The Forbidden Trilogy(251)

It made Lucy sick.

Drake looked up at her as he twisted the metal. "As soon as we get out, we find your brother."

She nodded. "They'll be on the coast."

At least that was what her instincts told her. If the sphere could make Luke ten times stronger, he'd be able to destroy the facility from a long distance, and Simmons would want to act fast with minimal risk of failure. Hopefully, that meant the coast, and that they hadn't gone back to the mainland.

"I'm sorry," said Hunter, again—directing the apology to both Lucy and Drake this time. "I shouldn't have kept that thing."

"It's okay." Drake pulled tighter, grunting from the effort. "We all make mistakes." He stood back to examine the hole. "Let's go."

Norm paused and gripped Robyn. "What if we all get shot on sight?"

Drake's face hardened as he stepped out of the cell. "We won't."

Lucy followed, then ran toward the coast, her friends coming up from behind.

She'd already let Sam and Mr. K down. She would not let Luke down, too. He'd always been there for her, always looked out for her. She remembered the day she'd told Luke about the sphere. They'd sat on the log and thrown rocks into the water. He hadn't been angry at her for withholding the truth. He'd even accepted Hunter, eventually. Her brother never judged her for her flaws, and had been the one constant in her life, the one truth amidst a sea of lies. It was her turn to take care of him.

Along the shore, on a hill overlooking the water, Simmons stood surrounded by agents. Luke wavered beside her, looking stoned. Next to him, a tall piece of wood, like an altar or pedestal, held the sphere.

It pulsed and glowed and Lucy could feel its pull, but it no longer attracted her like it once did. Now it made her think of death and heartache. She had to get to Luke, but how? They had no weapons, no powers.

They crept closer, hiding behind rocks and bushes.

Simmons was making a speech. "Today, we end a tyrant. Today, we end this war." She waved her fist in the air like some crazed Nazi.

Her men gave half-hearted affirmations of 'yes', but Lucy could tell they didn't want to do this. They wanted a better way. What kind of person could kill innocent children and not feel guilt or grief? What kind of person could celebrate that? She wished she'd taken Beleth up on his offer and killed the bitch when she had the chance, but that would have made Lucy into someone like Simmons, and she never wanted to become that person.

Gary came up behind her. "We should wait until he starts to use the sphere. They'll be distracted and we'll have the upper hand."

It made sense, but Lucy couldn't let Luke start. She stepped out of cover and ran toward the hill, then stopped at the base and screamed. "Stop!"

Everyone turned to look at her.

Simmons hissed. "How?" She gestured to the other agents. "Get her. Take her back to the pen."

They didn't immediately jump at the command, reluctant to carry out the act, but they were trained to follow her orders. Just as one neared Lucy and was about to lay a hand on her, Hunter charged out of the brush and tackled the man.

The rest of the team followed. They didn't have their para-powers yet, but the drug's weakening effects were wearing off, and they all had been trained to fight.

The agents had guns, putting Lucy and her friends at a disadvantage, but they didn't raise them.

Hunter tried to rally the agents. "Don't do this. There are children in there. Don't let her do this."

"Silence him!" Simmons glared at a pair of agents, who moved to pin Hunter down.

He fought well, but they were outnumbered.

Lucy used the chaos to her advantage, and ran up the hill where her brother stood next to Simmons and Agent Mark.

Luke frowned at her and wobbled. The drugs must have made him easier to persuade.

Simmons commanded her agents to stop Lucy, then shoved Luke. "Start, or she will die."

He didn't move, and Lucy kept running.

Simmons yelled, "I am giving you a direct command from your superior officer. Shoot her now. Shoot her, or you will all be held up on charges for disobeying a direct order."

Still, the agents refused to shoot a girl in the back. Lucky for Lucy.

She reached for Luke. "Don't do it. Don't—"

A blast of gunfire deafened her and she fell to one knee, blood pouring from her leg.

Simmons had finally gotten to one agent, and more were sure to follow. Group-think at its best.

"Do it, Luke. Now!" said Simmons. "Or my agents will keep firing."

"No! Luke, you can't. Sam's in there, and her baby. All those kids. Think about what you're doing." Lucy hobbled forward, determined to stop him.

Tears filled his eyes and he put his hand on the sphere. The glow brightened and his body tensed. He looked toward the facility on the horizon.