Avenged (Altered #2)(61)

“Tell them to put down their guns,” she told Fields.

He got to his feet slowly, wiping the dust off his pants before he glared at her. “Come, girl. You might be able to control me. I know that you controlled five men at a time, but only barely. You can’t honestly think you can control us all. There are at least a dozen people.” He shook his head, clicking his tongue. “Here’s what is going to happen. I’m going to get into this Humvee. My men will follow in those vehicles.” He motioned across the road. “You’re going to let them go because you don’t have the stomach to hurt them. Me, you might be able to hurt. But they are only paid puppets. And you know it.”

“I’m not alone.” She tilted her head up. “Nick is with me.”

“He is, isn’t he?”

It happened too fast.

Kitty spun, the scream stuck in her throat, as Jeremy dove from the roof to land on top of Nick. Nick crashed into the ground on his belly. She took a step before she was paralyzed again.

Unable to move, she was forced to watch Jeremy bury his fist in Nick’s kidney, then grab his hair and smash his face against the ground, stunning him.

Get off him, she yelled into Jeremy’s head.

Jeremy’s hand paused, and he slowly slid off. But the guard next to him finished the job, tying a piece of his shirt over Nick’s eyes.

He couldn’t help her if he couldn’t see.

She watched Jeremy zip-tie his hands. Then he stood, dragging Nick to his feet.

The man who’d come for her. The one who’d taught her how to stand up for herself, to be strong. Blindfolded, bound. Unable to help. Even now, he reached out to her.

Kitty, are you okay?

She wanted to talk, but she couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe, even.

Jeremy snagged the suitcase off the ground, where it had fallen at Nick’s feet. Then, he nodded behind her.

At Fields.

The rage overtook her. As she stared at Nick, bound and subdued, she couldn’t take any more.

Let go. The demand pulsed through the field. She didn’t even focus it on any one person. It didn’t matter. Whoever held her dropped her.

Behind her, Fields called to her. “If anything happens to me, Miss Laughton, then Mr. Degrassi here will meet a very sad fate.”

In front of her, Jeremy pointed a gun at Nick’s head. He inclined his head with the smuggest grin she’d ever seen. Around her, the guards all turned their guns…to Nick.

The compound door opened then, and Blue, Seth, and Luke stepped out, skidding to a halt. The guns, the guards. She could imagine the scene was beyond even Seth’s super strategy power. Too many variables. No way to stop everyone.

As they took in the scene, Nick’s voice floated into her mind. I can’t see you, but I know you can do this. I know you can. You can do this. Whatever it is, you got it, babe.

Then, as if an afterthought…

I love you.

“As you see, my girl. You’ll be waiting here.” Fields touched his eyebrow in salute. “Best wishes.” He opened the door to the Humvee and slid into the passenger seat.

She continued to look at Nick, to feel his faith in her. It washed over her, filled her up. He believed she could do this.

He needed her. She could fix this.

She took a deep breath as the Humvee’s engine revved, and she reached out with her mind to the people on the grounds who weren’t part of her group—to Fields’s men, to the soldiers who would try to kill her or Nick if they interfered.

Stop.

She yelled the word. The force of it made her skin tingle, like she had a severe case of static electricity. The hair on her arms stood up, the roots of the hair on her head even. Around her, Fields’s men stood frozen. The Humvee skidded to a halt.

Out of the truck, she told Fields. He complied, as did his driver.

On your stomachs.

When everyone was where she’d told them to go, she called out to her friends. “Blue, Seth. Someone get Nick.” Her voice sounded steady, even as her stomach trembled and her head burned with the force of holding the people down.

Out of her periphery, she watched Blue and Seth free Nick. His hands loose, he flicked off the blindfold. Luke picked up the suitcase that lay on the ground next to Jeremy.

“We need to contain them. Somewhere.” Beads of sweat trickled down her temples, even though it was a cold night.

“Where?” Seth’s take charge voice carried over the field.

“There’s a cell inside.” Nick chimed in, his voice much grimmer than usual. He was worried for her. She could feel it. There was nothing they could do about it. “I’ll lead.”

Follow Nick, she told them. Follow Nick.

Except, as soon as they started to move, Nick wasn’t moving.

What had happened?

Next to her, Blue and Seth were equally immobile. Luke stood, the suitcase gripped in his arms and his eyes wide.

All of their thoughts were the same, a unified chant. Stay still. Stay still.

That wasn’t her.

She’d believed she was the only one who could hear thoughts. She’d never heard of another. But someone else was definitely controlling them. Looking around, she saw where, at the edge of the building, Parker Sinclair and Jack Barnett watched the proceedings.

What were they doing here?

It wasn’t Jack in their heads. She’d spent enough time with him when they left Glory to know that.