escape from Antarctica?”
“I’m not telling you that.”
Harmony pursed her lips. “Did you have help?”
“
Help?
Aside from your goons the only other living creatures I saw were penguins, and all they ever did was make a lot of noise and produce a heck of a lot of poo while doing their best to avoid me.”
“Then tell me how you’ve remained hidden all this time. How did you survive in the jungle?”
“Turns out I’ve got a stomach as strong as my skin. I can eat just about anything. I can live on grass and ferns if I have to.”
“Interesting … We’ll have to test that.”
I shook my head. “No more tests. I’m not going with you. Unless you’re just going to give me a lift back to the States.”
“Gethin, you don’t understand. You’re still only a kid. What happened to you is … It’s enormous. It potentially has incalculable repercussions for the human race. You can’t even begin to comprehend the scale of things.”
“I don’t have to comprehend anything!” I jabbed my index finger in her direction. “You people ruined my life!”
“We didn’t make you like this.”
“How do I know that? One minute I’m normal, the next I’m like this, and suddenly there’s cops and FBI people like you claimed to be and army guys all over the place! How’d you all get there so fast? And who are you
really
working for? There’s no way an FBI agent is authorized to smuggle someone out of the States and lock them away in the Antarctic!”
“Gethin, you have to come with me.”
“So you can figure out a way to kill me? You’re out of your mind!”
“We have no intention of killing you.”
“Yeah, well, a few days ago—”
She cut me off: “Things have changed in the past five days. We’re not here to kill you, or capture you. The Powers That Be have decided that you’re significantly more useful alive than dead. We’re giving you a job.”
CHAPTER 12
THE MINE
TIME SEEMED TO STOP . All I was aware of was that every-
one in the mine was watching me, wondering what I would do next.
I had a strong feeling that Hazlegrove was hoping I’d attack him: That would give him the perfect excuse to kill me right there and then. I wasn’t nearly as strong as I had been before my powers disappeared. One bullet to the head would only slow me down, but if all of the guards fired simultaneously … I wasn’t sure what would happen, and I didn’t want to find out.
Keegan was dead. Nothing I did would change that.
The only logical course of action would be to keep my head down and watch for a better opportunity to escape.
“Your fault, Brawn,” Hazlegrove said. “You created this situation. No one escapes. You got that? No one.”
I felt the fury subside a little as I looked at Keegan. She would want me to remain calm. I could almost hear her voice telling me not to do anything I would regret later.
I climbed to my feet, and slowly walked over to my friend’s body. The guards had not taken their eyes off me, nor had their aim faltered. They were ready for anything I might do.
Still moving slowly, I turned to look down at Hazlegrove.
His grin slipped, and I saw a single bead of sweat run down his forehead. He swallowed. “Well?”
“A few minutes ago you told us that we’d have to work harder. This is how you intend to encourage us? What if we drop our tools now, and never work again? Will you kill
all
of us? How would that look to the warden, and to whoever is pulling his strings? Do you think they would be pleased with you, or angry?”
“I don’t think you’re in any position to lecture—”
“She has to be buried. A proper funeral. Keegan was a Christian, a Catholic. We’ll need a priest.”
His usual smug composure returned. “That’s not going to happen.”
“A funeral,” I repeated. “With an ordained Catholic priest. And it has to happen within three days.”
Hazlegrove shook his head. “Keep dreaming. You can perform your own funeral service, but you
“I’m not telling you that.”
Harmony pursed her lips. “Did you have help?”
“
Help?
Aside from your goons the only other living creatures I saw were penguins, and all they ever did was make a lot of noise and produce a heck of a lot of poo while doing their best to avoid me.”
“Then tell me how you’ve remained hidden all this time. How did you survive in the jungle?”
“Turns out I’ve got a stomach as strong as my skin. I can eat just about anything. I can live on grass and ferns if I have to.”
“Interesting … We’ll have to test that.”
I shook my head. “No more tests. I’m not going with you. Unless you’re just going to give me a lift back to the States.”
“Gethin, you don’t understand. You’re still only a kid. What happened to you is … It’s enormous. It potentially has incalculable repercussions for the human race. You can’t even begin to comprehend the scale of things.”
“I don’t have to comprehend anything!” I jabbed my index finger in her direction. “You people ruined my life!”
“We didn’t make you like this.”
“How do I know that? One minute I’m normal, the next I’m like this, and suddenly there’s cops and FBI people like you claimed to be and army guys all over the place! How’d you all get there so fast? And who are you
really
working for? There’s no way an FBI agent is authorized to smuggle someone out of the States and lock them away in the Antarctic!”
“Gethin, you have to come with me.”
“So you can figure out a way to kill me? You’re out of your mind!”
“We have no intention of killing you.”
“Yeah, well, a few days ago—”
She cut me off: “Things have changed in the past five days. We’re not here to kill you, or capture you. The Powers That Be have decided that you’re significantly more useful alive than dead. We’re giving you a job.”
CHAPTER 12
THE MINE
TIME SEEMED TO STOP . All I was aware of was that every-
one in the mine was watching me, wondering what I would do next.
I had a strong feeling that Hazlegrove was hoping I’d attack him: That would give him the perfect excuse to kill me right there and then. I wasn’t nearly as strong as I had been before my powers disappeared. One bullet to the head would only slow me down, but if all of the guards fired simultaneously … I wasn’t sure what would happen, and I didn’t want to find out.
Keegan was dead. Nothing I did would change that.
The only logical course of action would be to keep my head down and watch for a better opportunity to escape.
“Your fault, Brawn,” Hazlegrove said. “You created this situation. No one escapes. You got that? No one.”
I felt the fury subside a little as I looked at Keegan. She would want me to remain calm. I could almost hear her voice telling me not to do anything I would regret later.
I climbed to my feet, and slowly walked over to my friend’s body. The guards had not taken their eyes off me, nor had their aim faltered. They were ready for anything I might do.
Still moving slowly, I turned to look down at Hazlegrove.
His grin slipped, and I saw a single bead of sweat run down his forehead. He swallowed. “Well?”
“A few minutes ago you told us that we’d have to work harder. This is how you intend to encourage us? What if we drop our tools now, and never work again? Will you kill
all
of us? How would that look to the warden, and to whoever is pulling his strings? Do you think they would be pleased with you, or angry?”
“I don’t think you’re in any position to lecture—”
“She has to be buried. A proper funeral. Keegan was a Christian, a Catholic. We’ll need a priest.”
His usual smug composure returned. “That’s not going to happen.”
“A funeral,” I repeated. “With an ordained Catholic priest. And it has to happen within three days.”
Hazlegrove shook his head. “Keep dreaming. You can perform your own funeral service, but you
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