Crossfire ••• Andy Strucker [Book 2]

eMergence

The shrill sound of her phone ringing brings Ivee from her thoughts. She places her fork down, reaching across the table to grab her phone. She presses the green button, putting the phone to her ear. "Sentinel Services just raided Lincoln court," John says when the line connects.

"How bad?" she asks, knowing the answer already but hoping she was wrong.

John sucks in an exasperated breath. "The worst it's been," he says. "We don't know how many got away yet, but we need you and Lauren to meet us at the parking lot on Oak. We'll track them from there."

"Alright," Ivee says. "Be there soon." She hangs up the phone, standing up. She grabs her keys and calls out to Lauren. The girl steps out of her room, meeting Ivee's eyes.

"Again?" she asks, following Ivee to the door.

Ivee nods, pulling the door closed. "It's bad."

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"Okay," Clarice says as they run towards her and John. "About fifteen got away."

"Most of them made their way towards the highway, but I tracked five going east, towards the warehouse district," John explains, nodding down the road. "You two," he says pointing to Ivee and Lauren. "Find them and we'll take the others."

They nod and split up, running towards the large buildings. Shouts echo around the area, most coming from Sentinel Service agents searching the buildings. Ivee closes her eyes, turning her head slightly. In her head, she sees the agents making their way through the buildings. She switches her focus from them, trying to sense the mutants. She pushes harder, an ache coming over her mind. "Shit," she exclaims, opening her eyes, stepping back, and pressing her hand to her forehead.

Lauren puts her hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Ivee nods. "Yeah." She takes a breath. "I just need to focus more. I'll find them." She holds her hands in front of her, blocking out the sounds of the agents. She and Lauren don't have much time, but she can tell the agents hadn't found the mutants yet. She clenches her jaw, pushing past the headache. She concentrates on the silence around her, a low hum vibrates inside her skull and around her. She feels it bounce back, along with a pitched sound from the mutants. She opens her eyes. "I found them," she says. "They're two buildings over, on the ground floor."

"What about Sentinel Services?" Lauren asks as they run towards the building.

"About three buildings back that way," Ivee says as they enter the building. "We've got a few minutes before they get here. Just gotta get out before they do."

The sound of a metal sheet hitting the concrete echoes from a door to their right, and they rush towards it, Ivee breaking the lock and pushing it open carefully. Lauren raises her arm, and a golden shield forms in front of them, blocking a blast of blue energy from hitting them. She drops the shield. The mutant who had attacked them keeps her hands raised, blue glowing over her fingertips and down her arms, defining her veins. Ivee puts her hands up and steps forward. "We're here to help," she says, and the girl lowers her hands slightly, glow still present. "We've got to get out of here, now."

The glow leaves the girls hands, and she looks behind the wall near her and gestures towards herself. "It's safe," she says, and the other mutants step out from their hiding place.

Lauren smiles at them and begins explaining what they needed to do as they left the room. Ivee steps out first, walking to one of the small windows and sees a group of agents enter the building next to them. She looks back at Lauren. "They're close," she says, as the girl looks out the window. "We have to find another way out of here."