The Forbidden Trilogy(137)

Beleth's laugh came out bitter and harsh. "So that's it? Those kids are just trading one facility for another. IPI just wants them for their own experiments. With you, they'll be lab rats. With us, they have purpose, a greater mission in life. We do what we must, and make the hard choices for the greater good of our kind. You're being used and you don't even know it."

Lucy's blood pressure spiked as she thought of all the ways Rent-A-Kid had manipulated them. "Your organization ruined my best friend's life. You killed our mother, killed one of our guards, and destroyed so many lives I can't even count. People, good people, are dead because of your 'greater good.' How dare you claim that you're better than IPI or anyone else. How dare you stand behind some grand purpose to justify the abuse you perpetrate. The ends, even if I agreed with them, do not justify the means you use to obtain them." She stepped closer, fighting the urge to beat the crap out of this guy.

He finally moved his head, just enough to stare into her eyes. "Those deaths mean nothing compared to what we fight for."

Her hand flew at him as if powered by its own force. Her palm stung at the force of the slap. His head didn't even budge at the force, nor did his skin show signs of the impact. He remained unflappable, and Lucy burned with anger.

In the same cold voice, Beleth spoke. "Aren't you the reckless one? Certain times call for being still. If you can't quench the flames that burn within you, they will consume you."

Is this guy seriously giving me Zen advice? Whatever. If he wouldn't give her the information she needed, they'd do it the hard way.

They'd had tougher assignments. Like their recent Russian adventure—genetic experiments, shootings, and... Adam. He'd been one of their mutations—part man, part beast, but the heart of a true friend. He'd run into a spray of bullets to save her.

She didn't need crap from this guy. She'd do it her own way.

She turned to walk away, but Beleth's next words stopped her. "You're not so different from us. When the time comes, you'll do what it takes. When hard decisions have to be made, you'll make them."

Lucy whipped her head around. "No. I'm nothing like you and your kind. I'll make the right decision, or none at all."

Beleth dropped his head. "Sometimes there are no right decisions, and you are left with the lesser of two evils."

More turbulence threw Lucy off balance once again. Before Luke could use his para-power to steady her, Beleth's arms reached out, his hard muscles stopping her fall against the sink. Thunder shook the plane and flashes of lightning lit up the windows. Lucy used Beleth's body to balance herself and stand again. His skin was cool under her hands, his gaze unwavering, and with each flex of his muscles, his tattoos came alive and seemed to crawl over his skin like living ink.

Lucy removed her hands from his body and nodded her head. "Thank you."

A small smile touched Beleth's lips, and Lucy wondered what secrets lurked behind his dark eyes.

The plane shuddered again, and as Luke and Lucy turned to leave, Morrison approached them. "We have a problem. The plane is slowing down... on its own. The pilot can't do anything about it."

With a skipping heart, Lucy looked out the window. The storm that caused the turbulence was in full rage and the plane appeared to have stalled in midair. The power of the sphere pulsed like her own heartbeat, faster and faster as Mother Nature whipped them around. The increased frenzy of the sphere was Lucy's only warning that powers beyond nature had hold of the plane. She gasped as the tail of the plane tilted up as if on a string that someone jerked.

"Hold on!" Her warning was too late, as everyone on board slid toward the front of the plane. She held tight to a chair, but gravity forced her to let go and she crashed into Luke.

Morrison looked almost comical as he tried to right himself and regain control of his team. "Everyone, just stay calm as we figure out what's going on."

Before the agent could follow through on his plan, the back hatch of the plane, where they would have parachuted from, screeched open as metal twisted and snapped apart. The cabin pressure quickly changed and pulled at them.

A panicked pilot hollered from the cockpit. "I've lost all control of the plane and there's a helicopter hovering above us."

Everything clicked for Lucy as she looked into Bethel's eyes. "Paranormals. They're attacking the plane."

Bethel's head dipped slightly to acknowledge her words. "Now is the time for stillness."

As if on command, men in black poured into the cabin, some carrying guns, and others... she guessed they didn't need guns. That worried her even more.

Agent Morrison pulled his own gun and aimed it at Beleth's head. "This is what you're here for, right? Him? Don't move or I'll blast his brains out, I swear."