After Flux (The Flux Series Book 2)

by Marissa Farrar

  Kit signaled to pull off the freeway at the next exit.

  We all waited expectantly, just like before, to see what the vehicle behind was going to do. Was it going to follow us? But as we took the exit and watched the road behind, there was no sign of the SUV. The atmosphere in the car relaxed a fraction, and we all and turned back to face the front, though I couldn’t help but continue to look over my shoulder. We drove a couple of miles, and saw a picnic spot.

  “Mind if we take a break? That coffee’s gone right through me.”

  “Yeah, I need to pee, too,” said Dixie, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

  Kit pulled over again. It was small roadside picnic stop, with a couple of picnic tables. We climbed out to stretch out legs, groaning as we eased knotted muscles. The back of the car didn’t allow for much space with three of us in it.

  Those who needed to use the rest stop did so. Kit took out his phone and used his mobile data to check the internet. He found out some details about what his father would be up to. “So, the ceremony starts at seven p.m. My dad hates to be late, so he’ll make sure he gets there on time.”

  “Do you know where he might be staying?” I asked.

  “Yeah, I have a pretty good idea. He only likes a certain brand of hotels, and there’s only one in Los Angeles.”

  “Maybe the idea of trying to get to your dad before the award ceremony isn’t such a bad one? We could get to your dad’s driver first, so we’re the ones waiting for him when he comes down from his hotel room expecting to get taken to the place where the awards are being held.”

  “He doesn’t have a driver. He likes to drive everywhere himself. I think it’s another control thing with him. He doesn’t like the idea of giving someone else the power.”

  “Is he likely to have security with him?” asked Hunter, overhearing our conversation as he made his way back to us.

  “It wouldn’t surprise me if he does.”

  “We’ll need to prepare ourselves for that as well. They will be armed.”

  “I guess that’s where I come in,” I said, feeling a trickle of nerves like ice water through my veins.

  “You don’t know you’re immune to bullets, Ari,” warned Hunter. “You can’t just walk right up to armed men and expect to waltz out of there unharmed.”

  “I won’t. I’ll be careful. But I’m more likely to be able to get shot without being hurt more than one of you.”

  “Okay, so say we manage to get Philip Middleton as he’s getting to the car, and we’re able to take out his armed security, what exactly are we going to do with him then?”

  We looked around at each other expectantly.

  “I’m going to want to talk to him,” said Kit.

  “Okay, but he’s not going to have much to say if we’re all standing out in the open, and someone is bound to see us and notice something is going down. We’ll have the cops on us like flies on shit.”

  “Then we get him into his car, and get the hell out of the city.”

  The implications of what this meant made my mouth drop. “You’re talking about kidnapping Philip Middleton.”

  “What did you think we were going to end up doing, Ari?” Kit snapped. “It’s not as though we were going to sit down and have a nice little bonding moment. And you should be pleased. This is no less than what he did to your father. Look at it as revenge.”

  Did I want revenge? No, that wasn’t what was on my mind. Not revenge for kidnapping my father, anyway. Revenge on whoever had killed my sister, though. Yes, I felt the sparks of vengeance ignite inside me for her and all the other lives lost, both that day and the day we’d found Zane. I wanted to find out who was responsible, and right now, Philip Middleton was our only lead.

  I nodded. “Okay, we’ll do what we have to, but you know people are going to notice him missing as soon as he doesn’t show up to collect his award, not that he deserves the damned thing.”

  “Yeah, people will come looking for him. We’ll grab him, get out of the city and into the desert. That should buy us some time.”

  “Before we get arrested for kidnapping and assault, you mean,” Hunter said with a snort.

  “You got any better ideas?” Kit inquired, his eyebrows raised.

  Hunter shook his head.

  “We won’t get arrested,” Kit continued. “My dad won’t want to see any of us behind bars. We won’t be any use to him there.”

  “Any use to him?” I asked. “What does that mean?”

  “Don’t forget that the Myriad Group has been trying to get hold of members of the Kin for a while now, even before you became one of us, Ari. Yes, we’re going to them now, but that doesn’t mean they suddenly aren’t interested in who we are and what we can do.”

  “You’re saying this could all turn around on us, and we could end up the ones being hunted instead of the hunters.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying. We can’t afford to let our guards down. We have to make sure we protect each other, as well as getting answers from my father.”

  I noticed Zane had been standing back. I figured he probably wished he hadn’t come along now.

  “Hey,” I called to him.

  He glanced over at me.

  “This must all feel like you’ve ended up caught in someone else’s mess. We understand if you want to take a step back from it all.”

  Zane shrugged and gave a small smile. “My life’s always been a mess. At least this one is kind of interesting.”

  We still didn’t know what his ability was. Did he even have one? Was it possible to be a part of the Kin and not have any extra talents? But then I remembered how it felt like he’d given off sparks of electricity each time our skin touched. Maybe that was his talent. Perhaps he could control electricity like Franklin and Caro, but we simply hadn’t spent enough time training with him yet.

  “Okay, as long as you’re sure.”

  His aqua blue eyes locked with mine. “I’m sure.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  We saw no sign of any other car following us for the rest of the drive, though we stayed alert for anything suspicious. It must have just been a coincidence, and with all our senses wired in anticipation of what we were about to do, we saw something where there hadn’t been anything to see.

  We left the flat farming countryside of Fresno and Bakersfield, and wound through the more mountainous region of the state parks toward Santa Clarita.

  As we reached the outskirts of Los Angeles—both the flow of traffic and the urban sprawl around us increasing—the tension inside the car also grew. That we were going to snatch Philip Middleton seemed insane, but that was exactly what we had planned.

  “We’re going to get noticed if we stay in a big group like this,” said Kit. “I don’t want us to split up, but I think we might have to. My father is going to recognize me, Ari, and most likely Hunter as well. The three of us can try to slip into the underground parking lot via the ramp, and we’ll wait for my father there.”

  “How are you going to do that?” Dixie asked.

  “We’ll cause a distraction if they’ve got someone manning the place. If there are cameras, we’ll move them.”

  “How are you going to move them?” Zane asked.

  “How do you think?” replied Hunter.

  Zane’s chin lifted in a nod. “Ah, right.”

  “So, Dixie and Zane,” Kit continued, “can you take watch from the hotel foyer? Act like a couple. Get a coffee, and try not to act suspicious.”

  “I’m not sure we’re their usual clientele,” said Dixie, gesturing to her own short, punky-cut dark hair, and then Zane’s bleached blond locks.

  “Just act like you’re supposed to be there. Be confident, and no one will question you.”

  Kit brought something up on his phone and showed it to them. It was a picture of his father he’d found online. “This is what Philip Middleton looks like,” he said. “I doubt you’ll miss him if he comes through the lobby. He likes to be noticed.”
/>   “And what do we do if we see him?” asked Dixie.

  “You’ve both got cell phones, don't you?”

  Both Dixie and Zane nodded.

  “Send me a message to let me know you’ve seen him, and then follow him. Don’t get too close, though. We don’t want him to know we’re here and lose our advantage of surprise.”

  We found the hotel where Kit assumed his father was staying. It did occur to me that Kit might have gotten it wrong, and we could be stalking the place for someone who wasn’t even staying there. It had been years since Kit had properly spoken to his father, and Philip Middleton could easily have changed his preference in accommodation. I knew calling the hotel to ask if Middleton was staying there would be a waste of time. There was no way they’d give out that kind of information, and would probably just assume we were press.

  We cruised by the hotel a couple of times, assessing it. The exterior looked expensive, with white marble pillars framing the huge automatic glass doors. There didn’t appear to be any extra security to worry about, though a couple of smartly dressed doormen welcomed and assisted new arrivals.

  We’d need to leave the car at least a few blocks from the hotel. We didn’t want it to be linked to Middleton’s disappearance, should it be reported.

  Kit dropped Dixie and Zane off first.

  “Be careful,” I said, giving Dixie a hug. I looked to Zane. “Both of you. Don’t take any risks. You’re there to watch and report, that’s all.”

  “We’ll be fine,” said Zane. “Assuming the hotel staff doesn’t kick us out right away for looking like a couple of troublemakers.”

  Dixie jabbed him in the side with her elbow. “Hey, speak for yourself.”

  Zane had the decency to be embarrassed, his cheeks growing pink.

  Nerves for my friends, and for myself, churned my stomach. I hoped this would all be smooth sailing, but after my previous run-in with Philip Middleton, I doubted things would go that way.

  “Good luck,” I called to them as they turned and walked away, heading toward the large front entrance of the hotel. I hoped that with so many people coming and going, no one would pay them any attention.

  “The vehicle entrance to the parking lot is around the corner,” said Kit. “We’re going to have to do something about the cameras before we can do anything else.”

  “You think we could short the electronics?” Hunter said.

  “You could, but it might get noticed quicker if they blow and they’re not working at all. My plan is that we just move each one slowly so it’s pointed in a direction we’re not going to be. I doubt the security will even notice they’re no longer pointed in the same spot. I doubt they normally get much action down there.”

  “Okay, whatever is less likely to get us noticed.”

  I looked to Hunter, who nodded in agreement. “Blowing shit up is always going to get us more attention.”

  We exchanged a small smile, and I felt a rush of love for him.

  “Okay, let’s see what we can do.”

  Trying not to look conspicuous, we walked toward the entrance. It opened in a yawning maw, an automatic gate with a ticket machine blocking the ramp down underground.

  “There’s the first one,” Kit said, nodding almost imperceptibly toward the entrance. “Actually, there’s one on either side. You want to go for it?” he asked me.

  I shook my head. “Probably best not to. I don’t want to mess it up.”

  Hunter stepped forward. “I’ll do it.” He focused first on the camera on the right and very slowly moved his hand in the air. The camera, which was on a pivot attached to the wall, began to twist in the same direction, at the same speed, until it no longer pointed at the barrier, but directly at the ground on the street on the other side.

  “Good,” said Kit, “now the second one.”

  Hunter went to move, but the hum of an approaching engine caught our attention.

  We froze as a car drove up from inside the garage. The driver paused at the machine, feeding a ticket into it, which he must have paid for at the hotel, before the barrier rose and allowed him out.

  “Let’s hope your father’s already paid,” I said, “and that we can find his ticket, or we’re going to struggle to get him and his car out of here.”

  “He’ll have already paid,” Kit confirmed. “He’ll be trying to leave anyway, remember?”

  “Fingers crossed he’ll hand us the ticket.”

  Kit’s square jaw tightened. “If he doesn’t, we’ll just take it.” He nodded at the remaining camera. “You going to finish this off, Hunter?”

  Hunter repeated his movements from before, concentration on his face. The camera also moved away from the barrier, pointed at the ground to one side. “I don’t know how long we’ve got before someone notices.”

  Kit checked the clock on his phone. “The ceremony starts in a little over half an hour. My father hates to be late. He’ll be getting ready to leave, if he hasn’t already.”

  Checking no one else was paying us any attention, one by one, we slipped down the walkway which ran alongside the car ramp, and into the dark of the garage. Lights were positioned at equal points along the walls which curved together with the ramp, taking us lower.

  A hand on my arm stopped me. “More cameras,” said Hunter in a low voice, nodding toward the devices attached to the walls on both sides of the ramp. Within less than a minute, he’d pointed them at a different angle, away from the ramp, so we wouldn’t be seen entering.

  “Good thing there’s no attendant,” I said, keeping my voice low.

  “If there is, he’s on a break.”

  We rounded the bend of the ramp. A sea of vehicles spread out before us. There were a number of other cameras, each of which would need to be dealt with before we attempted to confront Philip Middleton.

  “You want to take a shot at moving them?” Hunter asked me.

  I shook my head. “I’ll pass. I’m scared I’ll mess up. Knowing my luck, I’d end up doing something stupid like shattering all the windshields of the cars. Could you imagine the number of alarms that would go off?”

  Hunter suppressed and smile. “Good point.” He focused on the cameras and reached out to each one in turn, moving his hand in the direction he wanted the camera to face, so they wouldn’t be pointed at us.

  Knowing the security wouldn’t be watching us, we walked between the cars. They were all expensive and brand new.

  “How are we going to know which one belongs to your dad?” I asked.

  Kit glanced at me from between the vehicles. “Look at the license plates. You’ll know.”

  I scanned the rest of the underground garage, imprinting the layout onto my mind. The door to stairs leading up to the hotel foyer was on the left of the garage, and right beside them was a single elevator.

  “Here,” Kit called after a few minutes. “This is the one.”

  I looked toward him. “You sure?”

  “Yeah. Check out the license plate.”

  I craned my head to get a look at it. MYD100.

  Okay, that was his.

  Something began to buzz, and it took me a moment to realize it was Kit’s phone. He was lucky to still get cell coverage down here, something we hadn’t considered. He swiped the screen to answer and put it on speaker.

  “Your dad’s on his way down,” Dixie said. “He just got in the elevator to the parking lot. He’s got two men with him, black suits, and they look like they mean business.”

  “Okay, thanks, Dixie. You want to meet us back at the car?”

  “No way. You might need our help. We’ll follow him down. Be with you shortly, and be careful.”

  Dixie hung up, and we glanced at each other, and then to the elevator. The doors would be opening any second now. My heart beat hard, my mouth running dry. I suddenly felt woefully under-prepared. What the hell were we planning on doing here? We had no weapons except our minds, and we were about to face off against possibly armed men.

  The door t
o the elevator slid open.

  Philip Middleton walked out, his men on either side of him. At first, they didn’t even notice us, Kit’s father engrossed in something on his phone, but then Middleton looked up, his eyes locking on his son’s face, and he pulled up short.

  “Kit,” he said, not appearing overly surprised. “What are you doing here?”

  The men beside him reached for their weapons, but Middleton put out a hand, telling them to stop.

  Kit put his hands on his hips and lifted his chin. “Hello, Father.”

  Middleton’s head tilted slightly to one side as he appraised his son. “It’s been too long.”

  “No, it’s not been long enough.”

  “You look different—older, bigger, too. More mature.”

  Kit didn’t flinch for a second, not a moment of affection or any kind of emotion on his face. “That’s because I am.”

  I could see the two security men looking uneasy, unsure how to handle this situation. They clearly didn’t know whether to treat us as a threat. I guessed, in their minds, Middleton obviously recognized his own son and didn’t think he would be dangerous. Plus, Hunter and I probably looked like a couple of college kids who were keeping Kit company.

  Middleton checked his watch—he actually wore one, rather than relying on his phone like the rest of us—and frowned. “In fact, Kit, I’m sorry to say this, but it’s really not a good time. I’m picking up an award tonight, and you’re going to make me late.”

  Kit’s lips thinned, his nostrils flaring. “You think I’m here for some kind of catch-up with my old Pops? I know you have an award, which is a joke in itself. Do those people know what you’re really like? I’m going to guess they wouldn’t be giving you an award if they knew how many people you’d killed. How many women, including your own wife. My mother.”

  I watched the security men intently, waiting for any sign of them taking action. I didn’t need to look to Hunter to know he was doing exactly the same thing. Having his presence beside me gave me the strength I needed.