O.U.R.S

by Yalu Taylors

  Chapter 18

  Tessa

  “Come on Tessa, you need to eat something.” Zack holds his hand out but I just push him away. “At least get some sleep.” I shrug and go back to reading my story. The words blur together, this isn’t the first time this has happened over the last few days. I’ve been sitting here beside Braydon in the new infirmary, it’s actually a nice building, very modern. The doctor that Kalum brought in said he may never wake but I don’t believe him. I hear the door close behind me, I sigh and put my notebook down. I wait a few minutes and then place my hands on Braydon’s head. Closing my eyes to block out the distractions, I concentrate on getting my healing to work. I hear voices coming from the hallway and my eyes snap open again.

  “She doesn’t want to see you Ace.” I close my eyes again and lay my head down on the side of the mattress. Braydon’s hand still clasped within my own. “See, she’s asleep. Let her rest, nothing else is important right now.” Zayne’s soft voice sounds worried yet commanding at the same time. “I need to talk to her. She has to know I didn’t mean to do this. I just lost control. I swear I would never do anything to hurt anyone.” Ace’s pleas make my heart hurt. We had been getting close that night but now, I’m not sure I could ever forgive him if Braydon dies. “Please, let me at least sit with her for a little while. I won’t wake her, I promise.” I hear Zayne tell him to keep his mouth shut and that he only has five minutes. I can pretend for five more minutes, the goddess knows I’ll not be falling asleep anytime soon. The door shuts once again and Zayne’s footsteps fade down the corridor.

  “I know you’re not asleep Tessa.” I stay as still as I can, breathing in and out slowly, trying to mimic sleep. “Fine, but just listen okay?” He shifts his weight from foot to foot making the floorboards groan. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hit him with such a huge charge. I know it’s not an excuse but I wasn’t in control of my powers. I never am when I’m angry.” My breathing hitches as a lump builds in my throat. I believe him, I always have. I knew Braydon had pissed him off, I just never thought he would go after him or anyone, the way he did. Ace’s behaviour that night, honestly scared me. I’m not sure I could ever trust him not to do it again, especially if he gets angry. The silence in the room draws on and I’m so tempted to say something. Someone opens the door and I breath a small sigh. “Time’s up Ace. Get the fuck out.” Hunter’s growl has me flinching but otherwise I don’t respond.

  The door closes again and I open my eyes. “You can’t avoid him forever T.” I shrug and go back to watching over Braydon. “We’re leaving in twenty minutes T, are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” I’m tempted. Taking down J.O.Y was my job, at least that’s how it’s felt since I became aware of what they really do in their facilities. “Just go.” I whisper. Their plan is sound and I know they’ll come home, but this isn’t my fight anymore. It hasn’t been for days now. My fight is here, in this room. I turn my back on Hunter and once again place my hands on Braydon’s head. My power delves into him, exploring. I’ve been searching for days for what the issue is. Hunter is the only one who know what I’ve been doing. He’s the only one who knows that my powers aren’t all there anymore. I lost my Strength, Pyro kinesis, Telepathic communication, teleportation, water manipulation, Electro kinesis and that weird glowing power I had. The only thing I have left is my healing, morphing and conjuring powers. I’m hoping it’s enough, but only time will tell.

  I pull my hands away when I feel the first few drips of blood hit my lips. I move quickly to the connected bathroom and grab the toilet paper roll. Last time this happened I used a towel and the guys found it. I hold the wadded up paper to my nose and walk over to the window. Hunter and the others, even Ace, are all standing facing the ranks of newly trained recruits. I watch them form their teams, wishing I had the power to help them. I’m lost right now. All I want to do is bring Braydon out of this weird sleep state. To be able to look upon his gorgeous face without all the tubes in the way. I check the toilet paper and see that the bleeding has stopped. I turn my back on the troops outside and go back t Braydon. “Let’s try this again, shall we?”

  I follow his veins through out his body, no blockages. I take the express route through his arteries into his brain. Not a single thing wrong here either. I move my power down to his spinal cord and stop. Right at the top of his spine, pressing tightly against his brain step is a mass. I slowly direct my powers towards the mass, then pull back. “I can do this.” I shake my shoulders and crack my knuckles. Again I delve my powers into him, feeling my way around. I hit the same spot and this time I push a bit more of my power into it. The whole time willing it to shrink or heal or something. The drips begin again and I pull my power back. I jump to my feet and slam my hand into the wall beside me. “Fuck!” The building shakes and I stare at the hole in the wall. “I swear I didn’t do that.” I look over at Braydon’s still form. “Well okay, I put the hole in the wall but I didn’t hit it hard enough to shake the whole building, did I?”

  My question is answered when the door bursts open and Hunter, Ace, Zack, Zayne and the jerk twins run inside the room. They all turn to face the open door and I stare at their backs confused. Ace holds his hand up with an electricity ball in his palm. I flinch and back up a couple steps, hitting my thigh on the bed. “What…” I don’t get to finish my question, all six of them shush me at the same time. My mouth drops open but I don’t attempt to speak again. A loud boom echoes through the room and I turn to look out the window. What I see outside has me shaking with fear. Bodies litter the ground. Some moving but with limbs missing, some as still as the dead. I blink and look again. The gruesome scene outside hasn’t changed. “What the fuck?” I speak without thinking and before I can react Hunter throws his hand over my mouth. “Tessa, can you hear us?” Zack’s voice rings out in my head, on instinct I try to respond but nothing happens. I nod my head, hoping that he can see me behind Hunter. “Okay, I’m going to assume you can’t respond. We are being attacked by Ultra agents. J.O.Y must have been tipped off that we were gearing up for an attack.” I whisper to Hunter, keeping my voice as soft as I can. “How many?” He lifts his fingers and points to Zack, after a series of hand motions Zack’s voice sounds in my head again. “Fifty was our count but there may be more.”

  I’m shaking and scared as another blast rings out around us. I look at each of their faces, they all look tired and worried. It’s then it occurs to me that two of our group are missing. “Where’s Kalum and Declan?” I ask forgetting in my panic to lower my voice. “Right across there in the room opposite us, Honey we need to get Braydon out of here. Have you had any luck healing him?” My eyes snap to his dark blue ones, I turn to Hunter who is still behind me. “You weren’t supposed to tell anyone.” Hunter holds his hands up. “Honey, I’m in your mind, Hunter didn’t have to tell me, I can see what you have been trying to do.” His tone is placating but annoyed at the same time. “Now stay quiet, I don’t know where the group that were chasing us went.” I spin back to Braydon and rush over to the bed, I need to heal him, we need to get out of here.

  I don’t hesitate this time, I drive my powers right to the mass at the base of his brain. Another blast hits and bits of the ceiling fall down around us. Someone grabs me and pulls me back just as a huge chuck hits the edge of the bed. I watch helpless as Braydon goes flying, the bed now lying on it’s side. I squirm but whoever has me isn’t letting go. “No. Braydon.” I’m shouting but even I can’t hear it over the noise around us. Dust clogs my throat and I start coughing. I look around but all I see is thick dark smoke and bits of debris floating in the air. “I’m sorry Baby, we have to go.” Ace whispers in my ear and it’s then I realise the meaning behind his words. “No, I can’t leave…” My protests are cut off when I’m wrenched out of Ace’s arms. I turn my head, the only part of my body that I’m capable of moving and see that I am being suspended in midair. Someone grabs my ankle and I scream, trying with everything in me to kick out. Not one of my muscle
s respond.

  “Seven two one has been located. South side building six, room ten. I repeat seven two one has been located.” The voice is so close I can feel the heat from his breath. I hear a static sound then a garbled response. “Bring her in, rendezvous three. I repeat rendezvous three.” The static sound hits my ears again and then someone pulls me down out of the air. The smell of burning flesh permeates the air and I gag. “I got you Baby. Let’s get you out of here before anymore come.” I sag against Ace’s tall frame. The smells are too much, I start coughing again and my lungs feel like they are on fire. I feel Ace’s hands on my back, rubbing small circles as he leads me to the door. I look back over my shoulder but can’t see anything through all the smoke. Ace tugs on my arm. “Come on Baby, there’s nothing you can do in there.” Sweat beads the back of my neck as I search the smoke for movement. “Where are they?” Tears sting my eyes, it’s from the smoke, I nod my head. Yup from the smoke. It’s not because they are gone. They are safe, they made it out. My knees hit the floor and Ace scoops me into his arms. “I’m so sorry Tessa.” I’m shaking my head but no words are coming to me.

  Ace carried me out of the building and then nothing. I must have passed out because the next thing I know, I’m being lowered into a car. Hands grab me from inside the car and I panic until I hear Hunter’s voice. “We’ve got you T, calm down.” We? I shake my head and blink a few times to clear my sight. I’m in the backseat of a huge SUV on Hunter’s lap, Zack and Zayne are here, I reach out my hands and touch them both just to be sure I’m not dreaming. I twist around and see Quinn and Phoenix in the two back seats, both have their heads down while facing each other. “Braydon?” I feel Hunter’s chest shaking and I look up to find tears streaming down his face. “I’m sorry Tessa. I’m so sorry.” He keeps repeating it and I stare hypnotized at the tears that are running slowly down his cheeks. I’ve never seen my Hunter cry before. I don’t know what to do, I want to cry right along with him but at the same time I want to scream and hit something. I look over at Zack and Zayne and see their jaws clenched hard. The front doors of the car slam and I jerk my head in that direction. Ace and Kalum are in the front, Ace driving. “Where’s Declan?” The boot slams and his voice rings out in the silence of the vehicle. “Right here sweetheart.” His hand lands on my shoulder and I grip it tightly in my own.

  Hunter fell asleep sometime after we hit the highway. Kalum was too tired to teleport, so we’ve been driving all day. Everyone is in bad shape and we haven’t been able to stop for food. Ace wants to get as far away from the GLG compound as we can before stopping. My stomach growls again and I think about how nice it would be to have a huge hamburger right now. The smell hits my nose before I open my eyes. “You are my Goddess.” I stare at the food in my hands and suddenly my appetite is gone. I pass the burger over to Zack and he smiles shakily at me. I concentrate and summon more burgers, passing them around. “At least we wont starve to death. Shame we’ll run out of fuel in about half an hour.” Ace mutters into the silence. Kalum taps my shoulder. “I don’t supposed you could make the tank full could you?” I shrug. “I could try.” I close my eyes and think about the tank being full of fuel. Nothing happens, I open my eyes and check the fuel needle. “Nope.” Kalum taps my shoulder again. “Bottle of water?” I frown, I should have thought of that when I made the food. I conjure bottles of water for everyone. As I’m passing Kalum’s back to him he grabs my hand and stops me. “A glass full of water?” I frown at him as Zack replies with, “Now is not the time to be fussy Kalum. The bottle is fine.” Kalum shakes his head and tells me that he has a theory. “Can you just try.” I do but nothing happens. “Sweetheart, I think that you can’t conjure liquids unless they are in a container.”

  A lightbulb goes off, I finally get what he is trying to tell me. “Can we stop for five minutes at the driver reviver up ahead?” Ace tells me to make it quick and less than two minutes later we are all stretching our legs. I stand next to Ace as we watch the others all duck off to the toilets. “Really think this will work Baby?” I shrug and close my eyes, picturing the jerry cans and the fuel inside them. Ace pulls me into a hug and laughs. “You are awesome.” I think for a moment then ask. “Where do you think all this stuff comes from? It’s not like I think about creating the objects, I just picture them being here where I want them.” Ace is silent for a long time. The others return and then he grabs my hand. “Baby, do you think you could try and do the same with Braydon?” I look at Hunter and the others they all have hope shining in their eyes. “I can try.” I take a deep breath and close my eyes, picturing my perfect Braydon as I last saw him. His peaceful face sleeping on the bed in the infirmary. His almond brown hair falling softly over his eyes. His beautiful high cheekbones that give him the look of a sweet elf.

  I hear the guys all whoop with happiness and I open my eyes. Standing right in front of me, exactly as I pictured him, complete with dark wash jeans and a black muscle tee, is my Braydon. He looks at me confusion written all over his face. Then he grabs my arm and out of nowhere a gun appears in front of my face. “Teleport us to the Mulwar facility or I’ll pull the trigger.” My mouth pops open on a gasp. “I can’t.” Is all I manage to say before Hunter jumps on Braydon. The gun goes off and I stare at the pair as they roll around on the ground, wrestling for the weapon. I’m tugged back as the gun goes off again. “Tessa?” I look up at Ace, he’s saying something but my brain just isn’t processing anything. “Can you make things disappear when you bring them to you?” Disappear? What would I make disappear? I look at the gun and frown. I didn’t conjure that. I’m sure I didn’t. I frown at Ace as he shakes my shoulders. “I think she’s in shock.” Someone presses hard against my arm and I look down at the hand. Blood is seeping between Zack’s fingers. “You’re hurt?” I grab his hand trying to get him to let go of me so I can see what is wrong. He swats at my hands with his free one and starts yelling at Ace. “Get me the fucking first aid kit. Tessandra, stop it.” I gasp as Ace slaps me full across my cheek.

  “What the fuck did you do that for?” I snap and then it hits me. I brought Braydon here, I can send him back to where ever he was. I don’t want him gone though but I don’t want to lose the others. I close my eyes and picture everything how it was before I conjured Braydon. Bright lights flicker behind my eyelids and I snap them open. I’m standing on the side of the road watching myself talk to Ace. He grabs my hand. “Baby, do you think you could try and do the same with Braydon?” I run over shouting. “No.” Both my other self and Ace stare at me. This is by far the weirdest thing I have ever seen. The other me reaches out her hand and on instinct I back up. “Don’t bring Braydon back. Nothing good comes from it.” My words fade in my own ears, becoming ghostlike. Echoes from the group surround me as everything else fades.

  “Tessa? What did you see?” A vision, it was a vision. I’m still in the car, we haven’t stopped yet. As I think this Ace flicks the indicator on and starts to slow down. We pull up and I stay in the middle staring at the dashboard in front of me. I’m too scared to get out of the car. “Do you think you could Baby?” I look at Ace, he’s staring at me from the drivers seat. “What?” I ask. “Do you think you will be able to conjure fuel for us?” I nod my head and robotically get out of the car. I close my eyes and summon my power. I open them again and stare at the jerry cans. Shaking my head I walk over to the toilet block. “Hey, Tessa, Do you ever wonder where the things you conjure come from?” I turn back to Ace, walking backwards. “I create them.” I walk into the ladies bathroom and stand there staring at my own reflection. “It wasn’t real, it didn’t happen. None of that was real, it’s not going to happen. I’m going to go back out there and Braydon won’t be there.” Tears drip from my eyes and I wipe them away angrily. “He gone Tessandra, deal with it.” I square my shoulders and wash my hands and face. It’s time to stop being a victim. J.O.Y is going down once and for all.

  Ace drives us to a safe house the GLG had set up. The safe house is located in a
small town just outside of Canberra. I’m scared that the location is known to J.O.Y and I say as much. Ace reassures me it is safe and that only a few people knew about it. “Braydon was not one of them.” I’m not sure why Ace feels the need to inform me of that fact, but I don’t say anything. Hunter hasn’t spoken for hours now and I’m really starting to worry about him. Zack and Zayne are acting like their usual selves and cracking inappropriate jokes and fighting with the jerk twins. Kalum and Declan are their usual quiet selves. I walk over to where Hunter is sitting on the couch and sit down next to him. He lifts me up and holds me in his lap, my head against his chest. “He’s dead isn’t he?” I shake my head. “No Hunter, you mustn’t think like that. He’s alive, I know he is.” We sit in silence after that, both of us lost in our own thoughts.

  “Tessa? Honey, you need to wake up. We’ve got company.” I jerk awake and fall on my ass on the floor. I look around confused. Plain white walls, ugly brown couches. An arched kitchen doorway. “Fuck it wasn’t a dream.” Zack pulls me into his arms. It’s okay Honey, we’ll get through this.” I’m not sure I trust these guys. I stare at Jarad, Troy and Cedric. They are sitting at the table in our safe house. The one Ace said no one knew about. Obviously he was wrong. Seeing Jarad at first had me thinking Nathan was back. I seem to get that knee jerk reaction every time I see him. I feel guilty for that but not guilty enough to say anything.

  “Why are you lot here?” I ask not bothering to be polite. “We found Braydon.” I step back and bump into Hunter who had been standing behind me. His arms wrap around my waist and I lean into him. “Don’t bother, he’s been compromised.” I turn my face into Hunter’s chest and breath in his masculine scent. “We know. We’ve been assigned to take him on his first mission. What I want to know is how you knew.” I tell them about my vision and Ace’s face pales. I knew he was going to ask and I knew eventually I would have to own up but oh well damage is done now. “What do you mean assigned?” I turn back around so I can see Jarad’s face. He just shrugs at me and tells me he and his friends are spies for the GLG. “Where were you when the compound was under attack then?” He shrugs again. “On a mission for J.O.Y.” I don’t trust him, I don’t trust anyone anymore. Especially not people who have been in close contact with anyone from J.O.Y.