Thunder and Storm

The Ambush

SALLY.

"There you are," the man said as he raised his gun.

"Run!" Cameron yelled just as the man opened fire again.

I sprang upright and ran after him. This time the man didn't relent, he ran after us, shooting at us as we ran. Bullets flew past us, none of them hitting us as we ran between the aisles in a zigzag motion. It almost seemed like he wasn't trying to hit us. We burst out in the middle of the room just as Ryan and Ash ran out. Rayne, Grayson, and Petra joined us and we formed a circle. We were surrounded by fifteen assailants with nowhere to run.

"These are not hunters," Ryan said.

"No shit, Einstein," said Grayson.

Their guns were pointed at us, with their flashlights shining in our faces but no one was firing. One of them clicked his rifle and in reflex, I raised my hands in front of me, creating a shield.

"Grayson, can you get us out of here?" Cameron asked.

"I'll try," he replied and grabbed Rayne’s hand. They both vanished in a flash.

"How long can you hold that shield up?" Cameron asked.

"As long as I can," I replied.

"Good. I'll try to create a distraction.” He moved his hands and the room started to fill up with fog.

The guns clicked and they opened fire on us. I winced as bullets hit the shield creating tiny cracks in it.

"I can't hold it for much longer," I yelled. I focused all my energy on keeping the shield up. My muscles strained and I ground down on my teeth.

"Just keep it up a bit longer."

Grayson appeared beside me and took Ash then vanished again. The shooting stopped and I heard a burst of laughter. I froze. I knew that laughter all too well.

"Oh princess, you're more of a wildcat now," said an all too familiar voice.

The masked man in front of me took off his helmet. My breath caught and my heartbeat quickened. He had a sinister smile on his face.

Images flashed in front of me and my hands fell to my side, the shield dropped.

"Sally, what are you doing?" Cameron yelled at me but his voice was muffled in my ears. All I could feel was the fear slowly eating away at me. I could feel his fingers wrapped around my throat, restricting my airflow. I could remember all too well the feeling of the cold floor beneath me, the touch of his hand as it roamed my body. I breathed out shakily and I shook. Tears fell down my face as he moved closer to me.

"Hello, princess." Kowalski smiled. His grey eyes cutting me deep as he stared at me. I whimpered as he raised his hand and caressed my cheek.

"Let go of her," Ryan shouted and threw a fireball at him. Kowalski flew backward, crashing onto the floor. Ryan jumped on him and punched him in the face.

"Take them," Kowalski shouted as he struggled with Ryan.

I watched in horror as they switched guns and shot Cameron in the leg. A black metallic band encircled his ankle and he fell to the floor, grasping at his leg. Petra screamed as another hit her in the leg and just like Cameron, she fell to the floor.

"Do something," Cameron screamed at me.

But I couldn't do anything. I felt confused but most of all I felt powerless.

"I...I...I," I stuttered.

Think, think, think.

Suddenly, the door burst open and Rayne came in with an ice storm following her. Kowalski pushed Ryan off him and threw him backward.

"Get away from my brother," she yelled and shot an ice blast at him, pinning him to the ground.

Ash came up behind her and clapped her hands, emitting a shock wave that sent us all flying across the room. I fell against a stand of sunglasses and it all clattered to the floor.

"Run!" she shouted.

I sprang upright and made a mad dash for the door. It all happened in slow motion. One minute Cameron ran out the door with me behind him then the next, someone pulled me back.

I struggled against his hold and grabbed the doorpost as he tried to pull me back into the room. Max ran out of the truck, barking ferociously. He jumped on my assailant, releasing his hold on me.

"Damn it," the man shouted. He pulled a gun out from his holster and shot Max straight in the chest.

"Max!" Cameron shouted.

I stared at his lifeless body on the floor. His eyes were hollow, devoid of his spark of life. Tears fell down my face. The only thing I could think of doing at that moment was to run and I did. I vanished.

I found myself at the top of the mountain back at the cave. The wind whipped around my face, drying my tear tracks. The cold snapped me back to my senses.

What are you doing, Sally? You can't just leave them there.

I closed my eyes and found myself back in the truck.

"Whoa!" Ryan shouted as I dropped down beside him.

"I'm so sorry,” I said.

"Save your sorry for later and get us out of here," Rayne glared at me.

A black van and a SUV were on their tail. "Right," I closed my eyes and cupped my palms in front of me then pulled it open. A portal to the cave opened in front of us and they drove into it.

I stared at Max's body, lying on the seat beside Cameron, the same seat we'd sat together earlier and I had been playing with his ears. It was all my fault. Petra was right, I was nothing but a coward and a liar. A sob broke out of me and I jumped down from the truck and ran into the cave.

"What the hell was that? Cameron's voice boomed after me and I froze. I looked down at my feet. I felt wretched, miserable.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Look at me," he said and I shook my head.

"Look at me," he yelled. He grabbed my jacket sleeve and turned me to face him.

I gasped as I turned, a tremor went through me. A storm brewed in his eyes, anger, pain, grief, all merged into one. Tears were flowing down his face.

"I'm sorry," I repeated.

"Shut up!" he swallowed. "All you had to do was hold up the shield. I was this close to finishing it," he held up his thumb and forefinger, leaving a tiny space between them.

"I was so close but you let go and Max is dead because of it," he croaked out.

"I'm sorry," I cried.

"Shut up!" he yelled and I flinched. "What the hell are you so afraid of? What are you so afraid of?"

Coward. Worthless. Evil. Monster. Voices echoed in my head, my head was exploding with thoughts.

"You've always been weak and you'll always be weak," Petra's voice echoed in my head. I saw the disdain on her face as she stared at me.

I looked around me and everyone had the same expression. Rayne glared at me, Ash looked at me with pity, Ryan couldn't even look me in the face.

"He tried to save you and you just left him there, you vanished. Since the beginning, you have lied to me, ran away from here recklessly and all I've ever tried to do was help you. All we've ever tried to do was help you and when we needed you the most, you froze up. What are you so afraid of?"

It was all too much. Feelings roiled in me building into a maelstrom of emotions. "This!" I yelled and threw my hands out. A tremor went through the cave, shards of rocks fell out and shaped into spikes.

I felt anger rush through me. My skin tingled and heat rose up my arm. I breathed harshly as I watched them all run for shelter. Cameron stood frozen in shock.

"This is what I'm afraid of," I shouted at him.

Tiny dark veins rose up my arms and a wave of dark energy materialized around my hands. The spikes fell to the floor, crashing on tents and destroying them. I rose off the floor and clenched my fists, a strong current appeared around me blowing everything to smithereens.

"Stop it, Sally," Cameron shouted above the roar of the wind.

I wanted to stop but I couldn't. A part of me liked the chaos I created. I reveled in it and as the commotion spread around me. My eyes darkened. I felt stronger.

"I don't want to," I replied.

My vision was tinged black. All I could see running around were feeble creatures, skeletons that I could crush with just a swipe of my hand.

"I command you to stop this instant," I heard Petra's voice in my head. She stood beside Cameron staring at me with a steely gaze.

Pain sliced through my head as my thoughts scattered and I screamed.

"You command nothing.” I moved down to the floor and grabbed her. Immediately my skin touched hers, I felt a jolt of power.

"Let go of me.” Her face scrunched up in pain as I absorbed her power.

"Let go of her," Rayne shouted and threw an ice blast at me, I flew backward, hitting the cave wall.

A sharp pain reverberated through my skull and I fell. Darkness enveloped me and I gave into it.