The Forbidden Trilogy(267)

"You won't shoot me," Robyn said. "We're friends."

Sam pursed her lips as if considering it, then lifted her gun and shot her friend in the arm.

Robyn screamed and fell back, crying, blood running down her arm.

Drake pulled off his outer shirt and wrapped it around her arm, unable to process the fact that the woman he knew and loved could be turned into the monster that stood before him.

Sam blew on her gun like an actor in an old western, and grinned. "You give yourself too much credit, Robyn. You were never really my friend. I just felt sorry for you. You got pregnant by accident and still came on this assignment. How stupid is that?"

Drake looked at Robyn, who sobbed in his arms and shook from shock and pain.

She didn't deny the pregnancy. She just cried louder, then took a few deep breaths and spoke. "I don't care what you think, you crazy bitch. Give me my friend back."

Sam's smile disappeared and she aimed the gun at Robyn's head.

'Please, don't do this, Sam. You've got to be in there, don't!' Drake willed her to hear him, to listen—willed the real Sam to put a stop to this.

Sam slid her finger over the trigger, licked her lips, then dropped the gun to her side. "Don't upset me again." She crooked her finger at Drake. "Let's go, pretty boy."

Drake stood and helped Robyn up, and they followed Sam out of the bunker and to the center of the crater. Below them, cracks in the earth sent an eerie red light through the rock and shrubs.

Isn't this supposed to be dormant?

There shouldn't be any volcanic activity here, but then Steele was playing with powers no one understood. Who knew what he planned to unleash?

As they walked, Drake wondered if he'd gotten through to the real Sam buried in Steele's puppet. Did she pull back from shooting Robyn because he'd asked, or was he just looking for something that didn't exist anymore?





Chapter 125 - Lucy



The sphere flew through the air toward Beleth, who stared at it, his face stuck between wanting to touch it and wanting to run from it. As it neared him, he stepped back, letting Hunter loose to catch it.

Lucy wondered why Beleth couldn't touch the sphere. What would it do to him?

Hunter ignored the glow of the sphere in his hand and went on offense, attacking Beleth with his sword. They locked blades and Hunter growled at him. "I've beaten you once."

Beleth pressed forward, attacking. "Yet here I am."

When had Hunter beaten him? Of course. Hunter must have been the one to capture him in the first place. Lucy wanted to smack herself in the head for never even considering how Beleth had been brought down when he was their prisoner. So, if Hunter did it once, they might have a chance. For the first time since she fought this invincible foe, Lucy had hope that they could actually win.

She could feel the power of the sphere influencing Hunter, making him stronger and faster. He landed a kick that sent the giant man flying through the air as if he were a tennis ball. She suppressed a cheer.

Hunter fought as he spoke, never missing a beat. "Lucy, help Luke."

His voice came out harsh, breathless. "Get Simmons and get into the helicopter."

She paused, heart clenched in fear as he fought for his life, for all their lives.

He growled at her. "Go!"

She ran past them, scrambling to find Luke. He lay near the pen, limp, barely moving. Small cuts on his arms and legs trickled blood. Rage and worry bubbled inside Lucy. Beleth may have been a good person, but no one hurt her brother. She shook him gently.

He coughed and struggled to stand.

"Thank God, you're okay." She hugged him, and when he groaned, she backed away. "Sorry."

His smile twitched with pain. "Help me stand?"

She nodded and pulled him up.

The fight continued behind them, her boyfriend paired against a foe almost impossible to beat. What if Beleth had let himself get captured the first time? They could have been set up in order to take out the team sent to save the kids.

Which would mean Beleth is still unstoppable. "Hunter, I'm not leaving you."

Beleth's spider legs erupted and attacked, but Hunter moved with lightning speed, chopping off three of the legs with one stroke, then twirling around and kicking Beleth in the back. "I'll be fine. You need to stop Steele."

She hesitated. Once again she had to choose between two horrible choices: stay and risk losing this chance against Steele, or leave and risk losing Hunter. How many more times would she have to live in this suspended realm of needing to take two opposing actions?

She had to stop Steele. Hunter could take on Beleth with the sphere; she needed to believe that, or she'd never do what she had to do.

"Okay." She relented, and helped Luke walk as they went to find Simmons and track down Steele.