The Humvee is following us and I hear Dex stirring.
“Stay down,” I warn him immediately, “pretend to be asleep.” Ray doesn’t bat an eyelid, but his face is alive with curiosity.
“How are you feeling?” I ask, keeping my eyes on the road ahead.
“Like I’ve been shot,” Dex groans. “What’s going on?”
“They know what you are but I've told them you’re on our side. This is Ray, he’s a member of the Guard,” I add quickly, hoping that Dex will gather that he shouldn’t argue or give anything away. “I told them that you’ve been helping us since the beginning, but no doubt they’ll want to question you themselves as soon as we stop. I told them your kind can control our elements – air, fire, water or earth,” I add, meaningfully. He doesn’t respond, reluctant to say anything in front of Ray and I’m grateful. Although Ray seems to accept Dex, there is no way of knowing whether this is just a trap to glean information.
We catch up with the others at eleven o’clock and I am delighted to see they are all safe.
“Glad you got my text, Rhodes,” Jason jests, but beneath it I can hear the relief in his voice and I hug him, not wanting to think about what would have happened if his message hadn’t come through. The Graham family climb gratefully back into their Toyota, casting wary glances around, although the presence of the National Guard seems to have rejuvenated Dennis.
Dex, who is fully recovered, walks off with Tom, both speaking in hushed tones, and I join the others in the battered news-van, praying that the two men can work things out. I suspect that Tom will not simply accept our story and I’m fairly certain that, as soon as he is able, he will take Dex into custody. Darren squeezes my hand and Kate hugs me, and I feel as though this small group has already become like a family. We’ve been through so much together in such a short space of time it is impossible not to feel a kinship towards one another. Smiling, I hand the gun back to Darren who checks that the safety is on before stowing it in his jacket.
“You have to use it?” he asks and I nod.
“You rock, you know that, Rhodes,” Jason grins unashamedly. “One down, a few thousand to go.”
Over half an hour passes before Dex clambers into the back of the van.
“What happened?” I ask anxiously. “What did he say?”
“Nothing to worry about; I stuck to the story. He did ask how we got here and how many of us are here – I told him the truth.”
“How did you get here?” I ask curiously.
“How do you think?” he grins, “I came by space-ship.”
I’m desperate to ask him more and to find out if he has any idea about why his abilities failed him when the Toyota almost went over the cliff, but I don’t want to bring it up in front of the others. Stifling a yawn, I feel exhaustion sweep over me. As we rumble out of town, I lie down in a ball on the floor of the van and despite everything, I am asleep in minutes.
I wake up late in the afternoon as we come to a stop and everyone climbs out of the van. I am surprised to see the mountains just ahead of us, to the left and right.
“Where are we?” I ask.
“Near Winchester,” Jason answers. “Those,” he points to the mountains on my right, “are part of the Appalachians.” It’s hard to believe that we've covered over two hundred miles without incident while I was sleeping and, even better, that we have reached the edge of the Appalachian mountains. We still have a long way to go to Yancey County, but we are getting there. The Guard team is milling around nearby, inconspicuously watching Dex’s every move. I stretch my legs and stifle a yawn.
Darren is nearby showing Kate how to use the handgun. I’m pleasantly surprised when she holds it up and takes imaginary aim – I thought she was far too immersed in her fear to even touch a gun, let alone learn how to use one. Darren comes to stand behind her, correcting her stance, and I notice how she leans into him. I hide a smile and Jason and I turn to make conversation with the Grahams who have parked right beside us. Megan saunters up, scuffing her sneakers in the dirt.
“Those men over there are saying that Dex is one of them,” she announces dramatically, jerking her head at Dex who is standing on his own a few yards away watching Darren and Kate.
“That’s ridiculous; they wouldn’t say that. And why are you eavesdropping?” Sally dismisses her daughter, but as Megan opens her mouth to argue, I interrupt.
“Actually, Megan’s right,” I admit, ignoring their collective gasp of horror, “Dex is one of them but he’s on our side. You’ve seen that for yourselves,” I remind them gently.
“I think he’s cool,” Megan shrugs.
“He’s ruined my shirt,” Byron grumbles, eyeing the red stained hole where Dex was shot. I laugh at that, and how easily the youngsters have adapted to and accepted the situation. Sally and Dennis both look slightly nauseated but I don’t have time to ease their concerns and I walk back to where Dex is standing. Darren and Kate are chatting and I listen with half an ear to the conversation as Kate, coming right out of her shell, questions Darren mercilessly about his life.
Darren was born and raised in Durban, in the Kwa-Zulu Natal province. His younger brother and his parents are still there, or so he hopes, I realize, noticing the flash of despair cross his handsome features. Kate sees it too and she places a reassuring hand on his arm. The youngest ever intern to be offered a contract at the New York office of the elite accounting firm, Darren’s modesty obviously conceals a very intelligent mind. He is also one of the most down-to earth people I have ever met. I can see why Kate is attracted to him.
“Why don’t you sound like a South African?” she asks and he grins down at her.
“What does a South African sound like?”
“I don’t know... different.” That makes him laugh.
“I’m English, Kate. You’re thinking of the Afrikaans-speaking variety. They have a pretty pronounced accent.”
“Do you have anyone special back home?”
“Nope.” Kate’s relieved smile is obvious and Darren takes a small step closer to her.
Feeling that I have eavesdropped enough I turn to Dex.
“That little one is coming out of her shell,” he comments and I do a double-take. There is something almost like fondness in his voice as he speaks of Kate.
“Walk with me?” I ask and he nods, following me as I make my way down the street out of earshot of the others. I can feel Tom’s eyes boring into my back as we walk. “I don’t think they trust you,” I murmur when we are no longer in danger of being overheard..
“Oh no, they don’t trust me at all,” he replies lightly. “Tom’s planning on taking me into custody the second he can convene with the army.
“How do you...” I trail off and he smiles. “Oh, right. We’ll have to get away from them soon.”
“They know where we’re headed,” he reminds me. “Unless you want to change course?”
“No,” I shake my head, “I told Kimberley to meet me in Yancey County – I can’t abandon her!”
“Well, we’ll think of something,” he reaches for me and then, remembering that we are being watched, he abruptly drops his hands.
“What happened?” I ask, disappointment coursing through me. “Why couldn’t you control the earth back there?”
“I can’t be sure.”
“That’s not the same as I don’t know,” I point out. He looks as though he isn’t going to answer, glancing back at the others, and then a pained expression crosses his face.
“I have a feeling,” he begins hesitantly, “that you might be weakening me.”
“What?” I splutter.
“Understand, Rachel, that we are trained for this. We dominate, we conquer, we kill. That is our purpose. And we have the abilities to do so. Our powers are destructive and are meant to destroy. To do that we need to be unfeeling, have no sympathy. I think... well, I think that you might be clouding my focus.” He looks almost ashamed, but I feel a warm euphoria washing over me.
“You care,” I murmur and his head snaps up, his face turning hard and angry. “No,” I step forward, taking his hand, “don’t pull away from me. Please.” To hell with Tom and the Guard, I can’t let him put his walls back up.
“I have a mission to complete, Rachel. The sooner I get you to safety and I can get on with it, the better.”
“But you don’t want to hurt us! You must know that, deep down. Why else would your powers be fading? You called Kate 'little one' – doesn’t that tell you something? It’s not just me anymore, Dex, you are starting to feel something for all of us. And... well, honestly, I couldn’t be happier. I was starting to think you were a monster; that the man I met seven years ago didn’t exist. But he does,” I squeeze his hand gently, “and I am so, so happy that he does.” I take a deep breath, rising up on my toes to look him in the eye and I ask earnestly, “Do you love me, Dex?”
“It doesn’t matter what I feel, Rachel!” he hisses, yanking his hand out of my grasp. “These people are all going to die, nothing I do will stop that. It’s inevitable.”
“But you can stop them! Look at how you stopped Dallan with a single word! You...” I trail off as a shadow passes over us, distracting me. The sudden darkness is not natural and, as I turn my gaze skyward, I understand why. Huge storm clouds are rolling in from the east racing over the hills.
Chapter 18
“We need to get out of here, now,” Dex’s voice is spine-chilling and, without argument, I turn and race back toward the others. I have almost reached them when a massive fireball whooshes ahead of me and collides with the diner which goes up in a mass of flames. The others are screaming and, in the chaos, we all hurtle toward the waiting vehicles. The Humvee roars to life although I see Tom and Ray waiting to ensure that the Grahams are safely in their car. As soon as the doors of the sedan close they leap into the enormous vehicle and the Humvee roars out of the parking lot first, the deep growling of the engine almost impossible to hear over the howling wind. Kate and Darren are already in the back of the news-van as I catapult into it, and Jason floors the gas pedal careening after the Humvee.
“Stop!” I yell, as we reach the place where Dex is standing and Jason stops just long enough for Dex to climb in beside me. I am relieved to see the Toyota right behind us.
A sudden crack of lightning makes me jump. It is so similar to how the original storm started back in Manhattan that I turn automatically to Dex. He shakes his head, his green eyes perfectly clear.
“It’s not me,” he assures me, but I glimpse something in his eyes. Something I have never seen before. Fear.
As I watch, he stiffens and his eyes start to glow, although not as brightly as I know they can.
“You need to get away from me, Rachel,” he growls. I clamber through the seats to the front, dropping into the passenger seat beside Jason.
“What’s going on?” he yells.
“I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s bad!” I yell back, trying to be heard over the thunder.
“Get a look at that!” Jason points upward through the windshield and my mouth drops open. The storm clouds to the east are still coming, the sky a mass of black and flashes of light, but to the west another storm is approaching, racing head-on to meet the first. I glance behind me and Dex’s hands are balled into fists. He seems okay for now, but his breathing is slightly labored and his jaw is clenched in concentration.
“We need to get ahead of those,” Jason mutters, and I see his point. It’s obvious that being directly below these two storms is not going to be a good place to be, particularly when they collide. Tom seems to think the same and the Humvee accelerates, pulling ahead of us. Jason speeds up tailing them closely and the Toyota stays with us. We race desperately toward the clear skies beyond the two storms a few miles ahead.
“We’ll never make it,” Darren’s voice in my ear makes me jump and I turn to see him crouched in the space between our seats. “Is it safe back there,” he adds nodding toward Dex, “with him like that? I’m a bit worried about Kate.” Kate is huddled in the corner of the van, as far from Dex as she can get.
“Safest place to be,” I reply, remembering Dex’s words in the storm in Weehawken. Darren nods and retreats to the back, cradling Kate in his arms and rubbing her back, trying to soothe her. “He’s right,” I mutter and Jason glances questioningly at me. “We’re not going to make it,”
“Hold on to something!” he yanks the steering wheel, tramping even harder on the gas and we pull out alongside the Humvee. The news-van is rattling and vibrating terribly in protest at the high speed. I catch a glimpse of Tom’s astonished expression and then we shoot past the bigger vehicle. To my surprise, Dennis is hot on our heels and he too passes the National Guard. Racing down the long stretch of road at breakneck speed I can only pray that the storms continue to focus on each other and not on us.
“Dammit!” Jason curses as the two tempests collide directly over us. The noise is deafening, and although Jason’s lips are still moving, I can no longer hear him. I am mesmerized by the storms. Dex’s, which blankets the west, is slightly smaller and lighter in color, making it seem marginally more friendly. I watch, aghast, as the eastern storm slowly starts to envelop Dex’s. The two are still right above us, but slowly Dex’s storm is being pushed aside. Risking a glance back I can see that his face is pale and, worse still, beads of sweat are forming on his brow.
“What's going on?” Jason is almost apoplectic in the face trying to be heard above the clamor and I lean over to him, yelling right into his ear.
“You see that storm,” I roar, pointing at the lighter of the two tempests, and he nods, “that’s Dex’s!” Ignoring his dumbfounded expression I continue, “The other one will kill us, we need to get as far away from it as possible!”
“How?” he yells back and I see the dilemma. The road ahead stretches as far as we can see with no turns or intersections. There is nowhere to go but straight, and there’s no denying it now, Dex’s storm is being completely absorbed by the other. I wrack my brain, knowing the only solution is something I really, really don’t want to do.
A crack of lightning suddenly blasts from the sky hitting the ground only a few feet to the left and Jason swerves, almost losing control before fish-tailing back on course. That was too close. Far too close. I close my eyes, terror washing over me. It dawns on me that we are all going to die if I don’t do something.
“Stop the car!” I screech, loud enough to be heard over the din. “Stop the car, Jason, now!” It is a measure of how much Jason has come to trust my judgment in the past two days that he eases his foot off the gas. The Toyota and the Humvee streak past us. “Stop,” I nod, encouraging him even as tears of panic spring to my eyes as I contemplate what I am about to do. I leap quickly into the back rushing to Dex’s side.
“Kick his ass,” I shout in his ear, and then as the van finally squeals to a halt, I yank open the back door and leap down onto the street. I take two steps against the buffeting wind and bang on the glass of the driver's window. “Go!” I scream, and Jason’s eyes widen in shock and horror. “Trust me!” I screech and without waiting for an answer, I turn and make a run for it.
Another crack of lightning, so close that the impact knocks me to my knees, is all the urging Jason needs. With a screeching of tires the van careens off following the other two cars. The full rage of the storm is upon me and, with no protection, I can hardly move. The rain is so torrential that I can barely see two feet in front of me and it stings my face and my hands which are unprotected. I pull the hood of the jacket up and slowly start heading west. Dex’s storm is not too far off and I keep putting one foot in front of the other, using it as a beacon. I never thought I would want to be caught in a storm that bad, but the alternative is so much worse. Three times I lose my footing and I stumble to the ground. It’s almost impossible to get back up, and for every step I take forward I am pushed half a step backward by the wind. The lightning, thankfully, seems to be contained in the sky again
for now, the storms raging against each other. I can only hope that the others get to safety before the darker storm overruns the entire area.
My legs collide with something and I peer through the rain, seeing a small picket fence. Squinting, I see a dark shape looming ahead which can only be a house. Oh thank God! I follow the fence, using it as a guide until I reach a gate. My fingers are numb with cold and I fumble with the latch, cursing each time my hands slip off it. Frustrated, I glance up at the sky and my breath catches in my throat. The storm above me is beautiful, practically alive with electricity and flash after flash of lightning within the clouds. I turn my head and it registers that I am standing under Dex’s storm. I haven’t made much headway, so that could mean only one thing; the lighter storm is gaining momentum.
I feel a surge of hope blossoming in my chest and I raise my head, all thoughts of the house behind me forgotten. As I watch it seems to transform, growing exponentially in all directions. The darker storm is still raging, but I almost want to smile as it thunders futilely against the burgeoning tempest. Dex, I think, the heavy weight on my chest lifting, Dex is kicking ass.
Chapter 19
“Don’t ever do that again,” are the first words out of his mouth as he jumps nimbly from the van, his face like thunder. I didn’t have long to wait but, sitting in the middle of the street alone, wet and shivering with cold wasn’t something I relished.
“You did it,” I murmur as he helps me to my feet.
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