The Ending Series: The Complete Series

by Lindsey Fairleigh

  The sound of multiple voices and heavy footsteps startled me. Holding my breath, I listened. There were so many footsteps…too many.

  I jumped to my feet, frantically scanning the room for a place to hide. The footsteps were getting closer and the muffled voices louder. The closet was my only option. I panicked. Plunging into the darkness, I slid the door shut behind me, hiding my face in my knees and hoping the shadows would swallow me from sight.

  “Zo?” a woman said timidly. I heard hushed voices outside the closet door and an ear-piercing barking. My fear increased, my heart beating so loudly in my ears that I couldn’t concentrate on what the voices were saying.

  Before I could think what to do next, the closet door slid open. I glanced up at the people staring down at me, hoping to feel some sort of relief at seeing their familiar faces, but there was nothing about them I recognized. I know them? Something about their appalled expressions and their stillness made me think I did. I studied my hands again, not wanting to meet their expectant, scrutinizing eyes.

  These are my hands, I thought. They’re my hands, yet I feel like I’ve never seen them before. I balled my fists, clenching them as hard as I could, and dropped them to my sides. I let my fingernails jab into my palms. I needed the diversion of physical pain. I needed a distraction from the horrified, unfamiliar faces that were staring at me as I huddled in the closet, confused. They were waiting for something.

  “…Zoe,” the curly-haired woman with the bruised face said. She was speaking to me, and I struggled to process her words. She seemed sad…uncertain. Something about her fire-red hair seemed familiar, but a sharp pain shot through my skull as I tried to recall why. I winced and reached for the back of my head, trying to rub the pain away.

  “…name is Dani,” she continued, holding one of her hands out to me. Her other arm was in a sling, and I wondered how she’d injured herself.

  I glanced from the redhead’s hand back into her wide, green eyes. Her eyebrows were pulled together, and her chin quivered a little. She squatted there, blinking, waiting.

  Slowly, I reached for her hand, curiosity winning over any lingering reluctance. She clutched my fingers lightly in hers with a small smile and then let my hand go. When she released my hand, she nodded to the woman crouched beside her and said, “This is Chris.”

  Just like Dani had done, Chris held out her hand and waited for me to meet her halfway. I felt better—less afraid—as soon as my hand touched hers.

  “This is Cooper,” Dani said, interrupting my thoughts. She was petting the head of a large husky who was lying nearby. “And this”—Dani turned to the dog sitting beside her—“is Jack.” She held her hand out to him and he raised his paw, shaking her hand just like I had. I couldn’t help but smile. I pulled my hand from Chris’s and reached for Jack, but hesitated.

  My fear resurfaced, creating a knot in my stomach and forming a sudden lump in my throat. Chris touched my other hand, and I immediately felt better. I like her, I decided.

  “Let’s get you out of there, hmmm?” Dani said. “It smells like old people in there.” She wrinkled her nose. It was a cute expression, and I felt my smile grow a little. With the help of the two women, I crawled out of the closet on shaking legs and stood between them.

  The other dog—Cooper—was standing and wagging his tail excitedly.

  “Cooper,” I whispered happily and dropped both women’s hands to bend down and pet his furry head. I heard a collection of inhales, and the feel of eyes on me made me self-conscious. I straightened and scanned their faces.

  Dani’s mouth was gaping open. “Zo?”

  I felt my face scrunch, and I cocked my head to the side, unsure if I was supposed to answer her.

  “Do you remember us?” The slight chirp in her voice made her sound hopeful, and I felt a pang of guilt.

  I shook my head. When her face fell, I held my breath for a moment and my eyes shifted around the room. Two large, formidable men were standing in the doorway. The black-haired man was intimidating. He had brilliant blue eyes and a bandage crossing his face, and he was scowling. The way he concentrated on me with his arms crossed over his chest made me feel like I should be frightened of him, but for some reason I wasn’t. I was uncomfortable, but not frightened.

  The other was tall and equally unnerving, but in a different way. He stood in the doorway, one white-knuckled hand gripping the doorjamb. His eyebrows were drawn down and there was a sadness in his eyes that made me feel like I should comfort him, although I wasn’t sure why or how or if I really even wanted to.

  I felt inadequate. I didn’t want them staring at me. “I’m not sure what to say.” The sound of my voice was shrill in my ears, and I tried to swallow the growing bubble of panic inside me.

  When the sad man realized I was looking at him, he ran his hands over his scruffy face, then turned and walked away. I could hear his footsteps, loud and quick as he headed down the hallway. The dark-haired man nodded at either Dani or Chris, a single, sharp movement, before following the sad man out. Cooper trotted behind them.

  With a smile, Chris reached for my hand again, but my gaze stayed fixed on the empty doorway where the sad man had been standing. I wondered what had made his strong features so drawn and his eyes so empty.

  “What now?” Chris asked quietly.

  Dani sighed. “I have no idea.” She turned to me. “How did this happen? Do you remember anything?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t remember anything, and I don’t know why she did this to me.”

  “She who?” Dani asked.

  “Clara.”

  Dani’s mouth opened, then immediately closed as her eyes shut, almost like she was wincing in pain. “I should’ve made sure she was dead before she could run.” She shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Zo. This is all my fault.”

  “Nonsense,” Chris said. “You couldn’t have known.” She reached out and offered me her hand. “Come on, Zoe. Let’s get you out of here. We’ll tell you everything we know.”

  “Wait,” I said, and walked back to the bed. I picked up the manila envelope, wondering if I should know what was in it. I headed over to Dani and handed it to her.

  She looked at me, confused.

  “I was told to give this to you.”

  Her eyebrows rose as she reached to accept it.

  “What is it?” Chris asked. She took a step closer, glancing between us.

  I shrugged. “I have no idea.”

  “Dani?” Chris seemed barely able to curb her curiosity.

  Dani stared at the envelope, her name written in block letters across it, and she shook her head. “There’s only one way to find out.”

  EPILOGUE

  Dear Danielle,

  If you’re reading this, it means you found my little girl. I don’t have much time before I am missed back at the Colony, but there is much I must tell you.

  I’m sorry. I’m so incredibly sorry. I didn’t step in when Gregory took you to turn you into a T-R for a reason. RV-01, a Re-gen with the strongest prophetic Ability we’ve come across, assured me Gregory and Clara would fail in their attempt to transform you. She did not, however, inform me of the torture you’d be subjected to. For that I am truly sorry. I hope you believe me.

  Maybe this will give you some comfort: Clara is dead. She took my little girl and turned her into…something. I was too late to stop her completely, but I did interfere. She was extremely frustrated with Zoe when I showed up, so I believe my daughter was somehow able to interfere with the process as well. I don’t think she’s completely wiped, but there’s no way to tell. If there is any piece of her left inside, please, I beg of you, find it. If anyone can do it, you can.

  I don’t know what your plans are now, but you must run far from here. RV-01 believed she would end up in your company. Use her to keep yourselves safe. She may prove to be one of your strongest allies. She foresaw much over the past few days, including the Re-gen rebellion and your escape. She also saw the resurgence of the
Colony. You are safe for now, though I don’t know for how long.

  Perhaps this will help you…I’ve included several invaluable documents in this packet. These things should help protect you from Gregory and others like him in the future. His control reaches so much farther than you could ever imagine. There is much that I didn’t have time to tell you, but I have been assured that our paths will cross again.

  I fear I shall anger you one last time. Included with this letter is another: one to my children. It explains much of what has happened over the past few decades and why I’ve made the choices I’ve made. As you know my children far better than I do, I trust your judgment as to whether or not my letter should be shared with them. I don’t wish to hurt them any more than I already have, but I cannot pretend I don’t yearn for them to know me. Whatever you decide, watch over them for me.

  Until we meet again,

  Anna

  OUT OF THE ASHES

  the third book of The Ending Series

  MARCH

  1AE

  1

  JAKE

  MARCH 23, 1AE

  Colorado Springs, Colorado

  Body tense and heart racing, Jake scoured Zoe’s face for any inkling of recognition. He couldn’t allow himself to believe she had no memory of him or all they’d been through together. She’d admitted she loved him only hours earlier. Now, she was scared, casting furtive glances around the room at friends and family she clearly didn’t remember—including him.

  In the dying moonlight seeping through the undressed windows, Jake watched her, desperation making it hard for him to breathe. Her eyes…he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her teal eyes.

  Zoe studied the two women in front of her, taking in Chris and Dani before settling her gaze on her brother, Jason. Her wide, appraising eyes narrowed and her chest heaved, like she was frantically trying to remember him. Her gaze lingered a moment longer without a hint of recognition, and then landed on Jake. He could see the confusion and fear warring within their depths, making his heart ache and his conscience cloud with an undeniable guilt.

  He shouldn’t have left her alone on the golf course.

  Her head tilted slightly as she considered him, and he prayed there was even the slightest nagging familiarity. Remember, he silently pleaded. But seeing no recognition of him—of them—reflected in her eyes, he knew the Zoe standing in the room, looking at him like he was a complete stranger, was only a shadow of the woman he’d fallen in love with.

  His grip on the doorframe tightened so hard he thought the wood might detach from the wall. Zoe was terrified, and for the first time since he’d met her, there was nothing he could do to help her. He fought the instinct to go to her, knowing that if he did, he would frighten her more, and then he might risk losing her completely.

  Unable to stand the tension any longer, unable to bear the feeling of loss and his encroaching devastation, Jake turned and strode out of the suffocating room. Each step provided distance, and the more distance he put between them, the easier it became to breathe. He couldn’t get away fast enough.

  Cooper, his loyal-friend-through-it-all husky, trailed behind him, panting and trotting to keep up as Jake made his way down the hall. He needed space…needed air. Continuing toward the kitchen, he hoped the fresh air beyond the sliding glass door would give him a clearer head. But regardless of how quickly he strode through the house, the image of Zoe’s fearful eyes remained, permanently projected in his mind, a constant reminder of his failure to protect her.

  His hands fisted at his sides. He’d known something wasn’t right when she said she felt strange outside the Colony, and if he’d have just stayed with her instead of leaving her side to help Harper, she might not have run off…she might still be her.

  With a roar, Jake spun toward the wall. His fist met the hard, textured surface in unbridled anger. His knuckles cracked beneath his skin as they barreled through a layer of drywall, but he barely noticed. Bracing his hands against the wall, he tried to catch his breath, to stop his mind from spinning out of control. They’d already been through so much…why was this happening?

  Hearing Dani and Zoe’s muted voices in the bedroom down the hall, Jake turned away from the hole his fist had made and continued into the small kitchen, then stopped. With a heavy sigh, he leaned against the Formica countertop, not ready to go outside with the others. Not ready to answer questions.

  Almost immediately, Jason came through the doorway behind him. In two steps he was at the counter, gripping the ledge, and in the dim light pouring through the sliding glass door, Jake could see the hard set of his features.

  “I can’t blame the Colony this time,” Jake said. “I knew something was wrong.” Zoe was infuriating and stubborn, but she wasn’t stupid; she wouldn’t have just run off for no reason. But without her memory, there was no way to know why she’d done it.

  With a yawn, Cooper lay down on the linoleum floor, his eyes angling up to Jake and then to Jason, ensuring that, even in their silence, they were still standing there.

  After what felt like a few minutes, Jason grunted and shook his head. His shoulders were tense, and Jake could almost feel the apprehension rolling off him in waves.

  Jake couldn’t help but wonder if Gabe—his best friend turned traitor—was to blame for all of this. Despite their friendship as children, Gabe had brought soldiers into Jake’s home, ready to take his sister, Becca, away from him, and then he’d lured Dani into the Colony for the General. Had he been involved in what had happened to Zoe, too?

  “What a fucking mess,” Jason said, shaking his head. “I guess I’ll just keep nulling her, at least until—”

  The sound of footsteps approaching brought both men’s attention to the hall doorway. Chris spoke softly, Zoe’s hand resting in hers as they entered the kitchen, Dani and Jack, her German shepherd, close behind them. Though Chris and Zoe were both grown women, the image of them walking hand in hand resembled that of a mother and child.

  Jake’s eyes met Zoe’s as she was led past him; hers were shrewd and penetrating. They were the same eyes that had affected him so intensely the first moment he saw her, their brilliance and expressiveness capturing his attention—his soul—in a way no other woman ever had. Regret and anger gnawed at him; he’d never told her any of that, and now she might never know how he felt.

  Her eyes fixed on him. He could tell from the way Zoe walked—with less fortitude and more uncertainty—that she was a poorly made replica of his Zoe. But she was a version of her, nonetheless, and like always, the bottomless depths of her eyes housed her every emotion: embarrassment—curiosity—confusion. Jake was grateful she didn’t seem to be afraid, and he knew he had Chris’s Ability to curb Zoe’s unease with a single touch to thank for that.

  Chris whispered something inaudible, and Zoe’s gaze shifted to the sliding glass door. They stepped through and outside, heading toward the rest of the group and the horses waiting in the early morning shadows, Dani’s dog traipsing after them.

  Dani, however, hung back in the kitchen. She moved closer to Jason, her gaze darting between him and Jake. With her broken arm, swollen and bruised face, and hunched shoulders, she looked like she’d been the General’s punching bag while held captive in the Colony. She gave him a sidelong glance.

  Jake’s blood ran cold. “What is it?” he asked.

  “There was a letter,” she said tentatively, fingering the edge of the sling holding her left arm. “It’s from one of my Colony contacts. She brought Zo here after finding her in the golf course…with Clara.”

  Jake stopped breathing. His anger drained from him, his stomach knotting with fear.

  Clara.

  He exhaled slowly and rubbed his hand over his face harsher than was necessary, fighting to maintain what semblance of composure he had left. Clara’d had it out for Zoe from the first moment they’d met. Back at Fort Knox, she’d poisoned Zoe in a desperate attempt to get rid of her, then attempted to kill them all in the barracks fire t
hat had claimed several lives. And now she was here, in Colorado, trying to hurt Zoe again.

  White-hot rage and self-loathing scorched through Jake, and he clenched his shaking hands into fists. He should’ve left Clara in the hospital where he’d found her, pleading and scared.

  “She’s dead now,” Dani said, but Jake’s anger lessened only slightly.

  “Dead,” he repeated hollowly. Clara might’ve been dead, but not before managing to strike one final blow.

  Dani’s eyes met his for a brief moment before settling back onto Jason’s. “Did you tell them about the T-Rs and the memory wiping?”

  Jason nodded.

  “It looks like that’s what happened to Zo…sort of. Clara started the process, got interrupted…at least now she’s gone for good.”

  Jake studied Dani. “How do you know for sure?” he asked.

  Dani smiled weakly and shook her head, wisps of her curly red hair escaping the braid it was gathered into. “My contact said so,” she said. “I trust her…at least with this.” She glanced between them once more, like she wasn’t quite sure of something. “There’s more, but we should probably get going.”

  Jason reached for her, lacing his fingers with those of her good hand, and nodded. “We’ll figure the rest out on the way to Colorado Trails,” he said. “We’ve got to get moving or Ky and the others will think something’s happened to us.”