Shine: Season One (Shine Season Book 1)

by William Bernhardt

  I’d never heard of this place. Blake claimed it was private, but I doubted it. Who in their right mind would set up a private facility for Shines? Most facilities were in populated areas with lots of security and lots of funding. Something seemed off.

  The sun crested over the towering parapets, blood red in the morning light. I shivered, but not because of my damp clothes.

  A gravel road came into view as we descended a hill. We took the road leading to the facility. Sharp rocks cut my feet. I wished I had my boots.

  Two police officers stood at a gate surrounding the facility. One of them raised an eyebrow as he watched our ragtag group approach.

  “Shine capture?” One of them asked as we neared the property.

  “Yeah,” Tats answered. “How much can we get?”

  “We’re not at liberty to say.”

  Tats cleared his throat. “Can I talk to someone who is?”

  The guard eyed me. “She’s really Shine?”

  “Yes, we’ve all seen her use her powers.”

  The other Revens nodded. “She’s dangerous,” Tats added. Broke one of our guys’ noses. Tried to escape a couple times.”

  The guard scrutinized me. I felt like an animal at the slaughterhouse. He pressed a button on the transmitter at his collar. “I need a nurse in the Investigation office.” He turned to us. “Follow me,” he said and led us inside.

  The huge iron gate overshadowed us. The silence felt deafening. What was this place? Metal hinges squealed as the other guard pulled the gate shut. Our feet crunched over the gravel path.

  The gabled roof rose above us, the castle’s towers visible in the distance. Stone gargoyles rested on either side of the entrance. We climbed a broad front porch and entered through a stained glass door.

  Thick red carpeting muffled our footsteps. Smells of dust and dried plants tickled my nostrils. I sensed something else as well. The smell of rubbing alcohol permeated the air, reminding me of a hospital. We made our way past a huge desk and a steep winding staircase. A chandelier hung overhead, its crystals yellowed with time.

  “Are you sure this is the right place?” I whispered to Blake.

  “I’m positive. You’ll love it here.”

  The officer led us through a hallway and stopped at a door labeled Shine Investigations. We entered a small office with a desk and a few chairs. The smell of old paper didn’t hide the stench of rubbing alcohol.

  A nurse stood in the office, blue scrubs, a needle covered in clear plastic in her hands.

  No good. I hated needles.

  “Before we get started, we’ll need a blood sample,” the officer said.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Standard procedure.”

  “What are you testing for?” As far as I knew, Shines didn’t carry diseases. Why on earth did they want my blood? Something inside me screamed not to let them, but what choice did I have?

  The nurse knotted a rubber cord around my arm. It tightened with a loud snap.

  “Sorry,” she said, smiling. “I promise, this will be as painless as possible.” She was young, only a few years older than me. She wore her coarse black hair in a pony tail. Freckles dotted her nose. She didn’t resemble Dr. Frankenstein, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that this all seemed wrong.

  She stuck the needle under my skin. Blood filled the clear plastic tube. She pulled out the needle after the tube filled.

  The nurse slapped a bandage on my arm, and then hurried out of the room.

  A little ball of sickness formed inside my stomach as I watched the nurse leave with my blood. What was she going to do with it? Why did she need it in the first place?

  The guard pulled a large manila envelope from the desk. He dumped out stacks of actual paper money and counted it out. More than my parents made in a month. Wow.

  “This is off the record,” the officer said. “This never took place. Anyone who speaks of our transaction will be punished. Until the law changes, that’s the way it has to be. Understood?”

  The Revens nodded.

  The guard stuffed the money back in the envelope and handed it to Tats.

  Did these people hear themselves? How was this okay? I was a human being just like them and they treated me as though I were an animal.

  “This is against my will. Can that be on the record?” I asked.

  The guard leveled a look of detestation at me. “Smart mouth, huh? Do you have a name, sweetheart?”

  I glared at him.

  “June Brighton,” Blake answered for me. “The Administrator knows we’re coming, if you could let her know, please.”

  He eyed us. “She said you were coming by boat. I didn’t hear of anyone docking down at the harbor.”

  “We uh…sank. Off the coast. But we’re fine.”

  “You sank?”

  Blake nodded.

  The guard shook his head. “We’ll have to notify the coast guard. You want me to call an ambulance?”

  “No, we’re fine.”

  Says who? He wasn’t the one who almost drowned. The officer pulled out a tablet and plunked it on the desk. He raised an eyebrow at me.

  “As a Shine, you have certain rights. You have the right to a lawyer. If at any time you feel mistreated, you have a right to notify the authorities—that would be me,” he added.

  Razor. I’m sure he’d listen to my needs with great compassion.

  “You have the obligation to remain in the facility until the Administrator approves your release. If you fail to comply, you will be reassigned to a high-security complex. Do you understand?”

  Thoughts spun through my head. This wasn’t happening. Somehow I thought I’d find a way to escape before I got here. “I understand.” I heard the words come out of my mouth as if someone else spoke them.

  “Press your finger here.” He pointed at a square box on the tablet.

  I did as he said. Fighting my way out now seemed like a hopeless idea.

  He handed me two white jumpsuits and a key. Just like prison. I eyed Blake. “Private school?” I asked as the guard escorted me out.

  Blake shrugged. “All private schools require uniforms.”

  His comment made me realize two things. Either Blake was a blind idiot, or he knew exactly what he was doing. He hadn’t told me the whole truth about this place. I didn’t know why he needed to keep the facts from me, but there was no way I was staying here.

  The guard pushed me down the hall when I heard a familiar voice.

  “Wait,” Tats said. I noticed his heart beating faster, which I found odd. Of all the people I’d met, he was the most capable of keeping his heart rate under control. Sometimes it seemed eerie how well he could keep his cool.

  What was up with Tats?

  “Let me take her up,” he said.

  The officer raised an eyebrow. “Civilians aren’t allowed past the offices.”

  “Why?”

  “Because that’s our policy.”

  Tats raised an eyebrow. “Can we bend the policy just this once? I’d feel better if I escorted her myself. Just want to make sure she’s secure.”

  “I’m not in the habit of bending the rules.”

  “Can you make an exception?”

  Officer Killjoy grunted. “Answer’s no.” He pushed me forward.

  Tats crossed his arms. His muscles flexed under his lines of tattoo. His heart pounded in my ears. Something had him stirred up.

  The guard steered me down the hallway. We made our way into the lobby. He pushed me up the stairs.

  “Once you get to your room, you’re to bathe and change into a uniform. After that, you’re to appear in the main hall, where you’ll be orientated and taken for your first examination. Your key unlocks your room. As soon as you display an attitude of insubordination, they take your key. Test them again, and they transfer your ass. Green Wood Pointe is a privilege. You’re lucky someone’s footing the bill for your stay here.”

  I barely heard him. I was too busy thinking of a way ou
t. Windows lined the hallway on either side, giving me a strategic view of the landscape and open courtyard. On one side sat the inner courtyard. Girls in white uniforms milled about. Not good. Too many people would be watching.

  The other side of the hall overlooked the sprawling Canadian landscape. The gray waves of the Atlantic lapped in the distance. The fishing village was a small dot in the distance. Too far away to be noticed. Perfect.

  I knew where to go. Now I had to decide how to get there.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The officer found my room, unlocked my door, and I stepped inside before he got a chance to push me. I slammed the door shut behind me and examined the room.

  I felt as though I’d entered Buckingham Palace.

  A king-sized bed filled the center of the room, a luxurious gold bedspread atop it. The large picture window overlooked the ocean. A bathroom sat to the right of where I stood. Garden tub, golden faucets. Wow. I guess Blake was right about something for once.

  But I still had to get out, no matter how inviting my room looked.

  I crossed to the window and looked down. I stood on the third floor. The drop looked a little over forty feet.

  Why couldn’t anything be easy?

  I paced the room, trying to come up with a plan. What would Naomi do? Her British Special Forces daddy had taught her about capture situations, but what had he said?

  Stop.

  Take stock of your surroundings.

  Weigh your options.

  Make a plan.

  I inhaled. I could do this. Though Officer Killjoy might disagree, this place was no prison. There were no bars on the windows, no razor wire on the fences. It was more of a weekend getaway than a jail house.

  Running wouldn’t be a problem. Getting out of this room would.

  I needed rope. Too bad Slash hadn’t kept my hands tied. Okay, no rope. Find something else.

  The bedspread seemed promising. I walked to it and ran my hand over the fabric. A light chiffon, very delicate. I pulled back the bedspread and tugged at the sheets.

  Better.

  I pulled off the sheets and knotted them together. Spreading them across the floor, I realized they’d only reach about ten feet. Not good enough.

  I searched the closets, the dressers, but they were all empty. Maybe I could sneak out and steal the sheets from someone else’s bed?

  But that would be a great way to get caught, and I couldn’t afford to get caught. My window of opportunity narrowed the longer I waited. Surely there must be something I could use.

  My jumpsuits sat on the bed. I ran my hand across the fabric, disappointed to find it single stitched and made of a flimsy cotton blend.

  I plopped on the bed. The heavenly soft mattress called to me. I needed rest. I needed a bath. I needed food.

  Maybe I should stay here. How bad could it be?

  My eyes closed. Funny, I didn’t remember closing them. I listened to my heartbeats. They sounded faster than usual. Stress did that to me.

  I let my mind relax and concentrated on breathing. Heartbeats echoed from the building, the familiar sound calming me.

  How to get out, how to get out, how to get out.

  I rolled to my side and my dress rustled. My dress.

  I sat up.

  My dress.

  I’d double stitched it myself, used the most durable fabric available. I’d reinforced it with flicking Kevlar. Perfect.

  I stripped off my dress and pulled on the jumpsuit. When I’d finished sewing my prom gown, I’d never intended to use it escaping a Shine rehab facility. I tore the fabric into strips. Muddied and ripped, my gown barely resembled the outfit I’d put on before the prom.

  I cinched the satin to the bed sheets and pulled it tight. I didn’t want one of the knots coming loose as I made my descent.

  My make-shift ladder weighed more than I expected as I dragged it across the room. When I got to the window, I popped open the latch.

  The window pane pushed open with a squeak. Wind smelling of the sea rushed inside. Looking out, the drop seemed steeper now that I contemplated descending it.

  Air gusted through my ears, making a whiny, high-pitched sound. Standing here made my heart race. Adrenaline drove the weariness from my bones. I tied my makeshift ladder to a sturdy oak dresser near the window.

  Some might call me insane for doing this, but I was desperate, and desperate people aren’t known for their sanity. I pulled the knot tight around the dresser and then looped the bed-sheet around my waist.

  I’ll be honest, I’d never done this before. They don’t exactly have classes in high school that teach rehab escape. But if I could at least make it down halfway, I’d have a better survival rate than jumping from up here.

  Still, this was stupid.

  Maybe I should accept my situation. Admit that I was a Shine who had a problem and needed therapy, and just go with it. What could be so bad about this place anyway?

  The image of Katelyn propped up in her bed, reading her book, tears on her face, jogged my senses.

  My sister needed me.

  That’s why I couldn’t stay. That’s why I had to get back to her no matter what. Mom was emotionally disconnecting herself from us. Dad had bigger problems than that. If I was gone, Katelyn had no one. I could do this.

  I climbed onto the open brick ledge and stared down. From this height, the gravel pathway seemed to spiral below me.

  Razor.

  If I fell on that, I’d be bug splat for sure.

  I adjusted the knot around my waist. Decided it wasn’t tight enough. Untied it and then retied again.

  My heart pounded like a hammer in my ears.

  I could do this. I had to do this.

  Bricks scraped my fingertips as I climbed off the ledge. Wind caught my jumpsuit and tugged at the baggy pants.

  Ocean waves lapped in the distance. The sound did nothing to calm me.

  I eased off the building’s edge and tested my weight on the rope. I held my breath. If this didn’t work…well, I didn’t want to think past that point.

  I looped my legs through the rope and held to the knots. The dresser shifted an inch. An inch more. It scraped across the floor toward the window.

  Please stop, please stop.

  The dresser stopped.

  I exhaled.

  Maybe I wouldn’t die today.

  Wind beat at my back, making my rope swing wildly. I hadn’t counted on that.

  I crept down. With the breeze, it took longer than I’d hoped.

  A huge blast of air caught me in its grip and tugged me sideways.

  The dresser scraped with a low grating sound.

  The top half of the dresser tipped out of the window.

  Not good.

  I hung suspended over the cement walkway. Twenty feet of air spanned between me and the ground.

  If only I’d planned this a little better. My impulsiveness would get me killed someday. But not today. I refused to die today.

  I gripped the knot tighter and shuffled down. Maybe I could make it to the ground before the dresser fell out of the window.

  An inch down, an inch more.

  A loud boom echoed as the dresser swayed out of the window.

  Crud, crud, crud.

  I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to see my own brain splatter. It seemed the only choice left before I dropped to my death.

  Someone yelled above me. I opened my eyes long enough to see Tats standing by the dresser and hauling it into the room. After securing the bedroom cabinet, he leaned out of the window.

  “What are you doing?”

  “What does it look like?”

  He grabbed the rope and tugged. I clung tight as he lifted me up.

  I didn’t know why he’d shown up. I didn’t know what he wanted with me. At the moment, I just felt grateful that I wasn’t dead.

  I rose to the bottom of the window, clutched the window’s ledge, threw my leg over, and tumbled into the room. Tats broke my fall. We landed on the
floor. He held me, his hands warm around my arms. I felt his heartbeat against my chest, a steady patter that calmed my own rapid breathing.

  My heart gave a flutter, not from fear, but from his nearness, something I’d never felt before. The feeling was intoxicating, like a fire that consumed me. Did I like him?

  Good Gandhi, I’d always found something wrong with every guy I’d ever met. How could I fall for Tats?

  I pushed away from him, then crossed my arms to keep my hands from shaking. My brain didn’t feel right. My thoughts were jumbled. I shouldn’t have tried to escape. I had almost lost my life.

  Tats eyed me. “There are easier ways of committing suicide.”

  “Shut up,” I growled. “For your information, I was trying to escape.”

  “I see.”

  Part of me wanted to snap at him, tell him I had it under control, I could’ve done it by myself. But honestly, that would be a big fat lie. Instead, I swallowed my pride.

  “Thank you,” I said finally.

  He eyed me. “You’re thanking me?”

  “I am.”

  A hint of a smile crossed his lips. Nice lips, too. Not sure why I never realized it before. “You’re welcome.”

  “Why are you here?” I asked.

  “To rescue you.”

  “Sure you are,” I answered. “What’s the catch?”

  “No catch. I just don’t feel right about leaving you in this place. I’ve been to plenty of Shine facilities, but none of them are like this. They took your blood without consent, which is illegal in all sorts of ways. They won’t let civilians past the bottom floor. There’s something weird going on here.”

  “So you’re protecting me?”

  “Yes.”

  I eyed him. He was keeping something from me. His agitated heart rate confirmed it.

  “Is there another reason?”

  He stared at me longer than I felt comfortable with. “If I lied, you would know it, wouldn’t you?”

  I nodded.

  He blew out a breath of air. “Okay, fine. The truth is, I need you. I’m looking for someone, and you’re the only person who can help me. I know I’ve been a real jerk, to put it lightly.”

  I almost laughed. That was an understatement.