The Complete Lost Children Series

by Krista Street

  I inched closer to where Edgar and Susannah sat. “Neither of you must have tracking devices? If you did, Susannah’s would have been triggered days ago.”

  Edgar nodded. “That’s right. Neither of us do. Only Luke was let loose.”

  Susannah didn’t seem aware that we were speaking about her. Her gaze stayed on the window.

  Flint’s brow furrowed. “Why not just leave the tracking device on all of the time?”

  Father cleared his throat. “The satellite signal wouldn’t have been able to penetrate that far underground. Having his tracking device on continuously would have served no purpose. It only would drain the battery, meaning they’d have to replace it sooner.”

  “But in a way, it was a flaw in the system,” Flint countered. “If they had Luke’s GPS activated twenty-four hours a day and never turned it off, they could have found us right away, as soon as we were above ground in Chicago in fact.”

  I shuddered. I didn’t think any of us considered that our three newcomers could have tracking devices implanted in their bodies when we rescued them.

  “I bet Marcus is kicking himself right now.” Jet grinned, seemingly not bothered that it was only luck that had kept us from getting caught earlier.

  A curious glint grew in Di’s eyes. “How old were you when they put it in you?”

  Luke frowned. “I don’t know. I have no idea how old I am.”

  Father clasped his hands. “You’d be around twenty-four now.”

  “I’m twenty-four?” Luke’s voice grew quiet.

  The room was silent for a moment. An emotion covered Luke’s face that looked very close to shock. He wasn’t the only one processing what we’d just learned. A notable spike in everyone’s energy fields registered in me, mine included. Luke had gone his entire life without knowing his age.

  Anger flashed through me. Couldn’t Marcus share that simple information? What did withholding that possibly gain?

  “Do you know how old I am?” Edgar asked eagerly.

  “You’re twenty-two.”

  Edgar’s expression looked very similar to Luke’s. Amber placed her hand over Edgar’s. He gripped it tightly.

  “And Susannah?” I asked quietly. “How old is she?”

  Susannah neither tensed nor gave any indication she’d heard me say her name. Her long, dark hair hung around her face, like a veil shrouding her from others. Not once had she glanced at any of us.

  “Susannah’s twenty-one. The same age as you, Galena.”

  Another moment of silence passed before Di resumed her pacing.

  I sank back against Flint. He placed his arm around my shoulders and squeezed. His energy picked up even more when Luke mentioned it was pure luck his tracking device hadn’t been active twenty-four hours a day. If it had, it was very possible all eleven of us would be locked away right now in some secret O’Brien facility.

  I shuddered at the thought and hoped our luck held out.

  WE CONTINUED WORKING out details well into the evening. It was decided Jacinda, Amber and Mica would watch for any hikers or cars traveling through the Headlands. With their abilities to hear, smell and see for miles, there wasn’t a chance of anyone sneaking through. If they did find someone wandering near the area who wasn’t one of Marcus’ men, they’d alert the twins. The twins would then send out emotions to those people of fear and stress. Hopefully, that would be enough of a deterrent that the hikers would turn around.

  Jacinda, Amber and Mica would also work together to alert us when Marcus’ men did arrive. The plan was for all of us to be in place around the military base before we activated the tracking device. Activating the device would be Di’s job.

  As for me, Flint and the twins, we’d work similarly to how we had when the men surrounded us in Arizona. Di would concentrate on sensing any danger, the twins and I would placate and hold the men while Flint bound and gagged them. It seemed like a well thought out plan, but there was one potential danger.

  If Marcus knew how we had functioned the other night when the ten men surrounded us, we could be in trouble. He could anticipate our moves. It was scary enough that he already knew what I was capable of, from my stunt at the warehouse when I blasted him through the door.

  Our vulnerabilities didn’t sit well with me. If the twins and I were incapacitated in any way, our plan fell apart. That kind of weakness was daunting. All we could do was hope that Marcus still didn’t know what all of us were fully capable of.

  I thought of those men we’d left bound and gagged outside the Arizona home. Have they guessed what our abilities are?

  None of us felt it was a good idea to travel to the Headlands to scout out the area until nighttime. We had no idea where Marcus’ men were or what they were doing, but we did know there was less of a chance of us being spotted at night.

  It was also decided that the eight of us would once again be involved in capturing the men while Edgar, Luke and Susannah stayed at the hotel.

  Luke growled as soon as that decision was made. “Need I repeat that I’m the strongest one here?”

  A dozen pizza boxes sat around us. We’d ordered delivery earlier. Luke ripped off another piece. He ate half a slice in one bite. Alone, he’d eaten five pizzas. He hadn’t been kidding about needing food to heal quickly.

  “And need I remind you, that you had surgery yesterday morning and shouldn’t be running after men or possibly getting into fights?” Di said coolly.

  “I’m completely healed,” Luke snarled.

  “Healing well, yes, completely healed, no.” From Di’s tone, I knew there was no point arguing.

  Luke, however, didn’t. He kept coming back with reasons for why he should be allowed to join us, at which Di had a quick, logical response for why he shouldn’t.

  At least Edgar was amenable to our plan. He was happy to stay at the hotel to keep an eye on Susannah.

  I eventually stopped listening and walked to the window. The rain had stopped. The dark night sky was inky black, but lights from the streets below glowed like an oasis. Clouds still blanketed the sky but the forecast remained dry. At least when we went to the Headlands tonight we wouldn’t be tramping in freezing rain.

  Flint appeared behind me, his reflection in the window. He put his arms around my waist and leaned down, planting a soft kiss on my neck before pulling me gently against him. His energy pulsed steadily.

  “What’s wrong?”

  I felt him shrug. When he didn’t respond, I turned and looked up. His broad shoulders blocked everyone else from view. It felt as though it was just me and him. “Tell me.”

  A dark expression covered his face. “I hate the thought of you getting in another fight against O’Brien.”

  “That again?” I teased. I gathered the energy from everyone in the room. It formed readily into a ball. It was so easy for me now that it was hard to believe only two months ago, I had next to no control over it. I gently pushed the ball against his hip.

  He jumped when it hit him.

  “I think I can take care of myself.” I smiled and let the ball dissipate.

  He chuckled and pulled me back to him. “I know, but I still hate it. Just give me that much, okay?”

  I sighed. I knew if it were up to Flint, I’d never leave the safety of a locked and secured room. Probably a padded room too, just in case I tripped, or heaven forbid, got a scrape on my knee or some equally horrendous injury.

  “Flint, you really don’t need to worry about me.”

  He raised an eyebrow, the chestnut line arched over his dark eye. “You know you’re wasting your breath when you say things like that.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t want you to get distracted by me. I’m one of the strongest in our group.”

  “I know.”

  “Then stop worrying.” I gave him a quick hug before turning. Di and Luke had finally stopped arguing which only meant one thing.

  The time had come for us to go.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The eight of us pile
d into two cars. The other three and Father stayed at the hotel. Father wanted to come with us, but once again, we refused. We’d decided weeks ago that Father must stay safe. No matter what. We relied too heavily on Father’s outside contacts, that only he could summon, and his knowledge of O’Brien. Without Father, we’d be at a severe disadvantage. And even though we were only casing out the area tonight, it was still safer to leave Father at the hotel with the tracking device tucked safely in the lead box.

  Staying behind would also give him an opportunity to talk to Susannah, Luke and Edgar. With any luck, Father would be able to get through to Susannah a little more.

  It was just after ten at night when we pulled out of the hotel’s parking garage. The streets were still rain soaked, but despite the heavy cloud cover hanging overhead, the windshield stayed dry. For once, it wasn’t raining. It was a nice reprieve.

  Mica’s enhanced eyesight was put to work. Di asked her to continually scan the area for any suspicious activity. It wasn’t an easy task. After all, we had no idea what we were looking for.

  Vehicles crammed the streets. Pedestrians filled the sidewalks. I cracked the window, and a hint of humid air swirled in. The temperature couldn’t be above fifty.

  I’d seen a lot in my four months of hitchhiking, yet I still found new cities fascinating. With Christmas looming, holiday decorations hung everywhere. The buildings were different too. They were narrow and crowded together. It all felt charming, as if the city had stepped out of the nineteenth century, its historic past seemingly preserved in the static neighborhoods.

  Driving in the city, however, wasn’t charming. It was terrifying. By the time we got out of the city and onto highway 101, I’d added at least two dozen snarls to my hair. My fingers worked in them constantly as Flint and Di drove on the manic, crowded roads. Cars constantly swerved or cut others off.

  A twinge of nostalgia filled me for the quiet county road that we’d driven from Pete and Val’s into Little Raven. The only dangers one encountered there were either ruts in the road or a dashing squirrel.

  Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, though, made the numerous snarls worth it. Fog swirled around the top of the large, orange suspension bridge. Between the ocean crashing in waves a hundred feet below and the distant view of Alcatraz, a little shiver ran through me. When I was a child, I’d dreamed of seeing the world. In the past eight months, I’d seen more than I’d previously experienced in twenty years.

  After we got off the bridge, we drove west to Marin Headlands. I spent most of the drive watching the ocean as we snaked through the roads in the foothills. But as much as I loved the scenery, despite the darkness, it didn’t stop my growing sense of dread as the military base grew closer. The more I saw of the landscape, the more I realized Mica was right. There weren’t many places to hide. Most of the hills were covered with low lying brush and ground cover.

  When we reached the military base, Di parked on the side of the road ahead of us. Flint pulled up behind her. In the dark, the military base wasn’t visible. When the engine turned off, silence filled our cab.

  “So this is it?” Jacinda craned her head to look up the hill.

  We stepped out of the Volvo and joined the others. The only sounds were our car doors slamming. Lights from the city hovered to the east. Scents from the sea carried in a strong breeze. My hair whipped around me. I pulled out an elastic band and twirled it into a bun.

  For a moment, I relished the touch of the air on my skin. However, it reminded me that I still needed a jacket. I was lucky we were only scoping the area out tonight. I made a mental note to buy one in the morning. If nothing else, shivering could distract me. Even though we’d had plenty of experience laying low in the cold while staking out the warehouse in Chicago a few weeks ago, I didn’t want to take that chance here. My ability to stop people or throw them if necessary could mean the difference between catching one of Marcus’ men or being caught by them. I needed to be able to create energy balls reliably.

  “Where do we go?” Jet asked.

  Di nodded. “Up this hill.”

  Walking in a single file line, we climbed a path to the top. Di and Father had been right. The road would be easily accessible from here. That would hopefully work to our advantage when we wanted to escape.

  Once we reached the buildings, it was hard to make out the details in the night. What I did see were graffiti covered walls on numerous concrete structures. Doors were missing on most of the entrances, and almost all of the windows were broken. What appeared to be large puddles of water, even ponds, glittered in the moonlight that filtered through the heavy cloud cover. The base seemed to be a collection of box-like structures, a few stairs and railings connecting them. Most weren’t taller than a single story.

  Mica stuffed her hands in her pockets. “Is this where we’re going to lure them?”

  Jasper scoped out the area. “So where should we hide?”

  Di put her hands on her hips. “We’ll have Flint scout the area and then we’ll decide.”

  Before she’d finished her sentence, Flint took off. His movements were a blur as he raced around the structures and surrounding hills.

  When Flint returned, he was barely winded. “Our weak point will be a valley down the other side. If they escape through there, it’ll be hard to stop them, too many areas of thick brush. There are a few hills that would be good to have Jacinda, Amber and Mica stationed at. It’ll give them the best lookout spots as they’ll be able to see a full three-sixty.” Flint paused. “As for the rest of us, we want to stay high and away from the road. They’ll most likely drive a good portion of the distance before getting out and trying to sneak up on us.”

  “What if they come from behind?” I asked.

  “Not likely. Unless they want to walk through miles of hills and brush.”

  “Okay, so where do we all go?” Jacinda’s energy grew more nervous.

  We spent the next few hours thoroughly combing the area until we all felt comfortable with the building layouts. It didn’t sit well with me that we only had one day to plan, but the longer we kept the tracking device in the lead box, the sooner Marcus would sense a trap.

  THE NEXT MORNING, Luke’s incision looked even better. I peered over Di’s shoulder as she assessed it. It was now a thin, pink scar.

  “Can I join in the fun now?” Luke’s golden eyes flickered.

  Di pulled his shirt back down. He lay on their bed, much like he had yesterday. All of us were again in the suite. Breakfast scents hung in the air. Two empty trays from room service sat beside him. Luke’s golden eyes followed Di’s movements.

  She went to the sink and washed her hands. “You still need to stay here.”

  Luke leaped from the bed, causing Jacinda to gasp. Di merely cocked an eyebrow.

  “You need me,” he growled. “They’ll be looking for me. Why not give them what they want? I’m the best way to lure them.”

  Nobody said a word. I expected Di to say that Luke wasn’t coming and he needed to stay put. Instead, she crossed her arms. “How do you propose doing that?”

  Luke’s eyes lit up. Di had to look up to meet his gaze.

  “Give me the tracking device. I’ll take it to the edge of the city and remove it from the box so they pick up the signal. From there, I’ll go straight to the Headlands. You’ll all be there waiting. I’ll lead them right to you.”

  “And what if you get caught on the way?” Di asked.

  “I won’t.”

  “How is this better from what we’d originally planned?” Di countered.

  “They’re expecting the tracking device to be in me. If they see you with it, they’ll know we’re up to something, but if they see me and only me, they’ll probably believe you all fled and left me on my own.”

  “He has a point.” Jasper stood at the entrance to the living area. Subtle facial expressions flitted across the twins’ faces.

  Di eyed Luke skeptically. “But you don’t know where the Headlands are or where
we’ll be. You weren’t with us last night when we planned everything.”

  “I’m a quick learner. Fill me in and tell me your plan. I won’t let you down.”

  Di and Flint shared a silent exchange. Jacinda watched anxiously from the chair she perched on, while Amber and Edgar glanced between everyone, wide eyed. As usual, only Susannah seemed unaffected. She sat by herself in the living area, staring into the cold, empty fireplace.

  Di sighed. “Okay, but we’re doing a practice run today. I don’t want anyone else leaving the hotel except for me and Luke. If it goes well, we’ll go with this plan tonight.”

  A slow, satisfied smile spread across the werewolf’s face.

  DI AND LUKE left shortly after. The rest of us were supposed to stay put until they returned. However, I still didn’t have a jacket. It seemed trivial, but if we were stuck out there tonight in the cold with rain pouring around us, I’d be soaked and freezing in no time.

  I approached Father. He sat at the desk in the living area, doing something on his laptop. He looked lost in concentration. I had to call his name several times before he looked up.

  “Oh, Galena. I didn’t see you there.”

  “Do you think it had be okay if I left to buy a jacket? I forgot mine in Arizona.”

  He sighed and rubbed his eyes. I recognized the telltale frustration. I was always losing things or forgetting something. Father had dealt with this my entire childhood and adolescence.

  When he finally opened his eyes, he said, “Doesn’t somebody have one you could wear?”

  I shook my head. “Mica only brought one, and while Jacinda brought plenty of clothes, she didn’t bring much for outerwear.”

  He sighed again. “Okay, take Flint with you, and both of you keep your hats and sunglasses on.”

  I paused. “Do you really think Marcus has access to security cameras?”

  “I don’t know. Probably not, but I’m not taking any chances.”

  I kissed his cheek. His round cheeks lifted when he smiled, and the minty and soapy smell I associated with him wafted up to greet me.