“They’re coming.” Chance ran to the coffee table, grabbed the folders and metal box, and returned to the cabinet. “But they won’t find what they’re looking for.”
He opened the lowest cabinet door, revealing a large safe.
A pair of golden eyes ignited behind Chance, quickly followed by two more sets.
Chance knelt, input several numbers, then mashed his thumb against a fingerprint scanner. The safe opened soundlessly. Chance dumped the folders inside, and was about to add the box when he paused. Reconsidering, he shoved it into his pocket. Then he shut the safe and closed the cabinet door.
Bang. Bang.
The doorframe shook.
And I was late to the party.
SNAP.
My powers roared free like water bursting through a dam.
Fire. Ice. Pain. Pleasure.
The room sharpened. My body tingled. Telepathic bonds slid into place.
Familiar voices echoed inside my head.
So we’re gonna fight? Shelton squeaked. That can’t be a good idea!
No other choice. I could see Ben clearly now—moonlight leaking through the windows was bright sunshine to my flaring eyes. He flexed his arms, reveling in the added strength our canine DNA provided. They’ll get through that door, whatever Chance says.
Terrified, I tried not to panic. Wait. Think.
“Do you have a plan?” I whispered aloud to Chance.
Metal clanked against metal outside the door. It sounded like something was being assembled in the hallway. I could practically see Chance’s mind racing behind his scarlet irises.
They haven’t said anything, Shelton whined. Why haven’t the agents tried talking to us?
They’re not here to chat. Ben’s sending sizzled with fury. They want us. Period.
Sweat coated my body.
Ben was right.
We had to escape, or we might never be seen again.
“The book nook!” Chance snapped his fingers. “There’s a way!”
A mechanical whine erupted in the corridor. The timbre changed abruptly, then the study door began to shake.
“Come on!” Chance arrowed for the spiral staircase in the far corner. “I’ve got a trick they couldn’t possibly know about.”
The clamor grew as we climbed up to the catwalk. I glanced at the door—the heavy lock was bouncing and rattling. The spotlight returned, nearly blinding me.
“We don’t have much time,” I whispered, inanely stating the obvious.
Capture. Incarceration. Experimentation.
Awful possibilities danced through my mind.
What would they do to me? To us all?
Would I ever see Kit again? Would my father ever learn what really happened?
I felt a stirring in the pack mind.
Somewhere, Coop was howling.
Ben wrapped his fingers tightly around mine, brown eyes fierce, his thoughts a maelstrom of anger and worry. He was only thinking of me. Getting me away. Keeping me safe.
Ben was ready to die for me.
Chance halted before a battered case halfway down the wall. He began pulling on books, muttering to himself as he shoved each one aside.
They won’t get you, Ben promised abruptly. I felt his determination flowing through the bond, mixed with love and desperation. He really would give his life to protect mine.
Ben. I—
Hey, save me, too. Hi was dry-washing his hands as he stared at the study door. I’m not itching to be a lab rat either.
Shelton mentally shivered. How’s about we all escape? That work?
Then Chance howled in triumph, tugging a worn volume that refused to budge. “This is the one! The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s been years since I came up here. Almost forgot.”
Gripping the book by its spine, he jerked it to the right. Something clicked.
The bookcase swung inward.
Beyond was a narrow passage roughly five feet high.
“Follow me.” Shoulders hunched, Chance crept inside.
We jammed in after him, Ben closing the case behind us with a soft clink. I caught a last glimpse of the study door, which was nearly shaking off its hinges. Our pursuers would break through in moments.
The passage was short, wood-walled, and windowless, making it hard to see even with flare vision. One turn, then I caught a whiff of humid night air. We stumbled into a small, sparsely appointed room. A single cabinet. Two chairs. One table. The hidden space had a cabin-like feel, with cedar walls and a hunting scene tacked up for decoration. A round, shuttered window provided the only ventilation.
There was no other way in or out.
“Great-grandfather’s reading room.” Chance wiped sweat from his forehead, then squeezed his pocket to be sure the metal box was still there. “Really just a place to drink whiskey with his buddies during Prohibition. Not that anyone would’ve arrested him—Mathias Claybourne was the biggest bootlegger in South Carolina. He just liked the secrecy of it all.”
“Super.” Hi was eyeing the passage. “But what happens when those GI Joes find the only way in?”
A freaking dead end, Ben cursed bitterly. At least in the study we could’ve fought.
My heart sank. I agreed with Ben. This was a trap.
“We’ll be long gone.” Chance pointed to the manhole-sized window. “There’s a ledge outside that circles the second floor. Ten paces to the left, a gutter accesses the roof. We climb up, then cross to the other side of the house. There’s an orchard there. We use the trees to get down.”
Shelton gave him a flat look. “You serious?”
Chance nodded. “I’ve done it before. When I was nine.”
The floorboards shook. A loud crash rumbled down the passage.
Shelton closed his eyes, listening hard. Then he waved frantically. Voices on the catwalk!
Chance didn’t need to hear the message. He grabbed the shutter and yanked. Once. Twice. Wood groaned, then the entire frame came loose in his hands.
Chance set it aside and waved us close. “I’ll go first. Just follow me, step where I step, and everything will be fine.”
“Get on with it.” Ben shoved a chair below the opening.
Chance vaulted up and deftly slipped through the porthole. Ben motioned me next. Mimicking Chance’s movements exactly, I slithered through the opening and dropped onto the narrow ledge outside.
I took a moment to get my bearings. We were balanced on a two-foot-wide toehold between the second and third floors of Claybourne Manor. Below was a leg-breaking drop to a brick patio. Chance had sidestepped a few feet down the ledge to make room. He pointed ahead to where a gutter climbed the length of the building.
I inched toward Chance, making room for Hi, who wobbled precariously as his feet touched down. He righted himself with a shaky smile and followed. Shelton came next, hugging the building for dear life. Ben was last out, watching our backs as usual.
Chance reached the gutter and scurried up. At the top, he swung a leg onto the slate roof, then waved me forward. Gripping the metal gutter, I was relieved to see rungs along one side. Ascending was easy, and Chance practically lifted me over the side.
The others had no problems either, though I could hear Shelton’s mumbled prayers with every step. Once we’d gathered on the roof, Chance led us across the massive structure, everyone hunched to reduce our moonlit profiles.
The night was deathly silent. Our pursuers didn’t seem close by.
Then we hit a snag. Chance reached the section of roof he’d been aiming for, but there wasn’t a tree in sight.
“Where are the trees?” Shelton hissed.
“Ha.” A sick look twisted Chance’s face. “So. Funny story. I just now remembered—we had the orchard bulldozed five years ago to build a koi pond.”
I looked do
wn. A dark blob rippled below, ten feet from the side of the building.
Ben slapped his forehead. “How can you be such an idiot!?”
“I’m not the damn gardener!” Chance shot back defensively. “Do you have any idea how big this estate is? I can’t keep track of my own freaking laundry, much less—”
“Guys!” Hi was pointing back across the roof.
Flashlights.
Oh no.
“We’re toast.” Shelton’s voice cracked. “How’d they find us so fast?”
I was peering over the side. “Koi pond, you said?”
Chance nodded without comprehension.
Hiram’s eyes sparkled with golden light. “How deep are those things?”
Chance straightened, red eyes narrowing as he spoke. “Hector can stand when it’s completely filled, but only barely. He’s six two.” A pause. “Give or take.”
Ben grabbed Chance by the shoulder. “Think, damn it!”
Chance shoved Ben away. “The deep end is closest to the house. It’s big for this type of feature, but that’s all I know about koi ponds. I didn’t design the stupid thing!” He snorted hysterically. “I thought I still had an orchard.”
“We’re three stories up.” Shelton did the math as he spoke. “Five or six feet deep? That’s a neck breaker, for sure. And it’s, what, ten feet out to the water?”
“We’re flaring.” Ben peered over the edge, then took a few steps back, legs bouncing. “Virals are stronger than others.”
Another light joined the first pair. White beams began scouring the roof, creeping in our direction.
We were cornered. And Shelton was right—the fall was too high to risk.
My mind froze, refusing to function as the flashlights tracked closer and closer.
These men were relentless. Merciless. They’d put me in a steel box.
I verged on panic.
A gust of air blew past me.
Here goes nothing. Ben launched himself from the building.
BEN!
For the second time in two nights, I watched in horror as Ben sailed through the air. His arms pinwheeled as he dropped toward the shimmering inkblot below.
Ben hit with a thunderous splash and disappeared beneath the water.
Heart in my throat, I willed him to resurface.
Ben! Ben, are you okay?!
My bond with Ben grew fuzzy. Tenuous. Then it broke altogether.
Frantic, I unleashed a swell of love for Ben I didn’t know existed. All my hopes and cares burst outward. In a split second, I bared my soul.
The water rippled.
I never knew you cared.
Ben’s head emerged, our connection thrumming stronger than ever. He dragged himself from the pond, spitting and hacking. I watched him roll to his back and flash a thumbs-up.
It’s deeper than Chance thought, Ben sent. Hector must be a tall dude.
I was about to tell Chance when a flashlight beam fell squarely on me.
Shouts echoed across the roof.
Chance barked another strangled laugh. “Just like the Yorktown, eh? Let’s get wet.”
I looked at Shelton, who covered his face and screamed. Then he retreated a few steps.
Holy crap. Shelton shot forward and leaped over the side.
Boots on the slate behind us. No time for delay.
How wide is the pond!? I mind-screamed at Ben.
Maybe ten yards. He replied. Why?
Good enough.
I glanced at Hi, who nodded, eyes wide. “You jump, I jump, right, Tory? Like Titanic.”
Chance was watching the approaching lights. “They’re almost on us!”
Hi and I raced back from the edge, dragging Chance between us. “Together, on three!”
Chance pulled the metal box from his pocket and gripped it to his chest.
“One.”
Footsteps closing in.
“TWO.”
Harsh breathing, mere steps away.
“THREE!”
We charged forward. Fingertips brushed through my hair.
As one, we launched into space. The fall was terrifying, but short. I barely had time to register the craziness before my head smacked the hard, inky water.
Sour liquid filled my mouth, nose, and ears. I was slammed sideways, then my chest hit bottom. The air rushed from my lungs. For a moment, I couldn’t think, couldn’t move. My mind gibbered in panic. Underwater, chest burning, I couldn’t tell up from down.
Hands dragged me upward. I broke the surface gasping. Chance and Hi were pushing me toward the edge of the pond. I wiggled out, body tingling with elation.
But there was no time for celebration.
Lights arced down. Rooftop voices called to allies on the ground.
“This way,” Chance wheezed, still clutching the box as he led us deeper into the grounds. Down a trail, across a rock garden, and through a false hedge brought us to the ten-foot wall bounding Chance’s property. We hurried to a locked gate. Ben punched a sequence into metal keys above the knob.
The gate sprang open. We fled into the night.
I sprinted for three straight blocks.
We fled through Charleston’s richest neighborhood—across hidden backyards, over spike-capped fences, and down quiet nighttime streets. At one point a pair of Rottweilers gave chase, but a sharp glance from our glowing eyes sent them scampering to their doghouses.
In under two minutes, we stumbled up to where Ben’s Explorer was parked on Water Street. Panting like draft horses, the five of us piled inside.
“What are you doing?” Ben yelled at Chance. “Get out!”
“And go where?” Chance was wedged between Hi and Shelton in the back, still gripping his precious metal box as he searched for a seat belt. “Those men are inside my house!”
“Not my problem, Claybourne.” Ben jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Hit the road!”
“Ben, stop it!” I scolded. His glare shifted to me. I’d never seen him this angry, but I wasn’t in the mood for macho nonsense. “We can’t just leave Chance in the street. And we have to hurry if we’re going to catch them!”
All eyes shot to me.
Chance stopped moving. “Excuse me?”
“What?” Shelton squawked. “Catch who?”
“I think you have it backwards.” Hi was watching the street for any sign of pursuit. “You see, we’re the ones running for our lives, and those guys are—”
“Swarming Claybourne Manor,” I interrupted. “But they won’t stay there for long. This time we are going to follow them.”
“Nope!” Shelton shook his head vehemently. “Nope nope nope!”
“What do we know about surveillance?” Hi pointed to his gleaming eyes. “And I think a car packed with fire-eyed monsters might get noticed by professionals.”
SNUP.
I shook off a wave of dizziness. Choked back the acid taste in my mouth.
“You guys, too,” I rasped. “Hi’s right. Flaring at night, we stand out like a pack of werewolves.”
One by one, the others powered down. Ben last, of course, and not before muttering a string of four-letter words. He hated losing his edge, even when necessary.
“Just listen.” Wiping sweat from my forehead. “Whoever those soldiers are, they won’t try to follow us tonight. They missed, and they know it.”
“How can you be sure?” Shelton’s hand crept up to his ear.
“Think about the times they’ve made a move,” I said. “Always at night, and only when we’ve isolated ourselves.”
Chance barked a laugh. “My mansion is hardly isolated.”
“It’s big, and surrounded by high walls.” I spoke with an urgency I didn’t quite understand. “Claybourne Manor was a great place to bag us without being seen
. But we blew their plan by escaping from the roof. Your neighbors must’ve heard the commotion, or seen the lights. They’ll call the police, or at the very least take a look. Which means those MIBs better disappear as fast as we did.”
“The discretion of my neighbors might surprise you,” Chance replied, “but you have a point. Good, then. Let them slink back to whatever hole they crept from. We survive to fight another day.”
I slammed a fist on the dash. “Even better, let’s find the damn hole.”
Hi arched an eyebrow. “Pardon?”
Ben understood. “They’ll be in a hurry.” He fired the Explorer’s engine. “Disorganized after missing us. They’ll need to regroup. Form another plan. That assault team will hightail it back to their base of operations.”
Ben pulled onto Water Street, all but abandoned at the late hour. He took a left on Church, then a sharp right into an alley leading over to Meeting. Killing the lights, Ben rolled to halt near the end of the narrow lane. “If they haven’t left already, they’ll come this way.”
“This is crazy,” Shelton hissed. “They followed us here. They know your ride, Ben!”
“He’s got a point,” Hiram’s eyes were glued to the cross street before us. “This might be tempting fate a bit more than is healthy.”
Chance dismissed Hi’s concern. “They won’t expect being tailed by a bunch of punk teenagers they just chased off a three-story building.”
I checked my watch. Eleven fifteen p.m.
My curfew was at risk, but that didn’t even rate.
Had we returned in time? These operators were quick, skilled, and motivated. Without our powers, we’d never have escaped them.
And they just saw what we can do. With their own eyes.
If these goons were hunting Virals, we’d announced ourselves with fireworks.
I shivered. What if next time they dropped the stealth?
All the more reason to follow them. We could be running out of time.
Seconds ticked past. I grew certain they’d already flown the coop.
Then a town car rolled past. Seconds later, a black van followed.
I squeezed Ben’s shoulder. “It’s them.” He nodded, allowing a few beats to pass before turning on the headlights and easing onto Meeting Street.