Grim Misfortune

by Jennifer Reinfried

  Nodding, I straightened and flung the door open. Stepping out onto the ground, I reached my arms up high, stretching the stiffness out of my back and shoulder muscles. “Thanks,” I said to Aaron as he came around the van.

  “‘Course. Hey, this place has a late-night diner. Should we just eat while we’re here? We can get meals to go.”

  At the mention of food, my stomach grumbled approval. Grinning, I poked my head back into the van. “You guys hungry?”

  “Fuck yes,” Lucas mumbled.

  I shot him a disapproving glance but bit my tongue and looked at Mari, who had climbed into the seat next to him. She only shrugged. “All right. We’ll be back in a moment.”

  The rumbling turned into an ache as Aaron and I made our way to the brightly lit diner attached to the Hartford Inn. “I hope they have bacon.” I pocketed my keys and ran a hand over my beard.

  “And pancakes. And eggs. And waffles.”

  Laughing, we entered the diner. A tired waitress was pouring coffee for a pretty Korean woman with short black hair buzzed on one side. No one else was in sight as we approached the breakfast bar and sat on round stools that swiveled side to side.

  The waitress shuffled over to us and placed two menus on the counter. “Coffee?”

  I looked at Aaron, who shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

  As she set out cups and poured the piping-hot liquid, I glanced over the options available. My eyes came to rest on the Eggs Benedict, and a fresh dose of grief washed over me like a tidal wave. Peter’s favorite. The pain kept coming, and it was getting difficult to control my grief when it did.

  “Know what you want, or do you need a few?” The waitress was staring at me.

  I swallowed once, then twice, then spoke, hoping my voice didn’t waver. “We need a few meals to go, please.”

  She nodded.

  “Pancakes. Eggs. Waffles for sure.” Aaron sipped his coffee with a slight slurp, ignoring the waitress as she eyed his scar. “And do you have bacon?”

  “Yep.” She nodded. “Anything else?”

  I shifted on my stool as the lone female customer walked past us and exited the diner. “How about a few slices of your cherry pie, too?” I asked.

  “And juice.” Aaron shut his menu. “Oh! And hash browns.” He gave her a sheepish grin.

  As the waitress submitted our order to the kitchen, I took a long swallow of the hot coffee in front of me. It burned its way down my throat and into my stomach. An uneasy feeling settled over me, and I looked around the diner, suddenly on edge.

  “I seriously love food,” Aaron was saying. “I wish I could eat all the damn time.”

  I chuckled. Glancing around, my gaze fell onto the table where the girl had sat. Her cup of coffee remained, steam fluttering up from the mug. Her plate was full of half-eaten food, with a chunk of scrambled eggs speared with a fork. My eyes narrowed.

  “I don’t care how fat I’d get, I’d—” Aaron stopped talking, and his eyes went wide. “Duncan! The van!”

  We both leapt to our feet and were out the door in seconds, sprinting back to the vehicle. The woman with the half-buzzed black hair was standing next to it, Lucas’ forearm in a tight grip. He was on his knees, his face contorted with considerable pain.

  The fuck? “Hey!” I shouted. “Release him, now!”

  “Shit, she’s an Evo.” Aaron’s steps faltered, and he stopped. “Duncan, stay back!”

  Ignoring him, I slammed into the woman, pushing her away from Lucas and into the side of the van. She let out a breathless cry, then doubled over. A gasp sounded from behind me, and I peered over my shoulder.

  Lucas was still on the ground, propping himself up on his hands. The cuts from Larissa’s ice had already closed and vanished, thanks to his accelerated healing, but now, what looked like a third-degree burn wrapped around his arm near the wrist, right where the Evo had been touching him. Oh, no. I scrambled back just as the woman straightened and turned toward me, light flashing off of multiple piercings in both ears. She reached out, fingers brushing the front of my shirt. My heart leapt, and I nearly stumbled.

  “Chelsea!” Aaron’s voice cut through the night.

  The woman froze. “The fuck?” She stared at him. “I don’t know you.”

  “No, you don’t. But you don’t want to hurt us.”

  She laughed. “And why’s that?”

  “We have no money. We’re on the run.” His words came out fast. “We just needed to stop for food. Please, I...our friend just died. Please.” Aaron was stepping forward, and I backward.

  “I don’t give two fucks. Now burn.” Chelsea lunged and managed to grab me around the throat. My eyes went wide, and I instantly reached up to claw at first her fingers, then her tattooed arms.

  Suddenly, there was another kind of pain, hot and burning. I toppled onto my back underneath her weight, and my skull smacked onto the ground. My vision blurred. The heat on my neck increased rapidly, until tears fell from my eyes and my body bucked. All I could see was a malicious grin that reminded me of Larissa’s, stretching out across Chelsea’s face.

  The pressure and heat left me in a blink, and I gasped in cool air. Wiping an arm over my eyes, I sat up to see Lucas stalking toward Chelsea, whom he had thrown across the parking lot.

  “No! Lucas, get back here! Now!” My voice was hoarse. I climbed to my feet, praying Lucas would listen.

  He did. He stood still for a moment, watching the dangerous Evo struggle to her knees. After a moment, he turned and jogged back, putting an arm around me. Aaron was already nearing the van when the gunshot rang out, causing the three of us to cry out and duck.

  Mari emerged from the other side of the van, my pistol in both hands. She walked forward, her face calm, and took another shot at Chelsea, who had flattened on the gravel.

  “Stop!” I shrugged Lucas off and ran toward Mari as a third bullet flew from the gun. Reaching forward, I wrenched the weapon from her grasp. “The hell?”

  Mari whirled and turned on me. “If you wouldn’t have been using up my power to freeze Peter’s body, I would have been able to stop time! This is your fault! I’m fixing it!” She grabbed at the pistol, but I pulled it away from her.

  “Get in the van,” I barked. She must have heard something in my voice that told her there was no other option, for she stared at me with large eyes, then spat out a scoff and jumped into the vehicle. I leveled the gun at Chelsea, who was on her feet again, on high alert and watching us. I waited until Aaron and Lucas were both in the van as well, Aaron behind the wheel. Stepping backward, not taking my eyes off of Chelsea, I got myself inside and nearly tumbled over as Aaron pushed the accelerator to the floor.

  Five

  Please tell me Bruce has kept Jaxon at bay. Please. Please, please, please. I watched the sign welcoming us to Oregon flash by, forcing myself not to push the van faster. Too much time has passed. Between what happened in Texas, ensuring Naomi’s safety, burying Peter...we took too long. I kept calm by telling myself if something had happened, Bruce would have called me, but he hadn’t since the three minute conversation in which he provided their location. That didn’t mean I’d feel any better if that were the case.

  “Duncan?” Mari straightened in the passenger seat, her voice thick.

  “I’m here. We just entered Oregon. We’ll be there in a few hours.”

  She nodded and sighed. “I don’t think I can cry anymore.”

  I reached over to her and squeezed her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

  “It isn’t your fault, Duncan.”

  “It’s none of ours. We have to keep remembering that. Keep thinking of how good he was, how much he cared about you, Mari. He loved you so much.”

  She smiled at me, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “He loved you, too.”

  I looked back at the road, the lengths of black and grey pavement that had long since turned so monotonous I felt as if I were in a constant state of exhaustion.

  “You saved us. You raised us, sacrificed y
our entire life to take care of the kids you pulled from the massacre at the lab.” Mari watched trees fly by as she spoke. “You’re like a father to us. You’re better than a father, even. You didn’t abandon us, you always put us first. You may not be my dad, but you raised me, and that’s worth more than I know how to say.”

  Her words helped ease the pain of Peter’s death, and I smiled so hard it hurt my cheeks. “I wouldn’t change it for the world. I love you guys like you were my own.”

  Mari reached out and squeezed my hand. Without another word, she rested her head on the window and closed her eyes once more.

  I drove for hours in silence as the three Synths slept. The light was fading quickly from the world, the sun setting behind a mass amount of trees, out of my sight. Finally, finally, I pulled into Redborough. Easing over onto a side road, I paused a moment, eyes closed.

  A mumble from the seat behind me brought me back to consciousness, which I hadn’t even realized I’d been losing. Turning, I saw Aaron sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

  “We make it?” he asked.

  “Yeah.” I grabbed my cell phone from the center console and dialed Bruce.

  He answered on the first ring. “Duncan?”

  “We’re here.” I wasn’t shocked at how thin and tired my voice sounded. “Where’s Jaxon?”

  “I’ve been keeping an eye on them. He went to his brother’s a little bit ago.”

  “You know how close they are. Should we just get Shawn to come with as well?”

  “Of course. One won’t go without the other.”

  I smiled. “Just like when they were kids.”

  Bruce didn’t reply.

  “All right,” I said. “Where do I go?”

  After he told me the address and we said good-bye, I woke everyone up. No one protested once they realized we were finally about to jump into action, finally about to confront the most powerful Synth created in Lab 14.

  My palms began to tingle out of nervousness as we pulled up outside of Shawn’s house. “Okay, guys. Remember the plan.” Lights washed over me as a vehicle slowly made its way past us. “All of us need to be present for this. Jaxon is a telekinetic, so he’ll be quick to hurt one of us if he feels threatened. Mari, you feel recuperated enough?”

  She nodded. “I’ve got this.” Her blue eyes flashed with what looked like excitement.

  “Lucas, you may be able to subdue him, but it’s his mind that’s dangerous. Aaron, can you hear him yet? Or do we need to get closer?”

  We all fell quiet while Aaron tilted his head and listened. “Uh. I’m assuming he’s the one freaking out about Shawn running off to fight someone when he could use his powers to help.”

  My jaw went slack. “Wait...what?”

  Aaron shrugged. “Don’t ask me.”

  “Shawn’s blind. The implants we used failed and—”

  “Less talk, more action. He’s on the move.” Aaron turned and looked at Shawn’s house just as a short figure burst out of the front door. Jaxon, his short black hair fluttering, sprinted through the front gate. Turning right, he ran down the sidewalk and disappeared from sight.

  “Shit,” I muttered.

  “Want me to freeze?” Mari’s voice was eager, but I shook my head.

  “We need all your power in one shot, and only if we have no other choice.” I threw the van into gear and did a U-turn. “Aaron?”

  “He’s going somewhere called Langdon Suites.”

  Fighting the urge to race down the streets, I kept the van under the speed limit.

  “He’s getting louder,” Aaron informed me.

  Within moments, we had caught up with Jaxon. “Okay. Good. We can just follow him until he gets to...ah, dammit.”

  Half a block away, Jaxon had found a cab and leapt inside. I cautiously followed the vehicle until it came to a stop ten minutes later outside of a five-story building. I rounded the corner, not wanting to be seen, and parked out of sight.

  “Now what?” Lucas had unbuckled his seatbelt and was kneeling between the front seats.

  “Well, we can’t really just barge into some stranger’s apartment asking for him. We’ll just wait a bit until he leaves. Aaron.” I nodded at the mind-reader. “Keep listening.”

  “Like I have a choice.” He grinned and winked at me. “Right now he’s nearing the top of the roof for some reason. He’s...he’s really freaked out.”

  My heart skipped a beat. Should we go up after all?

  “No, not yet.” Aaron was staring off into space as he listened. “Okay, maybe we should.”

  “What?” I turned in my seat and faced him. “What happened?”

  “Uh, he broke a guy’s arm.”

  “What?” I started to exit the van, but Aaron’s voice stopped me.

  “Duncan, he’s helping people. There’s a dangerous man on the roof, someone named Alex.”

  My stomach did a dance. No, can’t be. Coincidence.

  Aaron kept describing the scene unfurling above us. “Yep. Jaxon’s pissed. Oh, hell. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

  “What is it?” Mari demanded.

  A glance back at Aaron showed his face drained of color, but he simply stared forward, his eyes distant, a look of fear on his face.

  “Mari, maybe we don’t want to know what Jaxon is doing up there,” I said quietly.

  “Duncan, if he’s hurting people…”

  “Yeah, we need to go right fucking—”

  A muffled thwack made us all jump. Looking around, I saw a crowd of people, who I had initially ignored during the tense, indecisive moments. They were now screaming and pointing at a man lying in the street a few yards in front of the van, illuminated in our headlights.

  No. Not lying down.

  Blood began to slowly leak out of the body before us. Mari gasped but threw a hand over her mouth before a scream could escape.

  The sound of sirens grew closer, louder. I hadn’t noticed them until now. I was reaching for the door handle when multiple squad cars screeched past us, with more in tow. Police officers jumped out and began to hustle onlookers away from the scene, while others no doubt charged into the building.

  “Now!” Aaron shouted. “We have to get up there now!”

  I flung my door open, not even bothering to turn the van off, and leapt out onto the sidewalk. The Synths quickly followed, and we burst into the lobby of Langdon Suites, startling three people who were grouped together, confusion on their faces.

  “Now, Duncan?” Mari asked, already breathless.

  “No. No, not yet.”

  My eyes scanned the area and found a door marked “Stairwell.” I herded everyone forward, and we burst onto the stairs. I climbed two to three steps at a time, right behind Lucas, who moved faster than the rest of us.

  “Duncan?” Mari was panting, but kept up behind me.

  “Not yet. Hold on,” I said between fast breaths. My heart thudded and adrenaline pumped through me, making my body tingle.

  “Shit. Oh, shit.” Aaron’s voice echoed along the concrete walls as we climbed.

  “Almost there.” I started using the handrails to steady myself.

  We reached the top and ground to a halt in front of the door to the rooftop. Gasping, I shoved my ear to the door, terrified of what I would hear. But the door was too thick. There were no discernable sounds or words. I swallowed, then opened the door wide.

  “Mari, now!”

  If you enjoyed this story, be sure to check out the rest of the series!

  Grim Inception (A Grim Trilogy 0.5) - available on Amazon now!

  Grim Ambition (A Grim Trilogy 1) - available on Amazon now!

  Grim Judgment (A Grim Trilogy 2) - release date: July 28, 2017

  Grim Resentment (A Grim Trilogy 2.5) - set to release in 2017

  Grim Vengeance (A Grim Trilogy 3) - set to release the end of 2017

  Dawn of the Wraiths - A Grim Origin - coming soon!

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and
incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover art copyright © 2017 by Jennifer Reinfried, art by Evelyne Paniez

  Cover design by Meagan Weber

  Edited by D.W. Vogel and Chelsea Roque