Every pair of eyes flitted around the room, and then everyone nodded. Ruckus moved toward the center of the room, Ryder following as he carried me over to a chair Gaia turned over. Setting me down in the chair, Ryder pulled his sidearm and followed Ruckus to where I had pointed. The sensation was so slight I was beginning to think I had imagined it. The two men made their way where I directed them to go and looked back at me after staring at the place for a second, Ruckus shaking his head.
“Maybe I’m just…” I felt it again. That faint pulling and humming sensation just under my skin as my Nanos recognized those of their originator, and it grew stronger. “Wait! There it is again. It’s there!”
“What the Hell is it?” Ajax shouted.
“It’s a Nano,” I said, pulling myself weakly to my feet.
“Mila, there’s nothing left,” Ryder said in a soft, gentle tone.
“I can feel it, Ryder,” I insisted.
The sensation hit me again, much stronger this time. With help from Gaia, I moved toward the men in the center of the room, Doctor Aserov watching wearily. When we met them, I bent down and brushed the ashes from the ground in the same spot I felt the sensation emanating from. I gasped, spotting a small drop of blood on the floor that could have very easily gone unnoticed if I hadn’t sensed what lay within it. One single Nano – that belonged to John Baker.
“A drop of blood?” Jameson shrugged. “So?”
“I can feel the Nanos in it,” I insisted.
“They’re going to burn off anyway,” Doctor Aserov stated.
“Let’s get out of here,” Ruckus reiterated.
“No, dammit, listen! They’re getting stronger,” I said, feeling a much stronger ping in my chest than just before.
“Mila,” Ruckus started, his voice even and gentle.
“Ruckus?” Gaia said, her finger pointing at the blood drop I had pointed out.
Everyone stared, moving in for a better look. As we all watched, stunned, the blood drop began to gain mass – as if the Nano within was feeding off it and rebuilding. After a few more seconds, it was large enough to account for at least a quarter-pint of blood. And it kept growing, turning into a puddle. I felt the Nanos working away, the originating micro-robot separating and replicating to create even more. The sensation felt like a burning hum just below my skin while it caused my own to react. The dark red puddle began to turn a healthier, bright red.
“What the fuck am I seeing?” Jameson asked, leaning slightly forward and squinting.
“Jesus, it’s growing,” Genevieve gasped in wonder, eyes wide.
The blood rolled toward some of the ash, and its growth increased quickly. So much so that the puddle began to add volume to itself, and ripples began to bubble within it. They all jumped back when they saw something start to solidify within the pool.
“What the fuck is going on?” Fairbanks asked, turning to look at me with terrified chocolate eyes.
Staring back at the puddle, I saw that a small piece of bone had formed, sticking up from the blood just enough to barely be seen if we weren’t paying attention. The blood continued to reach out toward the dead ashes on the ground, and I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself, but here I was. Watching the impossible happen.
“It…he is…he’s growing. Ashes, it needs the ashes. Hell, maybe some blood too.” When everyone hesitated except for Gaia, I shouted, “Hurry!”
“You heard her,” Ryder yelled in an authoritative tone. “Move!”
Gaia ran around the room frantically for the ashes, throwing them into the puddle, as did Ruckus and the others. Doctor Aserov reached around into her supply bag and pulled out a few travel-packed bags of O-negative blood that she brought with us just in case. Opening each one with her teeth, she poured it directly into the existing puddle. It splashed on the ground with a sickening sound, and it seemed to be helping. The bone fragment continued to grow rapidly. Taking some of my own blood from my nose and mouth onto my fingers, I flicked it in as well. Every little bit helped.
A larger bone suddenly took shape among the blood. After five minutes, the bone became what I recognized as a human spine. The spine took the shape of a perfect curvature, followed by ribs, then shoulders and arms. At the top of the spine grew a skull. The blood rolled outward, took in the ashes, seeming to work much harder now that it had more of an energy source to feed the Nanos’ level of activity. I still felt my own pulsing against me in response, and I wiped sweat from my forehead, pushing myself slowly to my feet as we watched the horrifyingly beautiful display of what I knew was John’s resurrection.
Pelvis, hips, legs, feet — a full skeleton lay in the blood, and the liquid reached for more of the ashes.
Gaia and the others reached down, took another small pile of ashes each that they could gather, and threw them into the blood. The blackened specks mixed with it and were ingested while the blood began to work its way back to the skeleton, forming blood vessels that spiderwebbed their way along the bones. The body formed, starting at the basic skeleton and turning into an even more morbid display as the teeth emerged in the jaw bone. Eyes began to fill the orbital sockets, the body continuing to take shape. There was a loud gasp as the lungs formed from small, red buds to supple and pink sacs – functioning perfectly as they inflated and deflated in perfect rhythm. The muscle then took shape, and then the layers of skin before finally, a milk chocolate hue of John’s skin was evident.
What looked like a monster before, finally morphed into a living, breathing John Baker. His eyes were closed, and the only evidence of his resurrection that remained was a slight sheen of blood over his skin.
The room was quiet except for our adrenaline-soaked breathes. Gaia took a step toward him, reaching out. It was as if he was recharging his batteries and I felt every ounce of what happened inside of him – even at the microscopic level. The hum under my skin grew, and I observed while Gaia took another step, raising her hand even higher as if she was going to touch his face.
“John?” she whimpered.
I could hear the terror in her voice, but she didn’t show it on her face. She was stoic, awed, and hopeful.
John sluggishly opened his eyes, and the sensation I had been feeling disappeared with a snap inside my chest. The corners of his lips twitched up into something that resembled a smile, but tired.
“Hey, honey. I’m back,” he said softly.
Gaia’s face lit up, and she squealed, opening her arms wide and jumping into his arms. John stumbled back a few steps and embraced her tightly, and my eyes met his. He loved my sister so much. I could see it in his eyes just then, even though his gaze met mine for barely a second. We couldn’t hold back our glee. Everyone began to whoop and holler, pumping their fists into the air. I just stood there, watching him and Gaia – pride swelling in my chest. Baker opened his eyes again and began to speak to me without letting go of Gaia.
“We did it. We really did it,” John said.
“King’s gone,” I finished with a wide grin.
“Baker, you motherfucker. Don’t you do that again,” Julius chided playfully, coming around to give John a friendly clap on the back.
“No promises,” John replied as most of our group came to surround him.
Ryder ran up to me, picked me up, and twirled me around, still hollering with absolute glee and triumph. I laughed, but the action made my stomach turn.
“Babe, you’re going to make me sick,” I giggled.
He put me down on the ground, my feet lightly touching the floor, and pressed his lips against mine with so much fire it stole all my oxygen. He pulled back, and his smile only seemed to grow, showing so many teeth I could almost see his wisdom teeth.
“It’s over, baby. We’re safe.” He leaned forward and pulled me against his chest, smoothing down my hair. “You’re safe.”
>
“Yeah,” I sighed, letting him hold me.
I felt like I was at home, and like someone was no longer breathing down my neck. There weren’t anymore eyes stabbing my back or deadly words. I felt at peace after so long of constant running. I watched everyone as he held me. They spoke animatedly, each weapon placed in their respective homes.
There was so much to feel at that moment. Fear. Joy. Grief. And a lingering rage that would always be there no matter what. Most of all, I felt love permeate the air, pure and clean and heady.
With a heavy, relieved sigh, I said, “We’re safe.”
Epilogue
One Year Later
The dark, polished oak of the bar reflected my image as I sat on the barstool with a drink in my hand. I wore a stark ,white button-up shirt and a black skirt that reached just past my knees with a pair of black high heels that I would never have been able to wear before. My dark hair swept across my shoulders, straightened by the salon stylist I paid far too much money to go see.
Ryder sat beside me, his green eyes watching the television screen above the bar intently. He dressed sharply for the evening’s festivities, the beautiful blue pin-striped suit hugging his body in all the right places. The stubble on his jaw didn’t make him look any less professional. Distinguished, yes. Unprofessional, no.
Beautiful. Yes.
Why were we there? To celebrate and watch the polls of the first Presidential Election the United States had seen in one-hundred years, and to watch Fairbank’s votes skyrocket as I expected them to.
His campaign had been strong, and the people loved him, which made his eventual win one of the most precedented in history.
A high, feminine squeal sounded from behind me on the dance floor of the modernly decorated space. Turning around, I watched as John Baker twirled Gaia and brought her quickly back against his chest, love alight in their eyes. Julius, Cecilia, Caius, Genevieve, Doctor Aserov, Jameson, Ajax, and Ruckus stood on the sidelines and watched those that danced – all of us becoming extremely close since the war ended. It was a beautiful sight, and I sighed, looking back to Ryder as yet another state turned green – Fairbanks winning the state of South Carolina. Our home state, where we now sat and watched each state turn either green or white depending on who won it. Most of the United States map on the screen was green, only a few more states left to count – remaining grey until it could be said who won what.
Fairbanks’ opponent was a nice enough man, but he didn’t stand a chance. Not considering Fairbanks had helped us to free the Specials and bring King’s dictatorship to an end.
“Hey,” I whispered, nuzzling my chin against his shoulder as he took another swallow of the stout beer in front of him.
His green eyes met mine, and he grinned as the brown bottle thumped against the bar when he set it down, perfect white teeth gleaming.
“Hey,” he replied. “You okay?”
“I’m perfect,” I answered, beaming up at him.
Fairbanks moved in to sit beside Ryder, coming from the direction of the bathrooms, black suit jacket open and blue shirt unbuttoned slightly. The bartender walked up to us, and Fairbanks held up one finger, signaling that he wanted a beer. He had come to this bar enough since the campaign started because of the stress that the bartender always knew what he wanted. Considering he got the same thing every time, it was easy enough to guess a green bottle with a gold label would be placed in front of him in a few seconds.
“How are you holding up, man? Nervous?” Ryder asked, clapping Fairbanks on the back.
The bartender placed the beer in front of him, and Fairbanks thanked him softly, looking at Ryder.
“If I win I’ll be holding the fate of the United States in my hands. What’s to be nervous about?” he joked.
Leaning forward so I could see his face, I said, “You’ll win. Have you seen the polls yet?”
“No,” he shook his head. “Been too nervous to look.”
“Oh, come on,” I replied, smiling. “I know you’ll win this. I mean, look at how green the map is already,”
He waved a hand at me, so I turned to look at the television, my heart racing like a tiny drummer lived just inside my ribcage.
When I saw the screen, I saw instantly that the only state left to be counted was Florida, the other two that hadn’t changed yet turning green. A few seconds later, as I watched intently, Florida turned green, and everyone exploded into a frenzy of excited laughter and celebratory glee.
Metallic confetti rained down from the ceiling, and the music grew louder, everyone coming to stand around Fairbanks as he bashfully rose from the barstool, Ryder and myself standing up next to him.
I took that moment to rush to him, throwing my arms around his neck in celebration if his victory.
I put my lips as close to his ear as I could, so he would hear me and said, “My mother would be so proud of you. Congratulations.”
“You too, honey. She’d be proud of you too.”
With one more squeeze, I pulled away from him, and we all turned to the crowd, Ryder taking my hand in his. His face lit up with pride. Fairbanks would change the United States, and with us as his Special ambassadors, would help him change the world.
The music went silent, and bottles of champagne were popped open, every glass expertly poured and passed among the group.
Raising my glass into the air, the crowd followed my lead.
“I’d like to make a toast,” I projected my voice so everyone could hear my words. “To the President of the United States, Malcolm Fairbanks. May your strength inspire the country and change the world, just like you’ve changed my life. The best of luck to you, Mr. President. You have saved us, Specials and Norms alike, and we are forever grateful.”
“Here, here,” I heard many say, the words rippling through the crowd.
Everyone took a sip from their glass and moved in to congratulate Fairbanks.
I moved to the side, taking Ryder with me, and looked up out into the mass of people – spotting Gaia. She nodded to me, tipped her glass again as if toasting to me, and took another sip of her champagne.
Later in life, when people asked me what I would sacrifice for freedom, I already knew what I would say. I had sacrificed everyone. I had gained some. I had lost many. But one thing would always remain true.
Would I make those sacrifices all over again?
There was one simple answer.
Yes. Yes, I would.
About the Author
Kindra Sowder was born and raised in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. At the age of 12 she moved with her grandparents to Spartanburg, SC where she graduated from high school with honors as well as a superior achievement in Spanish. She graduated college with two degrees in Criminal Neuropsychology. She still lives in South Carolina and lives with her husband and three cats. Two of her series have become bestsellers and she continues to write for the love of the craft.
The Clash (The Permutation Archives Book 5) Page 29