PART SEVENTEEN

Serena turned toward Michael, swallowing hard, as they all stared at the enemy encampment—an abandoned warehouse, their main occupation for the past month. They’d pulled the Suburban into the gravel road moments before, just as the sky had reflected the first lovely colors of daybreak, and the fortress had seemed overwhelming--huge, against their small numbers.

Michael had driven them to the warehouse, and now Tess would slip behind the wheel once the two of them were inside. They needed her prepared to drive them out quickly, if things didn’t flow as planned inside.

"You go right for Anna while I meet with Nicholas." Serena advised, judging Michael’s reaction evenly.

Michael nodded, hesitating a moment, then spoke. "How will you know what’s happening, Serena? I mean, if Tess is using her warp on the whole place?"

"Since I’ll know what she’s doing, I’ll block her. Let’s just hope they don’t have the same idea."

"Nicholas doesn’t really know what I’m capable of," Tess reassured her. "At least not the full extent."

Serena shook her head thoughtfully. "So, I’ll block, which means I should be able to see Michael and Anna leaving…but Nicholas won’t."

"Exactly," Tess agreed with a nod. But Serena didn’t miss the tension in her features, and knew she was a bit intimidated and uncertain. Yet she could also tell how fully resolved she was, as her chin tipped up in defiance against their enemies.

"Okay," Michael agreed, turning toward Tess, where she sat in the backseat. "How long can you hold the mind warp? Realistically?"

Tess chewed her lip thoughtfully for a moment, and Serena thought how very much she admired the way they worked together. How cohesive the entire group was--and knew it had something to do with deep bonds that wove among them all, just as it was within their own unit.

"I’m not sure, Michael. As long as I can, okay?" Tess coughed, clearing her throat, and Serena sensed heavy emotions passing through her. "It depends on what I’m up against. But I’ll do my very best."

"I know that," Michael answered softly, touching Tess’s arm lightly.

Her eyes fluttered shut, and Serena watched her gather strength, sensed that something was already escalating within her—and she was glad the rebellion had her unique gift at their disposal now--because none of their own unit had her capabilities. She was special, truly gifted.

Her blue eyes opened again, and something had settled firmly within her. Michael and Tess clasped hands briefly, and Serena was surprised by the tenderness she saw pass between them—then just as quickly, they parted, releasing their brief hold on one another.

"I’ll be right here," she assured him. "Just go and get it done."

Michael nodded with a heavy sigh, and Serena couldn’t shake the sense that he was apprehensive about their plan—and for that matter, she was too. But unfortunately Anna’s capture had left them no other alternative.

******

Serena sat at the meeting table—a piece of plywood atop two steel drums-- surrounded by Nicholas’s armed men. It had been bizarre when she’d entered the room, Michael moving quickly beside her—and yet clearly none of their enemies had seen him. She wondered if she’d even really know when he was ready to leave with Anna…if she really would remain free of the mindwarp.

Nicholas stepped into the small, makeshift meeting room, and stared at her a long moment.

"Well, well, Serena. It’s been a long time," he assessed, pulling out a chair and straddling it backwards. He slung his arms over the back and studied her carefully.

"A while, yes," she nodded, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, too long from what I’m seeing," he purred, his gaze dropping lower, right to her breasts. She felt instantly vulnerable because Nicholas knew one thing—how to toy with his prey in exactly the right way. She resisted the urge to cross her arms over her chest.

"Cut to the chase, Nicholas," she commanded forcefully. "You’ve got Anna and you’ve been torturing her. That’s going to end."

"Fine," he answered, smirking a bit. "Give me the granolith and you can have her."

"You know that won’t happen. Offer terms I can meet."

"The granolith," he responded coolly. "Or there is no deal, Serena."

She studied her hands a moment, then looked up again, trying to catch sight of Michael.

"No deal then," she answered with finality, then decided to try a risky tactic. "Care to continue?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Nicholas stared at her a moment, silently weighing his options. Her bluff was a difficult one, because if Michael wasn’t successful in finding Anna, she wasn’t sure what she might offer Nicholas to get them all out alive. If Nicholas had been angry about Anna, he’d be furious about Tess’s mindwarp. Serena’s stomach churned anxiously and her heart rate increased, as the seconds stretched out in silence.

"Go home, then," he replied finally, standing so abruptly that his chair tipped and almost fell over. Then he stopped a moment, staring down at her with piercing eyes. "On second thought, wait. You can watch Anna’s execution."

And with that, he began walking away from their meeting table.

"No," Serena gasped, grabbing Nicholas by the arm. He stopped and stared down at her, as she searched for a solution. "There must be some terms you’d be willing to consider," she begged softly.

"Not so sure of yourself anymore, are you Serena?" He taunted, his mouth turning up with a sneer.

"Give me terms," Serena snapped.

Nicholas’s eyes narrowed. "You know what they are."

"Well, then allow me a moment to consider them," Serena offered, hoping she could buy time for Michael. Where the hell was he?

She began to panic because she couldn’t see outside, didn’t know if somehow the mindwarp might be affecting her. Everything seemed to be taking such a long time. She blinked quickly, trying to calm her thundering heart, but she couldn’t help feeling they’d all just walked into a terrible trap.

******

Tess sat behind the wheel of the Suburban, her eyes pressed tightly shut, and felt herself growing weaker by the moment. A blinding headache had begun to pound within her skull, and though she refused to acknowledge it, she was fading fast. They were all running out of time, and yet there’d been no sign of any of them yet.

She gasped quickly, as the pain in her head became unbearable. She couldn’t even breathe, it was choking her that strongly—and Nicholas and his army were so unbelievably strong. She’d always known it, had always felt this kind of drain from combating them in the past, but this was the longest she’d ever tried to mindwarp them.

Searing white light flashed behind her eyes and she felt the warp crumble into a million tiny pieces, knew it had dissolved all around them inside. Her hand flew to her mouth, as she sat shaking uncontrollably. She tried squeezing her eyes shut again, wanted urgently to re-establish the warp, but it was as if all the momentum was gone. She blinked hot tears back quickly, determined to regain her strength—and that’s when all hell broke loose.

********

Michael had found Anna lying on a cot, just where Riley had described, in a small, makeshift cell at the very back of the warehouse. She hadn’t even known he was there at first, she was so terribly weak and beaten. Her lower lip was swollen and bruised, both her eyes blackened, and Michael felt rage build within him as vivid memories of Hank came rushing back.

He’d shaken her repeatedly, surprised by how delicate and feminine she was—somehow he’d expected a battle-hardened soldier. Instead the woman he found had fair skin dusted with light freckles, and long auburn hair. He knew that ordinarily she was beautiful, when she hadn’t been nearly beaten to death. Finally, after much effort, he’d managed to rouse her, and she’d explained groggily that they’d sedated her just an hour before.

He helped her to her feet, and she stood unsteadily, slipping her arm around his waist. Then, they’d made their way through the winding, cold halls of the warehouse, stepping over broken glass and other debris, until they’d come to the main room where Serena was meeting with Nicholas. Michael had hesitated in the doorway a moment, getting a better grip around Anna’s waist—and prayed that the mindwarp was still in play. With a heavy breath, and a glance at Anna, he’d helped her through the large vacant room, their footsteps echoing far too loudly.

At first it seemed to be going well. He could hear Serena and Nicholas discussing possible terms, negotiating Anna’s return—and neither of them seemed to notice them quietly navigating toward the exit. But now something strange was happening in the atmosphere all around them, as Michael watched the air shimmer and shift. He’d seen this before, and knew it wasn’t a good sign about the mindwarp. He hurried his footsteps, urging Anna along more quickly.

"Anna, we’ve got move," he whispered urgently, and she held onto him more tightly. But he knew it was too late when he heard Nicholas roar loudly. "Hold it!"

Michael took off running, nearly pulling Anna alongside him. He heard her cry, she was in such unbelievable pain, but they had no choice--it was both their lives now.

Everything was all happening in a blur, far too quickly to even process. A group of skins suddenly blocked the doorway ahead of them, and he heard the rapid fire of weaponry off to his left. He threw his hand up quickly, instinctively, and allowed his violent energy to build right within him—then released it in one electric blast at the skins blocking their route.

"Anna, come on!" he shouted, glancing around for Serena’s location. Anna stumbled beside him, and he yanked on her arm.

Then he heard the rapid firing of more weaponry—alien for sure—followed by the sound of a woman’s scream.

"Serena?" He called desperately, right as he turned to see her fall near him. She sank to her knees, grimacing in terrible pain…and he saw that her lower abdomen had been ripped open terribly. Her sweater was already staining a deep red, and he hesitated a moment.

"Go," she begged in heaving breaths, staring up at him as she clutched her stomach. "Michael, go! Get Anna out of here…all of you."

Michael saw Nicholas rising from the floor, moving quickly toward him, and it registered that Serena must have used her powers on him somehow before she’d been shot. Michael made a split-second judgment call, glancing back one final moment at Serena where she’d fallen, and dragged Anna with him through the exit door.

***********

Serena held her abdomen tightly, knowing that she’d been hit badly—never so brutally before in her life. She collapsed face-forward onto the cold, cement floor of the warehouse, her cheek resting there momentarily. The pain was unbearable, draining, and for a moment her vision wavered.

Then, she saw a pair of black men’s shoes approaching slowly…but she was too weak to raise her head. She cried out softly, as warm, sticky blood flowed between her fingers, where she clasped her stomach.

"Serena," Nicholas chided her condescendingly. "Now that was not a very clever maneuver at all."

She stirred slightly, rolling with great difficulty onto her side so she could see him, and it required most of her remaining strength. The shot out windows of the warehouse came into her line of vision, and she saw the morning sunlight playing on the broken panes. For some reason this detail seemed far more pressing than whatever Nicholas was telling her…as did the lilting sound of a bird somewhere beyond the window.

Suddenly, the black shoe kicked her hard in the ribs and she screamed as sharp pain reverberated through her wound. "Are you listening to me, Serena?" Nicholas demanded, his voice much more angry now.

"Yes," she murmured, trying to meet his gaze, but it required too much of her. She panted quickly, anything to fill her lungs because breathing had become a very difficult undertaking.

Nicholas squatted down low beside her where she lay, drawing his face within inches of her own. He blurred a bit, as she tried to focus on him—but he just kept wavering beyond clarity.

"You got Anna out," he hissed low in her ear. "But you gave me something much more valuable in the process." He paused a moment, stroking her hair away from her face with perverse tenderness. "You."

Then he stood and left her there, bleeding onto the bitterly cold floor—but at least he was gone for now. Serena’s eyes drifted shut, it was all she wanted…just to sleep.

Except in the dimmest regions of her mind she was aware that a very disturbing sensation had begun to sweep her body. A heavy thrumming had begun, softly at first, but now it was a roar in her ears…insistent, undeniable.

And the yearning was growing within her now, commanding her. And oh how she wanted--no she needed--to shapeshift. How could she deny this most primal and ancient of calls, especially with the way her body had begun burning for it like this?

Serena knew the cause, even as the driving urge swelled oddly within her—the injury had placed too much strain on her body, and she wouldn’t be able to retain this human form much longer.

No, this isn’t happening, she thought desperately, staring up at the filthy ceiling of the warehouse. This can’t happen. They all need me too much.

And those were Serena’s very last thoughts before the room faded to black all around her.

*****

Serena woke hazily, unable to assimilate the details of where she was, and why she felt so very strange. Until she glanced down at her hands, and saw that they were small and gray, not human at all. She drew in a shuddering breath, her brain humming strangely as she began to shake uncontrollably. She was burning up…and it had been too many years since her body had registered at this elevated temperature.

She felt like dozens of bees were buzzing in her head, as she glanced down at the rest of her body, realizing she was completely naked—no wonder she was so cold. The winter air was slamming against her skin, biting at the heat that had escalated quickly after her change.

Looking around the dimly lit room, she realized they’d placed her in a makeshift holding cell—and it struck her how odd it was to see through these eyes again—the way that everything shimmered, the multi-dimensionality. She’d almost forgotten how she’d once viewed the world so long ago.

She tried to stand, and cried out softly, clutching her side as sharp pain answered the movement. She felt warm blood spill beneath her fingers, saw the evidence of just how wounded she really was.

She’d obviously shape shifted once she’d passed out, had been unable to maintain her human form in the wake of her injuries. And now as she stood unsteadily, glancing over her naked body, feeling of her rough, gray skin, it hit her. She was fully Antarian again for the first time in almost sixty years. Of course, she’d always been that on the inside, but she’d held human form for such a long time, it had become an important part of her identity.

A door opened to the small cell where they’d left her, and Nicholas entered, his gaze sweeping over her naked body predatorily. She tried to cover her small breasts with her hands, huddled there against the wall as he approached. She was accustomed to towering over him, not vice versa, and she shivered as his eyes lingered low on her body.

"My, my Surinah, you always were quite lovely, and so very…" he laughed menacingly, letting his gaze rove across her bare skin. "Luscious."

She shouted at him, her voice modulating strangely over her vocal cords, and was surprised that the words escaping her lips weren’t English. She paused trying hard to think in that language, but the endless buzzing in her brain was too loud--she could only shout in her native tongue, which was met by Nicholas’s mocking laughter. She reached to pull anxiously at her hair, but felt only the rough skin of her bare head.

She was so terribly disoriented…and this had been a genuine strategic coup for Nicholas.

"This is quite embarrassing, Surinah," he chided quietly with a shake of his head, leaning in close. "Or do you still prefer Serena now?"

She closed her eyes, willing herself to shift again, back to the form that was now so much more familiar to her, and she felt his fingers graze her cheek. Her eyes flew open and she saw Nicholas shake his head softly.

"You won’t be able to use your powers. Not at all…we took care of that immediately with the disruptor."

Despair began clenching her heart, as she desperately tried to still the strange humming that was overpowering her mind—no doubt the result of having shifted so drastically without adequate preparation. She shouted again, still so shocked that her words were flying out in Antarian, and noticed Nicholas’s smug smile.

"For someone who has so fully embraced humanity you seem awfully alien to me, my dear."

She could recall one very important word, and she spat it out with great effort, "No." It sounded so odd to her, the way it reverberated over her vocal cords, like several human voices blending together all at once.

"Oh, now that’s good," he mocked, raising one eyebrow.

His gaze swept over her body again, as she tried urgently to cover herself with her small hands—only now he stepped closer, tracing his fingers over the deep wound in her abdomen. She cried out painfully, flinching as he smeared the violet-colored blood across her stomach.

"I can do something about this if you want," he whispered seductively, and she raised her hand weakly to hit him. He caught her wrist roughly mid-air.

"I’d expect more from the erstwhile leader of the rebellion."

Max is the leader, not me, she argued, the words flying out in Antarian. Why couldn’t she remember her English? He was humiliating her intentionally by keeping her in this form—it had been a calculated move, plain and simple—especially leaving her so naked and exposed.

"Luckily, Surinah, I do speak the language," he laughed slowly. "And I do suppose you’re right. Technically. Now that Max is in your camp, your great king has assumed the reins. Interesting that we never captured you until just now--a testimony to his remarkable leadership abilities."

She felt tears well within her eyes, as she realized how utterly they’d managed to capture her—how disadvantaged she was. In all the years that she’d imagined how this might happen, not once had she guessed it would be like this. Her chest heaved, as she began hyperventilating a bit.

"Where is your king now that you need him?" Nicholas taunted quietly, touching her cheek.

Serena glanced desperately around, feeling cornered and trapped—and realized that after all these years, Nicholas had her right where he wanted her.