by C. S. Won
Han had called his brother on the night Jae went to the restaurant with Madeline, warning him of Adam’s impending arrival and urging him to stop Adam right then and there. But it appeared the poor connection and the hasty nature of the call itself had betrayed Han, diluting his message into something Jae couldn’t decipher. He would have called again, but he was discovered immediately afterward. As punishment, he was buried deeper into the earth, cut off from any meaningful contact with the outside world. He should have reached out to the private investigator Jae had hired when he had the chance, but that opportunity was gone now, and with it, any hope to prevent the tragedy that haunted his dreams for months on end.
“How could you recover that madman’s body but allow him to kill Madeline?” Han asked.
“Your visions ended once Jae took his fiancé out of his burning home. As far as we were concerned, we were free to operate without restraint from that point on.”
“You son of a bitch.”
Donnelly saw humor in that, allowing himself a smile. “Don’t blame me; blame yourself.”
“How am I at fault here?”
“If you hadn’t tampered with the Trigger, then Adam wouldn’t have his powers. None of this would have happened if you left things alone.”
“I did nothing of the sort.”
“Yes, you did. For over a year, you tried to warn us what would happen, but when we refused to help you decided to take matters into your own hands and used the Trigger to gift your brother with his powers. But you screwed up the process somehow, and now as a result of your meddling, every asset on the list had their potential awakened, Adam included.”
Han waved a hand in the air, dismissing the accusation. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about. You have no proof of wrongdoing. You’re just blindly pointing fingers.”
“Proof. No proof. It doesn’t matter. We know you did it.”
Han brushed past him and took a seat at his desk. It was in his best interest to not say anymore.
“Let’s make a deal. We know you’ve been in contact with the journalist, and we know you’ve been leaking information to him. We have a general idea of where he might be, but if you tell us specifically where he’s hiding and help us save some time, then we’ll allow you back on the team so you can continue your research,” Donnelly said.
“You’ll allow me back on even after everything I’ve done?”
“You’ll be under heavy supervision, but yes, you’ll be allowed back on the team. You were, after all, our superstar.”
“Fuck you.”
Donnelly shrugged. “Very well, but before I leave, I want you to ponder on something. The future that you see, the apocalyptic visions that plague you—have you not stopped to think that maybe you were the catalyst for all of that? You describe a world laid to waste—a world populated by the Evolved, each one the equivalent of a walking WMD. Tell me, who do you think was responsible for their awakening?”
Han said nothing.
“You were when you activated the Trigger without our consent. Just look at what Adam was able to do, and he was only one man. A crippled one at that. These people pose a grave threat to the world, and we are now mired in a situation that we may never overcome—a situation of your doing. It’s what you did that will lead to that Doomsday scenario. Think on that as you sit there and stew. Perhaps, in your time here alone, you’ll come to the realization that what you did was wrong, and that you shouldn’t have decided to play God.” He gave Han one last disapproving look before exiting the room, the metal door sliding in and locking upon his departure. His footsteps echoed down the hall, ringing softer and softer until they disappeared somewhere in the distance.
Han buried a hand into his hair, frustration mounting. He thought it ridiculous that his actions alone could be the cause of his visions. His intentions were pure; there was no malice in what he did. There was no way his good deed could be the beginning of such a catastrophic event—the idea of it struck him as improbable. It had to be something else—or maybe someone else—that was causing these specific visions to appear, something far beyond what his dreams were showing him. But what could that be? It was difficult to say. He could not pick and choose what he saw.
He had to see Jae and tell him everything—his visions, the experiments, the Trigger itself. It was time Jae knew. But how? Han was locked in with no way of escape, entombed several thousand feet into the earth. His warden was never going to let him leave. Even if he somehow managed to leave his room, he would have to sneak past endless security checkpoints and dozens of armed patrols. Was he doomed to spend the rest of his days here? The thought of that gripped him in a mild panic. He needed Tobin. He was his lifeline to the surface, but he wasn’t here. Without his help, Han wasn’t sure if he’d ever step foot under the sun again.
A slight breeze tickled his skin. A whistle hummed through the air. Han turned to the darkness behind him and saw a man stepping out from the shadows. A left foot slinked out first, then a left arm, and then an entire body, as if the man were emerging from some unseen hiding place. The man’s coat fluttered slightly as he stepped into place, the breeze dying behind him, the whistling fading into the ether.
“Tobin!” Han said, astounded. Were his prayers answered?
“Thank God you’re still in good health, sir,” Tobin said.
“How did you find me?”
“They buried you where I couldn’t find you, but fortunately for us, you still have friends in high places, and many wished to see you set free. They showed me where you were.” Tobin looked around. “But we must hurry, sir. They have eyes everywhere, and they’ll know that I’m here.”
“Hold on. Did Clay make it out okay?”
“Yes, I was able to intervene and dispose of the operative Stone had sent out to kill him. After that, I told Clay to seek your brother. Suffice to say, he finally agreed this time.” Tobin frowned. “But do you think that was a good idea? I just received word of what happened to Jae and his fiancé, and I fear he may not be in the proper state of mind to be of any use.”
“My brother is his best chance for survival. Jae has to protect him—he will protect him.” Han stood from his chair. “And what of the Trigger?”
“Smuggled away to places I do not know. I imagine only a very small circle know of its whereabouts.”
“Damn it.”
“Were you hoping to reverse what happened?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. Do you think such a thing is even possible?”
“I don’t know, but for now, we must get you out of here. I secured refuge ninety miles east. It should do for a day or two, but we’ll need to keep moving. The farther we are from the desert, the better.”
Han nodded his agreement and gripped Tobin’s shoulder. The breeze returned, warm against his skin. Right behind it came the soft whistling, indicating that departure was imminent. Han felt renewed hope. Free from his shackles, he could finally continue on with his work and see Jae for the first time in years. A visit was long overdue, and he wondered what the reunion would be like.
Footsteps rang outside in the hallway, and voices shouted over one another. Judging by the commotion being raised, they were coming in force, and they were very angry. But it made no difference. They could come a hundred strong and they wouldn’t be able to do anything. By the time they arrived, he’d be long gone, miles away from where he should be.
He saw the door slide open and Donnelly Stone rushing in with his gun leveled toward the ground. Men dressed in combat attire and armed with black assault rifles hustled in behind him, ready to administer justice. Donnelly stopped when he saw Han and Tobin, and like a true killer, he took aim, dispensing with any sort of verbal warning.
But just as Han already knew, his pursuers were too late. Darkness swallowed him and the room was no more.
Acknowledgements
Big thanks to family and friends who stuck by me and motivated me to get over the hump and finish this thing. It took a while, but I
finally crossed the finish line. Your patience is unbelievable, and I hope to repay you back in kind with more stories in the future. Special shout out to all those who helped clean up this book and mold it to what it is today. Without your assistance, I wouldn’t be nearly as confident with this book as I am today. You have my eternal gratitude.
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Part One: Origins
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Part Two: Evolution
Memories
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Dreams
32.2600 N, 112.9261 W
Acknowledgements