The Complete Makanza Series: Books 0-4

by Krista Street

  Sharon shrugged. “Being a mom, I immediately became concerned. I asked him if he had a home and if he knew where his parents were. He humored all of my questions but then his eyes turned to saucers when I told him my son was a Kazzie in Reservation 1. That’s when he pulled his phone out and showed me the videos.”

  “The video that shows the Kazzie shot from the sky?” Ian’s deep voice filled the cab. We were in the prairie now. Nothing was around. Stars filled the sky. It looked desolate and beautiful out my window.

  “That’s the one.” Sharon’s expression fell.

  My heart went out to her. Before Reservation 1, she’d had to endure knowing that Davin was in Compound 26 being abused. But since he’d been moved, we’d all hoped the Kazzies would live normal lives. And for a while, things had looked okay. The Kazzies had begun a normal existence. They were getting jobs, starting to integrate into their small society, but then it had stopped. Something had obviously happened.

  Now, it was a matter of figuring out what.

  A few minutes later, Mitch’s GPS indicated that our destination was on the right. He stopped the SUV.

  Since it was an electric vehicle, it didn’t make a sound when the motor shut off. I worriedly glanced at the battery. We were down to a quarter charged. There weren’t any charging stations around here. We’d have to find one soon, otherwise, we’d be stuck.

  “Is this it?” Amy leaned forward, our shoulders brushing, as she peered out the front windshield.

  Sharon pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Yes, his parents’ farmhouse is up this drive.”

  Mitch glanced at Sharon. I could barely make out his profile in the dark interior. “Do Cash’s parents know that you’re talking with him?”

  Sharon’s hesitation told me her answer before she spoke. “Uh . . . no.”

  “Does that mean his parents don’t know what he’s videoed?” Ian leaned forward from the far back seat.

  Sharon’s voice grew quiet. “No, they don’t know. Cash said his dad would be furious if he knew how much time he’s spent down by the reservation. He’s supposed to spend his days mending fences and helping get their farm back up and running. Cash said he’d be in a lot of trouble if his parents knew how he’s spending his time.”

  “Poor kid,” Charlie said from the back.

  “So how do we contact him?” I asked Sharon.

  She held up her phone. “I already text him. He’s on his way out. He said to meet him by the mailbox.”

  Since we were already close to the mailbox we didn’t have to go far. All of us stepped out of the SUV.

  Cold wind whipped hair around my face. The dark sky blazed above. The abundance of stars took my breath away. For so many years, curfew had ruled our lives. We’d all had to be indoors, in our homes from night until morning. If one wanted to stargaze, the only way to legally do it was to hang out a bedroom window.

  Now that curfew had been lifted, we were once again allowed out at night.

  I allowed myself a moment to gaze at the constellations. Orion was easy to spot since it dominated the sky. Gemini was a close second with its twin stars, Castor and Pollux, bright and visible. Icy breaths filled my lungs.

  I wonder if Davin’s looking at this night sky right now.

  My heart hurt at how close, yet how far away he was. I could only hope that he had enough freedom to enjoy this, but considering the Kazzies had been locked in their homes at night when I’d visited the rez over three months ago, I knew that was probably wishful thinking.

  A rustling sound came from farther up the drive. Ian tensed at my side. He’d stayed close to me since we’d all exited the vehicle. Once again, I got the impression that he wanted to take charge, but he was out of his element.

  Sharon and I knew this world better than anyone.

  “Who’s there?” Mitch called.

  Amy elbowed him. “Jeez, Mitchy. Don’t scare the kid away.”

  More rustling sounds came. It sounded as if someone was walking through tall grass. Then footsteps on gravel reached my ears.

  “Cash?” Sharon called.

  A tall, slim figure appeared in the night. “Yeah, it’s me, Sharon.”

  His voice squeaked at the end. That sound gave away how young he was.

  Cash appeared in the darkness. He was dressed in jeans and a warm jacket. In the night, I couldn’t see his features, but he appeared to be at least six feet tall and was as skinny as a beanpole. He reminded me so much of my own brother that a fierce protectiveness welled up inside me.

  “Thanks for coming.” Sharon stepped closer to him. “These are the scientists from the Compound that I told you about. They’re here trying to figure out what’s going on in the reservation.”

  Cash glanced over his shoulder and shuffled his feet. The gravel underneath his soles made a grating noise. “Um, I can’t stay long. My dad’s bound to notice that I’m not in the house.”

  “We won’t keep you.” Sharon touched his forearm. “Did you bring copies of the videos?”

  Cash dug something out of his pocket. “Yeah. Here, but I’ll need that back. It’s my only one.”

  I couldn’t tell what he gave Sharon, but whatever it was, it was small.

  “Thank you.” Sharon gripped his hand before he could put it back in his pocket. “And remember, if you see anything else, please let me know.”

  Cash shuffled his feet again. “Sure, Sharon. Um, well, I better go.” He glanced at the rest of us. “See you.”

  He turned and stepped back into the tall grass that lined the driveway. The moonlight illuminated his retreating form before he disappeared into the darkness.

  “Is there any chance he’ll get lost out here?” I watched the area he’d disappeared into. I couldn’t help but picture my brother at that age. If Cash didn’t find his way back to his farmhouse, he could freeze to death.

  Sharon wrapped her arms tightly around herself. “I worried about that too the few times we’ve met, but he said he knows this land like the back of his hand. They didn’t move away until he was nine-years-old and the Second Wave struck. Up until that point, he spent all of his time wandering these hills.”

  Hearing that made me feel a little better. Still, I couldn’t help but worry about him.

  “Okay, now that we have the videos, we need to find a place to stay for the night.” Mitch pulled his keys out of his pocket. “And sorry, but that abandoned house won’t cut it. We’re going to need to find a city. My battery’s almost empty.”

  “The closest inhabited town is Bismarck, North Dakota, but that’s a hundred miles from here.” Sharon crossed her arms. “Will your car make it?”

  Mitch opened his door. “I sure hope so. Otherwise, we’re all going to be stuck out here.”

  9 – VIDEOS

  We managed to limp into Bismarck two hours later. It was the only town in western North Dakota that was still inhabited. The clock struck eight o’clock on the dash when we crawled into a hotel parking lot. Thankfully, battery charging stations lined the lot.

  “Battery juice. Sweet!” Charlie unclicked his seatbelt from the back.

  “I’m assuming we’re staying here tonight?” Amy hooked a thumb at the vacancy sign.

  “It’s either this or we sleep in the car.” Ian stretched. “The car will need to charge all night.”

  “Let’s book rooms. Clean beds and warm showers.” Mitch scratched his beard. “Let’s enjoy it while we can.”

  Charlie chuckled. “Such a pretty boy.”

  Mitch merely smirked and stepped out to hook up the vehicle to charge. Ian and Charlie joined him.

  Sharon, Amy, and I stayed in the vehicle. The USB drive that Cash had given Sharon was in her pocket. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see what was on it, but I knew I had to.

  I grabbed my laptop. “We can transfer whatever’s on that USB to my hard drive.”

  Amy nodded. “Let’s get rooms and then we can check out what Cash saw.”

  FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, we were stri
ding down the hotel hallway toward our rooms. Since the hotel’s policy was two people per room that meant one of us would have to share with one of the guys. I didn’t dare ask Sharon since she didn’t know anybody, and since nobody knew Ian except me, I agreed to share with him.

  The first thing everyone did was drop their bags off before piling into Ian’s and my room. The room was clean and simple: two beds, an ancient looking TV, and a small fridge. I turned on my laptop, and we all crowded around as I plugged in the USB.

  A file popped up, that was aptly titled, “The Reservation.”

  Mitch smirked. “He’s not exactly 007. Somebody should tell him when trying to hide incriminating videos, it’s probably best to not label them so clearly.”

  Amy fluffed her hair over her shoulder. “Were you any smarter when you were sixteen?”

  Charlie shook his head. “Don’t let him answer that.”

  Sharon laughed.

  I rolled my eyes. “See what I have to work with every day?”

  Ian chuckled too.

  My finger hovered over the mouse. “All right. Here goes nothing.”

  I double clicked it. Everyone’s laughter died. The file revealed dozens of videos. I double clicked the first one.

  A media player sprang to life, and a video emerged. It was dark and grainy. It was hard to see what was going on since it was nighttime in the video, but the audio was clear. The sound of someone screaming followed by a guard yelling at another guard to “grab her” came through clearly. More screaming sounded and then what sounded like a struggle. Another scream, but it was cut off, like something had been done to the woman to make her abruptly grow quiet.

  My gut turned to ice.

  I glanced at Sharon. Her face was white.

  Another commotion sounded on the same video, but this time, it sounded as if Cash was running away from what he’d just seen. The only sounds were his labored breathing and tall grass swooshing with his footsteps before the video cut out.

  Silence filled the room.

  With a shaky finger, I double-clicked the next video.

  This one was during the day. The sun shone overhead. The reservation’s perimeter fence was visible. In the distance, figures moved.

  “What area is that?” Ian asked.

  Sharon cleared her throat. “Almost all of his videos were taken near that outdoor area. He said it’s one of the few areas with rocks and a few trees to hide behind so the guards can’t see him.”

  The video lost focus and then zoomed onto the figures in the distance. They were Kazzies.

  I smiled when I realized they were enjoying a game. Frisbee from the looks of it.

  The video must have been taken during early autumn. They weren’t wearing jackets, and the grass and wildflowers were still green. Only some of the stalks had begun to brown.

  Laughter rang across the prairie as a woman leaped up and grabbed the Frisbee. She had to have jumped at least fifteen feet in the air. Once she landed, she zoomed away, turning into a blur before reappearing a hundred yards on the opposite side of her friends.

  My breath sucked in.

  Strain 11. She had the same strain as Davin.

  The two guys she was playing with jeered, giving her a hard time for moving so quickly. She threw the Frisbee at one. He leaped in the air and caught it. It was a normal leap, a human-like leap. The camera zoomed in on him. His skin was orange colored, and his hands were webbed except for the thumb which wasn’t attached to the webbing.

  “Strain 22,” I murmured. With that strain a Kazzie had webbed hands and feet, and the distinctly orange colored skin. They were excellent swimmers.

  The Kazzie with strain 22 threw the Frisbee. The third player caught it. Cash zoomed in on him. The third Kazzie’s skin was gray colored and thick with raised areas like pebbles.

  “Strain 35.” Amy cupped her chin in her hand.

  When Ian cocked an eyebrow, she explained. “Their skin is nearly impossible to penetrate. It looks and feels like stone. They weigh about three times what they did before their Change, and of all the Kazzies, they’re the hardest to obtain samples from.”

  The three Kazzies continued throwing their Frisbee, seemingly enjoying themselves.

  Dust appeared in the distance. It was only then I realized they were near a road. A military vehicle was driving their way, gravel dust flying up behind it. My forehead furrowed as the vehicle approached. It was a large van.

  It skidded to a stop and two MRRA soldiers jumped out. They both held guns. One of them yelled something and waved his arm as if beckoning the Kazzies closer to him.

  The Kazzies stood motionless.

  The soldier yelled again and raised his gun.

  My heart stopped.

  The Kazzies kicked into action. All three ran toward the van. When they reached it, one of the soldiers grabbed the orange-skinned Kazzie’s arm, the one with strain 22. The Kazzie ripped his arm away from the soldier and took a menacing step closer to him. The woman with strain 11 grabbed the Kazzie. She appeared to be saying something to him.

  The guard kept his gun raised as the two Kazzies piled into the back of the van. When the woman tried to join them, she tripped over something on her way to the door. It looked like the soldier had stuck his foot out, intentionally making her fall.

  The orange-colored Kazzie jumped out of the van and advanced on the soldier.

  A shot rang out, making me jump.

  The orange-skinned man grabbed his shoulder as the woman screamed. The stone-skinned man lunged at the soldier who shot his friend.

  The other soldier tazered him.

  Since electricity was one of the few things that permeated the skin in a Kazzie with strain 35, he fell, convulsing on the ground

  “What the hell?” Amy’s voice rose. “They were just playing Frisbee! What the hell is their problem?”

  I tensed too as Sharon grabbed my hand. Her eyes were wide. I had no idea how many videos she’d seen. I guessed not these.

  The video then showed the soldiers dragging the stone-colored man to the back of the van. The woman and orange-skinned Kazzie stood huddled together. The woman was assessing his shoulder. Blood poured down his arm.

  The guards yelled at the woman when they had the unconscious Kazzie at the van’s door. They appeared to be demanding that she help them. With stiff movements, she left her friend, that I assumed was her boyfriend from how they were acting. She easily lifted the stone-skinned Kazzie into the van despite him probably weighing five hundred pounds.

  The video cut out.

  None of us said anything.

  I felt Ian watching me.

  With a shaky hand, I moved the mouse over the next video and double-clicked.

  Another image appeared. It showed hundreds of Kazzies lined up in the distance. They appeared to be around a military station. Dozens of MRRA soldiers surrounded them. It was later in the season. The prairie grass had browned.

  All of the soldiers had multiple weapons. Each held an assault rifle. They also had guns strapped to their legs and waists. And I couldn’t be sure, since they were far away, but the sunlight gleamed off something on their belts. I squinted and peered closer. It looked like they also carried tazers.

  A flash of midnight hair caught my attention.

  My breath sucked in just as Sharon squeaked.

  Davin.

  He stood near the front of the line. At his side was Sage. My heartbeat increased wildly.

  Mitch sat up straighter. “Is that Sage and Davin?” He pointed at the screen.

  “Yep, that’s them,” Amy whispered.

  “What’s on Sage’s hands?” Charlie leaned closer.

  Sage’s hands were covered with something. It looked like his hands were wrapped in dark and bulky mittens.

  Ian cocked his head. “Those almost look like . . . mitts of some kind?”

  “Thick mittens.” Charlie scratched his chin. “Rubber mittens maybe?”

  I bit my lip. Before moving to the rese
rvation, Sage had learned how to better control the ability Makanza had given him. Since he had strain 27, he could generate electricity along his skin. But more than that, he’d learned how to throw electric bolts. Almost like lightning shooting from his hands.

  “They must have figured out what he can do.” Amy clasped her shaky hands together. “Maybe they think it’s too dangerous to leave his hands exposed.”

  “So they’re restraining his hands twenty-four hours a day?” My voice rose. With each video it was becoming more apparent that the Kazzies were being horribly abused. It was no better than Compound 26.

  And to think I gave them up. For what? So Dr. Roberts could abuse them without drugging them? Stupid! So stupid, Meghan!

  “What are they doing with all of them around that building?” Mitch pointed again at the screen.

  We continued watching. It soon became apparent the soldiers were having the Kazzies step forward individually. From there, they were doing something to their arms. It looked painful. Each Kazzie cried out or grabbed their wrist when the soldiers finished.

  Rage surged in me.

  “Isn’t that where they put those tracking devices you told us about?” Amy nudged me.

  “Yeah, that’s where they put them.” I barely got the words out.

  When I’d ridden with our Kazzies to the reservation over three months ago, they’d forced a tracking device into each Kazzie’s wrist when they were admitted. Dr. Roberts’ reasoning was that they needed to know where each Kazzie was at all times.

  It seemed like a rather extreme measure and another barbaric practice that the Kazzies were subjected to.

  My gaze stayed glued to the screen. Each Kazzie’s head hung, as if their dignity had been stripped. Tears stung my eyes, and I struggled to blink them back.

  When it was Davin’s turn, he stepped forward, his chin up. My heart filled. Just the sight of him made my pulse race, and pride flowed through me like raging whitewater. Davin was a fighter. He always had been, and even after years of torture and abuse, it didn’t appear that had changed.