“Interesting that you say that because we were requested to meet with Mr. Grape,” Keira told him.
The security guard looked her up and down, “I don’t think so. Now scram before I kick you out.”
“I don’t think you should be talking to me like that, sir. Or I will have to bring it up with my boss. Neither of us wants to see what happens when he gets angry,” Keira lied.
“You have no business here,” he grabbed her arm and tried dragging her away.
From behind him, I could see Clarisse with Lucas close by. She indicated with her hands to cover our ears. Keira managed to yank her arm away and we all did as she asked. I couldn’t hear the sound but I knew exactly what she was doing.
Her hands closed together. The security guard in front of us stopped in his tracks. We had no more than ten seconds to get away from him. After which he would be unfrozen.
We booked it up the stairs, following behind Clarisse. I looked over my shoulder. Lucas walked up to him and bashed a vase into the guard's head. He went limp down the stairs. It was only a matter of time before we were discovered.
Lucas caught up with us just as we reached the top of the stairs. He gave Carter a nod and ran down the hallway. The rest of us followed Lucas down an adjacent hallway.
I hid behind a curtain outside the room while Clarisse and Lucas went under the table. Keira slowly opened up the door to the metal cabinet and slid inside. They were going to be coming at any minute we had to be prepared.
I could feel my adrenaline pumping as I saw them walk into the room. After studying Robert Truly and Jordan Grape for a week straight, it felt cathartic to see them. Agonizing on how this plan was going to go, idea after idea being shut down. The real deal was right here.
They closed the door. I pulled a marble out of the top of my dress. I slid it under the door. It was meant to alert the others that everything was in place. I waited five seconds before barging through the door.
Lucas, Clarisse, and Keira were out in the open, ready to fight. Robert Truly and Jordan Grape looked confused. In the corner of the room were three kids all wearing hoods. No older than the age of seven. There was a little boy with mint-colored scales across his whole body. A little girl looked like she was surrounded by water, but it was just her body. The last child had their limbs connected with what looked like telekinesis.
“Excuse me, this is a private meeting room,” Robert Truly said.
“Sorry, I don’t believe in privacy,” Lucas flipped his dagger around his fingers.
Jordan Grape looked at Robert Truly, “I thought you said no one would get involved, let alone teenagers.”
Keira walked closer to them, “Who’re you calling teenagers? We are legal adults.”
I rolled my eyes, “It doesn’t matter what we are. We’re here to rescue the kids,” I announced.
“Of course, they’re all yours,” Robert Truly laughed as played around with something behind his back.
“I don’t think so,” Lucas shot one of the daggers close to his head. It landed on the wall right next to him. “We don’t want any trouble. We’re just here for the kids.”
Robert Truly looked at Jordan Grape. They both look irritated. Knowing that there was nothing they could do, they surrendered to us anyway.
“I’m out so much money,” Robert Truly snarled.
“Get over it. I’m out three laborers,” Jordan Grape complained.
“You two are disgusting,” Lucas grabbed his dagger from the wall.
Clarisse walked up to the kids, “Look I know you're scared and you have no reason to trust us, but we can protect you. Our job is to save kids like you. So please, follow me and I promise you’ll be safe.”
The three of them looked reluctant. The little girl looked between the two men and Clarisse before finally grabbing her hand. The other kid grabbed Clarisse’s other hand and the boy grabbed the girl's hand.
“Follow me,” Lucas said and walked out of the room.
Clarisse and I followed him. “I’m right behind you guys. I just have some business to take care of,” Keira grinned.
The part of the hallway we’re in is secluded from the rest of the venue. Getting the kids out of here should be a piece of cake. The problem is, the place is huge. It was going to take us forever to get out of here.
Clarisse was trying to speed up but the kids couldn’t keep pace with her, so she had to slow down.
“Amelia? I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” I knew that voice.
I turned around, “Hi, Jonas,” I tried to sound inconspicuous, “What’re you doing here?”
“I came to get a couple kids. You wouldn’t happen to have seen them?”
He looked directly at the three kids, who by this point had stopped walking. “Those kids? They’re my siblings.” I lied.
He sighed, “Look, I’m not here to fight.”
“What a coincidence, me either.”
“It’s a matter of life and death, so please hand them over,” he pleaded.
“Unfortunately, I can’t,” I said. “Lucas, Clarisse, keep going with them.”
Clarisse looked stunned, “We’re not leaving without you.”
Lucas put his hand on her face, “She’s going to be fine. We need to keep moving.”
She looked hesitant, before one of the kids squeezed her hand, “Fine. If you haven’t caught up with us in ten minutes, I’m coming after you.”
They started running away again. I turned to face Jonas. He had his hand in a fist and a dejected look on his face.
He opened his hand and sent explosions at me. The first one was aimed right at my head. I quickly managed to duck. While ducked down I sent a fireball his way. He counteracted it with an explosion that stopped the attack in the middle of us.
I had just enough time to stand up before he sent another explosion my way. If we were quick enough, our abilities counteracted each other. I needed to get closer to him. Hand-to-hand combat might’ve been my best option. Easier said than done I might add.
Sending another explosion my way, I quickly jumped to the right. It was a good thing this dress was flowy enough to not get in my way. I hurled a fireball at his feet. He looked down and jumped back. It gave me enough time to charge at him.
I wasn’t able to reach him before he copied my move, shooting another explosion, this time at my feet. I thought I jumped back quick enough but he managed to get the bottom of my dress, setting it on fire. Just because I could shoot fire from snapping, didn’t mean I was impervious to fire.
I had to think quickly. I was currently on fire, which would be a problem in itself, but I was also fighting against an explosive maniac.
I sent a couple fireballs in succession to give myself some time. I ripped off the burning part of my dress, burning my fingers in the process. Before he could hurl another explosion at me I managed to get the burning part of my dress ripped off.
“Let’s call this off,” Jonas pleaded, “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Not gonna happen,” I yelled while I snapped a fireball at the ground by his feet.
He didn’t jump in time. The residual flames caught the bottom of his pants on fire. Now he knew how I felt. This was my opportunity for a hand-to-hand fight.
In his panic, I was able to grab his hand and slam him down on his back. He winced in pain but was able to grab my dress and drag me to the floor. I managed to stand up quicker than me. The flames went out on his pants.
“I’m sorry,” he said as he sent a more powerful explosion to the ground.
The ground underneath me started crumbling. I wasn’t able to move before the floor caved in. All I could see were the bright lights on the ceiling. I closed my eyes in anticipation of hitting the ground. It never came. Suspended in the air, I opened my eyes.
Keeping me from falling to the ground were green vines. They were wrapped around my arms and legs. It had enough force to hold me in place without constricting me. Before I knew it I was pulled up vigorously and thrown to the ground.
I somehow managed to not hit my head. When I looked around for Jonas I found him tied up in the same vines that protected me. The vines led back to someone I was all too familiar with. She didn’t look too happy either.
She urged the vines holding me, back to her. She walked over to me and reached for my hand. The next words she said would end our silent treatment.
“Even though you hate me, I don’t want to see you die.”
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