Ingenious

Chapter Twenty Four

As we watch these 24, tall, strong men get closer and closer to us, we all know we only have seconds to act. I look to Everett. We weren't prepared for quite this extreme of a circumstance but our previous plan can be put to use. Everett uses his ability to scrounge up as much water as he can spilling it all over the floor. Maia then warms it up so the electrical current will travel faster and stronger. Then I add in the electricity, shocking almost all the soldiers. It knocks them off their game giving us more time to recover, but it won't keep them down for more than a couple minutes. We regroup exchanging the unspoken word of what we are going to do next. The good thing about living with people for years on end... you can basically communicate without words as easily as with. As the soldiers start to recover Kacey slowly conjures the illusion of fire around them as Maia heats up the air around them making it even more realistic. With them under that 'spell' we start to make our way towards the exit. Except all the exits are behind them... unless we go through the audience. People are slowly filing out of their seats, but many stand there videoing. Dumb, they could get hurt. With a simple nod upwards the group agrees to head up towards the live viewer exit. It's a longer route but it's a better option then getting past those hunks of meat. I start by jumping down off the stage and then running up the steps, everyone following. Some of the men have recovered and are after us already. I let Ryan, Everett and Maia pass me on the steps so I'm close enough to shoot them down if need be,

"Shawn?" I ask as I jog up next to him. He nods and holds me to the side, running at the same pace. Now I don't have to worry about running but I can shoot them down at the same time. We let Kace pass us after a bit of back and forth arguing. About 10 of them have followed us up the rows and rows of steps. Now we are nearing the exit to the giftshop but they are right on our trail. The first one running after us has a beaming energy that is easier than anyone's to grab onto it. When I do it I pull the little zig zag and he falls to the ground. Will I feel terrible about this?... yes. Do I have any other choice?... not that I know of. I continue doing this with most of the guys following us, one by one, but it's getting tiring. Shawn puts me down as I knock off the last one and I run a bit ahead of him through the gift shop.

Soon enough we are in the main lobby, sprinting through the crowds of people that have begun clearing. The door is within reach but people aren't moving fast enough. Soon enough someone's going to catch up to us and we aren't leaving anyone behind. I see Ryan outside as Everett holds the door open for us with his powers, but they are already a bit up ahead outside. Shawn and I sprint out the door and I heave a sigh of relief, catching my breath, panting like a dog. I look up to where Everett, Ryan, Kace and Maia were previously standing peacefully, only a couple feet ahead of us, yet they aren't there. I look to Shawn and look back at the spot they were in seconds ago.

"Shawn," I say hesitantly, "where are they?" Shawn is also catching his breath but soon he realizes what I did. We look around frantically.

"Maybe they went to the car?" he says, though it's more of a question. I shake my head.

"They wouldn't leave us," I say sure of myself, "never leave a man behind was our number one rule. They wouldn't leave us, someone must have taken them!"

"Rae," he says, his voice quivering. I don't think I've ever heard Shawn's voice quiver. "I think that's them." I look towards where the remaining 15 men I believed we got rid of in the studio stand. 9 are chasing after the rest of the group while 6 stare at us, ready to pounce.

"We need to get to the rest of them," I say frantically, trying to think on my feet. Something, maybe nerves or adrenaline is blocking me from formulating a plan right now. I can always formulate a plan. What's wrong with me. "We work better all together, we have to get to them. Maybe if we run around that building over there we can reach everyone over there without them getting us." That's a sucky plan but right now I don't have another one and the 6 men approaching us aren't exactly going to wait for me to come up with one.