The Complete Lost Children Series

by Krista Street

  Fear, in its most basic and primal form, consumed me.

  I felt like cowering to the ground or hiding under a chair. I took a deep, staggering breath as I tried to stay focused and grounded in the present. When Jasper spoke, I jumped.

  “Anyone want to get out of here as much as I do?” he whispered.

  “Yes,” Mica squeaked.

  What stood in front of us was too malicious to comprehend. The corridor stretched farther than I could see. It seemed to go forever. Empty cells lined each side of the hall. Door after door stared back at me.

  I knew the warehouse could hold up to ninety kids even though Project Renatus had never grown that big. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, as another deeply buried memory surfaced. It was of being held down on a metal table while something was injected into my arm. A man stood over me. It wasn’t Father, but the bad man.

  Marcus.

  Flint was the first to take action. Sweat dripped from his face, and from the tensed flexing of his hands into fists over and over, I knew he was reliving memories too.

  “Let’s get them and get out,” he said.

  Flint and I hurried to the first cell while Jasper and Mica went to the second. Luckily, the doors only required the card swipe to unlock. A beep sounded after Flint swiped it. He threw the badge to Jasper.

  Flint and I stepped inside. The cell was dark, only a dim light above the door showed any illumination. I squinted, trying to make out details. The person contained within lay under covers in the bed. He, or she, I couldn’t be sure yet, stirred when Flint and I entered.

  “Hello?” I said.

  “No!” the person abruptly yelled. It was a female voice.

  Wild eyes met ours. Long, dark hair fell in snarls around her. She bolted upright and pulled her covers with her, cowering in the corner of her bed.

  I switched my vision. Her cloud appeared. All concern I had for what had been done to them multiplied by a thousand.

  Dozens and dozens of bright colors shifted above her. More colors than I’d ever seen. More colors than even Father. This woman had been drugged again and again. It was a miracle she was still alive.

  “We’re not here to hurt you.” I stepped forward with my hands up. “We’re here to help. We want to take you away.” My voice shook.

  The woman didn’t seem to hear me. She shouted and clung to her covers, trying to bury herself beneath them. Angry yells and obscenities came from the cell Jasper and Mica had entered. A male voice told Jasper and Mica exactly what he’d do if they came any closer.

  It wasn’t pretty.

  For a moment, I stood rooted to the spot. Of all the scenarios our group had practiced, and of all the obstacles we thought we’d have to overcome, the one we didn’t see happening was exactly what was unfolding.

  Trying to rescue captives who didn’t want rescuing.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  My gaze whipped to Flint’s. “What do we do?”

  The female cowered in her bed. In the dim lighting, I could barely see her. Blankets bunched around her, hiding her body and face. She was small, I knew that much. She also had long dark hair. Besides that, I had no idea what she looked like.

  “We need to get them out of here. Now,” Flint stated. “We spent too long in the guard station dismantling the cameras.” Flint put his hands on his hips. Sharp power radiated off him. “Jasper! Mica!” he yelled. “What’s your situation like?”

  “Not good!” Mica replied from the room next door.

  A snarl sounded from that direction. Goosebumps rose on my arms.

  “We have no choice.” Flint pulled a cloth rag and bottle of chloroform from his pack.

  The woman watched us, the blanket pulled up to her eyeballs. She tensed when Flint carefully wet the rag. He made sure to keep it at arm’s length.

  “Should we tell her that we’re going to drug—”

  Before I could finish my sentence, Flint was behind the woman with the rag to her mouth. She fought violently. The blanket fell, revealing thin arms and lean legs. She thrashed against him. It was heartbreaking to watch. I could tell she put every ounce of strength she had into escaping, but she didn’t stand a chance against Flint’s grip.

  When she slumped in his arms, he let go. “Tie her up. Just to be safe.”

  He disappeared out the door before I could reply.

  I quickly pulled a rope from my pack as the woman lay unconscious on the bed. My fingers brushed the explosives that laid at the bottom of the backpack. Those would come next.

  Guilt smothered me as I tied quick release knots around her wrists and ankles. Never had I ever expected to bind somebody like this in my lifetime. It was too cruel for me to process right now, but we needed to get them safely out of the warehouse.

  Just do what needs to be done, Lena!

  I finished tying her and rolled her over. She was so thin it was easy to move her. I brushed the hair from her face and glanced at her features as I stuffed the remaining rope in my bag. A frighteningly thin, almost gaunt face stared back at me. Long, dark lashes rested against her cheeks, and matted hair fell almost to her waist.

  A commotion sounded from the hallway. Another snarl reached my ears. I quickly double checked my knots before racing out. My eyes widened when I saw what was happening.

  A huge man, bigger than Flint, fought with Flint, Mica and Jasper in the hall.

  The man’s shoulders had to be three feet wide. Hands that would have spanned a dinner plate were fisted. He swung and fought against Flint and Jasper. Mica had him around the legs, but she couldn’t get his legs to buckle.

  At one point the man, dressed in loose pants and a T-shirt, almost nailed Jasper in the head. Luckily, the twin ducked in time. Flint meanwhile had his arms around the big man’s neck while Jasper tried to wrench the man’s arms behind his back. Neither was succeeding. I could tell Flint was trying to choke the man enough for him to lose consciousness. It wasn’t working.

  “A little help!” Jasper panted.

  Panic rose in me as I saw the man raise his arm to hit Flint. He was aiming for Flint’s head. In that moment, the world around me disappeared. Power welled up inside of me, radiating into my cloud until it crackled. Not Flint! Nobody is allowed to hurt Flint!

  “Get back!” I yelled.

  Flint, Mica and Jasper jumped out of the way.

  Turning, the large man’s gaze met mine. Gold, almost glowing eyes, stared at me with absolute hatred. He took a step forward. I slammed the energy ball down on his shoulders.

  He fell in a heap.

  When the huge man rolled listlessly, Mica hesitantly approached his side. She nudged him with her foot. He didn’t move. Leaning over, she placed her fingers against his pulse. “Still alive.”

  Jasper doubled over, panting, his hands on his knees. “Shit.” He shook his head, still panting. “Just . . . shit.”

  “He’s stronger than you?” I asked Flint.

  Flint’s chest rose and fell heavily. His ski mask had come off during the fight. Wild chestnut-colored hair swirled around his head, sticking out on all ends. It was a good thing we’d dismantled all of the security cameras or O’Brien Pharmaceuticals would have a clear image of his face.

  “Yeah, he’s stronger.” Flint put his mask back on. His hands shook. It was the first time Flint hadn’t been able to overpower someone.

  “Where’s the one from your cell?” Mica asked.

  “I . . . uh . . . tied her up.”

  Mica pulled the rope from her pack. “Good. Let’s tie him up too.”

  I stepped closer and kneeled down to help. “Will ropes hold him?”

  “Probably not.” Mica began looping coils of rope around the man’s arms. “Let’s do it anyway. At least it’ll slow him down if he wakes up.”

  We set to work as Jasper and Flint approached the third cell. When they opened the door, I didn’t see anyone but I heard his voice.

  “Me finks, you blokes are trouble,” the voice said.

  The ac
cent caught me off guard. British?

  I didn’t have time to ponder it. Jasper and Flint brought a man out, each of them gripping one of his arms. He was of modest height, maybe around five foot ten. Dark, ebony skin, a shaved head and frightened eyes were the only features I noticed in my hurried glance. He thrashed and yelled against Jasper and Flint, his movements panicked.

  “Are we going to knock him out?” I asked.

  Flint held the man’s arms as he struggled. “It would be safer.”

  With bile rising in my throat, I grabbed the chloroform. The man opened his mouth to scream, which in a way worked to our advantage. I covered his mouth and nose with a soaked rag. I had to fight the nausea that rolled in my stomach over what I was doing.

  The Brit fell in seconds.

  Breathing quickly, I dropped the rag and surveyed our work. One woman and two men. All unconscious. Guilt rose in the back of my throat. “That didn’t exactly go to plan.”

  Mica rearranged her mask. “At least they’re safe.”

  I turned to Flint. “Should we plant the explosives and get out of here?”

  “Yeah, you, Mica and Jasper plant the bombs. I’ll carry these three to the elevator.” Flint lifted the Brit as if he weighed ten pounds. He lifted the woman next. “And be careful.”

  In a flash, he was gone.

  Mica, Jasper and I wasted no time. We’d worked out where to plant the explosives from the blueprint and critical research areas that Father knew about. However, racing down the hall, to seal an explosive at the end of the ninety cells ranked as one of the creepiest things I’d ever done. The void of the place made it feel like a tomb. At the end of the hall, it felt as though the walls were closing in on me, that I couldn’t breathe. I fought long-buried memories the entire time.

  By the time the three of us joined Flint at the elevator, I was sweating profusely. So were the others.

  “Is everything okay upstairs?” Flint asked.

  Jasper closed his eyes. His face twitched a few times. “So far, so good.”

  “Then we stop at S1 to plant more bombs,” Flint said curtly. “After that, we’re getting out.”

  The two men and woman lay in a heap on the elevator floor. It was awkward standing with them at our feet. The four of us crowded together in a corner as the elevator ascended.

  When we reached S1, Flint did most of the bomb planting. I stayed with the captives on the off chance any of them woke up. When Flint, Jasper and Mica returned, all were wild-eyed and breathing heavily.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Jasper said.

  Mica jumped into the elevator. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  I could only imagine what labs and research areas they’d seen in their hurried dash through the S1 level. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

  JET AND AMBER almost hugged us when we finally returned to the main level.

  “Am I glad to see you guys,” Jet muttered.

  Flint glanced around. “Did anything happen up here?”

  Amber shook her head and nodded at the guards. “They’re both still sound asleep. Neither has made a sound.”

  “There has to be more guards coming,” I said. “We need to hurry.”

  “Mica and Amber, carry the woman,” Flint said.

  Amber and Jet’s eyes widened as they peeked into the elevator. “They’re unconscious?”

  “No time to explain now,” I said. “We’ll tell you later.”

  The dark haired woman appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Amber only hesitated a second before she grabbed her arms. Mica picked up her legs. They lifted her easily.

  “Jet and Jasper, you carry him.” Flint pointed to the bald man. “I’ll carry the big one and come back for the guards. Lena, you plant the explosives up here. Do you remember where?”

  “Yeah.” I grabbed the pack Jet had been carrying and got to work. We were fairly certain nobody else was in the facility. We’d never seen evidence of researchers or O’Brien employees working here at night. It was only the guards, and we were getting all of them out.

  Using the security badge, I ducked into the first room with a structural pillar. It was a lab. Rows of equipment lined the walls. A heavy scent of disinfectant hung in the air. I quickly secured the bomb in the corner before going back into the hall and heading toward the building’s other main structural posts.

  Father had told me where to plant the bombs. I struggled to remember. My brain felt fried, and my heart pounded so hard it hurt. Stay focused. We’re almost done!

  Pulling out my map, I surveyed the three other locations I needed to find. My hands shook before I stuffed the map back in the pack. The next two locations I found easily enough. I kept my eyes glued to the posts and the bombs. My head spun. Sweat poured out of me.

  The last room was in the corner of the building. I faintly heard the others hauling the remaining guard out. Silence followed. They must have all gone outside. Swiping the guard’s security badge, I hastily opened the last door. Before I entered the room, I knew something was off.

  It took me a second to understand what was wrong. Moonlight poured into the room from an open door. Fresh cold air swirled inside.

  My insides chilled.

  A door to the outside was on the far wall. It was open. How come that wasn’t on the blueprint? And why is it open?

  Nobody was in the room. My gaze darted around. Maybe a security guard fled from here when he realized what we were doing. I raced to the last pillar and began strapping the bomb to it.

  A shuffle of steps, and another flow of fresh air over the skin not covered by my mask, almost made me scream.

  “What do we have here?”

  The man’s voice was like icy tentacles crawling down my spine. I stood and turned.

  In the dark, I couldn’t make out his face, only his outline in the moonlight. He stood in the doorway, the cold outdoor air swirling his long coat around his legs. I switched my vision. The ominous black cloud that pulsed around him told me exactly who the newcomer was. The child in me remembered.

  Marcus.

  “I couldn’t believe it when my security team told me we’d been breached.” He stepped forward. “Luckily, I was still at the office, otherwise I wouldn’t have arrived in time to see who it was.”

  I hastily took a step back. My leg brushed a bench. I almost fell.

  “Who are you?” he asked. His tone was neither fearful nor worried, merely curious.

  My gaze darted to the door I’d entered.

  Marcus’ did too. “An entire security team is on their way. You won’t get away.”

  Hearing his cold words and absolute conviction that our plan was tumbling down around us did something to me. The little girl inside of me, the five-year-old who cringed and cried anytime this man came near me in the past, began to scream. I muffled the sound that wanted to erupt from my throat.

  Focus, Lena! You’re not a little girl anymore. You’re strong and capable. Draw up your power. Now!

  I pulled at my inner cloud, but I was shaking so badly.

  Nothing happened.

  “When I remove that mask, I have a feeling I’ll know who’s underneath it. I see a few red curls peeking out the sides.” He smiled. In the dim light, his white even teeth appeared. “I couldn’t believe it when an observer told me he thought he’d spotted Conroy’s children in the Chicago area a few days ago—all grown up now I see. How long have I been searching for you? Fifteen years? Sixteen years? And in all that time, there have been no sightings of you. ‘Where could they be,’ I’d often ask myself. I knew you were out there.” He smiled broader. “I knew it was only a matter of time before I’d find you again.”

  “Stay back!” I yelled.

  His eyebrows rose. “Or what?” He chuckled. “From how scared you sound, I see that you’re still a little girl. Aren’t you . . . Galena?”

  My heart pounded as he advanced on me.

  I closed my eyes and focused on the swirling fear that wanted to consume me. If I didn’t s
top him, my family wouldn’t know what was coming.

  They could all die.

  They could all be captured.

  I’d lose Flint.

  You need to stop him, Lena!

  Using my despair, fear and worry, I drew up the energy inside of me and pushed it out. I called on everything in the area: Marcus’ cloud, the stray animals in the parking lot where Marcus had entered from, my family’s clouds as they moved the captives into the van in front of the building. Everything. I needed all of it.

  I drew it together until a powerful ball hovered above me. Opening my eyes, I didn’t flinch when I saw that Marcus stood only two yards away, a gleam in his eyes.

  I leveled him with an icy stare. “I’m not a little girl anymore!”

  When my energy ball hit him, amazement flashed across his face right before he sailed off his feet. My ball blasted him out the door to land on his back fifty feet into the parking lot. I didn’t wait to see if he stood.

  I turned and ran.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  I was shaking so badly when I reached the others I almost collapsed. From the feelings emitting from Flint’s cloud, I knew he spotted me. The fear and worry that strummed through his cloud abated.

  For a moment, I just stood there. I felt positive that at any second, the backup security team would careen through the gates. Jacinda hugged me briefly. I barely felt it. Our van idled ahead, parked just outside the gate. It appeared almost everyone was inside, along with the captives. Only one, unconscious guard still lay on the ground near the warehouse.

  I knew I needed to warn everyone, but my mouth wouldn’t move.

  Jacinda pulled me toward the van. “Come on. We need to get going.”

  I numbly ran with her and almost fell inside the van.

  The twins, Mica and Amber were already seated in the back. The three captives lay unconscious in the middle. Jacinda hunkered down at my side. Everyone’s energy poured off them like water blasting from a fire hydrant. It was high enough to make me nauseous.