The Forbidden Trilogy (98 page)

Sam sneered at him. "So pathetic."

Drake couldn't argue with her on that.

Her black boot nudged him none too gently. "Get
up."

He faced her but didn't stand. "Sam, you have to fight
this. He doesn't control you."

Her face contorted into fear, then concern.
"Drake...."
Her voice penetrated his mind but then disappeared, along with any
recognition or awareness. "You're right, he doesn't control me. I follow
my father because he is right. Power should go to the people who deserve it,
not scum like you."

"Sam, that's not—"

She kicked him in the groin hard. Pain splintered his mind
in half, and he had the passing thought that Ana may be the only child he'd
ever have after that damage.

Sam didn't seem to care, and it killed him to think he might
have lost her forever.

"I said get up."

Drake groaned and pulled himself up. From the corner of his
eye he saw Robyn, still in Grunt form, charge Sam.

Electricity filled the room and a zap of light sent Robyn
tumbling backward into the wall.

Sam waved her finger like a pre-school teacher—a scary,
psycho pre-school teacher. "Nah, ah, ah. Misbehavior will not be
tolerated."

What the hell?
How was she able to do that?
She didn't have that kind of power, unless.... "Steele gave you more
powers."

Sam's macabre smile grew. "Aren't you a clever boy? He
did give me powers, temporary ones only, but that will change once I make Daddy
proud. Although, even with all this power, it's nice to have backup." She
pulled a gun from her back. "Move."

Drake walked toward the door, but Robyn glared at Sam and
stood her ground. "I'm not going."

Sam laughed. "What? Poor, stuttering
I'm-too-scared-to-get-my-blanket-back Robyn is finally standing up for herself?
This is good."

"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?

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.

When Beleth noticed them leaving, he redirected his attack
toward Lucy. He jumped at them, using his spider legs to move extra fast.

She pulled her brother aside and guarded him with her body,
but before Beleth landed, Hunter jumped, moving even faster through the air.
With an impressive flip, he landed in front of Lucy. His slitted cat eyes glowed
an inhuman green. When Beleth was within reach, Hunter jumped straight at him
and plunged his blade into Beleth's gut. They both fell to the ground, Hunter
landing on his legs with a feline grace, while Beleth fell onto his back,
clutching a wound that bled a black oily substance. What kind of paranormal was
he?

Hunter waved at Lucy without taking his eyes off Beleth.
"Go. I'll finish this."

She turned to obey, but doubt plagued her heart. Beleth's
death would not be justice, it would be tragic. He hadn't chosen this course;
he'd been coerced and controlled by Steele, then left to die by Simmons.
Another shitty choice in a series of shitty choices. She hated how pragmatic
she'd become in the face of death.

They caught up with Simmons, who ran with them into the
jungle. She clearly didn't want to be anywhere near Beleth.

As if they'd crossed into another dimension, Beleth and
Hunter felt suddenly far away.

The helicopters should be just a little farther ahead. Luke
paled and hunched over as he walked.

She carried more of his weight. "We're almost
there." He stumbled and nearly fell, but she caught him.

"I'm so tired." He swayed in her arms, his skin
clammy and cold.

The cliff fell away beside them, and the valley below was
mostly ash now. Mr. K had burned down there, all because of Steele. They would
stop him.

Lucy touched the seeds she still had in her pocket. "We
can do this." She whispered to Luke, "For Mr. K."

He nodded, and put one foot in front of another, doing his
best to stay upright.

They moved so slow, she didn't know how they were going to
make it.

A rustling sound rose from the bushes to her left, and a
bright blue light flashed from the glint of the sun. The giant beetle with the
unique markings that had helped her before moved through the trees. She smiled,
grateful that he'd survived the fires.

Simmons stopped and frowned at her. "Hurry up."

Lucy scowled at the bitch, and couldn't believe she'd ever
liked the snake of a woman. "Shut up before I change my mind."

Simmons smiled a calculating smile. "You need me."

"You're right. I do." She propped Luke up, walked
to Simmons, and punched her in the face. "But I just need you alive.
Remember that."

The bitch clutched her nose as blood poured out. "Mmm
nosssse."

"Yes. Now stay quiet." Lucy pulled her brother up
and pushed them faster, until they made it out of the forest and found the
helicopter, as well as the rest of the base.

One of the few remaining agents who hadn't been killed came
running out to meet them. "Are you all right? What happened?"

Lucy took command of the situation. "A paranormal
attacked the other side of the base. We have to get to Diamond Head."

The agent nodded. "Take the helicopter. I'll warn the
others."

He ran back to the base as Lucy, Luke, and Simmons got into
the helicopter. Lucy dropped her twin into a seat and crawled to the front to
pilot, and halted. The controls had cracks through them. She flicked switches
in a desperate attempt to make them work, but nothing turned on.

No. No. No. No.
She banged her hands against the metal.

"What's wrong?" Luke slurred his words like a
drunk.

"Beleth." She tried to keep the hopelessness out
of her voice. "He must have done it before he came to get Simmons. He...
he disabled the controls."

Her blood boiled with fury. With her friends in danger and
those kids in trouble, she was tired of feeling useless, tired of failing at
everything she did.

"It's okay, Sis," Luke said. "We'll figure
out a way."

Lucy nodded but didn't really believe it. Steele had spun a
web, intricate and tight, and though she'd hoped to find holes in it, to find a
weakness, she always ran into a dead end.

Steele had been too clever: using Beleth to stop Lucy and
Luke, using Drake to get Sam. Everything was connected.

Everything is connected.
An idea grew in Lucy's mind.
She calmed herself and focused, as Mr. K had taught her, and let the frantic
thoughts fall away.
This has to work.

Outside, the agent they'd seen a moment ago came running to
the helicopter, pulling her out of her meditative state. He waved frantically
and pointed into the trees, as if warning them.

A streak of black flew through the air, crashing into the
agent and sending them both flying out of view.

Lucy swore under her breath, jumped out of the helicopter,
and ran to check on them.

The agent crawled on the ground, struggling to breathe.

Beside him lay Hunter, the sphere rolling away from his
outstretched hand. He pulled himself up and looked at Lucy, sorrow in his eyes.
"I'm sorry. I thought I could beat him."

Her heart thumped so loud it nearly deafened her, as they
all looked to the jungle.

Beleth walked out from the trees, his wound healing with
each step.

Hunter struggled to stand, using his sword for support.
"That black blood of his fixed-up the wound, and he fought as if all new
and shiny. We have to leave, now."

Lucy nodded and picked up the sphere. She passed it to
Hunter, who tried to take it, but then dropped it, looking even more exhausted.
It drained him.
She picked it back up and stared at it, and another
thought hit her.
I still have the serum.

Beleth's wings erupted from his back and he dove up and
forward, closing the distance.

"Distract him," Lucy commanded Hunter.

Luke straightened his back. "I'll help too."

He still limped, but his eyes burned with determination, and
Lucy didn't argue. She pulled a protesting Simmons with her, running farther
away, toward the cliff.

Beleth landed in front of Hunter and Luke, the earth beneath
his feet shifting and cracking. "I'll make it quick." Not a boast,
but a mercy offering. His hand formed into a blade, his wings still out, and he
struck at the two men.

Luke threw up a shield, defending against the blows—one blow
after the other. They were too wounded and too tired to really fight.

Lucy left Simmons near the cliff. "Wait here, and don't
let him get you."
Probably unnecessary.
If nothing else, she could
count on the woman's own self-preservation to keep her alive.

She ran back toward Beleth, making sure to stay behind him.
If she could catch his wing with the serum, they could win this.

The agent who'd been knocked away finally stood and drew a
hand gun, circling Hunter and Luke and aiming at Beleth.

A black tail whipped out from behind Beleth and tripped the
guard. When he retracted it, Hunter jumped forward and cut off the tip. It fell
and squirmed on the ground like the lizard tail.