Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“I’m Luthor,” he said, watching me through the rearview mirror with a kind smile. There was a cut on his lip. “No need to introduce yourself.”
“My eyes,” I guessed.
“Yep, among other things.” He frowned as he glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “You should make some room back there. When Zach and Jago return, they might land right on top of you if Jago messes up like usual.”
I didn’t ask what messing up meant. Had people ever been ripped apart during a transport? Or was he referring to the time he had transported Holly, and accidentally taken the wrong person? I pressed myself against the door. In the distance I could see a helicopter drawing circles in the sky. I could imagine Major sitting in it, barking orders into the radio, face contorted with fury. He couldn’t possibly spot us from the distance. We were blending into the parking lot, and too far away from the bar for that.
Luthor’s frown deepened as the seconds trickled by. I watched him through the rearview mirror, getting more nervous by the second. He kept glancing back and forth between the clock and his cell phone resting in the middle console. Suddenly the air crackled around me and someone collided with my arm. I was pushed against the door and Zach suddenly leaned against me, groaning as if in pain. He was bent forward so I couldn’t see his face, but his right sleeve was ripped and blood dripped from a long cut. I hastily ripped the rest of his sleeve off and used it to bandage the wound. When I was done, I noticed Zach watching me with a stunned expression.
“You really looked worried,” he said quietly.
“Of course, I was worried. We’re family.” That word sent a rush of happiness through me and left no room for doubt and anxiety. I realized that Jago was still there next to him. His eyes were closed, his face chalk white. “Hey, you need to get Devon,” I said, but he didn’t react. I turned to Zach. “What about Devon?” Panic rang in my voice.
Zach looked away, his eyebrows pulling together. He took a moment too long to reply. “Devon changed his mind.”
I froze. “What? He wouldn’t do that. He would have told me.”
“Maybe he felt bad and didn’t want to disappoint you.”
“Zach, why isn’t Devon here? Tell me the truth!”
He lowered his head and nodded toward his wound. “The FEA agents got us. When Jago appeared, he could only grab me. They had already wrestled Devon to the ground. The last thing I saw was Major entering the room. I couldn’t stay. I’m sorry.”
For a moment my vision turned black. I gripped the seats and inhaled deeply. “This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have involved Devon.”
What would happen to Devon now? I shouldn’t have let Jago separate us. It was possible Major would forgive Devon if he decided to return to the FEA. Devon was still new; Major would probably blame everything on my bad influence. I tried to console myself with the fact that Devon couldn’t have gone into hiding for the rest of his life anyway. He had his parents to consider. Yet the way I’d left him gnawed at my conscience. I could still feel the warmth of his hand in mine.
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Zach consoled me. “I bet Major will give him a simple warning. If they catch Will, though, he won’t be so lucky.”
“Will escaped?” I asked.
“Yeah. He knew that Jago couldn’t have transported him too, so he fled with another car. He’s good at running away. That’s what he did all the time before joining Abel’s Army.”
I buried my face in my palms, overwhelmed by my conflicting emotions. Worry for Devon, relief about Holly, profound happiness over having found my brother.
“Is there a way we can find out what happens to Devon?” I asked, lifting my gaze.
Zach’s lips quirked up in a small smile. “That won’t be a problem.”
“You have a spy in the FEA?”
“Maybe,” Zach said, before turning to Luthor. “When will we arrive?”
“A couple of minutes.”
“Where?” I asked.
“Our helicopter. We flew here. There’s a secure base not far from here.”
I leaned back, but my muscles were coiled tight. Zach was watching me with a strange look. “What?” I whispered.
“I can’t believe you’re really sitting beside me. I’ve been dreaming about this for years. Whenever I lost hope, the memories of you kept me going. I knew that one day we’d be reunited.”
“You remember our time together?” I asked in amazement. I hadn’t even remembered his face, much less any shared happiness between us. Before I’d found the photos in the files, I barely remembered anything at all. He was only two years older than me. Did that make such a big difference?
“Yeah, I do,” he said softly, then shifted in his seat to face me. He lifted his fingers up to my temples.