Deserted Highways

The Cold and The Broken

his skin.

Jace whipped his head towards him so fast he heard the vertebrae pop. "How do you know my name?" he spat and he felt like his stomach sank out of his body and into the floor as he finally recognized the voice.

"Oh, I'm sure you've figured that one out by now," the man replied.

"Who are you?" Jace asked, forcing his voice to remain steady and level, he clenched his fingers around the car door handle, but he felt the car speed up, the sound of the road under the tires nearly overpowering the man's soft voice. Jace knew he was stuck, he wouldn't survive jumping out at this speed.

"My name is Jordan," he responded and Jace flinched.

"Why did you pick me up? You said I had to come to you, alone," Jace said, choosing his words carefully.

"Just a test, Jace. Checking your obedience. Can't afford any more loose cannons. Kaelie's enough," Jordan said.

"My mother?" Jace asked.

"She's fine. No further harm has come to her. In fact, I think she's really looking forward to seeing you," Jordan said, a twisted grin stealing over his face.

"What are you going to do to Kaelie?" Jace said, closing his eyes against the image of her mismatched eyes boring into his, her hair a curtain around them, and he'd give anything to go back to that little world.

"I have great plans in store for Kaelie, but it really isn't about what I'm going to do to Kaelie, it's about what she will do for me," Jordan said, scratching at his jaw, and then wrapping both hands back around the steering wheel. Jace stole a glance at him, saw the dull glint of a gun handle strapped to Jordan's side. He took his hand off the door. He'd never make it out, even if he tried.

"You know she won't do it. Whatever half baked world domination plan you have, she won't do it. She'd rather die," Jace said fiercely.

Jordan just laughed, the sound smooth and greasy and grating and Jace swallowed down bile. "But would she let you die? Sarah? Michael? Any of you?" Jordan asked. "You'd be surprised, Jace, the things you can get people to do if you make the right adjustments."

"What do you mean, adjustments?" Jace said.

It was silent, and then the humming of the car's engine cut off as Jordan stopped next to a sleek black helicopter, the words JayBird scrawled on it in looping silver letters. They were at the airfield. His mom was inside. He exited the car and everything in him was screaming at him to run, to run far and fast and never look back, but he stood stock still until Jordan stood just behind him, jabbing him sharply in the back and Jace recognized the press of the gun barrel through his thin shirt.

He walked forward stiffly. "Let's take a tour, Jace," Jordan said. The door to the hangar swung open as he neared it and Jordan nodded calmly at two heavily armed people and the door clanged shut behind them. The hangar was empty, dusty and derelict and Jace furrowed his eyebrows in his confusion.

"There's nothing here," he said, his voice snarky.

"All in good time, my friend. Keep moving."

Jace was edged to a sleek looking door at the long end of the hangar, and Jordan placed one palm against it. the door slid open and Jace cringed as he was forced into a narrow elevator and Jordan hit something that had them shooting down into the earth.

"Who are you?" Jace asked again as the elevator opened into a vast and brightly lit hallway, several doors shooting off of it, and Jace could hear machinery whirring above and below him, vibrating through the earth and up into his legs.