Avenging You

Chapter 26

Ryan

I can’t connect with Parker.

I don’t say that because I know that Emma would then insist on us going back to the bunker and waiting for her. I’m running aimlessly and listening out for her hoping I’ll hear something and be able to figure out where the Aberrations took her.

Skye catches up with me whenever I stopped, and she looks at me with sadness and I know she knows that I don’t know what I’m doing. Emma slowly catches up with us and is gasping for air and asks, “Do you know how much further she is?”

I hesitate to answer and if looks could kill then Emma would have me six feet under right now. She says, “Ryan, we are at least three miles away from the bunker and it’s going to get dark soon! Do you know how deep in trouble we’ll be if they attack again?”

I huff, “I know, but I knew if you knew I didn’t know where I was going then you would’ve made us go back to the bunker.”

She rolls her eyes and sits on the ground and says, “Figure out how to connect with her or with one of the guys to see if they’ve seen her on the monitors.”

How come I didn’t think of that?

I try my best, but I’m struggling making any type of connection to anyone. It worries me that someone may have been able to disable my abilities.

I hear twigs snapping and immediately Skye steps in front of me and Emma with her hands out prepared to attack. Relief floods through me as I see Parker walk towards us. When her eyes land on me she rushes over and hugs me and says softly, “Thank God you’re okay.”

I rub her back and say, “I’m fine.”

She gives Skye a hug next and then looks at Emma and says, “You only come out in the field if things get really bad. What do I not know?”

Emma chuckles in response and hugs Parker and suggests, “How about you teleport us back home then I’ll explain everything to everyone?”

Parker nods in agreement and everyone holds hands as Parker closes her eyes and focuses on bringing us back to the bunker. I feel a rush of nausea and I know she succeeded because this is the feeling I always get when she teleports. I open my eyes and Tom, Jasper, and Ava are all rushing towards us and we all go sit in the living room so we can catch each other up.

Parker

Words cannot describe the exhaustion that I feel. Both mentally and physically.

AJ is safe and that’s the thing that matters most. He’s in our room and is sleeping and I’m sitting on the couch next to Skye while everyone gets situated.

My eyes flicker to Ryan as I watch Ava bring him a wet cloth so he can get the dried blood off of him. My heart aches knowing how injured he was. He says it wasn’t that bad, but I know Emma would not have been out on the field unless it was life threatening.

Tom and Jasper both sit down and Tom tugs Emma’s hand pulling her to him, and she sits in his lap as he holds her close. He nuzzles his head into her neck, and I can see how relieved he is just to have her with him.

Ava and Ryan come join us and Ava sits on the floor in front of Jasper and Ryan comes and sits on the other side of me.

Jasper pulls Ava up and into his lap since there wasn’t enough space for us all to sit in a seat. Tom clears his voice and looks at me and Ryan and asks, “Do you guys want to explain what happened out there? How did the two of you get separated?”

We both look at each other and realize that neither one of us have the answer. Tom huffs and says, “Okay, let’s start with Ryan. What happened with you?”

He huffs, “I got tackled. By the time I got the guy off of me Parker was gone, and he told me she wouldn’t be found again. Suddenly, I was surrounded and there wasn’t any way that I could fight everyone off on my own.”

Tom nods and looks at me to speak and I say, “I honestly don’t know how we got separated. One second he was by my side and the next he was gone. I was alone and then Hunter came out and he wanted me to come with him without a fight. He told me if I did, he would call his men off and they would leave Ryan alone and no one else would get hurt, but if I didn’t then Ryan wouldn’t live.”

I purposely avoid looking at anyone as I say this instead, I just stare at my hands. I gulp, “I tried to choke him, and he kicked me, and I dropped him and when I did… I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like it caused him to glitch. Like he for a split second appeared shorter and the top of his hair was a different color.”

I think back at that moment and I wonder what’s going on with him. He has been weaker… I can feel that he’s not as strong as he used to be.

I continue, “He had me listen to Ryan’s screams. I burned him and ran away. By the time I found the others Emma had already healed Ryan and they had been searching for me.”

Tom nods in response and I look at Emma and ask, “How bad did they hurt Ryan?”

Ryan speaks up, “Parker.”

I turn and look at Ryan and I can see he through his eyes that he doesn’t want me to know how bad it is. He doesn’t want me to blame myself for being unable to protect him. He doesn’t want me to give myself up just to protect him. But I have to know. I think it will help fuel me to end this fight. I sigh, “I need to know.”

His eyes drop, and I look back at Emma and say, “How bad was it?”

Emma’s eyes flicker between mine and Ryan’s face and she says, “It was pretty bad. A few broken ribs, some internal bleeding, and his face was really swollen and was turning black and blue by the time we got there.”

I looked towards Skye and ask, “How many were there?”

She shrugs, “I don’t know, I electrocuted them until they turned into crisps.”

I can’t help the smile the spreads across my face as I say, “That’s my girl.”