“Then maybe the Earth wasn’t being up-front with you,” said Mid. “And maybe there’s a reason you’ve suddenly lost contact with the planet.” She looked back at me with a grim expression. “Maybe she’s keeping you out of the loop because she thinks you might try to stop her.”
“That makes zero sense to me,” I told her. “I am the planet. We are one and the same.”
“Maybe things aren’t quite as simple as you think,” said Mid as she entered the building.
I hung back at the last second, letting the door close behind her. It was then, standing outside by myself, that I thought about taking off to fend for myself.
It seemed like a great idea. I didn’t like having my life and freedom in the hands of someone I hardly knew or trusted.
If I’d still possessed my powers, I wouldn’t have thought twice about going off by myself. But without them, I faced a different calculation. If what she’d said about the whole world being against me was true, how could I stand on my own without a way to fight back?
Again, I tested my connection with the Earth, reaching into the network of ley line energy and geologic forces. Just like before, nobody answered my call, and I felt nothing. The planet was still a void to me, its multitude of miraculous qualities so unreadable that they might as well have been nonexistent.
Stepping off the sidewalk into the grass, I crouched and pressed both hands to the ground, trying once more to tune into the spark of the world. The result was the same as before.
As I got back to my feet, still bereft of my link with the Earth, I thought about running off into the woods anyway. Maybe the power loss was a temporary thing, and I’d be back to normal soon enough.
Or maybe it was permanent, and Mid Silvergone was my best chance at survival.
I sighed, thoroughly disgusted at the inevitable logic of my situation. As much as I wanted to go my own way, I knew I was better off staying the course…for now, at least.
“Damn.” Shaking my head, I turned to enter the building…and stopped when I heard a sudden, loud rumbling from the grassy area where I’d just been crouching.
Looking back, I saw the ground falling inward, the green turf sliding into a central vortex like water down a drain. Another sinkhole opened up a few yards away, and another, each spinning to life in the grassy, flat ground most commonly used for picnics and walking dogs.
Heart hammering, I ran for the building. I burst through the door into the lobby, then charged into the women’s bathroom after that. The whole time, I kept hearing the rumbling from outside.
“Mid!” I shouted.
She looked up from the sink, an expression of alarm crossing her features. “Shit.” Without turning off the water or drying her hands, she ran past me and bolted out the door.
As I followed her out of the building, I saw more sinkholes opening in the grass and sidewalk. When one crumbled directly in her path, she stopped and raised her hands, which were glowing brightly now. A fresh plug of sandstone surged up from the heart of the sinkhole at her command, filling the core even as more ground dropped away around it.
Seeing her in action made me wish more than ever that I had my powers back.
“Come on!” Walking as fast as she could, Mid skirted the edge of the plugged sinkhole, heading for the car. Even as I followed, a fresh pit fell open in the parking lot alongside us, and another consumed a stretch of sidewalk in our path.
Mid slipped between the latest holes, grabbing the car keys out of her purse. She used the remote to unlock the doors and start the engine.
As she pulled open the driver’s side door, I ran to the passenger’s side and leaped in. She was halfway in the car herself when the pavement under her started sinking into another hole.
Shooting across the seat, I grabbed her by the arms and hoisted her the rest of the way inside. Instead of stopping to thank me, she threw the car in reverse and stomped on the accelerator.
The Toyota burst backward just as the pavement crashed inward. Mid spun the wheel, whipping the car around, then threw it out of reverse and again stomped the pedal.
The driver’s side door swung shut as the car flew forward. We blasted out of the rest stop and onto the interstate at a high rate of speed, escaping with our lives.
“So they really are hunting me.” Looking back, I saw walls and light poles collapsing as still more sinkholes fell open. “And they know where I am.”
“Not for long, with any luck.” Mid kept racing through the night, pegging 90 on the speedometer. “They’ll lose track if we keep moving. For a while, at least.”
Eyes wide, I slumped in my seat. Things were worse than I’d imagined, now that I knew she’d told the truth. Not only had I been framed for murder by an identical twin…not only had I lost my powers and contact with the Earth…but now the planet and all her agents were out to kill me.
All because Mother Earth didn’t want me to stop her from exterminating humankind.
“We don’t have a chance, do we?” I said, staring at the dark pavement as it rolled toward us. “We can’t possibly survive, let alone save the human race.”
“Don’t give up yet, honey,” said Mid. “I’ve got a plan.”
“What kind of plan?” I asked.
“A secret one,” said Mid. “The kind that might just keep our asses out of the fire if we play our damn cards right.”
“A secret plan,” I said. “Secret even from me.”
“For now.” Mid looked over and smiled. “But you’ll find out what it is soon enough.”
“Well, I feel better already,” I told her. “You’re really filling me with confidence.”
“How you feel doesn’t matter,” said Mid. “Just whether you’re alive or not.”
I folded my arms over my chest and stopped talking then, tired of her evasions…tired of everything. My whole life had turned to shit in the course of a day, and I was sick and tired of all of it.
I just wanted to go back to the way things were before. I just wanted to go home and be with Briar and Duke and Luna, to help people plan vacations at Cruel World Travel and track down bad guys through Charmer Investigations. I just wanted to feel the planet around me and know I was safe in its arms.
Then, for a little while, at least, I got my wish…at least in my dreams. As the car hurtled on through the night, I nodded off, dreaming about the life I’d left behind and might never be a part of again.
Chapter 7
I woke from a deep sleep to find I was alone in the car. The driver’s seat was empty, and the driver’s side door was shut.
Heart pounding, I looked outside. Sometime during my nap, the dark of night had faded into predawn light, so I was able to get a good look at my surroundings.
I spotted Mid in a second, standing on the shore of a lake. The car was parked in a lot a little way back, nose toward the water.
Frowning, I opened the door and got out. There was the slightest chill in the air as I walked across the grass, passing a large sign warning that the lake was off-limits to swimmers and fishermen due to high levels of contamination.
Without a word, I joined Mid on the pebbled bank, staring out over the water as it lapped at the stones not far from our feet.
“It’s coming.” She nodded at the brightening sky beyond the far rim of the lake. “And it’s gonna be a good one.”
I fixed my gaze on the brightest patch of sky, where the sun was getting ready to poke its way up over the horizon. Ribbons of cloud drifted near the spot, already turning pink as the light intensified.
“Are we okay here?” I asked. “Can they find us like they did at the rest stop?”
“It’s a bit of a dead zone because of all the pollution in the lake. The more contaminated the environment, the harder it is for Mother Earth to see through the impurities.” Mid shrugged. “But who knows?”
“Well, that’s comforting.”
“Until yesterday, you were one of Earth’s avatars,” said Mid. “Even without your powers, you proba
bly stick out like a sore thumb.”
A light breeze fluttered my bangs, and I suddenly felt hopelessly doomed. How long could I possibly survive with the planet and all her resources in pursuit with my trail so easy to track?
“Maybe I should just go back to Confluence,” I said. “At least I have friends there.”
“I wouldn’t bet the farm on that.” Mid looked at me sideways. “Remember, you have an evil twin on the loose.”
“Shit.” My stomach twisted painfully. I hadn’t thought about it until now…but of course my people at home were in danger. “Now I want to go back even more.”
“This is your road, Gaia.” Mid pointed at the ground under our feet. “The only road where humanity has the slightest chance. And this road doesn’t go back.”
We stood silently for a moment as the sky continued to brighten, the ribbons of cloud turning a bolder shade of pink. When was the last time I’d watched a sunrise in person? I couldn’t remember.
“So, tell me,” I said. “Why exactly is humanity on the chopping block? Why does the Earth want to wipe them out?”
“Why do you think?” asked Mid. “It’s her or them these days, isn’t it? It’s a matter of survival.”
I nodded slowly, watching as the sky brightened even more. It wouldn’t be long now until the sun itself appeared in all its glory. “Couldn’t she reverse climate change, though? Couldn’t she restore the environment to a pristine state?”
“Over time, maybe,” said Mid. “If people wise up and cease their destructive ways. But what are the chances of that?”
The chances were slim, and I knew it.
“She’s fighting for survival, Gaia. Can you blame her?”
“Whose side are you on, anyway?” I asked.
Mid thought for a moment. “Both.” She looked at me, then back at the sunrise. “But humanity needs help more than the planet right now. Mother Earth has the upper hand.”
“How so?”
“Her war-self has broken free,” Mid said darkly. “Her avatar of unchecked power and limitless cruelty. The part of her that exists only to destroy that which would otherwise destroy her.”
I frowned. “Why haven’t I heard of this war-self before now?”
“Good question,” said Mid.
Just then, the sun burst over the horizon, its blinding streamers blazing against the bright blue sky. The pink ribbons of cloud took on a golden hue, and a streak of reflected light flared over the rippling water like a road leading right to us.
In that moment, I was caught up in the dazzling display. I couldn’t look away or think of anything else.
Though I was cut off from my powers and unable to connect to the Earth as an avatar, I marveled at the beauty before me. If anything, I felt a deeper appreciation of the scenic grandeur because I couldn’t connect with its source. I was forced to take it all in as a normal human might, relying on five senses with no enhancement or superhuman boost.
In that way, I had an entirely new experience, appreciating the beauty of the sunrise purely on a surface level. I wasn’t, at the same time, listening to the groaning of the Earth or the cries of the beasts or the multitude of physical processes occurring all around me at any given second.
There was just the sun, its golden light streaming through the sky, painting a masterpiece that varied from moment to moment.
I loved it with all my heart. For the first time since my powers had left me, I didn’t miss them.
“Nothing like a good sunrise to start your day off right, huh?” Mid spread her arms wide. “Good to see the world’s still turning.”
“Not bad,” I said, but I couldn’t help wondering, even as I admired the beauty arrayed before me, if it might be the last sunrise I’d ever see.
Chapter 8
After sunrise, we got back in the car and continued down a winding two-lane road. When Mid started yawning, I offered to take the wheel…but she wouldn’t hear of it. She knew best where we were going, she said, and could get us there fastest. Besides, she said, she had a sense of when Mother Earth and her minions were zeroing in on us and the heat was on. She would be quickest to react, she assured me.
Nevertheless, I tried to keep her talking—and therefore, awake and alert.
“You still haven’t told me where we’re going,” I said. “Or what exactly the plan is—the one that’s supposed to keep our asses out of the fire.”
“Don’t worry,” she told me. “You’ll see when we get where we’re going.”
I looked over at her then, feeling annoyed. It shouldn’t have been difficult to get a little old lady like her to spill her guts—but I already knew she had more powers than I did. Powerless as I was, I didn’t dare move against her, in spite of my desperate need for answers.
“I’d like to know what to expect.” Trying to talk her into dishing was the best I could manage. “I’ve had enough surprises to last me a while.”
Hands locked at ten and two o’clock on the wheel, she didn’t take her eyes off the road. “I’m hungry,” she said. “I could go for some breakfast.”
A billboard advertising a diner loomed large and slid past. For the first time, I realized we were in the state of Indiana. Indiana’s Finest Diner, said the tagline on the sign. The actual restaurant was called the Double D Diner.
“Whatever you want.” I sighed. “Apparently, I’m just along for the ride, anyway. I have no real say in what happens next.”
“Sure you do.” She smirked. “I promise, you can tell the waitress just how you like your coffee and if you want your eggs dippy or scrambled.”
I scowled, thinking again about jumping ship. In spite of the obvious consequences, the idea of going home to face the music still had its appeal.
“Double D Diner it is.” Mid flicked on her turn signal, though the diner was still a mile up the road. “What’s that?” She cupped her right ear with one hand and leaned toward me. “Breakfast is your treat, you say?”
“If I didn’t just break out of jail and had some cash in my pocket, maybe.” I wagged my head in disgust. “And if you gave me a clue to what your plan is.”
“Be sure to eat up,” said Mid as the diner drew nearer. “I don’t intend to stop for lunch if I can avoid it.”
“That depends on if the food is edible,” I told her. “The place looks like kind of a dump from here, I’ve gotta say.”
“It is a dump,” she said as we pulled into the gravel parking lot. “Why do you think we’re stopping here? The more toxic the environment, the less Mother Earth can see into it, remember?”
As we sat in a corner booth and pored over a pair of stained paper menus, the Double D sweltered and sizzled around us. The place smelled like frying onions, and everything looked about fifty years old. The red vinyl benches in the booth were as cracked and lumpy as the red stools along the counter. Instead of air conditioners, a couple of weathered and wobbly ceiling fans batted at the thick, dusty air, barely eking out a breeze.
The only other customers were an elderly couple at a table on the far side of the place and a trucker type at the counter in a wife-beater t-shirt, faded jeans, and dirty black Mac Truck ball cap. I didn’t think I was going out on a limb when I guessed the big red pickup out front belonged to him.
All three of them seemed content to leave us alone so far. Only the waitress, a middle-aged woman in a tattered peach uniform and cap, was giving us the time of day…and that, just to take our orders.
The name on her nametag was Gertie. “Okay, got it.” She finished scribbling on her order pad and read back what she’d written for Mid. “One number three, over easy, with home fries, rye toast, and a side of scrapple.” Mid nodded, and Gertie turned to me. “One order of French toast with a side of bacon. That it?”
“Yes, thanks,” said Mid.
“All righty then.” Gertie smiled. “I’ll be right back with more coffee lickety split.”
With that, she hurried behind the counter and pushed her way through the swinging doo
r to the kitchen.
Leaning back on my seat, I took another look around the place. The more grease and grime I saw, the more I lost my appetite. I seriously thought it might have been decades since the last time the Double D had been thoroughly cleaned.
“The Earth doesn’t need to try to kill us in here,” I said. “The food will take care of that.”
“Beggars can’t be choosers.” Mid had a swallow of coffee from her chipped white cup. “And besides, we’re not really here for the food anyway.”
I frowned and sat up straight. “Don’t tell me it’s because of the ambience.”
“We’re meeting someone.” Mid sipped more coffee. “An old friend of mine.”
Just then, Gertie returned with a fresh pot of coffee and filled our cups. “This oughtta wake you gals up. And your food is on the way.”
We thanked her, she left, and I pulled Mid’s refilled cup away from her. “What old friend are we meeting?” I asked. “And why are we meeting her?”
“Relax, he’s on your side.” Mid pulled the cup back and hit it with cream and sugar. “One of the few.”
Suddenly, the door jingled open, and a tall man in a state police uniform entered. He had broad shoulders and long legs and looked like he could have been in his late 20s or early 30s.
I tensed up, instantly nervous. I was wanted for murder and couldn’t afford to let anyone take me in.
But then the trooper headed straight for us, grinning. He took off his broad-brimmed hat, revealing close-cropped black hair underneath. There was no sign of aggressive behavior in his expression or any move he made.
“Hey there!” He stopped at our table, hat in hand, and smiled down at Mid, his dark brown eyes sparkling. “Long time no see, Mid Silvergone.”
“Hey yourself, Ebon.” Mid was tickled by the attention, her cheeks flushed. “Very glad you could make it.” She gestured across the table in my direction. “This is Gaia Charmer. Gaia, this is Ebon James.”
Earthtaker Page 3
