Craig sat upright, his eyes snapping open, pulling his gun from under his pillow. Looking around the encampment, he waited while his senses caught up with his immediate reaction. He could hear voices. They were somewhere near the river. Children? No, one child and a teenager.
"Craig," Breanna whispered, appearing near the smouldering fire out of the early morning haze, "hear that?"
"Yes," he nodded, "what are children doing out here?"
"Perhaps they got out of the facility?" Breanna whispered.
"We're not alone. There are others here," Craig whispered as he tried to find their location.
"Others?" Breanna asked.
"Beings that are not part of our group," Craig supplied, irritation hanging on the words, "but they are not our enemy."
"No, they aren't," Iris said, panting, "they are with Daisy and Tina. Part of Michael's team."
"What?" Breanna and Craig hissed.
"All will be revealed," Iris said mysteriously, "we need to carry on to the facility."
"In other words, mind our own business and get on with what we're supposed to be doing," Breanna said, earning a grin and nod from Iris, "fine, get everyone up and moving."
Tina sighed with relief, "Atta girl Iris," she whispered, "we're good to go."
Sitting on her left, Todd stared at her, "How many of you are there?"
"Rose, Iris, Daisy, Calla and myself," Tina smiled, "we look alike but are very different."
"Bounty hunters are supposed to present as one but have different people within," Cam said.
"Well, I decided to be different," Tina said, watching the incoming boat, "come on, Gina," she whispered, "use that ability."
"What ability?" Todd whispered, only to be hushed by Tina as the boat came closer to the shoreline.
The past few hours had been gruelling for Tina. Being unused to sleep deprivation and food in the form of energy bars or ration packs, she had learnt a few things about herself. She could adapt. The most surprising thing was when Todd gave her the lead when a disagreement over the route happened. So far, she had been correct, right down to where they would come ashore. Tina ducked as the boat ran aground on the shorelike alcove near their position.
"I'm hungry," they heard Gina complain, "I want to rest."
"Rest," they heard Keme scoff, "you've been in a boat for the past two hours."
"Yes," Devon agreed, "but you wouldn't let her sleep or eat or drink."
"No back chatting," Keme snarled, "you're only here because you're useful in getting her into line."
"Where would I be if I wasn't useful?" Devon asked, becoming still as he waited for the answer. At that moment, Tina locked her gaze on him. The slight frown rippling over his brow was the only thing giving away that he had seen her.
"Definitely not here," Keme said, "I let you think I got you out of the facility cause you were useful to what I was doing."
"Who got us out if not you?" Devon said, gathering Gina close to him.
"That idiot Jaxon," Keme / Nigel muttered, shaking his head, "he wouldn't listen to reason. He refused to go along with the plan of making more money. Instead of using his bounty hunting skills for tracking and extracting kids like you."
Tina watched Devon stiffen. Mentally she begged him to not react to that apparent barb. Giving him a tiny shake of her head, she waited. Devon swallowed hard the battle to contain his rage in the emotions chasing each other over his expressive face. Gina looked up at him, her ability coming online as she realised there was more to what was happening. Slowly she followed the direction of his gaze, silently meeting Tina's gentle smile and the indication of silence as her finger touched her lips. Tina watched as Gina's gaze wandered, discovering the team as her eyes moved over the area next to the bank.
"Move," Keme yelled, startling the pair from their thoughts, "get a move on."
Devon flinched as Gina and he were shoved toward the path heading in the direction of the facility.
"Jonathan," Tina hissed, "now."
Tina edged through the tall grass running along the side of the path. Jonathan moved to the other side, leaving a breeze behind but no sight of himself.
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"What was that?" Keme frowned.
"A breeze," Gina said, a smile starting to spread over her pale lips.
"What kind of a breeze?" Keme panted the question
Devon turned to him with a frown, "The kind made by a slight stirring of wind."
"Something had to make it," Keme moved in front of the pair, who looked at each other, understanding glinting in their eyes.
Tina moved ahead of them until she found a natural opening in the path. Todd and Cam made their way to the other end, where Devon and Gina stood, ready to react and protect them if necessary.
"Is there something out there?" Keme turned to Gina, "tell me," he yelled, making her flinch.
"Of course there is," she said, "look around you. In this wide open space, many things are out there."
"You think you're so clever," Keme snarled, turning to stalk down the path toward them.
Derrick pushed Gina behind him protectively, "You are not going to hurt her."
"That remains to be seen," Keme growled.
Tina moved out from her position folding up to her full height, "Does it?"
Keme swung around to her narrowing his now evil expression on her, "You."
"Yes," Tina nodded, looking down at the nails on her left hand while her right rested on a gun at her hip, "me."
"But you are … nothing," Keme said, "you're just a normal human."
"Really," Tina smiled, pulling her gun from the holster, "and what does that make you?"
"Special," Keme said, revealing the level of his enhancements.
"She pulled everything you are out and left you with pipe dreams and insane thoughts," Tina said, "that must be … painful."
"You have no idea," Keme hissed, "but it still makes me special," he moved toward her, "you are alone, solitary, an individual."
"Is that what you think?" Tina kept his attention solely on herself as Todd and Cam motioned for Gina and Devon to move into the shrubbery, "you think I'm only one?"
"I don't see you doing what I can," he said, spreading his arms to the side and closing his eyes, "I can make many of myself."
Tina watched as he seemed to vibrate, and another form of himself appeared, followed by another. Exhaling, he lowered his arms to his sides, the look of triumph reminding Tina of a child waiting for accolades for his achievement.
"Only three of you," Tina nodded, "fair enough, but I don't have to close my eyes to conjure."
From the one side of the path, Daisy rose. She pointed to the other side, where a smiling image of Rose appeared. Rose pointed to a spot behind him where a hologram image of Calla sitting on a chair appeared. She waved at everyone before looking directly at Keme and his duplicates.
"It's not possible," Keme turned toward Tina raising his weapon and taking aim.
Tina held her breath, waiting. Behind her, she felt the flex as Jasmine phased Iris in. Tina noticed Jonathan pull Jasmine to safety from the corner of her eye as Iris walked forward.
Keme screamed, invoking his created selves to do the same, "This is not possible."
"What is not possible?" Tina asked.
"You cannot be a bounty hunter," Keme yelled.
"I am," Tina nodded, "the difference is we," she indicated the circle of sisters standing with her, "hunt your kind."
"No," Keme screamed, lifting the gun and aiming at Tina.
Tina watched as he drew breath, preparing to pull the trigger. Suddenly Iris lifted a gun and fired. The bullet slammed into Keme's chest. Confusion spread over his face as he looked down at the red circle spreading over the area that held his heart. Looking up with determination, he prepared to fire again. Iris pulled the trigger again, this time hitting his head. The other selves disappeared, and the solitary figure fell to the ground.
"Thank you," Tina breathed a breath she never knew she held, Daisy came toward them and a group hug formed. The images of Rose and Calla saluted before disappearing once more.
Gina came out of the shrubbery running toward Tina and wrapping her arms around her waist as Tina braced against the sudden impact.
"Good girl," Tina whispered, "you were fearless."
Jasmine stood next to Iris, "All good?"
Iris nodded, "We need to get back."
Jasmine nodded, placing her hand on Iris's shoulder, and the pair disappeared.
Todd rose from the undergrowth, signalling for his men to come out, "We have an extraction to get to."
Jonathan strode forward, "Gina, I presume."
The young girl stiffened suddenly, "He's..." she pointed at Jonathan.
Jonathan squatted where he had stopped, "My name is Jonathan, and I'm the one who made the breeze."
Gina smiled, moving forward to shake the proffered hand, "You helped us play the game."
"Yes," he nodded, "I'm glad I could help."
"What exactly are her abilities?" Todd asked, watching the exchange between the pair.
"She has many," Tina whispered, "watch this ..." Tina moved behind Todd and whispered, "Gina tell me what abilities Captain Todd has?"
Quickly she moved to stand next to Daisy and waited. Gina stopped talking, turned and looked directly at Todd.
"Enhanced leadership, fighting, supersonic hearing, penetrating eyesight and a level of morality not found in most enhanced beings," Gina said, blinking slowly.
"Is that all?" Tina whispered.
Gina shook her head, "I feel safe with him. He won't hurt the other children."
Devon knelt next to Gina, folding her against him as she breathed out and closed her eyes.
"Sorry, Devon," Tina apologised, watching him lift the child to his shoulder, "I know she was tired, but she needed to do that."
"You're extracting them," he whispered.
"Right now," Tina said, "I want you to go with Daisy and Jonathan to safety."
"Where are you going?" Devon asked, panic lacing his words.
"To get the rest of the children," Tina smiled, "someone has to be there that smells faintly familiar."
"Thank you," Devon nodded, moving off with Jonathan and Daisy, glancing over his shoulder before disappearing from view.
"We need to move," Todd said, "according to the intel, your team is making a mess."
"Then they are doing their job, but they will need help with their extraction," Tina said, crunching on a cracker, "let's go."