Fall of Hades by Richard Paul Evans

your hairy hides out of here.”
    The men looked at each other; then two of them leveled their guns at Ridley. “What kinda stupid are you? We’re in the middle of nowhere, you got four men with guns, and you’re telling them to leave? Maybe I’ll just bag—” The man suddenly stopped, and his rifle drooped until it was pointing at the ground.
    I looked over. Taylor was reaching toward him, rebooting him. Then he reached up and grabbed his forehead. Actually, it looked more like he was clawing it, as if there was something inside it that he was trying to get out.
    Seeing the man’s helplessness, Mr. Ridley rushed him, grabbing the barrel of the rifle. One of the other hunters pulled a large bowie knife from a sheath on his belt, and the other two lifted their guns.
    â€œStop it!” I shouted.
    There was a rifle blast, and Mr. Ridley fell to the ground.
    â€œThey shot my father!” Taylor shouted, jumping up and running toward the men. One of the hunters, startled, wheeled around toward us with his gun.
    â€œTaylor!” I shouted again. Before the hunter could pull the trigger, I pulsed, and a massive blue-gold wave of electricity exploded, knocking Taylor, the chairman, and all four of the hunters to the ground.
    I ran to Taylor while the chairman crawled over next to Mr. Ridley. In the dark I could see something black around Mr. Ridley’s stomach. I froze. It was like Wade all over again. Even in the dark I could see that Taylor’s eyes were wild.
    â€œGet help!” the chairman shouted to me, pulling up Mr. Ridley’s shirt and pressing down on his torso. “Get Dr. Benton. Tell Gervaso we need the helicopter. Fast.”
    Taylor was still dazed but got up onto her knees. “Get my mom.”
    â€œAll right,” I said. “You’re going to have to keep rebooting these hunters until I get back. Can you do that?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œI’ll be right back.” As I ran down the hill toward the house, Jack, Ian, and Zeus came running out the back. Jack and Zeus carried flashlights.
    â€œOver here!” I shouted, though Ian had already seen me.
    â€œWe need Dr. Benton and the helicopter,” I shouted again. “Where’s Gervaso?”
    â€œI’ll get both of them,” Zeus said, heading back into the house.
    â€œGet Abigail too,” I shouted after him.
    Jack and Ian ran past me up the road.
    Just then Mrs. Ridley rushed out of the house with my mother.
    â€œWhat happened?” my mother asked.
    â€œMr. Ridley’s been shot!” I shouted.
    Mrs. Ridley looked at me with panic.
    â€œWhere is he?” Mom asked.
    â€œUp the road a hundred yards. Follow me.”
    I turned and ran back, suddenly worried about Taylor being alone with the hunters. Somewhere in the distance I could hear the sound of a helicopter powering up.
    When I got back, Jack and Ian were kneeling on the ground next to Mr. Ridley and the chairman. Behind them the hunters were all on the ground rolling around, moaning in pain. I don’t know what Taylor was doing to their brains—I’m not sure that she did either—but I’d never seen her more focused or intense. Then two of them started screaming, “Stop, please!”
    â€œTaylor,” I said.
    She didn’t respond.
    â€œTaylor! Back off!”
    She turned and looked at me. Her eyes were crazy and angry.
    â€œBack off,” I said, panting. “You’re hurting them.”
    â€œI know.”
    I took her arm. “Come on.” We both turned toward her father. He was now shaking. “Jack, can you watch the hunters?”
    Jack nodded. He handed Taylor his flashlight and picked up one of the men’s guns, checked its chamber, and then held the gun on them. “Which one of you scumbags shot Chuck?”
    â€œThat one,” Taylor said, pointing the flashlight at one of the men on the ground.
    Jack leveled the gun at the man’s