The Unlocked (Charlie Hartley Series Book 1) (23 page)

Charlie groaned on the ground. Her back and shoulders hurt
while smoke billowed around her. Hilary ran out of the woods to Charlie's aid,
but the sisters saw her at the same time. The lights flickered once more.
Charlie turned in time to see Jeanne hurl another blast towards her friend.

"Don't!" She screamed, and Hilary turned to see
the light coming towards her. She lifted her hands to cover herself but the
blast disappeared before it reached her. Charlie's shield manifested in time to
save the small girl.

"Jeanne, stop this now!" Charlie pleaded, drawing
the attacks on herself rather than her friends. The infuriated Jeanne lashed
out at her, sending more blasts of light in Charlie's direction. All Charlie
did was create a shield and protect herself from her twin’s attacks. Charlie
attempted to approach her sister while deflecting each attack the other sent
her. "Jeanne, I'm your sister Charlie! Your sister Cate!" She yelled
over the blasts. "I'm trying to help you!"

Jeanne stood her ground, unflinching. The emergency lights
illuminating the school field began to explode; glass shrapnel rained down on
Charlie. Suddenly, Jeanne's arms were pulled against her body. Charlie turned
to see Madison using the same binding technique they used on the rampaging
Hilary earlier.

"Charlie, just get out of there!" Madison shouted
as loud as she could, but her words were drowned out by Jeanne's screams. The
ground shook as Jeanne's voice echoed throughout the area. The last light bulb
shattered and Jeanne lifted her hand, fighting off Madison's force. She
directed a blast towards Madison and Charlie jumped between the two and used
her shield to protect Madison. The force broke her shield and the impact sent
both girls flying back to the woods, Charlie falling on top of Madison.

Charlie lifted herself up, her head dazed from the impact.
She leaned against a tree to steady herself while Hilary helped Madison off the
ground. "Are you guys alright?" Hilary asked. Charlie couldn't say if
she was. This was the second time tonight that Jeanne had lashed out at her
despite her efforts. It stung her heart.

"Look what you did. Her outrage probably alerted the
entire school to where we are by now," Madison accused. "Now that you
see your sister is beyond help, let's go before she explodes again." 
She stormed away. Hilary stood perplexed, unsure of who to follow.

Charlie glanced at Jeanne, who was on her knees, face
buried. "Charlie." Hilary's voice was gentle and soothing.
"Let's go. We can save Jeanne, but not right now."

Charlie looked at her friend, desperation in her eyes.
"She's your friend. She's my sister. Madison might still think of her as
her rival and enemy, but it doesn't change the fact that she's also a victim
here."

This stopped Madison in her tracks. She sympathized with
Charlie. "I know she is. But it's pointless to risk getting caught just to
save her when we can prepare to return soon and rescue not only her but the
others as well."

Charlie bit her lip. Their words made sense to her, but she
couldn’t bring herself to abandon Jeanne. Looking back once more, she saw her
sister stand again. She couldn't read her expression from this distance, but
the sight pained her nonetheless. Months before, she hadn't even known she had
a sister. And in the past weeks, Charlie had worked hard to meet Jeanne. All
the struggles and pain she’d endured were for Jeanne to be reunited with her.

How could I abandon Jeanne now when I am so close to
reaching her?

Jeanne looked around, searching for Charlie, Madison and
Hilary. Her fist curled; a ball of energy sparked and crackled between her
fingers. Charlie recalled the surveillance video Natalia had sent her. Jeanne
was scared and blew the place up, killing the three people who had attempted to
inject her with the serum. Jeanne was able to fight back because, like Charlie,
she already had her powers before they set foot in ANDREI. And what about the
other students? Did they try to fight back, but were overpowered? The thought
fueled Charlie's anger.

Amanda was using Jeanne for her own ends. Amanda's power
ruled Jeanne’s mind and Charlie wanted to stop it now before more damage could
be done to her sister. She wanted to save them all, but she had to admit she
couldn't do it right now. At the very least, she wanted to take away Jeanne,
Amanda's greatest weapon, as she called her sister. With Jeanne on their side,
it would be easier to take over ANDREI and free the rest of the students.

"She's getting up. We have to go, come on!"
Madison charged at Charlie and grabbed her wrist. But Charlie pried it out of
her grasp and looked Madison in the eye. "I'll face Jeanne now."

Fearful eyes met Charlie's as her words registered with
Madison and Hilary. "No!" Hilary was first to break the silence.
"You can't fight her, Charlie. You saw what she can do, she'll kill
you!" Tears brimmed at the corner of Hilary's eyes, but Charlie had made
her choice. She knew the risk, but it was one she was willing to take.

"She's my sister. And Ms. Pitt told me we were her best
weapons in school. That could mean my powers are equal to my sister's."

"Don't be stupid!" Madison exclaimed. "Jeanne
is better trained than you and she's a mindless killing machine right now with
that woman controlling her brain."

The tree branches above their heads exploded. The girls
ducked for cover as leaves, branches, twigs and wood splinters rained on them.
Charlie turned to see Jeanne facing their direction. She led the two deeper in
the woods to avoid more attacks. "I can fight her," Charlie argued.
"You guys go on ahead. Hilary, you can do something about the wire mesh
Ms. Worthington spoke of. Go and follow the directions she gave us. I'll catch
up when I can."

"No, Charlie!" Hilary begged, but Charlie had already
turned on her heels and run back to the field.

Charlie stepped out from the woods and Jeanne sprinted
towards her. Charlie created a shield for Jeanne to crash against, sending her
to the ground. Quick to rise, Jeanne blasted electricity in Charlie's
direction. Sparks and smoke spread in front of Charlie as the impact of the
blasts to her shield sent her backing down a few steps. When the smoke cleared,
Jeanne directed her fist at Charlie. It landed on her shield with such great
force that Charlie felt the reverberation in her skull. Charlie jumped out of
the way as Jeanne swung another. She circled Jeanne and wrapped an arm around
her neck.

"Jeanne, you have to wake up! We're getting out of here
now!" Charlie whispered in her sister's ear. Jeanne's head lowered and
slammed back into Charlie's face. Dazed, Charlie didn't notice the hands
reaching for her shirt. Jeanne bent forward and threw Charlie off her. Charlie
rolled against the dirt and hit her stomach against a tree. Leaves rained down
on her as she stood. Jeanne marched towards her and Charlie lifted the leaves
with her power and sent them flying towards her. The leaves circled around
Jeanne's head, blocking her view while Charlie charged towards her and tackled
her to the ground.

The girl screamed and hit Charlie on the face. Heat emanated
from her skin, but Charlie did not release her. She straddled her sister,
pinning her by the shoulders as she shouted. "Jeanne, stop! It's me! You
have to wake up!" She pleaded desperately, hoping to get through. 
With Charlie’s guard down, Jeanne's hand pulled her hair, and she screamed in
pain as Jeanne used her hair to slam back to the ground.

Charlie was on all fours, and before she could create her
shield, Jeanne's foot kicked her in the stomach. She flew off the ground
several feet away, hitting her wounded shoulder as she landed hard on the
ground. She grunted, grimaced in pain, and pulled herself up.

Jeanne stood still in front of her, gritting her teeth.
"Jeanne," Charlie spoke the name again, but softer. The fire burned
in her sister's eyes and for a moment, Charlie saw the screaming and panicking
girl in the surveillance video. “My sister is in there, I know it,” Charlie
concluded.

Rage descended into Jeanne’s core. She stomped her foot on
the ground, creating a fissure on the ground that reached Charlie. Like a
landmine, the ground exploded in front of Charlie, her shield merely dulling
the force. She rolled sideways and planted her foot on the ground to keep
herself from falling again. Charlie retaliated, gathering dirt and letting it
explode in front of her sister. Jeanne covered her face and stepped forward to
attack Charlie, but her twin was already in front of her, landing a punch to
her jaw.

Pain shot up Charlie's arm as her fist connected with her
sister's face. Jeanne stumbled backwards and Charlie grabbed her arm. She
twisted it behind Jeanne's back and grabbed the other like a cop handcuffing a
criminal. Jeanne kicked and struggled, trying to escape Charlie's grasp, but
Charlie didn't relent. She pulled Jeanne away from the field, dragging her back
to the woods when bright lights from ANDREI and GEN Laboratories lit up the
field. The light glared brighter than normal, blinding Charlie and forcing her
to release her sister and shield her eyes. Jeanne kicked Charlie in the knee,
driving her down and screaming in extreme pain.

Charlie scrambled to her knees before all the lights went
off and a blast of energy came speeding towards her. She dodged it, letting it
hit the trees, causing fire to erupt in the forest. Charlie thought of Madison
and Hilary, and prayed they had escaped. Another blast came towards her, but
her shield deflected it. Jeanne was at her again, her punches slower now,
allowing Charlie to dodge them all successfully. She sidestepped a punch and
turned. Charlie first bound Jeanne's leg together, causing her sister to
stumble forward. But before she could do the same for her arms, Jeanne created
light that blinded Charlie while another explosion threw her off.

"Stop!" Amanda commanded the rest when they
reached the garden overlooking the field. The school windows cracked over their
heads, but unshaken, her eyes remained glued to the scene beyond them. The
battle between the sisters was perfect for the scientist to learn more. Jeanne had
proven herself to be the more powerful and skilled weapon, but Charlie, who’d
only started training only a few months ago, dealt with her sister very well.
Charlie’s shield protected her from Jeanne's energy, but each impact it
deflected caused Charlie’s strength to diminish.

"Miss Pitt, we should stop them," a concerned
guard walked up to her.

Amanda looked at the man scornfully, "No, we should
enjoy the show."

He gave her an incredulous look but stepped back. Amanda
returned her attention to the battle. Charlie may be able to save herself from
Jeanne's attacks, but Amanda would not risk the rest of her students to be
subjected to Jeanne’s wrath. She turned her head to the students standing
behind her. "Watch and learn, little soldiers."

Charlie rolled back to her feet as Jeanne gathered energy
and directed it at her once more. She evaded and bound Jeanne again with her
telekinesis. She forced herself to concentrate and not let Jeanne fight back
using her power, though her head throbbed intensely. She watched Jeanne
struggle against the invisible ropes and remembered how Hilary had been the
same when they’d fought in Jeanne's room.

Charlie recalled how she’d freed Hilary from Amanda's hive
mind. She closed her eyes and felt Jeanne's power against hers. She ignored the
struggle and focused on the image of her sister in Hilary's photo. She didn't
know Jeanne. She didn't know how she talked or how she laughed. The smile on
Jeanne's face in Hilary's photo was the only pull she had to bring back the
real one.

Jeanne.
She called her in her thoughts.
Please,
Jeanne. Let me reach you.
Charlie visualized the shield in her mind like a
silk cover on her head. She imagined the same fabric being woven over Jeanne's
head. The now familiar sensation ran down her spine and into her arms. She
extended her arm to Jeanne and heard her scream.

Jeanne's breath grew hoarse, her screams reduced to gasps.
Charlie felt her sister’s struggles weaken. She opened her eyes to see Jeanne's
face was that of a confused child, her eyes watering and her lips pursed down.
Charlie felt a sliver of hope opening for her sister. She smiled.
"Jeanne?" The name came as a breath. Her sister's brown eyes met
hers. They had Catherine Richards' eyes. Jeanne stared at her face for a moment
as if searching for something. Charlie was tempted to walk near her, but she
was uncertain. And scared.

"Who- Who are you?" It was the first time Charlie
had heard Jeanne’s voice soft and calm. It was similar to hers, only a little
deeper. Charlie felt the years of separation melt between them. "Jeanne,
I'm Charlie," she introduced herself. "I'm your--"

"Aghh!!" Jeanne doubled over. She fell to her
knees and Charlie rushed to her side. Charlie reached out but electricity arched
through her fingers, forcing her to pull away.

"Jeanne, what's wrong?" She called to her sister,
but she did not seem to hear her. "Jeanne!" Charlie pushed on,
ignoring the pain in her hands as the electricity created a force around Jeanne
and spread across her body. The ground beneath them exploded, and Charlie flew
high above, hitting tree branch after tree branch until she landed on her back
in the dirt.

"Jeanne." Amanda pursed her lips, her hand balled
into fists. She could feel it, she was losing her connection to Jeanne. Taking
a deep breath, she concentrated on the rampaging girl.

How is she doing this?
Amanda asked herself. The
thought of Charlie now brought a stab to her confidence. She’d miscalculated,
underestimated the power of the young teen. Amanda shook her head. "I will
not lose Jeanne to you," she muttered.

Jeanne's scream reverberated across ANDREI’s premises, the
ground shaking beneath her. Charlie staggered as she tried to stand. Hilary and
Madison’s hands reached for her from behind, their eyes filled with concern and
fear. They’d never left, as Charlie had thought.

"Come on, let's go!" Madison begged, tears in the
corner of her eyes. Charlie let them pull her, but her eyes were still glued to
Jeanne, who she released from her binds. Her throat closed at the sight.
Charlie could almost imagine it was her in the middle of the field. On her
knees, head looking up with screams directed to the night sky.

Wind circled around the figure, dirt and leaves spun around
like a tornado with Jeanne as its eye. Both Madison and Hilary stopped to
regain their balance from the vacuum the tornado was creating. Hair blown in
all directions, Charlie struggled to see what was happening inside the tornado.
Jeanne had her face low and her hands gripped her hair. A pang of guilt hit her
chest.

“I did this to her,” Charlie thought remorsefully. Then, an
idea came to her
. I did this to her! I'm freeing her!

She pulled away from Hilary and told her, "It's
working! I created the shield in her mind and she's struggling with it, but
it's working!" She headed back to the field. Exasperated, Madison and
Hilary failed to stop her.

The bright lights shone again, burning white against
Charlie's eyes. She held onto a tree trunk with its splinters being pulled by
the force and stabbing her skin. Charlie peered at the building looming over
the field and saw every window cracked and shattered by the force of Jeanne’s
tornado. A deep hum reverberated through her teeth and skull as she all the
lights darkened.

"Ow!" Charlie exclaimed when electricity prickled
her arm. And then another one. Charlie backed away as she saw sparks of
electricity covering the tornado of dust and leaves. The wind swirled faster
and faster that the mere touch of it sliced her skin.

"Jeanne!" Charlie shouted over the tornado.
"Jeanne, listen to me! You have to calm down!" The only response she
got was the wind whistling and the electricity crackling. Charlie bit the
inside of her cheek and gathered all the courage and strength she had left.

I'm not leaving without you.

Charlie closed her eyes and imagined her shield enveloping
her. An invisible blanket wrapped around her body protectively as she stepped
forward into the chaos.

"Charlie!" Hilary's voice came from beyond the
woods, but Charlie kept her eyes closed, focusing every ounce of her energy on
her shield. Setting one foot in front of the other, her hair and clothes flew
in all direction, but Charlie remained on the ground.

Jeanne, where are you?

A force broke her focus. A fist hit her shield and the
impact reverberated in her skull. The throbbing pain in her brain caused
Charlie’s shield to falter. The same fist drove itself forward, breaking her
shield and hitting her cheek. Charlie spun around and fell to the ground. With
her shield broken, the wind sliced and burned her skin. She screamed in pain as
hands grabbed her shirt and pulled her up.

Jeanne's eyes were bloodshot, her face enraged like a wild
animal. She swung her fist at Charlie once more, tearing her lip.

"Stop it!!" Jeanne shouted at her. "Stop
it!!!!"

Charlie took another punch and slipped from Jeanne's grasp.
"Make it stop!" She heard Jeanne begging, but the girl had stumbled
back and fell to the ground, covering her ears with her palms. Charlie looked
up from and saw the girl sobbing. "Stop it, stop doing this..." She
repeated over and over and tears spilled on Charlie's cheeks for her sister.

"It's okay, Jeanne," Charlie said weakly. She
crawled on her belly, making her way towards her sister. "It's going to be
okay. Just, don't fight it. Please."

Charlie turned her head to see the cyclone above her head. A
mixture of green and brown and sparks circled over their heads. Her skin had
numbed from the prolonged exposure to the electric current surrounding the
place. At any given moment, either Charlie's body would give in or something
would crush her. But she gave up creating her own shield in favor of the one
she’d created in Jeanne's mind. Charlie crawled further until she reached her
weeping sister. Charlie painfully forced herself up and took her sister's hand.

Breathtaking and incredible. Those were the words Amanda
Pitt used to describe the scene unfolding before her. She didn't care about the
damage being done to her beloved institute. Jeanne's power had grown beyond her
expectations. With delight in her eyes, she took it all in. The field became a
storm of wind and electricity that reached high into the heavens. Storm clouds
hung above their heads. Lightning struck and thunder clapped. It was like a
scene from the Apocalypse and it was all Jeanne's doing. Amanda’s weapon proved
herself worthy of every cent she’d invested.