Black-Eyed Kids: The Complete Series

by Miranda Hardy

  I know there’s no way we’re ever coming back. “Maybe,” I whisper. “If things work out, maybe we’ll be able to return.”

  Jennings flashes understanding in his dark eyes and reaches out to shake my hand. “Good luck. Just don’t get yourselves killed, alright?”

  I take his hand and give it a firm grip. “And you promised to watch over Lisa. Can you also keep an eye on Marcus’ mom and my dad?”

  “Sure,” he replies. “If I don’t get a call from you in three days, expect a call from me.”

  Jennings shoots us one final smile before getting in his car and driving away.

  I get behind the wheel of Ronald’s Lexus and start the engine. Astid gets in the backseat and Marcus rides shotgun. Despite my determination, there’s still an ounce of hesitation in the thought of leaving home for good. I grip the steering wheel and I think of poor Ronald who probably spent countless hours in this very seat. I wonder what it felt like for him to leave home after his wife and son were killed.

  I put the car in drive and hit the gas. No one says a word as I maneuver away from the cemetery, drive onto the main street, and head for the highway.

  47

  ASTID

  THE MAP OF North Carolina spread across Marcus’s lap looks positively medieval. I can’t imagine how anyone can possibly navigate with ease using one of these things. I’ve never had to retrace my travels, as Kren always took us forward. He always led and I followed.

  “Where did you say we needed to turn?” Maverick asks.

  “Bro, we’re lost,” Marcus says. “This dirt road isn’t even on the map.”

  It’s a few more miles. I scoot closer in the middle of the backseat so I can see more clearly out the front window.

  “We’re going to run out of gas in the middle of nowhere and be eaten by wild, hungry bears. I just know it.” Marcus crumples the map into a ball, and his lips squeeze tightly together. “Why didn’t Ronald buy a navigation system? This is a Lexus for God’s sake.”

  “We're not lost, idiot,” I say with my mouth, and Maverick laughs.

  Marcus lifts his black sunglasses and stares at me, his abyss of blackness seems lighter than mine. “You sound weird when you talk out loud.”

  “Man, we are wearing off on her. She called you an idiot.” Maverick laughs once again. “Insults are so much better when they’re spoken.”

  I smile. The long hours spent on the highway during the previous day has all loosened us up a little. With Kren, I was always on guard. Even when I trusted him most, I still did not truly trust him. However, I trust Maverick. Surprisingly, I even feel comfortable with Marcus.

  Despite that, I still guard my mind. Being in close contact with others who are able to tap into my thoughts has caused an ache in my head since my energy has been used to block their efforts.

  Marcus doesn’t delve too deeply, but Maverick has tried a few times. He’s more interested in my past than what I’m willing to share at this time. Some things are better left buried and forgotten rather than brought back to the surface.

  I trust these two, more than I’ve ever trusted anyone in my life. But they have no idea what they’re in for in the coming days. I feel guilty for not trying harder to talk Maverick out of doing this, but I find comfort that I’m not on this journey all alone.

  Marcus slides his shades back over his eyes and crosses his arms. “Well, I may be the least likely to win at Jeopardy, but I’m not the one that got us lost.”

  “We have been on this dirt road for a very long time, Astid,” Maverick says. “Are you sure this is the way?”

  Yes. Our refuge is remote to prevent Level 6 or other humans from finding us. This was home for a long time.

  I stare at the tall firs that line both sides of the road. Their colors have already begun to change, and that means the weather will be cooler soon. I close my eyes and extend my powers, searching for the others who might be nearby. I sense no one.

  “Let’s just say that there are a bunch of BEKs still here.” Marcus looks at me. “They’re not going to welcome us with open arms are they?”

  I shake my head. They will kill us. Which is why you won’t be going with me when we get there.

  “That’s comforting.” Marcus leans back in his seat. “We barely escape one death and drive toward another. Bro, we’ll be lucky to make it out of our teens at this rate.”

  “Won’t they sense us when we get closer to them?” Maverick asks.

  “There!” I point to an opening to the right. Pull onto that road. The short dirt path on the right widens enough for the car to maneuver into it, but Maverick cuts the engine off.

  “You didn’t answer my question,” Maverick says.

  I have been reaching out, trying to sense them. So far, I’ve found nothing. I’ll go through the woods for another mile toward the entrance of the cave, but first I need to travel north and check to see if any of their vehicles are still there. I think I can safely do that without being noticed.

  “I’m not liking this plan,” Maverick says with his hand still on the ignition key. “It seems to me that you are taking all the risk, and we did say we were in this together.” Maverick turns his brown eyes on me. “We’re supposed to just wait for you?”

  We might be out of range for sensing the others, but they could also be putting up a mental wall. I believe that they have abandoned the shelter. I must first find out before we proceed.

  “I’m liking Astid’s plan just fine, thank you for asking,” Marcus says with a grin. “I’m all for living another day.”

  Maverick starts the car and gets onto the dirt road. “Marcus, what happened to that manly confidence you had before we left. Bodyguard and everything?”

  “I’ve been thinking and it dawned on me that this gig wasn’t on my life plan,” Marcus says.

  “Your life plan?” Maverick asks.

  Marcus says, “Yeah, the one we all had to do last year in that bogus AVID class, preparing us for our futures. You remember?”

  Maverick chuckles. “If I recall, your life plan consisted of: One, marrying a rich chick. Two, marrying a rich chick. And three, marrying a rich chick’s mother. You flunked your life plan assignment.”

  “The perfect life plan,” Marcus says. “And nowhere on that plan was getting turned into a super freak and dying before I reach legal drinking age.” Marcus suddenly becomes serious. “My life plan is pretty much down the toilet.”

  Their discussion about planning a life is juvenile, and I’m annoyed. I’ll be back in under an hour. I shake my head and open the door.

  “Wait!” Maverick steps out of the car and holds out his gun to me. “Remember, just like we practiced. You’re faster than them. You can aim and shoot before they’ll know what hit them.”

  When I take it, our fingers touch, and the jolt of energy flows through us. He waves his hand in the air to shake off the feeling.

  Sorry, I tell him.

  “Maybe you don’t need a gun.” He smiles. “Do you remember how to shoot it?” His eyes flicker toward the pistol in my hands.

  We had just practiced yesterday. Since it was a better idea to stop for a few hours during the night so we could arrive here in daylight, Maverick had pulled into a secluded area off the highway. We all took turns practicing with the pistol.

  Maverick unloaded it, but it did help to become accustomed to the weapon’s weight while wielding it. But practicing with an empty gun and actually shooting it were two different things, Maverick had told us.

  I nod and step out of the car with the gun in my hands. With one last look at Maverick over my shoulder, I start towards the tall mass of trees that cover the mountain.

  Even though I had told Maverick that I needed to walk one mile to check for the vehicles, the hiding spot for the vans is about two miles away. I wanted to have as wide a range as possible in case Kren or anyone else is here, which I doubt.

  After Kren and Garn had fled, they probably came back here to alert the others that it was no
longer safe. To them I am compromised. A traitor to our species. Kren would portray me as a threat to everyone. He would only be partially right.

  Kren is the one I need to kill.

  What happens after that hasn’t even played out in my mind. I cannot even begin to think what we should do after I take Kren’s life force. Level 6 is still out there, hunting us and hurting innocents. No time to think about that now. I must focus.

  My pace quickens, but my mind is on high alert. I stretch my limits and listen for any sign of anyone nearby. Nothing present but the animals that fear us, which scatter away as quickly as possible.

  The landing comes into view, and just as I suspected…both vans are gone. The connecting kudzu vines that covered them under the tall trees swing openly in the air. Tire tracks lead down the path, so they must have left fairly recently. Kren and the others are maybe three days ahead of us.

  I get back onto the beaten path, and the familiar site of the cave entrance comes into view. The boulder blocking the entrance would take several humans to move, but I push it to the side easily. My increased strength since taking Ronald’s and Avion’s energies will sustain me for several more days. Hopefully it’s long enough to track Kren down.

  Lacking life energy means certain death. I don’t want to think about growing weak during my search for Kren, which means I will have to feed again. All those years and lives I took weigh on me, like that boulder smothering the earth. Avion deserved to die. Garn does, too.

  Kren is the most deserving to meet his end.

  The coolness within the mountain feels like home, but the silence becomes unbearable. My eyes adjust to the darkness, and then every visible crevice comes into focus. Everyone is gone. All of them. My brother took them all away, fearing for their safety. The few belongings that we had collected over the years are scattered about. They left in a hurry.

  I step inside, and everything feels familiar yet alien to me. The part of the cave where I used to sleep is untouched, and I’m grateful they didn’t ransack my things. I grab the only thing that means anything to me…Mother’s red, dirty jacket. She wore it the day she was abducted and taken to Level 6.

  Out of mercy, they let her keep it. Her jacket and Kren…the only two links to Mother that I have left in the world. I put the jacket on and imagine Mother’s arms around me. It fits me perfectly. I wallow in the temporary comfort before leaving the cave.

  Marcus and Maverick come within the mental field I push out, and they’re sitting silently in the car. Fear and worry emanates from them, and they hope that I return soon.

  Maverick senses me first. I’m shocked. I’m two miles away, and he’s able to weakly connect with my mind. His mental abilities grow stronger, and I feel his energy linger in my mind, pushing for information. Marcus might have been converted to be like me, but Maverick’s abilities far exceed his.

  This is something we had not discussed yet. Something must have happened when Kren had him in his grasp. How such power could have been awakened in Maverick is still a mystery to me.

  Perhaps Maverick had potential to begin with.

  Astid? Is everything okay? he asks with his mind.

  Yes, I’m fine. They are gone, though. I’m fairly sure I didn’t need to tell him that, as he was already connecting with my mind. I know he felt my thoughts when I became lost in my memories for a moment.

  I turn back towards the empty cave. There’s nothing here that tells me where they have gone. I’m sorry.

  At least you have your mother’s jacket now.

  I pull her jacket tighter around my body. It is strange to share such intimate thoughts with another…especially a human. Yes. That is my consolation. But now what do we do? I don’t even know where to begin to search for Kren. There are many others scattered all over, but we had little to no contact with the other factions.

  Maverick’s mind turns to Ronald’s computer. We still have our one lead. It will have to be good enough. You should make your way back to the car, and we’ll talk about it.

  I take one final long, hard stare at what had been my home for five years. If I could destroy the cave, I would. There’s too many dark memories here, and I’ll be relieved to leave it all behind.

  I return to the narrow path and make my way back to Maverick and Marcus. Despite knowing that the others are gone, I still continue to mentally scan my surroundings, just in case.

  Once I make it back, Maverick has the computer on the hood of the car and shows me the screen.

  RONALD,

  Atlanta region a hotspot. Hurry to area, others will be sent as well. Red Top Mountain State Park – eyewitness sightings. Contact ASAP.

  Beck

  THIS IS where we are heading? I ask Maverick.

  “Ronald found you, thanks to his network of fellow investigators,” Maverick replies. “And this is all we have to go on at the moment. I need to reply to this Beck guy so as to not make him suspicious, but I’m not sure if I should tell him I’m not Ronald or go on pretending to be him.”

  Marcus paces back and forth. “I know I’m the idiot of the bunch here, but seriously, I’m not sure about Ronald’s club of geeks. We’re already walking targets. I’m thinking that Level 6 has pretty close tabs on them, probably.”

  You are not an idiot. I apologize for calling you that earlier. I bow my head towards him. And you have a very valid point.

  “My therapist was an agent,” Maverick says. “She hypnotized me and probably pulled all kinds of information out of my head. Who knows how much Level 6 knows about everything, but I would put money on the fact that they know about Ronald and his organization.”

  Atlanta is our only lead. I glance back down at the email. Maybe we can get some answers from this person named Beck.

  Maverick eyes me suspiciously for one fleeting second.

  I lean towards him. The next life I take will be Kren’s, I assure you.

  “I think the closer we get to the BEKs, the closer we will get to Level 6,” Maverick says. “I don’t think we have much of a choice at this point.”

  Maverick’s thoughts drift to the night that he played video games with Tarick. Now he’s thinking of his mother. He still cannot believe how much his life has changed in such a short amount of time. One minute he’s a normal teenager looking forward to normal teenage problems, and a week later, his world is shattered by a simple knock on the door.

  Marcus breaks the silence. “Well, one journey ends and another begins.”

  I turn to both of them, realizing that we have all been reading each other’s thoughts. This will take some getting used to.

  Atlanta? I ask them mentally.

  “Yeah.” Maverick points towards the car. “We need to get a GPS or something. Maps suck. We can’t afford to be getting lost on our way to Atlanta.”

  Marcus gets into the passenger side and opens the wrinkled map. “I’m with you on that one. We need GPS and lunch.”

  A cool breeze sweeps through the valley, and a shiver runs through me. These boys have no idea what Level 6 is capable of. I do not appreciate their lackadaisical nonsense.

  Maverick looks at me, having just glimpsed my thoughts. We do it to cope. Especially Marcus.

  I get into the back seat and put up my mental shield. I want what Maverick wants—to destroy Level 6. Finding them will only bring us pain. Level 6, the origin of my life, was home to unspeakable evils.

  And destroying it means going back.

  48

  MAVERICK

  USING THE NEW GPS we got at a Walmart just outside of Charlotte, I decide it’s time to find a place with WI-FI and reply to Beck, saving what little connection we have left on the portable WI-FI device Ronald had. Beck’s probably suspicious that Ronald hasn’t replied to his email yet, which makes me think it’s best to pretend to be Ronald when I email him back.

  I exit the interstate, and after just two right turns, I pull into a restaurant parking lot. There’s a sign in the window flaunting free WI-FI, so I kill the engine and
grab the laptop.

  “This looks promising,” Marcus says with a yawn. “I’m thinking they have pancakes here.”

  The restaurant’s logo includes a stack of pancakes, and my stomach rumbles. “I hope so.”

  Astid slides her sunglasses over her face and exits from the back seat. After stretching, she turns to me and her thoughts come to my mind. So, will you answer Beck while posing as Ronald?

  “I think it’s best to keep stringing this guy along. We still need to find out exactly where we’re supposed to meet him.” I reach back in the car and grab the charger. “We’re a little more than three hours from Atlanta, so this is a good place to stop and wait for Beck’s reply.”

  Marcus leads us into the restaurant, which looks more like a diner. It’s mostly empty, since it’s between lunch and dinner time. The hostess reluctantly takes us to a booth. She feels uneasy around our peculiar party, and after being seated, we all let out a deep exhale before I fire up the laptop.

  After connecting to the diner’s WI-FI, I go straight to the inbox. There’s one unread email, and it’s from Beck. I open it up and allow Marcus and Astid to read my thoughts as I read to myself.

  DAMNIT RONALD, where are you? I left a hundred voice mails for you. I hope you’re okay. Atlanta is crawling with spooks. I don’t know what the deal is, but something big is happening here. Lots of government activity going on. Unmarked helicopters, agents walking around and asking questions.

  Get your ass down here and give me a hand! I’m going to try your phone again.

  I NOTICE that the email was sent just two hours ago.

  “I’d better reply,” I say out loud. “Otherwise, he’ll know something’s up.”

  Marcus tugs at his sunglasses. “What are you going to tell him?”

  We need his location, Astid conveys to me.

  My fingers touch the laptop’s keyboard. “I’m going to put this Beck dude at ease. Help is on the way.”

  THE END OF BOOK ONE