12. Willa
CHAPTER 12
WILLA
L ionel’s harsh voice brings me out of a deep sleep. “Wake up, Willa. Slip the go pack on your back and put your jacket on over it.” The engine whines as the car picks up speed.
Scared, I immediately sit up and do as he asked.
“What’s happening?” My body sways right, then left, as he jerks the wheel from one lane to the other.
Lionel grimaces when he looks at me. “They found us.”
Bright lights shine from behind along with the roar of an engine. Startled, I turn around, but I can’t see anything. Whatever they’re driving, it’s big. “How?”
He lifts a shoulder. “I don’t know. I knew our chances would be slim once they were on our trail.” He glances at the car next to us. “Their technology is top-notch, government spyware. They can find anybody, anywhere. The plan was to buy us enough time to get to Phoenix.” He slams his palm onto the steering wheel. “Damn it. I didn’t expect them to find us this quickly. We’re still five hours from Atlanta. Tighten your seatbelt.”
We’re flying down the interstate as fast as the old car will go, the guardrail a blur beside us, but it’s obvious we can’t outrun them.
“What are we going to do?” My voice trembles as I ask, although the real question I’m wondering is what they’ll do when they catch us.
Lionel doesn’t answer. His knuckles are white as he grips the steering wheel. At the last second, he takes an off ramp, cutting off a few cars on the right. Horns blare and tires screech as they hit the brakes to avoid hitting us. Not once does Lionel slow down. Nobody follows.
At the bottom of the exit is a gas station. Lionel jerks the wheel, and we fly into the little lot, coming to a stop at the pump on the farthest end. “Get out and stand near the trees. They’ll be here soon.”
I jump out, but I only take a few steps back.
Is he getting gas?
He inserts his credit card and goes through the motions. I hear the screech of tires. They’re coming. I clench my fists, wondering what he’s doing. He flicks the lever on, locks it in place, then drops the flowing pump on the island between the two lanes. Gas starts flowing across the pavement on both sides.
He runs over to my side of the car and jerks open the rear door. Grabbing his duffle, he drops it on the ground beside him, then rifles through it until he finds the guns and ammo. Laying each of them on the ground, he loads them, then takes position over the hood of the car.
I move in closer to him and watch a black SUV screech to a halt. “Original.”
Lionel chuckles but the corners of his eyes never crinkle, which tells me how worried he is right now. “No matter what, stay down.”
Five men wearing dark fatigues get out of the vehicle, but strangely, one stays in the vehicle. He doesn’t move, but I can see glimpses of him when the overhead light shines down on his light brown hair.
Lionel shoots off a round, hitting the ground near the lead guy, making me jump. “That’s far enough. Who are you, and what do you want?”
Undeterred, the guy takes another step closer.
Lionel curses quietly under his breath. “The next one goes in your leg. Don’t test me, boy. Stand down.” The hard cut of his military tone tells him he means business.
The guy stops and motions to his other companions to do the same. “We’re here for her, and one way or another, she’s coming with us. You pick. Alive or in a bag.”
“She’s not going anywhere,” Lionel shouts back. He raises his hand to cover his mouth. “Brad put burner phones in the pack. Grab one. We need to let him know we’re in trouble. It’s a long shot, but maybe I can hold them off until he gets us some help.”
I strip off the windbreaker and backpack, then dig into it. Pulling out one of the small black phones, I start to hand it to Lionel, but he shakes his head. “Dial 555-4906. Let me know when someone answers.”
With shaking fingers, I dial the number. “Carl’s Pizza Parlor.”
I hold out the phone to Lionel, but he again shakes his head and whispers the following words. “Track the target. Falcon and little bird. Snafu. Out.” He motions to me, and I quietly murmur the words into the phone.
“10-4. Sit tight.”
“Now, hang up and turn it off,” he tells me. “Put the pack and your jacket back on.”
Confused, I wonder how they’ll find us without a phone, but I do as he orders. What do I know? I’ve never been on the run.
The men in front of us cluster together, and I see them talking quietly.
Lionel tenses.
“This isn’t going to end well for you,” the lead guy calls out with a broad smirk on his face. He dips his head and one of the guys disappears into thin air.
“Fuck!” Lionel says, throwing his hand out. The gas flowing between us ignites and the flames race from one end of the gas station to the other, covering almost the entire surface and creating a nearly impenetrable wall between us and our enemies.
With the fire providing cover, he turns to me. “Your dad would never forgive me if I allowed those bastards to kill his only daughter. The second I fan the flames higher; I want you to take off into those trees. Don’t stop. Don’t look back.”
I vehemently shake my head. “I’m not leaving you, Lionel. I’ve already lost one father. I’m not losing another because of this stupid psychic bullshit.”
Suddenly, something hard is pressed against my temple. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see a man’s hand. I’m guessing it’s a gun.
“Drop it or she’s dead,” a calm voice orders Lionel.
Lionel freezes for a split second, his eyes assessing the man beside me. Then he slowly places his gun down on the pavement. He stares at the man the entire time, and as he rises, I see a small movement behind him.
Slightly behind his leg, Lionel circles his finger round and round in slow motion. I frown slightly, wondering if he’s using his power or trying to signal to me, but I can’t tell. Shuffling my feet, I try to move a little to the left to see it better, but the guy grabs my elbow and jerks me close.
“Kick it away,” the man orders, his voice completely emotionless.
Lionel kicks his gun toward the trees.
“Why are you doing this?” I ask breathlessly, the smoke making it harder to breathe. “You have powers just like me. Why are you working for them?”
“You know nothing. Less than nothing. They’re everywhere. No matter what you do, they’ll track you down. You might as well come with me and save yourself a world of pain,” he mockingly sneers, but there is a gravity of defeat in his low tone. “Start moving.”
Instead of taking a step back, Lionel moves forward, startling the guy. “You’re not taking her.”
The guy presses the barrel of the gun into my temple, and I wince. “Either she comes with me, or I’ll shoot her. Vince doesn’t tolerate failure. Neither does Hightower.”
Lionel takes another step forward.
Something tickles my hand, and I look down and see a small green weed or a vine, slithering up from the ground. It glides silently along the side of my body like a snake until it starts to encircle my wrist. I raise my hand to take a closer look and watch the small plant wind itself around my arm as it moves higher. Is the guy next to me doing this?
He starts coughing, and it galvanizes me into action. I immediately pull on the thin green rope, hoping to get it off. It loosens but instead of falling to the ground, it heads up my arm to my shoulder. I try to turn my head to look at it, but the gun barrel stops me. All I can do is stand there and stare at Lionel, praying he can do something.
Lionel’s brows crash together at the sight of the vine on my shoulder. Turning back to the guy, he pulls up a string of fire from the ground. “Burning alive isn’t pleasant. Let her go.”
The plant wraps around my throat once, and I inhale sharply. Lionel’s curses. Terrified, I raise my hand to jerk it away, but the vine moves even faster, avoiding me to latch onto the barrel of the gun. It jerks it away from my temple. The gun goes off with a roar, and I scream, then clap a hand over the pain in my ear. Quickly shoving away from the guy, I watch the vine disappear into the ground.
After I move, the guy’s pants ignite, and with a yell, his attention immediately shifts to his legs, but the second he looks down, Lionel launches forward, tackling him to the ground. Horrified, I watch the flames crawl up their bodies as they roll around on the ground, each one trying to get the upper hand. Darting a glance around, I look for something to put out the fire, but an agonized yell makes me turn back to the two men.
My attacker is completely engulfed in flames. At the last second, he opens his mouth, as if to gasp for air, but the fire steals his last breath.
I force my eyes from him to Lionel, fearing the worst, but he waves a hand, and the fire moves away from his body. Hands trembling, I reach out to help him stand, my eyes scanning his body for burns, but there’s not a single one on him. His clothes aren’t even singed. It’s as if the fire didn’t touch him.
He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. “That was close. Are you okay?”
“My ear’s ringing, and things are kind of echoing, but I’m alive. How are you not burned?” I reply in a shaky voice.
He glances down at his outstretched hand, which is shaking violently. “Fire is a part of me. We need to go.”
“What’s wrong?” I ask, but then I see the fire dying behind him.
He tilts his head in the direction of the trees. “My power is almost depleted. When it goes, the fire will die. Our only option is to run. Brad will rally the closest troops, but I don’t know when they’ll get here. We need to buy him some time.”
With a firm nod, I tighten the straps of the go pack on my back and look around for my other bag. At the same time, a loud crack pierces the night air and Lionel’s body drops. One minute he’s standing in front of me, and the next, he’s on his knees, staring at his chest.
Kneeling down, I follow his gaze and see red blooming across his shirt. “No, no, no.” I press my hands to the wound while I help him lie down. Blood seeps from the wound without stopping.
“Don’t you dare die on me. Do you hear me, Lionel? Just hold on. Let me find something to stop the bleeding, then we’ll get out of here.”
He grabs my hand. “Stop. I’m not going anywhere, Willa. They must have hit my spine. I can’t feel my legs.” Pain tightens his face for a second, and his breathing becomes ragged. “But I can hold the fire while you escape.”
Sobbing, I shake my head, refusing to leave him. “I won’t leave you. I love you. You’re my dad, too.” I swipe at the tears on my face and cough as the smoke clogs my throat. “Please don’t make me.”
“Do it for me. For your parents. Live to fight another day. They’ll be coming for you. Find Phoenix,” he grits out, holding out his hand to fan the flames higher. “I can’t hold it for much longer. This is your only chance. Don’t make me watch them take you.” He holds my gaze until I reluctantly nod. “I love you, Willa. Smart, beautiful, a heart of gold. I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter. Make me and your dad proud.”
Another shot rings out, hitting the side window of the car and shattering the glass. I duck, throwing my arms around my head, while I try to shield Lionel as best as I can. He swears fiercely, and I watch his hand shake uncontrollably. I know it’s taking everything in him to maintain the fire, and the longer I wait, the harder it is for him. Tears streaming down my face, I realize I have to leave him here, alone on the ground, holding the barrier up between us and the bad guys.
Aware of the flames creeping closer, I bend down and brush his thick head of grey hair away from his face, then force myself to swallow the huge lump in my throat so I can tell him how much he means to me.
“I love you, Lionel. When I lost my parents, it felt like my world ended and I would be sad forever. But you… came along and helped me find joy again. You’ve been my best friend and a great dad.” I kiss his cheek. “Thank you for everything.”
Heat blasts me in the face, and with a sob, I stand, grab my other backpack, and start running. I see Lionel’s gun and scoop it up. At the edge of the forest, I pause to take one last look at him, but he’s covered in flames and a sob bursts out of my raw throat. How do I leave him like this?
Guns fire over and over, and I instinctively duck, but nothing comes close. That’s when I see a guy running full speed in my direction. It’s the one they left in the car. Tall and lean, he’s shouting at me and pointing to the trees, but I don’t know whether I can trust him. Scared, I raise the gun and pull the trigger. Nothing happens. Dumbfounded, I look down at it.
Without stopping, the guy reaches me and grabs my other hand, then jerks me into the cover of the forest.
“We’re going to have to run,” he shouts, trying to be heard above the shots still ringing out behind us. “They’ll move fast. And once the teleporter tracks us, it’s all over. We need to put several miles between us and them. Hurry!”
Trees and plants magically move to the side, creating a clear path for us. It’s almost spooky the way they move, as if they were humans parting in a crowd. The second we pass, they close tightly, leaving no trace of us.
“It was you! With the vine,” I say, unsure of whether to trust him. I decide not to tell him the guy with the gun is dead. “Thank you!”
He keeps running, his strong hand gripping mine, but manages to answer my unspoken question.
“They found me yesterday,” he replies with a grim smile as he holds up his other wrist, which has a handcuff dangling from it. “Let’s just say I wasn’t happy about going with them.”
I open my mouth to ask him a question, but there’s a loud boom behind us and the night sky lights up like a fireball. Jerking to a stop, I stare at it, and suck in a harsh breath. Lionel. Would the explosion kill him? Or would it give him a chance to escape? Oh god, I shouldn’t have left him.
“We can’t go back,” he tells me when he sees me turn in that direction. “You don’t have to give up on him. You never know… he might make it… we’re a pretty resilient bunch, but I’m sure the last thing he’d want is for you to return.”
It takes everything in me not to go back, but I know he’s right. I flash him a small grateful smile. “What’s your name?”
The slight quirk of his lips tells me he’s pleased I asked. “River. You?”
I stare into his unnaturally bright green eyes and wonder if that is their true color. “Greer. My name is Greer. Thank you for saving me back there.” And for the second time tonight, I lose a piece of myself as I leave Willa behind, too.