horrified to see not only Royce standing over him, but the group of Bigs that he had been consorting with hovering closely behind him.
Spurred by his own terror, Sam scrabbled backwards in the sand, almost dropping his newest find in the process. Before Royce had the chance to react, the small boy leapt to his feet, thrusting the small box deep into his pocket, he dashed away as fast as his short legs would allow. The Control sprinted after him, closely followed by the other strange Bigs. Sam could not help but think that he had stumbled upon something that nobody had been supposed to see, especially not him. He felt the thrum of feet pounding against the sand behind him, and a quick peek over his shoulder was enough to let him know that the black-haired boy was gaining on him. He would catch up to him soon, and if that happened, Sam was sure that the results would be less than pleasant.
It was at that point that Sam decided he had little choice but to call out for help in the connection. He did not have much time left to spare, which meant that there would not be any room for formalities. He figured that this situation might qualify as an emergency based on what Francis had told him about the Directives. He would not be knocking to make contact. In fact, when Sam did encounter Nathan, Fiona, and Sarah in the connection, those closest to him and yet still disturbingly far away, he pushed as hard as he possibly could, allowing fear to reinforce his thoughts.
“ Help me!”
Nathan was the first to respond.
“ On my way, little buddy. Hang in there.” The thought was brief but firm, and Sam was thankful just to feel the larger boy’s mind.
Fiona was the second to offer him some comforting words.
“ We’re coming, too. I’m bringing Sarah to you. We’ll get there as fast as we can.” She was not as close as Nathan, but her contact was just as temporary.
Sarah on the other hand, not only touched his mind, but seemed to hold on to him there.
“ What do you see, Sam? Show me what you see.”
The small boy whipped his head around and flashed the image of Royce and his cohorts bearing down on him to his Fixer. Nathan was still nowhere in sight. In fact, Sam was sure that his Watcher still had some distance to clear. If he didn’t do something soon, Sam knew that Royce would reach him long before Nathan would arrive, and the black-haired boy looked like he had murder in his eyes.
“ Can you swim, Sam? Can you swim? Francis told me once in passing that Royce couldn’t swim. He won’t follow you very far into the water. I don’t know about the others, but you’ll be safe from him there,” she offered. He could tell that she was feeling just as desperate as he was.
Sam shuddered. The truth was that, while he could swim, he was a very weak swimmer. Given the choice of confronting Royce directly, and facing the chance that he might drown, however, the drowning sounded like the more pleasant way to go. Gritting his teeth, he veered towards the ocean and splashed his way into the water.
His charge into the waves did not deter the larger boy at first. Royce plunged in after him, until the water was waist deep for the Big. Sam struggled against the pull of the tide. The water was excruciatingly cold, and by the time Royce had stopped following him, the small boy was treading water. Sam felt his hands and feet going numb and he soon realized that he had no control over which direction he was heading. The choppy waves, still a little wild from the residual effects of the storm, lapped at his face and occasionally sloshed into his mouth and up his nose. As the taste of salt trickled into his windpipe, he began to gag and choke. Sam felt himself start to panic.
“ Sam!” He heard Sarah loud and clear in his head. “What’s going on? Nathan’s almost there and we won’t be far behind him. Are you okay? Did you get away from Royce? You still seem so scared...”
“ I’m sorry, Sarah. I did what you suggested,
Spurred by his own terror, Sam scrabbled backwards in the sand, almost dropping his newest find in the process. Before Royce had the chance to react, the small boy leapt to his feet, thrusting the small box deep into his pocket, he dashed away as fast as his short legs would allow. The Control sprinted after him, closely followed by the other strange Bigs. Sam could not help but think that he had stumbled upon something that nobody had been supposed to see, especially not him. He felt the thrum of feet pounding against the sand behind him, and a quick peek over his shoulder was enough to let him know that the black-haired boy was gaining on him. He would catch up to him soon, and if that happened, Sam was sure that the results would be less than pleasant.
It was at that point that Sam decided he had little choice but to call out for help in the connection. He did not have much time left to spare, which meant that there would not be any room for formalities. He figured that this situation might qualify as an emergency based on what Francis had told him about the Directives. He would not be knocking to make contact. In fact, when Sam did encounter Nathan, Fiona, and Sarah in the connection, those closest to him and yet still disturbingly far away, he pushed as hard as he possibly could, allowing fear to reinforce his thoughts.
“ Help me!”
Nathan was the first to respond.
“ On my way, little buddy. Hang in there.” The thought was brief but firm, and Sam was thankful just to feel the larger boy’s mind.
Fiona was the second to offer him some comforting words.
“ We’re coming, too. I’m bringing Sarah to you. We’ll get there as fast as we can.” She was not as close as Nathan, but her contact was just as temporary.
Sarah on the other hand, not only touched his mind, but seemed to hold on to him there.
“ What do you see, Sam? Show me what you see.”
The small boy whipped his head around and flashed the image of Royce and his cohorts bearing down on him to his Fixer. Nathan was still nowhere in sight. In fact, Sam was sure that his Watcher still had some distance to clear. If he didn’t do something soon, Sam knew that Royce would reach him long before Nathan would arrive, and the black-haired boy looked like he had murder in his eyes.
“ Can you swim, Sam? Can you swim? Francis told me once in passing that Royce couldn’t swim. He won’t follow you very far into the water. I don’t know about the others, but you’ll be safe from him there,” she offered. He could tell that she was feeling just as desperate as he was.
Sam shuddered. The truth was that, while he could swim, he was a very weak swimmer. Given the choice of confronting Royce directly, and facing the chance that he might drown, however, the drowning sounded like the more pleasant way to go. Gritting his teeth, he veered towards the ocean and splashed his way into the water.
His charge into the waves did not deter the larger boy at first. Royce plunged in after him, until the water was waist deep for the Big. Sam struggled against the pull of the tide. The water was excruciatingly cold, and by the time Royce had stopped following him, the small boy was treading water. Sam felt his hands and feet going numb and he soon realized that he had no control over which direction he was heading. The choppy waves, still a little wild from the residual effects of the storm, lapped at his face and occasionally sloshed into his mouth and up his nose. As the taste of salt trickled into his windpipe, he began to gag and choke. Sam felt himself start to panic.
“ Sam!” He heard Sarah loud and clear in his head. “What’s going on? Nathan’s almost there and we won’t be far behind him. Are you okay? Did you get away from Royce? You still seem so scared...”
“ I’m sorry, Sarah. I did what you suggested,
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