Absolute Zero (28 page)

“How’d you know?”

“He was calling you Mandy, and you’re all gah-gah-eyes at him.”

I sagged into my chair. I should gather up some clothes and stuff to bring to the safe house, but I really didn’t care. Jasmine had most everything we needed, and despite nearly ten hours of sleep, I was still tired.

“Yeah, you know what, G?” I said.

She smiled. “What?”

“It’s just so nice that he’s like me. A mutant or whatever you call people like us. There’s a connection with him that could never be with Zach. Sure, he could understand about all this junk, but not as much as someone like Nate.”

“I know. I feel the same way about Tim.” Georgia arched an eyebrow. “What are you going to do about Zach, then?”

“Just tell him, I guess.” My stomach bottomed out and my heart fluttered. But was it from nerves or did I still have feelings for him?

Chapter 36

“I
don’t like being separated from Georgia.” I looked through the back window as Nate drove.

“She wanted to ride with Tim, and there was no way Martin was fitting in the back of this car with two other people,” Nate laughed.

I laughed too. “That’s true, but it just feels weird, you know?”

“I know how it feels to be apart from you, and I don’t like it, so I can guess it’s pretty uncomfortable for you to be away from Georgia.” He smiled. “I didn’t have any true siblings, though.”

I reached over and twined my fingers with his. The turn to the long road leading to Jasmine’s house came into view. I glanced once more to Tim’s car, which followed close behind. The late afternoon sun had taken on a pink tinge as it prepared to set soon.

“So, if anything happens, remember where to meet, right?” Nate asked.

“Fifth tree to the left of the path next to the shed behind the house. I remember it.”

“You’re the strongest, then Georgia. The rest of us will cover you, back you up in any way we can, but when Andrey reveals himself, you turn on the ice. Like you did with me, I couldn’t get traction to run on the ice you laid down. Surround yourself with ice and once he hits it, he’ll slide. Then freeze or burn him. If you can get him alive, that’d be better. But it’s unlikely.”

“I tried to get the 4-1-1 from him when I saw him in California and pinned him to the tree, but he wasn’t talking.”

“If we have him long enough, I’ll make him talk.” Nate’s voice sounded dark.

“You know tactics, like Jasmine, huh?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t want to know.”

“I wouldn’t tell you, anyway.”

“You wouldn’t huh?”

“No.” He looked at me. “I’ll take care of it. You don’t need to see that stuff.”

Good, because I didn’t
want
to.

The car lurched to the side, then I bounced up as we navigated the dirt road disguised as a driveway to the house. The kitchen light beamed and two figures moved around, maybe cooking dinner?

Yep, just another day in the Hillman family. Cooking dinner, having grill outs at a safe house while waiting for a freak of nature Agent to come over and try and kill us all.

I love my life.

Nate navigated the car around the side, toward the garage, then slid the gear into park. He glanced at me, his eyes dark, and squeezed my hand. “Ready?”

“Not quite.” I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his. After a long couple of seconds, I pulled away. “Now I am.”

He brushed his lips against my cheek, and I drew in a deep breath, memorizing his smell. “Let’s get this guy, okay?”

Tim’s car crackled the gravel as he came to a stop next to ours. I pushed my door open and popped up in time to see Georgia’s head. I looked to the side door to the house and my heart plummeted.

Zach stood, arms crossed over his chest, staring at me. Oh crap, had he seen me kissing Nate?

All of us made our way toward the side entrance and Zach moved out of the way for Martin to go first. Who wouldn’t move if they saw a tank coming their way?

As I passed by Zach, he grabbed my hand. “I need to talk to you.”

I glanced ahead of me and saw Nate turn around. He nodded and smiled. “I’ll be in here with Scott, filling him in.”

The lack of jealousy in Nate’s tone of voice and demeanor totally confirmed I’d made the right choice.

“Mandy, what are you doing with him? How could you—?”

“No. Wait.” I shrugged out from Zach’s grasp and stepped back, toward the cars. “I’m sorry, Zach. I just can’t be with you.”

He shuffled over the gravel and put his hand on my shoulder. “But I told you why I did what I did. Samantha made me. I—”

“It’s not just that.” I peeled his hand off my shoulder, and his gray eyes flickered.

I remembered the first time he looked at me with such longing. “Nate’s like me. He understands. He—”

“I understand, too. I’ve covered for you. I’ve helped you. I know I’m not super-fast like him, or have special gifts, but I love you, Mandy. Doesn’t that count for something?”

“Loved me enough to tell me the truth about Samantha? The truth about why you stopped calling and broke up with me?” I shook my head. “No, you didn’t.”

“But—”

“Look, Zach. You were my first love. You’re an amazing guy, but I’m sorry. I’m with Nate.”

Zach looked past me, toward my car, but before I could look, someone said, “It’s time to come home, Mandy.”

The voice, the female voice from The Center—er—wherever I was in June, sounded like a gong in my head. My heart exploded. Not so much from fear of getting captured, but how familiar it sounded.
Again.

Zach’s eyes widened. “Mom? What are you doing here?”

Chapter 37

I
turned around and put my arms out, keeping Zach behind me. Sure enough, Zach’s mom stood near the trunk of my car, flanked by three goons dressed in black fatigues, dart guns aimed.

“Mom?” Zach said.

“Shut up, Zach.” I was one step from the front bumper of my car. Maybe I could push Zach behind it to safety. “Jasmine, need a little help here,” I whispered.

“But how’d you find me?” Zach asked, ignoring my order to shut up.

He had no clue. She was an Agent or whatever Andrey called his goons. Her name was in the book, but that was a Center book. Did they branch off after my Mom’s experiment?

I squatted down, planted my hand beneath the front bumper and hoisted the car up. It flipped over, and I hoped I aimed well enough to crush someone. I sprayed an ice shield with my other hand and heard the pings of those wicked darts bouncing off. “Back up Zach. Now!”

I stepped back, but my heel landed on his foot. He hadn’t moved. The door burst open behind me.

“Mandy?” Nate yelled.

“Get Zach inside with Scott.”

“Martin, go. Keep them safe,” Nate ordered.

Streams of orange flame flickered in the corner of my eye and a scream followed. Two black figures flopped around on the ground.

Now, where did Zach’s mom go?

Nate stood by my side. “Jasmine’s security is seriously lacking.”

“We knew they’d come, right?” I said, as I stepped toward my now upside-down-car. “I was just hoping for a little more time to get ready.”

Georgia came to my other side. “Where’s Jasmine?” Georgia asked, as she handed me an earpiece.

Again with the Rambo junk. I shoved the electronic in.

“Ten more coming through the east side of the woods,” Tim’s voice echoed in my ear. “That makes at least twenty.”

“Any sign of Andrey?” I asked.

“You’re going to need this if you want anyone to hear you,” Nate said, handing me the molar mic portion of our little electronic set up.

“Yeah, that would help.” I grabbed it and shoved it on. I hated the taste of metal.

“And no, there’s no sign of Andrey,” Nate said.

“So, it was Zach’s mom?” Georgia said, as she doused the flame in her hand and stepped to the car.

I glanced around. Darkness began to settle in as the sun set. “Mrs. Landry, come on out,” I yelled. “You don’t want Zach to get hurt, do you?”

She peeked around from the shed. Two more darkly dressed guys flanked her. It appeared she had them in abundance. Suddenly she lurched forward and zoomed toward us in a blur. She stopped a foot before colliding with us. Jasmine smiled behind her.

The two guys dressed in fatigues stood dumbfounded. Nate leapt into action and grabbed Zach’s mom, one arm around the waist and one around the neck. “Start talking.”

“Back off,” Jasmine yelled at the other army guys creeping in from the darkness surrounding us.

Five formed a half-circle around us as we backed toward the house, holding Zach’s mom. Their guns were trained on us, and I could almost sense their itchy trigger-fingers.

“So, you were the one behind me back in June? The faceless voice. I knew I’d recognized it, but I couldn’t place it. Plain as day, now.”

She grunted.

“Dr. B Landry,” Georgia said. “But you’re a secretary.”

Another grunt.

“You don’t work for The
Center?” Nate said. “I would know you.”

“I once did,” she said with a cough. “Not a doctor.”

“Loosen up the grip Josiah—Nate,” Jasmine said.

“Call your guys off, Landry.”

The woman laughed. “They don’t answer to me.”

Scott’s bellow cut through the dark, and I almost puked. Jasmine disappeared, but I heard a grunt in my earpiece.

I sprayed Zach’s mom’s feet down, freezing them to the ground. Georgia sprayed a wall of fire at the Rambo guys that had encircled us. With my other hand I shot ice bullets at another five advancing.

They crumpled to the ground. Ice must penetrate vests. I sprinted around the corner of the house and skidded to a stop. Andrey held Scott by the throat with one hand and his shiny steel weapon in the other.

Georgia gasped. I screamed. “No!”

Jasmine lay slumped on the ground at Andrey’s feet. Scott’s pleading eyes streamed with tears as he looked at me, then to Jasmine.

“I
vill
trade.”

I iced my hand down, felt the tug creep up my arm.

“No. Mandy. Don’t,” Scott said.

Andrey lifted him higher. He cocked his head in Nate’s direction and squinted. Nate stood to my left, Georgia to my right.

“Tim, you have eagle eyes?” Nate whispered.

“Yep.”

I wasn’t sure what that meant, but it had to be good. At least I hoped it was.

“You’re not an Agent for The Center?” Nate said. He stepped toward Scott and Andrey.

I glanced around. The darkness seemed to come alive as inky figures inched our direction. Why weren’t they firing?

“They amateurs.” Andrey shook Scott. “Ice and fire for
brothaaar
.”

I stepped forward. Nate grabbed my hand. “You know where to find me,” he whispered.

My heart stalled.

He vanished. A blur zoomed toward Andrey and plowed into him. Scott disappeared from Andrey’s grasp, and I sprayed the ground.

“Georgia. Fry him.” I yelled.

Ping!

Darts bounced off my hard body as I sprayed a fountain of ice on the ground near Andrey. Couldn’t get behind him very well, though, so he inched his way back, slipping. He must have caught a spot of solid ground, because he turned and took off.

Georgia threw balls of fire at Andrey’s back, and he fell to the side, sliding across the skating rink I’d created. My sister turned to the side and sprayed approaching threats. I made my way to Andrey, slipping on the ice myself.

He flipped to his stomach, then slammed his metal weapon through the thick ice. He hopped to his feet and set one foot in the hole and lunged.

He approached me like a speeding bullet. I sprayed a stream of ice at him but he broke through it, only slowed a little. I pointed my open palms at the ground. Spray jetted out from both, and I shot up into the air.

“Georgia, coming at you.”

Andrey slid right beneath me.

My sister whirled around, hands blazing, and showered him with flame. He flopped to the ground twitching. I landed with a crack and skated to him. I doused the flamed but froze the lower half of his body to the ice rink we stood on.

“Stay close to him.” I bolted toward Jasmine. “Jasmine, you okay?”

She groaned.

“Tim. Martin. You got something that’ll hold Andrey? Nate wanted him alive if possible.”

“On it,” Tim said.

I glanced at Georgia. She nodded toward the trees, the direction Nate took Scott. “Go.”

I felt so out of control with so many things happening at once. Zach’s mom frozen on the other side of the house. Andrey here. Nate and Scott gone.

My heart cracked against my ribs.
Please let Scott be okay
. To grab someone going as fast as Nate was could be bad. Around the house, I counted the trees and darted toward our meeting point.

Scott lay on the ground, but Nate was nowhere to be found. I skidded to my knees next to my unconscious brother. Blood dribbled from his ear and the side of his mouth. I shook him. “Scott!” I glanced around the darkness. “Nate?”

Shuffling beside me drew my attention. A dark figure approached. I held my hand up and froze him solid. I touched Scott’s shoulder and the next second he was encased in my healing ice. I stood, searching the black void around me. Icing down with a thick armor, I stepped forward.

To my left, two more goons approached and bullets pinged off my shields. The trade offer must have shifted into a kill on sight order.

I forged onward, my ice bullets slicing through them. “Nate?” I squinted through the darkness, hoping to find any sign of him. Something caught the front of my foot and pitched me forward. I landed on my stomach, then turned to see what had tripped me up.

It was Nate’s leg.

Chapter 38

“N
ate!” I screamed as I scrambled toward him.

He didn’t even flinch when I yelled his name, and I yelled loud because it stung my throat.

“Oh. God.” I pressed my hands against his chest and shook him. “Nate.”

His head bobbed side-to-side as I moved him. A circle of blood stained his white shirt at his shoulder, two more in his side and another his leg. I scanned the darkness. All seemed quiet.