Gifted

Chapter 10

"AHH!" SARAFINA SHOUTED as she and I and the bears charged at the guard.

The running man glanced over his shoulder, his face filled with terror. His friends at the far end of the building were already speeding toward one of the shacks behind them, the woman and her partner leading the way. The SUV was still parked at the end of the row of vehicles, smoke coming from its exhaust. The driver was inside, his face frozen in shock. The boss man was in the back yelling at him as he rolled up his window.

An instant later, Ahmed popped up on the opposite side of the car, swung open the rear passenger door, and jumped inside. The driver's head snapped around. His hands went up in the air, as did the boss man's, and I knew my brother was pointing a pistol at them. The driver shook his head, probably refusing to get out to face a gang of attacking bears. But when a warning shot shattered the driver's-side window, the door flew open, the driver scrambled out, and he fled toward the shack faster than a jackrabbit chased by a pack of wolves.

I slowed and the bears slowed with me. Growls turned to huffs as we approached the SUV.

Ahmed had the pistol aimed at the man in the backseat. Timmy ran around from behind the car and jumped into the driver's seat. "Get in!" he shouted, slamming the door closed so hard that the remaining glass fragments spilled onto the ground.

Sarafina slid into the front passenger seat. I turned toward Mama Bear and the others. They all looked my way but seemed confused, moving about restlessly, their skin twitching under their fur.

I pointed up the ridge and the darkness beyond.

Freedom!

The thought unified them, and all but Mama Bear raced up the hill. She hesitated a moment, and it was like she took one last look into my soul. Then she turned and raced away. I clambered into the backseat next to Ahmed and pulled the door closed.

"Go!" Ahmed yelled.

Timmy backed us up in a spinning turn that threw me against the door. When the SUV's nose was pointed down the road, he put it in Drive and stomped on the gas. The car jumped forward just as one of the guards rushed out of the shack. I recognized him as the man from the truck who had enjoyed hurting Mama Bear with his electric prod. His discolored teeth were bared in anger as he raised his assault rifle, its muzzle matching the movement of the vehicle.

"Duck!" Sarafina cried.

I couldn't move. Everything seemed to slow in my mind as I stared at the AK-47. It was a weapon I'd used hundreds of times online, when damage was more important than accuracy. I was deadly with it on short-range maps, and got a chill when I imagined what it would feel like when the bullets struck real flesh. The shooter was so close he couldn't miss and it looked like the gun was aimed directly at me. The man's eyes narrowed, his grimace changed to a leer, and I realized he was looking forward to tearing us to shreds. The woman rushed into view and shoved the weapon aside just as he squeezed the trigger. The muzzle flashed but none of the bullets struck the car. We sped away, shimmying in the ruts, leaving a cloud of dust behind us. As we exited the pools of light cast by the floodlights, there was movement on the hill. I saw one of the first six bears disappear into the trees. Then I caught a glimpse of Mama Bear scampering along the ridgeline in the opposite direction. She was headed back to her territory to find her cubs.

"You are all dead," the boss man growled. He had a thick Chinese accent.

"Shut up," Ahmed said, jamming the pistol in his side so hard that the man winced. "Hands up. Grab the hand grip."

The boss man glared but Ahmed didn't waver. Finally, the man raised his hands over his head and wrapped his fingers around the handle, squeezing it so hard his knuckles went white.