Retribution: The Lost Children World Book 1 Read online

I stuffed my phone back in my pocket. “Sorry. Yeah, let’s get going.”

  ~ ~ ~

  We spent the next two hours wandering around campus. Everybody familiarized themselves with the buildings and layout, but I never saw anybody with a black cloud. I kept my vision in its altered state, but the most threatening cloud I saw was a dark-gray one surrounding an older woman. She emerged from a campus building carrying a bundle of books. I’d seen her in the library before. She was on the staff.

  “How much longer are we going to do this?” Amber tapped her foot on the sidewalk before sneezing loudly. “We’ve done enough circles around campus I’m pretty sure we’re all familiar with it.”

  “Yeah, Lena. This is getting a little boring, and I’m hungry.” Mica slapped a hand over her stomach when it rumbled.

  I sighed. For the last hour, I’d pushed everyone to keep going even though they had all voiced that they felt comfortable with the campus layout. “Sorry. I was hoping I’d find him again so you could all get a good look at him. Maybe we’ll have better luck tomorrow.”

  Luke pulled out his phone. “I’m going to check in with Jacinda to make sure she’s okay.” He walked several yards away from the group so he could have his conversation in private.

  “Pizza?” Jet asked. “There is some killer pizza at a restaurant not too far from our house. Does that sound good for everyone?”

  “I’m always up for a good slice of pepperoni.” Edgar waggled his eyebrows.

  “Sorry, guys,” I said. “I promised my best friend I’d meet her for dinner tonight and then do some studying. Catch up with you all later?”

  Everyone murmured a reply and began walking back to our apartment.

  Only Flint stayed behind. “I’ll walk you to the restaurant.”

  I cocked my head and leaned up on my tiptoes to kiss him. “I’ll be fine. You can join everyone else.”

  His eyebrows bunched together. “I’ll walk you.”

  His tone left no room for argument. Rolling my eyes, I threaded my fingers through his as we began heading in the direction of the Thai restaurant.

  But my thoughts quickly turned to what we’d been doing that afternoon. Somewhere nearby was that black-clouded man, and I’d be damned if I wouldn’t find him again.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  I dug into my huge plate of pad thai and sighed in bliss when the peanut flavor coated my tongue.

  “This econ test is going to be the death of me.” Grace grumbled from across our booth. She waved a list of everything she needed to know for her final exam. Steam rolled up from her bowl of red curry. She dipped her spoon into it and took another bite. “I barely got a B on the midterm. Remind me again why I thought this would be a good elective to take? I just want this semester to be over.”

  I nodded sympathetically and sucked a noodle into my mouth. “It’s almost done. Just get through your final, and then you can say goodbye to econ forever.”

  Her blue eyes twinkled. “Can you believe we only have two years left after this? We’ll be halfway through college!”

  A laugh bubbled out of my lips as I reached for my soda.

  Since our booth in the Thai restaurant butted up to a window, the setting sun blazed onto our table. Outside, other students and passersby strolled along.

  “It is hard to believe. Who would have thought—” My reply was cut short when a wave of raw, hungry energy hit me. Grace was too preoccupied to notice. She was busy dabbing a dot of curry from her shirt.

  I swiveled my head around and searched for the source of the energy just as I flicked the switch in the back of my mind. The world turned into a sea of clouds as the din from the restaurant filled my ears.

  I gasped when a black cloud appeared around a man just outside the restaurant. He stood near the curb, leaning against a large SUV parked in the street.

  “Lena?”

  A faint part of my mind registered that Grace had finished cleaning her shirt and was trying to get my attention, but my gaze stayed on the man.

  He wore a hooded sweatshirt, jeans, and sturdy boots. Since his head was dipped down while he stared at his cell phone, I couldn’t see his face. It didn’t help that he wore a baseball cap pulled low over his forehead, but that didn’t matter. His cloud had the same energy as the one I’d seen the other day. I could feel it.

  It’s him!

  I knew he was the man I’d seen on campus. I was as sure of that as I was that the sky was blue and the earth was round. The man looked and felt exactly the same—same muscular stocky build. Same dark hair.

  Same cloud.

  And if there was one thing I knew with every fiber of my being it was that clouds didn’t lie.

  The ugly black cloud pulsed around him, twisting and rising around his shoulders. He was going to hurt someone, and soon, or—at the very least—he was planning to. My mouth went dry as I reached frantically for my phone.

  “Lena! Earth to Lena!” Grace’s yell finally pulled me back to our surroundings.

  “What?” I met her gaze just long enough to acknowledge her before I whipped my head back in the direction of the man as I continued to frantically search for my phone.

  He lifted his head, but I still couldn’t see his face clearly since he was turned. His gaze had trained on the door of the restaurant.

  “I asked if you’re almost done. We should get going to the library. I’m stuffed.” She rifled around in her purse before pulling out a pack of chewing gum. She held out a piece to me. “Do you want one?”

  The bell on the restaurant door jingled.

  A woman stepped onto the sidewalk from the Thai restaurant. She was carrying a bag of takeout. A phone was pressed to her ear as she laughed at something the person on the other end of the line was saying.

  “Um . . . Hello, Lena . . . Gum?”

  A small smile spread across the man’s face. He took a step toward her.

  The woman walked down the sidewalk. One hand carried the takeout while the other held her phone. She had no idea she was being followed.

  My heart pounded in my chest. He’s going to follow her home!

  They passed by the window next to our booth. The woman appeared around my age with long brown hair and full lips. I felt certain she was the same woman the man had been following on campus. Who knows how many days he’s been following her.

  When I turned my wide eyes to the man again, I groaned in frustration. He’d pulled the hoodie up on his sweatshirt. Between that, the low cap, and how he kept his face turned, I still wasn’t able to see him clearly.

  “Lena? Are you suddenly deaf?” Grace’s inquisitive eyes narrowed.

  “I have to go!” I dug around in my purse again for my phone and groaned in frustration when I couldn’t find it. Really, Lena? Of all the times you have to lose something, it has to be now?

  “What do you mean you ‘have to go’?” Grace cocked her head. She snapped her gum and blew a bubble.

  “I’m so sorry, Grace, but I’m not going to make it to the library. I’ll explain later.” I pulled three twenty-dollar bills from my wallet and threw them on the table, more than enough for our meal and a tip, but I didn’t have time to wait for the bill. “I’ll call you later. Promise!”

  With that, I dashed out of the booth and ran to the front door.

  “Lena! What the heck?” Grace’s voice followed but, I didn’t stop.

  A blast of cool evening air hit my cheeks when I flew through the door. I turned in the direction the man and young woman had been walking.

  Crap!

  They were already at the end of the block. The woman turned the corner, and the man followed. He was walking ten feet behind her.

  I took off at a run. A group of young men and women yelled after me when I pushed through their group. I was in too much of a hurry to yell an apology over my shoulder.

  Damn purse! Where’s my phone!

  I was still rummaging around in my bag as I sprinted to the corner. I didn’t have any luck finding it, so slung m
y bag over my shoulder and stopped trying. If only I had telepathy like Jet and Jasper, then I could have mentally called somebody in my family to help me. But I had no time. I couldn’t stop now if I wanted to catch up to the man and save the woman.

  The street the woman had turned onto wasn’t as busy as the one by the restaurant. Only a few people were ahead of me. I slowed to a jog since the dark-clouded man and woman were within eyeshot again. The last thing I wanted to do was alert him to my presence.

  Skipping over a puddle in the sidewalk, I tried to keep my footsteps quiet. When I was within twenty feet of the man, I slowed to a walk.

  A buzzing vibration filled my jacket pocket. With a roll of my eyes, I pulled out my cell phone, which had apparently been stored in the front pocket of my spring coat. Now I remember leaving it here.

  Grace’s picture flashed on the screen.

  Even though I felt guilty about how I had abruptly left our dinner, I pushed the Ignore button before flipping my phone to silent. I didn’t want anything to alert the dark-clouded man to my presence. I’ll call Grace later and explain.

  Ahead, the woman stopped at a crosswalk. The light was red, and a steady stream of traffic drove by. She was still on her cell phone, chatting away, completely oblivious to the two people pursuing her.

  The dark-clouded man stopped as well and leaned against a building. He shifted his weight lazily to one leg and propped an ankle over his other foot. Pulling out his phone, he pretended to be typing in a text as he stood there.

  Considering I could see that his phone was not lit up, I knew it was all a ruse. It only solidified that he was truly stalking this girl.

  I slipped behind a potted plant so I wouldn’t draw attention to myself and hastily texted Flint.

  I found him. He walked by the Thai restaurant where Grace and I were eating. I’m following him right now. He’s currently pursuing the same girl I saw the other day.

  Within two seconds of sending the text, an incoming call lit up my screen. Flint’s dashingly handsome face filled it. His chestnut hair was mussed, and his dark eyes twinkled. It was one of my favorite pictures of him, which was why I used it as his contact pic in my phone.

  I already knew he wasn’t happy even though I didn’t answer his call.

  Glancing up from where I was hiding, I was relieved to see that the woman and dark-clouded man hadn’t moved. She was still talking on her phone while waiting for the light.

  I typed in another text. I can’t talk now. I don’t want to alert him to me.

  Peeking up again, I tried to see what street I was on, but the street sign was too far away. Groaning in frustration, I typed in another text.

  I’m going to keep following them. I know he’s going to hurt her. Sorry, I know you’re worried, but I can’t stop. I’ll stay safe. Promise. xo

  I had no doubt Flint was pulling his hair out. He hated when I did this kind of stuff, but I couldn’t wait for my family to arrive and help. And I wasn’t stupid. I would stay safe and not do anything that would put me in harm’s way, but I also couldn’t stand by if I could prevent the dark-clouded man from attacking this woman.

  The light turned green, and the crosswalk sign flashed white. The girl started crossing as her take-out food swung from her arm.

  The dark-clouded man pushed away from the building and tucked his phone back into his pocket.

  I waited a few seconds before following, but I must not have been as quiet as I thought.

  The man glanced over his shoulder in my direction.

  I hastily kneeled and pretended to be tying my shoelace. Making sure to keep my face pointed downward, I peeked up briefly to see what he was doing.

  He had turned back around and was pursuing the woman again.

  Crap. That was close. I really needed to be better at not drawing attention to myself.

  Falling back, I let another ten feet of distance spread between us. At the next block, the woman stopped and walked up a set of stairs to an apartment building. Her keys were out and jingled in her hand. Cradling her phone against her shoulder, she inserted a key into the lock.

  The dark-clouded man slowed his pace. He pulled out his phone again and pretended to be typing. Instead, he lifted it and snapped a picture of the woman.

  Red coated my gaze. He was truly stalking her. Not only was he following her, but he was also taking pictures of her.

  My chest rose and fell as hot anger rolled through me.

  Oblivious to everything happening around her, the woman stepped into her apartment building as cars continued to mill by on the street. She shut the door, and her bubbly laugh disappeared.

  I slid into the closest alleyway and plastered myself against a wall. Peeking around the corner, I watched the dark-clouded man.

  He took a few more photos of her building before putting his phone back in his pocket. From there, he walked down the street again.

  I breathed a sigh of relief that he didn’t appear intent on attacking the woman right then, but what he was doing was pretty obvious. He was following her, getting to know her habits, figuring out where she lived. It was only a matter of time before he returned and did something more sinister.

  Another buzz emitted from my pocket. I knew either Grace or Flint was calling again, but if I stopped to talk to them, I could lose him.

  Looking toward the sky, I sent a silent apology to my best friend and boyfriend through the cosmic void. I once again hit the Ignore button on my phone and continued following the dark-clouded man.

  CHAPTER SIX

  With each second that passed, the sun set more. Streetlights clicked on as I followed the man down the road. He seemed to be walking toward a residential area. The foot traffic grew less and less.

  My heart pounded in my chest like a jackhammer. The last time I’d experienced an adrenaline rush like this had been when my family and I had played laser tag a month ago. The twins had been in hot pursuit of me as I led them on a relentless chase. We’d been prohibited from using our powers during that game, so I had not had an advantage.

  At the next block, the man turned left. Leaves fluttered on a nearby tree. The wind was picking up as humid air swirled around. A strong gust picked up my hair and blew it across my face.

  I scrambled to push the long curls behind my ears. When I finally had my annoying hair under control, my insides froze. The dark-clouded man had crossed the street and stopped.

  He was staring at me.

  He had stopped at least fifteen yards away, but he stood completely still in the center of the sidewalk. He made no attempt to hide the fact that he was watching me. To make matters worse, he’d donned sunglasses despite the darkening hour. Since his hoodie was still pulled up, I couldn’t make out any of his features.

  Forcing myself to keep walking, I tried to act like any other pedestrian and carried on in my original direction. I felt his eyes follow me.

  My heart pounded even more.

  Losing my nerve, I turned right at the next block despite him waiting on the left across the road. Shallow breaths filled my chest when I ducked into the first store I found.

  Bright lights accosted me. Apparently, I was in a corner convenience store. Rows of snacks, commonly used groceries, and miscellaneous paraphernalia filled the aisles.

  A middle-aged shopkeeper hunkered over the front counter. An open magazine was spread out in front of him. He smiled. “Good evening, Miss. Can I help you find something?”

  I wasn’t surprised at his warm greeting since I was standing in the entryway like a deer caught in headlights. “Um . . . no, I’m . . .”

  I turned and cracked the door open behind me before peeking back onto the street. In the distance, the dark-clouded man was retreating once again. He was at least two blocks away.

  “Miss?” the shopkeeper called. “Can I help you?”

  “No. Never mind!” I called before slipping out of the store.

  I picked up a jog and returned to the intersection. The dark-clouded man was now on
ly one block ahead of me. Trying my best to keep my footsteps light, I once again followed him.

  If I can just find out where he lives or catch a license-plate number on his vehicle, it’s possible we can figure out who he is.

  I was so busy coming up with my plan of attack that I didn’t realize he’d disappeared.

  Coming to a halt on the sidewalk, I swiveled my gaze left and right. I no longer saw him ahead of me. Did he turn off somewhere?

  I kept my vision in its altered state, hoping his cloud would appear from around a building or vehicle.

  It didn’t.

  Just as I was about to turn back the way I had come, I felt him.

  Raw, hungry, pulsing energy pummeled into my back.

  Adrenaline surged through me as I whipped around. Somehow, he’d darted out of the way and had sneaked up behind me. Does that mean he knew I was following him?

  I spread my feet wide as I prepared myself to confront him, but when I turned a one-eighty, my mouth dropped.

  Nobody was behind me.

  I followed the feel of the pulsing energy cloud. There. In the alleyway.

  He’d darted into an alley and was currently watching me from the shadows. Terror slid through me. Since I was facing him, that meant he could see my face.

  But I still couldn’t see his.

  I could barely make out his stocky frame.

  Since there was no point pretending that I hadn’t been following him, I flew off the sidewalk to duck behind a potted tree that stood by another apartment building. As I licked my dry lips, my thoughts raced with what to do next.

  But I didn’t have the opportunity to come up with a new plan. Pounding footsteps sounded in the alley, growing fainter and fainter. He was running away.

  I guess that means I’m following him.

  Just as I pushed away from the building to pursue him again, a car came careening around the corner.

  My stomach dropped.

  Flint’s cloud pulsed out of the vehicle. His energy was triple its normal size.

  He pulled the SUV to a squealing stop just across the road before jumping out. There was no point running after the man. Since I could no longer hear his footsteps, and since my boyfriend was approaching me at a menacingly fast pace, my nighttime excursion had come to an end.