D E L P H I N I U M

We did not have good luck at airports.

That thought kept running through my mind as the eight of us got out of the bus as it dropped us off at the airport. But I couldn't afford to have bad premonitions about this. It had to work. It had to work or I'd look like a liar.

We'd already planned how we would surround the perimeter. Three pairs of two would be on three sides of the airport. With his invisibility, Jaxon would stall the security guards if needed. Because of his strength, Kane would be standing in the terminal, overlooking the runway. If something went wrong, he'd jump down and come running to our aid.

"Riley and I will go around the left," Gigi said. I was taken aback to hear her putting in her thoughts more often. I wondered if her sudden boldness was prompted by her mother's death.

"We'll take the right," Arlo replied. "Isn't that right, Finn?" The blond boy muttered a response, not quite as enthusiastic as Arlo's. Arlo was showing a surprising amount of involvement in what we were doing - probably because it wasn't legal in the slightest.

That left me going around the back of the airport with Jake. "I guess it's you and me, just like old times, Evans," I said, turning to him.

"Hopefully it won't end in us destroying the place and being on the run for weeks afterward," he responded drily.

"One group of us should approach the President first," Riley suggested, looking around at us. "Who here looks the least likely to hold a knife to the man's throat?"

All eyes went to Finn. "Alright, fine," he agreed reluctantly, though he clearly thought this wasn't the best idea. I knew it wasn't a good idea. But I had to do what I had to do to fight against Imperium.

"Be sure to look inconspicuous," Kane told Finn and Arlo, who was the least inconspicuous person on our team. "There will be groups of people coming off planes so just blend in with them."

Arlo waved his hands. "We get it, we're not going to scare the man away before we even get to talk."

"You're not going to be talking," Riley said sternly, knowing that that would not end well. "Finn is."

Arlo rolled his eyes. "At least we're using teamwork."

Kane looked down at his watch. "Get in your places; he should be landing any minute."

We all split up, going our own designated ways from there. Jake and I walked side by side around the tall chain link fence.

"The plane's coming in," I said, squinting up at an incoming plane in the sky. I saw him glance up at the sky before turning back as we hurried to the place we were meant to watch from.

Weeds and tall grass were trampled under my feet as I walked, hugging the fence that lined the perimeter. The sun was out and I felt its gentle warmth on my face.

I turned to watch the plane again. It was much closer now with only moments before its landing gear would touch the runway.

"This is the place," Jake told me. He stopped walking so abruptly that I almost ran into him in my distracted state. Immediately, I took a few steps backward and surveyed the airport.

It was risky, coming here in broad daylight. But this was when the President was arriving so it was here that we had to be. Jake and I could crouch down and be partially hidden due to the fact that the airport was built on a small-incline hill. I hoped that no one was watching us right now.

Surveying the wide terrain around the airport, I tried to catch a glimpse of any of the others. None of them were anywhere to be seen; they were hiding too well. If I couldn't find them, than no one else could either.

My eyes followed the large aircraft as it touched down on the ground and slowed itself on the runway. It looked very official; clearly this was the plane the President traveled in.

After what seemed like an eternity, the plane came to a stop in the wide open space made for planes to park. Glancing around the area, I saw that there were only two other planes in that area. Their occupants were milling about, holding suitcases. That was a good sign. If Arlo and Finn approached the President, they'd look like they were with either of those two groups.

The door on President Huard's plane cracked open. Then, it was shoved completely out of the way by a large group of men in suits: his bodyguards. As the throng of people made their way down the series of steps, I scanned their faces for the one of the President. I'd only seen him in pictures, but I'd made sure that I was familiar with his face for when we were seeking him out.

At last, he exited the plane. Even from afar, I recognized his round face and the shining cheeks adorned with a large mustache. Part of his face was covered by a shadow cast by the hat he was wearing, but I was certain that it was him.

He wasn't very tall so he blended in with the rest of his entourage. I could only see the top of his hat bobbing up and down as the group made their way to the terminal.

I took a breath in. Now was the window of time Finn and Arlo would need to act in. If the President made it to the terminal without speaking to our teammates, all would be lost. I wouldn't have proof that the fortress wasn't rebuilt by the Romanian government.

Where were they? With choppy movements, my eyes searched the place for Arlo and Finn. They were supposed to be talking to him now.

Finally, I spotted their two figures approaching from the right, Finn with his shining gold hair and tall Arlo's lanky body. The two of them sneaked forward with deliberately careful steps, careful to not give themselves away too soon. Thankfully, they hadn't been spotted by the bodyguards yet.

With the smallest gesture of my hand, I knocked the black hat off of the President's graying hair. As the wind tossed it to the ground, I hoped that either of our crew mates would pick it up and hand it to Huard, giving them a normal reason to talk to him.

As if he'd read my mind, Finn leaned down and grabbed the hat. He took a few steps toward the group of men before they noticed him approaching.

What ensued next was more chaotic than I'd bargained for. One of the men took Finn's closeness as a threat and knocked him away from the President with a sweeping motion of his arm. Arlo yelled something at him that I couldn't make out. Soon, they had Arlo squirming in the ground beside Finn with the bodyguards standing above them.

I held my breath as I watched the scene before me, unsure of how to react. When I'd told the others of this plan, I knew that it was ridiculously risky, but I hadn't been expecting President Huard's bodyguards to react so strongly to Finn giving them back their leader's hat.

Arlo kept trying to fight the men off. I desperately wished that he would stop thrashing around long enough for Finn to tell them why they were really there.

Two of the President's entourage escorted him hurriedly towards a dark car waiting by the fence. They didn't want him to be close to someone threatening, as they thought Finn and Arlo were making an attempt on the President's life.

I saw one of the bodyguards take out his gun and knew what was happening a second before the gunshot ensued. Arlo flinched and I couldn't tell where he'd been hit.

This was it. We had to step in.

I jumped to my feet and clawed my way up the chain link fence as swiftly as I could. I didn't need to tell Jake anything, he was already doing the same beside me. The rattling fence was unsteady for a second as I perched myself on top, but I refused to fall. Not wasting any time, I jumped down and hit the concrete ground running.

Far away to my left, I heard the sound of glass breaking and hitting the ground. Kane was joining us from where he'd been stationed at the terminal.

My heartbeat in my ears was deafening. I got closer with every jostling footfall. I kept my eyes glued to the scene by the President's plane. We needed to get there before something worse took place.

Hearing Jake and I approaching, one of the men whipped around. He grabbed ahold of my shoulders to stop me. So I kneed him in the groin and landed a kick to his face when he doubled over in pain.

As the man stumbled back, I saw Riley and Gigi had arrived as well. Riley hauled Arlo to his feet as Gigi put her hands on his chest to do her best to heal his wound.

Jake unsheathed his knife and swiped it at one of the bodyguards, who stumbled back and jostled against the other men, all grouped together. Finn took the opportunity to torch the ground around the men, leaving them in a ring of fire.

As if he wasn't bleeding out from a gunshot, Arlo gave Finn a toothy grin and said, "It's good to see that the rest of us dirty criminals are corrupting your good morals."

Shooting Arlo a dry look, Finn told him, "The fire will burn out. They'll be fine."

I cast my gaze to the black car the President had just gotten into. It was beginning to pull away, the tires screeching on the asphalt in their haste to get him to safety. My only chance at information was slipping away.

Focusing all my power on the car, I worked against it to keep it in place as I marched forward. The driver was fully accelerating it, the wheels screaming now as they struggled to move forward.

The crew was behind me as I walked calmly forward. The driver rolled down his window and began taking shots at us as we neared. One whizzed to the left of my abdomen; a few inches over and I'd be bleeding out.

As Jake waved his arm, a bolt of ice arced over and went through the driver's open window to pierce him through the neck. The gunshots stopped rolling out over the airport.

There were loud footsteps as Kane arrived to join our group. "There are security guards coming to protect the President. Jaxon's fending off some of them, but-," he trailed off, slightly out of breath. "Whatever we're going to do, we need to do it now."

"We're going to take the President to somewhere secluded. Somewhere his men can't find us while we question him," Jake stated confidently, like he'd been expecting everyone else to know that already.

"Oh, God," Finn moaned helplessly, burying his head in his hands.

"I'm in," Arlo shrugged carelessly, despite his injury. "Someone open those doors."

Kane forced the doors open with remarkable strength. Inside, the President sat on the far side. He was glaring at us with an air of reproachfulness that I was well familiar with, having grown up attending many events hosted by the wealthy, upper-class people my parents were friends with. It was like he felt that we were underneath his title so we couldn't possibly be thinking of attacking him. But I didn't miss how he was almost cowering into himself, as if his body was reacting differently than his mind.

Jake peeled the bleeding driver out of the front seat and let him drop out of the car, taking his spot behind the wheel. Everyone piled frantically in, knowing that the police would be here any second now.

Suddenly, Jaxon reappeared in the doorway of the car, making everyone jump. He, too, was panting from running so hard. "Get in quickly," he ordered between breaths. "I was able to cause a diversion, but they're almost here."

Jake floored the gas pedal, plastering everyone to their seats. Glaring at the gate we were approaching, I forced it open with my mind. We drove through with no problem.

Riley glances at the man in the back with us. "We need to do something about him. He can't know where we're going."

Arlo turned to the President with a devilish grin. "I've always wanted to do this." He then proceeded to hit the older man on the head with Gigi's bow. The President gave out a short cry in pain before his head slumped forward in unconsciousness.