by Dee C. May
The diplomat cowered in the corner, just skin and bones. A ragged gray and black beard covered his face. He went to scream, but I jumped across the dirt floor of the hut and covered his mouth. He struggled.
“Shh. I’m here to get you out.” He shook his head, his eyes wide and huge in his gaunt face. “I’m going to remove my hand, but I need you to keep quiet or they will hear us.” I slowly moved my hand down.
“You can’t. You can’t.” He hissed at me. “They will find us and kill you.”
“My job is to get you out of here.” I ripped the rope from his hands and legs. His eyes grew even bigger. There was no time to waste with conventional tools. I wasn’t worried, though. Most of the time, our victims were so shell shocked they never remembered our abilities, and who would believe them, anyway?
I helped him up. His legs shook as well as his hands. Bugger. This guy looked near death. That’s what happened when the kidnapping went on too long.
“My daughter. My daughter. Magda.” He grabbed my arm feverishly.
“I know. I’m going to get her, but first I need to get you safe. Stay behind me, and, when I tell you, move to the light.” I quietly swung the door open and listened. The night was still silent. God, what was going on? A croaking sound. I whistled back and waited. A light flashed. I grabbed the diplomat, and dragged him after me, my eyes roving the night. Something rustled to the right. I pushed the diplomat the rest of the way toward the light then threw myself to the ground. Nothing more. Campbell gave me the sign of success, and I left. Scurrying right, I started to Magda’s hut. I wondered how Quinn was making out.
Magda was in better shape. I ripped her bonds off then took care of the emaciated girl. She clung to my leg, and I wondered what we would do with her, but I sure as hell wasn’t leaving her behind. Outside, I heard screams followed by gunfire. Fuck. The dawn was about to explode. I pressed the knife into Magda’s hand.
“Stab anyone that gets in your path. You need to get to the helicopter. Your father is there.” She nodded, her long, greasy hair stuck to her face, but her hand was steady. I threw the skinny girl onto my back, grabbed Magda’s arm, and left the hut. In the distance, I could hear the whir of the helicopter. We started for the path through the woods where, hopefully, Campbell and Katherine waited.
We didn’t get far. Blazing lights filled the camp as each overhead light switched on. I froze. We were on the edge, not entirely lit up. I pushed the girls behind me, dropping the skinny one off my back. Three feet of bush separated us from the path to the helicopter. I tightened my fingers on the trigger of my gun and waited. From the side of the building came a woman with deep copper-colored red hair. And, following her, El Teniente with Drew, cuffed and clearly beaten.
“Beck. Sweetie. I knew you’d answer my call. Come on out. You and I need to talk.” Her raspy voice was filled with saccharin. I stepped back one foot and motioned with my hand to Magda. Words were useless. Lilly would hear them, and I didn’t want her to see the girls. I pointed to the bush and motioned again. Magda darted in that direction, dragging the other girl with her. I prayed Katherine would be on the lookout.
I scanned the compound quickly. Nobody would break cover unless absolutely forced to. I kept my gun trained on her and stepped forward.
“What do you want, Lilly?”
Her bright crimson lips turned upward. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite betrayer. Hello, Judas.”
I squinted at her. “You tried to blow up a building filled with people I liked. That’s a little like the kettle calling the pot.”
“Do we really need to rehash the past?” She tilted her head sideways and stared at me with those blazing blue eyes.
“What’s the point of this, Lilly?”
Sanchez and Watson came from the west side of the building, guns drawn.
“The point is I get some justice.” She motioned to them. “Throw down your weapon, Beck. It’s over.”
“When hell freezes over.”
“Well I can just take out your friend Drew here.” Always the soldier, Drew narrowed his eyes at me. His way of saying don’t let his life stand in my way.
“Where are the others, Lilly? Where are the rest of the guerillas?”
El Teniente stepped forward next to her. “We are freedom fighters, fighting against you westerners set on keeping us down. And we swear loyalty to her.” He pointed to Lilly. “She’s a goddess, and she will show us the way.” He yelled then, something in Spanish. The guerillas moved out of the shadows. I could see Joanna and Campbell, Harold and Fiona, guns drawn at a standoff. Lilly had done a good job preparing for us and them. Even with our powers we couldn’t outpace that many guns.
Fuck! She now had a bunch of fanatics loyal to her and her powers. I knew how she did it, too, dazzling them with mind manipulation. She used to tell me about it. One of her many plans to conquer the world. She grabbed Drew and pulled him closer, then shoved him forward. He fell to his knees.
“Throw your gun down and let’s finish this.”
“Let him go,” I commanded.
“Throw your gun down.” She placed her pistol on his head. “Or we can start the killing right now. With him.” Quinn and Sara were missing. Still hidden and waiting for the best moment. Fuck it. I pitched my gun to the side. She motioned to El Teniente, and he pointed his own gun at Drew. She smiled evilly at me, and then, in a split second, she was flying across the square.
I deflected her, throwing her down. She rolled and regained her feet, a formidable hunter’s knife now clutched in her hand. She was always quick. I glanced around and grabbed a broken piece of wood nearby, blocking each of her blows. She didn’t look as breathtaking as I remembered. Perhaps all her festering anger and insanity had destroyed her beauty. Her hair still flowed to her waist in bronze ringlets, her eyes blazing and as blue as the Caribbean ocean—but the light had gone from her face, her skin pasty and flat.
I twirled the piece of wood slowly in a figure eight, trying to gauge her reflexes.
She smiled viciously. “Why didn’t you just die from that overdose? You ruined my life. I was fine in that alley.”
“Is that what this about? Still angry about that damn fight in the alley? I should have taken you out then.” We ambled around the dirt yard, sizing each other up. I wasn’t sure who was quicker or stronger, but I did know I still had more training. I just didn’t know if it would be enough.
“You could never kill me. Not then and not now. You’re not strong enough.” she teased as we circled, keeping a few feet of distance between us. “Poor Beck. Torn apart about having super powers. Feeling guilty about all he’s done. You know that’s going to kill you.”
“Thanks for the advice, but I’m not afraid of what’s going to kill me.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Bullshit. You’re petrified of failing. Isn’t that what happened here? You failed. El Teniente beat you and you can’t get over it.” She looked at me tauntingly, twisting her knife hand.
Screw her! I threw myself across the yard, grabbing her outstretched arm and catapulting us both into the wall of the building. We came up hard against the wall. Using all my strength, I smashed her hand against the stone, hearing the bones crack. She screamed, shaking me off but not before dropping the knife. We were even now. Weaponless except for our born strengths. She kicked me off, and I tumbled backward. I clambered up in time as she rammed into me, feeling my ribs crack, but I held on, surprising her when I thrust her down just as hard. More bones cracked, and not all of them mine.
We exchanged a few punches and kicks before scrambling apart. I could feel blood trickling down my face, and my side pounded. The whir of a helicopter filled the air—Katherine, Nathaniel, and Eamon, leaving with the hostages. I had succeeded. Partly, at least.
Lilly came at me again, side kicking me back several feet. I let all my barriers down, my anger free flowing, and returned the kick, sending her reeling. She laughed then, launching herself at me with renewed frenzy. We tumbled backward into one of the walls of
the huts, the wood cracking and giving under our onslaught. I staggered, trying to get my bearings. Lilly recovered before me, and grabbed my leg, lifting me into the air.
I heard my leg crack from the force as she let go, and I careened airborne over the rubble of the hut we had just smashed. Fuck. One-legged was really going to complicate matters. I landed with a thud against the building, sliding down and coming up against something metal. Lilly’s knife. I scrambled up the wall and hobbled a few yards forward.
She came at me again. I swung back, but my balance was off. I didn’t want to give her an opening, but my face could only take so much. My right eye was nearly swollen closed, and I could feel my left eye following.
She kicked me furiously, and I fell back to the wall, wrapping my fingers around the knife handle. As she reached down for me, I swung the knife up with all my strength into her stomach. She shrieked as it connected then stumbled backward, her legs buckling. Blood oozed from the lethal blow.
“You will go to Hell,” she whispered. I watched for a moment as the life slowly ebbed from her eyes. Dragging myself forward, broken leg and all, I reached down and pulled her up.
“Not before you,” I answered and snapped her neck. I dropped her lifeless body, staggering as I did.
I looked up in time to see El Teniente taking aim. He was too late. Quinn fired from his position and he fell. I threw myself forward, pulling his semi-automatic off his back rolling and shooting on Watson and Sanchez. My shots went wide and they ran for the crushed hut. Crawling to Drew, I twisted his cuffs until they snapped and pressed El Teniente’s pistol into his hand. He nodded and followed my lead. We snaked our way to cover by the side of the building. My leg throbbed, and I focused on the pain to keep me conscious and alert. The only way out was to kill. I could hear the shots ricocheting off the buildings and the shouts of the rebels and my crew. Wiping my sleeve across my forehead, I pinned my eyes on the crushed hut and waited. Drew covered the back. It didn’t take long. The remaining rebels streamed out of the woods toward us. Drew fired repeatedly. As he reloaded, Sanchez and Watson broke cover. I took out Watson but Sanchez kept coming. Ripping the knife from my leg holster, I threw it dead on. It pierced Sanchez’s throat and he crumbled four feet from us.
Finally, the gunfire slowed. The sun was up now, and beads of sweat formed on my face. The pain from my leg reached me in waves and then receded before starting again.
“Where’s the rest of your crew?” I finally asked, my voice raspy and more grating than usual. I needed water.
Drew dropped his head for a moment. “They massacred them in the courtyard. Dumped their bodies somewhere in the woods. I saw them dragged away.”
“How many?”
“Eight. I hadn’t planned on her.”
“Nobody ever did. I’m sorry.”
Quinn and Sara came from the yard, careful, eyes and weapons sweeping the vicinity. But the rebels were all gone. Reaching down, Quinn pulled me up. I groaned, the pain full on now.
“You are chased, buddy.”
I frowned, staring at the blood caked on my hands. “Chased?”
“New word. Cooked. Toast. Chased. I’m trying it out. Why do those young kids get to make up all the ‘in’ words?”
I didn’t bother to answer, just smiled weakly. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, helping me out to the yard as Sara got Drew. Campbell, Fiona, Harold and Joanna were already there. Lilly and her crew, as well as the guerillas, lay dead, crumpled bodies strewn about the compound. We had done well if you counted success by dead bodies. Joanna had a shot to her shoulder, Fiona’s leg was ripped open, and Campbell looked bloodied from a head wound. Dirt and sweat clung to us all, but otherwise we were in one piece.
“Quite a plan, huh?” I stared at Lilly’s body, covered in blood and flies already buzzing. At one time, I knew its contours well.
“She used her powers to convert the guerillas to her plan and Drew to draw you out. Nicely done.” There was a hint of admiration in Quinn’s voice. “I wanted to take the shot but you guys were moving way too fast and I didn’t want to break cover. Not with the others in a standoff. I knew what I had to do. Watch you fight it out and hope you could win. It was some fight.”
I flexed my hand and nodded. Suddenly, I felt exhausted.
“Do you think they’ll come back for us?” Campbell asked, checking the ammo left in his rifle.
“If I know Katherine and Nat, they’re already on their way,” answered Joanna, collecting the weapons.
“Let’s get going then,” Harold interjected, leading the way.
I leaned on Quinn, and the others took point in case there were stragglers in the bush. We set off toward the rendezvous point. I stopped and looked back. I had nearly lost my life here. Twice.
“It’s over,” Quinn said. I met his eyes then glanced back once more before turning forward. I breathed deeply and instantly regretted it as my broken ribs protested.
“I’m completely chased,” I groaned out.
He laughed, but it got lost in the noise of helicopter propellers.
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Wynter—Finished
Julia convinced me to go with her and Brian to a St. Patrick’s Day party on the upper West Side. Some friend of Brian’s had a brownstone all to himself while his parents were in Europe—it even had an elevator to get to all six floors, painted like a garden scene with a white trellis and climbing morning glory vines.
It was a mob scene, filled with drunken college kids and grad students, many of whom I didn’t recognize. I lost Brian and Julia shortly after arriving and spent most of an hour trying to get a signal on my phone and searching for them from floor to floor before I gave up and retreated to one of the kegs. I waited for the nozzle, watching a very cute guy fill three cups. He smiled, and pure-white teeth gleamed against his bronzed skin. His light brown hair fell across his forehead in a sexy, carefree way.
“All for you?” I motioned to his stash.
“Yeah. I don’t like to run out.”
“Really?” I drained the dregs of my beer.
“No. Just kidding. I’m on keg duty. My friends are outside smoking.”
I nodded, having seen the brownstone’s garden and porch.
He grinned and passed me the nozzle. He had such nice brown eyes, dark and shiny like melted chocolate morsels. Beck’s were lighter, gray specks within the brown depending on what he was wearing, sometimes even hazel. I preferred Beck’s.
“You friends with the host?” He juggled the three cups but didn’t move to leave. My cup was only half filled.
“Kind of. We went to school together, but I was a year ahead. You?”
“Med school…” Someone bumped me from behind, and I spilled beer.
“Murello.” My stomach dropped as I recognized the voice and turned to face Jason. The cute guy nodded to me and disappeared. Even he could feel the tension.
Jason sneered. “Picking up?” I pumped the keg to quicken the flow.
“No. Just making conversation.”
“Haven’t I heard that before?” Despite his sarcastic tone, he scanned the crowd like he was nervous about something. “How’s it going?” I finished and passed him the nozzle.
He didn’t look as good as I remembered. His hair was too white-blond, and his face was puffy. I wondered if he had gained weight since we graduated. “Good. You?” I was trying to be polite, but I wasn’t sure why. I wasn’t at all interested in what he had to say.
He looked around again. “Great.”
I took a step away, looking for anyone else to talk to.
Jason coughed as if to gain my attention. “Where are you going?” He finished filling his own cup and grabbed my arm.
“To find Julia and Brian.”
“Where’s your English guy?”
“We broke up. Let go of me.”
He smiled, all cocky now. “You want to give it another try?” He leaned closer. “I heard they have an awesome pool room on the top floor.
”
I jerked my arm away and stared at him dumbfounded. “No,” I said flatly.
“Come on. You know you want to.”
I felt nothing, not a flutter, not even guilt. I thought of the document tucked away in my top drawer. “Did you know Abby had been drinking that night?”
“Yeah, Abby always drank after a game. Lemon drop shots to celebrate. Why?” He took a sip, regarding me.
“Just wondering. You came after me, you know.”
“What?”
“That night with the accident. You came after me. I didn’t seduce you. I tried walking away.”
“You think that makes a difference? She was looking at a pic of us when you crashed.” His eyes narrowed. He really wasn’t handsome at all, not to me, not anymore.
I nodded, feeling like a prisoner who just had their sentence lifted. “Yeah, a pic of you trying to kiss me. And it’s the first time it’s occurred to me.” I smiled at the simplicity of it.
He motioned to people coming up the stairs. “Well, Julia’s over there. Maybe we should talk to her about it. That and the fact you like ties.” He gloated at me, the threat hanging in the air between us.
Julia signaled me, maneuvering around a group of drunks on the stairs. She looked concerned. I smiled and waved back. I took a long drink before answering. “Sure, why not. Let’s go talk to her right now.”
Jason’s eyes grew large. “You forget I know you. Dirty little you. You don’t have the balls to let anyone know what happened.”
I took a breath and smiled at him.
“You don’t know the first thing about me. Fuck off, Jason.” I turned and walked away.
Chapter Seventy
Beck—Loose Ends
Ledford lived in South Kensington, near Hyde Park and a block or two from the tube. Quinn and I waited for his car, by the corner of his house. I twisted my body stretching out my ribs. It had been weeks but I still wasn’t all better.
“I’ll take the driver’s side.”Quinn offered grounding out his cigarette with his foot. “Talk fast and move faster. In case someone’s watching him.” I nodded, my hand wrapped around the small device in my coat pocket. I could feel the weight of my combat knife in the other pocket. Insurance. Ledford’s black mini cooper came to a stop and the ignition turned off. I ripped the passenger door open and leaned in. Ledford’s eyes widened in shock and he lunged for his door handle. It didn’t budge. He glanced back at me, panic stricken and threw his weight against his door. I pointed.