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Chapter 8 – Icy Treachery

“Go talk to her!” AJ hissed, pushing on Howie’s shoulder. Howie offered a terrified look in exchange as he glanced over to see Ana occupying her own seat on the plane. Nick smirked, knowing that Howie thought AJ was crazy for asking Howie to attempt the impossible. AJ sighed, sinking down deep in his sink. They had only been on the plane for about ten minutes, and Ana’s anger could already be felt through everyone. Her powers had acted as a cushioning system to her frustrations, plunging the cabin temperature down. Everyone shivered from the coldness, but Ana seemed perfectly fine as she sat by herself for meditation.

Howie shivered, rubbing his shoulders for warmth. He knew that Ana’s powers reflected all of the girls’ anger. They could not believe that the boys could betray them in such a manner. Howie struggled to remember why he hadn’t brought up the topic sooner to the girls. Then he remembered Ana’s glittery sapphire-emerald eyes and knew exactly why he had backed out. He was terrified in hurting her. However, he was paying for it now. The boys sat in the front of the plane while the girls occupied the back. Jamelet and Summer pressed themselves together for warmth in the back of the plane, carelessly flipping through magazines. Ana was listlessly staring out the window, watching the clouds roll by.

“We’re idiots,” Nick sighed, smacking his forehead.

“We could have told them the second we got there,” Howie agreed.

“But, unfortunately, we were thinking with our pants, again!” AJ growled in frustration. Jamelet and Summer were protecting Ana by refusing to speak to the other boys. Nick had commented that he was still on speaking terms with Jamelet, but that immediately went sour when Ana gave Howie the frosty glare. Now, Jamelet and Summer only spoke between each other. When they caught the boys glancing at them, they would frown and quietly discuss something between themselves.

“Shut up, AJ,” Howie and Nick hissed.

“It’s the truth!” AJ protested, folding his arms across his chest. He glanced to see Ana sitting in the middle of the plane with four seats to herself. Her legs were folded beneath her as she stared out the window. Her eyes shadowed her pain of betrayal. She began to wrap a long strand of honey-blonde curl around her index finger. She refused to cry in front of the boys. She had shown a tough exterior through her hellish nightmares of childhood. She glanced back to see all the boys staring at her. She gave a frosty glare, turning away and pulling out her phone. AJ shivered from the nasty glare. “You seriously need to go over there and smooth things out. It’s going to be pure Hell at Nick’s place if you keep yourselves on that type of communication.”

“Excuse me? Shouldn’t you two go offer your pleas to Jamelet and Summer?” Howie scoffed, refusing to face the chilly battle of words with Ana.

“We can’t talk to Jamelet and Summer without Ana’s approval. She’s like the damn head of the household. They’re protecting the kid by not speaking with us. They know that if they speak with us without Ana’s consent, they’ll be thrown on the outs with her, too. They can’t afford that again!” AJ explained sensibly. Nick nodded in confirmation, glancing at Howie with hope.

“I’m going to be a Popsicle if I go over there!” Howie moaned in agony. He hated that he was the cause of Ana’s discomfort. He could only remember being inches away from Ana’s sweet lips as Summer shouted the words of Howie’s treachery. They had been so close to figuring out what they wanted from a relationship. They were so bitterly close. Howie believed that he had heard Ana’s loving heart turn to ice and shatter the instant Summer mentioned CAPPA. Howie’s heart ached as he glanced back to see Ana dialing a number on her metallic purple cell phone. Howie glanced back to see the boys glaring at him for his frightened nature. “Don’t make me go over there.”

“Just take a chance!” Nick growled.

Howie sighed with regret, standing up. Jamelet and Summer arched their eyebrows in confusion as they watched Howie wipe his sweaty palms off on his pants. He stepped toward the middle of the plane, watching Ana turn her back to face the window. She hadn’t noticed that he stepped forward to speak with her. He gently slid onto the seat without disturbing her. His hands became sweaty as she curled her legs back under her bottom again. Her blonde curls fell over her ears as she spoke into the phone. Her honey-coated voice chirped happily at whoever she was speaking with and it made Howie sick to his stomach with regret. He wanted to reach out and run his hands through her silky curls, but held his breath.

“Hey! Tommy! Sam! Zachy! Aidan! Elijah! Dudes! I know that you’re probably partying really loud at Elijah’s house without me right now. I’m so sorry that I couldn’t show up to show you how to really live, but something came up. Jamelet had to fly out of state for her family and she wanted Summer and me to tag along. I’ll be gone for a while, so don’t worry. I’ll call you later when you have some free time, okay?” Ana announced, her tone slowly drifting to a sad manner as she clicked the phone. She sighed heavily, shoving her phone deep into her front jean pocket. She turned around in time to face Howie. She gasped with complete surprise, jumping backward.

“Ana! Woah! Don’t do this!” Howie pleaded, watching her skin begin to turn an icy blue. She decided that she didn’t need to speak with him. He shivered as the temperature dropped further than before. He heard Nick and AJ groan, reaching for a sweatshirt or something of warmth. Ana’s eyes turned a deep blue, shining with anger and frustration. Howie gulped, realizing that she could kill him if she decided to do so. He reached out with his hands, trying to make her stop. “Let me explain, please! It wasn’t what was supposed to happen. I was just trying to connect with you, because my heart was telling me to do so. Then I wanted to explain. I NEVER meant to hurt you—”

“No excuses!” Ana growled, pushing her palm toward Howie. In a mere second, a thick icy point shot out of Ana’s palm. The sharp, cold blade stopped mere centimeters from puncturing between Howie’s eyes. Ana was not impressed by Howie’s excuses and she would not be placed in a corner about her feelings. She seemed to loathe the sight of him. Howie felt faint as he fell backward onto the cold floor. Ana left the blade of ice absorb back into her cold skin. She stared down at him with triumph. Howie held his hand against his heart as her icy blonde locks fell against her pale cheeks.

“Stay the Hell away from me, Mr. Dorough!” she hissed. With her decision being clearly stated, Ana flipped over backward over her seat to escape. She trudged to the back of the plane where Summer and Jamelet immediately parted ways. Ana sat between them, and slumped down in her seat with disgust. Howie scrambled up from the floor, hurrying to the safety of the front of the plane.

“That was a little harsh,” Summer whispered to the younger woman. Ana glared at Summer with disapproval, obviously disagreeing with the comment. Summer whistled in surprise, holding her hands up with defeat. “Okay! I retract the previous statement.”

Ana seemed satisfied and leaned her head on Jamelet’s shoulder. Jamelet started to run her hands through Ana’s tangled locks, but yelped in surprise from the freezing temperature against her skin. She pulled her arm away to see a red welt of frozen skin appearing on her shoulder. She hissed, rubbing the sight of the injury. “What is it with you guys using your powers on me!” Jamelet groaned, “You’re so cold, Ana!”

“I can’t help it! I’m extremely pissed. I need to release my anger with my powers, or I’m going to explode. I have to get rid of this negative energy somehow, but it doesn’t work when Howie comes up trying to lie to me!” Ana explained with a feverish glare.

“Honey, you’ve got to calm down. Everything is going to get better once we’re away from the danger,” Jamelet corrected. “You’ve really got to forgive them.”

Ana snorted in protest, “Nothing is going to be right anymore. Those idiots took me away from the one place where I was truly happy. This is unforgivable, Jamelet, I don’t know why you two are so easy about what happened! You two are so naïve about this ordeal. Don’t you remember? They lied to us! I won’t forgive them! They took me away from my freedom, my happiness, and my college where I was earning my medical degree! I’ll never be able to get those credits back. My dreams are crushed once again.”

“Oh, Ana,” Jamelet sighed, reaching out to embrace the girl.

However, Ana rejected the invitation of hope and stood up to avoid the hug of sympathy. She would not be swayed in her judgment against the boys. She was stubborn in her ways and would not break. She offered the girls a pitiful look of agony. The girls could tell that Ana was truly hurting. “Excuse me, I would like to be alone for the time being,” Ana announced quietly, removing herself from the presence of her “mothers” to be alone.

*~*~*

Coby smiled with approval as he removed his hands from his forehead. His dark black eyes ceased glowing as the images disappeared. His mind projected perfect pictures of the experiments and their futile plans. They could not hide from his masterful plan, no matter where they ran. He smiled with amusement, vividly sensing Ana’s agony and desperation to get away. The male experiments had expertly placed Ana into his hands without realizing the consequences of their foolish mistakes. He could have not asked for a better showing of stupidity from the males.

“Mr. Williams?” a voice called out, stepping into the President of CAPPA’s newly refurnished office. Coby turned himself around in his leather chair, folding his hands together and setting his elbows on the mahogany table. His dark curls were brushed backward and fell devilishly against his forehead. He was a handsome man with many goals. He would surpass his father’s expectations.

“Yes?” Coby boomed, his low voice rumbling from his chest.

“The press are here for another interview about the productivities of CAPPA.”

“Good!” Coby laughed, immediately standing up. He walked toward the wardrobe on the other side of his office. He glanced into the mirror, straightening his navy blue tie. He glanced back to see the quivering man hurry to his side to collect his briefcase. Coby smiled, glancing at the man. “Making a public announcement of CAPPA’s rebuilding was a genius plan, Miles! I couldn’t be happier with the results!”

“Sir?” Miles whispered.

“The male experiments have completely changed the females’ expectations of them. The only female experiment left with her powers is extremely bitter against the males for lying to her. There is no doubt that she will leave the group in search of her own safety. The female doctors will travel with the female experiment for fear of her getting hurt, then my plan will be executed. I imagine that it will take only a few days to gather the females into my hands without any protests.”

“Mr. Williams, how can you say that?” Miles whimpered.

“Miles, dear man, didn’t you know that I can see the past, present, and future?”

“E-E-Excuse me?”

Coby laughed, loving the affect he had on his workers. He was in complete control like the men before him. “Nothing, Miles. Please, go arrange to have my limo pulled around. I have a few more things to address before I head to the press conference,” Coby announced, shooing Miles off. Carefully, Coby went back to his desk. He picked up a late photograph of his father: Cyrus Williams, past president of CAPPA. Coby grinned in delight. “Father, you were foolish to believe that you could capture the Icy Female in hopes to harness her powers without her consent. You should know that you bring her to your side, let her learn to trust and confide in you, turn her against her friends, and give her the revenge that she so richly deserves.”

*~*~*

Jamelet and Summer sighed as they sat down at the large dining room table in Nick’s home. Howie, Nick, and AJ were in the kitchen ordering the food. The others sat around the table, nursing their own sodas. They had met Brian, Kevin, Natalie, and her new love interest at the airport. Ana had barely said anything when she greeted them. She gave Natalie a warm hug, but let the rest end there. Brian and Kevin were puzzled with her actions, Jamelet merely shrugged in a reply. They couldn’t begin to explain Ana’s behavior. She had been lied to and betrayed all her life. She had completely trusted the boys, only to have that trust shatter after believed she was finally happy.

“Is Ana okay?” Natalie finally asked, glancing at Summer and Jamelet with worry. Ana had stomped down into the basement of Nick’s house, knowing that’s where the girls would be sleeping for the time being. The basement was furnished like a large apartment, but Ana refused to comment. She locked herself below to vent off her angry ventures. Natalie and Galen exchanged worried looks as Jamelet sighed with sadness.

“Ana is far from fine,” Summer answered, knowing that Jamelet really didn’t want to get into the ordeal.

“Howie didn’t tell her, did he?” Kevin guessed with frustration. He and Brian had let the others go down to the girls in hopes that they could responsibly break the information. They had trusted the boys to do the right thing by the girls. However, nothing of the sort had happened. The boys had only created more problems than before.

“They all lied,” Summer confessed.

“Poor Ana,” Natalie sighed, leaning against Galen for support. She understood completely. She had watched Ana grow from a baby. The male scientists would always promise playmates to Ana and tell her that her parents were coming, only to crush her hopes when her energies were high. It was an efficient way for Ana to release her ice powers when she couldn’t harness them.

“We’ll have a talk with them,” Brian offered.

“Thank you, but I think we’re going to go down and see Ana while they order food,” Jamelet confirmed, standing up from the table. Kevin and Brian nodded, disappearing into the kitchen for a stern lecture. Natalie, Summer, and Galen rose in unison, following Jamelet to the basement. They could hear Ana cursing loudly and throwing things around with an angry temper. Jamelet feared the worse and ran down the steps. “Ana!”

They were shocked when they reached the basement. Huge patches of ice exploded around the room, sealing against the carpet. Ana stood by the bed, stuffing her things back into the Jansport that Jamelet had packed for her. Ana’s skin was a fiery blue, exposing her true feelings of fierce hatred. She hurriedly pushed some more clothing into the backpack and zipped it up, throwing it onto her back. She turned to see the four glaring at her with shock. Ana crossed her arms over her chest as a misty cloud of icy air began to float into the air surrounding her body, releasing her essence. “What?” she asked stiffly.

“What are you doing?” Jamelet blurted in fear.

“I’m leaving,” Ana answered shortly, puffs of cold air floating from her mouth with her words. Galen shivered, backing behind Natalie. He had only seen the experiments in their tanks under close observation. He was somewhat nervous, recalling the moments he had already seen Ana in action at CAPPA. He knew her strong abilities and didn’t want to upset her any more.

“Why are you leaving?” Summer asked, stepping forward.

Ana took a step back, looking at the frosty window she had sealed shut. She jumped onto the bed, melted the ice, and shoved the window open. She glanced at the others. “I can’t stay here with what they did to me. I’d rather be captured and put back in a glass case for viewing than escape with them. Let them defend their own battles. I want no part in what they have to offer. Those lying bastards—”

“Anastacia Grace!” Jamelet reprimanded. “You are acting like a child.”

“I’m acting like myself. You guys can’t possibly forgive them for what they did. They lied to us and acted for their own behalves. They were probably thinking about jumping in our beds instead of protecting us! It’s pure crap. I will not be apart of their diseased thinking. I’m going home. I don’t care if CAPPA is set up a few short miles from home, that’s my home! I don’t want to be anywhere else! I was happy there!” Ana shouted in distress, falling down onto the bed. She pounded her white fists against the mattress, allowing cold sobs to escape from her throat. Natalie looked at Galen apologetically and walked over with Summer and Jamelet.

“You’re going to make yourself sick, Honey,” Summer cooed.

“I’m not staying here,” Ana sniffled as Jamelet embraced her.

"We can go to a hotel then. We’ve made enough money to live comfortably in that huge house. We’ll just disguise our names and check in. It’ll be safer than going home. And we’ll be more comfortable without seeing them, okay?” Jamelet suggested, wanting to appease Ana’s emotions.

Ana nodded, rubbing her tired eyes. She allowed Jamelet to continue to hold onto her, rubbing her back. She had never received such affection as a child. She just wanted to be loved. She sighed heavily, closing her eyes. She decided going to a hotel was better than staying with the boys. “I’ll go to the hotel.”

“Good,” Summer sighed with relief, fearing that Ana might run away.

“Ana? Can I ask you a question?” Natalie asked.

Ana glanced up and smiled apologetically at Natalie after she spoke. Galen stepped forward to sit on the bed with the girls. He wrapped his arms around Natalie, knowing that she would ask Ana about the man running CAPPA. Natalie understood that the President of CAPPA had been a part of CAPPA’s networks for most of his life. Natalie only worked with the other doctors, but Ana had seen everyone in CAPPA. Natalie hoped that Ana could give her some kind of information. “What do you want to know, Natalie?” Ana asked. She leaned back against Jamelet, which caused Jamelet to chuckle in relief.

“Do you know who Coby Allen Williams is?” Natalie asked carefully.

Ana stared at Natalie in a perplexing state. She seemed to freeze in that position for a long moment. She glanced at Jamelet and Summer for some sort of hint. Her memories slowly began to churn in hopes to recover the name. She sighed, glancing at Natalie. “Coby Allen Williams is the President of CAPPA now, isn’t he?”

“Yes, but he’s been part of CAPPA since he was little. We don’t know who he is, but we hoped that maybe you could. We only spoke with a limited selection of people in CAPPA. Jamelet’s father owned CAPPA at one point, but she was always shielded from the truth. Do you know?” Galen asked politely.

Ana became silent again. She allowed her memories to seep into the front of her brain. She quickly processed information from living at CAPPA. Her mind froze against one clear image. Ana jumped, glancing at the others with confusion. Jamelet rubbed her shoulders, urging her to speak. “The only Coby I can remember was an experiment like me,” she announced, confusing herself.

“Excuse me?”

“His name was Coby Williams! He had unbelievable powers that were as strong as mine at a young age. He was a little boy that was in a cell right next to me for several years. We’d always talk, because we were both isolated in those huge metal tanks with bars. We were different from the others… We understood that and it bonded us from the very first day. He was cute, and older than me. He always said he would protect me and get revenge for me. It made me feel better to know that someone was on my side. He was always scared when Cyrus came down. He screamed for his father a lot. One day, Cyrus grabbed him and took him away… I never saw him again and I guessed I just repressed him from my memory. I remember thinking that Cyrus killed him and that I would be next,” Ana explained softly, finding tears gathering at the corners of her eyes from the memories.

“That’s unbelievable, I never heard of Coby,” Jamelet whispered.

“You don’t think that Ana’s Coby is the President?” Summer hissed in fear.

“I don’t know,” Natalie admitted honestly, “But we better be careful.”

“Can we leave for the hotel?” Ana asked, immediately changing the subject. Everyone glanced at one another, rolling their eyes. She glanced up from her memories to see the other girls packing for the hotel. She sighed with relief, knowing that they would drop the subject of CAPPA for the time being. Ana loathed the discussion of CAPPA and her lost friend. She found herself conjuring up mental images of his dark eyes, dark hair, and creamy skin. They had talked about being married in their sleepless nights where they lay in agony from injections. She sighed, running her hands through her thick blonde curls, knowing it was impossible that her friend had survived the vicious Cyrus. Ana fell back onto the bed, closing her eyes, trying to drift into another world of safety while the others planned their escape from the betrayal.
~**~

**~To Be Continued...~**