Earth(40)

Oh, shit.

I stopped dead in my tracks. The person behind me ran into me. It was definitely getting too dark to continue, but we hadn't yet found a good camp spot.

"Hey, you okay?" Arnold asked, pulling me forward again.

"Yes…I…it's just…"

It's just I know someone that might be able to find Uranium underground – me. Hell, I had managed to find iron sulphate at the bottom of the ocean, and that was back when I was new to the Gaia business. The problem was, if I knew that, Shawn definitely knew it. He was going to use a Gaia to run his nuclear power plant. And if he has more than one plant…

I cleared my throat. "It's just the same as with renewable energy – we aren't there yet. I'm not sure us 'magical' types have developed that ability."

"But you have to agree, it’s probably easier to attain than a ramp up of renewable energy would entail."

I stayed silent – I would never, ever admit that.

The quiet chattering ahead of us stopped as the entire line of people was coming to a halt. I tried craning my neck over their heads. "What is it?"

Arnold stood on his tiptoes. "It's Alex."

The line ahead parted, as people began diving into the tree line on either side of the trail.

"What the—?" I stopped, mid-question, as soon as I saw Alex. He was flashing a signal with his hands; the one signal I didn't want to see. Enemy coming. Hide and stay down.

A flutter by my side and Arnold was gone, disappearing into the trees on the side of the trail. I had not thought he could move so quickly. I stayed put until Alex made his way down the entire line to me.

The panicked look in his eyes said it all, but he told me anyway, "Elementals. About 50."

He grabbed me at the waist, ushering me into the tree line.

"One Less?" I whispered back.

Just as the shadows enveloped us, we heard boots on the trail. Alex had me out of view just in time. We both crouched behind a thick bush. "There are so many. Oh my God – Bee!"

I tried to jump up.

Alex gripped my shoulder, hard. "She’s with Susan. I saw them hop off the trail on the other side."

"The other side!" I hissed. "Then why didn't we go that way?"

"I was just getting you off the trail—"

I put my hand over his mouth. The front of the column had just reached the trail in front of us, when someone put their fist in the air and shouted, "We'll stop here. Fifteen minute break."

Alex and I looked at each other, each mouthing the word, "Shit."





Chapter 24





Fresh Scars





The long column of Elementals broke rank. Most of them started to make their way into the tree line and we heard a series of zippers echo throughout the forest. Considering there were hundreds of people in the immediate area, the silence was deafening.

Alex and I leaned further into the bush in front of us. Already pitch black outside, the tree cover made it even darker. I pulled my hands into the sleeves of my jacket, and closed my mouth and eyes, eliminating the whitest parts of my body. I prayed Bee was still asleep.

Footsteps approached the other side of the bush. My heart jumped to my throat.

Please don't come around, please don't come around.

He didn't. We heard a buckle, a zipper, then a steady stream of liquid spray across the bush and ground. Alex's hand stayed on my shoulder – my hand still covered his mouth. We refused to move anything.

It was the longest pee in the history of man. They must have just come across a freshwater source. I slowly opened my eyes, and could just make out the silhouette of legs in front of me. The stream inched toward the toes of my boot, which were shoved so far under the bush they almost came out the other side. The sound of his urine took a higher pitch when it moved from dirt to my boot.

I whimpered, looking at Alex. His grip on my shoulder tightened. His eyes bore into me. His creased forehead all but told me, If you move, things much worse than a little pee on your boot will happen.

Then I heard it. Bee cried out.

Her whimper sounded strangely out of place, almost otherworldly, even to me. A murmur of confused whispers followed it.

The stream in front of us stopped. The man turned and said to himself, "A baby?"

Alex and I shot to our feet. The man on the other side of the bush whipped back around. His jaw met Alex's fist, and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Bee was still crying, but her voice was drifting further from us. Susan was on the run.

Short bursts of scuffles, scattered on both sides of the trail, brought the forest to life. Some of my people were running, some attacked. One Less responded more quickly than I did.

"Got one!" I heard down the way.

Someone responded, "Cuff 'em. Group them together!"