Free Bryn Morrow by Mike Cooley Page B

squeezed. “This is it for you.”
    “Oh, really?” said Simon through gritted teeth. He reached out with his mind toward the trees, and a pair of branches shot across the ground and leapt into his hands. He ducked down and swung the tree limbs, hitting Bryn on both sides of his head before he could move out of the way. Bryn’s grip on Simon’s neck loosened and Bryn dropped to the ground, dazed.
    Simon crouched over Bryn. “Celeste will be mine. And you… will be dead.”
    Bryn lashed out with his fists, hitting Simon in the face. Then he kicked with both feet, sending him flying into the trees. Wood cracked and branches shook. Birds squawked and flew into the air. Bryn got to his feet, hands clenched at his sides and the vision of Celeste bitten and bleeding filled his mind.
    Simon dropped out of a tree behind Bryn and reached out with his hand. A rusty pipe slithered through the underbrush and shot up into the air. Simon grabbed it and hit Bryn. The pipe clanged and bent around his head. Bryn grabbed the pipe and flung it away. His sight flickered like bats flying across the moon. He staggered and dropped to one knee.
    “It’s a shame, really. We could have ruled the world together.” Simon reached out and the pipe sprang back into his hands. Bryn raised his fists to ward off the blow, but Simon was too fast. He lunged forward with the pipe and speared Bryn through the chest with it.  
    Darkness enveloped Bryn. His soul screamed Celeste’s name.

    Bryn blinked and opened his eyes. There was pain in his chest and head. His arms were at his sides, and he was standing with his back to the black stone rock named Trium. Iron chains were wrapped around him, holding him against the monolith from his shoulders to his ankles. He flexed his arms; the chains creaked but held. Bryn looked down and saw a circular wound on his chest. It was closing over. His shirt was ripped and torn. The edges were coated with his dark blood, which was more purple than red.  
    “If you try to break these chains, the girl dies.” Simon stepped in front of Bryn. “But, if you stay here and accept your fate, I will let her live.”
    “Why would I believe you?” He couldn’t see his watch, but from the position of the stars, he knew dawn was not far away.  
    “It doesn’t matter to me what you believe.” Simon turned and looked at the eastern horizon. “Your polymer won’t save you for long. And now I have the formula.” Simon waved the notepad filled with experimental data he had stolen from Bryn’s van, then held up the keys he had taken from Bryn’s pocket.
    “Why do you want her? She’s nothing to you.” Bryn struggled against his shackles, but they wouldn’t break. He was tied too tightly to get leverage against them.  
    “But she is everything to you.” Simon turned and began walking east, toward the lake. The sun would be up in less than an hour.

Chapter 30

    Celeste sat up in bed, her heart racing. Something was wrong. She could feel it. Dawn was breaking. She ran out the front door of her house and looked toward the place where she had first seen him—the rock.  
    She ran to him.
    “The polymer is burning off, and the sun is up. You have to go back.” Bryn kept his eyes shut against the burning rays. His skin felt like it was melting. The polymer burned like flame.  
      Celeste cried and tugged at the chains holding Bryn in place. They were iron, and there was no way she could cut through them in time to save him. She kissed his lips. “How can I? I’m not asleep.”
      “You don’t have to be asleep to go back. You have great power, Celeste. Trust yourself.” Bryn’s face was smoking, and he convulsed in pain. “I have only moments. It's too late for me. There's only one way we can be together.”
    “How, Bryn? It’s just a dream.”
    “It’s not a dream, Celeste! It never was. You have to go back and save me… there.”
    She sobbed and kissed him again. “I’ll try, Bryn. I’ll try to save