Episode 11: Enter the Volcano

            Adrian, Lily and Moira couldn’t believe what they were staring at: an active volcano. “Is the show trying to kill us all off?” Adrian wondered out loud.

            “This isn’t fresh,” Moira said, pointing to the cooled lava that covered the ground in front of them. “Well, it’s fairly fresh, but it isn’t going to burn us.”

            Lily rolled her eyes. “Thank you, Ms. Science Channel.”

            “At least one of us knows what’s going on.”

            Adrian held up his hands. “Don’t start, you two. I don’t have the patience for your bickering today. My best friend is in there, along with Will. We need to get them out.”

            They wandered near the base of the volcano, trying to find their teammates. The map provided by the show said that they were in the right place. “Here!” Adrian yelled suddenly.

            The two girls hurried over to where he was. “There’s a fissure here.” He shone his flashlight into the gap. “I think it’s big enough for us to get in. Maybe they’re inside.”

            “Ew, gross! I’m not going in there,” Lily proclaimed.

            “How freaking selfish can you be?” Moira asked. “Jesse and Will are both in there. How would you feel if it was you and they didn’t want to come in after you?”

            Lily sighed. “Fine! I’ll go in the stupid hole in the rock.”

            Something whooshed past their heads as they stood staring into the divide. It hit the ground behind them. Adrian wandered over and picked it up. He swore under his breath. “They’re shooting tranq darts at us!”

            “Huh?” Lily and Moira asked in unison.

            Adrian held up the object. “Tranquilizer darts. The freaking Hunters are here.” The girls stood and stared at him. “Run!” he yelled, heading for them and pushing them into the tunnel in the rock.

            Once inside the volcano, the shooting stopped. They shone their flashlights all around, trying to find Jesse and Will. “What I wouldn’t give for Jesse’s fire power right now,” Adrian muttered under his breath.

            “Are you crazy?” Moira asked. “Fire in a volcano? Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

            Adrian looked sheepish. “You’re probably right.”

            They turned a corner and saw them, bound together back to back. Both were gagged and appeared unconscious. Adrian held a light on them while Lily and Moira knelt down and tried to shake them awake. “Hurry!” he whispered feverishly.

            “I don’t see you trying to help,” Moira shot back as she began to untie the ropes.

            “I just—” he broke off as his light caught movement in the shadows. A Hunter appeared and grabbed Lily from where she crouched near the ground. She shrieked and disappeared. The Hunter struggled with his invisible burden, but started to carry her off.

            “Let go of my sister!” Adrian bellowed.

            Moira stood as the last of the ropes fell away from Jesse and Will’s unconscious forms. They had to act fast. I have an idea, she sent to Lily and then to Adrian. Lily, when I tell you, raise your legs out of the way. She concentrated on Adrian. When I say go, shock the guy. “Now!” she shouted.

            She hoped Lily had moved her legs. Her own foot shot out and she kicked the Hunter as hard as she could. She connected with his knee and she felt it snap. At the same moment, an electrical charge flared up in Adrian’s hand and he hit the Hunter on the back with it. The man cried out and fell to the ground with a thud. There was a second thud, which they could only assume was Lily.

            “I’ll carry Will, you two try and help Jess. He’s smaller,” Adrian said.

            He stooped and threw Will over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. The girls got on either side of Jesse and wrapped his arms around their shoulders. They somehow managed to stand and began to half carry and half drag Jesse toward the exit, with Adrian following.

            The ground beneath their feet began to shake. “What the . . .” Adrian began.

            “Run!” Moira yelled. “It’s getting ready to explode again soon.”

            They ran, carrying their burdens to the car. Jesse began to regain consciousness and fought against them. “Jesse, you have to let us help you,” Lily told him.

            “Lil? What happened?” he asked.

            “Don’t ask questions, just run.”

            He let go of the girls and began to run beside them.

            When they reached the car, Jesse helped Adrian pack the still unconscious Will into the backseat. They all jumped into the car, but it wouldn’t start.

            “Come on!” Adrian yelled as he turned the key in frustration.

            “Adrian?” Moira asked.

            “What!”

            “Your electricity might come in handy here.”

            He hit his forehead with the heel of his hand. “Of course. How could I be so stupid?” He concentrated on his hand until a ball of electricity glowed there. He pressed it to the steering column, near the keyhole. The car roared to life. He quickly put the car into gear and peeled away, just as the volcano began to spew lava.

TO BE CONTINUED . . .

Episode 10: Disappearance

            Moira groaned as she sat up. She had stayed up way too late talking to Toby online the night before. She had wanted to go to his room to see him, but she didn’t want to make her team any madder than they already were. Luckily, Toby had understood about the whole thing with Will. She had been worried that he might get mad, but he seemed to get that she hadn’t wanted Will to kiss her. He had actually laughed when she told him that she kicked Will.

            They were staying in a suite, which was a nice change from the tiny two bed hotel rooms they had previously inhabited. Moira stretched, relishing in the fact that she hadn’t had to share a bed with Lily this time—Lily who was currently storming into her room, her face as white as a sheet.

            “What’s wrong?” Moira asked. She immediately sensed that it wasn’t a good time to yell at Lily for bothering her.

            “Jesse’s gone,” Lily informed her. “So is Will.”

            “What do you mean gone?”

            Adrian came up behind Lily. “They’re gone. We searched the whole room. No sign of them. The beds don’t even look slept in.”

            Moira crawled out of bed and wandered into the front room of the suite, the other two following her like lost puppy dogs. She glanced around the room and spotted a manila envelope propped up on the table behind the couch. She crossed the room and picked it up. “Um, hello? Didn’t you notice this?” she asked, waving it in the air.

            Adrian and Lily both shook their heads. She rolled her eyes at them and ripped open the envelope, spilling the contents onto the table. There was a DVD and quite a few maps.

            She popped the DVD into the hotel room’s player and turned on the TV. Chance Cagney immediately appeared on the screen.

            “Aloha Promethiads! I trust you’re enjoying your little stay in paradise. I’m sure you’re wondering where your teammates are this morning. You see, the Hunters rounded up anyone who left the room. I hope you still have your gear from your trip to the desert, because you’re going to need some of it. Now, grab your maps and head on out. You wouldn’t want to see your teammates laid out on a stretcher, would you?”

            The screen went blank and they faced each other. Lily started crying. “Are they going to die?”

            “Not if we get there soon, Lil,” Adrian said. He headed into his room and upended his bag, dumping the contents onto his bed. He sifted through them and stuck a compass, a water bottle, a first aid kit and a tube of sunscreen into his bag. He came back into the front room and started shoving maps in with the other items. “Get dressed,” he ordered the girls.

            Lily and Moira silently headed for their respective rooms to change. “Don’t forget your water bottles,” Adrian called after them. “I have a feeling it’s going to get hot.”

TO BE CONTINUED . . . 

© Brea Essex 2011 ~ No part of this site (written or artwork) may be reproduced in anyway whatsoever without express written consent by Brea Essex.

Episode 9: Hawaiian Fun?

Moira hurled her bag onto the hotel bed. “What the heck is your problem?”

“You know what my problem is,” Lily fumed.

“Look, it wasn’t your decision to make.”

“If it was, you would have been off the team. Why don’t you just go on your boyfriend’s team? In fact, maybe you should just go find him right now.”

Will stepped in between the girls and pushed them apart. He looked at Lily and jerked his head in the direction of the door. She rolled her eyes and left the room, followed by Adrian and Jesse.

“Thanks,” Moira said.

Will nodded, but remained silent.

“I hope I haven’t hurt you too badly,” she continued hesitantly. “I tried to tell you that I have a boyfriend, but you just wouldn’t—”

Her next words were cut off by Will’s mouth pressed against hers. She tried to pull away, but he gripped the back of her head in one hand. His other arm encircled her waist. She was effectively locked against him. She pressed her lips together rigidly, reached back with one foot, and kicked him sharply in the shin.

Will released her. “Ow! What the hell was that for?”

“What the hell was that for? Are you kidding me? You kissed me. I’ve told you a million times that I’m not interested. I’m in love with Toby. You can’t do anything to change that.” She headed for the door, but paused in the doorway. “And don’t try to change it. As of now, don’t speak to me unless it’s absolutely necessary for our team’s safety.”

She slammed the door behind her, leaving Will standing in the empty hotel room alone. She leaned up against the wall. She shouldn’t have stayed in the room to talk to him. How was she going to explain this to Toby?

© Brea Essex 2011 ~ No part of this site (written or artwork) may be reproduced in anyway whatsoever without express written consent by Brea Essex. 

Episode 7: Leaving on a Jet Plane

“So where do you think they’re sending us this time?” Will asked Moira. She still wasn’t talking to him much after the events at the house. He couldn’t blame her. He had sort-of confessed his feelings for her and she didn’t return them. He didn’t care that she had a boyfriend. For all he knew, she was making the guy up. He hadn’t seen her emailing anyone lately. Maybe she had been lying . . . maybe there was a chance for him after all and she just didn’t want to admit it.

Moira shrugged, but didn’t answer him. She was annoyed that she had gotten stuck sitting next to him. She turned and stared out the window. The plane hadn’t taken off yet, but she figured the view of the airport and other planes would be better than having to talk to Will.

Her phone dinged and she dug it out of her pocket. “You’re supposed to have your phone off,” Lily said coldly from across the aisle.

Moira ignored her. The notification had been for an email from Toby. He was alive. He hadn’t been killed in the swamp like she had feared. Maybe he was getting sent to the same place as her for once . . .

“Where do you think they’re sending us?” Will asked again, his voice pitched louder so the rest of the team could hear from across the aisle.

“Who knows?” Adrian asked. That seemed to be his usual answer, and it was getting on Will’s nerves.

“Well, they obviously know! I just wish they’d tell us more,” he said.

“Chill, man,” Jesse said. “I’m sure we’ll find out soon.”

They had been given instructions to drive to LAX airport. The instructions contained a gate number and a note that their tickets were being held at the ticket counter. Nothing more.

Will leaned over toward Moira, who was clacking away on her phone. She tilted it so he couldn’t see. “Who are you emailing?” he asked.

She paused for a second and looked straight at him. “My boyfriend,” she replied shortly before returning to her typing.

So the guy was real. “How’d you meet him?” Will asked.

“None of your damn business.”

Will’s next question was cut off as the captain’s voice came over the intercom. “Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking. If you’ll note the emergency exits located . . .”

The team ignored the safety precautions. They’d heard them all before. Their attention was finally caught when the captain finally said: “We’ll be landing in about five hours. Enjoy your trip to Honolulu, Hawaii.”

TO BE CONTINUED . . .