6:59 (38 page)

Olive

“Run!” Cameron whispered to me before I could even evaluate the situation we were now in.

“What?” I asked, completely in shock as I stared at the scary Pedro people making their way over to us. They were going to kill us. Like, seriously. This wasn't like the movies where we would somehow get away unscathed. My life was literally on the line. I was going to die. I would not be able to say goodbye to anyone, I would leave this earth still in a feud with my best friend, and I would never see Cam again.

This was not like the movies. I was going to die.

“I said
RUN
!” Cameron yelled at me. He was eyeing the murderers, who were now sprinting towards us to cover the distance.

But I still couldn't move. I wouldn't be able to graduate, go to college, start my own business, live on my own. Nothing. I would just die here, at age seventeen, having accomplished nothing in my entire life. I was just going to die.

“Olive, listen to me!” Cameron yelled, grabbing onto my shoulders and shaking me. When I finally met his eyes, he said, “Run as fast as you can. Go to Anjolie's house. Tell her they've come for Cam. She'll know what to do.” He glanced back at the mob, which seemed bigger now that they were closer. Squeezing my shoulders one last time, he said, “Please, get help. They think I'm Cam — Cam with the special powers that could get himself out of situations like this. But I'm not Cam. I'm human! I can only hold them off for so long.” His eyes were frantic now. “Tell Anjolie to come for me. But get out of here and be safe! Get to safety! No matter what, DON'T COME BACK HERE! You're human, too. I don't want you to die, and I'm pretty sure that Cam doesn't either.” Cameron then let go of my shoulders and started running for the opposite direction of the mob and me, yelling, “Run down that hill over there, then across the river and through the woods! Go straight towards Anjolie's house and then GO HOME!” He spun back around and bolted across the field, the angry mob chasing after him. It wasn't long before they were a speck in the distance.

This time I wasn't frozen in place. I ran, and I ran fast. Jumping down the hill and splashing through the stupid puddle they call a river, I bolted through the woods and back towards my car, hopping into the driver's seat faster than anything. Starting my car, I backed out of the parking lot and raced down the highway toward Anjolie's house. I was not only saving mine and Cameron's life, but I was saving Cam's life as well.

I pounded on her house door as loud as I could. “Anjolie! Open up! Quick!” I cried, pounding harder. I was surprised the door didn't break from my blows. I rang the doorbell simultaneously, rattling the doorknob recklessly.

But no one came to the door.

“Anjolie!” I cried, using both fists to bang on the door. If she wasn't home, I wouldn't know where to find her. I wouldn't know who to get. Cameron specifically asked me to get Anjolie — Anjolie who knew Pedro; Anjolie with the special powers. It's not like I could just call the police or something.

If she didn't answer, Cam would die.

Just thinking about him getting killed brought tears to my eyes. I couldn't let this happen. I couldn't just let him die. He was literally everything to me. Not to be cliché or anything, but if he died, I would be nothing without him.

“OH MY GOODNESS, ANJOLIE!” I cried, sliding to the floor and sitting with my back to the door. This sucked! She wasn't home, and I had no way of finding her.

I pulled at my hair, angry with myself about everything. Why couldn't I have just been honest with Cameron? Why couldn't I have just told him from the start that I loved Cam? It would have made everyone's life better.

But why couldn't Cameron just tell me that he loved Anjolie instead? Why couldn't he have told me the truth about everything from the get-go?

Why were we trying to fool each other?

If we had just been honest with each other, Cam and I would have been together, I wouldn't have hated Anjolie, she'd be with Cameron, and hence, they'd be together at this moment in time and Anjolie would have been able to stop Pedro.

But it didn't happen that way. I loved Cam, and Cameron loved Anjolie, which made me hate Anjolie, which in turn caused my lack of knowledge as to her whereabouts. If I didn't hate Anjolie, I would know where she was, told her what was going on, and she would've saved Cam. Done deal.

But now, we were all screwed.

I was about to get up and go to the police — at least they would be better than nothing, when I saw a car roll up Anjolie's driveway. Upon first glance, I immediately spotted Armando and Hudson in the car with Anjolie, slurping smoothies and laughing amongst one another. If Cam's life weren't at stake right now, the sight would've bothered me. But I was just too relieved to see Anjolie.

Running to the car like a maniac, I banged on Anjolie's side window, capturing her attention. “Anjolie!” I called out, ripping her door open.

With wide eyes, she braced herself, holding her hands up in fists as she prepared to sock me in the face. “You want a fight, Olive,” she snapped, shoving me away and stepping out of the car. “Then we'll fight!” She narrowed her eyes at me as she got into fighting stance. “So you know now, huh?” she yelled, stepping towards me. “Well, yeah, I kissed him! And I'll fight you for it!”

Armando was out of the car in seconds, standing in between us. “Hey! Not now ladies!” he called out, holding his hands out to us.

“You don't understand!” I cried, stepping toward Anjolie. I was immediately stopped by Armando.

“I mean it, Olive!” he yelled, holding me back. “This is not the time!” His eyes glared menacingly at me, frightening me out of my skin. This was probably the first time I saw him angry before. Like, ever.

Hudson was out of the car now, stomping over to us. She glared at me. “Olive, I can't believe you want to come all the way out here and fight! And for what? Your man?” she cried. “Last time I checked, you like
Cam
! Quit the whole stay-away-from-my-boyfriend charade!”

“But that's not what I'm here for!” I cried, my eyes wide with astonishment. Of all the things that could happen right now,
this
just had to be the one.

But now Hudson glanced at Anjolie, shoving her away forcefully. “Don't you dare lay a hand on her, Anjolie!” she warned, her eyes narrowed into slits. “You know you'll kill her and I will not let that happen! She's my best friend, you know, and I will not tolerate watching you murder her!”

If the situation weren't so dire, I would've been shocked to hear Hudson say this. She still considered me her best friend! Even after all of this turmoil, she still cared for me and that was all I could ask from her.

But the situation
was
dire.

“GUYS!” I yelled, finally capturing their attention. “Pedro captured Cameron, and he's going to kill him!” Ignoring their loud gasps, I peered at Anjolie. “Cameron specifically asked me to get you to help him, and you need to get over there fast!”

Anjolie was already racing toward my car, hopping into the passenger seat. “Quick! Get me over to him
now!
” she yelled, buckling her seatbelt.

Pushing past Armando and Hudson, I hopped into my car and started it. “They're at the park, I think,” I said, backing out of the driveway. I knew Cameron said I wasn't supposed to come back, but
someone
had to drive Anjolie there.

“I can't believe this is happening,” Anjolie grunted, whipping out her cell phone. “Pedro finally wants revenge — something that Cam has always prayed for — and
Cameron
has to be the one that has to go through it.” She texted rapidly on her phone.

“Wait, Cam
wanted
to fight Pedro?” I asked, speeding down the roads faster than I should be. Getting a ticket right now wouldn't help our cause.

“
Yeah
,” Anjolie retorted. “He's been dying to can that guy since day one.” She sighed. “Too bad it had to be Cameron.”

I nodded. Just thinking about Cameron fighting that guy made my stomach go weak. Cameron couldn't fight. They'd just have to
look
at him and he'd go into submission without even putting up a fight.

“He's going to die, isn't he?” I asked gloomily as I ran a red light.

Anjolie just stared straight ahead. “He'll try not to,” she said matter-of-factly. “He'll put up a good fight, but not just to save himself.” She looked over at me. “He'll fight to the death if it means saving Cam. If there's one thing Cameron is, it's loyal. He won't die on purpose. At least, not on his watch.”

It was silent as I contemplated her words. She was right. I knew Cameron was going to fight to save Cam. It was just like him to care for others, no matter what it takes.

I glanced at Anjolie's fingers as they texted rapidly. “Who are you texting?”

She hit send, and put her phone back in her pocket. “Aspen and Harper.”

I shot her a confused look. “Why them?” I asked, but I already knew the answer.

Anjolie scoffed. “What? You think I'm gonna go fight those guys all by myself?” she shook her head incredulously. “I may be tough but I'm not
that
tough.”

I nodded, glancing back at the road before us. Good, with their help, maybe fighting these guys won't be so difficult.

I was about to smile when I noticed a black car trailing behind us in the rearview mirror. It was probably the cops in an unmarked car. I hated life. I hated it so much at that moment. Of course the dumb cops would show up
right now
. How come this kind of stuff doesn't happen in the movies? How come the good guys get to participate in high-speed chases and never get caught? Why couldn't my life be like a movie just this once?

“Man,” Anjolie sighed, running a hand through her locks as she looked into the rearview mirror.

I shared her disappointment. “I know, right? Why do the cops have to show up right now of all times?”

But Anjolie just shook her head. “I
wish
those were the cops,” she said, turning around to look at the people behind us. “They'd be easier to get by.”

Before I could praise the Lord for his greatness, I gulped. “Is it Pedro's cronies?” Anything would be better than them. I pressed the gas pedal down harder, speeding the car up even faster. I may have Anjolie with me to fight these guys but it's not like I actually wanted to fight them.

Anjolie clicked her tongue and sighed, facing forward. “I
wish
they were Pedro's cronies. At least I'd get them to lead us to Cameron.”

My eyes widened. Did that mean our followers were
worst
than death? What could be worse than dying at the hands of Pedro's cronies?

“Well, then, who are they?” I asked frantically. I contemplated speeding the car up even more just so the cops could come and save us from the people who were worst than Pedro's cronies.

Anjolie licked her lips and folded her arms. “Armando and Hudson,” she answered.

Olive

We reached the park shortly afterwards, veering into the parking lot without even parking correctly. Before I could stop the car, Anjolie was already out of it, bolting in the direction that Cameron was after just a while ago. She left
me
to deal with Armando and Hudson, who drove into the parking lot just a second after us.

I stomped over to their car. “What are you doing following us?” I cried, waving my arms out frantically. “
I'm
not even supposed to be here! We're all just going to die, you know!” How dumb could they be? Honestly, what could they possibly think they could accomplish showing up like this?

Armando just ignored me and trudged over to his trunk, popping it open with celerity. Bringing out a few metal bars and bats, he tossed one at each of us, keeping two for himself. He slammed the trunk closed and met our eyes. “You two stay here and protect yourselves if you get company,” he said, latching a few daggers into a bag he swung over his back.

“Gotcha,” Hudson said, leaning against the car with relief. I could tell she didn't want to fight. Especially in her six-inch stilettos.

But I wanted to get Cam, even if I had to fight. I was not just going to stay here like a lame duck and wait for the bad guys. I was going to get Cam myself.

Armando started running after Anjolie, his large poles in hand as he sprinted faster and faster. I struggled to catch up to him. He didn't notice me running after him for a while, but when he did, he spun around and stopped me, his amber eyes burning with fire. “I said stay there, Olive. You can't fight. You'll just get yourself killed somehow!” His shaggy black hair was in his eyes now, increasing his dangerous look.

“But I need to save Cam!” I pled. “Besides, what makes you so big and bad enough to fight? You don't have any special powers!” Just because Armando was a man and men were supposed to fight, doesn't mean that he could win. He'll probably end up dying just as soon as I would.

Sighing, Armando looked both ways before meeting my eyes again. He spoke in a lower tone now as he regarded me. “Hudson's father sent me here for one thing, and one thing alone; to protect his daughter. If he knew I would not be able to fulfill that order, he wouldn't have sent me.”

“But what does this have to do with Cam?” I asked.

Armando spun the poles around, twirling them with amazing speed and then halting them in the air, standing like a ninja. “I'm trained in martial arts, judo, and the art of man-to-man combat. I've been training since I could hold a weapon and I served in my father's army for four years. Basically, I'm as deadly as any Gray Eyes, with or without weapons or powers.” He looked at me smugly. “I won't die, Olive. But you will.” He shoved me back in the direction I came from. “Go back and stay with Hudson. We'll get Cameron back. Don't worry.” And before I could respond, he was off, racing toward the woods where Anjolie had disappeared into, leaving me once again alone.

Reluctantly I walked back over to Hudson who was surprisingly filing her nails, her metal bat leaning against the car beside her. I walked back up to her and stood in front of her, crossing my arms.

“This sucks, Hudson,” I groaned, kicking at the dirt beneath my feet. “I wanted to get in there so badly. I wanted to find him and get him out of there.
I
wanted to save him.” I knew I sounded childish but it was true.

Without looking up at me, she said, “You want to be the hero and not Anjolie, huh?” she said. She said it like she was commenting on the weather.

I had to think about it first. She was probably right. Just seeing Anjolie able to be the hero and save Cam's life made me feel like less of a person. I had no choice but to agree. “I guess so, yeah,” I finally said, refusing to meet her eyes. It hurt to admit that I was jealous of Anjolie.

Hudson finished scrubbing at her nails and then looked up at me. “Listen, girlie, you need to know one thing; no matter who saves him — whether it be Anjolie, Armando, or the SWAT Team — Cam will only care about your well-being.” She crossed her arms and leaned onto the car. “I don't think he'd like to see you in there, risking your life for him even though after all of this, he's just going to miraculously end up unscathed because he's, well, Cam. He doesn't want you to die, but I'm sure he'll be more than grateful that you were the one who actually got help. That's all.” She hiked her eyebrow up, emphasizing her point.

I nodded, agreeing with her words. She was right. Cam may be caught up in there and stuck in Cameron's body, but he'd give up everything to make sure I was safe. He may not seem like it, but I knew him, and I knew he would do anything to insure my safety. Just like Cameron.

Before I could respond, I was interrupted by a small, perky voice. “I still think you should go get him, Olive,” it said. I spun around to Harper grinning at me from up in a tree. I smiled at her, shaking my head.

“Yeah, get in there and fight like I know you could,” Aspen said, hopping down from the tree and walking over to us. His dark hair glinted in the sunlight as he brushed off his leather jacket. Harper jumped down and matched his pace. How did they get here?

“Hey, guys,” I said, waving a hand in their direction. “I take it you got Anjolie's text?”

Aspen didn't respond. He was too busy drooling over Hudson, who seemed oblivious of his gazing. But Harper answered me. “Yupperz!” was her cheery response. “She said Cam was in trouble and she needed us at the park.” She gestured around her. “And so we're here!” She was acting as if she had been invited to a party and was happy to have made it.

But that wasn't the case now. Cam really was in trouble.

Hudson stepped up to Aspen and Harper, narrowing her eyes at them. “Shouldn't you guys be, I don't know,
rescuing
Cam, or something?” she said, jabbing a finger into Aspen's shoulder. “Get in there and save him!”

He took her hand and kissed it, smiling romantically at her. “My queen, the pleasure is all mine,” he said properly. “Your wish is but my command.” And with that, he poofed into thin air, hopefully off to save Cam, but most likely headed for some food.

Harper smiled at me and took my hand. Turning, she curtsied at Hudson. “You will be a nice queen someday,” she said, and then she poofed away, taking
me
with her.