Cryostorm (23 page)

From this angle I had a perfect spot to cover Georgia with snow. Hand pointed out front, I opened a stream. It shot out well over thirty feet and rained down on her like a tsunami.

She flamed up, slowing the build-up of snow, but outside the ring of her heat, the snow piled around her. I scanned the area again. Nothing. Quiet. Beauty.

But no Nate. I looked to where I’d been standing before I jumped up here and closer to the door I saw something brown. Rectangle. With sprinkles of color on it.

Oh my gosh. M&Ms.
I cut my stream of snow and checked the area again.

Georgia flamed up and burst through the mounds of snow that had formed around her. “Holy hell, girl, that was wicked,” she said through her flaming mouth. The crackle of the snow and ice melting beneath each step she took reverberated against the building and the trees.

I leapt off the roof, guiding myself down with the snow streaming from my palms and landed right next to the M&Ms.

Georgia was still fifty feet from me, so I quick grabbed it and showed her my back. With shaking hands, I flipped it over.

Just you. Back here. 4pm. ~Nate

“Shit.” I shoved the bag in my pocket.

“What? You see something?” Brandon asked in my ear.

“No. Got some snow in my shoe.” I kicked my leg for effect. He had to be watching, right? Did he see me put that in my pocket? “Just had to grab my glove quick. Playtime’s over.”

“So, you give?” Georgia’s voice was close.

I whirled around. “Yeah. You’re too strong for me.”

She lifted a thin, auburn eyebrow at me and smiled. “Never thought I’d hear you say that, but I’ll take it.” A grin filled her face. “Feel any better?”

“Yeah,” I said and glanced around. “Much. Brandon, are we done here? Any sign of him?”

“Naw. Come on in. Let’s call it.”

I nodded and looked at Georgia. “Ready or not, here we go.”

Chapter 33

G
eorgia clicked the door to the bathroom shut, and I bolted up. I threw a glance at the clock next to the bed. Almost four o’clock. I cranked the door open and peeked out.

Dim hallways. The power had been restored, but with only a window at the very end, to my left, it was still pretty dim. I stepped out and clicked the door shut. Hopefully Jasmine wasn’t around to hear me. My heart clamored to get out of my chest. That should have been a hint for me to back out of my decision to meet Nate.

What if it wasn’t really Nate who left the note? Was he sane now? What would happen when he saw me? What would we do? I should tell Georgia and Jasmine at least.

No. It was easier for me to sneak out on my own, otherwise Brandon would be all over us.

I crept toward the stairwell at the end of the hallway. Stairs down, then out the side exit to the side lot. Hopefully I remembered how to get to the main town area and back to that building. I shoved my hand in my jacket pocket.

I couldn’t believe he’d chosen M&Ms to leave me his message. He must be in his right mind, then. Maybe he figured out what was controlling him.

But then if he had, why all the cloak and dagger?

Unless he found out Brandon’s team was Agent friendly.
Shit.
Maybe I should tell the gang then. My brain fought with itself each and every step I took down the stairwell. Only three stories, but still.

No. I’d go and check it out. If everything was okay, Nate and I would come back together. I thought that mostly to convince myself but it didn’t work so much. I shoved my hand into my other pocket and fingered the two tranq darts I pilfered from Brandon earlier today.

Came in handy he was deaf on one side because I’m not the best thief. Plus, he was distracted packing up. Plan was to leave tomorrow morning, first light, since the roads leading to the school were predicted to be open.

Hopefully I wouldn’t be needing these darts, but, better to be safe than sorry.

I burst out the heavy, red door and into the cool air. The sun was nearly gone behind the tall trees, though it was still light enough since it wasn’t even four o’clock yet. But it would darken soon. My stomach clenched at the thought. Every instinct told me to go back, but I fought it. I needed to see this through. Trust that Nate was in a sound mind to have written that note.

Pulling my stocking cap down low, I broke into a jog. Each step closer to my destination brought even more tightness in my stomach and chest. Fewer people on the sidewalks this time, which was probably because the temperature was starting to take another nosedive as the sun dipped behind the tall trees.

I glanced around and all seemed secure. Then why didn’t my heart stop smashing against my chest? I wanted to yank Nate into my arms and kiss him silly. The jog helped get my blood moving and warm me up, which was good, because I couldn’t get more wound up if someone paid me a million dollars.

As I approached the end of the town square area, I slowed down and glanced around. Just a couple more blocks, and I’d be to the building. I slid my gloves off and looked around again. Pretty quiet.

I kept my pace quick as I walked, my breath billowing out in front of me as I drew in deep breaths, trying to calm myself. The corner of the last building came into sight and I rounded it. The same sea of snow, minus the dents we’d made in it earlier today messing with our powers, lay out before me. I stayed to the path and headed toward the back.

Scanning the area in all directions, I made my way forward. “Nate?” I followed the path to the right, where I’d found the M&Ms, but everything was silent. Still.

With the snow covering the ground, the limbs of most of the trees, and even most of the wall of the building next to me, everything was silent. Felt like all the noises vanished. Sucked out from the earth.

I stopped where the shoveled path ended.

In the next instant, Nate’s blurry face approached. His hands pushed against my chest and my back met the brick wall of the building behind me with a resounding thud. I didn’t understand how my whole chest hadn’t caved because his momentum was so great.

I squealed at the impact and felt his cool fingers curl around my neck.

“Nate. No. It’s me. Mandy.” I squirmed, trying to get my arm between us. He had me pinned with his entire body. “Wait.”

His were still the beautiful brown color, but blank. Glassy and fixed, but a little red light in his left eye. Like a dot. His arm pressed against my chest, his other hand around my neck, while his legs immobilized mine by their sheer size.

“Wait. Nate. It’s me, Mandy. Your girlfriend. Nate—” I coughed. Couldn’t help it. I thought my Adam’s apple was falling down my throat into my windpipe.

I pushed with all my strength, but I couldn’t budge him.

But I could hit harder.

I iced down my hands to the thickness of a sledgehammer. Maybe a good rack on the brain would knock whatever it was driving him loose, and at the same time let me get some air. I lifted my hand to pound him, and he turned his glazed glance to the side for a second. But it was long enough for me to ram my iced fist into his temple.

I swore I heard something crack. Could have been the ice on my hand, but whatever. Nate loosened his grip as if surprised I’d hit him so hard. He shook his head, still gripping me, just not as intensely.

I swung again, this time my ice mallet clipped his cheek. He stumbled to the side, but still held on. He looked at me, confused, and My Nate’s eyes flickered to life.

“Nate. Nate. Hold on. Fight it. It’s me, Mandy.”

“You shouldn’t have come.” He shook his head. “I can’t hold on for long.”

“Tell me. What is it? What’s doing this to you?”

Blank eyes returned. His fist collided with my chin, and the back of my head cracked against the brick. White lights exploded in my vision.

With both hands, I pushed him, and dislodged him from me. I threw on my ice thrusters and up I went. To the roof, like earlier.

“Nate. Listen to me. Stop. You don’t want to kill me.”

He tilted his head as if confused how I’d gotten up there. “Can’t kill Mandy.” He shook his head and fell to his knees.

“There you go. Fight it.” I paced two steps to the left, then back. The thick snow didn’t allow for much movement. “Come on, Nate.”

His face darkened, like he held his breath too long. Veins bulged on the side of his neck as he shook his head. His fisted hands pounded his thighs.

“Run. You have to get away.” He clenched his teeth. “I can’t stop. I can’t—I’ll hurt you.”

“You won’t kill me. You can’t. You love me. I know it, Nate. You won’t—”

“Not kill. Bring in.” He shook his head. “Must bring Mandy in.” His voice had gone deeper than normal. A chilly, calm tone. Like a robot.

“Nate,” I screamed.

He rammed his shoulder into the wall, so hard everything shook. I scurried up the roof, best I could in three feet of snow, and moved to the left, toward a tree. I could grab that for stability. The snow shifted beneath me from the battering ram hitting the side of the house.

He had to be injuring his shoulder. All I heard were grunts. I reached for the branches, leaning over the old building and pulled myself up more. So, he’d been choking me only to render me unconscious, to take me in. But to whom? The Center or GenCorp?

Okay, yeah. Probably should have told someone I was coming here. I never was known for making the best choices in the world. This would rank up there as one of the stupidest. If I even made it through, because I knew one thing was fact.

I would die before going back to The Center.

Nate continued to ram against the building while I made my way to the top, with the help of the tree branches. With one hand squeezing a sizable limb, I unzipped my jacket half way and dug out my phone. At least I wasn’t stupid enough to not bring it.

Speed dial Georgia. She’d come with the cavalry.

Another shake of the building loosened the snow beneath my feet. Of course my phone was the first thing to go as I reached for the trees to keep me steady. “Shit.”

Like an avalanche, the snow shifted off the sloped roof, along with my phone. I leapt into the tree and hugged the trunk with strength a kola bear would have been proud of. Inching around to the side, I found a branch for footing and stabilized my position.

Guess I’m tranqing the guy.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a dart. No gun or anything, but hopefully my strength would allow me to throw it hard enough to break his skin. My heart hammered at the thought. I didn’t want to knock him out. I hated punching him like I had.

No choice. I had no choice. I—

Wait. What if I agreed to go with him? He wouldn’t have to fight me. He’d probably been programmed to knock me out and bring me in. The tree shook. I looked down, and sure enough, he was pushing it. No need to ram this one, it wasn’t big enough to withstand his strength, and with the cold making everything so brittle…yeah, just another one of my brilliant ideas climbing up here.

Gravity yanked me down as the tree fell into another. The contact jarred me loose, and I plummeted to the ground. Through the thick snow, my shoulder managed to find a boulder to collide with, and a resonating crack rattled through my body.

“Ahh,” I screamed and rolled onto my back, sinking into the snow in time to see the tree headed straight for me. I’d landed directly in its path. I iced down, the thickest ice I could conjure. If it stopped bullets, it’d stop a tree, right?

Nate appeared over me, and the tree landed in his open palms. “Go.”

I called my ice back and pushed up with the arm that still worked. But quickly sunk into the snow, face-first. God, I was tired. Tired of the cold. Tired of being attacked. And just—tired.

The dart had fallen out of my hand, too, so I was screwed. I had one more, but it was in the pocket of my jacket on the same side as my broken shoulder.
Of course.

I called on my healing ice, but Nate’s strong hands yanked me into his arms.

I flopped like a rag doll, hoping he’d think I was knocked out for a second. In the next breath he cradled me like a groom held a bride and started running. Each step jarred my shoulder.

“Stop. Shoulder. Broken.” I barely got out the words through the stabbing pain.

He must have heard, though.

So Robo Nate cared if I was hurt? Saved me from the tree. He stood there, as if paralyzed, holding me. I glanced around quick and saw we were deep into the trees. Did he know where he was going?

“Heal.” He ordered it like I was some soldier.

Tears of pain and anger stung my eyes. I called my healing ice to the surface. It encased us both. Maybe I could heal him of whatever was controlling him. I focused on my shoulder and Nate’s brain. Whether it was suggestions or robotics or whatever, please, just heal from it. Please.

He jerked. His grip around me tightened. The crackle of my ice and bones clicking back into place vibrated through me. He flinched, and I curled against him. Please work. Please work.

Healed of my broken bones, I turned off the ice and slid my hand in my jacket. Last dart. Last chance. I curled my cold fingers around the cylindrical device and squeezed. He took off running again without a word.

The forest whizzed by in a dark blur.

“Nate, please,” I whispered, burying my face in his neck. He had a jacket on, but my forehead still met some of his exposed flesh. “I love you. I love you so much.”

He flinched, but went on. He was in there somewhere, and I would find him. Somehow.

I yanked out my dart and buried the needle in the side of his neck. His eyes went wide but he kept on. In the next second, he slowed. Grunts leaked out from his clenched mouth.

“Mandy,” he said.

I looked up and saw my Nate.

“When I’m unconscious run. Get back to Georgia.” His eyes slammed shut, then popped open. “Don’t meet me again if I contact you. It’s a trick.”

“No. I’ll bring you back. I’ll—”

Shit, I didn’t know where I was. Three strikes and I was out. First was leaving without telling anyone. Second losing my phone. And now knocking him out when I didn’t know how to get back.