Advance: (Advance Industries) (Book 1)

by K A Duggsy

  I should be able to watch the electrical activity of neurons as they fire or effectively light up on the screen, with meticulous emphasis on certain areas that need careful manipulation. This is all precaution before I start the real performance of activating memory deficits and retrieving what is necessary before inserting the new truth. My truth. And soon, Faith’s truth!

  It probably won’t work as well as it should as I’ve had to administer the relaxant again. She has to be awake in order for me to observe the performance of her brain but she wouldn’t come quietly and I haven’t the time or patience right now to coax her. Unfortunate but necessary. She’s making gargling noises over in the far corner and it’s very distracting when I need to concentrate. I throw a look over at Franny and she immediately starts trying to calm Faith down, shushing her and smoothing her hazel locks back in a motherly gesture. That woman is way too highly strung, I’ll have to put a stop to her silly notions that she has a say in any of this if she is to become the asset I need.

  I check with my colleague in the control room and he assures me that the door to this room is locked. Good! I have the AIG standing guard just in case but I don’t foresee any interruptions.

  For the first time ever I’ve turned my comm-rec off. That infuriating man bombarded me with calls, messages and film feed of him threatening me. How he thinks he can call the shots when he wasn’t willing to collect Faith is beyond me. Why is he so mad? She clearly means less to him than we first thought otherwise he’d be here.

  I seem to be the only one that sees her worth, so I’m the only one worthy of her heart and her loyalty. And one way or another I’m going to make that happen.

  I couldn’t care less if that man makes my job easier and disposes of Johnson for me. I can take my rightful place as president with Faith at my side.

  Kye

  Another hour has passed and I’m dreading my comm-rec sounding with another film. Saunders guided me to a chair after my throwing up fiasco and I’ve been arguing non-stop with my team. My decision is made and with a heavy heart I stand and address the men.

  “I relinquish command,” I state, “I know this was my mission and you followed me blindly. Your loyalty will never be forgotten and the dedication you maintain towards this mission is commendable, but I can’t lead you anymore. I’m not the right guy for the job at this moment and you all know that. I have to get to Faith, that’s my new mission. I trust you to continue what we started and I will be waiting to meet you on the other side.”

  They all start speaking at once and I feel like a shit.

  “You’re going to get yourself killed Kye!” Jonah yells.

  I rest my palms on the back of the chair and stare at him. “I have to try. It’s killing me knowing they’re hurting her. I can’t stay here, lead you, help the girls and destroy this place when I can’t focus. It’s the right call,” I argue.

  “You don’t even know if you can travel with an extra. What if you can’t? What then?”

  “I don’t know okay! I don’t fucking know! But I have to get to her, this is all I have.” All of their questions are valid, all the flaws in my plan are a real worry but none of it matters. I can’t force myself to stay in this room any longer knowing she’s close by, and I’m just sitting here deliberating as if I’m talking about something as simple as what I want to eat. She’s close by and as the seconds tick past my heart beat slows.

  I pat my side checking that the gun I lifted is still there and the other items. I’m hoping I can shoot whoever stands in my way, well five people at least and then grab Faith and Advance back to my time. It doesn’t sound plausible even to my own ears but I’m a desperate man. I would’ve left straight after receiving the film of her but had to inform my men of what was left to do in my absence. They offered to come with me but they have a lot of shit to clear up, sort out and deal with, and that needs to be their focus. No point in saving the detainees and the girls and then leaving them high and dry while I travel back to my time. No, my men need to continue, free these people and demolish this place.

  “A word?” Jonah asks nodding to the other end of the room. I follow him over ready for a tongue lashing.

  “Snap out of it, Kye! I’m not going to lecture you. I get it okay?”

  I stare at him. “You do?”

  He runs his hand through his beard, his eyes glaze over and he sighs. “I’d do the same for May. If I don’t make it back tell her...”

  “No, you tell her yourself. You will make it back and I pray I’m there to meet you.”

  “Tell her I’m sorry. I put the job before her the same as we all do. I understand your need not to do that for once. You get your girl, we’ll tear these idiots apart and we’ll see you again. Understood?”

  “I was going to ask if you’re up to being in charge after the beating you had but now I realise how stupid that would be. You’ve always been up to it. Thank you for making this easy on me. I don’t deserve it but I damn well appreciate it.”

  “One last thing,” he says, “Any preference on what happens to him?” He points to the cage Johnson is now calling his new home.

  “Whatever you like. Kill him; leave him in there to rot in his own stink. It’s your call. I know you’ll think of something fitting.”

  He pulls me in for a hug/backslap and I reciprocate. While we’re having our man moment my comm beeps and I’m grateful for the hold he has on me because my legs buckle slightly. I swallow down the huge lump that’s formed in my throat. I know whatever is on that film will kill off another part of me. I hate that I sent her away, that I was cold, that I made her feel unloved all because of a jealous strop. Am I really that childish? She thinks she’s unwanted again; it’s breaking me knowing she’s in this position because I dismissed her.

  What kind of man vows to protect and love a woman and then leaves her to fend for herself? The kind of man that doesn’t deserve her, and while that’s true I ignore it because she needs me and I’m not going to let her down anymore. I’ll never let her out of my sight again if I can just get to her.

  “Don’t look at it, Kye! Just go, channel that anger, focus and get your arse back where you belong!” Jonah snaps me out of my daydream. I nod at him and breeze from the room.

  Chapter 27

  Faith

  I’m so stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Literally I’m the dumbest woman in the world. I’m starting to wonder that if after all the years I’ve spent being tested on if I rely on it. Why else would I keep getting into these situations? Sub consciously do I get off on going through this shit? Because seriously I can’t figure out why else I keep walking into it. The last thing I remember is sitting at Fraser’s desk and then I woke up unable to move – again! I don’t know if I fainted or if I was injected but whatever happened they took advantage of it.

  And now I’m a slab of meat, my body completely dead but my mind working fully. That’s the worst part, my mind is intact so I’m aware of my surroundings and what’s going on but my body won’t comply with the messages my brain is sending it. I literally am in their hands. Fraser has been barking orders, explaining the scientific process to Franny, what he’s hoping to achieve and so on. If I have to lie here and listen to one more hypothesis I’ll... well, I’ll do nothing because I’m fucking incapable. This sucks!

  My bed starts moving; I can hear the rattling of the wheels as they glide along the floor. My eyes are darting every which way but all I can see is the ceiling panels rushing by. My bed is turned around and then it gets dark as it’s pushed through some kind of chamber in the shape of an arch. I can just make out my feet sticking out through the end and Fraser walking past. Then silence.

  The loudest silence I’ve ever experienced. Isn’t it funny how a room can be full of people but you can feel lonely? The same applies here, no one is making a sound but everything that’s left unsaid is deafening.

  My thoughts alone are enough to make me come undone. I might have even wet myself, I don’t know for sure because I
can’t feel, but my bladder was pretty full before I woke up numb and the apprehension racing through me is enough for me to lose control.

  Whoa! Blue lights come on in the arch and a loud ticking starts before turning into a continuous churning. It’s almost like listening to the audio feed we used to have of trains from days of old as they barrelled down the tracks.

  I loved that sound whenever we listened to it in class, I’d daydream about what it would have been like to ride on one. The hypnotic motion gently swaying you as it took you to your desired destination. Now all it achieves is scaring the crap out of me.

  I will myself to block it out, to try and conjure up some other sound that I enjoyed. Kye’s laugh, bingo! That man can make a throaty chuckle sound sexy, I used to play the fool whenever I could just to elicit that sound from him but his laugh, his real belly laugh, that sound was my favourite of all. It would come out of him, slam into me, travel down my body caressing as it did before pooling in my groin. Neither of us have had much to laugh about recently but if I get out of this I’m going to do everything in my power to make it up to him, to make him happy again and hear his beautiful laughter.

  Fraser

  I’m studying the imaging and have activated my comm-rec to help with recording the results for my own personal collection. It keeps notifying me of incoming calls but I’m ignoring it knowing it’s that man, Kye.

  I have to be aware of my limitations whilst doing this. Franny is aiding me though I get the feeling she disagrees with my theory. She’s helping though because I’m the best. Who wouldn’t want to learn under me? With my guidance she can become a great scientist. That sounds big-headed but isn’t meant to; I’m just speaking the truth.

  I have the drive needed to make theories reality and I’m going to become an expert on this subject – Faith. I’ve removed myself from thinking about her in any other way for now because as it stands, she is my subject and has to be treated like so. When I’ve accomplished my goal then I can refocus on what else she could be, and if this works, will be.

  My comm starts going crazy again and I glance at it quickly. It’s my colleague in the control room. I accept the call. Before I can berate him for disturbing me at a crucial time he shouts,

  “You have trouble heading your way! I’ve been trying to get hold of you to inform you!”

  “Dannazione all'inferno!” I seem to revert back to Italian whenever I’m in a pinch.

  “What?” He asks.

  “Never mind. How long do I have?”

  “Minutes,” He replies.

  “Fanculo!” I hiss.

  I instruct three of the AIG to barricade the door with whatever furniture they can use in here and stand guard. It may be locked but after watching Faith kick down one before, I’m taking no chances. This guy is mad so I’m under no illusion that he can and will, do the same.

  Franny and I release Faith from the machine and wheel her to the far side of the room. Her twitching indicates that sensations are returning and I wonder if now is the time to tie her up. Her lethargy will be profound for a while so I decide against it.

  I lean over Faith and stare into her huge frightened orbs. I run the back of my hand down her cheek and they widen even further. Her lips part as I bend to taste her lips, this time with her awake and aware. From nowhere a huge blast rocks the room and I’m thrown forward as something slams into my back. I’m pinned in place on top of Faith. Her breathing starts coming in short, sharp gasps and I try to move to alleviate the pressure I’m causing on her chest. Her eyes fill with tears and I can hear Franny crying in the distance.

  I push back against whatever hit me and it gives slightly but pain slices through my legs. I use every ounce of energy I have in reserve and fight against the unknown object until it is no longer an issue, someone pulls it from my body and I feel the emptiness of its weight. I’m flung aside as if I weigh nothing, discarded like a piece of litter and when I land I inspect my legs. Pieces of metal and wood are jutting out of my flesh. I finally look around to see what happened and notice the doorway has been blown to pieces, the AIG guarding the door were the first to take the impact and now I see why Franny was crying. She’s cowering in the corner, smattered with blood, debris and body parts.

  I look over to Faith who was protected from the blast by my body and see him standing over her. He picks her up, holding her delicate form against him. I watch as he struggles with his comm-rec. He types in something, which I can only presume is a message until an orb is emitted from the cuff, completely encompassing them within it. The transparent arc starts pulsing and static flashes of vibrant blue light swirl within, covering them and wrapping itself around them. A blinding flash hits me and I have to close my eyes against the beam.

  When I open them... they’re gone.

  Kye

  The blast worked better than I thought, but bloody hell, I knew the weapons from days of old were dangerous I just never knew how dangerous. I never expected the impact to be so huge, if I knew I never would have used an explosive. I could’ve hurt Faith. Sheer luck prevented her from being caught up in that blast.

  I’ve killed, however unwittingly I still did it. Turns out it’s actually easier to cope with than I expected. I suppose it all depends on who it is that was killed. The AIG and the scientists don’t weigh too heavily on my mind, they deserved it and I can rationalise by believing that.

  In the seconds that it took to activate travelling I prayed I could carry the both of us. I dreaded the thought of escaping and arriving to find she’d been left behind.

  I look at her lying peacefully on the sandy beach. I have no fucking clue where we are but she’s safe. I scan around trying to get my bearings but I don’t recognise this place at all. I aimed to get us back to my time, it’s what I programmed into my cuff but I’m starting to worry we’ve arrived at some place in between both our times.

  She stirs and I sit beside her, holding her hand. Her fingers curl around mine and she whispers, “Fraser?”

  “No, Sweetheart it’s me. Fraser’s gone, you’re safe.”

  Her eyes spring open and she scuttles away from me. Her face fills with unnerving wariness. She looks tightly coiled, ready to spring into action. Her fight or flight response has kicked in but it’s aimed at me. I stay rooted to the spot so I don’t scare her with any quick movements.

  “Faith, it’s okay, it’s me, you’re safe,” I explain again.

  “Where’s Fraser? I want Fraser!” She yells.

  “He’s gone, Baby.”

  She starts crying, real heart-breaking tears that spear into my heart. Her relief is so painful to watch. That bastard really did a number on her. My guilt is a heavy burden.

  She looks at me, tears still streaming down her face and her sobbing all but gone.

  “Who are you? What do you want with me?” She asks and I know my heart will never recover. Those questions are all too familiar and now I know I was too late. He made her forget again. How much messing around with can one person’s brain take? Tears start rolling down my face and I rise to go to her. My movements are slow as I approach telling her it’s okay, I won’t hurt her and so on until I’m crouched before her glistening face.

  She doesn’t relax her body language, her fists are clenched, eyes narrowed and her beautiful locks swaying wildly in the breeze behind her. “Faith, you know me. You do. You just have to remember, Sweetheart.”

  Please remember! I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep watching her lose a part of herself, parts of her memories, because every time she does I feel a part of me fade away too. I make it sound so easy, just remember, but memories either remain or they don’t. They surface or remain buried.

  “I need you to trust me. Do you recognise me at all? Dig deep Faith. Really look at me.” I lift her hand and refuse to let her pull it back. I place it over my heart and hold it in place with both my hands. We stare into each other’s eyes and I feel the usual pull of the magnetism between us. I will the universe with all the pa
ssion I possess to make her remember me, just the tiniest snippet will do. Anything I can build on. She tilts her head slightly and with her free hand she traces my face. My eyes close and I blow out a steadying breath. I open my eyes again and she’s still regarding me.

  She’s concentrating so hard she’s developed lines on her forehead. She’s really trying and that’s why I mirrored the words I used last time, hoping that the familiarity of them might linger somewhere inside. Hopefully I got to her before he’d dug too deep. I close my eyes again; I can’t stare into her wide blues so I concentrate on savouring this contact. I could stand here all day being touched by her feather like skin. If she needs to remember me by touching me, I’ll strip off now and she can have a good feel.

  “You’re the man of my dreams?!” She whispers and my eyes ping open, finding her smiling openly at me before we both move at once and our lips collide together. In our eagerness and relief, we’re all clashing teeth and too much saliva but it’s perfect. We’re both breathing heavily from the reality that we came out of this okay and with each other.

  I meld our lips together again before lifting her and swinging her around, her light laughter and carefree squeal drowning out the crash of the waves. We made it, we’re together and she’s safe.

  “What was that all about?” I ask.

  “I don’t know. It was weird; it felt like Fraser was in my head, like remnants of time spent with both of you had clashed. I felt like I wanted to be with him, until I fought against the feeling and it started receding.” She shakes her head as if still trying to fight off the web of deceit. “It felt wrong, off. Y’know?”

  I nod even though I have no idea. “My heart will always recognise yours, Kye. I vowed that to myself after I started remembering the first time. You’re part of me. You hurt, I hurt. I won’t ever let my memories of you desert me for long. I promise!”