Carbon (The Watcher Series Book 2)

by AJ Eversley

  Her mouth hung open, ready to argue, but instead she slumped her shoulders and allowed me to win. I saw the defeat in her, not just for this, but for everything that had happened. Only a few months ago I had been her. I had been lost and angry…depressed.

  As we walked from Doc’s office, apologizing for the mess, I couldn’t get the feeling out of my mind that bringing Lena here might end up being our undoing just as much as hers.

  ~

  Once Lena was settled in her own quarters, I headed to where Sam had pointed out the kitchen. Even in a new place, Theresa had a way of recreating her old kitchen from Cytos. The smell of fresh bread and baked goods brought me back to the days when I used to sneak into her kitchen at base. Late at night, I’d find her still working in her kitchen, and I’d always discover a plate of food waiting for me.

  She seemed to sense when I entered, even before I had made any noise. “Well, get over here already. Don’t make an old lady wait.” She turned with her hearty smile and opened her arms for an embrace. I wrapped an arm around her shoulder before she pulled me in for a hug, squeezing me tight whether I wanted a hug or not.

  She pulled back with her hands still on my shoulders, surveying me up and down with her keen eyes. “Do they not feed you over on the United Isles or something?” She huffed and reached for a plate. She cut a piece of freshly baked blueberry pie. I chuckled and made my way to a table at the end. If she had seen me a few months ago, she would’ve had a heart attack. I was still working to get my body to what it once was, before I allowed my guilt take over.

  As I walked to the table, I noticed a small bowl on the floor, filled with food scraps. My heart sank. Theresa caught my glance and noticed a certain shadow wasn’t following my every footstep. She placed a hand on my shoulder and put the plate of pie down in front of me. She knew what I couldn’t speak and expressed her apologies with a gentle squeeze.

  She returned to her sink, and without a word, she picked up the bowl of scraps on the ground she’d left out for Chevy.

  “I see you finally got to upgrade the garden,” I said to break the silence.

  She nodded and slapped fresh dough onto her table. “It took me weeks to get that thing sorted. We only managed a few good crops given the time we had to set it all up. Plus with Tenason constantly sneaking all the strawberries…well, you know about him. But I think we will manage quite well for the winter that’s swiftly coming.”

  I nodded and took another bite of pie. I hadn’t realized how much I missed her food until I was once again eating it. In fact, I hadn’t realized just how much I missed everyone until now. Sam, Tenason, Theresa, they all felt like home.

  Theresa stopped her kneading and turned to me with her eyes filled with concern. “Are you all right, dear?”

  I nodded my head and finished the last bite. “Yes, I’m good. Much better now that my belly is full,” I joked.

  She chuckled before her face went anxious again. “You don’t have to do it all on your own anymore, you know that, right?” Her brows knitted together.

  I couldn’t meet her stare.

  “If any of the loss you have felt has taught you anything, it’s that time is a precious thing,” she said. “No matter how many days pass, the hurt will always be there, but it’s your choices that make the days have meaning again. Remember that.”

  I struggled to reply as tears welled up. I blinked them back. She gave me another soft smile. “Now go on. I’ve got work to do.” She winked.

  I stood and gave her a little peck on the cheek.

  “There will always be a bowl of scraps for him, no matter where he may be,” she whispered in my ear.

  My throat bobbed. “Thank you.” I gave her a quick nod and left before I lost control of the tears threatening to escape.

  Chapter 37

  Murray had convinced everyone but Lena that his plan would work.

  “It’s a magnetic stun bomb.” Murray pointed to a large cylinder-shaped weapon that took up the entire table in front of us.

  “We call it the Megastun,” Sam chimed in. “Get it?”

  Murray gave Sam a side-glace. “No, we don’t call it that.”

  “Yes, we do. We all do. Right, guys?” Sam looked around for help, but everyone shifted on their feet uncomfortably. No one spoke up. “They’re just being coy, but I swear, that’s the official unofficial name.” Sam puffed his chest.

  “Okay, the name doesn’t matter—” Murray said.

  “Yes, it does. We don’t want to get mixed up when the time comes to use it. What if someone says, ‘take out the bomb thing’ and what’s his face thinks it’s a different bomb. And then we finally have our chance, but the wrong bomb is out there.” Sam swung his arms around in emphasis. “It’s just proper safety protocol. You know, so we can save the world.”

  Murray draped a hand over his face and I tried to hide my amusement.

  “Okay, okay. So this is the Megastun.” Murray glanced at Sam, who gave him an encouraging nod. Murray stifled an eye roll. “When it detonates, it sends out a magnetic pulse that connects to the Alatonion in the Carbons, causing them to freeze. The loud noise and smoke should disorient them as well. Then, lastly, the strong magnetic force will grab a hold of the chip inside of them that is still made of steel and rip it out. It’ll kill them on the spot.”

  I flinched and rubbed the back of my neck. Murray noticed this. “You, of course, will be nowhere near this.”

  “How do you know it’ll work? How do you know they haven’t upgraded the chip?” Max asked. He’d been a lot quieter than usual since we arrived, but he’d stuck close to me ever since.

  “Well, Adam has been testing it on a few prototypes. He’s confident it’ll work. And he’s found that the Alatonion is kind of like a living organism, capable of moving throughout the body wherever it’s needed, reproducing its cells when something is damaged. If the chip were Alatonion, it’d be impossible for it to stay within the body in one solid form as the Alatonion is constantly moving.”

  “It won’t work,” Lena said from her seat against the far wall. She hadn’t been herself since we arrive. Actually she hadn’t been herself since she lost Anthony…but she was carefully listening and watching everything Murray did.

  “Excuse me?” Murray asked with teeth clenched.

  “Work…it won’t work,” she repeated. She walked over to the bomb and rested her tiny delicate hands over the top of its smooth surface, stopping in front of Murray. “That bomb cannot reach nearly enough of the Carbons that Coleman has. He will sacrifice hundreds to get rid of it, and thousands more will replace them.”

  “We’ll make more then.” Murray eyed Lena while she examined the bomb with her hand, caressing the dangerous weapon.

  “You can never make enough. Plus, Alatonion is the strongest form of metal in existence. You think a strong magnet can remove a chip from their body? It cannot. You would merely stop them for a moment at best before they destroyed every last one of you.” She turned to Murray. The look on her face was pure ice. “You can’t beat him one-on-one. Your only chance would be to have an army to equal his. And unfortunately, this is not that army.”

  “And how do you suppose we get an army to rival his?” Murray crossed his arms and shifted his weight in annoyance. I hadn’t seen him this brazen and frustrated in a long time. Not since Kyle.

  “You can’t. When will you people understand that he cannot be defeated? You are not strong enough.” She glanced my way as if to scold me for not realizing this earlier. “The only play you have left is to turn me over. Use me as a bargaining chip, it’s the only one you’ve got, the only one he’d be willing to make any trades for. He will do anything to get what he wants. This is the only way I see you guys even having the slimiest of chances to come out of this alive.”

  “We aren’t doing that,” Max said.

  “Fine. But this—” she pointed to the bomb, “—this won’t even phase him.”

  One look at Max, and I saw he felt the same.
My gut told me she was right, and I may have been horribly wrong.

  Chapter 38

  Kenzie

  “Sir, we’ve scanned every vessel that left the United Isles. She isn’t there, and neither is the other girl,” a young guard reported to Coleman who stood in front of the large window in his office. Coleman looked down on Earth with his hands clasped neatly behind his back.

  “So you lost her. That is what you are trying to tell me?” Coleman replied calmly.

  “No…I mean, we’ll keep looking, sir. She has to be somewhere.”

  Coleman spun back around with his hands still laced behind him. “No, you have done about enough. That will be all.”

  The guard went to leave, but with one small nod from Coleman, Kenzie raised his hand and shot a hole through the guard’s chest, ending his life.

  “Send someone else to find her,” Coleman said before he turned back to the window. The guard’s body lay slumped on the floor. Kenzie stepped over it and ordered the two Carbons standing watch to clean up the mess.

  Kenzie’s pulse raced with rage, and his stomach was in knots. Up until now, he’d become so accustomed to giving up control of his body that it seemed like a natural necessity to serve Coleman better. But now, it made him sick to think of the life Kenzie had taken without even having had a chance to decide if it was right or wrong. It took Coleman less than a second to decide this man’s life was over, and even less than that for him to silently command Kenzie to do it. Kenzie’s body willingly obeyed despite the cringe in his stomach, telling him it was wrong.

  Only a few days before, Coleman had upgraded Kenzie’s arm, stating the new changes would allow him to use his powers better. But it only took this one moment for Kenzie to see what he had really done. The upgraded arm elevated Coleman’s control over Kenzie, and it was unyielding, regardless of how vast the space or distance between Kenzie and Coleman might have been. Kenzie’s body wouldn’t betray Coleman. There was no fighting back, and he was no longer in control of any part of him. Coleman was.

  He’d always been Coleman’s puppet. He’d always done Coleman’s dirty work, and it wasn’t until recently that Kenzie had begun to question it. It was because of her, Sawyer. She had Kenzie second-guessing who he was and what he’d always been.

  But now, he had no choice in the matter, even if he wanted one.

  Kenzie looked away from the body as the Carbons dragged it out, leaving a streak of red blood on the floor. Once they were alone, Coleman looked up to Kenzie. He appeared worried before a cold expression returned to his face.

  “I’m running out of time.” Coleman sat at the desk.

  Kenzie took the seat across from him. “We will find her soon, sir,” Kenzie assured.

  “No, I mean I am running out of time. If we can’t find her soon, then there will be no use in even trying.” Coleman coughed into his sleeve, and as he pulled his mouth away, blood was splattered across the sleeve. Kenzie’s brows furrowed with concern.

  “Sir, are you okay?” he asked.

  “No,” Coleman said bluntly. He wiped off his sleeve as best he could.

  “I will go get the doctor.” Kenzie went to stand.

  “She can’t do anything. I’ve already tried.” Coleman looked tired and impatient.

  Kenzie had never seen him like this. Coleman was weak and strained. His body language read defeat and pain, even though his eyes were still cold and hard.

  “What’s…what’s happening to you?” Kenzie asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Coleman said. “My body is…dying.”

  But that couldn’t happen. He was a Carbon; he couldn’t die. Kenzie shook his head. Despite Kenzie feeling guilt for killing the guard and knowing that some of the things Coleman did were wrong, Kenzie couldn’t help acknowledging that Coleman had been the only father figure he’d known in such a long time. Coleman had raised him, trained him, and treated him like a son. The thought of Coleman dying made Kenzie’s pulse race.

  “What can I do?” Kenzie asked.

  “You can find my daughter. She holds the key to all of this, to saving me,” Coleman said.

  Kenzie knew that in the end that was what he’d do. As the ever obedient solider that he was, Kenzie would find her, and he’d help save him.

  ~

  The weeks passed by, and with every day that they didn’t find the princess, Coleman grew weaker and more vicious. He had no patience for excuses, nor any time to be patient. Kenzie did what he could to help Coleman while trying his best to protect Sawyer. But Kenzie knew in the end, there’d be no saving her if Coleman ordered her dead.

  Kenzie’s internal conflict had left him sleepless for the last few weeks. There was an ongoing argument running through his mind. If he tried to save Sawyer, that’d mean disobeying Coleman and could lead to his death. That’s providing he even could disobey Coleman. If Kenzie obeyed Coleman and brought him the princess, there was a good chance Sawyer could get caught in the crossfire. But if Kenzie didn’t find the princess for Coleman soon, he’d die. And Kenzie wasn’t sure that was something he could live with after everything the man had done for him.

  Coleman had saved him from certain death more than once. He’d embraced Kenzie like a son and trained him like an equal. He never saw him as a pathetic human, but instead he saw him as a weapon; one Coleman would use to defeat his enemies. Until now, Kenzie had been comfortable with that role, but he wasn’t so sure anymore.

  As he stood on an open walkway overlooking Earth down below, Kenzie hoped that when they found Lena, Sawyer wouldn’t be with her. He prayed Sawyer wasn’t that stupid and knew that if Coleman wanted someone, he’d move the stars to get that person. And if Sawyer were in the way, she’d be a forgotten casualty.

  Kenzie had a feeling based solely on their one encounter that Sawyer knew this, but she’d still be there fighting him no matter the risk she knowingly would be taking.

  “They are almost ready, I just need a little more time to solve one small anomaly,” a young scientist said from behind Kenzie.

  “Almost ready is not good enough. What’s taking so long?” Kenzie sneered at the twitchy human scientist tasked with making sure all the Carbons were ready to go. There were thousands of them, all stronger and faster than any human. Each one of them could heal in minutes and would sacrifice their own lives in an instant if Coleman asked them. They were the real casualties in this war, the ones no one would remember; the ones no one would mourn. These Carbons were built to fight and to die; that was it.

  “I need numbers. I need a timeline. ‘Almost’ doesn’t fly with him, you know this.” Kenzie turned to the scientist. The man shook in his boots.

  “Sir, there are thousands of them. I need to make sure they are all operating properly, but there are so…so many. We had a small breakout earlier, one of the Carbons went…offline…but I am working on it…” The scientist stuttered as he readjusted his glasses on his nose. “It will take a few more weeks still, if you expect them to perform as they should.”

  Kenzie sighed. He clenched his fists and did his best to keep his boiling energy at bay. “Just get it done and do it right. I’ll deal with the timeline.”

  He stalked away before the scientist had a chance to say another word.

  As Kenzie entered Coleman’s office, he noted a pungent smell in the air, almost stagnant. There was a weird ting of something rotten or dying that consumed the room.

  Coleman sat slumped behind his desk. His lazy, tired eyes glanced up at Kenzie when he walked in. Coleman’s shirt was half-unbuttoned at the collar and his hair was scattered across his forehead in a messy tuft. He was getting worse every day.

  “How are you doing today, sir?” Kenzie asked.

  Coleman pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just wonderful. My body is dying from the inside out, but I am just dandy.” His sarcasm rolled off his tongue in a lazy slur of words. He lifted his sleeve. “This thing, however, is new.”

  His arm was black like coal, covering him from his wris
t to halfway up his arm in hideous scabs that looked like burnt fish scales. The smell was worse. As Coleman lifted the sleeve, Kenzie struggled not to gag at it. A putrid, sour smell burned Kenzie’s nostrils with an aroma that could only be described as a cross between vomit and burnt flesh.

  “What’s happened to you?” Kenzie whispered. He couldn’t take even one more step forward as Coleman lowered his sleeve.

  “Everything inside of me is dying. It’s only natural that the outside would do the same.” Coleman slouched in the chair. His face darkened at the sight of Kenzie’s sympathetic stare. His face returned to its stern expression. “What news do you have?”

  “Not good news unfortunately,” said Kenzie.

  Coleman sighed.

  “The Carbons will be ready in a few weeks’ time. There are just too many to check, and they’ve had a few minor setbacks, but I’m told things are being fixed.” Kenzie hadn’t asked the question until now. “What are they needed for, sir?”

  “They are my insurance plan,” Coleman waved a dismissive hand.

  “An insurance plan against what, the humans? I could take five men down with me and solve our problems in less than a day,” Kenzie argued. Though he didn’t want to do that, in fact it was the last thing he wanted to do, it was the better option if he had a choice in the matter. If Coleman sent down the thousands of Carbons they had on this ship to destroy the remaining humans, the chances of Sawyer surviving were slim.

  “Did I ask for your opinion?” Coleman’s mouth curled with displeasure. “Just get me the damn girl. Get. Me. The. Girl!”

  And with that, Kenzie left, if only to get away from the smell.

  Chapter 39

  The cold of winter had set in. Soft, white flakes of snow fell from the sky, melting as soon as they touched the ground. We wouldn’t get the worst of the cold weather; that would hit deeper in the forest where the elevation was higher. Even still, the cool brisk air sent a shiver down my spine. Summer had passed, and with it the memories as well. The last few weeks had gone by quicker than I’d expected. Lena was still mad at me for kidnapping her, and I was still trying to convince her, and myself, that it was the right decision. But she needed time to process everything. She had lost everything she held dear … and I knew better than anyone that only time would heal the unseen wounds.