Gifted Connections #5

Chapter 19

Once the bus stopped, I adjusted my ponytail before sliding on my lightweight jacket. The sun was out, with today’s temperature in the high sixties, but the wind made it slightly brisk. Once I ran around for a little while, I would probably be shedding a layer though.

I was vibrating with excitement, more than ready to get out into the field. The land that housed the training grounds used to be a fairground of sorts. It had been an ideal location for rodeos, games, rides, concerts, and many other things. Unfortunately for the landowners, the development of the surrounding city caused the state to build an overpass, cutting off easy access to it.

Recognizing an opportunity, a competing developer had purchased land a few miles down the road for the same exact purposes. Their lot had room for all the necessary parking and easy access to an entrance and exit. The other property, now useless, was eventually abandoned.

When exploring the land surrounding the mountain, Pops and Paul discovered the abandoned property. Having recognized the potential of the land, Paul and several investors were able to purchase it and create access to it from the bunker.

They had knocked down the buildings that were no longer functional and completed structural repairs to the ones that needed them. Some equipment was purchased and erected for us to utilize for training. It was still a work in progress, but it was operational now.

“I’m so glad the weather is finally allowing us to do this.” Jaxson bounced on his toes in anticipation.“Plus, getting out of class early wasn’t too bad either.”

I had gotten to class a little earlier and was able to eat while I did my unit reviews. By the time my classmates joined me, I was ready to finish two more tests. After today, I only had math and English to focus on. Slowly but surely, the load on my shoulders was easing, and it felt amazing to breathe more freely.

The bus stopped, and I peered over the seat. “Give us a moment to see if everything’s ready,” Pops stated before climbing off the bus.

Greg and Kirk, Race’s brother, followed him off. Pops, Kirk, and Greg were running the training mission today. No one else knew what the objective was or who our teams were.

“I’m stoked that I finally get to do some real training. Doing light exercises while all of you have been training sucks, especially since everything seems to have gotten more intense,” I admitted to him.

As I waited for our next instructions, I stood up and began to stretch. I felt like I had done enough sitting today, and the inactivity was getting to me. Someone slipped behind me and placed their arms over my shoulder. I looked up to see Noah, acting as if nothing was amiss. I gave him a deadpan look and slowly blinked at him.

Remy and Jace had come to retrieve me from class, and I pretended like I didn’t see them. It highly amused Jaxson since I had no problem interacting with him. When I reached the locker room to change into our training tracksuit, the rest of the guys were there. I kissed Troy, ignoring Drake and Lincoln. Truthfully, I wasn’t upset at them any more, but I wanted to mess with them a little bit longer.

Noah jutted out his bottom lip in a pout. “Please forgive us.”

“Don’t do it,” Dawn hissed.

I bit my lip, attempting to prevent myself from smiling. I didn’t want the guys to see how amused I was by the whole situation now. Sure, they should have believed me, but I could also see how hard it would have been if our roles were reversed. If they told me they were hearing voices, my first reaction would be skepticism, too.

Jace, Noah, and Remy shot Dawn annoyed looks. I knew she was attempting to antagonize them because not only was she irked by their behavior this morning, but also because Remy and Jace had assigned her to the trainees. It was no secret that she had little patience for the new recruits.

The trainees were the newbies we had recruited from some of the other gifted communities. Some of the communities had their members on a rotation. We appreciated any bodies we could get, but the adjustments could be onerous. It almost felt like once we had a group trained and working cohesively, we had to partially start all over again. Unfortunately, some of the new recruits didn’t mesh well with the teams the other people had been on, so we had to go back to the drawing board to figure it out.

“Is that the advice you really want to give her right before we do a training exercise?” Terrance asked. “You know how evil they can be when they put their minds together and they have the perfect cover for retaliation.”

I knew Terrance was “siding” with them because he was originally assigned to the trainees this morning. Fortunately for him, the original driver for airport pick-ups got sick this morning, and when Terrance found out about it, he asked if he could go instead. He generally didn’t mind being a trainer, but there was a female in the new group that he had hooked up with, and now she wouldn’t leave him alone.

The guys had sympathy for him because they knew he had already told the girl, Alice, that he wasn’t looking for a relationship. She wasn’t taking the hint, and honestly, she was getting a bit obsessive.

Rumors that Terrance had sexually transmitted disease began to circulate, and even though we couldn’t confirm Alice had started them, it was a safe bet. That wasn’t the only problem she’d created. She bullied a female that Terrance had been talking to. One of her friends brought it to our attention. When they confronted Alice, she denied it, and the girl in question seemed to be too intimidated to confirm or deny the altercation. The final straw for Jace and Remy had come last night when Marcel caught her attempting to break into their apartment.Of course, she played dumb and said she thought it was one of her friend’s places.

Terrance would never snitch on her to Pops or Paul, and Jace and Remy knew that. However, she was becoming an issue. As a powerfully gifted individual, she could have been valuable on missions, but we couldn’t afford to have someone like her on our teams. They were close to sending her back.

Understanding Terrance’s implications, I turned and narrowed my gaze on him. “Are you really threatening Dawn with the use of their gifts? She’s merely sticking up for me. If you want to threaten her with that, I see your bet and raise you one. I know I haven’t trained lately, but I haven’t forgotten how to use my gifts.”

It was the truth. I might not have had the opportunity to use my gifts during the simulations, but I had been training. Since I no longer had a halo on me, I made it a point to work my muscles, so to speak. At least an hour of each day was dedicated to practicing with my gifts. It might not be a consecutive sixty minutes at a time, but I still used them throughout the day.

Terrance held up his hands as if he were surrendering.“Sorry, little bit, didn’t mean to offend.” He attempted to stifle a laugh, and I glared at him.

Suddenly, somebody’s phone began to ring, and “Whenever Wherever” by Shakira began to play. I smirked. Seconds later, Terrance was shaking his hips in a poor imitation of Shakira’s amazing dance moves.

“Um, Ter, you good?” one of the new guys asked.

I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing, and I was soon joined by most of my friends and guys. Anyone that ever went to a club with Terrance knew he “didn’t dance,” and now I understood why. He had zero rhythm. In fact, if I saw him moving like that in normal circumstances, I would think he was having a seizure.

“Really, little bit,” Terrance glumly stated, “I think I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll always be on your side from this day forward.”

I pouted playfully.“Promise?”

Some of my guys let out exasperated laughs, and I gave them a smug smile. I could see how badly some of them wanted to protect poor Terrance from my evil prank, but they knew better than to intervene. I was sure they were relieved that my ire had transferred from them to Terrance.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” Lincoln grumbled.

I smiled at him and moved into his arms, noticing the surprise in his gaze before he pulled me in close. Lincoln almost looked smug as he ran his hands over my ponytail and down my back before settling around my waist. Noah and Jace made sounds of discontent, and I winked at them.

“Love you,” I simpered.

“Are you done being mad at us for our mistake?” Remy attempted to look peeved, but it was obvious that he was fighting a smile.

I saw right through him and grinned. “Yup!”

“Blake Thomas,” Pops chided with a small smile curving his lips.

Looking around, I noticed most of the seats in front of us were now empty. Marcel, Dawn, Kade, and Race had remained to watch the “show.” I hadn’t realized that Pops, Greg, and Kirk were ready and called us off of the bus. Of course, the people behind us hadn’t informed us either. I didn’t blame them; it was quite amusing seeing Terrance dance—well, attempt to.

I widened my eyes, feigning innocence. “What?”

“Let’s get going, preferably without Terrance seizing.” Pops couldn’t prevent the smile this time.

Laughter surrounded me once more, and I smiled. I was ready to talk to the guys again. After all, they did say laughter was the best medicine, so I was feeling much better. Too bad for Terrance, it was at his expense.

I sighed in disappointment. “Fine.”

“Wait, wait!” Marcel exclaimed. “Let me record this first.”

“Do it and see what happens,” Terrance threatened.

“I’ll take the risk.” Marcel smirked. “Give me five minutes, Blake.”

“Done.”

Terrance groaned, but Marcel took the video then ran off the bus. I gave him the head start he’d requested. After all, I was a loyal friend.

η

I drifted out of a dream-like state. I knew I wasn’t in my bed, and it felt as if I were lying on something hard, like a cement floor.A quick mental check told me that other than a slight fogginess in my head, everything else seemed okay. I attempted to shift into a more comfortable position, but my hands and feet were weighed down. I slowly opened my eyes, attempting to check out my surroundings, and everything gradually started to come into focus.

I was lying on my back, and above me was a ceiling made of wooden trusses and beams.My head lolled to the side, and I realized there was a wall to both my left and right, approximately ten feet tall. The wall at my feet seemed to have a door on it, but the door would probably reach my chest or shoulders, while the top was comprised of bars. I blinked, attempting to make sense of it all.

My nose itched, and I frowned at the reminder that I couldn’t move my hand. Sluggishly, I moved my head to the side and down, now noticing the padded cuffs on my wrist.

The tight binding limited my range of motion, giving me only about six inches of movement. I began to shake with panic and fear. Each desperate pull made the chains rattle against each other and the concrete slab under my body.

“No. No. No. Not again,” I sobbed. I thrashed about, realizing it wasn’t just my hands that were bound.

My terror heightened, assuming Horatio had gotten to me again. I moved my head around the room, hoping to see my guys.The walls around me were made of wooden slats, and the area I was being kept in couldn’t be larger than twelve by twelve. In fact, the area I was kept in was reminiscent of a horse stall. A deep breath brought the faint smell of a barn with it. I lifted my head higher and couldn’t see anything or anyone else.

“Remy, Jace, Lincoln, Troy, Drake, Noah, Jaxson!” I screamed.

I winced once I realized what I had done. I’d used my gifts. I waited for the zap of a halo and sighed when no pain followed. Maybe they had taken the doctor’s warning to heart? They wouldn’t want anything to happen to my son and daughter. I wasn’t na?ve enough to believe I would get a second chance with them. This time, they would capture me for my babies. Even if my babies couldn’t help them now, they would be able to in the future. They would raise and brainwash them to suit their purposes. I needed to get out of here.

As my mind scrambled, I tried to recall today’s events. What happened? I was surrounded by my guys. We were briefed by Kirk, Greg, and Pops. They told us we were going to play man hunt with a twist. They told us… When I stopped jerking around, the fog in my head cleared completely. I dryly laughed at myself as my memories came rushing back.

The cadres—Pops, Kirk, and Greg—had told us to get into our teams. Each team had eight to-ten members. A majority of the squads had been established for months. Jace, Troy, and Remy had overseen that process, making sure each team was balanced for maximum efficiency and success. Each of my guys, along with a few of our reliable Knights, usually commanded a group. For today’s training purposes, their groups were on their own. The guys and I were on one team, while the other trainers made up their own.

After all the monitors for the course were in place, the cadres briefed us on today’s objective. Jaxson, Noah, and Troy had laughed and fist bumped each other once they heard it was a man hunt. I hadn’t missed how the cadres had smirked at each other. Some teams would be assigned the role of the hunted, while others would be hunters. The hunter squad with the most “tags” would win, and the hunted team that reached their safe zone first would win as well.

Although the teams that returned completely intact were awarded more points, they didn’t expect all teams to return with no one missing.

The prizes were extra days off and mission incentives. The two teams had the ability to turn down missions or get first choice on missions. We barely had time to get excited before everything went black.

With a much calmer voice, I called out to my guys again. “Jaxson, Drake, Noah, Troy, Lincoln, Jace, Remy, wake up!”

I took a deep breath in and tried to assess the situation. I had to analyze what I knew first. It was important to figure out if I was a hunter or the hunted first. Since I was pinned down, I was going to assume I was being hunted. With that determined, I had to establish what I didn’t know. I didn’t know where my guys were. I didn’t know where I was.

I had to take educated guesses and put a plan into action. First, I had to get out of these shackles, then I could scope out my location and any nearby landmarks. I wiggled about and determined there was no way I could snap the bands around my legs or arms. I had to use my gift of strength to rip the manacles out by the base. I focused all my strength on my arms, and with a mere flick of my wrist, the chains came tearing from the wall.

Bits of wood shot out, and I averted my head. My eyes traveled up, catching sight of a camera mounted in the corner of the stall. I rolled my eyes at it, knowing I was being watched by the cadres, then turned my attention back to the cuffs around my wrist.

It was further proof that I couldn’t have been abducted by Horatio. The cuffs looked more fitting for the bedroom. They were thickly padded, so the cool metal didn’t touch or chafe my skin. Since the padding was so thick, I was able to fit my thumb and two fingers through it.

“Hope you didn’t plan to reuse these cuffs, Kirk.” I smirked at the camera. “Julie and Carrie are going to be so disappointed if they find out you used your toys without asking them first.”

Kirk was slightly reserved—the exact opposite of his brother, Race. His wives loved to flaunt their bedroom activities, while he was rather tight lipped about them. Oftentimes, they would push his buttons, causing him to ignore the conversation or walk away. I wasn’t shaming him for his preferences by any means. I just wanted to tease him.

I closed my eyes and imagined pushing all my strength into my fingertips. With a slight pinch, the metal snapped, then I did the same to the other side. There was a slight twinge in my right wrist, but it wasn’t too painful. I gingerly rubbed it, attempting to massage any feeling back into it. Once enough circulation had returned, I reached down to snap my ankles free. I attempted to stand but immediately paused when I felt the tingling sensation in my legs. How long had I been unconscious? I stretched my legs, and when I felt like I could stand without collapsing, I attempted it once more.

I smiled when I accomplished the simple task. Once I stood, I realized that there had been a window directly behind my head. I peered out of it first, though there was nothing to see but wood. I frowned and edged closer to the door.

“Blake!” Jace’s panicked voice came through loud and clear.

“Hey, handsome.” I smiled. “Glad to see someone’s awake,” I teased.

I heard a scoffing noise in my head before he stated, “Sorry about that, I was a little tied up.”

Typically, Jace wasn’t the type to scoff, roll his eyes, or act juvenile in any way. Pops and Jaxson claimed he was always an old soul, so even as an adolescent and juvenile, he rarely acted his age. For him to scoff at my statement, I had to assume he hadn’t liked waking up to being cuffed.

“Me too. I’m just thankful they put padding around the cuffs, so it didn’t chafe my skin.” I chuckled before cautiously peering out the bars of the window and sighing in relief when there was no visible movement. I didn’t know if the cadres had kept the hunters awake during this exercise or given us a head start, but either way, I didn’t want to find out or get captured. I knew a lot of the newcomers—the ladies in particular—seemed to doubt my abilities. It was as if I had to reprove myself, like all the stories they’d heard about me were urban legends. I refused to prove them right in any way by being one of the first ones captured.

“Tell me they didn’t have Siobhan tie you up in vines,” Jace growled. “Where you at, beautiful?”

“Horse stables, I believe,” I answered. “And not vines, cuffs.”

“They cuffed you?” Remy rumbled in ire, joining the conversation.

I smiled then shook my head, first at them, then myself.I was reacting as if he were standing in front of me.

“Easy there, big guy,” I teased. “They were padded, and we all knew I was going to face some challenges today. I know I’m pregnant, but this is a controlled environment. There is no better way for me to keep my skills honed. Horatio doesn’t care that I’m pregnant, and he won’t go easy on me if he gets the chance to get me again. I can’t get lazy or let my skills stagnate.”

I reached out to see if my door was locked and smiled when I realized it wasn’t. Grabbing the handle, I slowly eased it open. Its loud whining noise brought a frown to my face. Pausing, I waited to see if the noise had alerted anyone to my whereabouts. When I didn’t hear anything, I pushed it open wide enough for me to slide through. I scowled when I realized my twins made this more difficult than it used to be.

As they grew, I constantly had to find my center of balance and my spatial recognition. It felt like my stomach grew every day. I couldn’t believe that I was still considered underweight considering the amount I ate and how much I had grown.

“Let’s not make this too difficult for Mama,” I murmured to my babies, rubbing my stomach, as if they could hear me.

“They had me contained in a trailer. There’s a cluster of ten of them. I’m pretty sure the carnies used it as sleeping spaces,” Jace said. “Where is everyone? We need to find out where each one of us is and the best way to join up.”

I would have to leave my prison and familiarize myself with my surroundings, so I could give them a better description of my location.

I looked to my left and right. The barn had to have at least thirty stalls in it, and if I wasn’t mistaken, there were at least four rows of them. To my left was a set of large double doors. To my right was a smaller door that was propped open. My initial instinct was to go to the door that was already opened, but I hadn’t made two steps before I paused. It seemed too easy. Going through the open door seemed to be the obvious solution, but I already knew easy wasn’t necessarily the simplest route.

I did an about face and headed the opposite direction. The stables had windows in them, but some of them were covered in a thick layer of grime and dirt. Not all the stalls had been kept in the same condition as the one I had awoken in. Some of them appeared as if the old bedding had never been cleaned out or the area sanitized.

“Jaxson, Lincoln, Drake, Troy, Noah,” I called out, realizing I hadn’t heard from them yet.

“Next time I see Babbit, remind me to kick his ass,” Noah’s disgruntled voice responded. “He had me wrapped up in one of his cocoons. I have silk in my hair. If I hadn’t remembered my knife, I would still be stuck up there. There’s at least six other people attempting to get out of their cocoons.”

I inwardly laughed at the image. That had to have been a private hell for Noah since he even refused to eat caramel, honey, and syrup because of their stickiness. I had seen him gag when Hailey touched him after eating Laffy Taffy.

“What’s your location?” Remy asked with a stifled laugh.

“Let’s see who’s laughing after I invite Carrington to eat with us again,” Noah threatened. “They had me locked up in a fun house. I think I know the general area of our safe zone.”

I cringed at the concept of Carrington eating with us. I hadn’t had the “pleasure” of eating near him yet, but his reputation preceded him. Supposedly, he talked with his mouth wide open while eating. The last time Carrington had eaten with them, Remy had to get up and leave.

“How?” I asked as a smell suddenly assaulted my nose.

I slammed my hand over my mouth, attempting to swallow down the bile that threatened to come up when nausea hit. My sense of smell was too heightened, and the scent of moldy straw made my stomach roil. I hastened my steps and prayed I didn’t vomit in the middle of the exercise. It would be just another thing for all my naysayers to hold against me.

I knew I would be faced with difficult obstacles, but unlike the ones Rose attempted those many months ago, there would be alternate routes I could take. Everyone was also made aware that excessive force or gift use was an offense punishable with removal from the program. Very few people—if any—would ever want to give up this opportunity. Sure, it could be dangerous, but they got paid well, and one day they could say they were the ones who helped eliminate Horatio and his followers.They would be a part of history even though the majority of the population would never know about it.

“I found a piece of paper in my pocket,” Noah nonchalantly stated. “It doesn’t make any sense, and from the torn edges, I’m assuming it’s only part of a whole.”

“My paper has been ripped,” Lincoln said in a husky tone. “I imagine if we all come together, we’ll discover our safe zone.

“By the way, I think I had a phobia unlocked, claustrophobia to be exact. How do people spend hours selling tickets from a booth, and are they tiny people? Also, just in case I forget… I have three hunters locked up in the booths.”

I paused and reached into my pocket. Sure enough, there was a piece of paper in it. The paper’s edges felt ragged, as if it had been torn, and it wasn’t very large. I unfurled it, but the area was just too dim for me to make anything out. For a second, I thought about producing a flame, but it would be wiser to wait until I got outside. Shrugging, I stuck it back into my pocket and continued forward.

As I neared the large doors, I accidentally kicked something with my boot. It clattered to the floor with a loud clang. I inwardly cursed and paused, hoping I hadn’t unknowingly given up my location to anyone that might be out there. I hadn’t heard or seen any evidence of anyone on the hunt yet, but it was still wise to travel in silence.

When I didn’t hear anything else, I proceeded forward. I was fifteen feet from the door when a shrill scream rent the air.Grasping my chest, I willed my heart to slow down. I should have known I couldn’t have been the only one imprisoned in this large barn.From the feminine wail, it couldn’t have been one of my guys. Gah! I really wished they had placed them with me. Of course it couldn’t be that easy.

An unknown female pleaded, “Help! Somebody help me.”

There was true panic in her voice, causing me to vacillate for a moment. Should I help her out? I crept closer to the stall to investigate the situation.

I peered in, recognizing one of the newer trainees that had arrived a few days before my return. She was from one of the newer communities out west. Within hours, it was clear that her community, along with a few others, had little to no training with their gifts. They hadn’t seen the importance of having a ready fighting force until many of their people began disappearing. It was evident that Horatio knew their weakness long before we did because he had kidnapped and recruited a number of people from there. Needless to say, they now understood the importance of becoming trained.

Since I was so short, I had to get on my tiptoes to see the woman lying prone on the floor. Her eyes met mine, and she immediately began pulling on her chains. I placed a finger on my lips and reached for the door handle.

She screamed, “Please get me out of here!”

“Shh!” I urged her.“If you keep carrying on, the hunters will hear you.”

The handle was so stiff I couldn’t push the mechanism down to release the catch. I frowned and attempted to push it harder. After several seconds of my failed attempt, I decided I needed to tap into my gift of strength. I inwardly cursed when the lever snapped off. It fell to the ground with a loud clanging sound that made me wince.

“I need out!I need out!” With each word, her screams grew louder.

I was seconds from speaking some harsh truths to her when noises came from the aisle opposite from us. There was the distinct sound of boots stomping against the concrete floor, so I had only a split second to determine my next move.

It wasn’t going to be easy to open the door now. The people were far too close for me to yank the door open. I didn’t have the time, and I was reconsidering helping her now.

I could possibly save her, but I feared she would be more of a hindrance. Shy of compelling her to remain silent, she’d probably become an anchor. She would just drag me down, and I had to conserve my energy. I didn’t know what lay before me, so I might need to use my gifts to get me and my guys to safety.

“You need to stop screaming,” I hissed at her. “There’s people coming.”

She continued screaming, which, unbeknownst to her, determined her fate. If she couldn’t follow the simplest instructions, I couldn’t trust her moving forward. If this was a rescue situation, I wouldn’t hesitate to take her with me. Unfortunately for her, this was a skills exercise. I hadn’t heard from all of my guys, and we still needed to figure out how we were going to reunite.

“The screams are coming from over here!” an excited voice said as those footsteps came closer.

“No! No!” The girl panicked even more. “Get me out of here!” she screeched.

“Sorry, I would have helped you, but you drew attention to us. If this was a real-world situation, you could get hurt or worse. It negatively affects your team as well; your team may be relying on your gift to get them through missions.”

I barely got the last word out before the hunters rounded the corner. “You can’t see me,” I compelled them, taking a large step back.

I moved just in time because the person that had rounded the corner first skidded to a stop, mere millimeters from crashing into me—Hurts. He was one of the guys from South Carolina. The guys said he was slightly on the cocky side, but he was strongly gifted and a good team player.

A few other hunters rounded the corner, and they looked at him quizzically. “Whatcha doing?” one of the men asked.

Hurts narrowed his eyes as if he could see me better by doing so. “I thought I saw Blake.”

I peered around, looking for a place to hide. They might not see me, but they could crash into me if they reached out. Before I could convince them to go elsewhere, an arc of electricity headed straight toward me. Thankfully, my quick reflexes helped me erect a shield. Several more bolts followed, and I focused on absorbing them instead of allowing them to ricochet since they would harm anyone they hit. I knew that without any hesitation. I narrowed my gaze, wondering who had thrown them.

The barn was bathed in darkness, so I couldn’t see anyone unless their faces were in direct light. I could see the outline of five people and the sound of four distinct voices. Stall doors were being thrown open, and it was evident that they were searching for the hunted. From the gleeful cries of triumph, I assumed others were being found. They weren’t even attempting to remain stealthy.

It seemed kind of foolish to me. Shouldn’t hunters attempt to make as little noise as possible so their prey wouldn’t be apprised of their location? I guessed I should be glad that they weren’t using the typical practices of hunting.

An unrecognizable male voice barked out from somewhere else. “Hey! Knock it off! We were told several times, no grievous injuries. I’m not getting disqualified because you have an ax to grind.”

I was still too busy to have the bandwidth to dissect the statement. The presence of the hunters and the direness of the situation was my priority. Should I retrace my steps and head out the smaller door or continue my original path?

Drake’s cool tones finally filtered through my brain. “I need everyone’s locations. I just neutralized a group of hunters, and one of them had a map of the grounds on them. I know where the safe zones are. I just need to know which one’s ours.”

Jace, Remy, Noah, and Lincoln told Drake where they were at. I mentally catalogued their locations—not that I knew how to get to them.Right now, I had to execute my next plan of action: searching for the asshole who’d hurled an electrical current my way.

“I’m at the horse barns,” I answered Drake. “There are some hunters in here, but they can’t and won’t see me. I should be out of here in less than five.”

The sound of splintering wood distracted me from the conversation, and I was reminded of my predicament. I had to get past nine people who were actively seeking us. There were five of them approximately ten feet away from my location, and they were kicking open the door that held the still screaming girl.

I had begun making my way back toward the smaller of the doors in the back when it opened, and at least five more hunters came rushing in. I silently cursed and paused again. It felt like the net around me was closing in, so I knew I couldn’t act rashly. Then, to my growing horror, I noticed that two of the hunters had taken residence near the smaller door. They were forcing me to head back to the larger barn doors. I could wait them out and pray that they left soon.

Drake huffed. “Of course they would have you furthest away from our safe zone. I see the barn. I can be there in less than five minutes.”

“I’m not sure that’s the best idea,” I advised. “I have at least fourteen hunters in my location, and I suspect a handful more are outside. Maybe it’s best if I come to you guys.”

My guys began discussing our next plan of action. I couldn’t add much to it because I was flying blind, so to speak, while they were out there. While they discussed the merits of finding me or letting me come to them, I was suddenly reminded we weren’t all present and accounted for.

“Why isn’t Jaxson or Troy saying anything yet? Do you think they were captured?” I asked when there was a lull in conversation.

“As if,” Troy responded seconds later. “I had someone blocking my powers. I was finally able to reach out to you guys, then I realized they have Jaxson not too far from my location. I see him up on the ferris wheel, but I don’t know why he’s not responding. I’m going to try to free him, then I’ll let you know what’s up.”

I was somewhat mollified by the information, though an underlying thread of tension remained. My imagination was running rampant with questions of how this would work out. Should we all try to rescue Jaxson? Safety in numbers and all that.

While I waited for the hunters to pass, I found a comfortable spot to rest, though I grew more restless with each second that ticked by. At this rate, I knew we wouldn’t be the first squad to return. The competitor in me hated the idea, but the realist in me would be satisfied so long as our team returned intact.

“Okay, I may need a little help,” Troy informed us in hushed tones as if he were speaking aloud. “Some of the hunters discovered the location. A few of the other hunted teams are keeping them at bay, but I don’t know for how much longer.”

“Lincoln and I will be there in less than ten seconds,” Jace reassured Troy.

I silently cursed, wishing I could be there, and started playing the “what if” game. What if I had gotten free from my chains about ten minutes earlier? I probably could have avoided all the hunters. What if I had ignored the woman’s pleas for help and disappeared before the hunters flooded the building?

A noise toward the front of the building caused me to start. There was a loud creak as the wide, tall barn doors were pushed open. Light came flooding in, and I squinted as it assaulted my eyes. I loved the color of my eyes, but their sensitivity to sudden brightness was awful.

I patiently waited to see if they’d posted people there as well. Luckily, the person who threw it open didn’t linger. They probably needed more light to peer into some of the stalls. I could still hear some of them yelling back and forth. From their yells, I knew four people were no longer chained. With a quick glance over my shoulder, I realized they hadn’t even come across my stall yet.

I had to take the opportunity to leave through the obvious exit. Seven or so yards had never seemed so far away, especially when some of them began sweeping the area. I had to stutter to a stop when I realized a pallet of horse bridles and other equestrian paraphernalia was taking up nearly the entire aisle. There was no way I could climb up and over it, and some of the hunters were too close for me to squeeze past them.Again, I was stuck in a pattern of waiting. I looked around, attempting to find an alternate route.

In my periphery, there was movement. I thought I had imagined something until a patch of light touched upon it. No—scratch that— it wasn’t an it, but a someone, and they were maneuvering across a rafter.

I was seconds away from compelling the person to “overlook” me until I realized it must be one of the hunted. The way they kept casting wary glances down here made me believe they had gotten out of their shackles and made their way up, so they were less likely to be seen.

This person had to be a chameleon of sorts. They were blending into their surroundings and capable of traversing the rafters with little difficulty. It was a pretty cool gift if you asked me.

“Okay, let’s get out of here,” Hurts called out.

The two teams must have joined together. How they were going to tally their captures was beyond me. They could be doing what the Knights and I did for the obstacle course many moons ago, teaming up to ensure at least one of them was the winner. I knew without a doubt that if Gavin or Terrance’s groups were hunted like us, we would have banded together as well.

“Yes, let’s,” a somewhat familiar voice bit out.“This was such a waste of time.We only found a measly three people.”

I stiffened, finally remembering the lightning bolts that had been aimed my way. Once the female in question rounded the corner, I knew who it was. Liz. I barely ever saw the woman, but every time I did, she shot daggers my way.She hadn’t liked the fact that Lincoln was no longer her squad leader. After our, uh, altercation, he no longer wanted to lead her squad. A few of the women on his team had been making him feel uncomfortable, and that solidified his decision to take another group, switching with Dawn. Everyone knew Dawn ran a tight ship and didn’t allow anyone to “slack off.”

Goddard snorted.“Your obsession with finding Blake is disturbing.”

“Who said I was looking for her ?” Liz scoffed.

“Everyone knows you’re thirsty for Lincoln.” Goddard rolled his eyes as he guided a guy toward the barn doors.“I know your community doesn’t believe in the sanctity of connections, but there’s a reason your community has grown progressively weaker.”

Liz glared at him as electricity danced along her fingertips. “I am so sick of you running your mouth about my community. It’s pretty obvious that I’m not weak in the least.”

“You aren’t, but most of them are.” Hurts nonchalantly shrugged. “The moment your community leaders decided to arrange marriages based on gift levels and not what was intended, your community began to suffer. Don’t believe me? Check your records. There’s a reason two tens were producing threes and fours, and now, even more commonly, they’re giving birth to non-gifted children. There’s proof of the decline of gifted children birth rates.”

The girl from the stall suddenly let out a sob, interrupting their arguing.“Blake was here.How could she leave me?What a bitch!”

Once again, I was silently cursing. I knew the woman was going to be a liability. The fact that she was throwing me under the bus only made my irritation grow.

“We should check every corner then,” one of the men stated. “They’re the favored team to win. They’ll get major point deductions if they return with one less member.”

“You sure she was here?” Liz avidly inquired.

My irritation turned to alarm when one of the other males in the group began to look around. For a moment, I swore his gaze landed on me because he paused. I noticed the same hesitation when he looked up into the rafters and somewhere down the aisle near the rear door. Then a small devious smile curved his lips.

“Heat signatures, there, there, and—” he said before pointing directly toward me. “There.”

Liz barely hesitated a second before bolts of electrical current shot from her fingers. Three other attacks followed her lead—a strong blast of air, ice, and laser beams. Two screams rent the air while I hastily threw up a shield to protect myself.

“What did you do?” Hurts barked out harshly. “Are you crazy? You’re going to get us disqualified.”

He immediately rushed forward, carrying a misshapen saddle toward the light. It took a moment to realize what I assumed were the hobble straps and stirrups were a person’s leg and shoe. Right before my eyes, the saddle turned into a petite female. She was screaming, and I nearly gagged when I realized she had an icicle protruding from her shoulder and her hand was nearly blackened from another wound.

One of the hunters immediately rushed forward and knelt beside her, glaring at the offenders. “We were instructed to use only light attacks. You guys put your full power behind your strikes.”

Liz shrugged unrepentantly. “All’s fair in love and war.”

“That’s five for us.” The man who’d spotted us smirked.

Goddard swore. “If we get disqualified or punished for your actions, I’m sending you home.”

He was talking to a younger-looking man that was barely containing his disdain. The chip on his shoulder was visible from here. It was obvious that he didn’t like authority or being reprimanded.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” he insisted, his voice full of contempt.

Liz and the other man seemed unperturbed by their rebuke. They continued to launch attacks at the chameleon. I tried to compel them to discontinue their attack, but unfortunately, it was too late. In growing horror, I realized that the “chameleon” was struggling to remain on his perch up in the rafters.

At first, I was distracted by how he seemed to flicker in and out. One moment, he perfectly blended in with his surroundings, and the next, he was fully visible. With a start, I realized that he was just a teenager.

I recognized Sylvester, or Ves, as one of the boys that hung out with Micah and Patrick. I hadn’t seen him on the bus. Were my brothers out here as well? I hastily pushed the inconsequential thought to the side as he lost his precarious spot on the rafters. I stifled a scream when he tipped over and began to fall.

I attempted to erect a shield around him, but my mistake became clear seconds later when ice encapsulated the bubble before shattering. I should have made the material of the forcefield intentional.

“Last strike, TJ!” Goddard snarled, running toward the falling boy.

The boy was roughly ten feet from meeting the ground, and to my dismay, the shield continued to flicker in and out despite my best efforts.

Finally, the others began to yell when they realized how dangerous the situation was. I watched helplessly as some of them attempted to figure out a way to help him, though a few didn’t even seem alarmed by the situation. My lips curled in disgust at their behavior as I attempted to encapsulate Ves again.

He was still flickering in and out of his gift, and I screamed when I realized my forcefield definitely wouldn’t hold.

“No!” I averted my gaze, unable to bear the sight of his small, slight body shattering on the ground.