by Kathy Reichs
No. Not dancing.
That’s just what it looks like when flaring Virals fight.
I ran toward a jumble of grunting, grappling boys.
Ben snaked through a pool of light. Moving faster than thought, his fist slammed into Speckman’s side. The red-eyed Viral stumbled backward, but quickly recovered, sliding left to avoid Ben’s next blow.
My eyes darted right—Cole and Chance had locked arms, each straining to throw the other down. Then Cole slipped under Chance’s guard, springing up like a kangaroo to knee him in the stomach.
Chance dropped to the tarmac, eyes bulging, but managed to roll away from Cole’s kick. He popped up behind Speckman and shoved the taller boy with both hands, knocking him off balance. Ben pounced, grabbing Speckman in a vicious headlock.
“Say something smart now!” Ben snarled, his biceps squeezing Speckman’s throat. “Not so tough without a catwalk to hide on!”
But Speckman surprised him, lunging sideways and toppling them both, then flipping to his feet like a cat. As Ben rose, Speckman punched him in the face, sending Ben back to the deck. I felt a painful jolt along the bond.
“You bastard!” I charged Speckman as he stood over Ben, one foot rising to stomp my friend’s chest.
Hi got there first.
“Bonsai!”
Speckman looked up in time to catch Hiram’s full weight squarely in his gut. Hi barreled over the Trinity’s leader, driving them both backward and to the ground in a ragged heap. As I helped Ben to his feet, Speckman angrily shoved Hi aside, eyes blazing with scarlet fury. He snagged Hi by the shirt front and cocked a fist. “You’re dead, fat boy!”
Shelton darted from the shadows and kicked him square in the ass.
Speckman fell forward onto his hands, momentarily stunned. Hi, Shelton, and Ben formed a loose circle around him, a flurry of sendings bouncing between them.
“Three against one, eh?” Speckman laughed harshly, wiping bloody spittle from his mouth. “Doesn’t matter. You golden boys are the weaker breed. Come find out.”
Ignore him. Ben eyed Speckman coldly as he shook off the cobwebs. Let’s work together and take this jerk down.
Shelton and Hi nodded, silent, focused on their adversary.
Scuffling sounds behind me. I turned, spotted Chance fighting alone against Cole.
Chance needs my help.
Though smaller, Cole was wicked fast, bouncing around like a pogo stick and evading at every turn. Chance couldn’t lay a finger on him. So I crept across the hardtop, sticking to the shadows as I soundlessly looped behind the greasy stoner.
Chance spotted me in the corner of his eye. He feinted left, forcing Cole to shift his back to me. I was mere feet away.
My lips curled as I prepared to pounce.
Never leave your tail exposed, friend.
Pain exploded in my abdomen.
The air whooshed from my lungs as I staggered sideways, caught completely off guard.
Something thumped the side of my head. Stars. Flashes of light.
I toppled to my knees, reeling, eyes glazing as a catlike form slunk from the darkness.
The girl.
She moved like smoke, cartwheeling behind Chance in the blink of an eye.
Cole nodded, as if hearing instructions in his head. He jabbed at Chance, forcing him to dodge sideways.
I tried to call out, but couldn’t breathe.
The girl’s foot connected with Chance’s knee. He dropped with a howl.
I spied a flash of dark hair, bundled tightly.
Get her.
But before I could react, a blast of agony struck between my temples. Searing pain exploded inside my skull, as if my brain had been poked with a cattle prod. I spun, swinging both arms wildly, but to no avail. No one was there. The attack was on my mind.
I gasped, grabbed my head with both hands. A cold, alien feeling swept through me.
Fighting off panic, I glanced up. Cole was standing rock still, eyes half glazed, a look of intense concentration on his face.
Somehow, I knew the torment was coming from him.
Invisible hands rattled the doors of my consciousness. I grimaced, sweat drenching my clothes as I pushed back with all the mental energy I could muster.
He’s trying to get inside. Trying to batter me from within.
Then the pain vanished as quickly as it came.
“I’m out of here,” Cole blurted, backing from where Chance and I were sprawled on the tarmac. “This ain’t my style.” The shadow nodded, and the pair slipped away.
I rolled onto my stomach, trying not to puke. Chance was hunched over a few feet to my left, frowning as he worked his knee. He showed no signs of having beat back a similar attack.
What did that bastard Cole do? What powers were the Trinity playing with?
I shoved those thoughts aside as another fact crashed home.
My attacker.
How she moved. Her silhouette in the darkness.
I knew her. But with my head scrambled, I couldn’t place it.
Never let someone behind you, right, Tory?
Cursing myself for being an easy target, I wobbled to my feet. The functioning part of my brain continued screaming.
The girl. You know her. You see her every day.
Ashley.
Even in the gloom, I’d noticed my attacker’s glossy black hair. Her slender, sporty physique. The effortless grace of her movements.
I let her jump me. Now she and Cole are gone.
Someone grunted close by. With a jolt, I remembered the struggle behind me.
I turned to see Speckman knock Ben to the ground. He paused, panting, head on a swivel as he searched for Trinity allies. Finding none, he spat on the ground, then began to retreat toward the control tower. I tried to stop him, but the world was spinning beneath my tennis shoes. It was all I could do to remain upright.
Speckman wore an evil grin as he jogged past me. “Go help your puppies, golden girl. They don’t look so good. Next time, remember to mind your betters.” Then he disappeared into the gloom.
A voice groaned to my right. Someone was cursing softly. Still flaring, I spotted my packmates in the darkness and staggered over to them on rubbery legs. Everyone okay!?
Three against one, but it was clear who’d lost the fight.
Shelton lay on his back, a hand to his temple. He moves so damn fast.
Bastard. Ben was doubled over a few yards away, hacking and spitting. He got lucky.
Oh, no doubt. Hi struggled to one knee, wiping his nose. All seven times he punched me were total flukes.
I helped up Shelton, then Hi. We hustled over to Ben, but he waved us away, slapping the helicopter’s metal hull in frustration.
Chance stumbled into the light, blood trickling from his bottom lip. “I’m fine, guys, thanks.”
A spasm of guilt. “I was coming for you next.”
The five of us stood in a ragged, panting circle. Pain and embarrassment fired up and down the bonds. We’d had the Trinity cornered, and gotten our butts kicked.
Speckman is strong. Hi was rubbing an abraded cheek. Way stronger than us.
“Out loud,” I said. “Chance needs to hear, too.”
“He’s right.” Shelton worked his jaw, checking to make sure his teeth were still in place. “We’ve horsed around before—and I know Ben’s got more pop than me and Hi put together—but that guy?” Shelton shook his head. “I’ve never seen that kind of flare strength. That’s next-level stuff.”
“Will Speckman is nothing special.” Ben’s glare could cut diamonds, but I felt shame seeping through our connection. Could smell it on his skin. “He surprised me, but it won’t happen again.”
“Ben, don’t.” I remembered that twig Cole grappling with Chance. How fast my attacker had mov
ed. “The Trinity may be stronger than us. They were infected by a different strain. We should consider the possibility that their flares are more powerful.”
Chance glanced at me, then looked away.
“I’m telling you, it was luck.” Ben refused to meet my eye. “Just give me another shot.”
I didn’t press the point.
We huddled in silence, each trapped in our own thoughts, listening to a dull sound echo over the water.
It took me a moment to recognize what it was.
Barking. Lots of it.
Coop.
Everyone’s head jerked at once.
Better you than us.
Adrenaline poured into my bloodstream.
I turned my concentration inward. Found a fire alarm blaring, unnoticed.
Coop’s bond thrummed with anger and fear. Unconsciously, my lips curled into a snarl.
An echo of pain hit me.
COOP!?!
An image arrowed into my brain.
Men in black boots, pounding up the ramp.
Coop’s sending was filled with rage. I sensed an ache in his side, as if he’d been kicked.
Enemies. Strong. Flee.
“Coop spotted men on the pier.” Fighting down panic. “They’re coming aboard.”
“You were right!” Ben punched his open palm. “The Trinity are tipping the spooks!”
I was floored by their ruthlessness. The Trinity wanted us caught. Were trying to hand-deliver us into captivity. Why would they do such a thing?
My eyes darted to Chance.
Speckman said he knows the reason.
“What do we do?” Shelton whirled, searching for an escape route.
“The stairs are out,” Hi blurted, his golden eyes wide with fear. “They’d cut us off like we did the Trinity.”
“Over the side?” Chance suggested weakly. “Swim to shore?”
“We’re a hundred feet up!” Shelton squawked. “We can’t jump!”
My brain locked up, unable to formulate a plan. What about Coop? I couldn’t leave him.
“Wait!” Something clicked. “The Trinity! They didn’t use the stairs! We’d have heard them open the hatch.”
I peered in the direction our enemies had fled. “They went that way.”
Ben didn’t hesitate, racing in pursuit. The rest of us followed on his heels.
We ran past the control tower to the still-sealed hatch. It was just as I had left it. I searched for another way inside the superstructure, but nothing looked promising.
Hi’s voice thundered in my head. They’re down there!
He was pointing to the south end of the flight deck, overlooking the marina. Moonlight framed three silhouettes. I took off down the runway, suddenly obsessed with seeing Ashley’s face. Sick of shadows and guesswork.
As I watched, one of the forms simply disappeared.
I blinked to make sure my eyes were working properly.
A second shape vanished with a flip of dark hair.
Part of my brain jumped up and down, demanding I pay attention.
No time. I raced forward, determined to catch Ashley.
The flight deck ended dead ahead. There was nowhere else to run. But only Speckman stood there, glaring at us from beyond the stern guardrail. “Discovered your blind date early?” He shrugged, tightening something around his waist. A metal object glinted in his hands. “Doesn’t matter, you won’t escape their welcome party.”
Before I could respond, Speckman did the unthinkable—waving impishly, he turned and leaped over the side.
We stood there, gaping in shock.
Hi’s hand floated to his mouth. “Did he just . . .”
“Where are the other two?” Shelton warbled. “What’s going on!?”
I ran to the rail. Saw Speckman’s body falling to the dark sea below.
No. Not falling. Gliding.
I watched, baffled, as Will Speckman floated like an angel, drifting down to the marina dock a hundred yards away. My mind suggested all kinds of crazy answers.
The Trinity can fly. Will Speckman is actually a bird. Gravity has taken the night off.
Then I noticed a thin cable fastened to a rivet just below the railing.
“It’s a zip wire.”
Everything fell into place. Speckman’s casual attitude as we approached. The harness around his waist. His missing packmates. As I stared down at the pier, three dark forms scurried into the marina and out of sight. The Trinity were gone.
My knees began to shake.
“We have to follow.” I heard the shudder in my voice. “It’s the only way.”
“You’re crazy!” Shelton lurched back from the railing. “We don’t have any equipment!”
I grabbed him by the shoulders. “Those aren’t hall monitors storming up here. Whoever is coming must be bad news. If they capture us, we might never be seen again.”
Shelton flinched, retreating another step. “Stop talking crazy!”
“Tory’s right.” Hi peered over the edge of the runway. “We made it easy for them again. No one knows where we are right now. They could bag us up here and disappear. Who’d stop them?”
“We’ve done crazier stuff before.” Ben grabbed the cable and shook it with both hands. “This line is solid, probably part of the anchoring system. We just ride it down.”
“Ride what?” Shelton demanded, not giving in. “They took all the handlebars!”
Chance grunted. “We can’t use our hands. Too much friction.”
I spotted a stack of tarps to our right. “Look!”
We raced over, searching furiously for anything we could use.
My heart leaped. Beyond the tarps, a dozen braided ropes lay in messy pile.
“Perfect!” Ben grabbed five pieces—each roughly a yard in length—and passed them out. “Wrap the ends around your hands, and keep the line centered in the middle.”
Hi laughed nervously. “Don’t let go.”
“Thanks.” Shelton was sniffling quietly.
“You’re still flaring,” Chance added, trying to buck Shelton up. “It’ll be easy.”
A screeching sound filled the air. Someone was unscrewing the hatch from within.
“No more time!” I hissed.
“I’ll go first.” With a deep breath, Ben stepped over the guardrail. He crawled to the edge of the runway, where nothing separated him from a hundred-foot plunge to the murky water below.
I nearly threw up.
Arms trembling, Ben hooked a length of rope over the cable. Looped its ends around his palms. Gave a sharp tug. Then he cleared his throat. “Here goes nothing,” he said in a cracked voice.
Ben stepped over the edge. Fell through the sky.
My hand shot sideways and seized Chance’s shirt. He didn’t notice, eyes glued to Ben as he mumbled, “Come on come on come on . . .” Hi and Shelton were hugging each other in terror.
It was over in moments. Ben zoomed down the line like a high wire expert. A dozen yards from the pier he let go, splashing into the marina shallows without a hitch. He surfaced quickly and swam over to the dock.
See? Ben sent, exhilaration pouring through the bond. Easy!
A clank behind us. The hatch, flipping open.
Who’s next? I prodded, eying the empty flight deck at our backs.
Surprisingly, Shelton stepped forward. I go now, or I’ll never have the nerve.
You can do this. Ben was watching from the dock, suddenly a bundle of nerves as he peered up at us. I promise. I’ll be with you the whole way.
Shelton crawled over the guardrail, then edged slowly out to the line. He repeated Ben’s routine exactly. Then, with a whimper, Shelton simply collapsed, allowing his body weight to drag him into space. I heard his mental scream as he sped down the
cable.
Shelton released his rope on time, splashing down in nearly the same spot as Ben. I’m alive! he mind-screamed, even before surfacing. Then his head appeared and he scrambled for the dock. Oh man, this water’s disgusting! I think I got some in my mouth.
Boots on the tarmac. I heard voices arguing somewhere close by.
I turned to Hi, who nodded, slithered over the railing, and slipped his rope into place. I regret I have but one life to give. Because I’d prefer to have more lives. Then he launched himself over the side.
Hi’s terror arced through our bond like a completed circuit. He dropped faster than the other two, nearly failing to release his rope in time, splashing down less than a yard from the concrete dock. Seconds later his tubby form bobbed to surface, hacking and spitting. Never a doubt! he crowed, but his heart was pounding like a jackhammer.
I blew out a breath. That would’ve hurt.
Chance gripped my arm.
Footsteps, approaching fast.
Our eyes met. We didn’t need telepathy. As one we vaulted the guardrail, scrambling to get our ropes in position without knocking each other from the ledge.
I was in front, balanced dangerously close to the drop. Chance wriggled and fidgeted close behind me as he tightened his grip. With every slight bump, I felt sure I was going over the side.
A flashlight beam slashed directly overhead.
Before I could react, Chance swung his legs up and wrapped them around me like a vise. “Don’t worry! I won’t let you fall.” Then his bulk propelled us over the side.
A moment of weightlessness.
I choked back a scream, felt Chance’s body go rigid against mine. Then we were falling, the wind whistling in my ears.
My rope caught the line with a jolt and dug cruelly into my palms. We slid down the cable like a bobsled team, moving faster than I could’ve imagined.
“Get ready!” Chance yelled in my ear.
The pier rushed up to meet us, looking hard and unforgiving.
“Let go . . . now!” Chance bellowed.
I opened my fists. In a double-cannonball, we dropped into the harbor.
Water flooded my nose. I kicked away from Chance, pulling for the surface. We came up side by side, Chance grinning like a Loggerhead monkey. “Not so bad!”