Disclaimer—See Chapter One
A/N: I haven't finished chapter nine yet, so am posting chapters as I get them written. My betas haven't even sent feedback on these yet because the turnaround time is so fast, so I'm flying solo this time around! I'm averaging 50 hours a week at work right now and have been writing frantically for the past ten weekends in a row, so am posting as fast as I am able. I'm sorry I can't update any faster for those of you that asked, but just wanted you to know why. Thank you so much to Lisa, Adele, Mxfan214, Tunder28, Eternalfire-angel, Rain, and Courtney. I've really been struggling to write this week so your encouragement has meant more than you know! Thank you! Blackpanther, you always bring a smile to my face, thank you! I think some of your questions will be anwered here, but I think even more will come up. :) CatJerica, thank you so much for your kindness! I'm still crazy about MX too. :) Mayra, I can't tell you how happy your review made me! Without the feedback from my betas before I'm posting, I didn't know if the storylines from ep 222 were making any sense. With all the questions, I was afraid I hadn't made it clear enough, but I'm so happy you're following! I revealed some of it purposely in this last chapter, but of course still have more to come. :) Thank you! Marie, I've got the DVD's preorderd. :) Thank you so much for your comments, you completely made my day! Mari, what would I do without you? Thank you for everything. This chapter again references eps 222 and 301. If you can, I would highly recommend watching ep 222 if you are not recognizing which parts of this story are coming from the ep. I think it would help clear up some of your questions. (But yes, the other woman is Lexa, some of the scenes in the dreams are from 301, but changed of course). It's always a balance between revealing enough and not revealing too much in each chapter, so I apologize that the plot wasn't set up better. That's where I normally rely on my beta's for help, so I'm afraid my story is suffering a bit this time around without their eyes. But I am pretty happy with how this chapter turned out, it was a lot of fun to write. I hope you enjoy! Thank you!
Traveling On—Chapter Eight
He forced himself to breathe.
Danny.
Danny Haines.
According to Adam, their seller was named Dr. Richard Haines.
Adam.
Brennan narrowed his eyes, staring at the older man, fingers shaking in outrage and confusion. "You knew?" He spoke the words without thought, anger seething as he stood abruptly to his feet.
Adam stopped talking mid-sentence. He understood immediately that something had been realized, eyes darting between Emma and Brennan.
"What's wrong, Brennan?" Emma eyed the two men warily. She glanced at Jesse, who stood with furrowed brow. "Brennan?"
Brennan sank back onto his chair, suddenly tired of it all, wordlessly spinning the monitor around. He heard Jesse's slight intake of air, followed by Adam's heavy sigh.
"Adam," Emma turned toward the older man unexpectedly, arms crossed. "I haven't said anything until now, but I think it's time you tell them what it all means." She raised her brow, ignoring Jesse's sharp glance.
Adam nodded, suddenly looking as if he had aged ten years. He turned his body toward Brennan. "Yes, I knew. Danny is Haines' son, he asked me to help him when the child's powers were becoming too much for him to handle. I didn't make the connection at the time, but I suspect now he wanted him out of danger."
Brennan's jaw flexed in silent anger, remembering the fear of the little boy.
"How do you know Haines?" Jesse had sunken back into his chair, kneading his temple. He was starting to wonder how many more secrets that Adam had kept from them. Maybe Brennan had been right all along. He bit back a groan, tensing when he felt Emma's hands land on his shoulders.
Adam hesitated, meeting Emma's eyes, nodding minutely. "Haines was a medical doctor, but he was also a former genomex scientist. He worked as Dr. Shaw's assistant in the late seventies."
Dr. Shaw. Brennan gave a bitter laugh, his earlier revelation almost forgotten in the wake of the dream that had followed. The tree statue had been lost in the underground flood, but its last message was still ingrained in his mind. "I've heard rumors of the existence of a list of names..." He repeated the words from the message aloud, eyes boring into Adam's. "Half truths, Adam, that's all you've ever given us."
"Brennan, I—"
"No!" Brennan rose back up, furious. "In the caves, you only revealed part of your secrets when you were forced to. And again a few days ago, you only told us there was a possible connection to this list and to the underground caves, to Dr. Shaw." He lips twisted into a sneer. "Well, now we're here again, Adam." He took a half step forward. "You knew all along that this list of names was the one Dr. Shaw mentioned. You were Dr. Shaw's partner, and now you're telling us Haines was his assistant."
"Yes." Adam didn't deny it.
"Back in the caves, when Emma asked, you told us you didn't know about his research. Is that still the case, Adam?" Brennan's voice rose hotly. "Or were you lying again?"
Silence filled the room, and as the others watched, their leader unfolded before them, becoming a stranger.
When Emma finally spoke, her voice was painfully quiet, fingers digging into Jesse's shoulders. "There was a third name on the list, Adam. Tell them what it all means."
Adam's color was white, but he spoke firmly. "I know you are all angry, but I want you to believe me when I say everything I have done over the past thirty years was to protect you." Brennan gave a huff of disbelief, but stayed silent. Adam took a breath, looking around the room. "Dr. Shaw's research picked up…where I left off. I wasn't aware he had continued my work after I left until we found it in the caves."
"Your work?" Jesse pinched the bridge of his nose, head bowed.
"Yes." Adam's eyes pleaded with the molecular to understand, but it went unnoticed. "You have to understand, we were on the verge of cracking the genetic code. I…experimented on selective mutations in secret." Jesse's head snapped up, and Adam leaned toward him. "But I stopped the work, and I hid it because I knew it was too dangerous for anyone to complete my work."
"And you really didn't know Shaw or Haines continued working on it after you left?" Emma watched him closely, and he could feel her probing his mind.
"No." He stood, hands outstretched, letting her partially in.
"He's telling the truth." Emma shook her head after a moment.
"I had stopped my experiments before I left. I encrypted the information, and took it out of genomex."
"That didn't work too well, did it?" Brennan snorted in sarcasm.
"So you were the third name on the list?" Jesse glanced at Emma. Why didn't you tell me? He felt her hands run down his back in apology, heard her whisper something about moral codes. He nodded stiffly, barely comprehending.
Adam closed his eyes. "I don't know how far Shaw got. In his message, he said he eventually also realized the danger and hid the information as well."
"But Eckhart obviously found out anyway." Brennan angrily turned the computer monitor back around, staring at the grainy picture of Danny. "How does your name on a list help Eckhart anyway?"
"The list gives the names of specific people whose names are needed to crack the genetic code. Eckhart needs our DNA to complete my work. He wants to recreate it. I tried to find the other two people this morning, but they were both dead." He looked grimly around the room. "Jesse was able to trace the license plate of the car Haines was driving, and it matches back to a company called Naxcon Corporation, which is where I want us to go this morning."
Naxcon. Brennan straightened up. "Shalimar's father's company?"
A hint of surprised resignation flashed across Adam's face. "Yes. I want her to go there undercover."
Brennan's heart thudded painfully. He lurched back to his feet, staring at Danny's picture. He didn't understand the connection Shalimar's father had to all this, but he did understand that Eckhart wanted that list. The list that Danny's father had tried to sell to the highest bidder immediately after hiding his son. Heavy guilt swirled with heaving anger, and his head dropped. "We've got another problem, Adam."
"Danny?" Adam's mind made the connection when he saw where Brennan's eyes had fallen. "You never followed up on him?"
The words were straight out of his dream. Brennan flinched. "No."
"And now Eckhart's got him." Jesse groaned the words, jaw tight. His temple throbbed with the start of a massive headache.
"Where's Shalimar?" Emma spoke up suddenly.
"I think she somehow figured some of this out already." Brennan pressed his lips together, pushing himself to his feet. "She went to Dave's, I'll go after her."
"Shalimar?" Adam activated the comlink.
"What's up, Adam?" Her voice brought relief.
"Where are you at?" Adam gestured for Brennan to wait as he started out of the room.
Brennan frowned, stopping impatiently in the doorway.
There was a heavy pause as Shalimar hesitated. When she finally responded, there was reluctance in her voice. "Don't ask me why, but I had this urge to visit Dave." She laughed slightly, embarrassed. "I'm almost there now."
"Shalimar, listen closely. There have been some new developments, and I need you to return to Sanctuary immediately."
"Danny's in trouble, isn't he?"
Adam's mouth opened in surprise at her words, turning to look at Brennan who shrugged back in confusion.
Shalimar understood their silence. "I'm almost there, Adam. I'm just going to take a look around." She cut the connection before anyone could object.
"Brennan, wait." Adam called after the elemental as he strode through the doorway.
"I'm going after Shal." He didn't bother turning back around.
"Should we still go to Naxcon?"
Brennan froze mid-step. That was Emma's voice. He swore under his breath, turning abruptly back around on his heel. "No!" His voice was harsh; he had almost forgotten.
Again.
The abyss cackled loudly in his ear.
"No!" He felt the edges of reason and insanity splitting open as he stalked back toward the stunned trio. "You can't go there."
Jesse's brows were winged upward in surprise, Adam already dismissing him, distracted, still processing his own revelations. Brennan latched desperate eyes onto Emma, startling her with their intensity. "Promise me you won't go there while I'm gone." He grabbed her, fingers digging into her shoulders, shaking her when she stared back at him. "Promise me!"
"Take it easy, Brennan." Jesse was on his feet immediately, his hand closing over Brennan's purposefully.
Brennan forced himself to take a breath, dropping his hands abruptly. "Emma?" His voice was a harsh whisper.
She nodded slowly, eyes wide as she stared into him.
He closed his eyes, fingers brushing hers in silent comfort as he left the room once more.
She collapsed bonelessly into the chair.
"What is it?" Jesse hovered over her, forgetting his own injuries as he dropped to his knees beside her.
"Emma?" Adam crossed the room in concern. "What did you see?"
She licked her lips. "Death." She whispered numbly, fingers trembling beneath Jesse's. "I saw death."
He arrived within an hour. Shalimar heard Brennan as he jogged down the hall. She wasn't surprised. He looked as awful as she had. She went back to staring at her hands.
"You saw him?" She didn't look up.
"Yeah."
She saw the tips of his shoes as he came to a stop in front of her. "The place was wide open when I got here…looks like he's been like that a few days already. They must have gotten to him almost immediately."
She sat with her back against the rough brick wall, speaking numbly. He knelt in front of her, reaching a hand out slowly, moving a lock of her hair away from her brow. He wanted to touch her. His fingers glided over her tangled hair, her tear-stained cheek and along her jaw.
She stirred slightly and sighed, as if finally realizing he was there. She pushed into his hand a little, her lips kissing his palm gently, and then she opened her amber brown eyes and looked at him. "I thought I said 'call me'." She whispered against his hand as she kissed it again.
"Really?" He answered softly, cradling her face in his fingers. "I read it 'follow me'." He felt her smile against his skin. She reached up with one hand and clasped his neck, bringing his face to hers. He met her lips in a soft kiss, eyes closing in relief. "When I woke up, and you weren't there…" He held her head in his hands when they broke apart, desperately studying her eyes. "Are you ok?"
She knew he meant that question in more ways than one. "Yeah." They were new to all of it. She pulled him to her again and they kissed, in the shy hesitant manner of new lovers, over and over. She wouldn't let him think it was a mistake. Ever. She met his lips with her own in a series of short, sweet kisses as her arm snaked around his back.
Finally, he stood, pulling her to him fiercely, burying his face in her hair. "We better tell the others about Dave."
She shuddered slightly at the reminder. She had covered his face and upper torso as best she could with her jacket; Brennan hadn't seen the full fury of what was done to him. There had been no sign of Danny. She didn't know if she should feel horror or relief at that. They had taken him.
At least it probably meant he was still alive.
"Brennan, what the hell is going on here?"
"I don't know, Shal." He groaned against her hair.
They fell quiet for a moment, breathing in each other's comfort.
When he spoke again, she felt his breath behind her ear, and she shivered again, mind latching onto more pleasant reminders.
"Shal…about the other night…" He paused, pulling back to look at her.
She grinned suddenly. "What about it?"
He chuckled, taken back, shaking his head slightly, stealing another brief kiss. "When we were talking about our dreams." His voice was thick, half amused, half aroused. He paused, fingers moving in her hair. "I—I didn't tell you everything."
"Yeah, ok." She ran one finger down the line of his cheek, along the stubble at the edge of his beard line where he hadn't shaved yet, then across his full bottom lip, forcing herself to focus. Every time he came near her she started to fizzle all over. There'd always been an electric charge between them, but now the voltage had skyrocketed.
A smile flitted across his mouth, understanding, as he watched her in silence, motionless. She dropped her hand, looking up at him, and he cleared his throat. "I don't understand it, but some of my dreams are…showing me things."
She shook her head. "What kind of things?"
He hesitated. "The future, Shal, I think I'm seeing the future…or at least a future possibility."
Her brows winged up, and the expression on his face reminded her of when he had told her about the mists in the cave. Had his dreams always been this perceptive? She couldn't bear the agony in his eyes, licking her lips. "Wha--what do you see?"
The relief flared in his eyes before he closed them. "In my dreams, I never followed up on Danny and horrible things happened." He paused, rolling his lower lip between his teeth. "Adam and Emma…died, and you, you were broken, angry. You hated me."
She stared at him, stunned, not knowing what to say.
He smiled slightly. "Yeah, I know."
She broke eye contact first, looking away, searching what was left of the destroyed underground. "Brennan—"
"Yeah." He sighed heavily, hands rising and clutching her shoulders. "Look, we can analyze this later, ok. All I know is that I wouldn't have followed up on him now either if not for you. We have to find Danny, and then find out how to keep anyone else from dying."
She nodded silently, eyes landing on the mangled body behind them. She couldn't question him any more than she could question her own dreams lately. "Were there any clues, anything else?"
He hesitated, thinking of her father. "No."
They were halfway back to Sanctuary when Shalimar heard him.
Brennan swore under his breath when he saw Shalimar's jeep do an abrupt turn in the middle of road in front of him, tires spitting gravel. She roared past him, and he got a glimpse of her fingers gripping the wheel, of her lips moving. He gritted his teeth, slamming on his brakes and spinning his own car back around.
"Shalimar," He called tersely into his ring, maneuvering up behind her, "Talk to me." He heard a click, and realized she had activated her comlink, but didn't respond. "Shal?"
"Where's Danny?" Her voice came back this time, angry, demanding.
"What are you—"
"Why should I believe you?" Her voice interrupted him, and it dawned on him she was talking to someone else. He swore again, louder this time. "Adam—"
"We're on it, Brennan." Emma's voice came back cool and reassuring. "Adam is tracking you even as we speak, and Jesse is firing up the helix. Keep following her, Adam wants to see where he is leading her."
"He's got to be close, Brennan." Jesse piped in, and from his breathlessness, Brennan could tell he had been running. "Adam doesn't think he would be able to reach her otherwise. We're checking traffic cams now."
"What if we're tired of playing your games?" Shalimar's voice rose as she continued talking
"Hey, Jess—" Without warning, her jeep suddenly halted in front of him. Brennan slammed on his brakes, swerving sharply to avoid hitting her. A tree loomed in his vision as he lurched crazily through the ditch, and muscles strained to turn the wheel away. Branches scraped against metal and the car bounced sharply, bucking his head up against the ceiling before shuddering to a stop. His body slammed back against the seat, locked in place, and he felt a flash of relief he had the good sense to buckle his seatbelt.
"Brennan!" He heard her a second before her fists pounded on the window. "Brennan!"
"I'm ok I'm—humph!" He shakily opened the door, breath knocked out of him as a flurry of blonde hair attacked him.
"I'm sorry," Her hands tugged sharply on the belt, teeth chattering. "It was him, that psionic, he was in my head again."
"Yeah, I know, we were—" The rest of his sentence was muffled when her lips swooped down, claiming his, seeking a connection. He was the one left breathless when she pulled back, hands returning to his belt.
"I'm sorry." She rambled as she tugged him free, hands roaming for injury, face wilting when she felt the bump under his hairline. "I don't know what I was thinking, I shouldn't have—"
"Shalimar, stop." He reached up, firmly capturing one of her fluttering hands. "Just stop, ok."
She stilled under his touch. Her head dropped, and he saw her shoulder rise as she took one deep breath and then another. When her face lifted, she was back in control, jaw set. "You're ok."
It wasn't a question.
"Yeah." He smiled gently, groaning as he climbed out of the car. "How about you?"
"I'm fine." She turned away, circling the car to inspect the damage.
"Brennan, Shalimar."
"We're here, Emma." Brennan spoke as he watched Shalimar bend her knees, running her hand along a deep scratch on the front passenger side.
She closed her eyes, leaning her head against it for a moment, before straightening back up. "He claims to know where Danny is, wants to exchange him for the list." Her voice was soft.
"Hey guys, I've found the car, it's the same one from last time. They've stopped at the marina downtown." The clacking of keys could be heard as Jesse interrupted them. "Oh nice, they're taking a boat out now."
"Brennan, Shalimar, take the jeep to the marina, but don't let them see you." Adam's voice smoothly gave out commands. "We'll go back for Brennan's car later. Emma, Jesse, I think it's time for a little air surveillance."
"What are you thinking, Adam?" Brennan watched Shalimar as she wordlessly headed back to her car.
"If Eckhart has a new hideout, I want to know where it is."
"Not the smartest of goons apparently," Brennan chuckled as he settled into the passenger seat. "If they're leading us straight there."
"Hmm," Shalimar made a non-committal sound in the back of her throat, steering the jeep back onto the road.
"What is it?" Brennan clutched the safety bar as she stomped on the pedal, racing toward the marina.
"I don't know," She shook her head, glancing at him sideways. "But for him, this feels too easy."
"We'll be careful." Brennan assured.
They reached the marina twenty minutes later, parking down the road from the car they'd seen in the video playback from the previous meet. Shalimar could just see the harbor through the lush grove of maple and oak. They'd be able to see anyone coming.
If they came back.
She yawned, a huge yawn that cracked her jaw.
The others had been circling the area for hours, looking for any sign of life on the nearby island chains or coastal villages. But the boat had seemingly disappeared, the car seemingly abandoned. They had finally given up the search, flying back to Sanctuary to search more effectively with the computer. Adam had long ago called Brennan and Shalimar back to Sanctuary as well, but they had stubbornly stayed longer, not wanting to give up quite yet.
Shalimar yawned again. Sitting, doing nothing…she yawned again. The adrenaline had long since worn off, the lingering fear from the psionic's words melting in the heat of the midday sun. They had gotten little sleep last night. She smiled secretly, glancing at Brennan. He was already dozing.
Their stakeout technique was definitely suffering.
"Brennan," She straightened up as a lone figure walked toward them, a baseball hat tugged low over his eyes. "Do you think that's one of them?"
Brennan opened his eyes and watched as the man walked past the dark car and opened the trunk of another. "Nope." He shut his eyes again.
Shalimar frowned, pushing her seat back as far as it would go to stretch her legs, remembering the chill of the psionic in her mind. It reminded her of Ashlocke all over again. Why was it always her? She sighed, frustrated, cracking her window open a bit. Hot air rushed in, choking her. She started the jeep again, tipping the air conditioning vent to her face. Slightly less hot air sluggishly blew back at her. She turned it off and slouched back in her seat, tapping her nails.
"We could just leave." Brennan spoke without opening his eyes.
"No." She had lost control once already that day; she was determined to see this thing out. She glanced at Brennan again. She hadn't told any of them that the psionic told her to wait at the marina. She just hadn't brought Adam along as he wanted. She smirked, looking back over the shimmering water through the trees. She would only play his game on her terms. "Come on, pick up the bait." She whispered into the hot air.
Nothing.
Finally, frustrated, she started up the jeep, resigned. Brennan made a slight noise in his sleep and moved his shoulders restlessly. She watched his face for a minute. He looked tired, even in sleep.
"Brennan." She spoke softly.
"Hmm?"
"Do you think we'll ever get him?"
He opened his eyes briefly and gave her an intense look that made her think maybe he hadn't been asleep at all.
"Yes."
He shut his eyes again.
She couldn't help but feel reassured by the firmness in his tone, turning off the engine once more.
He opened his eyes and looked at her again, then sat up suddenly. "Sorry."
"It's ok, sleep." She smiled gently. "I'm watching."
He rubbed his eyes and looked toward the harbor. "Anything?"
"Not yet."
They waited some more.
Brennan's knee began to fidget. "You know, Shal, we are here on our own time." He shot her a sideways grin.
His grin widened into a smile as she caught on.
His grin was alluring.
Tempting.
Magnetic.
She resisted for a second.
She smiled back, climbing out of her side of the jeep and crossing over to his, meeting him as he stepped out. She wrapped her arms around his waist. He hooked one elbow around her neck and looked down at her. His sleeve was rough against her cheek and smelled faintly of detergent and distinctly of him. She looked up at him, wondering what he was feeling, his eyes unreadable behind his sunglasses.
"Hey," He smiled, pulling her closer.
She flattened her hand against the muscles of his abdomen. "Hey," She murmured back. She still couldn't see his eyes but they seemed to focus first on her body, and then on her mouth. She grinned, and he bent his head, softly kissing her. His lips were warm and the smell of his skin mingled with the salt smell of the ocean.
"Shal…" Her name, soft as a sigh, and then he pulled her closer, kissing her thoroughly for long minutes.
She faintly heard footsteps, and reluctantly turned, sighing as it was only a woman holding the hand of a little girl.
"Good thing we don't have to report back to Adam about this."
She squirmed breathlessly as Brennan's voice whispered into her ear. She bit her lip as the woman frowned at them. Brennan rested his hands on her waist and pulled her closer against him, his body hotter than the air around them.
"…It was Shalimar's fault, Adam." He gently nipped at her earlobe. "She just won't leave me alone." He ran his lips down the side of her neck to her collarbone. "She can't keep her hands off me. It's really getting to be a problem…"
His body was curved around hers from behind, lips pressed into the hollow of her collarbone. The sensation was unbelievable, but Adam's name brought her back to earth with a thud.
"Just think," Brennan continued. "All those stakeouts…opportunities missed." He kissed down the edge of her low neckline and nudged his way inside.
"I think we should go back, Brennan."
"Shal," He straightened, turning her to face him, suddenly serious. "Why?"
She shifted, pulling out of his arms, opening the passenger door to grab her sunglasses off the dash, shoving them on her nose so he couldn't see her expression. "He told me to wait here."
"What?" Brennan's voice rose in disbelief. "You're just telling me this now?"
"Calm down." She tugged on his arm, getting his attention as his eyes swung wildly around the lot. "He was just playing with us more."
"I don't get it." Brennan's chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath, focusing back on her face. He frowned when he saw her glasses.
"Just his sick way of trying to control me some more." She shrugged, taking a step back. "I tried to bait the hunter this time around, but lost. Again." He reached for her, but she eluded his hands, slipping back around to the driver's side. "I don't want to play anymore."
He stared at her through the tinted window, but she started the car without another word. He shook his head, climbing in.
"Ok," She finally broke the silence after feeling him glance at her for the sixth time halfway back to Sanctuary. "I knew it might be dangerous, but I wanted to stay anyway, I thought maybe he would show up, so we could see him in person, maybe get him. He didn't just want the list, he wanted me to bring Adam, but obviously he knew that we didn't."
He thought back to how she had momentarily lost it after his little car crash into the ditch. "Is this just a battle of control then? To show him you're not afraid?"
"Brennan," She sighed, slipping off her glasses.
"Shalimar, Brennan!" Adam's voice interrupted them, startling them.
"What's up?" Brennan's voice was tired.
"Jesse found a veritable compound on one of the rocky islands off the coast. It didn't show in our initial scans because the building is protected. But when we tried again later, heat signatures showed up; two figures staring across the water with binoculars. I don't know why they ventured out into the open like that."
"Bait." Shalimar grinned widely, turning toward Brennan. "He was too busy watching us, watching him."
"And didn't see the arrow that was Jesse hit him from behind." Brennan caught on, sitting forward in grim excitement. "Let's go hunting."
The marina was nearly deserted by the time they returned, waiting impatiently for the rest of their team to arrive. The horizon was a pink-orange, clouds gathering in the distance by the time they rejoined together. The rocky island that Adam pointed to was tiny and covered in scabby trees, allowing no room to land; they wouldn't be able to access it with the helix. Brennan snuck down to the pier with a grin, easily procuring them a boat. Adam shook his head as they climbed aboard, Brennan putting the boat into gear and pushing open the throttle. The boat slid cleanly through the dark water, leaving a tiny wake behind.
"We are putting this right back where we found it." The older man sternly advised at Brennan's wide grin.
"I won't put a scratch on it," Brennan calmly responded, eyes scanning the horizon. "Besides I don't think we can stay out for very long with this storm coming."
"Do you think we have enough time?" Emma nervously looked upward, spitting out a strand of red hair as it was whipped into her face.
"Don't worry," Brennan flashed her a smile, not quite hiding the grimace as tiny droplets of water backsprayed against him. "No one hates storms more than me."
It didn't take them long to reach the island.
"Is that it?"
They were still quite a ways from the tiny rocky outcrop, but they could see the other boat pulled up to a low dock. It looked deceptively abandoned, a rundown ramp running up the bank to the rocky shore, looking like an old fishing spot on the deserted patch of land. Scrubby trees obscured the back half of the island.
"Do you think it's some sort of hologram?" Shalimar scanned the grounds, but couldn't see anything.
"Most likely." Adam gestured to Brennan to slow down.
Brennan eased the engine into neutral. "Whatever we're going to do, we better do it quickly." He glanced again at the sky.
As they watched, the treeline shimmered, a series of white buildings appearing through the dense foliage. It did look like a compound. Shalimar frowned, eyes straining, heart pounding when she saw a familiar figure standing in a doorway, shading the sun with his hands. "No." The whisper barely tore past her throat when sunlight glinted off metal. "Duck!" She dove for the floor, kicking Brennan's legs out from under him and taking Emma down with her. They landed hard, and she rolled, grasping the edge of Adam and Jesse's pant legs and tugging hard. Jesse yelped, grabbing his pants as they almost slid off his hips, toppling on top of Brennan.
They lay in the bottom of the boat, breathing heavily, waiting.
Nothing happened.
"Shal?" Jesse groaned, rubbing the back of his head where he had struck Brennan's chin on his way down. Brennan made a face and shoved, rolling the molecular off him. "Hey," Jesse grunted, struggling again to hold up his jeans.
"I thought someone was shooting at us." Shalimar gingerly raised her head, peeking over the side of the boat. The compound had disappeared again, no one in sight. "Sorry."
They cautiously stood back up, one by one, Jesse clutching his pants in a fist.
Emma started giggling when she realized what had happened. Shalimar caught on next, arms snaking around Brennan and unbuckling his belt.
"Uh…Shal?"
"For Jesse." She flashed him a grin, yanking the belt out of the loops and handing the strip of leather to the grumbling molecular.
She had ripped the buttons clean off the fly of his jeans when she pulled him down.
Adam shook his head as laughter rippled softly across the water, settling into the pilot's seat and easing the throttle back into gear. He spun the wheel around sharply, bringing the nose of the boat around with an eye on the storm clouds. "Let's try landing on the backside of the island."
"Adam…" Shalimar sobered almost immediately, glancing back at where the doorway had been visible as the boat slowly circled around. "What the hell is going on here?" Her voice was hoarse.
Brennan stared at her, suddenly remembering she hadn't been there this morning to hear Adam's confession. She didn't know. But there was something else, something beyond confusion in her pale face. She looked…sickened. "Shal?" He reached for her, the hair on the back of his arm standing up.
"Adam," The tone of Emma's voice gave them all pause. "We have to get out of here, now." She was staring into the tangled underbrush.
"What is it?" Jesse shivered at her tone, glancing around as well. The air felt somehow wrong. It was abnormally quiet. Ominous. Foreboding. A movement suddenly shook a tree, and he jumped as several birds flew squawking into the sky.
Out of nowhere a sharp tension filled the air.
"Emma?" Jesse cleared his throat.
She shook her head, goosebumps dotting her upper arms. Anxiously she scanned the horizon behind them. "Look!"
An ugly purple-green mass of clouds filled the sky to the southwest.
The wind rose suddenly and rocked them.
Something made Shalimar turn and look to the east. "Guys, we've got company." She grimly pointed to the other boat, appearing around the far side of the island in the opposite direction that they'd been watching. "It's them."
"What do you want to do, Adam, stay or run?" Brennan's hands were ready, electricity sparking. He glanced up as thunder rumbled in the sky. He could feel the electric charge already in the air and knew the storm was only a few minutes away.
Adam looked at the sky one more time, opening his mouth, when the whole boat was suddenly rocked savagely forward. Waves rolled over, dashing them with cold water. Brennan grunted, hands closing painfully as he caught himself on the edge.
"It's those same mutants that had us before," Emma's eyes were on the approaching boat, at the figure standing with hands outstretched.
"We're going." Adam was still at the wheel. He slammed the throttle open as far as it would go. The little boat roared to life, and Adam turned it sharply around, heading back toward shore. There was a sharp ping, and they all dropped to the floor.
This time someone was shooting at them.
"What is it with these guys and guns?" Jesse groaned, rubbing his chest as he was overcome by a coughing fit. His lungs still hadn't fully healed.
Emma concentrated, eyes closed, forehead burrowed, ready to lash out when sudden, searing pain seized her. She screamed, grabbing her head, writhing in unbearable pain.
"Emma!" Shalimar crawled forward, reaching her seconds before Jesse.
"Is she hit?" Jesse's hands frantically searched her as she screamed again, back arching blindly as she began to seize. "ADAM!"
Adam released the wheel, and the boat spun crazily. Another pop split the air, and Brennan scrambled forward to grab the wheel, gritting his teeth as the wood dug into his palms, splinters hitting home. He dared to peek over the edge and with a sickening punch to the gut realized that it wasn't going to work. The other boat was gaining steadily. A fresh wave of water splashed madly, drenching them, and he knew that the enormously large mutant had hit them with another telekinetic punch. "Come on!" He pleaded through clenched teeth, pushing the throttle further. The little boat shuddered, inching forward through the water.
"Emma!" Jesse's voice was whipped back into his face, and he realized with a start the wind had picked up.
"There's no blood." Adam could only hold her shoulders as her body tensed into another spasm.
Brennan glanced anxiously around the open water. If they couldn't outrun them, they'd have to lose them.
Somehow.
"Brennan!" Shalimar crawled forward, holding her hair back with one hand as it whipped crazily around her. "You ok!"
"Yeah!" He pointed across the open water. "I'm heading for those islands!" He turned the wheel abruptly and aimed for a group of islets not far to the west. Shalimar lost her hold and slid across the floorboards, coming up hard against the side of the boat.
"Shalimar!"
She landed upright, staring at the sky, blinking in stunned surprise. She frowned and pointed. "Brennan! The storm!"
He craned his neck. Damn.
The huge angry clouds were coming fast. Faster than he'd ever seen a storm build in his life.
They were caught between the storm and the other boat.
Already, the surface of the water was rough with squalls, and the sky had darkened to an eerie greenish yellow.
He cringed as a streak of lightening lit the ominous clouds.
"Jesse! Hold her!" Adam's grim voice ripped through the wind, and Shalimar scrambled back to her knees, peering over the edge of the boat.
"Can we make it!" Brennan called back to her.
"I don't know! Try to get us in there!"
He eased back on the throttle as they neared a narrow passage between two tiny islands. "How deep!"
She strained to see through the murky waters. "A meter at most!"
Their eyes met through the darkness.
"We have to try!"
Brennan nodded, pushing on the throttle again. Another flash of lightening streaked to the water and struck with a crack.
Shalimar felt the hairs all over her body prickle at the electrical charge. That was too close. She glanced back at the other boat. They were coming fast. Suddenly, rain pelted from the sky. A harsh gust him them broadside and the little boat shuddered, lolling sluggishly for a moment.
The engine sputtered and died.
Brennan swore, turning the key.
"Keep trying, Brennan!" Adam's voice hollered back, face still bent over Emma, nudging Jesse back when he got in his way.
The engine coughed, then caught again and the boat straightened. Grimly, Brennan hung onto the wheel, shoulders hunching as another pop sounded.
"Brennan! Get down!" He felt Shalimar's hand on his ankle and went down, managing to keep one hand gripping the careening wheel. Shalimar's fingers rested for a moment on his head, and he felt the strength of her caress.
"Hang on!" He yelled. The island group was small, some of the islands no more than a hundred feet across. They shot into the narrow channel, the engine screamed, and then they were suddenly in the calm lee of the first island. The passageway was relatively quiet, only about twenty feet across and looked like it narrowed further as it snaked out of sight.
"Can we keep going?" Shalimar dared to stand, twisting back around. "I don't see them."
At that moment, the other boat flashed across the end of the passageway. She heard a shout, and then the sound of the other boat's engines as it churned back.
"They draw too much water, it's too shallow for them to follow!" Brennan grinned suddenly. Maybe they would make it after all.
"All they have to do is wait for us to come out." Shalimar grimly pressed her lips together.
Oh. Brennan frowned as he realized she was right.
Emma suddenly seized again, body thrashing violently.
"Emma!" Jesse's terrified scream echoed across the still water.
"I wonder…" Adam leapt to his feet, only to flinch, jerking painfully back as two bullets thudded into his body.
He dropped silently.
"Nooo! ADAM!" Shalimar sobbed his name, crawling across the slippery floorboards as Brennan pushed the throttle forward again, trying to steer them further away.
The air around them sizzled with the storm. Jesse glanced at Brennan, and he was staring wide-eyed. It was as if they were looking at each other underwater. Under opaque, evil, electric green water.
As the little boat steamed sluggishly through the shallow channel, Brennan stared at the collapsed members of his team.
Adam.
Emma.
Fallen.
He had failed. A sob ripped through his throat as he stumbled back, feeling the curved edge of the boat slam into his back.
"We need to do something!" Shalimar stood back up; the other boat was quickly becoming a tiny speck, not able to follow in the shallow channel. "NOW!"
No sooner had she said it that the storm hit and all hell broke loose. The heavens opened and rain slashed out of the sky. The wind caught them hard, slamming the boat against the bank, toppling them all to their knees. Thunder deafened, and she tried to stand again, only to have Jesse grab her elbow, trying to pull her back down.
"The other boat!"
She turned and sure enough, it was inching into the channel behind them. Brennan yelled again and threw himself up hard against her just as she saw the man in the bow lift a gun.
Lightening flashed, illuminating the gunman, and her eyes met his across the water in stunned disbelief as the gun thundered, jerking back his shoulder. She felt something whip across her forehead, heard Brennan desperately scream, and then everything faded to black as she crumbled to the deck.
She couldn't believe it, didn't want to believe it, his name pushing on numb lips as her body went slack.
"Alex."
Brennan froze, wooden planks digging sharply into his knees, tears dripping in silent rivers as his world went to hell before his eyes.
Emma frothed, body twisting in seizure.
Adam shuddered, life blood staining the old wood black.
Shalimar unconscious, lying limp beneath him.
Jesse's harsh breath, struggling to comprehend.
The creak of the wheel as it spun crazily in the looming silence.
He forced himself to breathe.