Exposing ELE (ELE Series #3) (9 page)

I watch as Tony’s eyebrows crease in the middle.
“Why are your eyes blue?” he asks me aloud. He brushes my long bangs from my face, taking in my eyes.

“Oh,” I say, realizing I can’t tell him the true reason.
“You had a scratch on your face. It must have been from yesterday. I was just taking care of it for you.” I bite my lip instinctively, hoping he won’t catch the deceit in my voice. Much to my relief, he simply smiles back and tells me thank you.

I curl up into his chest and he wraps his arms fully around me.
I can’t help but feel safe in his arms. As if nothing in this world could ever hurt me. If only I could just stay like this forever.

Thoughts of last night begin invading my mind.
Visions of Tony being injected by that red shot, plays itself over and over again in my head. I try to squelch the panic but I'm having a hard time. It wells up inside me and tries it's best to choke me. I feel like everyone I love is going to be taken from me! I hope with all I am that I can keep Tony from turning into a Reaper… but what if I can't? Do I tell him? No, I can’t. It wouldn’t be fair for him to lose the last few days he has if I can't stop this.

I clench my fists unknowingly. My heart starts accelerating and I can feel my cheeks heating up. None of this is fair! I breathe out a long, shaky breath.

“Are you okay?” Tony asks concerned.

I give out a shaky, “Yes.”

He tries to stare me down, knowing full well that I'm not sharing what I'm really feeling. Not wanting to talk about it, I turn over.

He pulls me closer so that my back is against his chest. “I know it's hard, Willow. If you need to cry some more, I'm not going to tell you not to.”

I don't answer him. I don't need to cry. No, the emotions that I'm feeling are not just grief. No, this is much stronger and thicker than grief; this is anger. This isn't fair! None of it! My mom is gone and in a few days, I could very well be losing Tony. I pull a spare pillow up to my chest, clenching both corners of it with my hands. Needing to let my feelings out physically, I alternate between twisting it and gripping it tightly like a stress ball.

My blood starts pumping through my veins more rapidly. How did everything go down like this so quickly? How did my life get flipped on its axis in a matter of a day? You know the answer, Willow! I think to myself. My blood starts to boil. I know very well how my life got totally flipped up...the Hastings’ men! My breath quickens and my pulse speeds up at the thought of the two people hell bent on making my life, and everyone else's, miserable, for their own personal, selfish gain. All of this, every single thing I am feeling right now, is because of them! My mom should not be dead! They killed her! Tony should not be turning into a Reaper! They caused it! They should be dead! They should... as the thought is spoken aloud in my mind, the plan starts formulating in my head. My heart is beating as quickly as the thoughts are coming, lighting fast. They will pay!

I hear the sound of something tearing. “Willow!” Tony sits up quickly.

I look down at the feathers my pillow has vomited up. My hands clench each corner of its torn cover.

Tony grabs my arm and pulls me over to face him. “Willow, you need to breathe. It's going to be okay. Everything will be okay.”

I dart up out of bed like a lightning bolt. “No, Tony! It will not be okay. It will never be okay!” I angrily point towards somewhere on the other side of the window. “They did this! They need to pay!” My breath starts catching and I feel my heart skip a beat before it starts pumping wildly. “I will make them pay! Right now!” A dizzy sensation washes over me and the world starts to tilt.

Tony's eyes widen in shock; he then darts up and forces me to sit in a nearby chair. He pushes my head down between my legs. “Breathe, Willow.” He holds my back down and accentuates his breathing in and out in long, deep breaths. “You're having a panic attack.”

Thoughts of the nurse outside the shelter come to me. I don't want to think of that day. I focus on breathing in and out.

Finally, the dizziness subsides and Tony allows me to sit back up. He quickly kneels in front of me and examines my eyes. Whatever he sees comes as a relief to him. He seems to ponder on something for a second before he relinquishes it. “Your eyes were red.”

I lift my fingers up to my eyes in surprise. “What color are they now?” My chest feels tight with anxiety.

“Dark blue.” He puts his hand on my knee. “You must have used your healing ability to stave off the panic attack. Whatever just happened a few minutes ago was caused by your anger. You have to find a way to control it, Willow, or it will control you.”

I shake my head and this time tears come to my eyes. “I have to hold onto the anger, Tony. Dr. Hastings and Zack deserve to pay for what they've done. I will make them pay if it’s the last thing I do.”

Tony stands up and starts pacing. “You can't just go after them like that, Willow.”

I jump up out of the chair. “See, that's where you're wrong. I can and I will!”

He stops and stares me down. I don't back down or look away. Finally, he says, “I understand your need to avenge your mother. I feel the same way trust me, but we have to have a plan. You can't just dilly-dally in there and go all guns a blazing. They have a lot of manpower.”

“Yeah well, I don't really care. I will go after them. Plus, a lot of that 'manpower' seemed to revolt there at the end for whatever reason.”

Tony stops, remembering that last moment when everyone ran after the Hastings men. “You're right. They probably already killed them.”

The thought makes me angry. “Either way, I'm going after them. I won't stop until I know they are dead.”

“What is killing them going to do for you, Willow?” Exasperated, Tony runs his hand through his hair.

“Do you not realize what they've done? How much pain they've caused? They have killed people that I love! I won't let them take another life.” I realize I'm adding Tony into the count of the people they've killed. The thought runs like ice through my veins. I start pacing, as if the steps can push reality away for a moment.

Tony doesn't notice the addition. His expression softens. “If this is something you have to do, then I’ll go with you.”

I stop mid-step and look at him. I didn't doubt that he would stand at my side just like he did my mothers. I just didn't know there would be so much turmoil and worry for my well-being in the mix. I can tell just by his expression, and the feelings emanating off him in palpable waves, that he cares about my welfare a lot more than a friend would. He is deathly scared of losing me. He steps forward, places one of his hands on my hip, and uses the other to push a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

My heart rate accelerates again, but this time it's accompanied by a fluttering sensation in my stomach. My skin feels acutely aware of him and my eyes glance down at his lips. Having forgotten to breathe, I inhale sharply.

Tony gently grazes his lips on my cheek and then he steps away. I don't want him to and neither does he, but he doesn't want to take advantage of me in such a turbulent time. “Your eyes are black now,” he whispers matter-of-factly.

I blush at being caught reading his emotions.

Not bothered by it at all, he asks boldly, “Will you allow me to come with you to find Dr. Hastings and Zack?”

I nod my head at the same time that I say, “Yes.”

“Then it's a date,” he says, before realizing how funny that sounded in such a circumstance. “I mean, it's a deal.”

I actually let off a half smile. “I get it.”

The corner of his mouth tips upward as well. “I better go get us some supplies then. If you plan to go today then you’d better get some food in your stomach. I won't have you passing out on me.”

“Deal.” I feel the first starts of something semi-decent inside, knowing that we are going to be taking action.

“Why don't you wash up first and change? I'll meet you in the cafeteria.” He heads towards the door.

“Okay.” I wait till he leaves, then I head to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

I manage to keep down a peanut butter sandwich. Tony meets me in the empty cafeteria. He carries two backpacks and holds a pistol in his hand. He walks up to my table and seems pleased with the fact that I've finally eaten something. He places the pistol on the table.

I get up from the table and start to grab the pistol, but then I hear someone clear their throat. I turn to find my dad.

“Tony told me you were leaving.” He looks exhausted with bags under his bloodshot eyes and more grey than usual in his hair.

Nerves rise up as I nod. “I have to, Dad.”

“I'll come with you,” he offers.

Tony and I both say in unison, “No.”

My dad looks like he wants to argue so I say, “You have to stay with Sebastian. You can't leave him.”

“You don't have to go,” he urges me.

“Yes, Dad, I do.”

He holds my gaze for several seconds and then pulls something from his pocket. He holds out a white, sealed envelope to me. “Your mother left this for you.”

I look down at it like it's a hallucination or something that I can't quite comprehend. My dad pushes it closer to me and I have no choice but to take it from his grasp.

“You can read it when you're ready.” I stare down at the envelope, not knowing what to say. It feels much heavier than it is, as if it weighs a thousand pounds.

My dad pulls me into a hug, crushing the envelope and me into him. “You have to come home to me.” The emotion is so thick it chokes his words.

“I will, Dad.” I hold on tight with my free hand.

He doesn't let go for several seconds and when we part, he looks to Tony. “You will take care of my girl, right?”

“Yes sir,” Tony says solidly.

“You will bring her back to me safe and sound?” My dad seems so tired as he questions him.

“I will protect her with my life,” Tony vows.

My dad's eyes water and all he can do is nod. He looks at me one last time and says, “I love you, Willow.”

“I love you too, Dad.” With that, I watch him walk away.

I look back down at the wrinkled envelope in my hand. I turn it over a few times in silent thought before stuffing it into the back pocket of my jeans. My dad said to read it when I'm ready. Right now, I'm not ready. I have something to do first. “Let's do this,” I tell Tony as I pick up the pistol from the table and grab a backpack from him.

Tony nods his head firmly and then leads the way out of the cafeteria and out of the hotel.

The day is coming to an end and twilight is in full swing. I’m glad for the timing; it means when we get to the prison grounds it will be nightfall.

The air has a cool snap to it. One that tells me that winter may still come despite the plans to unleash Project ELE. The wind whips my hair around my face and into my mouth.
I pull it out, take a rubber band from around my wrist, and put my hair into a messy bun. I glance over at Tony, realizing he’s been watching me.

“Your hair looks cute like that,” he says simply.

I try not to blush but lose the battle.
Instead, I playfully punch him on the arm. “Let’s get out of here. We’ve got an appointment to make.”

Tony takes my hand in his. The warmth spreads up my arm as we run, each of us pushing the other to keep at a consistent pace.
We only stop a couple times to rest and get a few sips of water.

We make it to the outskirts of the prison grounds as the moon begins to rise.
Again, the lights are all on at the prison, casting an unfamiliar and artificial glow. Tony and I slow our running and come to a steady walk. We move stealthily towards a group of trees that give us an unobstructed view of not only the wall, but the prison grounds behind the chain length fence as well.

“If we are going to do this, Willow,” Tony whispers, turning to me.
“I have to trust that you will follow these rules. I promised your dad that I would bring you home and I have full intentions of doing so.” He pauses for me to respond.

“I understand,” I whisper.

“Good. We need to talk to each other through our minds, no talking aloud. Number two, stay together, that’s a given. Number three, we are just going to be looking around. If for some reason opportunity strikes, we have to both be in agreement on how to proceed or we leave… no arguing. I will not give that rule any leeway.”

He gives a slight pause and I nod in agreement.
While I may be in a hurry to wring Dr. Hastings’s, and Zack’s, neck, I have to be smart about it; I can’t rush this.

“And the last rule, which is one of the most important.
Rule number four, we squeeze each other’s hand immediately if you find someone with light blue eyes. They are our only real enemy here since they can see through all abilities.”

I nod my head and take a deep breath. “Got it.”

“Good. Ready?” Tony asks through his thoughts.

“Yes.” I swallow my nerves. I try hard not to think about what I'm going in there for. If I do, I may not follow through with my plan.