Black-Eyed Kids: The Complete Series

by Miranda Hardy

  25

  MAVERICK

  ASTID’S BODY IS straight blowing up, and bolts of electricity are flowing all around her. Balor keeps Marcus and Kren tightly in his grip. The other BEKs are unfazed. They continue pulling energy into themselves, weakening it. Agent Lopez and his goons are completely helpless. Their guns are drawn, but they don’t shoot. They’d probably hit one of the BEKs by accident, so I at least have to give them some credit for their restraint.

  Lisa squeezes my hand, and I have the urge to run out there and help. Dad senses this and holds me back. Jennings is mystified, and he can’t take his eyes off Astid’s fiery form.

  He whispers, “What is she doing?”

  “She’s building up all her power,” I reply.

  A tornado of blue electricity surrounds her body, and Astid starts to float upwards. She’s levitating! I’m not sure if I’m seeing things, but two arcs of lighting shoot out from her back. I rub my eyes just to be sure, but with Astid flying up in the air with electric wings, she looks like a blazing demon about to destroy her prey.

  Astid claps her hands together, and a massive flash blinds me. The sonic boom rattles my eardrums, and we all take cover. The agents call out to each other in the fog, but I don’t hear Marcus or Astid. My ears continue to ring as I emerge from behind the trees to see what had happened.

  Lisa doesn’t let go of my hand. We take careful steps onto the purple flowers, creeping closer towards the heart of the battle. The agents on the ground barely take notice of us. Their heads are still rattling. They struggle to get to their feet, and Agent Lopez lumbers away into the thick smoke cloud.

  “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” Jennings says as he and Dad come out into the open.

  We find the BEKs one at a time and help them up. Garn has soot on his face, smeared by the tears streaming down from his eyes. They are all weeping. What do they know that I don’t know?

  I reach out into the smog with my hands and my mind. I sense nothing, but maybe it’s because my abilities have diminished to the point I can’t find anyone.

  “It’s Astid!” Lisa breaks her grip on my hand and rushes forward.

  I nearly trip over a rifle when I find Lisa kneeling at Astid’s body. Her pale skin is blackened with dirt and soot. I wipe away the crud, and her mouth remains half-open and her eyes are closed. Dad and Jennings run to our sides, aghast at the death all around us.

  Just seven feet away is Balor’s lifeless body face down in the flowers. I can’t see it too clearly in the fog, so I move in closer for a better look. I wait for it to show any signs of life, and I search the ground looking for a spare gun just in case. Jennings walks past me and kicks Balor’s body several times. Sure enough, he’s a goner. A hole in his chest the size of a dinner plate still smokes from the electrical blast.

  “Where’s Marcus?” I ask Jennings.

  Without answering me, he leaves my side to go look for him. The dark cloud still hasn’t thinned out, and Jennings disappears in the middle of it. I return to Astid’s body where Lisa holds her pale white hand, looking for a pulse.

  “She’s gone,” Dad whispers to me.

  Jennings’ panicked voice cuts through the fog. “I found him!”

  “I’ll stay here,” Lisa tells me through shaking lips.

  Dad comes with me to track down Jennings. Eventually, we find him maybe ten feet away. He’s on one knee, as if he’s praying over Marcus’s body. His legs are sprawled out at unnatural angles, and he’s not moving. I don’t sense his life force at all.

  “I’m sorry Maverick,” Jennings says. Even he’s choking back the tears. “I don’t think you want to see this.”

  I gather my strength before going to Marcus. The first thing I notice are his black eyes. They used to glisten and reflect light, but now they are hollow and dull, just like his cheeks. The skin on his face is sunken and tightly pressed against his skeleton. Balor had just about finished taking his essence before Astid had killed him.

  Now would be a great time for some kind of eulogy or something, but all I can say is, “Shiitake. Shiitake forever, man.”

  A tingling sensation dances on my neck, and it’s the presence of a BEK nearby. I leave Jennings and Dad with Marcus to go search for the weakened life force. Finally, the cloud is starting to dissipate, and I notice all kinds of movement in the distance. It’s probably the agents gathering their wounded.

  To your right.

  I turn as instructed, and Kren sits up in the field of purple flowers. His face is covered in black, and he wipes it clear of the debris. The signs of death on Marcus’s face are likewise on Kren’s. I can’t believe he’s actually still alive. Without saying a word, I bend down and help him up. His bones all over his body jut out and press against mine. Kren feels like he weighs less than a hundred pounds.

  His mind touches mine, and he knows Marcus and his sister are dead. At first, a whimper escapes his bloodied lips, but he breaks down after seeing Marcus. His mind extends further out, looking for Astid. There’s nothing.

  Jennings and Dad follow behind us as we approach Astid. Lisa hasn’t moved, but she gets out of the way the moment she sees us. Beams of sunlight manage to penetrate the fog, and a soft breeze pushes away the remnants of the cloud.

  It takes some effort to send him a mental message. I am sorry.

  Kren blinks his black eyes at me before going to Astid on his own. He clutches her hands, and his knees dig into the soft earth. His mouth draws open, but nothing comes out. Kren’s whole body weakens, and he rests his head onto her chest.

  A man’s voice from behind breaks us from our spell. “We were wondering where you were.”

  We whirl around, and Jennings draws his gun and trains it on Agent Lopez.

  Dad doesn’t know what to say, but his shoulders slump in defeat.

  The still weakened agents point their weapons at us as they form a semi-circle around us. Garn leads the rest of the BEKs to our side, prepared to go to battle again. Lopez’s dark face is like stone. I can’t read his mind at all.

  “They saved your asses,” I tell him. “Without them, you’d all be toast, and you know it.”

  There’s a flicker of agreement in the chief agent’s mind. “All of that’s irrelevant.”

  Lisa steps forward, and it looks like she’s about to slap him. “Look at your men. Look how many you’ve lost. Freeing that monster was such big mistake. Your mistake! And these Black-Eyed Kids saved all of you.”

  I reach out to pull her back, but she refuses to move.

  After brushing me away, she continue, “These kids you wanted Balor to hunt down actually saved the day. Marcus and Astid gave their lives to save yours, so you owe them!”

  The agents lower their weapons, and I sense their gratitude. Agent Lopez, however, won’t budge. He instinctively goes for his shoulder holster, but it’s empty. Jennings raises his pistol and waves a finger at him.

  I step forward close enough to look Lopez in the eyes. “Do your men know you shot Agent Howell and left him for dead back at your compound?”

  By the waves of shock and anger blowing through his agents’ mind, they had no idea.

  Agent Lopez’s left eye twitches. “These Dark Angels are property of the US government.” He turns to Dad. “As are you, Dr. Ashe.”

  Garn and the BEKs focus their mental attacks on Lopez. The agent lets out a grunt as they bear down on his brain. His eyes shut tightly, and he pleads for them to stop. Lisa cocks her fist back and unloads a right cross right to Lopez’s jaw, knocking him out.

  “Damnit!” She cradles her hand in her arms.

  “Looks easier in the movies, right?” I say.

  The agents are dumbfounded, but their guns are leveled right at us.

  “You know what these guys have done,” Dad says to the dozen or so agents. “You owe them your lives today.”

  One of the agents steps forward, and Jennings is about to pull his trigger. The agent lowers his Taser rifle and pulls Lopez by the arms before a couple o
ther men help take him away. Without another word, they leave us in the field. Two helicopters on the opposite side of the clearing roar to life, and the agents pile into both of them before taking to the skies and flying southward.

  “That was pretty awesome,” Jennings says to Lisa.

  She throws him a quick smile before going back to Astid’s side. We surround her and Kren, not quite knowing what to do.

  “She is the leader I could never be,” Kren finally says. He bends down to his sister. “You knew all along the right path for our family to take.”

  Blood drips from Kren’s mouth. His life force is weak. Balor had taken much of his energy. Once again, he takes hold of Astid’s hands and closes his eyes.

  Garn squats down next to him. What are you doing?

  Kren replies, “What I must do.”

  Don’t do it, Garn pleads.

  I am beyond saving. Kren kisses Astid’s hand.

  The air around us feels as if there’s currents of electricity swarming in the air. Kren gasps just before his body becomes limp. Astid’s eyelids flutter. Garn and the other BEKs cry out. With one final breath, Kren’s body shakes violently. We back away. I’m not fully sure what’s happening, but Astid’s chest pushes outwards. The already tight skin against his bones disappears, and Kren transforms into a pile of bones and ashes.

  Astid opens her black eyes and screams out for Kren.

  26

  ASTID

  THE MOMENT I sit up, the sorrow threatens to swallow me.

  “Are you okay?” Maverick bends down next to me.

  Kren’s remains turn to dust, and the wind blows them away. I want to gather his ashes, but it’s pointless. His final words to me still echo in my mind. I am beyond saving.

  I wrap my arms around Maverick, no longer able to hold the tears back. I’ve lost my entire family.

  Everyone around me remains struck by grief. The Specials clasp hands in a circle around us as a memorial to their leader. I peek over Maverick’s shoulder, relieved Balor lays motionless several feet away.

  “Marcus didn’t make it either.” Maverick rests his chin on my shoulder.

  Whereas I’m wallowing in mourning, Maverick is drowning in guilt. He feels responsible for losing yet another friend and not being able to defeat Level 6. They got away with everything, and the world will never know the atrocities they have committed.

  I wipe my tears away and pull back to face him. “None of this is your fault.”

  “I failed.” Maverick breaks down, and Lisa rushes to comfort him. “This wasn’t supposed to end this way. Marcus was so damn innocent.”

  Lisa whispers into my ear, “He gave his life to save all of us. That was the kind of guy he was.”

  Jennings comes to check on me. “We saw the whole thing, but I don’t exactly understand what happened.”

  All eyes are on me as I try to remember what I had done. “I had absorbed quite a bit of energy from a power transformer yesterday. While Marcus, Kren, and the other Specials weakened Balor’s defenses, I instead concentrated all my energy out of my body and aimed it at Balor.”

  “You punched a hole through his chest,” Jennings says in disbelief.

  My own chest tightens at the sight of Marcus’s body farther away. Balor had drained him before I could strike him down. New tears threaten to flow. Lisa holds me tightly, and we both give into the grief again and cry together. She is relieved I am alive, but her mind keeps replaying Marcus’s gruesome last moments.

  Maverick and his father stand side by side, and I envy their relationship. I feel so alone in this strange world, and I cannot fathom what my future holds. Garn touches my mind, but I don’t bother pushing him out.

  He breaks away from the others and sits by my side, and the other Specials follow. You are not alone. We have always been your family. We put our trust in you, just as Kren did.

  Alyssa and Felix emerge from the group. They nod their heads in unified agreement. Although they are overcome with heartache, I sense their optimistic hope for our future.

  Maverick first helps Lisa off the ground, and then he carefully pulls me up to my feet.

  “You did not fail,” I tell him. “It is difficult right now, but in time, we will see the good that came out of everything. Even when things were at their darkest, you refused to surrender. And now, we are free.”

  We all take a moment to remain silent for several beats until Maverick asks me, “Now what?”

  “I will lead the Specials,” I reply. They are my family. We will seek out others and unburden them with our newfound knowledge. Level 6 created us to bring death, but we will chart our own destiny…thanks to you.” I turn everyone one at a time. “Thanks to all of you.”

  Garn, Felix, and the other Specials retreat to the trees and wait. My legs tremble under my own weight, and I will have to consume the energy of several trees to gather enough strength for the long hike back to the young ones.

  “Astid, it’s been my pleasure to have known you in this short amount of time,” Detective Jennings says. He holds his arms out, and I gladly embrace him.

  “Thank you for all of your help, Detective.”

  Lisa almost knocks me over as she gives me one last hug. “Astid.” She chokes up and takes a deep breath. “You’ve taught me so much. Thank you for being such an inspiration.”

  “Never doubt your courage,” I tell her. I move in closer and say into her ear, “Take care of Maverick. He will need your strength to heal.”

  Charles Ashe gestures with a bow of his head. He remains a little afraid of me, but he appreciates my friendship with his son. He thanks me for saving Maverick’s life, and he too is hopeful about the future.

  Maverick is reluctant to say goodbye to me. He knows this will be the last time we see each other. “Pretty soon, I think I’ll be back to my old boring self.”

  “You were never boring to me,” I say. “You are my hero.”

  He manages a sincere smile. “No, you’re mine.”

  We hold each other for a long time. My tears drip onto his shoulder, and I can feel his heart beating against me. The love he has for me reminds me of Mother.

  “What will you do now?” I ask him when we part. “Where will you go?”

  He glances at his father for a brief moment. “I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out.”

  I mentally send them one last message before I join my family. I hope you live long, happy lives.

  Maverick closes his eyes tightly, fighting the urge cry in front of everyone. He hopes our paths will cross again, but he is content with the knowledge that I am free. Some of his guilt gives way to joy.

  I focus my energy into projecting into his mind alone. Thank you for being my friend. I will remember you forever.

  I walk across the field, but I stop to stare at the purple flowers. I bend down to pluck one and hold it in my hands. Without turning back, I walk into Garn’s arms. My family surrounds me with their warmth, and we walk into the forest.

  Stepping into our future.

  EPILOGUE

  MAVERICK ~ SIX MONTHS LATER

  “HOW IS CAPE Girardeau?” Lisa asks me.

  I imagine she’s got a big smile on her face, holding back the laughter. Our new home has the weirdest name, and I joke how the town actually lives up to every single stereotype about small hick towns in the Midwest.

  “It’s good,” I reply. “We have a new Chinese restaurant where an old Ponderosa used to be.”

  Lisa laughs in my ear. “Sounds yummy!”

  “Dad and I tried it out yesterday. Pretty standard fare. Crab Rangoon is damn good, though.”

  Talking on the phone was never my strong suit, but I preferred to hear Lisa’s voice instead of texting. Maybe we are being paranoid, but we never leave our prepaid phones on unless we’re using them. And we decided to throw them away every three months. I’d toss mine first, call Lisa to give her my new number, and then she’d follow. I have no idea if this was even necessary, but I know I’ll always b
e looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life.

  It’s freezing outside, and I probably should have brought a jacket before I left home. The park is just about empty except for some older kids walking a giant husky.

  “How is your dad doing with his new job?” Lisa asks.

  I decide to walk faster to keep the blood flowing. “It’s nothing like his old job.” We both chuckle at my terrible joke. “He likes it a lot. Believe it or not, the regional airport does see some jets flying in and out. It’s funny to see him come home with grease on his face and hands. He was never much of a handyman, and he could be running the whole place, but he does enjoy fixing the planes. His boss has even hired him for a side job rehabbing an old plane of his.”

  “That’s great, Mav. I’m glad he likes it.”

  We originally thought about heading out to St. Louis, since Uncle Bill and his family lives there. But Dad thought we should move to a small town and do our best to stay off the grid as much as possible. Amazingly, Level 6 never put a freeze on Dad’s back accounts or any kind of alert on his social security number. We half-expected agents to come knocking when Dad first turned in the proper tax papers to his new employer. Dad was always a careful man, but now he didn’t even want us having internet service at the house. He’d kill me if he found out about my phone.

  Lisa says, “There’s the Valentine’s Day dance next week, but I don’t think any upperclassmen are going again this year.”

  Even after six months, I’m still in agony over being apart from her. “You know I’d totally be taking you to the dance, even if none of the seniors were going.”

  “You’re assuming a lot there, mister.” From the echo, she sounds like she’s in her bathroom. “I miss you.”

  I sigh. “I miss you, too. This is just temporary. Just keep that in mind.”

  The reality of our weird situation has always weighed heavily on me. We both probably wondered if our long distance relationship was even going to last this long. With all the technology we’ve got to keep in touch, it would have been much easier to stay together. But our alone time has been regulated to just a few minutes every other day or so.