Lies (Gone 3)

She could run. Live. Get away. Find Brianna and say, “Breeze, I know you probably aren’t going to feel the same way, and maybe this will just gross you out and you’ll hate me for saying it, but I love you.”

Her body tingled with fear. She closed her eyes for a second and felt in that temporary darkness what it would feel like, death. Except that you couldn’t really feel death, could you?

She could run away. Be with Brianna.

Except no, that wasn’t ever going to happen. She was going to live out her days loving Brianna from a distance. Probably never even tell her how she really felt.

Out of the corner of her eye Dekka saw Edilio running straight at Drake from behind. He was alone, the crazy boy, going after Drake. Farther away, moving much too slowly, Orc.

Edilio could have decided to hang back, wait for Orc. Maybe wait too long as Drake laid into terrified children. But Edilio had not made that decision.

He wasn’t waiting for Orc.

“And I’m not waiting for Sam,” Dekka decided.

She started walking.

The first gun fired. That creep Turk. It was as loud as the end of the world. Dekka saw the fire spray from the muzzle. Ho

t lead pellets hit the concrete before her. Some bounced up and embedded themselves in her legs.

Hurt. Hurt more later.

Dekka couldn’t reach Turk or Lance or Zil with her powers. Not from this distance.

But she could make it really hard for them to aim.

Dekka raised her hands high. Gravity failed.

Dekka walked forward behind a wall of dirt and dust and swirling cacti.

Sam was just at the twisted metal gate of the nuclear plant when he heard a rush of air and saw a blur.

The blur stopped vibrating and became Brianna.

She was holding something. Two somethings.

Sam stared at the objects in her hands. Then he stared at her. Then back at the objects in her hands.

He waited until she was done coughing, bent over.

“No,” he said.

“Sam, they need you. And they can’t wait for you to snail walk all the way back.”

“Who needs me?” Sam asked skeptically.

“Astrid told me to get you. No matter what it took.”

Sam could not help but be pleased. “So. Astrid needs me.”

Brianna rolled her eyes. “Yeah, Sam, you’re still necessary. You’re like a god to us mere mortals. We can’t live without you. Later we’re going to build you a temple. Satisfied?”

Sam nodded, not meaning to agree, just meaning that he understood. “Is it Drake?”

“I think Drake is just part of it,” Brianna said. “Astrid was scared. In fact, I think your girlfriend may have had a really bad day.”

Brianna dropped the skateboard in front of Sam. “Don’t worry: I won’t let you fall off.”