by Ann Bakshis
I don’t have time for this.
I kick in the door and am fired upon immediately, but the weapons have no effect. I don’t even try to take cover. My only focus is to locate Grainne. Dr. Hersher has shielded himself in his office. I can see him cowering under his desk. I look over to my right and see Grainne pounding on the glass of the genetic chamber. I run over to her, but I have no weapon and the controls are on a flat panel. There isn’t anywhere for me to inflict the stream.
I hear someone behind me shout my name.
I turn and see Caderyn holding a gun with a thick barrel and grip. It’s not a Levin gun. He fires it and the shock paralyzes me. I scream in pain as the Cruor Burst courses through my insides. It lasts for a minute. I try to stand, and he fires at me again. I feel like I’m boiling from the inside out. This blast lasts longer.
Is he trying to make sure I die this time? After everything I’ve been through, this is how it all ends?
My vision begins to fade, everything is becoming distorted. The pain seizing me is too great to bear. I feel myself letting go, leaving.
Faint Levin blasts erupt in the hallway, followed by a small detonation. Debris hits Caderyn in the back, he drops his weapon and crumples to the floor. The other soldiers in the room are either caught under the wall that has fallen, or drop when they are hit by Levin fire, some fatally.
I begin to recover…but am I hallucinating or is that Braxton coming towards me?
“Trea,” he calls to me, “can you get up?”
Barely able to stand, I wrap my arms around him, holding him tightly. He squeezes me so hard I can’t breathe. He kisses me hard on the lips. Caitrin steps in, indicating we don’t have much time.
“I can’t get her out of there,” I say, pointing to Grainne.
Caitrin removes an Ammit from the satchel Braxton is carrying, yells at Grainne to get into the center of the chamber, shoots the Ammit at the glass, and raises the pulse of the Quantum Stream on the device until the glass breaks. I take Grainne by the waist, and pass her over the jagged shards to Braxton.
“How do we get out of here?” Caitrin asks as we make our way back to the lift.
“They’re so busy fighting that fire, if we stay against the wall between this sector and the training field, we should be able to get to the security gate without being noticed,” Braxton responds.
We exit the building and run towards the barrier. Braxton is right, everyone’s focus is on the collapsing hall. They’re also hosing down the roof of the Praetorian dorm across the courtyard. It’s begun to smoke from debris landing on the roof. We’re almost past the buildings when I hear shouting behind us. Caderyn is trying his best to catch up to us, an army of men behind him.
Why didn’t I make sure he was dead before we left?
Grainne is tiring quickly. Braxton picks her up and carries her as he runs. Levin blasts fly over our head. One hits Grainne’s arm and like before, is immediately reflected back to the deliverer, killing him. I shove Caitrin forward just as I’m struck in the back by a Cruor Burst. I fall to the ground, tears falling from my eyes as the pain intensifies.
“Trea,” Braxton calls, almost dropping Grainne making a dead stop.
My muscles are too constricted to yell for him to keep running. He sets Grainne down and runs back to me. A Levin blast hits him in the chest and he collapses. I want to scream, but I can’t. Grainne runs over to him, checks him, and then comes to me.
“He’s alive,” she says.
The effects of my injury begin to wear off and I regain my footing, yell for Caitrin, and the two of us grab him by the waist, wrap his arms around our shoulders, and try to run, with Grainne leading the way. His bulk makes it difficult and he moans every time we have to adjust our hold. We make it past the security gate and jog down a path in the woods, heading for what I assume is the glass building I saw earlier.
Braxton starts to come to. I hadn’t even bothered to look at his injury when we scooped him from the ground. The clothing he was wearing is burnt clean off, but whatever he is wearing underneath it absorbed most of the shot.
“That stung,” he grunts.
Caitrin and I continue to carry him since he hasn’t gotten much of his strength back. I feel a Levin blast hit me, causing my defenses to go up. The shield illuminates the night, covering the three of us.
Braxton turns his head to look behind us. “Look out,” he shouts.
The Cruor Blast mixes with the Quantum Stream, causing a detonation that propels us forward while knocking down trees along the path and shoving Caderyn and his men backwards. We land in a heap at the entrance to the forest, as my shield dissipates.
“Don’t step off the path,” Braxton says. “We need to get back down the ladder.” He points to a spot next to the building.
I help him to his feet, while Caitrin picks up the satchel that lies several feet away. I pull him towards the ladder, but he stops me, pointing to his ear.
“Neo says there are two patrol boats in the water and they’re almost to the docks.”
“Can they take them out?” I ask.
“He says yes, but it may destroy the ladders.”
“They’re coming back,” Caitrin yells, tossing me a Levin gun.
Grainne huddles behind me as I fire at the approaching soldiers from the forest. I don’t see Caderyn, though my greatest desire right now is to put a bunch of holes in him.
“We’re going to be outrun if he doesn’t,” I say.
“Do it,” Braxton says to Neo.
Deflagration pellets erupt behind us. Braxton goes to check the damage after the barrage has stopped. He comes back, takes out a couple of detonators from the satchel, and drops one each off the side of the cliff, right in front of the ladders. He comes back, takes another one, and throws it towards the advancing soldiers. It rips the ground in two a few feet in front of them. Caitrin picks up the bag as I grab Grainne and we run into the building right behind Braxton.
“The ladders are gone,” he says “We’ll need to use the outflow pipes and drop from the drainage spouts.”
“There’s an access panel back this way,” Caitrin says, running around the center of the floor towards the back behind the core of the building.
We find the grate and pop it out of position. The space is barely big enough to allow one person access, let alone four. The water rushes past as it heads out to one of the three wing extensions over the lake. Caitrin gets in first and is immediately swept away. She comes out of the extension on the right, hits the water, and begins to swim away. I give Grainne a big hug, tell her I’ll see her shortly, lower her in, and watch as she exits out of the center spout.
“You next,” Braxton says.
“I’m not going.”
“What? You can’t be serious? After everything that’s happened, you still want to stay?”
“I have to stop him. It’ll never end unless Vladim is dead. He’ll keep hunting for us, especially Grainne….This needs to end.”
He places his hands on my arms. “Look what happened last time. I can’t let you do this. I’ll stay with you.”
“No,” I whisper, choking on my tears. “You need to protect Grainne. She’s the key to all of this. Not me.”
“There has to be another way. You need to stop sacrificing yourself for everyone. Grainne needs you. I need you. Please don’t do this,” he begs.
I kiss him hard, holding on as long as possible. “I love you,” I say, my heart breaking.
This is the worst pain I’ve ever felt.
Without warning, I shove him into the pipe. An expression of shock covers his face as he moves down the line. I replace the cover, step outside, and surrender to Caderyn.
CHAPTER 29
I stand in front of Caderyn, weapon on the ground next to me. His uniform is spattered with blood and dirt. He stares at me, anger and hatred creased in his skin. His fist flies, striking me hard in the face, sending me flying off my feet. He steps up to me, shoving his Cruor pistol into my te
mple.
“I should kill you,” he mutters. “One blast to the brain and you’re dead.”
“Commander,” someone shouts behind him. “Vladim is requesting an update on our status.”
“Tell him we’re evacuating to the Dormitories. The high level staff and Lieutenants will stay here with the Tribunes while the rest of us board the aerial units.” He places his pistol in a holster around his waist. “Cuff this one, she’s going too.”
I’m placed into binders and escorted back towards the Barracks. Caderyn walking at a faster pace than the rest of us. A transport is waiting for us at the gate into the forest. We climb aboard, and after a short drive, stop in front of the helipads, both of which have aerial units waiting to depart. I’m placed between two Regulators, who were already on board, while Caderyn heads to the back to have his injuries tended to.
The airship is different than the ones I’ve previously been in. Instead of the seats being in rows, they’re all facing the center, and a cool blue cylinder sits in the middle, with waves of energy lapping quietly against the glass. Mair, Thane, and Kedua board, all taking seats directly across from me. I don’t have to look at Kedua to know she’s seething with rage. Mair and Thane look slightly stunned and confused at seeing me. More Praetorians board, taking up the remaining seats before we lift off. No one speaks and all I can think about is what’s going to happen to me now.
All I want to do is stop Vladim. I need to make an opportunity for that, but with what I’ve just done will I be able to? How angry is Vladim? What will be my punishment for helping Grainne escape? I know there will be consequences for my actions. I need to stop fearing them and use them to my advantage.
We seem to land only a few minutes after taking off, but as I’m escorted off the aircraft, I notice the terrain is not the same. It’s covered in small shrubs, cacti, tumbleweeds, and red clay. It reminds me of the Wasteland, a place I desperately miss.
The building we’re approaching is only one story, and oblong. Windows cover every inch, starting halfway up the wall and bending over acting as part of the roof. A courtyard sits in the center.
It’s still dark, but interior lights lead us to the entrance. There aren’t any exterior illuminations. Caderyn types in a code. A scanner appears next to the door and checks his facial features. The doors slide open a moment later. The rest of the group turn immediately into a stairwell next to the entrance. The Regulators place me on a lift across the aisle, which takes us two floors down. After a short walk, we stop at an enclosure. Double paned windows block our path. The Regulator on the other side buzzes us through. A few feet down the hallway is another security blockade, then we end in a waiting area, and I’m led into an adjoining room.
I’m made to sit in a chair in the middle of the room. There are only a few pieces of furniture and empty walls. Cruor enhanced restraints are fastened to my wrists, as well as around my waist. The Regulators leave, locking the door behind them.
The temperature in the room increases, but I can’t tell if it’s deliberate, or just my nervousness. I begin to sweat. A monitor drops from the ceiling in front of me. The lights are turned off and the screen turns on with Vladim’s face scowling at the camera.
“Trea, due to your treachery, I have no choice but to terminate your existence,” he says.
I’m thrown off guard by his remark, confused.
“Why bring me here if you’re going to kill me?” I shout.
“My dear, I didn’t say anything about killing you,” he replies, a large grin gleaming across his face. “As of this moment, Trea, Antaean number three, is no longer. You shall be rebranded and conditioned for your new purpose.”
The screen goes black.
What does he mean I no longer exist? Rebranded? How?
A few minutes later my door opens and Dr. Hersher steps in, carrying a heavy-looking sack. He takes a black, curved device from the bag, then steps behind me, and lowers the instrument over my head.
“I’m sorry, Trea, but this is for your own good,” he croaks.
Just before the darkness sets in, I catch Caderyn standing in the doorway, smiling.
The contraption settles over my eyes and inserts listening devices into my ears. I try to blink, but I’m not able to close my eyelids. I begin to panic and immediately something is injected into my arm. I wait for my defenses to take over, but for some reason they don’t. My body relaxes, but my mind races.
Images begin to flash in front of me. Some showing Regulators, soldiers, and battle scenes. Others display Grainne, the Hostem, and Braxton. If I show the slightest hint of acknowledgement to Grainne or Braxton, I’m blasted with a Cruor Burst. The pain radiates up my arms, around my waist, and to my back. Once the energy hits my spine, it shoots up into my brain, making everything distorted, and muddy. Deafening pulses bounce against my eardrums.
I want to scream, but something malleable is placed into my mouth and secured. I can’t block out anything, no matter how hard I try. The torment goes on for hours. Maybe days. I feel myself slipping away, my mind leaving me. I try and hold on, but just when I think I’m starting to win, I’m injected again. I can sense my mind fracturing.
What is he trying to do? I don’t think I can take this much longer.
I want to rest, to close my eyes, but I can’t. After what seems like ages, the device is turned off and removed, the lights are turned on and the monitor lowered.
I’m so groggy, I can barely keep my head up.
Vladim appears on the screen. “Who are you?” he asks.
“Trea,” I whimper.
“Again,” he declares.
The lights are turned off, the monitor goes blank, and the device is attached to my head again. The amount of images intensifies, as does their violent and graphic nature. I can feel myself shattering, both mentally and emotionally.
I stop having any reaction to the photos shown to me. Is that a good thing? I’ve forgotten the names of the man and little girl they keep showing me every once in a while. Who are they? Do I know them? The injections stop, although I’m not sure why they were giving them to me.
Where am I?
The device on my head is turned off and lifted off of me. It feels like I’ve been sitting here for years. Lights turn on, and a monitor lowers from the ceiling. An elderly man’s face appears on the screen. I don’t recognize him.
“Who are you?” he asks.
What an odd question. But it’s also odd that I can’t remember.
“I…I don’t know.”
“Do you know who I am?”
I shake my head.
This seems to make him happy, as he smiles. I smile in return, but not sure why.
“Caderyn,” the man calls out. “Take her up to the housing floor. Make sure she is properly fed and cleaned.”
The screen lifts, revealing a tall gentleman in his forties wearing an odd black uniform.
He reaches out his hand to me. “Come with me,” he says.
I take it as soon as I’m free from the chair.
I wonder why I was restrained.
“Where am I?” I ask as we leave the room, turn left, and pass through a set of doors.
“Home,” he answers, a slight lilt to his voice.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Commander Caderyn of the Sirain army.”
“Who am I?”
“You’re name is Andred. You’re an important member of our army.”
“Why was I in that room?”
“You suffered a terrible injury to your head and the medical staff wanted to make sure your brain wasn’t permanently damaged.”
“Oh.”
I don’t know why I’m asking so many questions. I can’t remember anything. Was my injury that bad? How can someone forget who they are?
After we ascend in a lift, I’m immediately escorted away from Commander Caderyn, and into a communal bathroom. The woman helping me is about my age, dark in skin, and has a weird-looking arm, almost mechanical but
smooth and elegant. I step into a shower stall, strip down, and wash.
I can’t believe how dirty I am. I discover blue streaks all over my body. They don’t hurt, and I’m attracted to their uniqueness. No one else I’ve seen in the halls has the same markings as I do. The woman, who introduces herself as Kedua, hands me a towel. I notice her mechanical arm glows blue, like my scars.
“What happened to your arm?” I ask, dragging a comb through my mangled black hair.
Her expression sours. I’m almost afraid she’s going to strike me when she begins to soften. “An enemy of mine severed my arm in a battle. Luckily, my kind self-heal so the injury wasn’t life threatening, but I still lost the arm.”
She hands me a uniform, identical to the one I just discarded. Kedua’s uniform is similar except her color is red and the symbol on her shoulder has a long sword with a short hilt thrusting skyward through a moon with wings.
I wonder if she’s higher ranking than I am.
Once I’m properly groomed, we exit into the corridor and walk down into a dining hall. There are at least one hundred young adults in uniforms like mine milling about, talking, and eating. The others wear what I’m told are uniforms for Regulators, medical personal, and instructors. I make several trips to the food line since I’m starving. Kedua is called away by Commander Caderyn, and I’m left to myself. I sit and watch everyone. Some stare at me, others try to avoid me. Most seem upset at my presence.
I wonder what I did to cause such hostility. I hope I haven’t done anything to hurt my fellow soldiers.
A Regulator escorts me from the hall and down to a living quarter. The room is large, containing ten bunk beds. I’m shown to the one with my name. I can’t remember when I slept last, so I curl up under the blankets and fall asleep to a gentle soothing voice emanating from under my pillow.
“You must kill your enemy. A soldier built for death leaves no one alive. You need to show no emotion, no attachment to others.”