Paycen adjusted the earpiece in his ear and groaned. They were so used to being able to just talk to each other telepathically that they took it for granted. Keldin had insisted on everyone using them because he didn't know what kinds of materials were used to build the tunnels. Keldin knew a lot but he always went into situations like this erring on the side of caution.
Deuce and Cougar had gone with him. Cougar was the best one for the job in keeping Keldin safe. Actually Austin would be better but he wasn't there. He had to remain in New York because of his wife. Deuce was the one Healer that Keldin would listen to no matter what happened. He could be in one of his rages and Deuce would say something to him. After that he would be completely fine. It was one of their weird things that went on in the group.
Standing above ground was a little annoying. He was used to being in the middle of the action. To have to stay out of danger was getting to him. He was so used to being able to do what he wanted in battle. He was usually the one who made the plans and used himself as bait. He didn't have to kill to get what he wanted. It just went to show how different the twins were. When Austin gave license to kill, he meant it. He was also more of a free spirit and very intuitive.
He looked at the other two with him. Landen was relaxing against the wall. He looked calm but that was all a façade. He was coiled tighter than a sidewinder getting ready to strike. Abby had been replaced with one of the officers from Anna's station. He was a normal human but could hold his own. He looked really out of place though. Here he was standing with two super humans and nothing on his face showed that he as scared. He was though and that made them feel a little better. A scared human was a normal human.
The ground started to rumble. Keldin had started pulling the sections of the tunnel down. Paycen grabbed the officer's collar to keep him steady as the ground decided to shake violently. Landen smiled at them as he held onto an outcropping for balance. He didn't need to balance but he had to keep up the act. Though the guy was comfortable enough around them, he was still shaking. They wanted to help him be as comfortable as he could do his job.
They knew when the second section of the tunnel went down. The quaking was almost ten times worse. Landen and Paycen could barely keep their balances, making it hard for Paycen to hold on to the officer. When his feet went out from under him, Paycen dragged his friend down with him. He rolled and put the newbie under him to keep falling debris from crushing his head.
"Are you all right?" Landen asked. Somehow he managed to keep his balance.
Paycen lifted his head and brushed the dust from his head. "I'm fine. From what I can tell, buddy here is all right as well." He pressed his fingers to his throat. "What the hell was that, Keldin?"
It took a few moments for an answer to come. "Sorry. It was much thicker on the second side than I thought. We're coming up," Keldin replied.
Paycen hauled the officer to his feet. The guy dusted off his uniform and readjusted his jacket. He looked a little embarrassed but they didn't see anything else. Landen suddenly jerked his gun up in the direction of the entrance. Paycen stopped, one hand pressed to the officer and the other on his gun.
"Don't shoot. It's only us." Deuce's voice rang loud and clear in the darkness. The others waited until he was upon them before Landen cuffed him across the head. "What was that for?"
"I felt like it," Landen replied.
"Anything happen up here?" Keldin asked.
Paycen shook his head. "No, nothing. I'm starting to think that this was a setup. I mean what would they gain by going underground. These tunnels only have a couple of entrances. We've blocked every one and collapsed the tunnel that was going to be used."
"You have no patience."
There was the sound of boots hitting the dirt floor. Everyone stood very still as the footsteps came closer. There was an angry cry. The man they had been waiting on ran towards the nearest collapsed portions. He screamed loudly then began tearing away at the rubble. Deuce walked up to him and wrapped his arms around his neck. The man fought.
Keldin sighed and his eyes started glowing silver. The rubble started to take shape. A long stream of rock raced towards the man. Deuce jumped back just as it wrapped around the man. He was effectively captured. No one could break Keldin's nature bonds.
Paycen grabbed his flashlight and flipped it on. He showed it in the direction of the rubble. He heard the volunteer gasp. Everyone looked at him.
"Jason?" he asked. "Why would you do this? Why would put everyone in city in danger? You're one of us."
Jason laughed. "Thomas, you shouldn't believe everything they say. These people are just toying with us. Like our ancestors before us they just want to see us work for them."
Thomas shook his head. "You have no idea what you're talking about. They have done nothing but help us since you and Arin started this whole thing. We should have put you out to rot the second we heard anything."
"There's no way you're going to be getting out of those bonds so you might as well talk," Keldin said. When Jason looked at him, he waggled his eyebrows at him. "I can control anything that is of the earth. That includes rocks, grass, and dirt. So unless you can control rocks, you're not going anywhere."
Jason smiled at him. "You think you're so smart, pretty boy? You think you can stop whatever is going to happen tonight? You couldn't even protect your own lover. You let your friend kill him in cold blood. Then all you did was scream. You're useless."
Keldin's face closed down. Pain and anger bubbled to the top. He stepped back into the shadows and let Cougar do what he did best. He snatched Jason by the hair and slid a sword at his jugular. Jason didn't struggle but he didn't have anything more to say about Eric Martin.
Paycen turned his head as he flipped off the flashlight. "Keldin, let him loose but bind his hands. I want to prove a point."
The Sector 7 Leader didn't say a word as the rocks fell from Jason's hands and feet. Cougar had a good grip on his hair so he couldn't go anywhere. Keldin quickly formed the rock into shackles and bound Jason once again. Cougar shoved him roughly in front of him and the group headed for the surface.
Paycen keep his mind focused on Thomas. He had just gotten the biggest shock of his life. He had witnessed one of his coworkers try to kill an innocent person. Some cops were very dirty. Some took money from under the table jobs. Some killed innocent people and got away with it. But this one had lost his ever loving mind for a sixteen year grudge against the one woman who had put his father in jail. His accomplice had gone after an innocent girl because he wanted to train her to be a weapon.
"Tell me one thing," he said as they saw the light of the opening. "How did you find Aiden after all these years?"
"I would always find the bitch that put my father in jail," Jason said. "She made everything up to put him in jail. My dad was an innocent man."
"Your dad was a rapist. Tell me. How many times did he come home bragging about his conquest? How many times were you told that he had had a nice little girl?"
"She seduced him."
Paycen stopped the procession, turned, and let his fist fly. He may be a Healer but he was also very protective of his friends. No one talked about his friends without repercussions. Then he got in the man's face, making sure he could see the burn of silver in his eyes.
"She was seven years old. How can a seven year old seduce a forty-one year old man?" Jason huffed but didn't say a word. "Admit it. Your dad was a sick bastard who loved children. I bet he even went after you once or twice. When he couldn't get what he wanted from Trip, he went after you. Now you think it's natural for someone to do that to children. I bet that's what you were going to do to that little girl once Arin got his hands on her. I promise you this. Once this is all over and we've one; and we will win because we always do; you will rot for the rest of your life in a maximum security prison run by our kind. And we won't answer your calls for help when someone decides to make you his bitch."
Cougar shoved Jason through the opening. Thomas patted Paycen on the shoulder as he followed the other man. Keldin and Landen stopped as Deuce went on. They all looked at each other.
"It took a lot for you to stand back, didn't it?" he asked Keldin.
The auburn haired man nodded. "I would have killed him if you hadn't stepped forward." He smiled gently when Paycen looked confused. "You didn't realize it but you shifted slightly forward. If he had kept talking you would have punched him sooner than you did."
"He just needs to shut his mouth. If he keeps it up, he's going to look like he's eighty years old that's how many teeth he's going to have."
They emerged from the hole just as something smashed into a thousand little pieces. Deuce was holding Jason as Cougar and Thomas took off for the station. It was a little over two blocks away. Paycen outran them all but waited for them to form up before they went in.
The station was mass chaos. Officers were running around as they tried to subdue their attackers. It wasn't often that a police station was attacked. It must have come as a shock to the officers and those in charge. They looked like deer in the headlights.
Keldin gave succinct orders and everyone exploded into action. The mass chaos quickly subsided as the team got everyone in order. They attacked as one, driving the intruders into a corner. Landen's eyes flashed and a bright light boxed the guys in.
"Go check the holding cells," he said. "I'll stay here and make sure they don't get out. If you need help, just call."
Paycen nodded and they turned towards the doors. Then they stopped. Something wasn't right.
"If we go through that door, we might have an issue," Deuce said.
"We blast through," Keldin said.
They all looked at him like he had lost his mind. He might as well have. He was still angry about what had happened down in the tunnels.
Cougar licked his lips. "Uh, Boss, I support you being insane and all," he pointed at the double doors, "but that is going to get us killed. We can't bust through it."
"You can't, but I know someone who can," Keldin replied.
"Don't you dare ask." Tyler stepped up to the group. He smiled cheekily at them. "Don't be so stupid as to think he was going to call someone who had nothing to do with this whole thing."
"Well let's stop chatting and get to kicking ass," Paycen said.
Tyler's grinned turned deadly. His eyes turned silver. The windows burst inward as wind surged in. Tyler held his hands up and papers started to fly all around them. Paycen had never seen the security officer do anything like this. Then again he never really had a chance to hang out with him.
The black headed man threw his hands out in front of him. The wind went in the direction its master commanded. The double doors didn't have a chance against the sudden gale. Tyler walked forward, making sure to keep a tornado surrounding them as they moved.