by M. K. Krys
“All right, let’s get out of here,” Beacon said.
Arthur steadied the raft as Beacon climbed inside.
“Wait,” Everleigh said. “Do you think this looks convincing enough?” She looked down at the “body” lying inside the boat.
They’d stuffed a few pillows into some of Everleigh’s clothes, and then wrapped duct tape around it. Up close, it would be obvious there wasn’t a real person inside.
“It doesn’t have to be perfect,” Beacon said. “The Sov won’t know it’s not their queen until it’s too late. Come on.”
Everleigh sighed, but she climbed into the raft after her brother. They both helped Arthur in as he struggled with his bag, then Everleigh and Beacon each grabbed a paddle and got to work, rowing fast and hard. They were on schedule so far, but they didn’t want to take any chances getting caught out here when the Sov arrived.
Beacon dug a paddle into the water. They’d only been rowing for a few minutes, and his arms were already heavy and sluggish from the effort. But his sister wasn’t complaining, so he just kept working. The island grew as they approached, a giant black mass that stretched for half a mile. They’d wanted to be able to watch their plan play out, and Galen had told them there was a cave on this island that had a good view of the water.
When they got so close that the paddles began digging into sand and rock, Beacon hopped out of the inflatable raft and helped his sister drag it up the rocky shore.
“Careful! We need this to get back,” Galen said.
“If we ever get back,” Everleigh muttered.
“We’re getting back,” Arthur said. “This is going to work. I have a good feeling about this.”
They carried the raft over the sharp rocks.
“Let’s put it over here,” Everleigh said.
They dropped the raft behind an overgrown bush. Everleigh began kicking leaves and dirt on top of it.
“What are you doing?” Arthur said.
“Camouflaging the raft,” Everleigh explained. “This thing can be seen from outer space.”
“That’ll have to be good enough,” Beacon said.
Everleigh frowned. There was still orange rubber visible, but it would take ages to cover it all, and they didn’t have time. She dusted off her hands, and they kept moving.
The mouth of the cave was hidden by bushes and fallen rocks. If he hadn’t been looking for it, Beacon never would have known it was there.
Galen ducked inside first, and the rest of them crouched low and followed him into the impenetrable blackness. The temperature dropped as they entered the underground chamber. Beacon reached out to feel his way and could hardly see his own hand in front of his face. Ahead was the sound of water dripping into water, but it was impossible to tell how far away it was, or how deep.
“How did you know about this place?” Everleigh asked. Her voice echoed off the dense stone walls.
“I used to come here,” Galen said. “To get away.”
There was a sudden flurry of flapping in the darkness.
“What was that?” Everleigh shrieked.
“Probably a bat,” Galen said calmly. “Get used to it. There are lots of them in here.”
They hunkered down on the rocky floor and looked out at the sea through the cave entrance. Moonlight glinted off the aluminum boat swaying gently on the water. Beacon could just see the outline of the “body” lying inside the boat.
“What time is it?” Beacon whispered.
“Eleven fifty-one,” Arthur said.
Six minutes since Galen’s scheduled message should have gone out to the Sov.
We have your queen. Come to Deadman’s Wharf, or she dies.
It was simple, but Galen had said any more details might give them away.
“And you’re sure the queen won’t be at the headquarters?” Beacon asked.
“Hundred percent,” Galen said.
“How can you be so confident?” Beacon said. He wasn’t really expecting Galen to answer—he hadn’t the other million times Beacon and the others had pressed him to explain how he would be able to keep the queen away. But he needed to know. The entire plan hinged on the Sov thinking the queen really had been kidnapped. If they found her in their caf eating a burger, the whole plan would go up in flames.
“Just trust me,” Galen said.
I don’t even know you, Beacon wanted to say. But it was too late to argue.
A tentacle sprang up out of the water. Then dozens of squid creatures materialized, surrounding the boat. Beacon didn’t breathe as he watched the aliens circle the boat, splashing and swirling, rocking the vessel violently from side to side on the choppy water. There were so many of them—and soon, they’d all be sleeping off their transformation.
It had worked!
Arthur leaned forward to get a better look. What followed happened so quickly.
Arthur slipped on the rocks. He put his hands out for balance, and Beacon and Everleigh jumped up to try to catch him, but that only resulted in him grabbing on to their arms as he fell. Then all three of them went down. Beacon hissed, Everleigh oofed, and Arthur cried out as they hit the sharp rocks.
There was a stunned moment in which they all realized what had just happened. Slowly, they turned to look out of the cave. The creatures had swiveled toward the island. One of the squids opened its mouth and screamed. The sound traveled down Beacon’s spine.
“Just stay still,” Everleigh whispered. “Maybe they won’t notice us.”
Almost as if in response, the creatures dove en masse under the surface. The water rippled as they swam fast and furious for the island. For them.
“Get back and hide,” Galen said. Then he darted out of the cave.
“Wait, where are you going?” Beacon called. But Galen had disappeared.
“He ditched us!” Everleigh said. “I knew we never should have trusted him.”
There was a great splash outside the cave.
“We can point fingers later,” Beacon said, grabbing his sister’s arm. “Right now we just need to hide.”
They picked through the sharp rocks, going deeper into the cave. Beacon wanted to run, but loose stones kept shifting underneath him, twisting his feet one way, then the other, making it impossible to go faster.
“Ahh!” Everleigh cried suddenly.
“What’s wrong—” Beacon started, but then he took another step and his foot plunged into icy water.
“It’s a lake or something,” Arthur said.
They tried all angles, but the water stretched from rock wall to rock wall.
“There’s no way around it,” Everleigh said.
“Do we jump in?” Arthur asked. “Try to swim across?”
But it was too late.
Slithering, slurping sounds echoed through the cave.
Beacon spun around. He felt his sister grab his hand, her palm wet. He squeezed it. This was it. They were trapped.
“I love you,” Beacon blurted out. They never talked like that to each other. But if he was going to die, he didn’t want to do it without making sure his sister knew she meant the world to him.
“You’re all right, too, I guess,” Everleigh said.
“Have you ever thought about writing Hallmark cards?” Beacon said.
“I don’t exactly love you guys,” Arthur joined in. “I mean, I don’t know you well enough for that. But I think highly of you, and I’m glad you’re my friends.”
“Same, Arth. You’re a cool guy,” Beacon said.
An earsplitting scream filled the tunnel. Beacon covered his ears, tears involuntarily leaking down his face at the high-pitched sound. Through the dim light filtering in from the cave entrance, he saw a squid leap forward, then dart back from the rocks. Another squid lunged at them, but it screamed and retreated, too. One by one, the squids tried to mo
ve over the stalagmites.
“Why aren’t they coming after us?” Everleigh said.
Beacon watched the squids advance and retreat again and again. “I—I think it’s the rocks,” he said.
“That has to be it!” Arthur said. “The stalagmites are too sharp. They’d probably puncture their skin if they tried to slide over the top of them.”
“Oh, thank God,” Everleigh said. “I really didn’t want to die this way.”
Beacon blew out a relieved breath. They might be trapped. But they were safe for now.
Then it happened.
It was too dark in the cave to see much of anything, but what he did see was enough: tentacles withdrawing, bones crunching, snapping, and locking into place. Blond hair sprouting like a time-lapse photo—one second, a pixie cut, the next, long tresses curling down her back.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my old friends,” Jane said, stepping forward. Then she turned to the squids. “Get in there and grab them.”
A squid screamed in reply. Beacon’s body tensed, waiting for the attack. But the squids just shuffled around, a strange murmur going through the group.
“What are you waiting for?” Jane barked. “I said get them!”
But the squids slithered away from the cave.
“Wait, stop! Come back here right now!” Jane called.
But they didn’t listen. In seconds, she was alone. She whirled around and locked her eyes on Beacon.
“This isn’t over.” Then she stormed back out of the cave, her dramatic exit somewhat diminished by the fact that she slipped on the rocks several times.
Everleigh released a huge breath.
“Why did they leave?” Beacon asked.
“Maybe there was an emergency or something?” Arthur offered.
“Who cares,” Everleigh replied. “Let’s just get out of here.”
She stepped forward, but Beacon grabbed her arm.
“Wait! What if this is a trick? What if they’re just waiting out there for us to come out?”
“I don’t see what choice we have,” Everleigh said. “We can’t stay in here forever. They could be back any minute.”
His sister was right. He hated when that happened.
They cut back across the rocks, made even more treacherous now that they were covered in slimy yellow goo. The Sov were nowhere in sight. Beacon didn’t know who he had to thank for this change in luck, but he ran for the raft hidden behind the bush a few feet from the cave entrance. He worried it might be gone, but then he saw the bright orange rubber peeking out from the leaves. They were going to get out of this alive after all.
“Someone help me with this.” Beacon hauled on the heavy rubber. Arthur picked his way through the shrubs and grabbed the other end of the raft.
“It’s stuck,” Beacon said. “Put some muscle in it, Arth.”
“I am!” Arthur said. “I’m a man of science, okay?”
Everleigh sighed. “Move out of the way.”
A twig snapped close by, and they all froze.
Victor stepped out from behind a tree. All thoughts of the raft went out of Beacon’s head. It fell from his limp fingers. He was dimly aware that he should be running, screaming, hiding—anything but standing there with his mouth gaping—but he couldn’t make his body work.
A small smile played on Victor’s lips as he registered Beacon’s shock.
“Get back!” Everleigh cried, pushing her way in front of Beacon and Arthur. “Run, I’ll stall him.”
Her words shocked Beacon back to reality.
“Not a chance,” he said. He hefted a large branch. Arthur looked around for a weapon and picked up a stick. It was ridiculous, but they’d go down fighting.
“It’s me,” Victor said. “Galen.”
“Nice try,” Everleigh said. “Just how stupid do you think we are?”
“Very stupid, if you can’t understand what just happened. I saved you. I knew the only way the Sov would back off is if an order came from on high. So I transformed into Victor and shouted at them to forget about the kids and return to base stat. As soon as they get back they’re going to figure out it wasn’t really Victor who gave those orders, so unless you want to have a round two, we need to get out of here.”
Beacon, Everleigh, and Arthur exchanged wary glances.
“If you’re really Galen, then what did we talk about on the trash barge?” Beacon said.
“Before or after you cried silently for like an hour?” he replied.
Beacon felt his face go red before he lowered the tree branch. “Point made.”
“Help me with the boat,” Everleigh said, stepping forward.
“There is no boat,” Galen said.
“What?!” Everleigh said.
Galen easily hefted the raft that they’d struggled to lift earlier. Sure enough, there was a giant gash down the middle.
“Jane slashed it on her way out,” Galen said.
“I knew we should have hidden it better!” Everleigh cried. “How are we going to get back?” She frantically inspected the cut.
“Maybe we can swim?” Beacon looked uneasily at the black water. It would be a really long trip. And even though the raft hadn’t necessarily been a shield from the Sov, being directly in the water when the squid creatures could be lurking in its depths wasn’t exactly appealing.
“There’s no time for that,” Galen said. “You can get on my back.”
Beacon didn’t have to wonder what he was talking about for long. Galen walked toward the water. As he did, a long tentacle sprouted up from his chest, its slimy skin glinting in the moonlight. He fell on all fours. His spine crunched, and he let out a howl of pain. Beacon covered his eyes. The transformation looked too agonizing to watch. That’s when he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he really was Galen. Beacon had seen Victor transform, and it was seamless. This was the transformation of someone less seasoned, who still had a lot to learn.
When Beacon uncovered his eyes, a squid creature stood on the shore, half immersed in the water. Its tentacles rolled and swayed in the foamy surf.
“Oh my God, we’re really doing this, aren’t we?” Everleigh said.
“I mean, I’m comfortable with swimming back, personally,” Arthur said. But he followed the twins as they walked toward the squid.
“Which part is his back?” Beacon made a face as he eyed the myriad slithering tentacles.
“I think just . . . choose a tentacle.” Everleigh gingerly sat on a tentacle, gagging when she made contact. She grabbed hold of the writhing mass. As she did, another tentacle lifted and patted her on the head. She gasped, then closed her eyes and blew out a pressurized breath.
“I hate you,” she muttered.
Beacon eyed the squid. Now he could understand why the Sov couldn’t enter the cave. Its skin was so thin, it was practically translucent. Up close, he could see veins and arteries pulsing inside its body, just under the surface. He shuddered.
“When in Rome,” Beacon said. He sat on the tentacle next to his sister.
“That’s not the correct use of the idiom,” Arthur said, but he followed his lead and sat on a tentacle.
“Did you just call me an idiot?” Beacon said.
“No, I—”
The squid jolted forward into the water. The kids screamed, scrambling to grab on to their chosen appendages. Water sluiced around them, and in moments, their lower halves were completely immersed in the frigid water.
And then they were off.
Beacon quickly forgot about how disgusting he found the squid and clung desperately to its body. He pressed his face against its gooey skin as they flew over the water, waves spraying wildly around them.
Back in LA, the twins used to go tubing on Malibou Lake with their uncle. Beacon remembered clutching the giant inner tube as their
uncle drove his boat in wild circles around the lake, trying to throw them off. This felt just like that, only it wasn’t fun, they didn’t have life jackets, and Beacon couldn’t be sure that Galen would circle back around to collect them if they fell off.
Abruptly, the water stopped spraying in Beacon’s face, and his stomach finally unclenched. He pried open his eyes. Blackwater Lookout loomed above them, its roof lost in cloud cover.
The squid slid elegantly onto the shore. When his riders didn’t immediately move, Galen flailed his tentacles and everyone fell off, muttering as they landed on the shore. Beacon stumbled up on stiff, shaky legs, ready to tell Galen off.
But he stopped short.
Galen didn’t so much transform as wither. His squid form shriveled and shrunk, like a balloon with an air leak. Before they knew it, Galen lay on his side, water ebbing and flowing over his human body. If Beacon didn’t know any better, he would have assumed he was dead.
“We need to get him inside,” Beacon said.
They hauled him into the inn. Everleigh got a fire going while Beacon and Arthur stripped off Galen’s wet clothes and wrapped him in warm blankets.
It was only after they’d gotten Galen comfortable and dropped heavily into armchairs around the living room that it finally occurred to Beacon what this all meant. They’d done it. If Galen was down for the count, the other Sov would be soon, too, if they weren’t already. The prison’s security would be weak.
Only it didn’t feel like a victory. When they’d planned to break into the prison, they never thought they’d be doing it without Galen’s help. Having a Sov on their side was an invaluable resource. But now they had no choice. By tomorrow, the Sov would be awake and back to their full strength. They’d probably even notice that the drainage system had been compromised. Beacon and the others would never be able to pull off a stunt like this again.
It was now or never.
13
“Should we be concerned that you know how to make a homemade bomb?” Everleigh asked, angling her flashlight at Arthur’s hands.
The twins were bent over Arthur at the edge of the giant hole Beacon and Galen had dug on the side of Town Hall Road with an old shovel they had found behind the inn. According to the building plans, this was the exact spot where the underground pipes of the Sov’s on-land base joined up with the city’s system. So here they were. Ready to set off an explosion.