightened vision followed the cloud of pellets toward the Sentry.
The next thing he saw was Marshall being driven to the ground by a blur—Jag. Tegan dodged sharply as the bullets whizzed by.
Marshall landed roughly on the road, groaning. Jag leapt upright the instant he had Marshall out of harm’s way, arms held up in surrender. “Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot! We’ll come!”
“Hands up, all of you!” the Australian barked. “Now!”
Dazed and scared, Kody, Tegan and Aari did as they were told. They were ordered to move forward, which they did, slowly and with small steps. Then Kody heard Jag mutter under his breath, “A distraction would be awesome right about now, Aari . . . ”
There was a tense moment of silence before the men let out startled exclamations. The mining truck beside them shimmered briefly and vanished from sight.
“What the hell?” the Australian cried.
Kody caught sight of Jag sprinting into a blur yet again. The armed Australian beside the mining truck was stunned when Jag appeared suddenly in front of him. The teenager grabbed his arms and delivered a knee between his legs before ripping the shotgun away from the winded man.
As the Australian fell to the ground, rolling in agony, Jag spun around with the speed of a striking snake and swung the shotgun at the unarmed man beside the Australian, smashing him in the face with the weapon’s stock. The man, who’d barely had time to see Jag, let alone comprehend what was happening, was knocked to the ground, unconscious. Kody had to slow down his vision to capture it all.
As Jag spun again to face the third adversary—the giant—he was met with the man’s massive fist. The shotgun fell, clattering on the gravel as Jag was sent sprawling backward. He rolled a couple of feet away before lying still in the dirt.
“Jag!” Kody shouted.
The giant pulled out a pistol from his holster and pointed it down at Jag. As his finger slid to the trigger, the mining truck suddenly appeared. Startled, the giant and the remaining adversary snapped their heads leftward to look. At that exact moment, Kody saw Jag disappear from sight like a specter.
Beside Kody, Aari mumbled pleadingly, “C’mon, Jag. Move it . . . ”
Kody saw movement next to him; Marshall, seizing the moment of distraction, charged toward the two men left standing. He headed for the one holding an AR-15 rifle and kicked the weapon out of his adversary’s hands. The Sentry swiftly slipped behind the man and grabbed him in a choke hold. With a heavy grunt, he lifted and flipped him over his shoulder, sending his opponent crashing onto his back. Marshall was upon him in an instant, delivering right and left hooks.
The giant calmly stepped behind Marshall and pressed his pistol to the Sentry’s head, stopping him cold. “Here’s the thing, hero. We need those kids. But you?” His finger slid to the trigger. “Not so much.”
The bang was earsplitting, and the howl of agony that followed rattled Kody’s ears. Then he realized Marshall was still crouched, unscathed, over the man he’d been hitting—the shot had gone wild. Kody rubbed his eyes and stared, barely able to take in what he was seeing.
The giant slowly sank to his knees, the gun in his now-limp hand pointed to the ground. Red dripped from a gash on the back of his head. The AR-15 that Marshall had kicked away now hung in the air as though suspended by invisible wires, its butt splashed with blood.
Marshall stood and grabbed the rifle. Lining up as a batter would, he swung the weapon around and nailed the giant in the gut. When the big man leaned forward in agony, Marshall struck out with a fist to the man’s temple, knocking him out cold.
Kody would have watched him fall if not for Jag appearing out of the air in front of him, making him jump. He fist-bumped his confused-looking friend. “Nice work with the rifle.”
Jag returned the gesture, looking even more confused now. “That wasn’t my doing.”
Kody was about to make a smart remark when a movement caught his eye and he stepped away from Jag.
Jag turned around to follow his gaze. Mariah was jogging toward them from behind the adversaries’ Hummers; now the rifle hanging in the air made sense. She looked even worse than Tegan. When she got closer, she stopped and eyed Marshall with uncertainty.
Tegan bolted toward her, followed by Kody, then Jag and Aari. When she saw them approaching, she let out an elated cry and shot past Marshall to meet their open arms.
Kody grinned broadly. “You’re all dirty!”
Mariah managed to punch him with one hand as tears left streaks down her mud-dried face. “Missed you too, brickhead.”
The friends held onto each other for a while longer, unable to form words. Kody felt the rapid beating of his heart eventually ease. The silence was broken when Marshall came up to them and said gently, “I don’t want to interrupt your reunion, but we’ve got a bit of work to do here.”
Mariah pulled away and half-glared at Marshall. “You . . . you attacked us . . . and then you followed—”
“Mariah, it’s not—” Jag began, but she held up her index finger.
“But then I just saw you,” she continued warily, “and you were . . . you were helping us? Why? Who are you?”
Marshall wiped some blood from off his cheek with his t-shirt, then gave Mariah a remorseful smile. “I apologize for how this may all seem. My name is Marshall. We haven’t got time for a chat right now, but I’m sure your friends will fill you in.”
“He’s a Sentry,” Kody told Mariah. “The Sentry. It wasn’t Tony after all.”
At the mention of the name, a look of thunder and destruction descended in both girls’ eyes. “That’s one of the things we need to talk about,” Tegan said bitingly.
“Later,” Marshall said. He took out a switchblade from his pocket and tossed it to Aari. “Slash their tires. Be quick.”
Aari caught the blade and ran toward the Hummers as Marshall went back to the four men on the ground. He saw that the one Jag had kneed was struggling to get up and quickly grabbed him in a chokehold to send him sliding into unconsciousness.
The Sentry and the friends found a box of zip ties in one of the Hummers and began securing the men’s hands behind their backs. They then dragged them one by one and shoved them
into some bushes about thirty feet away from the road.
The girls grew jumpy as Kody and Jag went to grab the last man. “What’s wrong with you both?” Kody called.
“I think Mariah and I stirred the hornet’s nest up there,” Tegan said, her tone a few pitches higher than usual, “and I’ve got a feeling more of these guys will be coming down here soon. We really need to go.”
By this time, Aari had finished his duty and handed the switchblade back to Marshall. “Are we all good over there?” the Sentry asked, watching as Kody and Jag finally got the last man into the bushes.
“Yeah,” Jag replied. The group took one last look around, then packed into Marshall’s Mustang.
“It’s really crowded in here,” Aari muttered.
“It’s designed for two people in the back,” Marshall said as he shut his door. “Hang in there, we’ll try and get a rental once we’re safe. Besides, we can’t be driving this beauty anymore now that they’ve seen the car.”
“Where are we going?” Tegan asked.
Marshall made a U-turn before tearing out of the small ghost town. “We’ll figure that out as soon as we get out of here.”
38
“This is so uncomfortable,” Aari muttered. “Ow! Tegan, your elbow’s in my ribs!”
“There’s not enough room back here,” Tegan protested.
“I’m getting dirt on me,” Kody grumbled.
“Not our fault!” the girls chorused.
Marshall listened to the lot of them complain, entertained. They were driving through Deming and heading to Las Cruces with the teenagers crammed in the back as both sides recounted what had happened to them.
“Again, sorry about how cramped it is, guys,” he said.
“Too bad the car rentals at Silver City weren’t open,” Kody sighed.
“It was four in the morning,” Jag said. “And anyway, we needed to put as much distance as we can between those guys and us.”
“You know,” Aari said to the girls, “your escape sounds like something straight out of a movie.”
“I was scared,” Mariah confided. “Those beasts—the Marauders . . . it’s the people from the mountain last year. It’s them.”
“What are they doing here?” Jag asked.
“It looked like two different projects,” Tegan answered. “Above ground it was mining but underneath . . . I don’t know. They had a whole lot of construction going on inside that cave.”
“And aqua . . . aqua farms?” Mariah said. “No, wait. Aquaponic farms?”
Aari jumped in. “Hydroponic farms? You sure?”
“Yes,” Tegan said.
Marshall frowned. “That’s odd.”
Tegan frowned in return. “Why?”
Marshall looked into his rearview mirror. “I think Aari might have the answer.”
“Aquaponics is a way to grow plants with just water and light, essentially,” Aari said. “There’s no need for soil. And you can raise fish in harmony with the greens. Question is, why are they building an aquaponic farm underground?”
“Another maybe more relevant question is, who’s behind all this?” Jag added.
“That Dr. Nate guy and the person in the hologram knew a lot about Dema-Ki,” Mariah said.
“But how are they even aware of its existence?” Aari asked. “It’s a fair assumption that it’s someone from the inside. Maybe a rogue Sentry? So many questions that need answers. Jag, are you able to get in contact with Elder Nageau again?”
Jag folded his arms. “I don’t know. He was the one who reached out to me last time. Marshall, can you?”
“Probably,” the Sentry said. “Let’s get away from here first.”
“I’m so disgusted with Tony,” Mariah said. “I have no words to describe how much I despise that . . . that mucus thing that blob fish secrete.”
The friends erupted in peals of disgusted laughter.
“And this would be the same guy who said he went after me when he didn’t, right?” Marshall asked over the ruckus.
“That’s the one!” Tegan replied.
Kody clicked his tongue sourly. “He seemed like such a nice guy. I don’t think I’ve given my trust away that quickly to anyone in ages.”
“But that’s the thing,” Tegan said. “He didn’t seem, you know, evil. He just looked like he genuinely believes in whatever he’s a part of to a point where it’s kind of scary.”
Jag stretched out his legs as far as he could. “I’d like to know what it is that he’s a part of.”
“Whatever it is, I could feel the fanaticism simmering just below the surface.”
“In any case,” Mariah said, “if we see him again, I’ll gladly set up his face on a date with a boulder.” She yawned, setting off everyone else except Marshall.
The Sentry glanced back at the group sympathetically. “Just a while longer, guys,” he said. “Hang in there.”
The occupants of the car quieted down and it took a while for Marshall to realize that the teenagers had dozed off, even the four in the back who weren’t settled comfortably. The Sentry glanced at the dashboard clock. It was a shame that it was only five in the morning; the car rental in Deming would not be open. Still, it was a good opportunity to drive on and add more miles between the abductors and the group.
It was just a little over an hour later when he pulled up in front of a car rental office near the Las Cruces airport. The moment he turned off the engine, the friends woke up, looking around blearily.
“Time for a new ride,” Marshall murmured, unbuckling himself as the others groaned.
Getting out of the Mustang, he led the way into the rental company’s building. The friends plopped down on the plastic chairs as he went up to the counter to speak with the clerk. He glanced back at them and grinned slightly when he saw them leaning against each other, trying to get a few more minutes of shuteye.
The Sentry’s thoughts meandered as he passed the clerk his credit card. He still couldn’t believe how young the five were, but he’d now witnessed some of them work their powers and heard about the girls’ escape. As inexperienced as they may seem, they had skills and had proven that they could use them as a team.
Marshall got the keys to their new car. “Up and at ’em,” he called to the others as he strode out the door. He heard the friends grumbling as they pulled each other up and followed him.
“Voila,” he said, spreading his arms when he reached their vehicle. He turned to the teenagers. “What do you think?”
The friends, looking dead on their feet, stood in silence as they stared. Then, Kody spoke up groggily. “Marshall . . . that’s a minivan.”
“It sure is.”
“We’re trading a Mustang for a minivan?”
“Not just any minivan. It’s an all-wheel-drive. We needed more room anyway and you know my car is too easy to spot if those guys come after you again. Pile in.”
While the friends settled into the rental, Marshall jogged back to his car and gently pulled his backpack out of the trunk. When he returned to the minivan, he was not at all surprised to find the group reclined and looking considerably more comfortable than before. As he pulled onto the main road, Marshall glanced back at Kody. “So? How’s our new ride?”
“Not answering that,” Kody mumbled as he snuggled against his seat.
“Hey, Aari, you got your charger?” Jag asked. “The car’s got a port and my phone’s dead.”
Aari fished his phone charger out of his bag and threw it to Jag. It was barely two minutes later when his phone rang. Jag answered the call. “Hey, Tristan.”
Marshall could feel Jag’s mood darken as the boy listened to his brother. The others felt it as well as they sat up and leaned toward the front.
“Hey, Tris, hold on a moment.” Jag muted the call and turned to the others; Marshall noticed that his eyes were moist. “My grandparents’ crops have been hit. My . . . my grandmother was rushed to the hospital. She had a heart attack. Tristan is thinking of heading out
there with Camilla.”
Mariah rested a hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Jag. How is she holding up?”
“I’m not sure. But would it be alright if we drove out there? I know it’s a long ways away, but . . . ”
“No, no, it’s a good idea,” Aari said, leaning closer.
“How so?” Mariah asked.
“We can get a look at the destroyed crops firsthand and see if we can find any clues that may point us to the source of this scourge. And Jag can be there for his family.”
Kody cocked his head. “That’s a good point.”
“So are we doing this?” Jag looked at all of them, a plea in his eyes.
Marshall nodded. “I think so.”
“Thank you.” Jag unmuted the call. “Tristan? Listen, you stay put. We’ll head to Concordia ourselves. Yeah, we’re sure. No, we want to do this. I’ll call you when we get there.” He hung up.
“Key in your grandparents’ address on the GPS,” Marshall said. Jag did as instructed, then rested back with a heavy exhale.
“We’ve got a ten-hour drive ahead of us,” the Sentry told the friends. “Good time to catch up on sleep.”
He received no argument and the cabin went silent until Kody started to snore from the third-row seat. When he stopped, Aari picked it up. Marshall had to suppress a tired chuckle.
It was early afternoon when Tegan coughed and sat up, her eyes closed.
“Sleepwalking?” Marshall asked.
“I can’t open my eyes,” she responded groggily. “I’m so tired. And so hungry. And dirty.”
“Well, we’re just coming into Dalhart, two hours from the Kansas state line. Let’s see if we can find a place to get you guys cleaned up and grab some food.”
“How long were we asleep?”
“Just about five hours.”
“Five hours! Oh, man, I’d take another eight right now.”
“Keep it down,” Mariah moaned.
A sleepy-sounding Aari chimed in. “Too late.”
Kody and Jag were roused as well, and the first words out of Kody’s mouth were a complaint about his hunger. They hurried through a quick bite at a drive-thru and stopped at a mall. The girls grabbed the cheapest clothes they could find—and Mariah bought some makeup to conceal the bruise forming on her face where she’d been punched—while the boys and Marshall wandered around, grabbing other necessities. Once they’d gotten everything they needed, Marshall drove to a nearby public swimming pool.