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Chapter 27
Dungeons…
Everything was quiet again. That could have been either a very good, or a very bad, thing. One side had won the battle, or it had been moved elsewhere. Either way, I hoped it meant we’d be able to find a way out of this accursed place never to return.
Tiptoeing through the large open corridor, I slung my bag over my shoulder and led the group back toward the cells. From inside the bag, I felt the spear rattling around with my grandfather’s journal, as if the two items were fighting with each other. After all, the spearhead had proven itself to be a pretty strange object so far – who knew what it was capable of?
I peeked around the corner and down the long corridor. Nothing. No one. Not satisfied with just a visual scan, I did a mental one as well. There was still no one, at least not in that direction. There were people still in the facility. And based on the jumble of emotions, I could tell they weren’t Agents, which meant–
“This way,” I told the group, heading further down the larger corridor instead of past the cells.
Tiffany began to argue as she strode ahead of me – she was still trying to get used to the suit. It really enhanced her strength and agility. She might have had quicker reflexes than me. “I thought you said–”
I cut her off. “We’re not heading out. The others are in here.” Even if I couldn’t get them safely home, I could still lead them from this wretched place.
“What others?” Savanah began this time. “We got who you needed to get. Let’s get the hell out!” She shot Eddie an evil look, deciding he wasn’t as special as I’d let on. Maybe he wasn’t. He certainly hadn’t proven himself any better than the rest of us.
“Then go, Savanah!” I told the girl. “But what if it were you in here? Wouldn’t you want someone to rescue you? Would your grandfather have wanted you to abandon these people?”
The last question had stung. We both knew it. I would have apologized, but it was just the spur I needed to get her to agree. And I was pretty sure I needed her help.
We made it to the end of the hall, to another set of double doors. There were a lot of people on the other side of those doors, their minds in total chaos – so much so that I couldn’t begin to grab a coherent thought. Loud bangs and yells filled the air, growing ever louder the closer we came.
Pulling open the doors, we were hit with a sound wave that threatened to deafen me. Still I stepped into the room, followed by my comrades. It was nothing but a cafeteria. Long wooden tables with plastic chairs, and a metal counter where meals would be served. Except for the fireballs, the metal spikes, children flying through the air, tables being carried over people’s heads, and arms stretching clear across the room, it really could have been our lunchroom, right down to the students fighting and throwing crap at each other.
Hey, it happened once – on Chili Day. That was a disaster. I could still smell the way the lunchroom reeked. They will never serve chili in the cafeteria again. No big loss, in my mind.
It was like a battle royale – every man (and woman) for themselves, with no regard for anyone else. There was a vast age range. The youngest was about ten. The oldest was in his mid-twenties. None noticed our entrance. No matter how old, they were too busy beating on each other. And they appeared to be having fun doing it. There was no anger, only enjoyment at unleashing their gifts for the first time since – well, it was different for each one. For some it was a week, for others, more than a year. The longer it had been for them, the more pleasure they felt.
“This is who you want to save?” Savanah asked. “They’re savages. We should let them rot here and save ourselves.”
“It’s like Lord of the Flies,” Sam gasped.
Though I had to agree with Sam’s analogy, I knew we still needed to save them. If we left them here to their own devices, they’d either get recaptured, or kill each other. Neither option was something I could live with.
“Everybody stop!” I shouted, but my voice was lost amid the screams of the prisoners.
The rumble continued. The inmates were going to force me open my mind to their thoughts. And of course I would do it, because it needed to be done.
Sighing, I attached mental tendrils to the throng of minds in the room. Thoughts streamed in, overloading my senses like a computer running too many programs at once. I needed to do this quickly, or face a total brain shutdown.
When I had them all in my mental grip, I again shouted, “Everybody stop!” This time, I amplified my voice cutting into the erratic thoughts of the inmates.
The action ceased. Boys and girls alike froze in place like waxworks in one of those museums, making the scene look like a grotesque piece of art depicting a battlefield.
All eyes focused upon me, checking out the young girl who’d put an end to their amusement. I suddenly didn’t know what to do or say.
I stood at the front of the room like a statue, as unmoving as the inmates. They waited for me to do something, but nothing came to mind.
And that’s why you’re gonna fail public speaking next year.
“Um-mm…” I stammered, my meek voice now carrying to the back of the room.
“Who’re you?” a boy with a rather oversized fist shouted angrily.
Ethan stepped forward, ever my protector. “This is Christine Carpenter. She’s the one who freed you all.”
“So what?” a young girl, with blue-ish skin, making her look as if she were suffocating, asked. “You’re nobody.”
Ethan started to yell back at the girl, but I put a hand on his chest to stop him. “She’s right.” I turned to the crowd, raising my voice and finding the courage to speak. “I am nobody. Just another one of you.”
Don’t do the Braveheart speech, I told myself. It’ll be lame.
“We’re all looking for our freedom. None of us wants to be here, locked in cells, having our powers suppressed. I’m sure some of you don’t even want powers at all.” There was a murmur of agreement in the crowd. “No matter what, I’m going to get you out. All of you.”
“Why should we listen to you?” asked a man with long blondish hair who had to be at least ten years older than me. “You’re just a kid.”
I did have an answer to that, and I said it so quickly, it was like the question was staged. “Because I’m your only chance of getting out of here.” I didn’t actually know if that was true, but it sounded good. “So the way I see it, you’ve got two choices: you can come with me and escape this underground prison, or you can stay here and fight the whole MHDA when reinforcements arrive to put an end to your rebellion.”
“How can we trust you?” This time, it was Johnny – or one of his copies – looking at me with nothing but contempt. “It’s because of y’all that I’m in here.”
Maybe if you and your sister hadn’t pick-pocketed me… I let the thought die before the rage took over. I should have said it, though. At least, I should have said something like it. It would have been better than what I actually uttered. “I don’t know.”
More murmurs ran through the crowd. I’d almost won them over, and now, with one simple statement, they turned against me. Johnny crossed his arms across his swelled chest and smirked.
I grabbed his hand with my mind and made him slap himself with it. I did it pretty hard too, because he had a red handprint on his cheek. Now I wore the satisfied smirk, but only for a moment.
“She’s working with them!” A girl pointed an accusatory finger at me. “She’s trying to lead us into a trap!”
I honestly took offense to that. She didn’t know me any more than I knew her. And yet she was passing judgment. It was like–
Damn. It was like I did with everyone. It was like the MHDA did with all of us. I saw all these people as being good, because they were like me. When for all I knew, each boy was another Johnny, and every girl another Gina. The Agents saw us all as evil, because we were different. And different was scary, different was threatening.
“Chris,” Tiffany glanced back into the hall, “someone’s coming.”
Panic flooded my veins. By coming here and trying to save everyone, I’d put myself, and all my friends, in danger. I knew it wouldn’t take long to regroup, but I figured on longer than a couple of minutes.
I turned back to the crowd. The inmates’ disapproving stares did little for my confidence. Still, I pressed on. “Trust me, or don’t. But Agents are coming, right now. If you stay and fight, I’m sure you’ll lose. And even if you don’t, most of you won’t make it out.” I paused to gather myself. The words might have finally been flowing freely from my mouth, but I was still a nervous wreck and I needed a second to choose my next words.
“If you listen to me,” I continued, but had a second thought. “If you let me lead you, I know we’ll all get out of this.”
“How d’ya plan on getting us all out of here?” Johnny asked. “When the Agents see us, we’re toast.”
All I need is a little imagination. Even as I thought this, the words spilled from my mouth. “Interesting question, Johnny. Where’s your sister?”
**********
In less than three minutes, all one-hundred-six (yes, I counted) prisoners were cleared from the room. I’d even convinced my friends, with some argument, to go with them.
Gina was less than thrilled to help me. Her thoughts when I approached can’t be repeated in polite company, though many of her words were four letters long.
She didn’t think she could do it. “There’s too many.”
Which was why I wanted Eddie. I told him to imagine Gina’s powers were amplified, so when everyone in the room joined hands with Gina, they’d all disappear. I just hoped Cyanide wasn’t in the crowd.
Disappear they did.
Once second I was in a room full of people, and the next, they were all gone. Well, not really gone. They were still there – just invisible. Only two people weren’t transparent – me and Eddie.
I made everyone stand silently along the back wall.
Anyone who walked in would see two kids standing in the middle of an empty room. Eddie and I were the distraction. Once we led the MHDA away, Gina would take the others out. It was the perfect plan – if it worked. If it didn’t, it was the worst plan ever concocted.
Tromping footsteps came down the corridor. Eddie tensed beside me as he thought about what he had to do.
“You ready for this?” I sent soothing thoughts to keep him calm. My own butterflies threatened to fly away with my stomach, but I couldn’t send soothing thoughts to myself. Besides, Eddie was vital to our escape. Hell, Eddie was our escape.
He nodded as my calming emotions washed over his mind.
“As soon as the doors open,” I looked up at the ceiling, “go for it.”
“Ok-kay.”
The booted footfalls stopped outside the door. I sucked in a breath and held it.
If this didn’t work, I’d never see my family again. I wouldn’t see Conner grow up, and find out if he shared my powers. I wouldn’t talk to Grandpa Carpenter again. I wouldn’t get to stay in my other grandparents’ apartment again. And I’d never go to prom – okay, no big loss there. After my last dance, I’d had enough to last a lifetime.
It will work, the voice said, trying to boost my morale. It’s too crazy not to.
Crazy. I looked up at the ceiling again, just as the doors banged open. Yeah, that about covers it.
They swarmed in like bees returning to the hive. Each Agent now wore full combat gear, complete with helmet, mask, and bullet-proof vest. Each also toted a machinegun. I was sure they no longer carried sedatives. Real and deadly bullets awaited us.
“Stay calm,” I whispered to Eddie, hoping I could follow my own advice.
A seemingly endless stream of Agents poured into the room, blocking off escape through the corridor.
Except I had no intention of going through the corridor. “You ready?” I asked.
We were surrounded on three sides by a sea of black uniforms. The darkness of the Agents’s outfits seemed to suck the light from the room. The ache to shoot us down filled my head from so many sources even I began to think it was a good idea.
Ready to make my move, I waited for Eddie to imagine our escape. The vision appeared in his head. He almost had it, and once he did, we were gone.
The images fizzled as one Agent pushed through the black uniforms to stand in the front. She still wore the white form-fitting suit, making her, with her bright blonde hair, stand out among them all.
Eddie froze, recognizing Abby.
“I see you’ve found young Edward,” she said in a nonchalant tone. It was amazing how she could sound so uncaring about a subject, yet keep an edge of danger in her voice at the same time. “You really have made a mess of things, Christine.”
Eddie’s rage boiled over. I couldn’t blame him. It was because of this woman he’d spent the weekend as an ice cube. However, I’d seen what could happen when he lost control, and I couldn’t let it happen again.
Focus, I projected. Stick to the plan.
He didn’t respond, verbally or mentally.
“Christine, you honestly don’t know the danger you’ve put us all in,” Abby continued. “I need you to step away so we can subdue him.”
“I don’t think so.” I moved between Abby and the boy. “We’re leaving.”
And soon. Hopefully.
The longer we lingered, the worse the danger. Every second risked the discovery of our invisible allies. Not to mention that some trigger-happy Agent could open fire at any time.
Come on, Eddie, I sang in his head. It’s time to go.
He was too far gone. All Eddie saw at that moment was Abby’s face with a thick, red halo around it. There was nothing I could say to bring him back. It was only my mental hold on Eddie right then that prevented him from imagining the slaughter of every Agent in the room.
“Christine, I’m afraid you don’t have a choice this time,” she said. “As you can see, you are clearly outnumbered. Even together, you two won’t get out of here alive if you attempt to escape.”
I glared at Eddie. This is why we don’t let stupid boys be the key to our plans!
What could I do? If I couldn’t get Eddie to imagine our escape, there would be a bloodbath – on both sides. Not even I could stop every bullet fired from all those guns.
My friends knew something was wrong. Their apprehension mixed with the fears from the other prisoners. Thankfully, the only noises came from their heads.
Keeping my connection to Eddie open, I saw him try and imagine all the Agents’ guns exploding, instantly killing them all. As quick as he formed the image, I suppressed it. I was able to put a stop to that one, but unless I calmed Eddie down, eventually one of his horrid imaginings would become reality.
“I think all of you need to get out of here.” I added a plea in my voice.
If I could knock him out. It wasn’t an option – not yet anyway. The boy was still my exit strategy. But if it came down to saving lives—even Agents’ lives—and making an escape, I’d have to take Eddie out.
Abby shook her head. “You have until the count of five to give yourselves up, then as much as I hate to do it, I will order my men to fire.”
Somewhere behind me, Ethan tensed, ready to grab me and sweep me away from this place. I sent him a soothing thought to make sure he didn’t do anything to expose the rest of the prisoners. If he let go of the chain, he would instantly become visible. And if he suddenly appeared at the back of the room to rescue me, Abby and the others would know something was up.
“But–”
“One.”
“Please–”
“Two.”
There was no reasoning with her. If they opened fire, they’d not only kill me and Eddie, but also the hundred and six people behind us, or at least those without impervious skin. I needed to jumpstart Eddie.
“Three.”
Imagine. Come on, you idiot! I pictured our escape. Every floor between us and the surface would disappear, leaving a gaping hole in the cafeteria ceiling and a tunnel for us to fly through. Then I would grab Eddie and fly the two of us up and out. The Agents would chase us up the stairs. Gina and the others, still invisible, would follow.
“Four.”
I pictured all this in my head, and then shoved it into Eddie’s, along with a quick prayer.
“Christine, please don’t make me do this.”
It took a moment for his head to accept the images. Once he did, his rage softened, a little.
And then, suddenly, a hole appeared in the ceiling directly overhead. No debris fell. The matter that made up everything between us and the outside just vanished – at least, that’s what I’d pictured.
Before Abby could even utter the “F” in her final word, I grabbed Eddie around the waist and shot for the ceiling. We were up, through the hole, and into the next floor in less than a second.
I barely had time to register what the room looked like, as it zoomed by in a red-rusty blur. The tiny pinpoint of blackish-blue sky expanded quickly, until stars became visible. Within seconds, we shot through into open air.
I floated to the ground next to a tall building and dropped Eddie to the grass. On top of the building I was just able to make out a humongous radar dish, probably the biggest I’d ever seen. It could have been the size of the room we’d just left a few hundred feet below our sneakers.
The only reason I could see anything in the cool night was because the moon happened to be full. It cast a soft bluish-white glow around us.
The only sounds for a while was our breathing, and the low chirps of crickets coming from the woods. Thankfully, no gunfire followed us up the hole. Lightning bugs filled the night, looking like thousands of little yellow Christmas lights, swirled around the trees. The scene would have truly been breathtaking if we weren’t running for our lives.
“Come on, Ed.” I tugged on his sleeve, all the while getting my bearings and planning which way to run.
I was surprised when something hit my back, almost knocking the wind out of me. I found myself stumbling to the ground. Tasting dirt in my open mouth, and soiling the clean white doctor’s outfit I wore, I rolled onto my back to locate my assailant.
Eddie stood above me, looking quite angry. “What did you do to me?” He was practically foaming at the mouth.
Now I really was afraid of the boy. He looked more like the Hulk than a young boy. His eyes flashed red, and I was able to see the fire burning out of control within him. My own heart was pounding. What to do?
“What are you talking about?”
I scooted away on my hands, but was nowhere near quick enough. He pulled back his arm like he was going to punch me. I cowered, throwing my arms up to protect my face, too stunned to do more.
But no blow came. “Never control my thoughts again,” he said.
I managed to look up at him. “I just saved your life! You could at least say thank you.”
“Why should I? All those men and women down there should be dead, ya know? They would be, if you hadn’t played your little mind trick on me.”
“You really wanted to kill them all?” The boy was insane. He was willing to commit mass murder, and it didn’t bother him in the least.
“It’s the only way I can be free.” Spit flew from his mouth like a raving lunatic. “Even if I escape, they’re going to follow me. They’ll keep coming after me until… until…” He closed his eyes, almost like he was in pain, but I knew he was imagining something – something terrible.
Suddenly, in a bright flash that looked like lightning, except the sky was still perfectly clear, my view of Eddie was replaced by a scaly, glistening leg the size of a tree trunk. A black, lizard-like claw dug into the dirt, churning up roots and bugs as it moved. I followed the leg up until it joined a torso, and then arms, wings, and finally a head. The eyes of the beast glowed from at least twenty feet above me, looking down like a predator gazing at its next meal. A spray of steam issued from its long snout, reeking of rotting flesh. As its mouth opened I saw rows of sharp, pointed teeth that would be more than enough to tear an elephant to shreds.
Sitting atop its back, on a saddle he must have conjured, was Eddie, wearing a suit of armor as black as the beast he rode.
The creature stood straight, unfurled its wings and roared, splitting the relative quiet of the night and causing everything within the area to go silent. Fire spewed from its mouth, briefly casting an orange glow over everything.
Stumbling to my feet, I ran. A dragon. He couldn’t just imagine himself as Superman. I had to get out of there as fast as I could. Eddie was pissed, and not just at the Agents. Anyone who crossed his path would be slaughtered.
A large door banged open. The Agents stormed out of the radar tower. If they tried to hurt Eddie in any way – which they would – Eddie would kill them. I couldn’t let that happen.
Several curses ran through my mind as I looked back at the monster Eddie had conjured. I shouldn’t have bothered with them, because in his own way, Eddie was right. They would hunt him down unless he did something about it.
As much as I hated to admit it, I had been wrong about the boy. Maybe I hadn’t been meant to save him at all. Maybe it was my job to put an end to him. If that was my fate, then so be it. Save him or not, Eddie would not murder another person.
As I jogged back toward Eddie, Agents began to surround him, guns aimed at the dragon he rode upon. It seemed the tables had finally turned and my enemies were now my allies, no matter how temporarily. Together we had to fight off this threat, because Abby was right: Eddie was too dangerous.
Stepping into the ring of Agents, who all ignored me, I found Abby. Standing next to her, looking up at our common enemy, I said, “Time to slay a dragon.” Then I took off into the air.
Chapter 28
… and Dragons
Dammit, Eddie! I tried one last time to make him see reason before I pummeled him into the ground. Do you see what you’re doing?
He looked around, confused, even as he gripped tightly to the neck of the dragon. He finally caught me in his vision, floating above him, out of range of the reptile’s snapping jaws. “Get out of my head!” he shrieked.
Eddie, please, don’t make me do this. Those exact same words came out of Abby’s mouth less than ten minutes ago. I really didn’t want to hurt Eddie. I had wanted to count him as a friend one day, but I also knew what needed to be done.
The dragon’s head snapped in my direction. It opened its mouth, spewing a fireball at me. I moved away, but the scorching heat singed my eyebrows. Note to self: Stay away from fireballs.
Maybe I should have let him die on the table. No. Letting him die was no better than letting him kill all these people.
Below, the Agents swarmed. They looked like tiny ants surrounding the foot of a man, and were probably just as threatening. They were resourceful, though – if anyone could figure out how to take out Eddie’s dragon, it would be them. Well, I could figure it out too, I hoped, given enough time. The difference was, they wanted Eddie’s head, and despite his problems, I still wanted to save it.
I tried relaying these thoughts to Eddie, but his rage rendered him both blind and deaf.
Come on Christine, think. It seemed that a person with awesome mental abilities should be able to come up with a solution to this mess. Unfortunately, no matter what I thought of, I ended up snapped inside the jaws of the dragon. I thought long and hard about making Eddie see his greatest fear. It had worked before. But that might cause whatever deep dark horror he harbored to become real. For all I knew, his greatest fear was Godzilla – then I’d have two giant lizards to contend with.
Christine. I turned toward the mind calling out to me, only to see Abby Davidson gazing up in my direction, trying to warn me off. She pointed left, Get out of the way! They were going to attack.
No, I sent back. She hadn’t even given me a chance to talk him down. I couldn’t allow them to just kill Eddie. Dangerous or not, he deserved to live.
Abby didn’t seem to want to wait this time. I didn’t hear the words over the dragon’s roar, but her mouth moved. The next thing I knew, the night was alight with the mini-explosions leaving gun barrels. Waving my hand, I mentally swatted at the thousands of bullets travelling in our direction. The bullets flew off in all directions, whizzing into the woods and bouncing off the concrete side of the radar tower.
The effort had taken a lot out of me and I had to land on the roof next to the giant radar dish. At least I was able to stop that volley, and the Agents below, trying to figure out what had happened, had stopped their attack.
It wasn’t the end. Eddie was now furious. He was going to make those Agents pay for what they’d done. Thankfully, I was able to see his attack before it happened. He planned on having his dragon sweep its head along the line of Agents, spitting fire down upon them like napalm.
This is going to hurt. Even if I hadn’t deflected a thousand bullets, this would have caused me trouble. The radar dish was the only object large enough I could think of using. I just hoped it would hold against the intense heat the dragon was sure to subject it to.
Taking a mental hold of the dish, I yanked it from its perch atop the tower. Metal bent and creaked and bolts sprang free, shooting off like bullets into the night. The dish’s foundation cracked with a loud snap, and suddenly a long crooked gash, like a lightning bolt, appeared on the roof and ran down the side of the building.
It was heavy, I’ll admit that. Technically, I should have been able to move whole mountains with my mind – though this was according to Quinn, who I still wasn’t trusting. Even so, the larger the object, the harder time I had moving it. This football field-sized dish was proving much more difficult than I had anticipated.
Panic wafted up from the Agents as they not only saw the dragon craning its neck into an attack position, but also this radar dish seemingly sliding down the side of the tower to crash upon them. As if in slow motion, the dragon’s mouth began to glow orange with the fire contained within. Just as the first flames issued forth I slid the dish into position, making it hover mere feet above the Agents below it.
The flames were caught by the dish, which instantly glowed the same bright orange color. Damn, they were hot. I wasn’t sure how long the dish could hold up.
I kept the dish between the Agents and the flames until they stopped. Now the only thing lighting the ground was the orange glow of the radar dish. Unsteadily, I hovered the molten monstrosity away from the Agents and let it drop to the ground. The dish hissed as the hot metal instantly turned whatever water was in the grass to steam. The noise died as quickly as it was born, and then the night once again returned to silence.
My wobbly legs collapsed and I fell to the now broken and uneven roof. I lay there, trying to keep my eyes open and looking up to the stars.
Why is the first solution always to kill? I asked.
No response.
The stars looked so beautiful, twinkling all the way out there, totally unaware of the plight of those so far below. I wondered if they might do anything to help if they knew what was happening. I mean, for thousands of years, humans have used them to navigate, to predict the future and to tell stories. So, why couldn’t they come from the sky and help me now?
Listen to yourself, Christine, my own voice echoed in my head. You sound insane.
I raised my hand to my pounding head. Man, did it hurt. My other hand rubbed my nose. Just as I figured, it was covered in blood. I’d overexerted myself again.
How can I stop this and save Eddie at the same time?
I thought back to the dreams I’d had. If this was how he turned out, then why would my visions show me his arrest? Why did they want me to save him? After what he’d done, I was no longer sure he deserved all the attention I’d given him. My effort had to be worth something, yet I felt it was all for nothing.
The night reignited with the sounds of gunfire and the bright flashes of giant fireballs. I’d hurt myself to save them all and it didn’t matter. All I’d done was delay their attacks for a minute or two. They were really determined to kill each other. Maybe I should have let them…
Weakly, I attempted to sit up, but when stars – not the ones in the sky – filled my vision I was forced to lie back down. I was perfectly useless now. If any of them died, I would hate myself forever. I should be stronger. I needed to be stronger. What I really needed was to stop the idiots down below from killing each other.
To make matters worse, others were entering the battlefield. I didn’t have to think hard to figure it out. The prisoners were finally emerging from the bunker. I tried to warn them off – try to stop them from coming out into danger. But I was too weak to project my thoughts.
I forced myself up. My head felt like it was filled with bees and I couldn’t see straight. Still, I managed to crawl to the edge of the roof and survey the scene below. Eddie and his dragon were winning. He’d driven many of the Agents back to the trees, where they could at least find cover. Just then, the dragon snatched an Agent up in its jaws, then slurped her, swallowing her whole.
The Agents retaliated by firing more shots, but the bullets only bounced off the dragon’s hide like its scales were made of steel. Another belch of fire quickly put an end to the assault, and the remaining Agents fled for cover. Eddie sat triumphant on the back of his monster, hand held high in victory. He didn’t realize that Abby didn’t give up that easily and, for once, that was a good thing.
I could see her blonde hair, a mess now, waving through the air behind her as she ran, giving orders to the other Agents, who seemed reluctant to go up against the dragon again. It was a frenzy down below, and Abby desperately tried to maintain order, which was no easy task with a thirty foot lizard towering over you.
“Flank it!” she shouted to one group of Agents. Then, indicating two different directions, “Half of you this way, and half of you that way.”
They didn’t immediately move. Several were looking between Abby and the dragon as if wondering if the order was serious or not.
“Move! Now!” Abby ordered. “Or I’ll shoot you myself.”
The Agents ran off, splitting in two directions.
She found another group cowering behind some trees and rocks – three men, barely able to hold their weapons, completely terrified and shaking.
Where do they find these people? I mused. Even I have more of a backbone then they do.
“I need you to take a higher position,” she told the three men. “We need to get a shot at the boy.”
One man nodded, and began climbing the tree he was hiding behind. The other two didn’t move.
“If you don’t do as ordered…” Abby drew a tiny handgun.
This was the motivation the two needed, and they ran off to find positions in other trees as Abby ran to find others to instruct. Then she stopped, and I could feel her excitement as she spotted the prisoners. She acted so quickly that she was already shouting to them before the plan fully formed in her head.
“Hey!” she shouted.
Once the prisoners saw Abby, the bane of their existence, coming toward them, many of them tried to run, scattering like roaches when the lights came on. She merely held up her hands in a gesture that almost looked like surrender and continued speaking. “I’m not here to arrest you. I want to make a deal.”
Some of the prisoners still ran, disappearing into the darkness, but many more stayed. I wondered why the group was visible at all. Gina shouldn’t have broken her contact with any of them until they were well clear of danger. I never should have trusted her to see this through to the end.
As I scanned through the faces of the remaining prisoners, neither Gina nor Johnny were among them. They must have cut and run the first chance they got.
In the front of the crowd were my friends. I relaxed seeing them. They were safe for the time being. For a moment, I thought about floating down and going with them, letting the MHDA fix this mess. But this was my responsibility. I had freed Eddie. I hadn’t listened. Yes, I did it for what I thought were the right reasons, but now I could see those reasons were flawed. But my mind wouldn’t let go the simple question: Then why the dream?
“Listen, we have a Class Seven threat here,” she said to those who would listen, pointing at the dragon in case any of them needed clarification. “We require your assistance in neutralizing it.”
Ethan nodded, still seduced by her pretty face. I would’ve been mad, but I didn’t have the energy. Anyway, Savanah pushed him out of the way and stood toe-to-toe with the woman. “After all you’ve done, why should we help you?”
“Look, I don’t have time to go into detail about the Hell I’ve gone through to keep you and your friends out of trouble,” she spat. “But what I’m willing to offer all of you is your freedom.” She stood straight and looked at the rest of the crowd. “Anyone who helps us take down that dragon and the boy controlling it will receive a full pardon. No questions asked.”
Wonderful. She was going to suck them all into this and put all of those people in danger. I tried projecting my thoughts to my friends below, but my mind was still weakened. There wasn’t anything I could do to save them.
The ear-splitting roar of the dragon grabbed my attention once again. The heat of red-hot flames seared the side of the tower. Eddie had spotted me.
As quickly as I could, which wasn’t very fast, I scrambled away from the edge of the roof to the relative cover of the radar dish’s cracked foundation. The boy wanted blood, and it seemed he was willing to get it anywhere he could.
The rooftop rumbled as the dragon climbed the wall. The cracks widened under its extra weight. The strain would tear the whole building apart. Unless, of course, I did something about it – it always had to be me. Just once I’d like to be the one rescued, instead of doing the rescuing.
A dark, scaly horn peeked over the edge of the building just as the ground quaked again. The bright yellow reptilian eye came next, staring at me. Even as I looked at my reflection in the black slit of its eye, I knew it was really Eddie looking at me. That made it all the scarier.
I didn’t have the power to take on the dragon, and I had nowhere to run. I looked around for anything I could use to beat it back. All I could find were some rusted shards of metal, lying on the shingles. None would do much good against this overgrown lizard.
But there was another piece of rusted metal that I hadn’t thought about. Opening the bag, I retrieved the old spearhead. Even as I held it within my hand, it sent me a sense of warmth and…happiness. The odd sensation that the thing was alive frightened me, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t use it.
I told it what I wanted it to do. I don’t know if it actually understood, but I got the feeling the message had been recieved.
More of the dragon’s head appeared over the edge. Steam rose from its nostrils. I felt the dragon’s desire to kill me, which must have reflected Eddie’s own desire. The mouth came into view, which gave me only a few more seconds before it either belched a fireball in my direction or tried to snatch me up in its jaws.
I know the monster was only imaginary, but Eddie must have had a powerful imagination, because I could actually smell the stink of rotten meat and sulfur on the thing’s breath. Not even I could have imagined an odor that rancid.
Holding out the spear, I looked the monster directly in the eye, aiming for the misshapen bullseye it represented. I hurled the spearhead, guiding the ancient metal missile with my mind, driving it directly into the soft flesh of the eye.
The dragon howled, rearing back, putting more strain on the already unstable roof. The crack on the rooftop widened with a load snap and a creak that could be heard over the dragon’s roar.
Calling back the spear, it returned to my hand in an instant. For some reason, I found myself thanking the spearhead before slipping it back into the bag. Abruptly, the painful howls stopped, replaced by a feral growl. Its scaly lips curled up into a snarl, baring the razor sharp teeth beneath. It looked at me with one good eye and one horribly bloody eye. Now I really knew what an eye looked like after being poked out – disgusting.
Even as I stared at the horribly deformed eye, the impossible happened. The eye began healing. The dragon blinked and the eye was fully healed.
“Oh, come on!” I shouted. “Are you kidding me?”
How could I contend with that? All Eddie had to do was imagine the stupid thing healed, and it was healed. I couldn’t hurt it – which meant I would have to take out Eddie personally.
Looking into the two healthy eyes of the monster growling at me, I wondered how I would even be able to get near the boy. Already the dragon was opening its mouth to spew fire again. With nowhere to run, and out of ideas, I was going to be incinerated.
The orange glow began in the back of its throat.
Putting up a weak mental shield and closing my eyes, I hoped it would be enough for the attack that was to come. It was the end of everything. But hey, sixteen years was a good run, wasn’t it? At least I wouldn’t have to worry about final exams. On the other hand, Conner wouldn’t have anyone to mentor him with his powers, if he ever got them.
But I felt no heat. I should have been burning, but I wasn’t.
I opened my eyes in time to see the dragon’s head disappearing over the edge of the rooftop. Hobbling to the edge, I saw Savanah gripping the tail. She swung the dragon around, slamming it into the grass. The ground shook and dirt shot up, choking the air with a blackish cloud.
“Thought you might like some help, Loser,” she called.
The Agents now surrounding Eddie and his giant pet took the opportunity to fire on him. It didn’t faze him at all – his armor was apparently bulletproof.
Then Savanah, who had a vice-like grip, was whipped off the tail and flung into a tree. The tree held for a second, the cracked and fell like a bowling pin. Savanah dusted herself off and lunged back at the monster.
But Eddie was one step ahead of her. Amid the guns blazing, he made the dragon spread its wings and take to the skies. He didn’t fly very far, but just high enough that Savanah couldn’t reach him.
A stream of fire issued from the dragon’s mouth, setting the nearest tree and the Agent hidden in its branches ablaze. The man jumped, fire charring his already black outfit, and rolled on the ground.
A stream of light shot from the ground behind the dragon, aimed at Eddie, still perfectly comfortable between the creature’s wings. Peter had somehow gotten behind him and tried to make a sneak attack – it didn’t work.
The tail lifted like a shield to defend the boy and the electric jolt just seemed to be absorbed into the scales. Another boy, who couldn’t have been more than twelve, shot several spikes up at the dragon’s open mouth, but another belch of fire turned them into ash. While the boy made his attack, a young girl stretched her arms until they were four times as long as they should have been, and swung them like whips, wrapping them around each of the dragon’s ankles. She didn’t hold on long. The beast quickly swung her off, until she landed, arms still a rubbery mess, into the dirt and grass twenty yards away.
Tiffany and Sam, both white blurs, performed acrobatics that should have been impossible. Tiff jumped from a tree, flying through the air only to be swatted to the ground by the dragon’s thick tail. Sam managed to reach the dragon, landing on its side, but with nothing to grip he slid off. Like Savanah, they dusted themselves off and made ready for another attempt.
Another girl, maybe in her early twenties, flailed her arms about. For a few seconds, I wondered what she was doing, but then she seemingly disappeared into a shadow. Only it wasn’t a shadow, it was a swarm of bugs – flies and wasps, crickets and mosquitoes. She pointed her arms at Eddie, and the swarm shot off like a ball of darkness.
For a few seconds it looked as if it might work. Eddie was engulfed in the dark shadow of insects. His gleaming armored arm swatted and flailed at the thousands of pests. It was the opening we needed. While his concentration was broken, we needed to get him. But before anyone could mount another attack, the shadow dropped away. Every insect was dead.
He can’t possibly have a defense for every attack we could come at him with. The simple answer was, with an imagination that strong, no matter what we threw at him, he’d be able to think up a way out of it. And everything he thought became real.
“Are you okay?”
I hadn’t heard him come up. But now that he was there, I allowed myself to collapse in his arms. “I’ve got nothing left, Ethan. I can’t think of anything to do. All I can do is watch.”
He was so gentle as he caressed my hair with two fingers – I loved when he did that. He pressed his cheek against the top of my head and said, “It’s okay. You’ll figure something out. You always do.”
His faith was astounding, however misplaced. As we stood there, the attacks continued, each more desperate than the last, and each about as effective as the one before it. The only attack that had seemed to do anything was my own, and that had only slowed him for a second or two.
“That’s just it, Ethan. How can we defeat a person who has a defense for anything we throw at him?”
“Think harder.” It was a simple statement, but it reeked of desperation.
“My powers are drained,” I said by way of an excuse.
“Your brain still works, doesn’t it?”
True, my brain still works.
He saw the answer in my eyes before I could even utter a word. Either that, or he’d actually heard the thought. “You rely on your powers too much.”
“You’re one to talk.”
“Your true power comes from your own head. You’re smart, much smarter than me.” It was the first time he’d admitted it, and would probably be the last.
But he was right. He was the jock –the geeky jock, but a jock none-the-less, and I was the smart one. I don’t care if my grades didn’t reflect it, because you have to admit, I had issues to deal with that trumped schoolwork.
“Time to use your regular human power now, Chris.” The dragon still wrought havoc despite the combined efforts of the Agents and their prisoners. “We need it more than ever.”
I rolled my eyes, because it was like one of those inspirational speeches a character would give to motivate the protagonist at the climax of a movie. The sad thing was, it worked.
Kissing Ethan on the cheek, I said, “I’ll try.”
He let go of me then, and I closed my eyes. Clear my head, just like Quinn showed me an age and a half ago. Clear my head.
I erased the worries about my brother and the thoughts of my failures. I dumped my anger toward Abby and Eddie. I annihilated thoughts about getting back to my grandparents and the trouble I would be in when and if I got home. One by one, I removed everything clouding my mind until it was perfectly clear.
And that’s when it hit me.
I sighed. This wouldn’t be easy. Hell, it might even be impossible with my powers, as weak as they were. “Okay,” I said. “Here’s what we’re gonna do.”
Chapter 29
Dragonslayer
This plan is insane! the voice said.
I know, I agreed.
I’d sent Ethan down to tell the others the plan, or at least the important part of it. I just hoped the Agents would listen to the orders of a sixteen-year-old girl. I figured they would, since good ideas didn’t seem abundant.
Speeding through the battlefield, Ethan whizzed back and forth relaying my orders to each group of people. If we all worked as one we could win. And if they all followed my orders to the letter, Eddie didn’t stand a chance. All I had to do was wait.
The fires dragon’s fires were sending up plumes of smoke, blocking out the light from the moon. The orange flames cast everything below in an eerie orange light. Other than the flapping of his wings the scene had gone quiet, adding to the feeling of creepiness.
Neither side was attacking now. I wondered why Eddie was waiting to finish everyone off. He was probably toying with us. Only when he knew we’d be defeated would he finally destroy us.
I could see everyone, Agents and prisoners alike, trying to sneak around to the side of the dragon opposite me. They were doing a poor job of keeping out of sight. If I could see their every move, Eddie could see them too. If he wanted to kill them, he would. All it would take was a simple thought.
Once they were on the other side they would try to force the dragon back toward me. Then I would put the plan into effect.
He was about thirty yards off – too far away. Proximity was the key to my powers working. I’d be able to mentally attack Eddie only when he was close enough. It’s like when my powers first started working, I was only able to hear someone right next to me, then across the room. As my powers grew, so did my range. With my powers weakened by exhaustion, I’d have to be right on top of him for a successful attack.
I still couldn’t just show him his greatest fear. I couldn’t risk whatever it was becoming real and then having yet another thing to contend with. But, I did have another idea. I just hoped it worked.
As we were ready for the attack to commence, something went horribly wrong. I should have known Eddie wouldn’t just sit there and wait for us to get into position. He attacked, and with fury. Flames hit the ground between groups of Agents, cutting them off from one another, making it impossible to form a cohesive unit. He corralled one group after another, fencing each in a cage of fire.
They were almost in position, though, and those that could fire upon the massive, flying reptile did. Guns blazed and powers sparked. Peter shot some impressive-looking lightning bolts at Eddie, larger than most I’d ever seen come from his fists. Not that they did any good. Other objects, glowing purple and blue, yellow and green, flew in Eddie’s direction, but all bounced off.
Then, something else flew through the air that I hadn’t expected. Ethan—spinning around with such speed that he created a mini-vortex that blew out the flames surrounding him—held Savanah in his arms. Mid-spin, he let her go. She sailed the distance between them and Eddie.
She landed on the dragon’s shoulder, and held on tight as the monster bucked and tried to dislodge her. She dug her fingers into the creature’s scales, determined not to let go. It was only her strength that made it possible.
As the dragon attempted to remove its attacker, it floated steadily in my direction. Foot by foot, the monster drew nearer. It was still facing the groups of Agents and inmates attacking it, so it would never see me until it was too late.
Once she was sure she could move, Savanah scrambled along its hide, toward where Eddie rested in his saddle. When Eddie saw her, he instinctively tried to pull away, but all that did was make the dragon move closer to my position. He was very close now.
Just a few more feet. I mentally found the weak point in this cracked radar tower. Thankfully, the tower was unstable, it wouldn’t take much to have part of it come crashing down – just a little push. And a little push was about all I had in me.
Eddie made the dragon whip its neck from side to side in another attempt to throw Savanah off. But the girl held on. She wouldn’t be dislodged.
“Afraid, Eddie?” Savanah asked him.
“Not of a little bitch like you!”
Savanah slid a little closer to Eddie. A little further and she’d be able to grab him. Again Eddie pulled back, which didn’t get him any further from Savanah, but did bring him closer to me.
“You know what the funny thing is, Eddie?”
“What?”
He was just close enough. I held tight to the weakest point and – CRACK! The roof split in half with me standing at the edge, just over Eddie and his dragon. The crumbling concrete lurched and sunk down and away from the building, on a collision course with Eddie.
“I’m not the bitch. She is.” And then, Savanah jumped the twenty feet to the ground, to be caught by Ethan a half-second before impact.
Eddie looked back over his shoulder to see me riding a huge hunk of cement and twisted steel like a surfboard toward him. Through the helmet on the armor he wore, I saw his eyes wide open in fear. He tried moving the dragon out of the way, but it was far too late for that.
I held my ground, waiting for the perfect second to leap from the edge of the moving block. I’d only have one chance. If I missed the only thing to catch me would be the crumbling rubble of half a building. Ethan would need to move out of the way so he wouldn’t be crushed by the falling debris.
I aimed my worn and weary body at Eddie and waited for the building to hit. The hard concrete and steel smacked into the side of the dragon. It roared with imagined pain as Eddie attempted to correct the beast’s flight path.
Using the momentum from the collision, I flung myself off the edge, and flew directly for the boy. I collided with his armored form and held on with an iron grip as the crumbling remnants of the building fell all around us. The dragon flailed, trying to stay aloft. Chunks of cement bruised and battered its body. One large piece clipped its wing, sending all of us spiraling to the ground.
As it hit, the dragon vaporized into a cloud of dark smoke. Eddie and I tumbled along the ground a few more feet. The dust and rubble from the crashing building following us like an avalanche. I hit my shoulder, my knee, and my head. I knew I’d broken a couple fingers, and I was pretty sure I had another concussion. My left shoulder felt like it might have been dislocated as well – at the very least, I couldn’t lift it.
So, it wasn’t my best idea, but I did get rid of the dragon. Now, all I had to do was stop Eddie from conjuring another. I rose to my knees, using my good arm. Pain arced up through my leg to my brain. Check off my left knee on the list of things I’d messed up.
Hobbling to Eddie, who still wore his suit of armor, I stumbled several times. He looked as battered as I was, but he was unconscious. When I reached him, I made to remove the helmet.
“Freeze!” a deep grumbling voice shouted.
Turning my head toward the man, and gazing at the gun he had pointed at me, I said, “I need to make sure he can’t conjure another monster. Please, let me finish this.” I made another move toward Eddie. The boy was knocked out, but he could easily wake up any second. When he did, it would mean trouble for us all.
I didn’t even move an inch when the Agent became more insistent. “I said freeze! Do not move or I will shoot you!”
Coming out of the darkness behind me were my friends—even Samantha. The Agent, not sure what to do aimed the gun at each of them in turn. “Nobody move!” His voice shook now. I wasn’t sure if he would actually pull the trigger.
“Come on, man,” Sam pleaded. “Haven’t we done enough fighting today?”
I didn’t know he had a diplomat in him.
The man looked like he might back down. The gun barrel lowered. I almost breathed a sigh of relief. But I didn’t.
Out of the night behind the Agent came several more, guns raised and ready to fire. “Don’t lower your weapon,” one of them ordered. “Until we’re given the okay, they are all to be considered hostile.”
“Seriously?” I asked. “We just saved your asses.”
“Don’t move,” the new Agent said.
Eddie stirred. He moaned and his head lolled to the side. I needed to do something now. I reached down and yanked the helmet off his head.
“I said don’t move!” the Agent yelled.
Tiffany responded before I had the chance. “Shove it.”
My sentiments exactly. Go Tiff!
An imagination could be a powerful thing and, as I’d discovered, if I inserted an image into Eddie’s head, it would also become real. That was the key to putting an end to this – permanently. I formed an image, making it seem absolutely real.
Physical contact was key to guaranteeing this was done properly.
“This is your last chance!”
Ignoring the Agent, I touched the boy’s head. The world exploded.
The Agent fired. A loud bang shattered the near-quiet of the night. Everything moved in slow motion. My concentration broke, and I closed my eyes, waiting for the bullet to penetrate my already beaten body. But movement beside me: fast, but not fast enough to be Ethan. My eyes popped open to see a white shape running in front of me. Her stamina was astounding.
She looked at me just as the bullet struck her back, her eyes open wide and her mouth twisted in pain. I thought she was dead– and yes, despite all the crap she’d put me through, the girl was my friend. I was shocked, stunned, unable to move.
“Samantha!” Sam ran to the girl’s side as she fell to the ground.
“She took a bullet for me,” I whispered. “Why would she do that?”
She glared at me, a mixture of anger and pain. She was still alive. “Just do what you need, Chris,” she moaned.
Another movement brought my attention upward. Ethan was speeding around removing guns from the Agents’ hands.
“She’s okay,” Sam said as he let out a breath.
Relieved, I leaned over Eddie once again.
Bringing the images to the forefront of my mind again, I pressed my hand to Eddie’s forehead.
He fought, pushing back at the images attacking his brain. I was weak, but Eddie was weaker. His feeble attempts to hold the images at bay didn’t last long. Soon his mind was flooded.
I forced the pictures to appear and held them there until he saw them – really saw them—and imagined it all becoming real.
The suit of armor disappeared. Only then did I drop to the ground beside the boy. My friends crowded around me. The only two absent from the group were Sam and Samantha, still on the ground about five feet away. Samantha writhed in pain. I couldn’t believe she’d jumped in front of me – it was unlike her to be so selfless.
Eddie didn’t move. I felt sorry. But it was the only solution that would satisfy everybody.
It was at this point Abby showed her face. Quietly, she gave orders to several Agents, who disappeared into the darkness. Then she pointed at Eddie, who was just starting to push himself up off the ground.
“Sedate him and get him back into stasis,” she ordered.
“No,” I yelled out. Pain shot up and down my body. My body convulsed at the single word.
“He’s not a threat anymore,” Ethan said.
Eddie’s eyes opened wide, but he was desperately trying to focus. His neck twitched back and forth as he took in his surroundings. He saw me lying on the ground next to him, but he didn’t seem to recognize me.
“I’m sorry,” I mouthed.
He craned his neck to look up at Abby and the Agents approaching him. He sprang to his feet with a burst of energy that shouldn’t have been possible. He scrambled backward, nearly stumbling over his feet as he tried to escape.
“Grab him!” Abby shouted, and the Agents pounced on the boy.
Eddie made a noise that sounded like a dog getting its tail stepped on. Then he screamed and cried like a child, “Get off me! I didn’t do anything!”
He struggled to break free, but they easily overpowered him.
“Let go! Get away! Don’t make me hurt you!”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I’d done what I’d done so they wouldn’t have to put him in stasis. Despite what he’d done, he didn’t need to be hurt anymore.
Trying and failing to get up, I had to ask, “Ethan, help me.” My voice was weak, and I so desperately wanted to fall asleep there on the ground, but as Ethan’s warm, strong arms supported me, I willed all feelings of exhaustion away.
Eddie was gagged and bound by this time. He kept closing his eyes trying to imagine himself out of their custody. Nothing happened. He became frantic, and his heart practically pounded through his ribcage and out through his shirt. The confusion on his face told the whole story – it had worked. His powers were gone.
Spinning on Abby, as fast as I could, I rasped, “See? I made him imagine his powers away. He’s just a regular kid now.” Turning back to Eddie, and looking him dead in the eye to make sure he got the message, I added, “Absolutely nothing special about him.”
His face turned beet-red, and he renewed his struggles against the Agents, who still had no trouble restraining him. His gag slipped from his mouth just long enough for him to scream one sentence. “I hate you!” One of the Agents slipped the cloth back into his mouth, nearly losing a finger in the process.
It was like watching a five-year-old throw a temper tantrum when he couldn’t have any candy. If I hadn’t been exhausted I might have laughed.
I faced Abby. “As you can see, he’s really no threat anymore. You said you’d only keep them as long as they’re dangerous. Please send him home.” I sent Eddie another message with my words. “His mother and sister miss him very much.”
His frown softened. Once he thought of his mother and the pain she must be feeling, all his anger melted away, to be replaced by the sadness underneath. He stopped struggling.
Abby let out a deep sigh, as if what she was about to say went totally against everything she believed in. “Take him inside. Get him cleaned up and take him home.”
The Agents, doing as instructed, but not letting go of the boy, led him off into the darkness.
“And the other prisoners you have frozen. If it worked, they shouldn’t have their powers anymore. Neither does Cyanide. You can let them all go.”
Abby gave only a slight nod.
Inside, I gave a little cheer. It was a victory for us.
Outside, I sagged in Ethan’s arms, unable to keep myself upright another second.
“Take her to the medical bay,” Abby said to my friends.
Ethan scooped me up in his arms. Next to me, Sam did the same for Samantha, who I was pretty sure was just milking the injury now for the extra sympathy. As our group walked toward the entrance to the bunker, following the Agents into the dismantled radar tower, Abby cleared her throat. Ethan spun toward her.
“And, Christine.” She gave me a smile. I couldn’t tell if it was evil or genuine. “Do try to stay with the doctors this time. We have much to discuss.”
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