Finding ELE (ELE Series #2) Written By: Rebecca Gober and Courtney Nuckels (5 page)

Chris looks him up and down and rolls his
eyes. He makes his way towards the door slamming into Tony's
shoulder on his way there. I see Tony stiffen but he doesn't take
the bait. He allows Chris to walk out of the room avoiding the
potential conflict that was brewing.

The crowd starts mumbling again. My mom
brings them back to attention. "Does anyone else want to question
me?"

Nobody speaks up so she finishes the
meeting. "Meet us outside in the North parking lot in fifteen
minutes. We will head out then."

The crowd disperses. Tony turns towards me
and says quietly. "I'm sorry Willow, Chris is a punk. He's been
unhappy with his position ever since his demotion. He used to be
right under your mother."

"Really?" I ask surprised. Tony shows so
much respect for my mom, but I saw none of that in Chris. "Why did
he get demoted?"

Tony seems to be lost in thought. He runs a
hand through his coppery hair then says, "His girlfriend took the
red shot and became a Reaper. He tried to hide it at first. You
see, they don't immediately turn into phsyco, heartless enemies. In
fact, it actually takes a few days, sometimes a week before they
lose touch with their humanity. He hid her and didn't warn anyone
until it was too late. She killed three people and took out the
last and final healer we had here."

"Wow." I wonder how Chris's life was spared.
I thought Reapers lose all compassion, even when it involved their
own family. I would think that would cover romantic relationships
too.

"Well, we better get you some weapons. Are
you ready?" He asks me with a gleam in his eye.

Weapons? "Oookay." I say a bit
uncertainly.

Tony smiles really big. "Don't worry. I'm
not going to get you a machine gun or anything. Perhaps just a
knife…or two."

Oh boy. I don't know what I'm going to do
with a knife...or two for that matter but I guess it's best to have
something on me if it's that bad out there. I make a mental note to
get with Tony after this to train on weaponry. "Let's go."

As we walk out of the room my heart ramps up
in anticipation for the upcoming search. I just hope it's
successful. I follow Tony down a flight of stairs and end up in
what looks to be their makeshift arsenal. It's actually the hotels
laundry room. There is little light in this room since it's
partially below ground and the only windows are small slits at the
top of the ceiling. I nearly trip over a gun laying casually in the
walkway. Tony catches a hold of my arm and rights me back up.

"So are you right handed or left handed?"
Tony asks me.

"Right." I wonder if there are knives that
are better suited for lefties. I watch as Tony sifts through a pile
of boxes on a nearby table. "So, where did you get all of this?"
Scanning the room, there are piles of outdoor gear, weapons, ammo
and survival packs with food and water.

"We looted a Walmart and some other
neighborhood sporting good stores." He answers without looking up
from his search.

"Looted? As in stole?" I ask surprised.

He looks up at me. "Who else is going to use
that stuff?"

I hadn't really considered what would happen
to all of the belongings and material items we all left outside of
the shelter. I just figured it would all be there waiting when we
got out. "Um, I don't know. I guess you have to do what you have to
do out here."

He gives me a half smile. "Yeah, they left
us outside. We certainly weren't going to sit around and rot while
holding on to our moral code of ethics. They aren't using them so
it's fair game." He turns to the table and says, "Got it." He pulls
out a thin box about six inches long and hands it to me.

I look down at the cover on the box. It
shows a gnarly looking blade that despite the hot pink handle seems
intimidating even to me. I open up the box and pull it out of the
packaging. Pulling the blade out all I can do is stare, turning it
over a few times in my hand. I look up to see Tony giving me a
funny grin. I try to close it back up but I can't get the blade to
budge. "It's broken."

Tony laughs and holds out his hand. I pass
the blade to him and he says, "Whoa! Watch it tiger. You don't ever
hand a knife to someone blade first. Hand it to me handle first,
please."

Feeling a little silly for not having
thought of that, I quickly turn the knife around and hand it to him
by the handle.

"These have a safety catch that keeps the
blade open when it's in use. You press this tab here and close the
blade at the same time. It prevents the blade from collapsing when
you shove it into something." Tony demonstrates how to close
it.

"Wow, shove it into something? That seems
innocent enough." I say joking.

Tony takes on a serious look. "Weapons are
anything but innocent." He opens the knife back up and hands it to
me handle first. "Knife 101: you always hand a knife back to a
person in the same way they handed it to you. So if the blade was
open, you hand it back open, if the blade was closed, you hand it
back closed."

"Thank you oh wise one." I joke and that
seems to lighten Tony's serious mood. "So, now I know how to open,
close and pass a knife. How exactly would I use it? Do I just
'shove it into something'?"

Tony laughs. "We don't have time for a
formal training. Until then, your instincts will tell you pretty
much what to do. You could slice at them or stab them, whatever you
have to do to get away from them. You don't need to finish the job,
just scare them enough to give you a chance to run. Also a tip
someone once told me is that when you go into a knife fight, go
into it knowing you are going to get cut. This will help mentally
prepare you to deal with your fear of the blade. If you are ready
to be cut you won't be as scared when it comes time for you to
defend yourself."

The thought of using a knife or getting cut
in a fight makes my heart race. I must look terrified because Tony
adds. "Don't worry though; I won't let anyone get close enough for
you to have a chance to test your skills anyway."

"Well, that does make me feel better. Oh,
and if you get hurt defending me I can always heal you." I give him
a half smile and he returns it.

"Sounds like we will make a great team
then." He turns to start leading me out of the room.

"Oh, should I take one of those guns?" I ask
looking at a pile of firearms.

"Do you know how to use it?"

"Well, no..." Of course I don't know how to
use it.

He laughs and when I give him a frustrated
stare he adds. "Don't worry Willow. I'll teach you these things in
due time."

I wonder what due time is. I don't know if
there will ever be enough time for me to get used to handling a
gun, or any type of weapon for that matter. I stick the pink knife
in my pocket and follow Tony out of the room and all the way to the
parking lot. Is it sad to wish the knife handle had glitter or
shiny things stuck to it? Bah, I'm such a girl.

Outside everyone is huddled around my mom
who is doling out orders. My mom looks up at me as I approach and
waves her hand calling me over. Most everyone disperses, except for
four burly looking guys.

"Did Tony get you some gear?" She asks
me.

I pull out my hot pink knife. "Yep. Girly,
yet deadly." I smile.

She raises her eyebrow. "Looks good.
Hopefully you won't have to use it." Concern flashes in her
eyes.

"She won't." Tony offers confidently.

My mom nods her head then gestures to the
big manly foursome. "This is Mike, Tom, William and Henry. I've
assigned them along with Tony to be dedicated to your protection.
It is their top priority."

In unison, the fearsome four nod their
heads. I give Tony a funny look and he smirks.

My mom must have caught it because she gives
me her famous mom stare, which tells me that I'm being rude. She
continues looking directly at me. "You will need to listen to their
orders and stay close to them at all times. Don't try to be brave
or go out on your own." She seems to be waiting for a yes ma'am
response or something so I nod my head. "I mean it Willow. You saw
what it was like on your first day outside. The Reapers are
dangerous and while I'm not sure if they can take your powers or
not, they can still kill you just as easily with their
weapons."

"I understand mom." I shiver at the memory
of all of the heartless red eyes I saw. What my mom should truly
fear more than my death would be what would happen if the Reapers
take my powers. Nobody should have the amount of gifts I have. I
have trouble holding in the reigns and keeping it all from going to
my head. I can't imagine what someone who can't differentiate
between right and wrong would do with all of my abilities.

My mom looks satisfied that I'll be
compliant. "Alright. Let's get going."

"Where are we going?" I ask her.

"To the mountain. You said they came out at
the same place you did right?"

I nod my head.

"So we are going to comb the forest around
the mountain's base. If I were on the run from those monsters
that's where I would hide." Her expression turns sadly thoughtful.
She reaches out and runs her fingers through my hair. "You do need
to prepare yourself though honey. We may not find them today. Or,
we may only find what's left of them. It's a crazy world out here
and their chances for survival could be low, especially if they go
at it alone."

My heart lurches in my chest. I know she
already warned me once of that possibility, but I can't let myself
accept it. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to my
friends, what I would do without Alec. Everything in me wishes that
I could be in his arms right now. I blink back the tears that
threaten to build. "I know mom. We will find them though...and
alive. We have to."

She doesn't confirm or deny my statement.
She just pats me on my back and says, "Let's move out." She turns
on her heel and heads to lead the group.

As I move forward to join the throng of
soldiers I am immediately flanked on all four sides by the
fantastic four. They pull their automatic rifles off their back and
hold them in position, prepared to shoot any threats. Tony walks to
the right of me, inside the small diamond formation that the other
four guys make. While I'm a little creeped out about leaving my
comfort zone, something about Tony makes me feel safe. Well, as
safe as one could feel when being led out to a possible
slaughter.

We walk out of the parking lot and follow a
gravel road for what seems like miles. The sun beats down on us
mercilessly as we walk. Sweat starts accumulating on my forehead
and I wipe it away with the back of my hand. Tony pulls a bottle of
water from his hiking pack and hands it to me. Feeling like a wimp,
I guzzle down half of it and hand it back. He takes a small sip
then puts it back in his bag.

I'm grateful when the tall thirsty looking
evergreens greet us at the end of the road. Perhaps some protection
from this unrelenting sun will help me to cool off. I glance at a
few trail map signs. I wonder on a normal day how many hikers would
be out here exploring. My heart yearns for some sense of
normalcy.

When we step into the forest my mom calls us
all to a stop. We stand silently, listening to the nature around us
for a good five minutes. I guess she is assessing the area and
listening for threats. When she deems it clear, she allows us to
proceed. We repeat the same stop and listen procedure every half
mile or so.

I place my hand in my pocket and stroke the
smooth texture of the knife's handle. I'm not sure why, but the
gesture comforts me. We continue marching for several hours through
the woods with no signs of my friends or anyone. All this marching
on and on is making me antsy and bored. Looking around at the fab
four and Tony, I get an uncanny itch to pull a little prank. I
can't help myself. They look so stoic and...and constipated or
something. I go invisible counting the seconds until they figure it
out. Heck, while I'm at it I might as well practice using my
multiple powers. I try Connor's power on for size while still
invisible and pass through the caboose guy, I think it's William,
and stand behind him. I try and stifle a laugh as I watch them
continue marching.

Alas, it doesn't take long before Tony finds
me gone. He stops abruptly looking for me, causing William to crash
into him. The other three turn around with guns drawn aiming all
around them. It's in this moment I realize this might not have been
the best time for a practical joke. As their guns swing around, I
panic and duck, hoping they don't mistakenly shoot me. I let out a
small screech and let go of my powers so they can see me.

Tony is the first to come barreling towards
me. He grabs me by the arm and hauls me to my feet so fast my head
is swimming. "You think that was funny?" He spits in my face.

My eyes go wide in fear. I didn't know he
had it in him to be so forceful. I guess that's why my mom must
have put him in charge of me. "Sorry Tony, I was just bored. We've
been walking for what seems like millennia and are getting nowhere.
Shouldn't we stop and talk about other options?"

Tony's eyebrows rise into a questioning
look. "Are you questioning your mother's authority?"

I let my eyes wander; anything is better
than meeting his scolding gaze right now. Realizing I’m not winning
this argument, I relent. I shake my head no. "Sorry, that was
uncalled for. It won't happen again."

A second later I hear my mother shuffling
through the crowd of soldiers that has gathered around. "What is
going on here? Willow are you okay? Why did you stop?"

Before I can answer her myself, Tony steps
in for me. "We're fine. Willow just had to stop and tie her shoe.
She neglected to tell William behind her, which caused a small
collision, slash scuffle.”