Absolute Zero (19 page)

“Well—um—I mentioned it to her that my dad used to watch them, so she—um—offered.” Yeah, couldn’t tell him the truth there. That he was really Georgia’s dad, too, and she wanted to have some of the same memories, which included watching cheesy, old, action flicks. “She’s sweet that way.”

We turned into the main parking lot of our apartment complex.

“That’s cool. Let’s get you home for that then. I don’t want to interrupt roommate time.”

“Well…” I swung his hand. “I was hoping you’d want to come watch it, too.”

He beamed. “Really?”

I pulled him to a stop and looked up into his chocolate eyes. Sure, I’d only met him a little over three weeks ago. Hell, I’d only been broken up with Zach just over two, but I really liked Nate. Maybe it was just his confidence or his never pushy personality. He was easy to be around, and I found myself wanting to be around him more and more.

I hadn’t even introduced him to Scott or Jasmine yet, but I might be ready to share a little slice of my life with him. A movie I’d only ever watched with my dad.

I pushed up to my tiptoes and pecked a kiss to his yummy lips. “I’d like that. I mean if you want to.”

Nate glanced around, then yanked me into his arms and dove in for another kiss. “If it means spending more time with my favorite girl, then I’m in for sure.”

Chapter 25

“T
hanks for the ice cream, bro,” I said from the backseat of his Mustang.

“I can’t believe how much I miss my little sisters around,” Scott said as he glanced in the rear-view mirror.

“You can drive up and visit any time if it involves trips to the Dairy Queen for large Blizzards,” Georgia said.

Scott laughed. Jasmine’s shoulders shook.

“Oh, and hey, I want to meet these two characters I’ve been hearing about. It’s been almost a month since you started school and I haven’t met them.”

“Fine. Come on up, maybe they’ll be around and can pop down to the apartment and meet you.” I slapped his shoulder. “But you better be nice, okay?”

“Ooh, sounds serious,” Scott said. He glanced at Jasmine and I saw the side of his face crease with a smile. “Hey, and when am I anything but a totally hip and cool big brother?”

Georgia and I snickered at the same time.

Scott maneuvered the car into a parking spot in the side lot. We made our way toward our apartment.

“I’ll start the coffee and give the guys a call, okay?” Georgia said as she opened the door, then scurried into the kitchen.

A loud crash followed by a thud shot the hairs up on my neck.

“Georgia?” I hurried toward the entryway to the kitchen, but Andrey’s body filled the doorway. That infamous silver weapon, slammed into my chest, and I flew threw the air. I landed with a thud near Georgia’s room.

“Jas, get Scott out of here,” I said with a cough. I felt a cool draft of air, signaling that she snatched my brother and scrammed. She’d hopefully be back once he was safe.

I got to my feet and iced down. Head-to-toe, an inch of ice covered my skin. I moved toward the kitchen again, but Andrey’s blurry body rammed into me by the time I’d made it half way through the living room.

That time I flew into Georgia’s bedroom. Directly into the wall, leaving a me-sized dent. I landed on my knees and plaster rained down on me.

Sure, I was coated with ice, so nothing punctured my skin, but I sure felt it when I knocked against the unforgiving layer of cold. Another blur charged me. I held up my arm, and it collided with Andrey’s steel weapon. With my other hand, I hammered his chest. He streaked across the room and landed on Georgia’s massive chair.

Now that thing was sturdy, but he crushed it like it was made of toothpicks. I shot ice bullets at him from one hand while I streamed ice with my other. I heard a few bullets ping off his steel baton before he disappeared in a blur.

Damn speed.
At least that time he didn’t ram into me. That really hurt.

“Mandy?” Nate yelled. “Mandy. Where are you?”

Oh my gosh, Nate. Was Andrey still in the apartment? I de-iced as I moved toward the bedroom door. Nate met me there.

He grabbed my shoulders. “Mandy, what’s happening?” He looked past me. “Oh my God, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. It was a robber or something.”

I hurried through the door, keeping Nate behind me. I scanned the area, but Andrey didn’t appear to be in the apartment anymore. “Georgia’s in the kitchen.”

I rounded the corner, but she was gone. “Georgia?” Tears stung at my eyes. “Georgia?” I ran to my bedroom. Nothing. My bathroom. Nothing.

“Mandy, what’s going on?”

“Georgia’s gone. He must have grabbed her.” I tugged at my hair. Tears poured down my face. “Oh my God, he got her.”

I barreled past Nate, nearly knocking him down. “Stay here.” I plowed through my door and ran to the stairs, my heart thudding against my chest. I kicked open the massive door and flew down the stairs. “Mandy, wait.” Nate’s voice was close.

I kept going. I had to hurry. The longer it took to get after Andrey the further he’d be. He freaking had my sister. Please, not Georgia. Not—I shook my head.

Couldn’t have a mental meltdown yet.
Focus
. I had to get to Georgia.

Once on the main floor, I sprinted down the hallway to the back door and burst through it. Andrey would take her a back way. He wasn’t as fast as Jasmine, she was nearly invisible when she ran, but Andrey, although a blur, was still noticeable. He’d have to stay with the shadows. Especially carrying Georgia.

That’d slow him down for sure.

I bolted across the dim parking lot. Just my car sat there and one other. I hurried to the tree that we knocked down to make as a bridge and crossed the little stream. “Mandy?”

Damn it, Nate was following me. Oh well, he’d seen the apartment, he might as well see the rest, right? We’d have to leave now that Andrey found me and Georgia. I stopped and looked to the right. Five steps forward and three to the left would get me to a black box.

Had to give Jasmine credit. Having a plan and route was pretty handy. I knelt down and dug in the hollowed tree log and grabbed the black box.

“What are you doing?” Nate asked.

I turned and saw the outline of his body behind me. “How’d you find me?”

“I saw you come this way.”

I clicked on the flashlight and pointed it in his direction. He squinted and shielded his eyes. “Someone grabbed Georgia. I’m going to get him.”

“You have flashlights stored out here? How’d you find this? It’s pitch black out here, and I already know you stumble in the dark.”

“Had this planned, in case something like this happened.” I stood and took off again, deeper into the trees surrounding us.

The wooded nature preserve was three miles by two miles with one solid structure in the middle. Abandoned, but left for nature to deal with. A sub division filled the other side. It’d been started but never finished.

It was a long shot, but maybe he took her that way. As soon as she woke up, he’d be sorry. Unless he kept her drugged. Or, unless she was dead.

No. If she were dead, Andrey wouldn’t have taken her. He’d use her as leverage so he’d have to keep her alive. Son of a bitch I couldn’t believe I was thinking dead or alive. Georgia had better be alive or I would have one serious meltdown. No, a freeze down.

And it wouldn’t be pretty for anyone in the near vicinity.

“Not sure what’s happening, but I want to help,” Nate said, as he came up beside me. “You might need me.”

“Too dangerous. You should go. I’ll find you later. Left hand turn coming up.” I pointed the flashlight and veered off.

“Nope. Whatever it is I can help.”

“What do you know about anything?”

“Nothing. Just that you’re in trouble, I care for you, so I’m going to help.”

I glanced at him. “You asked for it.”

I picked up my speed. “Georgia?” I held my breath, wishing I had Jasmine’s hearing. I dug out my cell phone and speed dialed Scott.

“Mandy? You okay?” Scott’s voice cracked.

“Yes. Where are you?”

“Jasmine’s safe house. She’s coming to you. Should be there soon.”

“I’m on the escape route. You stay put.”

“Georgia?”

“Scott. He took her.”

“No!” Something in the background cracked.

“I’ll get her back. Then I’m going to kill Andrey.”

“Do it.”

“Tell Jasmine to hurry. She knows where I am.” I slid my phone into my back pocket again.

“Did I hear you say you were going to kill someone?”

A scream penetrated the darkness surrounding us. I doused the flashlight and stopped, keeping my arm out to stop Nate. The voice was Georgia’s. I turned a circle searching for a bright flame.
Just flame up, G, just flame up so I can find you.

An explosion behind us vibrated the ground. I ducked on instinct, then whirled around. Nate’s hand landed on my shoulder.

“What was that?” he asked.

“Might be Georgia.” I looked at Nate. “Nate. You’re going to see some crazy shit in about five seconds, if you choose to stay.”

“I’m staying.”

I moved toward the direction of the explosion. An orange glow came into focus a ways a head of us. It was so dark out I couldn’t guess at the distance, but I picked up the pace, cooling my body down. Maybe in the dark Nate won’t see the ice form over me?

That’s wishful thinking. “Jas. You around?” I whispered

No answer and no whirlwind of tornadic activity happened, indicating she was here.

Okay, Mandy. You can do this. Be strong.
But what I really wanted to do was puke. Georgia was my sister, my
twin
sister. I couldn’t lose her.

Tears stung again. I bit the side of my cheek to distract myself from the fear threatening to take over and pressed on, feeling more of a chill in the air.

“Get away from me,” Georgia screamed. Off to the right a burst of flames ignited, near the abandoned structure I knew was nearby.

A stream of orange cut through the air, and the dilapidated structure burst into flames.

“Was that a flame thrower?” Nate asked. “Hey. I just saw something run across—wait—it’s coming for us.”

“What? I don’t see it?”

“Not sure. It’s fast though. Come on.” He grabbed my hand.

I shrugged free. “Where’s it coming from?”

He pointed to my right. I turned and iced down. Solid, nothing was-going-to-get-through-this-ice thick. I leaned forward, squinting to see, but I couldn’t see anything.

How could Nate?

“Jas?” Or was it Andrey? I raised my hand ready to freeze.

Another explosion rocked the ground. A bright flame started coming my direction from the left. So, either Jasmine or Andrey was coming from one direction, and Georgia the other. She must be following the trail back toward the apartment.

Thank you God she was safe.

Nate stepped beside me. “Oh, my God.” He gasped.

“Get behind me.” I shoved him back. “Stay there. Or better yet, run the opposite direction.

Nate didn’t move. A whirlwind stopped in front of me. Jasmine looked at me wide-eyed, then to Nate. She lunged at me and yanked me to her. “Freeze him. Freeze him now.”

“What? No. This is Nate.”

Nate stared at me with wide eyes, bottom jaw dropped. His gaze went to Jasmine. His eyebrows pulled together and his forehead creased.

“Mandy. Freeze him now.” She pulled me back, away from him, but her hand slipped from my ice. I de-iced my skin.

“Jasmine. No. This is my Nate. Remember?”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Georgia’s flame nearing. “Mandy?” she screamed.

“Here, Georgia.”

Jasmine tugged me back again. “He’s an Agent! An agent!”

No! No! No!
Not Nate. Not
my
Nate. Bile stung the back of my tongue. “Nate?”

Georgia arrived and flamed down. “Mandy.”

“Georgia, get over here,” Jasmine said. “Mandy, what are you waiting for? Do it now. He’s an Agent.”

“Wait. Wait.” Nate’s hands went up. “Jasmine? Jasmine Perry? Is that you?”

“What’s going on?” Georgia asked.

I looked at Jasmine, “Jas?”

“He’s my brother.”

Chapter 26

I
sprayed a stream of ice at Nate with such a force he bounced off the tree truck behind him, and he landed on his knees.

“Run,” I yelled.

“I can’t carry you both and run fast.”

“Take Georgia, I’ll follow.”

A gust of wind signaled that she’d left. I clicked on my flashlight and took off. Nate was an Agent for The Center? He knew Jasmine? This could not be happening.
Please no!

Cracking branches around me sent my heart into overdrive.

“Mandy. It’s not what you think.” His voice was to my right.

I iced down the forest floor and heard him crash to the ground. Unless he had ice skates, he wouldn’t stay upright. I let the ice flow from my other hand, too, pointed a tad behind me, I coated everything.

I turned the last curve to the apartment and saw Jasmine and Georgia there. My car was running and ready to go. I glanced behind me and didn’t see Nate. I stopped the flow of ice and scooted across the tree bridge, then turned and pushed the massive tree into the stream.

Sure, it wasn’t that far across, and the water was, like, a foot deep, but it would at least slow him down. I whirled around and sprinted to the car.

“Jasmine, drive,” I said.

She hopped in, then me in the back and Georgia in the front. Before I was completely in, Jasmine gunned it, and the momentum thrust me hard into the seat. Darkness closed in around me as Jasmine maneuvered the car out of the complex parking lot. Tires squealed as the rubber kissed the pavement.

I just wanted to curl up into a ball and disappear. Nate an Agent? How could that be? And for me to get the apartment right above him? There was no freaking way that could happen by chance. Did he know about me this entire time? And Georgia? He looked so surprised when he saw me ice up.

Georgia coughed, pulling my attention to her. I gripped her shoulder. “Sis, I’m glad you’re okay. I was so scared.”