Upon his first glance, Avner had been so distracted by the pool that he hadn’t noticed a small stone cabin lay at the edge of the property, right before the cliff that plummeted down to Lake Erie. Trees draped over the roof, nearly concealing it from view, and Avner wondered how a whole terrorist organization fit in its basement.
When Naretha reached the wooden door, she paused, spinning to face the rest of them with a grave gleam to her eyes. “This compound could be compromised. There’s no way to know how many hideouts have been discovered. If this is a trap—if there are Reggs in this cabin—you all need to be ready to fight.”
Her gaze slid pointedly in Meredith’s direction. The girl hung between Avner and Jamad, her energy depleted from the short walk across the yard, but even in full health she wouldn’t have been helpful. Naretha exchanged a glance with Jamad that Avner interpreted as, “Ditch her and save yourself.” His friend’s returning glare said, “No,” but if faced with the choice of helping Meredith or surviving, would Jamad really sacrifice himself for her? The noble answer was yes, but the real answer… Avner didn’t want to have to find out.
“If Headquarters hasn’t been compromised, Danny will be here,” Naretha continued, her tone too resentful for someone discussing their boyfriend they hadn’t seen in months. “Which means you two need to keep your mouths shut while I convince him not to kill you.”
“Kill us?” Avner repeated.
“I’m not very good at not talking,” Jamad griped.
Naretha ran her fingers over her lips, as if to zip them shut. “Quiet, starting now.” Pivoting, she faced the door again and punched in a few numbers on the handle’s keypad. When it beeped and blinked red, she swore. “Danny must have changed the code… That little bastard thought I would give information to Periculy. Kevin.”
“What—oh, me?” he stuttered as Naretha jabbed her finger toward the keypad. “Oh—uh—yeah, sure.” Without touching the door, Kevin screwed his eyes shut and the lock clicked, permitting them entry.
Before pushing past him, Naretha grumbled, “Why do you have to be so annoyingly useful?”
“I-I don’t know. I just…am.”
Naretha paid him no mind, but Devika smirked as she shoved him through the doorway. Nate shuffled in next, one of his broad shoulders still sagging because of his bullet wound, and then Avner, Jamad, and Meredith brought up the rear, taking careful steps through the narrow kitchen that served as an entryway. After walking into a vast room lined with windows overlooking the lake, they skidded to a halt at the sight of a girl lounging on one of the brown leather couches.
Her hair, as yellow as Avner’s, was arranged in a bun messier than Adara’s on a Saturday morning, and bandages tinted pale pink from blood covered her nose and arms. With her black boots propped on a wooden coffee table, she idly watched a flatscreen television that hung from the ceiling. The news blared so loudly that she probably hadn’t heard them enter.
“These three Wacko prisoners, who remain anonymous, have done a great service to this nation,” the newscaster said. “After escaping the terrorists’ clutches, they informed the government of two Wacko locations, one being the infamous headquarters of this nefarious organization. Teams of highly trained soldiers managed to purge both locations, and we wait now to see how this uprooting will affect their reign of terror.
“Meanwhile, in the city of Cleveland, three buildings have been partially destroyed with bombs. Footage of the events is being recovered, and local officials are looking into the cause of these explosions, which stole over a hundred lives. If any suspicious activity is noticed in the city, please contact local authorities. Anyone with oddly-colored hair is to be detained immediately, as they could be Wackos seeking revenge…”
“Hey, Wacko,” Naretha called tantalizingly. The girl on the couch jumped, spilling her drink, and hopped to her feet in defense.
“Shit, why—” Yellow eyes locked on the group, the girl paused and blinked in disbelief. “Na-Naretha?”
“Alyssa,” she greeted flatly. “Are you surprised to see me here?”
“Wh-who…” The girl glanced around at the group. “How are you alive?”
“How did you break your nose?” Naretha countered, appraising her multitude of bandages. “Should I assume these are all Danny-inflicted wounds?”
“The nose was Cath,” Alyssa replied with a wince. “The rest was Danny, yeah…”
“Cath?” Naretha echoed, head tilting as if the name made no sense to her.
“She…escaped with Ashna.”
“No,” Naretha breathed, but when the expression on Alyssa’s face didn’t change, she seemed to accept the fact and swore. “And you—you were the one that let them out?”
“I-I didn’t mean to! I was guarding that girl’s room—the Periculand bitch Danny’s been trying to trade for—”
“I hope you’re not talking about Maddy.” Jamad left Meredith against the wall to prowl toward the front of the group. “Because if you are, I’ll gladly freeze the life out of—”
“Quiet.” Naretha grabbed his ear before he could stalk past her. “You don’t get to kill her. I do.”
“Naretha, please,” she begged, staggering around the couches to approach them. “I tried my best to stop them, but they overpowered me. Danny already punished me—he almost killed me!”
“He should have killed you,” Naretha muttered, eyes still slivered. “I’d like to hear the story from someone else’s mouth. Take us to Danny’s office. Now.”
Scurrying to the far right corner of the room, Alyssa fumbled with the lock of a door that looked like it should have led to a closet. When she finally opened it, Avner saw two silver doors on the other side—elevator doors.
The interior was large enough to fit all eight of them, but Alyssa opted not to join. Rather, she hastily closed the doors from the outside before Naretha could insist she accompany them for more punishment. That Danny physically punished his inferiors didn’t surprise Avner, but it certainly didn’t make him excited to meet the man, either.
Growing up in a suburban town without the luxury of vacations—or the misfortune of any severe injuries—Avner had never needed to use an elevator. The jolt and the stomach-flipping descent induced nausea, but he maintained neutrality throughout the full minute of the ride. When they reached the bottom, the doors they’d entered through didn’t open; instead, a different set of doors at their backs did.
Naretha had expected this, and with none of the others’ disorientation, she sauntered out of the elevator into the darkly-colored room awaiting them. Avner was far more tentative when exiting, his movements guarded as he walked beside Jamad and Meredith.
The office wasn’t the underground lair Avner had anticipated. With another flatscreen television mounted on the right wall and a ginormous desk planted in the center, the setup was fairly modern. It reminded him more of Angor Periculy’s quarters than an illicit hideout.
The evilness of this place, Avner realized, was not in the setting but in the man who sat at the desk, patiently waiting for their approach. Every aspect of him exuded deviance, from the way his feet rested on his desk to the tattoos of skulls and explosions splayed over his arms. His hair waved over his head like a field of flames, the bright orange hue inlaid with blazing reds and yellows. Though Avner recalled Naretha claiming Danny was younger than her, the Wacko leader, with his smug smirk and luminous eyes, seemed ages beyond the rest of them.
“My love,” Danny greeted, his lustful gaze trained on Naretha. “Come closer.”
With the gait of a soldier, Naretha stepped up to the desk and faced him stonily. The others followed suit, Devika and Nate standing at attention while Kevin performed a pathetic little bow. Avner remained behind them with Jamad and Meredith, hoping not to be noticed.
“No, no, come closer.” Danny motioned to the empty air beside his chair. Despite her obvious reluctance, Naretha rounded the desk and stopped at her boyfriend’s side, bending to smash her lips against his in
an intimate kiss. Either she was a spectacular actress or their relationship was ridiculously strange.
“Ah,” Danny sighed when they finally broke apart, “I knew you would find your way back to me. I hope you didn’t divulge any information to Angor during your time in Periculand?”
“Periculy’s interrogation methods are lamer than you’d think.”
“Good, good. I knew you’d hold up against him.”
“Is that why you didn’t send a rescue team?” she asked, her voice calm but laced with venom.
“Darling”—he stroked a finger down her arm—“I knew you didn’t need it. Look at you—you made it back here in just under two months, and you brought a heap of new recruits. It would have been an insult to your ability if I’d sent some pathetic lackeys to your aid. Tell me about our new friends.”
“These three are Wackos from the hideout that was recently exposed,” she explained, motioning to Nate, Devika, and Kevin. “We were there with them when the Reggs invaded, and we just narrowly escaped. I assume that was Ashna’s doing.”
Danny’s good humor faded as his smile turned vicious. “You’ve been informed then… Yes, you can imagine she and her companions are actively seeking to destroy us. Although, the location she gave the Reggs for Headquarters was our decoy. Thus, we are safe here…for now.” Naretha’s lips twitched the slightest bit, but she portrayed no other hint of emotion at this news. “We will seek out Ashna, and we will find her. Until then, today is a day for celebration. My love has returned to me.” Danny smiled up at her, and she mirrored the expression flawlessly. Yet, after having known her a few weeks, Avner saw how fake it was. Naretha didn’t smile—she smirked devilishly at other people’s pain.
“Shall I assume the little ones in the back are Madella’s friends?” Danny inquired as he stood from his seat and peered at them. Jamad’s nostrils flared with the sound of Maddy’s name on this lunatic’s tongue, but luckily his expression resumed neutrality as Nate, Devika, and Kevin parted to display them to the Wacko leader.
“Yes,” Naretha confirmed curtly, neglecting to mention that Meredith was not. Perhaps it was better that way; then, if Danny decided to kill them now, he wouldn’t go after Maddy’s third friend, Zeela.
“It appears you and the boys got matching haircuts, my dear,” Danny mused.
Naretha’s expression soured. “Unwillingly.” The Wacko leader was too preoccupied with studying the three teens to care what she’d said. His gaze was currently fixed on Meredith, and for the first time since their parting, Avner was grateful Zeela wasn’t present. “We experienced a minor detour on the way here…at a Regg research facility.”
Tearing his eyes from Meredith, Danny pivoted toward his girlfriend and finally noticed her arm was bandaged. “Where is this facility?”
“We have a rough estimate of its location. This one burned it to the ground—”
“Fire Affinity?” Danny interjected, his cataclysmic eyes settling on Avner.
Though his gaze elevated Avner’s heart rate with fear, he put on a façade of indifference. “Electricity.”
“Ah.” A grin curled along Danny’s lips. “Avner Stromer.”
His façade shattered at the utterance of his name. The Wacko leader knew his name based on his Affinity? Had Maddy told him all about her friends?
“Don’t look so surprised,” the man drawled, as if reading his thoughts. “Our parents once worked together, if you didn’t know.”
“My…parents?”
“Yes, yes, they were allies once upon a time,” Danny droned. “But, of course, your parents chose to aid the government that detests us, while my father had a different vision.”
“Who…” With Naretha’s harsh glare, his questions died on his tongue. How could he not ask about his parents, though, if Danny knew who they were? Before a coherent string of words formed in his mind, Naretha spoke again.
“We killed all of the employees at the research facility, but…we believe there might be some survivors who will interest you.” Avner’s brow creased, his brain too preoccupied with his parents to process her implication.
“Affinities?” Danny asked.
When Naretha shook her head, it dawned on Avner. The realization came too late, though, because before he could stop her, she said, “No, the Starks.”
“The Starks…” Slowly, Danny’s eyes illuminated with manic delight. “But you were not able to apprehend them?”
“They were chained. We would have had to forfeit our lives to the Reggs to obtain them. But now, with the Reggs dead…” Naretha’s eyebrows perked, and judging by the calculating look on Danny’s face, he understood her suggestion.
“I…have a tracking Affinity,” Devika piped up, her voice unsure in the presence of her leader. “I’ll be able to find the research facility…with your permission.”
“A tracking Affinity? That’s quite useful… Why didn’t my father recruit you for Headquarters?”
Devika licked her lips with discomfort. “Do you forget the terms you made with my brother?” Puzzled, the man studied her for any clue as to who her brother might be, but when it became clear he had no idea, she sighed. “Vishal.”
“Ah!” Danny clapped his hands together. “That bastard. How could I forget? Of course, of course… Where is he?”
“Killed…by the Reggs.”
Instead of condolences, the Wacko leader’s enthusiasm multiplied. “Well, then it seems the deal worked out on my end. Not so well on his, though.” A muscle flickered in Devika’s jaw, but she made no comment. “Yes, you may lead the search for the Starks. Take whomever you need to accomplish the task. I want those two Reggs found—alive, if they aren’t already dead. I have plans for them.”
Devika dipped her chin. “And may I have your permission to track down the Regg soldiers afterward—the ones who destroyed our hideout? I would like to avenge my brother…and put a small dent in the Reggs’ ranks, of course.”
“I have no care for your brother, but any day a Regg dies at the hand of an Affinity is a splendid day, indeed. Track and kill as many as you’d like; you don’t need my permission.” With that, he waved her off, and Kevin and Nate followed her to the elevator, likely planning to join her murderous mission.
Avner’s head reeled at the prospect. As much as he wanted to reunite with Zeela, he knew his main priority now needed to be finding a way to rescue the Starks—preferably before he had to go head-to-head with Nate and his animal-morphing Affinity.
“Now, you three,” Danny purred as he waltzed around his desk. “Periculy’s little pets… Though I suppose you no longer are, considering you defied him in order to bring Naretha to me. How should I repay you?”
Jamad opened his mouth, but Avner knew that, with the way his friend’s morals had shifted over the past few weeks, whatever he said would ruin this for them. Before the other boy could say anything, he spoke first.
“We would like our friend, Maddy,” Avner said. “We would like to leave here with her. We…don’t plan to go back to Periculand—the Rosses would probably put us in jail if we did—and after what we experienced at the research facility, we have no intention of going to the Reggs with any information about…this place. We just want to be together and safe again.”
“Such a sweet proposition,” Danny mocked. “What, exactly, is unsafe about this place? Is there something to fear, Avner Stromer, in a place composed solely of Affinities? With the Wackos is the only place you will be safe. The government is after you—they know what you’ve done, how you’ve broken a Wacko out of jail. They will hunt you, and they will not spare you.”
“I’m aware that the government is cruel to Affinities,” Avner said, fighting to keep his voice even, “but I don’t condone what the Wackos stand for. It doesn’t have to make us enemies, but…I can’t join you.”
“Pity.” Danny took a few methodical steps closer. When they were only inches apart, he narrowed his eyes and whispered, “Just like your father in spirit.” It was nearl
y impossible for Avner to remain still as the man ran a finger along his jaw. His skin was uncomfortably hot and his proximity terrifyingly close. “And just like your father in irritatingly good looks.”
Jamad snorted where he stood a few feet away, and Danny dropped his hand to whirl toward him. Sobering immediately, the other boy stammered, “I—It’s just…I’ve never met anyone who finds Avner attractive, except his girlfriend, and she’s blind.”
That comment sparked amusement in Danny and, smirking faintly, he stepped back, distancing them to the point that Avner could actually breathe without fearing for his life. “I will give you what you want,” Danny said after a moment, nodding to each of them. “Josh!”
Avner spun as a door behind him opened, admitting a man whose stature was oddly familiar. Fragile and gaunt, the guy’s black- and blue-streaked eyes darted around nervously as he hobbled toward them. Dark makeup seemed to have once covered his eyelids, though now it had faded to a deathly sheen of gray that made him look like a decaying zombie. His hair, jet black fading into an electric blue, was overgrown, flopping to one side of his head, and the stench he brought with him was reminiscent of Avner’s. That, coupled with the modern manacles constricting his ankles, confirmed that Josh was a prisoner.
Avner waited for Maddy to enter the room behind him, but then Josh’s apathetic eyes locked with Meredith’s, and she toppled to the floor.
Instinctively, Jamad jumped into a defensive stance. “It’s the Wacko from JAMZ!”
Avner recognized him now, recalling how bodies had fallen throughout the basement at this Wacko’s will. Before Jamad could raise a hand to freeze him, however, his eyes drooped and his body wilted, falling on top of Meredith’s with a thud.
Instead of electrocuting Josh and starting a brawl, Avner spun toward his only conscious ally with pleading eyes. “Naretha, please—” But no sympathy washed over her face before Josh stepped into his line of sight. His consciousness slipped from his grasp, and his freedom went with it.
Nerve Page 33
