Collide (Entangled Teen) (The Taking Book 3) (5 page)

I will sneak aboveground and sound the alarm, causing a diversion. You release Jackson and meet Gretchen and me outside.

I shake my head and start to speak when he places a finger to his lips. Frustrated, I grab the tablet, clear it, then write back:

Not going to work. Remember what Kelvin said. The elevators are coded now. Authorized personnel only.

Vill snatches my transfer pen and writes back.
No faith. I can easily decode it.

But what about everyone else? We can’t just leave them. Plus, we have no idea when Zeus plans to attack. We can’t be out in the open with no food or water.

Vill reaches for the tablet, then peers up at me. “We can’t just leave Jackson down there.”

“I know. But I think I have a better plan.”

I write out how Kelvin wants me to train the bases, about how Jackson is better fitted for the job, how I’ll refuse to train them without his help.

“And you think he’ll go for that?” Gretchen asks, speaking up for the first time.

“It’s the best chance we have of freeing Jackson.”

Chapter Eight

That night, my mind refuses to shut down, the sound of the clock in the interrogation room ticking away as though it is beside me, taunting me for what’s to come. The plan replays again and again in my head, and each time I wonder how long it will take me to snap—to attack Kelvin, swiping that smirk off his face. I can almost feel myself doing it now. I tell myself to maintain composure, focus on the end results, but then my thoughts drift back to Jackson in his holding cell, passed out from being shocked or medicated, and rage rocks through me all over again.

It takes me another hour to fall asleep, too exhausted to hold off any longer, but as soon as my eyelids close and my breathing relaxes, I wish I could wake up.

I’m standing on a hill, overlooking Sydia. The city resembles a ghost town from our history tablets, everything dark. Business Park and its skyscrapers look like tombs. Then I’m suddenly at the airport, staring down at a grassy expanse, confused. Why have such a wide area with nothing? Then the ground shakes, and the grass separates, exposing a set of stairs leading down. The Underground. For a moment, I’m impressed that Kelvin hid it so well, but then I hear the sound of leaves scattering, and my gaze snaps up in time to see a hand emerge from a tree, then a foot, then a head, and before I can move,
he’s
in front of me, his mouth curved into the grin of the wicked. I try to respond, but suddenly my legs have grown into roots, snaking into the ground, planting me in place.

Zeus gives me one last fleeting look before disappearing into the Underground, the grassy doors closing tightly behind him.

I cry out as I jolt up in bed, drenched in sweat, shaking so badly I wonder if I will be able to stand. I tiptoe to the door that adjoins my room with my parents, feeling like a child for the first time in ages. But I want my mom. I want her to wrap me in her arms and whisper that everything will be okay, so I can sleep without the nightmares taking me away.

The door is unlocked, so I push the open button to find them both sleeping soundly. I edge over to Mom’s side and she wakes almost immediately, always the light sleeper. “Ari? Are you okay?” she whispers. I shake my head and without a word she scoots closer to Dad and pats the now open space. I climb into bed and she hugs me close, running her fingers over my hair. “What happened?” she asks.

“I had a nightmare.” I can’t keep my voice from shaking. It’s like I can feel him down here, walking around, planning his first kill. “I’m afraid,” I whisper, expecting her to tell me there’s nothing to fear. That she will protect me.

Instead, I feel her swallow hard, and without her having to say a word, her response comes to me.

Me, too.

…

The interrogation room is colder today, the fake air blowing constantly from the vents in the ceiling, making it smell too sterile. Like alcohol or chemicals have been used to scrub every inch of the room. Goose bumps rise across my skin, and I remind myself that I need to calm down. I’ve stood up to worse villains, faced greater threats. Kelvin is no Zeus.

The door to the room slides open but instead of Kelvin walking in, it’s just Law. He peers over at me and I feel his hesitation, all his thoughts, but I no longer care. He can feel sorry all he wants. That doesn’t change what he did—something I would never do.

“Ari, look at me.”

I didn’t realize that I’d focused on the view window, waiting for Jackson to appear, my heart in my throat with fear. What if they don’t bring him? What if something happened? What if yesterday was the last time I’ll ever see him and I didn’t say all I needed to say—that I love him, that I’m sorry, that it should be me in there instead of him? After all, I’m the one who went after Zeus.

After an excruciating minute of me ignoring Law, the door to Jackson’s room opens and he walks in, but he isn’t clean-cut as he was yesterday. Today, his face is white, his right eye swollen, already turning black-and-blue. Xylem will heal the bruise quickly, but that isn’t the point. Healing doesn’t prevent the pain he felt when he was beaten, the pain he feels now.

I race for Law before I can stop myself, throwing him back so hard he slams into the wall behind him. “What did you do? He’s your brother. Or don’t you care about loyalty anymore!”

Law pushes off the wall and stands tall, and I almost laugh. “I dare you. Give me one reason. I dare you.”

But he doesn’t fight; instead he walks slowly toward me, his arms out to show he’s no threat. “You know me, Ari. Seek inside your head, your heart. You know me.” Then I hear his thoughts.
I’m undercover. My mother didn’t trust Kelvin. She asked me to spy on him, to expose him.

I release a breath. “I don’t trust you,” I say, though I want to trust him. I want to believe he’s still my best friend.

“Understandable. But that doesn’t really matter.”

Then Kelvin enters the room, stopping as he takes in Law and me. “What is this? Why are you here early?”

Law turns to Kelvin, the picture of ease. “My last session ended early, so I headed over. I did not realize they’d already brought Ari in.”

Kelvin seems to be considering this, probing Law for the lie, but eventually he glances away from him to his real focus—me.

“Please sit. We’re on a tight schedule today. Begin with your experiences as an RES trainee.”

I think back to Jackson as a leader, to training to become a strong RES, like him. I’d barely received any training at all before we left Loge.

My back tightens as I widen my stance. “No.”

Kelvin stops midway to sitting in a chair. “No?” His eyebrow raises, his mouth curves up like he finds this funny.

“I will not help you. I will not talk to you. I will not do a single thing you ask until you release Jackson.” Kelvin opens his mouth, but I cut him off. “Jackson personally trained every RES on Loge. He is an expert in militant strategies. He can be an asset if you will allow him to be. And he is half human. He doesn’t want to hurt human life. He wants to help it. Together, he and I can train all of your bases to function better than the RESs ever could.”

Kelvin’s head tilts, like he’s considering this, when we hear a knock at the door. “What?” Kelvin shouts.

The door opens and an Op steps in. “We have a problem.”

Kelvin eyes the Op, then me. “Can it wait?”

“No sir. It’s on the Mainland. There’s—”

“Not here,” Kelvin says, cutting him off. “You will stay and watch her,” he says to Law, then he darts from the room.

My gaze drifts over to Jackson to find him watching me, his blue-green eyes no longer beaten, but strong.

Alive.

Raging.

I walk over and press my hands to the glass, my eyes never leaving his. In them I see everything he’s thinking and feeling. His anger at Kelvin. His sadness at losing Mami. His love for me, an unwavering fire inside him. And then I see his determination, so clear it’s as though I’m thinking it myself—he’s going to kill Zeus.

It’s time to begin.

Jackson nods once to me, and I grip the glass tighter, feeling its composition, and then the glass vibrates, harder and harder. Law goes still. I draw a breath, my focus on the boy I love and his raging eyes, and then a tiny crack splits out from my right pinky finger like a spider web across the glass, splitting again and again. Another starts from my left hand and I lean farther into the glass, imagining Jackson and me back on Loge, Emmy and Mami, and then the window bursts, the glass shooting out in a thousand directions.

Jackson stands slowly, effort etched into his face, the muscles in his arms flexing. The door to his room starts to open, and my gaze flashes over, every fiber in me focused on keeping it shut. “They’re coming,” I say.

“It doesn’t matter,” Jackson replies, his voice like a warm blanket over my heart, soothing the ache that’s been there since he disappeared. The ache I feared would never go away. “They can’t contain us. They will never contain us.” I see a new resolve in his eyes, and then I’m counting the Ops outside the door, feeling their emotions—some fear, some determination. Four in total. We can take them, but then what? I have no idea where we are or what we will face even if we can get outside the Underground. And then there’s Law, but he hasn’t moved since the glass broke. Maybe he wasn’t lying after all.

“We have nowhere to go,” I whisper.

“No, you don’t.”

I turn at the hard voice behind me. I’d been so distracted I hadn’t noticed the door to my room opening, or Kelvin Lancaster returning. I spin around, prepared to fight, and then stop, remembering that Kelvin needs us. We are his only valuable resources. We know Zeus. We know Loge. We know Earth. We’re Ancient, powerful and strong, but we’re also human. I shake my head, a small smile replacing the frown. “You won’t kill us.”

Kelvin’s mouth sets into a hard line. “Do not assume that you are an ally here.”

“Oh, trust me, when it comes to you, I assume nothing.” I take a step toward him, then two. “But you are going to release us both. Right now. We will provide any information we can, as often as you need, but you will no longer treat us as though we are the enemy. You and I share a commonality—we both want Zeus dead.”

Kelvin studies me, as though searching for a hint that I could be lying, then seemingly satisfied, walks to the remains of the window. I watch him go, confused by how easily he gave in. Something isn’t right. “How did you do this?”

“Honestly? I’m not sure.”

“Do all Ancients possess this power? Does Zeus?”

“There are only two people who know what Zeus is capable of. One is dead. And the other is surrounded by Operatives.” I glance past Kelvin to Jackson and the four Ops now circling him.

Kelvin runs a finger over a shard of glass, watching as blood pools to his fingertip. “Very well.” His gaze lifts to the Ops. “Release him. For now.” And then he sweeps from the room, his eyes distant in thought, and I wonder, not for the first time, who is more insane: Zeus or Kelvin Lancaster.

Chapter Nine

I hit the close button beside my door and hesitate before turning around to look at Jackson. It’s late now, Vill and Gretchen asleep, so it’s just us and a thousand thoughts to keep us company. I want to ask him what happened back on Loge, where he went, where Zeus might be, if he’s okay about Mami. I want to ask if he’s hurt, if he needs me to heal him, if he wants to sleep or eat. But all I can think about is him, here, in my room. Just steps away, after I’d been so afraid I’d never see him again. My emotions overcome me, and I know he can see them all, but I’m not ashamed. Not now. We’re past embarrassment and worry.

I ready myself to turn around, when I feel warmth on my back, then his arms wrapping around my waist, pulling me against him. He sighs heavily as I spin in his arms and press my face to his chest, breathing him in. And there are no words, nothing to convey how I’m feeling. Relief. Sadness. Fear. Happiness. Every emotion moves through me in rapid succession until I’m on the verge of tears.

Jackson slides his hands up to my face, rubbing his thumb gently across my cheeks to catch a few stray tears. “I know just what you need.” Then he steps away from me and shrugs off the long-sleeve shirt he’s wearing to just the tank underneath—exposing just how much weight he’s lost at Kelvin’s hand. My back tightens and Jackson smiles. “Settle down, tiger.”

“But he—”

“I know. I know exactly how you feel, and what you want to do to him. To everyone in your path. Which is why I’m going to let you do it to me.”

“What?”

“Fight me.”

I take a step back. “What? I’m not fighting you.”

“Then yell. Scream. Whatever you need to do. But the Ari I know would need to fight.”

“I don’t want to fight. Or yell. Or even talk to you. What I want to do is…” I trail off, not sure I want to admit my true thoughts with my parents a wall away.

Jackson smirks, his head tilting in that way I love. “Is what, exactly?”

My cheeks burn as I peer over at the wall. “Nothing.”

He licks his lips. “Mmm-hmm. So fight me. Do you remember our first real fight? The thrill you felt when you knocked me out?”

“It isn’t the same. And besides, if I remember correctly, you didn’t
stay
out.”

A laugh bursts from his lips, and it is the best sound I’ve heard all day. Maybe all year. Maybe in my entire life. And all I can do is stare at him. “See, you’re too tense. Just mentioning that has you all keyed up. You’re a fighter, Ari. To breathe, you need to fight. I get it. Which is why I’m here.” He holds his arms out. “Let’s dance.”

And then he lunges for me, and before I can think better of it, I spiral out of his hold and hit him in the back, instantly cringing at what I’ve done. “Oh! I’m sorry! I—” But I don’t have time to finish before he charges me, sweeping my feet out from under me. I manage to flip before I land on my back, landing instead like a cat, poised on all fours. And then I’m back in motion, punching, kicking, flipping, until we’re both sweating and laughing and for the first time in forever I feel at home.

Jackson steps back, his breathing heavy. “All right then, feel better?” He starts for my bed when I jump him from behind, but he’s too quick, pinning me against the wall, my hands trapped above my head, his face inches from mine, and suddenly all the fear I’d felt at losing him breaks free, my lip trembling as tears spring to my eyes.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” I whisper. “I thought you were…” I can’t bring myself to finish the thought.

He shakes his head, his eyes still on mine. “I would find you.”

“But what if—”

“You’re all I have now, all I need. I would find you.” And then his hands are in my hair, securing me to him, his lips on mine. A combination of a sigh and a sob bursts from my mouth and then he’s lifting me up, my legs wrapping around his waist as he carries me to my bed, never letting his lips leave mine. He kisses me like it’s the last kiss we’ll have, like he needs me to breathe. And I can’t get enough.

We lose ourselves in each other; exploring all the places we’d never paid attention to before. I slip off his shirt and kiss a trail down his back, up his side, loving how even now, broken by the pain of losing Mami, he is still beautiful. Even more beautiful.

He lifts me up so he can tug off my shirt and then we’re lying in bed naked, a sheet over us as we allow our bodies to meld together, everything else gone but this moment. But us.

Jackson pulls me to him as the rush turns calm and kisses my head, wrapping his arms tightly around me like he’s afraid I’ll disappear if he doesn’t hold me close.

For a long time, we lie in silence, and I think that he must be asleep, but then I peek over and see his eyes open, staring at the ceiling, and I know that he, like me, will never sleep. Not peacefully, anyway. There are too many unknowns, too many worries. And then there is Mami, and I’m not sure how to ask if he knows.

“Of course I know,” he says, interpreting my thoughts. “I knew the moment Zeus returned to his office. Like something had died within him. He’d grown more and more malicious the last year, but in that moment I knew he was gone. There was no bringing him back.” He pauses for a moment, then asks, “Were you there?”

I close my eyes, remembering the pounding in my chest, the resolution on Mami’s face as she stabbed herself to help Vill and me escape. “I was.”

“Did he do it?”

I shake my head. “No. She did, actually.”

“Sacrifice?”

“Yes.” I feel a twinge of guilt swirl through my stomach at the admission. Mami sacrificed herself for us. Even now, it feels wrong to say it out loud.

“Why did he take you from our house before the fighting started? Did he know it was coming? Was he using you to bait me?” I asked.

“Why does Zeus do anything? I don’t think he expected you to fight so hard. He doesn’t know you like the rest of us do.”

“Lydian betrayed us.”

“I know. She was with Zeus from the beginning. Not at heart, but she was too afraid to ever truly betray him.”

“What happened after you left his office?”

I listen as Jackson explains what happened in the final hours of that horrifying day. How Zeus had locked him inside, then taken him to the portal, sent the fake time stamp to Briya, and then how he and Jackson fought, Jackson narrowly escaping to Earth, only to be captured immediately by Operatives, just like us.

“So you have no idea where he is?” I ask. “He wasn’t at the portal when we got there.”

Jackson shrugs. “I don’t know. He could be here. He could be back in Triad. I don’t know. But I know he has the other regions prepped to attack.”

“So then it’s real.”

He turns to me. “What?”

“War. It’s here.”

He holds me close, tucking me into him, like he and he alone can protect me. And then silence finds us as we prepare for the fight. We’ve trained our entire lives for this moment, and now it’s time to show Zeus that we won’t go down easily, we won’t surrender. We may not live through this, but we won’t die sitting still, waiting for him to come. We’ll be ready.