by Jacey Ward
Coy didn’t know what to believe but his grandfather had never lied to him in the past. If anything, Drake had gone out of his way to protect him—to protect all of them.
“I’ll take care of Clara,” Drake told him. “You do your part and stay away from Shay.”
Drake moved to open the door but as he moved, a set of headlights appeared on the road.
“Shit,” Drake muttered. “We’re too late. You need to go. Now!”
He slammed out of the car and waved frantically at his grandson to move but as the SUV neared his vehicle, Coy caught sight of Shay in the backseat and his heart stopped.
Drake was right—they were too late. There was nothing they could do but stay and fight.
“GO!” Drake shouted again, the panic on his face clear, but Coy shook his head and opened the door.
“No,” he muttered. “I’m a Conway and we don’t run from anything.”
A mixture of pride and anger filled Drake’s face.
“You may have just sealed our fate,” he hissed, looking around desperately, as if he expected Clara to appear any second.
“Maybe,” Coy replied, striding toward the SUV. “Or maybe I’ll be saving all our asses.”
The window to the backseat rolled down and Shay leaned forward, her eyes wide with fear.
“My mother—” she started to say, but Coy shook his head.
“You need to get the hell out of here, sweetheart. Far and fast and don’t look back until I call you.”
“I don’t—”
“You promised to trust me, Shay. Never has there been a more important time. Go! Now!”
He moved away from the vehicle and waved them off, not unlike his grandfather had just moments earlier and to his relief, the driver seemed to accept his instruction.
But as the SUV began to drive, he heard a rustle in the bushes and Clara appeared, her eyes wide with hope. Instantly, a scowl appeared on her face.
“Sorry, bitch,” Coy sneered. “You just missed your daughter. Now you’re going to deal with me.”
Before Clara could react, Coy summoned the ions in the air and shot a fireball toward her, vanishing through the trees as Clara ducked to avoid being set aflame.
And then he was running, Drake at his heels.
Chapter 15
“We need to go back!” Shay cried from the backseat, her face pressed against the window as she stared into the void. The last thing she had seen was a brilliant flash of light and then a flurry of movement against the night. But the driver was racing over the bumps of the backroads with far too much speed for her to see what was going on behind her any more.
“Oliver, you need to turn around!” she begged. “They might need our help.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Cheryl, but I promised your father I’d put your safety first. There’s no way I’m going back there,” the guard growled. “Whatever’s happening, I’m sure your father wouldn’t want you to have any part of it.”
Shay gritted her teeth but she knew that arguing was futile. They drove in silence for several minutes, Shay frantically trying to create a plan to help Coy.
What was my mom doing there?
She shuddered slightly.
My mom. Yeah right. What was she? Someone paid to take care of me until I was old enough for what? To be part of Oculus? To become like her?
Her father’s confession had roused so many more questions, ones she couldn’t even begin to think about just yet.
“Dammit, Oliver, can you slow down? You’re making me nauseous,” she muttered. “We’re far enough away now.”
To her relief, Oliver lifted his foot off the gas and Shay ground her teeth together, her eyes darting out into the pitch blackness.
It’s now or never, she thought, closing her eyes as her hands curled over the door handle. Damn, I really hope I don’t break anything doing this.
Before she could change her mind, she yanked on the lever and threw herself onto the road, rolling several times before she stopped, gasping for breath.
Oliver had slammed on the brakes up ahead, but Shay knew there was no way he would be able to see her in the dark.
Taking a deep breath, she tested her legs and was thankful that everything seemed to be in working order. She’s be sore tomorrow – if she lived that long, but for now, she was still in one piece. In less than a moment, she was on her feet and in supersonic mode, flying back toward the compound, her inner compass guiding her.
They split up around the front of the compound.
“I’ve got Clara,” Drake whispered before they parted ways. “But you need to distract everyone in any way possible.”
Are we really talking about killing Shay’s mother here? Will she ever forgive me for this? Coy wondered, his conscience eating away at him.
“Coyle! Are you listening?”
He nodded and darted through the front gates, leaving his grandfather alone. There was no time to second-guess their plan now. Clara had to be stopped before his family was lost forever.
I’m doing this for Shay too. Whoever Clara Collingwood is, she’s not a mother that any child needs.
Rain began to spatter across his face, a storm Coy hadn’t called upon, but he welcomed the feeling against his burning skin.
“COY!” Clara yelled. “Show yourself!”
She sounded incensed, the peaceful tone of her voice completely gone and he caught sight of her limping slightly between two buildings.
“You’re making a huge mistake!” she screamed. “This won’t end well for anyone!”
It was only then that he realized Clara wasn’t alone. Clutched against her body was Audrey, a gun pointed squarely at her head.
“I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do this,” Clara continued, her eyes darting around as she looked for him. “But if you don’t bring Shay here, I’ll be forced to kill your family, one at a time.”
She’s lying. If what Drake said is correct, she needs all of us to make the fucking mind-fusion thing work.
Still, that didn’t make him feel any better, the muzzle of the gun pressed firmly to his cousin’s temple.
“I’m right here,” Coy said, stepping out from behind the house where he had shadowed himself. “Let her go.”
“Coy, why did you betray us?” Audrey sighed, shaking her head. She didn’t seem the least bit fazed that there was a crazy woman holding a gun to her head. In fact, she didn’t seem to realize that she was in danger at all.
“I didn’t betray you,” Coy replied, keeping his voice even. “Clara is deluding you, Audrey. She has a weapon on you and you’re acting like it’s fine.”
“Clara is trying to help us,” Audrey said, a lilt in her voice. “Why can’t you see that?”
“I see that now,” Coy lied. “See? I’m right here. Clara, let her go.”
“Not until I have my daughter standing at your side in front of me,” Clara hissed, her eyes flashing.
“Fine,” Coy agreed. “I’ll do whatever you want but you need to let my cousin go.”
“You’re in no position to make negotiations here, Coy. I gave you a chance to prove your loyalty and you failed.”
“Who are you loyal to, Clara? Oculus or your family?”
Clara scoffed.
“I have no family. My own husband left me to die ten years ago protecting that ingrate I brought home.”
Coy blinked.
“That sounds terrible,” he said, forcing emotion into his voice. “After all you did for him and Shay.”
“If it wasn’t for Oculus, I would have been dead,” Clara growled. “There’s no medicine to cure death. Not after two days—not in the regular world, anyway.”
A slow smile formed over her lips.
“Why don’t you point that gun at me?” Coy asked, slowly approaching. “You don’t need to hold her.”
“Like a bullet will do anything to you, Coy. You think I don’t know about you?”
Come on, Drake. What the hell are you doing?
“
Clara, you need Audrey,” Coy said conversationally. “You need all of us, don’t you?”
“We’ll figure something out,” Clara replied, shrugging as she accepted the risk. “We’ve worked with less.”
There are other groups like us? Other families?
“You seem surprised,” Clara sighed. “Did you think the Conways were the only special ones?”
“No,” he replied. “I didn’t.”
“Oculus is bigger than anything you could ever imagine,” Clara said dreamily. “Our science, our technology, our medicine—why wouldn’t you want to be a part of it?”
“I do,” Coy assured her. “I just don’t see why you need to threaten us for us to be a part of it.”
Uncertainty flashed in Clara’s eyes for the first time.
“You Conways have been a thorn in our side since the conception of the program,” Clara sighed. “Drake. He’s the biggest pain in the ass.”
Suddenly, she whirled about, releasing Audrey as if she realized that Drake was nowhere around.
“Where is he?” she cried, fear tainting her voice, but Coy didn’t hesitate. He catapulted himself forward, clearing the distance between the two of them in a single leap, and tackled her to the ground, sending the gun flying.
But not before it went off, the bullet logging itself squarely in Coy’s abdomen. Of course, he felt nothing, but as he tried to summon a flash of lightning, he found he couldn’t.
Shit, damn, fuck!
He glanced down and saw blood pouring from the wound. He had never been shot so seriously, and his body needed a little bit of time to try to repair the damage.
The gunshot had weakened him, but he was determined to save his family. He was able to roll behind Clara’s struggling body and wrap his arm around her neck, squeezing as hard as his waning strength would allow him.
Just a little more! If I can knock her out, I’ll be able to incapacitate her until Grandpa and I can figure out how to break the hold she has on my family.
Then, without warning, he released his hold on her and rolled away. Inexplicably, his body stood. He tried to lunge for Clara again, before she could grab her gun. He strained hard, feeling his muscles try to obey, but it was as if unseen hands held him immobile – and upright. His limbs just wouldn’t listen.
He saw blood continuing to pour from his gut and wondered if this was the injury that would finally end him.
But how can I be standing then?
He tried to move his hands to his wound, trying to staunch the flow of blood, but his hands were plastered to his sides.
In the next moment, Coy understood what was happening, as Uncle Xander appeared, his eyes fixed on his nephew. Coy knew he was under the control of his uncle.
“That’s enough,” his father, Ryder, growled. “Go find Shay. Now.”
Goddammit! How the hell am I supposed to fight my family’s powers when I refuse to hurt them?
His father’s powerful psychic ability, being able to control someone’s actions through suggestion, was too strong for Coy to resist.
Unable to resist the dominance of his father, Coy felt his body turn and he strode purposefully into the night, his steps quick and even despite his injury. Then his steps began to falter, and he knew that despite being unable to feel it, the blood loss was affecting him. Would he even be able to make it off the compound before he collapsed?
“Hurry up, Coy,” Audrey called out to him. “If you’re quick enough, I can still heal you.”
No! he protested from somewhere deep inside him but there was little he could do in terms of resistance. He was going after Shay, no matter how much he tried to fight.
Another gunshot rang out then and abruptly, Coy fell to his knees, his head hitting hard.
The last thing he remembered before the world went as black as the night above, was Shay’s gut-wrenching scream.
Chapter 16
The lights were impossibly bright and Coy turned his head, moaning softly at the overhead gleam.
“He’s awake! He’s okay!” Audrey cried and suddenly there were a mass of faces above him. Instantly, he bolted up, ready to sprint from the room but a set of soft hands pushed him back.
“It’s okay, babe,” Shay breathed, her face tear-streaked but relieved. “You’re safe now.”
Reluctantly, he let himself be pushed back against the table and he realized he was inside the medical facility at the compound. His mom and cousin fussed about, changing his bandages, but from what he could see, whatever hold Clara had had over them seemed to have worn off.
“Clara?” he mumbled, his throat dry and Drake stepped through the throng of family.
“I took care of her. Everyone is back to normal—for now,” his grandfather said, his wrinkled face etched in exhaustion. Coy looked at Shay who lowered her head and sniffled slightly.
“I’m sorry, Shay,” Coy rasped, but she shook her head quickly.
“Don’t be,” she breathed. “She was… a terrible person. I was trying to hide from the truth my whole life. Your grandfather did what needed to be done.”
Coy knew that she spoke the truth but that couldn’t have made the matter any easier for her.
He reached for her hand and squeezed gently. Shay met his eyes and offered him a watery smile through her tears.
“I’m fine,” she insisted, her voice catching slightly. “She wasn’t my mother. She was my…”
“Handler?” Kimberly volunteered, her voice tight. “That’s what they’re called, right Roan?”
Roan nodded.
Coy sat up again, thankful that this time, he was met with no resistance.
“You said we’re safe for now,” he said to Drake. “What do you mean? This could happen again?”
The oldest Conway sighed.
“Nothing would surprise me with Oculus, but I think we can all agree that they aren’t going to let us get away with killing one of their agitators.”
“How did she activate all of you?” Coy wanted to know. “What did she do? What did she say?”
But no one seemed to have an answer.
“We received a group text to meet at the compound,” Roan explained. “We thought Grandpa had sent it, but when we got here, nothing.”
“But Aunts Danica, Ashtyn and Sage—they weren’t part of Oculus’ design and they were acting the same way as you all were,” Coy said, indicating his family.
“Who the hell knows what was part of Oculus’ design? From day one, we’ve all been interconnected, whether or not we realize it. They seem to have been working on this intricate ‘mind-fusion’, turning our minds into a super LAN network, to use for God only knows what?” Ryder growled.
“My guess is as a military weapon,” Drake replied. “That’s why they’ve made us into teams.”
“And who knows how many more teams are out there,” Coy sighed. “But we’re going to have to find out and disable all the agitators before the sleepers are activated.”
Ryder cast his son a sidelong look.
“Does that mean you’re going to work with us?” he asked quietly. Everyone in the room seemed to be holding their breath.
“You mean even though you took over my mind?” Coy accused, and Ryder grimaced.
“You know I would never—”
“I know, Dad, I’m just kidding.”
Their eyes met and Ryder nodded with relief, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
“Uncle Ryder, Coy has always worked with us,” Roan added softly. “He just didn’t want you to know about it.”
Ryder’s head jerked up.
“Why not?” he demanded, and Coy shrugged.
“It seems stupid now,” he muttered. “Maybe ego or some illusion that I’d separated myself from this mess with Oculus.”
He felt Shay’s fingers tighten around his again and he gazed at her, thankful for her support.
“So what does all this mean?” she murmured. “Where do we go from here?”
Coy reached up and str
oked her cheek softly, their gazes locking as if no one else was in the room.
“We go back home and beef up our security,” he said quietly. “But we live our lives, together.”
She eyed him uncertainly.
“What if they send another agitator?” she whispered. “Are we going to be looking over our shoulders forever, Coy?”
“You should come home,” Drake said firmly. “Back to the compound. It has always been the safest place for all of you and it continues to be.”
Coy scoffed.
“How can you say that when Clara infiltrated this place? She’s known about it for years. Who knows how many more operatives know about it?”
“He’s right,” Roan agreed. “We’ve been running and hiding from Oculus for three generations. This stops now.”
“What do you mean?” Kimberly asked nervously, looking at the cousins, who exchanged knowing looks.
“It means that we’ve been searching for Oculus all this time,” Coy concluded as Audrey nodded. “It’s high time that we drag them out in the open where we can confront them.”
“What are you suggesting?” Paige demanded nervously. “I don’t like the sound of that…”
“I’m suggesting—no, I’m saying—that we end this game once and for all,” Coy growled. “I’m saying we go public.”
Epilogue
“How’s your dad doing?” Coy asked as Shay walked into the foyer.
“Surprisingly chipper,” she sighed. “I think he’s relieved to know that she’s really dead—morbid as it sounds.”
“Good evening, Shay,” SHAY intoned. “You have sixteen emails waiting.”
“Thanks, SHAY, but I have no interest in checking any of them,” Shay laughed. “I need a shower and I think I’m turning in for the night.”
Concern lit Coy’s eyes as he rose to meet Shay halfway down the hallway.
“Are you feeling all right?” he asked. “I thought we were going out for dinner.”
