Consuming Fire

Chapter 98

It occurred to Ryo as she zipped up her superhero suit for the third time that night that no matter what she changed in the past, someone would always suffer in the future. People were going to die, and she couldn't keep going back to try and stop it. That was against nature.

But Ryo was not controlling this. Some unknown force was sending her back to this same moment so she could try again. Just like re-starting a computer game, Ryo had experienced enough to know how to make it better.

And she did know. She knew exactly what she had to do.

It would only end if she stopped the telepath. Ryo didn't know anything about the young girl, except that she was in the Death Caves when Ryo rescued Hunter, she had burns across her body, and she was now equipped with Fearne's power. Which meant that the only way to stop her was either to become immune to mind control or take away her power altogether.

And who could take away her power?

Damn, Ryo sighed. I so enjoyed tranquilizing her.

Ryo found Mikayla in the exact same position she had what felt like only ten minutes ago. This time she didn't try to be nice.

"I need your help."

Mikayla snorted. "Please, why would I help you?"

Ryo wasted no time. "Because otherwise, both you and Jet will die tonight."

Her face when blank, pale as a ghost. "Wh-what?"

"You and Jet will-"

"Oh come on Ryo," she scoffed in an utterly false show of confidence. "This is just some ploy, isn't it? A trick to mess with my head so I won't-"

"Steal Hunter, Zac and Marcus's power, pretend to be a soldier, sneak onto the jet and follow Hunter to the White House to kill her?"

Mikayla's mouth dropped open.

"Yeah," said Ryo, "I've already been there and it doesn't end well."

Her arms flopped to her side. "Oh, right, okay. And I'm supposed to believe you?"

Isn't what I said proof enough? "Do you really want to take that risk?"

"Uh, yup."

Ryo rolled her eyes. "Okay, well before you do that and make a complete idiot of yourself until all the powers you took on destroy you, I need you to come with us to the army base."

"Oh, you needme now?"

"That's what I just said." Can I please hit her now? "Mikayla, can you do this for us? I promise that once we defeat Dr. Wolfe – a man who didn't care about you at all, by the way – and we stop Hunter from killing Jet, I will get the SSS to release you."

Mikayla crossed her arms. The two of them never really got along – in fact they never talked at all – but Mikayla came to the conclusion very quickly that Ryo could easily stop her from escaping the SSS, and this way, she could be free and Jet would still be alive.

Sure enough, Mikayla rolled her eyes heavily and agreed. "Fine, what do I have to do?"

"Wait here."

"What? Why?"

Ryo shook her head. "No time to explain, and you can't take any more powers. You'll explode if you do."

Mikayla scoffed.

"Stay right here, okay? The fate of our country depends on you."

Just before Ryo disappeared, she saw a look of pride flash across Mikayla's face.

The only thing Ryo now had to change was Jet. As she went back to the hanger to find Hunter, she tried to think about how it would alter her fight with Jack. Surely it would cut the time in half? Ryo knew almost nothing about their fight other than what Hunter had mentioned earlier. If there was a way for them to not kill Jet and still defeat the darkness in Jack, Ryo was sure Hunter would know.

But Ryo couldn't tell Hunter, because then Hunter would want her to change the future and stop Dr. Wolfe from taking Will and Joshua.

Man, this power sucks.

Ryo looked down at her clock, calculating Hunter's arrival time at the White House with how long it would be before Jet arrived. It's going to be messy. She glanced up at the tin roof. If I muck this up, you'll send me back, right?

There was no answer. Ryo almost smiled.

Right. Faith.