Kade (sci-fi romance - The Ember Quest Book 2)

by Arcadia Shield

  “We aren’t wasting our time and resources by bringing in a public jury,” said the thin man. “We will have a judge assess the evidence and decide your fate.”

  Honor felt her throat close, and an image of Kade flashed through her thoughts. Could this have something to do with him? They couldn’t have detected the messages she’d sent him, could they? No, it couldn’t be linked to him. Clarice had summoned her before she’d contacted Kade.

  She wished she hadn’t sent those messages though. If they were discovered, it would add to the catalog of guilt they were framing her with.

  “I can’t go to prison,” said Honor. “I have done nothing wrong.”

  “Clarice wants you dead.” The thin man turned from the door and stared at her for so long she squirmed in her seat. “But there is another option.”

  “What is it?” Honor leaned forward in her seat.

  “A memory extraction.”

  She leapt up and backed away. “No way. I’m not going through that.” Memory extractions were brutal, used on those crazy enough to believe in dragons and denounce the State. People never recovered from the procedure. Or if they did, they were never the same again.

  “Your trial will determine what happens to you,” said the thin man. “And a pretty little thing like you will be popular in prison. You might prefer your thoughts wiped so you can start again, rather than endure the attention of other criminals.” He gestured to the door, and the other man opened it.

  Honor’s hand flew to her mouth to stop a sob escaping her. Clarice wasn’t letting her go, and the State would punish her for something she hadn’t done. She had to find a way out before it was too late.

  Chapter 4

  Kade’s hair was still damp from the shower, as he locked the bunker door and cruised into the pale dawn light toward Intergen’s head office.

  Heath would be furious with him for going off-base without clearance, but he had to help Honor. The charges against her were serious, and the State would waste no time in convicting her. And when they’d done that, Honor’s life would be over. The thought of her vivacious spirit being wiped out made him sick.

  The streets were empty, everyone else sensible enough to stick to the State’s curfew. Kade made quick time, cruising to the other side of Old London and stopping his hydrogen-powered bike in the shadows opposite the tall, glass-fronted entrance of Intergen.

  Worry tugged at his gut. He was taking a serious risk, riding out to help Honor. If he got caught, the State would arrest him, try him for dozens of crimes, and kill him. And they’d stop at nothing to find out where the rest of his brothers were hiding.

  But Honor wouldn’t mess around with something as serious as this. She liked to have fun, but must have known how risky it was contacting him. That single word kept playing around his head. She needed help and hadn’t had anyone else to turn to. If a fugitive was her final option, this was severe.

  Kade kept his helmet on, concealing his face from any passing State drones. If one picked him out, he’d have to run. He was out before curfew broke, and you went to prison for that. He watched the security guards inside the building as they changed shifts. Most of the lights were off inside, with only a small glow coming from behind the reception desk where a guard sat.

  There were four cameras fixed on the entrance door. It would be too risky to go in that way. The cameras would all need to be taken out, and he’d have to stay hidden. Holden had sent Kade the building’s schematics. It had thirty-five floors, and not all were marked with their purpose. He’d start with the secure areas, the places you could take a person you wanted to lose forever.

  He waited until a drone had flitted by overhead, making sure its red eye didn’t pick him out, before sliding the bike closer. He glided the bike around the side of the building, looking for another way inside.

  A gray metal delivery door sealed with a keypad showed promise. As Kade grew closer he smirked. The keypad was child’s play. He unlocked the door in less than ten seconds, rolled the bike so it faced out of the alleyway, and then slid the door open, pulling out his pulse laser gun as he did so.

  Taking a deep breath, Kade stepped inside.

  THE SECOND THE CELL door locked behind the guard and the thin man, Honor was on her feet. She hurried over and checked the keypad. She’d watched the guard’s fingers as he’d unlocked the door to let them out. But there wasn’t much time, and if she got the combination wrong, they’d know what she was doing.

  Looking through the glass pane of the door, Honor couldn’t see anyone outside. “Six. Eight. Four. Four. Seven.” She let out a gasp of relief as the red light on the keypad turned green.

  Honor grabbed the handle and pulled the door open a crack. There was no movement in the corridor. She risked a glance out, checking each way. There were no guards, but the camera in the room would record her every move.

  She stepped out of the room, indecision racing through her veins and making her head ache. There was no way she could go out the front doors. Security would know she was no longer welcome at Intergen. The service tunnels were an option though. Go out a back door and get to the vehicles parked underground.

  Mentally slapping herself, Honor grimaced. She couldn’t use a vehicle to get away. Every vehicle was monitored by the State. She dashed along the corridor; she’d have to go on foot. But where she’d go was another problem Honor needed to figure out. She pushed that problem aside. First things, first. She had to focus on getting the hell out of this building. She could deal with Clarice and her scheming lies once she found some place safe to go.

  Reaching the service stairs, she glanced over her shoulder and gave in to a moment of doubt. What was she doing? This could all be a horrible mistake. Clarice was likely already on her way, ready to apologize and give her a promotion and a hefty rise in credits.

  Honor gave herself a mental slap as she hurried to the ground floor. The day that happened would be the day she’d see an actual dragon in the sky.

  She made it down the eight flights of stairs without seeing another soul, or even breaking a sweat. All those hours in the gym were finally paying off. Honor dashed to the door leading to the service tunnels. She was still left with the problem of how to get out of the building. Every door was locked using a keypad, and if you didn’t have the right code, you didn’t get through. Staff offices had swipe cards and Honor had hers around her neck, tucked inside her shirt, along with a data stick carrying her personal research. But she wasn’t certain it would open any of the back doors.

  Again, she hesitated for a half a second. If she could get Clarice to see sense, realize she’d never sell company secrets, then everything would be fine.

  Honor turned and faced the elevator. Clarice would probably still be in her office, she rarely left this place, no matter what time it was. If she could get to her and talk to her, look at the evidence and show Clarice what had gone wrong, that would fix the problem. Wouldn’t it?

  She choked back a gasp as two guards turned the corner and entered the corridor, their guns already out of their holsters.

  “Stop right there,” shouted a guard as he spotted Honor.

  She grabbed the door handle, yanked it open and flung herself through, just as a blast from the guard’s laser slammed into the door.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Adrenaline spiked in her blood stream. Even if she had sold company secrets, there was no need to kill her.

  But there was no point in arguing with the guards. Clearly, they weren’t going to listen, and it would just be a waste of time. She sprinted along the corridor, hurling herself around the corner, just as the guards smashed through the door behind her.

  Her breath came out in panicked gasps, fear jangling through her veins and making her head spin.

  Freedom was close. The door in front of Honor was her way out. Her mind rolled at what that freedom meant. Fleeing from Intergen would imply she was guilty and there wouldn’t be any turning back from that. But there was no other opti
on. If she stopped running, gave herself up, she’d go on trial and then to prison, or have a mind wipe. Or be killed.

  Honor had plenty of credits and a good network of friends. She would find someone who’d help and let her lie low until she figured this mess out and could get her life back on track.

  Slamming into the door, her hand stinging as she hit the cold metal, she cursed under her breath when she saw it was a keypad rather than a swipe card access point. Clarice had probably had her swipe card deactivated by now, anyway, but having the card gave her a false sense of hope.

  A camera hovered over her head, swivelling in place as it watched her.

  Sucking down her nerves, Honor jabbed a combination of numbers into the pad. Unsurprisingly, the light remained red. She glanced over her shoulder, but the guards hadn’t discovered her yet.

  Honor slammed her hand against the keypad. “Come on, just let me out.”

  At the end of the corridor, the door opened, and the guards ran in. “Hold it right there.” The front guard raised his gun as he darted toward her.

  Honor spun around and plastered her back against the door. Her gaze shot to a narrow corridor to her left, and she took a step toward it.

  “Don’t even think about it,” said the guard. He glanced over his shoulder. “Let main security know we’ve apprehended the prisoner.”

  The guard behind him nodded and turned away, lifting his hand to his mouth to activate his comms device.

  Honor licked her lips. “Do I look like a prisoner to you?”

  “Come toward me slowly,” said the guard. “And keep your hands where I can see them.”

  Honor obliged, forcing her knees not to shake as she approached the guard. “I can explain everything. This is a mistake.”

  “You escaping from your room wasn’t a mistake,” said the guard. “Only guilty people run.”

  “Or those who’ve been framed,” muttered Honor. She tried her brightest smile on the guard. “Can’t you pretend you haven’t found me? I can slip out the door and then you’d not have all the paperwork to worry about. I imagine there are multiple forms to fill in for something like this.”

  The guard’s dark eyes narrowed. “You’re not leaving.”

  Honor swallowed her fear. She was within striking range of the guard. She grabbed his wrist, shoving the gun to one side as she punched him in the throat. Those self-defense classes Isla had forced her to go to were now the most valuable skills she had.

  The guard let out a strangled, choking noise and fired his weapon, sending a pulse of the laser into the ceiling.

  The noise alerted the second guard, and he spun around and raised his gun.

  Honor grabbed the guard in front of her and used him as a shield as the second guard fired. The shot was wide and sliced through the guard’s left arm.

  Shoving him away as she gagged on the smell of burning flesh, Honor turned and sprinted along the corridor.

  A strong hand wrapped around her waist and her mouth was covered.

  Honor let out a startled yell and kicked back at her unknown attacker.

  “Stay quiet and we might get out of this alive.”

  Chapter 5

  Honor tensed in his arms as Kade dragged her into the shadows. He felt her heart pounding against her chest and her whole body shaking. He dropped his hold and turned Honor to face him.

  Her eyes widened. “Kade Ember!”

  He flashed her a smile. Freaking hell, she was as gorgeous as he remembered. Maybe even more so. “No time to explain. But I got your messages. Let’s get out of here.”

  Her eyes grew even rounder, and she nodded.

  They dashed along the corridor, Kade behind Honor. He kept checking for the guards to appear but no one showed. They were likely calling for backup.

  “How did you get away?” he asked Honor.

  “Escaped from a locked room and punched a guard.”

  Kade’s eyebrows shot up. “Nice work.”

  Honor gave him a tight grin. “No choice. It was kill or be killed.”

  Curiosity raced through Kade, but now was not the time for questions. They reached the door he’d broken into, and after he’d checked the alleyway was empty, pulled Honor through and blasted the keypad to stop the guards and give them a few more seconds.

  Kade grabbed Honor’s hand and led her to the bike, before hopping on the front.

  She continued to stare at him with those big eyes, and his already racing heart kicked up a notch.

  “I can’t believe you came for me.” Honor jumped on the back of the bike. “I didn’t know if the messages even got through.”

  “They did,” said Kade. He glided the bike to the end of the alleyway and checked the way was clear. “You need to tell me what you’ve done. What’s this trouble you’re in?”

  Honor squeezed her hands around his stomach in response. “I’ll tell you. But you won’t believe it.”

  They’d made it a hundred yards when Kade felt Honor shift in her seat. “We’re being followed,” she said in his ear.

  Kade checked the bike mirrors. Two bikes cruised out of Intergen’s underground parking lot and were heading their way.

  He gunned the engine and sped up, but dread clutched at him; there’d be no way he could outrun these bikes with Honor on the back, and he wouldn’t risk any crazy moves, in case she was injured.

  “Let’s go.” Honor tapped Kade on the shoulder and flattened herself against his back.

  Kade braked sharply and took a right turn. He’d planned to return to the bunker with Honor and figure out what to do next, but wasn’t going to lead these guards there. If the State discovered where they were hiding, it would be the end of everything they’d been trying to accomplish.

  “We need to get off the streets,” said Kade. “You know a place around here we can hide out?”

  “Go to the end and take a left and then the third right,” said Honor. “There’s underground parking there.”

  A pulse of laser shot over their heads, and Kade swerved the bike, making them a harder target to hit. He pulled out his gun and passed it to Honor. “Get them off our tail.”

  They shot around the corner onto a stretch of flat road, and Kade increased his speed.

  He felt Honor shift behind him and checked the mirrors to see she was trying to aim the gun.

  “Don’t worry too much about aiming. Just shoot at them,” yelled Kade. “It will slow them down as they try to get out of range.”

  Honor started firing, and the bikers swerved across the road, as laser fire spat around them.

  Several shots skimmed past Kade and Honor and he cursed and gunned the throttle.

  “I almost got one,” yelled Honor.

  “Aim for the tires, not the riders,” said Kade. “Take the bikes out. Bigger targets.”

  They were nearing the next turn, and Kade slowed slightly.

  A hissing whistle followed by the sound of grinding metal filled the air.

  “I got one!” said Honor.

  Kade looked in his mirrors and saw a rider fly over his handlebars, his bike slamming into a wall. His companion didn’t even slow to see if he was alive as he continued his pursuit.

  He turned the bike into the bend, just as a blast from the rider’s gun slammed into his right shoulder. It felt as if someone had tipped boiling water on his arm, and his hand went numb.

  “Fuck!” The bike shuddered, and Kade slowed it to stop them falling.

  Honor wrapped her hand around his numb fingers and gripped the handlebar. “Can you still ride?”

  Kade nodded, not able to speak through his gritted teeth.

  “Then we’ll ride together. You keep the gas going. Head down here and the parking entrance is on your left.” Honor’s voice was calm and strong, distracting him from the savage stab of the laser burn.

  “The other guard?” growled out Kade as black dots of pain flashed before his eyes.

  “He’s still there, but we can deal with him when we get somewhere saf
er.”

  Kade fought the pain as they slid into the parking lot. It was a cold, gray space, full of State-owned vehicles. He rolled the bike to the end of the lot, and hid behind a large, white truck.

  Honor hopped off the bike, her focus on his injured shoulder.

  He looked at her, and his gaze dropped to the sleeve of her jacket, where a slice had been ripped out. “You’ve been hit?”

  Honor shook her head. “It’s the same shot that got you. I’m just smaller, so it skimmed past me. It’s my favorite jacket, though.” She gave him a wonky smile. “How bad is it?”

  “I’ll survive,” said Kade. “But my right arm is useless.”

  The sound of another bike rolling into the underground car park had them ducking, and Kade pulled Honor closer.

  “There’ll be more coming,” said Honor.

  “Not if we take this one out before he can comm through what’s happening,” said Kade, his gaze on his useless arm. “But we’ll only get one shot. And you need to take it. My left-handed shooting skills are poor.”

  Honor took the gun from the waistband of her pencil skirt. “Don’t worry, handsome. I won’t let you down.”

  HONOR THOUGHT SHE DID an amazing job of hiding her nerves as she focused on the guard who rolled toward them on his bike.

  “The gun sight is slightly off to the left,” whispered Kade in her ear, so close she could smell a mixture of soap and sweat on him. “Shift it three millimeters to your right to get a direct hit.”

  Honor took a deep breath, shut out the distracting presence of Kade, and fired. The guard flew backwards off his bike and hit the ground.

  Kade squeezed her shoulder. “Nice shooting. Anyone would think you’d had military training.”

  Honor shot him her best, slightly wavering, smile, not wanting to reveal this was the first time she’d ever hit anyone before. In fact, until today, she’d never fired a gun. This day had turned crazy.