Lucy burst out laughing. At least she didn't giggle again. "You did not just say that. But, um, yeah, I'd like to hold your sword, Agent Riley."
Hunter grinned and unzipped his backpack, pulling out something surprisingly small. He held it out to her, and noticed the disappointed look on her face. "Expecting something bigger?"
She smirked at his continued play on words. She had a lifetime of training in verbal and physical sparring; he was no match for her. "They say size doesn't matter, but I disagree."
Hunter, who apparently hadn't expected her response, choked on his own comeback and unsheathed the sword, then placed it in her hand. "You have to stroke it a certain way to make it bigger."
Oh my God. She wrapped her hands around the black hilt and admired the gleam of silver that reflected the sun. Strange hieroglyphics or symbols of some kind were carved into the blade. She'd never seen any metal like this. It looked incredibly sharp, and the tip wasn't diamond-shaped like many swords. It was more like a katana, but with a straight edge instead of curved. And it was surprisingly light.
Hunter wrapped his large hands around hers, and twisted them to the right and up. The sword extended to full length.
Lucy gasped. He'd been right; the sword grew, but she couldn't figure out how. "Who made this? I've never seen anything like it."
She pulled away from Hunter and took a fighting stance, doing a series of movements she'd learned from her weapons instructor. The sword seemed to pulse with power, enhanced by the pulsing of the sphere in her pocket. She became one with it, moving in the fluid, graceful way of a deadly but beautiful hunter.
Hunter spoke, breaking her focus. "You're amazing. No one's ever handled my sword with such skill."
Neither laughed at the clear sexual innuendo, because this time he wasn't joking. She could see the awe in his eyes.
It almost pained her to return the sword to travel size and give it back.
Hunter noticed her look of despair. He draped his arm over her shoulders and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Something tells me that's not the last time you'll get to dance with my sword. Cheer up."
A flush of heat rose up from Lucy's stomach. She ducked out from Hunter's arms and wagged her finger at him as she started walking down the path again. "Do all the girls fall for that line?"
A smirk played across his lips. "Most of them, yes."
"I'm not most girls. It takes more than a shiny sword to impress me. Don't get me wrong, it was very impressive." She flashed her own smirk. "You never answered my question. Who made it and what's the metal it's made of?"
Hunter sighed as if her questions were such burdens. "You're right, I didn't answer your question. That information is classified top secret, and you, Miss Rivera, don't have the clearance."
Lucy would have argued with him, if he'd been lying. The sword clearly had some kick-ass technology behind it. That only made her desperate to know more.
Damn Sam for not being here, she'd just pry the knowledge out of his mind. The thought of Sam connecting so intimately with Hunter made her a bit jealous, and she chastised herself for being so silly. First, Sam would never make a play for a guy Lucy liked, and second, Lucy had no claim to Hunter.
She did want to get to know him better, though. "What brought you to IPI?"
"Why not? I get cool toys and get to kill monsters. Plus I get to meet beautiful women with kick-ass super powers."
"More deflection, I see. So I take it there are a lot of beautiful women with kick-ass super powers at IPI?"
He winked at her. "Well, only one. And she's not actually at IPI—yet."
"Cute. What makes you think I'd ever join IPI, or that they'd even want me. I tend to be a bit of a rebel."
"Really? I hadn't noticed."
Liar. "How long have you worked with Agent Simmons? You two seem close."
"She trained me. She's almost like a mother to me, but don't tell her that. She'd freak. Basically, I wanted to serve the best, and she's the best."
As they walked, Hunter told stories about his training with IPI and Simmons. He painted a picture of a tough but fair woman who was strong and wise, and definitely not a pushover. "Once, in training, this other recruit boasted that he could kick her ass because she was just a girl. She challenged him to hand-to-hand combat, took him out in ten seconds flat, and had him scrubbing the bathrooms with his toothbrush for a month."
"Wow, a bit harsh, don't you think?"
"Maybe. But he never insulted another female agent or instructor again, and neither did anyone else in that group."
Lucy found herself liking and respecting Simmons even more. "How long have you been an agent? You look young."
He smirked. "I get that a lot. I haven't made many friends, with such a rapid advancement. Really, it's because of Agent Simmons' training, and of course, because I'm so incredibly talented, naturally."
"And modest. Let's not forget that."
"No, we mustn't forget my modesty. It's my most charming quality, after all."
Lucy couldn't help but return his smile.
They'd been walking so long, lost in each other's banter, that they hadn't been paying attention to the sounds in the jungles until they heard a crash.
Lucy jumped. "Something's out there. Let's go look."
"I love a woman who walks toward potential danger."
She ignored his comment—at least she pretended to—and crept up to a huge fallen tree that a car could've driven through, had there been a pathway. It reminded her of the giant redwoods in California. They peeked over to see what kind of animal was causing such a ruckus, and Lucy nearly fell over at the sight.
Hunter rested his hand on her lower back, and while she didn't need it there for support, she liked how the warmth of it traveled through her body. But even a touch from Hunter couldn't distract her from what stood before them.
Huge, giant, enormous animals. No, not animals. They had hard shells with bright emerald patterns on them. Some had scary looking horns protruding from their face—a top and bottom horn that curved upward with teeth-like notches on it. They looked like....
"Beetles." Hunter spoke in a whisper. "They're beetles, I think. Only... giant!"
Giant was an understatement. Four of them, each twice the size of a mini-van, foraged in a clearing.
Lucy studied them more closely and recognized something about them. "My brother is a big bug expert. He had a book once that he couldn't stop talking about. Everyday he'd insist on showing me pictures and filling my head with useless bug trivia. I remember a beetle, a Hercules beetle, I think they're called, that looked like these. Obviously not as big, and these are more brightly colored, but otherwise they're similar. If I recall, they're actually harmless. They eat rotten fruit."
"You're a surprising woman, Lucy." He moved his hand up her back and to her shoulder. "We need to get back and tell the others about this."
He turned to go, but Lucy didn't move. "Wait. I want to get closer, to see them better."
"Are you nuts? We have no idea what they'd do. Besides, the others need to be warned."
Lucy ignored him and crawled forward, scaling the dead tree and slowly approaching the beetles.
Hunter cursed as he climbed the tree and joined her. "You need to stop and think. This is dangerous and reckless."
She pointed out one beetle in particular, who looked different than the rest. "Look at him. Look at those colors—blues and purples. Do you think he's the leader or something? He looks bigger than the others too."
Although, at their size, it all became a neck-straining blur. Lucy took another step to get closer. She wanted to see their horns, and to examine the shell of what she assumed were the females. She stepped on a twig, and it snapped. The sound seemed to fill up the valley, and the giant beetles all paused in their scuttling and looked at her.
Hunter tensed beside her. "Shit. Let's go."
Lucy pulled out her gun and aimed at the creatures, but couldn't pull the trigger. A loud horn blasted.
"Lucy, come on." Hunter grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the log and over it.
She holstered her gun and let Hunter lead her away.
Had the beetles made that sound? They must have, because they charged after Lucy and Hunter like a stampede of angry elephants.
Just as Lucy's foot cleared the log they'd climbed over, it moved. The beetles were ramming into it.
She and Hunter ran faster, harder, pushing themselves to get back to the group and warn them. The ground under their feet rumbled like an earthquake. A root snagged her foot and she tripped, but caught herself mid-fall and kept running. The foliage thickened in one place, making it harder to run. Hunter pulled out his sword and hacked through the web of green bushes and branches to give them an easier clearing. Trees shook around them as they finally approached the other agents and Luke.
Lucy screamed through heavy breathing. "Run! Run now!"
The agents looked confused, but the horns blared again and the ground thundered. Everyone turned and ran with Lucy and Hunter.
Luke caught up with them. "What the hell's going on, Sis?"
The beetles broke through the shrubs they'd run behind, and now everyone could see what they were running from, including Luke. "Oh shit. Not good."
One of the agents tripped and fell on a rock, scraping his knee bad enough to draw blood. Simmons helped him up and pushed him to run. They came to a fallen tree in their path, with no way around. The scrambled up and over it, helping each other in the process. The beetles caught up with them, rolling the tree trunk out of the way as the last agent cleared it. Surrounded by the giant creatures, they found themselves at a dead end against a boulder.
Right or left? Lucy grabbed Luke and pulled him right. Hunter followed them.
The other agents, led by Simmons, weaved to the left to avoid one of the beetles, who slammed into the boulder head first and fell over, stunned. The other beetles learned from their fallen comrade, and one chased the agents while two followed Lucy, Luke and Hunter.
The terrain became rocky and uneven, making the running harder, but they pushed through. Sweat dripped down Lucy's face and into her eyes. She swiped at it and forced her body to move faster. Another drop of sweat stung her eyes and she closed them on reflex without slowing. Strong hands wrapped around her chest and pulled her back.
"Stop. Look." Hunter held her against his body. She could feel his heart race against her back.
When she stopped, he dropped his arms from her chest to her waist, but didn't let go. She looked down and realized he'd just saved her from running straight off the cliff.
She took a step back, and his body moved with hers.
"Good. You okay?" He turned her around and examined her.
"I'm fine. Thank you."
She noticed Luke scowling at them from a few feet away. Whatever. He could be Mr. Mopey if he wanted; she was done with it. Besides, she didn't need his permission to get to know a guy.
They heard the beetles approach. "We have to decide where to go. We can't just keep running."
She eyed a log that created a bridge to the other side of the cliff. Below them, way below them, a furious spray of water assaulted sharp rock. "We could walk across that. They wouldn't be able to follow."
Luke shook his head. "No way. That's crazy. That thing isn't stable."
Down the trail, the largest blue beetle crashed his body through a few trees. He'd be there soon. They had to hurry.
"Give me a better idea." Without waiting for a response, Lucy climbed onto the log and started crossing to the other side. Beneath her, water surged and crashed against rock. But it was a long way to that water. She looked back toward her destination and focused on that.
Just like driving, you had to keep your eyes on where you wanted to go, because your car, or in this case, your body, would naturally travel in the direction you were looking. Much like life, actually. Whatever you focused on the most was what you manifested.
Hunter immediately joined her on the log, followed by a sulking Luke. They were half way across when the beetle approached the log and rested its front legs on it.
The log shook. It couldn't withstand the pressure of the three of them plus the beetle.
"Luke, we're going to have to jump. You need to slow us down, like you did before."
"No, Luce. I can't. Keep going. We can make it to the other side."
Before Lucy could respond, the log tipped to the side and Lucy jumped off.
Hunter and Luke fell off the log as well, and the three of them fell toward the dangerous and rocky water.
Her heart pounded and the world spun. "Luke! You have to slow us down!"
Nothing. They didn't slow, and Lucy braced for the impact that could kill her. Hunter reached out his hand and she grabbed it, squeezing it tight as she closed her eyes.
With mere seconds left before impact, the air around them shifted and thickened.
Luke is doing it! But wait... They were still falling too fast. "Luke!"
Water rushed up to meet Lucy. She stared into Hunter's green eyes, and he didn't let go of her hand as they crashed into the water and everything went black.
Chapter 81 – Sam
Darren drove through the darkness. This far into the countryside, no streetlights showed us the way, and the headlights of our car only illuminated so much.
I punched redial over and over, desperate to reach Mrs. Beaumont, but she didn't pick up. I tried to force my powers to guide me to her and Tommy, or at least tell me what had happened, but they refused to bend to my will. Instead, they mocked me with a sense of looming disaster without giving me any tools to fight it.
Darren frowned. "Maybe ease up on the phone. It doesn't seem to be helping."
I dropped it in my lap and sighed. "Nothing is helping. Nothing is working. Where are they?"
We drove along the route they would have taken to get from the airport to the mansion, so we'd have to find them one way or another—unless they'd gotten lost. Or something worse. My stomach cramped, and I forced away those thoughts.
Darren turned on the radio, presumably to distract me. A country love song filled the car, and though it wasn't the-song-that-could-not-be-named—I so did not need reminding of that drive with Drake, as we fled our fate and headed to California together—it was close enough to bring tears to my eyes.
Drake. Any small thing could tear that wound open again.
Sensing the change in mood, Darren flipped off the radio. "Sorry, just thought some music might help."
I swiped at an errant tear. "No, it's okay. Just emotional. It's the hormones. And worry."
"I understand. I get it, Sam. You've been through hell, and now you're worried about Tommy. None of us will ever understand what it's been like for you. You saved us all from that fate and now you have to live it alone. I'm so sorry." He touched my hand briefly, then pulled back, as if unsure how to offer comfort without stepping into something more than friendship.
"I'm glad no one else has to experience this. And everyone has been very supportive. It's not so bad." Even as I said it, my heart cracked open, and a sob escaped.
All of the fear and anguish and loneliness and misery poured out of me. I hadn't cried since Ana had been born, not wanting to saddle her with that emotional baggage so soon, but this awful fear for Tommy and his mother released all my pent-up grief.
Darren reached across the seats and put his arms around me, using his powers to keep the car steady, and I turned his shirt into a wet mess of tears. He didn't speak, didn't tell me to stop crying. He just let me be until my sobs turned to hiccups, and I could finally breathe again.
I used my sleeve to wipe my eyes. "This is embarrassing. Maybe I should've come alone. I'm clearly not sane enough to be around other people."
He wiped the hair out of my face. "That's why you shouldn't be alone, Sam. You need your friends."
A familiar tension built between us, and it scared me. "Darren, we are friends, and I'm so grateful. More than you could k
now. But that's all I can be right now. Please understand."
He smiled, his hazel eyes full of compassion. "I'm not going to lie, Sam. I've had a crush on you since we were kids. If we could ever be something more, I want it, but now is not the time. Just know that I'm here for you, as a friend, or... more."
His strength and warm presence tempted me, but my heart wasn't mine to give away. Not anymore, and maybe not ever. Still, I had no idea he'd felt that way for so long. Suddenly all the little things in our past presented themselves in a whole new way—the time he'd shared his lunch with me when Mary had splattered mine into my lap, the way he'd always shared school supplies in class. We'd never talked much, so I didn't know him well, but he'd been a steady presence in my life since kindergarten.
I'd always thought of him as a kid, but the man sitting before me gave me a new perspective. Neither of us was a kid anymore, and for better or worse, the dynamics of our relationship had changed. I didn't know what to say or how to respond to his declaration.
Before I could come up with something, a vision slammed into me.
'Sam! Sam! Help me, Sam! They're coming for me. Sam!'
Tommy called for me, but I couldn't see him the way I sometimes saw the other kids—one of the new powers the Seeker had given me. I only saw a ball of light that represented Tommy.
'Hurry, Sam. I don't have long.'
"Sam, what's going on? What do you see?"
"It's Tommy. Someone's coming for him. We have to hurry."
He pulled his arm away and clutched the wheel. The car lunged forward. "Do you know where he is?"
"He's close, or was. We need to keep an eye on the road."
Haunted trees cast strange shadows in the headlights, their normal beauty taking on a sinister glare. Monsters seemed to lurk there in the dark.
My stomach clenched in fear and future grief. Whom would I mourn tonight? For evil stalked me, and I wouldn't face the morning unscathed.
Twenty minutes later, the flicker of dying headlights by the road confirmed my fears. "Stop!"
Darren slammed on the brakes. Before the car could even settle, I flew out and ran to the side of the road, using our own headlights to navigate the treacherous terrain.
The Forbidden Trilogy Page 47