At the edge, we took off our packs and retrieved the equipment inside. Jasper checked in with Di and Flint through the communication system. They were on the ground, northeast of the warehouse, close to a parking lot.
“Any movement?” I asked.
Di’s voice was clear through the communication system. “None yet.”
“Do you see anything?” Flint asked.
My breath sucked in at the sound of his voice. “No.”
“Did the climb go okay?” he asked.
Jasper responded for me. “Lena’s part cat.”
Flint chuckled.
Di checked in with everyone else. Amber and Jacinda hadn’t sensed anything suspicious. Mica and Jet lay on their bellies on the rooftop opposite of us on the other side of O’Brien. I brought the night vision binoculars to my eyes. Jasper did the same.
The guards came clearly into focus.
There were only two of them, thankfully. However, both carried guns and walked in a way that screamed a military background. Only one entrance let people in, although the loading dock was another option for entry. However, according to Father, it would be harder to access the elevator if we didn’t go in the main door.
Di had equipment that allowed her to hear the guard’s conversation, even though she and Flint were a hundred feet away. The rest of us watched and listened for other sounds. I knew Jacinda had her hearing turned to full volume despite being blocks away. If anyone drove anywhere near our direction, she’d alert us.
THE NIGHT PASSED relatively quickly, considering we only watched and listened. The only thing that bothered me was the cold. Laying on a roof at night in November, where the temps hovered around forty, wasn’t exactly cozy. My toes felt frozen and the cold seeped through my jeans, numbing my thighs. I’d have to remember to wear more layers tomorrow.
Twice, trucks came to the warehouse. The guard’s approached them each time, yet it seemed to only be delivery runs. They flagged the trucks back to the loading dock and several large boxes and containers were dropped off before the trucks left. I had no idea what those boxes held. Perhaps food for the captives, newly concocted drugs, supplies for the lab. Whatever the case, I doubted it was anything less than nefarious.
Di and Flint noted the times, the number of drivers and the license plates. Tomorrow, we’d investigate that more.
At 2300, there was a shift change. The evening guards left and the night guards came on. We paid particular attention to how that process worked. The guards’ clouds were especially interesting. Almost all of the guards had gray clouds, but one of the night guard’s shone white. From the conversation Di heard, it sounded as though he was fairly new. A part of me wondered if we could use that to our advantage when we finally breached the warehouse. It was another thing we’d have to discuss.
While we waited on the rooftop, I practiced drawing my energy balls. Between the six of us surrounding the warehouse, the guards, multiple rodents and alley cats within the vicinity, there was plenty of energy. Now, it was a matter of drawing it from all of the distances and forming it into one usable sphere.
It wasn’t as easy in the night. Being cold and tired made it harder to concentrate, but I continually practiced my newly learned skill of drawing up my own energy deep inside of me. Twice, I was able to form a large ball, the energy practically crackling in its force. To me at least. Jasper was completely oblivious. Each time, when I knew I could throw the ball if I wanted, I asked if he sensed anything. Both times he said no.
Everyone else practiced their skills too. Jet and Jasper manipulated the guards, seeing how their behavior would change when their emotions were affected. A few times, we heard laughter and I caught a few smiles through the binoculars. I knew the twins were channeling positive, relaxing feelings. I only hoped the guards wouldn’t be aware of the outside influence.
At 0230, we slunk back to the edge of the roof and began our climb down. I gripped the pipe tightly and stepped over the edge. The climb down wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped. We were about halfway down when I placed my foot on an icy ledge and put my weight on it.
My foot slipped.
For a brief second, my foot hung in midair as my hands clung to the pipe. I frantically pedaled until I found another ledge to set it on. Adrenaline pumped through me. My heart pounded. Any feelings of being tired vanished.
“Lena? Are you okay?” Jasper had stopped above me. I felt his cloud, heavy with fear descend.
Taking deep, gulping breaths, I clung to the pipe until my energy calmed down.
“Are you okay?” Jasper whispered.
He hovered above, only a few feet separating us. If he slipped and fell, chances were he’d take me down with him. I didn’t want to think about our broken bodies laying in a heap on the concrete alley below.
“Yeah. I’m fine. We’re almost there.” Carefully lowering my foot, I made sure it was firmly planted before I moved my hands down. Moving silently and carefully, I reached the bottom and hopped off the pipe.
Jasper joined me a moment later. His feet landed quietly in a puddle that was icing over.
He raised his arm in a high five. “Nice job.”
I slapped his hand, still trembling from my near fall. “Let’s hope we’re not doing this every night for the next month.”
“Lena, Jasper?” Di’s voice came on over the ear pieces. “Are you two down?”
“Affirmative.” Jasper grinned and nudged me. “I’ve always wanted to say that.”
“Hurry up,” Di said. “Jacinda heard vehicles moving this way. I want us out of here. Now.”
We crept quickly back the way we’d come. I switched my vision so I’d spot any rats in the alleyway. The small clouds that puffed up around them disappeared when they scurried behind dumpsters.
Jacinda and Amber waited in the van. I could tell both were anxious from their wild looks and flushed cheeks. In a way, they had the hardest job. All they did was wait. I didn’t envy them.
“The vehicles are two blocks away,” Jacinda said.
A few moments after Jasper and I got in the van, Flint, Di, Mica and Jet appeared. They all jumped in, and we slammed the door. Jacinda put the van into drive and slammed down on the gas pedal. She hit the curb. I glanced at her tight white knuckles and held out my arms to steady myself when the van swayed dangerously. Perhaps we needed to rethink our getaway driver.
“Where are they?” Di asked tightly.
Jacinda eyed the van’s side mirror. “Turning the corner now.”
We approached the end of the block just as an O’Brien SUV turned onto the street.
Jet watched through the back window. “Who do you suppose that is?”
“More guards?” Mica offered.
“Marcus?” Amber practically squeaked.
Di’s eyes narrowed as Jacinda swerved onto the interstate. She almost hit a sign before Di yanked the steering wheel straight. When we were a few miles away from the warehouse, the anxiety in the van finally relaxed.
Di turned in her seat. “Well done, everyone.” Cold night air trailed in through her cracked window.
All of us grinned. An excited energy buzzed in the air.
Di took her ski mask off. Her short dark hair fell around her oval shaped face. “We’ll research the guards and trucks more tomorrow, and tomorrow night, we’ll come back and watch again.”
Flint pulled me closely to his side as the van jostled and dipped along the highway. His heat felt good since my toes were still frozen. We huddled together on the van’s floor. His scent surrounded me, and nervous yet exhilarating energy pulsed everywhere. I had no idea it would be such an adrenaline rush to stake out a warehouse, but from the gleaming excitement in everyone’s eyes and staccato chatter, I could tell I wasn’t the only one feeling this way.
“You continue to amaze me.” Flint leaned down to nuzzle my neck.
A surge of desire shot through me. I didn’t know if it was Flint’s smell, the feel of his large hand on my thigh, the residual excitement from the night,
or all three, but I wanted him desperately.
“How so?” I closed my eyes when he kissed my neck.
“You’re fearless. Climbing that building without batting an eye.”
Heat grew between my legs. “You would have done the same thing.”
He growled and nibbled my neck.
As soon as we returned to our motel room, Flint had me against the wall and was ripping my clothes off. Afterward, we got in bed and pulled back the covers, sinking into the scratchy sheets.
He pulled me closely to him and kissed me tenderly. The second time we made love slowly, our initial desire sated. We explored each other’s bodies as he sank into me once again, filling me slowly and exquisitely, until he took me over the edge, a thousand stars clouding my vision as an orgasm rocked my core.
It was well after five in the morning by the time I curled up beside him and fell asleep. I knew I’d be tired when we woke, but I wanted Flint more than anything. What if the next few days are the last time we can do this? Love each other? Feel one another?
I pushed those thoughts aside as sleep came, but dreams plagued me anyway. Dreams of ghostly faces, dark chambers and medical devices. Dreams my subconscious pulled from our pasts that now seemed all too real.
THE NEXT WEEK we staked out the warehouse every night. After the first night, we no longer parked the van on the road for fear someone from O’Brien would eventually notice it. Instead, Amber and Jacinda dropped the six of us off and returned when we called them. Sometimes, they’d go to the shooting range and target shoot. Thankfully, both now felt confident and comfortable handling a loaded weapon.
To appease Father’s worries that someone at O’Brien would spot us in the city, we moved to a new motel every few days. They were all the same. Lonely, drab buildings off highways and interstates. Easy accommodation to hide in as we became one with the masses. We still kept a low profile. For the most part, we didn’t leave our rooms. When we did, it was only in groups of two or three.
The downtime in between stake outs wasn’t wasted. We practiced our skills over and over. I honestly thought I could form energy balls in my sleep by the time December rolled around. I finally felt confident in my ability. It only made me itch to get on with everything.
I knew I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
The antsy feeling in the group grew as the weather changed. Each night the temperature plummeted to freezing, making it harder to continually spy on O’Brien. Laying on a roof in icy temps wasn’t fun. Neither was climbing up and down a building holding onto frigid ledges and pipes. Even Jet and Jasper’s initial excitement seemed to have worn off.
Surprisingly, the only one in the group who didn’t seem anxious to break into the warehouse was Di. Her manic energy that had plagued the group since finding the cabin in the Forbidden Hills had vanished. She was back to being the resolute, dependable leader we all knew her to be. Her decisions now were based on cool judgment versus impulsive desire.
I no longer worried about her. Those days of wanting to storm into O’Brien were gone. All of her decisions seemed to be based on calculated risk.
Now, we knew who the guards were, their routines, and how the loading schedule worked. We never did find out who drove that SUV the first night we staked out the warehouse. It could have been Marcus. It could have been Albert Darlington. We’d never know.
Interestingly, we never saw Father’s former associates. Neither Marcus nor Albert ever entered the warehouse at night. Perhaps their visits were restricted to daytime hours only. If they came at all. I had no idea how involved they still were. A part of me was curious to observe the warehouse at daytime. I could tell Di wanted to as well, but she felt it was too risky. The chance of being spotted with the sun streaming on our backs was much higher. Still, I wanted to do something more.
As per our now normal daily routine, we convened in Di and Jacinda’s room late morning after the previous night’s stake out.
“Ready for another session?” Flint murmured as we walked to their door.
“Can’t wait.”
The latest drab motel we occupied had horrible road noise. Heavy traffic from I-55 was so loud at times I was positive a semi-truck was about to barrel through the window.
“Here we go again,” Flint said.
We were the last to enter the motel room. Flint closed the door behind us. The twins, Mica and Amber perched on one bed. Father sat on the lone chair, while Jacinda lounged on the other bed. Di paced the room. Flint and I opted to lean against the wall.
“What’s up?” Jet called to us.
Flint nodded. “Morning.”
Jet bent his arms behind his head and stretched his legs out on the bed. “A great morning indeed. Ah, I love living the dream.”
Jasper snickered while Mica muffled a laugh.
Di glared at them. “Let’s get serious.”
Her tone wiped Jet’s smirk off his face.
“Tonight, we’re going in. A snowstorm is predicted for tomorrow night. We can’t put off entering any longer.”
Jet bolted upright, his arms falling. “Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously,” Di replied.
Everyone eyed those around them with similar expressions: wide eyes, dropped mouths, and either a grin or frown. Nervous energy bubbled up inside of me.
Finally, the night had come.
“Remember everything we’ve talked about and the training we’ve done,” Di said. “You all need to act dependably and do exactly as I say.”
“Will do.” Jet’s joking demeanor was gone.
Father was the only one who didn’t look excited. A glazed look coated his eyes.
“Now,” Di said. “Of all the scenarios we’ve talked about, I’ve decided on a plan that I believe has the highest chance of success based on what we’ve observed. However, everyone needs to understand their role backward and forward before we can proceed...”
WE SPENT THE rest of the day rehearsing Di’s plan. In a way, it was no different from what we’d practiced for weeks. However, this time it was real. One misstep or wrong move could prove fatal.
It was an incredibly sobering thought.
That night, as we drove to the warehouse, nobody said a word. Road noise filled the void. I shifted my vision and focused on everyone’s clouds. Our energy felt tangible, like a rubber band that stretched and grew between my fingers. I mentally spread it wider. Within seconds, I had an energy ball hovering among us. If I threw it at full force, it would probably shatter the van’s door.
Flint’s hand clenched mine tightly during the drive. It was only when I let the energy ball evaporate, my senses returning to my surroundings, that I felt his grip. His hot, raw energy grew and expanded around him.
The only times I’d felt his energy this high was either in bed or when he was angry. Now, the cause was neither. I knew it was because of fear. For me. The only benefit of that fear was it gave me greater power to work with. With all of us wound so tightly, that meant greater energy balls.
I hoped it was power I could control.
Di drove the van to the industrial park. On day two of our stake outs, when Jacinda almost drove us into a guard rail, it was agreed she would not be the driver. At the time, it had been another thing for the twins to joke about. Now, nobody was laughing.
Not long later, we reached our parking spot. Di pulled off the street just short of where O’Brien’s camera surveillance started. The sound of her cutting the engine felt like a life support machine being shut off mid-breath. Gone were the familiar hums, rattle of wheels and comforting warm air that flowed through the dash. The next time the engine started, we’d either be fleeing the scene with three new people in tow, or we would be salvaging an operation that had gone desperately wrong.
“Is everyone ready?” Di asked.
We all nodded. The silence spoke volumes.
“Ski masks on,” she instructed.
Everyone pulled the black, knit caps over their faces. When only our eyes
were visible, Di nodded. “Let’s go.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
We crept out of the van with small, heavy packs slung over our shoulders. They carried the supplies necessary to destroy this place.
In the ski masks, our faces blended into the night. The only face not covered was Jacinda’s. Between her looks and charm, the twins’ ability to affect emotions and Amber’s enhanced olfactory abilities, we would know fairly quickly if a non-violent entry was possible.
Our quiet footsteps barely made a sound as we walked toward the warehouse. The familiar scents of putrid garbage, damp pavement and a lingering chemical smell hovered in the air.
I found Flint’s hand. His strong fingers gripped mine. I closed my eyes for the briefest second.
I’m safe. Right now, I’m safe.
Images of my earliest memories at O’Brien flashed through my mind. A dark square cell, a single bed, desk and chair. The room was devoid of color except for my favorite pink teddy bear and the colorful bedspread that Father had bought me. I opened my eyes and stared ahead. What happened to that bear? I had no memory of him once we reached the cabin. Father must have left him behind.
I pictured myself entering a cell tonight, searching for one of the captives, but instead spotting that bear. My heart thudded almost painfully against my ribs. It so easily could have been me still locked away, still experimented on, still clutching that ragged stuffed animal. If it wasn’t for Father, I’d still be captive too.
The irony of it made me chuff. After all, if it wasn’t for Father, I never would have been captive in the first place, but without Father who knows what kind of life I would have led. It was possible Jacinda and I wouldn’t have survived. With a dead mother, non-existent fathers and no means of taking care of ourselves, we may have died if Father hadn’t stolen us. Or perhaps someone would have found us and turned us over to the state. I could have grown up in foster homes, separated from my sister, never to have known a true family.
Flint squeezed my hand. “Be careful tonight,” he whispered. “I love you.”
I met his gaze in the dark night. His irises were as black as his cap. “I love you too.”
The Complete Lost Children Series Page 45