Awakening - The Last Science #1

Chapter 26 - Monsters - VI

  "He found something," Natalie reported, seconds after the hawk cried out.

  "Hailey and Jessica?" Rachel asked. Any good news would be great right now.

  "I don't know. Percy just said two people. I don't think he's very smart."

  "Percy is the hawk's name?"

  "Yeah."

  Rachel looked around the street, not seeing a single person from end to end. "Where are they?"

  "On the roof of Oscar's garage," Natalie said. Another person I failed to save. "Why are they up there?"

  "Probably hiding." Rachel quickly plotted the fastest route there in her head. "Let's go get them."

  It only took a couple minutes to run there. Rachel found the garage door ripped out from the frame as expected. She went inside, where she knew there was a ladder up to the roof, but something caught her eye. A glint of metal and hard black plastic, something that had been flung up and struck the ceiling but failed to break through. It had fallen down into the pile of random tools and supplies, half-buried by screws and nails. She deliberately ignored it, rushing up the ladder to the roof.

  To her dismay, it wasn't the duo she'd hoped for. Neffie Bowman looked like a shell-shocked war survivor, while Alden was scanning the street surreptitiously. Both had numerous cuts and bruises.

  "Where's Hailey?" Rachel asked impatiently.

  "She had to lure them away," Alden replied, not taking his eyes off the street. "I think Natalie's the only one who can blow up those things."

  "Rachel, they're killing everyone," Neffie said. "Mabel, and Collins, and Christina... Oh god." She doubled over, looking like she might be sick. Reality was finally catching up to her and overriding her adrenaline.

  It had to end. Rachel had to stop it somehow. They'd had the right idea, but they hadn't managed to pull it off, and it was her fault. Jackson had to die. She wouldn't hesitate a second time.

  Seeing Neffie reminded Rachel of something she'd suggested, so very long ago on the night of the riot. So long ago... It was just last night. But it was a way to kill Jackson. It could be done. She'd need to lure him out somehow, and she'd need a way to hold him down again, but it could be done.

  "Where's Rika?"

  "She's gone," Alden replied, finally turning around and sitting back against the low wall lining the roof. "She got a ride out of town."

  "The helicopter?" Neffie asked.

  Alden nodded. He turned to Rachel with hard, determined eyes. "She let me read it before she left."

  The phrase was meaningless to Neffie, but Rachel felt a burst of gratitude toward her erstwhile friend. Rika hadn't abandoned them completely. "Will you—"

  "I will."

  Rachel nodded. "I'll find a way. Head downstairs with Natalie. We'll be leaving in a minute."

  Alden left. Neffie laid back down on the roof and closed her eyes. She didn't look like she was going to move an inch. Rachel ignored her. She had someone much more important to confront, and Neffie would be safer staying on that rooftop than heading out into the town. Rachel took a few moments to compose her argument, trying to rehearse every potential outcome before she started. It had to play out exactly right.

  "Are you still here?" Rachel murmured.

  "...Yes."

  "I need something from you."

  "Any reason I should even think about saying yes?" said Beverly.

  "Look around!" Rachel snapped, her voice rising. "If you weren't convinced before, how on earth aren't you convinced now?"

  "I won't help you kill him."

  "I wasn't going to ask you to."

  Beverly paused. "Then what do you want?"

  "I need him to come somewhere and talk. He can bring whatever he wants. I won't even bring Natalie."

  "Because you think I'll protect you."

  "Won't you?"

  Beverly didn't answer.

  "I'm going to persuade Jackson to stop. That's all. We tried to kill him and we failed. All I have left is negotiating. Or just stalling him long enough that people can run away. Plenty of them already are, and if he's distracted long enough they just might make it. I won't, but some of them will."

  "...Where?"

  "A place out in the woods, away from the town so that everyone else can get away. You have a way of knowing where I am at all times, right?"

  "Yes."

  "And you can sense magic being used, like he can."

  "Better than he can. I can feel any kind of magic, just not who's using it."

  "Then you'll feel when I signal. That'll be the spot." Rachel turned away from the voice and started down the ladder.

  "How do you know he'll even show up?"

  "I know," Rachel said firmly, though her heart was twisting in knots at the realization of just where she'd have to go, if she wanted to be sure Omega fell for the bait hard enough to stick around.

  "Okay." There was a faint whisper of wind filling the space she'd left. Rachel could tell she was gone.

  She had no idea how long it would take. She had to move fast. Rachel bolted down the ladder and called Alden over while she hurried to the pile of twisted scrap in the back of the shop. "We're not going to try the ritual again."

  "Okay," Alden replied, looking relieved. "What's the plan then?"

  "Rika taught you how to hold him down?" Rachel asked, finally digging out the object she'd spotted earlier. Alden's eyes widened as she pulled it out of the warped pile of scrap metal.

  "...Yeah. I tried casting it a few times. It wasn't hard to figure out if you've read the Scrap."

  "Good." Rachel checked it over, making sure it was intact and hadn't been damaged from the magnetic storm. It looked exactly as she remembered from reference pictures online. She had a full working knowledge of how to use it, even if she'd never fired one before. It was fully loaded.

  Rachel tucked the pistol inside her bag and straightened up. As best she could tell, Beverly hadn't returned. She hadn't seen it.

  "Let's go."