“Not that we could tell,” Hayden answered for the both of us.
“Okay. No need for magic for this one. We can just use some bolt or wire cutters for the chain link. Now who's comfortable with throwing energy orbs and fireballs?”
A few hands rose.
“Then I want you guys to make sure you're divided up among the teams. And I want everyone else to work on learning how to do basic healing spells tonight. We'll need to detox as many of the adults as fast as possible tomorrow so they can help us take out the guards.”
“And one more thing.” Gary's small eyes turned beady. “There will be zero mercy for those guards. Is that understood? They let a baby die right in front of them and murdered another outcast, and who knows how many more too. They're scum, and I don't want to see a single hesitation about permanently taking them out. If they see us and you've got a clear shot, you take it.”
Hayden’s hand tightened on mine. “That might not be a good idea.”
Gary turned to him with a scowl. “Why not? You said it yourself. They’ve got live ammo, and obviously they’re willing to kill us. Why not return the favor?”
“Because we should show we’re better than them. Use nonlethal spells instead. It gets the job done without adding to their case against us.”
Gary glared at me. “I thought you said he was on our side.”
“He is,” I hissed. Why did Gary have to be such a monumental pain? Couldn’t he see this wasn’t about anyone’s ego here tonight? Just because Hayden had one opinion different from Gary’s…
A twig snapped somewhere in the distance.
The hairs rose on the back of my neck. We were being watched.
Hayden took a step backwards, pulling me with him.
Then the darts started flying.
CHAPTER 6
Hayden
Gary glared at me. “It's a trap! Everyone take cover now!”
It was like the protest all over again, but with the added obstacles of tree trunks and branches and roots and bushes everywhere. Chaos broke out as people ducked and tried to run but were unsure of where to go. We were surrounded, tranq darts zipping past, lodging themselves in tree trunks and the ground.
“This way!” I yelled, knowing these woods as well as my backyard. How many times had Damon and I come here to play as kids and later hang out as teens?
Tarah and I ran in a crouch in the direction of my house. I couldn't see its lights yet, but we couldn't be far.
Then Tarah was gone. I heard her scream out my name, turned toward the sound.
“I've got one, guys!” Kyle had both arms wrapped around her waist and was dragging her in the opposite direction. And immediately I knew how the soldiers had found us. While inside my house sucking up to my dad, Kyle must have seen Tarah and me arrive and slip around back. He’d probably followed us out here then called in the soldiers.
“Kyle!” Cursing him at the top of my lungs, I ran after him and Tarah even as more darts zinged past my head. “Let her go!”
He ignored me, and now I could see what he was headed for. Soldiers with rifles had circled in on our group's meeting area, pinning down Gary and three others. Several more soldiers were already carrying off unconscious prisoners.
“Guys! Look—” Kyle's shout broke off as the soldiers turned toward him. “Hey, not me! I'm the one who called you in.”
Darts flew, one lodging in Tarah's upper arm.
An animal-like roar erupted out of me as I closed the distance at a dead run, ignoring the now stunned Kyle and catching Tarah just as her knees began to buckle. I carried Tarah out of there, dropping us down behind the thick, close set trees where Gary and the others were pinned.
Gary started cursing me right away. “I knew you were a traitor!”
More pops of rifle fire. I glanced up in time to see Kyle hit his knees. “I'm not one of them,” he slurred out just before collapsing on his face.
“That's what they all say,” one soldier said with a sneer as he and another ran out to retrieve Kyle's unconscious body under heavy cover fire.
As if any of us would fight for that piece of crap.
“Detox her. Hurry up!” I told Gary. Tarah slumped against me.
Gary grabbed her wrist, muttered something. She came around, but her eyes were still glazed.
“I can't detox her all the way, not right now,” Gary panted. “Gotta save some energy for the fight out of here.”
“Then you guys finish it.” I turned to the others.
One made a move as if to help. Gary grabbed his shoulder. “No, we can’t waste the energy. We need everyone’s help to get out of here.”
“Tarah—” I started to argue.
“Tarah never should have brought a TAC member here.”
I could kill Gary right now. “You heard Kyle. He must have followed me. I swear on my brother's grave I didn't do this.”
Gary shrugged. “Maybe you didn't mean to. But you still caused this. Besides, Tarah knew the risks involved—”
“She’s not even Clann, and she’s still risking her life for you.” I grabbed Gary, wanting to snap him like a twig for being so selfish and uncaring.
He jerked his arm free of my grasp, leaned around the tree, and threw a fireball at one of the soldiers. The man went up in flames, forcing two soldiers on either side of him to drop their rifles and try to beat out the fire.
“What are you doing! You idiot! If you use lethal force on them—” I began.
Gary threw another fireball, taking out a second soldier. “They started it at that camp. I'm just evening things up.”
I couldn’t save someone who was determined to die.
I had to get Tarah out of here.
I stood up then scooped Tarah up into my arms, her head lolling backwards on my arm then sideways against my chest as I turned one way then another and tried to reorient myself. But with the smoke rising from the two men still on fire, everything was getting confusing fast.
The smoke. We could use it.
I reached for the energy, ever present inside me, twisted my hand under Tarah’s knees so my palm faced outward, and mentally called to the wind. It immediately answered me, gathering the smoke to us, condensing it into a thick, short cloud with a small opening at its center so we wouldn’t choke to death.
Silence fell along with the visibility.