“We’ve been here twenty-six minutes.” Di climbed into the driver’s seat and slammed the door. “That’s too long. We need to get out of here. Now. They’re coming.”
Jacinda tensed.
I opened my mouth to tell Di that she was right, that we needed to hurry, that Marcus knew.
Nothing came out.
“Did you have a vision?” Flint asked. He still stood outside the van. He was the only one not inside.
Di nodded. “An O’Brien security team is on its way. One of the guards must have alerted them. It’s going to be close, but I think we can beat them.”
“I have one more guard to dump by the others. I’ll be right back.” Flint disappeared.
“NO!” A word finally ripped out of me.
Flint was back before I could blink. He jumped into the van. When our eyes met, he gazed at me questioningly before he slammed the van’s sliding door.
With a spin of tires, Di stomped on the gas pedal. Flint moved to my side. I grabbed hold of him and pulled him into a hug.
He held me tightly. I let his feel and scent wash over me. He rubbed my back. “You’re shaking.”
The dumped sedated guards were barely visible through the back window as we drove down the street. Flint had left them by a building outside of O’Brien’s perimeter fence. It was far enough away that they should be safe from the explosion.
My mind shifted to Marcus. Will he survive it?
Cold air blew in through Di’s cracked window. A slight drizzle fell on the windshield. My ski mask felt hot and itchy. I ripped it off before burrowing again into Flint’s embrace. The worry in his cloud grew.
“Babe, what happened? You’re really shaking.”
I tried to tell him. Again, nothing came out. Part of me didn’t feel connected to reality.
Swirling lights lit up the windows. An SUV raced past us, going toward the warehouse. My eyes widened as the O’Brien Pharmaceuticals logo flashed in a streetlight.
“You better call that number to detonate the explosions, Jasper.” Flint’s voice rumbled in his chest.
“Gladly.” Jasper tapped in the numbers on his phone.
A LOUD EXPLOSION and fiery light filled the sky. The van rumbled and shook. It was that powerful.
Amber plastered her face to the van’s back window while the twins and Mica watched over her shoulders. The O’Brien SUV careened to a halt a few blocks behind us. Six men jumped out, rifles in their grips, their faces trained on the blast. They disappeared from view when Di swerved around a corner. Only a large billowing black cloud signified the place where our beginnings began.
I knew within minutes this area would be swarming with more O’Brien employees and first responders. I had no idea if the distance I blasted Marcus into the parking lot would mean he’d survive. While I wanted to be free from him, I didn’t want to murder him. I could only hope he’d live.
Hopefully, the mess we’d left would keep things complicated. Between O’Brien having to explain the gigantic three-story hole in the earth from a “storage warehouse,” four unconscious security guards piled in an alleyway, and a potential dead body in a parking lot, they’d stay plenty busy.
I slumped into Flint as Di rocketed onto the interstate. My hands still shook, but at least I seemed to be thinking more clearly.
“We actually pulled it off!” Mica exclaimed, breaking the silence. “We freakin’ did it!”
The twins were the next to cheer followed by Amber and Jacinda’s grins. Only Flint seemed unaffected.
“Something happened. Didn’t it?” His dark eyes appeared solemn while the rest of our family reveled in our victory.
“Yes,” was all I managed.
His grip tightened on me.
I let him support me as some of the shock from encountering Marcus wore off. Our victorious outcome seemed too good to be true. All of us got out alive with the three lost children.
It was exactly the scenario we’d hoped for.
However, even though blowing up O’Brien’s warehouse would make continuing Project Renatus nearly impossible, or at least significantly delay it, it didn’t mean we were out of danger. There were now twelve people alive, eleven in this van, that were living proof of what the pharmaceutical company had done. Given what Father told us about Marcus, I’d be surprised if he let this end quietly.
Flint leaned over and buried his nose in my hair, inhaling deeply. With our ski masks off, we were a sea of white and olive faces sitting atop darkly clad bodies. He clasped my hand into his as the van jostled and dipped on the rough road.
“Are you ready to tell me what happened?”
I peered into his dark eyes. “Marcus.”
He tensed. “Marcus? He was there?”
I nodded.
The cheering in the van died. “Wait, what did you say?” Jasper asked, leaning forward. “You saw Marcus?”
“Yeah.” My voice shook. I cleared my throat. “He was in the last room where I planted the bomb. There was a door to that parking lot on the north side. He came in through there.”
“What door?” Jet’s energy strummed into me.
“It wasn’t on the blueprint. They must have added it after the warehouse was constructed.”
Flint’s arms tightened around mine. Hot energy poured from him.
“What did he do?” Jacinda asked hesitantly.
“Nothing, but he knows who we are. I guess one of his observers, as he called them, spotted us a few days ago. Father was right. All this time, where we didn’t think anybody was actually looking for us, we were wrong. Marcus has been searching for us the entire time.”
Silence followed.
Mica leaned forward. “How did you get away?”
“I blasted him with an energy ball. He shot right out of the door.”
Flint’s energy kicked up another notch. “I should have been there.”
“We’re almost to the airport,” Di cut in. “Right now our main concern needs to be getting out of Chicago. We can talk about Marcus later.”
Police sirens and fire trucks sounded in the distance. The burning warehouse was now miles away, but the flashing lights came from all directions and were heading that way.
Random security cameras in the general area of O’Brien’s warehouse would inevitably catch glimpses of our van leaving. We knew that. Once the police ran through the tapes, they’d know our van had been in the area for weeks. After that, they’d inevitably trace the van back to the used car dealership. I hoped the disguise Father used meant he’d never be identified.
I leaned into Flint as Di exited the interstate.
As for the van, it would need to be destroyed. I had no idea how that would happen, but Father said he’d arrange it. Not for the first time, I wondered how many people around the country were on Father’s payroll. Since one of those contacts had supplied us with explosives, I knew most of the people on Father’s payroll walked on the wrong side of the law.
A sign for the airport flashed by the front window. Thankfully, the people we’d rescued showed no signs of rousing. I used the moment to study them. It was the first time I’d really looked at them, and it was a much needed distraction.
They had to be around our age since all of the lost children were collected within a few years of one another, but from the gaunt face and sunken eyes of the small female, she appeared older than early twenties. The men were in better shape, physically at least. The largest male was heavily muscled. I knew his eyes were a strange golden color from that brief moment he’d tried to attack me. His hair drew my attention. It was shaggy and the color of dark caramel. He had beautiful hair. The other male, the smaller one, had a shaved head, dark skin and a musky scent.
I switched my vision.
My throat tightened as I studied the vast array of bright colors in their clouds. Similar to the female, both males had dozens of colors. These three had been experimented on and drugged again and again. Their clouds couldn’t lie. It was a miracle they’d survived
.
My chest tightened. I’d been so lucky. The woman laying at my feet, breathing deeply and evenly in her drugged state, could very well have been me, Jacinda, Amber, Di or Mica. And the smaller man laying beside Jasper, with his shaved head and scarred arms, could have been Flint or one of the twins.
I wanted to cry.
Father said he’d hoped to make better lives for all of the lost children stolen from their families, not just us. However, judging from the adults that lay at our feet, I realized that was completely opposite to what actually happened.
WE ARRIVED AT the airport and loaded the three unconscious individuals onto Father’s plane. Greg helped. Considering our pilot assisted us, didn’t ask any questions, and didn’t bat an eye—made me understand how Father had drugged and deposited all of us in various cities almost eight months ago.
Jet grunted as he, Jasper and Greg loaded the larger man onto the plane.
“Jeez, what is he made of? Lead?” Jet murmured after they’d strapped him into his seat.
“Could be,” Mica said with a shrug.
Jacinda eyed the large male, a curious glint in her gaze.
Di and I had no problems carrying the woman. We sat her beside the large male and clicked her seat belt in place. She was so tiny, I could have handled her on my own.
Flint sat the last man onto a free seat. After that, he and Greg loaded our minimal luggage. When finished, Father ushered everyone aboard the plane.
“Let’s get going. What happened is all over the news.”
Greg gave a curt nod. “I’ll get the engines started.”
None of us had mentioned Marcus. Di was right. We needed to escape from Chicago first.
After everyone was on the plane, Father departed briefly. I watched out the window as he hurried to a man standing on the tarmac. The man seemed to have come from the shadows as if materializing out of nowhere. Goosebumps rose on my arms. I had a feeling he was a man used to dark places.
I couldn’t see the man’s features, but he appeared of normal height and build. He and Father spoke for a few seconds, their heads dipped toward one another. Father handed him something. Moonlight glinted off it. Startled, I realized he’d given the man the van keys. After Father said something else, the man turned, climbed into the van and drove away. I had no idea how that man would get rid of the van, but I felt fairly certain that vehicle would never be seen by anyone again.
With Father back aboard and the cabin door closed, Greg told us to ready for departure. “Headwind looks minimal. We should be back in four hours.”
“Where are we going?” Amber asked.
Father smiled. His hazel eyes looked tired, but I sensed a flicker of relief in them too. “Back to Arizona. That home is still safe.”
“Really?” I pushed up in my seat.
“Yes, Galena.”
A surge of happiness coursed through me that we’d return to our desert home. Having something familiar and stable was what I craved before we dug into our new job: helping the new three in whatever way we could.
“Hungry?” Flint pulled an energy bar from his pocket as we taxied to the runway.
My mouth watered at the sight. “Now that you ask, yes.” I hadn’t realized I was starving until my stomach churned. I couldn’t believe it had only been seven hours since supper.
As Greg maneuvered the plane toward the runway, Jet jumped out of his seat to raid the minibar and small kitchen area. He returned with candy bars, sandwiches, bags of nuts and pretzels, and bottles of alcohol and soda. When Jet popped the top to a beer, even Di grinned.
I sat back and drank a fizzy Cola, loving the sweet taste and bubbly texture.
“Everyone get seated and buckled,” Greg called. “We’re next to takeoff.”
Moments later, we sailed into the sky. Excited chatter filled the cab as everyone ate chips and snacks, drank and laughed. We did it. We actually did it!
The brief moment with Marcus faded behind me like the lights from Chicago. He couldn’t hurt me now. I was safe.
Flint and I clasped one another’s hands as the moon shone brightly through my window. He kissed me on the mouth, his lips lingering. “We’re safe now, babe. Whatever Marcus does from here, we can handle it.”
I nodded even though I knew neither of us could guarantee that, but he was right about one thing. When we worked together, when our family functioned as one, we were formidable. And one thing I knew for certain: I was no longer a little girl trapped in that lab. I was strong and capable. When faced with my greatest fear, I overcame it.
“Let’s go home,” I whispered.
It was only as we reached cruising altitude that the large man stirred. A golden eye flickered open before he sat straight up in his chair.
His loud growl filled the cabin.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Flint jumped out of his seat and pinned the man’s arms from behind, effectively restraining him in his seat.
It didn’t stop him.
“Grab his legs!” Flint yelled.
The plane dipped as Jet shot out of his chair. He almost fell as the man growled and snarled. The man’s legs thrashed as the twin tried to grab hold of him.
“Get the chloroform!” Di yelled.
Jasper also dove for the man’s legs as Father pulled another bottle of chloroform from his bag. Di grabbed it and soaked a rag.
“Careful,” Father said. “We can’t let those fumes affect any of us!”
Di slowed her movements and kept the rag away from everyone before handing the bottle back to Father. He carefully screwed the top on.
“Hold him!” Di advanced on the large man.
Wild, golden colored eyes flickered around the cabin. His mouth opened, as if he were going to bite Di. She slapped the chloroformed rag over his mouth. A few seconds passed, and he slumped back into his seat.
“Good one, Di,” Jasper murmured shakily.
Amber let out a squeak as Jacinda looked ready to faint. I took a deep breath as Greg’s words carried from the cockpit. “Is everything okay back there?”
“Yes,” Father replied. “It is now.”
I eyed the small woman and the Brit. Both still slumbered quietly.
Di placed her hands on her hips. “That last dose should have kept him sedated for another few hours.”
Father felt the large man’s pulse and counted his respirations. “He’s under now. We’ll have to keep a close eye on him. He may be metabolizing the drug faster.”
The earlier laughter and high floating through the cabin completely disappeared. The twins sat back in their seats, their beers forgotten. Jacinda, Amber and Mica watched with blank expressions as Father and Di checked the other two.
It became real again what we’d done. Essentially, we’d kidnapped three individuals. When we’d planned it, we’d referred to it as a rescue, but we’d taken them unwillingly. In other words, not a rescue but a felony. I wasn’t going to think about the explosion we’d caused. That would rocket our charges to an entirely new level if we were ever caught.
“Do you think we did the right thing?” I asked Flint. He collapsed back into the seat beside me.
“Do you really need to ask? Of course, we did the right thing.”
I let his absolute conviction settle over me. If Flint wasn’t worried that we’d broken laws, then I wouldn’t be either. Flint was a rule follower. He always had been, but when we’d been in desperate situations, he’d broken rules if needed. I remembered that first morning I woke following my encounter with Aaron. Flint had stolen narcotics to keep my pain under control. He hadn’t been proud of that, but he hadn’t felt guilty either. It was what we’d needed to do to survive. If I really thought about it, our entire lives were based on broken rules. Father kidnapping us as babies was just the beginning.
I let out a sigh as my thoughts straightened themselves out. I no longer doubted what we had done.
“I guess now is as good a time as any to talk to Father.”
Flint s
tood to let me pass.
Since Di still hunkered next to the three captives, I sat in her seat. Father turned tired eyes on me. “How are you doing, Galena?”
“I’m okay. A bit shook up, but I’m sure you’ll understand why when I tell you what happened.”
He frowned. “What happened?”
I summarized my encounter with Marcus and how I’d blasted him through the door with my energy ball. “I’m not sure if I killed him or not.”
Father’s expression didn’t falter. “If you did, we’ll know soon enough. His death would make national news. He comes from a very influential family.” Father tapped his chin. “So we were spotted a few days ago?” he asked quietly.
“That’s what Marcus said. That one of his observers thought he saw a few of us.”
“Hmm.” Father’s expression grew grim. “We’ll need to lay low. No leaving home until I can learn more.”
The rest of the flight passed uneventfully. Di and Father continually monitored the new three, keeping a close eye on their respirations and oxygen levels using hand held pulse oximeters. Luckily, none of them stirred.
I could tell from their tense expressions that neither Di nor Father liked that the three were under anesthetic for so long, but there wasn’t another option. If any of them woke and became unruly, it could spell disaster. Images of the huge man waking and ripping the cabin door open, causing the jet to spiral out of control, flashed through my mind.
Yeah, better to keep them all unconscious.
I fell into an exhausted sleep somewhere over Missouri. Flint woke me a few minutes before landing. He leaned down and kissed me softly until I nuzzled into him.
“Wake up,” he said quietly. “We’re almost there.”
I stirred and stretched. A groan escaped me. My entire body hurt. Between the adrenaline rush from rescuing the new lost children, the strain of carrying unconscious bodies, the terrifying dreams of Marcus that had plagued my few hours rest, and the uncomfortable crick in my neck from sleeping in an upright seat, I felt like a train wreck.
I glanced up to find Flint staring out the window. A haunted, tight expression covered his features. I squeezed his hand, getting a brief, strained smile from him. I could tell that our night had taken its toll on him too. I had a feeling we’d all be waking up from nightmares for many nights to come.
The Complete Lost Children Series Page 48