The Forbidden Trilogy(113)

"You are just no fun," Mary purred.

"Come on, Mary, we don't have much time."

"Fine." She rubbed her leg up and down his and massaged his arm. "Mr. Black, tell us where the other kids are, please."

"They're not here. But they're not far."

"Mmmhmmm... that's a good boy. What else can you tell us? An address perhaps?"

Mr. Black stared at her chest and opened his mouth to answer, then snapped it closed. His head jerked, and he pushed Mary off his lap and onto the floor.

Lucy's earpiece came to life. "Sis, you ready for the fire?"

Lucy saw Mr. Blacks' eyes clear and knew something had happened.

Mary's panicked crawl across the room confirmed it. "Lucy, my powers, they're gone." She huddled in a corner and shivered.

Lucy whispered into her mouthpiece. "Luke, stand down. Something's wrong."

Mr. Black stretched himself to full height and laughed. "Do you really think I'm that stupid, that I didn't know your plan? I knew you'd try something, which is why I had the Seeker implant part of his consciousness in my mind. Disgusting, I know, but necessary to make sure you couldn't use me for your scheme."

Was that even possible? Could the Seeker really do that? Sam had said he was powerful, but—

Lucy couldn't tell if he'd lied.

In that moment, she knew they'd all lost their powers. Things were about to fall apart quickly.

Outside, soldiers issued orders to those in their command. Lucy could hear the groups fanning out across campus. She remembered all the students with guns and imagined what would happen if they used them. "Gary, stand down. Abort plan. We screwed up. It's too late. You need to get everyone back to the dorms."

Through the window, Lucy saw a man dressed in a white robe lead a group of soldiers toward the control room. The man seemed more god or angel than human. His long white hair touched his waist and he had pale, nearly translucent skin. He wore dark glasses, though it was night, but had no trouble navigating the path.

Gary's voice crackled in Lucy's ear, rousing her from the reverie that had settled over her. "It doesn't matter. We have to attack now. If we die, we die, but we can't give up and let them win."

"Gary, please, don't start shooting. Our powers are gone. We will all die—and it does matter. If we live, we have tomorrow to fight. If we die, it's over for good."

Soldiers crashed into the control room brandishing guns. They parted like the Red Sea when the man in white moved through them.

He spoke with a voice of honey and wine—sweet and intoxicating—and Lucy knew he was the Seeker.

"Please, lay down your weapon and surrender peacefully. There's no need for this kind of uprising amongst friends."

Tension filled the room. Lucy prayed to any god who would listen that none of her team tried to play hero and take out a guard or the Seeker.

Then, the last person in the world Lucy expected to take up the hero role walked up behind the Seeker. Mary grabbed a chair....

...and swung it at his head.

The Seeker didn't turn to face his attacker, or even move at all, but Mary screamed.

She dropped the chair and clutched at her head as if someone were frying her brain. She collapsed to the floor in a heap, and stayed there, motionless.

Neil screamed and ran out of the building.

Without a command, the guards fired on them.

Lucy ran to the window with the intention of breaking it and jumping out. Have to get to Luke. Have to regroup.

Luke's voice called out in her earpiece. "Lucy! What's happening?"

She opened her mouth to answer him, but something bit her shoulder. She reached her hand around to swat at it and discovered blood. A lot of it. All hers.

The room collapsed in on her, and then darkness took her.





Chapter 47 – Sam



The dingy motel room had two double beds with cheap, ugly comforters on them, two dressers, a television, and a desk with internet hookup. As uncomfortable as it looked, the promise of sleep enticed me. My baby kicked against my ribs and pressed down on my bladder.

"This is your stop, Dude," Drake told Brad.

We were about an hour from the Rent-A-Kid site. Drake and I would leave in the morning to take down the Seeker and help my friends escape. Brad would work with Father Patrick and anyone else he could find, to help us once we got the kids out.

Brad nodded and pulled out his computer. "What if you don't make it? Then what?"

"There's no Plan B. If we fail, get the hell out of here and stay off the radar, got it?"

Despite the non-smoking request, the room smelled of stale cigarettes, booze and sex. Maybe a shower with a lot of fruity shampoo would get the stench out of my nostrils.

Hot water had a soothing effect on my body, but did nothing to wash the gore and blood from my mind. Drake had killed a man. He'd done it right in front of me. How could I ever look at him the same again?