“I’m sorry. Are you sure this is what you want?” I had to ask, just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I still feared he was kissing me goodbye.
“You are still Amery, nothing’s changed.”
“Even though you know I’m an alien?”
“Do you have any antennae?”
I searched his eyes and saw the sparkle there, he was joking. It was a relief. “Not that I know of, but I’m not making any promises.”
“Antennae are sexy,” he whispered before kissing me again. I could have put up with that all day long. I would have too, if we weren’t supposed to be saving all the project members today.
I pulled away, already missing his hands on my cheeks. I held them in my own so he wouldn’t be able to get too far away. He lightly brushed my triangle mark with his thumb. “As much as I don’t want to, I have to go. We’re kind of going on a rescue mission today.”
“That sounds dangerous.” Concern flushed his face. His eyes were so soft now, there wasn’t a trace left of the hurt or hatred I had once seen.
“The other people… like me, are being held by the Department. They’re going to kill them if we don’t get them out. So we’re going to spring them… today.”
“Tell me what to do, I’ll help,” Lochie instantly shot back.
“No, it’s-”
“Too dangerous?” He laughed as he finished my sentence. “If it’s dangerous, then all the more reason for me to come.”
I could kind of see his point. Still, he wasn’t obliged to help and I was. I had no choice, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t go. He had the opportunity to walk away from it.
The bunker lid crashed open behind me, making me jump in the otherwise quiet field. Satellites started streaming from the hole in the ground, all purposefully walking in the direction of the vehicles. I checked my watch, we needed to get moving.
I turned back to Lochie. “Fine, but you have to do what I tell you to, no questions asked. Agreed?”
“Not if it means putting you in harm’s way.”
I could feel the familiar annoyance that only he could coerce from me. “Will you just do what you’re told already?”
He grinned, throwing up his hands in surrender. His crossed fingers on each hand didn’t go unnoticed. I rolled my eyes and started walking.
“Come on, then.”
We joined the lines and headed for the vehicles. Only a quarter of the satellites were coming with us to the complex. We wouldn’t have enough seats if everyone came. One driver per vehicle and then a few extra helpers, that’s all we were taking.
Lochie and I slid into a white sedan, I took the driver’s seat. I waited for my turn and pulled onto the road. I couldn’t stop my fingers tapping on the steering wheel, my nervous energy escaping by any means possible.
“I know your rule about not asking questions,” Lochie started once we were on the highway. “But you want to fill me in on what we’re doing?”
I gave him a rundown, taking the opportunity to go over the details myself once more. I kept feeling like I was missing something, that perhaps I had left something glaringly obvious out. I hoped it was only my paranoia and fear and not based on anything real.
Lochie was quiet for a long time afterwards. He was probably having second thoughts about tagging along. Or perhaps the magnitude of the stakes had finally settled in. We weren’t playing cops and robbers, this was the real deal with real lives at stake.
“The members are all like you?” He asked in the silence. There was no more joking in his tone now.
“Yes, all of them.”
“Do you really think the government would kill them?”
“I know they will.”
“The news should be talking about that.” I tended to agree, but nobody wanted to save the aliens who were planning on taking over Earth. The Originals had seen to that.
After another three hours of driving, we pulled up outside the complex. More people than I had expected were parked there. My post on the conspiracy message boards had almost worked too well. I looked around while still seated, doing an inventory of the vehicles. Only a few satellite buses were missing, they’d catch up soon enough.
I had twenty minutes before show time, I needed to get to work straight away or we wouldn’t be ready. “I’m going to get started. Do you think you could talk to some of the people in the cars?”
Lochie nodded and followed me. I pointed out the entrance to the complex, the one we needed to be wary of. I went right and Lochie went left. I was glad he had come along, I now had two people I could trust. I saw Garrick get out of his vehicle and start talking to people too.
I started with the first car I came across – a beat up old van that was spray painted grey. I knocked on the window and waited for the man in the driver’s seat to wind it down. His male passenger seemed equally as curious about what I wanted.
“Hi there,” I started happily. “Are you here because of the alien conspiracy?”
I knew from his bumper sticker – The Truth is Out There – that he was so his nod was a little redundant. “There is supposed to be aliens in there, being held captive by the government. They want to get out and populate.”
“My friends and I are some of them,” I stated bluntly, I didn’t have time to sugar coat it. “We’re getting all the aliens out today and away from government. They’re planning on killing them all. Do you want to help?”
“Can we go to jail?” His bravado was suddenly gone for some reason.
“They’re going to have bigger problems than you. All I need you to do is park your vehicle across the entrance over there.” I pointed to the gate where Lochie or Garrick had already convinced people to move to. “You will have a front row seat to seeing all the aliens. They’ll come running out, we’ll put them into our vehicles and then drive off. Then you can move your van and go home.”
His distrusting eyes flicked between me and the entrance gate as he assessed the pros and cons. Rob assured me anyone helping like this wouldn’t be hurt but I was still a little nervous myself. He couldn’t be a hundred percent certain.
“Can I take photos?” He asked.
“Sure.”
“Okay, we’ll move.” He was already starting his engine by the time I reached the next vehicle. I repeated my spiel for the next dozen cars before catching up with Garrick. A few of the vehicles had left, but most were now parked right across the entrance to the complex. The guards wouldn’t be able to follow us, at least not for a while anyway.
“All done?” Garrick asked.
“Yeah, you?” He nodded. “We’d better check the satellites are ready to roll and then bring the buses up. We’ve only got a few minutes before the alarms will start to go off.”
I waved for Lochie to follow once he was done with his last car and started checking our own vehicles. A few of the satellites’ buses were repositioned, forming two lines on the deserted road. Each of the drivers opened all the doors and started the engines with strict instructions not to leave unless they had at least standing room only in their bus. It would be a tight squeeze but we didn’t have enough vehicles otherwise. We couldn’t leave anyone behind.
“Do you want me to drive?” Lochie asked, his hand resting gently in the small of my back. I was acutely aware of the sparks resonating through me from that one spot. I had to suppress my excitement about having his forgiveness.
“Do you mind breaking the law?”
“Not at all, what’s another one?”
I fished the keys out of my pocket and held them up for him to take. “Then you can drive. I’ll guide all the members to the other vehicles first, we’ll be the last to leave. You remember the plan?”
“Drive as fast as the car can go,” he replied seriously.
Garrick joined us, his face creased with nerves. I probably looked exactly the same, the nausea kept threatening to bubble to the surface. “My car is ready. Let’s get this show on the road.”
CHAPTER 7<
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Garrick and I left Lochie and headed for the side of the complex. We needed to put on a performance that would distract all the guards for a while. And that included some hidden snipers, the most deadly of them all.
Standing at the chain link fence, we started yelling at the guards and rattling the metal.
“Let them out.”
“You’re all killers.”
“How can you do this to us?”
“We had an agreement.”
We simultaneously yelled whatever we could, the point wasn’t to insult them but to get their attention. I know they knew our faces and exactly who we were. A bounty had been on our heads since the moment we escaped from the place. There was nobody in the Department that didn’t know us.
The high pitched alarm suddenly sounded, exactly like it was supposed to. The second I heard it, it was like being back inside the complex again. I could smell the smoke as it threatened to overcome me, I could feel the fear of being murdered at any time. I tried to tell myself it wouldn’t happen again but I doubted whether the fear would ever go away.
Four guards hurried over to meet us through the fence. Their guns were raised and pointed directly at us. They did some yelling of their own.
“Get down on the ground!”
“Put your hands up.”
“On the ground… now”
We stood without moving, there was no way we were going to get on the ground. We put up our hands and that was all. The only part of our plan that needed some divine intervention was the guns. We had no guarantee they wouldn’t shoot us or any of the members, the crossed fingers approach was all we had. Even Rob had said there was a fifty-fifty chance.
The alarm continued to wail as movement started behind the guards. Several doors all opened at once and members started to stream out. Dazed and a little confused, they ran for the entrance. As they did, the front gate rolled into action. I sighed with relief while trying not to look, Finn had made it to the control room and managed to open the gate remotely.
We started yelling again, trying to hold their attention for as long as possible.
“What are you still doing even holding them?”
“You’re running a prison, you’re not protecting them.”
“Let them out.”
“The public will find out what you’re doing.”
We continued to throw the insults while the guards threw them right back at us. There was so much yelling going on my head started to ache. I was so caught up in the verbal back and forth I didn’t notice the members had stopped coming. Hopefully that meant they were all out and not being prevented from leaving.
Finn’s voice rung out over the loudspeaker. “All guards, please report to the control room. Code red, code red. I repeat, all guards are to report to the control room immediately.”
The four guards holding us captive through the fence exchanged glances, wondering if the order included them too. Should they give up their hostages to obey? They were on the opposite side of the fence, they knew we wouldn’t hang around and wait for them to return.
Finn kept repeating the instructions, it was almost more annoying than the constant alarm.
“We’d better go,” the guard to my left said to the others. They each cast a gaze full of hatred at us as they left. Garrick and I didn’t wait for even a moment before we ran in the opposite direction.
We caught up with the last of the members. Two of them tripped and fell in front of us. I grabbed one while Garrick grabbed the other. Shots started firing, so close it made me jump with the shock. The girl I was helping yelped with the noise. I pulled her along, knowing we definitely didn’t have time for delays now.
Footsteps started pounding on the ground behind, along with multiple voices yelling at us. I willed the girl to run faster with me but she was limping. I half-dragged her toward the car.
A bullet whizzed by, lodging itself in the tree only a few yards away. It made the loudest snap I had ever heard. I tried not to imagine how much it would hurt if one of those bullets pierced through me. I couldn’t think of that, I had to keep going.
“Come on, you need to go faster,” I urged the girl. I knew she was trying but she seriously needed to try harder. The footsteps were getting closer and the bullets were even nearer.
Garrick glanced over his shoulder at us. He had picked up his injured girl and was running toward the car. There were only two vehicles left now, his and Lochie’s.
“Come on, Ame,” Garrick called.
“I am,” I grunted back.
My arms and legs were killing me, I really wasn’t built for rescue missions. The girl panted beside me, gasping for air as we ran. She was as skinny as a twig, probably malnourished too. Another bullet hit the ground beside me. I hoped these were the last two of the members. If anyone was left now, they were as good as gone. I had to push that thought aside too.
“Not much further,” I assured the girl – and myself.
Lochie’s eyes were fixated on me. I could tell he was weighing up whether to get out and help us. Before I left, I told him to stay in the car and get ready to drive at all costs, I prayed he was listening.
“We’re coming,” I called out, just to make sure.
We finally reached the cars. The last few members were climbing in. It looked like everyone had found their way – all thanks to Finn’s instructions, I’m sure. He told them we would be waiting, where, and what they had to do. I prayed he wouldn’t be caught for his involvement. Rob had done his best to think up a plan to make him look innocent, it had to work.
Camera flashes were still coming from our allies in their vehicles at the entrance. Hopefully they would stay there for a while longer. Most said they would, only a few said they couldn’t risk it.
I ran for the white sedan, already packed full with three members. I threw the girl into the back and slid into the front seat, slamming the door. Lochie floored the accelerator before I even got my seatbelt on.
“You okay?” He asked, not taking his eyes off the road.
“Yeah,” I replied, swiveling around in my seat to see the four terrified souls in the backseat. “Are you guys alright?” They nodded, their eyes still wide with the shock of it all.
They looked horrible, the three girls and one boy all had matted, wild hair. Their clothes were filthy and they had dirt under their fingernails. They looked – and smelt – like they hadn’t washed in weeks. Apparently the Department’s budget cutbacks had included cutting out soap and water too.
It was disgusting to think what conditions they had been kept in. Finn wasn’t wrong when he said it was terrible. I was still clutching to hope that he was exaggerating until I saw the members. The Department had severely let us all down, it was inhumane.
“We’re going to get you somewhere safe,” I said, still looking at their wild expressions. “Our leaders from Trucon had spies here on Earth the entire time we’ve been here. They’re all gathered together along with one of our leaders, Krom. He’s going to make sure we’re all safe. The Department can’t hurt us anymore.”
I don’t think they believed me about the being safe part. I didn’t really believe it myself so I didn’t blame them. At least they would be cared for in the bunker, returned to their human form after some serious scrubbing. They all looked so much thinner than they had when I was in the complex. I prayed it wasn’t my fault the conditions had changed. Even though a part of me knew it was already.
“We have company,” Lochie said suddenly in the silence. I checked the side mirror, spotting the black SUV behind us. It was gaining distance quickly.
“We need to lose them,” I said frantically, stating the obvious. Garrick’s car was in the distance in front of us. “Change course so they follow us instead of the others. We need to lead them away from all the other vehicles first.”
Lochie nodded and gripped the steering wheel tighter. His knuckles were white as he focused on the road. “Hold on everyone.” The words had barely escaped his lips
before he took a corner way too fast.
I was flung against the door, yelps coming from the four in the back. There wasn’t enough seatbelts for all of them, they had to hang on extra tight to stop themselves being thrown around like ragdolls.
Lochie straightened up and floored it again, the car lurching into action. We skimmed around the twists and turns of the country road, the black SUV hovering in the back the entire time.
It seemed no matter how many corners Lochie took, he couldn’t shake them. At least we had a full tank of gas, but even that wouldn’t last forever.
“Do you have any ideas right now, Jones?” He asked nervously. “I could really use some crazy plans right about now.”
My mind desperately raced for something we could do to get rid of them. The Department had all the advantages on their side, their car was more powerful, they had a four wheel drive, they were probably trained in driving like this. There was nothing going for us except sheer adrenaline. And that didn’t make the car go any faster.
“We have to keep driving, we won’t be able to outrun them if we stop,” I finally replied. “Especially not with the condition our passengers are in.”
“Drive where?”
My phone started ringing, caller ID said it was Garrick. I answered quickly. “Garrick, are you okay?”
“Yeah, what happened to you? Where are you?” His voice was high pitched, panicked.
“We’re being followed, well, chased would be a better word for it. We led them away from you guys but they’re not giving up.”
“Go to Harper’s Crossing. You can ditch them in Shawshank Road.”
“How?” I asked, confused.
“We planned for that, remember? Shawshank Road is closed for construction but they’re not working on it. The road is unpaved and slippery but you can still get through it,” Garrick replied quickly.
The plan came back to me, the one we had prepared when trying to plot our escape from the Department’s headquarters. The complex wasn’t that far away, we could still use the same plan. It would just take us a lot longer to get back to the bunker. But as long as we got there, I didn’t care.
Project Integrate Series Boxed Set Page 49