Meet Abby Banks VOLUMES: 1-3

by J. A. Cipriano

  “Open sesame,” he said, and the door slid open with a whoosh.

  I glanced at him, narrowing my eyes and shaking my head. “You think you’re so cool,” I said, trying to shove down thoughts of him shooting me in the back of the head as I stared past him into the dank, dark hole beyond the door.

  “I don’t think I’m cool,” he said with a grin and pulled his hand away, lightning crackled between his fingertips and the control panel. “I think I’m positively electric.”

  He turned and stepped boldly into the room with his shoulders squared, and I followed more timidly. For whatever reason, he seemed to think we weren’t going to get shot at anymore, but I wasn’t so sure. I mean we were trying to escape a secret base of a woman who had just nuked two major cities. She had to have more than two guards here, right?

  The first thing I noticed about the room was the smell, like old salt water and oil. It hit me in a rush that made me think we might be on a pirate ship in the middle of the ocean. Stephen took another step and put his hand out, grabbing the slick bronze railing of a spiral staircase that led down into the dank blackness below.

  “Be careful. It’s slippery,” he said, taking a careful step onto the staircase and descending a few feet before turning to watch me.

  “What?” I asked, taking a tepid step forward, setting my bloody tennis shoe down on the first corrugated-metal step. “Afraid I won’t follow you down into another dark hole?”

  “You never know,” he replied with a smirk before facing forward and moving deeper into the inky darkness.

  “I don’t suppose you brought a flashlight,” I replied, a few moments later. I could barely see even a few feet in front of me and now every step was slow and measured because I wasn’t sure if I was going to drop off into oblivion.

  “Yes, I have one. No, I’m not turning it on. If there are gunners in here, I don’t want to give them a target,” he said. His voice seemed far away, impossibly far away.

  A second later, my shoes hit what felt like concrete, and my next step confirmed I was on the level as it were. “Okay, we’re here,” I said. “Where are you?”

  “Heading to the submarine, mon petite chou, like you should be.” Donovan’s voice broke through the darkness and nearly made me leap out of my shoes. I spun toward the sound of it. I could just barely make him out standing next to a hulking hunk of metal. I took a few steps toward him, still bewildered, and something grabbed my wrist.

  I screamed and leapt straight in the air, whirling toward the thing and striking out with my free hand. Stephen caught my other wrist.

  “Careful, Abby. We don’t want you slipping into the water. It’s really cold this deep under the ocean,” he said, hustling me toward the submarine, evidently unaware that my heart was about to explode from the fright he had given me. Jerk.

  10

  “So… we’re in a submarine, that’s cool,” I said as casually as I could. “Because a secret base at the bottom of the ocean is completely reasonable.”

  “Glad you agree, mon petite,” Donovan said, glancing over his shoulder at me in a sweep of blond hair that trailed down his back like a gleaming mane. Amusement flickered across his emerald eyes as he spoke.

  “Great,” I snapped, turning away from him and crossing my arms over my chest.

  “Oh, she’s a feisty one, Stephen. I can see why you go all googly eyes at her,” Donovan said with a snicker.

  I felt my cheeks burst into flames as I stared across the tiny room at Stephen who looked at me like he’d just been caught sticking his hand in a cookie jar. Very slowly, he swallowed, adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he looked down at his shoes like they were the most interesting thing in the room.

  I glanced at his shoes for a second, black combat boots, before whirling around, my hands clenched into fists. “You should be nicer to him!” I snapped. “He just saved me. All you did was wait behind in the submarine.”

  “Well, love, to be fair, I’m also piloting the submarine,” Donovan said, waving one hand at the controls. “That’s a skill that your boyfriend doesn’t have. He’s more of a blunt instrument. Like a hammer or a rock.”

  “You’re a jerk,” I growled, and suddenly, I didn’t know what to do. I mean I wasn’t going to go attack Donovan, and I wasn’t about to turn around and look at Stephen of the ‘oh so interesting shoes’ either.

  The whole submarine was like ten square feet so it wasn’t like I could go anywhere. Most of the walls were covered in things that buzzed, whirred, or blinked. I was fairly certain the twenty seconds I’d spent in computer club with my friend, Lisa Ann, was not going to be enough to get this monstrosity working if Donovan suddenly found himself incapacitated.

  “So, what’s the plan, exactly?” I asked, changing the topic. “Drive around under water and pray the world doesn’t nuke my mother’s underwater hideout?”

  “It’s a lot harder to nuke an underwater base than you’d think,” Donovan said, hunching forward over his control panel. The motion stretched his pink polo shirt across his back so that the muscles stood out. Maybe someone should tell these guys to buy clothes that fit…

  “Strangely, that doesn’t answer my question,” I replied, stamping my foot a little.

  The reflection of Donovan on the view screen quirked an eyebrow at me. “True,” he replied… and said nothing else.

  “So what’s the plan?” I asked again.

  Donovan shrugged. “I’m not telling you, clearly. Why don’t you guys go play cards or make out or something?” Donovan turned, glancing past me like I was invisible as rage filled every ounce of my being. Had he just?

  “Stephen,” he said. “Can’t you find something to occupy her?”

  Stephen said nothing, but a moment later, I felt his hand on my shoulder. He spun me around so I could see him. His eyes were so blue and deep that, for a moment, it felt like I was drowning as he led me toward the back of the room.

  We sat down on the faux-wooden bench under all the scuba gear that lined the back wall. I wasn’t really sure what the purpose of the gear would be since we were so deep underwater that I was pretty sure we’d be killed instantly, but hey, I had learned a lot of things today. Maybe it was super-secret spy scuba gear with pressure-reducing knobs or something.

  “So Abby,” Stephen said, pausing for a long time and staring up at the ceiling of the submarine. “What do you want to know?”

  “What the plan is for me? I mean, okay, my mom nuked two major cities, so why are you still trying to save me?” I asked, shaking my head. He reached out and took both my hands in his, and they were so warm that it made little tingles run up my arms. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Because, we’re the good guys,” Stephen replied, lips quirking into a smile.

  “That’s not enough,” I said. “That’s not enough by a longshot.”

  “I agree,” called Donovan from the front of the submarine. “I’m not a good guy either. I’m still all for the ‘leave her body in a dumpster’ option in case you were wondering, but for some reason, HQ still thinks that Gabriella has more bombs. They’re hoping to use you as leverage.”

  Stephen bristled, his hands clenching around mine until it was just this side of painful. ‘Don’t listen to Donovan,” he said, shaking his head. “He’s an ass. There’s no way we would hand you back over to Gabriella.”

  “Of course not…” I swallowed and took a deep breath. “You guys would just kill me.”

  “It won’t come to that,” Stephen said, and this time, he leaned closer to me, perfect lips slightly parted. “I will protect you. I promise.”

  Just like that, my heart started going crazy and I forgot how to breathe. Was… was he going to try and kiss me? Now? Oh my god. WhatamIgoingtodo?

  I turned my head slightly, putting a little space between Stephen’s lips and mine. “Why?” I murmured, my voice so low that there was no way Donovan could hear me. I hadn’t meant to whisper like that, but well, it was hard to make my words come
out right, just then.

  “Okay, I guess, technically, you’re still leverage, which is why he’ll keep you alive,” Donovan said with a shrug, and I wondered if he had heard me or if he was continuing his thought. “Don’t let tall, blond, and handsome fool you. You’re leverage.”

  “Is that what I am, Stephen? Just leverage?” I said, pulling away so suddenly that Stephen’s eyes twitched slightly. Then he leaned even closer. Which was like weird, right?

  “No,” he breathed, and the sound of his voice rolled over me like hot fudge and silk. I swallowed, trying to make sense of what else he said, but the words were lost because the only thing I could concentrate on was his lips. His hands settled on my shoulders, so warm and comforting, I started to lean into him as he spoke.

  His brilliant blue eyes sparkled, lips curling into a smile as he leaned in toward me. I shut my eyes and tilted my head toward him, parting my lips as my heart sped up to just this side of a sprint.

  The submarine lurched violently to the side, throwing me to the ground. I smacked into the metal floor, bouncing hard on my shoulder as the sound of screeching metal and explosions reduced my hearing to a cotton-dulled buzz. My eyes snapped open as I sucked in a breath that was all acrid smoke and fear.

  Flames danced along the control panel in front of Donovan who was lying slumped in his chair, head lolling to the side. His chest was still moving, so I was pretty sure he wasn’t dead.

  “Stephen!” I cried, glancing around for him.

  “Abby!” I heard him yell, but his voice sounded distant and muffled. I swung my head toward him and nearly screamed. Stephen was buried under a bunch of scuba equipment, blood streaming from a cut above his eye as he tried to pull himself free.

  “I don’t know what to do,” I said, torn between wanting to help him and rescue Donovan, the submarine pilot, from certain fiery doom.

  “Save Donovan,” he gasped, shoving away a giant oxygen tank. It hit the floor with a loud clang and began to roll toward me.

  “Okay!” I said because I wasn’t sure what else to do, and as I tried to get to my feet, the whole world tilted sideways.

  I slammed into the left side of the sub so hard the world went blurry. The oxygen tank smashed into the metal next to my head, and even though that should have scared me, I lay there, unable to move.

  Hesitantly, I reached out, touching it with my hand, gripping the cold steel for some sense of stability until the world stopped swimming. I glanced toward Donovan. He was still in the chair, only now he was being suspended by the straps over his shoulders and around his waist.

  The lights went out. I was plunged into pitch blackness in a tin can a million miles below the surface of the ocean. The ‘floor’ beneath my hands began to glow with neon green light as various emergency lights all over the submarine came to life. While some flickered and went out, most managed to stay on, bathing the compartment in their green glow.

  It was still too dark for me to make out Stephen beneath the pile of debris in the back of the submarine. From here, it all looked like twisted shadows. I swallowed again, biting my lip as I rolled onto my stomach and crawled toward Donovan. Jerk or not, he was the only one who could pilot the submarine, and hopefully, stop whatever it was from playing kick the can with the sub.

  I reached him a moment later, but the way he was lying against the straps made it impossible for me to get enough pressure on the pull tabs to release him. I struggled with it, pulling so hard that my fingers began to hurt from the strain.

  That was when I spotted the knife clipped to his belt. I grabbed hold of it and yanked. It slid out about half an inch before coming to a stop as Donovan’s body shifted. I put my back against the wall and braced my feet against Donovan’s side, pushing with all my strength. His body moved the barest fraction of an inch, and I grabbed hold of the knife, jerking it free.

  I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and glanced at the control panel. Black smoke was streaming from the left most compartments, but thankfully, I couldn’t see any more fire. Well that was strange.

  Donovan moaned, and I shook myself into action, leaping to my feet and starting to cut him free of the harness. While it was probably only minutes, it felt like it took hours to saw him free. I put my hands under his armpits, and bracing my legs against the control panel, pulled him upright, my arms trembling with strain.

  As I tugged him loose from the chair, my arms gave out. His body smacked into me, knocking the knife from my hand as we hit the ground. My head slapped against the hard metal with a wet sounding thud as the knife went skittering off into the dark.

  Stars swam past my eyes as the dead weight of Donovan settled on top of me, making it nearly impossible to breathe. I struggled, pushing at him with my pinned limbs but it was no use. Sweat began to bead on my forehead, dripping down the side of my face.

  The sound of shrieking metal exploded through the small submarine, and I craned my head toward the sound as the neon lights began to wink out one by one. The flash of blue-white flame filled my vision, blinding me so badly that I had to turn my head away as the fire ate through the steel wall like it was gasoline-drenched paper.

  There was a loud clang, like a giant gong being dropped against the ground, and the sound of it reverberated in my ears. I looked back toward the sound, spots still dancing across my eyes, to see a huge hole in the wall. The metal had that bright-red color of superheated steel, and the edges looked like they were dripping.

  Beyond the hole, I could see beige light filtering in, and I watched helplessly, as a tiny form stepped through the hole and surveyed the scene. I couldn’t make out the face because it was hidden behind a mask and goggles that made it look like an alien with giant green eyestalks jutting from its forehead.

  It peered at the wreckage where Stephen had been buried for several minutes before turning its attention toward me. It took one ominous step forward, clearly not seeing me beneath the massive bulk of Donovan’s body. My heart started to hammer so loudly I was worried it would give away my position as the person began to walk toward me.

  I held my breath as the form bent down and grabbed Donovan by the scruff of his shirt and turned him over. I squealed, trying to throw myself backward the moment I was free but got so twisted up in the unconscious body of Donovan still laying over my legs that all I succeeded in doing was drawing more attention to myself.

  “I have a gun!” I lied. “I’ll use it if you move even a centimeter closer!”

  The person’s lips quirked into a smile as it stared at me.

  “It’s okay, Abby,” Esmeralda Banks said. “Mommy’s here to save you.”

  “Mom?” I said, but I’m not sure if the words actually came out of my mouth because my jaw hit the floor. Shock rippled through me as Esmeralda Banks pulled off her mask and shook her head, allowing her golden locks to frame her movie-star face.

  Then, as she leaned down toward me, presumably to help me up, everything turned sort of red because, well, wasn’t this the woman who had been lying to me for my entire life? Rage swelled up inside me, so thick and choking I could barely breathe as I shoved her hands away from me.

  “You’re not my mother!” I snapped, curling my hands into fists. “You’re just some lady being paid to… to…” I gasped as tears tugged at my eyes and started to slip down my cheeks like little drops of wet lies, “paid to pretend you love me,” I finished.

  “Abby,” she said, voice comforting, but there was a tremor beneath it, just the smallest hint of sadness in her normal, stoic calm. Her emerald eyes went glassy as something died just below the surface. “Abby,” she repeated and swallowed, hard.

  “Stop saying my name!” I snapped and tried to push myself free, which was pointless because I couldn’t move. I was still trapped beneath Donovan’s bulk. “Argh!” I screamed in fury, and without thinking, smacked at him with my fists.

  “Abby, calm down, let me help you,” Esmeralda said, reaching out toward me with one slow, tentative hand
. It reminded me of someone reaching toward an angry mongrel dog in the streets.

  “Don’t tell me to calm down!” I cried, finally succeeding in pulling my left leg free. I put my foot against Donovan’s body and pushed, the muscles burning beneath my skin. He flopped over, his head smacking against the steel with a horrible sounding thunk.

  Esmeralda shook her head, snapping herself from some train of thought before turning mechanically to the back of the ship. Then she began to walk toward the scuba equipment.

  “Are you ignoring me?” I screamed as I got to my feet and took an angry step toward her.

  “Do you remember when you were a toddler and you used to throw fits?” Esmeralda wasn’t looking at me but she shook her head and sighed to herself. “You’d get so angry and you’d throw yourself down in the middle of the floor. Then you’d scream and start scooting backward. Well, this one time I got up and left you.” She glanced back at me and smirked. “It was one of my bad parent moments for sure. But what did you do? You ran into my room and grabbed me by the hand, insisting I follow you. So I did, and what did you do?”

  “I have no idea what I did,” I said as she bent down and began to rummage through the equipment.

  “Well, once we entered the room,” she continued, ignoring me, “you threw yourself back down on the ground and began to resume your fit. You repeated this same act three times, and every single time, I followed you because I thought maybe you wanted something else. You were so calm when you approached me, but all you wanted was to throw your temper tantrum where I could see it.”

  “And what is the point of telling me that story?” I snapped, putting my hands on my hips and fixing her with my best glare, which really wasn’t hard because I was so angry I felt like I was going to burst.

  “Because if I wasn’t your mother, do you think I’d remember your toddlerhood?” She stood, turning toward me and holding out a black, rubber-looking suit. “I am your mother, Abby. I raised you. I kissed your booboos. I attended your school plays. I helped you with your homework.” She shoved the suit into my hands. “I am not trying to cut out your insides and stuff them in my body to give myself a few more years. I am risking my life to save you.” She fixed me with her mom face. The one that made my legs turn to jelly. “Now put this on.”