The Torrent (The New Agenda Series Book 4)

by Pond, Simone

  “Is that how you transported to me?”

  “Yes. When I touched the panel, I merged into the network.”

  “How did you find me?” Ava asked.

  “I used voice command, because in the past that got me to the system panel. But this time, this is where I ended up. In your head.”

  Ava looked back at the mirror, watching the coding trickle in her eyes. “There seems to be a distribution system installed in this program. It distributed me and Morray to the Royal Palace … It distributed you to me.”

  The door to the containment room opened and two guards entered. Ava stayed close to the mirror.

  Grace kept talking, unaware of the men. “That’s it! Dickson designed a torrent program so he could infiltrate the mainframe. Something triggered the program and it’s syncing all of his files, gathering information and dispersing pieces of his consciousness throughout the network.”

  Ava remained silent.

  “Mom? What’s going on? Is someone there?”

  “Mm hmm,” Ava mumbled.

  Dickson walked into the room and motioned Ava to sit. “Who are you talking to Miss Rhodes?”

  “I’ve been Mrs. Strader for the last eighteen years. I guess it takes time for three centuries of information to compile.”

  He adjusted his tie and grinned. “So, you think you’ve figured it out?”

  “I don’t think I have the ability to fully comprehend your level of genius, but I have an idea what’s going on,” Ava said.

  Dickson sat across from Ava, peace settling over his face. “I finally found a way to be free of him.”

  She felt sympathy for the man, knowing all too well what it was like to be Morray’s captive.

  “Don’t say another word, Mom,” Grace whispered.

  “So what’s your plan, Dickson?” Ava asked.

  “Mom! I told you to be quiet. I might know what triggered the torrent program. I think I can get us out of here. Find a way to get rid of him.”

  Dickson leaned forward, staring at Ava. “My plan is to take you to the lab and study every component of your DNA coding. It’s really quite advanced. My skills had definitely improved by the time I got to you.”

  “Well, it only took about three hundred years.” Ava sneered at Dickson, hating him for treating her like an experiment instead of a human.

  “Not helping, Mom …” Grace said.

  “Guards, please escort Miss Rh––Strader to my lab.”

  The men aimed their guns at her back, forcing her out of the room and nudging her into the hall.

  “Grace,” Ava whispered under her breath.

  “I’m right here, Mom. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “What did you figure out?” Ava asked Grace.

  “Nothing yet,” Dickson answered instead. “But you’re going to be my lab rat. And once I get a comprehensive understanding of your coding, I’m going to write a program to remove Morray from the equation. For good.”

  “And you need me for that? Can’t you just kill him while he’s in here?”

  “It’s not that easy. He’s been installed with various software upgrades. He’ll find a way to continue existing until I override all of it. I created something magnificent in him, but my efforts have turned against me.”

  “Mom. Listen, you have to be quiet now,” Grace insisted. “I can see where I got my stubbornness.”

  “You just now figured that out?” Ava chuckled, missing her daughter’s feisty charm.

  Dickson stopped the guards and looked at Ava. “Pardon?”

  Ava tried to backtrack. “I mean you just now figured out that I’m the key to overriding the code?”

  “You’re not the key. You’re more like a safe that holds some pertinent information. I already have the key.”

  “Mom, don’t stay anything. Please!” Grace pleaded.

  “Fine,” Ava said.

  In the lab, Dickson had his assistants connect Ava to one of his machines. His equipment was far more archaic than what she was used to.

  “This is going to hurt,” he warned Ava, holding up a probe.

  She had a brief flashback of one of Morray’s archive files, when he had gone through a similar procedure. “You’re not really using that, are you?”

  “I have to sync you into the network.”

  “Can’t you just use my hand to connect?”

  “We haven’t gotten that far yet. Remember, you’re coming from a more advanced time.”

  Ava started to panic, not wanting that metal object piercing into her brain. “Do something,” Ava whispered to Grace.

  Dickson leaned down. “I am doing something. Now lie back and try to relax.”

  “Mom, don’t worry. I know how to get you out of here. It’s Christian. He’s the one. When I brought him back to the city center, Faraday must have synced him up to the mainframe. That triggered Dickson’s torrent program.”

  Ava squeezed her eyes shut. “How’s that going to help me?”

  Dickson still thought she was talking to him. “Relaxing will make everything go more smoothly. Don’t fight it.”

  “Let him do the procedure. Once you’re plugged in, you’ll be connected to the network. I’ll find you. Then I’ll find a way to communicate with Christian to get you out of here. He’ll distribute your files––your consciousness––back to your body. Get to the system panel. Just trust me on this one, Mom.”

  “I trust you.”

  31

  Morning arrived without any additional strikes. Cari stared at the dreary sky. The rain had stopped and a band of silvery light illuminated in the distant horizon. A chill blew off Puget Sound, cutting into her bones. She poked at the fire, hoping her movement would wake up Grayson. He shifted off her feet and shot up.

  “I’m ready for action,” he said with a salute.

  “Make yourself useful,” Cari said.

  Grayson nodded, gave one more salute, and darted toward the camp.

  Cari called over Sabina, one of strongest warriors in the tribe, to discuss a plan. Sabina’s long legs took massive strides as she headed over.

  “Status?” Cari asked.

  “Got Atticus, Anna, and Ben up in the trees keepin’ watch.” Sabina handed Cari her bow and quiver.

  “What about the perimeter?”

  “We got warriors spread along the edges. Some of the other tribes brought thunder shooters.”

  Normally this information would have upset Cari. Like all other Insider technology, guns were banned. But they’d need the extra help to defend against what was coming next. “How much metal?” she asked.

  “I counted twenty rifles and forty-eight pistols.”

  Cari adjusted the leather strap over her shoulder, making sure she had quick access to her arrows. “They’ll be comin’ from the south and the east. Put the heavy hitters along those parts. Bring anyone who isn’t fightin’ closer to the wall. You got a headcount?”

  “Not yet,” Sabina said.

  “We need a headcount.”

  Grayson peered around a tree.

  “What is it Gray?” Cari asked.

  He inched his way over to Cari and Sabina. “I got a headcount.”

  Cari tried not to smile, but the kid’s enthusiasm softened her. “Well?”

  “Two thousand and nine hundred and forty-three.”

  Hearing that low number felt like a rock to the gut.

  “The bastards,” Sabina whispered.

  Thousands of people were unaccounted for, either because they were dead, or hiding elsewhere. Cari assumed most were dead. A devastating loss. Rage filled Cari’s insides and she steadied herself to re-channel her anger. She didn’t have room to think about the wreckage; she needed to protect the lives that remained.

  “From that total, we have one thousand and seven hundred and nine kids,” Grayson continued.

  The Insiders would pay for what they had done to her people. Each arrow she shot would represent a life she had lost. Cari looked at Sabina. “We need to g
et the younger ones to the wall and keep them safe. Gray, you help her. You’re quick on the heels.”

  Sabina and Grayson led a succession of children from the woods closer to the city center wall. Some of the older ones carried the little ones. Cari didn’t like the idea of them being out in the open, but she figured the Insiders wouldn’t fire on their own city. She instructed a team of warriors to stand guard between the children and the forest.

  A tribal call came from the trees and echoed throughout the camp. Cari jumped up, loaded her bow, and ran into the woods with her arrow drawn. Grayson trailed behind, carrying an armful of spears.

  “Get over by the wall!” Cari shouted.

  He continued following Cari. “Ain’t leavin’ your side.”

  “If you die, I’m not responsible.”

  “I won’t die. And neither will you.”

  Gunfire shot through the forest. Cari stopped and pressed against a tree, yanking Grayson by her side.

  “Don’t move. Don’t even breathe,” she ordered.

  Closing her eyes, she listened carefully … Heavy boots thumped on damp leaves. Rapid breathing. The scent of chemicals. Multiple patterns of footsteps, maybe a set of three. Crouching low to the ground, she sorted through the leaves and found a rock, placing it by her foot. She listened and waited for the soldiers to get closer.

  Looking down at Grayson, she mouthed stay. She held up her bow and drew back the arrow, then kicked the rock into the bushes a few feet away. A bullet whizzed to where the rock hit. She dove around the opposite side of the tree and shot her arrow into the neck of the soldier who had just fired his pistol. Then she rolled out of the way, loaded the second arrow, and shot it into the second soldier’s chest. He didn’t go down right away.

  Grayson stepped out from behind the tree and lodged a spear into the soldier’s gut. The third solider took aim at Grayson, but Cari lunged forward and knocked the man to the ground. They grappled, punching each other. He took the butt of his pistol and whacked her forehead. With a loud grunt, she grabbed his hand and pried away the gun, tossing it out of reach. He pulled her back to the ground and seized her neck, cutting off the air. She tried kicking him off, but he was too heavy. Darkness crept into her vision and she stopped struggling. All she wanted was one more breath of air. The man squeezed tighter, his blue eyes bulging and sweat dripping from his pale skin. She glanced up to the trees, not wanting her last vision to be of the soldier. Gunfire rang out and blood splattered across Cari’s face. The soldier released his hands and slumped forward. She gasped for air and pushed him off, falling to her side. Once her vision was clear, she saw Grayson standing close, with a gun in his small hand.

  “Give me that thing.”

  Grayson handed her the gun.

  “These are evil,” she said.

  “But so was he.”

  They hid behind brush and stayed low, listening for any more approaching soldiers.

  “You okay?” Grayson asked.

  Cari motioned for him to stay quiet. He pressed his lips together and nodded. She tried to stop herself from patting his dark curls. Attachments were sneaky like that. More gunshots fired in the distance, along with the sound of women screaming. Every shriek tore through her heart.

  Footsteps. She closed her eyes and listened to the patterns. It sounded like two men approaching. They dropped something heavy on the ground and rustled around with whatever it was. As Cari moved from the bushes to get a better look, one of the soldiers launched a missile through the trees. The large hunk of metal propelled directly toward the city center wall, where the children were camped out. The wall she said would be the safest place. The missile collided into the thick panels and ignited the surrounding area, shaking the ground and knocking Cari down. Chunks of solar paneling shattered in all directions. People scattered as flames rose. Before she had a chance to stand up, another missile blazed in the same direction.

  Grayson tugged her arm and pointed through the branches. A man loaded another missile into the launcher that was balanced on the other soldier’s shoulder. Grayson pointed to the gun in her hand. She shook her head, dropped the gun, then inched away from their hiding place. Ducking behind the trees, she made her way to the soldiers.

  The first arrow hit the man holding the launcher in the eye socket. They both dropped to the ground. The other soldier held up a machine gun and fired into the trees. Bullets whizzed by Cari as she pressed against the trunk. More gunfire rang out. Grayson came out of the hiding spot and shot at the soldier until he ran out of bullets. The man laughed at his feeble attempt. He aimed his pistol. The distraction gave Cari enough time to whip around the tree and shoot off two arrows––one pierced the man’s right shoulder and the second went into his throat. He dropped to the ground.

  Cari walked over to gather the launcher and the other guns. She hated herself for going against her beliefs, but those weapons would be their only hope against the Insiders. She handed Grayson two pistols and extra rounds. “I want you to go into the trees and tell our people to come this way. We’ll meet in the clearing.” She hoisted up the launcher and bag of missiles, then headed to the spot to wait for the others. She tried not to think about the wall, or the hundreds of children the weapon had just killed. Instead, she concentrated on the sounds and smells.

  One by one, her people moved in and gathered together in the clearing. They created a circle of defense, keeping the middle shielded. They could see attackers from all directions. Cari stood at the core, with the launcher ready to fire. She hoped the tactic would draw in the soldiers scattered throughout the woods. Many of her people were still out there, fighting. Every few minutes more gunfire reverberated. Cari held tight and waited for a signal.

  “East,” someone on the periphery shouted.

  Murmurs rippled throughout the circle.

  “Wait until they’re close, then pull back and clear a path. Let me fire first,” she told Sabina, who began dispersing the information to the people.

  The natives slowly pealed back as the soldiers moved in. Cari stepped forward with the launcher aimed.

  “If you surrender now, we’ll let you live!” one of the Insiders yelled to the group.

  “We’ll live anyway!” She fired off the missile. It careened across the air, blasting into a row of soldiers. The natives shouted their battle call and began firing. The Insiders fired back. Bodies dropped to the ground, both Insider and Outsider. The natives kept charging forward, and when their guns were empty they used their spears, knives, and arrows and fought on. It became clear the natives weren’t giving up, and the soldiers retreated into the forest. Cari released her final arrow into one of the remaining soldiers. After it was over, she dropped to the ground and sobbed.

  “Such great loss,” she cried.

  A small hand touched her shoulder. Grayson stood over Cari. “We still have people alive. Some are still hiding in the trees. Many of the kids survived, but they’re scared and need you.”

  Cari lifted herself up and wrapped her arms around Grayson, promising herself she’d never let him go.

  32

  Grace waited in the darkness while Dickson synced Ava into the mainframe. Her mother was quiet now, slipping into unconsciousness. It was time to get to work.

  “System panel,” she instructed.

  Nothing changed.

  “System panel,” she repeated.

  Again, nothing changed. She concentrated, repeating the instructions until the outer edges of the blackness twirled inward and slowly morphed into a tunnel, with a spec of light at the end.

  “Enter,” Grace said.

  Once again, rivers of gleaming light surrounded her. Each shimmering ribbon contained coding. Grace flowed through the tunnel, immersing with the glowing radiance. She rode the wave of spinning colors until she dropped down into a solid white space—the system panel.

  Relieved to be back in her body––or the virtual image of her body––she patted herself down and did a quick dance. She loved her mother
, but being inside her head was a bit much.

  Now she needed the network to track down and retrieve her mother. “06-14-2310. Retrieve Ava Rhodes Strader,” she instructed the system.

  Grace repeated the string of numbers, 06-14-2310, and waited for her mother to materialize. She wondered if she should mention Joseph’s death. Delivering such horrible news might hinder the mission, and Ava needed to stay sharp so she could get back to her body in the Seattle City Center. Once she was back, she could go straight to the council and fight to have Grace released from the containment cell. Or at least get an extension until they had evidence to prove Faraday was behind the attack. The council would listen to Ava––if she got back in time. Grace didn’t know how much time had passed, but she hoped it wasn’t too late.

  “Christian, I know you can hear me. I’m not sure how, but I know you’re somewhere in here. I need you to listen to me, sweetie. Listen carefully. We need a portal to take Ava Strader back to her original location in the Seattle City Center. The Administrative Building. Do you think you can figure out how to do that? She’ll be here soon, so please prepare an exit from this program.”

  Grace paced, waiting and growing more impatient. There wasn’t much time left on the clock. Faraday would go forward with the termination, regardless of Grace’s condition. She didn’t want to die out there while her consciousness was still inside the network. That would mean she’d be stuck inside the mainframe. And the only way out would be to harness her identity matrix and upload it into a new body. Spare bodies didn’t come around that often.

  The floor under Grace’s feet began to tremble and she swayed, trying to keep her balance. A low frequency murmured through the white space of the system panel. The velocity picked up and a gust of wind swooped all around Grace. From above, a gap opened and her mother dropped down.

  “Mom!” Grace gave her mother a rib-crunching hug. “You made it!”

  Ava clung to Grace. “I’m so happy, Gracie. I wasn’t sure I’d get here. ”

  “Ye have little faith in my abilities,” Grace teased.

  “It wasn’t you, but … I don’t know, I guess being in here day after day started to drain my hope of anything. But you did it. You found me and we’re together again! I almost have my family back.” Ava kissed the top of Grace’s head.