My eyes drifted back to the images on my screen. Castle Pinckney had a brooding, ominous feel. Lonely. Foreboding.
I was hooked.
Watch check: six fifteen p.m. Plenty of daylight left.
“Meet me at the dock in ten,” I said.
“Done!” Hi swiveled his chair, propped a foot, and started lacing his Adidas.
“Wait! What?” Shelton raised both hands. “Tonight? Why?”
“We’ve got over an hour before dark.” I yanked my hair into a ponytail. “Let’s show Mr. Gamemaster how quickly Virals solve puzzles.”
Ben took a moment to consider, then shrugged. “I’ll get Sewee ready.”
“We’ve got to work on our decision-making process.” Shelton was shaking his head. “Right now, we just follow Tory over every cliff.”
“Oh, boohoo,” I mocked. “Get moving.”
“You’re going down, clown!” Hi slapped his hands together. “Tory, don’t forget the clue. We still don’t know how that image factors.”
“Got it.”
Three faces winked out as I slapped my laptop shut.
“I’m taking Coop for a walk!”
Kit’s head popped from the kitchen. “Now?”
I nodded, hoping he wouldn’t ask more questions.
Kit didn’t disappoint. “Okay, but be back before dark. It’s a school night.”
“Promise, bye!”
Coop and I shot down the front stairs and beelined to the dock. I heard another door open, turned to see Shelton hurrying from his unit.
“I’m serious, Brennan.” Shelton had changed into white Nike gym shorts and a black Walking Dead hoodie. “My foot’s coming down. No more last-minute hijacks of my evenings.”
“Whatever you say.”
“Believe that.” He let the matter drop.
I didn’t take Shelton too seriously. Though none of them would ever admit it, I think the boys secretly liked me bossing them around. Most of the time. Every snake needs a head.
Hi and Ben were already aboard. We cast off, rounded Morris Island, and entered Charleston Harbor.
The evening was pleasantly warm. Seagulls rode the thermals high above our heads, mirroring Sewee’s progress as we passed Fort Sumter and headed toward downtown.
A tiny islet materialized just short of the peninsula. Low and rocky, its shore consisted of a dismal stretch of sand running a few hundred yards before melting into the waves. A weathered stone structure occupied a stretch of high ground at the island’s north end. Castle Pinckney.
What was left of it, anyway.
Loose stones littered the uneven ground. Whole trees grew from the crumbling mortar of the outer wall. Everything was soaked in pelican poop, and looked on the verge of collapse.
“What a dump,” Ben grunted as he eased the runabout closer to shore.
“How come no one ever restored it?” I asked. “Aren’t you Southerners crazy for preserving Civil War monuments?”
“I think you mean the War of Northern Aggression,” Hi deadpanned in a prim Southern voice. “When ruthless Union troops invaded our sacred homeland to rob poor Dixie of her freedom. Being from Boston, it’s mostly your people’s fault.”
My eyes rolled. “I lived in Westborough. All of New England isn’t Boston, like everyone down here thinks.”
“All Yankee towns are the same,” Hi said with a wink. “Nothing but factories and coal mines.”
I didn’t return fire. Hi was just messing around, and I tried to avoid reminiscing in public. Thoughts of my former home inevitably led to thoughts of Mom, and that often led to waterworks. Best friends or not, I hated when the guys saw me cry.
“Fixing up Pinckney has been proposed a dozen times, but the money’s never there.” Shelton hopped into the surf and began helping Ben ease Sewee closer to dry land. “It gets overshadowed by Sumter and the outer forts, even though it’s older.”
Ben dropped anchor a few yards off the seaweed-strewn beach. We slipped off our sneakers and waded ashore, re-shoed, then crossed a short patch of grass to the base of the ruins. Sighting a flock of roosting seagulls, Coop gave chase. The birds scattered, cawing in irritation.
The castle’s curtain wall was roughly twelve feet high and intermittently broken by rectangular openings that had once been windows. A single entry was cut into the center of the monolithic stone façade, which curved away to either side, totaling perhaps seventy feet in diameter.
We studied the ancient fortress. It glowered back.
Shelton spoke first. “I’m not setting foot inside that house of cards.” I pulled the Gamemaster’s clue from my pocket, hoping for inspiration. No such luck. The smile-like image remained indecipherable.
“Think.” A light breeze fluttered the page in my hand. “What are we missing?”
The wall loomed above us, empty windows spaced five yards apart like a row of black teeth. The castle seemed to scowl, like an evil, rotting jack-o’-lantern.
No, not scowling. The windows form a ghastly grin.
It hit me.
“Of course!” I waved the clue, used air quotes. “The ‘teeth’ in this picture match the windows!”
“Wow, you’re right!” Hi said. “Which means the snaggletooth must be—”
“The cache location!” I finished. “Come on!”
Moving clockwise along the wall, I counted openings to the left of the archway. Stopped at number five.
“Here.” I stood before a three-by-five gap. “This one corresponds with the outside rectangle in the sketch.”
Air wafted from within the castle, cool and dry. The window was a yawning, black pit that the pre-dusk sunlight failed to penetrate. Even straining, I could see only a few feet ahead.
“This section seems less run-down,” Hi observed.
“The stonework looks sturdier,” Shelton conceded, “but that doesn’t mean it’s safe to go in. This castle’s so old, the forest’s grown on top of it.”
Ben pushed the wall with both hands. Tugged the stones forming the windowsill. Kicked the fortification’s base. Pushed again. “Seems pretty solid.”
“Great work, Ben,” Hi deadpanned. “That oughta do it.”
“You have a better plan? Or should we run back home?”
“Actually, I do.” Hi dropped his head. A beat, then shivers wracked his body. He snorted. Coughed. Spit.
When he straightened, his eyes burned with golden fire.
I nodded. “Good plan.”
Eyes closed, I reached deep.
SNAP.
CHAPTER 12
PRESSURE. PAIN.
A thousand needles danced on my flesh as fire coursed through my veins. Sweat burst from every pore. Shocks of energy burned through me, spiking the hairs on my limbs. My hands shook like leaves in a storm.
Seconds later, it was over. I flared.
I’d dropped to my knees, panting raggedly, waiting for the world to stop spinning. Suddenly, a large pink sea slug attacked my cheek.
“Blech.” I shoved Coop’s snout away. “Thanks, boy.”
Inhaling deeply, I got to my feet. Wobbled. Tried to harness the adrenaline pooling in my extremities.
That was a bad one.
Beside me, Shelton had removed his glasses and was rubbing his forehead, eyes brimming with golden light. Ben’s back was to me. His fists clenched as he struggled to tap his canine DNA. Hi had stepped to the window and was peering inside.
“Gotcha.” Ben straightened and flexed his powerful shoulders. “Contact.”
When Ben turned, his dark eyes danced with yellow light. Already handsome, flaring took his attractiveness to a whole new level. Ben’s coppery skin practically glowed in the evening light. I turned quickly, surprised by the color rising to my cheeks.
Then I noticed a thrumming in my brain. A subtle shift, like gears slotting into place, connecting my consciousness to a larger system.
I closed my eyes. My perception billowed outward. I could feel the other Virals, could point to each wi
thout opening a lid. Even Coop.
Flaming ropes appeared, linking the five us.
My pack.
Concentrating hard, I pushed slightly, in a way I didn’t understand, sweeping my awareness outward. My mind brushed the invisible boundary separating my thoughts from theirs. Hi. Coop. Shelton. Ben.
At first, a low buzzing. Then scattered feelings, too chaotic to follow.
I tried to pull back, mindful of invading the other Virals’ headspace. I hadn’t asked permission to attempt a link.
Abruptly, my perspective zoomed forward, like a comet being sucked into a black hole. I lost control. My mind seemed to untether from my body. Then my thoughts abruptly fired down the closest glowing cord.
Colors flashed. Red. Orange. Yellow. Black. Then a fuzzy image cut through the haze.
Me. Standing on the grass before Castle Pinckney. Eyes closed. Green-faced. Swaying.
“Stop it!” The voice was angry. Nervous. “Get out!”
The harsh words severed my fragile connection.
The universe snapped backward.
SNUP.
My eyes flew open. Ben’s fingers were digging into the flesh of my shoulders. Strongest by far, with his power unleashed he could have broken my bones.
From the look on Ben’s face, he was considering it.
“Stay out of my head,” Ben said through gritted teeth. “You didn’t even ask.”
“Sorry,” I squeaked. “I’m not sure what I did.”
Coop nudged between us, eyes fixed on Ben.
Ben took a breath, seemed to realize how hard he was clutching me. His hands dropped as if burned. He backed away, cheeks flushed, sweat dampening his brow.
I placed a hand on Coop’s head. The wolfdog sat, but his eyes tracked Ben’s every move.
“It was an accident, Ben.” I couldn’t catch his eye. “I didn’t mean to link, but somehow my mind was … pulled into it. I can’t explain it very well.”
Awkward silence.
“Hey, no sweat, Tor.” Hi forced a laugh, anxious to defuse the tension. “Just throw us a warning next time, you know? We might confuse you with an alien abductor, or a CIA operative. Can’t have that, right?”
“Everything’s cool.” Shelton worked his ear. “Whatever you did, we know it was an accident. Don’t we, Ben?”
“Our minds aren’t toys, Tory.” Ben’s voice was conciliatory, but he didn’t meet my gaze. “You can’t barge inside them without warning. Or permission.”
He was right. I told him so.
“I screwed up. I swear I’ll be more careful next time. No more mind games without explicit agreement. Promise.”
“Okay then, that’s done with!” Hi rapped the castle wall with his knuckles. “Daylight’s wasting, so let’s get back to the game.”
“Do we have a play called?” Shelton asked.
“We go inside, genius.” Hi’s glance swept the group. “Everyone still flaring?”
Nods all around. Hi pointed into the gloom. “Then get crackin’, soldiers.”
“Why don’t we look before we leap?” I suggested. “Literally.”
“Good plan,” Shelton agreed. “A little clichéd, but good.”
Focusing my hypersenses, I noted minute cracks spiderwebbing the stone windowsill. My nose detected dank, earthy scents wafting from the darkness. Molding leaves. Moss. Stagnant water.
“We spend a lot of time in these places,” Shelton observed. “Some might say, too much time.”
“Builds character.” Hi squatted down to examine the chamber’s ceiling. “Makes you tough. Manly.”
“Just what I’m looking for,” I said absently, inspecting the gloom. “Manliness.”
“You guys hear that?” Ben had moved beside me to get a look inside.
Shelton cocked one ear toward the opening. “Dripping water? No.” His face scrunched in concentration. “Something tapping, maybe?”
Ben shook his head. “If you can’t hear it, you know the rest of us can’t.”
Hi was squinting into the inky black. “It’s a small room, with a doorway in back.”
I waited, trusting Hi’s superior flare vision.
“This first chamber seems empty,” he said finally. “We’ll have to go deeper.”
“Great.” Shelton kicked a rock. “Deeper.”
“Come on, Shel-Dogg.” Hi stuck out a fist. “After everything we’ve done, the dark shouldn’t scare you anymore.”
“And yet, it does.” A moment passed, then Shelton reluctantly bumped Hi’s fist. “I’m not going first, and that’s a fact.”
“Gimme a sec to grab lights from the boat.” Ben hurried back the way we’d come.
Hi called into the black. “Your cache is mine, clown! I’m coming to getcha! Uncle Hiram’s got the scent!” His words echoed in the darkness as he scrambled through the opening.
“Zip it!” Shelton hiss-whispered. “This building is struggling to hold your buck-sixty. Don’t yodel the roof down on our heads.”
“I’m light on my feet.” Hi’s response came from deep within. “Should’ve been a dancer.”
For a moment, Shelton and I stood alone.
“Hey, Tor,” he whispered, “what was that crap with Ben? Did something happen? He freaked pretty bad.”
“I’m not sure. It was such a strange feeling. For a hot second I thought—”
Ben’s reappearance cut me off. I didn’t like talking behind his back, even if my comments weren’t negative.
And I wasn’t certain what I suspected. What had I seen? How had it happened? This latest telepathic experience had left me with more questions than ever. Could I really have seen my own image, through Ben’s eyes?
I decided to keep quiet. I knew Ben wouldn’t like it.
“Let’s do this.” Ben vaulted through the opening, then offered me a hand. Brushing it aside, I wiggled over on my stomach, then dropped to the floor. Shelton climbed in last.
Two paws appeared on the sill, followed by a whine.
“Stay outside, Coop.” I patted one furry foot. “It’s not safe.”
Another whimper, then the paws withdrew.
“Now what?” Shelton whispered in the dark.
“Spread out.” Hi grabbed a light from Ben, flicked it on. “Look for a box like the one we found on Loggerhead.”
Having only two flashlights, we were forced to pair up. Hi and I went right, Ben and Shelton left. Minutes later we met at the back of the room.
“Anything?” I asked.
“Nope.” Ben’s voice was tense. Flaring, I could make out a tightness to his eyes.
Hi probed a rickety doorway straight ahead. “Let’s try in there.”
The second chamber was half as large as the first, about the size of a tennis court. It, too, was empty.
For several seconds, Hi worked his light horizontally across the room. Something winked in the pale white oval. Beside me, I felt Shelton flinch.
Hi slowly arced the beam back. Flaring, my eyes gathered enough radiance to see.
Another twinkle.
“There!” I said excitedly. “On the ground.”
Ben added his light to Hi’s. A dark metal box sat alone in the middle of the room.
“Buckeye.” Hi’s eyes gleamed golden as he hurried forward.
“Hold up!” Shelton’s voice cracked. “The noise is stronger in here. Regular, like tat-tat-tat. It’s coming from that box.”
Undeterred, Hi scooped our find and began pawing at the lid. “Two for two!” he crowed. “Take that, Bozo.”
“Hi, hold up.” My sixth sense was on red alert.
“It’s ticking!” Shelton yelped. “The package is ticking!”
“Ticking?” Hiram kept poking and prying. “Like a watch?”
My mouth opened to shout a warning. Too late. Hi popped the lid.
“It stopped.” Shelton’s voice trembled.
Inside the box something whirred, then clicked.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Hi aimed
his beam into the box and drew his face close. I actually heard him swallow. “That can’t be good.”
“What can’t be good?” I hurried to his side.
The light was enough for my hypervision. I could see a purple plastic container sealed with black electrical tape. Affixed to its top was a digital watch with a tiny LCD.
As I watched, a message flashed on-screen: Failure to Open Properly. You Lose!
“What does that mean?” Shelton drew so close I could smell his sweat. “We didn’t have instructions about opening it!”
“What the hell?” Ben spoke so softly I’d have missed it without my powers.
“Guys?”
“Yes?” I didn’t like Hi’s tone.
“This watch is at thirty seconds. Counting down.”
My scalp began to tingle. “Down to what?”
“How should I know!?!”
“Turn it off!” Shelton yelped.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
“How?” I ran my fingers along the edge of the container. “We don’t even know what this is!”
“Fifteen seconds.” Sweat beaded Hi’s brow.
“It’s nothing,” Ben grumbled. “A stupid trick to scare us.”
“Ten.”
Hi had barely said the word when the first message dissolved, and was replaced by a new pair of words: You’re Dead!
“Oh no!” Shelton began backing away. “No no no no no!”
Beep! Beep! Beep!
“Run!” I yelled. “Hi, ditch it!”
Hi flung the cache into a corner and bolted for the door, hot on Shelton’s heels. Ben and I were a step behind.
How much time left? I’d lost the count. Seven seconds? Three?
Something furry flew past me, arrowing straight for the beeping package.
I froze in horror.
“Cooper!”
How did he get inside!?
I whipped the beam his way. Coop had clamped the cache in his jaws and was shaking it like a giant bilge rat.
The box emitted a screeching tone that grew into a high-pitched whistle.
Coop went still, the package locked in his teeth.
Terrified, I lunged toward my wolfdog.
An arm circled my waist and dragged me to the ground.
“Get down!” Ben shouted.
“Coop!” I screamed, trying to claw free. “Cooper, no!”