The Forbidden Trilogy(249)

He held up Lucy's sphere. "We haven't tried this."

Lucy stood up and stared down at him, hands on her first. "You dug it up?"

Hunter lowered his eyes, too ashamed to make eye contact with her. "It's years ahead of our time. I knew it could be useful in the right hands."

Ah, of course! "But not my hands, apparently."

Simmons took her notebook and slapped it against the desk. "Stop! Agent Riley, is that...?"

He nodded. "NA-1."

Simmons took the sphere from Hunter, admiring it as though it were the greatest treasure ever. "This is what we need. Luke, you can use this."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't want to."

"It will enhance your powers," said Hunter. "I held it briefly, while I fought Beleth. My strength must have risen ten-fold."

Luke chuckled, probably at the fact that Hunter finally admitted to having para-powers, at least to Luke.

Simmons held the sphere in front of Luke. "You can use this to defeat Steele."

Luke sipped his tea. "If we infiltrate the facility again, go after Steele directly, sure I'll use it."

"No." Simmons stared at the sphere, then looked up at us again. "We have no time for that. We need to target the facility itself."

Luke bristled. "Excuse me?"

"You tore apart the helicopter. Tear apart the buildings. Crush Steele under his own devices."

"And everyone else in there." Luke stared at her. "I won't do that."

Father Patrick interrupted. "We cannot condemn all those children. And what about Sam and Ana?"

Simmons snapped and paced the floor, tossing the sphere back and forth between her hands. "If we don't act now, Steele will become the most powerful paranormal ever. Then we will never stop him."

"I still won't do it," said Luke.

Simmons sighed. "You have no choice." She motioned to her agents. "Take them away. They have all disobeyed orders, endangering this operation."

The room became charged with tension and Hunter stood. "You can't."

Gary held out his hand over a metal desk. "Don't come closer, or I'll—" his face fell and he shook his hand as if it was defective.

Oh, God. Oh, shit. Oh no! I turned to Luke. "Lie to me."

"I love Simmons."

Nothing. No buzz, and that was most assuredly a lie. Luke tried to push his hand through his chair, and instead smacked it against the metal.

Lucy looked down at her tea and dropped the mug onto the floor, where it shattered.

The agents moved in, restraining everyone. Lucy fought, as did the others, but the tea hadn't just stripped them of their para-powers, it had weakened them physically. She was about as effective as a kitten fighting a pit bull.

The room spun and Lucy's head felt wobbly. She looked at Hunter, whose face registered betrayal and anger.

Simmons ordered her men. "Get that drug out of Luke's system. And give him something to make him more... complacent."

That bitch.

Simmons didn't want their help; she was arresting them. And because of Hunter... well, because of the sphere, she would force Luke to kill hundreds of children. That would destroy him.

Robyn cried and Drake raged. Father Patrick slumped in his chair. Agents pulled him up and dragged him out of the room. Simmons didn't want their help.

Luke continued his protests. "I won't do it."

"Oh, I think you will." Simmons walked up to Lucy, who was being held by two agents. She lifted Lucy's chin up harshly and then squeezed her neck. She winked at Luke. "I know you will."





Chapter 117 - Drake



Drake sat in a pen under the harsh light of the sun, surrounded by his friends. Well, they weren't really his friends, and Luke and Sam were missing from the group. Lucy looked as miserable as he felt.

Long metal poles had been dug into the ground and erected with wires to keep them together. A guard stood outside with a gun poised and ready. Robyn wept softly as Norm held her. Greg and Gary held hands and stared out at nothing. Mary slumped in a corner by herself. Hunter and Lucy huddled together and whispered back and forth animatedly.

The only people who had stayed near Drake were Father Patrick and Toby. How could these animals lock up a kid and an old priest?

Father Patrick placed his hand on Drake's. "Don't give up, Son. The light shines brightest after the darkest hour."

"I just need to get Ana and Sam back." He'd already told everyone about what happened to Sam, and how Steele had altered his mind. They hadn't judged, not really, but Drake felt responsible. If he'd been strong enough, Steele wouldn't have been able to control him in that way. "I came back to help, and all I did was make things worse."

"Not so," the old priest insisted. "Evil prospers when good people do nothing. You've taken a stand. The doings of this group are not your fault. I've always seen greatness around you, and I know you have a higher calling. You are meant to give something incredible to the world—you and Sam both. Don't give up now. You just have to think—" He gestured to the cell. "—outside the box, as it were."