The Gemini Age: Book One

[7-2] A Hard Rain to Fall - Part Two

    As they had moments earlier, people on the streets and in the windows of the surrounding buildings stopped to watch the scenes. This time, however, Lloyd wished with all his heart that they would disappear. Marcus did not deserve to have his capture witnessed, and probably recorded, by so many strangers, and Lloyd was too embarrassed to run away in front of such a crowd, even though he knew his brother would scream at him to escape if he could. Soaked in rain, teeth chattering in the wind, Lloyd shook his head as he gathered an orb of raindrops and chilled them, eyes shut to imagine wintry afternoons.

    The lump of soft ice split apart inches before it reached the back of the officer's head, yet the man still felt its impact. He wiped the half-melted crystals from his hair and swivelled on his heels, his dark eyes locked onto Lloyd's shivering shape. "You! Get here!"

    "Leave my brother alone!" Lloyd tried to sound confident through the cracks in his wobbling voice, sobs preventing any more words from coming. He found the rainwater to make another icy missile, but the first steps of the officer's march startled him into spilling the liquid onto the road beside him.

    Scrambling on the wet pavement, Lloyd started to build a wall from the stone slabs beneath him. The officer's hands fell to his hip and rose again, the colourful frame of a weapon clutched between them. Lloyd threw himself to his knees behind his low cover as the first snaps of the gun cracked through the air, releasing a string of dense projectiles to strike against the broadside of his wall. He moved to reinforce his wall, intending to grant himself enough cover to move back around the bend, but another volley of rubber shots pinned him in place. 

    "Come out, lad! Stop playing around!" the officer said, his voice drawing near.

    Lloyd's heart pounded against his chest. Attacking police had been one of the first things Marcus had forbidden him from doing, no matter the circumstances, though the bullets thudding next to his ear suggested it was too late to talk his way out of this. They had already called for backup, however, and if Lloyd did try to defend himself, he would soon find himself outnumbered. If he tried to run, they would cut him off and catch him, and in any case, he knew Marcus would never leave him behind like that. But then, Marcus always knew what to do.

    He did not notice his lack of concentration until a large shard of stone chipped off the top edge of his wall and struck against his forehead. With a yelp, Lloyd rolled to the floor, his hand clutching the red-hot mark on his face. "Out! Now!" the same voice cried.

    "Don't you touch him!" Lloyd peeked around the side of his wall to see Marcus tossing his burning rope net onto the back of the officer that had held him, who had since become distracted by Lloyd's resistance. Stretching his back out, Marcus kicked a wave of fire into the back of the armed officer, knocking him to the ground. A gust of air brought Marcus to the broken wall, where he lifted Lloyd to his knees. "Did he get you?"

    Lloyd removed his hand and sighed with relief when no blood appeared on his palm. "I got myself, I think," he said with a broken laugh. The officers both rose to their feet, and the sound of sirens wailed in the near distance. "Are we sure we can get out of this?"

    "I'm not letting them take you without a fight, that's for sure." With a tug on his gloves, Marcus pushed Lloyd over and rose to his feet in time to avoid a sprawling net. His fists flew forward and sent a pair of firebolts up the street, and Lloyd remained behind the wall, his eyes misty with admiration.

    A flashing bike pulled up alongside the pavement. The sirens stopped at the wheels halted, and a whistle pierced the ears of the combatants. "Stand down, I've got this!" The woman's voice was familiar, but Lloyd could not place it until Marcus recognised the face.