OUT OF MIND² ━━ Bellamy Blake

𝐗𝐈: Bloodlines

Hannah's brow furrows. "I would never do that."

Unnerved, Lyra takes another step backwards. "Monty — "

He hardly seems to notice her. Not that it matters. From the way he faces his mom, his back rigid and his jaw set, she's pretty sure he's come to the same conclusion.

"Mom, what was dad's favorite color?"

She stares at him blankly, then shakes her head. "We don't have time for this. We can't stay. Everyone knows to look for you two here."

"Mom, you said it reminded him of your eyes," utters Monty slowly as his mom grips him by the arms. He starts to stumble back. "But you don't remember that, do you?"

Hannah freezes. Her eyes shift back and forth almost unseeingly. She's gone stiff, as if listening to someone.

"Alie," Lyra realizes out-loud. She holds a hand out placatingly as if Hannah's a wild animal that needs to be calmed. Taking a small step back, she takes another, then another. Her voice is low. "Come on, Monty. We need to get out of here before something bad happens — "

     Before she can even finish her sentence, Hannah attacks them.

     She charges at Lyra first, nailing her in the stomach. All the air is knocked from her lungs. Staggering backwards, Lyra splutters for air while trying not to lose her footing. Somehow she manages to lift her eyes and finds, much to her horror, that Hannah has thrown herself upon her son. He's shouting for his mom to let him go as she slams him against the hood of the car. Overwhelmed with adrenaline and fear, Lyra barrels into Hannah, knocking her to the ground.

     Hannah does not stay down for long. She sweeps her legs beneath Lyra's and Lyra's knees buckle. Then Hannah throws an arm behind her neck, twisting Lyra so that she's thrust backwards against her. Swallowing air as she writhes, Lyra tries to wrestle herself from Hannah's grip, but she cannot fight her off.

     "Mom, stop!" Monty's disembodied voice cries out from somewhere.

     "I'll stop when you take the chip!" Hannah exclaims. Her grip on Lyra's neck tightens and then she shoves a familiar blue object into her view. "Take it, Monty, Lyra!"

Yet before Lyra can say anything, Hannah's suddenly wrenched back.

     "Never!" Monty yells.

     Hannah kicks Lyra furiously in the gut once more just as Monty's scrambling forwards, clawing at her in an attempt to get his mother to stand down. Hannah vaults him over his head and he tumbles to the ground, somehow taking Lyra with him. Breathless, Lyra rolls flat onto her back and tries to make out what's happening in the chaotic cluster of fighting as a silhouette streaks from the trees and then shoots straight for them. She stiffens in alarm. Her and Monty are already struggling enough. They can't fight two chipped people at once.

     But it's not one of Jaha's cult members. It's Octavia.

     "Monty, Lyra, are you OK?" Octavia yells as Hannah is sent reeling across the dirt.

     Monty's lip is split, blood trickling down his chin. Slumped against the ground, he manages to lift his head to Octavia. "She's chipped!"