Cheating Time

by T. R. Graves

  Holy hell!

  "Giving our minds, bodies, and souls—as proved though numerous planned but unexpected tests as well as real life scenarios—to the military is the only way to get a Dominant's Medal and an invitation to join their Fraternity," Jayden recited before hesitating, as if he wasn't sure if he should share his next piece of information. Finally, he added, "And… we have to swear that if or when the president we surrender to is killed or overthrown, we will take our own lives, leaving the Fraternity memberless for the next president."

  Holy crap on a cracker! "Who came up with these rules? They are archaic and unnatural," I exclaimed.

  Gran intervened before Jayden could elaborate. "That doesn't matter, little one. The only thing that matters right now is Barone's plans for you. When you were born and your longevity analysis was performed, your fate was sealed. I erased your data and replaced it with something more reasonable, but Barone always acted as if he knew your numbers had been faked. I haven't yet figured out how he did it, but six months ago, he ran a longevity analysis that looked eerily similar to yours. When I checked into it, I found out it was. I don't know how he got your DNA, but I know it was yours.

  "Now that he knows Carlie offers him longevity, he can begin fusing sperm, ones embedded with the strength, intelligence, and charm he's in search of, and create the perfect cells for fertilizing Carlie's eggs. From that union, the new breed of Dominant Soldiers will be born."

  "To hell he will!" Jayden roared. "He's already made a complete mess with Surrogates. He's not going to do what he's been doing to Surrogates with Carlie's kids… He's not going to make them motherless and fatherless and feed them a bunch of shit about how they were born to serve. In the Surrogates' case, it's always been some line about how we were born to serve our nation. With Dominants, he'll claim they were born to serve him."

  Gran nodded, approving of Jayden's message. "A few days ago, I got a message that Barone was ready to begin his experiments. I've heard that he plans to go straight to embryotic experiments, and he will do so without regard to what that embryo will eventually be. He'll kill any that don't meet his standards. The last thing he'll do is allow his creations to become Genetic Anomalies that take more than they give to the nation."

  "He promised me he'd leave Carlie alone… he'd leave Carlie alone if I'd get her back to the academy," Jayden blurted before running his hands through his hair until it was messy and unkempt, a far cry from the neat and well-groomed style he usually wore.

  I caught a quick glimpse of the worry on his face before he turned and began pacing angrily around the camp, kicking pinecones, and cursing under his breath.

  Gran sighed heavily. "Not to worry, Surrogate. I have a plan, and it doesn't have the first thing to do with those damn people from the Safe Passage Network," Gran swore.

  Jayden's unbelieving stare snapped toward Gran. "You know about them?" he asked.

  Gran chuckled. "I'm old. I'm not deaf or dumb. I've known about this particular network since it was started by Barone years ago so the DOA would have an easier time picking up separatists."

  What the hell? Both my and Jayden's mouths dropped to our chest.

  Gran continued. "I just never thought my granddaughter and her family would come to live with and rely on them… come to believe the crock of pooh Barone has ordered them to spew."

  In any other situation, I'd have been dumbfounded by the more verbose and nearly cursing Gran standing before me. Not today. Something about the fact that he, under normal circumstances, only spoke when necessary told me everything he was telling Jayden and me was important to keeping our family safe, true despite what I thought I'd known, and essential to my survival.

  Jayden is finally smack dab in the middle of the survival test he's been training his entire life for. The difference is that this is for something more than a solid pat on the back.

  "It seems Barone and his flunkies underestimated this old man when they took to talking about their plans when Selma, Sam, and the rest of you were out and they thought I was upstairs napping. By doing nothing more than standing at the top of the stairs, I learned they intended to kidnap your mother. If she refused to begin working for Barone again, they were to take her some place no one would ever find her and end her life, but only after she'd electronically embedded her DNA segment into documents that willed the rights to her discoveries and inventions to a nonprofit organization, Eternal Youth, that is secretly run by Barone. It's the organization charged with creating the Dominant Soldiers.

  "Humph! They might have gotten away with it if I hadn't overheard them. What a bunch of bumbling idiots," he groused.

  I closed the distance between Gran and me. "Gran… you're exhausted. The fatigue and sleep deprivation is playing games with your mind."

  Agitated, he waved his hand. "Don't make the mistake they made and condescend me, Carles Enise Enoche," he warned.

  I put my trembling hands up. "Gran, I'd never do that. I-it's just that all of this seems so out there that I can't believe it. I mean… I'm supposed to live until I'm at least two hundred. Does that sound right to you?" I asked.

  My voice was high pitched and irritating. Normally, I'd at least feel guilty for whining, but I was too shocked and confused to care.

  "Not to worry, little one. I have my own friends, ones who can get you to safety for real and will intervene and help your parents. First, the Surrogate has to get you to the academy." Gran bobbed his head toward Jayden. He'd always referred to him as the Surrogate. He'd never used his real name. Not ever. "That's where you'll meet Thorne Angleton. I suspect he's the primary candidate for the sperm geared toward offering superior intelligence. One of the three Adams to your Eve, Carlie."

  Jayden intervened. "Who is Thorne, and why should we trust him?"

  Gran kept his focus on me. "Andrew Angleton, his father and a genealogist colleague of mine, and I have been in contact. We're both determined to save our descendants and put an end to Barone's madness." Gran turned toward Jayden. "That's where you come in, Surrogate. Thorne and Carlie will need your protection and experience to get them to the only truly safe underground shelter in existence. It's one I've been working on since before Carlie was born. It's been up and running for a while, but I've been too worried about your parents' ties to Barone to let them know about it. Like the Coxes, they've underestimated me and the extents I'll go to make sure my family is safe."

  "Gran, you know that Mom would never put Barone before you. You should have trusted her and told her all of this," I scolded.

  Gran waved me off. "You and Thorne will stay in the shelter until Andrew and I make our way there. With the exception of the three of you and the team of people working in the shelter, Andrew and I will be the only people on the planet who will know where you are."

  "Gran, Mom and Dad'll never agree to this," I reasoned.

  "You're right, but they're the same people who've spent years trusting Barone… and months assuming the farmhouse was what Elle and Mac claimed. They are the reason we are in the mess we're in. I tried talking to them about the dangers at the farm. They refused to hear what I had to say. If there is any hope for you, little one, I have to stop relying on people who are easily manipulated by Barone. He's a master puppeteer where they're concerned."

  Beside me, Jayden let loose a few curse words under his breath. I cut my eyes his way, and he closed his mouth, obviously still thinking every single one of them. Gran ignored him.

  "If I didn't have spies everywhere, they'd have taken Carlie to the academy, used the MicroPharm to drug her, turning her into a shell of the person we know and love, and taken care of her mother so there would be no one left to override their MicroPharm updates. Underestimating me and my reach has been Barone's Achilles heel, and I'm taking full advantage of it."

  I knew they used those implants to create mindless zombies, ones who followed the government's lead no matter how asinine the demand. I just knew it.

  "I'm getting you to safety first. Your pare
nts will follow when I'm convinced they understand having you hidden away from Barone is the right thing to do," Gran explained.

  In an instant, a sadness washed over him that was so profound that I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around his neck and tell him we'd all be okay. I couldn't because it would have been a lie. At minimum, Tawney was going to die, and I couldn't make any guarantees about anyone else.

  "Sir, Sam'll have me hunted down and killed if I don't do exactly as he's ordered. Without his permission, I can't agree to any of this. Both of you need to trust him. All he's ever done is put his family first." Jayden leveled his stare on Gran. "If you'd have talked to him about what you were doing and what you had planned, I think you'd find that the two of you aren't nearly as different as you seem to believe," he said reasonably.

  There was something unspoken behind his words, something he wanted to tell us, but the soldier who'd been ordered to keep Dad's secrets was as tight-lipped as ever. He'd never go against Dad. Gran and I knew it.

  I studied Gran. Then Jayden. Tried to understand what I was supposed to do. Breaking my heart was the fact that Gran was standing in front of me and terrified that I didn't believe him or that I'd refuse to do what he was asking of me. He was prepared to lose Tawney because he'd been searching for a cure her entire life and hadn't been able to find one. He was not naïve enough to believe there were going to be miracles before the disease claimed her life. My situation was different. He still had the chance to save me, and he had every intention of doing just that.

  The fact that Mom and Dad hadn't given me the information Gran had shared and that they weren't around to make me follow their demands solidified my decision.

  I ignored Jayden's insistence and braced myself for his rage before saying, "Gran, after I've made sure you and Tawney are safe, and we've had a chance to say our good-byes, I'll do whatever you want me to do."

  "To hell you will!" Jayden yelled.

  "What's going on here?" Tawney asked from the door of her tent.

  Gran plastered on his mask of delight and said, "Nothing, my dear. Nothing. We were simply debating the course to the safe house. I think the Surrogate here has finally seen that my way is the quickest. Now, let's take care of our needs, grab a bite, and pack up camp. We have a lot of miles to cover today."

  In the space of a heartbeat, my meek Gran had turned into the a formidable leader who would have given Dad, the Secretary of the Department of Defense, a run for his money.

  Jayden was as angry as I'd ever seen him when he stormed toward the woods. He and I needed to talk, but now wasn't the time for that conversation. Not if I wanted it to be productive.

  Gran pretended as if he'd never said anything about his plans for me. He walked over to Tawney and palmed her cheeks before kissing her forehead. I watched him closely and knew his every move was that of him assessing her. Face to face, he looked into her eyes. With his hands, he felt her skin. With his lips, he checked her temperature.

  After his infinitesimal nod, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Tawney was good for travel today. For that, I was grateful. Before either of them stepped away from each other, I turned around and began taking down the tents.

  Over my shoulder, I issued orders, making sure Tawney's chores were the least taxing and included things like folding sleeping bags and helping me pack everything. She was more than willing to assist.

  Soon, the camp was packed and Jayden was still nowhere around. I pretended as if that was not a problem. The best use of our time would have been that of grabbing something to eat and hydrating. Just when I was about to go foraging in Jayden's pack, Gran stepped in front of us and handed us two foil packs of ready to eat military rations.

  Grinning, Tawney and I looked at each other like we'd just been given Christmas stockings instead of packets filled with honey-glazed granola and freeze-dried strawberries, blueberries, and pineapples.

  In other words, heaven on Earth.

  Before long, the Ohs and Ahs of how wonderful the fruit tasted was too much for Gran. He ripped his own bag open and tested out the fruits we'd been gushed over.

  "These are a lot tastier than I remember," Gran said, grinning, after trying a pineapple.

  At the same time, we all heard a limb creak and turned in the direction from which it came. A miserable Jayden stood staring at us like he thought we'd all lost our minds. Determined to lighten Jayden's mood also, I grabbed one of the granola packs, tore into it, and offered it to him as the only olive branch I had at my disposal.

  He just stared at it. Then he stared at me. Like me, he wanted to talk, but we both knew a private discussion wasn't possible while Tawney and Gran were focused on us and our every word.

  Timid, I smiled, and with it, he softened, took the granola from me, and popped a few clusters into his mouth. When his brows rose, I knew he was as surprised as me that the food was so good.

  "Sir, I didn't realize you had these types of rations," Jayden said to Gran.

  My great-grandfather shrugged. "I paid attention while we spent years' worth of weekends in survival training."

  Suddenly suspicious, Jayden rounded on Gran. "Did you have these every weekend, sir?"

  Gran chuckled. "Surrogate, I tried to endure the wild game and found eggs you and Sam were able to provide, but after about six months, I found out there were better options, ones Sam would never agree to because he wanted us to survive off nature. It was the reason we were out there. I ate tiny portions of the camp meals and used these packs to supplement my diet."

  Jayden smirked. "You know… Sam swore you were doing just that, and I told him you'd never undermine our training like that."

  With a mischievous glint in his eye, Gran shrugged. "Now you know."

  As if seeing my great-grandfather in a new light, Jayden replied, "I've learned all kinds of things about you today, sir. That's for sure." Turning back into the soldier charged with our safety, his eyes landed on Tawney and me. "Now, let's get moving. We've wasted enough of our daylight hours."

  Without a backward glance, Jayden grabbed his pack and headed out. We followed his lead, picking up ours and trailing behind him.

  * * *

  The misty, muddy day of hiking was similar to the day before, when we walked and stopped and walked some more.

  Jayden was a man on a mission, and it seemed to me he could have walked forever. If it had been just the two of us, I'd have let him keep going. Unfortunately, Tawney and Gran had gone as far as they could.

  I ran ahead of them and caught up with the Surrogate Soldier who'd not spoken a word since the morning. I slid my hand in his, an act that stunned him based on the way his attention snapped my way.

  I offered him a lopsided smile and said, "Tawney can't go any farther, Jayden. Can we stop for the night?"

  His eyes darted behind to Tawney and Gran. When their fatigue registered, he nodded. "Yeah. Sure. I-I just lost track of time. Have them sit down and grab some of those rations Gran has so carefully hidden from me. I'll get three tents set up. We're switching out guard duty so there's no need to set up four."

  He was right. I bobbed my head and headed back toward my cousin and great-grandfather.

  "What's wrong with Jayden, Carlie? I've never seen him like this. So… so intense," Tawney said.

  Her exhaustion was obvious in the heaviness of her breath and the drag of her words, but her health wasn't her primary concern. Jayden's burdens were.

  "He's just worried, Tawney. Dad charged him with taking care of us, and you know how serious he is about his assignments?"

  Her head bounced. My explanation seemed to have appeased her.

  "Gran, whip out some more of those meals. You and Tawney eat them. Jayden and I'll eat the jerky later while we're standing guard," I said.

  "Carlie… everyone's had guard duty but me. It's my turn," Tawney mumbled.

  I laughed. "You're exhausted, sweetie. Jayden and I are fine. We'll trade off tomorrow night. I promise." I lied.

/>   A tribute to her fatigue was the fact that she agreed with my plan. She didn't even appear jealous that I would be spending time with Jayden that didn't include her. Under normal circumstances, she'd be inserting herself every time she thought we might be together.

  While Tawney and Gran enjoyed cold cheesy lasagna and chicken teriyaki, Jayden and I teamed up and erected three tents. Almost as soon as we were finished, Gran and Tawney made their way over.

  "Carlie, do you need me to help you put up your tent… or do you want to double up with me?" Tawney said innocently.

  I glanced toward Jayden. I was silently pleading for him to tell her what the plan was and for him to do it in a way that spared her feelings. Tawney was brilliant and knew instantly what was not being said.

  "Oh… I'm sorry. I see. I-I didn't know," she said, and there was no mistaking the tears as they pooled in her eyes.

  Jayden intervened, stepping in front of Tawney. "It's not what it looks like. We can't sleep at the same time so I decided we could switch out, using the same tent, rather than waste our energy putting up a tent no one really needed."

  Tawney reluctantly looked up at Jayden before nodding. She tried to pretend as though she believed there was nothing going on between Jayden and me, but her heart wasn't in it. I felt like the biggest heel in the world and wanted to beg her forgiveness. Not because there was anything really going on between Jayden and me, but because I couldn't stand the thought of hurting her.

  The last thing in the world Tawney needed right now was a broken heart.

  "Tawney… tomorrow night, I'd like it if you and Jayden stood guard. I'm going on three days with barely any rest. Tomorrow will be four. If you can stand it, I'd like for you to take a night so I can rest," I said.

  Tawney smiled and nodded. "I-I'll try to save up some energy tomorrow, Carlie. You're right. You do need to rest."

  I decided right then and there that Jayden's idea of flirting with Tawney wasn't a bad one. In fact, I was going to tell him to revisit it. Tawney had very little time. There was absolutely no reason for me to begrudge her the one and only person she'd ever loved.