Project Jamboree

Chapter Thirteen

"No," Ruby shook her head, "There is no way we are letting him out."

"He said HQ is in danger," I told her, "Nico and Cate are back at HQ. They're our team, Roo."

Vida glared at me, "You know I want to keep them safe more than anyone here, but you said it yourself. He's a manipulative snake."

"I know he's probably messing with my mind, and I know it's risky," I said, "But he knows that if he's lying, I will kill him."

They looked between me and the trunk uneasily.

"I can throw him out of my mind any time I like," I reminded them, "And if there's the slightest chance he's telling the truth, it's a chance I'm going to take."

Before they could stop me, I opened the back of the car and dragged Clancy out, the collar of his shirt in one hand, a ball of fire in the other.

"You better not be lying," I hissed.

"I suppose Nico never told you we were in Thurmond together," Clancy said, "We're quite familiar with the sounds of each other's screams. Well, I like to keep in touch with old friends."

Vida muttered something, most likely something reprimanding Nico for talking to Clancy.

"Well he let me in on a plot to overthrow Alban in the Children's League," Clancy continued, "Said it's going down tomorrow. It's why I asked you to meet me."

"And you didn't tell us sooner?" Ruby asked.

He shrugged, "Got a little sidetracked catching up with my little sister."

The fire in my hand got closer to him.

"Look, I'll help you stop the plot," Clancy said hurriedly.

"Why?" I asked, "What do you want in return? Freedom?"

Clancy shook his head, "Nico is my friend. And believe it or not, I still care about you, Mouse."

"I'm gonna go with not," I said, "Let's get one thing straight. I may be biologically related to you, but they are my family. You don't get to care about me after what you did. Understood?"

Clancy faintly nodded, backing away from the fireball in my hand.

"Now," I extinguished the flame, "What's the plan?"

Vida laughed, "Well, for starters, we need a bigger car."

"There's a parking lot at a motel five miles that way. Sorry, Clancy, but you're staying in the trunk until then," Liam smiled.

Clancy groaned as we closed the back of the car. In five miles, we traded our car for a minivan.

The back was wide enough for everyone to sit down comfortably. We put Clancy in the middle, where we could all keep an eye on him.

"Is this really necessary?" Clancy asked.

"Is a muzzle necessary?" I snapped back. Clancy's face somewhat paled, and he shut up.

Ruby kept checking the mirror, then said, "Vi, we've got a problem."

"What?" Vida checked. Two cars, "They look like skip tracers, but I'm not taking any chances. Nat?"

I nodded, getting ready to open the back, "Everyone hold onto something."

Vida started speeding up, but they matched the speed. Something poked out of a window. A gun.

I took a deep breath, opened the back, and felt heat rising through me. First, my core heated, my chest, my lungs, my heart, my throat, my mouth.

Then, I released an inferno on the cars. The bullets they fired melted in the violet flames, as did the cars. Probably the people inside, but I was done feeling pity. They didn't deserve it.

"No wonder the blues put a muzzle on you," Liam commented, "No offense, that was cool."

I closed the back of the minivan and faced them, sitting down and letting the heat escape my lungs. A bit of smoke drifted into the air, but that was about it.

"Where'd you learn that?" Clancy asked.

"Your red training program," I snapped, leaning my head back, "Wake me up if you need me to incinerate anything."

I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

When I awoke, I was laying in my cot at the program. I knew it was a dream. I knew I couldn't wake up.

I looked around, trying to see if there was anyone else there, or if I was alone. The room was full of other reds.

But they weren't the living ones. Mason was with them, violently shuddering. They reached out to me. I forced myself to stay calm. I knew where this dream was going, but I wouldn't let it control me.

This was my mind and I was in control.

A voice broke through the silence, "But it's not, is it?"

I pulled away from that dream into another one, one I hoped my brother would be too traumatized to follow me into.

The operating table in Camp Thurmond, so many years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday.

Doctors and surgeons, experimental treatments. Scalpels and blood and stitches, tests, heart monitors, and sedatives.

Not to make us sleep, but to keep us docile. No, they kept us awake through the procedures. We weren't even human to them, just rats with a virus.

My brother got the easy way out. Mason got the easy way out. Dying is easy, living is harder. But this wasn't living, this was that in between. Too focused on surviving to enjoy life. Too scared.

I felt as the knife stabbed into my head, prodding around my brain. I screamed.

Having focused on the sound of my waking screams, I was now sat upright in the back of the minivan. Everyone was looking at me.

"Nat?" Jude asked.

"I'm-" I caught my breath, reminding myself that this was the real world, "I'm fine. I'm fine. Just a dream."

I sat there for a moment, steadying my heartbeat and trying to breath calmly. I sighed. The troubles of being a red. Ruby and Cole understood. They were the only ones in the League that understood.

Green powers are part of you, just how you think. Blue and yellow powers are always there for you to use them.

But reds and oranges? We had to keep ourselves on tight leashes, bordering the edge of deadly and insane. Most of us slipped one way or another.

Which way was I going.

"I'm sorry," Clancy muttered, "I didn't know it was like that still. When I turned you in, I mean. I thought they'd fixed it."

"You thought wrong," I reminded him.

He frowned, "I'm sorry to bring that up in your minds. I didn't know. I'm sorry for what you went through because of me."

"Stop treating me like your long lost little sister. It's your fault," I snapped, "Save your pity for someone who needs it."