Catalyst (37 page)

A long shot

Chapter 29
- Cain
 

             
I pulled J
eff's neck so that he was leaning
over the middle console with me. I reached my foot over and pressed the gas further down. Jeff yelled, asking me what I was doing.

             
"I'm running down the bastard."

             
"He's a human!" he spouted.

             
"A human who's shooting at us!" He grunted and I peeked up just as fat boy jumped out of the way. "Dang!" I moved
my foot over to press on the br
ak
e
s. Simon's head popped up and I yanked him back down just
as another shot went through the
side window.
That's was when
I realized that Marissa and Billings were still asleep.
How, I didn't know.

             
"What are you doing? Let's just go," Jeff commanded.

             
"No way. That's twice that the guy has tried to kill us. He's going down."

             
I leapt out the side door, hearing Simon's urging me to stay inside, and peeked around the side of the van. Right before I blasted the guy with my sonic hands, Simon pulled a decoy and blurred around the back. Dang it! I ran t
o catch up and saw him trip
. His face was shocked and just as he was trying to get up, I ran in front of him. The guy pulled the trigger and I knew a bullet was going to shred through my chest
,
but it was instinct to try to protect myself anyway. My palms lifted
and
stopped the bullet midair about two feet from my face. It fought against the blast of energy
,
but I held on. I saw the guy's eyes widen just before he flew backwards. He went way up into the air, just as the Lighters had done before. But when he landed in a heap on the ground, I knew he wouldn’t be getting back up. The bull
et eventually started to recede
and then fell away from me on the highway. I sagged at the strain and pain in my arms. Normally it was one blast from my palms
,
but I'd held onto this one. I had been a couple feet away from getting my head blown off. That would bring the beast out in a guy. So maybe I should stop being a pansy and start practicing my gift like the others. Who knew what else I could do and as much as I hated to admit it. I must've been given this gift for a reason.

             
I turned to my Keeper to expel my revelation on him
,
but he was sitting, head bowed.

             
"Simon, funs over, man. Come on."

             
"You saved me."

             
"Yeah…it's cool. You can buy me a gift basket later."

             
"No. It's my job to save you!" he roared and stood up on his shaky legs. "But my body…this old
,
useless, decrepit body tripped over itself. Do you understand you could have died! I've never been able to help you. I was a fool to think that this body could do what needed to be done."

             
"Simon," I said in surprise. "Come on, it's fine. It all worked out."

             
"No thanks to me," he growled and then looked down the road. The enforcers and the lady were running our way. They were still a good half mile away. "Let's go."

             
"I
t's the thought that counts?" I tried again as we climbed into the back of the van.

             
"Actually, no. It's not," he replied and lay down in the back of the van, facing away from me.

             
I shrugged. Dude needed to chill.

             
Jeff got us home fast. And we could see the freaking fight going on all the way down the road. I squinted to see what was going on. Lighters, lots of them. And they were treating the place like  a Demolition Derby.

             
"What time is it?" Marissa sat up, her hair a twist and spike of craziness. "Did I miss anything?"
             

             
"Nope," I said wryly. "The fun's just starting." Billings and Simon sat up too and we watched as Jeff sped us to the scene. As soon as the van hit the brakes, I slammed open the door and we took off toward the tussle.

             
I saw Merrick and a Lighter in a
tiff. The Lighter kept trying to be sneaky, blurring around to stab Merrick in the back. So I bolted his way and when I got close enough, I threw one hand up to blast the sketchy bastard.

             
He went tumbling into Ryan's line of sight from a c
orner of the building. I saw Ryan
move to one side and then Calvin fried him with his fire fingers. Then Ryan went right back to bei
ng in front and protecting his c
harge. Sweet set-up.

             
I was engulfed in big, burly, Keeper arms while off in La-La land.

             
"Dude, what will the wife think?" I joked as I patted his back.

             
"Ah, man, I'm glad y'all are ok. I was worried sick."

             
"You're early," I yelled as we ran towards another Lighter.

             
"So are-" he grunted
"
-
you," he replied gruffly as
he staked one of them through the belly as I held him.

             
"We ran into trouble times ten. You?"

             
"We didn't fare so well
either."

             
I was grabbed from behind. I
flipped him over my head for Merrick to stake him as he landed on the ground.

             
"Everyone ok?" I asked.

             
"Yep. And we got three more." He nodded his head to three people, two dudes an
d a redhead, who looked like a s
iren from the depths of hell as she staked a Lighter through his chin up through his skull. Even I winced, but she smiled as she closed her eyes to the bright light. Then hunted immediately for another one. Sheesh…

             
"Yippee. Well
,
we had some casualties
,
but all still here." I nodded towards Billings who was flanking Marissa with Jeff on her other side.
I saw someone throwing water balloons. Miguel. Miguel was launching water balloons at Lighter's like hand grenades and then as they screamed at whatever was in the balloon, Kay staked them.

             
"Well, I'm
just happy you're ok," Merrick was saying.
"
Lillian would be mighty unhappy if something happened to your sorry hide."

             
"That hurts, Me
rrick," I mocked and blasted a Lighter
with me palm as he blurred up behind Merrick. "Dude, how did you survive at all without me here?"

             
"Shut up," he laughed and staked him.

             
It got awfully quiet. We looke
d around to see all of the Lighter
s were gone
, burned up and dust
. We stood waiting all scattered around the field, our eyes roaming for more. I spotted Daniel by the back door an
d did a double take. What the… W
hen did he get here? I growled at the thought of him being here with Lillian without me.

             
Merrick must've seen my gaze burning. He said, "He's really helped us. He told us they were coming so we could ambush them. He set this whole thing up."

             
Someone must have told the ones downstairs that the battle was over because everyone started pouring out into the snow from the back door. Sherry and Lily bolted towards my man and he wasted no time getting to them. Josh went to Racine, Ma
x went to Jeff and Marissa, Pap
and Mrs. Maggie went to Simon, Frank went to Calvin and I could imagine that conversation. Calvin bragging about getting to fight and Frank groaning about not being able to.

             
Then my heart walked out that door, searching with wide blue eyes that made me smile like an idiot. Daniel made his way to her and she seemed relieved. I arched an angry eyebrow at that scene
,
but quickly changed it to one of happiness as she saw me and took off around Daniel, not even touching him, as she bolted to me. I made quick strides myself and the oomph in my chest from colliding with her was the best kind of pain.

             
"Oh, Cain…" She kissed my lips, my chin, my neck. "Oh, Cain. I'm so glad you're here."

             
"I'm glad you're glad," I joked and kissed her with
gusto. Gah, how much had I missed this? Her lips…it was like kissing her for the first time. Like I'd never felt her softness before, or her need for me.
I was starving for her.

             
It jacked me like a punch to my gut. I found myself pulling her tightly to me and kissing her deeper.
My arms search
ed
for her flesh.
She whimpered and I jerked out of reflex
,
but she kissed me
harder and wrapped an arm around my neck.
Her hand grazed my hair…

             
Oh bo
y. W
e had to stop. Now.

             
So as much as it pained me, I pulled back to look at her flushed face. She blinked in a daze and I couldn’t help but smile smugly as
I
hugged her to me. When I lifted my eyes, the tame, turned Lighter was watching us
with a semi-disgusted and semi-
pissy expression. Well good, buddy, I
thought, g
et your
own.

             
He
turned away and I sensed that I ha
d issued some kind of challenge with my stare. Hmm. I took a deep breath and jus
t wanted to fall into bed with my girl, but since
whe
n did we get a break around here?

             
I picked her up and carried her inside.
We parked it on the stairs and I reveled in the way she clung to me as if she never wanted to let go. When I caught Lighter boy gazing at us once again, I'd had enough of that.

             
So, call me whatever Neanderthal-ish name you must, but I lifted her chin and melded her mouth to mine. She responded vigorously, making me
a
smug and happy
guy
.

             
She tugged once on my lip ring with her teeth and I groaned gruffly. She pulled back and started to apologize, but an apology wasn't what I wanted. As I maneuvered her into my lap on the dark stairwell, I had plenty of ways in mind to make her see just how much I enjoyed that.

             
"Cain," she whispered. Or maybe it was more of a plea.

             
"Yes, lovely?" I said while still kissing her.

             
"This is crazy."

             
"I'm fine with crazy," I said and kissed the
dip under her chin, then her neck.

             
"People can see…if they're looking," she said, her breathlessness making me ache.

             
"Then they need to avert their nosy eyes."

             
But just as I was thoroughly enjoying myself, I heard someone
clapping. I reluctantly pulled away to see what was going on and saw Sherry bringing out a plate of cookies. Then she grabbed her head
with a wince
, dropped the whole plate of cookies from her fingers…and
Merrick caught her before she
fell to the floor.

A pocket full of p
osers

Chapter 30
- Sherry

             
My head ached like I'd been hit. It was the strangest thing. I felt hand
s
all over me and tried to pry my eyes open. I kept hearing someone groaning and wished they'd shut up. It was hard enough to concentrate without all that…that was me. Then it all of sudden just stopped. I opened my eyes and looked at Merrick as he knelt above me.
He exhaled in relief as I opened my eyes and pulled me
into his embrace
.