The Forbidden Trilogy

by Kimberly Kinrade

  Sam had been pacing the room and finally sat on the bed, her back stiff and posture unyielding. "We wait an hour for Lucy to contact me. If she doesn't, we go ahead on our own."

  Drake didn't like waiting, but he didn't like going ahead alone either. Still, he'd do whatever it took.

  Toby came out of the bathroom, and Sam stood again. "I'm going to take a shower." She grabbed her bag and closed the door behind her.

  Drake stepped outside and leaned against their door. The smell of saltwater and the sound of waves washed over him. Once again he wished this had been a fun getaway for him and Sam, rather than the worst kind of rescue mission.

  A few minutes later, Darren strolled over, which didn't surprise Drake. "Hey, I was just coming to check up on you guys and see how Sam's doing."

  Sure you did. "We're fine. Sam's fine. Thanks." Drake blocked the door.

  Darren stepped back. "I didn't mean any disrespect. She's my friend and I know this is hard for her."

  "Cut the bullshit, Dude. I know your game. Let me make this clear: Sam is mine. Back the hell off."

  Darren smirked. "Is she? Because it didn't look that way on the plane. She can barely look at you. You left her at the worst possible time. You broke her heart, and now you're acting like you own her. You didn't see her fall apart and put herself back together. You weren't the one there for her these last few months. Do you really think she's going to want you back when all of this is over?"

  Drake wanted to punch him, but couldn't—and not just because of Sam. Darren was right. What if he'd screwed up things too badly? Clearly nothing he'd done since coming back had been right. Sam could barely stand being around him, and would probably avoid him even more if not for Toby. Still, Darren had no business getting in the middle of the situation.

  "Sam and I have been through hell and back. We didn't let anything stop us—not the fact that we were miles apart, nor the fact that she hated my powers. Through all of that, I had her love. What do you have?"

  "I'm not the guy who left her and her baby. You're the bad guy here, Drake. It's time for you to see that."

  Darren walked away and Drake slumped against the door.

  Have I truly passed the point of redemption? Could be....

  Chapter 107 – Lucy

  Wind whipped Lucy's ponytail into Hunter's face, but he didn't seem to mind as he held her tightly around the waist. Even Luke didn't pout when placed behind Hunter. He was just happy to ride a beetle.

  The sun warmed her face and arms as they flew higher and higher. If only we could fly like this every day, free as a bird.

  Hunter hollered, trying to be heard over the wind, "My ass is getting sore from this shell!"

  Lucy smiled. Nothing could bring her down. Not even a sore derrière.

  Seeing their magical jungle from this height put everything into a new perspective, and she was shocked to realize how many memories she already had of the place. They passed over the spot where the lizard had attacked her and Hunter, and the grassy knoll where she and Hunter had spent the night together. She saw Mr. K and felt a twinge of sadness, but promised herself that she'd find a way to help him. And then they flew past the spot where she'd buried the sphere. The emptiness of not having it clawed at her, but she pushed it away, happy to be rid of something that had hurt people she loved.

  They climbed into the sky, exiting the valley and flying out over the ocean to return to the main island. After several minutes, the giant tents that formed IPI's makeshift headquarters for this mission appeared below, complete with field hospital and everything they'd need to take care of the kids, once freed.

  As they descended toward the base, guards aimed their rifles at the giant beetle. Lucy hadn't even thought of what it would look like to storm into camp like this. Why wouldn't they shoot at the beetle after what happened?

  Fortunately, no one shot, likely because Simmons arrived and started waving and pointing.

  The beetle landed with a powerful thud that traveled up Lucy's spine. A group formed around them, some looking scared and others in awe. The three castaways slid off the beetle.

  Simmons walked up and hugged Lucy. "You travel in style, girl." She shook hands with Luke and Hunter. "We were worried about all of you. We thought the beetles had you for lunch, but apparently you domesticated them."

  The beetle twitched and turned around, looking for a way out.

  "He's more of a friend," Lucy said, "and I'd better say goodbye. All these people make him a bit nervous."

  She led it away, then looked into its eyes and rubbed her hand over its face. "Thank you." Her gratitude flowed into it, and she wondered if this is what the ancient Native Americans felt when they communed with nature and spirit guides.

  The beetle flew off, glinting like a jewel, and Lucy headed back to Simmons, determined to waste no more time. "We have work to do."

  ***

  Simmons loomed over Lucy, Luke and Hunter as they debriefed her about everything they'd encountered since their disappearance, including Mr. K. The experience reminded Lucy of being back at Rent-A-Kid during a lecture.

  "Is there anything you can do for him?" she asked.

  "I'm afraid not." Simmons paced in front of them. "But once we take down Rent-A-Kid, we may learn more about what they did to him. We may find a cure."

  A cure? Lucy supposed that for Mr. K, anything to transform him back to normal would be considered a cure, but the sneer in Simmons's voice made it apparent she thought all paranormals suffered from a disease—that they all needed to be cured.

  Simmons continued. "We need to act as soon as possible to take down the center. There's been movement, and if we wait any longer, we could lose some kids. If you two are ready—"

  "We are." Lucy made a fist.

  "Good. We start at nightfall. Do you remember the plan?"

  "Yes. Cut through the underwater fence under the cover of darkness. Hack into the cameras. Get Luke to the main ventilation system. Use the sleep grenades. Then signal you and your team, who will evacuate the kids." It'd be difficult. Complex. "Sam and her team will be helping with the evacuation."

  Simmons's face puckered, but she didn't say anything; Lucy had made it clear that Sam's team wasn't optional.

  Beleth's deal popped into Lucy's mind: kill Simmons, and he'd let all the children go. It would be so easy—just draw her gun next time she had Simmons alone, and put a bullet in her head.

  So easy. And so hard.

  Lucy couldn't kill an innocent woman. Why would Beleth want her dead? Her of all people? Did he simply want to stop the operation? And would he even be able to release the kids? Surely, his proposal was a trick.

  But maybe it was something more.

  Simmons continued to stand over them, using that subtle psychological play to establish dominance, a white board behind her showing their plans. Lucy shuddered, as Simmons was like one of the teachers at Rent-A-Kid—using them, and smiling through it all.

  The calm Lucy had maintained during their flight evaporated in the heat of her anger.

  Luke touched her hand. "You okay, Sis?"

  "Yeah, just tired." And angry. Angry at Rent-A-Kid, angry at Beleth, and now, angry at Simmons. They all connected; she just couldn't see the pieces yet.

  She touched Mr. K's seed in her pocket and focused on her meditation techniques, cooling her anger.

  Hunter spoke up for the first time. "Agent Simmons, I would like to accompany Luke and Lucy Rivera on this assignment."

  Simmons pinched her nose as though she had a headache. "Very honorable of you, Agent Riley, but we'll need you with the retrieval team."

  Hunter frowned, but didn't argue.

  Things had been a little off between Lucy and him since she'd tried to heal him with the sphere. They hadn't talked or touched as much, except for when she kissed him back in the valley. The beetle ride had given them a chance just to be near each other, and the fact that he wanted to join them on the mission gave her hope that they could mend whatever ha
d torn in their relationship.

  Figures that Simmons would keep her favorite out of harm's way, especially considering Luke and I might not make it out alive.

  Hunter was a big boy, and didn't need to be kept on such a tight leash. His rank in IPI may have bound him to do as Simmons said, but Lucy had no such constraints.

  "Excuse me," she said, "but Hunter should come with us. Luke may need help getting to the main ventilation system."

  Simmons glared at Lucy, then relaxed. It happened so fast, that Lucy almost missed it. Almost. Simmons had another side she kept wrapped up tight, and Lucy needed to crawl under that veneer to see what she was really like.

  Simmons smiled at Luke. "I'm sure you'll do fine on your own, right? You don't need Hunter to help you accomplish your mission, do you?"

  Bitch! Lucy thought all was lost. Luke already had issues with Hunter. No way would he admit to needing the guy's help.

  Luke frowned and shifted in his seat, but didn't object right away. She wondered if he was thinking about their conversation about being the right people for the mission. Was he doubting himself again?

  Luke's face hardened, and he looked Simmons in the eye. "We need Hunter."

  Lucy leaned back in her seat, finding a new depth of respect for her brother. She should have known he wouldn't let pride get in the way of a mission, especially when kids' lives were at stake. If having Hunter helped them get out alive, Luke wasn't going to turn that down.

  "I understand, but your original orders never included Hunter."

  Luke stood. "Our original orders didn't include a lot of things, like losing our whole team and getting stranded on an island. It also didn't have a high chance of success, and with so many lives at stake, we can't take that risk. Remember, Agent Simmons, we're not your agents, but we do have the best chance at saving those kids. I realize that now. You have to send us, because even though we might fail, anyone else wouldn't make it past the gates." He looked at Hunter and smiled. "So you'll give us Hunter. You'll give him to us because we need him."

  "I sense an or at the end of that statement." Simmons stared Luke down, or tried to, even though she had to look up.

  "Or we'll go ahead without you. Because you, Agent Simmons, are not needed."

  That shut her up. Luke was right. Back at the crash site, mopey Luke had spoken Lucy's own fears: why were they doing this? Were they the right people? Now the old Luke—no, the new Luke—with fire in his eyes and steel in his tone... the new Luke made things clear. Their place wasn't back at the mansion, or back at Rent-A-Kid. Their place was right here, right now. This was what they were meant to do.

  Simmons sat down. "Fine. Agent Riley, you will accompany Luke and Lucy Rivera on this assignment."

  Lucy smiled in relief. Her brother had been right about another thing: they did need Hunter. But the part about Simmons not being needed, not being important; something told her that part was very wrong.

  ***

  Lucy tossed and turned in her cot—better than sleeping on the floor, and she got an actual sleeping bag, but she still missed her real bed. Her muscles ached and bones cracked as she stretched and tried to relax—"tried" being the key word there, "failed" being more accurate. Sleep had eluded her for hours, despite her utter exhaustion. She'd decided to rest up before their all–night mission, but knowing the dangers she faced, and that she might not live through tomorrow, kept her awake no matter how many meditations she did.

  She'd connected with Sam, and they'd made a plan, which helped them all feel more optimistic about the outcome. So many lives were at stake—not just nameless lives, but Ana, Tommy and Serena. Lucy hadn't met them, but she knew how responsible Sam felt for them. They couldn't afford to fail, so they planned.

  Sam and her party would join Simmons and the extraction team. They'd wait for the signal, then use their powers to get as many kids out as possible, including Ana, Tommy and Serena. Lucy couldn't imagine Sam's worry right now, how she must be feeling with her newborn baby out there, kidnapped by a psychopath. Lucy couldn't even imagine losing Luke, and a baby had to be harder than even a twin.

  What if they didn't make it? What if they failed?

  Tight balls of anxiety coiled up in her gut, and she reached for her pack out of habit, then stopped. No sphere.

  Screw it! I don't need the sphere. I'll deal with my own emotions.

  Hunter came to mind, and all those emotions swirled around inside her. She wanted to connect with him before they walked into what could be a blood bath.

  Well, that's one problem easy enough to solve.

  Careful not to wake the others, Lucy headed to Hunter's room. If she couldn't sleep, she might as well make the best of things.

  Chapter 108 – Sam

  A pair of agents had picked us up an hour ago, and we'd taken a truck, a speedboat, and another truck to get to the IPI base. It turned out to be a veritable city of huge, heavy-duty tents that housed armored trucks, cars, offices and medical facilities. The agents dropped me and my team off in front of what looked like the main communications hub.

  Inside sat makeshift desks with computers, maps, and groups of soldiers huddled together discussing strategy.

  Agent Davis held up his hand. "Stay here. Agent Simmons will join you soon."

  Yeah, not happening. I pushed past Davis, whose thoughts had mostly focused on Mary's tits the whole ride here, and walked up to a group of agents who looked like they knew what they were doing. "I need to see Simmons right away."

  One guard glanced at me, mentally brushed me off as some weak and insignificant girl, and turned back to the map in front of him. "She's busy."

  "I understand." I grabbed his wrist and twisted it hard, bringing him to his knees. "Now, may we please see Agent Simmons?"

  The other guards surrounded me, weapons raised. Their minds were on alert, focused on my every movement but unsure as to whether to shoot or not without orders.

  Agent Simmons walked up from behind them. "Weapons down. She's with us, more or less."

  A few months had passed since I'd seen her last, and even then only briefly, but I didn't hesitate to penetrate her every thought and memory while we talked. Most centered on the plan, wondering whether Luke, Lucy and Hunter would succeed. She worried especially about Hunter. Seemed the twins pissed her off.

  Good for them. "Are Luke and Lucy in the water already?" I knew the answer before she had a chance to answer. "No, they're not. Okay, I want access to surveillance."

  I let the guard go and walked toward a guy sitting in front of a bunch of computer screens. He hovered between standing and sitting, looking as though trying to do both at once.

  Simmons scurried after me. "Now wait a minute. You don't give orders here."

  I stared her down, no longer the timid, soft Sam of a few months ago. "My daughter is missing. I'll do anything to get her back. This is less an IPI mission than it is our operation, with your assistance. After all, if you guys had gotten better intel, we wouldn't be in this position at all."

  And I would never have had Ana. I brushed the thought aside. However she came to be, she was mine now, and I'd die to protect her. "Still need convincing? Look around."

  The guards held their weapons low, firing nervous glances at my team, who stood behind me, ready to attack should the need arise.

  "You have no idea what the nine of us are capable of, but I can tell from the thoughts floating around me that your people don't want to find out."

  Simmons scowled at the agent still stuck in limbo. "Give her your seat."

  He stood, relieved, and offered me his chair. I sat and examined the equipment.

  They had eyes on the Rent-A-Kid compound, but none up close. A wall surrounded the perimeter, and a tall guard tower rose above it. Beyond that, buildings were scattered over several acres and made up the living quarters and work space. Guards patrolled on foot, and all the buildings were well lit.

  Simmons cringed, but asked, "Do you need access to the comm system as well?"


  "Nope, I got it. I'll know what's happening before you will."

  She rolled her eyes and stormed out of the tent.

  I tapped my head, then reached out with my thoughts to find Lucy's mental signature. "Hey, Luce, we're set up."

  'Sam! I'm glad you made it. We're about to drop into the water. Don't worry, we'll get Ana and all the kids. Failure isn't an option, especially now that you guys are here.'

  "Good. I'll monitor you mentally, and we'll be ready to send aid if needed. Be safe. And hurry."

  Norm stood beside me, watching the beeping monitors and surveillance. "So, what do we do?"

  "We wait for an orange or red flare. Then attack."

  Robyn stood at his side. "What do the colors mean?"

  "Orange means they succeeded. Red means they're screwed. Doesn't matter. I'll know before they even fire one."

  I handed control of the chair back to the nervous agent, who kept his distance from me—smart man—and walked out of the makeshift office in search of Simmons's tent.

  Simmons sat at a small table checking her weapons. With practiced movements, she broke down and reassembled her 9mm in a matter of seconds.

  Her obvious display didn't faze me. I could destroy her in a heartbeat, and I would if she interfered with rescuing my daughter. But for now, she could be useful. "You have expertise—expertise I need—but you must do as I say."

  She laughed without humor and lifted a large needle off the table. "Do you know what this is? It's a very special drug that strips paranormals of their para-power. Do you and your friends think you'd be so special without those powers? No. You'd be nothing. Less than nothing."

  She stood and walked toward me, expecting me to flinch or back away. She'd have to live with disappointment.

  "So, why should I listen to you, when I have this?"

  I took a step closer to her, my face inches from hers. "Because I know who you are, and I know what you've done."

  Part Three – What Lies Beyond

  Chapter 109 – Lucy

  Lucy perched at the door of the airplane and stared down at the black ocean, reflecting on all that had happened since the last time she'd stood on a plane, ready to jump. It seemed a lifetime ago. At least this time they knew the location of the base and wouldn't leave a trail of dead agents behind. The wind whipped through her hair, and she searched the night sky for any sign of Beleth. He was out there, somewhere.