Chlorine Halos

Hot & Cold

My mouth formed around the shape of the word what, but my confusion muted any voiced objection to the ridiculous idea, leaving me only with breathy sighs, each stretching around a w. 

Seeing my stoic expression, Anthony said, "I think Avian's on board, despite this little episode he seems to be having. We should probably start preparing."

As I wrestled with my reservations, the twins sifted through the foot lockers, procuring what they deemed necessities. Maddie and Donovan began their own self-assigned task, moving the plastic buckets outside the shelter, one at a time.

"Wait a second. Wait a second," I insisted, carefully tucking the random mementos back inside the satchel. "This is insane. You all can't possibly think this is a good idea."

"None of us said it was a good idea," Maddie replied, tightening her two-handed grip on a wire handle. "We just know that it's the only one that will work." Donovan nodded in agreement, crossing in front of her.

"So, that's it? We surrender and hope for the best?" 

"Hope—yes," Natalie replied.

"Surrender—no," Anthony added.

"We're all fugitives, Avian," Maddie explained. "We can't simply surrender. It would raise too many questions. We have to go down with a fight."

"A fight? Against an entire faction? The five of us?" I probed.

"Doesn't seem fair, does it?" Anthony replied facetiously as he handed me a lead pipe fitting, dangling from a chrome carabiner. "For the baton. That'll keep it from becoming a pain the ass."

I removed the baton from my back pocket, instantly feeling the more comfortable seat cushion. The grooves inside the fitting matched the threads on the end of the baton. After screwing them together, I snapped the carabiner around one of my belt loops. 

"Heads up!" Natalie called out, causing me to crouch. A brass candelabra flew over my head and into Anthony's hands.

"Hit me!" he said, challenging his sister.

With a wide grin, she hurled six slender wax candles in rapid-fire succession. They whistled through the air, nearly invisible. The high-pitch noises abruptly halted with hollow thumps. Anthony had caught each candle with a fixture of the candelabra.

I began another bout with the letter w.

"It won't be a fair fight, but it'll be an interesting one," he said, placing the completed brass decoration on the ping-pong table. Natalie tossed him a pair of black cleats with translucent soles.

"Avian, we were all trained for this," she said as she slipped her fingers through a fingerless glove. "But, you were born for this."

A sharp hiss interjected. "Time to go," Maddie pressed, walking away from the propane tanks. Donovan struck a match and lit the wicks of the candelabra.

I furrowed my brow. "Did you just—"

"Give us a reason to leave? Yes," she said, nudging me.

As we passed through the threshold, I noticed the plastic buckets sitting just inside the entry, their lids removed.

"All right, Aquaman. You're up," Anthony said as he breathed on his sunglasses and wiped them with his shirt. "Seal it."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, pushing the satchel to my side. "Seal it with what?"

He sighed, staring at Maddie. "He doesn't have control, does he?" Leaning toward Natalie, he whispered, "Is this going to work?"

"Yes, it's going to work," she replied softly, elbowing him in the stomach. "It better work."