The Forbidden Trilogy

by Kimberly Kinrade

  Lucy grabbed Luke and pulled him in. "Take off, now!"

  Norm sat at the pilot's seat and clicked a bunch of controls. They'd all had the training, but he'd been the best, taking his required courses and turning it into a hobby.

  They put on their headsets and Norm started the engine. The main rotor whirred to life and lifted the helicopter into the air.

  As they were about to clear the hangar, Beleth tore through the plane that had stopped the guards and sprinted towards them. One more second, and he would have ripped their chopper apart. The man couldn't be stopped.

  Lucy spoke to Norm through the headset. "Take us to the island across the channel, to the IPI base."

  She moved through the small space to find Hunter lying on the floor, still out cold. She surveyed his body, this time too worried to take note of her own attraction. His arm had a jagged scratch, but not as bad as she'd thought. She ran her hand through his hair to check for bumps, but he felt fine. She hoped there was no internal damage. Why hadn't he woken up yet?

  "Guys." Norm's voice came through the comm system. "We should have gone with the other helicopter."

  "We couldn't," said Greg. "The guards blocked it."

  Mary looked toward Norm. "Why?"

  "Because it's following us."

  Lucy looked out. The terminator helicopter chased them, and she'd bet all her money that Beleth was flying it. "Take him out," she told Gary and Darren.

  They looked.

  "We can't," said Darren. "He's too far."

  "That thing doesn't have missiles, does it?" Greg asked.

  Norm turned his head to look at them, then looked back toward his control panels. "Actually, that thing has—"

  A missile flew at them from behind.

  Lucy yelled. "Block it, now!"

  Gary and Darren focused and the missile bumped to the left and missed their chopper by a hair's breadth. It crashed into the island in front of them, exploding into flames and lighting up the dark sky.

  Lucy wiped sweat from her brow with a shaky hand. "Don't let any of those get close." They'd come so close to dying in that one moment, and if they died, so would all those kids, and Sam.

  Mary twisted her hair in a nervous but familiar gesture. "How do we take the damn thing down?"

  Lucy said, "Norm, anything you can do?"

  "Not unless you have a bomb I can attach to it."

  Bomb. Weapons. Lucy looked around the military helicopter but didn't find any. "Norm, get to the IPI base. They'll have anti-aircraft missiles." She hoped that was true as she said it, and that they wouldn't use those missiles on Lucy's helicopter.

  The base came into view, and another missile veered off course thanks to the dual power of Gary and Darren. It exploded in the air, shaking the helicopter. Lights blared at the IPI base, and agents rushed outside and aimed their weapons at Lucy's team.

  Norm picked up the radio. "Don't fire. This is— Shit! The missile took out our communications array." He smashed the silent device against the floor.

  Bullets sprayed from the IPI base, and Lucy turned to Drake. "Use mind control on them to make them stop."

  "I can't. I broke my last vial." His voice was angry and sad.

  No wonder he couldn't fight harder to save Sam. She understood; her particular para-power didn't give her an advantage in that kind of situation either.

  Another missile launched at them, this one friendly fire from the base. Damn them!

  The guys deflected it, but Gary cursed. "We can't keep this up if we're getting shot at from both sides."

  Robyn looked to Norm. "We need to land."

  He nodded and lowered them closer to the base.

  Another missile and another near miss startled them, this one from Beleth. This time it nearly hit the base.

  Kinda serves them right for firing on their own people.

  Luke stood. "No time to land. We jump."

  Lucy looked at her brother. "Are you sure?" She'd made him use his power when they jumped off the log. He hadn't been ready, and he'd gotten hurt. She didn't want to do that to him again.

  "I'm sure." He walked up to the open door. "Everyone jump. I'll slow us down."

  Robyn backed up. "Are you crazy?"

  Norm called out to her. "Wait for me, Babe. I'll jump with you and catch you after everyone else is out."

  Luke and Lucy looked out the door. Two missiles headed their way.

  "Jump!" yelled Luke. "Jump now!"

  Lucy held onto Hunter, and they all jumped. As Norm flew off with Robyn, the helicopter exploded into flames, sending a heat wave after them.

  Hunter gripped her hand as they fell, and she turned to see his eyes open. Guess the fall brought him back. Air ripped at their faces as they fell faster and faster. They neared the base, but Luke hadn't slowed them down.

  She hollered to him. "Anytime now, Bro!" At the rate they were going, they'd become road meat soon.

  The air solidified under her and she slowed suddenly at first, then gradually, allowing her and the others to descend at a safer pace. She looked for her brother through their air-bound team. He looked pale and shaky, but he was doing it.

  Lucy hit the ground first and Hunter landed next to her. She rolled into the fall and suffered only a few scratches. Somewhere nearby, the helicopter crashed and exploded.

  Armed agents approach them, and Lucy faced them with hands in surrender. "It's us. We're the good guys."

  They recognized her and lowered their weapons.

  She pointed to the sky where Beleth's helicopter still chased them like a pit bull with a bone. "We need to take that one out."

  Before the agents could respond, Beleth fired on them. Agents fell to the ground, dead. Tents burst into flames. Everyone ran to the base.

  Hunter looked to Lucy, and she smiled, even as they ran for their lives. At least he was alive.

  Lucy targeted an agent who looked in charge. "Hey, what's your name?"

  "Agent Mark."

  "See that helicopter up there? It's going to kill us all if we don't destroy it."

  The agent looked into the sky. "We're out of anti-air. I've called in reinforcements."

  Lucy sighed. "We don't have time for that. The whole base will burn in minutes." She turned to Gary and Darren. "Is it close enough now?"

  They held up their hands and focused, but nothing happened. "We can't. Too high. Sorry, Luce."

  Another missile hit nearby, releasing a torrent of fire and force, and she flew back, punched by an invisible wall. Everything went quiet, that eerie silence when the world had been muted but you could still see the action. She fell to the ground.

  Hunter reached for her. "Are you okay?"

  Speaking hurt. "Yeah, I'm fine."

  Luke looked toward her, saw that she was okay, then ran forward, past Gary and Darren and to the edge of the cliff overlooking the valley. He raised his hands out, the tendons in his neck knotting up as his muscles strained, sweat breaking out on his face.

  The helicopter started to waiver and hover, suspended in place, the air shimmering around it. It shook, like a tree unwilling to uproot, the metal groaning as it leaned forward.

  Luke let out a roar.

  And the propeller ripped off.

  As the helicopter tumbled down past the cliff and out of sight, everyone stood speechless, and silence reigned.

  Her brother fell to his knees, and she ran to him and grabbed him.

  "I'm okay, Sis." His voice wobbled. "I'm okay." He leaned into her, closing his eyes, and passed out.

  Lucy looked over the jungle as the rage of the fire consumed it. Her spirit opened and she connected with the life in the jungle and valley. She felt as the trees died, heard the screams of the animals, lived their suffering with them.

  Luke lay limp in her arms. Tears flowed down her face. She'd failed them all. It was too late.

  The wind brought a familiar voice to her. "Lucy...." It was Mr. K. "It's never too late for change."

  She choked back a sob
as she realized the awful truth. Mr. K's valley was burning with the rest of the jungle. That's what she was feeling. Her shoulders shook from grief. "Mr. K, I'm so sorry. I was supposed to save you and bring you home."

  His trunk burned and his branches turned to ash.

  She felt it all, and it tore out her heart.

  "Don't be sorry, Lucy. Life never ends, it only transmutes into something new."

  She hiccupped. "I left you all alone."

  "Someone wise once told me that we're never alone." Mr. K echoed Lucy's words back to her.

  "What can I do?"

  "Breathe. Concentrate."

  Lucy tried to quiet her erratic breathing and calm her pounding heart.

  "And don't apologize, Lucy. You gave me something I thought I'd never have again. You gave me friendship." His last words hung on the wind. "Thank you."

  The fire burned through her soul, and Mr. K was gone.

  The tears came. Then the rain joined her tears, and silenced the anger of the fire. In those droplets she felt Mr. K, and though she grieved, she knew he'd been right, that matter never died or disappeared.

  It just changed form.

  Chapter 116 - Lucy

  Simmons handed Lucy a cup of tea. "I'm sorry. I was wrong. We'll get your friend back, I promise." She'd been making similar such statements to each of us since we arrived.

  Now we all sat in Simmons's office, each of us with a black IPI mug in our hands. Luke looked about ready to pass out. Darren and Drake sat as far away from each other as possible, both looking miserable. Robyn and Norm held hands, as did Greg and Gary. Mary sat off by herself, and Lucy had been surprised by how unassuming she'd been on this trip. Toby sat with Father Patrick, who'd flown back to the island with Simmons. A few agents stood behind the group.

  Hunter sat next to Lucy, and she desperately wanted to hold his hand, but not with this weird version of Simmons standing over her.

  Lucy knew Simmons was lying.

  Simmons wasn't sorry. She wanted to blow up all those kids and Sam.

  Lucy just couldn't figure out why. Hunter had told her the bomb was for destroying the facility after everyone had been rescued.

  "No," she'd told him. "Simmons wanted me to arm it with all the kids still inside."

  He'd shaken his head. "You must have misunderstood her. Simmons wouldn't do that."

  "Really?"

  "She practically took me in. She wouldn't kill the kids."

  And yet she had given the command. Hunter was blind when it came to Simmons, and Lucy wondered if the lead agent had taken him in for selfish reasons none of them new about.

  Simmons moved on, offering sweet words to everyone as she gave them their tea. "It'll be okay... you did your best... we'll get Sam and your baby back, Drake."

  She got to Luke last. "I heard about what you did with the helicopter. Let me tell you, that was the most impressive display of power any of our agents have ever seen." All the agents were talking about Luke like he was a hero.

  He didn't look happy, though, just sad and tired. He nodded and drank his tea.

  Simmons walked to the head of the room, in front of her board, just like before. "We need a new plan."

  "We need to go on the offense, now." Lucy set down her cup. "The man with the black tattoos, Beleth, warned me that Steele would eliminate the children in a few days."

  Simmons nodded.

  Lucy hated agreeing with the damn woman, but they had to act fast, before Sam was... no, Sam would be okay. Drake had told her that Steele had plans for Sam. That made her shiver.

  Norm raised his hand, then lowered it awkwardly. "What haven't we tried?"

  The room filled with a long silence. No one had an answer.

  Hunter pulled something from his pack—something small, round and silver.

  No freaking way.

  He held up Lucy's sphere. "We haven't tried this."

  Lucy stood up and stared down at him, hands on her first. "You dug it up?"

  Hunter lowered his eyes, too ashamed to make eye contact with her. "It's years ahead of our time. I knew it could be useful in the right hands."

  Ah, of course! "But not my hands, apparently."

  Simmons took her notebook and slapped it against the desk. "Stop! Agent Riley, is that...?"

  He nodded. "NA-1."

  Simmons took the sphere from Hunter, admiring it as though it were the greatest treasure ever. "This is what we need. Luke, you can use this."

  He crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't want to."

  "It will enhance your powers," said Hunter. "I held it briefly, while I fought Beleth. My strength must have risen ten-fold."

  Luke chuckled, probably at the fact that Hunter finally admitted to having para-powers, at least to Luke.

  Simmons held the sphere in front of Luke. "You can use this to defeat Steele."

  Luke sipped his tea. "If we infiltrate the facility again, go after Steele directly, sure I'll use it."

  "No." Simmons stared at the sphere, then looked up at us again. "We have no time for that. We need to target the facility itself."

  Luke bristled. "Excuse me?"

  "You tore apart the helicopter. Tear apart the buildings. Crush Steele under his own devices."

  "And everyone else in there." Luke stared at her. "I won't do that."

  Father Patrick interrupted. "We cannot condemn all those children. And what about Sam and Ana?"

  Simmons snapped and paced the floor, tossing the sphere back and forth between her hands. "If we don't act now, Steele will become the most powerful paranormal ever. Then we will never stop him."

  "I still won't do it," said Luke.

  Simmons sighed. "You have no choice." She motioned to her agents. "Take them away. They have all disobeyed orders, endangering this operation."

  The room became charged with tension and Hunter stood. "You can't."

  Gary held out his hand over a metal desk. "Don't come closer, or I'll—" his face fell and he shook his hand as if it was defective.

  Oh, God. Oh, shit. Oh no! I turned to Luke. "Lie to me."

  "I love Simmons."

  Nothing. No buzz, and that was most assuredly a lie. Luke tried to push his hand through his chair, and instead smacked it against the metal.

  Lucy looked down at her tea and dropped the mug onto the floor, where it shattered.

  The agents moved in, restraining everyone. Lucy fought, as did the others, but the tea hadn't just stripped them of their para-powers, it had weakened them physically. She was about as effective as a kitten fighting a pit bull.

  The room spun and Lucy's head felt wobbly. She looked at Hunter, whose face registered betrayal and anger.

  Simmons ordered her men. "Get that drug out of Luke's system. And give him something to make him more... complacent."

  That bitch.

  Simmons didn't want their help; she was arresting them. And because of Hunter... well, because of the sphere, she would force Luke to kill hundreds of children. That would destroy him.

  Robyn cried and Drake raged. Father Patrick slumped in his chair. Agents pulled him up and dragged him out of the room. Simmons didn't want their help.

  Luke continued his protests. "I won't do it."

  "Oh, I think you will." Simmons walked up to Lucy, who was being held by two agents. She lifted Lucy's chin up harshly and then squeezed her neck. She winked at Luke. "I know you will."

  Chapter 117 - Drake

  Drake sat in a pen under the harsh light of the sun, surrounded by his friends. Well, they weren't really his friends, and Luke and Sam were missing from the group. Lucy looked as miserable as he felt.

  Long metal poles had been dug into the ground and erected with wires to keep them together. A guard stood outside with a gun poised and ready. Robyn wept softly as Norm held her. Greg and Gary held hands and stared out at nothing. Mary slumped in a corner by herself. Hunter and Lucy huddled together and whispered back and forth animatedly.

  The only people who had st
ayed near Drake were Father Patrick and Toby. How could these animals lock up a kid and an old priest?

  Father Patrick placed his hand on Drake's. "Don't give up, Son. The light shines brightest after the darkest hour."

  "I just need to get Ana and Sam back." He'd already told everyone about what happened to Sam, and how Steele had altered his mind. They hadn't judged, not really, but Drake felt responsible. If he'd been strong enough, Steele wouldn't have been able to control him in that way. "I came back to help, and all I did was make things worse."

  "Not so," the old priest insisted. "Evil prospers when good people do nothing. You've taken a stand. The doings of this group are not your fault. I've always seen greatness around you, and I know you have a higher calling. You are meant to give something incredible to the world—you and Sam both. Don't give up now. You just have to think—" He gestured to the cell. "—outside the box, as it were."

  He'd tried, but without his para-powers, what good was he?

  Enough of that. That's what started this mess to begin with. Drake refused to sit around feeling sorry for himself. Plenty of people without para-powers beat fate and survived against all odds in extraordinary situations. If they could do it, so could he.

  He felt the drug still in his system, pushing him to weakness, so he did the only thing he knew to do: he dropped to his hands and did as many push-ups as he could. Before losing his para-power, he'd always kept in top physical shape. He'd been a fool to let go of that after everything happened. No more. With or without powers, Drake would be the best version of himself he could be. He'd save the woman he loved and their child. He wouldn't let them down again—even if Sam never wanted to be with him again, he'd be there for her and Ana in whatever way they needed.

  Sweat soaked through his shirt as he pushed himself. After fifty, he stopped and rested, pulling off his shirt to dry off the moisture.

  In the corner, Toby sat, quiet and sad. If it hadn't been for that kid, Drake would probably be dead now.

  He walked over and sat next to the boy, wrapping an arm around him. "Thank you. This time, you saved me."

  Toby scowled. "So what? Like it helped. Your girlfriend got captured. And you didn't tell me you had a baby. Man, that blows. They got both your girls. We need to bounce from this shithole, yo!"