A Spark of Hope

Chapter 3 - Cemetery Wind

We ran out of the barn, watching as the rows of black cars pulled up onto the property. A helicopter circled above, waiting for something to happen. Cade stopped by one of the trees as the cars skidded to a stop in front of him, churning up dust. I sneezed, coming to his side. As the men dressed in black got out of their cars, slowly walking toward us, I grabbed Cade's arm, feeling the anxiety rise. Tessa was standing on the porch, worry spread across her face. Lucas stood behind us, shielded by a tree, the bruise on his forehead still prominent. The breeze drifted by us silently, making a chill run down my spine. I shivered but felt Cade's arm wrap around my shoulder. I raise my head to him, but his gaze was stuck on the men walking toward us, his expression serious.

A man in a long coat and sunglasses with an earpiece stuck in his ear approached us, his facial expression, emotionless. "Mr. Yeager, my name is James Savoy. I'm a federal agent. My men and I are trying to track down an abandoned truck." Said the man. I leaned into Cade out of fear. The man had the same demeanor as my father. Trying to wipe the thought out of my head, I looked past the man toward Tessa. She still was terrified, but a bearded man walked up the porch steps, approaching her. I swallowed my fear, turning my attention back to the man in front of us. He looked around the land, inspecting it. "It's a nice spread you got here. Too bad she's for sale." He smiled with a twist.

"Well, thanks. She's not." Cade stated, letting me go, and starting to put his jacket on. "That the truck you need?" He asked, pointing to the old blue Ford pickup he's had for quite some time.

However, the man glanced at me, smirking. "Afraid not." He said, shaking his head. "You know, Mr. Yeager, we received a call from someone concerned about this truck."

I noticed Lucas rise from his spot behind the tree, the breeze blowing through his long curly hair. "Oh no." He muttered. Another chill was sent down my spine. Lucas, you couldn't have. I mentally glared at him, knowing full well that he would be naïve enough to believe those stupid reward calls.

"That wasn't you?" The man in black inquired to Cade with a straight face. I stayed at his side, hugging his arm tighter than before.

Cade kept an emotionless expression on his face, creating a façade to cover his tracks and knowledge of Optimus. "Only thing I'm concerned about is you being on my property without permission." The man scoffed. "You know, we got a rule about people messing with people from Texas." Cade turned, releasing me, and walked toward the man. "And I don't know what truck you're talking about."

The man moved toward Cade, facing him with a strict expression. "The kind that cost American lives." He spat. He turned to his men. "Search the property!" He ordered.

Cade began to get agitated. "What do you mean 'search the property'? You don't have a warrant."

The man turned to Cade again. "My face is my warrant." The men all exited the cars, completely geared up with bulletproof vests, large riffles, and radios. My mind went wild, anxiety filling my soul. Please, God, don't let them find Optimus. I prayed, grasping onto Cade's arm again. We watched as the men spread out across the land, some running to the house and others going to the barn.

Lucas had his hands raised above his head, back peddling as the men with guns passed him. "Wait. But if you guys do find a truck, we get a reward, right?" He asked. I stayed silent but internally screamed at him. Shut up, Lucas!

Some of the men walking around threw small insect-like drones into the air, immediately taking flight and swarming around the property. The men entered the barn in formation, searching about the place with such determination it made me sick with apprehension. My stomach churned as I began to grow pale. The man noticed this.