Betrayal: Book 3 of the Guardians Saga

Ch. 8.3 From Explosion to Nuclear

Breathe. Move. Rile and the brothers could die because I was too selfish and scared to tell them that my powers don't work on Morgan. Move! Your powers are blocked, not your body.

Slowly, her fingers unfreezing bit by bit, Alex reached for the holster that was part of her zippered sports bra.

Thank you, gungoddess.com

"No, I'll wave this," Alex said once she withdrew her gun.

The sound of the Glock slide was loud enough and distinctive enough to make him stop.

Alex looked at him over the sights of the gun. "Turn around and hands up, nice and easy. Your counterpart left his Glock in the gutter one night. I loaded it with hollow points. Don't want the bullets leaving your body. Did you think I would just accept a block on my powers and not compensate?"

Alex moved the tip of the Glock just a hair. "I found a firearm instructor after I first escaped from you. A good one. A female one. She was very sympathetic when I told her how your counterpart beat me. She saw how bruised I was. She even taught me psychology of battered women and overcoming their handicaps about their abusers. I can shoot you, Morgan, even if I can't blast you."

I wish I had listened and learned more of that psychology. Then maybe I wouldn't freeze around Morgan.

Morgan turned around, but with an ugly look of glee on his face. With a sinking feeling, Alex saw that he held a syringe attached to tubing that ran into Rile's arm.

"Mexican standoff, babe. One wrong move and your lover boy here goes to the big pet store in the sky. Drop the gun."

Alex rolled her eyes in impatience. "You incompetent racist," she snarled and then allowed herself a wicked grin. "You got the wrong one if you wanted my so-called lover boy. What an idiot. They all look alike to you, right?"

That stopped him for a minute. He looked down at his prisoner in confusion then looked back up at her, eyes glittering with hate.

"My guess is that you care enough about any of them not to let me paralyze him to death. No more breathing. It's a horrible death, too. He knows everything that's going on, even if he is paralyzed." He tapped the syringe, watching her closely.

He smirked when she couldn't conceal her dismay. "Drop the gun. I have a standing offer of a million bucks for this freak, dead or alive."

Alex didn't flinch in her aim. "Morgan, Morgan, Morgan," she clucked. "I was naive, but never stupid. Why should I drop the gun? Rile is doomed either way, so why should I be deprived of the pleasure of splattering your ugly brains all over the floor?"

It was his turn to look dismayed.

"Lucky for you," she continued. "I do care somewhat about Rile. With his attitude problems, he'll resent me the rest of his life for saving him, but oh, well. Drop the syringe and I'll let you live."

"Now you must think I'm the stupid one."

Alex resisted agreeing and watched him, expression granite.

"I let go of this syringe and it's payback time, either from you or them." He jerked his head at something over Alex's shoulder. "Tell them to keep back or their friend is so much dead meat." He pushed the plunger on the syringe a fraction.

Alex watched as Rile's breathing became shallower. "The old, something-behind-me trick?"

Alex spared a glance behind her anyway. To her relief, it was true. Grange, Cale, and Gabe were rushing towards them.

She motioned for them to stop. Cale was sharp-eyed enough to spot the force field's control panel. He motioned for Gabe to stop, and then tested the doorway with the tip of his staff. It sputtered and sparkled and he withdrew the staff with a shake of his head.