《Wings Rising: The Caladrius Chronicles Book 1》 Chapter 1 Ella waited. The dim fluorescent light, the closest her prison of a room ever got to dark, cast long shadows that stretched and danced on the bare walls. She sat on the edge of the narrow bed, its thin mattress offering little comfort, her gaze fixed on the door. It was a blank, metal slab, no handle on her side, just a small rectangular slot for a keycard. Her hands clutched a small, worn green duffel bag. Inside were a change of clothes¡ªprovided for her, itchy and ill-fitting¡ªand a few precious other items, the only things she¡¯d managed to keep from them. The only things she could truly call her own. The black pants and gray shirt she wore chafed, the rough seams scratching against her skin. Too many pockets, useless and bulky, weighed down the fabric. The material trapped the heat, making her feel feverish. She didn¡¯t fidget, though. She sat ramrod straight, as if any movement, even a blink, might shatter the fragile anticipation that held her together. Panel three, behind the dumpster. That¡¯s where I need to be. The thought echoed in her mind, a mantra against the rising fear. Minutes stretched into an eternity. Then, finally, the crisp click of heels echoed in the hallway outside, stopping abruptly at her door. The beep of a keycard, the soft whir of the lock disengaging, and the door swung inward, revealing a tall silhouette. The hallway light, glaringly bright after the dimness of her room, haloed the figure, obscuring their features. ¡°Chris?¡± Her voice, thin and reedy from disuse, echoed in the small space. ¡°Shhh.¡± Chris stepped inside, closing the door quickly behind him, cutting off most of the light. The room plunged back into near darkness. ¡°If anyone hears us¡­¡± He ran a hand through his thinning white hair, then rubbed nervously at the back of his neck, a gesture that reminded Ella of a man feeling for a noose. Ella gave a sharp nod. ¡°Recite the plan.¡± His voice was low, urgent. ¡°Western fence. Panel three. Behind the dumpster.¡± She repeated, her voice barely a whisper. ¡°Good. The cameras in that quad will be down for network maintenance in,¡± he glanced at his watch, the faint glow illuminating his face for a split second, revealing the lines of worry etched there. ¡°Four minutes. The hallway cameras are already offline.¡± ¡°What about my family?¡± The words caught in her throat, a painful lump. Chris sighed, a sound heavy with resignation. ¡°We¡¯ve been over this, Ella. There¡¯s no way I can get all three of you out without raising alarms.¡± ¡°Three?¡± The single word was a choked sob. She knew what it meant. ¡°It¡¯s too late for your brother. I did what I could.¡± His voice was flat, devoid of emotion, but Ella saw a flicker of something in his eyes¡ªpity? Regret? ¡°What about my mother?¡± A single tear escaped and traced a hot path down her cheek. She swiped at it angrily. ¡°There has to be another way.¡± Chris shook his head, then pulled a black hooded cloak from inside his jacket and tossed it to her. The fabric felt rough and heavy in her hands. ¡°Put this on.¡± She stared at the cloak, her mind reeling. This was it. This was really happening. How could she leave them behind? ¡°Then I¡¯m not going.¡± She took a step back, her hand instinctively going to the small bag at her feet. ¡°Do you know what your mother risked for this?¡± Chris stepped closer, his grip on her upper arms firm, but not painful. ¡°There¡¯s no time. It¡¯s now or never.¡± ¡°Tell them¡­¡± Her voice cracked. ¡°Tell them I¡¯ll come back.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°No!¡± Chris¡¯s grip tightened for a moment, then relaxed. ¡°Get as far from this place as you can. Never look back.¡± He gently but firmly steered her towards the door. Ella draped the cloak around her shoulders, the heavy fabric a strange comfort. She hesitated at the door, her fingers tightening on the metal frame. She turned back to Chris, who stood in the shadows, his face obscured. He looked smaller somehow, the hallway light casting him in a vulnerable light. She had to thank him. She had to tell him¡­ But the words caught in her throat. Chris must have seen the question in her eyes. He gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, then reached into his pocket. Before Ella could react, he pressed a tranquilizer gun against his own neck and squeezed the trigger. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second, a flicker of understanding passing between them, then he stumbled, his hand flying to his neck. He crumpled to his knees, then slumped against the side of her bed, his breathing shallow. A wave of nausea washed over Ella. She wanted to scream, to run to him, but she knew there was no time. He did this for me. The thought echoed in her mind, a heavy weight. She pulled the hood of the cloak over her head, shielding her face, and slipped out into the brightly lit hallway. She pressed her back against the cool wall, peeking around the corner. The hallway stretched out before her, empty and sterile, white tiles reflecting the harsh fluorescent lights. A low hum emanated from somewhere deep within the building. She took a deep breath, the stale air filling her lungs, and stepped out into the open. She moved quickly, her footsteps echoing softly on the polished floor. She ducked beneath the rectangular windows of a set of double doors, the glass cold against her back. Just as she was about to move on, a bloodcurdling scream tore through the air from inside the room. It was a raw, animalistic sound filled with terror and pain. Ella froze, her heart hammering against her ribs. She pressed herself against the wall again, her breath catching in her throat. Slowly, cautiously, she raised her head and peered through the window. The scene inside made her stomach churn. Strapped to a metal gurney, a woman with wild, tangled red hair¡ªthe same shade as her own¡ªthrashed against the restraints. Her face was pale and drawn, her eyes wide with fear. Two figures in white lab coats stood on either side of her. One held a vial of dark red liquid, the other a syringe filled with a swirling, sickly green substance. Mom. The realization hit Ella like a physical blow. She hadn¡¯t seen her mother in years, but she knew that face. Thinner, more fragile, but undeniably her mother. Ella¡¯s breath hitched. Her eyes were drawn to the syringe, the green liquid seeming to glow under the harsh lights. She wanted to scream, to burst into the room and save her, but she knew she couldn¡¯t. A door slammed down the hallway, the sound snapping Ella back to reality. She had to go. Now. There was no time. No going back. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision. I¡¯ll come back for you. I promise. She whispered the vow, her voice barely audible, then turned and ran, her cloak billowing behind her. She reached the end of the long, bare hallway. The exit door loomed ahead, a beacon of hope. She glanced up at the surveillance camera mounted above the door. The small power light was dark, just as Chris had promised. She sprinted the last few steps and pushed the heavy door open, bursting out into the cool night air. The sudden change was disorienting. The darkness was profound, a stark contrast to the bright lights of the building. A cool breeze tugged at her hair beneath the hood, sending shivers down her spine. She stumbled for a moment, her senses overwhelmed. She was out in the open, exposed. A primal urge to retreat back into the familiar, sterile hallways tugged at her. Western fence. Panel three. Dumpster. She repeated the instructions in her head, grounding herself. She scanned the high fence topped with barbed wire, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. Finally, she spotted it: the rusted dumpster, its shadow stretching long in the moonlight. The light above it flickered intermittently. She waited, watching for any sign of movement, then sprinted towards it, her heart pounding in her chest. She slipped behind the dumpster, her breath catching in her throat. Just as Chris had said, several links of the fence had been cut, creating a rough opening. She pushed her way through, the sharp edges of the wire snagging at her cloak. She was almost free, almost through, when something tugged sharply on the fabric at her back. Panic surged through her. Far off voices, distorted by the night air, drifted towards her. She could feel the fabric of her cloak tightening, holding her fast. She gripped the edge of the fence, pulling with all her might, but it was no use. She was trapped. ¡°Hey, we¡¯ve got an issue over here.¡± The voices grew closer, louder. Ella¡¯s heart pounded in her ears like a drum. ¡°This door wasn¡¯t closed.¡± ¡°Should we call it in?¡± Ella bit down hard on her lip, clenching her teeth against the rising fear. She didn¡¯t wait for their answer. With a desperate surge of strength, she yanked forward, the fabric of the cloak tearing with a loud rip. Free of the fence, she stumbled forward, then broke into a full sprint, heading towards the dark tree line in the distance, leaving behind the only home she had ever known. Chapter 2 The heat of the sun pressed against Hunter''s eyelids, bright even behind closed eyes. His leathered reflection looked back at him through the ripples rushing over stone. Dipping his hands in the water, he took a moment to feel it flow between his fingers, then cupped them into a vessel. The water cooled his body as it sloshed in his growling stomach. He filled his hands again, splashing river water on his tanned face and running through his cropped, sun-bleached hair. He grabbed the handle of his axe and plunged the filed river stone head into the stream, inspecting its blade for nicks and chips. When he was satisfied, he slung the tool over his broad shoulder and started the walk back towards the tree line. He heard the crack of the tree before the scream. *** Hunter¡¯s eyes snapped open to the sound of beeping. He groaned, pressing his fingertips against the bridge of his nose, a futile attempt to ward off the lingering echoes of the nightmare. Always the same damn dream. He opened his eyes, the dim light of Thad''s lab a welcome relief from the vivid horrors he''d just escaped. Golden fiber optic cables, like shimmering threads of light, snaked from Thad''s console to the interface port on Hunter''s left forearm. He watched the familiar dance of green pulses travel up his arm and back down again, a constant reminder of his reliance on technology. He flexed his metal bicep, a phantom twinge of pain echoing in his mind ¨C a souvenir from that long-ago day in the woods. He reached for the half-filled tumbler of bourbon on the cluttered table and downed it in a single gulp, the burning liquid a temporary anesthetic. Thad peaked over his computer monitor, ¡°The dream again?¡± "How''d you guess?" he rasped, his voice still thick with sleep. Thad, his face illuminated by the glow of a dozen monitors, peered over his glasses, a faint sorrowful smile playing on his lips. "You were screaming his name. Again." Hunter''s gaze drifted to the stained, mold-specked walls and ceiling of the cramped lab. His stomach clenched, a familiar knot of unease tightening in his gut. "Sorry," he mumbled. "No big deal," Thad replied, his tone easy. "If I went through what you did, I''d have nightmares too." Hunter nodded, his gaze fixed on the cracked concrete floor. The silence stretched for a moment, punctuated only by the hum of the computers. "How much longer?" Hunter finally asked. "Almost there," Thad replied. Three sharp beeps pierced the quiet. "All done," Thad announced, typing a final command. He rose from his chair, the joints in his back popping softly, and walked toward Hunter, carefully disconnecting the cables from his carbon-fiber and titanium arm. "The update took a little longer than expected, but this baby''s good to go. No more lag." He gave Hunter''s shoulder a light pat. "Thanks, Thad," Hunter said, finally meeting his friend''s gaze. The red veins in Thad''s eyes, a testament to his long hours at the console, reminded Hunter of the sacrifices his friend had made for him. "I owe you one." "Don''t worry about it," Thad chuckled. "Just buy me a drink at The Dog House sometime."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The ritual was familiar, a comfortable dance between them. They both knew who owed who. If anything, a lifetime of purchased drinks wouldn¡¯t wipe away the amount Thad owed Hunter. Even still, it was the promise of an unspoken bond between them, forged in the crucible of their shared past. It was one of the few good things in this godforsaken city. "Deal," Hunter replied, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. He stood, smoothing the sleeve of his royal blue shirt over his prosthetic arm, then shrugged into his faded and cracked leather jacket. He extended his right hand, "Be careful out there, Thad." Thad gripped his hand, "You too, Hunter. Don''t do anything stupid." "When have I ever done anything stupid?" Hunter quipped. Thad''s eyebrows rose in mock surprise. "Really?" A genuine smile flickered across Hunter''s face for a fleeting moment. He turned and headed toward the rusty door, pausing to offer Thad a two-fingered salute. Thad returned the gesture with a smile and a nod before returning to his glowing screens. Hunter tugged the black cloth mask up over his stubbled jaw, the rough fabric a familiar shield in this city of shadows. He flipped the fur-lined collar of his jacket against the chill night air, then pushed open the rusty door, his senses immediately assaulted by the city''s relentless clamor. The metal door groaned shut behind him, the sound swallowed by the roar of the metropolis. Back to the grind. He resisted the urge to retreat back into the quiet sanctuary of Thad''s lab. Too much to do. He strode into the throng, a practiced ease in his movements as he navigated the labyrinth of food carts, their aromas a tempting assault on his empty stomach. He willed himself to ignore the gnawing hunger. Street food was a gamble he couldn''t afford tonight. He had errands to run, debts to settle, before he could finally leave this festering wound on the world. The city''s neon glow, a garish tapestry of broken promises woven against the bruised twilight sky, held no allure for him. He was a creature of the shadows, his business conducted in the labyrinthine back alleys and forgotten corners of the city. He sidestepped a vagrant relieving himself against a crumbling wall, the stench of stale urine stinging his nostrils. A casual disregard of the crowd, a testament not only to the city''s indifference, but to their own hard-won apathy. They don''t even see it anymore. Hunter thought, a flicker of disgust in his heart. Do they not feel this place killing them? He shook his head. Doesn''t matter. Soon enough, he''d be gone. He''d settle his debts, every last credit, and then he''d vanish, leaving this nightmare behind. A quiet house on a remote beach like the ones Thad was always talking about... the image flickered in his mind, a beacon of hope. The thought of highwaymen and mercs on the open road was a small price to pay for freedom. Anything was better than this. A sudden commotion ahead shattered his reverie. The crowd scattered like startled rats as a knife flashed in the dim light. The violence was swift and brutal. One man lay sprawled on the grimy pavement, a crimson bloom spreading across his chest. The other, masked and panting, held a blood-slicked knife. A Republic guard emerged from the crowd, his hand outstretched. A quick exchange of credits, and the guard melted back into the throng, the city absorbing the violence as if it were a mere hiccup in its rhythm. Hunter''s jaw tightened. This place... it''s a cancer. He had to get out. And soon. He had to finish what he started and leave. The thought echoed in his mind, a desperate mantra. He had to get out of this city, this graveyard of dreams. He turned and walked away from the scene, the image of the dead man seared into his memory. Another life wasted. Another reason to leave. He quickened his pace, his boots echoing on the cracked pavement. He had to finish his business, settle his debts, and then he would be free. He would find that quiet beach, that escape from the shadows. He would leave this city and never look back. Chapter 3 "ID, please," Crews''s voice was clipped, professional. "Seriously, Crews?" Jake sighed, pulling out his ID card. He held it to the scanner. The gate lock buzzed, and the barbed wire-topped chain-link panel slid open with a groan. He eased the Jeep forward into the inspection checkpoint. The gate behind him clanged shut, the sound echoing the metallic taste of fear in his mouth. Every time he left the lab, he pictured himself driving away, the facility shrinking in his rearview mirror, disappearing forever. But the image always dissolved, replaced by the grim reality of his situation. Two black-uniformed guards with masks and hand-held scanners emerged from the security shack. They made their rounds, using the long metal poles attached to their scanners to probe under his vehicle, their headlamps shining into every possible crevice. Jake nodded to them, a familiar ritual. They disappeared after a perfunctory inspection. He glanced up at the cameras, giving a two-fingered wave. He knew they were watching, two from the front, two from the rear. After all these years, he could find all the cameras in his sleep. He swiped his keycard, and the inner gate rumbled open. The headlights illuminated the main door of the facility. A nondescript building of concrete, faded paint, and unlabeled doors. The parking lot had weeds sprouting from cracked asphalt, and graffitied dumpsters surrounded the building. Beneath this surface lurked the sprawling, state-of-the-art facility. The only giveaway was the high-security perimeter. No one came this far out of town without knowing exactly where they were going. This was just to keep them off the radar of any stray aircraft that might wonder what such a large facility was doing outside of Sandusky. He turned the Jeep left, heading for the underground parking garage ramp. As he did, the side door banged open, and Janet came barreling out, covered in blood, nearly colliding with the driver''s door. Jake cursed, slamming on the brakes. Damn it, what now? "He¡¯s doing it again!" she shouted, holding the door open. Jake slammed the Jeep into park and jumped out, engine still running. "How much time?" he asked, his heart pounding. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "We don¡¯t have any, Jake. I came running for you the moment I heard on the security comms that you were back." As they raced down the long, white tunnel, their footfalls echoed, mingling with the thrum of the ventilation system and the growing cacophony of music. The air hung thick with the sterile scent of antiseptic, tinged with a faint, metallic tang. The beat of "In the Hall of the Mountain King" grew louder, blaring from the lab room. Jake winced. He hadn''t even had time to grab his earplugs. Janet thrust a pair into his hands. He shoved them in his ears as Janet used her keycard to open the door. They burst into the room as the music reached a crescendo. Blood trickled from Jake''s nose immediately as a roar of pain crashed through his brain. The air crackled with ozone. In the center of the room, Subject KR was lashed to the chair, an electrode cap attached to his shaved head. Blue bolts of lightning flashed from his cloudy white eyes. The smell of burning hair mingled with the coppery scent of blood made Jake¡¯s head spin. Next to the subject, one of Jake¡¯s favorite people in the lab, Bernard was frozen, a look of horror and pain locked in a rictus grimace on his face, lab coat soaked in crimson. Blood poured from his nose, eyes, and ears, staining his white beard. Janet raced for Bernard as Jake grabbed the syringes filled with blue glowing liquid. Gotta stop him¡­ gotta save Bernard¡­ He jammed one into the subject¡¯s neck, pushing the plunger until it was empty. The room went silent as Bernard collapsed into Janet¡¯s arms, taking them both to the ground. The restraining collar sat open on the tray. Jake grabbed it, desperately trying to fasten it around the neck of the subject, now frothing at the mouth, while trying to bite him. Jake held his breath until the glowing red light on the collar blinked green. Subject KR¡¯s eyes slowly closed, and he ceased his thrashing. The music cut off. Then, Stanton''s voice, smooth, almost conversational, but laced with an undercurrent of venom, filled the room. "Jake. What. Was. That?" Jake leaned forward, hands on his knees, facing the blood. Too much of it. He fought back bile as it forced its way upward. "Saving Bernard," he said, looking at the old man in Janet''s arms. She didn¡¯t dare to look up. "Or at least I hope I did." "We had almost reached optimal levels." "I¡¯m sorry, sir." "Clean up your mess and come to my office." The speaker clicked off. Jake spit a clump of coppery blood onto the floor. It landed with a wet splat, a stark crimson stain on the sterile white tile. The metallic taste lingered in his mouth. He pushed the intercom button. ¡°Security and clean-up crew to Lab One. And bring a body bag.¡± He turned, his gaze falling on Bernard. Janet still cradled his head, tears silently streaming down her face. She clutched his hand, her fingers tightening around his cold, clammy skin. "Bernard¡­" she whispered, her voice choked with tears. ¡°Wipe your tears before he sees.¡± Jake whispered as he took in a deep breath. Janet nodded as their eyes met for a fleeting moment, a shared look of grief and helplessness, before Jake turned away, steeling himself for what came next. Chapter 4 In fresh tactical pants and a black shirt, Jake stood just inside the office door. He attempted to project an aura of composure, but Stanton''s gaze, sharp as broken glass, chipped away at his resolve with every glance. The gray-haired man in the crisp charcoal suit and red tie remained absorbed in his silent phone call. A faint, almost imperceptible tremor ran through Jake as he remembered the sounds echoing from this very office while he waited in the hallway for his turn to face Stanton ¨C Janet¡¯s choked sobs, followed by the sharp crack of¡­ he didn¡¯t want to think about it. His stomach churned. Stanton remained motionless, not a word passing his lips. Jake knew the man on the other end was likely sweating bullets. He''d heard the panicked ramblings of underlings too many times. Fear made them spill their guts, hoping for mercy. This one was lucky to be on the phone, not facing Stanton¡¯s wrath directly. That usually ended as messily as Lab One had just fifteen minutes ago. Jake swallowed hard, the memory still vivid. To avoid Stanton''s frigid gaze, Jake scanned the room. The desk, a relic from the before, gleamed under the harsh fluorescent lights. A phone, a clock, a stack of papers, and a marble pen jar sat meticulously arranged on its overly lacquered surface. Stanton¡¯s chair, rich black leather, looked new, while the two facing it were of indeterminate age and uncomfortable design. Not that comfort was possible in this man¡¯s presence. A spindly plant huddled in the corner by the tightly shut blinds. On the opposite wall, the Caladrius statue, its white wings spread in silent flight, seemed to watch him with cold, unblinking eyes. The air in the office hung heavy with the scent of old leather and stale cigar smoke. Stanton¡¯s eyes flashed. Jake couldn¡¯t tell if it was in response to the phone call or his own unease. Best not to risk it. He glanced down at the industrial gray carpet. A bead of blood snaked from his nose and landed on his immaculately polished boot. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, praying Stanton hadn¡¯t noticed. The metallic tang of blood filled his mouth. Stanton placed the phone on the receiver and motioned Jake forward. ¡°Any news?¡± Bile burned his throat. He swallowed hard, trying to dislodge it, but the metallic tang of blood filled his mouth. ¡°Yes, Doctor.¡± ¡°Well?¡± Doctor Stanton flashed a cold smile that sent a shiver down Jake¡¯s spine. ¡°She escaped.¡± ¡°How?¡± Jake watched as the Doctor¡¯s smile twisted into an angry clench. ¡°All we know at this point is she subdued one of the midnight guards.¡± ¡°Midnight guard, you say?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Doctor cleared his throat. ¡°This guard wouldn¡¯t be of any relation to you, would it?¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. An itch started between his shoulder blades. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Your father is quickly becoming a liability, boy.¡± Beads of sweat broke out on Jake¡¯s forehead. ¡°Apologies, sir.¡± ¡°The old man¡¯s talents helped me a great deal from the beginning. I suppose I can forgive him a slip up or two for still wanting to play his part so enthusiastically after all these years.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Stanton leaned forward. ¡°Do you know the phrase, three strikes and you¡¯re out?¡± Jake shook his head, no. ¡°Ask your father.¡± The bile rose again. Stanton continued, ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Our agents followed her tracks about three miles outside Ashland, but the trail ended.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ended?¡± ¡°Someone must have picked her up.¡± ¡°Whom?¡± ¡°Unconfirmed, but I¡¯ve ordered a search of the surrounding areas as we speak.¡± Stanton was silent for a few moments. Each tick of the clock on the wall echoed in Jake¡¯s ears, a death knell. ¡°Jake, have I ever told you the story about the Caladrius?¡± He tried not to show his confusion at the change of subject. ¡°No, sir.¡± ¡°It was a mythical bird from ancient Roman times. A mighty government in its time.¡± Jake¡¯s eyes flicked to the statue. ¡°The bird lived with the king, and they said it had the power to determine if someone lived or died. A sick and diseased person would come before the king to find out their fate. If the Caladrius turned away from you, your fate was sealed to death. If the bird looked you in the eye, it would pull the disease from you and expel the sickness into the sun.¡± Stanton¡¯s pause was either for dramatic effect or because he wanted to be sure Jake was still listening. The risk of speaking out of turn was always great. Jake hesitated, his heart hammering against his ribs, before saying, ¡°Interesting, sir.¡± ¡°To choose who lives and who dies. Interesting, indeed. Do you see the parallel, Jake? I decide who lives and who dies in my kingdom.¡± Doctor Stanton grew silent again, watching him. Jake waited, wondering what the hell the bird from a civilization long dead before the bombs fell on this one had to do with anything at all. Was he the Caladrius now, judging him, deciding his fate? But he¡¯d learned long ago to wait for his employer to make the first move. His body ached for rest after the ordeal in the lab, but he shoved those thoughts away and waited, hands behind his back, for his orders. Stanton finally moved, sliding one of his desk drawers open and rifling for something inside. Jake saw the flash of light off metal as Stanton cleared his throat, stood, and smoothed his red tie with his left hand before moving to Jake¡¯s side. He pressed the barrel of a pistol to Jake¡¯s temple and pulled back on the hammer. ¡°Do I need to remind you how important it is that you find her?¡± Jake swallowed the lump in his throat as he saw Stanton¡¯s eye twitch from his peripheral vision. ¡°No sir.¡± ¡°Then find her before I replace you and your senile father.¡± Stanton lowered the gun and made his way back to the desk. Jake didn¡¯t fail to notice the gun remained cocked. Jake tried to grab the door handle with trembling hands, fumbled for a moment before turning the knob. ¡°Oh, and Jake¡­¡± Jake flinched and turned back to Dr. Stanton, the doorknob still gripped in his hand. ¡°Yes, sir?¡± ¡°Clean your filthy boot before you dare step foot back in my office.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sorry, sir.¡± Jake exited the office, took five steps down the sterile white hallway before emptying the contents of his stomach into the nearest trash can. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and continued down the corridor. Chapter 5 Gravel crunched under Hunter¡¯s boots as he passed through the packed back alleys of the Savage Lands. A painted woman with eyes that looked older than time leaned out of a doorway, whispering an offer. Hunter shook his head without breaking stride, his gaze fixed on the alley ahead. He hated the Savage Lands. The desperation clung to the air like a disease. He¡¯d almost made it through unscathed when a cry of protest snagged his attention. Not my problem, he thought, but his feet had already stopped moving. A redheaded young woman fought against a much larger man. She kicked him in the shins, but the man didn¡¯t even flinch. He yanked her arm hard enough to make Hunter wince, then ducked, shoving his shoulder into her gut and threw her over his shoulder. Keep moving. You can¡¯t stop for everyone with shit luck, or you¡¯ll be here all night. Hunter looked back at the girl as she raised her gaze through her copper hair to his. Their eyes locked a moment. Bright blue swirled around her pupils and reflected the moonlight back at him. Then she was gone, disappearing around the bend. ¡°Damn it!¡± Hunter scanned the surrounding people to make sure no one was watching and followed the pair down the alley. When he got to the corner, Hunter pressed his back against the wall and peered around it. The man had the girl pressed up against the brick wall of a dead end. He was leaning in to kiss her when she raised a knee to her attacker¡¯s groin, doubling him over. As she tried to move past the man, he gripped her by the hair and threw her to the ground. Hunter pressed himself against the wall once more, released a long breath, and stepped around the corner. ¡°Hey man. Everything all right back here?¡± The man turned to Hunter and spat, ¡°Mind your own business. I bought and paid for this one. Now bug off.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s none of my business. But can I ask how much you paid for her?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you go buy one yourself and leave me to mine?¡± He put a boot on her abdomen, pressing down. She groaned and scraped at the dirty leather, trying to shove him off, but his stance was set. ¡°I¡¯d like to make you an offer for that one.¡± The man¡¯s greedy eyes lit up, but flicked down to the woman that was already proving to be more trouble than he¡¯d likely anticipated tonight. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°A hundred.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± The man chuckled. Hunter shrugged. ¡°What can I say? I have a thing for redheads.¡± The man turned to the woman and then squinted at Hunter. ¡°Make it fifty, but after I¡¯m done with her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to work.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Then you can piss off.¡± Hunter stepped forward. ¡°You¡¯re going to regret this.¡± The sound of a switchblade click cut through the foul rot of the alley as a toothless grin spread across the man¡¯s face. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Hunter balled his fists and braced himself as the stranger lumbered towards him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you,¡± Hunter lied. From the moment he¡¯d locked eyes with the girl, hurting him was the only thing on his mind. Hunter watched the knife as he stepped forward. Another, much larger shimmer of a metal flashed in the moonlight. A trash can flew through the air and crashed into the man¡¯s head. He fell to the ground in a heap. In a heartbeat, the girl was standing over top of the man, kicking and punching him in the face. The crack of bone and the thud of flesh punctuated the silence as she rained blows on the unconscious man. After several more crunching shots, she brushed her copper hair behind both ears and looked at Hunter. Her eyes, blazing with a cold fury, narrowed as she glared at Hunter. Her fists were clenched, and her shoulders were tense. ¡°I didn¡¯t need your help.¡± ¡°I can see that.¡± Hunter looked down at the unconscious man laying in a pool of his own blood. Looking back at her, Hunter thought that despite the anger and resourcefulness, there was something about her that said he shouldn¡¯t leave her alone. But he¡¯d been wrong before. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t need my help to get out of here in one piece. You know, with that tracker the hawker activated in you right before he sold you to this idiot.¡± Hunter turned and began to walk away. ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± He paused, ¡°What?¡± ¡°What tracker?¡± ¡°When you first got taken, did you get injected with something?¡± ¡°How did you know someone took me?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± ¡°To me it does.¡± Hunter sighed. ¡°In this world, you¡¯re either taken or given as a payment of debt. Between your looks and your woeful ignorance about how this works tells me you weren¡¯t given away. Now answer my question. When you were taken, were you injected with something?¡± ¡°Yes. In the right shoulder blade.¡± She reached her arm up, like she was trying to feel the spot, then dropped her bloodied hand lamely at her side. ¡°That figures. They like to implant them in places hard for a person to get at themselves. Hawkers implant trackers into their¡­ property so they can be found if they don¡¯t come back. Did he scan a device over it before you left?¡± The girl nodded. ¡°That¡¯s how they activate the tracker. It¡¯ll be just a matter of time before they find you.¡± ¡°And you can help me with that?¡± Hunter turned back to the girl. ¡°I have a friend. If he can¡¯t remove it, he should at least be able to disable it.¡± ¡°He would help me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°One of the few that would. He¡¯s a good man.¡± ¡°And you?¡± Hunter shrugged. He felt suddenly uncomfortable. ¡°It seems like you know a lot about how hawkers work.¡± ¡°When you¡¯ve lived here for as long as I have, you pick up on things.¡± ¡°How do I know this isn¡¯t some trick?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t. One way or the other, I¡¯m leaving. Come with me or not. But I¡¯d decide soon if I were you.¡± They both looked at the man stirring on the ground. She kicked him in the face once more. The crunch of a broken nose echoed off the nearby walls. Hunter ruefully made a mental note not to get on this woman¡¯s bad side. ¡°Where¡¯s your friend live?¡± ¡°Not far. But we¡¯re not going to his house.¡± ¡°Then where are we going?¡± ¡°Someplace safe. But first I have to make a call.¡± She hesitated, her gaze flickering between Hunter and the unconscious man. Trusting him was insane, but staying here was a death sentence. She took a deep breath. "Fine," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "Let''s go." ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ¡°Hunter.¡± ¡°Thank you, Hunter. My name is Ella.¡± Chapter 6 Thad stepped from the dark street into the neon glow of The Dog House and slid onto his usual stool, third from the left. The band on the small stage blared a familiar, yet distorted tune, but his focus was on the door. Hunter was late, and Thad was on edge. He signaled Bob, the bartender. "What you havin'' tonight, Thad?" Bob asked, wiping down the bar. Thad leaned closer. "Whiskey. And Hunter''s late." Bob gave him a knowing look. "You have a ''phone call''." He jerked his thumb toward the back. "A ''phone call''? Really, Bob?" Thad sighed. He knew this routine. He walked down the dimly lit hallway, past overflowing storage closets, and stopped short in front of a door marked exit. No phone. "Bob, you''re a comedian," he muttered, turning to leave. A hand clamped down on his shoulder, yanking him back. Thad spun around, ready to unleash a sarcastic retort, but stopped short when he saw Hunter''s face. "Holy shit, Hunter," he breathed, his heart still pounding. "You scared the crap out of me." Hunter grinned. "Sorry. Got a situation." He gestured behind him. Thad''s eyes widened as he took in the figure huddled in the shadows. A young woman with fiery red hair, dressed in clothes that looked like they''d seen better days. She wore Hunter''s leather jacket, which swallowed her whole, emphasizing her thin frame. Her eyes, though, were striking ¨C a vibrant blue that seemed to glow even in the dim light. "This has got to be the worst setup in history," Thad said, trying to lighten the mood. "No offense, lady." "It''s not like that," Hunter said, his voice serious. "This is Ella. She''s a hawker''s girl." Thad''s eyebrows shot up. "What did you do this time?" "The right thing," Hunter replied. "The stupid thing, more like it," Thad countered. "Tracker?" "Yup." "And you brought her here?" Hunter shrugged. "Seemed like the safest place. Bob''s usually discreet." "Discreet enough to play along with your ''phone call'' charade?" Thad asked dryly. "What''s the damage?"The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Unconscious John¡ª" "Hunter!" Thad interrupted, a wave of exasperation washing over him. "Seriously? You''ve been careful for years, and now this?" ¡°Don¡¯t look at me.¡± Hunter motioned to Ella, who stood with her arms crossed, a flicker of fear in her eyes. Thad¡¯s eyebrows raised, ¡°Really?¡± "Yes really," she murmured, more to herself than to them. ¡°Hmmm.¡± Thad nodded, ¡°Nice.¡± ¡°Thad, focus.¡± Hunter snapped his fingers drawing his friend¡¯s attention back to him. ¡°Right.¡± Thad blinked, ¡°How long?¡± Hunter shook his head. "Fifteen minutes." Thad whistled. "Crap. That''s not much time.¡± ¡°Can you remove it?" "Yeah, I should be able to," Thad replied. "But I''ll need to get back to my lab." "Too dangerous," Hunter said. "They''ll be looking for her." "And this isn''t dangerous?" Thad gestured to the bar outside. "I''m not talking about me," Hunter said, placing a hand on Thad''s shoulder. "Seriously, you can''t risk your lab." "Fine," Thad conceded. "Where, then?" "My place." Thad shook his head, "If we can''t risk my place, why are we risking yours?" "No other option," Hunter said. "My stuff is replaceable." Thad sighed. "Fine. But you owe me big time.¡± ¡°What¡¯ll it be?¡± ¡°You know that whiskey you own me for the update? Make it a double.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Hunter chuckled. ¡°Shit.¡± Thad opened the door, peeked out, then stepped back in. "Make it a triple. Two strongarms, a hawker, and a guy with a busted nose just walked in. Big guys. One''s carrying a scanner." "Damn it," Hunter spat. Ella stepped forward, her expression fierce. "I''m not going back to that animal," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I''d rather die." "Well, that should be easy enough," Thad muttered, earning a glare from Hunter. "I''m kidding! I''m kidding." He raised his hands defensively. "Don''t worry," Hunter said to Ella. "We''ll get you out of here. And no one is going to die." Just then, the music in the bar cut off abruptly. A hush fell over the room. "Speak for yourself," Thad said, a nervous edge to his voice. "The best friend always gets picked off. I don''t need this kind of trouble, Hunter." "Don''t make me say it," Hunter warned. "You wouldn''t," Thad groaned. "Columbus," Hunter said softly. Thad palmed his forehead. "One little run-in with Republic Guards, and you never let me live it down." "Funny," Hunter said. "I remember it a little differently. You were the one who froze." "Shut up," Thad muttered. He looked at Ella, then back at Hunter. "Fine. I''m in." "I knew you''d see reason," Hunter said, clapping Thad on the back a little too hard with his metal arm. Thad winced. "What can I say? You have a way with words. So, what''s the plan, General?" Hunter glanced around the cluttered storage room, his gaze settling on a rolling cart. "I''ve got an idea. But you''re not going to like it." "What else is new?" Thad sighed. He just hoped this plan wasn''t as crazy as the last one. Chapter 7 Jake watched the Hawker, a bloody-faced man, and two other large men dressed in patchwork leather pace the sand-covered street outside The Dog House from the roof platform of the abandoned three-story building across the street. The flickering neon cast yellow and red shadows on their faces, giving them more of a circus clown appearance than angry drifters. He chuckled to himself as he listened to the men below curse the girl he was sent to find. Four masked guards flanked him, armed to the teeth¡ªback-up in case things went sideways¡ªand to be frank, things almost always went sideways when it came to a Caladrius subject. The fact that one had gotten out after all this time¡­ Well, Jake didn¡¯t like to think too hard about how much he admired her tenacity. Those were dangerous thoughts that wouldn¡¯t serve to keep him and his father alive. Jake squinted up at the pale yellow moon as it peeked through a break in acidic tinged clouds before disappearing once again. He puffed out a breath, pressed the comm. button on his earbud transmitter, and waited for the beep. ¡°Speak, and make it quick,¡± Doctor Stanton¡¯s voice growled in Jake¡¯s ear. ¡°I have news, sir. We¡¯ve locked in on her location.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°From the look of things, though, we weren¡¯t the only ones looking for her. She¡¯s been a busy girl.¡± ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Jake clicked his tongue. ¡°Just a hunch. A Hawker and three of his associates just entered the location. One of them was badly beaten, and based on their colorful discussion, it was her doing.¡± ¡°This is no time for hunches, boy.¡± Jake cleared his throat. ¡°Of course, sir. Sorry. It seems our theory that someone took her was correct.¡± ¡°Under no circumstances can they leave with her. Do I make myself clear?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Awaiting your word.¡± ¡°You have it. Now don¡¯t disappoint me again.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Jake¡¯s earbud clicked off. He nodded to the metallic black armored man standing next to him on the rooftop, carefully averting his eyes from his reflection in the tinted mirrored surface of the guard¡¯s helmet face shield. He lifted his viewers and focused on the bar entrance. Jake lifted the viewers back to his eyes and listened to the beeps coming from the guard¡¯s wrist keypad. Jake weighed his choices. It definitely would be a risk going inside right now with all of those guns. The guards might be disposable to Dr. Stanton, but he didn¡¯t particularly feel like catching a stray bullet today. Likely Stanton wouldn¡¯t mind that either, so long as the guards returned with Subject ER. Unfortunately for the doctor, Jake had plans to stick around past today. He still had a lot to do and he wouldn¡¯t do that maimed or dead. If he didn¡¯t bring the subject back, he might be as good as dead too. What a conundrum. ¡°Sir?¡± The guard to his right spoke, awaiting instruction. ¡°Send Team C to cover the rear of the building.¡± ¡°Team A and Team B?¡± ¡°We wait,¡± Jake said. ¡°But, sir,¡± The guard to his left spoke, his masked voice sounding eerily exact to the guard on his right. ¡°Dr. Stanton¡¯s orders.¡± ¡°I heard the doctor. He ordered we bring her back. Not how.¡± Jake said. ¡°We can¡¯t bring her back if we get caught in a gunfight inside that shithole bar, now can we? And would you like to be the one to give Stanton the news if one of those idiots down there hit the subject with a stray bullet?¡± ¡°No, sir.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think so.¡± Jake shook his head, ¡°So we do as I say, and we wait, do I make myself clear?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± All four guards answered in perfect unison. Jake suppressed a shudder. ¡°If all else fails, we¡¯ll use a drone.¡± Jake whispered to himself. He hated those brutal things, but he¡¯d learned long ago that sometimes he had to use tools he hated to get to the end he needed. His father raised him to know that the ones to survive were the ones willing to do whatever it took, no matter the extreme. He just tried to avoid the extreme until he was certain he had to. *** Thad backed his way out of the storage room, pulling a long, slender roll cart stacked high with empty kegs behind him. He wedged the cart in the hallway opening, grabbed the towel from his shoulder, removed his glasses, and wiped his face. Okay, time for the show. "Hey Bob," he called, looking at the man behind the bar, "what do you want me to do with these things?" The man behind the bar stood silent, looking at Thad with confusion. Thad glanced at the Hawker, blocking the front exit, and back at the barman. He cleared his throat. ¡°Bob? The empty kegs. Where do you want them? Out back?¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Oh, right.¡± The bartender nodded. ¡°Yeah, take them out the back door.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Thad turned, maneuvering the cart. Just a little further¡­ ¡°Hey, bar boy.¡± A gruff voice shouted. Thad turned. The Hawker. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°No, the other fricken¡¯ bar boy. Yes, you. Get over here.¡± ¡°Um, okay. But first, I need to run these out.¡± ¡°What did I just say? Get over here now!¡± The Hawker slammed his fist on a nearby tabletop, glasses shattering on the floor. ¡°All right. Take it easy.¡± Thad glanced over his shoulder at the open storage room door before he moved to the man flanked by two large men. The bloodied-faced man peeked around the Hawker. ¡°How can I help you, gentlemen?¡± ¡°Have you seen a woman come in here?¡± Thad looked around the room. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve seen a lot of women come in here. But don¡¯t most people go to you to pick up chicks?¡± A few chuckles rang out from the back. ¡°Comedian, huh?¡± The Hawker grabbed Thad¡¯s shirt. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you one more time. Think carefully about what you say, or my friends here will give you something to laugh at.¡± The smile faded from Thad¡¯s lips. ¡°A woman with copper hair and blue eyes. She was with a man. Short blonde hair, leather jacket. I was told they came in here.¡± Thad shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anyone matching that description.¡± The Hawker released his grip. ¡°This girl, she must be worth quite a bit to you to go to all this trouble.¡± ¡°So what? She¡¯s my property.¡± ¡°Sorry. Of course. I¡¯ll send word your way if I see her.¡± ¡°You better.¡± One man leaned towards the Hawker and whispered in his ear as he stared at Thad. ¡°What¡¯s your name, boy?¡± ¡°John.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen you here before?¡± ¡°I just started.¡± ¡°A little old to be a bar boy, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°My wife and I are expecting a baby. You know how it is. Gotta do what you gotta do.¡± Thad chuckled nervously. ¡°And everyone tells me I look old for my age. I had a full beard at thirteen.¡± ¡°Mmhmm.¡± The Hawker rubbed his chin. ¡°Then let me ask you another question. Why are you calling the man behind the bar Bob when his name is Thomas?¡± Thad looked at the man at the bar and back at the Hawker. He stumbled back a couple of steps. ¡°Oh, yeah. Thomas. Right. I¡¯m terrible with names.¡± ¡°And why are you acting so nervous, John?¡± The Hawker and his men stepped forward. Hunter watched between two empty kegs as his friend stammered. Shut up, Thad! He ripped the hard plastic off the red casing on the wall and pulled the white handle as the fire alarm shrieked to life. Water poured down from the sprinklers. He waited until the crowd surged forward, separating his friend from the Hawker, and then turned to Ella. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± They ran to the back and flung themselves through the rear door, nearly knocking over a man dressed in black. Hunter steadied himself as the neon blue-trimmed, mirrored face mask of a Republic Guard scanned him. He saw the reflection in the mask turn to Ella as the guard drew his gun. In one fluid motion, Hunter smacked the gun away, sending two stun prongs hissing into the wall next to him. He swung back with his metal left arm, his fist connecting with the guard¡¯s helmet, shattering the glass. The man crashed into the opposite wall. *** ¡°Sir,¡± one of the guards said over Jake¡¯s shoulder. Just as the guard had spoken, an explosion of movement spilled from the bar to the street outside. ¡°Shit.¡± Jake hissed as he scanned the faces below with his viewers. ¡°Does anyone have eyes on the subject?¡± ¡°No, sir.¡± The four distorted voices spoke as one. ¡°We¡¯ve got to move, now.¡± Jake wasted no time as he slid down the ladder precariously attached to the side of the building, ignoring the heat from the friction of his gloves against rusted metal. He hit the ground running, Dr. Stanton¡¯s clone guards keeping pace with him, then passing him. Jake pushed himself harder. He wouldn''t leave this down to their programming. It had to be him that brought Subject ER back. His father''s life depended on it. His life depended on it. He¡¯d come too far, sacrificed too much, to fail now. The path was packed with street folk. The stench of stale urine and rotting garbage filled his nostrils. They glared out with black-ringed eyes from under dusty hoods and over strips of soiled cloth covering their mouths. Tired, hungry, angry. But he had four guards. No one would mess with them today. *** Hunter looked down at the face behind the broken mask. It was less a face, more a grotesque caricature of one. Bone jutted through the hollows of his cheeks, sharp and wicked. Where a nose should have been, there were only two gaping holes. Branded on the man¡¯s jaw, the number 761-4. Wires snaked from the empty sockets where his eyes should have been, disappearing into the shattered remnants of the visor. A high-pitched, agonized scream, mechanical and chilling, echoed through the air, making Hunter¡¯s teeth ache. Hunter heard Ella gasp behind him. He shifted to block her view, but it was too late. She was crouched against a wall, trembling, a hand clamped over her mouth. Tears streamed down her face. "Michael?" she choked out. Hunter held out a hand. ¡°We¡¯ve got to get out of here.¡± Ella took his hand, her grip tight. He pulled her to her feet. They reached the back corner of the building. Hunter glanced at the unconscious guard one last time before disappearing around the corner as sirens wailed in the distance. *** ¡°This way, sir.¡± One of the clones pointed down yet another alley after checking his wrist pad. He followed them, panting, but determined to keep up. Alley after alley they ran down, always a few steps behind the woman¡¯s tracker, until they fell behind. The signal jumped locations a couple times. Damn it, they''re moving fast. How is she doing this? Jake wondered. He knew the tracker was a small subdermal implant, usually easily detectable. ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± Jake asked, the stitch in his side burning. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, sir.¡± "Shit." There was no other choice now. "Send the drone." He watched as one of the guards raised a small, sleek device. It unfolded into a hovering drone, about the size of a bird, its single red eye blinking ominously as it silently ascended. The red light pulsed, casting an eerie glow on the grimy walls. Jake had a bad feeling about this. Something was about to go very wrong. He could almost hear the whisper of the wind as it sliced through the air, carrying something unseen, something out of his control. Chapter 8 Hunter pulled Ella, in a half stupor, down the dimly lit alleyways, pressing himself against the wall and scanning his surroundings, before he entered any new opening. He knew they were moving too slowly, but there was no choice. Sometimes a moment needed blind action. This was not one of those times. Still, Hunter knew they needed a better way. He guided Ella to an empty crate next to a dumpster, set her down, and pulled down a rusty fire escape ladder. Hunter turned to Ella and offered his knee as a step. ¡°Up we go.¡± Ella didn¡¯t move. ¡°Ella.¡± He raised his voice slightly above a forced whisper. But it was no use. The girl was in a faraway place, lost in her own mind. Hunter had seen that look many times in his own mirrored reflection. He leaned his head back and breathed out a puff of frustration. ¡°Girl, wake up. There¡¯s no time. I don¡¯t know who Michael is, but I can tell he means a lot to you. We have to move before we end up like he did.¡± The sound of Michael¡¯s name snapped Ella back to reality, and she stood, hands gripped into fists, ¡°He¡¯s my brother.¡± A memory of the crack of a distant tree and a familiar scream echoed in Hunter¡¯s mind at the word brother. The image flashed through his mind, gone as quickly as it came, but the pain remained, a dull ache behind his eyes. ¡°Well, he was my brother. And I would give anything to make those monsters pay for what they¡¯ve done.¡± Hunter saw a flash of white spread across Ella¡¯s irises for a moment, the air around her seeming to shimmer for a split second, before settling back to the blue he had seen when they had first locked eyes. He tilted his head and squinted at her. But the moment had passed. A trick of the light, or was it? ¡°I get it, more than you can understand. You¡¯re angry, right?¡± Ella nodded. ¡°Fantastic! I don¡¯t know what those bastards did to you and your brother, but once we get out of here, I¡¯ll help you burn them to the ground myself. But, for now, use that anger to push you forward.¡± ¡°Alright, what¡¯s your plan?¡± ¡°We go up. The canopy market will give us cover.¡± Ella craned her neck upward and studied the rusted out fire escape that looked like it could collapse to dust in a slight breeze. ¡°Do you have any other ideas?¡± Hunter pointed to the manhole cover labeled sewer at her feet. ¡°We could go down.¡± ¡°Up it is.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d see my point of view. Now come on.¡± Hunter pulled the ladder down again and patted his knee. Ella sprinted forward, pressed her foot into Hunter¡¯s thigh, and sprang upward, skipping the first four rungs. ¡°That was impressive.¡± ¡°What can I say, anger can be a powerful motivator. Try to keep up, old man.¡± ¡°Old man?¡± Hunter gripped the rung with his metal arm and jerked down. In one fluid motion, he rocketed past Ella, catching the top railing of the first landing, and slung his legs over. ¡°Who are you calling, old man?¡± He offered Ella a hand, but she slapped it away. ¡°How did you do that?¡± Hunter lifted his jacket and shirt sleeve, revealing the metal underneath. ¡°You aren¡¯t the only one with secrets.¡± Ella reached out and touched it as a green LED light lit up her face. ¡°It¡¯s warm.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Yup. I have Thad to thank for that.¡± Hunter rolled his sleeves back down and continued up the next flight of stairs, with Ella close behind. Ella took each step as quickly as she could, trying to keep pace with Hunter as he took two steps at a time, but her head was starting to swim. ¡°I need a break.¡± Hunter was about to slow his steps when the whir of a Republic drone filled the air. He quickly scanned his surroundings just in time to see the flickering red scanner light appear around the edge of the building. Hunter reached out towards Ella. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do you trust me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ella slipped her hand in his. ¡°But something tells me I¡¯m going to regret that answer.¡± ¡°Good. Now grip tight and hold your breath.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Hunter didn¡¯t take the time to answer. Instead, he swung Ella into the air, flinging her up and over the ledge of the roof. Once she was safely out of sight, he slipped the cloth mask to the bridge of his nose, slumped to the metal slatted floor, and closed his eyes. Hunter held his breath and tried not to flinch as the whirring got closer to him. His fingers twitched, unconsciously, when he could see red light through his closed eyelids. An outward manifestation of the raging anger inside of him. His body wanted to fight. To rip the machine out of the air and tear it to pieces. But Hunter knew better. One zap from the taser prongs fitted to the smooth exoskeleton of the drone and it would be game over. Not only would they kill him, the bastards would most likely force him to watch as Ella was tortured, as a penance for interfering with whatever they were up to. When the whir disappeared, Hunter slowly stood and made his way to the roof. When he knew no one was watching, he kicked out one of the nearby wooden poles, keeping a patchwork canopy in place to the ground. A moment later, Ella fell into his arms. ¡°You tried to kill me.¡± Hunter let her down and shrugged. ¡°Desperate times, call for desperate measures.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you know this thing would catch me?¡± Ella pushed Hunter¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I could have broken my neck.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve spent a lot of time up here. These things are stronger than they look.¡± Hunter grabbed a nearby wooden bear figurine, tossed it on top of a nearby canopy, and gritted his teeth as the structure fell to the ground, knocking over the canopy next to it. Hunter turned back to Ella. She stared at him, eyebrows raised, her hands planted firmly on her hips. ¡°You were saying?¡± He was about to respond when muffled curses caused his head to snap back to the chaos. A second later, a woman crawled out from under the canvas. Anger flushed in her wrinkled cheeks. Her silver hair was a nest of tangles. ¡°Are you gonna pay me for the mess you made?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Hunter pulled his techpad from his pocket, keyed in one hundred coins, and flicked it towards the woman with two fingers. ¡°I am so sorry.¡± A moment later, her watch beeped. She studied it for a second and then nodded. ¡°Thank you, young man.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Hunter turned to Ella. ¡°We¡¯ve got to get going.¡± ¡°Come back, again.¡± Hunter smiled and motioned Ella forward with his head. ¡°We will. Again, sorry for the mess.¡± The two moved past tables with trinkets and shiny metal that reflected the flickered light of torches that lit their way. ¡°Well, she seemed nice.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let these people fool you. They¡¯re no different from the people on ground level. They¡¯ll throw you off the roof in a heartbeat if they think you¡¯ve ripped them off.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know. Speaking of, do you know where we¡¯re going?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Hunter pointed to a rope bridge that hung from one rooftop to another. ¡°Across.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? I¡¯m not going across that thing.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Scared of heights?¡± ¡°Heights, no. Falling to my death, yes.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go first.¡± Hunter stepped forward, gripping the rope with both hands. When he reached the halfway point, a woman stepped onto the bridge across from him. She had a large, oversized bag strapped to her back and her eyes, dark and intense, never left Hunter¡¯s. She walked confidently towards him, nearly knocking him over the side as she passed, whispering something he couldn''t quite catch. Ella cupped her hands around her mouth. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Scared of heights?¡± Hunter turned back to her, ¡°Ha, ha, ha. So funny. I didn¡¯t know you had jokes.¡± He stepped off the last wooden plank, landing firmly on the next roof. Ella followed shortly behind. ¡°Are you kidding me? I¡¯m a bundle of laughs.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bet.¡± Hunter walked along the edge of the roof until he came to a white and black striped plastic trash chute hanging off the ledge. Without saying another word, he dropped into the tube, feet first. Ella rushed forward, ¡°Hunter?!¡± ¡°Mind that first step.¡± Hunter¡¯s voice echoed up at her, ¡°Come on.¡± Ella stepped up to the lip of the tube. The air spilling from the chute was thick with the stench of rotting food and stale beer. She closed her eyes. ¡°Hunter, I¡¯m going to kill you for this, if you don¡¯t kill me first.¡± She whispered under her breath and let gravity pull her down. The transition of white and black morphed into a dull gray as she slid down the tube. She closed her eyes and swallowed down bile as it came to her lips until she landed with a thud. When she opened her eyes, she was laying in a pile of trash bags. ¡°Welcome to the dark side.¡± Hunter lifted Ella to her feet. ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°I just told you, we¡¯re in the dark side.¡± Hunter walked towards a spiral staircase in the corner of the room and headed down, with Ella behind him. She counted her steps as she walked in case she needed to make a quick exit, but it was no use. They were moving too quickly. When they reached the bottom of the staircase, Ella took in her surroundings. A single bulb hung from the center of the room. On the opposite wall, furthest from her, was a door. To her left, there was another door. A person stood next to it, a military style duffle bag slung over his shoulder. He was leaning against the wall, the hood of a green jacket covered his face. Chapter 9 ¡°What took you so long?¡± Hunter walked over to the stranger and shook his hand. ¡°We ran into a minor issue.¡± ¡°You always do.¡± The man removed the hood, a wide smile across his face. It was Thad. ¡°Well, that was a wild time, huh?¡± Ella stepped forward. ¡°Wild isn¡¯t quite what I would call it.¡± ¡°Good point. Now let¡¯s look at this thing before the Hawker tracks you down.¡± ¡°Hawkers are the least of our problems.¡± Hunter pulled a key that hung from a chain around his neck and unlocked the door. When they were inside, he locked the door and slid the four deadbolts in place. Ella¡¯s eyebrows raised. ¡°A little paranoid, aren¡¯t you?¡± Thad patted Hunter¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I like her.¡± ¡°Of course you do.¡± Hunter slid out a barstool and patted it. ¡°Take a seat.¡± Ella slipped onto the seat and leaned forward, resting her chin on the back of her hands, as Hunter pulled three bottles from the fridge, opened one and sat it on the bar top next to Ella. She looked up at him, took a sniff of the liquid, and made a gagging sound. ¡°What is that?¡± Hunter and Thad shared a quick glance, ¡°It¡¯s beer.¡± ¡°Well, it smells like pee.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not wrong.¡± Thad placed his bag on a nearby table, removed his laptop, gauze and a large bandage, and a leather pouch rolled up and tied tightly. He tugged on the strings and flattened the pouch, pulling out a scalpel and a pair of tweezers. ¡°Can you grab that lamp and slide it over here, Hunter?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Hunter followed his friend¡¯s request and clicked on the light. ¡°Okay, Ella, do you know where they implanted the tracker?¡± ¡°Right shoulder blade.¡± ¡°I really hate to ask you this, but can you raise your shirt up in the back so I can look?¡± Ella shivered. ¡°Can you pull my collar down instead?¡± ¡°Sure, if it will make you more comfortable.¡± She nodded. Thad pulled her collar down until a bright pink scar appeared, just left of Ella¡¯s shoulder blade. The strange thing was, it wasn¡¯t the only marking on her back. Surrounding the area of bare skin were other marks and carvings, like someone had used her back as an ancient rock tablet. Thad could see what looked like a ring, three waves stacked on top of one another, a flame, and a primitive lightning bolt. He leaned to the side and directed Hunter¡¯s view with his eyes. Hunter shook his head. ¡°Can you remove it?¡± ¡°I can, but there¡¯s no anesthetic.¡± ¡°What¡¯s anesthetic?¡± ¡°It numbs pain.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ella gritted her teeth. ¡°There¡¯s no problem. I¡¯m used to pain.¡± Thad picked up the scalpel. ¡°Well, here goes nothing.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Ella yelped, making Thad jump. She put the bottle to her lips and took a long drag. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­do¡­that¡­again.¡± Thad steadied his hand. He needed his full focus to remove the metallic implant inside of her. One wrong move and it would automatically dig deeper into the person¡¯s body. Too much rough tampering and it would just blow up. An ultimate, if I can¡¯t have you, no one can, move by deranged Hawkers. A gruesome scene flashed in his head, seeing Ella¡¯s head and shoulders blown off, splattered all over Hunter¡¯s off-white walls. He gulped and shook the thought from his mind. ¡°You okay?¡± Hunter asked, peering over his friend. Thad nodded and pressed the scalpel across the fresh wound. Ella didn¡¯t move. It wasn¡¯t long before Thad saw the metallic, insect-like creature. He grabbed the long, slender tweezers and gently gripped the first hook that had attached itself to the muscle. Thad gently pulled the hook away and signed in relief. It didn¡¯t know he was there yet. Only five more to go. A bead of sweat formed on Thad¡¯s forehead. ¡°Hey, Hunter. Can you hand me a towel?¡± Hunter moved silently to the kitchen, pulled out a clean dish towel from a drawer, and handed it to his friend. Thad leaned back a moment and used the towel to wipe the sweat off his brow before focusing once more on the task at hand. Hunter sat down on the ripped sofa in the corner of the room, feeling the one disjointed spring poke at his back, and watched his friend work in awe. He held out his right hand, his only actual hand, and watched it tremble. If only he had known Thad earlier. Things might be different. The echo of the tree crack and scream flashed across his memory once more. He squeezed his fist tightly and took another long pull of beer from his bottle. A few moments later, Thad sat back, popped his neck, and held his tweezers up over his left shoulder. The metal creature dangled lifelessly by one leg from the tool. A dull, red light flashed from its pill shaped body. ¡°What should we do with this thing?¡± Hunter stepped forward and held out his left hand. ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± Thad dropped the creature onto Hunter¡¯s palm. ¡°Yes, and no. It¡¯s active, so it can still be tracked. It pings their network every few seconds with your location. But unless it¡¯s injected into tissue, there¡¯s no concern about¡­¡± Thad brought his hands together then quickly pulled them apart, while flicking his fingers and made an explosion sound with his mouth. Ella spun around in the chair, eyes wide. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Nothing. Never mind.¡± ¡°You mean to tell me that thing could have exploded?¡± Thad cringed, ¡°What? No.¡± He lied, ¡°Now turn back around before you rip the cut even more. I still need to stitch you up.¡± Ella whispered something under her breath and turned back around. Hunter gave Thad a light smack to the back of his head. Thad glanced over his shoulder and mouthed, ¡°Sorry¡± before grabbing his suture kit and began closing the wound. Hunter took the tracker back to the couch and studied it, turning it over and over in his hand. His eyes fell on a spool of thin, insulated wire on his workbench, then to a small device with a blinking red light. A slow smile spread across his face. He knew time wasn¡¯t on their side, but he couldn¡¯t resist. This might actually work. He stood and made his way to his workbench, picking up a soldering iron and a small component from a drawer. Thad watched his friend out of the corner of his eyes and chuckled, ¡°Oh no.¡± He snipped the last bit of thread from the hooked needle and sprayed the wound with liquid skin. Ella adjusted her shirt and turned around. ¡°What?¡± Thad pointed to Hunter, ¡°That.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°When he acts like that, trouble is soon to follow.¡± ¡°I heard that.¡± Hunter turned around, holding a small black box and twine in his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Ella stepped forward. ¡°What are we supposed to do until you get back?¡± ¡°They¡¯re still out there tracking this thing. I¡¯m going to buy us some time.¡± ¡°And from the look on your face, it looks like you¡¯re planning something fun as well.¡± Hunter winked at Thad. ¡°There¡¯s time for both. Now, in the meantime...¡± Hunter folded back the corner blue area rug in the center of the room, and lifted the hatch hidden in the floor, ¡°get in.¡± Ella hugged herself and backed away from the opening, her breath catching in her throat. Dark. Confined. The air thick with the smell of mildew and something else... something metallic. A wave of nausea washed over her. She couldn''t breathe. It was happening again. She just couldn''t. ¡°I¡¯m not going in there.¡± ¡°Listen, they could burst through that door at any moment. Then we¡¯d all be done for. It¡¯s bigger than it looks, and Thad will be with you the whole time.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I just can¡¯t.¡± Thad held out his hand to Ella, and she took it with her own. ¡°I get it. Fear can do crazy things to us. I can¡¯t imagine what you¡¯ve been through, but he¡¯s right. You¡¯ve made it this far for a reason. You can do this.¡± Ella nodded and followed Thad down the stairs. Hunter pointed towards the wall on their right. ¡°There¡¯s a light switch. The door locks from the inside. Anything you could need is down there. Don¡¯t unlock the door until I give you the knock.¡± Thad nodded. He flipped the switch, and the room filled with iridescent light. There was a small cot against one wall, a bookshelf filled with books, and a small refrigerator. Under the stairs, behind a curtain, was a toilet and a pedestal sink. Thad clicked his tongue, ¡°Cozy.¡± ¡°See. I told you it wasn¡¯t too bad down there. Ella, are you alright?¡± She looked at him, fear in her eyes, the first genuine fear he had seen from her. ¡°Yes. Just please be careful and come back.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t get rid of me that easily.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯ve tried to get rid of that lug head for years now.¡± Thad nudged Ella. ¡°What can I say? I tend to grow on people.¡± ¡°Like mold on an old sandwich.¡± The three laughed for a moment before Hunter closed the hatch as his eye caught Ella¡¯s. Some of the fear had faded. ¡°Good luck.¡± A warm smile spread across his face. ¡°Thanks. You too.¡± He closed the hatch. Chapter 10 Thad waited until he heard Hunter¡¯s footsteps fade and the door above them shut. He turned the circled handle on the hatch above his head until two large rods slid into place before slumping down on the cot. ¡°Well, now we wait.¡± Thad waited for Ella to respond, but instead, she just ran a finger over the books that filled the bookshelves. ¡°Did you know about this place?¡± Thad shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve known Hunter for a long time, but there are certain things he won¡¯t even tell me.¡± ¡°Does that bother you?¡± ¡°Nah. We¡¯re all on our own journey.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a good friend.¡± ¡°I do what I can.¡± He chuckled, ¡°Hunter has saved my skin more times than I can count.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± Ella focused back on the surrounding items until her eyes landed on a small wooden picture frame. The glass was cracked in a spiderweb. Underneath was a picture of Hunter, several years younger, and another boy that looked to be around her age. They were sitting next to what looked like a river, arms around each other¡¯s shoulders. Wide smiles on their faces. Not a care in the world. She picked up the frame to study it closer. Thad appeared next to her. ¡°Now this, I know about.¡± Ella handed him the picture. ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s his brother.¡± ¡°Hunter has a brother?¡± ¡°Had.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°He had a brother. He died.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Thad let out a long, slow sigh and handed the frame back to her. ¡°Long before Hunter was Hunter, he worked with his family as clearers.¡± Ella cocked her head to the side. ¡°What are clearers?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the people who get hired to clear areas so new people can take over,¡± Thad explained. "Dangerous work, especially back in the outside settlements." Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°What kind of things did they clear?¡± ¡°You know,¡± Thad rubbed his forehead, ¡°old buildings, animals¡­¡± ¡°People?¡± ¡°Sometimes. But not that time.¡± Thad tapped the picture. ¡°That time it was a forest. There was an accident. A tree fell on his brother and crushed him. Hunter tried to roll the tree out of the way, but it slipped. That¡¯s how he ended up with his¡­¡± Thad subtly gestured towards his own arm. Ella understood. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Yeah. Hunter worked his brother free and carried him over his shoulder for three miles, but it was too late. He died in Hunter¡¯s arms.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so sad.¡± Thad nodded. ¡°He never took a clearing job again.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe he told you that.¡± ¡°Whiskey does that to people.¡± Three knocks, followed by three more, on the ceiling above their heads startled Ella, causing the picture to slip from her grip and clatter to the floor. Thad turned the wheel and tapped three knocks in reply. A moment later, the hatch swung open and Hunter¡®s silhouette appeared, a brown burlap sack under his arm. ¡°Whiskey does what to people?¡± ¡°Geez Hunter, did I give you bionic hearing as well?¡± ¡°Nah, it¡¯s more about knowing when to listen.¡± ¡°Ah, so you finally admit to selective hearing?¡± ¡°Did you say something?¡± Hunter winked at Ella, stepped down the stairs, picked up the photo from the floor, and nodded. Ella¡¯s head lowered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She wasn¡¯t just sorry for dropping the picture. She was sorry for all the unspoken judgments she¡¯d made about Hunter, for not seeing the pain beneath his gruff exterior. ¡°No worries.¡± Hunter sat the picture back in its place. "What was his name?" she asked softly. Hunter looked at the picture one final time, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. ¡°Ethan.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good name.¡± Hunter turned to Ella. ¡°He was a good kid.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± Thad cleared his throat after a long pause. ¡°Are you going to tell us what you did while you were out?¡± ¡°Yup. But first, how about we go up and get a bite?¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re talking.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± Ella pointed to the sack Hunter was carrying. ¡°Oh, yeah. Here you go.¡± Hunter handed the bag to Ella. ¡°I didn¡¯t know your size, so I hope they fit.¡± Ella opened the bag. Inside was a pair of worn jeans, an olive green t-shirt, and a leather jacket, with a fur-lined collar like the one Hunter wore. Her fingers brushed the soft fur lining, a warmth spreading through her she hadn''t felt in a long time. A tear formed in the corner of her eye. She wiped it away before she looked back up. ¡°I can¡¯t accept this.¡± ¡°Sure you can. And this¡­¡± Hunter pulled a leather-wrapped flask out of his back pocket and tossed it to Thad, ¡°is for you. I owe you one, buddy.¡± Thad ran his hand across the smooth leather, a genuine smile spreading across his face. ¡°Let¡¯s call it even. And besides, you would have done the same for me.¡± Hunter nodded a quick nod and walked back up the stairs. Chapter 11 The Underground¡­ ¡°Sir.¡± Ze took a long drag from his vapor stick and slammed his fist down on his makeshift, plywood tabletop. ¡°What is it, Liam?¡± ¡°We think we¡¯ve found her.¡± ¡°You think? What took you so long?¡± ¡°The Republic Guards have made tracking her much more of a challenge. And whoever is helping her clearly knows the area very well.¡± Ze gripped the vapor stick in his fist before throwing it against the cold, cinder block wall in an explosion of metal and plastic. ¡°That¡¯s not good enough. She¡¯s my property. I want her back NOW! Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Liam shifted uneasily, remembering the last time Ze''s "property" had gone missing. The screams¡­ he pushed the memory away. ¡°You better, or I¡¯ll take it out of your flesh. Where the hell is she?¡± ¡°She stopped in the sewer.¡± Ze¡¯s face widened into a crazed grin and a wicked twinkle flashed across his eyes. The sewers¡­ they were his domain. He could almost smell the damp earth and the metallic tang of old blood. This was where he belonged. He remembered his first kill down there, a scrawny kid barely older than Liam, whimpering as Ze tightened his grip¡­ The memory sent a thrill through him. They had stepped onto his turf, and it would be the last mistake they ever made. He stood, the gleam still in his eyes, ¡°Come on. We¡¯ve got goods to catch.¡± *** The smell of ammonia and raw sewage burned Ze¡¯s eyes, but he didn¡¯t care. It smelt like home to him. The place of his childhood, his training, his initiation to the literal underground. He remembered the initiation: the cold, slimy feel of the sewer water up to his chest, the roar of the older boys¡¯ laughter echoing off the concrete walls, the sting of the first blow¡­ It had been brutal, but it had forged him. There was no other place he¡¯d rather be. It gave him a freedom that the overworld never would. He started his career the way the bosses before him had done. Illegal weapons and drugs. Underground animal fighting. But that all changed when Stanton came into the picture. With his backing, Ze crushed anyone who stood in his way. Of course, that support was always hidden behind a curtain of sludge and grime, but Ze didn¡¯t care. He was happy to stay in the shadows, ferrying the Doctor¡¯s special subjects. He never asked what Stanton did with the people he provided, even when curiosity nearly got the better of him. Instead, Ze pocketed the money and went about his merry way, the King Of The Underworld. A real life Charon, on his own, personal River Styx.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Ze sighed impatiently, his hand coming to rest on the butt of the revolver strapped to his hip, ¡°How much longer until we reach them?¡± Liam looked up from the small device in his hand and spit a wad of black tar from his mouth. He hesitated. He knew Ze was volatile, but lately¡­ lately, he seemed even more on edge. Maybe I should find another job after this, he thought, then immediately dismissed the idea. Ze wouldn''t let him leave. He¡¯d seen what happened to those who tried. ¡°They should be right up here.¡± A picture of smashing the revolver against his prey¡¯s face flashed through Ze¡¯s mind, causing him to tap the weapon in excitement, ¡°Good.¡± The men walked in silence, the only sound the drip of unseen water and the echo of their footsteps, until they came to a rusted, circular door, not much bigger than the manhole covers that dotted the streets above their heads. It was welded to a hinge on the wall to their left. Ze shot Liam a look, eyebrows raised and Liam gave a quick nod in response. With a flick of his chin, he directed the strongarm towards the door as he slipped the gun from its holster. Ze pulled the hammer back, took aim, motioned for Liam to open the door. For a moment, nothing happened. The round passage, not much longer than a body length, appeared empty. A cold draft wafted from the opening, carrying the scent of damp earth and something else¡­ something metallic. Ze''s senses prickled. ¡°What in the hell?¡± Liam stuck his head in the opening. ¡°Wait. There¡¯s something in here.¡± ¡°What is it, you idiot?¡± When Liam turned around, he held a large, fat rat in his hands. On the rat¡¯s back, lashed in place by twine, was a small black box. Ze stepped forward and removed the box from the animal¡¯s back. It was heavier than it looked. He spun the smooth object in his hands, held it to his ear, and gave it a quick shake. ¡°What is this¡­¡± A buzzing sound cut Ze off. He pulled the object away just in time to see two taser prongs fly towards his face. He tried to duck, but it was too late. The prongs embedded themselves into his skin, one landed in his right cheek, the other landed just above his right eyebrow. An instant and painful shock tore through his face, like being stung by one hundred bees all at once. Ze collapsed to the sludge covered ground and tried to pull the wires from his skin, but it was no use. His arms were useless. Time passed like molasses as Ze flopped on the ground like a fish out of water until Liam was able to free Ze from his torture. Ze allowed the cool breeze to wash over him before he opened his eyes. For a brief moment, it filled him with relief, but the feeling was quickly replaced with rage. A rage so fierce he could feel heat in his fingers. His eyes snapped open, but what Ze saw didn¡¯t compute in his brain. His left eye was covered in a film that only allowed him to see in splotches of light and haze. Ze¡¯s right eye was completely black, like a lightbulb that had popped out. The world was a blurry mess of shadows and distorted shapes. He could hear the drip of water echoing from unseen corners of the sewer, each drop a hammer blow against his skull. The stench of sewage was overwhelming, a thick, suffocating blanket. Ze dug at his face, trying to remove the sewage that blocked his vision. But no matter how much he dug, his vision never cleared. ¡°Sir¡­¡± Liam¡¯s frantic voice echoed off the surrounding walls, ¡°Your face.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Help me up.¡± Liam cringed at the singed flesh, like streaked soot, that smeared over his boss¡¯ right eye. He held out a hand, but Ze never took it, ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°You piece of shit. Help me up.¡± Liam took Ze by the hand and pulled him to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m trying.¡± ¡°I swear, when I find that girl, I will make her suffer. She¡¯ll beg for death.¡± He clinched his jaws until his teeth threatened to shatter. ¡°And anyone who helped her, I¡¯ll force them to watch the whole thing before I put a bullet in their skull.¡± Chapter 12 The rise and fall of Hunter''s chest was the only sound in the room, a stark contrast to the turmoil inside Ella. She watched the two men as they slept on the floor next to the couch she lay on. Her protectors, saviors, who sacrificed their lives in order to save her. They deserved better. As quietly as she could, Ella slid off the couch, walked towards Hunter¡¯s workbench, and scribbled down a quick note. When she was done, she laid the note on the bar top, tucked her new jacket under her arm, mouthed a thank you for the two men she was leaving behind, and slipped out the door. *** ¡°Damn it.¡± Thad jumped to his feet, fists clenched, ready for a fight. ¡°Who¡­what?¡± Hunter tossed the note down on the table next to Thad. ¡°She¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Gone? What do you mean, gone?¡± Hunter pointed to the slip of paper. Thad picked it up and slipped on his glasses. Hunter and Thad, I can not thank you enough for all that you¡¯ve done for me. You¡¯ve risked your entire lives for a stranger. I can¡¯t let you put yourself in danger any more. You will always be in my heart. Sincerely, Ella Thad read the words a second time. ¡°Well, now what?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°We find her.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Hunter handed Thad a tan duffel bag that was sitting next to the door, threw on his jacket, and slung a bag of his own over his shoulder. ¡°And hopefully we get to her before someone else does.¡±
Ella walked down the street, trying to stay invisible in the shadows, hands tucked into her jacket pockets. She missed the warm room and the company she had just walked away from. She longed to turn back, but they had already risked so much for her. If she stayed with them, she would just put them in more danger, and that was something she wouldn¡¯t do. A flash of her parents and brother and what the doctors had done to her passed through Ella¡¯s mind, causing tears to mist her sight. Too many people had suffered around her. Ella swallowed down the feeling of loneliness and continued onward, unsure of where she was going. A chill ran down Ella¡¯s spine as she tucked her chin into the collar of her jacket. She puffed out an icy breath and hugged herself tighter as she trudged through the mostly empty streets. If she had learned anything in the short time away from the lab, she couldn¡¯t take any chances. She proceeded slowly, checking every dark alleyway before she moved. Ella studied every person, anything that looked like a surveillance drone, anything at all that seemed out of place. It was something her brother, Michael, had taught her from a young age. Michael.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. The mere thought of his name brought a wave of memory of that creature she had seen under the mask, unconscious on the ground behind the bar. They had turned her brother into a monster. Was the rest of her family okay? How could they be? There was only pain and suffering in that place. Ella choked back a sob as it tried to escape her and focused on the people who had caused so much pain to her family. She remembered each of their faces. The faces of vile creatures, not humans. No human would sit by and allow that level of suffering to happen. A new feeling stirred deep inside her. It spread throughout her body and transformed her loneliness into hate. Hate for the doctors that tortured her, the people who allowed it to happen daily, and most of all, a white-hot, blistering hate for Doctor Stanton. The devil incarnate. Ella didn¡¯t know how, but she knew she would kill him if she got the chance. A loud crunch coming from the alleyway just to Ella¡¯s right caused her to freeze. The neon blue strip of light surrounding the mirrored face mask of a Republic Guard glared down at her. Her own terror-filled reflection willed her to move. Remembering Michael''s lessons, she noted the slight shift in the Guard''s weight, the telltale sign of an impending move. Ella twisted her body, using the momentum to deliver a sharp, angled kick to the Guard''s knee, aiming for the joint. A sickening crunch echoed in the alley. She bolted in the opposite direction, cursing herself for letting her guard down for even a second. Michael¡¯s most important lesson: focus first, emotion second. She may have let him down again, but she wouldn¡¯t let that mistake grow into two. Ella sprinted across the empty street and into the nearest alley. She had to think quickly. What had Hunter taught her? She scanned her surroundings for a fire escape, but it was no use. Not every building had one, and the ones she saw were missing ladders or severely rusted. Up or down? If up wasn¡¯t an option, she¡¯d go down. Ella stood above a manhole cover and tried to slide it out of the way, but the heavy metal wouldn¡¯t budge. She tried again, pulling with all of her might, until her hands slipped and she crashed, the back of her head slamming hard against a cold, wet dumpster, just as a buzz of taser prongs zipped past her head. It was too late. They had caught up with her. ¡°I found her. She¡¯s in the north quadrant, alley 13.¡± A mechanical voice hissed from behind her. Ella wasn¡¯t sure if the memories had flooded her senses or if it was the ringing in her head, but the voice she heard sounded like her brother. Just slightly distorted by the mask, but the cadence was his. She would know it anywhere. It was in her dreams, in her every waking moment. The way he used to say her name, a soft "El" at the end, echoed in her mind. She sat up, pressed her back against a brick wall, and rubbed her head. ¡°Michael?¡± More steps and voices surrounded her as she tried to gain her bearings, but the more she heard, the more unbalanced she became. The voices, all the voices, were her brother¡¯s. A never ending, cascading echo of Michael. Ella clenched her hands over her ears and screamed, a violent, earth-splitting shriek, until everything around her stopped. When she looked up, a line of Guards were circling her, cutting her off from all exits. It was over. She was the prey, being closed in on by hungry lions. Ella steadied herself. If this is how it was going to end, she¡¯d go down fighting. Ella sprang to her feet and threw herself on top of a dumpster to her left, just as the first guard tried to grab her. She kicked his face as hard as she could and dug her fingers into the brick, a hopeless attempt to scale the wall until a heavy, shimmering web fell over her, the strands like spun moonlight, tightening with every struggle. In a swift yank, a nearby guard dropped her to the ground with a thud that caused her ears to ring. Ella tried to stand, but before she could move, the sting of a dart dug into her shoulder. It was too late. The green liquid was already working its way through her body. Her legs felt like shredded paper. Ella threw a limp hand at the nearest guard, but all she wanted to do was close her eyes and sleep. She strained to keep her eyelids open. Not yet. Please, not yet. Everyone helped you, and this is how far you can go. She sank deeper into oblivion, her vision almost completely gone. Not like this. Then all went black. Chapter 13 A guard knelt and waited until his vision screen scanned Ella¡¯s vitals. He nodded at his comrades and clicked on the communicator on his wristband. ¡°She¡¯s sedated, sir.¡± ¡°Good.¡± A voice snapped back, ¡°Now, bring her to me.¡± ¡°Of course, sir. We¡¯re on our¡­¡± He stopped abruptly, his head slumped to one side before he collapsed to the ground. Ella was back upright, arms at her sides. She was hovering several inches off the ground. A searing heat erupted not from her, but through her, like a volcano suddenly uncorked. It latched onto the guard''s hand, and she heard his scream, a distant thing, as if she were underwater. Her eyes swam with whites and blues so bright they almost lit the space around the guards. The other guards shifted nervously, their eyes darting between Ella¡¯s floating form and the pile of ash that was once their comrade''s hand. Sweat beaded on the brow of the man with the taser; his hand trembled slightly as he aimed. They shifted their glances between each other, waiting for another to make the first move, as she floated, unmoving. One of the men slowly approached Ella from behind. He grabbed her wrist and instantly screamed out in pain. The others watched in horror as the man fell to his knees. He held up the hand that touched Ella as it burned away to ash that blew away in the garbage-laced wind. The men took a step back as Ella floated towards them. One man drew his weapon, took aim, and fired the taser at Ella. But before it could make contact, Ella¡¯s head snapped towards the man. In a flash, she opened her mouth and released a shock-wave so violent it shattered the man¡¯s mirrored mask. In an instant, Ella¡¯s eyes returned to normal before fluttering closed as she collapsed to the ground once more. The guards paused, not knowing how to proceed, when a masked figure dropped next to Ella from above. ¡°You guys should probably leave.¡± One guard stepped forward. ¡°This doesn¡¯t concern you, citizen.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯d say kidnapping a helpless, unconscious girl is everyone¡¯s concern.¡± The man looked down at the guard with the missing hand and then at the guard with the shattered mask. ¡°Well, maybe she¡¯s not that helpless. But from the look of things, you should thank me for taking her off your hands.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t let you do that.¡± ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d say that.¡± The man¡¯s eyes lit up. He tapped the earpiece in his right ear. ¡°Thad, you¡¯re up.¡± In less than a blink, a bullet blew through the guard¡¯s helmet. A blur of motion ¨C Thad''s gun spitting fire ¨C and the guard''s helmet jerked violently as a bullet grazed his temple. He stumbled back, momentarily blinded, giving Hunter an opening. Then another and another. Hunter glanced at the guard to his right and gave him a wink. In one fluid motion, he grabbed the guard¡¯s weapon with one hand and punched him in the chest with his metallic fist. Another bullet rang out, sending another guard to the ground. ¡°Thanks, buddy.¡± ¡°Fight now. Thank me later.¡± Hunter pointed the taser towards another guard and pulled the trigger, as he slipped a throwing dagger from the sheath strapped to his left rib cage. He aimed and let fly, finding a home in the chest of another guard. He stepped forward as the last guard standing ran in the opposite direction. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Hunter? You got that one?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Hunter pulled the silver hatchet from his belt and squinted one eye. ¡°Hunter?¡± ¡°I got it.¡± The guard was about to break into the open street. ¡°Hunter!¡± Hunter took a breath, aimed, and the hatchet spun end over end, sinking into the fleeing guard''s back. He walked towards the lifeless man, pulled the weapon from the man¡¯s back, and wiped the blood from the blade on the dead man¡¯s shirt. When he got back, Thad had removed the daggers and handed them back to Hunter. Hunter slipped the mask off his face. ¡°I still got it.¡± ¡°Thankfully.¡± Thad surveyed the carnage that littered the alleyway. ¡°What in the hell have we gotten ourselves into?¡± Hunter cast a glance at Ella¡¯s unconscious body laying on the ground in a pile of trash. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but she¡¯s in a lot of trouble.¡± Thad nodded. ¡°A whole lot of it.¡± *** ¡°So, are we just going to pretend we didn¡¯t see that?¡° Hunter leaned back on his couch and rubbed his temples. ¡°See what?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Would you be quiet?¡± Hunter glanced at the open hatch in his floor. ¡°Hunter, she burnt a man alive.¡± Thad flopped down next to Hunter. ¡°His hand literally blew away in the wind.¡± ¡°I know. I was there.¡± ¡°So, what do we do?¡± ¡°We let her get some rest. When she wakes up, we¡¯ll talk to her.¡± ¡°And hope she doesn¡¯t incinerate us?¡± ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t know what happened. I saw it, but I still don¡¯t understand.¡± Hunter leaned forward, forearms resting on his legs, and rubbed his stubbled chin. ¡°But do you really think she¡¯s dangerous?¡± Thad sighed, ¡°No. Not to us anyway. She¡¯s a scared girl.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Do you think she knew what she was doing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If she did, the Hawker wouldn¡¯t have caught her in the first place.¡± ¡°Do you think this has something to do with those symbols carved into her back?¡± ¡°What else could it be?¡± ¡°Whoever wants her has to be pretty powerful.¡± ¡°Pretty dangerous, too.¡± Hunter patted his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It might be time for you to cut ties here.¡± ¡°No way.¡± Thad stood. ¡°I¡¯m in this to the end.¡± ¡°The end might come sooner than you think and it¡¯ll get bloodier as it goes.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°You know we aren¡¯t going to get out of this alive, right?¡± ¡°I know.¡± Thad walked to the edge of the hatch and looked at Ella, asleep on the cot below. ¡°We¡¯re on to something big here, Hunter. I can¡¯t walk away now.¡± Hunter stood next to his friend. ¡°There¡¯s no going back now.¡± ¡°Eh, you know what they say, go big or go home. And besides,¡± A smile spread across Thad¡¯s face, ¡°this should pay off my debt for the mess I got us into in Columbus.¡± ¡°Hey, she approached you first. How were you supposed to know she was a general¡¯s wife?¡± The two men let out a laugh and shook hands. ¡°To the end?¡± ¡°To the end.¡± Hunter looked down at Ella, her face pale as she slept. He still didn''t understand what he''d seen, what she was. But he knew one thing: their lives had just changed forever. Chapter 14 Jake listened to the transmission for the third time, his blood running cold. The clipped, threatening tone sent a shiver down his spine. ¡°¡­assets¡­ compromised¡­ termination¡­¡± He slammed his laptop against the wall, the screen exploding in a shower of green sparks. The force of the impact echoed the rage boiling inside him. He¡¯d risked everything for his father, jeopardized deals, bent rules, even¡­ he pushed the memory away. This was Chris¡¯s mess, and he was going to clean it up. He jabbed the call button on his desk phone. ¡°Bring my father to my office. Now.¡± The old man had gotten him into this, and by God, he was going to get him out. A moment later, the door creaked open, and Chris walked in. He was a shadow of his former self, his shoulders slumped, his eyes hollow. He moved with the hesitant steps of a man carrying a great weight. For a second, Jake barely recognized his weary-eyed father. ¡°Close the door and sit down.¡± Jake stood, walked around his desk, and leaned against the front of the sturdy wooden frame, watching as his father settled into the chair. He sighed. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Barely.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky to be surviving at all.¡± Chris¡¯s gaze flickered away. ¡°Since when did you start caring?¡± ¡°Really? Do you have any idea the risks I¡¯ve taken for you?¡± Chris took a shuddering breath. "I know. I didn''t mean it." His voice was barely a whisper. Jake gave a short, humorless laugh. "Doesn''t matter now. How do we fix this?" He tapped his fingers impatiently on the desk. ¡°We don¡¯t.¡± Jake leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Dad, if this doesn¡¯t get resolved, they will kill you.¡± ¡°Everything I¡¯ve done, I deserve to die.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡± Jake hissed. ¡°Listen, son, I¡¯ve done terrible things. Things you can¡¯t even imagine.¡± ¡°We all have secrets, Dad.¡± ¡°Worse.¡± ¡°What are you trying to tell me?¡± Chris stood, his expression unreadable. He slipped a keycard into Jake¡¯s left breast pocket, pulled his son into a brief, awkward embrace, and whispered, ¡°Project Rebirth.¡± A flicker of something ¨C recognition? Fear? ¨C crossed Jake¡¯s face before it was gone. ¡°What is that?¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Chris patted Jake¡¯s shoulder as his communicator chirped. He held up a finger towards his son. ¡°Yes? Perfect. I¡¯ll be right down.¡± ¡°Dad, I have to go, but we aren¡¯t done talking.¡± ¡°I sure hope so.¡± *** Ze gripped the tumbler of whiskey, swallowed it down in one shot, and slammed it back down on the bar top. He used to love the way fear spread across The Dog House with his appearance. Now, it was just¡­ noise. He spat on the floor. He wouldn¡¯t see anything anymore. A picture of the girl flashed through his mind ¨C her defiant eyes, the way she spat at him ¨C the memory burned like acid. I should have killed you from the beginning. ¡°Bartender!¡± Ze slammed his drink on the bar top again and waved blindly at the moving shadows. ¡°Get me another.¡± He waited. Nothing. ¡°Bartender!¡± Still no response. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Ze was about to stand when he felt someone take the seat next to him. ¡°Can I help you?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± ¡°Well, spit it out.¡± The invisible man chuckled. ¡°You know, I like you, Ze.¡± ¡°How about you stop blowing smoke up my ass.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The man slid a bottle of bourbon towards Ze. ¡°I¡¯m interested in the girl.¡± ¡°What girl?¡± ¡°Oh, come on, Ze. You¡¯re a smart guy. You know exactly who I¡¯m talking about.¡± The man tapped something on the smooth wooden surface and laid it down in front of the blind man. Ze ran his fingers across the large stack of paper. It was money. A lot of money. Ze pocketed the cash, twisted off the lid of the bottle, and took a long drag. ¡°I don¡¯t know where she is. If I did, she¡¯d be dead. No questions asked.¡± ¡°I totally understand.¡± ¡°So, what do you want to know?¡± ¡°Where¡¯d you find her?¡± ¡°She was hiding in a tree off the main road, outside of the city.¡± ¡°Did she talk about where she came from?¡± Ze took another long drag. ¡°Nope. Not a word.¡± ¡°Interesting. Walk me through everything.¡± ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°Drink and money not enough?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a very busy man.¡± ¡°Well, what if I can offer you new eyes?¡± Ze perked up. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°For a normal person. But my boss, Stanton, is not a normal person.¡± ¡°Stanton?¡± Ze¡¯s brow furrowed. The man chuckled and patted Ze¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Okay.¡± The shadow man listened as Ze told him every detail. From the moment he found and marked the girl, to when she beat up her very first John, to the escape from The Dog House, to the moment the booby-trapped rat blinded him. He sighed, the phantom pain of the explosion still echoing behind his eyes, and groped for his drink. ¡°That¡¯s all I can tell you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ze.¡± The man stood. ¡°You¡¯ve been very helpful.¡± Ze cleared his throat. ¡°What about my eyes?¡± ¡°Of course. Well, come on.¡± Jake wrapped his arm across Ze¡¯s shoulder and led him towards the door. He handed the blind man to the large man standing outside the bar, nodded at the man, and waited until the driver opened the black car door. He slipped inside and sighed as the door closed behind him. Ze tried to pull away from the muscular man¡¯s grip. ¡°Where are we going?¡± The two strangers walked around the corner of the building. ¡°To the car, sir.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Ze dragged his feet in the dirt. ¡°I don¡¯t need¡­¡± Ze took a step, his hand outstretched, trying to get his bearings. He could smell the exhaust fumes, the damp earth. He opened his mouth to protest, to demand answers, but a sharp crack echoed through the alley. Pain blossomed in his chest, hot and blinding. He crumpled to the ground, the wad of cash spilling from his pocket, his last thought a bitter curse on the girl who had ruined him. Jake cleared his throat as the passenger side car door opened and the large man slipped in. He turned to Jake and handed him the large wad of cash. Jake pulled out a few bills from the stack and split them between the two men with him, before putting the rest of the money into the breast pocket of his black sports coat. Chapter 15 A stirring from the hatch below startled Hunter awake. He gave Thad a nudge and stood with a held breath until Ella¡¯s head appeared. ¡°Hunter?¡± She took another step up, confusion etched on her face. ¡°Thad? What happened? How did I get back here?¡± Hunter released the breath. ¡°Ella, what¡¯s the last thing you remember?¡± She rubbed her forehead as she lifted herself out of the hidden room. ¡°I remember leaving while you all were asleep. I am so sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. You¡¯re safe now. Keep going.¡± ¡°I remember walking down the street. And¡­¡± Ella¡¯s mouth dropped open, ¡°Michael was there. He was everywhere. I tried to run, but he¡ªthey caught me. Then everything went black.¡± Hunter and Thad exchanged a worried glance. ¡°And you don¡¯t remember anything else?¡± Ella shook her head. ¡°You might want to take a seat.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Thad put a bottle to his lips. ¡°Yeah, this is going to be a lot to take in.¡± Ella slowly moved towards the couch and sat down as Hunter took a seat on the coffee table in front of her. ¡°Listen, this is going to sound crazy. Believe me. Thad and I have been over it a hundred times and it still doesn¡¯t make sense. By the time we caught up with you, the Republic Guards had you captured. Knocked out cold. But before we could move, something¡­happened.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You changed, Ella.¡± Hunter cleared his throat. ¡°Something took over.¡± ¡°Your feet lifted from the ground,¡± Thad said, his voice hushed. ¡°Just a few inches at first, then higher, until you were suspended in the air. A faint hum, like static electricity, filled the alley, and your eyes¡­they glowed, like twin flashlights burning through the dark.¡± He swallowed hard. ¡°A guard¡­he just touched you, and¡­¡± Hunter placed a hand on Thad''s arm. "Easy, man."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Tears streamed down Ella¡¯s face. ¡°Is that true?¡± Hunter nodded. ¡°I killed a man?¡± ¡°Yes, and no. Your body killed a man, but it wasn¡¯t you.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t possible. I don¡¯t remember any of that.¡± ¡°Whatever it was, it must have drained you, because that was five days ago.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve been asleep ever since?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ella stood and backed towards the door. ¡°I can¡¯t be here. It¡¯s not safe for you to be around me.¡± Hunter stood with outstretched hands. ¡°Ella, it¡¯s not safe out there.¡± ¡°For me¡­¡± An uncontrollable torrent of tears escaped Ella¡¯s eyes. ¡°or for them?¡± ¡°For you. Please, Ella, sit back down. Let us help you.¡± Ella gingerly walked towards the couch but stopped short, collapsing into Hunter¡¯s arms. A flash of his last moments with his brother flashed in Hunter¡¯s mind as he wiped away a tear of his own. ¡°We¡¯ll get through this, alright.¡± He held Ella out and looked into her shredded eyes. ¡°I promise.¡± Hunter helped Ella back to her seat as Thad handed her a glass of water. ¡°Whoever is after you has to be a powerful person. Do you know who that would be?¡± Ella nodded, her gaze fixed on some unseen horror. ¡°Doctor Robert Stanton.¡± The beer bottle slipped from Thad¡¯s hands and shattered on the floor. ¡°Holy shit.¡± ¡°You know him?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard the name before. On the streets. Whispers. They say he¡¯s a monster. If someone goes missing out there, especially a family, it can probably be traced back to him. They say he takes them and does things.¡± ¡°It¡¯s worse, much worse.¡± Ella¡¯s hand instinctively went to the carvings on her back, her fingers tracing the intricate lines. A shudder ran through her. ¡°He kidnaps entire families and puts them through terrible experiments.¡± She closed her eyes, and a single tear escaped. ¡°The pain. The never-ending screams. It¡¯s like they¡¯re still inside me.¡± ¡°Why? Why would someone do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. All I know is that monster still has my family. They risked everything so that I could escape.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get them out of that place, you hear me?¡± Hunter lifted Ella¡¯s chin until her eyes met his. ¡°I promise you, we¡¯ll do everything we can to get them out.¡± ¡°How?¡± Hunter looked at his friend and back at Ella. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. But we¡¯ll figure something out. We have to.¡± He glanced at the shattered glass on the floor, then back at Ella. Stanton¡­what kind of man takes families? Chapter 16 Jake flopped down on his large desk chair, knocked the back of his head against the cushioned headrest twice, pulled the cash from his pocket, and tossed it onto his desktop. He opened the bottom drawer on the left, pulled out a glass decanter and a rocks glass, poured a small amount of the golden liquid, and knocked it back. When Jake looked back down, he noticed the corner of the keycard his father had given him, peeking out from behind the bills. Jake pulled the card from the stack and studied it. It was a small, gray, rectangular plastic card, similar to the one that granted him access throughout the facility. The only variation was, in place of the "All Access, Double AA" in the upper right-hand corner, there were numbers separated by dashes: 0-4-7. Jake spun the card around in his hands. ¡°Okay, Dad. What are you trying to tell me?¡± He typed his password into the keyboard, logged into the lab¡¯s electronic database, keyed in ¡°Project Rebirth,¡± and hit enter. A buzz and an "Access Denied" flashed back at him. Jake tried again, with no luck. ¡°What in the hell?¡± He stood, exited his office, and made his way to the nearest elevator. He stepped in, but when he studied the buttons, there was none marked with a zero. Jake stepped back out and walked in the other direction. Three more elevators, still none marked with zero. He pressed the button marked with a star, and when it stopped moving, he exited the double doors and headed straight for the security desk at the main entrance of the facility. Jake smiled at the gray haired man behind the desk and gave him a slight wave. ¡°Hello, John.¡± ¡°Hello, sir.¡± John straightened up in his seat. ¡°Long day?¡± Jake chuckled. ¡°You have no idea.¡± ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°I was hoping you could help me out with something.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± John sat up. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Do we have an elevator that goes down to floor zero?¡± ¡°Floor zero?¡± John scratched his chin. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen one marked zero. I didn¡¯t even know we had a floor zero until your dad stopped by here a few days ago mumbling something about the floor worse than Hell.¡± Jake rubbed his chin.¡°Hell huh?¡± ¡°Sounds way too hot to me.¡± John shrugged. ¡°Me too.¡± Jake patted the man¡¯s brittle shoulders. ¡°You¡¯ve always been one of my dad¡¯s favorites.¡± ¡°Can you blame him?¡± ¡°I cannot. Well, thanks for your help, John. I appreciate it.¡± Jake tapped the desk. ¡°Welp, I better get back to the grind.¡± ¡°Good luck.¡± John winked at Jake. ¡°I do know one thing, if there was one that went to a floor zero, it would probably be the one outside Dr. Stanton¡¯s office.¡± Of course. Jake turned back towards John. ¡°Is the good doctor in today?¡± ¡°He actually just stepped out.¡± Jake gave him a two-finger salute and headed towards Stanton¡¯s office. As he approached the wooden-framed elevator outside of Stanton¡¯s office door, he noticed a woman wearing a lab coat waiting for the doors to open. Jake stood next to the woman and smoothed his tie. ¡°Hello.¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Having a nice day?¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± The woman¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°We¡¯re right on the verge of a breakthrough.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fantastic.¡± Jake smiled. ¡°What floor do you work on?¡± ¡°The third.¡± ¡°Oh right. Surveillance drones.¡± She nodded as the elevator door opened with a ding. The two stepped in, and she pressed the button marked three. ¡°Why don¡¯t you type an update for me and bring it to my office later? I¡¯ll make sure Dr. Stanton knows the progress you¡¯re making.¡± ¡°That would be great. Thank you.¡± The woman clenched her fist to her chest and turned slightly away from Jake for a mini-celebration. ¡°Where are you heading?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°What floor?¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Jake looked at the buttons. There, next to a keycard reader, was one marked with the number zero. ¡°Four, please.¡± The pair stood in silence until the door opened, and the woman stepped out. ¡°Have a nice day.¡± ¡°You too.¡± The woman smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you a write-up first thing tomorrow.¡± ¡°I look forward to it.¡± Jake waited until the doors closed, hit the zero button, swiped the keycard, and held his breath as he went down. When the door opened, a large, sterile, half-circular room greeted Jake. Branching off from the room were five different hallways. The room reminded Jake of the sunrise pictures he used to draw as a child based on the magazines his father brought him from the before times. Attached to the wall, beside each passageway, was a number, one through five. On the wall next to the elevator doors, hung lab coats. Jake threw a coat over his suit, buttoned it closed, and looked at the keycard once more. If the first digit was the floor, he guessed that the second digit, four, indicated which hallway to proceed down. Jake slipped the key back into his pocket and headed towards hallway number four. A few steps into the hallway were a set of double doors to his right. Jake pushed his way into the room. There, in front of him, sat a large, person-sized pod, with a porthole-style window on the lid. It was the clone room. Jake had heard about the cloning process but never got to see it in action. And if he was honest with himself he wished he never had. Thick tubes attached to the top and bottom of the first pod ran across the room to ten more pods. Jake walked over and peered into the window. A familiar young man lay in the pod. He was asleep, oblivious to the world around him. In the other pods were other people. They looked identical ¨C same close-cropped hair, same lean build, same pale skin ¨C all wearing identical grey gowns. A numbered grid system was visible on the side of each pod. The only variation was a serial number imprinted on the side of their faces. The next room was empty except for a table and a single chair, straps lashed on the armrests and each leg. On the table next to the chair was a case filled with metal damper neck rings. A memory of "In the Hall of the Mountain King" and the man with lightning bolts shooting from his eyes flashed in Jake¡¯s mind, followed by the screams. The ghost screams of tortured souls from his past. His father was right. They all deserved to die. Jake exited the room and continued down the hallway, skipping the next few doors until he reached the one marked number seven. He pushed the door, but it wouldn¡¯t open. Jake tried the second door, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Taking a step back, Jake noticed another card reader. He slipped the key into the slot, and the door opened with a beep. In the center of the room was an oversized cylindrical tank of bubbling water. Floating inside the tank was a shirtless man. A blinking metal ring was lashed around his neck, and a mask with tubes that ran to the top of the tank covered his nose and mouth. His brown hair had been buzzed into a crop top. Black neoprene shorts were the only article of clothing he wore. Etched into his skin, a grotesque tapestry of pain, was a repeating pattern of scars: ring, wave, fire, lightning bolt. A chill ran down Jake¡¯s spine. He walked over to the touchscreen monitor mounted next to the tank and swiped until he saw a file marked "Project Rebirth." Jake double-tapped the file and stopped on the name R. Stanton II. He highlighted the name, and the screen winked out, quickly replaced by a video. The man in the tank was front and center, strapped to a chair, a damper collar around his neck. The narrator of the video appeared on screen. He removed the metal ring from the man, pushed a syringe of green swirling liquid into his temple, and pressed down on the plunger. It made Jake¡¯s head swim. The conductor of the orchestra of pain was his father, Chris. ¡°This is Project Rebirth. We have successfully isolated the Caladrius gene, and we are now ready for the next step. Test one ¨C fire. Subject: Robert Stanton II. Subject has made great strides over the last few weeks and is ready for the next phase of testing. He has been injected with the neuro neutralizer. This will make the subject¡¯s mind pliable and give us the added bonus of short-term memory loss. Let¡¯s begin.¡± Jake¡¯s father turned to another man offscreen and nodded as a loud whir sound flooded the speakers. His eyes widened in horror as the man screamed out in anguish, like he was being electrocuted, until his eyes changed into a mixture of bright whites and blues. A moment later, Chris appeared once again, a long metal pole in hand. When it touched the man¡¯s skin, it instantly melted into a puddle of molten metal that singed the floor as it dripped. Jake clicked on the next video. This time, it was a human being forced to touch the man. In a moment, the person fell to ash and bone. The next video began. Chapter 17 Hunter tossed Ella a strip of black fabric. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ella unfolded the soft material. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°For your face.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Thad chuckled. ¡°Hunter, you¡¯ve always had a way with words.¡± Hunter raised his hands in defense. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°Relax. I know what it¡¯s for.¡± Ella stood and tied the cloth around her neck. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Out.¡± Thad shook his head. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea, Hunter?¡± ¡°Probably not. But we don¡¯t have a choice. We can¡¯t hide here forever.¡± Ella threw on her cloak and lifted the cloth over her face. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Thad stood. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°Every time you say that, we get into trouble.¡± Hunter opened the door to his home. ¡°At least I¡¯m consistent.¡± Thad slapped his friend on the shoulder as he walked past. ¡°There is something comforting about that.¡± Ella slipped the hood over her head. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with you two.¡± ¡°If I had a nickel for every time someone has said that to me...¡± Hunter laughed, locking the door behind him. ¡°We¡¯d be relaxing on a sandy beach somewhere?¡± Hunter stepped towards the spiral staircase and began the climb downward. ¡°What fun would that be?¡± Ella and Thad exchanged a glance. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to the beach before.¡± Thad puffed out a breath. ¡°Well, if we survive this, we¡¯ll take you.¡± Hunter poked his head back up. ¡°Are you two coming?¡± ¡°Right behind you.¡± Thad motioned Ella forward as the three began the trip down. The descent ended in a damp, concrete cavern. The air hung thick, a metallic tang mingling with the sting of smoke from the burn barrels. Ella¡¯s eyes watered, and a dry cough rattled in her throat. Unconscious figures lay sprawled across the rough floor, their limbs at unnatural angles. A faint, rhythmic drip echoed from a pipe overhead, adding to the unsettling symphony of the space. Hunter''s gaze swept the room, his jaw tight, before he stopped at a rusted door, its hinges groaning softly in the still air. ¡°Okay. This is it. When we go out there, I¡¯ll take the lead, Thad, you take the back. Ella, you stay in between us. If things go wrong, Thad, you get her the hell out of there. I¡¯ll find you.¡± Hunter looked at Ella. ¡°Do you understand?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Hunter lifted his own mask over his face and opened the door. ¡°Now, keep your head down.¡± The sudden shift from the flickering fluorescent lights to the oppressive darkness of the alleyway was like a physical blow. Ella''s ears strained to catch any sound, but the silence was thick, broken only by the frantic thump of her own heart. The air hung heavy with the stench of stale refuse and acrid, that made her stomach churn. She squeezed her eyes shut, the phantom image of Michael''s vacant stare burning behind her eyelids. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Ella,¡± Hunter¡¯s voice was a low rasp, ¡°you with us?¡± Thad¡¯s hand pressed against the small of her back, a grounding weight. ¡°Ella, we don¡¯t have time.¡± Ella¡¯s breath hitched, a tremor running through her. Memories of Michael¡¯s lifeless eyes flashed behind her own. She clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms, and nodded three times, sharp and jerky. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Hunter led the group through the back alleys, staying hidden in the shadows. He ignored the calls and the whispers of the late night worshipers promising freedom from pain and the cries of those looking to numb their own. When they reached the end of their pathway, Hunter pressed his back against the wall and scanned the open street before them. A lone Republic Guard walked down the center of the road away from them, taser in hand. He slipped back behind the cover. ¡°One guard, walking the opposite way.¡± Ella leaned towards Hunter. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Hunter nodded towards the alley on the opposite side of the street. ¡°Across. Mask up, head down. Steady.¡± ¡°That should be easy enough.¡± Thad rubbed his forehead. ¡°Act like we aren¡¯t fugitives walking out to our doom.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Hunter winked at Ella. Hunter stepped out into the flickering fluorescent overhead light. Ella pulled the fabric higher on her face and followed. Ella focused on slowing her breath, the crunch of Thad¡¯s feet on dirt and gravel as he walked behind her, and the cool breeze that blew at the tuft of hair that peeked out from under her hood, until another set of foot falls broke her concentration. They walked with a heavier gait, a march with purpose, coming from behind them. ¡°Hunter?¡± ¡°I know. Keep walking.¡± As soon as they broke into the darkness, Hunter lunged forward, ducking behind a dumpster, and waited for Ella and Thad to walk by. When they were clear, Hunter exploded forward, grabbing the stranger by the shirt and pressing them up against the wall. The man¡¯s face, etched with grime and shadowed by a greasy curtain of grey hair, was a roadmap of hardship. His ripped shirt revealed a thin, trembling chest, and the stench of unwashed clothes filled the air. One milky white eye, clouded with age, stared up at Hunter. ¡°Why are you following us?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t following you.¡± Hunter lifted the man until his toes were off the ground. ¡°I swear I wasn¡¯t following you. I was going home.¡± The man pointed a withered finger at a nearby cardboard box. ¡°Hunter.¡± Ella laid a hand on his shoulder as he lowered the man. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Hunter pulled several folded bills from his pocket and handed them to the man. ¡°I truly am.¡± The man¡¯s face lit up with a toothless grin. ¡°Thank you, young man.¡± Hunter turned to Ella and Thad. ¡°Come on.¡± The trio walked to the end of the pathway and turned to the right. Once there, Hunter slid a wooden sheet out of the way revealing a hidden door. With a pop of the handle, the door swung open, and he motioned Ella and Thad through. ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°Training.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hunter placed a metal slat across two brackets in the door, securing it in place, and flicked a switch. With several loud pops and a buzz, the room lit up in brilliant white light, revealing a large warehouse. Outside of two unclothed mannequins and broken pieces of metal, the room was completely empty. Thad stepped forward. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s safe to be here with all the light?¡± ¡°Relax.¡± Hunter slipped his mask down. ¡°I completely blacked the windows out. No one can see in here.¡± ¡°How can you be sure?¡± ¡°I used to come here when I needed to...¡± Hunter swallowed, ¡°work through some things.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ella looked at the bits of metal piled in the room''s corner. ¡°I see. What did you mean about training?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve seen a glimpse of what you can do,¡± Hunter said, his gaze fixed on her. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to see what you truly are capable of.¡± He paused, and a flicker of something unreadable crossed his eyes. ¡°This place¡­ it has a way of revealing hidden potential.¡± Tears blurred Ella¡¯s vision as she rushed forward, wrapping Hunter in a hug. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Hunter glanced at Thad before smiling at Ella. ¡°Now let¡¯s show those bastards something they¡¯ve never seen before.¡±