quiet. Like a cloak lay over the whole building.
From their vantage point on top of the shipping containers, the building appeared vacant. None of her senses were on alert. And at the same time that’s what made her so edgy.
Jumping down, she and Seth landed in crouched positions. Jansen rolled out of his landing. She opened the blueprints and reviewed their plan for the third time. Seth would enter through a side entrance, Jansen from the back. Cassie would enter from the roof. The most likely location of the subjects was in a lead-lined safe room. If they had powers like hers, this would make it easier to contain them.
Seth rolled up the prints. Pulling her to him, he stared in her eyes. “If anyone can pull this off, it's you.”
She smiled and nodded, glad he was at least optimistic about their chances. Thinking she might be leading him to his death unsettled her. She smelled a trap in the air but she couldn't just leave the others here for Peter to torture. She’d turn herself over to her brother if that's what it took to get the others to safety.
“I’d love to stay and watch you two love birds make out, but I want to see some things go boom.” Jansen headed to the rear of the building at full sprint, his fluid motion reminding Cassie of a jungle cat.
Seth pecked her on her lips and whispered that he’d see her soon. As always when he touched her, her blood heated to a low simmer. She wanted to say something, anything, but before she could form the words, he slipped away and vanished into the darkness, his footfalls fading as he made his way to his entry point.
She didn't waste any time. The sooner she got on the roof, the sooner she got those people out. And the sooner she could deal with Peter, the sooner she could be with Seth.
She took the ladder rungs two at a time, easily swinging her legs over the ledge of the roof. Once she was at the heavy rooftop door, she used only the barest hint of her power. Like Seth had taught her.
Focusing on the minutia of the lock, she forced the grates to separate and give way. Smiling, she yanked the door open and stepped over the threshold. “I love the smell of old warehouse in the evening,” she muttered. Once in the building, she set one of the two charges Jansen had given her and placed it under the electrical panel next to a load bearing beam.
The hairs on her neck stood on end. There should be guards up here. Should have been someone on watch. Cassie listened, but no sound reached her hears. No footsteps, no breathing, no heart beats, no shuffling of feet, not even a scurrying rat. Unable to shake the ominous foreboding, she proceeded down two more flights of stairs until she was on the second level.
She dragged in deep breaths, trying to calm her fight or flight response. No matter what she did, her heart rate kept creeping up. Danger clung to her. She prayed Seth was at his location, planting his charges. As Cassie tread down the darkened hallway, her skin tingled. Something wasn't—
A heavy thump from behind landed her on her back. Immediately she rolled, attaching herself to him like a Lemur. He tried to clamp an arm around her neck, but she wiggled out of his hold. Wildly kicking her feet, she sat up to face her attacker.
“Peter.” But how? He hadn’t made a sound. His heartbeat never alerted her. She hadn’t sensed him at all.
He sank into crouch, arms lifted to protect his face, like a boxer. “The prodigal sister returns.”
Cassie tried to read him, but pinning down his thoughts was like trying to capture a greased pig. “Peter, it doesn't have to be like this.” If she kept him distracted long enough, maybe Seth would have more time to free the others. “We can talk about this. If you let the others go, I'll willingly come back. No one else has to get hurt.”
Her brother's brows drew down. “Who’s been hurt, Cassie? Certainly not you. I cured you, remember? I made you more.”
“I never asked to be more.” He was different than she remembered. She eyed him. He was talker, maybe an inch, maybe two. He was bigger too. Not as big as Seth, but he had more muscle than she remembered. “What have you done to yourself?”
He lunged