Modified: Book One in the Manipulated Series

by Harper North

  “What can you tell us?” Mason asks, drawing him back in.

  “There has to be at least thirty or more ops around the mining operations, the Oven, and the living sector,” Yasay says.

  “Then that’s what we should take care of first.”

  “Is there a way we can sneak up on them?” Elias asks.

  “Most of them are gathered in the main cavern, outside the operations center right now,” Yasay explains.

  “Then we can use the mine tunnels and the Slack to our advantage,” I say. “Go in from different angles. Swoop in from the tunnels.”

  “We must attack at the same time,” Mason adds. “We need a way to radio in to one another when we’re all in position.”

  “I brought a radio,” Yasay says as one of his men hands over a set of two-way radios. “These will do. We can divide into two groups and charge in.”

  “We have to go in hard and quick,” Mason instructs. “And avoid hitting dwellers. No civilian casualties. These people have suffered enough. My men must use blasters.”

  “Yes, sir,” Elias says.

  Mason points at Yasay, who hands Mason a radio. “You and Fin lead up one troop. I’ll lead the other.”

  “I’m going with Fi—” Sky starts.

  “No,” I interrupt. “You, Drape, and Cia stay here, where it’s safe. There are too many operatives to hide her in the Slack now. Cia is too young to get involved in this, and Drape is hurt.”

  “I’m fine!” Drape insists.

  “No, you’re not,” I shoot back. “You three need to stay here. If things go south, get back to the hover craft and alert the rest.”

  Drape starts to argue again, but Sky holds up his hand.

  “Okay. Drape and I can handle it back here,” Sky says, then eyes his sister. “Take care of Cia.”

  The little girl huffs. “I’m not a baby,” she mumbles.

  Half of Yasay’s men go with Mason, Elias, and Lacy. Jase, Oliver, Knuckles, and Bricks, along with the second half of Yasay’s dirty dozen, go with Yasay and me. I signal to Sky, Drape, and Cia before Elias and I lead our group down our mining tunnel. Drape is still sulking.

  It doesn’t take us long to reach our destination just inside one of the mining tunnels with a view out into the very center of the cavern. The entrance of the Oven waits on one end. A group of frightened dwellers are lined up against the face of the building. Men shout something about testing. My stomach roils as I realize the EHC are prepared to execute anyone who tests positive for the genetic markers, and the dwellers in line outside the Oven probably have no idea.

  On the opposite side of the massive opening waits the wide tunnel leading into the living space.

  “Why are you doing this? Please, don’t shoot me!” a man’s voice sobs.

  In one corner, a huddle of miners are being held up at gun point. One man sits on the ground, his ear bloodied as several operatives loom above him. Anger burns in my chest. The ops have always abused their power over us, but this is an entirely new monster.

  “Radio Mason,” I say to Yasay.

  “Mason,” Yasay says. “We’re in position.”

  The two-way beeps softly. “Get ready to run on my count,” Mason’s voice whispers through the speaker.

  On Mason’s count, Yasay and his men suddenly push in front of me.

  “Watch it, buddy,” I mumble.

  In a flash, they toss several small metal objects down into the crowded opening. Loud, unsettling explosions detonate ahead of the Oven. I cover my head, my body riddled with fear, and glance back up.

  Yasay meets my eyes as the tunnel fills with dust from the explosions. “What are you doing?” I growl. He just killed all those innocents along with the ops.

  He bares his teeth at me in a sort of twisted smile. There’s no time to try to reason with Yasay’s lack of morals. I raise my weapon, ready to advance.

  CHAPTER 21

  Smoke is thick in the air as shots skim past us and rip into the cavern’s surface.

  “Return fire!” Mason’s voice echoes in from the radio and his team fires back from their tunnel.

  I shouldn’t have split up from Lacy and Elias; all we’ve done is divide our team. What if we hit our friends in the crossfire? My enhanced intelligence is not helping me with battle strategies or whatever. I should’ve gone with my gut.

  “Push them back!” I order my team, and Yasay nods in agreement.

  We manage to cut off the surviving operatives from escaping by way of the tunnel networks and instead back them toward the exterior of the Oven. Surviving Dwellers race our way and we make room for them to pass, but no op dares make such a risky move.

  “Keep moving in on them!” Mason shouts as his team emerges from their tunnel, working operatives back and away from the escape tunnels. Our company tucks into several rock formations and behind mining equipment for cover. The ops, on the other hand, are exposed. They frantically search for cover and fire aimlessly back at us. They have no choice but to stand outside the Oven and try to fight their way out. Several ops fall back behind narrow stalagmites in front of the complex. The structure is built into the rock wall, so there’s no back exit.

  Gunfire cracks from the right and left. I check the juice on my blaster, finding it’s almost dead. I know I’ll have to use more deadly force eventually. I make my way to a large boulder and glance up. Lacy is about fifty yards from me. She’s safe, and fighting like a natural soldier, although her aim is about as great as mine. When this is done, we have work to do.

  Both teams, mine and Mason’s, continue firing on the Oven. By some miracle, we’re able to keep the EHC’s pinned down. To attempt to win themselves a little ground, the EHC operatives start firing flash rounds. The bursts of light blind us for a few seconds and throw us off our momentum. Yasay makes a motion, darting in my direction as two of his guys provide cover fire. He slides behind my boulder, nearly ramming into me.

  “Who knew you’d make such a good soldier, girly,” he growls.

  “Who knew an old bag like you’d have any moves left,” I snarl back, glancing past the boulder and firing aimlessly into the smoke.

  The radio at Yasay’s side crackles and Mason’s voice comes through. “They might be using the cover smoke to retreat—don’t allow it!”

  Yasay grips the radio. “I want my guys to charge the place on my go!”

  “Whoa, bad idea!” I snap.

  Yasay doesn’t have the chance to argue with me since Mason’s angry shouting reverberates through the two-way. “Ignore that order! I repeat, ignore that order!”

  Yasay grips the radio. “These aren’t your men, Mason! On my go, boys!”

  “Yasay, don’t do this,” I plead.

  He slams the radio down beside me and waves to his men. They charge as the dust and smoke start to clear. They reach the operatives before they have a chance to fire on them, but what Yasay doesn’t realize is that most of them are Century class leeches. They’re stronger and better trained. Going hand to hand doesn’t work in fighting modified soldiers. This will be a blood bath.

  “Forward!” I command to the remaining members of my team.

  From the opposite side, Mason calls out the same order to his group. It’s all or nothing now. Just as I get to the outer structure where the bulk of the fighting is taking place, Nero Kyoto emerges from within the Oven, a scowl on his face. My heart jumps into my throat and he whips out a small knife with a shiny, charcoal-colored blade.

  Two of Yasay’s men go after him, and in one swift motion, Nero slices each of their throats. They fall; Nero hardly took a breath to accomplish the gruesome task. My brief encounter with him in the subway tunnel didn’t prepare me for this. I had no idea what we were dealing with as far as Nero’s physical abilities were concerned. He’s clearly been trained by the best.

  Lacy falls in beside me. “Nero,” she seethes. She rushes ahead of me, her pistol now drawn after tossing her blaster aside. She fires frantic shots into the air.

&n
bsp; Nero takes three swift steps back, avoiding her shots. He moves for the gun at his side, but Lacy is on him too quickly. She slams into him, pistol in hand. His own weapon is knocked from his hand and slides across the rocky earth, but he restrains her to keep her from firing on him. In one quick motion, Nero pulls a swift wrestling move on Lacy. He lifts her up above his head and tosses her against a massive stone like a rag doll.

  I glance back for a brief second to see that Mason, Elias, and the others are busy with their own problems. It’s just me. Nero sees me and leaps up onto a huge stone. I slide to a stop, but it’s too late. He throws himself clear of the boulder, over Lacy, and right into me. His heavy body slams into mine like a wrecking ball, throwing us to the ground. Pain races up my back.

  “This is your fault, you know?” he taunts as he grabs my wrists. I flail, trying to release myself, but it’s useless. “Lots of people will die because of your stupidity. You couldn’t just fall into line like everyone else, could you?”

  He raises the blood-coated knife. I grit my teeth in expectation of what’s to come, but something slams into us, pushing me down. Nero flies back and I watch him and Lacy tumble down the slight slope at the base of the Oven’s exterior structure. I scramble to my feet and see Nero upright and delivering a swift kick to Lacy’s side. He glares up at me, gasping for breath. In his hand, he still grips his bloody blade. I snap my attention to a very still Lacy and the blood seeping into the front of her shirt.

  “Lacy!” I scream. Without hesitation, I charge Nero. My fists fly into his nose and despite my smaller frame, Nero retreats slightly.

  “Where did a useless dweller learn to fight?” he snarls, wiping the blood from his nose. He swings his blade at me and I lock onto his wrist and spin on my heels. I twist his elbow and, with the knife in his hand, pierce him in his gut. He releases his knife, so I take the opportunity to push it in further. He falls to his knees in front of me as I twist the blade and then release it, leaving it protruding from his stomach. There’s more shock than anything in that gaze of his.

  “I am not a dweller anymore.”

  He falls, writhing in pain before the critical gash bleeds out. He’s dead. I rush to Lacy, scooping her limp body into my arms, cradling her close.

  “Lacy,” I sob. “You can’t die.”

  Someone touches my shoulder and I flinch. Turning, I find Mason standing beside me, concern filling his face. On his tail Elias, rushes in our direction.

  “Is she alright?” Elias asks in a panic.

  Holding Lacy, I glance back and see that Mason’s men have at last gained control. They charge and pin down op after op. Part of the EHC refuse to surrender. Jase has no remorse as he shoots one in the head and moves on to the next. They’re either killing or restraining the last of the operatives now.

  It’s over, we’ve won, but all my attention is focused on my closest friend. I touch Lacy’s neck, looking for a pulse. My own heart leaps when I find one. It’s weak, but there.

  “She needs medical attention right now!” I yell.

  Yasay clears his throat from behind us. He and his men have guns pointed at us—all of us. There are eight of us, and nine of them who survived.

  “What is this?” I hear Knuckles sneer.

  “Yeah, put those weapons away!” Jase shouts.

  Yasay laughs. “Thank you, Mason, for helping us solve our EHC problem. Now, I’m going to need A298 to hand over that mod kit she stole.”

  I carefully lay Lacy’s head down and rise, staring Yasay down. “Lacy needs a doctor,”

  “Now,” he snarls.

  “No,” I say, and he points his pistol my way.

  “I won’t ask again,” he warns.

  “Shoot me, and you’ll never find it.”

  “You don’t have it on you, then?”

  “Right.”

  “And I’m guessing you’re just too noble to give up its location?”

  I cross my arms and scowl. He shakes his head, and, not missing a beat, he fires his gun.

  “No!” Elias screams.

  I round and watch Mason tumble over, having taken a direct shot to the skull. Elias’s uncle is dead before he even hits the ground. My jaw drops, and I quiver in shock.

  “You bastard!” Elias snarls. He charges Yasay. Before he can reach the coward, one of Yasay’s goons shoots one of our blasters, knocking Elias back, and he falls down rolling and moaning.

  “Don’t!” I hiss when the man raises the blaster again.

  “The mod kit,” Yasay says to me. “Or I shoot her.” He shifts his gun to Knuckles, and the woman stiffens. “I wouldn’t hesitate, A298. There are plenty of your little rebel friends I can start picking off if you do.”

  “Okay.” I raise my hands in the air a little. “There’s no need to kill anyone else.”

  “That-a-girl,” he says.

  The earth quakes a bit, and he points his gun at me as though he thinks I’m responsible.

  I raise my hands higher. “That’s not me.”

  A hoard of people charge into the cavern from the three exit tunnels. Three familiar faces lead the groups from each tunnel: Drape, Sky, and even tiny Cia. There must be close to fifty or possibly even more men and women swarming the area from all directions, most armed with mining equipment while others are sporting stolen guns.

  “Put your weapons down!” Sky’s voice echoes in the cavernous opening. “Right now, or you’re done! Put your guns on the ground!”

  With no alternate way out, Yasay and his fighters surrender. Just as Yasay lowers his pistol and places it down, Elias rises. He lunges at Yasay, throwing a powerful punch into the man’s head. Yasay spins and crumbles, knocked out completely. Elias pounces on his lifeless body like a wild animal, ready to rip him to shreds.

  “Elias, that’s enough,” Bricks growls, and he and Jase yank Elias off the unconscious Yasay. “We’re not the EHC. He will pay for what he did, just not like this.”

  Once back on his feet, Elias yanks from their hold and runs to Mason’s side, sobbing hoarsely over his uncle. Clutching Mason’s shirt, Elias lifts him until their foreheads meet. He wraps Mason’s limp frame in his arms. My heart aches for him as I turn and hurry back to Lacy. Drape’s not far behind.

  “Medic!” I call out to the crowd.

  Two men hurry to us. Lacy quietly moans as Drape and I cradle her. The men kneel around us, and one tears the bottom half of Lacy’s shirt open to gain access to the wound.

  “She’ll be fine if we hurry,” one of them says. He looks to Drape and the other man. “Help me carry her into the Oven to the medical wing.”

  The three of them lift her and rush her inside. Lacy’s blood stains my hands. I wipe it onto my pant legs as I rise from my knees. I want to follow her in, but we’re not done here. Sky approaches me, putting his hand on my shoulder.

  “Couldn’t just sit still, could you?” I ask.

  “No,” he says. “We rallied as many people from the Slack as we could. It didn’t take much to get people moving. I just told them what the EHC’s plan was for the dwellers.”

  The sheer number of people who came gives me hope, until I see Elias; alone, hugging himself as Jase and Bricks gently lift Mason.

  “I need to talk with him,” I say to Sky.

  “Yeah. I better keep an eye on Cia, anyway.”

  I walk to Elias’ side. He doesn’t notice, so I touch his arm. His muscle tenses under my fingers. Elias drops his hands to his sides and hangs his head, tears staining his cheek. I search for the right words, but none measure up. I hug him, and instead of tugging away like I expect, he melts into me.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper.

  He squeezes me, releasing the emotion of the moment, and then pulls back. When he does, sweet Cia rushes over and wraps her arms around Elias’ waist. He manages to crack a slight smile down at her, despite his teary eyes.

  I go toward one of the outer tunnels with a rocky ledge overlooking the cavern. I climb up, and Sky follows me. We reach th
e peak, several yards up, and people look up and stare in our direction. Sky stands just to the left of me.

  “What are you planning to do?” he asks.

  “Speak,” I say.

  I reach into my pocket and produce the mod kit. Despite what I told Yasay, I’ve had it on me the entire time. It’s too valuable to risk hiding it down here. I raise it up high above my head.

  “We are naturally adapting to go back up top!” I shout, and the crowd grows silent. “And the EHC doesn’t like it. We are becoming stronger, resistant, and it terrifies them. It threatens their way of life.”

  I scan the people in the crowd. I don’t know if I know any of them, but in the end, this is my family.

  I lower the hand holding the mod kit. I know it might not be safe, but at this point we are going to all die if we do nothing. “Well, you know what? Too bad. Because their way of life isn’t working for me—for us—anymore. I say that it’s time we speed up the process.”

  After a slight pause, the crowd erupts into a cheer. My body tingles with energy; the energy of hope. I look to Sky and his lips form a wide grin. I gesture for the crowd to quiet down.

  “Come forward, and to anyone willing to join the fight, I’ll modify you today so that you can go up top and free us all!”

  A handful step back, fearful. I understand that, but the overwhelming majority charge to the base of the ledge. Shouts echo from the crowd.

  “I want to fight!”

  “Modify me!”

  “I’ll go!”

  Sky puts his hand on my shoulder and gives me a nod of approval. I look to the tunnel that leads to the caverns, our way out to the surface.

  “It’s time!” I yell to the crowd, raising the mod kit high above my head for all to see. “It’s time we bring the fight to them!”

  The End of Book One

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