Part 25 (1/2)

He stared at my outstretched hand for a long, long moment. ”Just friends then.”

Sam took my hand. All the feelings and sensations of the other night flashed through my head. Tangled sheets. Hot kisses. Slow caresses. I gritted my teeth to keep from pulling him toward me and picking up where we'd left off.

Suddenly, Sam c.o.c.ked his head to one side, listening. He dropped my hand.

”What is it?” I heard nothing other than the tweet of the birds and the occasional drone of a b.u.mblebee.

Sam frowned. ”It sounds like a helicopter.”

”A helicopter? Is that something to worry about?”

”No, but it's odd because Sublime extends out in all directions for several miles. And no one can fly over the estate without my permission.” He shrugged. ”It's probably somebody who's just gotten off course. It happens.”

I opened my mouth to reply when an icy wave of pain shot through my body. I doubled over. I felt numb, frozen inside. My teeth chattered. My dull headache exploded into a raging migraine. My vision went black. My inner voice screamed.

”Carmen? Carmen!”

”I don't . . . feel so good,” I mumbled.

I pitched forward. Sam caught me and lowered me to the ground.

”Cold . . . so . . . cold.” My teeth bounced together like a child's rattle.

Sam took off his suit jacket and draped it over my body. ”Lie still. I'm going to get help.”

”No! Stay with me,” I said, clutching at him.

”I have to, Carmen. I'll be back soon. I promise.”

Sam cupped my cheek in his warm hand. Blue waves seemed to surround his body. And there was something behind him. I squinted. A black helicopter hovered overhead. Fear crawled up my spine.

”Go! Leave me!” I shouted to Sam.

The roar of the helicopter's motors drowned me out. Flower petals and dead leaves fluttered up into the air and whipped around like shrapnel. Trees bowed under the sudden gust of wind. The helicopter landed on the green lawn. The door slid open, and three figures emerged. My heart sank.

Uh-oh.

Malefica, Scorpion, and Frost sprinted toward us. Sam crouched over me.

KarmaGirl.

”Run! Go!” I screamed.

”I'm not leaving you!”

The three ubervillains came closer . . . and closer . . . and closer. I looked toward the house. Where the h.e.l.l were the others? Hadn't they heard the chopper land on the lawn? Didn't the house have some sort of alarm system? Shouldn't the ground open up to let rockets come flying out or something?

The ubervillains stopped a few feet away. Sam stood. His hands clenched into fists. Somehow, I managed to sit up.

”Well, well, if it isn't Sam Sloane,” Malefica drawled. ”Or should I call you Striker?”

Sam didn't reply.

”Nothing to say? No witty remarks? No pithy come-back? What a pity. Take him out.”

Sam launched himself at Scorpion. The ubervillain threw Sam over his shoulder with ease. Sam hit the ground rolling and bounced right back up. A blue streak zapped through the air and hit the superhero in the chest. He rocked back on his heels and wobbled like a seesaw. Sam's eyes opened wide and grew gla.s.sy. Then, he fell to the ground.

”Noooo!” I screamed. ”No! No! Noooo!”

I tried to crawl toward Sam, but the pain pulsing through my body was too great. Every part of me ached with cold. I slumped to the ground, panting for air. Every breath was an enormous effort.

A pair of strappy red sandals strolled into view. Even though every muscle in my body screamed at me to stop moving, I looked up past them.

Malefica loomed over me. A smile stretched across the ubervillain's ruby red lips. ”Well, well, if it isn't my good friend Carmen Cole. Feeling a little ill? Pity.”

”What have you done to Sam?” I mumbled through my frozen lips. ”How did you find us?”

”Oh, don't worry about Striker. He's not dead. Yet.”

Fear blanketed my heart like an icy shroud.

”As for you, remember that dart Frost shot you with? It contained a radioactive isotope, which lives in the human body a very long time. After a few days have pa.s.sed, the isotope mutates and gives off a particular amount of radiation that's very unique. And very easy to track if you have the proper equipment. Think of it as a sort of homing beacon. You led us right to Striker.”

I closed my eyes. So this had been Malefica's real plan all along. To use me to track down Striker. That was why the Triad had retreated from the park that night. That was why the Fearless Five had driven them away so easily. I'd played right into the ubervillains' evil hands.

Frost stared at me like a doctor examining a patient. ”Hmmm. Interesting side effects. See how blue her lips are? I bet her body temperature has dropped at least two degrees in the last few minutes. Are you cold, Miss Cole? Feel like your insides are made out of ice cubes? Hmmm? Have you had any migraines or problems with your vision lately?”

I didn't reply.

”Well, if you're not going to be a cooperative test subject and tell me how you're feeling, I have no further use for you. Shall I take care of her once and for all?” Frost asked.

I stared into the black eyehole of Frost's freezoray gun. My eyes widened. I was about to get dead.

Malefica tapped her long nails on her lips. ”Leave her. The rest of the Fearless Five will take care of her when they find out we have Striker. After all, someone has to be the bearer of good news. Get him back to the helicopter.”

Scorpion picked up Sam's limp form, slung him over his ma.s.sive shoulder, and lumbered away. Frost KarmaGirl.

followed.

Malefica leaned down until her green eyes were level with mine. ”I just wanted to thank you, Carmen.

You played your part perfectly.”

”You'll pay for this,” I spat out.

”I doubt it. Without Striker, the Fearless Five are nothing but a bunch of second-string superheroes.