The Forbidden Trilogy(259)

***

Simmons arrived in an old, dark warehouse, clutching a note.

Meet me at the warehouse at midnight,

Steele

The lights turned on, revealing Steele standing in the center of the empty room, holding a handgun. Beleth slumped in a chair beside him, drugged.

An empty chair sat next to Beleth.

Steele gestured to it. "Thank you for coming. Please, have a seat."

Simmons didn't move. "What have you done to him?"

He pointed his gun at her. "I said have a seat."

She walked to the chair. "What have you done with the rest of the infants?"

"Relocated them to somewhere IPI won't find them."

She stopped walking to look at him. "It's not too late. You can still turn yourself in. I'll make sure IPI doesn't press charges."

The madness in his eyes—the sheer psychotic glare--flashed as he once again indicated that she should sit. "Don't worry about them. Tonight is about you. Tonight, you get to decide whose side you're on."

"Did Beleth decide?" She lowered herself to the chair and looked at Beleth, who seemed to be regaining consciousness.

"I'll admit: I nudged him in my direction. Mind alteration has its uses, after all, but it's never as pleasing as truly earning someone's loyalty. Do I have your loyalty, my dear?"

She hesitated, considering her options, then straightened her shoulders decisively. "I'm tired of you sick freaks."

"So be it." He looked at Beleth, who now sat straighter and more alert in his chair. "Choke her until she's unconscious."

Beleth moved quickly, placing his hands around her neck.

She squirmed, struggling, then pulled something from her pocket—a small detonator. She pushed the button and the side of the warehouse exploded, sending wood and metal and fire at the three of them.

A giant piece of metal hit Beleth, forcing him to release Simmons. She rolled away, and ran for the door.

Shards of wood hit Steele, sending him to his knees in pain

As Simmons ran away, the roof started collapsing, and a giant beam fell down.

Steele hopped around it, avoiding the impact, but it fell on Beleth. He tried to push it off, but in his drugged state he couldn't dislodge it alone.

Steele had disappeared in the flames of the explosion.

Beleth extended his hand toward Simmons, who had already reached the door. "Please. Please help me."

She paused and looked at him, her face hardened. "It's over. No more paranormals will be created. As for the ones left... you can burn in hell for all I care." She walked out the door and let the flames consume him.





Chapter 121 - Lucy



Lucy woke up, startled. She'd expected to land in the middle of another shocking memory, but instead found herself back at the IPI base in Hawaii, sleeping in a cot. Pain throbbed through her body, not the mind-numbing piercing pain of being shot—she was quite through with being shot at!—but the post-healing ache, which made her wish she could sleep until it was over. Still, given that she'd nearly died from multiple gunshot wounds, she was grateful to be doing as well as she was.

Luke walked into the room carrying some water and smiled when he saw her eyes open. "You're awake." He came to sit by her, grabbing her hand in his. "I'm so sorry, Luce."

"It's not your fault. Simmons did this." That bitch.

Simmons had been Steele's wife. Lucy could hardly believe all those memories; they painted such a dysfunctional picture—Steele trying to get Simmons powers, Simmons resenting that she couldn't get any, until both of them were driven to obsession.

In those flashes of the past, there must be something she could use, but first she had to talk to the bitch who'd done all this to her. "Where is she?"

His eyes looked tired, dark, his body sunken in a bit. "Locked up in the same pen she kept us in."

"I need to see her." Lucy tried to sit up, and fell back in bed from the pain of her muscles stretching.

"You need to rest. You almost died." Luke massaged her hand, concern in his eyes.

"We all almost died, but I'll be fine." She stood up despite the pain.

Luke helped her stand and made her drink some water first. Once she finished he looked her over and nodded. "Okay, but before you go, there's something you should see."

"What?"

"Follow me." Luke led her into the next room in the tent, where several agents sat around a television set.

On the screen a big—no, giant—man stood surrounded by rock and shrubs, as if in a crater. His muscles bulged as if they had a mind of their own and his skin glinted red.

It took Lucy a moment to recognize him. "Holy crap, that's Steele?"

He spoke to the camera. "By nightfall, the military forces on this island will be annihilated, and its authority will belong to you, my people. Those of you brave enough to rise up, come to Diamond Head."