"Does this bus look like the lost and found? Step off before I call the police."
"Call them," I said, wincing. Is it possible for a tongue to explode from rushing blood? It was the oddest, most painful sensation. I'm never running again, I swore.
"Lady, I just want to finish my route on time and go home. Do you know how cranky people get when the bus is late? Not to mention when I'm late coming home." He shuttered.
"Give me thirty seconds to check the bus."
He waved me inside. I steadied my wobbly legs and stepped up. "Aaron?"
No answer. He's running scared. He has to be on this bus. I feel it.
"Aaron, make this easy. I nearly died from running." I made my way down the aisle. The passenger’s scowls were between "damn nut job" and "I'm never taking the bus again". "Remember how bad I am at games? I'm worse at running."
I heard a small laugh. It came from a few seats up where no one was sitting.
"Aaron?"
"Lady, can you hurry up?" The bus driver griped.
I hurried to the seat and saw a boy crouching down.
"Aaron?"
His moppy head popped up. His eyes wide; his face drawn.
Tears of relief pooled and swirled behind my eyes, waiting for their cue to fall.
"Hi, Mars," he said.
There’s the cue. They spilled over like a faulty dam. I gripped his thin arms and yanked him into my arms. He stood rigid as I hugged him.
"Let's go," I said, allowing him space. "I'll call T to pick us up."
Aaron shook his head and pulled away. "We aren't safe. I have to go."
"T’s here for us. We'll be safe with him. He's helped me before. He can help again," I reasoned.
"Lady! Today!" The bus driver shouted.
"One minute!" I hollered.
"You said thirty seconds!"
"I changed my mind!"
He shut the doors and pulled from the curb.
"Wait! We have to get off."
"Get off at the next stop!"
Aaron and I sat down.
"I can't go with you, Mars. He'll follow. He'll hurt you if I stay."
I laughed. It was spontaneous with fear rolling through its core, but a laugh nonetheless. Aaron blinked with confusion.
"Aaron, I know we're in danger," I explained. "I've been through this before."
"But he's evil . . . and it's not just him. Helm will come after you."
"I realize that. But even if you leave, he'll still come. Your leaving would only make his job easier. We're stronger together."
"I don't know."
"Think about it. Is a castle with knights stronger? Or is one lone ranger stronger?"
As he thought, his mouth twisted. "Does the lone ranger have a computer?"
"Yes. But so do the knights in the castle. They even have wifi and tech support."
"Does the ranger have weapons?"
"The castle has more. And they have a blacksmith to make more."
He hesitated. "I guess you're right."
I smiled. "T, you, and I can figure out a plan together. Let’s head back to the castle first."
Relief washed over me when he nodded. I pulled out my phone as T was calling.
"Where the hell are you?" He barked.
"I'm on a bus with Aaron. Can you pick us up? We'll get off at the next stop."
"No. Keep riding the bus until I catch up. I don't want you both sitting on the curb like sitting ducks. What bus number and route are you on? I'm in the car."
The bus pulled to the curb. "Lady! This is your stop," the driver shouted.
"I'm continuing," I hollered.
"Then pay the fare. Does this look like a charity?"
I reached into my pockets to find I had no money. "Aaron, do you have any money I can borrow?"
"I used it all."
"How were you going to travel with no money?"
He shrugged. "I always do."
"Lady!"
"Fine! We're getting off!" I shouted. I could hear T bellowing through the cell phone as Aaron and I made our way off the bus. The driver slammed the doors shut right before my rear cleared. "Ow!" I turned to glare. He gave me one last finger salute before pulling away.
"I think your phone is going to have a coronary," Aaron said.
"T gets a little excited," I explained and held the phone near my ear. "T! Can you stop yelling for a moment?"
"Where are you? Find a building and stay inside."
"The Happy-O Doughnut Shop is across the street."
"Get in there fast. Don't come out until you see me. I'll be there in two minutes. Stay on the phone."
I clasped Aaron's hand, waiting for a chance to cross the street. A van pulled in front, blocking our path. I stepped to move around when the door flew open; arms grappled, yanking us in.
"T! White van!" I hollered before the phone was ripped from my hand. A ball was shoved in my mouth, tape strapped over it.
Chapter 19
Within seconds, I was gagged, bound, and blinded with a black bag. I had no idea how many men there were. I didn't know where Aaron was. The men were silent.
They've done this before, I thought. They are way too quick and the fact that they've removed a few key senses including hearing their voices can only mean they're pros.
What do I do? was the only question repeating in my head like a hamster caught in his wheel.
I might be bound, but I can still wiggle and make a fuss. If T is trailing, it might create a slight diversion. It's the only plan I had. I wiggled and tossed myself like a fish out of water. I kicked with bound legs, connecting to a body.
"Fuck!" A man groaned.
"Keep her still!"
I flailed around twisting like the worst break dancer. I connected with someone else.
"Keep her fucking still!"
The van swerved slightly. It was working. I jammed my legs this way and that way. Strong hands grabbed me. I flipped and flopped until a man crush down on me. He pinned me down and settled hard.
"Now what’re you going to do, bitch?" A voice hissed. My jaw slammed to the side from a heavy blow. I bucked to escape.
"Looky here, this one has a bit of meat on her. Just right for fucking real hard." His venomous voice rang in my ear. His weight shifted, allowing one hand to snake across. My skin crawled, my mind blanking from terror. I twisted to free myself. My shirt tore as his hand attacked hard.
"What do you think, men? Size D?"
I heard a thwomp.
"God damn it! Get the little fucker!"
Aaron! I used the distraction to buck my head. I smashed into the attacker’s skull. My head exploded with bolts of light and crippling pain. Letting go, he roared curses. I jolted my knees up, hammering his nether regions.
"Holy fuck!" He wheezed.
"Keep them still! Someone’s on my tail!"
T. It has to be T. I shot my legs out but didn’t connect. The van swerved, skidding me to the other side; another curse and he swerved again.
“Get us the hell out of here!”
“What the fuck do you think I’m doing?”
I skidding to the front as the brakes slammed, toppling men as I careened past. A shoe nailed the side of my head as I tumbled to the back upon acceleration. I winced as pain expounded on pain.
“Shoot that asshole!”
A shot rang out. I froze though my skating body kept moving. If I’m still sliding then T is still chasing. He’s still alive.
Three shots in progression . . . a fourth.
A slight body slid next to me. It had to be Aaron. Even with bound wrists, I was able to hold onto his hands. His cold thin hands gripped mine. We clung together working on each other’s bindings.
The van spun; tires biting at the pavement. The force slammed everyone to the side as the van toppled. Limbs, metal, and crushing bodies crashed together from one side to the other.
Stillness.
I wanted to call for Aaron. A heavy body laid sprawled over me, a
foot wedged by my neck. I couldn’t move. Pain seared with every breath.
“Get down! Now!” T shouted. “NOW!”
A shot echoed through the van walls followed by another. The door wrenched open.
“Jesus!” T cursed.
T saved us. At least I hoped. There had to be three men in back of the van. What if they crushed Aaron . . .
“Don’t move!” T shouted. “Put the gun down!”
I felt cold hard metal press into my forehead. I froze.
“Go ahead and shoot,” the venomous voice said. “I’ll take her with me.”
“She’s already dead. Look at the blood!” T demanded, his voice filled with rage.
I felt the slightest movement. The gun eased from my head. His feet must be to the left side. If only I wasn’t pinned down.
“There’s no blood!”
Bang! The man shrieked.
“There is now,” T said.
The van pressed down with T’s added weight. Sounds of a fist connecting with flesh perked my ears then a thump on metal.
Distant sirens rapidly descended upon us. There were a few shouts, slamming doors, and several curses from T. From T’s appearance, the police thought he was the criminal.
I rolled my eyes as a few minutes rolled by until everyone was on the same page. I didn’t blame the police. T could be intimidating and one scary suspect. And, with everyone flying on adrenaline, it was bound to create confusion. But inside my black bag of hell, my worry for Aaron escaladed. While these idiots were yelling back and forth about dropping weapons and putting hands in the air, Aaron could be bleeding to death.
I wiggled and flopped, regaining attention to the fact that I needed attention. My breath jagged as each movement caused a zing that shot through my torso. It must have worked because a flurry of sounds and movement filled my space.
Hands worked quickly to free me from restraints and the black bag. I squinted to see T.
“Ready?” He asked, hovering near the duct tape.
I nodded.
He ripped the duct tape off in one torturous second. I spit the ball out.
“Where’s Aaron?” I asked immediately.
“I’m right here,” Aaron said.
I looked past T to see Aaron. There was a cut under his eye but otherwise was alive and unharmed. I pummeled T out of the way and gripped Aaron into a hug.
“I’m sorry you had to go through this!" I bit back a sob . . . but it was coming.
A squeak was all I heard.
“Mars, you’re killing the poor kid,” T said, unlocking my arms.
“It’s okay, Mars. I’m fine.” He said though I knew it was bravado. No one could walk away from this without a few nightmares.
Two ambulances pulled in. I watched to see if Evan was in one of them. As the men hopped out and raced through, I knew he wasn’t there.
I took a moment to look around. The van was upside down in a grassy field with two unconscious men inside. One man was bleeding from his shoulder and leg, another from his hand. Both were in police custody. T's car was amazingly untouched and in one piece.
“I think your aim is off, T,” I said, noting the gunshot wounds on the bleeding men were on their right side.
T scoffed. “My aim isn’t off. I shot them in their dominate arm so they wouldn’t shoot back. If they did, their aim would be so off I could dance in front of them and they still couldn’t plug me.”
“Are any of these men Grub?”
“That one over there," T said, pointing to the man with a gunshot wound to his shoulder and leg. Paramedics and police surrounded him. "I think we can reasonably say he won't be bothering us."
"It's not him I'm worried about," Aaron said, yanking on my shirt hem.
A motorcycle, a baby blue Oldsmobile, and Kym’s Fiat parked alongside the road. Mrs. J. and the girls piled out of their cars. Evan hopped off his motorcycle.
The police stopped them from proceeding forward. I touched Aaron’s hand and led him over. I wasn’t going to lose sight of Aaron again.
Evan broke through the police as soon as we were close.
His eyes scanned, catching on my ripped shirt. “Do you feel lightheaded? Does anything hurt? What year is it?”
“Hello to you too.” A smile gripped at my lips. I was too exhausted and in pain to hold it. “This is Aaron. Please annoy him first with your questions.”
“Don’t think you’ve rid yourself of me. I’ll be back.” He placed a kiss gently on my lips. His eyes swam in mine until he turned with a smile to examine Aaron.
Kym clobbered me with an enormous hug. "Mrs. J. was listening to her scanner when she heard of the abduction. I freaked out!"
I gasped in excruciating pain from her monstrous hug. Kym jumped back.
Evan was at my side exploring my ribcage. “Does it hurt to breathe?”
“Only when there’s pressure.”
“Let’s get you to the ambulance. I think you have a cracked rib.”
“I don’t need an ambulance. I have you.”
His eyes warmed, but his lips remained taut.
“Just help Aaron. Then you can do whatever you want with me. As long as I don’t move, I’m fine.”
“That’s because you’re hopped up on adrenaline. You’re going to start feeling pain soon. Just give me one minute with Aaron.”
I nodded. "Kym, you haven’t met Aaron."
She peeked over at the unruly haired boy. "Hi, Aaron. I heard you're really smart. You managed to outsmart everyone and you won every game you played with Mars."
A shy smile crept on his lips. "You don't have to be smart to win a game against Mars."
I feigned anger as everyone else chuckled.
Drier and Reed pulled up with flashing lights in the undercover car windows. They stepped out of the car along with a woman in business clothing and a tight bun. After a brief word with a uniformed cop, they headed in our direction. The way she focused her gaze on Aaron put me on edge. I immediately placed my hand on his shoulder.
"Is everyone okay?" Drier asked, casting his glance between Aaron and me.
"Just bumped around a bit. We'll be fine, won't we?" I asked Aaron who nodded.
Drier cleared his throat. "This is Ms. Kimball with the Child Protection Agency. She's here to take custody of Aaron."
"He's staying with me," I stated.
"Aaron will need help, Ms. Cannon," Ms. Kimball said dryly, her eyes narrowed. "I've been assigned to this case and I’ve looked at the file. While you might have a connection with Aaron, you are no means his guardian. We have to follow protocol."
"I'll fill out all the papers and go through the necessary steps."
She picked an imaginary lint speck off her sleeve. "Like I said, I looked at the file. You have no money and no job."
"I have a job and my bills are paid in full." Darn it, I'll have to thank Brett later.
"At the biker bar?" She scoffed. "I'm sorry. There's no way you'd qualify to become his guardian. Don't worry, Aaron will receive counseling and the help he needs to return to society. He'll be placed in a group home and will start school next month."
"Aaron's staying with me. I promised him." I turned to the man that could help. "Reed, it’s the only way I was able to talk him into coming with me. Don't make me a liar."
Reed shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mars. Go ahead and fill out the papers. Set yourself up to be a foster parent. Until then, he needs to come with us."
Ms. Kimball straightened with a smug smile. "It's time to go, Aaron."
I stepped in front of Aaron. "If your system is so perfect, why did he slip through? Why wasn't he found?" I demanded.
Ms. Kimball narrowed her eyes. "I never said the system is perfect. He'll be safe now. Don't make this hard on him."
Mrs. Janowski stepped up. "If it's only about money, I'll give Mars whatever she needs."
"I will too," Evan said.
All the ladies nodded.
I detected a slight eye roll. "She will n
eed to go through proper procedures to qualify. I don’t doubt she’ll still come up short.”
"Then he can stay with me," Kym interrupted. "All of my papers are in. My house was already inspected."
Ms. Kimball's smile slipped. "You'll have to contact the agency and apply for Aaron to reside with you. Aaron, let's go," she ordered.
Aaron held firmly to my arm. She nodded for assistance from a uniformed cop. He pried Aaron loose, grasping him firmly by his arm.
"No!" He screamed.
I started after him but was pulled back by Reed. Ms. Kimball shot a warning look before following the cop and a panicked Aaron to the waiting car.
I yanked to free myself.
"Gemini!" Aaron hollered. "Watch out for Gemini!"
The car door slammed shut.
"He'll be fine, Mars," Reed said before joining Drier and Kimball at the car.
They slid in the car and pulled onto the road. Aaron’s strained face peered back through the window.
"I'll call Jim. He'll help us," Kym said, pulling out her phone. "We'll get him back."
While encouraging words from the ladies swam through my ears, a thought puzzled and brewed.
"What’s Gemini?" I asked. "Aaron wasn’t just afraid to be taken away. Whatever Gemini is has him scared too.”
T cussed. “I have no idea. Let me see what my friend comes up with. Perhaps whatever device Aaron was using will lead us to Gemini.”
Aaron didn’t have his backpack. I raced over to the van and sorted through the debris. “Aaron’s backpack has to be here somewhere. He had it on the bus. It must be here.”
T rummaged alongside me until we found a black backpack. A thin laptop was wedged in between comics and a wad of clothing. T glanced at the occupied cops before slinging it on his shoulder.
Chapter 20
We assembled at Mrs. Janowski’s house after my trip to the hospital to determine that, yes, I did have a crack rib. Evan gave me instructions and lectures on cracked ribs. Basically, I pop pain pills until the pain goes away. Great.
After dropping me off at Mrs. Janowski’s, Evan reluctantly left for work, promising to help at the event tonight.
T had Aaron’s laptop hooked up to the internet and was talking to his friend on video chat. He looked like a miniature version of T, but that could be the way the camera was angled. Bald head, thick neck, muscles, tattoos, and a stare that said “don’t mess with me”. The only difference was he was wearing trendy rectangle glasses.
Predator Patrol (Mars Cannon Novel #2) Page 16