Restitution (The Alpha Drive Book 3)

by Kristen Martin

  BOOKS BY KRISTEN MARTIN

  The Alpha Drive Series

  The Alpha Drive

  The Order of Omega

  Restitution

  RESTITUTION

  KRISTEN MARTIN

  RESTITUTION

  Copyright © 2017 by Kristen Martin

  All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations em-bodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  For information contact :

  Black Falcon Press, LLC

  http://www.blackfalconpress.com

  Library of Congress Control Number : 2016903006

  ISBN: 978-0-9968605-8-1 (ebook)

  Cover Illustration by Damonza © 2017

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  For my sister, Erin Martin—

  for reminding me how strong the bond

  between sisters can be. This one’s for you.

  RESTITUTION

  1

  Sixteen.

  Sixteen days had passed since Mason’s death. Emery had been told that time was supposed to heal. That the more time that went by, the easier things would be. But that was a lie. This was beyond any sort of hell she’d ever experienced.

  Emery stood, motionless, in the middle of her living room, in a place that was supposed to be her home, but it certainly didn’t feel that way. Her home was back in Dormance, in a world that no longer existed. Thanks to me.

  The house was empty, her mother and her sister nowhere to be found. Once Dormance had been deactivated, the civilians had broken out in a giant state of frenzy. Those in the Federal Commonwealth’s underground chamber were released, their bodies weak and frail from being in a comatose state for so long. The Seventh Sanctum had moved fast, releasing statements and press releases to help the masses assimilate back into their societal roles. There was still a lot of work to be done, a lot of broken hearts to mend, and a lot of questions that needed answering.

  Emery glanced down at her wrist as the time floated in the air from her holowatch. One o’clock in the afternoon. Her visit to the cemetery was at two. Sighing, she walked over to her mother’s room and opened the closet door. There has to be a black dress hanging in here somewhere.

  She rifled through hanger after hanger of pants, skirts, and blouses, until she finally landed on a long-sleeved black dress with lace detail. It was perfect. She pulled the dress from the hanger and slipped off her shorts and shirt. The dress fell over her head with ease.

  She turned toward the bathroom mirror as she smoothed the bottom of her dress. She couldn’t help but feel taken aback as her eyes met her reflection. Her face was au natural, her olive complexion paler than usual, her deep crimson hair fastened into a messy bun. Her eyes were puffy and tired, and it looked as though she hadn’t slept in days. She reached for some blush and mascara, hoping that the two would bring some life to her face. When they didn’t, Emery searched through the drawers for a red or pink lipstick. She pulled a red one from the drawer and applied it to her lips. It was bright, probably too bright for the occasion, but she didn’t care. Mason would have liked it. And that was all that mattered.

  She meandered out of the bathroom, eyes catching a pair of black pumps poking out from underneath her mother’s bed. She slipped them on and slowly made her way to the front door, typing the code into the holopad to lock it. It only took a few minutes to arrive at the nearest T-Port and, even though she’d visited every day for the past two weeks, she caught herself checking the name of the cemetery yet again. “St. Augustine Cemetery in Burbank, California.”

  Her eyes closed as the familiar tingling took hold, followed by a cool gust of wind. Moments later, her eyes fluttered open. She stood outside a massive wrought iron gate. Looking beyond the gate, she realized that there wasn’t a soul in sight. Good. I can grieve in silence.

  The iron was cool to the touch as she pushed her way through the gate to the lawn area. Tombstone after tombstone lined the grass in neat, orderly rows. Bouquets of wilting white roses sat dejectedly next to a few of the headstones, as if the person who’d left them there couldn’t bear to bring themselves back to the site.

  She approached her late friend’s site, feeling guilty for not bringing her own bouquet; but much to her surprise, an arrangement of fresh yellow roses sat next to Mason’s headstone. She stopped in her tracks, confused, and surveyed the deserted cemetery. The bouquet was still lined in plastic, the stems sitting in a capsule of water, the price tag clear as day: September 15, 2056.

  That was today’s date.

  She looked around the cemetery again, wondering who would have stopped by to drop off the flowers. A rustling in the distance caught her attention. A tall figure with shaggy brown hair emerged from behind a row of trees. His eyes were cast down at his feet. She felt her heart stop.

  It was Torin.

  A mix of emotions welled inside her chest as he lifted his head, his eyes locking with hers. She felt as thought she were on a rollercoaster of emotions—anger, fear, hatred, loneliness, sadness—all at once.

  They didn’t speak for a few moments.

  Finally, Emery broke the silence. “What are you doing here?” Her lower lip trembled as the words left her mouth.

  Torin cleared his throat, then took a cautious step forward. “I wanted to pay my respects.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s nice and all, but I think you’ve done enough already.” She bit her tongue, knowing that her words sounded harsh.

  “Emery . . .” he began, his eyes brimming with tears.

  “No,” she said firmly, cutting him off. “You don’t get to disappear, then come back when you feel like it. Life doesn’t work that way.” Her voice caught in her throat. “You don’t just leave the people you care about to suffer and grieve alone. It’s not right.”

  Torin took another step forward. “I never wanted to leave you. You have to believe me,” he pleaded. “I just didn’t know how to be around you after what I did.” He nodded toward the grave. “I killed him, Emery. I killed Mason. Do you understand that? I’m the one responsible for his death.”

  She broke eye contact as a new wave of emotions washed over her, unable to look Mason’s murderer in the eye. Torin was right. He’d killed Mason . . .

  But he’d only done it to save her life.

  “You may have killed one of my closest friends,” she shuddered, “but you spared my life. And for that, I will be forever grateful.”

  As she turned to leave, his hand landed gently on her shoulder. “I never wanted to leave you alone,” he whispered, “and I’m sorry. But I’m here now. That’s got to count for something.”

  Emery kept her back to him. She didn’t move, just bowed her head. “No. No, it doesn’t.” She pulled away, his grip breaking from her shoulder, then hurried back toward the wrought iron gates.

  “Emery, please!” he shouted after her. “There’s so much we need to talk about!”

  But she wasn’t listening. Both her mind and body were engaged in a full-fledged sprint toward the cemetery gates, tears cascading down her face with each and every stride. Just a few more steps.

  It should have been me. I should have died.

  Emery stepped onto the T-Port, her voice shaking as she recited her home address. The last thing she saw was Tori
n running toward her, the expression on his face one of agonizing pain. She closed her eyes as the familiar gust of wind surrounded her.

  And, for a few brief moments, she felt nothing.

  No pain. No sadness. Nothing.

  Nothing at all.

  2

  That went well.

  Torin stepped off the platform and walked upstairs to his apartment. He trudged over to the kitchen and turned the faucet on, watching as the water swirled down the drain. He splashed some on his face, then patted his skin dry.

  A clearing of a throat caught his attention. He lowered the towel so that he could see, his eyes landing on the petite female standing in his living room.

  “You were gone for a while,” Alexis observed as she took a step closer to the kitchen. “Did you see my sister?”

  He nodded as he flung the towel onto the countertop. “Yeah. I saw her.”

  Alexis’s eyes lit up. “Really? How is she? Did you tell her?”

  He studied her for a moment, unsure how to word what he needed to say next. Her childlike innocence made his guilt drop even deeper in his stomach. “She seems to be doing okay,” he lied.

  “Just okay?” she pressed, her forehead creasing with concern.

  “Look, she’s been better. We’ve all been better.” He sighed. “I didn’t get a chance to tell her. Emery doesn’t know that you’re here, but I promise that I’ll tell her the next time I see her.”

  Alexis’s face fell. “I haven’t seen my sister in over a year. The last good memory I have of her is moving her things into her dorm at Darden.” She lowered her head. “Who knows if that’s even a real memory? After all, it did happen in Dormance.”

  Wanting to comfort her, he took a step closer and squeezed her shoulder. She didn’t seem to notice. “All of your memories with your sister are real,” he reassured. As he took in the distressed expression on her face, his thoughts drifted back to the day he’d found her.

  He’d received orders from the Seventh Sanctum to evacuate Novak’s underground chamber and instill calmness once the dormants had awakened from their comatose state. It had been obvious which two pods he needed to locate first: Emery’s mother and sister. They’d been easy enough to find, seeing as they were right next to each other. Alexis had roused with ease and, although she’d been panicked, he’d found a way to placate her. He’d explained who he was—that he knew Emery and their father—and she’d believed him. Their mother, on the other hand, had been a different story.

  Torin’s thoughts scattered as Alexis passed by on the way to the couch. She sat, her head falling into her hands.

  “We should probably check on your mom,” he said as he walked past her to the spare bedroom.

  She sighed as she pulled herself up from the couch and begrudgingly followed him.

  A small sliver of sunlight poked through a gap in the curtains. Alexis made her way around him and gently took a seat on the edge of the bed. She raised her hand to stroke her mother’s hair, when, suddenly, Sandra stirred. Alexis paused, her hand in mid-air, as her mother rolled onto her side.

  “Let’s not wake her,” Torin whispered. He bit his tongue, hoping she wouldn’t think he was overstepping, but she didn’t seem bothered.

  She nodded as she stood, then slowly retreated toward the door, shutting it quietly behind her. “Do you think her memory will come back?”

  Torin bowed his head. After finding Alexis, he’d attempted to wake her mother, expecting that the result of the comatose state would be identical in both cases.

  He’d been terribly wrong.

  Sandra had no idea who Alexis was, which meant she probably didn’t know who Emery was either. And so, in order to keep emotions at bay, he’d decided it’d be best to not to tell Alexis about the Federal Commonwealth’s microchips or the memory purge—not yet, anyway. The timing just wasn’t right. Anything that might trigger hysteria and depression probably wasn’t recommended for someone who had been unconsciously trapped in a pod for their entire life. Best to keep quiet.

  Or, at least, that’s what he kept telling himself.

  Unfortunately for him, things with Sandra were growing progressively worse, and he desperately needed Emery’s help. He understood that she was in a bad place mentally and emotionally, still mourning over Mason’s death as she should be, but he couldn’t keep things under lock and key much longer. The secrets were piling up, and he didn’t know how much more he could take.

  He shifted his gaze from his feet to Alexis, realizing he still hadn’t answered her question.

  “Do you think her memory will come back?” she asked again, quieter this time.

  “Yes,” he responded, hoping she couldn’t hear the many layers of doubt in his voice. “Your mother’s memory will come back.”

  3

  A recurring nightmare haunted Emery that night, but this one had a slight change in scenery. Instead of being at her house, splashing around in the pool with her mother and sister, she found herself at her family’s cabin in Northern Arizona. Her mother was throwing logs into the fire pit with what little strength she had, moving slowly, as she seemed to do in prior dreams, her hands shaking as she lit a match and tossed it into the fire.

  Emery stepped down from the back porch, noticing that her own two feet were moving incredibly slow. Snow covered the ground, and her boots crunched with each step. She gazed down at her fingers, where gloves should be, her skin a pale grey in the remaining daylight.

  Just as she was about to ask her mother if she needed help with anything, she froze. The figure before her was slowly disintegrating. Her mother turned to look at her, patches on her skull highlighting where her hair had fallen out.

  “Are you lost, dear?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye.

  Emery stood in front of the fire pit, motionless, watching with fear as her mother’s deep grey eyes sunk further into her face. Please wake up. Please don’t say it.

  “We all have to die at some point,” her mother stated. “It’s unnatural to live forever.”

  Emery turned to her right, noticing that her sister was sitting in one of the lawn chairs. She’d been there the entire time, her skin the same pale grey. “Alexis, what’s going on? What is mom talking about?”

  “We all have to die at some point,” Alexis repeated, her voice hoarse. “You can’t save everyone.”

  Before she could respond, a gust of wind swept through the area. She watched as her family’s bodies burst into thousands of tiny particles, the wind sweeping them up as if they were debris on a linoleum floor. Usually at this point in the dream, she’d scream and sob and reach out for her mother and sister. But not this time. Their words repeated in her head over and over again. We all have to die at some point. It’s unnatural to live forever. You can’t save everyone.

  Emery shot up from her bed, sweat beading along her hairline. Her eyes darted around the room, surveying her surroundings. It only took a moment for her to realize that she was at home, in her room. Safe.

  The time floated in midair from her phone. Seven o’clock in the morning. Knowing that there was no way she’d fall back asleep, she threw her legs over the bed and headed into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

  Thirty minutes later, she found herself teleporting to Seventh Sanctum Headquarters. The city was bustling with people, even more so than usual. As she approached the giant glass doors, she couldn’t help but flash back to the first round of warfare between 7S and the FCW. She stopped walking as the memory hit her like a freight train. The bullet from Theo’s gun had ripped right through Mason’s skull, leaving him bleeding and lifeless on the ground. But sanaré had fixed that.

  She had fixed that.

  An overwhelming sense of remorse washed over her as she entered the building. With a deep breath, she pulled out her phone and clicked on the holoimage of her father’s face. He answered in two rings.

  “Hey, kid.”

  Hearing his voice instantly e
ased her nerves. “Hey, dad. I’m in the lobby at headquarters.”

  “What a coincidence. So am I.”

  Confused, she surveyed the oversized lobby until she set her sights on a tall figure near the service elevators. “Found you.” She clicked her phone off and strode over to where her father stood.

  He opened his arms for a hug. “Any news on your mom and sister?”

  She held the embrace, squeezing one last time before letting go. “Actually, I was hoping you’d have some.”

  Byron sighed, shaking his head. “They still haven’t arrived back at the house?”

  Tears threatened to fall from behind her eyelids. “No. I can’t find them anywhere.” A lump caught in her throat. “Do you think something happened to them?”

  He took her hand in his and squeezed it tight. “We can’t think that way. I’m sure they’re fine. Perhaps they’re in another city and don’t know how to get back. We can’t forget, teleportation is new to them.” He gave a reassuring smile.

  Her stomach twisted into knots. Alexis would have figured out how to get back.

  “Is it possible that we missed something?”

  “I don’t think so. I’ve had my staff monitoring the main station for any signs of Dormance being active. It’s completely shut down.” He smiled. “You, my darling daughter, shut it down.”

  This should have lightened her mood, but it only made it worse. All she’d wanted was to free the dormants and get back to her normal life—the life with her mother and sister. But lately, she’d started to question what normal even was anymore. Normal was the life she’d had back in Dormance . . . not her life in the 7S world. Even so, she had no doubt that her family would be able to pick up right where they’d left off, Dormance or no Dormance. There was just one problem. This required that her mother and sister actually be present in the 7S world.