"Pass! Played it before, hated every second."
The flash of another grin. "You know I think you hung the moon, right?"
"Right. Just like I know you held the ladder and looked up my skirt."
"But you're not going to talk me out of this," he continued. "So, go down, speak with Ankh. I'll get dressed."
Stubborn boy. "I'd offer to take out your IV, but that would make me an enabler."
"Won't be the first time I've removed one myself."
The Care and Feeding of an Alpha Male 101. Sometimes, you just had to humor them. "Fine. Have fun with that."
"Don't leave without me," he commanded as I stood. "I mean it."
"Fine, fine." I held up my hands, all innocence. "I'll wait for you to come downstairs."
Moving as fast as lightning, he leaned forward and hooked me by the nape, tugging my face to his. He kissed me hard and fast--no innocent forehead peck for this boy, not this time--and I moaned at his ferocity. "Also, don't even think about sedating me."
"Fine," I snapped. He was severely limiting my options.
I left the room and stalked down the stairs, texting Nana along the way. I just couldn't help myself.
I love U. So much. One day, I hope U'll 4give me.
She'd wake up...wherever, and the note would be waiting for her.
I sent her a second message. 1st update. I've seen Cole & he's back 2 his bossy self. I've set Kat & Reeve free, & now I'm going 2 chat w/Ankh then find rest of slayers. I'll B careful, swear!
Mr. Ankh and the girls were in the kitchen, eating sandwiches.
Not one to waste time, I explained my search and rescue plan while slapping together a PB&J. The conversation went better--and worse--than I'd hoped. Before I'd even finished, Mr. Ankh was shaking his head. I didn't let that stop me, however. The fact was, I didn't just need Kat and Reeve. They needed me. They'd rather die than stay behind.
"No," he said. "You're too recognizable. Anima will see you, follow you and then kill you all."
I could suggest we spend a few hours dyeing our hair, altering our appearance, but even that wasn't a guarantee we'd escape notice. "With this supposed increase of gang violence, the police will be everywhere. Anima wouldn't dare try anything in public." I hoped.
"It's too dangerous," he insisted. "Kat is sick. She needs rest and relaxation, not--"
"Hey! Don't make me pimp-slap you, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. A. Because I will." Kat raised her hand to prove she meant business. "I'm ready to roll."
He pursed his lips, as if he'd just sucked on a lemon. "I'm not an unreasonable man."
Ha!
"And I know the others need to be found. So, I'll go with Ali, and you girls will stay here."
Uh, that would be a big fat no. He played by the rules. We made our own. "Don't worry. We'll have a bodyguard. Cole is coming with us."
"Cole? Hardly." Mr. Ankh rubbed his forehead. To ward off an ache? "That boy needs rest just as much as Miss Parker does."
"So he doesn't need any, and he's good to go?" Kat quipped.
"Tell that to him," I said to Mr. Ankh, then hiked my thumb at Kat. "And her."
He threw his arms up, all I'm the last sane man in the universe. "Why do I even bother? No one ever does as I recommend anyway."
All right. I'd try this from a different angle. Hopefully one that wouldn't give him a coronary. "Had you told everyone about the church," I said, "this could have been avoided. But you didn't." Throwing blame. Maybe not the best route. But the truth was the truth, and I wasn't going to sugarcoat it.
He glared at me. "After Justin betrayed us, I wasn't sure who I could trust, and I wanted Reeve to have an escape that no one else knew about. You can't fault me for that."
I heard the guilt in his tone. The self-recrimination. "No. I can't."
I hadn't been part of the group back when Justin started sharing slayer secrets with Anima. But I had been part of the group when his equally culpable twin sister was captured and tortured right alongside me, and he'd realized just how badly he'd screwed up. He'd helped us destroy an entire contingent of Anima soldiers.
"If you have a better idea for finding the others," I said, after devouring the last of my sandwich, "I'll do it."
"Hey," both girls bellowed in unison.
Mr. Ankh glared at me.
"Daddy," Reeve said, "I've been training. I'm not helpless. And I want to help. I need to help. Don't stand in my way. Let me act like the girl you raised me to be. Strong. Courageous. The girl you wished Momma had been."
Her mother hadn't been able to see the zombies, but still she'd feared them. That fear had grown...and grown...until she'd committed suicide.
My mind drifted to my own mother. Her family had come from a line of slayers, but she herself hadn't been able to see the zombies, either. She'd been so beautiful. Short, with dark hair, eyes and skin. Just like my sweet Emma. When people had seen the three of us together, they'd assumed tall, fair me was adopted.
"Very well," Mr. Ankh finally croaked. "Do what you think is best. But I want you back within these walls by ten. No later."
I nodded, flabbergasted by his acceptance. I hadn't even had to beg.
"If you're saying yes just so you can blindside me with a sedative before I walk out the door," Reeve said, deflating some of my triumph, "you should know that this is the last time I will ever trust you."
He held her gaze for a long while, his eyelids slits, and I knew what he was thinking. First: Crap, she figured out my plan. Second: She's not ready for this.
And he was right. She wasn't.
In training, it was best to start with something easy, win and move on to something harder. Build your confidence and your skills. Reeve was still in the "easy" phase, and yet I expected her to remove her training wheels and slay a dragon?
So, I totally got Mr. Ankh's fear. I simply wasn't going to cave to it. We had a choice. Give up and let the enemy do worse, or rise up with what we had and go balls to the wall.
I was going balls to the wall. And if I lost, at least I'd go out in a blaze of glory.
"Fine," he said, releasing a breath of defeat. He flattened his hands on the table--in an effort to avoid his needles, I was sure. "Go with Ali. Search." His dark gaze slid to me and narrowed. "I'm holding you responsible for her safety. Kat's, too."
He wasn't the only one.
Jaw clenched, he said, "There's a car in the church parking lot you can use. It's beaten up on the outside, but the engine purrs with more than a hundred ponies ready to run."
Typical guy description.
I gave him a jaunty salute.
He marched off to his office, mumbling under his breath, and we marched to the armory.
By the time the girls and I finished loading up with weapons--daggers in our boots, sedatives in our purses, guns sheathed at our waists, extra bullets in our pockets, brass knuckles on our hands--Cole was dressed and ready, the IV nowhere in sight.
His cheeks were paler than before, indicative of the strain he'd just put himself through, as he handed each of us one of the burners. "My new number is already programmed in."
"Sweet sling, Cole," Kat said with her patented smile. "It only knocks three points off your alpha-male card."
His response was dry. "I'm sure spanking a naughty little girl like you will return my number to its original glory."
Kat's wide gaze immediately swung to me. "You didn't tell me that your boyfriend had a pain-and-punishment fetish."
"You didn't ask. But yeah, he does. I'm threatened with a spanking daily."
"Lucky," she whispered, skipping past me, heading toward the entrance to the secret passage.
We climbed in the golf cart, Reeve at the wheel.
"Where do you want to go first?" she asked. "When we're topside, I mean."
"I...don't know," I said. There were too many options. Gavin's car. Was it still there? Frosty's house. Justin and Jaclyn's house. Actually, any of the slayers' homes.
"Then it doesn't ma
tter which road we take," Kat pointed out. "With nowhere to go, we'll never reach a destination."
A nice way of saying make a decision already, dummy.
"We'll go to Cole's gym." Or what was left of it. Any slayers on the run might have gone there. Might have stuck close by after the fire had died, hoping other slayers would show up.
Reeve parked at the back of the room, the one with the gurneys, and we walked to the ladder.
"What happens if we get separated?" she asked.
Hope for the best, plan for the worst. "If you can, get your butts back here. If you can't, hide and call me. If you lose your phones, don't panic. I'll find you. Whatever it takes."
But I couldn't help wondering if I'd just made the worst decision of my life.
Chapter 6
EAT YOUR HEART OUT
The gym was a pile of charred rubble, as expected, but the sight of it made my heart fester and ooze with an infected wound in need of tending. Shouldn't be this way. The air, heavy with smoke, painted the surrounding landscape an eerie gray. There was something very postapocalyptic about it. As if we were the only survivors and we now had to figure out how to navigate a new world.
At least there wasn't a rabbit cloud.
The authorities had already come and gone, leaving barricades behind.
Reeve hid our car at the side of another house. The gym was--had been--a large red barn planted in the middle of a neighborhood with homes spaced apart by acres of wheat and surrounded by a forest.
Any one of my friends could be waiting in the forest. Possibly injured.
Possibly being hunted.
"Reeve, you're with Cole," I said, taking charge. "Kat, you're with me."
"Prison rules?" Kat asked. "Kill first and ask questions later?" She withdrew a .38 revolver. It had no safety, but it did have a laser at the end to help her sight whatever she wanted to hit. Plus, the trigger was coiled tighter to prevent her from shooting accidentally.
Yeah. It had happened. She startled easily.
Reeve pulled a .22 from her purse. The gun had very little backlash, was more likely to irritate a target than kill it, but with halfway decent aim, she would be able to slow even the biggest of men.
"Actually, we're going by Holland rules," Cole said. "The best safety is this." He wiggled his index finger in front of their faces. "Don't put yours near the trigger unless you're ready to fire. Side note. You aren't ready to fire unless Ali or I say you're ready."
"But keep your weapons out and ready," I added.
Cole kissed me before we disembarked, sending a warm pulse through me. With the girls at our sides, we ran toward the forest, tree limbs seeming to go out of their way to slap us. When we were deep enough inside that we were concealed from prying eyes, everyone slowed and moved in the direction of the gym.
"Ready to split up?" I asked. "You guys come in from the west, and we'll come in from the east. We'll cover more ground."
"Sounds good." Cole held out his arm, stopping me. Which in turn stopped the girls. His gaze pierced me. "Don't get hurt. I mean it."
"As if I'd dare. But you'd better be careful, too. You aren't just a pretty decoration for the world to enjoy, you know. You're my decoration."
"And you're my toy."
We shared a look ripe with amusement and promise before branching apart.
"You guys are weird," Kat said, "but the good news is, Cole is probably stronger than ninety-nine percent of the population, even with his arm in a sling."
"A perfect description for Frosty, too."
"True story." Worry in her eyes, quickly extinguished.
With every exhalation, mist formed in front of my face. A signal trained trackers would pick up on, but it couldn't be helped. We made our way to the east side of the gym and...saw footprints! Excitement mingled with hope, filling me up and giving me new purpose. Who had made them? Bronx or Mackenzie?
But...why not both? Why was there only one set?
Some of my excitement drained.
"Come on." We followed the prints for a few yards. They were big. Too big to belong to Mackenzie. One--the right one--dragged. And there was a drop of blood beside that one...and that one. Bronx, if that's who had left these, was injured.
I stepped through one line of bush after another, remaining on alert, my .44 at the ready. The drops were getting thicker, and I thought the person responsible must have begun to drag his other foot, too...only to stop. I looked around. Saw nothing. Up. Down. Left. Right. Where the heck--
"There!"
My excitement returned in an instant. He'd camouflaged himself with mud and leaves, and if not for the green of his eyes, I would have missed him. He was leaning against the tree, and "he" wasn't Bronx. He was Gavin.
Kat and I rushed to his side. He didn't respond. He was still, too still, his head resting on his shoulder. On closer inspection, blood was clearly mixed with the dirt, and my heart sank. His mouth was tinted blue, and, despite the cold, his teeth weren't chattering.
My hand shook as I felt for his pulse....
"Please, tell me he's alive," Kat pleaded.
"Yes," I nearly shouted. "He is."
"Thank God!" She exhaled with relief. But she was paler than she'd been a moment ago, and I wasn't sure if the problem was stress or her kidneys. Or both.
"Gavin," I said, gently patting his cheeks, willing my warmth into him. "You've got to help us get you to your feet. We may be strong, but we're not strong enough to carry you to safety fireman-style, so you've got to walk. Come on, Barbie. Please. Do it for your favorite cupcake."
He didn't even blink.
Very well. We'd do this the hard way. The riskier way. The same way I'd helped Cole.
"Watch my back," I told Kat. "In a few seconds, Gavin might grunt or scream. Don't touch him. Don't touch me." She wasn't a slayer. She wouldn't be able to see me in spirit form, and she wouldn't be able to feel my fire--until it was too late, and she was dead.
She didn't bother asking questions. Trusting me, she got into position behind Gavin, on the alert for any signs of an ambush.
I closed my eyes, drew in a deep breath. Held it, held. As I exhaled, my spirit emerged. I quaked from the newest increase of cold, ice crystals buying prime real estate in my chest.
"Light," I commanded my hand.
This time, it did not obey.
Okay. So. Starting a fire was going to be difficult this go-round. Noted.
But I didn't give up. Strength to summon the flames came by faith. A spiritual weapon for a spiritual power source. I didn't allow myself to worry, either. Worry actually weakened faith.
"I can do this," I said. "I will do this. Now. Now! Now!"
Words were another spiritual weapon. They could be used for my good or my bad. Positive or negative. Today, I focused on the positive and flames sprang from the ends of my fingers, slowly spreading to my wrist. Slow. Not what I was used to, but okay. I could work with this.
Unsure of Gavin's injuries, I pressed my hand into his chest--his sluggish heart.
He didn't ash, thank God, but he did unleash a broken scream, his back bowing. At any other time, the sound of his pain might have made me flinch. Now? I smiled.
I maintained the contact for several seconds before withdrawing, dismissing the flames and returning to my body.
"You can touch us now," I told Kat.
Gavin groaned.
"Good boy," I said, wanting to dance and sing. I hadn't lost him. "I know it hurts, but you're stronger than a little pain, right? And if not, well, you'll soon get to enjoy Mr. Ankh's vast array of drugs, so it won't matter."
He tried to focus on me, but his eyes were rocking back and forth, unable to stay locked on any one object. A sign of dizziness. "Ali?"
"Yeah, I'm here."
"Kat, too." She moved to his left, squeezed his hand.
"Kat, I need you to text Cole," I said. "Tell him to return to the car, that we've found Gavin, and he's hurt pretty bad."
"On it," she said
, withdrawing her phone.
Now for the hard part. "We can help you, Barbie, but we need you to stand."
He didn't act as if he'd heard me. "Wreck...was chased, shot at...ran, lost tail...got to gym...fire..."
"I know. Everyone but Cole is missing," I said as gently as possible. I'd tell him about the deaths after he was stabilized.
"Frosty," he said, then grimaced and clutched his side.
Kat pocketed her phone and pinched his chin, forcing him to face her. "What about him? Have you seen him?"
"Ali," he repeated, as if he hadn't heard her. "Help."
Disappointment could have felled her, but my friend squared her shoulders, determined to motor on.
I was beyond proud of her. "Let's get him to Mr. Ankh."
With a major effort from both of us, we finally maneuvered him to his feet. As he swayed, we positioned ourselves under his arms, becoming his crutches. Had to be a comical sight, two sticks trying to balance a grade-A manimal. My legs juddered under his weight, and I'm sure Kat's did, too.
As we lumbered forward, Gavin said, "Saw...Frosty. He came to gym...men chased us...he led them away...from me...but not before he told me...meet him...Wok and Roll."
Kat practically bubbled over with exhilaration, and I didn't have to wonder what she was thinking. The Wok and Roll was a twenty-four-hour Chinese buffet only a few blocks from here, and if Frosty was still there, waiting for Gavin, she could be in his arms within the next half hour.
Cole and Reeve paced beside the car. Spotting my ragtag trio, Cole rushed over and took Kat's place. Reeve opened the back.
"Any sign of Anima on your end?" I asked.
"Not one."
Together, we got Gavin settled inside. I straightened, stepped back and said, "Take him directly to your house, Reeve, rather than the church." Gavin might blow an artery if he had to climb into the tunnel. "But call your dad on the way and let him know you're coming. He'll do something to ensure Anima isn't nearby, watching."
She nodded. "Done and done."
Kat took my hand, tugged. "Ali and I are heading to the Wok and Roll. Frosty might be there, waiting for Gavin."
"Uh, Kat." I planted my heels. Hello tricky, sticky situation. "You're going with Reeve."
"What? No." She gave a shake of her head, drawing attention to the fact that she was paler than before. "No way. No how."
Yes way. Yes how. "You're not objective when it comes to Frosty." More than that, he'd had Anima on his tail. Could be with Anima right now. Not only would Mr. Ankh disapprove of me taking her into a situation far more dangerous than this one, but Frosty would also. "I need you to listen--"