EVO Shift: EVO Nation Series: Book Two

by Chapman, K. J

  Then I stop- hovering about three feet from the ground. I’m not sure if I’m doing it; if I instinctively used my telekinesis, but no, I’d be dead with the stupid scrambler in my head.

  I’m in an orb. It is practically invisible save a rippling effect like heat rising from a hot road. I float in a starfish pose, turning three hundred and sixty degrees in a slow spin. The grass gives way to clear sky, to hedgerows, and back to grass. Brick is in a similar orb, fighting the hold on him. I wish I could. I wish I had fight in me, but I can barely breathe.

  “What is this?” Brick asks me. His voice sounds distant inside his orb.

  I cough against the pressure in my chest. “I don’t know. Where are we?”

  He glances around. “About half a mile from the rally and a mile from our check point.”

  A van drives through a gap in the fence. I recognise the van as E.N.C and Bo stands through the sunroof with her hands outstretched.

  “They’re E.N.C,” I tell Brick. He groans, fighting a little harder to free himself.

  Bo jumps out of the van and strides toward us. “Hey, Teddie. Shit, what happened to you?”

  I try to take another deep breath, but can only manage raspy gulps. The pain in my chest is almost unbearable. “What are you doing, Bo?”

  “You know her?” Brick calls. I ignore him.

  Another van rumbles into the field. At least seven E.N.C members get out with guns and balaclavas.

  “We need to borrow you for a bit,” Bo says, lowering her hands. The orbs float to the ground, popping like bubbles, and sprawling us at her feet. “We’ll bring her back,” she says to Brick.

  “She needs a doctor. You’re not taking her anywhere.” He moves to sprint. The tale tell stance and jutting of his muscles is a giveaway.

  Bo pre-empts him, cocooning him in an orb once again. “You don’t really have a say, Runner.”

  “Why are you doing this?” I ask her. I cough and my ribs are agony. “I thought we were friends.”

  She smiles. “I don’t do friends, you know that. I won’t harm you, Teddie, but I need you just for a little.”

  Voices sound from Brick’s ear piece. Bo nods to one of the E.N.C men and the sound is increased.

  “Where are you?” Adam shouts.

  “They’re a bit busy at the moment. I’ll get them to call you back,” says Bo.

  “Bo?” asks Cooper.

  “Oh hey, Coop. I’m just borrowing our mate for a bit.”

  “Like fuck you are,” Adam snaps.

  I can hear a scuffle, and then Cooper’s back. “What the hell, Bo?”

  “You know our girl is good with me, Cooper.”

  “She’s not your girl,” shouts Adam from the background.

  “She’s hurt, Adam,” Brick shouts.

  “I’ll have someone keep an eye on her health,” adds Bo. “We’re just going to show the Norms a few truths first.”

  “This is Grayson James. With whom am I talking?”

  Bo laughs. “Syndicate dude. I’m Bo Keating.”

  “What is it that you plan to do with Teddie? It is courtesy that you divulge this information to us considering you are commandeering our friend, our ill friend.”

  “Wow, has anyone ever told you that you sound like a total twat? We’re going to screw Towley where it hurts, seeing as Syndicate can’t find its dick. Is Kesh with you? Tell him to watch this space.” She nods to her guy again and the connection ends.

  She reaches into the orb that holds Brick and clips a cuff on his wrist, then orders two men to stay at his side. He body slams the ground, the air leaving his lungs with a hiss. The two men restrain him instantly. “We’re doing this for the bigger picture, Runner.” She stares at him for longer than necessary, and pulls a balaclava over her face.

  Brick’s mouth opens, yet he says nothing. If anything he looks confused. He’s not the only one.

  Bo turns her attention to me. “You want them to pay, don’t you?”

  My head is woozy. “I want the guilty people to pay.”

  “That’s all we want too.” She crouches beside me. “My guys will keep you safe from the Norms- I promise you. Vin here will be your own personal security.”

  Vin is one of the tallest men I have ever seen- not particularly broad, but a giant none the less. He crouches beside Bo. “Nice to meet you,” he says, taking my hand and kissing it. Blue eyes peer through the balaclava at me. “I’m going to lift you now. I know this may hurt a little, but I’ll be as gentle as I can.”

  Vin doesn’t scream E.N.C. He is a gentle man, or so it seems. Who knows what the guy is capable of? Perhaps, I don’t want to know. He lifts me in a cradle. I don’t notice the pain in my back; it’s my chest that burns like the fires of hell.

  “Where does it hurt,” he says, as I scrunch myself against his chest.

  “Everywhere.” I cough and wheeze and find myself gripping his shirt to brace against the agony. “Please, don’t take me back there.”

  “We’ve got it covered. Our boss knows what he’s doing,” Vin assures me.

  “He? I thought Bo was your boss.”

  “Bo’s not our boss,” he says, half laughing.

  ***

  We park up on the cliffs a little way out from the rally. Vin explained that the armed patrols had a one-mile radius from the hotel and were relying heavily on the drones for up to a five-mile stretch.

  “And how do you plan on getting closer? I barely made it,” Brick says.

  “How did you avoid the drones?” I ask Brick, groaning from the effort.

  “It seems that your mate Kesh has seen to them,” Bo states. “He saved my man here a job.”

  The group huddles. Brick is forced into the centre with Vin and myself. They start to walk through the field within the perimeter. A woman walks up front- her body rigid- her arms outstretched. She appears to be deep in concentration.

  “Keep quiet,” whispers Bo. “She can hide us from sight, but not from sound.”

  Brick seems a little amused. “Do you reckon you can walk straight up to the door step.”

  Vin snorts. “Nah, we’re heading right up to the stage, mate.”

  “And then what?” I ask.

  “Quiet,” Bo hisses, ignoring my question.

  We move as a group, the female member up front, walking rigid and focussed. Vin glances at me occasionally, lowering his head to my chest every so often.

  “I’m still alive,” I say. It’s easier to not move, to not even open my eyes.

  “There are bodies moving this way at speed,” says one man.

  Bo calls a halt, and I strain against Vin’s grip to get a better look. Two figures rush through an open gate, carrying something between them. They make a beeline right for us; oblivious to our presence.

  It’s Anders, York, and Hadley. “They’re good,” I croak. “Don’t hurt them.”

  Bo taps the woman on her shoulder. She must drop the illusion, invisibility, or whatever the hell she was doing, because York jumps out of his skin and swears loudly.

  He drops Anders’ legs, whipping out his gun. Hadley all but crawls up his own ass.

  Anders wiggles out of Hadley’s grip, landing on his back, but laughing to himself. “You took your damn time, Bo,” he calls.

  “I didn’t think you’d get yourself shot up,” she says, nodding for two men to retrieve him. “What the hell happened?”

  Anders holds up his hands and shrugs. “Towley has lost the plot. He is treading the line.”

  York and Hadley still stand on alert. Both as confused as I am.

  “Do you have it?” Bo asks Anders. He hands her the USB from his pocket. “You make a shit soldier.”

  “You’re not a marine?” York asks.

  “Not even a Norm, mate,” Anders says, grimacing in pain. “I’m an Influencer.”

  York trains his gun on him. “You’ve been making us do what you want.”

  “No. The decision was yours. I just tipped you over the edge. Gregor was the
easiest of all.”

  “How the hell did you get past checks?” Hadley has finally found his voice.

  “I’m chipped with a Non-EVO chip.”

  “We all are,” says Bo.

  Anders sees me and hangs his head. “Did he do that because you helped me?” I merely shrug. “Thank you, Theyda. Seriously, thank you.”

  “I don’t know what to do with this information,” York snaps. He paces back and forth, his gun still trained on us.

  “You just have to shut up and get the hell out of here,” Bo says. “Go on, get lost.” She makes a move toward them and they both sprint away, not daring to look back. “Anders you remain here and call in to base. The rest of you- let’s pick up the pace,” she orders, and we start to move once again.

  The sounds from the rally carry on the sea wind. It’s just over the next cliff, and I grip to Vin a little tighter.

  “We will keep you safe,” he says in answer to my fear. I choose not to laugh in his face. No one is safe. Why do they not realise this? “You are one of the important ones, Teddie. You will be kept safe.”

  A patrol of vehicles races through the field ahead of us, but the gang continue on. The woman holding the invisibility illusion is sweating now, but she has a confidence to her and thank God she does.

  We walk within metres of the soldiers scouting the area. Just a cough and we could be discovered. As soon as I think it, I want to cough. I bury my face in Vin’s chest to muffle my wheezing.

  As soon as we are out of ear shot, the group starts to jog. I brace against the jostling of Vin’s body. Within minutes we’re looking down at the rally. Every member of Bo’s gang is seething with rage at the sight below us.

  “Take us down the coastal path and straight into the thick of it,” Bo tells the woman. “Let’s do this.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

  We walk through the crowds of Non-EVO. Most are just enjoying a day out, whilst some discuss politics and talk hate. Vin tenses at the use of the word ‘Freak’ or ‘Mutation’. Bo glares at each person in her gang, warning them to remain schtum.

  Soldiers guard the entrance to the house. I can see Towley pacing just inside the door. He is manic and shouting inaudibly at soldiers inside. He must know of my rescue. Little does he know that I’ve been brought right back by people claiming to keep me safe.

  We move passed the blockades until we’re closer to the main stage. Bo hands the Technokin the USB stick and he plays with a piece of machinery at the side of the steps. He gives Bo the thumbs up, and she quickly backs away from the doors to make way for a red-faced Towley. He walks right by us without a clue of our presence. A cheer breaks out as the crowds see him grace the stage.

  I revel in his flustered state. He expected to show me like a vegetable at a county fair, but his beating saw an end to that, and now he knows that I’m not even in his custody anymore. I would love to read his mind right now.

  Addressing the crowd, he spins the usual yarn about Britain’s security, about how the government are working for the safety of the people, and how they will not negotiate with terrorists. The mention of the E.N.C bombings has the desired effect. The crowd boo and shout slurs against the E.N.C. This gives Towley a little boost; his chest puffs out and he smirks as he tries to calm his audience.

  Then, he says my name. The crowd boo with more ferocity than I could have ever imagined. These people hate me- truly hate me.

  Vin holds me a little tighter. “We’ll set them straight,” he whispers.

  Towley is now within spitting distance. Bo’s hands ball into fists as he struts from one side of the stage to the other like a damn peacock… or at least a cock.

  “As you may be aware, we have Theyda Woodman in custody, and she has confessed to her crimes. She is no longer a threat to Britain or the world.” The crowd cheers, and my heart shatters. “We have implemented a surgical procedure that our scientists have been perfecting in light of the recent bombings. We have effectively performed brain surgery on Woodman and implanted a device known as a Scrambler. This device will not harm the EVO unless a kinetic energy rise is detected. If the EVO use their abilities the device will humanely exterminate them. This is the future for our country.”

  The crowd’s applause drowns out Towley’s voice.

  “Enough of this shit,” Bo growls, climbing the steps with three of her gang.

  The woman waits until they’re centre stage and releases them from the invisibility. As they materialise from thin air, the crowd goes into a wild panic. Bo stretches her hands and everyone falls still; bound by her Ergokinesis, even the soldiers cannot move. I never knew Bo had such a power.

  Towley rushes to the far door, but Bo’s voice echoes over the speaker.

  “Where are you going, Towley? I’ve got some questions for you,” she says, a smile in her voice. “It looks like Britain’s only defence is running, folks.”

  He stops, straightens his jacket, and turns to face her. “We do not converse with terrorists,” he states. He wipes at the sweat threatening to drip into his eyes.

  “Well, it’s a good job that we do,” Bo says. “What is the purpose of your EVO detention centres?”

  Towley wrings his hands together. “We only have holding centres for EVO who have proven a threat. Just like any other Non-EVO penitentiary.”

  “So, where are you holding the EVO children you have taken from their parents without permission?”

  “EVO children are a rarity. We have specialist chipping programs designed for such circumstances, but we do not detain children.” He looks to the crowd as he speaks, opening his hands in a gesture of fake honesty.

  The big screen flashes with images of children sat in squalor, children crying as their blood is being taken over and over, a screaming child being strapped into what appears to be a conditioning station. I have to close my eyes against the images. Some of the crowd look away, some stare open-mouthed.

  “Question two- why did you torture Theyda Leason to elicit a false confession?”

  “Theyda Woodman was humanly interrogated. She made her confession because I like to believe she saw the error of her ways.”

  The footage changes to my lashing. I don’t even care that my butt is on display for everyone to see; I want them to see what they did to extract false confessions out of me.

  Dr Hollister places the electric rod between my thighs and I scream and spasm. Towley races to the side of the stage, waving his arms like a lunatic for someone to stop the footage.

  Hollister’s voice booms out once more, repeating the question. I scream ‘no’ and he pops my finger out of place.

  “Did you think I was done with them? No, they will be your motivation for this next question. Answer it incorrectly and your friends will be executed. You are the one we need. These two are expendable, so don’t think that we won’t kill them. Question two- Were you involved in Isaac Woodman’s plan to attack the British government, start an EVO war, and murder innocent Non-EVO humans?”

  I scream my admission to save my friends life.

  “Correct. Kill them anyway.”

  Cooper’s protests, my screams and pleas fall on deaf ears, and two gunshots ring out as clear as day. The crowd are uneasy now, unsure what they’re witnessing. The next few moments are of my hysterics.

  “That footage has clearly been tampered with. We do not know the extent of their abilities or what they can do to manipulate technology? Theyda Woodman was humanly interrogated. As you can see, we have been infiltrated by the E.N.C. That video has been edited. We do not torture EVO. We want a harmonious world for both Non-EVO and EVO with protection and safety for all.”

  Bo nods in our direction and Vin starts to walk on stage with me in his arms. I feel the warmth of the invisibility recede and another round of gasps rolls over the crowd. Vin lowers me to the floor and steps away. I lie unmoving except for my ragged breathing and the rapid rising of my chest.

  “How did your prisoner end up in this state?” asks Bo. “This g
irl has been tortured into confessions because the truth will shatter every illusion you have built. Isaac Woodman was not Theyda’s father, she was not involved in his domination schemes, and she was ultimately the one who killed him on that fateful night in Italy.”

  “Isaac Woodman was killed by special oper—”

  Bo makes a tutting noise and wags her finger at him. “More lies.”

  The footage from Italy appears on screen. Towley’s face drops and he staggers backward a few paces, tugging at his collar. I hold Isaac’s jacket, screaming in his face. There isn’t sound with this footage, but the exchange is obvious. Seeing myself floating above the pool doesn’t seem real. Even after knowing what I am capable of, I still can’t get my head around it. I let go of Isaac and he tumbles into the pool, the splash so big that it licks at my feet. I hold my hands outstretched and Isaac doesn’t re-emerge.

  “Your government is lying to you,” Bo addresses the crowd. “We are not the bad guys; we are just trying to survive this genocide. We could be your biggest allies, but we will protect ourselves. Make up your minds- whose side do you want to be on when the pot boils over. You will all be released when we are a safe distance away.”

  She starts to walk off stage and gestures for Vin to retrieve me. The whole group exits quickly and quietly.

  “You’ve made your point. Now, take me to my family,” I tell her.

  “With pleasure.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

  We make it back to the vans without hiccup. Bo removes Brick’s cuff, but steps in between us when he attempts to take me from Vin. “Do you think she’ll survive a sprint with you? Go alone and give them our location.”

  Brick disappears with only a gust of wind and a popping noise in his wake.

  “Put me down,” I say to Vin, coughing up a lung in the process. “Please, just lie me down right here. I need a break.”

  He lowers me to the floor and I curl into the foetal position, fighting the pain away with the last bit of energy I have. Bo and her gang move away slightly, talking in whispers and occasionally glancing over at me. She presses her ear, and talks to some unknown person, nodding her head, and chewing her lip.