When All Else Fails (A Push of a Button Novella)

Chapter Nine

He dove for them.

The electric whir of a plasma blaster firing up and the following crackle and snap as the blast left the gun sent a chill down his spine. Dane sidestepped, yanking Viv with him, and tsked. Seb slammed into the hard ground with a grunt, missing his intended target entirely. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as Dane nudged him with a booted toe. "Really, Auclaire. I never took you for being so rash."

"S-sir..." One of Dane's men interrupted, his voice shaking.

Seb rolled onto his side with a groan and squinted against the harsh light of the flood-beam Dane's lackey had brought.

"What?"

Viv's sharp cry was the only thing he heard past the ringing in his ears. Had he hit his head? He blinked to clear his vision and stared at the ground just a few yards away. Mr. H lay in a crumpled heap, his body spasming as the plasma energy crackled over his skin.

Seb forced himself onto his knees and dragged himself toward the body. Dane's foot came down on his back and shoved him back to the ground. "Don't even think about it. He's gone, and you'll just fry yourself too."

Exactly what he felt like doing right now. Tears filled his eyes and blurred his view of Mr. H's body. He'd only known the man for maybe a month and a half. It felt like so much longer though. How was he supposed to go on without the man who had become a mentor to him? His mind spun over all the things Mr. H had said, including his words on the afternoon after they'd removed Viv's button. Someday, he would be alone with just him and his God. And on that day, what was inside would show itself.

He swallowed back the tears, and the ringing in his ears retreated until he could hear Viv's soft, shuddering sobs and Dane's quiet attempts to soothe her. He stared at the body as the plasma energy dissipated and then closed his eyes. "Get off me. I know he's gone."

Dane lifted his foot off. "Fine then. Don't thank me for keeping you from killing yourself."

Seb lifted himself off the ground and stood. He brushed the leaves and dirt off his clothes, a peace and calm descending over him. It defied the situation at hand to be so calm and at peace. His mentor was dead, his enemy had his best friend, and he had nothing to defend himself with.

But he was not alone. He never was.

He raised a hand to his button. "Let Viv go now."

Dane's men leveled their blasters on him, but they waivered, and he doubted they'd shoot. They seemed shaken up over the death they'd caused unintentionally, and they didn't have the markings of seasoned Supremacy lackeys. Chances were they were the only ones Dane could find who weren't totally loyal or brainwashed. He'd just have to trust they wouldn't shoot because he wasn't going to leave Viv in Dane's hands.

"Seb."

His gaze shot to hers.

Her hazel eyes glittered with tears in the glow cast by the floodlight, and her gaze dropped to the ground. "I made my choice. Don't let it go to waste."

Dane wrapped her up in his arms. "This discussion is over, Auclaire. You lost. Run while you can. When she and I sit as king and queen over this world, I'll make sure you can come home and resume a normal life for her sake."

He shook his head, still fingering his button.

"Don't be a fool." Dane turned his back. "Men, escort him off the property and make sure he won't come back. If he insists on fighting you, shoot him."

He couldn't allow this. Seb sucked in a sharp breath and pressed the button. Warmth spread through his body, almost like it did when he and Viv jumped. He frowned and glanced down at his feet. Light enveloped them and raced up his body. No! No, he couldn't leave. Was it taking Viv with him? He looked up, and she was normal.

Dane's wide-eyed gaze met his. "Impossible! Why? Why aren't you dead?"

His lips curled into a bitter smile. As usual, the button hadn't killed him. But it hadn't done what he'd needed it to either. It hadn't saved Viv, only him. "My God is stronger than anything you can throw my way. And I guess He decided I need to live to see another sunrise. This isn't over though." He stared at Viv as the heat of the light reached his torso. "I'll be back for you, Viv. Don't you dare give up or give in to him."

She pulled out of Dane's arms and took a step toward him, arm outstretched. He reached out to her too, hope blossoming, and prayed she would be able to come too if he could just hold onto her. But Dane caught her around the waist and pulled her back before she could reach him. Their fingertips brushed, and her panicked, tear-filled eyes were the last thing he saw before the light blocked out the forest around him.

When it faded, he stood on the rocky ground beside a river. He spun in a slow circle, taking in his new surroundings. A cave mouth yawned beside the river, and a little further past the cave and the muddy, rocky riverbank, grass waved beneath the bright moon. He sank to his knees, and the dampness of the soil soaked through his pants.

Everything was gone. Mr. H. Vivian. His life. His friends, such as they were. He was in the middle of nowhere with no idea where he was and no provisions. Throwing his head back, he screamed, letting all of the anger and the pain out. Breathless, he dropped his head into his hands. He didn't cry. Any strength he had was gone now, and even tears were denied, apparently. "Father, why? Why did you let this happen?" His voice cracked, and he huddled there in the chilly night air, silent. The anger died one burning coal at a time inside his chest until nothing but the grief and loss remained.

This was just another in a long string of tests. Whether he'd failed or passed before, he wasn't going to fail this one. The Father had His reasons. That was what Viv was always saying. What every one of the Diexebels he'd met always said. And the Father had provided in the past, even if the situation wasn't always comfortable. So, he got up off his knees and crept toward the shallow cave. Peeking inside, he prayed half-heartedly that nothing was in it. Would it be better to be eaten by a wild cat out here or to die some other way trying to go head-to-head with Dane and the Supremacy? He shook the thought off and crawled inside.

The air was stale but didn't smell strongly of animal. The cave itself wasn't very deep either. So, he curled up in a corner, prayed again that nothing would come across him and eat him in the middle of the night, and tried to relax. It took a while before sleep came, and his dreams woke him up a few times in a cold sweat, but at least he was sheltered and safe. That was something, at least, and he wouldn't complain. Later, maybe, he would have the energy to be angry about all of this. Tonight, he was too drained to feel much of anything.