Page 46

46. Weapon of Mass Destruction

Rome

A massive pillar of cobalt power reached for the clouds like an F5 tornado, Kerry barely visible in the dead center of it. Heavy white clouds roiled around the base, ripping and tearing everything nearby. As we watched, silver lightning arced out in branches and ensnared djinn, plucked them right out of the air or off the ground, and dragged them into the swirling vortex.

Mira said something, but I couldn’t hear her over the deafening cacophony of trees breaking and buildings disintegrating.

“We won’t outrun that,” I shouted.

“So what do we do?” she yelled back.

Surveying our position, I racked my brain for an answer. A glint of sun on metal came from the river, and I saw Jax’s head poke up over the steep bank.

“There!” I pointed, and we ran for our lives.

When we were some twenty feet away, Gigi and Chance popped into sight behind Jax, then Gigi disappeared again. Still holding hands, Mira and I slid down the bank on our rears and landed with a splash. Helping each other up, we nearly bounced into Gigi when she ’ported back with Monkey.

Another flash of sun, and I looked over to see Jax with a phone held up, camera pointed toward the weapon of mass destruction formerly known as Kerry Harker. Wet to the knees, I sloshed closer to him. The wind was screaming now and I had to shout in his ear.

“What are you doing?”

“Filming evidence on Gigi’s phone,” he shouted back. “In case we need proof that djinn were here.”

“Right. And what are you really doing?”

“Dude, how many times in your life are you going to see something like this?” He grinned. “Besides, no one will believe us otherwise.”

There was a splash behind me and I turned in time to catch Gigi as she stumbled a little, Spin on her other side. He and I helped her wade over to Jax, who reached out with his free arm and pulled her against his side.

“I’ve got her!” he yelled. “Thanks!”

Spin nodded at me, then went to Monkey. She buried her face in his chest, her hands pressed tightly over her ears, and he wrapped his arms around her head and shoulders.

Wow. Talk about a fast mover . She doesn’t talk and they’ve only known each other as long as I’ve known—

My heart stuttered when I saw Mira had half-climbed back out of the ravine and lay on her stomach on the grassy bank. I waded toward her as fast as the cold water and slippery rocks would allow.

I’m tempted to smack that backside! What is she thinking?!

I reached for her right as she slipped and knocked into my chest. She snapped her eyes up at me, apparently startled to find me so close.

“What are you doing?!” I yelled. “I’m trying to save your life and you’re going back out there? Mira, you can’t help him right now!”

There was no other way to describe her expression other than furious. She pushed me back forcefully, then raised both hands and glowed gray - and a freaking metal roof hovered above our heads.

Still glaring at me, she slammed one end into the grassy bank. Dirt rained down on us as she forced it deep into the ground, then she zapped it again and the metal screeched into a forty-five-degree angle.

I finally caught on. She had created a blast shield. Whatever came at us, be it debris or power, would be deflected into the air.

Hopefully.

“Great idea,” I hollered. “Sorry! I didn’t understand.”

Her glare faded and she nodded.

I nodded back, then looked around at the rest of the team. Jax still held his phone up, now angled around the metal shield, but he was shouting something in Gigi’s ear. She looked exhausted, but she nodded and disappeared again. Wide-eyed, I started toward Jax to ask what was going on. Everyone was accounted for except Kerry.

Surely she wasn’t going to try ’porting him !

I passed Spin and Monkey, who hadn’t moved, and noticed Chance was also descending on Jax. We reached him at the same time and both demanded to know where Gigi had gone.

“Hank’s here. I called John and asked him to bring him, but John never went further than the cars, so he had to drop Hank there. Gigi went to get him.”

“Hank Bishop?” Chance yelled. “Kerry’s warden?”

“ Hank Bishop’s his warden?” I was shocked.

“It’s okay. Spin said there’s no way he’s the traitor,” Jax assured me.

“I know he’s not!”

I scowled in irritation. If I’d known it was Hank Bishop, I would have had Kerry call his warden right after the ambush.

Then the man himself was there, holding Gigi up as she shook with exhaustion.

“Honor to meet you, Hank,” I shouted, “and glad you’re here. It’s getting intense. What happened was—”

“Don’t try to explain it all now .” His eyes spat angry fire. “Where is he?”

I pointed toward Kerry-geddon and watched all the color drain from his face.

“Where’s Gemma?” When no one answered, I guess he had his answer. “Oh, please tell me she’s not dead!”

“No, only captured. I mean, captured is bad, but no, she’s not dead. Kerry saw it happen, though, just minutes ago. Mira and I tried to get there in time, but a djinni grabbed her and ’ported out of here.”

“Okay. Captured. We can work with captured.” He looked me in the eye. “As long as she’s not dead, we have a hold on him. I only hope our enemies haven’t figured that out yet.”

It sounded callous, but he was right.

Kerry was too smart and strong to be enthralled or coerced, and those once possessed can’t be possessed again. He wouldn’t be bribed or bought, and no one could cage him. But you could put him on a leash - if you had Gemma Shepherd.

I swallowed hard.

“You see the problem, I take it?” Hank’s voice was dry.

“Can you make him stop this, Hank?” Gigi shouted.

“I don’t even know what this is!” he called back. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Then, as if a switch had flipped, the wind’s overwhelming roar stopped. The air stilled and became static for a second and then the sound of an almighty waterfall crashed around us.

“Everybody down!” Hank yelled.

Except for Jax, we all dove for the cover of the blast shield. Gigi screamed his name, but he was intent on filming until the very last second.

“Oh, this is— This is epic.” He sounded awestruck.

“Ajax Kosta! You come here before you get killed!”

“One more second, babe.” He held up the index finger of his free hand.

“Jax,” I barked, “what’s happen—”