Jack and Marco both opened their eyes sharply. They were in their living room and one by one Seth, Kathryn, Cal and Owen were coming to. Jack and Marco looked at one another stunned and then felt it. A rumble of energy as if they had donned their armor. It raced across their skin leaving goosebumps behind.
They met one another’s eyes and immediately left the apartment. The others had just got their bearings when the door slammed against the wall. They didn’t bother with the elevator or even the stairs because of how high they were in the apartment. Taking the stairs up the two flights to get to the elevator they burst onto the roof.
The snow that had started earlier was coming down harder and had given the ground a strong dusting. Jack slid forward but Marco caught him by the sleeve. Nodding his thanks both looked in opposite directions letting the energy waft over them.
“There!” Jack shouted and pointed toward the lake. From where they both looked they could see the end tail of a golden streak across the sky. Faintly a gold spot burned on the horizon. “Right there!”
“I see it. Let’s go.”
Both of them flashed and then leaped off the edge of the building. They jumped, leaping from one building to the next covering dozens of feet in each go. The glow continued to flicker in their helmet visors. As they jumped and ran through, the buildings gave way slightly to a more open area. Parks and bridges. Recreation.
In the snow-covered night they were the only colors moving over the orange burnt world from the light of the city. Marco landed and jumped again but as he moved he looked around quickly. Staring at the streets and rattled them off in his name he knew where they were going.
“Marco is she?”
“Yeah. We’re going to the bridge. Our spot.”
“Did she really go there?”
“We’ll find out soon,” he said as the air rushed past them and then finally slowed down as they landed on a roof. Taking a few steps forward they slid down and powered once they landed on the ground. Rushing out of the alley they crossed the street ignoring the angry horn honks of drivers.
As they approached the gold streak remained in the air and they could see the glow on the bridge but no one else was acting like it was there. Maybe they were the only ones who could actually see it now. Breaking across the street they swung around the corner before the bridge. Walking down a set of stone stairs they jumped taking them almost two at a time.
They stumbled together at the bottom of the stairs and froze staring at the miniature pier adjacent to the bridge. They stared at the woman standing at the wall that connected the two piers together. She had curly brunette almost red hair. She was wearing a long sleeve shirt and jeans, her arms hugging her arms and shivering.
The air brushed over them and the pair were stunned as they looked at her. Jack took the first step forward stumbling, down a step and Marco caught him by the arm as they both walked forward. Marco reached out slowly and the woman turned around to face them. Her skin was still the same soft brown, her nose small and eyes never missing a thing. The dark color of them had changed to something bright brown almost golden. She turned to face them and gasped.
She stared at the two of them and quickly started walking forward. She touched both of their faces and they touched her own, stroking her cheeks. She looked at them going back and forth tears welling her eyes. “Please tell me you’re real,” she said softly. “Tell me this is real and not another nightmare.”
“Sarah. You’re alive. You’re here,” Marco said and she threw her arms around them tightly finally crying and shaking in their arms.
Jack buried his face against her neck and Marco put his head atop hers, holding her tightly. “It’s okay. You’re with us.” Jack told her brushing his fingers through her hair slowly but she shook her head. She held onto them tighter, squeezing them tight enough to almost hurt but neither cared.
“It was so dark. And I was alone. I just wandered. I kept seeing you two and then you’d be ripped away from me. Those were the good ones,” she shook her head and her shoulders shook as she kept her head down. “It was a nightmare that never ended. I thought I’d never be free. I. I was starting to wish I were dead.”
“It’s okay Sarah,” Marco whispered. “You’re home again. You’re safe.”
“How am I back? Was it Ley?”
“Yes and no,” Marco said softly and frowned hard. “We had help.”
“Sarah!”
The trio looked up at the bridge and watched as the others poured down the steps to greet them. Jack wiped his face and turned to them grinning while Marco stayed by her side keeping one arm around her. “She’s back!” Jack shouted. “It worked!”
Kathryn and Cal both came forward and took their turns hugging their teammate. Sarah just laughed as they hugged her trying not to cry again but she was failing. Even Seth got in on things. Sarah looked past them and at Owen who stood awkwardly away from them.
“What’s he doing here?” she asked slowly as if she had to be ready for a fight.
“He helped,” Marco said frowning. “He’s the reason we were able to bring you back.”
She stared at him for a long time and nodded her head slowly. Owen nodded back awkwardly and looked away. Sarah looked at each of them and then pulled Jack back closer to her and pulled them both around her. She breathed in the mix of their scent and just accepted the fact that they were solid and they were real.
A whistle rang out and something on the air shifted. The seven of them tensed immediately and turned to face the lake itself. But they didn’t see anyone there. It was slightly adjacent to the lake walking along the street that they found the owner of the voice. Hopping down onto the pier, hands shoved deep into his pockets was Hawk. His face was leaned back and the sneer on his face was large.
“Well well. Gangs all here.”
The Harlequin Library 