The golem is at a standstill, and the park bench in its hands clatters to the ground. Its eyes are glued to Jacques, and it doesn’t move, as if it has to process what just happened. Jacques stands, aware everyone is staring at him. He pulls the boy to his feet and gives him a gentle nudge in the direction of his parents, who are crying. The dad scoops up the boy, holding him with one arm and a toddler in the other.
“Get out of here,” I whisper under my breath. Jac looks at me through the crowd and takes off, soaring high into the sky and disappearing from sight.
“It’s Batman!” someone calls out, and after a few seconds of stunned silence, the crowd starts to cheer.
This isn’t a superhero movie. These people need to run. Now. The Justice League isn’t going to swoop in and save the day.
We’re already here, and we’re probably fucked.
The golem looks up, searching the sky, and lets out a horrible roar. It shakes the ground and gets people moving. With its head still turned up to the sky, it blindly walks forward and falls off the curb. Bits of clay chip off of him, but he regenerates as he stands up.
“He’s looking for Jac,” Hasan says, standing close to me.
“Does he know what he is?” Thomas asks me, and I shake my head.
“I have no idea. Fuck, we need Jac to answer these questions.”
The golem keeps his eyes on the sky and continues forward, running into and crushing anything in its path.
“He said they’re sent after something,” Gil says slowly as he thinks. “And won’t stop until they find what they’re looking for.”
“He seems pretty damn determined to me,” Thomas agrees.
“You think it’s after you guys?” I raise my eyebrows, heart beating even faster. We run down the sidewalk after it. It passes by people and cars without so much as giving them a second look.
Shit.
It definitely seems like it’s located its target. Thank God the guys can fly. But they’re not the only ones who can.
The distinct sound of a helicopter grows louder and louder, and it shines search lights down on the ground. Jac is smart. He would have landed somewhere and…oh shit. I have no idea what he did with the charm, and I didn’t think to look or grab it. He could be seen.
And perceived as a threat.
Unlike the golem, Jac can get hurt by bullets. My stomach clenches with fear.
“He’s following him,” Thomas says with certainty. “Or is trying to, at least. How smart are these things?”
“I’m not sure.” I suck in air as we run down the street. People are panicking, taking shelter wherever they can as the golem runs. “I think something is controlling it.”
“Do you think they can see through its eyes?” Gil asks.
I hold out my hand in front of me, summoning the fire. “There’s only one way to find out!”
