The Air Singer (The Cantors) (20 page)

“Hands up!” he demanded.

The two agents turned around, bringing their hands up as they did. 

“Now, release my friend.”

“Take it easy,” the taller Spina agent stated flatly. “Let’s all calm down before someone gets hurt.”

Roland yelled, “Look out!”

Before Oliver could discern what Roland was shouting about, he felt the barrel of a gun against the back of his head.

“
How about you put down the shot gun and pull up a chair next to your friend?” A familiar voice came from behind him.

He knelt to the ground and laid the
shotgun on the floor next to him before he was bound with nylon cords and tied to a chair next to Roland. When he looked up he recognized the man that Tally slammed against the wall in the control room.

“I didn’t think you
’d wake from your nap so soon.” Oliver mumbled.

“I didn’t think a trained paladin would leave a loose end like me.
” Eddie replied while rubbing the back of his head. “Now where is the little air bag? I have a score to settle.”

“Mike? Mike, get up.” Tally shook his limp body trying to wake him. He began to stir and brought his hands to his head.

“What the hell happened?
” His eyes opened. “Tally! You have to leave. We’re being robbed!” He tried to sit up. “We have to find Anna.”

“I’m fine Mike.” Anna stood on her good leg, leaning against Kate. “You need to get up. We’re leaving.”

Tally helped Mike stand and the whole group hustled out of the store. When they reached the parking lot, Mike assisted Anna into the passenger side of his truck. 

“Could you change a tire on
Oliver’s jeep for us?” Kate asked. “It’s just a little way down the road.”

“Sure, climb in.
” Mike held the door open while Kate hopped into the passenger seat. “Shouldn’t we call the police before we leave?”

“No, it’s fine Mike. The best thing to do right now is get us on the road
,” Anna answered. She noticed that Tally did not move toward the truck. “Tally, come on. Get in the truck.”

The singer stood motionless looking back at the store. “
Go ahead. I’ll meet you at the jeep in a few minutes.”

“No!” Anna demanded, “Get in the truck
! We need to leave the area! This place is not safe.”

Tally turned to the old paladin. “We can’t leave until the tire is changed anyway
. I’ll be right there.” She looked to Kate. “Mind if I borrow that pepper spray?”

“Tally!
Get back here!” Anna yelled.

“I’m coming with.”
Kate began to climb out of the truck.

“No! No! We are leaving!” Anna demanded. “Tally, this is all about you
. We need to get you away from here. Oliver and Roland are in there protecting you! Don’t let it all go to waste!”

“You’re right! It is all about me
. They wouldn’t be in there if it wasn’t for me,” Tally snapped at Anna. “Kate, you need to take Mike to the jeep and get that tire changed. There is no way all of us are fitting in his truck.”

“I don’t know what you ladies are talking about, but I’m still thinking the police would be a good idea right now.” Mike interjected.

“Kate please!” Tally pleaded.

Kate tossed the pepper spray to Tally and got back in the truck. “C’mon Mike, let’s get that jeep running.”

“No!” Anna began to yell again.

“For Pete’s sake
, shut the hell up!” Kate interrupted the old paladin. “She’s not listening to you. She’s going to do what she wants. The sooner we get that tire changed, the sooner we all get out of here.”

Anna sat in silence, shocked at Kate’s outburst
. Mike looked down, hiding his amusement. “Well let’s get going.”

“Be safe!” Kate yelled from the truck.

Tally watched as her friends pulled away before walki
ng back into the building.

  The nausea came quickly
. She attempted to strengthen her shields and ran toward the back office. She crept down the stairs, listening for any sign of Roland or Oliver.

She headed
toward the kitchen, careful to stay out of sight from the doorway. The remains of an end table and its contents littered the floor. A table lamp lay next to it with its shade ripped off. Her hands grasped the twisted iron like a baseball bat. She flattened herself against the wall that separated the kitchen from the library. Her pulse raced as she heard mumbled voices, but none familiar. Closing her eyes, she lowered her shields hoping to sense anyone in the other room. She recognized Roland and Oliver’s energy sitting in the corner, but there were three other people moving about the room.

She needed to somehow communicate with Roland and let him
know her plan. Both Anna and Roland had mentioned the link between paladins and singers used in battle. Her training never progressed that far with Roland, but the connection was so potent when Roland used it to convince her to come with him months ago over breakfast. She closed her eyes and attempted to remember how the link felt. Her breathing slowed as she focused on finding Roland’s energy, listening for his thoughts.

Tally should be miles away by now.
She better be. If anything happens to her... Oliver deserves a hell of a beating for coming back here. He knows better than this shit. Tally’s safety always comes first.

Roland?

Tally’s attempt to contact her paladin brought nothing but silence.

Roland, I’m here. I’m right outside the kitchen
. If you can hear me, cough.

Roland dropped his head and c
leared his throat.

I can hear you Tally
. You need to leave now! Don’t let this all be in vain.

I’m not leaving
! I have a plan. I’m going to make them leave the kitchen with you. As soon as they bring you out to the library, I need you and Oliver to close your eyes and drop to the ground.

Please don’t do this
. Just turn around and leave. I can keep them busy interrogating me for a few more minutes, while you escape. Please, just run. This place is going to blow any minute.

Then y
ou are wasting time and can argue with me later. Get ready!

Tally changed her focus from Roland to the
preheated oven. She’d never tried to control her element in another room. She envisioned the flames burning at the bottom of the oven. The familiar vibration stirred in her chest as she focused on the air just above and forced it down and away. The door to the oven popped from the pressure and the blue and orange glow disappeared from her vision. She opened her eyes and prepared to wait, hoping she’d succeeded. A few minutes is all she needed for the gas to accumulate.

“What the hell was that?”
the Spina agent named Eddie asked.

“
You interrupted breakfast,” Roland answered. “It’s an old oven. The metal expands from the heat.”

Eddie looked sideways at Roland and began to head
toward the oven. 

“So what do you think your boss will say when you tell him you spent all your time flirting with me while
a singer escaped?”

Eddie turned back
toward Roland and smacked him hard with the back of his hand. Roland’s head flew back with the force of the blow.

Roland!

Tally winced at the sound.

“
What was that, foreplay?” Roland asked as he brought his head back up. “You should buy me dinner first.”

“I’m more into
instant gratification. Like the kind I will get from your precious little airhead when I get my hands on her.”

Roland attempted to
stand only to be hit in the gut just before he crumpled to the ground.

“What the hell are you doing?” Oliver whispered to his friend. “How is this helping?”

Roland rolled over so that he could see his friend. “I’m trying to buy her time.”

Eddie stood over Roland.
“Time for what? She’s not getting away. We will find her.”

“Hey boss?” The larger Spina agent interrupted.

“What?” an irritated Eddie answered.

“Do you smell something?”

Tally brought her focus back to the oven. She didn’t know how long she would have before the gas would dissipate. She waited, knowing exactly who her target would be.

“Check the oven!
” Eddie commanded.

The agent obeyed
and opened the oven door. Tally condensed the gas filled air and directed it toward Eddie’s face.

“Gas!” he yelled. “There’s a gas leak
! Grab them and get upstairs.”

Tally picked up the pepper spray canister and prepared herself for a scuffle
. She focused on the space in front of her and created a small whirlwind a foot in diameter. She depressed the top of the pepper spray canister and emptied its contents into the spinning air.

Eddie stepped out first, followed by Roland and Oliver
guided by the other two Spina agents. Tally’s heart raced but she forced herself to concentrate. The pepper spray twister began to lose shape.

“Oliver
, hit the ground!” Roland yelled. They both collapsed like dead weight and fell from the grip of their captors.

Tally forced the spray into the face
s of the men left standing in the doorway. All three yelled and gasped for air while their eyes filled with tears and swelled shut. Tally stood and ran at the Spina agents swinging the lamp base toward their heads. She made quick contact with the skull of the behemoth that had held Roland captive and turned to give his friend similar treatment. With both men crumpled on the floor, she reached for one of their side arms and whipped around to face Eddie as he flailed toward her.

“Stop or I’ll shoot!
” she yelled.

Eddie stopped his charge as he tried to focus on Tally through clouded vision. “
Alright, alright, calm the hell down.”

Tally pulled the slide back and loaded the chamber on the pistol she’d just confiscated from the agent. “Don’t fucking move!”
 

Eddie fell to his knees, coughing and wheezing. “I’ll just sit here.”

Tally rushed to Roland’s side to release the ropes from his hands. 

“I told you I’d meet you outside!” Oliver yelled as he tried to sit up.

“And I told you to keep her safe!” Roland interrupted.

“Good thing
neither of us listened.” Tally finished releasing Roland and turned to undo Oliver’s bindings.

Roland stood up,
ran over and pulled Eddie’s hands behind his back, tying them with the same ropes used on him. Oliver did the same to the other two as soon as he was free.

“Anna and the others a
re waiting for us down the road,” Tally explained. “Mike is fixing the tire on the jeep.”

“What happened to the jeep?” Roland asked as he
pulled Eddie to his feet.

“Don’t ask
,” Oliver frowned at the singer. “Let’s get out of here. We are running out of time.”

The group moved
toward the exit when the sound of explosions rattled the walls around the perimeter of the facility.

“
We’re too late!” Roland yelled. He pushed Eddie away from him and launched toward Tally. Oliver let go of his hostages and ran toward his friends. Tally stood motionless, looking at the stairs just in front of her.

So close. We were so close.

Her vision blurred as she concentrated on the space around her. Suddenly air rushed from behind her. Her hair and Roland’s clothing whipped against her face and body. The very air she needed to breathe pulled away from her. She strained to stay conscious as her chest burned. A deafening blast pierced her ears, just before she surrendered to a dark and motionless silence.

“That should do it.” Mike stood up and rubbed his hands on the front of his jeans. He lifted the remnants of the old tire into the jeep. “She’s right as rain. I would get a new tire when you get a chance. I’d only bet a couple hundred miles are left on this spare.”

“Thanks Mike.” Kate smiled at the young man. “
We should head back to the store. The others are probably waiting for us.”

“We never should have left her!
” Anna yelled from the truck. “Tally is too important to take chances like this! We should go back now!”

“Do you ever shut up?”
Kate asked. “I get it! Tally is important! She’s also the one person who chose to save your ass which I’m not sure I understand because your first impression leaves a lot to be desired!”

“I will have you know that…”

An explosion in the distance interrupted Anna’s reply. All three turned toward the boom and realized at once that it came from the shop.

“Tally!
” Kate ran toward the jeep, started the engine and pulled onto the road. She turned the vehicle around to stop next to the truck. “Mike, take care of Anna. I’m going to find Tally.”

“No!” Anna yelled. “Mike, go with her. She might need help. I’ll be fine.”

Mike jumped into the passenger side of the jeep. “Are you sure we aren’t supposed to call the cops?”

No one answered as Kate raced away,
toward the explosion.

Roland’s ears rang when he opened his eyes. Burning ash floated to the floor that had been cleared by the blast. He lifted off Tally to find her unconscious, but still breathing. He looked around him in awe. The entire library was in ruin around him. Ceiling beams hung loose from above, exposing the remnants of the store’s floor and partially blocking the stairwell. Oliver lay next to him. He rolled his friend over and attempted to wake him.

Oliver coughed violently as he tried to sit up. “What the hell just happened?”

“I don’t know. The facility exploded as planned, but all I felt was rushing air.” Roland stood up and began checking on Tally.

“I don’t think air did that.” Oliver motioned
toward what remained of the Spina agents. The three lifeless bodies had been riddled with shrapnel from the walls and crushed by falling beams. 

“Are you okay?
” Roland looked at Oliver.

“Yeah,” Oliver ran his hands over his body. “Not a scratch, other than those given to me by our friends over there.”

“I think Tally kept the blast from us.” Roland slid his arms under her limp body and lifted her up. “What the hell did you teach her?”

“Not that
!” Oliver tried to push a ceiling beam away from the stairwell without success. “We are going to have to climb over.”

Roland
waited for Oliver to scale over the fallen debris and passed Tally to him before following. They made their way up the stairs and through what remained of the store. Once they got outside, Roland laid Tally on the ground with her head cradled in his lap.

“Tally?
” he lightly tapped her cheek. “Tally, wake up.”

She didn’t respond
. Her breath was shallow, but steady.

“Tally, you need to wake up
,” he pleaded. He dug in his pocket with a free hand and pulled out his keys. “Oliver, get my truck started, we need to get her to Anna.”

Oliver
took the keys and headed toward the pickup when the sight of his jeep pulling off the highway brought a smile to his face.

Roland looked up to watch
the jeep come to a stop in front of the store. Mike and Kate both jumped out and ran to his side.

“What happened
? What’s wrong with her?” Kate asked.

Oliver stood behind her. “There was an explosion
. She’s okay, we just can’t get her to wake up.”

“Then she’s obviously not okay!
” Kate kneeled down next to Roland and grabbed Tally’s hand. “Get your ass up, girl. You are not going to prove that old battle-ax right. You are supposed to be fine.”

“Battle ax?” Oliver asked.

“She and Anna haven’t quite hit it off.” Mike explained.

Oliver couldn’t hide his smile as he placed a hand on Kate’s shoulder. 

Roland stroked Tally’s hair and gently shook her in his arms. “Tally, you have to wake up.”

She made no movement. He shook his head and stood up holding her close. “Let’s get her in the
truck. We need to get out of here.”

Tally felt numb, as if wrapped in a warm blanket of calm. A low hum began to change as she recognized Roland’s voice. He was far away and she was so relaxed, so comfortable. Her shields were down, but the endless chatter and images were gone. All she felt, all she heard, was Roland. 

She felt his sense of duty to the Cadence
. He owed them everything. The Cadence gave him purpose and direction. She felt his loyalty to Anna as his teacher and mentor. Oliver was his brother in every way but blood. Then there was her, his singer. He seemed torn between Tally the Air Singer and Tally the woman. Both held his affection, both ignited his passion. The depth of his emotion rivaled her own as the truth of Roland’s heart revealed itself. 

“I love you too
,” she murmured in a whisper.

Roland froze in place, holding Tally against his chest.
“Tally? Are you awake? Open your eyes.”

“I’m really tired.”

“I know, but please, open your eyes. We need you to stay awake right now.” Roland pleaded.

Tally’s eyes fluttered and met his gaze
. “Hi.”

Roland smiled
and placed her in the passenger seat of his truck, “Hi.”

“Is everyone okay?”

Kate appeared behind Roland, “We’re fine, but something’s wrong with Anna. That shot to her leg is affecting her speech. She won’t shut up.”

“Where is Anna?”
Roland asked as he fastened the seatbelt around Tally.

“She’s down the road, waiting in Mike’s truck.” Kate answered.

“Well let’s get going. You need to be seen by a doctor.” Roland walked around and climbed into the driver’s side.

Kate winked at Tally and squeezed her hand. “
You have a lot of explaining to do when we get out of here.”

Tally smiled as her friend shut the door and climbed into the jeep next to Oliver
. Mike waved from the back as they pulled away.

Roland
started the truck and it rumbled to life.

Tally looked at her paladin. “We need to talk.”

Roland kept his eyes on the road. “Tally, I don’t think this is the time. We just survived a huge attack and you did something back there that neither Oliver nor I have seen before. Everyone’s emotions are running high right now and I think we should wait until…”

“You love me.” Tally interrupted. “I know it. I felt it.”

Roland’s jaw tensed, “Tally, you need to understand…”

“I love you too
,” she continued. “I know our relationship could be complicated, but whose relationship isn’t?”

Roland pulled the truck over to the side of the road and turned in his seat to
face her.

“Any relationship beyond paladin and
singer is more than complicated. It’s impossible. What happens when I piss you off? I’m still your paladin! You can’t break up with me. I will always be there! It’s not like you can just delete my number and move on.”

“
First of all, I can’t delete your number. You took my phone. Second, you’ve already pissed me off and look, I’m still here.”

“I know, but…”

“You had every opportunity to walk away from me, from this. Hell, I gave you an exit that very night, but you didn’t want it. You wanted me!”

“
Tally, I…”

“And I wanted you! That night was amazing and if you want to act
like it wasn’t, fine! But we both know better. It’s been all I can think about for the past month. When you left me without so much as a good bye, it almost destroyed me. I couldn’t believe that you ...”

Roland lunged at Tally, grabbed her face and kissed her fiercely. She lost her train of thought and melted into the kiss that she’d been missing for weeks
. He pulled away, but kept his grasp of her head.

“Is this the only way to get you to be quiet?” he asked.

Tally sat stunned and silent.

“I’m not going to deny my feelings for you, but you need to understand the problems this brings
. Today is a perfect example. You should have run to safety when you had the chance. Instead, you ran headfirst into trouble.”

Tally found her voice.
“To save you.”

“Exactly
. You need to be able separate what you want from what is important. Your safety is everyone’s priority. You owe it to Anna, to Oliver, even to me, to never place yourself in danger like this again.”

“But…”

“Never again, Tally! There are no exceptions. There is an entire organization out there ready to kill you and another ready to die for you. Don’t let all of this go to waste for one person, especially me. I owe the Cadence too much to be the reason for your death.” Roland stroked the side of her face. “If something happened to you, I don’t think I’d survive it. You’ve been my reason for living, before I even knew your name.”

Tally smiled. “Say it.”

Roland quietly chuckled. “Say what?”

Tally gave him a knowing look and placed her hand over his on her cheek.

Roland leaned it and placed a light kiss on her cheek, before bringing his lips to her ear and whispering, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Tally kissed his cheek and brought her arms around his neck, laying her head on his shoulder.

“No one can know.” Roland pulled away slightly. “Anna, Oliver, no one. It must be a secret, at least for now. I need time to figure out how to inform the Cadence. It isn’t approved of.”

Tally shrugged her nose. “Oliver already knows
. He actually is the one that kept me from tearing the facility apart the day you left.”

Roland nodded. “Okay, Oliver won’t say anything.”

“And I have to tell Kate.”

“Tally!”

“What? She’s my best friend!” she defended herself.

“Anyone else?” he asked.

“That’s it, unless you told someone.”

“You are the only one.” He kissed her softly.

“It better stay that way,” she teased.

Roland pulled away and situated himself back behind the steering wheel
. He put the truck in drive before reaching over and grabbing Tally’s hand.

             
“We better catch up to the others. I’m sure Anna is blowing a gasket.” He pulled out on to the highway and sped down the road. It wasn’t long until the jeep and Mike’s old pickup came into view.

“It may be a while before I can hold your hand again.” Roland raised Tally’s hand to his lips and placed a kiss on her fingers before releasing them.

Kate sat on the tailgate of the pickup next to Mike, while Oliver used a first aid kit from his jeep to bandage up Anna. Roland pulled up behind them to avoid kicking up any dust.

He gave Tally a wink and a smile that made her heart skip a beat as he jumped out of his truck
. She followed behind him and joined Kate and Mike on the tailgate.

“What took you so long?
” Anna questioned Roland. “Why weren’t you with the others?”

“I wanted to make sure Tally understood how ir
responsible it was to go back for us.” He looked sternly at the singer. “I didn’t want to do it in front of everyone, but I think I made myself clear.”

Tally
picked up on what Roland was doing and looked at the ground. “I told you I’m sorry!”

“You should be!” Anna looked back
toward Roland. “I’ll trust you got through to her.”

“We shouldn’t have any more problems.” Roland answered. “How’s the leg?”

Oliver finished fastening the bandages around Anna’s calf. “It was a clean flesh wound. It didn’t go near bone. She will need to be checked out by a doctor, but she should be fine.”

Anna situated herself in the passenger seat of Mike’s truck. “I don’t need a doctor. I can wait until we reach the next facility.”

“Where is the next facility?” Tally asked.

Oliver and Roland looked at Anna
. Through everything, she’d never revealed where they would be taking Tally now that her location had been compromised.

“
The Elders have decided to bring all of the singers together at a facility near New Orleans. It will take two full days to get there.”

“Well let’s get going!” Kate jumped off the
tailgate and started heading toward the jeep.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!
” Mike stood up as well, but headed toward Anna instead. “I appreciate the fact that there is a lot I don’t know about what just happened back there, but I’ve never been outside Arizona. I can’t just leave.”