by Matt Ryan
The car hit a bump, sending me into the ceiling again. I rubbed my head and felt Mark’s arms wrapping around my waist. He held me tight against him.
“Arm seatbelt,” he said.
I smiled and shook my head. He was obviously enjoying this ride.
Wes veered the car onto a paved road that wasn’t much better than the gravel. I looked back and discovered that the Academy was out of sight. In fact, nothing was in sight. There wasn’t a single light to be seen. I thought about asking where we were going again, but stopped myself. Besides, I really didn’t want the ride to end.
“There it is.” Kylie pointed ahead.
It was still far away, and all I could make out was the glow of lights next to a building. As we approached, I saw a canopy and a sign displaying the price of gas. “A gas station?”
“Yup, and we’ve got an in with the night shift guy,” Kylie said.
The placed looked empty, except for a single black sedan parked near the back. “I’m not sure if this is a good idea,” I said.
“Come on. We’ve got you covered,” Wes said.
Jackie pressed her face against the window, staring at the store as we pulled in. “You think they have Twix bars?”
“They’ve got it all,” Kylie said.
Jackie pulled on the door, but it was locked.
“Let me stop and then the doors unlock,” Wes said, and parked the car.
The doors clicked unlocked and Jackie bolted out.
“She’s sort of a snack freak,” I said.
David slid out of the car, along with the crew from the front, laughing and discussing what they wanted to get—leaving me and Mark alone in the backseat.
“You hear that?” I thought I heard the soft rumblings of a motorcycle and then it disappeared.
“Hear what?” he asked.
I strained to hear the noise again, but it didn’t come back. “You think that cop is still lurking out there?” I said, filling the silence.
“I’m sure he is, but at least we have a few stones to protect us this time.”
Silence fell over the car once again.
Mark shifted under my weight, igniting a spark. I turned on his lap and fell under his heated stare. Spreading out, he slouched down a bit as I put my legs on either side of his.
Placing his hands on my hips, he deliberately moved against me.
Something came unhinged and I needed him. I leaned forward and found his lips with mine. As I pressed against him, our lips parted. I panted for air before going back in. My fingers worked their way under his shirt and ran along his sides. Feeling like I couldn’t get close enough, I looked up to get a grip on the headrest for leverage and saw Iggy’s warm breath fogging the window.
I dropped down and hid my face against Mark’s shoulder. “We’ve got a spectator.”
Mark laughed and shook his head. “Doesn’t bother me.” Using my hips, he continued to move me against him, but I slapped him on the shoulder and sat up. He chuckled and blew out a breath. “What is it about us that makes people want to watch?” he whispered, and rolled down the window.
The cool air washed over me and I was glad for it. I wasn’t sure how much control I would’ve had with Mark and I wanted to wait as long as possible before giving it up totally. Even if he made my inhibitions melt, I was going to control myself.
Iggy looked embarrassed as she spoke through the window. “I just came back to tell you we don’t have a whole bunch of time here. I wasn’t trying to watch you guys or anything.” She shuffled her feet and then darted into the store.
I slid off Mark’s lap and made to open the door.
He grabbed my arm and said, “Hey, before we head in, there’s something I need to say.” I fell back into the seat and looked at him expectantly. “It’s about the life stone. Look, I’m sorry for acting like a jerk about it. If I thought you were dying, I would have done the same thing.”
The words flowed and I waited patiently for them to stop. When they did, I leaned in and lightly kissed his lips. “I know. I was just waiting for you to come around.”
He barked out a laugh. “Okay, know-it-all, let’s check this place out. You seem like a Sour Patch kind of girl to me.” He put an arm over my shoulder.
“Twinkies. Let me guess about you. Tiger Milk or a power bar, I bet.”
He laughed. “I haven’t eaten anything sugary in a long time. Maybe some almonds.”
“Boring.”
We entered the store in a good mood, but stopped at the door. Kylie and her friends were frozen in amazement, watching Jackie ravage a bag of Doritos. She looked up at our arrival and grinned with a nacho cheese smile.
“You have no idea how good this is,” is what I think she said with her mouth full.
“Hey, I didn’t agree to this many of you,” the man behind the counter said. He was wearing a blue vest over his plaid shirt with a nametag that said his name was Jarrod.
“We can always take our tokens elsewhere,” Kylie said.
Jarrod crossed his arms and sat on his stool behind the counter.
“Besides,” Kylie said, leaning closer to Jackie, “I want to see how far she can take this. I’ve already counted two Twix bars, half a box of Red Vines, a can of Dew, two bags of Doritos and what I think was a hot dog.”
“M&M’s,” Jackie said. “There was also a bag of peanut M&M’s.”
Mark dangled two slender yellow cakes packaged in a cellophane wrapper and labeled with the glorious Twinkie banner. I snatched them from his hand.
“Thanks,” I said, and peeled the wrapper open.
“We should get some real food as well,” Mark said, and went down the boring aisle of bread and deli meats. “Jackie, you’re going to get sick.”
“Whatever, Mark. I’m sure the cucumber-flavored tofu is in the all-organic section of the gas station,” Jackie said.
Jackie did slow down, though, and looked at the Ding Dong in her hand. She turned over her hand and inspected the stains and smears. They were the scars and bruises of her vicious attack against food. I wondered what Kylie and her friends would be giving the clerk to allow such abuse to his store. Tokens, Kylie had said.
By the time I had finished the Twinkies, Mark came back and delivered some wonderful turkey sandwiches. Jackie came and joined us, holding her gut.
“Not a word, Mark,” she said.
“We’d better get some Pepto or something.” He looked back down the aisle.
The lights shut off.
A green exit sign lit up a small area near the front door. I sucked in a quick breath and pulled a stone from my pocket, holding it in its thin wrapping. Scanning the windows, I begged my eyes to adjust to the darkness.
“I thought I heard a motorcycle,” I said.
“He’s found us,” Mark whispered, staying shoulder to shoulder with me.
“Just a power outage. We get them out here in the sticks,” Jarrod said, walking around the counter with a flashlight.
“Who are you guys talking about?” Kylie said, looking up at the lights as if expecting them to turn back on at any second.
She needed to know the dangers we were up against. “Someone was chasing us. He’s sort of the reason we came to the Academy.”
“Dark alchies?” Wes asked.
“Yes,” I said.
“Great. And you didn’t think it was important to mention that to us?” Kylie said.
I couldn’t come up with the words for it and looked away from their judging eyes.
“I think if we group up and make a run for the car, maybe we have a chance. We brought a few stones with us,” Mark said.
Kylie scanned the windows. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw our car parked near the front door. We could get to it in seconds.
Grouping up in the chip aisle, we formed a simple plan. Mark, Jackie, and I would take the front because we had the stones.
“Remember, we need to get in the car and haul ass,” I said, my heart pounding as we neared the front
door. Jackie smelled of nacho cheese but she was holding a stone in her hand and looked irate. So much so, in fact, that she made me nervous standing next to her.
“Or this could just be a power outage, like I said,” Jarrod called from the back of the store, shining his flashlight down the back hallway.
“Forget him,” Kylie said. “If dark alchies are out there, a run for the car is our best chance.”
“Agreed,” I said.
“I’ll take lead,” Mark said, and Jackie huffed. “Three.” He put his hand on the door. “Two. One.” He shoved the door open and we flooded out.
I caught a glimpse of a man hugging the wall and I had a split second to react. I side-armed the stone and it hit the wall next to him. He flinched back with surprise, but quickly retaliated.
The white stone stuck out in the black of night. It seemed to glow as it zipped through the air. Mesmerized, I followed its path until it struck the ground in front of my feet and broke open.
Blindness.
A light much brighter than the sun blasted out from the broken stone. I covered my eyes and felt a strong pain, as if my retinas had been burned.
Everything was a blur. People were screaming, but they were just shapes. I couldn’t focus. I fumbled with the next stone in my pocket, knowing I only had a moment to get it right. When I yanked it free, it fell to the ground.
“Get in the car!” Wes yelled.
I felt Mark’s strong hand pulling me into the car. I fell to the floorboards and felt the car shaking with more people getting in. I got up and my eyes cleared enough to see the struggle outside. Iggy’s stood near the door, arms waving and her feet were stuck to the sidewalk in some kind of goo.
“Help!” Iggy cried out when another stone hit the side of the car, freezing over a window.
“Get out of here!” David screamed.
Wes started the car and slammed it into reverse.
“No, she’s still out there!” Jackie screeched, and reached for her door.
The car tires squealed.
“Go, go!” Kylie demanded.
“We can’t just leave her,” Jackie said.
Wes ignored our protests and kept the pedal pressed to the floor. He accelerated out of the parking lot and down the road. I turned and stared through the back window. Iggy and two other guys formed a dark silhouette near the pumps at the gas station. They didn’t appear to be moving toward us or putting up any kind of chase.
“We have to turn around.” Jackie squeezed between the two front seats and I wondered if she would grab the wheel and turn the car around herself. “I have a couple of stones left, and I think Mark still has one. We can take them.”
Wes gripped the wheel and twisted, creating a rubbing sound. “Kylie?” he asked.
“I only saw two of them,” I added, staring out the back window. The gas station had disappeared as we crested over a small hill.
“Maybe the teachers can help us?” David said.
“Dammit,” Wes said.
The car skidded to a near stop and we doubled back. The engine roared, and I turned to face the front windshield. The dark gas station came into view, but it looked deserted.
“Drive around the building. She might be in the back.” Jackie hovered near the front seats and then switched to the side window as we passed around the gas station. My heart sank. I’d allowed this to happen.
“Where did they go?” Wes asked.
After making a complete circle around the gas station, he parked near the front door.
I followed Mark out of the car and it became apparent that Iggy and the men were gone.
“Maybe they’re holed up in the store?” Kylie said.
Jarrod stepped out with a flashlight and shone it our way. “Oh, hey. You guys stocking up tonight?” he asked in a playful manner.
“Did you see where they took her, or which way they went?” Kylie asked.
“Who? What are you talking about?” Jarrod said.
Kylie took a deep breath and turned back to us. “Memory stone.” She shook her head and walked closer to me. “You must have pissed off the wrong people. Exactly who did you say was chasing you?”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. How could I tell someone the whole truth without revealing our plans? Would they even believe it if I did?
“The power’s out. You guys can still get whatever you want. I just hope you brought a token.” He shone the light on us. “New friends?” Jarrod asked.
“Just go away, Jarrod,” Jackie said. “We freaking need to find Iggy. She could be a mile down the road by this point.” She looked down the dark street with her hands on her hips.
“More than likely, they used a portal stone,” Mark said.
I stared into the darkness. There were no lights on the horizon, and no sign of Iggy anywhere. “She’s gone.” The weight of it sank in.
“Why would they take her?” Kylie asked.
“She looks kind of like Allie, and she was in the center of our group when we left. I bet they assumed she was the special,” Jackie said.
I shot her a sharp look. She needed to temper her loose tongue.
“You’re a special?” Kylie’s eyes went wide as she whipped around to look at me.
I shrugged. “They just wanted us because we got away from them. That’s all.” What I was didn’t matter, and now I had one more thing to add to my list. Get Iggy back. I wouldn’t be surprised if they mind-wiped her and dumped her in the Dark Academy. “I think we’d better get back to the Academy and tell them a student was kidnapped.”
“You sure this is the right door?” I asked.
Kylie nodded and knocked again. The sound resonated through the small hallway. If it didn’t get Wendy’s attention, it would probably wake up all the rest of the teachers who were sleeping.
Jackie walked up to the door and kicked it three solid times. “That should wake the comatose hag.”
A faint rustling sounded from within the room and I took a step back as the door slid open. A sleepy-eyed Wendy stood at the door, dressed in white pajamas. She looked flummoxed at the group of people standing in the hallway. “Do you know what hour it is?” she asked with a bit of morning rasp in her voice.
We flooded her at all once with our information.
“Wait. What are you saying? One at a time, please. Someone was kidnapped?” The glazed look left her wide eyes.
“We left the Academy and went to a gas station nearby. Iggy was kidnapped,” Kylie said.
Wendy shook her head in disbelief. She grabbed a tablet and scrolled through the pages on the screen. “She’s not in school.” She looked past us down the hall.
“We need to get some people and find her,” Jackie said.
“Don’t be a fool,” Wendy said in a clear voice. “We need to tell President Foster.” She marched out of the room, bumping into me and not slowing.
We rushed after her, but she didn’t offer any more explanations. After jogging across the empty commons, we filed into an elevator under the president’s egg-shaped home that jutted out of the side of the wall.
The elevator sped upward and then stopped. We exited on a large landing with a single white door carved into a curved wall.
Wendy darted to the door and touched the digital panel next to it. A siren sounded, like a smoked detector going off. The door was flung open to reveal a confused-looking President Foster. He was wearing a similar white uniform, with brown slippers poking out from the bottom of his pants.
“Wendy, what’s going on?” Foster said, looking over each of us. “Who are these students with you?”
“No time for that, Nick. A wolf took one of our sheep.”
His face paled. “Please, come in.” He motioned. “How did this happen? Did they get through the tunnel again?”
“No. These kids here went for a midnight stroll into the city.” She looked back at us. “Go on and tell him about it.”
Foster’s stern gaze passed over us and no one talked. The words choked in my
throat. I couldn’t tell the man how badly we’d messed up.
Kylie broke first, going into detail about our journey and ending with Iggy’s kidnapping. She left out the part about people being after me. Maybe she’d forgotten, or maybe she was trying to protect me. Either way, at this point it didn’t matter. A life was at stake.
“There’s something else I have to tell you, President Foster. The reason we came here,” I jumped in. Once he’d nodded, I continued to tell him about the Dark Academy, Verity, Red versus Blue, all of it. It spilled from me as an uncontrollable river of information. No one dared interrupt the flow, and when I finished, I felt breathless.
I dared a few glances at them and each had a shocked look mixed with some skepticism. I didn’t know if I would believe it myself, if I were them. Hearing it spoken out loud, it seemed ridiculous, but if the information could help get Iggy back, I had to share it. I would just have to ignore the stank-eye Jackie was throwing my way.
Foster rubbed the stubble on his chin. “If they have her, there’s little we can do about it here, but I’ll alert the proper people to take care of this.”
“The Intrepid?” I asked.
“No, I’m not in direct contact with them. Besides, we have a more civil group of people to handle these matters. They’ll contact Quinn within the hour. If she was taken by Axiom’s men, he’ll be able to help.”
Shot down, I slumped back. Two of the names he had mentioned stirred up new questions. “Who is Axiom?”
Foster winced at the question and preceded with caution. “You already know his sister, Verity. He watches over much of L.A. While he’s not the best of character, he has helped us from time to time.”
Not only did I know his sister, I was dead sure he’d been the man chasing us through the construction yard. He was a male version of Verity.
“Or this could escalate things, Nick. We’re at the edge right now,” Wendy said.
Nick took a deep breath and looked around his foyer. A pair of white chairs flanked a large picture of a simple house in need of repairs. I couldn’t see much farther into the house, but the white-on-white motif seemed to be carried throughout.