“I think so. I’m not liking this at all. Why would someone be laying on the horn like that?” Caleo asked as they ran to the next tree. He could see the tail end of one of the cars and crouched down. “Do you think it’s a trap?”
“I have no idea,” Jack said, and as they crawled closer the other cars came into view. Caleo could see that the taillight on one of the cars was still lit. “I think someone is in the car.” He pointed even though it was obvious which car he meant.
Jack slowly crept closer to the car, then stopped abruptly and turned to Caleo yelling, but Caleo couldn't make out the words over the horn blowing. Jack walked around the car and opened up the door. Moments later the horn stopped.
“I said he's dead,” Jack repeated himself. “Search the cars. See if there's anything useful, and check the gas, hopefully one of these cars has enough to get us out of here.”
Caleo went and looked inside one of the cars windows, he tried the handle.
“It’s locked,” Caleo said, trying the handle again to show Jack.
“Is there anything worth taking that you can see?” Shaking his head Caleo looked back at Jack. “Okay well help me get this guy out,” Jack said, and Caleo saw him reach across and unbuckle the guy’s seat belt.
“How do you think he died?” Caleo asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t see any blood.”
Caleo stopped dead in his tracks, as a thought occurred to him. “Hey Jack, there are three cars here. Where are the other drivers?”
“I don’t know,” Jack said frustrated, “maybe they ran way.”
“When you run away, do you normally lock your doors?” Caleo asked, scanning the woods for movement.
“I don’t know!” Jack snapped. “Now would you please help me get him out of here?” He pulled the man out of the car by his arm and let his body fall to the ground, where he unceremoniously rolled it out of the way and climbed into the driver’s side. “Let’s go, get in!” Jack yelled as he reached over and unlocked the passenger side door. “Crap, I think is a trap. Let’s go.” Jack looked up at Caleo, who was standing in front of the passenger side door. “The keys are missing.”
“Can’t you hot wire it or something?”
“In theory, yes. It’s just crossing the two wires that go to the ignition completing the circuit. I just need something to keep the live wires away from my legs when I’m done, but that’s all just in theory. Caleo, aren’t you listening? Where are the keys? If the man died behind the wheel they should be in the ignition.”
Trap, who would set up a trap like this, what would they be trying to trap? The Blessed. They are hunting for me and I just fell for their trap … again. The severity of the situation had just registered in Caleo’s head when he felt something hard press up against the back of his head.
“Hold it right there you two!”
Caleo caught a man with a shotgun walking around the front of the car out of the corner of his eye pointing the gun through the windshield at Jack while another person kept their pistol pressed against his head.
“You get out of the car and both of you put your hands on the roof!” the man with the pistol yelled.
Caleo did as he was told putting his hands on the roof. Jack slowly got out of the car and turned to put his hands on the roof.
“Can you … do anything here?” Jack asked, looking at Caleo expectantly.
Caleo closed his eyes and concentrated on forcing his energy down to his hands, but nothing happened. He opened his eyes and shook his head in response. “I don’t know how to control it, it just happens.”
“Don’t talk … there will be no talking!” the man snapped, pointing the shotgun at Caleo’s face from over the car. While the other one patted him down.
“He has nothing, absolutely nothing,” the man with the pistol said disappointed.
Caleo saw Jack smile mischievously. “I can’t believe you forgot your wallet … I swear, a few bombs go off and you would lose your head if it wasn’t attached,”
“I told you to shut up!” the man with the shotgun said, turning his aim to Jack.
Jack rolled his eyes dramatically. “So, how many people have fallen for this trick so far?” Before they could answer, Jack asked, “And what did you do with their bodies?”
“I told you to shut up,” the man with the shotgun said, walking to Jack, gun still aimed at his head as the man with the pistol kept his gun pointed at Caleo.
“Check him,” the man with the pistol said gruffly. “Does he have anything?” The partner proceeded to pat Jack down with one hand while still keeping his other hand on the trigger of the gun that rested between Jacks shoulder blades.
Caleo looked around for any way to escape, but couldn’t find one. He closed his eyes and tried to feel his power but couldn’t. What’s wrong with me?
“Caleo,” Jack said softly.
The second Caleo’s eyes met Jack’s, Jack let go of the roof. He spun around and slapped the barrel of the gun, forcing it to point away towards the woods, and followed it with the fist of his other hand clocking the man in the side of the head. The man staggered backward and Jack pounced on the man knocking him on his back. They struggled for the shotgun, Jack slamming the man’s hand on the ground a couple of times causing the man to pull the trigger. The gun clicked empty. Caleo turned around, remembering the other man, but no one was there. He must have run off, Caleo thought, hurrying to help Jack who had gotten the gun from the man and tossed it under the farthest car and was brutally attacking the man by smashing his fist rapidly into the man’s face. He stopped moving and Jack got up. He spat at the man who curled into the fetal position waiting for Jack to kick him again, but Jack walked away shaking his head.
“Caleo, get in the car! We're leaving,” Jack said flatly as he climbed into the driver seat before he realized the keys were still missing.
Angrily he slammed his fists against the steering wheel and got out of the car. The man must have known what Jack wanted because he fumbled in his pockets for a moment as Jack approached, then tossed the keys in Jack’s direction and cowered backward a couple of feet. Not saying a word, Jack scooped up the keys and got back in the car. He started the engine before looking up at Caleo who was still outside.
“Get in!” Jack yelled sharply, not waiting for Caleo to shut the door before stomping his foot down on the gas.
The tires squealed as they sped down the road about ten feet before doing a tire shrieking U-turn, and bolting down the road towards the man cowering on the ground. Caleo watched in horror as Jack showed no sign of swerving. “Jack?” Caleo asked timidly, as he looked between Jack and the man. “Jack!” Caleo yelled. Jack swerved at the last second just missing the man. Caleo whipped around and looked out the back window. The man looked horrified but he was alive. Caleo let out a deep breath as he turned back around and relaxed into his seat.
“Jackass,” Jack muttered, as Caleo stared out the window. “You okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just that … ”
“Just what? Did they hurt you? Are you okay?” Jack asked again with worry and anger in his voice.
“I said yeah, I’m okay!” Caleo snapped, then quickly added more calmly, “I just never saw you like that. You're always the cool headed one. I've never seen you actually attack anyone unless you’re playing.”
“Caleo, those men threatened to kill us. I had to do something,” Jack said flatly. “The question is why did you just stand there? If that other man had a loaded gun there's a good chance we could have been killed. You need to learn to fight. You got people trying to kill you. You can’t always wait for them to make the first move or for your power to save you!” When Jack finished, he was yelling and red in the face.
After a moment of silence Caleo softly said, “Jack?”
Jack didn’t answer; he just kept driving, staring at the road in front of him.
“Jack?” Caleo tried again. Jack turned his head to Caleo, his face still red with anger, and he gave Caleo a �
��what’ look.
“You passed Jillian on the side of the road a minute ago,” Caleo explained pointing towards the back seat.
Jack slammed on the brakes sending Caleo out of his seat into the dashboard.
“Sorry.” Jack threw the car into reverse, and accelerated.
16
Caleo turned around and saw Jillian standing in the middle of the road her hands on her hips.
“She looks mad,” Caleo said jokingly. “Maybe you should have just kept going.”
Jack smiled in return, but it didn’t look genuine. He said nothing in response until he came to a stop and turned off the engine. He saw Jillian stomping towards the driver side door and hit a button locking the car doors.
“I think maybe you’re right.” Jack looked up at Jillian through the car window a real smile spreading from ear to ear as she tried the door handle.
“Jack, what the hell are you doing?” Jillian yelled. Jack hit the unlock button, then quickly locked it again. Jillian tried the handle again. “You're so childish. I can’t believe you're playing games like this. ”
Jack turned back to Caleo. “This conversation isn’t over,” he told him, then he turned the key one notch, and turned up the radio to find nothing. He hit the seek button. It cycled through the channels twice before Jack switched the radio back off. “Nothing.”
Jillian pounded on the window. “Jack, are you listening to me?”
“Fun is over, let’s get this show back on the road.” Jack turned the key back to off and opened the door. He raised his hands in a sign of surrender, cutting off Jillian’s verbal assault. “I’m sorry, I was distracted. Let’s get the stuff and get going.”
He walked past her and down the small hill to the river bed below, only to appear moments later carrying bags. Nolan came up behind him carrying Grandma, who was still wrapped tightly in her blanket. Stinky was the last in line.
“Pop the trunk.” Jack looked at Caleo, who reached across to the driver side and pushed the trunk release. “Now go get the rest of the junk,” he ordered sharply.
Jillian stepped in front of Jack blocking him from the trunk. “What’s the matter?”
“I don’t like being out in the open. We need to get there and ditch this car as soon as possible.” Jack laid the bags down and turned to walk away, but stopped when he almost ran into Nolan carrying Grandma’s body.
“I agree.” Nolan walked around everyone and gently placed Grandma’s wrapped body in the trunk. “The roads are not the safest place to be right now. The only people on them will be the Blessed’s cleanup crew. I’m hoping they are too busy looking around the cave right now, but he's right. We need to hurry.” He closed the trunk and looked down at the bags. “Everything else, keep in the cab by your feet.”
Jillian and Caleo ran down and grabbed the rest of the bags and loaded them into the back seat.
“Jillian, you okay enough to drive?” Jack asked, throwing her the keys.
Jillian looked at Jack as if that was the last thing she expected him to say. “Yeah, why?”
“I’m tired. Don’t you want to drive? You never argued over driving before.”
“Yes we have! Since the day we turned sixteen, but normally we're fighting over who gets to drive and not once have you ever given me the keys before. I've always had to hold you down and pry them out of your fingers.”
“Fine, you don’t want to drive I will.” Jack reached for the keys.
“Nope, they’re mine now,” Jillian said playfully, running for the driver seat closing the door before her butt even hit the seat.
Nolan took the front seat, Jack sat right behind Jillian leaving Caleo scrunched in behind Nolan who had pushed his seat all the way back and was still looking scrunched in the front seat with his massive body.
They rode in silence for a while before Nolan said, “Since no one is talking, I guess we should get you up to date now. We're called Leeches. We can steal energy from people around us to use our powers. Caleo is a rare Leech called the Angel. The Angel is supposed to be like what you would consider a king. He runs the Leech world.” Nolan paused for a moment, letting it sink in.
“So Caleo is a king?” Jack looked at Caleo with a raised eyebrow.
“Like a king. The Angel has an army of loyal followers who devote their lives to protect and follow the Angel, whose sole purpose is to govern all the Leeches and make sure we can live in peace with the rest of the world.”
“So why are they trying to kill him? That doesn’t seem very peaceful,” Jillian asked from the driver seat.
“Well, according to Will, that’s the man who attacked us at the cave, Alix is still alive and he's the current Angel. They think Caleo is a fake. They just found that out which means they were here for something else. I think it has to do with the rebels bombing the city,” Nolan answered.
“So how does this whole power thing work?” Jack asked.
“Well, there are two ways to do it. First, to use my own energy, which will leave me feeling drained. Or second, I can touch someone and steal their energy, which will kill a normal person easily depending on how much energy is taken. It would look like your body just gave up living when really your body won’t even have the energy to keep your heart beating.”
Jillian chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, then asked, “And how do you become a Leech?”
“I think it’s genetic because most of the time, if you're a Leech, you can find a distant relative that was one. No one is sure how it happens, all we know is that it takes a brink of death experience and at the second you’re sure you’re about to die, your body develops a power and saves your life. It usually happens between the ages of seventeen and thirty. There have been a few cases where they are older, but I haven’t heard of anyone becoming one at an age younger than seventeen.”
“But Caleo isn’t—” Jillian interrupted.
“Caleo is special, even to us. The Angel is far better than any other Leech. He's born with his power and it grows with him. All other Leeches pretty much stop aging when their body turns. It’s like our body is suspended in time. The oldest Leech I’ve met was two hundred and thirty seven years old and he stills looks younger than me.”
“So how old are you?” Jillian asked shocked.
“I’m forty-three,” Nolan responded smiling, but Caleo noticed Jack glaring at the back of his head.
“And what’s your power?” Jack asked after a long awkward silence.
Jillian pulled into the private cemetery and parked the car. Everyone sat there not saying a word just staring out the windows. There were no cars on the road, no people walking by, it was completely empty. The only sign of civilization was an old, rusted plow truck parked on the side of the road. The only sign of life was the birds that were in the trees chirping wildly.
“I guess this is it,” Jack said. Caleo nodded, not bothering to take his eyes away from the window.
Slowly, Jack opened the door, stood up, and started stretching like he was going to start running a marathon. Caleo could see that Jack was trying to hide the fact that tears were flowing down his face. Caleo stared down at the floor and rested his head against the front seat.
“I can’t believe she's gone,” Caleo mumbled to himself.
He tried remembering the last good time they had together, but the only thing that kept surfacing in his memory was his grandma getting shot, the look of pure fear and pain as she fell to the ground, then the face of the man who had killed her.
“She's dead and it’s all my fault,” Caleo whispered through the tears streaming down his face. “I killed her, it’s all my fault. I've killed my whole family.” Caleo replayed the scene in his head over and over, remembering her face as he laid there holding her hand while she lay dead on the ground, the pool of blood that formed around her, and that man’s uncaring face.
The image of the man stayed there, burned into the back of Caleo’s eyes. He's still alive, he thought bitterly.
“It’s not your fault, Caleo; it’s that heartless bastard’s fault. You can’t take the blame; it was his choice, not yours,” Jack murmured into Caleo ear, his strained voice cracking as he spoke. “Promise me, Caleo, that we're going to kill this man; we're going to put this man down in a hole,” Jack said angrily, putting his forehead against Caleo’s and staring him in the eyes. “Promise me we're going to kill the people responsible for destroying our lives.” Caleo nodded in response. Jack let go of Caleo’s head, put his arm around Caleo’s shoulders, and ushered him over to Jillian. She was sitting on the front bumper of the car, her eyes red from crying. As the boys approached, she wiped her eyes with the palm of her hand and turned to them with a halfhearted smile.
She hugged them both in turn and wedged herself between them, taking their hands in hers. They stood in silence, watching Nolan dig in the distance, using the tire iron to loosen the dirt and his hands to scoop it away. Their grandmother’s wrapped body lying on the marble slab under the statue of Jacob Archer.
“He said to stay back here and he would do the digging,” Jillian said softly.
“And that’s all we have to dig with?” Jack asked, breaking Jillian’s hold and going to look in the trunk of the car, only to find a spare tire and a rear view mirror air freshener in the shape of a hula dancer. “Look, Caleo, it’s your girlfriend,” Jack said in a halfhearted attempt at easing the mood. “Man, she smells pretty.”
“No!” Jillian yelled desperately.
“What?” Jack asked as Jillian turned around and paced in place.
“Jack, we forgot Stinky! He's all alone and probably going to get eaten by a bear or something. Jack, we have to go back for him.” She eyed Jack who was shaking his head laughing. “Please, we're all he has. He needs us!” Jillian stopped when she heard a soft meow coming from inside the car. She ran for the door and pulled it open. Caleo heard another desperate meow and walked up behind Jillian to see where it was coming from. “Stinky?” Jillian asked softly as she looked under the seat. “His collar is stuck on a wire.” She reached under the seat. “Hold still, I'll get it.” Jillian disconnected his collar, pulled him free, and scooped him up into her arms.
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