The Forbidden Trilogy(233)

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 had 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.