by A. P. Jensen
“I’m not trying to start a war. I just want to reverse the curse,” Raven said a little desperately
“There’s no stopping the prophecy. War’s coming and you’ll figure out how to break the curse. You realize breaking the curse will reveal us to the Council and Battalion? We won’t be able to hide. We’ll be hunted like animals and be forced to join a side.”
“I’m not joining any side.”
“You already have a side. You’re an Unmemorable.”
Raven’s lip curled. “Gerald hates me.”
“He doesn’t like change.”
“No, he doesn’t like women.”
Bones didn’t deny that. They drove in silence for several minutes. She glanced back at Sunshine who was sound asleep with a smile on his face. Sunshine’s mom needed him. What if the women who gave birth to Unmemorables didn’t remember their children, but emotionally sensed something missing?
“So you’re helping because you don’t want Angel to get his hands on me?” Raven asked, more confused than ever. She didn’t know what to think about Bones. He had no reason to lie about the night she was attacked and he didn’t try very hard to convince her. In fact, he’d challenged her. “I never thought of you again. If that’s a crime, sue me.” Like the other Unmemorables, Bones was neither good nor bad. He was somewhere in the middle and capable of anything. Once upon a time, her life had been so simple...
“It’s not just Angel. The Council wants you as well. Who wouldn’t want to get their hands on the woman who can control an invisible army of assassins?”
Raven snorted. “You really think I can control any of you? They laughed in my face last night.”
“You may not have every man’s loyalty, but you managed to trap the right ones.”
“Trap? If anyone should feel trapped, it’s me. I didn’t ask for all this. I was happy being a housekeeper. I minded my own business and now I’m following hunches from comics. What the fuck?”
“Big Daddy may not be the leader of the Council, but he’s our trainer and father to the orphans. By letting you take Sunshine, Big Daddy showed his loyalty to you. By right, Jackie should be our next leader, but he refuses to take anything serious. Jackie’s young and rebellious, yet when you took off to California, he managed to rally a small group to go after you.” Bones put on shades and shifted gears as he was forced to slow down. “Taking them on in hand to hand combat and paintball went a long way to convincing them that you’re not a stupid slut.”
Raven crossed her arms and glared at him.
“They’ll give you a hard time, but if you think you aren’t making headway, you’re wrong. Whether or not you consider yourself an Unmemorable, you are one and you’ve proved it beyond a doubt, even to Gerald.”
“You sound like you’re endorsing me.”
“I’m trying to make you see that the prophecy is already happening. We’re pieces on a chessboard and we make our moves when it’s our turn. If we don’t, our decisions are made for us. I want you out of the Battalion’s and Council’s hands so, for the foreseeable future, you have yourself a bodyguard.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You’re shitting me.”
“I wish I was. Don’t fucking like being tied to someone.”
“No one asked you to sacrifice your time, asshole.”
Bones gave her an unreadable glance. “You talk like this to Henson?”
Raven tipped up her chin. “Yeah.”
“He must be getting soft,” Bones muttered.
She climbed on the console and deliberately jostled Bones when she crawled into the backseat. Sunshine talked in his sleep and tugged against the seatbelt. When she sat beside him, he calmed. She settled against Sunshine, stared at the back of Bones’s seat and turned his words over in her mind.
They stopped in Amarillo and Dallas for potty breaks, gas and fast food. She and Bones didn’t exchange a word, and this time she was fine with the silence. They’d come to an odd impasse and she was okay with that. Around three o’clock Sunshine woke up, picked up his sketchpad and began to draw with such fervor that she offered him water.
There were no texts or calls from Cain, and she forced herself to sleep as much as possible. Sunshine drew and continually brushed his long hair out of his eyes. She dozed on and off. To pass the time, she watched the passing scenery, checked on the guys in the SUV and peeked at Sunshine’s drawings. She watched a creepy house appear on the page. The house looked like it was part of the swamp with moss hanging from the roof and the eyes of an alligator peering at them through the fog.
Raven was groggy from sleep when she woke for the last time. She looked out of the window and couldn’t see anything. Sunshine had a light clipped to his sketchpad and continued to draw. She glanced at the dashboard of the car and saw that it was nearly midnight. The lights of the car touched on a badly paved road and Raven sensed Bones’s tension.
“What is it?” she murmured.
“I can sense something,” Bones said.
“Something dead?”
“Not necessarily.”
Raven blanched. “I don’t like the sound of that. Where are we?”
“Manchac Swamp. We’ve been on these back roads for a half hour. We’re getting close.”
“To what?” she demanded, peering at the dense woods. “It doesn’t look like there’s anyone out here.”
“That’s because there isn’t. What I’m sensing is . . . I’m not sure. I’ve never come across something like this before,” Bones said in a musing tone.
Raven poked him in the shoulder. “I’m new to this superpower stuff and Cain told me there aren’t vampires and werewolves and shit, so what are you talking about? Are you tracking a freaking ghost? I don’t like things that don’t bleed. This place looks like its straight out of a horror movie.”
“Manchac Swamp is one of the most haunted places in the U. S.”
She flicked Bones’s ear and he jolted. “Really? You just had to tell me that, didn’t you? God, you’re such an ass.”
Bones turned off the car lights and the SUV behind them copied. Bones rolled down the windows. Cold air and a pungent aroma quickly overpowered the smell of leather.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“We can see fine in the dark, but our eyes need time to adjust. Be quiet and just listen,” Bones ordered.
She began to strap on her knives. They cruised down the cracked road until it disappeared completely. Bones navigated between barren trees until the wood grew too dense. Moonlight filtered through the trees and highlighted the unreal quality of their surroundings. It was creepy as hell here. Moss hung from broken tree branches and the unfamiliar sounds of the swamp echoed around them.
“Now what?” Raven asked.
“There’s something out there,” Bones said quietly.
His head was turned toward the West as if he could see what his senses were picking up. Chills crept up her arms and she snatched her gun.
“You mean someone, right?” Raven whispered.
Bones didn’t answer before he got out of the car. She glanced at Sunshine who didn’t seem to be aware of their surroundings. His pencil continued to move over the page and he hunched over his work as if he didn’t want anyone to see it yet. She got out of the car and doubt crept into her chest. What if Sunshine really was just drawing things? What if this whole trip to the swamp was a waste of time?
Doors opened and closed. Ace, Bam Bam, Harvard, Jackie and Luester strolled over, armed just like her. They all paused to listen.
“So you think our man lives in the swamp?” Luester asked her skeptically.
She opened her mouth, but Bones beat her to it.
“There’s something out there. I can feel it.”
Jackie shrugged. “Okay, what’s the plan?”
“Luester and Harvard, you stay with Sunshine and the cars. The rest of you, arm up,” Bones said without moving his gaze from the West.
Bam Bam winked at her when he noticed she was using
her Christmas presents from them. When he held up the Kevlar vest, she shook her head. She had no idea what they would face in the swamp and the Kevlar vest would slow her down. She needed to be as agile as possible. Raven walked to Sunshine’s open window and brushed back his hair.
“We’ll be back, okay?” she murmured.
He glanced up and smiled. “I know.”
Raven walked over to the guys and ducked when an owl glided eerily through the night. The guys were armed with rifles and they stood behind Bones who took a deep breath as if he could scent his prey.
“The trees aren’t strong enough to take our weight. We’re going to have to do this on foot. We’re going about a mile in,” Bones said and settled his eyes on Raven.
Can you hear me? Bones asked telepathically.
Bones saw her nod and ran into the forest. Bones didn’t make a sound and the others trailed after him like ghosts. She and Jackie brought up the rear and she forced herself to regulate her breathing as she ran. Her eyes scanned for animals, boggy ground or broken branches. She could see surprisingly well and realized this was another Unmemorable trait she hadn’t taken advantage of. They didn’t run in a straight line. It was impossible with the trees and swamp life they had to navigate around. The further in they jogged, the slower their progress. Their feet began to sink into the moist ground and the smell of the swamp became stronger. Her mind conjured up thoughts of alligators and all she could think was how many shots it would take to kill it.
We’re close. Anyone see anything out of the ordinary? Bones asked telepathically to the group.
The swamp smells like ass, Bam Bam said.
I’ve smelled worse, Ace said.
I don’t see any paths that indicate someone lives out here, Jackie said.
They’d travel by boat, Bones said. Keep an eye out. Whatever I’m tracking is less than fifty yards ahead.
They continued through the swamp and she had the feeling that they were being watched. She saw the guys ahead swing their heads around and knew they were feeling the same thing.
We’re here, Bones reported and stopped.
They fanned out on either side of him and squinted through the thin veil of mist. Raven felt a shock of recognition. It was the house from Sunshine’s drawing, complete with the moss and an alligator on the porch.
Someone’s inside, Bam Bam said in a businesslike voice.
Conscious? Bones asked.
I can hear even breathing. They’re asleep.
Ace inhaled slow and deep. It’s a woman.
Age? Bones asked.
I’d say late thirties.
You can tell that from her scent? Raven asked, glancing sidelong at him.
Ace puffed out his chest and she rolled her eyes.
Ace and Bam Bam, you wait here. Jackie, watch the swamp. Raven you come with me, Bones ordered.
She crept forward with Jackie and Bones. Jackie circled around the house and she heard him curse as he leapt to avoid an alligator.
Shit, this place is infested, Jackie said from the safety of a tree.
Hold your post, Bones ordered.
Bones pointed his gun at the alligator on the porch, which watched and didn’t move. Bones pushed open the front door and Raven hastily walked in and shut it behind them. She scanned the humble surroundings to make sure the woman didn’t keep alligators indoors. The house was freezing. The tin roof was rusted and there were holes in the walls that made no attempt to block out the sound or smell of the swamp. The room they stood in was a living room/kitchen with a sink against the wall. The tiniest bathroom Raven had ever seen had a curtain for privacy. There was an open doorway to the left that Bones drifted through.
The room was completely bare of any drawers for clothes or personal items. On a simple cot was a slender body beneath a thick blanket. Raven could now hear the even breaths the guys heard from outside. She shot Bones a sharp look as he crept forward and inhaled deeply. He frowned and she reached out to him telepathically.
What is it?
She smells odd, Bones sounded baffled.
Maybe because she’s been living in a swamp for God knows how long, Raven said.
Bones didn’t look convinced and prodded the woman with his gun. When the woman didn’t respond, Bones poked her hard enough to make her whimper in sleep. Raven was seconds away from braining Bones when the woman gasped and sat up. The woman was lightly tanned, wore a flannel onesie and had a long blonde braid. Her wide, dark eyes blinked rapidly in the darkness.
“Who are you?” she asked in a breathy voice.
Is she hot? Bam Bam wanted to know.
She sounds all Betty Boop and shit, Ace said. I like it.
“Name?” Bones barked.
“Belle.”
Raven raised a brow. What were the chances that they were trying to find a Belrose and ran into a woman named Belle?
“Belle what?”
“Lincoln.”
What do you think? Bones asked telepathically.
I don’t know. This whole thing is weird, Raven said.
“Do you know anyone with the last name Belrose?” Bones asked.
Belle’s mouth twisted and Raven saw that her upper lip was a lot larger than the lower one. Bam Bam was going to love her.
“Don’t know anyone with that name,” Belle said.
“Are you the only one who lives out here?” Raven asked.
Belle strained forward. “You’re a woman?”
Raven didn’t care for the note of disbelief in Belle’s voice. Bam Bam and Ace snickered in her mind. Raven hoped Belle would have a bruise from Bones nudging her with his gun. When Raven didn’t answer her stupid question, Belle began to twist her hands together.
“How long have you been out here?” Bones asked.
“A year.”
Activity on the water, Jackie reported. Two boats coming this way.
“Do you have neighbors who visit you regularly?” Bones asked.
Belle’s agitation was nearly palpable. “No. No one knows I’m here. My house is blocked from the water by a grove of trees.”
“Are you on the run?” Bones asked.
Raven tightened her hold on the gun, waiting for Jackie to report that the boats would pass.
They’re slowing down. They know we’re here, Jackie said.
Bones walked out of the room without another word to Belle.
I see two men, Ace said. Don’t come out of the cabin.
Bones crouched beside the front door, and if she didn’t have excellent night vision, she would’ve thought he disappeared completely. Since there wasn’t much cover Raven stayed inside Belle’s room. Belle sat on the cot like a mannequin and didn’t make a sound. Belatedly, Raven heard the chirp of crickets die down and everything in the swamp quieted. She cocked her head and heard the scrape of boats docking nearby. There were two quick pops and Belle yanked the covers over her head.
Clear, Ace said calmly.
Bones rushed out into the darkness. He leapt off the porch, rolled and jerked. The clearing in front of the house was now covered in alligators. Raven was about to follow when someone stepped into her path at the same time that someone crashed through the rotting wall near the sink. She backed into Belle’s room as the men rushed forward.
Raven fired twice and hit the first man in the chest. He staggered to the side and the second man came in low and tackled her. He wrapped his hands around her throat and knocked her head against the floor. She heard breaking glass and a flash of flannel as Belle made a run for it out of the bedroom window. Black spots hazed her vision and she reached for her knife, but the guy on top of her weighed a ton. She caught a glimpse of dark brown eyes before she went unconscious.
***
Wake up!
Raven woke and resisted the urge to cough. Her hands surreptitiously brushed over her bruised throat, which was on fire. She forced her breathing to stay shallow and realized she was on a boat. She rocked gently from side to side and heard male voices above the
sound of the engine. She checked for weapons and was surprised to find one of her guns still in its holster and a handful of knives on her body. She should be happy that men were constantly underestimating her.
Wake up! Raven, can you hear me? Jackie shouted telepathically.
Yes. I’m awake. I’m on a boat. Her voice sounded sluggish.
We were attacked by the Battalion. Get control of that boat now, Bones ordered.
Raven was grateful that the darkness concealed her features from the men. Raven slowly inched her hand down to her pocket, aware that every second wasted took her further from the Unmemorables. She pinpointed the location of men by their voices. When her hand closed over the handle of her knife, she lurched up and ignored the excruciating pain in the back of her head. She lunged for the first man and sliced him across the abdomen before she shoved him overboard. In a quick motion, she turned and threw the knife at the second man steering the boat. He gasped and stumbled overboard. Hands slick with blood, she grasped the wheel and turned off the lantern that pinpointed her location.
I’m turning around, Raven reported in.
The other boat sank, Bones said. We got most of the men, but I know some of them are still in the woods.
Raven couldn’t be going faster than thirty miles an hour, but she felt as if she were going fifty. Her hair billowed out behind her as she drove in the middle of the swamp and sent out her senses to find the Unmemorables. She was about to panic when she sensed someone up ahead. A man stood on the shore and she veered toward him.
Do you see me? Raven asked uncertainly.
No.
Raven jerked the wheel and the boat veered crazily as she moved away from the bank. Holy shit. This guy was just standing there waiting for me and...
Its Angel. Move faster, Bones ordered.
Nothing could have struck the right combination of rage and fear than that name. She revved the boat and when she looked back, Angel was gone. Goosebumps erupted over her skin. She silently urged the boat to go faster and reached out with every fiber of her being for the Unmemorables.
Pull up to the bank on your left, Bam Bam said abruptly. I’ll cover you. Do it now.
