"Lys!" Echo screamed! "Maddox, stop!" She swung open the back door and stared at Lys, running to catch up with them. Behind him, three large bodies also came. "Hunters," Echo growled angrily. "Lys, hurry up!" She called to him. He didn't acknowledge her but she knew he'd heard her. It was hard not to.
The Hunters behind him were not about to make it easy. They fired shots at him, but thankfully missed. Maddox was slowing down for Lys, but he couldn't stop. Echo wasn't really expecting him to. More bullets whizzed through the air and two struck the van, causing sparks to fly. Athena screamed and scurried to the side of the van, huddling with her sister behind the door. The others seemed to have a similar idea and they grouped together behind the closed back door, while Echo remained sitting in front of the open one, screaming for Lys to hurry up.
"Echo, you idiot!" Shy screamed, grabbing the girl's arm. "Get over here before you get shot!"
But Echo yanked her arm away and looked back to Lys, who was getting closer, and so far had not been shot. He was almost in arms reach now, and Echo stretched her arm out to him. "C'mon, Lys!" She encouraged. His face was set in a determined frown and he ran faster. "Catch," He called to her suddenly, flinging the bag he was carrying at her. Echo reached forward and caught it, but would have fallen out of the van if Bold hadn't jumped forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, stopping her fall.
Another shot fired and Lys cried out in pain. Echo very nearly panicked when she saw the blood blossom in his shoulder. But he was still running, with one hand now clutching at his left shoulder. He reached the van and Echo grabbed his good hand, pulling him up with all the strength she could muster. He jumped up onto the back of the van and with Echo's help somehow managed to get up. The force of Echo's pull sent them both tumbling back wards and they landed hard on the floor of the van. Echo was on her back with Lys hovering over her, his shoulder dripping blood onto the ugly shag carpet.
"Lys!" Echo gasped, sitting up quickly.
"I'm okay." Lys insisted.
"Oh God Lys, I thought you were dead!" Echo gasped, the tears threatening to roll down her cheeks once again. "But I'm not." He managed a small smile and wiped a tear off her face. "See? I'm good."
Echo let out shuddering sob and fell forward in his arms. "Don't ever to that again!" She shouted into his shoulder as he chuckled uncomfortably. He put his good arm around her and comforted her as she cried.
"You'd better get used to it, kid." Remus said coldly. "I'm surprised you've lasted this long."
"Shut up, Remus." Lys growled in her defence.
"Uh, Lys? I think maybe I should take a look at that shoulder." Ro offered quietly, looking at the blood pooling beneath the pair.
"Yeah, probably." He gently pushed Echo up and smiled at her. "You were really worried about me, huh?"
Echo nodded and wiped a few stray tears from her eyes. "Sorry," She said quietly.
"No worries." Lys smiled. "I'm fine, see?"
"Yeah…"
"Lys, your shoulder!" Ro said with a groan. "Take your shirt off!"
"Gee Ro, you could at least take me out to dinner first." Lys joked as he pulled his shirt of his head. Ro rolled her eyes and Echo managed a soft giggle. The Hunters were far behind them, and they would never catch up with them now. They were safe again…for now.
*
Night came quickly after their flight from Mrs Marlow's home. There wasn't much talking amongst the group. There rarely was so soon after a run. They were all suffering from what Lys jokingly referred to as 'emotional jetlag'. When the feelings quieted again there was often a short period where all anyone wanted to do was sleep.
Lys, after having his shoulder tended to and the bullet painfully ripped out, had chosen to lay down with his back to the driver's seat. Soon after, Echo had come over and laid next to him. He was touched at her concern for him, but he also felt kind of bad for worrying her so much. He knew it was stupid of him to go after more than what they really needed, but he also knew that it would be a major inconvenience to try and find more baby things for Andrew.
Lys looked at Echo, who was already fast asleep. He watched as the light from the streetlights outside moved across the van and over her face. She had let her hair down to sleep, and it fanned out around her shoulders and practically shone when the light hit it. He could still see the wetness on her cheeks from her tears. She shuddered in her sleep and shivered.
Sighing, Lys inched a bit closer to her and draped his injured arm over her. It hurt a bit to move, but he found that the position of his arm was actually comfortable for his shoulder when it was resting on her. She relaxed almost immediately and sighed again, this time unconsciously rolling back a bit so her back met his chest. Her hand found his and clutched it gently. Lys certainly hoped that no one was awake and could see him blushing in what little light there was inside the vehicle.
When he was confident that no one else was awake save for Maddox, who was still driving, he allowed himself to relax. He shut his eyes and listened to the sound of Echo's quiet breathing and the hum of the engine. Eventually, the crunch of the road beneath the tires lulled him into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter Twelve
~*Athena's Dream*~
Echo stirred and carefully opened her eyes, squinting against the harsh light streaming through the dusty windows of Maddox's old van. She tried to sit up but found that something was holding her down. She groaned and opened her eyes fully to inspect the situation.
It didn't take her long to realize that it was an arm draped over her that kept her pinned against the disgusting shag carpet. After another moment spent twisting around to see who it was, she saw a head of messy dark hair and slumped back down with a sigh.
Lys sighed deeply at the movement and buried his nose into her back. His arm tightened around her and she sighed as well. 'Okay, so maybe I won't be getting up any time soon.' She thought. She decided to be content just lying there, feeling the movement of the van beneath her and looking around at the others.
She was surprised to see that Bold was the only one awake aside from Maddox and Remus. Maddox was still driving, and Echo wondered if he had driven all night. She wasn't all that surprised to see that Remus was tapping away on his laptop, completely oblivious to everything else around him. Bold, however, was looking straight at her with his unblinking deep blue eyes. She stared aback at him for a moment before he spoke.
"Just hit him and he'll move." He said. "That guy could sleep through an earthquake."
Echo yawned but didn't bother to try and get up again. "Where are we?" She wondered.
"Not quite sure." Bold shrugged. "We've been heading inland so we're probably halfway through Kentucky by now."
"Where are these shelters?" She asked.
"Colorado." He shrugged. "But we're not going there right away. The Hunters would be all over us if we just hung out there. We'll go when they're finished."
"How is it that the Hunters aren't already all over the people working on them?"
Remus answered before Bold got a chance to. "Lots and lots of guards, signal jamming devices and just about anything else we can think of to keep them away. So far I don't think whoever is telling them where to find us has led them to the shelters yet. The only time they find us is if they happen to follow someone there. That's why we have to keep them away for as long as possible."
"Makes sense," Echo said, "But if someone is able to track us, why haven't they given away the shelters?"
"That is one of too many unanswered questions. For now, I say we just take whatever luck we can get and not question the good things." He then looked back down at his computer without so much as a sound and started typing again. Echo knew better than to disturb him. She relaxed again and put her head on the floor, but the shift in positions caused Lys' arm to move as well and his hand fell on her breast.
Echo was shooting upwards in seconds. "Lys!" She shouted, jumping away from him and glaring as the blood rushed to her face.
"Ow!" Lys shou
ted back as he rubbed his shoulder where she'd pushed him away. "What was that for?"
"Keep your hands to yourself, mister!" Echo was sure she heard Maddox chuckle form the front seat, but she ignored him.
"What…?" Lys questioned sleepily. He looked around and saw Bold, "Bold, what is she talking about?" But Bold didn't answer him. He just narrowed his eyes at the older boy and let his expression fall into a dangerous scowl. Lys looked around confusedly. Bold was glaring murderously at him and Echo had her arms crossed protectively across her chest. She was still red with embarrassment but for the life of him he couldn't figure out why.
"Whatever I did while I was sleeping, I apologize. But you really shouldn't blame me since I was sleeping and all!" He groaned and lay back down, his back to the rest of them.
"You know," Remus spoke up, "The subconscious is a very strong influence on one's actions. Especially while sleeping."
Echo turned red again. "Remus!" She and Bold both cried.
*
No one was particularly happy about being back in the van again. It was cramped and stuffed and it made everyone stir crazy. Not to mention that no one could agree on what radio station to listen to. Eventually Maddox had to take over and found a 24-hour news station. That made everyone miserable, so Maddox decided that it was the perfect solution.
Echo had heard the same news report ten times in a row, and she could practically quote it: more hurricanes in Florida and tsunamis in Japan. A fresh outburst of AIDS in Africa, and then there was the constant military propaganda recruiting for the President's war. Join the army! Fight for your country! It's the thing to do! The enemy is an evil minion of Satan!
Okay, so maybe that last one was a little tweaked, but they may as well have said 'minions of Satan'. It was pretty much what they meant.
"Idiots," Irvine grumbled. "Do they really expect people to sign up for this garbage. This is worse than Vietnam!"
"You weren't even born yet when Vietnam happened, you moron." Maddox scoffed.
"So? I know the basics of it."
"I had a teacher who claimed that in his last life he was a rice patty in Vietnam. Or maybe he was shot by a rice patty in Vietnam…?" Shy supplied thoughtfully.
"That guy was a lunatic." Bold rolled his eyes.
"How would being shot with a rice patty kill you?" Ro asked.
"Ugh! That's not the point, you guys!" Irvine complained. "The point is that this war is stupid and everyone knows it. Why would anyone willing go into this war?"
"There are some pretty diluted people out there." Lys shrugged.
"And anyways, if no one signs up they're just start a draft." Echo sighed.
"Kinda makes you glad you've got no fixed address, eh?" Ro smirked.
"Lys is the only one who really has to worry. At least until they pull Canada into this." Irvine said. "He is the only American, after all."
"I'd probably choose to rot in jail over going to fight some war in the middle east." Lys grumbled.
"So you know how fast the Hunters would find you if you were in jail?" Remus shot.
"I'm just saying." Lys growled.
"Why are we even worrying about this?" Echo cried, trying to put a stop to the argument she knew was brewing. "There is no draft as of right now. None of us have to worry about being drafted, and there's nothing we can do to stop this war. We already know the outcome of it anyway."
"Echo is right." Maddox said helpfully. "Now stop bickering like little girls. Irvine, Lys! Which one of you wants to drive next?"
"No can do," Irvine said. "Gotta take care of Andrew." He motioned to the squirming baby that was really starting to stink up the van.
"Guess it's my turn then." Lys sighed. They pulled over and switched seat while the others tried to pick a new topic for their conversation. Echo happened to glance over at Thena, who was sitting half-asleep in her sister's lap.
"You alright, Thena?" Echo wondered. "You look a little tired."
Thena looked up at the teen and nodded slowly. "Thena's been having a lot of dreams lately." Ro explained.
"Oh," Echo said softly. She wasn't really expecting any more information, so she was shocked when Thena spoke up. "I've been dreaming of a little boy." She said carefully. "He's all hooked up to these machines like in a hospital, and he's so sad…" She looked down at her feet.
"I've never had one like that before." Shy said.
"I don't think anyone has." Ro said quietly. "Why don't you tell them all of it?"
Thena nodded, "He's a Chosen, like us. At least I think he is. He talks to me in my head. He keeps asking me to help him but…but I don't know how. There are all sorts of other things in the dreams too. The President is there, and the White House, and men in lab coats. And…" She stopped and cast a worried looked at her sister, and then at Lys, who was driving but obviously paying attention.
"What is it, Thena?" Ro urged. "Is there something else?"
Athena nodded solemnly. "I didn't tell you Ro, I'm sorry. But last night was only the first time…"
"The first time for what?" Ro demanded, "What did you see?"
"I saw…Loch. He was in this cage, like a jail. And the men in the white coats were standing in front of him and talking."
Ro looked horrified, and the second his brother's name was mentioned Lys slammed on the brakes. He was now twisted around in the seat and staring at the young girl in shock. "You saw…Loch? Are you sure?" He asked urgently.
Athena could only nod again. Ro also seemed to have lost the capability of speech. "I don't know what they were saying," Thena explained, "It was all muffled, like listening to someone through a wall, but I know they were talking about him."
Lys shared a look with Ro that Echo couldn't quite figure. Lys opened his mouth to speak but Ro quickly cut him off. "Don't, Lys."
"But…"
"No! Don't even start, Lysander! I'm not about to get my hopes up because of one dream. It could mean anything!" Echo could see tears forming in the older girl's eyes. She looked down at her sister and gently stroked the hair out of her face. "It doesn't mean that he's still alive."
"Ro…"
"No! He's dead, Lys! Don't you get it? He's never coming back!"
"How do you know that!?" Lys roared. "How do you know that he isn't just locked up somewhere? How could you give up on him so easily?"
"STOP IT!" Ro screamed. She knocked Athena from her lap and stood up as straight as she could in the van. Lys was also on his feet, glaring angrily at Ro. "I can't do this anymore! I can't just pretend that he's going to come back some day! Get out of denial, Lys! He's gone."
Irvine looked up at Lys, who was glowering with all his might at the blonde girl at the back of the van and quickly offered to drive. "You guys both need time to cool off."
"I'm sorry, Ro." Thena was whispering. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you right away."
Ro could not answer her. She'd retreated to a back corner and was curled up with her face in her knees.
"We should turn around, don't you think?" Maddox was saying to Remus as Echo crept over to Ro. She sat down next to the teary-eyed blonde and put an arm around her shoulders.
Remus was agreeing with Maddox. "If we're going to go by Athena's dream, then there's something going on in Washington. If we head up there we might get some answers."
"Right, Irvine, turn this heap around! We're going back north."
"What?! Why?"
"We're going to Washington." Maddox explained. Echo was too bust trying to comfort Ro to really pay attention to them, though. "Are you okay?" She asked.
Ro shook her head. "I just…I miss him so much." She whispered.
"Who? Loch?"
Ro looked up and then smiled softly. "That's right, you wouldn't know…"
"Know what…?"
"That Loch and I…well, we were…I guess you'd call us lovers."
Chapter Thirteen
Strange
"Does anyone have any money?" Shy shouted as she hopped out of the van, her twin
in tow.
Echo dug into her pockets and removed 84 cents in Canadian money. "Ugh, not even a dollar." She whined, holding out the money to the Chinese girl. "What do you need money for, Shy?"
"What do you think? For food! I haven't had candy in weeks and I have a craving."
"Come to think of it, so do I." Ro said softly. She was still a little shaken up by Thena's admission of dreaming of her supposedly deceased lover.
Maddox frowned at the lot of them. "Candy? Seriously you guys, we have more important things to worry about than candy!"
"I'd have to agree." Irvine nodded, cradling Andrew in his arms. "I think before we do anything we should find a place to stay, and perhaps some jobs."
"You really think we should stop here? It's not very far from where we stayed with Mrs Marlow." Echo pointed out. "Maybe we should keep going for a bit." Her comment was met with several stares of disbelief and she blushed. "Or not…" she muttered.
"Really Echo, you want to get back in that van?" Shy scolded. "What's wrong with you?"
Echo glared mockingly at the girl. "I just don't want to get caught by the Hunters! Is that such a bad thing?"
Echo heard Maddox groan behind her. "Can't we go anywhere without having this argument?" He glanced at Lys, who was still quiet and brooding, "Lys, there will be time to agonize over Thena's dream later. Right now you need to concentrate on keeping yourself out of the Hunters' clutches, you hear?"
"Yeah sure," He grumbled, crossing his arms and looking down at the ground to his right. Maddox sighed and quickly swept his eyes over the group. "Echo, Bold, you two keep an eye on him."
"I don't need babysitting!" Lys shouted.
"Oh yes you do, now quit complaining and get to work."
Lys muttered something unintelligible under his breath but did as he was told and followed Echo and Bold away from the group.
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