Taylor
Early in the morning, before anyone else awoke, Taylor and Avie had left the Hanson home. Taylor was driving his younger sister to where all the campers were meeting for the Telepath Camp of 2003. Everyone from Tulsa was meeting in the outskirts to board a bus, which would take them to a camp between Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
As Taylor pulled out onto the closest national highway, he sighed. He was still wary of the road since the crash with Steel, which made him pay his utmost attention to the road. This was only the second time he'd driven a car since, and he was trying to keep his nerves down for Avie's sake. He didn't want to scare her. Not that she wouldn't catch on to what he was doing anyway...
Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, he glanced in the rear view mirror before turning to his sister.
"So... you gonna miss me?"
Avery
Avery shook her head. "Nope. Why would I miss you? Of course I'm gonna miss you Tay!"
Avery looked out the window, watching as they passed the few cars that were on the road this early. "I'm kind of nervous." She confessed to her brother. "But also excited."
Taylor
"Awwwwww... you love me so much," Taylor grinned teasingly.
"But if you're nervous you have a reason to be. It's your first ever camp, so don't expect to enjoy yourself the moment you set foot in the place. For all you know they could turn out be complete... Well, you might not like them. If anyone gives you trouble, don't hesitate to call us. Your big brothers will sort 'em all out."
Avery
"Gee thanks, that made me feel a lot better..." Avery giggled. "I'll just scream as loud as I can, you'll probably hear it at home."
Avery glanced at her brother before returning her gaze out the window.
"You're worried about me. Don't be. Nothing bad will happen."
Taylor
"Hey, I'm you're big brother... well, one of them. I'm aloud to-"
During their chat, Taylor had taken his eyes off the road for a moment. But when he glanced back it didn't take long to notice that they weren't getting anywhere.
Instinctively, Taylor slammed on the brakes... which would have helped had the wheels been in contact with the road. Ahead of them, a man of about twenty stood with his hand up in a stop signal. He wasn't close enough for them to see his face.
"Oh my..." Taylor began, his mouth hanging open.
His head darted around to check behind them, but they were the only ones on the road. He glanced at Avie, before returning his attention to the stranger.
"Ok Avie, stay here. I'm gonna see what this asshole wants."
Avery
Avery focused on the stranger in front of her and tried to read what he was thinking. Nothing. It wasn't working.
"Taylor, I can't get into his head... I don't like this."
Avery looked pleadingly at her brother. "Don't go."
Taylor
Taylor turned to her after he'd reached for the door handle. Then he leant over and put a hand on her shoulder.
"I don't know what this guy wants, ok? But we're not going to get anywhere if he keeps this up."
He looked up for a moment, then back at Avery.
"If anything happens, I want you out of her and into those trees," he nodded to the side of the road, "I'll have the animals to look after me."
With that, he kissed her forehead, and opened the door. Jumping down, he noticed the man drop his arm and grin.
"I was expecting you!" he yelled from the distance.
Taylor squinted, moving his sunglasses onto his head.
"Sorry I can't say the same for you... what do you want?"
The stranger laughed a little.
"I want your sister Taylor."
With that, he lifted his hand again, the car lifting further from the ground.
Taylor spun in shock as the car lifted several metres.
"AVIE!"
Avery
Avery looked down at the ground, feeling herself being pulled further and further into the air.
"TAYLOR!" Avery was screaming as loud as she could. She started banging on the windows and she opened the door, but seeing the ground looming below her, she changed her mind about jumping out.
*Taylor, help! I'm sorry to be using telepathy on you but I think this time really allows me to use it!*
Taylor
"Shit," Taylor cursed, his eyes on the car.
He watched as it began to move closer to the stranger.
In one last moment of thought, Taylor let out an ear piercing wolf whistle, calling any animal in the vicinity. The stranger growled, knowing what he was doing.
Immediately, he lifted his other hand, and had Taylor floating a few feet above the ground.
Taylor's eyes widened as he was pulled toward him.
"What the hell do you want?!" Taylor yelled, trying to fight the force.
"I told you what I want," he sneered, lowering the car to the ground, and holding the doors shut.
Taylor came to rest in front of him, before the stranger removed his own sunglasses. Taylor's face twisted in confusion for a moment, before Christian knocked him out using his telekinesis. Avery's brother hit the ground, unconscious. He grinned.
Avery
"TAYLOR!" Avery tried opening the door but it wouldn't budge. She undid her seatbelt and jumped into the next seat, trying that door. When she found none of the doors would work, she hit the windows as hard as she could. She let out a loud cry, realising she wasn't strong enough to break them.
"TAYLOR! OH GOD SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Avery tried again to reach into the strangers mind but it still wasn't working.
*TAYLOR! WAKE UP! OH GOD! SOMEBODY HELP ME!* Avery screamed in her mind frantically.
"Why are you doing this?" Avery's tears ran down her face as she looked at her brother again.
Christian
Christian smiled, and made his way over to the car. Going over to the drivers side, he used his telekinesis to wind the window down a little - just so she could hear him.
He leant against the door.
"Hello Avery," he grinned, "my name's Christian. I work with the Spider. You may have heard of him?"
Not waiting for a response, he went on.
"He needs a strong telepath to help him remove a telepathic collar he was restrained with recently by Leroy Brown," he scratched his cheek, "and it just so happens he seems to think you're the right person for the job."
He glanced back at Taylor.
"I'm actually quite sad that your eldest brother Isaac didn't bring you. I can't wait to catch up with him and end his miserable life."
Avery
"Isaac? Spider? What have you done to Taylor?" Avery's mind was swimming with all the new information. Gathering her courage, she asked one of the stupidest question she'd ever asked.
"What if I don't help him?"
Christian
Christian looked her in the eyes for a moment, as if to say 'are you serious?'
Eventually, he chuckled.
"You'll help him, don't you worry. If you don't... Well, let's just say he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve."
He turned to Taylor and lifted him from the ground, spying a few birds in the trees nearby. Without Taylor to guide them, they didn't know what was going on, or what to do.
Opening the trunk of the car, he walked around, with Taylor following. Telekinetically, he clutched the tools and extras in the trunk and sent them flying, before laying eyes on a tow rope. Lifting it out and into his hand, he set Taylor in the trunk, then began to loop the rope around his wrists and ankles to secure him.
Once that was done, he manually closed the trunk, and made his way around the front again.
Avery
Avery looked at Christian properly for the first time. He looked like Taylor. What was happening?
"What are you going to do to him?"
Christian
"Nothing. He's safe. For now."
Christian opened the driver's door and got in. Hesitating before he closed the door, he turned to Avery.
"You might wanna buckle up," he grinned, watching as her seatbelt weaved it's way through her arms at his bidding.
She was soon strapped in, and Christian started the car.
"Make yourself comfortable, we have a long drive ahead of us," he informed her, backing the car to turn it around after replacing his sunglasses over his eyes.
"Considering I looke just like your brother back there everything should seem normal," he grinned.
Then he spun the tyres, and they took off back down the highway.
Avery
"Someone will find you, you know. You won't get away with this."
Avery struggled against the seatbelt and tried again to get into his head. Still not working. She decided she'd try Taylor again, hoping against hope that he'd hear her.
*Taylor, it's Avie. I don't know what's happening, but I'm alright. For now anyway. This guy... he looks like you. Taylor, no matter what happens, I love you.*
Christian
"I have one of the strongest telepaths in the world on my side, I can get away with practically anything. You think I've ever had a job in my life?" he raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"And by the way, your telepathy won't work on me because he's shielded my mind. Better safe than sorry he says."
He chuckled slightly.
"He's like a father to me."
They continued on in silence.
Christian guessed it would take about four or five days to reach Toronto... maybe less with help from the Spider's contacts along the way. With them, maybe two. But he still had to drive a long way.
They crossed the Oklahoma border that afternoon.