Embers & Ice

Chapter Nineteen

Joshua gripped the steering wheel so tightly, his bones ached. New York disappeared in his rear view mirror, but that did nothing to comfort him. Even if they were on the other side of America, Joshua would not stop looking behind him. In fact, before two hours ago, Joshua had been checking over his shoulder every day since Hunter’s birth.

And yet they had found him. Again. It was history repeating itself, only this time he didn’t have a child to protect. He had a teenage boy and a teacher instead.

Neither Jenny nor Eli had spoken a word since Joshua shoved them in his car and sped through New York traffic towards the highway. Joshua didn’t much mind whether the kid was alright, but Jenny…

“How do you feel?” he asked her, his voice loud amidst the silence.

Jenny squirmed in the leather passenger seat. “My adrenaline level is kicking pretty high right now, but otherwise… I’m fine.”

Joshua nodded. “Good.”

“And you?”

“I… I’ll be alright once we’re a very long distance away from the city, and there’s no one on our tail.”

“Who were those guys exactly?” asked Eli from the back seat. “You told us there were people looking for you and Hunter, but you didn’t say they were murderers.”

“They’re Agents who work for an institution that imprisons people like us with special abilities. They run tests and research our genetics.”

“Like what you do?”

Joshua grit his teeth, trying to be patient. But the boy was already grating on his nerves. “I don’t torture innocent people.”

“No,” said Eli, “you just fake their deaths and put them to sleep in your freezer.”

The air in the car dropped to below zero in seconds. Joshua could feel the ice creeping through his fingers, but he had to remain calm. If he lost control, it might draw attention to them again, or he might make more mistakes that could not be fixed.

“Eli, he saved our lives,” said Jenny softly.

Joshua glanced at her in surprise. She’s standing up for me.

Jenny frowned at him. “What? You did.”

“I… I couldn’t let them kill you.”

Her brown eyes filled with warmth, and it was just enough to push the ice back inside him. He almost couldn’t take his eyes off her, and looked back at the road.

Eli started snickering. “I so knew this would happen between you two.”

Clearing his throat, Joshua ignored him. “So I’ve formulated some sort of a plan. In order to keep the Agents off our tracks, we’re going to have to get a new car as soon as we stop tonight.”

“Where are we stopping? Chicago?” asked Eli excitedly. “Oo, do you know what we should do? I heard about this place that-”

“This isn’t a field trip Eli,” Joshua snapped. “We’re running for our lives here. We’re staying in low-budget hotels, leaving early in the morning and driving all day. We’re not doing anything touristy, and we’re not talking to anyone unless they’re serving us food. Got it?”

Eli huffed and sat back against the chair. Ungrateful little shit, isn’t he? The Iceman rolled his eyes. Doesn’t appreciate that you literally saved his life. Maybe we should have kept him under. Joshua shook the voice out of his mind, afraid it would turn him into a monster again. He needed to be in control.

“Where are we driving to?” asked Jenny. “Do you have a destination in mind?”

Joshua squirmed in his seat and shot her a sideways glance. He did have a destination in mind, and it had come to him out of the blue the moment he started the car.

The Agents had found his secret laboratory, which could only mean they had already found Hunter. It took a lot for Joshua to accept that, but once he came to terms with it, his mind started formulating a plan. In order to get Hunter out of ICE incorporated, he had to go in.

But he couldn’t do it alone.

“I was thinking… Seattle.”

“Seattle?” Jenny gaped. “Why Seattle?”

“I have an old friend there who might be able to help us.”

“But that’s miles away!” Eli exclaimed.

“Then I’ll just leave you back at my apartment where you’ll be shot or taken by the Agents for questioning, how does that sound?”

Again, Eli shut up immediately.

Joshua sighed. “Look. Those Agents were literally about to kill you because you were in their way and you had nothing of value that they couldn’t get themselves. They’re after me because I have abilities and because I have information about my abilities that will be of great use to the people at ICE Institution. But if we don’t get as far away from them as possible, leaving no traces behind, they will find us again. And this time I won’t be able to save you. Now I need to know that the both of you are going to do exactly as I say-” He glanced at Jenny and then in the rear vision mirror at Eli. “-And that you’re going to cooperate and not complain, or else we’re all dead. Am I clear?”

They nodded, and even though he felt guilty for being so harsh, he knew it was for the best.

After a moment of tense silence, Jenny spoke.

“Does it make you worry that they didn’t ask us where Hunter was? Do you think they might already have her?”

Joshua couldn’t bring himself to answer that question, because in truth, he knew they found her. So instead, he turned on the radio and tried to think of anything but Hunter in the hands of Dr. Wolfe.