“The other helicopter crashed,” Daciana announced.
“Be quiet!” Sammy hissed, wrapping her arm around Todd’s thin shoulders.
“Why? He should know what is happening. His life may depend on it,” Daciana stated.
“He doesn’t have to know what happened so bluntly,” she angrily retorted.
Daciana shrugged her shoulders. The soldier shot Daciana a dark glare, and Daciana smiled back at the man. His eyes narrowed with suspicion, but he leaned back in his seat when the look in her eyes caused him to think twice.
“Are Dust and Josie okay? Dust is special. He could have survived a helicopter crash, couldn’t he?” Todd persisted.
“Yes, Todd, he could have,” Daciana answered in a surprisingly gentle tone.
Sammy looked at the other girl with a disbelieving expression. Shock was a mild way of saying what she felt at the moment. First Daciana said she needed to be blunt with her little brother and then the She-Devil gives him hope.
Daciana turned away from her, leaving Sammy alone with her thoughts. After a moment, they both turned in their seats and watched as the helicopter flew over a large wall. Sammy grimaced when she saw the barbed wire around the top and the armed guards. This was more like a prison than a city.
She turned and looked at the soldier across from her with a frown. “I thought we were going to be dropped off outside of the city,” she said.
The soldier silently stared back at her. Perhaps Daciana had been onto something, because Sammy was definitely feeling uneasy now. She reached for Todd’s hand and held it tightly in hers. Looking out the window again, she wished that Dust were here.
The helicopter circled over before landing on the tarmac. Almost immediately, a group of soldiers surrounded the helicopter. From the reaction of the crew, this was a normal procedure.
“Don’t move until you are told to do so,” the soldier across from them instructed.
“What’s going on, Sammy? Why are they acting so weird?” Todd asked, peering around and looking out of the door when it opened.
“I don’t know, Todd,” Sammy murmured, reaching over and pulling his helmet off before doing the same with hers.
Daciana removed her helmet and placed it on the seat. They watched as the three men exited the helicopter. Only when they were alone did Daciana turn to Sammy.
“I sense danger and deceit. Do not trust any of them,” she instructed before she looked at Todd. “And do not let them separate you.”
“What about you? We could tell them that you are family. This way they will keep us all together,” Todd said.
Sammy saw the ghost of a smile curve Daciana’s lips, and the woman’s eyes reflected her surprise and humor. Glancing out the door, she observed the soldiers move into a line and stand at attention as a tall man in a long, dark blue coat approached.
“Do you really think Dust and Josie might have survived the crash, Daciana?” Sammy quietly asked.
“Yes,” she replied.
They grew quiet when two soldiers approached. “Follow us,” one of the men ordered.
Daciana exited the helicopter first. She turned and helped Todd down. The two stepped aside as Sammy climbed down after them.
Sammy rubbed her cold hands against her jean-clad thighs. The icy winds felt like they were slicing through her jacket. She reached over and pulled Todd closer when she heard his teeth chattering.
Her grip on Todd tightened when the man continued to walk toward them. He stopped in front of them, his gaze piercing as he studied first Todd, then Sammy, and finally Daciana. She was stunned when he pulled his fist back to strike—at Daciana. Without thinking, she released Todd and reached for his arm. She needn’t have bothered. Daciana caught the man’s wrist and held it firmly mid-blow.
“What are you doing?” Sammy angrily exclaimed.
The man stared into Daciana’s dark eyes before he turned to Sammy and Todd. Sammy could see the rage, fear, and a touch of madness in his soulless eyes. She looked back and forth between the two in confusion.
“I can smell a changeling,” the man growled.
Daciana chuckled. “So typical of a human reaction—the sweet smell of terror,” she murmured, releasing his arm when he tried to pull away.
“You creatures were supposed to be separated and eliminated. Only humans were to be transported inside,” he replied.
“What do you mean eliminated?” Sammy demanded.
“They were going to separate you and Todd from the rest of us. General McCullon instructed the crew to land outside of the wall and release us. This man instructed the crew to land and kill us,” Daciana answered with a shrewd expression.
“Is that true?” Sammy asked in horror. “Why? Dust and Josie never did anything but help us. Without them, my brother and I would have died countless times. The Cheyenne complex and its residents would have all been destroyed without them.”
The man’s eyes glittered as he focused on Sammy. His mouth tightened in anger. He raised his hand and the two soldiers on each side of them moved close to her and Todd. She glanced at the two flanking men before turning her attention back to one in front of them.
“Take these two to the evaluation center,” the man ordered.
Sammy flinched when one of the soldiers grabbed her and another grabbed Todd. She began to fight, kicking out her feet and struggling to punch the guards, when she heard Todd’s cry of fright. She cried out in pain when the soldier escorting her twisted her arm behind her back. Tears burned her eyes when she felt cold steel against her flesh.
“Sammy!” Todd cried out. He began to struggle as the soldier picked him up.
The man in charge motioned to the group of soldiers who had closed in on Todd and Daciana. Sammy stumbled when she looked over her shoulder. Daciana’s face was changing, her long dark hair becoming a sleek fur pelt. She was taking on the appearance of the She-Devil.
“Kill her,” the leader ordered.
“No!” Sammy screamed, struggling against the soldier pulling on her arm.
“Daciana!” Todd cried.
Tears blurred her vision when she heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire. Her view of what happened next was cut off when more soldiers came out of a truck and stepped between them and the helicopter. She turned and searched for Todd. He was hanging over the soldier’s shoulder—sobbing.
A Humvee pulled up and stopped in front of them. The soldier motioned for her to climb inside. Unable to use her hands to help steady herself, she tumbled into the vehicle. A rough hand gripped her arm and straightened her. Sammy bit her lip to keep from crying out. Across from her, Todd and the soldier who had carried him sat in silence. Grief poured through her when she saw the tears coursing down her brother’s cheeks. He had known so much heartache and sorrow in his short life. It wasn’t fair.
Looking out the window, Sammy wondered how much more they would have to endure before the world found a way to right itself. She blinked back her tears and began a silent chant in her head. A chant that she hoped would come true—and that Dust would somehow, someway be able to hear.
Please be alive. Please come help us, she repeated over and over until she felt a sense of calm sweep over her. She hoped that Daciana was right,—that Dust and Josie had survived the crash—and that the crew that had been assigned to kill them had not.
Chapter Sixteen
Allies and Foes:
“Are you okay?” Josie murmured for the hundredth time.
Dust nodded. He wasn’t really. The shivers that began shortly after they set out had grown worse. Even with the heavy winter clothing, he was freezing. At the same time, his skin felt as hot as Josie’s when she was all fired up.
The minutes turned into agonizing hours. Even when it began to grow dark, the three soldiers didn’t slow down their pace. The storm that caused them to crash had disappeared just as quickly as it had formed. The only thing that still remained was the heavy green fog.
“What the…?” Josie breathed, comi
ng to a sudden stop.
Dust drew to a stop beside Josie. They had exited the woods and climbed a rocky embankment onto a wide highway. Ahead of them was a bridge lined with abandoned cars and bordered by the remains of a residential neighborhood. Dust looked at the long row of houses rising out of the fog like ghostly apparitions.
“Where are we?” Dust asked Bowling.
“Outskirts of the forbidden zone,” Bowling harshly replied.
“The forbidden zone?” Josie repeated.
Daniels nodded. “It is the line where this green shit begins and where it disappears. The winds coming from the ocean keep it off the coast,” he replied.
“I don’t remember Portland being all that close to the ocean,” Dust said in confusion.
Daniels glanced at him before looking away. “At least half of the coast was destroyed or disappeared under the water after the initial impact. What’s left of the city is a lot closer than it used to be,” he informed them before becoming silent again.
Dust took a shaky breath. His aunt and uncle’s house was in Troutdale, a suburb of Portland along the Columbia River. He looked at the bridge again. Even twisted and broken it seemed familiar. He searched across the raging river and saw the hollowed out remains of a dozen or more motor homes. He knew this place. It was the RV Park that they used to drive by and his mom and aunt would tease him by asking him which one he wanted to travel in. He had been across this bridge hundreds of times. His aunt and uncle lived a little over a mile on the other side.
“I…,” he began before a strange moan filled the air.
He wanted to look around and see where the sound came from, but for some reason he was captivated by the darkening of the green fog—which was turning into a shimmering hue. In the back of his mind, he realized that the others had turned toward the moaning sound. They were all looking at him. Josie’s eyes were narrowed in concern while the soldiers looked at him with growing suspicion and apprehension.
His legs trembled. He looked up at Josie when she grabbed the straps of his backpack. The worried expression on her face had changed to desperation.
“You have to keep going,” she murmured, shaking him a little.
“What’s wrong with him?” Matthews demanded, taking a step toward them.
“Nothing,” Josie replied, looking over her shoulder. “He just can’t believe we’ve made it to Portland. Isn’t that right, Dust?”
He swallowed and nodded. Matthews was clearly not convinced. Dust wanted to grin, but couldn’t without releasing the tension he was putting on his jaws to keep his teeth from chattering.
“Josie, I’ve got to find a place to… recharge,” he mumbled.
Josie’s expression softened. “I know. Do you know what is going on?” she quietly asked.
Dust licked his lips. “I think… I think I’m changing again,” he admitted.
Josie took a deep breath and looked over her shoulder. The three soldiers were quietly discussing which way to proceed. Something was going on between them. She had been around her dad and his gang long enough to learn how to read the subtle nuances in their expressions and body language. They were up to something. Matthews had been visibly upset and frustrated when Daciana followed Sammy and Todd onto the other helicopter. Why would it have mattered—unless they were trying to separate the normal humans from the not-so-normal ones? Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a can of the supplemental drink she had stashed in case of an emergency and popped the top open.
“Drink this and whatever you do, don’t pass out. I have a feeling we’re in danger and it isn’t coming from the green gas floating around us,” she muttered.
Dust nodded. “Me too,” he mumbled.
She watched as he lifted the can to his mouth with shaking hands. She could feel the heat radiating from his body despite the cold wind coming down the river. They needed to find a place where she could build a fire, and Dust could rest until these new changes passed. She hoped that what was going on inside him didn’t take as long as the last time.
Her wish must have been heard because a snapping sound caused the three soldiers to look up in alarm. The dark waves of green fog were rolling toward them. Mixed in the fog were long tentacles of lightning, snapping and crackling along the ground. The electrical charge in the air made her hair stand on end.
“Run!” Bowling yelled above the roar.
Josie wrapped her arm around Dust’s waist and pulled him along beside her. They ran along the highway, weaving through abandoned cars and over pavement littered with the debris of rocks, dead trees, and garbage.
She almost fell when Dust stumbled. She could hear him muttering for her to leave him, but she ignored his otherwise incoherent mutterings. They managed to reach the bridge and were almost halfway across when Dust tripped over a broken piece of pavement. They both fell.
Josie looked up, desperately searching for one of the soldiers, but they had disappeared. She turned her head and took a swift, horrified breath when she saw a wall of water heading toward them down the gorge.
Scrambling to her feet, she pulled Dust’s arms to get him up. If the electrically-charged storm didn’t kill them, the massive wave of water would. Josie recoiled when four figures draped in dark hooded cloaks suddenly appeared beside her. One of the cloaked figures grasped her arm and began pulling her while two more lifted Dust to his feet, wrapped their arms around his waist, and moved at a rapid pace across the swaying bridge. The last one stood in the center of the bridge with his arms outstretched—one hand holding the wall of water back while his other created a barrier against the storm.
Her view of the man was disrupted when she was pushed through the open door of a cargo van. Seconds later, the cloaked figure from the bridge joined them and slammed the door shut. A man sitting in the passenger seat barked out a swift order to the driver. Josie knelt over Dust. Her hands were raised, and her fingertips danced with flames of warning as she eyed the covered faces. She wasn’t taking any chances. The day had already gone from hell to eternal damnation thanks to bugs, crashes, and horse-shit soldiers who left civilians behind.
“You can put the flames out, girl. We aren’t the ones you should be afraid of,” the man in the passenger seat said as he turned and pushed off the hood of his cloak.
Josie looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. “I’ll be the judge of that. Who are you?” she hissed, trying not to fall over when the driver turned the corner and weaved through a series of overturned vehicles.
“My name is Dan Brown. I know Dust. It is good to see he made it. Who are you?” Dan replied.
Josie slowly lowered her hands. More to brace herself than because she felt any less threatened. She twisted and sat down on the floor of the van when the driver took another corner faster than she felt was necessary. She pushed her hair back from her face and studied the faces as the others began to remove their hoods.
“I’m Josie. How do you know Dust?” she asked.
“He’s our nephew,” the woman sitting across from her said. “I’m Margery.”
Josie looked at the woman who had held back the fog and water. Her dark brown hair was highlighted with strands of gray at her temples and her face was smooth except for a few wrinkles around her mouth and eyes. Her dark brown gaze looked back at Josie with a compassionate, yet curious expression.
“He came looking for you,” Josie blurted out, realizing the others were waiting for her reply.
“I’m glad he did,” Dan replied.
Josie watched Dan turn and murmur to the driver. The man slowed as they entered a more congested area. Josie peered out of the front windshield of the van as two men ran forward and pulled open a large metal gate. It looked as if they were entering the back entrance to a school.
“Welcome to college,” Margery teased with a smile.
Dust faded in and out—literally. He could hear the gasps, giggles, and exclamations in the background. At times he could even feel fingers checking his hot forehead.
&nbs
p; “He feels cooler than he did before,” a woman’s voice said.
“Thank you, Trista,” another woman replied.
A frown creased his brow. He knew that voice. He’d heard it on and off most of his life. Clawing his way back to reality, he forced his heavy eyelids open. He blinked several times to clear his vision. A familiar face peered down at him.
“Aunt Margery?” he forced out past his dry throat.
“Oh, Dust,” Margery murmured, stroking his brow with tender fingers. She looked away and spoke to someone behind her. “Are you sure his fever is going down? He still feels hot.”
“It is barely above normal now and there is no guarantee that it isn’t his new ‘normal’ body temperature,” Trista replied.
“I’m hungry,” he murmured, wincing when his stomach cramped and growled.
Relieved laughter filled the room. He turned his head when he heard Josie’s mixed with the others. She winked at him and grinned.
“I told them you’d be starving when you woke up,” she teased.
A ghost of a smile curved his lips before he turned his attention back to his aunt. Over her shoulder, he saw another familiar face appear. Tears suddenly blurred his vision, and he knew he was about to embarrass himself.
His uncle motioned for everyone to leave the room. Dust turned his head when Josie touched his shoulder. She bent down and brushed a surprising kiss across his lips.
“I’m glad you woke up,” she whispered before straightening and walking out of the room.
“Wow,” Dan replied, watching Josie walk out of the room before he turned and grinned at Dust. “No wonder she has been so protective of you.”
Dust opened his mouth to correct his uncle, but instead of words of protest, a choked sob came out instead. His aunt immediately sat down on the bed next to him and pulled him into her arms. He wrapped his arms around her and held on as grief engulfed him.
He didn’t know how long he cried. The wall that he had built around his heart over the last couple of years felt like it was crumbling.