by Sarah Noffke
“Why don’t you come and get me?” Rio said with a laugh and ran this time before launching the boulder over the front of Roosevelt’s head. This beat skipping rocks, one of Rio’s old pastimes. The boulder rocked the earth when it crashed into the ground, bringing trees and other boulders cascading toward the men barricaded behind the vehicle. The debris slammed into the van, crowding it under a pile of rocks and trees.
“Good luck getting that van unstuck!” Rio screamed from overhead. Again he’d destroyed another of Olento Research’s vans. These numbskulls just never learned, he thought as the Lucidite helicopter rose from behind Mount Rushmore. Rio’s curly black hair whipped against his face, which adorned the largest grin yet. He waited until the rope ladder was thrown over the side to step forward, easily catching it with his giant hands. He made sure to turn and wave to the men on the ground, covered in dust and rock. It was never a good idea to be rude. The helicopter rose higher as it raced across the South Dakota sky.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
“A real idiot will use dream traveling to try to make changes to events that have already happened or affect events that will happen. We can thank those assholes for earthquakes and a whole host of other natural disasters. That’s right, mess with time and the earth destroys itself. It’s called a built-in fail-safe. God thinks of everything.”
- Dream Traveler Codex
The Great Basin Desert wasn’t like any place Clay had ever seen. The cracked earth under his feet felt sturdy and also like it could give way under him. He stepped, feeling the unevenness with every stride. The Sierra Nevada Mountains stretched before him, but he only knew that using the night vision of the wolf.
The helicopter had flown off to safety a half an hour ago. That left Clay the opportunity to fill himself with the emotions he needed to fuel his power. Still, it wouldn’t matter if Olento Research didn’t show up to witness. The way future events happened was confounding to him. Apparently, the act of doing something powerful in the future could trigger clairvoyance in the past. This was all a gamble and that didn’t feel right to him. But the Lucidites obviously knew what they were doing. And all he had to do was create a diversion. After everything, after all he’d been through, that was an easy cost for his potential freedom.
Time was up. It was now that he was supposed to act. But no one was here to witness his power. What if this hadn’t worked? What if he was alone in the desert and it all had been for nothing. He closed his eyes, feeling the breathless feeling that accompanied panic. He could dream travel back to the Institute now and generate his body. He could abandon it all, and not risk damaging himself and the Earth.
Overhead he sensed an aircraft approaching. Was the helicopter returning? That wasn’t the plan. He brought his gaze up to the sky filled with bright stars. A plane flew through the inky blackness, hovering above him. Then his attention was pulled in the direction of the mountains where a slew of Jeeps were storming out into the desert, kicking up dust in their wake. The sounds of the parachutes caught his attention and again Clay looked up to find men jumping from a plane, guns strapped to their back. Oh good, Olento Research was taking a two-pronged approach. And they probably knew what was going to happen next or that they’d cut him off from doing it. But they wouldn’t.
Clay touched his hand to the sandy earth and closed his eyes. He pressed all his emotions down into the ground, projecting it forward. The crack started small under his hand and then shot forward, away from its creator, keeping him safe. The crack widened, becoming a ravine as it approached the speeding vehicles. Their tires screeched as the drivers slammed on their brakes, but then the earthquake jolted the desert ground, knocking things sideways and then the other direction. Clay didn’t stay to watch or greet the parachutes that were now overhead. Instead, he ran, switching to the form of a werewolf as he did, sprinting faster now. He’d wait until he was to the Wasatch Range to dream travel to the Institute.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“Why people supposedly as intelligent as Dream Travelers think they can go back in time and spy on their younger selves continues to elude me. And these first-class morons are the ones who travel into the future to spy who they become. Imagine their surprise when they find their future selves in a catatonic state, drooling on their paper nightgown. They wonder how they ended up in a mental hospital. Well, dumbass, the trip you just took to the future is responsible for zapping the life right out of your body.”
- Dream Traveler Codex
The SUV seemed overly crowded, probably because it was. And also probably because Adelaide was at the very back, in the last row, staring at the heads of the other four occupants. Zephyr parked the vehicle where they planned, on a curb a mile outside the location for Olento Research. Rio and Clay had just messaged to report the diversions had been a success. Most of Mika’s security would have been pulled away from Olento and by the time they returned everyone in the SUV would be gone… or dead. Adelaide reminded herself that although she was stronger than most Dream Travelers she could still be killed. Her intelligence and mind control could only protect her so much. Even Rox, who was seemingly invincible, had a weakness that could be exploited. Which only proved that death wasn’t always the worst ending. Sometimes being forced to live in a torturous state was worse than anything.
Zephyr turned back from the driver’s seat, his hand on the passenger chair where Connor sat, his eyes pinned straight ahead. “It’s almost time. Are you certain you can do this?” he asked, his gaze on Adelaide.
“As certain as I am that you’ll always be annoyingly serious,” she said, her heart like a drum in her chest. Bong. Bong. Bong. It hammered with a new tenacity, but not because she was nervous she’d fail. That wasn’t an option for her.
“Have you had a successful attempt, like we talked about you trying?” Zephyr asked, because he couldn’t just let it fucking go.
“Yes,” Adelaide lied. She didn’t need to practice. Teleporting was in her blood. It was a part of her birthright. She’d do it or she’d die, and the latter was a real possibility if she didn’t get it right. But Adelaide had decided that she wouldn’t practice because that reeked of defeat. Instead she’d wager everything in this moment.
“Once you’re done then I want you to report back to the Institute,” Zephyr said, daring to give her orders.
“We will see. I might pop down to Santa Monica. There’s a gelato place I’ve been wanting to try,” Adelaide said, her voice even.
“Well, if you’re going to do it—”
“Try shutting your face so I can concentrate,” Adelaide snapped at Zephyr. She closed her eyes, not caring if his gaze was on her.
Around her the elements registered. The temperature. The density of the air. The beating of everyone’s heart in the SUV. She could feel their bodies unique in the space. The vehicle and its surroundings were intimately familiar to her. It was all energy. She was energy. And now it was time for her to move that energy, the same way she’d done hundreds of times dream traveling. This time it was just in the physical realm. Something in her stirred but she stayed focused on the location where she intended to move her body.
I can do this. I can. I can. It’s already done, she thought. Her insides felt like they’d folded up. Her heart constricted. Her lungs shriveled up. Her stomach crinkled in on itself. Adelaide suddenly felt small, like she was a fraction of herself. And it hurt. No, didn’t hurt. It was more uncomfortable than anything. And just when Adelaide realized she wasn’t breathing, her body exploded outward in all directions, like a pop-up tent being tossed into the air to unfold to full size. Adelaide felt she’d just expanded in every sense of the word. Her eyes sprang open, but she kept the exclamation locked in her mouth when she witnessed the sight before her. She stood in the middle of the surveillance room for Olento Research. It was empty.
Through a tattered breath she whispered, “I’m here.” She wasn’t capable of saying anything else.
“Fucking awesome,” Connor said, seemin
g to hum the words.
“I knew you could do it,” Zephyr said in her ear piece.
“Fuck off, alpha asshole,” she said hurrying to the main station. According to Kris, she had roughly two minutes to loop the system and turn off the infrared before the guard returned. That almost seemed like too much time. A minute later, she closed her eyes. “It’s done. Don’t fuck this up, mutts,” she said, fizzling out of the air, teleporting away.
The door to the SUV opened and then shut. Only the quiet footsteps indicated a person had exited. The driver’s seat then opened and Zephyr’s hand extended. He couldn’t believe that weeks ago he was fighting an invisible man and now he was about to become one. He waited until Kris laid her hand on his and then stepped out of the SUV, shutting the door as he did. The pair stood on the curb, invisible to the naked eye. Olento Research stood a block down. Zephyr was surprised by how unassuming the building looked, although he wasn’t sure why. It made sense for the facility to blend in to its surroundings. It was just an unmarked warehouse that stood on a street with matching buildings. Never in a gazillion years would they have found this location without Kris’s and Connor’s help. But now they were here and about to stroll straight into the facility.
They waited for an impatient minute by the side entrance to the building, ensuring all was clear. There were three entrances, according to the blueprints that Kris had sketched for them. And although Zephyr knew no one could see them, it still seemed strange to stand in plain sight. He pressed the security badge between his fingers. Adelaide had delivered two to the SUV. Thanks to Kris’s snooping, they knew where to find extras lying around.
Zephyr scanned the badge over the sensor, hearing the lock click inside the door. With his sweaty hand pressed into Kris’s he pulled the door back, tucking his head around the corner to spy the next space. According to Kris, usually there would be a guard here. However, most of the guards were off trying to capture crazy werewolves making public displays of their powers. The hallway was empty, but it probably wouldn’t stay that way for long. That’s why Zephyr tugged Kris through, allowing the door to shut behind them gently.
“Lead the way to the imprisoned werewolves,” Zephyr said, seeing the map in his head, but wanting the person more familiar with the space to take the first position.
At the end of the corridor a door opened and three scientists in white lab coats exited, chatting quietly as they did. Zephyr felt Kris halt, pressing his hand to the white wall. He took the hint and cemented his body to the wall. The group was walking shoulder and shoulder, which didn’t give much space for them to clear without knocking into Zephyr and Kris. If they were caught here then the chances of them rescuing the others was unlikely. They’d have to flee. No one was going to get hurt on his team and that only worked if they avoided being caught early on.
“He treats us like animals,” Zephyr heard one of the scientists say.
“But the money is worth it,” another said with a chuckle.
The other two scientists paused, letting the one who had joked walk forward two paces before realizing he’d been left behind. He turned and stared at their appalled faces.
“I injected a spider monkey this morning with that resistance serum. Nothing is worth animal abuse,” the scientist said in a hush.
“You’re right,” the man said, lowering his head.
“What happened to the monkey?” the other scientist asked.
“Nothing yet,” the scientist said, shrugging.
“Let’s hope for the best,” the scientist said in the front position. Then he turned and strode on, the pair walking shoulder and shoulder behind him. It wasn’t a lot of space, but there was just enough for them to pass without bumping into Zephyr and Kris. They exited through the door they’d come through and only then did the invisible pair turn and continue to the cells where the three werewolves were being held.
“I can’t believe I agreed to this plan,” Connor said.
“Actually, Earrings, I can’t believe you did either,” Kaleb said, with a grin. “You ready? We’ve got to go.”
“You sure you can carry me?”
“Hey, I’ve been lifting weights,” Kaleb said, a mock look of offense on his face.
“Fine,” Connor said, immediately shifting from man to werewolf and finally into his wolf form. From the shade of the SUV, on the curb of the street, he was hidden from view. Still, it wouldn’t matter because no one was going to see them.
A reddish wolf, just under a hundred pounds, stared up at Kaleb. “You ready to take a ride, puppy?” Kaleb joked.
The wolf growled up at Kaleb, nipping at his outstretched hands. “Hey, be nice or I’m calling animal control,” Kaleb said, taking the risk and picking up the wolf, throwing him over his shoulder. Connor wasn’t light, but it was about like carrying a sack of potatoes. And it was the only way they’d figured out that they could get him into Olento Research undetected. Leaving him behind wasn’t an option. This was a mission that needed all of the weres, Zephyr had stated.
“Okay, you won’t remember a thing, mutt,” Kaleb said, not waiting for Connor’s reaction before pausing time. He’d been practicing this during strategic agent training and although his skill did diminish, it was also like a muscle. With more practice he had more endurance. Kaleb had roughly two minutes before time resumed. He was confident he could pause time at least twice more, which would give them enough time to get to the room where Rox was believed to be held. Hopefully he could drag Connor’s weight the entire time or he’d be leaving the red wolf in a mop closet.
Zephyr pulled back the door that Kris had indicated. He hesitated in the doorway, checking that the room was clear. He heard the sound of three heartbeats in the space, which was the perfect number. Yanking Kris forward was the indication to her that the room was clear. The cells lining the walls filled Zephyr with an old dread. Images flickered through his mind. He hadn’t been here before, but this lab, with its cages, was exactly like the one he’d been held in for all those months. It was in a space like this that they changed him. He eyed the exam table in the middle where procedures were done on men while on display for the other prisoners to watch. It was a mind game that Mika had perfected.
Drake exited his office to see a curious sight. The door to the Project Canis Lupus lab was propped open. Then it shut, but there didn’t seem to be anyone there. He hurried for the door, his body to the far side of the hallway so he wasn’t as visible through the window in the door. He peered into the small opening in the door to spy who had the door open. The lab was empty, save for the prisoners in their cages. He swiveled around and headed straight for Mika’s office. This was perfect. Things couldn’t be arranging themselves any more perfectly. However, since he’d become clairvoyant after converting himself to a Dream Traveler, he wasn’t surprised. Although not used to the skill, he saw certain futures. They weren’t always clear or accurate, but this morning he’d seen a shadow of a vision that was connected to this moment. Now he just needed to put everything else into motion.
Zephyr released Kris’s hand. He couldn’t gain the trust of men if they couldn’t see him. He materialized at once and ran up to a cage that was surrounded by plexiglass. On the other side a man stood from his cot.
“Malcolm, I’m here to get you out,” Zephyr said, hearing Kris sort through the keys at his back. Aiden had created a set of universal keys, a technology that only the Lucidites had truly mastered.
Zephyr darted to the other cage not covered in plexiglass where a smaller man stood, his brown eyes drilling into Zephyr. “Derek, we’ve come for you. You’re safe,” he said.
“The person who isn’t safe is you,” a voice said from the other side of the room. It wasn’t a familiar voice, but it seemed like it should be, like a voice Zephyr had heard in his dreams for months now.
Straightening, Zephyr turned to face the man. He stood in the doorway they’d just come through, his silver suit catching the light overhead. His eyes sharp and directly on Zephy
r, the only person in view in the room.
“Mika,” Zephyr said with a hush. They’d never met, but he knew who the man was before him. He knew what he was capable of. This was his maker and Zephyr would be his undoing.
“You came home, Alpha,” Mika said, his voice filled with sadistic delight.
“I came to rescue my pack members and take you down,” Zephyr said. It was too soon for Mika to have found them. He only hoped that Kaleb and Connor had Rox rescued by now. The labs where they kept the werewolves was deeper into Olento Research.
“If you wanted your werewolves then all you had to do was ask. I have Drake releasing the locks electronically as we speak,” Mika said to Zephyr and then cast his attention to the cells where Malcolm and Derek stood at attention, their eyes glowing bright. “Don’t kill him, but please wound him deeply. I’ll return to take care of him.” Mika then stepped back, pulling the door closed.
Two clicks. The gates to the cages opened an inch. Zephyr was aware that Kris was in the labs, but he didn’t know where. It was best for her if she stayed invisible. Monkeys in cages screamed on the opposite side of the lab, but Zephyr stayed focused on the men before him. The prison doors slammed opened at once and Zephyr stood staring at Malcolm and Derek, who both stood in the doorways, impassive expressions etched into their faces. Zephyr didn’t know these men, but they were a part of his pack. And yet, there was something extremely wrong with them.
“Men, I’ve come to free you. Whatever he has—” Zephyr flew into the air, violently slamming down on the exam table. He didn’t know what had lifted him up, but it sounded like a similar experience as to what Rox had explained when Mika telekinetically picked her up. He swiveled his head in the direction of the men who had now strode out of their cells. Derek raised his hand, pointing at something over Zephyr. He turned, daring to look at the bright operation light switched on. Zephyr, having looked straight at it, flinched from the light. The werewolf didn’t like light and these men seemed to know that.
