Chapter Four: Let's Go Kick Some Butt
I sat bolt upright on my cot, sweating. I looked for Fang. He was sleeping in front of one of the fire barrels, his face blank. I breathed again. The thought of loosing one of my flock was like thinking of having no wings. The thought of loosing Fang was like having no heart. No soul. No…anything.
"More gunpowder…" Gazzy murmured in his sleep, jarring me from my thoughts. I heard a small chuckle.
"Gunpowder?" Tonks plopped next to me, speaking quietly.
I nodded.
"Yeah. He likes explosives. A lot."
"Scary. What is he, like, ten?"
"No. Eight. Nudge is ten."
Tonks gave a low whistle.
"You guys sure are a tough bunch. Guess being on the run from Erasers does that, huh?"
"Yeah. Well, you're tougher than any other girl I've met. Well, human girl, anyway."
"I grew up in an orphanage that had over thirty guys and less than ten girls. And the others just sat and played with stupid dolls. I worked my way to the top of the kids there by fighting the other boys for what I wanted and what I deserved. When the orphanage bought the sixth Harry Potter book, I almost broke the nose of the oldest boy there, who called himself Snape. His real name was Oliver, so I can see why he had another name. Anyway, he was 14, and I was eleven. He should have just let me have it, cuz I finished it that day. He woulda taken over a week. Anyway, the little old biddies got tired of me beating others, so they started punishing me. I ran with Keez, after I met him while I was stealing bread. I still leave the ladies things, because they were so nice. I let them know I'm okay."
"So, you like Keez, then?"
"More than I can say." She looked at him fondly, where the firelight flickered across his sleeping features. She then glanced at Fang, who had rolled over. "And you like Fang."
It wasn't a question, just a statement. An observation.
"Yeah." I had no clue why I was telling this total, possibly untrustworthy, stranger how I felt. She was a girl, so I figured she'd understand. "I'm just not sure if I'm ever gonna sort it out know. I know he feels…something for me. He's kissed me, but after that it never got brought up. He's not the emotional type. I figure he must be over me. Looking forward to seeing Lissa again, no doubt."
"Lissa who?"
"This red-haired wonder we have to rescue, along with Sam. They're from the school here, we met them staying with Anne Walker. Lissa kissed Fang. And I went on a date with Sam, and he kissed me. The flyboys must think we're still connected."
"Are you?"
"Not to Sam." I snorted. "Fang and Lissa, though, I'm not sure about."
She nodded.
"If you guys gotta rescue them, you'd better head out." She checked an old, beaten, yet miraculously still working watch that was on her wrist. "It's eight in the morning."
"You wanna wake the boys up?"
"Yeah." She got an evil grin. Silently, she got up, walking in her toes like a cat. She knelt next to Gazzy without making a sound. Placing a finger to her lips the looked at me. Removing her hand from her lips, she counted down on her fingers. Three…Two…One. An almighty yell sounded from Tonks, something that made me jump.
"Eulaliiiiiaaaa!!!!!"
The word was frightening, and a fierce look crept onto Tonks' face, casting shadows across it in the firelight. Gazzy jumped awake, along with everyone else in the alcove. Though, when Iggy jumped awake, he kept jumping toward the source of the noise. He crashed into Tonks, his hand around her throat on pure impulse.
"Sit still, or I swear to whatever sick, twisted, evil minded God exists, I will kill you."
There was a sickening thud as Keez jumped Iggy. Iggy's breath whooshed out of him and Keez spoke low and deadly into his ear.
"Touch her, and I swear, friend or not, I'll do worse than kill you! No one will ever, ever touch her. Never again!"
"Keez! He didn't know it was me, I gave my shout to wake them up, and it scared him. He's lived his life on instinct!"
Keez let go, leaving Iggy wheezing.
"Sorry man, I didn't know it was her!"
"No, that was my bad." Keez helped Iggy up. "Like you, I acted on impulse."
Everyone was awake now, and Fang was looking subtly from Keez to Tonks with the same expression in his eyes as last night.
"What did you mean by 'again'?" Angel asked. She had obviously listened to me and stayed out of Keez's and Tonks' heads.
"A rival gang, one that called themselves Death Eaters after the scumbag villains in Harry Potter got to Tonks and I once. They held me and made me watch as the sick idiots cut open her back, and down her arms in places. I broke free when the knife blade started moving toward her neck. I broke three noses and an arm that night. I don't know what kept me from killing the leader. Tonks just said 'Leave him.' And I did. For her."
Tonks showed me a scar on her arm.
"He carried me three blocks to the hospital. And never left the hospital room, either. It was great."
"Wow." Angel said. "You must be really tough." Never mind that she could kill a full-grown wolf-man with her mind. Oh, well. Guess that's just six-year-old innocence for you.
"No, I was just angry. Desperate, too."
"We'd better get going." Fang spoke for the first time since dinner last night. He seemed edgy to get out, wanting to fly, to fight. I was edgy, too, come to that.
"Right. Come on, flock. Rescue time."
"Can we come back to see these guys, Max?" Gazzy said, ending his arm-wrestle with Soda Pop.
"Please?" Oops. I'd looked at Nudge, and gotten a full dose of the Bambi eyes. Dang, I really had to watch out for those!
"All right, guys. We'll come back and spend another night with the Ghosts."
Cheers went up from the younger kids. Iggy and Gazzy slapped high-fives. Fang and I stood, being the all-mature, mentoring mutants that we were.
"You guys have cars?" Fang asked Keez.
"Yeah, we'll drive under you guys."
"You won't be able to keep up." I said, being realistic.
"Who said we were going to drive the speed limit?" Sting gave a wicked grin.
"Just don't get caught, otherwise, we'll never make it." Iggy said.
"We won't, we'll drive back roads. Could you guys make it where you're going on them?"
"Yeah, it shouldn't take too long."
"Good. Come on, let's head out!" Keez shouted, and everyone went the opposite direction of where we'd entered last night.
"Where are they going?" I asked, walking beside Tonks.
"Back entrance, the one that comes out near the clearing where we keep our cars."
We exited into a small wooded area, and walked a short way to a large clearing where three cars were parked, each one able to hold five people. There were fifteen Ghosts. The planning was perfect.
"You guys always so well organized?"
"We have to be, you know how it goes. See ya, Max." Tonks gave me a casual salute.
"See ya." I returned the gesture. Tonks was my third; count 'em, third friend! Whoo-hoo, I was on a really big roll. For a teenage, screwed up mutant, anyway. "Up and away, guys. Less than half an hour, and we'll be knocking Flyboys left and right!"
"Yeah!" Gazzy shot into the air.
Total leapt into Iggy's arms.
"Let me have at least one! I'll rip him apart!" He said, grinding his little teeth. Jeezum, that dog was going to one of these days.
I took off with the rest of the flock, focused only on our mission. Though, focused as I was, small, irritating thought still managed to creep into my mind. Thoughts such as 'Wonder how long it will take for Fang to get Lissa's lips on his again?' and 'What if I just accidentally let Lissa stay captured?' Not to mention the ever irritating 'Will Fang ever know how I feel?' Yeah, my life is a total, complete soap opera.
Max, just stay focused on what you have to do. Follow your heart. And tell Fang how you feel quickly. You're time is almost up.
Oh, yeah, not to mention the ever-intervening voice that never left!
Stay focused.
Stay out of my head. My reply shot forth.
I hated the voice sometimes. I really, truly did.
You're not a total joy all the time either, Max. But, I'm serious. Tell Fang. Soon. Very soon. The clock is ticking.
Tick tock away then. I'd tell him when I felt like it, I didn't need some body-less voice messing with me and making my choices for me!
Finally, Anne's red barn came into view. It took about a half an hour to get there, as I had predicted. The evil wasn't in her lair, so she wouldn't interfere. At last, something to be semi-grateful for. The Ghosts had also managed to keep up with us, which was another plus.
"Okay guys, do what the flock says. They give orders now." Keez told everyone. The entire gang turned to face us, waiting for an order.
"First off, be quiet." Iggy said, listening hard. After a moment, his head snapped toward the red barn. "There. They're in the barn, I can hear them wondering if we're gonna show up. Lissa is also on major pain in the butt mood."
"Just make sure you're quiet till we all move. Angel, you're going to have to get Sam and Lissa loose with Nudge. All the rest of you, just hit them at the shoulders, and they crumple."
Tonks merely had a small, mace-like stick and big steel-toed boots on.
"Are you really going to be able to fight them with just those? You can't punch them, you know. You'll break your fist."
"Oh, I won't punch weak points. I'll hit them and kick them. I don't need much. Just you wait and see." She laughed, but the glint in her eyes was enough to frighten anyone.
"Okay, guys! Let's move!"