The Pyramid Chronicles: Fortuna Guard (#2) [MOVING JUNE 30]

Chapter Eleven: Light Park

Sam looked skeptical. "Me? The voice of reason?"

"When Veronica's not here, anyway." Summer kicked at a loose pebble and sent it flying into the grass.

Eric glanced at Sam. Sam lifted an eyebrow. "Well, I'm sure she'd be flattered if you told her she's the most reasonable one in the group," Sam said. The corner of his lip turned up in a slight smile.

"Might not mean much, coming from me," Summer said. "Given that I'm the one who took you to rescue Eric from Scorpion."

"After everything that's happened since, I think she understands now that we're going to have to take risks."

"Really?" Summer glanced down at Sam. "I still feel like she thinks we're too reckless."

"Nah, she's coming around. She wouldn't have made that cake if she wasn't." Sam paused for a moment. "Maybe you haven't noticed, but I think she thinks you're cool. She just doesn't say that kind of thing to people."

Eric grinned at the confusion on Summer's face that followed, but it was short-lived. A distant sound filled the sky. The roar of a jet.

"Looks like it actually worked," Sam muttered.

"What do we do?" Eric asked. "Act casual?" Run?

Sam stood up. "We're not here to find another altered, so if we hadn't planned this and they showed up, we'd try to hide." He hopped off the boulder. "Let's act like we're trying to figure out if it's one of their jets. By the time they're close enough for us to be sure it's them, they'll be able to see us, too."

Summer followed him off the boulder. "And then what? We run and let them catch up?"

"Pretty much," Sam said. He glanced back over his shoulder. "We'll just head straight into the trees."

Eric nodded. "And if Wren's with them, I think she'll be able to sense us, even if she can't see us directly."

"Good point," Sam said. "Shouldn't be too hard for them to find us."

The jet grew from a tiny point in the distance to a small aircraft descending on the park. When it was nearly on top of them, the outer walls shifted. A shaft emerged from the top, and helicopter blades unfolded and began to spin. The jet wings folded into the side of the craft.

"Looks like that's our cue," Sam said. "Run like you mean it."

Eric found it surprisingly easy to sprint away from the landing chopper. Maybe his legs believe he was in real danger. Well, he was in real danger, but it was on purpose. Why had he agreed to this again?

They hadn't even reached the tree line when the whir of the chopper blades died down and a robotic voice ordered them to stop. A soldier. Eric found himself glancing to his right, at Summer. Her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched, but she kept running.

That was, until a gunshot rang out through the air.

Summer stumbled forward and hit the ground. Eric nearly collapsed himself, but he kept upright as he halted and turned around. On his other side, Sam did the same.

Ash and Wren strolled toward them, accompanied by five soldiers. One of the soldiers had its gun pointed up at the sky. Short-lived relief washed over Eric. The three of them hadn't been shot at. Yet.

"Is this all you brought?" Eric asked.

Ash's eyes narrowed. "You think we can't handle you?"

Summer pushed herself up off the ground and turned around to glare at him and Wren.

Wren laughed. "Aw, did we scare you?"

"What are you three doing out here, anyway?" Ash asked. "Looking for an altered?"