Shifters (Shifters series Book 1) (13 page)

Chapter 20

Sugar High

–TANNER–

Well
, she
’
s out again. Really? This is important. Can
’
t she stay awake for more than five minutes? Seriously, she ate everything in the mini bar. If I ate all of that, I probably couldn
’
t sleep for a week.

Jon runs around the corner while Rick helps us load the car with Ryland and all of our belongings. Rick and Kai load the rest of the luggage into the back and close the door. A couple minutes later, Jon pulls up in a crappy little two-door car with mismatched doors.

“I
’
ll ride with you,” Rick says pointing at the car Jon’s sitting in. “Just follow him.”

“What are you talking about?” Kyle says, looking confused. “We
’
re not going anywhere with you.”

“You said it yourself. She needs a good meal and a place to rest,” Rick insists, jumping into the passenger seat.

I can
’
t wait to see what Kai does to get him out of our car.
We are so not going with them.
I mean, I
’
m glad they helped with my sister and all, but they did break into our room and ruin our night in a perfectly good luxury hotel suite, which
is
on the list of things I would very much like to do.

“Uh, I don
’
t think so,” I say, shaking my head at Rick, who’s holding his door from closing. “Tell him Kai.”

Kai looks at Rick, then at Solé and Kyle, and nods to Rick.

What? Seriously? Now we totally trust them? Ryland looks so helpless lying on the middle seat. I need to keep her safe.

I feel a soft, warm hand on my shoulder and hear a soothing voice saying, “It’ll be okay. I promise. We’re supposed to go with them.”

I turn to see the soft, comforting face of Solé.

Kyle says, “I
’
ll ride with Jon then.” Kyle jogs up to the little car and jumps in.

Solé climbs into the minivan back seat and looks at me.

“Staying or coming?” Kai says, raising his eyebrows.

Well, I
’
m definitely not staying here by myself. Being left alone in a huge, strange city while aliens and FBI guys are hunting me is
so
not on my list.

“Fine. Whatever,” I say, making sure everybody understands I don
’
t think this is a good idea.

Solé claps her hands and says, “Goody,” like she
’
s a little girl and her daddy just gave her a double scoop waffle cone. I roll my eyes and reach over Ryland to buckle her into her seat. If we’re going to die, it won
’
t be from being ejected from the van in a horrible crash.

We follow the terrible little car, turning left then right weaving through the city streets. The buildings are kind of cool. Some are older than I can imagine while others are even older. I don
’
t really see any houses or even what look like houses to me. We turn onto a street named West George Street.

Rick points out a door on the outside of one of the buildings with the number 318 and says, “Pull up over there. That
’s our place.
”

I lean forward and ask, “Where
’
s your house?”

Rick gives me a weird look and says, “Let
’
s get her inside.”

Kai opens the door and tells me to get out.

“I
’
ll carry her,”
I insist.

Kai gives me a look and says, “Move.”

I climb out and stand next to the car while Kai reaches in, unbuckles her, and lifts her out of the seat.

“Where are we, Daddy?” Ryland says in a sleepy voice.

Rick says, “Don
’
t worry. We
’
re home.”

“Oh, good,” Ryland says. “I had a terrible dream.”

They carry Ryland into a door of one of the buildings. Jon and Kyle start unloading all of our stuff and follow us inside. From the outside, it looks like a big building a block long. On the inside, it kind of looks like a house. There
’
s a front room to the left with a sofa and several chairs facing a television. To the right, it looks like a kitchen, and directly in front of us, there’s a narrow staircase.

“Who are your friends?” a woman asks, walking out of the kitchen.

Rick answers, “They
’
re Ry—”

“Friends,”
Jon interrupts.
“Do we have enough for them?”

“Of course, we do,” she answers. “Is she okay? Here, put her on the couch. I
’
ll get her something to drink.”

What’s up with these people? This woman doesn
’
t even know who we are, but she
’
s helping us? Being in this house with these people is kind of like I just walked into one of those old black and white shows on Nick at Night. You know, one where the parents are perfect, and the worst trouble the kids get in is stealing their dad
’
s razor to try to shave or something.

After Ryland gets some dinner, she starts acting like her old self. I finally let my guard down when the guys tell their mom about us, and she doesn
’
t totally freak out. Rick excitedly tells his mom about how Ryland is kind of like a superhero. Jon finally convinces Kai to show her what he can do. I don
’
t know how he does it, but he Shifts right in front of her several times.

Kyle tells them about his family and the Keepers and how they think they are saving the planet and how they need to be stopped or we
’
ll all be in trouble.

“I grew up thinking they were just monsters. But look at them,” he says, smiling at Solé. “They
’
re not monsters.”

“You can stay here as long as you want. We
’
ll keep you safe,” their mom says.

We all have a good time talking and laughing feeling safe and relaxed.

“The girls can take my room,” Jon says. “We
’
ll let the guys stay in yours, Rick.”

Kai says, “We
’
ll stay down here.”

“No way. You can sleep in my room,” Rick insists.

Rick and Jon grab the suitcases and take them upstairs. I reach into my jacket and feel a piece of paper. I pull it out and look at it and smile.

555-357-0090

Call me anytime, cutie. Anything I can do to help.

~ Heather

“What
’
s that?” Ryland asks coming up behind me.

I stuff it back into my pocket and say, “Nothing. Let
’
s get some sleep.”

–RYLAND–

I had the weirdest dreams. I dreamed I was on another planet. The sky was a strange color. It wasn
’
t blue. It was sort of grayish orange like a nuke had just gone off somewhere just beyond the horizon.

I was flying, leaping, soaring through the air. My heart was beating so fast I feared it would come barreling out of my chest. I was trying to get somewhere just beyond the horizon, but as far as I flew, it never seemed to get any closer.

I woke up in a cold sweat, gasping, not even sure what I was afraid of exactly. Whatever it was just beyond that hazy horizon, everything had depended on it. And I’d failed.

I know, crazy, right? It was just a dream, my subconscious attempting to manifest my fears into something I could handle. What if I fail my family? What if I can
’
t complete the prophecy? What if the Shifters destroy my home? What if I
’
m not good enough? The list goes on and on.

I know I act confident. I usually am. But this is all very overwhelming.

I realize I
’
m in a bed, but it isn
’
t mine. It
’
s early. Dawn hasn
’
t even broken through the trees outside my window. I wonder where I am.

Solé sleeps peacefully on the floor, so I know I must be somewhere safe. I pad quietly downstairs, still in my Miss Me jeans and crumpled Lucky Brand T-shirt from yesterday. When I step into the kitchen, my eyes go wide as saucers.

There’s a feast down here. There are fresh homemade muffins, every fruit imaginable, pancakes, chocolate chip waffles, and crepes topped with cream cheese and fruit. My mouth waters, and my stomach roars.

It isn
’
t until then I notice a kindly older woman standing in the kitchen, flipping another pancake. Her gray hair, wrinkles, and 1950s housedress suggest she
’
s at least 60, but she has kind blue eyes.

“Come in, dear,” she says. “You must be famished. Eat as much as you like.”

I can’t even describe the wonders of the food I’m eating. The cream cheese and crepes are so light and fluffy. The pancakes are buttery and melt in my mouth. My poppy seed muffin tastes like heaven, and the waffle is covered in vanilla bean ice cream.

I could just die right now. Maybe I already did.

The smell of these perfect delicacies wafting upstairs must have wakened the others because slowly, like zombies, they wander into the kitchen. They all stop, tripping over one another when they see the feast that was prepared for them.

I laugh as I watch their jaws drop and hear their stomachs roar in approval and anticipation.

“Oh, my God,” Kyle breathes.

“Yay!” Solé cries as she dances over to the waffles, beaming. “I
’
ve never had a waffle before!”

Now our jaws drop for a completely different reason.

“Never?” Tanner asks.

We laugh at Solé all the way through breakfast. Her parents were vegans or something. Apparently most of the food she
’
s eaten has been homegrown and made from scratch. The amount of sugar we
’
re eating is new to her. To be honest, I don’t really now what “vegan” means. I think it’s ultra healthy meals, or something. Isn’t it?

I notice, though, it
’
s not having the best effect on her. She
’
s stopping every few minutes, eyes glazed over. She
’
s not screaming or anything, but I think the sugar is making her see things.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “The sugar, I think it
’
s bringing me visions, but they
’
re so fast and confusing.”

“Did your parents ever warn you about eating too much sugar?” Kai asks, concerned.

Sole shakes her head, eyes blank. Suddenly, she begins to shake. She falls to the floor, eyes rolling into the back of her head.

“Oh, God!”
Kyle cries. His mouth drops open like he’
s scared to death. It would be cute if I weren
’
t so worried about Solé.

Tanner springs into action, cradling her head just before she hits the cabinet. He speaks low, soothingly. “It
’
s okay. It
’
ll be okay.”

Solé slowly stops convulsing. She begins to cry. “That poor girl,” she weeps into Tanner
’
s shirt.

It
’
s about fifteen minutes before she calms down, but she refuses to tell us what she saw. She
’
s so traumatized.

“So, no more sugar for Solé, lots for Ryland,” the young cop-to-be, Rick, finally breaks the silence.

We all laugh a little, still freaked out about Sol
é’
s episode. And mine. This Shifter thing is more complicated than any of us expected.

“We need to go,” Solé says weakly.

I nod. “I
’
ll get our stuff.”

“Please,”
our hostess says.
“Freshen up first.”

I realize I haven
’
t showered in . . . well, a shower sounds delightful. We gratefully accept, and I bolt upstairs first.

I blow dry my hair straight, put on my new boot cut Miss Me jeans with the silver stitching, and an emerald green t-shirt that matches my new eyes. I look good, even with the new color scheme.

When I get out, Kai is just outside the door. I run right into his chest, nose first. I blush as I pull back.

“Hey,” I say, staring down.

“Hey,” he says. “I . . . uh . . .”

“You
’
ve got next,” I shrug, flashing a winning smile. I duck around him and head downstairs.

Chapter 21

A Crappy Car Gets Smashed

–TANNER–

I slept like a rock. I swear I woke up in exactly the same position I was in when I laid down. I didn
’
t even dream. Kai is still sleeping, but Kyle rolls over when he hears me stirring.

“Do you smell that?” Kyle’s sniffing the air like a police dog that just caught the criminal
’
s scent.

He
’
s right. It smells amazing.

He gets up, saying, “It smells like the diner my dad used to take me to on Saturdays before training.” He stands up and starts heading for the door, saying, “The only good thing about Saturdays.”

What? Who doesn
’
t like Saturdays? You get to sleep in and hang out with your friends, just goofing off. It
’
s the best day. Dad used to make pancakes and eggs and let us watch whatever we wanted on TV. Sunday wasn
’
t as good. I mean, we didn
’
t go to church or anything, so it was just kind of a hang out day too, but knowing I had to go to school the next day made it kind of a downer.

I run and jump over Kai, trying to catch up with Kyle.

Kai swats at the air moaning, “Hey.”

“Sorry,” I apologize, running toward the stairs. “What
’
s wrong with Saturdays?” I ask when I catch up to him. “What training?”

“It
’
s my dad,” he says as we start going down the stairs. “He was ex-military, so he always got up at zero-dark-thirty. And on Saturdays . . . he was my drill sergeant.”

“That sucks,” I say, running into him as he stops mid-step just as Solé and Kai run into me, forming a traffic jam in the kitchen doorway.

I can
’
t believe this lady. She lets us stay in her house, and she cooks all kinds of amazing looking stuff. The food tastes just as delicious as it looks.

Everything is going great when Solé has another vision. She grabs me and cries, but she won
’
t really explain what she saw. She just sobs and says something about a poor girl. It must suck seeing all of that stuff.

I
’
m the last one to shower so it
’
s kind of cold, but it feels good anyway. I forgot to bring any clothes to the bathroom; I swear I
’
m so stupid sometimes, so I have to wrap a towel around my waist to sneak back to the bedroom. Just my luck, my sister and Solé both turn around and look right at me causing me to freeze in the doorway. Solé, maybe the prettiest girl ever, just smiles and looks down like she
’
s embarrassed.

Like a total idiot, I feel my whole body blush, and I run to the other bedroom. I thought they would’ve been downstairs by now. I shut the door as quickly as I can. I have to admit, putting on all new stuff feels good. I put the mousse in my hair Heather gave me and kind of mess it up the way she showed me.

I peek out the door, and thank goodness, the girls are already downstairs. I seriously don
’
t know what
’
s wrong with me. Why am I so freaked out by girls all of a sudden? I
’
m such a freaking dork.

As soon I get downstairs, I feel like I
’
m on display. Solé and my sister make all kinds of comments about everything. They talk about my clothes and my hair like they
’
re trying to make me feel stupid.

Thank goodness, Kai interrupts them, saying, “Solé, where do we find this guy?”

“What?” Solé scrunches up her perfect face.

Kai gives her a frustrated look and reminds her, “334?”

“Oh,” she says like she just remembered the location of Blackbeard
’
s treasure. “I already told you. He
’
s at 334.
”

“That sounds like an address,” Rick says.

“Great. There must be hundreds of addresses like that,”
Kyle complains.

At Kyle
’
s tone, Solé kind of deflates. Normally, Kyle always seems to get what she means. He usually understands her bizarre, vague proclamations.

“Not as many as you would think,” Jon says. “If it
’
s actually an address, it has to be close to the city center, like between 3
rd
and 4
th
. Or just a couple of blocks off of Chestnut and Walnut.”

He looks up and notices us all staring at him.

“What?” he says raising his palms. “I delivered pizza for a while.”

Rick slaps his hands together and says, “That
’
s it then. Let
’
s go find this guy.”

–RYLAND–

So, we
’
re on Chestnut Street or some other nut-based street, and I
’
m staring at 334. It’s the scariest looking house I
’
ve ever seen. The street looks totally normal. The houses are brick and siding. The yards are perfectly manicured with bright white picket fences.

This house, however, 334, is a solid concrete block with narrow, tall windows. Perfect for a sniper. It’s completely different from every other house on the street.

“I
’
ll wait in the car!” Jon calls.

“This looks exactly like the type of place a paranoid Shifter would live in,” Kai says, grinning.

“You guys are crazy,” Rick says in complete awe.

“I knew we would find him,” Sol
è
beams.

Tanner starts toward the door, but Kyle is backing away. “Guys,” he says.

Tanner turns around right as the door bursts open and two huge men with semiautomatic weapons charge out. “It
’
s them!” one shouts.

The other one grabs his iPod and starts fiddling with it. “I
’
m calling for backup!”

“Keepers!” Kai screams and vanishes instantly.

Solé is gone as well, just like that.

Tanner stands there, horror-stricken as the guy charges him.

“Tanner!” I scream. This can
’
t be happening. Tanner can
’
t Shift yet!

Tanner turns and looks at me right as the guy pulls a nine millimeter from behind his back and shoots Tanner right in the chest. “No!”
I scream.

Suddenly, everything is quiet. The world is frozen. I sprint forward and take his automatic, shooting both Keepers in the chest; then, I run to Tanner.

The world speeds up just in time for me to catch him, the weight dropping me to my knees. I throw the gun to the side. “Agh!” Tanner groans.

“Oh, God! Tanner!” I
’
m crying now.

My brother is dying!

“Oh, man. That hurt,” Tanner groans as he rolls away from me and gets up on his knees.

“You
’
re okay?” I ask, tears freezing on my face.

“Feels like I cracked my rib,” he says, holding up a rubber bullet.

“Shoot!” I shout. I look toward the Keepers to see they’re getting up, too. Slowly.

“We need to run!” Kyle snaps. “They’ll kill you if they have to!”

“Go!” Rick shouts, diving for the gun I dropped. “We
’
ll hold them off!”

I grab both boys
’
hands and we sprint down the street, toward downtown. I see a bus about to stop three blocks down. I race toward it, lungs burning, as I hear sirens in the distance.
If we can just make it to that bus
, I think.

I see Solé and Kai are already there, begging the driver to wait for us. I hear shots behind us and see sparks skittering across the pavement. They aren
’
t shooting rubber bullets anymore.

I turn to see Rick ducked behind the concrete block of a mailboxes and darting out to shoot back at them. He hits one who falls to the ground, but the other makes it into a huge work truck.

“Jon!” Rick calls, shooting at the truck.

Jon starts the engine and races toward the Keeper
’
s car, smashing into it with a huge crash.

A police car whips around the corner; the passenger has his gun out the window, aiming right at us. I want to scream or cry or hide, but I just keep running as fast as my legs will carry me. Rick’s holding his shoulder, which is bleeding heavily. Jon
’
s car is completely unrecognizable.

We dive into the bus just as it takes off, and they’re gone. Or, we’re gone. I’m not really sure.

The driver clamps his hand down hard on my shoulder, and I scream. “Shh,” he says, and I realize he has strange eyes. They
’
re a sort of lavender-gold mixture. They contrast with his pale skin and silvery hair.

“You
’
re safe with me,” he says confidently, but with gentleness in his deep voice.

We’re the only passengers on the bus, which somehow manages to pull away from the police with ease. “How did you do that?” I ask.

He smiles kindly at me, and I wonder at just how little he looks at the road. “Some of us have special talents called Apts. Mine is pulling objects, particularly electronics, into my Shift with me.”

Kai looks like he’s about to worship this guy. “You have a major Apt,” he says in awe. “You would’ve been a god on our planet. Why on Earth would you rebel?”

Tanner and I look at one another, lost.

“My daughter,” the man says sadly.

“I
’
m so sorry,” Solé says “She was so beautiful.”

He nods.

“So, you know about the other planet?” Tanner asks quietly after a long pause.

“Gaia? I do,” the man says solemnly.

“Do you know if they’ll ever stop? Hunting us, I mean?” he asks.

I know what he
’
s doing. I know why he
’
s asking. Tanner’s not a fighter. He
’
s a peaceful person. He would explain everything to the Keepers and forgive them for what they
’
ve done. He would explain everything to the Shifters and forget their transgressions.

“They killed our parents,” I growl at him. “They took his daughter.”

Tanner looks at me sadly.

“They’ll never stop,” the man says. “Never. Power is all they have.”

“Ha!” Kai barks harshly. “They have everything!”

The man shakes his head sadly. “They have nothing. They care for nothing but power, so their lives are empty voids without it. They’ll never give it up. They’ll root out any threat and destroy it.”

I shiver slightly at the chill in his voice.

Tanner nods sadly.

“So, we make them stop,” I say. “We make them pay.”

“First,” the man says. “First, we get you somewhere safe; then, you can plan otherworldly invasions. I
’
m—”

“Marcus!” Solé says, beaming.

He smiles back at her. “Welcome to bus 334.”