Right, Neil would be perfect, but I'm so not going there until I've decided where I stand on all this. She shook her head sharply.
Gary sighed and pulled Greg closer to him. "Hey, Neil, we're getting a club together. You know, something where we can practice our powers and talk about politics. You in?"
"I hear ya, Gary, but I don't know. Sounds risky, given... everything. I'll think about it, okay?" He turned to Lucy. "You and Luke are in?"
Lucy shuffled her feet. She didn't want to ruin Gary's efforts, but she wouldn't lie either. "Um, we're thinking about it."
"Got it. Well, like I said, I'll give it some thought but.... "
Gary's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, sure, I understand. See ya, Neil."
"Bye Gary. Lucy. Be careful."
Neil left the three of them with dejected looks on their faces.
Lucy stomped her foot, then blushed at how petulant she must look. "How do you expect to succeed if you can't even recruit people?"
Gary rolled his eyes. "That's why we need you and your brother. If people see you two involved, they'll be more likely to join."
"And then we'll be responsible for leading more kids to their death. I don't want that on my conscience."
"Then you're conscience will have to carry the weight of what's to come. It's not going to get better here. You'll see."
Greg pulled his hand from Gary's and put his arm around his distraught boyfriend.
She looked at the both of them, still trying to make a go of their relationship despite everything going on. "Look, I'm sorry. I don't mean to fight with you. I’m just really stressed right now. But we're the lucky ones, you know? You two are lucky to have each other. I'm lucky to have my brother. I feel bad for those who have to go through this alone."
When the three of them arrived at Lucy's locker, Mr. Lancaster jumped out from behind a door and grabbed at Lucy. She immediately spun him around, kicked his legs out from under him and pinned him to the ground.
"You'll have to do better than that, Mr. Lancaster." She helped him up and dusted off her knees.
"You're a natural at martial arts, aren't you Lucy? I'm glad you can take care of yourself. That will serve you well in the days ahead."
Before she could ask what he meant, he had walked away.
She grabbed her books from her locker, and walked with Greg and Gary to their next class. "I wonder what that was about."
Greg, who didn't talk much, looked thoughtful. "Perhaps Mr. Lancaster has hidden loyalties. We should keep an eye on him."
Chapter 37 – Sam
Sharp spikes pierced my mind as I pried my eyes open.
Drake's voice drifted in and out as his hand squeezed mine. "Sam, you okay? What happened, Honey?"
My vision focused. The frown lines on his forehead worked overtime. What happened? I was standing in the hallway, bumped into Brad, then—
"Oh my God, Drake, someone was in my head!" My body shook from the memory. I scanned the mental energies of everyone in the house, but nothing felt unusual. Aside from a pounding headache, my own mind also felt normal—well, as normal as it ever got.
"What do you mean? Like the way we talk?"
"No, like someone tried to spy on us through me. Felt like they were tearing apart my brain with a knife."
"Are you okay? Is our baby okay?" His blue eyes glistened with spent tears. I'd never seen Drake cry before.
"I think so. My head hurts, but otherwise I feel normal. Help me up?"
He kept a hand on my shoulder. "Shouldn't you rest?"
"I want to make sure my body still works."
He nodded and supported my shoulders as I sat up. The world spun, then settled.
"I'm fine. How long was I out?"
"About two hours," Drake said. "I've been worried sick. Brad wanted to take you to the hospital, but I knew you wouldn't like that. I didn't know what to do, Sam. I've never felt so.... Even when I was powerless, I didn't feel like this."
He leaned in and kissed me. The soft warmth of his lips, the scent of his breath, brought the rest of my body to life. Heat spread through me, but I ignored it. Bad timing.
Our kiss ended abruptly when Brad opened the door. "Sorry. Didn't know you were awake."
Drake pulled back slightly, but wrapped his hands around mine. "It's okay, come in."
Brad closed the door behind him. "You look terrible."
"Gee, thanks. Just what every girl wants to hear."
"So what happened?" Brad sat in a chair in the corner.
"I think I was mind-jacked."
Brad's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Mind-jacked? Is that even a real thing?"
"It is now. Someone hijacked my mind, tried to spy on us from my eyes."
"Shit, man, that is seriously messed up." He leaned forward in the chair, his hands clenching and unclenching. "Are we in danger? Do they know where we are?"
I shifted under my blankets. "I don't think so. I pushed them out before I fainted. They didn't see much, but they might have gotten something from my memory. Depends on how powerful they are. Then again, I don't know the address here, so maybe they can't find us anyway. I just don't know."