According to plan #not

Everything happened with incredible speed. Soon after Stephen told us that Professor Frost and his men are coming, we were running around gathering the most essential things and switching off any lights to make sure we appear out of sight. Robert came to find us back in the kitchen and with a gesture, he showed us to follow him.

We followed him without a second thought into the storage room. One of the pieces of furniture there was moved and there was a door on the floor beneath it. Robert took out three flashlights from his backpack and gave one to each of us. Then we all descended through the secret door.

The hall there was smaller, almost hitting our hands on the sidewalls as we were running to the door at the end of it. We passed another two doors and then we found ourselves in a room that had lots of similarities with a sewage pipe.

"There," Robert said. "That staircase leads to where the car is parked."

I followed Stephen and Robert who were already climbing up the staircase when I suddenly stopped.

"Aren't we supposed to stand and fight him? This is what we're been trained for so long."

Stephen stopped for a moment and turned to face me.

"You're not ready. Now follow us." He said with his ordering voice.

"No!"

A loud thud echoed throughout the room as Stephen landed on the floor with a jump. With just three strides, he covered the distance between us. He came very close, his height towering before me.

"You. Come. With. Me. Now."

Amazing how he managed to make each word sound like a threat. A born public speaker. Before I open my mouth to protest, I felt a pair of strong hands grabbing me by the waist, lifting me up. The next moment he was back climbing up the staircase, with me hooked on his shoulder. I was hitting him so hard in the back with all my strength, while at the same time I let my vocabulary of curses flow like a river, but to no avail. It was like hitting on a rock, my hands were aching so much after a while. And of course, he acted like all this was not happening, like I don't exist! I wanted to hurt him more but I abandoned that thought since he would not feel it. Or at least pretend like it. That was the time when that little voice inside me took the lead.

You will let him order you around like this? Why you don't fight back? You know, you have powers now. You can make him obey... show him who's in charge here, but you don't do it.

The truth was very right about it, and I hated that.

When we reached the surface, he didn't let go of me but he kept walking with me hanging on him. He was walking so freely like he was not carrying me. And one thing I knew for sure was that I'm not so light. But he kept walking like before like he was carrying a feather.

When he stopped outside the car, I felt lifted in the air again and gently placed in the car's back seat. Once we got all in, Robert pressed the gas pedal so hard, creating a small cloud of dust as we left the place.

For a second, I think I saw a figure standing in the middle of the road behind us. It was not too long till I figured out who was. We heard a loud bang as one of the cars' tires blew up. The car started spinning around, and everything became blurred until we landed on some trees on one side of the road.

I tried to get out of the car but everything was still spinning. Stephen and Robert were conscious, trying to get out. But as soon as I get out, a hand grabs me by the neck pushing me upwards against a nearby tree. My breath caught short. A pair of dark eyes settled opposite me. Dark and evil. A voice, cold as a snowstorm made me freeze. Robert and Stephen run towards me but they fell hard on an invisible power grid sending them flying back a few metres.

"We meet again, Mrs Thompson. Not under the circumstances I would like, but you left me no choice." His hand flexed on my throat, pressing more.

I tried to look around me searching for Robert and Stephen. I saw Stephen held by three men, his body pressed on the car's front, holding him still. His eyes fixed on me, and for the first time, his mask had been broken. He looked like a tiger struggling to get himself free. Robert however, was nowhere to be seen. I tried to look towards the forest, but it was already too dark to see. The cold, dark voice refocused my attention on its owner.

"I believe you have something mine." He demanded.

"Let her go!" Stephen shouted from behind. "The stone is destroyed."

Professor Frost turned to Stephen.

"You know, you were never a good liar Stephen." He said, disapproval all over his face. "And such a waste of time to hide it from me. I know it is here. I can sense it."

I tried to wake up the energy inside me, at least to make him let free of my neck. I felt heat flowing through my veins until it reached my arms. With a sudden move, I touched his face with my palms, fire spreading from my skin to his. Frost let go of my neck. Stepping back he caught his face with his palms, screaming in pain. His men left Stephen and run towards me, guns ready on their arms but with a sharp motion, their guns flew out of their hands. Professor Frost's henchmen turned away running as fast as they could.

I turned to look at Stephen, who was watching me perfectly still. A smirk appeared on his face. Or I thought so. Truth is I couldn't enjoy it any longer because something lifted me up abruptly and threw me on a tree with massive force. I felt something piercing my leg as I landed. I tried to re-emerge my energy, without success. My vision became blurred and my breath caught short in my lungs. I was desperately looking around for Stephen but darkness conquered more and more my sight until I lost my senses.

I felt warmth hitting gently my face. I couldn't tell if I was still alive or if this was the beginning of my after-life experience, but it felt nice. I opened my eyes and saw a bonfire. My eyes traced the surroundings, I was still in the forest. Placing my hands on the ground I pushed to get myself up but soon I gave up due to a wave of pain coming from my leg. Putting one elbow sideways, I managed to lift my upper body a bit checking around for anyone. But no one was there. No sight of Stephen or Robert. Panic started to engulf me. Maybe Professor Frost had taken me hostage?

Minutes were passing fast and no sight of anyone. The pain in my leg was becoming unbearable the more I was trying to stand up. My eyes left my surroundings and turned towards my body. I had to find that source of excruciating pain. It was then, that I realised I was covered by a blanket. And there was something soft underneath my head, it looked like a brown jacket. Someone had taken care of me and I wouldn't bet was Professor Frost. Most probably, he would have thrown me in a dungeon or I would be tied around some torturing equipment he would invent.

Footsteps were heard approaching from the distance. I lay down and pretended I'm sleeping, waiting anxiously to see a figure appearing. It was not long before I saw Stephen's tall figure emerge from the dense plantation.

He was holding something in one hand but I couldn't recall what it was. He let it on the table and came towards me. He kneeled down, looking at me with his usual expression of a statue. I closed my eyes completely and forced myself not to open them. All of a sudden, I feel a hand caressing my hair. Then placed his arm on my face, taking my cheek on the inside of his palm. His thumb was rubbing gently my skin, it felt so awkward coming from him. And yet so nice. I didn't want him to stop.

I slowly opened my eyes pretending I'm trying to adjust them to the light. His thumb stopped rubbing my cheek, but he didn't remove his hand. Instead, he stood still, pinning me with those green eyes.

"Where are we?" I said. I tried once more to push myself up but that pain from my leg came back. He let go of my cheek and grabbed my shoulder.

"You need to rest. Your leg is badly injured when he threw you on that tree. You need to be examined." He said softly.

"I'll be fine," I replied. "What happened after I fainted? Where is Robert?"

His face darkened and he averted his gaze from mine. He opened his mouth to speak but for a moment he seemed to hesitate. And seeing Stephen hesitate didn't seem like a good sign.

"Robert is taken by Professor Frost's men. Unfortunately, I couldn't save him. They disappeared with him the moment you hit that tree. I tried at first to use the car but it completely broke after that hit. It appears we are in the middle of nowhere and any transportation at that time of the day would be dangerous, especially for you. So, I came here to light up a fire to keep us warm till the sun comes up. I also found that in the back of the car and thought would be fine to keep you warm", he said pointing at the blanket wrapped around me.

Sadness, like a heavy veil, spread above us. We had lost a member of our team, and we needed to get him back at all costs.