EVO Nation Series Trilogy Box Set

by K. J. Chapman

  “Well?” Adam asks him.

  “We’ve got to go,” he says, before racing up to the deck. We sprint after him, following him into the cabin. “They’re looking for the yacht.”

  “Who are?” I ask, as the engine rumbles into life.

  “Who isn’t?” His hair has started to fall out of his ponytail. “She must have managed to get the word out. We need to get back to shore— now.”

  The yacht shudders as the anchor is wound in. Adam runs out of the cabin, jumping the railings into the speed boat tied at the back of the yacht.

  “Get in,” he shouts to the others. “Come on, Teddie.”

  Wheeler looks to me like I should know something. “What? Why?”

  Maggie hangs her head. She looks almost remorseful. I glare at her, daring her to look at me. She does and her eyes are dead. I have to look away; a chill cuts through my whole body like a knife of ice.

  “They’re coming. She sold us out,” says Adam.

  Cooper kicks at the railings. “They could already be half way here,” he growls.

  The yacht slowly starts to turn. Adam steadies himself in the speed boat, and Emiko, October, and Seth climb in.

  “Exactly, so move your ass,” Adam replies.

  Wheeler drags Maggie to her feet. “What are we doing with her?”

  “Leave her. She’s a liability,” says Cooper, without as much as a glance in Maggie’s direction.

  Although her hands are tied, Maggie grips onto Wheeler’s shirt. “Don’t leave me. I’m sorry. I didn’t know what I was doing.”

  “Teddie,” Adam calls again. I can hear his impatience.

  Cooper and Fabian get into the speed boat. Jude emerges from the cabin, studying Maggie thoughtfully.

  I don’t want to be involved in the decision of what to do with Maggie. Part of me wants to leave her to rot just like she wishes she did to me at Facility One, but part of me feels like I owe Boyd a debt, even though the woman pulled a gun on me.

  “I was drunk. I shouldn’t have called us in, but I was angry- angry and drunk.” Maggie is hysterical, grappling for Wheeler’s hand.

  I jog passed them, keeping my eyes on Adam. Maggie lunges forward, grabbing my wrist. She drops to her knees at my feet, shaking my arm violently.

  “Don’t leave me here. Tell them to take me to land. Don’t let them leave me here, Teddie.”

  “Don’t you touch her,” snaps Yana.

  I pull my arm free. “Why should I do anything for you?” I walk away, leaving her sobbing into the deck. Every thud of my converse is like a nail being hammered into the coffin of mine and Maggie’s relationship. I keep my strides strong, confident, but it’s Yana’s arm around my waist that keeps me from crumpling onto the deck. She doesn’t let go until Adam helps me into the speed boat.

  Jude crosses the deck to Wheeler. “We’ll take her with us. She knows too much. The last thing we need is her running her mouth.” He turns to Maggie. “You’re coming, but once I decide what to do with you, I’ll let you know.”

  “You mean once you decide how to kill me?” Maggie hisses at him. Wheeler takes her elbow and she straightens herself out. “That’s what is going to happen, right?”

  “If that’s what it comes to,” Jude replies, taking her other elbow. “But it’s not something I want my niece to witness.”

  Maggie looks at his hand touching her arm as if the mere touch of Jude will dissolve her skin.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The sea is choppier than the night we arrived, causing the speed boat to rock unsteadily. Jude starts the engine, and in one flick of his wrist, the yacht lurches forward, sailing away toward the horizon. He turns the speed boat one hundred and eighty degrees, sending us scattering to the sides in a bid to hold on, and then thrusts her into forward.

  Over my shoulder, I watch the yacht gaining distance - another safe house gone. Across the stern I see the name I hadn’t noticed when we arrived. ‘February Girls’ stands out in proud, black lettering.

  “I named her for you and your mother,” Jude whispers into my ear.

  A pang of something resembling guilt gnaws at my stomach- it’s the 22nd of February- Shana’s birthday. The look that Jude gives me tells me he knows it too.

  “Where are we going?” I ask, changing the subject.

  “Someplace safe... I hope.”

  I snort. “Reassuring.”

  Jude smiles to himself and wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Adam and I will keep you safe.”

  “Thank you, but I’m not a total basket case.”

  Adam stands beside us. “No one is saying that you are. Just let us be here for you.”

  My heart aches for my Dad right now, but I know he’d be relieved to see me with two men willing to protect me. I’m not sure what Dad made of Jude, but I know he would have loved Adam. And after everything, I’m sure he’d be proud of me- proud of the way I have handled myself- proud that I stood on my own two feet- and proud that I put an end to Isaac. I will let Jude and Adam look after me, but I won’t let myself get complacent.

  ***

  We approach the shore and a spark of confidence ignites in my belly. The sea and sky are clear of boats and choppers, and even Adam relaxes a little at the prospect of land.

  Large raindrops fall cool against my bare shoulders.

  “That’s bloody perfect,” Cooper barks, pulling his jacket over his head.

  The rain falls harder, hitting the water like marbles as we round the rock into an inset bay. The beach appears untouched, and an intimidating wall of cliffs cut off any access to the public.

  “I’ll take her in as far as I can, but be prepared to get wet,” Jude calls over the noise of the engine.

  As we speed toward the sand, my heart sits in my throat. Adam has a firm grip on my hand and his eyes scan the area. His lips purse in concentration and worry, and he shares an ominous look with Jude and Wheeler. The spark of confidence in my belly quickly fizzles out.

  “There’s a p-p-erson up there. L-look,” shouts Seth, his stutter worse from anxiety.

  Through the misty spray I can just make out the blurred outline of a silhouette. I automatically recall the sight of Roscoe standing on the cliff top that night at the cove. I force myself to take in the details of the mystery shape. It sways in the wind.

  “It’s just a tree?” calls Wheeler. “I think?”

  My chest tightens all the more. My rational brain knows it is a tree, but the irrational part is telling me that it’s Roscoe. ‘He’s dead,’ I tell myself. ‘I saw him die.’

  The memory of Dad jumping into the sea bursts to the forefront of my mind. ‘Not now,” I whisper, bracing myself against the effects of the memory.

  “I’m your Dad, Teddie Bear.” His voice rattles around in my head. I stumble backward, knocking into Wheeler, and we hit the water in a flail of arms and legs.

  There is about three hundred yards to the shore, and the swell around the rocks has a nasty rush to it. The wake from the boat ebbs over my head, and rain pummels at the water with such ferocity that the spray rises about six inches off the surface.

  Wheeler spits back water. “Lovely weather for swim,” he says, laughing.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—”

  Wheeler’s face disappears and is replaced by Dad’s. “I love you, and as far as I am concerned you are my daughter.”

  I fight the memory away before it drowns me. Knowing Dad died thinking that Isaac- that evil incarnate- was my real father is eating away at me. Wheeler takes my arms just as a large wave rushes over our heads. I emerge in a panic, grasping at his clothes.

  “Teddie, you need to calm down. They’re coming back for us,” he says, pulling me on.

  As Wheeler’s hand encloses on mine, all I can see is the image of my Dad lying in the boat. The bullet wound in his chest gushes blood, and my red stained hands hold my cardigan to it.

  “Pointless,” Dad says, shoving my hand away, and then the second chopper emerges over the cliff.<
br />
  “What the hell was that?” Wheeler pants, his hand crippling my own.

  I struggle to keep my head above the rising swell. “My memories,” I wheeze.

  Another wave covers our heads. He takes me under the arms, hoisting me out of the water slightly. “Hold on to me.” I grip tightly to Wheeler’s neck, and he waves an arm to the boat. “They’re coming back. You’re okay, Teds.”

  I can just make out a flash of Jude’s red shirt. Dad’s blood soaked shirt springs to mind and I feel the pull of that memory once again.

  “I’m so sorry, Sweetheart. I’ve let you down. Please, forgive me,” Dad says through a mouthful of blood, and then he slumps forward onto his stomach.

  The sedation dart sticks from my arm, and I fall toward the side of the boat, gripping his hand. “Dad? Dad, you’ve not let me down. I love you. Can you hear me? I love you.” Another dart hits me, fogging my vision. All I can do is stare at Roscoe’s fat frame standing on the beach.

  I snap out of the memory, but I’m underwater. Wheeler’s arms flail as I drag him down. We both kick to the surface. His eyes are full of tears, and I can feel the hot sting in my own.

  “I’m sorry,” I whimper.

  Gently, he readjusts his hold on my arms around his neck.

  “Wheeler!” Adam shouts from behind us.

  Wheeler holds me up and out of the water, and hands grab my wrists, hauling me back into the boat. I sprawl in a heap on the deck. Wheeler is lugged in beside me, both of us gasping for breath.

  “I’m so sorry, and thank you,” I say, pressing my cheek into the cool wood.

  He doesn’t reply, but pats my back a couple of times.

  Emiko drops to her knees beside us. “What happened?”

  “It was my fault—”

  I’m wrenched off the floor and into Adam’s arms. His chest wracks in breaths, but his eyes search every inch of me. “Are you okay?” he asks, pulling me in tighter.

  “Yes, thanks to Wheeler.”

  Adam slaps Wheeler on the back in a rough, but affectionate thank you.

  “Anytime, mate,” Wheeler says, laughing.

  “Did you see it?” Adam asks him. “When you touched her?”

  Wheeler nods, his eyes meeting mine with a tender understanding that he has seen something personal to me.

  “I had a memory of the night—”

  “Your Dad died,” Adam interrupts. “I saw it too.”

  “But I wasn’t touching you?” I say. What is going on with me? I don’t want to experience these memories again, let alone inflict them on someone else.

  “You don’t have to be touching to read someone if you’re a strong enough telepath, but I think you have a different kind of link with Adam,” says Jude. He turns the boat again and heads back to shore. “I’ve seen it happen when there is an unusually strong bond, and you two have that.”

  “Will it happen with everyone I love?” I ask.

  Jude shakes his head. “No, Wheeler saw it because he was touching you, and that’s because you lack control. A link is different- it’s more than love. It’s...” His voice trails off as he surveys the cliffs. “It’s just something more.”

  He won’t meet my eyes again, and I know that’s the end of the conversation. He’s talking about Tess. His eyes always go distant at any thought of her. They must have been linked.

  “So, you get to see the crazy that’s in her head,” says Cooper, casting a pitiful look toward Adam. “I almost feel sorry for you—”

  Adam lunges across October and Seth in an attempt to get at Cooper. The pair of them restrain him just enough for me to pull him back to the far end of the boat.

  “If you knew half of the crazy she has been through, you wouldn’t be so fast to run your mouth,” Adam hisses at him.

  Cooper looks to Maggie who sits silently between Fabian and Emiko. Her wrists are still tied and her wet hair clings to her cheeks like rat’s tails.

  “I guess so. No one deserves their friend to cock a gun in their face,” he mutters.

  His sincerity shocks me, and even Adam’s rage wanes at his remark. Is Cooper actually making an apology of sorts? Fabian slaps him on the shoulder and whispers to him. Cooper looks to me and gives a curt nod of his head. There is another level to Dom Cooper, and none of us are privy to it; none except Fabian.

  The boat slows as we approach the sand. Jude cuts the engine about twenty yards from the shore and abandons ship; diving into the sea without a word. Cooper and Fabian follow suit. October and Yana slip over the edge gasping from the chill.

  “How am I supposed to swim like this?” Maggie asks, shaking her hands in front of her.

  “You’ll manage. It’s not deep,” says Adam.

  She nods, allowing Adam to take her arm and pull her to her feet. He isn’t gentle with her. He’s not violent, but even TORO Adam had more compassion for me than Adam has for Maggie right now. His gun never strays from her face.

  “Are you going to be okay?” he asks me, the kindness returning to his voice.

  I take Seth’s hand and plunge into the choppy water once again. I turn back to the boat. “I’m fine,” I call.

  Adam’s eyebrow lifts, but he smiles and nods. He shoves Maggie toward the edge.

  “Please, don’t hate me, Adam. I would never have shot her,” Maggie says. “I don’t have an issue with you.”

  His face doesn’t alter in the slightest. He gives her a quick push, sending her head first into the sea, and jumps in after her.

  Wheeler and Emiko are the last to take the plunge.

  Jude stands on the shore beckoning us on faster, the immediacy in his eyes is frightening. Seth’s slender fingers tremble in mine. He hasn’t said a word since Maggie went crazy on us. I think his stutter would be worse than ever if he did.

  Jude strides into the sea, taking me by the scruff of my top and tugging me to the shore. Seth crawls on all fours, panting from the effort.

  “Hurry the hell up,” Jude shouts to Adam and the others still making their way through the swell.

  Seth sits silently on the sand, the waves washing over his jeans. His glassy stare and pale complexion worry me. Something is seriously wrong.

  “Seth, what it is?” I ask. My question startles him, and I can see him running over a million answers in his mind.

  “I- I- I,” his words fail him. “I-I c-can’t—”

  “You can tell me.”

  Tears spring to his eyes. “I-I-I—”

  “Do you think in fluent sentences?” I ask. I raise my hands to his temples. “May I?” He nods. “What’s wrong?” I ask, telepathically.

  His grey eyes meet mine. “It’s my fault that Maggie called us in. I showed her how to use the satellite phone. I thought she was just curious. I never thought she’d use it.” His words are clear but panicked in my mind.

  “None of us thought her capable. Don’t think on it.”

  He shakes his head, more tears spilling onto his cheeks. “And I gave her the gun. I found it when I was sorting through mine and Jude’s blankets. She asked me what I was doing with Jude’s gun- accused me of taking it. She said she was going to tell him she found me looking through his stuff, but I was just tidying- honest, Teddie. I panicked and handed it to her. I thought she would take it to Jude. What if she had killed you?”

  “I’m still here. Maggie played you. She knew what she was doing, so don’t blame yourself. Perhaps, we’ll keep this between us for now. Everyone is tightly wound at the moment.”

  He wipes at his eyes. “Thank you.”

  Adam drags Maggie up the sand with half an eye on Seth and me. I can’t pull the wool over his eyes. I will tell him later, but for now, I meant what I said. Seth isn’t to blame, but some of the others are at breaking point. The last thing they need is someone else to vent at, and I doubt Seth could handle it.

  “What’s up with him?” Jude asks, pulling his cigarette packet out of his pocket and chucking it to the ground in a soggy mess.

  I stan
d, blocking Seth from view. “He’s on the run, he’s grieving, he hasn’t eaten in over a day, and Maggie’s little stunt has set all of us on edge. But he’ll be alright now, won’t you, Seth?”

  Seth stands, wiping sand off of his clothes. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  Jude chews his lip, clearly unsure, but turns his attention to Adam.

  Maggie studies Seth. She looks to me, her face emotionless, and I take his hand. For a moment, she looks concerned. She knows I know about her conversations with Seth. I can sense the betrayal oozing from her. It was all premeditated.

  Jude relieves Adam of ‘Maggie duty’, sticking his gun hard between her shoulder blades and barking at her to move.

  We follow after him. Yana steps in to look after Seth, and Adam wraps an arm around my shoulder, lowering his mouth to my ear.

  “What’s really up with Seth?”

  “I’ll tell you later,” I say, catching Jude eyeing us.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The cliff face is sheer. Cooper paces back and forth along the base trying to get a footing on the damp rocks.

  Jude winks at me. “You’re up, my little Telekin. Everyone line up.”

  They do as they’re told, albeit dubiously. Jude keeps Maggie in a vice like grip, and Adam doesn’t stray from my side. Focussing the weight of my telekinesis in the centre of my mind, I take a long breath through my nose and allow the invisible tendrils to stretch from my body and wrap around each of them.

  They gasp from the pressure on their bodies, and then rise into the air. I take it slow; their faces tell me that fast isn’t a good idea. Once their bodies are level with the cliff edge, I manoeuvre them onto the safety of solid ground.

  “Just checking you still had it in you,” Jude says, grinning. He stretches his arms to his sides and levitates himself and Maggie into the air. Her body tenses, but I reckon it’s from Jude’s touch as opposed to the levitation.

  I take Adam’s hands and wrap them tightly around my waist. Holding a hand to the back of his head and pulling him closer still, I exhale slowly and concentrate on the telekinesis coursing through my chest.