Consuming Fire

Chapter 68

"Fortunately for us," said the Captain, "when we returned to collect the bodies we were able to clean up the mess." He turned to Zac and glared at him. "We have you to thank for spilling the word 'hero' to this reporter, do we not?"

Zac pretended to be very interested in the ceiling for as long as he could avoid their attention.

"You told someone about us?" Chantal growled.

"Okay, fine. I spilled coffee on her at the FBI building and we got to talking. I had no idea she was a reporter, I thought she was an intern or something. And I wasn't flirting!" he added quickly.

"We know," said Amelia. "We had you wired, remember?"

Zac's jaw clicked. "So the media knows we're not just 'altered DNA' people but that we have superpowers. So the fuck what?"

"It's just not what we need right now," said Joshua.

"Hey, what was with that burning building thing Hunter?" asked Zac, if only to turn the blame on someone else.

"It was a stupid mistake I made when I didn't know how to use my powers and what to do with them. And it got me thrown in ICE, so I'm sorry. Do we have any leads as to what the FBI found at ICE? Was it definitely empty?"

"Marcus?" asked the Captain.

Marcus stood up from his stool. Hunter only just noticed that he had on a wireless headset and his eyes were bloodshot, his hair in disarray. She figured he'd be back on the computer immediately. He was their most valuable asset into tracking the FBI network.

"No new progress on more Impossibles. The FBI have come up with nothing and, in my opinion, they're looking pretty damn stupid right now."

Most of them nodded in agreement.

"However, since the FBI finally cracked my security system, they found ICE's location and raided it. There's been a sudden spike in security across the nation. ICE was empty."

Their reaction was less than dramatic. By this stage, they were expecting Dr. Wolfe to run.

"Wolfe wiped everything that would connect to his past, his current projects and where he ran to. I looked through all of their documented evidence and came up with nothing. The government have taken precautions and secured all nuclear weaponry with new access codes and military-grade security. They've also sent the President to a secret location for extra protection and locked up the Pentagon and the Whitehouse. All control now belongs to the Cabinet Members and their advisories. Whatever Dr. Wolfe has planned for world domination, it's going to be a ton more difficult to take control of our country with all this extra security."

"But we're not worried about the Embassy, are we?" asked Hunter. "We're worried about Ravenadium."

"We should be worried about both," said Joshua.

Zac moaned. "That's too much to worry about! Can't we just have like ... one big battle and get it over with?"

Everyone looked at Zac as though he was stupid.

"Are you absolutely positive the FBI found nothing at ICE?" asked Chantal. "If Dr. Wolfe has Ravenadium, he could have created someone like me, who could have told the FBI that they saw nothing just like what I did when they came to our cabin."

Marcus shrugged. "It's possible. There wasn't any proof that ICE was empty in their files, just reports filled out by forensics."

"Why don't we blow up the mountain, just in case?" Koko suggested.

Everyone looked at her as if she were insane.

"What, like with bombs?"

"No, Zac, with rainbows," spat Marcus.

"We can't," said Hunter. "Jack and Alfie may still be inside."

"So could Dr. Wolfe," said Zokani. "And isn't he the person we're trying to destroy?"

"It's too risky."

"As opposed to risking the safety of our planet," said Koko.

"Ryo could teleport inside," said Chantal, "to see if it's empty?"

"Oh, sure, send me in again."

"Alright look," the Captain took a step closer to the center of their group. "As much as I don't want to admit it, blowing up ICE is the best idea we've come up with. But the issue is we don't have that kind of weaponry in our kitchen, and we don't have the time to get it. There has to be another way to catch Wolfe sooner."

They all stood deep in thought, and Hunter nervously tapped her fingernails on the bar.

"Okay," said Hunter finally. "Until we come up with something, the only thing we can do right now is to talk to Mikayla. Maybe she'll listen to me."

"Why, because her power can't affect yours?" said Marcus. For some reason she registered a bitter tone in his voice and the fire flared up, anger becoming her favorite emotion all of a sudden.

"Do you have some kind of problem with me talking to your psycho brother's girlfriend, Marcus?" She pushed herself away from the bars so she could walk down to the bottom level.

Marcus registered the same bitterness in her tone and ripped off his headset, standing up. "Actually, I have a problem with the fact that you suddenly think you're better than all of us because you were a freak even before you could breathe."

Electricity sparked from the tips of his fingers and behind him, all of the computer screens started to flash and the lights flickered. Hunter set her palms on fire and that was when everyone seemed to register what was going on and started shouting at them.

"That's enough!"

Hunter only had eyes for Marcus, the both of them consumed by anger, but not until Will stepped between them and held up his hands did she realize how childish she was being.

"There's no use fighting, save it for Wolfe." He stared with fierce eyes and instantly, the fire calmed. "Hunter, you should talk to Mikayla."

"Yeah, maybe she'll spill to someone who doesn't have a dick," Zac shouted.

"The Immortal is right," said the Captain with a nod at Will. "Hunter, talk to the prisoner." He handed her a key-card. "She's locked in the second containment room in Ward D. Marcus, get back to the computers and keep an eye on the FBI's progress. See if you can pinpoint where they're keeping the President and where their weaponry is being controlled from. If we know where the control is, we know where Dr. Wolfe will target to take over the country. I want my tech team online searching for any sign of Dr. Wolfe's whereabouts and any clues into his past. We'll take shifts through the night. The rest of you need to get some rest. Does anyone have questions?"

Zac's hand shot up. "Can people actually cry underwater?"

Those from ICE groaned, especially Marcus who slapped his forehead. The Captain looked as if he had heard wrong.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Don't listen to him, he's being an annoying."

Zac was snickering to himself. The Captain grumbled a dismissal. Marcus shot one last tainted look at Hunter and sat down behind the desk. Will reached out a hand and she took it.

"Thanks," she muttered. "I needed that."

"Be careful with Mikayla," he said. "You're on the fringe of your emotions right now."

"You think?"

"But you're stronger than she is." Will squeezed her hand and gazed down at her fiercely. "Remember what's at stake."

Hunter nodded. "I know."

With that, she marched out of the room and didn't look at any of the faces that watched her leave.