Elimination (The Mind Breaker Book 1)

by Marina Epley

  I know her game well enough. Kitty’s working hard to try to make me jealous. I do feel angry, but the reason is not jealousy. I don’t really mind her having a boyfriend. Maybe it would ease some of the tension between us. But I just can’t stand her choosing Jack for the role. I don’t trust him. Jack is almost nineteen, the same age as myself, a little too old for Kitty.

  They sit down together on a bench and continue whispering to one another. I look away.

  Hammer enters the room and all the recruits snap to attention, saluting. Victor and Frank follow close by. I smell the sharp scent of alcohol and realize that Victor is drunk as usual. I only hope he’ll sober up by the time we have to leave for our mission. We don’t have enough medicine and good food here, but there’s shocking amount of booze and drugs available throughout the Retaliation camp.

  “Turn on the radio,” Hammer orders. “Let’s listen to what those suckers have to say.”

  A recruit hurriedly executes his command and we listen to the government broadcast.

  The report is about new concentration camps, executions and freshly captured breakers. Nothing specific or special. The government is intent on turning the entire country into a slaughter house. Elimination continues scanning the general population to determine citizens with the capability for hypnotism.

  Then I hear a voice I recognize. My muscles tighten and I lean forward, staring at the radio. The most famous journalist in the country, Lola Great, is interviewing Captain Wheeler. The very man I need to kill, and they’re speaking about me.

  “How did Rex Hunter survive the lethal injection at his execution?” Lola inquires.

  “Our investigation suggests that he may have received assistance from a group of terrorists,” Wheeler answers. “They replaced the lethal injection with a strong sedative. In short, he faked his own death and somehow managed to escape.”

  He’s lying of course. Elimination controlled everything. They staged the execution for show, broadcasting it over the entire Republic, then forced me to work for them. Wheeler was one of my captors.

  “Does Elimination know where he is now or what he may be planning to do?” Lola asks.

  “He’s the leader of the primary breaker terrorist organization,” Wheeler answers. “We haven’t located them yet, but we have a team of professionals working around the clock on that. We are on their trail and will find them soon.”

  Another lie. Our organization has nothing to do with terrorism. We’re just trying to protect our future and live free. And I’m not the leader of Retaliation any longer. Hammer commandeered the leadership role while I was ill, and he now has singular control.

  The interview ends with Captain Wheeler announcing a generous reward for my capture, dead or alive. The sum of money offered is large enough to buy a mansion and comfortably retire. I’m currently the most wanted criminal in the country.

  “Congratulations, Rex,” Jack says in a mocking voice. “They’ve increased the reward again. You must be very proud of yourself.”

  I’m not. I’m actually afraid that certain members of Retaliation may rat me out. I have more than enough enemies here. Only the youngest of the recruits still think I’m some sort of a hero.

  Hammer begins our meeting. He explains how I’ve finally managed to locate Wheeler. He’ll be transporting prisoners to the Death Camp and our main objective is to capture him. This is even more vital than freeing the prisoners. Wheeler is the key to valuable information, and by capturing him, we may get a chance to rescue hundreds more prisoners later.

  “We don’t expect too many guards on site,” Hammer says. “Be advised that the guards who are present will be resistant. You can’t hypnotize them. Blockade the road, stop the trucks and shoot the guards. Snatch Wheeler and leave. That’s all there is to it.”

  It sounds really simple, but I still have a bad feeling about this mission. I have to be there to make sure Wheeler doesn’t escape. And I have to protect the recruits. They’ve never seen real combat yet.

  “Jack, you’ll be in charge,” Hammer orders.

  “Yes, sir,” Jack says, straightening his back. He raises his head, looking proudly over the recruits.

  I clear my throat and say, “In all due respect, Hammer, I think you should name me the leader on this mission.”

  “What did you say?” Hammer asks, although I know he heard me.

  “I’ll be going with them,” I say firmly.

  The recruits watch us attentively. Jack frowns. There’s no way Hammer can make an argument in front of everybody. He prefers his soldiers to think we’re the best of friends.

  “Great idea,” Hammer says. “Why don’t we discuss it outside?”

  “Sure,” I answer.

  Outside, Hammer grabs my jacket and whispers angrily, “Listen you crazy jerk. Don’t start with me again. You’re in no shape to participate in this mission. You have no specialized training, you…”

  “I not only survived the Elimination prison but destroyed it,” I say in a calm voice. “What additional training are you talking about? I have more experience fighting Elimination than any recruit here.”

  “Shut up,” Hammer orders in an attempt to keep me quiet. “We can’t risk your life. You’re the best telepath we’ve got. Retaliation needs you alive.”

  It’s strange when he speaks about my well-being. Five months ago Hammer attempted to kill me.

  “I won’t try to escape,” I say. “You don’t have to worry about that. I just want to make absolutely sure that Wheeler gets captured.”

  “According to your visions this will be an easy task,” Hammer reminds me. “What’s wrong? Are you hiding something?”

  I shake my head no. Should I tell Hammer the truth, I’m certain he’ll cancel the mission. I can’t miss a chance to kill Wheeler again.

  “They’ll bring Wheeler to you,” Hammer says. “I’ll permit you to do whatever you wish with him. You may beat him, shoot him, whatever. Just don’t disobey my orders or I’ll have you locked up.”

  “Listen Hammer, if you don’t allow me to go on this mission, I’ll simply walk away,” I say calmly. “We both know the real reason you need me. I’ve made a deal with our supporters and they expect me to be the leader, not you. If I leave Retaliation, you’ll lose their support. They won’t be sending supplies any longer. I’m sure most of the recruits will follow me. You’ll have nothing left. You’ll be a nobody,” I pause. “Or you can just let me tag along on this darn mission and everything remains the same for you. Choose.”

  Hammer glares at me, thinking. I watch his hands in case he tries to reach for his gun. I’m unarmed at the moment.

  “Fine,” he says finally. “You’re in.”

  “Thanks.” I smile. “See how easy that was.”

  Before reentering the barrack, he turns his scarred face to me and says, “You stinking Elimination rat. One day I will…”

  “I know,” I interrupt.

  “No, you don’t,” he says. “Believe me, you know nothing.”

  We return to the recruits and Hammer announces me as the leader for our upcoming mission. I enjoy watching Jack’s disappointed frown.

  “What about me?” Kitty asks.

  “You’re staying behind,” Hammer commands.

  Kitty abruptly stands up and gives me a long piercing glare. Then her expression changes as if she’s about to cry. I expect her to say something, but Kitty just marches away in silence.

  I don’t have time to follow after her. The next two hours the recruits and I are busy studying maps, going over the details of our plan and checking weapons. I need to concentrate on the mission, but my thoughts are continually coming back to my stubborn girl.

  I see her again as we’re boarding the aircraft. The recruits are already inside. Jessie, Victor and I are approaching the entrance. A few dozen Retaliation members have come to watch us leave. They stand gazing in speechless awe.

  “Wait!” I hear her yell.

  I look back and see Kitty running t
oward me, spreading her thin arms for a hug, her red frizzy hair waving in the wind. Her green eyes are wild and cheeks flushing red.

  I have to suppress a strong urge to run toward Kitty, grab and hold her tightly, soaking up her warmth. I didn’t fully realize how much I’ve missed Kitty’s affections. Suddenly I become worried that she’ll try to kiss me in front of everybody. And I’ll have to stop her and she’ll get upset all over again.

  Instead, Kitty approaches Jack standing beside me, wraps her arms around his neck and kisses his lips. Jack seems stunned, but well pleased.

  “Whoa,” I hear people collectively breathe out in shock. Everybody in Retaliation believes Kitty’s my girlfriend, although it’s never really been true. Rumors of this little incident will spread quickly throughout the whole camp.

  Kitty finally lets Jack go and quickly turns away. I’m standing motionless, feeling like somebody just punched me squarely in the gut.

  “Let’s go,” Jessie says, giving me a friendly push from behind. I climb inside the aircraft, and within a few minutes we take off.

  Chapter 2

  I hate flying. It’s uncomfortable to think that only a relatively thin layer of steel separates us from a freefall. Kitty believes planes are much like flying coffins, although they have been proven to be very safe. This particular aircraft is a fusion between a helicopter and a jet plane, with high maneuverability and increased speed. The military had begun building them a few years before the Eruption, but had to stop production due to the crisis.

  This one looks absolutely brand new, all clean and shiny. Our supporters must have unlimited resources to provide us with better equipment than even what the military has available.

  The recruits sit along two benches and I can almost feel the growing anxiety radiating from them. Most of them are level 1 breakers which basically means they can’t break the wills of the resistant. It may pose a problem when all Elimination soldiers are resistant, and it takes at least level 2 to twist their minds.

  So I’m really thankful to have Jessie and Frank on my team for this mission. They’re both great fighters and we’ve been through a lot together. As for Victor, I’m still not sure what to think about him. Before he conveniently switched sides to join us, he was a snitch and willingly cooperated with our enemy.

  Jack sits across the aisle from me, leaning back and showing no sign of concern. His mere presence irritates me. I notice that he’s changed his usual camo for a black turtleneck and dark military pants. We now look disturbingly similar. We’re the same age, same height, and each wearing black. I’m curious if this is the real reason Kitty chose him. Is she really trying to find a replacement for me? Jack sure seems to be more than willing enough to play along.

  A few recruits begin fidgeting in their seats, snickering nervously. I doubt they fully understand what we may be getting into. The war is just a game for them and they still don’t realize they are mortal.

  A boy sitting next to Jack catches my gaze and his face shines with a happy grin.

  “It’s a great honor to go on this mission with you, sir,” he says excitedly. “I’m very proud to have such an opportunity.”

  I don’t like when they call me sir. That was Hammer’s idea.

  “How old are you?” I ask.

  The boy hesitates for a second and answers, “I’m sixteen, sir.”

  I immediately understand he’s lying. He hardly looks twelve.

  “I can fight really well, sir,” the boy says very seriously. “We’ve been training a lot. I won’t disappoint you.”

  “I’m sure you’re a good soldier,” I answer. What else can I say?

  The other recruits grow quiet, watching and listening intently.

  The boy asks, “Sir, is it true that Elimination guards shot you four times, but you still continued fighting and killed them all?”

  “Not hardly,” I answer. “I was shot only once and passed out.”

  He seems confused for a moment, then says, “But you did survive a lethal injection, right? Hammer told us how you’re unresponsive to most known venoms. And you can heal faster than average. That’s why Elimination couldn’t kill you.”

  “Can you really explode heads with only your gaze?” another recruit asks. “Hammer mentioned how you’re a level 5 breaker. You have the ability for telekinesis.”

  My goodness. Hammer’s lies are becoming ridiculous. How can anybody buy into them? I don’t know what to do about it. He wants the recruits to think I’m a hero, a living legend with supernatural abilities, somebody worth fighting and possibly even dying for.

  “You shouldn’t believe everything Hammer says,” I answer. “Level 5 doesn’t even exist that I’m aware of.”

  The recruits nod with understanding, but keep on smiling. Their eyes are full of admiration. They believe I have some truly special abilities.

  “We’re all ready to die for you if need be, sir,” a petite girl from the back of the aircraft says solemnly. She’s barely Kitty’s age and looks doll-like with blond hair and porcelain skin. I could easily envision her sitting under a Christmas tree, unwrapping a teddy bear. Instead, she holds a rifle in her small hands.

  It’s sickening. I get flashbacks of Lena and Jimmy, whose deaths were my fault.

  “Please try to stay alive,” I say.

  Jack begins laughing.

  “It’s all really very touching,” he says mockingly. “You’re so kind, Rex. You have a genuine concern for us.”

  I don’t understand what he means.

  Jack stops laughing, spits on the floor and turns slowly away. His fingers wrapped tightly around his weapon are white from pressure. His posture is unnatural and tensed. It’s not hard to imagine Jack training his rifle on me and pulling the trigger.

  I’m probably just getting overly paranoid, seeing enemies in everybody. Too many people have wished to see me dead recently.

  ***

  The aircraft finds a suitable spot for landing a few miles away from our destination. We hike through dense woods for approximately an hour. Overhead, the sun shines brightly and the sky is electric blue. It’s still late spring, but the temperature already reaches into the high nineties. The smothering humidity wraps around us like a heavy blanket and steam rises from the damp soil under our feet.

  It’s getting difficult to breathe and my uniform clings to my skin, soaked in sweat. The recruits march in silence, carrying their rifles and small backpacks packed with food and ammo. Everything seems a little too ordinary, as if we’re just going on a hike.

  We finally crest the top of a hill and see a narrow muddy road on the other side at the bottom. Frank checks the map to make sure it’s the right place. I don’t have to check anything. I’ve seen this exact hill and the road many times before through my visions. It can’t be a mistake, even the trees look familiar.

  I command the recruits to cut down a dried out oak. Then we drag it toward the road and place it across to block incoming traffic. This road has been abandoned for years and there’s little chance a random car will come along. I expect only two Elimination trucks carrying prisoners and Captain Wheeler.

  Thinking of him makes my blood boil. I must kill Wheeler today. It’s been on my mind for months and I still haven’t decided how it should go down. Anything I can think of seems too humane for Wheeler. I want to see him suffer and realize why he’s dying. It’s going to take a lot of self-control not to just shoot him on sight. Before killing Wheeler, I need to bring him back to our camp for interrogation. He has information about the Death Camp, the largest Elimination prison holding hundreds of breakers. I haven’t been able to locate the Death Camp through visions. Something must be blocking me.

  The recruits take positions on top of the hill, concealing themselves in a thicket. I lie on the ground, observing the road. The sun is still high in the sky. I’m sure we have a couple of hours before the trucks arrive, but I continue watching carefully.

  Jessie and Victor approach. They used to be worst enemies, so
Jessie must have finally given up on her plans for vengeance.

  “Darn it, where are they?” she asks in a nervous voice.

  “I don’t know the exact time when they will come,” I answer.

  Victor pulls out a small metal flask, takes a sip and passes it to Jessie. It must be whiskey, I guess. She takes a drink and offers to me.

  “No, thanks,” I say. “I should keep my head clear.”

  “Still can’t hypnotize when you’re drunk?” Jessie says, smiling teasingly. She can consume unlimited amounts of alcohol and still use her abilities without any trouble. It always amazes me. I have to remain completely sober and it still hurts my head when I use hypnosis.

  Victor searches his pockets, pulls out a plastic container of pills and swallows a couple.

  “Hey, easy on that stuff,” I say.

  “Relax,” Victor answers. “You know I need it. I won’t be nearly as useful should I begin to think clearly.”

  Elimination overused Victor for reading the memories of prisoners. A good breaker can safely do a memory scanning maybe once a week and be all right. Victor had to read memories on a daily basis. He lost himself in other people’s minds, even sometimes forgetting who he was. Now, he’s using drugs and sleeping meds to block memory flashbacks.

  “We can’t rely on these kids,” Jessie says, motioning toward the recruits.

  “I know,” I say. “We need to try to keep them safe. They’ll cover us while we take Wheeler. Frank will stay behind as well. He’s still a better shooter than breaker. Victor, you’re coming with us. Your job is to put the guards under.”

  “Sounds good,” Victor agrees.

  “You really trust Frank?” Jessie asks suddenly.

  “Frank has proven his loyalty many times,” I say. “I don’t want to discuss it again.”

  Jessie and Victor linger around a few more minutes, speculating about when the trucks may come, before returning to their positions to observe the road.

  Time drags by slowly. The sun seems to be glued in the same place in the sky. The recruits take turns having a meager supper, then one boy brings over a bag of salted chips and a bottle of water for my meal. I make myself eat.