Misfits, Inc. Page 22

  “I’ll take my necklace now,” Lucinda snarled while smiling victoriously.

  “You mean this?” Skyler’s voice was heard shouting from behind her.

  Lucinda turned with surprise to see Skyler standing several yards away with the necklace dangling from his fingers. His smile mocked her.

  “You want it?” he asked while taunting her with it. His smile twisted into a sneer. “Come and get it, bitch.”

  Lucinda aimed Marcus’ gun at Skyler. Hailey no longer pretended to be the frightened victim and kicked the gun upward from Lucinda’s hand. The gun flew back at Hailey, who attempted to catch it, struck the inside front windshield, and fell to the floor with a distinctive clatter. Lucinda glared at Hailey but was obviously less concerned with her at the moment and turned for Skyler. When Skyler saw her claws and fangs, his mocking smile immediately dropped to that of horror.

  “Okay, no one mentioned claws and fangs!”

  Lucinda lunged for Skyler. He cried out and bolted from her path, literally running up the half wall and flipping off it like a deranged ninja. Lucinda didn’t have time to stop and struck the half wall with tremendous force. She slammed her palms on the ledge, snarled her displeasure, and spun toward him with rage in her yellow cat eyes. Skyler was momentarily intimidated by her animal like eyes but quickly rebounded. He backed up several steps, dangled the necklace, and grinned.

  “Here kitty, kitty, kitty--”

  Lucinda snarled with rage and lunged for him, slashing with her claws. The black panther suddenly leaped past Skyler and snatched the necklace from his hand with its mouth. The panther stopped not far from them, arched its back while looking at Lucinda, and growled as the necklace dangled from its teeth.

  “Oops, wrong kitty,” Skyler remarked.

  Lucinda cried out and slashed at Skyler with her claws, nearly slicing him. He managed to leap out of her path with his own cat-like reflexes then nervously smiled.

  “Gotta go!”

  Skyler ran across the roof for the door and collided with Delaney, who mysteriously appeared almost out of nowhere. He slashed Skyler’s arm with his own claws. Skyler fell against the closed door, clutching his bleeding arm, and stared helplessly at Delaney. Skyler’s look then turned angry.

  “Owe, that hurt, you son-of-a-bitch!”

  Lucinda glared at the growling panther. “I’ll be back to claim my necklace once I kill your reason for existing.”

  She turned toward the helicopter, about to collect her prize, when she came face-to-face with Hailey, who stood directly behind her. Hailey swung a metal pipe for Lucinda’s head. Lucinda caught the pipe with her claws, surprising Hailey, and casually cast it aside. Hailey backed away from her without taking her eyes from her. Now would be a good time for her powers to return.

  “Never mind the freak, Delaney,” Lucinda called back while staring at Hailey. “He’ll be dealt with easily enough once this one’s dead.”

  Skyler stared past Delaney at Lucinda and appeared offended. “You’re one to talk, hairball!”

  “Get my necklace,” Lucinda ordered her man without taking her eyes off Hailey. “I’ll deal with the princess.” She cocked her head slightly and gave Hailey a quick once over. “Once she’s eliminated, her council loses their powers.”

  Delaney turned his attention from Skyler to the panther with the necklace in its mouth. The panther growled at him. Skyler still clutched his bleeding arm and looked at Hailey across the roof from him.

  “Hailey, do something!”

  Only one thing came to mind as she helplessly watched the scene about to unfold.

  “Kitty, run!” Hailey cried out.

  The panther turned and ran with the necklace. Delaney attempted to pounce on the panther but missed and hit the roof floor. The panther leaped onto the half wall and dived into a nearby tree. The tree swayed and the panther was no longer seen. Delaney didn’t hesitate and leaped into the tree after the large cat. Skyler stared at Hailey across the roof with a dumbfounded look.

  “Not exactly what I had in mind, Hail.”

  “It’s the best I’ve got,” Hailey called back.

  Lucinda turned to Hailey with rage clearly in her yellow cat eyes. “I’ve had enough of you and your pathetic council. It’s time to end this.”

  She raised her clawed hand to slash her throat. The roof door was suddenly thrown open, casting Skyler carelessly across the roof, to reveal Vance in full ‘knight in shining armor’ mode. Even Hailey couldn’t deny his dashing charm with the way he stood in the doorway like some medieval savior.

  “Not another one,” Lucinda cried out with frustration. “You’re like bugs crawling out of the woodwork!”

  “Or better yet,” Vance announced as he grinned, “bats from a belfry.”

  Vance held his hands in the air. There was a strange sound against the stormy sky. A large, dark swarm rapidly closed in. Lucinda appeared bewildered and took a step back. She seemed frightened for the first time. A huge swarm of exceedingly large bats flew toward them.

  Vance laughed evilly and waved his arms wildly in the air. “Fly my pretties--fly!”

  Lucinda cried out as the bats swarmed around her in a black tornado. She shielded her face and screamed while attempting to keep them away.

  After Vance had his moment, he looked at Hailey and turned serious. “Hailey, Rafe’s been injured pretty badly. You need to, you know, do your touchy thing.”

  “My vision--” Skyler gasped.

  Hailey hurried for the open roof door and nearly ran over Logan, who was just arriving. Logan took a moment to catch his breath, having run up the stairs, and then stared with surprise at the swarm of large bats flying around Lucinda. He smiled while nodding his approval.

  “Now that is cool.”

  “Delaney is trying to get the necklace from kitty,” Skyler announced and finally released his injured arm once the bleeding had stopped.

  “Where?” Logan asked.

  Logan, Vance, and Skyler approached the edge of the roof and looked into the swaying trees. Logan held out his hand and concentrated. The tree branches bent and vines rapidly grew along the trees. They heard Delaney screaming.

  “I wouldn’t worry,” Logan announced cheerfully. “Delaney is a little tied up right now.” He then looked around and appeared curious. “Where’s Rafe?”

  There was an awkward silence as Vance and Skyler exchanged concerned looks.

  “He’s been injured,” Skyler reported in a timid tone.

  “It’s pretty serious,” Vance added.

  Logan’s expression dropped.

  †

  Hailey hurried into her suite and suddenly stopped just inside the doorway. Rafe was reclined on the sofa with his feet crossed at the ankles on the broken coffee table and his eyes were closed. Blood soaked his torn shirt, and she could see more blood surrounding the gashes on his thigh. Hailey hurried to the sofa, sat alongside him, and gently touched his face. His eyes slowly opened and a smirk crossed his face.

  “You should see the other guy--”

  Rafe gave a slight mocking nod to Marcus lying on the floor, impaled through the chest with a wooden table leg. He attempted a laugh, clutched his bleeding chest, and cringed with pain. Hailey placed her hand on the deep gashes.

  “Oh, Rafe--”

  He looked at her and offered a tiny smile. “It’s too late for that, Hailey. We both know it.”

  Hailey met his gaze with tears in her eyes and a determined look. “I can save you.”

  “You already have,” he replied gently and offered a tender smile. “I can’t think of a more noble cause then dying for the woman I love.”

  She stared at him and could almost feel her heart stop beating. It couldn’t be possible. He couldn’t die. Could he? He suddenly appeared humored and attempted to laugh, although it was obviously too painful.

  “Hey? Isn’t this how we first met?” he teased. “You standing over my bloody carcass?”

  She felt the irony, but it suddenly gav
e her hope. “I brought you back once,” she replied softly. “I can do it again.”

  “I don’t think I get nine lives.”

  She shook her head with conviction and fear that resembled anger. “I won’t let you go, Rafe.”

  “Be as stubborn as you want, but you really don’t have much choice.”

  Hailey fought her tears and kissed him warmly on the lips. Rafe pulled her closer for a more passionate kiss. She returned his kiss as tears ran down her face. She kept her hand on his wounds without breaking off the kiss. Rafe’s head slowly fell against the back of the sofa. Hailey pulled her head back and stared at him with tears streaking her face. She kept her left hand firmly on his chest wound and placed her right hand to his temple. Her look conveyed her determination.

  “I won’t let you go,” she whispered.

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Skyler and Logan stood by the half wall and stared at the motionless tree containing the panther and Delaney. Delaney could still be heard yelling, although his struggling against the vines wasn’t doing any good. With little warning, the black panther leaped from the tree, tackled Logan to the roof floor, and sat on him with the necklace dangling from his mouth.

  “Awe, he likes you,” Skyler teased.

  Logan stared at the panther sitting on his large chest, having knocked the air from him. “Yeah, well, us brothers got to stick together,” he gasped.

  Skyler took the necklace from Kitty’s mouth and pushed the panther off his friend. Logan groaned. Several feet away from them, the large bats still swarmed around the crouched and cowering Lucinda. Vance stood nearby and allowed one of the larger bats to dangle from his hand. He turned his head upside down to study the creature.

  “Who’s the pretty little bat?” he cooed. “You’re the pretty little bat.”

  Lucinda slowly lowered her arms from her face and looked at Vance through the swarm. Her claws and fangs were now gone. Her eyes seemed darker and almost innocent.

  “Make them stop,” she pleaded softly to him. “I give up. You win.”

  Vance allowed the bat to fly away and looked at Lucinda with arrogance. “I guess you should have thought about that before you got all rowdy.”

  “I never knew that beneath that handsome exterior was a man of great power,” she said in a seductive tone. “I submit to you, Vance. You are superior to me.”

  He laughed at the comment. “If you weren’t such an evil bitch, I think I’d be turned on.”

  Their eyes only met briefly, but that was all Lucinda needed. As she stared into his eyes, Vance stared back. His smile faded and he appeared almost helpless to her hypnotic gaze. Lucinda maintained her seductive smile despite the swarming bats.

  “A characteristic flaw of the Charmer is the inability to refuse my charm. That makes you my slave,” she informed him. “Now, my love, call off your pets.”

  Vance waved his hand, allowing the bats to fly away. Lucinda straightened with a satisfied smile. Logan and Skyler saw the bats flying past them then turned to see Lucinda free.

  “Vance, no!” Logan cried out.

  Vance pointed to Logan and Skyler. The bats took their cue, changed direction, and swarmed around them. Both men ducked and shielded their faces from the tornado of bats

  “What’s wrong with him?” Logan cried out, displaying his fear of the mammoth, flying creatures.

  “He appears to be under some sort of spell,” Skyler announced while attempting to get a closer look while shielding his face. “Hailey! We have a problem!”

  Lucinda casually approached the men and their swarming bats. Her devious grin was frightening. Vance obediently followed in his trance-like state.

  “The necklace, Vance,” she ordered sweetly.

  Vance reached through the swarm and snatched the necklace from Logan, who reluctantly released it. Lucinda took the necklace and seductively touched Vance’s face.

  “Come along, handsome,” Lucinda announced. “We have a helicopter to catch.”

  Vance followed Lucinda to the helicopter. Hailey ran through the open doorway from the stairs in time to witness Lucinda and Vance heading toward the helicopter. Lucinda opened the helicopter door, looked back at Hailey, and smiled sweetly.

  “Vance, darling, kill that woman.”

  Vance turned toward Hailey and approached her. Hailey uncertainly backed away. The black panther attempted to come to her rescue but the bats kept it low to the ground. Kitty hissed at the bats and even swatted at a few.

  “Vance, what’s wrong with you?” Hailey suddenly asked with concern while avoiding his approach.

  “He’s under her spell,” Logan cried out. “She did something to him!”

  Hailey stared at Vance, although he avoided looking directly into her eyes. Despite the spell he was under, that part of him still remained. The helicopter started, alarming Hailey. She had to do something fast or Lucinda would get away. Hailey took a quick step closer to Vance and placed her hands firmly on his face.

  “No, Hailey, run!” Skyler screamed.

  Vance grabbed Hailey by the throat. Hailey gasped as he applied pressure, cutting off her air. Despite his grip, she forced him to look into her eyes. His grip tightened, and she was having a difficult time catching her breath. They stared into each other’s eyes for only a few seconds. His expression suddenly dropped, and he pulled away from her as if she’d sent lightning through him. Vance clutched his head and dropped to his knees. Hailey slowly kneeled before him and gently touched his shoulder.

  “Are you okay?”

  Vance lowered his trembling hands and looked at Hailey. He stared helplessly into her eyes for the first time and appeared almost horrified.

  “What happened?”

  “A mild case of impotence, but it’s only temporary, I promise,” she replied.

  Vance looked at his shaking hands and appeared too weak to stand. The helicopter began to lift from the pad, alarming Hailey. She quickly straightened.

  “Vance, release the bats!”

  Vance weakly lifted his hand and the bats flew away. It was all he had. Logan and Skyler quickly straightened. Vance remained kneeling on the roof floor unable to move and stared helplessly at his trembling hands. The helicopter lifted a few feet from the ground and was about to take off. Vines suddenly entwined around the rungs. The helicopter pulled up and easily snapped the vines.

  “Damn it,” Logan cried out.

  The helicopter suddenly jolted but remained hovering in place. Hailey and Logan looked at Skyler, who held his hand out and kept the helicopter in place with an invisible force. Hailey jumped onto the half wall, teetered a moment to catch her balance, and then hurried along the wall toward the elevated helicopter.

  “Hailey, no,” Logan called after her.

  Logan leaped onto the half wall near him and skillfully ran along it from the opposite direction for her. Lucinda pulled sharply on the controls. The helicopter jolted from the throttle and Skyler’s hold. The back end of the helicopter spun slightly and headed directly for Logan. Logan cried out and plummeted over the edge. A vine entwined around his ankle and stopped him from falling to his death. He dangled from the vine while screaming. Skyler’s eyes narrowed and his hand trembled. The helicopter’s engine was heard revving loudly, but the helicopter remained held in place by Skyler’s invisible force. Hailey made her way along the half wall just near the helicopter. Lucinda attempted to pull away from Skyler’s telekinetic hold. The helicopter bucked. Skyler gasped and closed his fist. The helicopter remained steady. Hailey opened the passenger side door to reveal Lucinda aiming Marcus’ discarded gun at her. Rafe suddenly appeared and tackled Hailey to the roof as the gun fired, narrowly missing her. Skyler sneered and violently released his telekinetic hold on the helicopter.

  The helicopter suddenly jerked from Lucinda’s pressure on the throttle, spun wildly out of control, and dropped over the side of the building. The helicopter crashed through several trees as it plummeted toward the ground twenty stories below. It
struck the ground and exploded into flames. Skyler fell harshly to his knees and wiped the blood from his nose with disgust.

  “Never underestimate a freak, bitch,” Skyler muttered.

  Rafe moved off Hailey, helped her into a sitting position, and then pulled her into his arms with a gentle groan. She clung to him and laughed softly.

  “You sure know how to make an entrance,” she announced as relief swept through her.

  Rafe kissed her forehead then grinned and helped her to her feet. Vance placed his hand on Skyler’s shoulder and weakly collapsed alongside him.

  “Very effective, Numinous, but remind me never to fly with you,” Vance announced.

  There was a faint voice from over the side of the building. “Uh, could someone give me a hand?” Logan was heard outside the building just below the wall.

  Everyone hurried for the half wall and looked over the side. Logan swayed back and forth by the vine attached to his ankle. The panther stood on its hind legs with its front paws on the half wall, watched Logan sway, and playfully batted at him.

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  The storm had passed, leaving the beachfront hotel virtually untouched. Unfortunately, plenty of damage had already been done earlier that day. The moonlit night on the terrace was calm, and the guests were having a good time despite all that had happened. It was unclear if anyone was sober by that point. The soft sound of music soothed guests’ frayed nerves. Tam tended the makeshift bar, hastily nailed together. Logan sat before a portable keyboard attached to speakers and played a romantic melody while Hailey and Rafe slow danced in the shadows just beyond the terrace on the sand. Vance sat at a severely bent table sipping one of many fruity drinks. Brody pulled out a chair and joined him at the wobbling table. Both steadied the table until it no longer rocked.

  “This was my first day as partner of this lovely beachfront property,” Brody cheerfully informed Vance.

  Vance snorted a laugh as he worked on finishing his fourth drink. “Certainly one vacation no one will forget,” he replied while hiding his grin.