When Chase left his house that night, he didn't expect to be hiking through the forest, heading towards the site of an explosion. Especially not in the dark with two people he barely knew. Had he known, he would've worn better shoes and brought a flashlight.
The light coming from his cellphone would have to do.
He cursed as he stumbled through the shadows, trying his best to dodge gnarled roots and the occasional shift in terrain. As he tried his best to keep up with Theo and Stella, his foot caught the edge of a fallen branch. Before he knew it, he was face-to-face with the forest floor. Spitting dirt, twigs, and dry leaves from his mouth, he begrudgingly picked himself up.
This better be worth it.
He continued through the underbrush, barely making out the outline of Stella moving through the trees. The bright color of her shirt was the only reason he could even see her. Theo wasn't much farther ahead. They seemed to know exactly where to go. He didn't even know there was an abandoned quarry in this town until a few minutes ago. He needed to catch up with them before they got too far away.
Getting lost in the woods wasn't exactly his idea of a fun night.
Finally, the dense forest broke away to reveal a clearing that dropped off into a sheer cliff. Theo and Stella had joined another group of teenagers standing near the edge; they were all talking and snapping pictures of whatever resided within the quarry. There weren't many of them—likely stragglers from the party who couldn't be bothered to dance and drink anymore.
Chase shot Theo a dirty look as he approached them. "Mind slowing down for me next time? I almost got lost in there."
"How about you learn how to keep up?" Theo laughed before giving a light punch on the arm.
He glanced around, squinting at the sight. Across the clearing was another cliff that wrapped around the southern side of the forest, creating a circular barrier around the mining site. The smoke was definitely coming from down there. He carefully approached the edge of the cliff, the loose gravel sliding under his feet.
"Careful, man," one of the other kids watching warned.
"What's going on over here?" he asked.
"Oh, good. You brought Stella and the new kid?" A girl donning a Black Sabbath t-shirt strolled forward with an annoyed expression painted across her face like the violet makeup decorating her pale skin. Random piercings and rings dotted her nose, lips, and eyebrows. Emily Yumiko. Chase didn't know her, but he'd seen her around.
"He's cool, Em." Theo nodded at Chase. "Right? You're cool, dude."
Chase eyed the girl warily. "Sure. I can be cool."
"Well, that was convincing," Emily said.
"As for Stella," Theo continued, rubbing the back of his neck, "I'm not so sure."
"Gee, thanks, Theo." Stella rolled her eyes at him. The two girls glared at each other for a moment. "Nice to see you, Emily—"
"Don't talk to me."
Chase shot Theo a skeptical glance. His friend simply shrugged.
He never would've expected the golden child of their high school to have any enemies; she was one of the most loved people in their town. Even he knew that, and he'd only been there for a few months. But he supposed if she were to have one, a girl like Emily fit the bill.
He didn't know much about her. She hung out in the band room most of the time, playing the piano by herself; she often sulked through the school halls like a wraith. A black aura seemed to radiate from her small frame. If Stella was a ball of sunshine, then Emily was a black hole.
The origin of their feud was unknown to him. Joining a community as tight knit as River Hill's meant he lacked the context its residents had built over the years. He didn't bother asking questions. He'd likely be gone in a year, and all these people would become another forgotten memory, just like everyone else he'd left behind.
"Is anyone going to answer my question?" Chase continued peering into the old quarry. A wave of vertigo rushed him as he inched closer to the edge. Nearly stumbling into the chasm, he regained his footing and took a few slow breaths to steady himself.
He could see why this area was abandoned. The ground was unstable.
"Twenty bucks says he falls in," a boy muttered behind him. Someone else snickered.
Chase glared at them both. They immediately stopped laughing.
He recognized these two boys. Oscar Jimenez—River Hill High's resident class clown and walking disaster waiting to happen—and Andre Steel—a member of the basketball team and one of the few people Chase tolerated on campus. They'd never spoken a single word to each other yet; a simple nod in the hallways was enough.
"Heard they were lookin' for aliens down there," Oscar joked as he stepped beside Chase.
"Funny."
He turned his attention to what hid within the pit. The base of the drop-off spilled into the abandoned dig site, which was about the length and width of multiple football fields smashed together. Old stacks of scaffolding, mining carts, and rusted digging equipment were scattered around haphazardly.
But that wasn't everything.
Tall, black drills with high-tech machinery pounded into the face of another cliff. The grating sound echoed across the range. Huge, cylindrical augers pierced through the solid rock. Chase squinted harder. Black, nondescript vans and armored vehicles were parked nearby. Men dressed in dark tactical gear walked around the place. A few were manning the drills.
But most were wielding assault rifles.
Chase tensed and kept watching.
Clear, glass containers filled with a thick, gooey substance the color of rubies were being transported into the vans.
"Those people look like aliens to you?" Chase asked Oscar.
"Look, we're just as lost as you are, Goldilocks," he quipped. "We heard the explosion, same as you, and came over to check it out. They were already down there when we got here."
"Emily thinks they're terrorists," Theo blurted out.
"I know they're terrorists."
The word set off an alarm in Chase's head. His dad's literal job was to track down and eliminate such people. If his old man found out he was hanging around an abandoned quarry spying on suspected terrorists, he'd be grounded forever.
"I'm kind of obsessed with this stuff," Emily began. The group huddled around her as she pulled up a news article on her phone. "I've been reading news from environmental publications and media outlets around the world reporting on these bioterrorists. No one knows what they want, or what exactly they're doing, but they've recently robbed a Nexxus Industries delivery truck."
"What'd they steal?" someone asked.
"That's the thing. No one knows."
Chase peered over her shoulder to get a better look at the article on her phone screen. From what he could read, the group went by NEMESIS. They were connected to acts of armed robbery, kidnappings, multiple murders, and a plethora of other heinous crimes. Various world governments had deployed their best task forces to deal with the threat, but they were still on the loose.
And now they were here…
His stomach churned as he threw a cautious gaze back at the quarry. The sounds of drilling grew louder.
"I think we should leave," he said.
With each minute they stuck around, the chances of being spotted increased. He wasn't sure about the others, but he wasn't in the mood to be chased—or potentially killed—by dangerous terrorists. He could handle himself, but the rest of these kids were civilians. The nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach only got worse.
"Agreed." Stella gnawed on her bottom lip. "If these guys down there are real terrorists, shouldn't we be calling the police or something?"
Emily rolled her eyes. "You don't think we tried that already?" She typed 911 into her phone and held the screen up for everyone to see before pressing the call button. The call immediately dropped. "Cell service is down."
Chase glanced at the cell tower rising high above the forest, not too far in the distance. Their service should've been fine, even all the way out here. But it wasn't. And he knew why. NEMESIS.
"Look, you two can leave if you want," Emily added. "No one's keeping you hostage."
Stella narrowed her hazel eyes at her, her jaw taut. "You don't have to be so damn mean all the time."
"I'm the mean one? That's rich coming from you."
Chase stepped between the girls. "Alright, I think we all should just calm down—"
"Don't tell me what to do, Blondie." Emily turned to Theo, who was watching nervously off to the side. "Tell your lame friends to go home if they're so scared. They're freaking out for no reason."
Theo wrung his hands and stammered, struggling to think of a response.
Chase simply rolled his eyes.
"I hate to agree with her, but she's got a point," Oscar said. "I mean, what's there to worry about? We're all the way up here, and they're down there. Besides, we wanna see what they're up to. Nothin' like this ever happens in this boring town."
Beside him, Andre folded his arms, his expression suggesting he wasn't very interested in the conversation. He hadn't said a single word yet, which was usually the case. Chase was convinced the boy's parents were the only ones to hear him speak.
"You're always trying to boss people around," Emily continued, directing a sneer Stella's way. "You might be class president, but we don't actually have to listen to you. You can pretend to be perfect all you want, but some of us actually know the truth."
Chase arched a brow at both girls. The truth? He shook his head. This was stupid. They really needed to get going before it was too late.
"You're so bitter," Stella spat. "And you wonder why no one wants to be your friend anymore."
Hate manifested itself in Emily's dark irises. An awkward, tension-filled silence fell over the group of slightly drunk and spooked teenagers. It got so awkward that a few of the others began saying their goodbyes and made their way out of the clearing. Soon, the only ones remaining were Chase, Theo, Stella, Emily, Oscar, and Andre.
Whistling nonchalantly, Oscar retrieved a metal lighter from his jacket pocket. He slid the top off, the sound clicking in Chase's ears. He brought a cigarette to his lips and lit it. Soon, smoke poured from his lips. "Bravo. I've never seen anyone kill a vibe like that before. That's gotta be a world record or something, right, Dre?"
Andre shrugged.
Chase glanced at the forest. The party was still in full force. He could faintly hear the music blasting through the distant speakers. It wasn't too late to return and salvage the rest of this chaotic night. He glanced at Theo and Stella.
"C'mon, guys," he started. "Let's head back."
Nodding, Theo retrieved his inhaler from his pocket and took a puff. He wandered over to Chase and Stella. The trio prepared to re-enter the dark forest, ready to leave the others behind to continue spying on the covert operation in the quarry.
As he turned, he heard Emily gasp.
He spun around. The girl was standing near the edge of the cliff, her stare stuck on the picture she'd just taken on her phone. Andre and Oscar rushed over to her.
"T-That can't be real…," she stammered.
"Whoa, no way," Oscar said.
"What is it?" Chase walked back over to them with caution. Theo followed closely behind him. Stella remained at the edge of the tree line, uncertainty written across her face.
Emily couldn't even muster a response. He eventually got close enough to look at the photo on her phone. She'd zoomed in on the quarry—the masked gunmen lingered in the background, continuing to work on the operation. But one of the men stood out amongst the others.
Black hair fell into his face. A mask of the same color covered it from his nose to his chin, obscuring his sharp, gaunt features. But it was his eyes that really caught Chase's attention.
They were blood red.
And he was staring right at the camera.
A chill rippled down Chase's spine. That couldn't be right. They were hundreds of yards away, on top of a cliff covered by trees. No one should've been able to see them without the aid of binoculars or a telescope. He couldn't tell if the man had spotted them or if it was just a coincidence.
He didn't intend to find out.
"We need to go," he stressed. "All of us. Right now."
This time, everyone nodded in agreement. Without a second thought, they all raced back towards the forest.
But they'd never make it back to the party.
Green lasers poured from the trees. The six teenagers stopped in their tracks once a squad of gunmen emerged from the shadows. Muffled commands came from their masks, ordering them to stay still and put their hands up.
Chase wanted to throw up. And not because of the beer sloshing around inside his stomach.
He slowly raised his hands alongside the others. The thought of making a run for it crossed his mind—but only for a second. While he was in better shape than most, even he couldn't outrun a bullet. Besides, there was no way he was leaving Theo or Stella—or any of the others—behind.
"Everyone…stay calm," he advised, his voice low and measured. He never took his eyes off the rifles aimed at them.
Panicking wasn't an option for him. His dad drilled composure in the face of danger into his head since he gained consciousness. These terrorists wouldn't hesitate to shoot them down if they didn't obey their commands. The best course of action was to stay calm, follow orders, and hope for the best.
The six of them were forced into a line as the gunmen surrounded them. Within seconds, the barrel of a gun was pressed into Chase's back. He winced as the cold metal sent shocks throughout his body. Seconds later, he was forced to his knees, as were the others. Stella and Theo pleaded with the men to spare them. Emily and Andre were stunned into complete silence. Oscar had his eyes squeezed shut as he mumbled a prayer in Spanish.
Something told Chase prayers wouldn't save them from this.
Then he arrived.
A swirling mass of red and black particles materialized out of thin air before the captured group of teenagers. A black boot emerged from the cloud. The red-eyed man revealed himself, prowling forward like a feral predator. A crimson katana was attached to his back, the bright metal catching the light of the moon overhead.
Chase sucked in a breath. His head spun.
The man stopped in front of the hostages.
"How do you want to handle this, boss?" one of the other gunmen asked him quietly.
He thought for a moment, surveying each of the six frightened faces in front of him. He eventually landed on Chase. They exchanged intense stares until the red-eyed man shifted to the next person.
Finally, he had an answer. He pulled the sword from his back.
"No witnesses."