Project Starfall (Completed)

Chapter 12

It took them a lot longer than Pierce had hoped to make a pathway. They had to move several cars, which wouldn't have been possible had they been human. But even as hybrids, it was slow-going. Grey woke up shortly after Pierce returned, but was too out of it to be much help, and Madigan had sat next to the van and hid her face behind her hands. Then, much to Pierce's surprise, the tiger hybrid had started crying very softly.

It ended up being her, Knox, and Elliot doing all the work; two short people and one giant. Pierce had to hand it to Knox, because without him they would've had to find some other mode of transportation; the tall hybrid pushed an entire car out of the way by himself.

As they were finishing up, the sound of barking and footsteps filled the air. "Come on!" she called, letting go of the final car they were moving. There was just enough space for her to back the van out.

"What's going on?" Elliot asked, trotting next to her as they headed for the van.

"Starfall soldiers," Pierce answered without slowing. Everyone filed into the van except for Madigan, who lingered outside the door. "Come on!" Pierce yelled, waving Elliot inside, then nodding at Madigan to follow. "What are you waiting for?" she asked. The sound of the soldiers grew closer and Pierce shivered involuntarily as a dog howled.

"I-I can't," Madigan said with wide eyes. "The thing in my arm ... "

"It's a tracker," Pierce murmured.

"I'm sorry," Madigan whimpered. "It's my fault they keep finding us."

Pierce frowned, trying to tune out the barking. "No, I'm sorry." Pierce sighed, and Madigan's eyes widened farther. The girl started to ask a question, but Pierce cut her off. "Knox, can I have your help?"

"What is it?" he asked, hopping over Elliot to get out of the van. "We don't really have time to be standing around."

"Madigan has a tracker in her arm. That's how they found us," Pierce replied. "We need to get it out." Madigan paled as she realized what was going on. "Listen, Madigan. This is going to hurt, but it's necessary. We're not going to leave you behind. I need you to be tough. Can you do that?"

"Let's get this over with," Madigan answered bravely.

"What do you need me to do?" Knox asked.

"Keep her under control," Pierce ordered.

"You got it." Knox nodded.

"All right then." Pierce bit her lip." Madigan's facade wavered a moment, then her face became placid. "I'll be quick," Pierce promised. "Knox. Don't let her move. This is delicate and I don't want her getting hurt any more than she has to."

"Aye aye, cap'n," Knox said, looking none too pleased with the task. He held back Madigan's tracker-free wrist, and wrapped one arm around her waist.

The dogs tracking them started yipping excitedly, and Pierce hurriedly took Madigan's left wrist. "They've caught our scents," Knox commented. Pierce nodded. She had unwrapped and was studying Madigan's wrist, picturing where the different veins were. She was used to slicing through veins, not cutting around them, and the scratch marks Madigan had made earlier didn't make the job any easier.

"Okay. Here we go," Pierce said, pulling out her knife. It was a lot thicker than she would've preferred, but sometimes an artist had to make due with a bigger brush. "You ready?" she asked Madigan.

"Not really. I guess I don't have a choice, though," the redhead replied with a humorless laugh.

"It'll be over quickly," Pierce assured her. Then she detached herself from the madness. The sounds of barking and footsteps, Madigan's rapidly beating heart, and soft cries for help faded away as she focused on the task before her. Madigan's wrist was no longer flesh and blood and bone, but an inanimate object devoid of life. Like a coroner would treat a corpse, Pierce began carving into Madigan's wrist, avoiding the major veins with careful precision. Blood pooled around her knife as she worked and little droplets splattered against the asphalt. The work became increasingly difficult; even with Pierce wiping away as much blood as she could, it took an artistic mindset to figure out where she needed to make the incisions. After what felt like hours, but in reality was minutes, Pierce found the tiny tracker. She carefully slid it out with the tip of her knife. It was a thin, square chip, still pulsing its electric blue. Pierce turned and chucked the tracker as far as she could.

When Pierce turned back around, the world refocused and she had to brace herself for the waves that barraged her senses. Her ears hurt from the noise, everything smelled of blood, and she felt the fight or flight response returned to her nerves. Madigan was barely being held upright by Knox. Her bruised and bloodied face was streaked with more tears than before, and her eyes were glazed over in pain. "Hurry. Everyone inside the van," Pierce instructed. "I'll stitch up Madigan's wrist as soon as we're safe."

After helping Madigan into the passenger's seat, Knox climbed into the van, and Pierce hopped into the driver's seat. "Seatbelts," Pierce reminded them.

"'Kay Mom," Knox jibed.

Pierce shifted into reverse. "Well, we might be chased, and I prefer it if a couple of you didn't fly out the windows in the process." Though she had gone many years without driving, Pierce squeezed through the narrow space they'd cleared with only inches to spare on either side. As she pulled away, Pierce caught sight of huge mutts sprinting toward the car. "I hate dogs," Pierce muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Knox asked from behind her. He had ignored Pierce's seatbelt warning and moved forward so that his head was over the top of her seat.

"Nothing," Pierce said as the dogs could no longer keep up with the car's acceleration and lagged behind. A thick layer of fog had formed, and the canines soon disappeared into a blanket of white.

Pierce glanced over at Madigan, who had been silent since she'd removed the tracking chip. The girl was crying soundlessly, fiery hair a tangled mess. Her wrist was wrapped with gauze, but a dark red stain had already bled through. "Madigan ... " Pierce said quietly, wanting to ask something, but not exactly sure what that something was. She had too many questions.

"I'm sorry," Madigan whimpered. She used her undamaged arm to wipe away the tears. "That girl, Aurora," her voice was strained, "was my ... sister, more or less."

Pierce nodded. The two had seemed to know each other well, so it wasn't a big surprise. "More or less?" Pierce queried.

"Aurora and I were part of a gang," Madigan said slowly. "We all considered each other brothers and sisters, though few were actually related by blood. It's the kind of gang that once you join, the only way you can leave is death."

"And you left," Pierce concluded.

"Things got bad," Madigan continued. "I wanted out, but they weren't going to let me leave. So I got myself arrested. I'd hoped they would think I messed up—that one careless act had gotten me caught—but apparently they didn't believe me." She looked out the window, avoiding Pierce's eyes. "In prison they couldn't get to me. But now that I'm out, they can. Aurora did. And like her, the rest of my gang will give me two choices: Rejoin them or die."

"And the tracking chip?" Pierce asked.

"All members had them," Madigan whispered, shifting her gaze toward her wrist. "That way they could keep track of us at all times. The chips glow blue when location is in progress. Back at the lab I thought the chip had been removed...." She finally met Pierce's gaze. "I didn't mean to put everyone in danger." Again, she added, "I'm sorry."

"I believe you," Pierce said. "What happened can't be changed, so we will move on. I forgive you."

"Me too," Elliot added softly.

"I could never stay mad at you, kitty." Knox grinned with his shark teeth. "You're too cute."

"Thanks for your apology." Grey smiled kindly.

Madigan looked between them all and a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Then, despite her injuries, she turned back into the person Pierce had first met. "All a bunch of softies," she scoffed, turning to face the front of her seat. "Come on, Pierce, can you drive a little faster? I'm ready to get to the beach."

Pierce shook her head, but she pressed her foot down a little more on the gas pedal. She glanced over at the tiger hybrid when she wasn't looking, and noticed that the blackness around her eye had faded. Good.