Wind whipped past Mikhaela’s face as she cycled through the streets of Lower Billington. The cold air stung, adding more water to her already tear stained eyes. Her thin cotton pyjamas kept her as warm as an ice-cube in a freezer, but she didn’t care. Shivering through fury, fear, and the frost she pressed on. Katie was all that mattered. Blood dripped from her legs as the pedal’s spikes pierced the souls of her feet. She ignored it. An unwelcome thought wormed its way into her mind.
“You’re being stupid. They’re in a van. You can’t catch them; you’re just going to kill yourself.” She scrunched her eyes and shook her head, trying desperately to expel the doubt but it burrowed deeper. “What’s the point. Even if you do find her, she’s probably dead anyway.” the intrusion blossomed into an image of her sister lying in ditch. Blood pouring from her shattered body, the tall man stood over her, smiling. Her eyes jolted open as the image of that spine chilling grin filled her head. She bit her cheek and pushed onwards. Through pain, fatigue, and frigid winds she pressed on. Past the brick of Little Billington and out into the English countryside. That vision, that evil smile. She wasn’t going to let them hurt Katie.
Mikhaela pulled hard on the brakes. The sudden motion flung her bike forwards into the air, flipping her over the handlebars. She landed heavily on the tarmac, its abrasive surface biting chunks out of her knees, arms and face as she skidded across it. Without so much as clink, the bike bounced onto the ground beside her. She looked up at the corpse of a black van blocking the road. The doors had been blasted off their hinges. The windows shattered. Smoke poured out of every orifice, pluming from the demolished electrical equipment inside. Blood spattered the ground around the wreckage. She ran forward, choking on the heavy black smog as she searched desperately for her missing sister.
Katie struggled against the ropes that wound tightly around her wrists. Something had happened when she had tried to scream. Some explosion in the back of the van. Had she caused that? Or was it just coincidence. Either way her kidnappers had both been pretty shaken. They’d been arguing for miles. If she could just get rid of this gaffe tape they’d plastered across her mouth. Mud slid around under her feet as the two men dragged her across a stalk stubbled field. Their mouths were moving frantically. She couldn’t see what they were saying, but from their expressions it was clear that neither of them were happy about it. The short one stopped and threw her to the ground. Her face planted itself in the mud, caking her in dirt and soil. Wet earth wouldn’t usually be her fragrance of choice but compared to the odour of cigarette smoke that hovered around the short guy, it was bliss. Thankfully she hadn’t swallowed anything, the gaffe across her face had been kind enough to prevent that. Though given the choice, she would probably have taken a mouthful of mud. Something pierced her shoulder. The jagged remains of wheat stalks were sharp, and stiff. They had given her an idea.
Ash glared at his colleague. Considering he’d been alive for centuries; the man could be annoyingly thick.
“We have to go back!” Michael looked at him blankly. “If we turn up with the wrong person the organisation will not be happy.” The taller man’s face scrunched into disbelief.
“What does it matter.” he scoffed “We’ve got someone, and she has a power. Who’s to say it’s the wrong one?” Ash put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small bag of black powder. Michael’s expression changed completely. A switch had been flicked turning all his confidence into fear. “Alright fine. Why don’t you just do your little wind thing and fly over there… I’ll stay here and watch the girl till you get back.” Ash closed his eyes and let out an exasperated breath.
“Do you never listen?” Frustration flicked out of his every word, coating Michael’s face in the sheen of spit. “If I stay in the air too long, I get stuck. All the particles get mingled up and I can’t tell what’s me and what’s…” Ash’s rant was cut short. His mouth kept moving, but his voice was lost. A smile spread across his face, and he turned to see another girl striding towards him.