Santiago smacked him in the back of the head, and heapologized.
“Try again. Put your hands down, they’re doing nothing,” my mentor toldme.
I was tired as hell, and I wanted to sleep, but I didn’t. It was a catch-22. Taking a cleansing breath, drowning out the sounds of Brisk loading the pallet barrels onto his rig and the wide-eyed looks from Damien, I triedagain.
‘Open.’
That time I mentally went deep, imagining a huge hole opening before me. After a moment, I felt the warm breeze of the Dream Wars on myface.
“Get behind her and shoot anything that moves in there,” Master Akiordered.
I opened my eyes and was completely gob-smacked. A ten-foot circle had opened before me; where the blue ocean should be was now the Dream Wars. I could see a grunt off in the distance, but otherwise it lookedcalm.
The opening suddenly started to close in on itself. “Concentrate!” Master Akishouted.
I swallowed hard and once again felt for that distinction between the twoworlds.
‘Open. Stay Open. I’m in control,’I chanted, with my eyesclosed.
A motor sounded beside me, and I peeled my eyes open just in time to see Brisk coming in from an angle so he wouldn’t run me over. Santiago’s men were on my left and right, guns pointed at the green scene before me. It was hands down the most surreal moment of my life, standing there on Earth, controlling an opening that led to my worstnightmare.
“Don’t go inside with your body. We don’t know what that does,” Master Aki toldBrisk.
He nodded as he continued to maneuver the load of barrels to the edge of the Dream Wars. I held my breath, concentrating on keeping it open as he drove the pallet to the edge of opening. He was half in and half out now, and it was slightly terrifying. Maxine used her booted foot to kick the barrels, and one by one they rolled into the opening, each with a stick of C4 attached toit.
Now that my eyes were focused on the sight before me, I noticed that off to the left was the little building I’d raided for the snacks and water. That was interesting.So every time a portal opens here, it matches the same spot there? That’s good information toknow.
Brisk moved lighting quick and made three more runs until he had the last load of barrels on his rig. That’s when the sentry appeared in theopening.
Panic spiked through me and the opening started to close. The sentry seemed confused at what he was seeing, so he stood there dumbfounded and didn’t react. It was long enough of a pause for Santiago’s boys to light him up with bullets. The sentry scrambled backward once he realized the firepower that was coming athim.
Brisk stepped on the gas and then slammed on the brakes at the last minute, causing the load to topple over into the Dream Wars. “That was it. Light it up!” he yelled toNox.
Nox waved everyone back. “It’s gonna kick. Get back,” heshouted.
The portal shrunk as I tried to hold my concentration, while stepping backward twenty paces. Damien’s firm grasp came up around my hips and helped me walk back. The portal had shrunk to six feet in size by that point, and the sentry was back, firing bullets out ofit.
“Now!” I shouted to Nox, who pushed the button on thedetonator.
I wasn’t prepared for the sound, and force that flew from the opening. The second I saw the first explosion, I started breaking down the hole. It shrank as a heat wave came at our face, and then it was gone. It left an acrid smell in the air, and two of Santiago’s guys on theground.
“Is everyone okay?” I looked aroundfrantically.
One by one everyone nodded, when I got to Brisk he was open-mouthed, gawking atme.
“Holy shit balls, Kit. You just…” He couldn’t seem to find the words, just left it hangingthere.
I rubbed my arms nervously. “Iknow.”
For the next thirty seconds, everyone stared at me as if in disbelief of what had just transpired. Hell,Iwas indisbelief.
“Let’s get out of here,” Maxine finally said, snapping me out of mytrance.
Oh yeah, that’s right. What we’d done was super illegal, and we needed to get back to Canada before the government found out what wentdown.
I turned to look for Damien, finding him standing farther back from our group, facing me. Behind him, a portal had opened, and a grinning breeder was standing there with her armsoutstretched.
“Damien!” I shouted, but it was toolate.
