Influence (Influence Series Book 1)

by David R. Bernstein

  Arms wrapped stiff and my head bubbling over with medicine, I stare at the wall while eating bland turkey and mashed potato flavored food rations. All the thoughts running through my mind are of Amanda stuck at Hawthorne forced to dig holes, or whatever they do in the slave labor division. Not even stress or worrying about this can stop my eyes from rolling back. Conked out and stuck in a handy little ten-by-ten box, ripe for the taking, it doesn’t seem like I will ever be able to sleep normally again.

  6

  A MOMENT OF CHANGE

  THE WILL TO survive thrusts me awake and I lean forward. Confused, I take a moment, gather myself, and collect my thoughts. I notice dried streaks of orange powder lining my shoulders and chest. The ointment residue also stains the cot where my head rested. Out the window, through the lush trees that surround this outpost, I see the sun is starting to set. It has already dipped below the treetops. The plan was to rest for a little bit and then move on once I regained enough strength. I must’ve been out for close to four hours. This is not good. I need to be long gone from this area by now. I brush off the remaining powder from my head and feel a much smoother surface than the jagged and mangled wound that was once there. Food, medicine, and rest have left me full of energy and able to concentrate again. Tucked in the corner of the room I find a small backpack and fill it with whatever is useful from the cabinet: several food rations, another HypoPatch kit, a compass, and a flashlight fill the bag. Just as I turn to leave, I hear someone in the distance shout, “I found something.” Fear buckles my legs and I collapse into a corner of the outpost. The beveled metal panels on the wall rattle as I press my back against it.

  Peeking out the window, I see several armed Magnus security personnel make their way toward the outpost. No-no-no, I screwed myself. Mutterings in the distance increase as they move in. Before long, the oncoming men surround me. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of a tall dark-skinned man walking to a clearing several yards from the entrance of the outpost.

  In a commanding, deep voice the man says, “We know you’re in there, Kaylin. Although I’m surprised you’re still alive with all that blood you’ve lost.”

  My head hitting that van window shook me up more than I thought. I can’t believe I didn’t think to cover my tracks.

  They must believe I’m armed or dangerous in some way or they would just storm this shack and take me. Do they know something I don’t? Is there a weapon in here somewhere? If Farren was telling the truth, each of them has the implant, so my ability will have no effect on them. I am literally boxed in and helpless.

  “There is nowhere to run, little girl, my men surround you now,” insists the leader. “You must be aware we’re all shielded, so let’s just make this easier on everyone and have you come out quietly so no one gets hurt.”

  I don’t want to go back; I can’t go back. Amanda needs me to get her out of that hell they’ve trapped her in. Emotions begin to boil up inside me. I need help from someone and I need it now. “Please, please help me,” I mutter to myself with my eyes closed and my body curled in a corner. “Get these men away from me.”

  I don’t know if there is a god or a higher source, but I could use some divine intervention right about now. My emotional state somehow engages my push ability. I feel my inner being stretch out on its own like it’s on autopilot. Approaching steps from the Magnus thugs only heighten my push and I feel it expand further than I have ever been able to reach before. My fear locks my mind on the idea of getting these men away from this outpost. I envision them being dragged out into the woods, their eyes terrified as they kick and scream for their lives.

  The movements of the men come to a nearly complete stop, their bodies inch forward in slow motion. Time has slowed as the conscious reality surrounding me starts to bind together. A feeling of purity enters the fold and I become connected with what I can only describe as the thoughts and visions of innocent souls. Whoever it is I’m connecting to doesn’t have the complexities or the emotional weaknesses of anyone I have ever pushed before. It feels wonderful to be bonded with these pure, conscious entities. Maybe there is a god, and whoever it is sent angels to me. Never before have I been able to keep my focus on the moment while also pushing my will out to others. Slipping back to the current reality feels effortless. Whatever push happened is now complete and time is moving at its familiar rhythm again.

  Opening my eyes, I see the Magnus leader peering in through the window into the outpost. Our eyes meet and I can see in his hardened face that he realizes I am nothing more than a weaponless kid, tucked in a fetal position. I need that help now, but I’m in the middle of nowhere grasping at straws.

  “We are going to do this the hard way I guess,” he snarls.

  He reaches his arm back to smash the window when something lunges at him and clamps down on the surprised man’s arm. A blur of what looks like fur brushes up against the window. A scream echoes in the clearing and I inch up to see the man’s arm being yanked down by a big, tawny-colored creature with claws the size of my fingers and teeth that gleam in the low light. A mountain lion. Shock enters my body and I cover my mouth to hold in my scream.

  Two men rush to the leader, ready to fire on the attacking animal when they are knocked together by a full-grown male deer with large antlers. Both men fly to the ground, sliding to a stop at the base of a thick evergreen tree. What is going on here? Why are these animals going crazy? Struggling, the man flails as the mountain lion drags him away from my hiding place. The horror of this makes me drop back down to the ground. Moments later, a loud blast rattles my little shack. Once again, I push myself up the wall that protects me, peeking out the window. The large cat is dead on the ground as blood drips on its face from the mangled arm of the Magnus security boss who now stands over it. The gun remains pointed at the beast when a loud snarl from the surrounding woods snaps the man out of his deadly stance. He steps back and looks for cover, but it’s too late. A grizzly bear stampedes out of the foliage and with one lunge the man is smashed to the ground with two massive paws pinning his lifeless body down. A quick gasp leaves my body as another bear flies out from behind the outpost and starts after some retreating Magnus personnel. I turn to see the grizzly bear bite down on a leg of each of the unconscious men that lay near the large tree. The sight of the grizzly must have spooked the deer that bulled them over. The bear easily picks them up and proceeds to carry them into the woods.

  It dawns on me; it was my autopilot push. I panicked and reached out for someone to take these men away from me. Those pure spirits that I connected to were not angels; they were animals. I don’t understand how this is possible. I have never heard of an Influencer affecting the reality of anything but people. Why am I so different?

  Several frenzied whacks hit the locked door. Three men from the Magnus Order beg to enter as more animals fill the area. Distrust keeps me frozen in the corner as I watch a small herd of crazed deer emerge from the far side of the woods searching for prey. It figures—only I could make docile animals like deer turn into predators.

  Light is fading fast as the day winds down, making it harder to spot the onslaught of aggressive creatures out for blood.

  Bang, bang, bang. Should I let them in? Bang, bang, bang. Their knocks become more frantic. I’m just about to get up and let them in when the knocks stop and out the window I watch the men sprint out toward the dirt road. What’s going on? I see a pack of what I can only assume are wild dogs chasing after them. Three canines, all different in size and shape, team up to hunt my enemies. Their barks drown out the men’s calls for help as they dart deeper into the backdrop. The fleeing men, followed closely by the ravenous pack of dogs, disappear into the woods. Shortly after, I hear screams and howling that make my limbs tremble. If I wasn’t so terrified I could concentrate and try to stop this madness, but all I can do is close my eyes and put my hands over my ears while I attempt to block everything out.

  The muffled screams and rustling sounds from the woods grad
ually begin to ease. I build up the strength to look out the window again and find animals dispersing into the backdrop. A large deer walks only a few feet from the outpost window and I swear it nods at me, as if letting me know I am safe now. Did this whole event really just happen? Disbelief fills my thoughts, as the horror I just witnessed is too much to handle.

  Several minutes pass and the only sounds I hear are the creaking trees as the wind gently sways them back and forth. It should be safe for me to have a look now, but do I really want to venture outside this structure? I don’t want it to be real; it can’t be. It is getting dark. There’s no choice, I need to go now.

  Hands shaking, I take a deep breath and unlock the door. Whatever ounce of security this outpost provided disappears as I peer out and witness something I have never seen before.

  Even as the light of day begins to retreat, I am able to see the full horror of yet another life-taking push. The first thing that I notice is the leader’s sunken chest as the paws of the grizzly have flattened the life from his body. Not wanting to see, I turn to find the three men that I denied at the outpost door; their bodies lying in the clearing about one hundred yards to the right of where I am. The pack of wild dogs has made them unrecognizable: chunks of flesh torn from their limbs, scratch marks covering their exposed skin. They had no chance to survive. No chance at all. Just off to the side of this blood bath, I see a chewed-up boot and pack from one of the men the grizzly bear dragged into the woods. There’s no doubt in my mind their bodies will never be found. The wilderness will consume every piece of them. I wonder how many more ripped-apart bodies lay in the woods from other attacks I didn’t see. I drop to my knees, unable to take any more. I look up to the darkening sky and scream. Whatever humanity that is left in me rips out of my throat. The animal-like cry echoes through the woods, but I don’t care who hears. My spirit is broken; I don’t deserve to be free. I have killed too many people. My hands drop to the ground and I’m about to give up and let the forest reclaim me as well when someone grabs me from behind. A man covers my mouth and wraps his arms around me, pulling me in tight. A shallow breath escapes my mouth, but I don’t even react. I simply don’t care anymore.

  “Please don’t scream,” he begs. “Kaylin, it’s okay.”

  I can’t believe this. It’s Farren. His voice brings fire back to my cold and depressed body. Thoughts of revenge fuel my hatred. I replay his betrayal in my head, and at this moment, there is nothing more I want than to take one more life.

  7

  REINTRODUCTION

  I TRY TO wrestle myself free, but Farren’s strong arms are impossible to break from. Being this deep in this isolated part of the forest just means no one would hear me scream now.

  “Please, stay calm,” he pleads. “I’m not here to capture you…or hurt you. Let me explain.” I feel him take a deep breath as he slowly removes his hand from my mouth.

  “Let go of me, NOW,” I demand. “Get your arms off me before you end up like your little Magnus friends.” I wince as I take a quick glance at the nearby carnage.

  “I’m not with them,” he insists. “I heard about the attack on your caravan and I knew this was my opportunity to make things right. Please let me explain.”

  His grip softens some, but the grasp remains firm and unyielding.

  “I don’t want to hear your lies,” I say, still thrashing. “We saved your life and you threw us on the fire.”

  “I never intended for this to happen. Please stop fighting so I can talk. If you still think I’m full of it, I’ll let you go. I promise.”

  Knowing I really have no choice, I stop fighting and relax. I can’t bear to see another person die by my push, even Farren.

  “Say what you have to say, but know I really couldn’t care less right now.”

  “Alright,” he sighs. “I’m going to let go of you now, please give me a chance to talk.”

  I really just want to run from him, but he is faster, stronger, and he is the best tracker the Magnus Order has. Just because he released me from his hold doesn’t mean I have any chance of getting away. “Fine. Talk.”

  He gestures for me to sit down against the outpost wall and I comply. He sits to the right of me and leans his head against the structure, scanning the surrounding area. “Wow, your ability is truly amazing. How was that even possible?”

  “Is this what you want to talk about?” I snarl. “I’m not interested in talking about how awesome a killer I am.”

  “Sorry… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… um, you know—”

  “Just say what you came to say.”

  “Okay, okay. Well, when you found me unconscious, slumped up against that road sign, it wasn’t because of poor judgment or bad planning.” He breathes in and the exhale seems to release weight from his shoulders. “I was giving up.”

  “What do you mean ‘giving up’?” I ask, genuinely curious despite myself.

  “They almost killed my father. I was visiting him that day you found me, and I needed to see firsthand what my actions caused. I can’t do this anymore. Recruiting naive people into this group is tearing at my soul.”

  He drops his head into the palms of his hands, seemingly overwhelmed. “I know I said I don’t do that, but sometimes there’s no choice. They haven’t been pleased with my reluctant performance of late, and they made an example of him. My family refuses to run from our land, so it is all on my shoulders to keep them safe. My mother tries to protect me by telling me they will be fine, but they won’t—not as long as I keep disappointing Magnus.”

  Farren’s head drops deeper into his hands as the pain overcomes him. His hard exterior is cracked and I can see he’s just an eighteen-year-old boy that was forced to grow up way too fast. I know what it is like to be robbed of a normal childhood. I’ve seen firsthand what Magnus has done to people who fail to meet their expectations. Innocents beaten to death for defying them is not uncommon. Known as one of the most ruthless sector groups in the area, I have steered as far away from them as possible. Now I am stuck in the middle of this Magnus hell.

  “I’m done with this crap,” he snarls. “I had it all worked out. I thought if I brought you in, I would be able to help you escape in a day or so. I came up with a whole plan that night, but I didn’t know you were the girl everyone has been looking for.” His reaction looks genuine. “I didn’t know they would transport you to Talas the same day I brought you in. It normally takes days for people to be sorted and reassigned. I thought I could save everyone… my family, you and Amanda, myself—everyone.”

  I don’t know if I can really believe him. I barely know him. Ever since we met a few days ago, my life has gone from bad to worse.

  “You used me as a pawn,” I say. “Why did you even come here to find me? You protected your family by bringing me in. They won’t blame you for what happened after you delivered me. Why are you here now?”

  He leans forward, sweat dripping from his tightened brow. “I want to make things right with you and Amanda, but there’s something bigger going on and we need your help.”

  My help? Is he losing his mind? Who does this guy think he is? I laugh, the sound forced and harsh. “Who’s we, and why should I help you?”

  “Because, I want to end the Magnus Order, and I think we can do it with the help of your abilities,” he says. “I am part of a resistance that has been growing for the last six months. We’ve been quietly building support and becoming more operational of late. It’s time for this corruption to end.”

  All this time on the road hiding with Amanda has been my life for the last six years, and now he wants me to risk our lives for him and some sort of resistance. He’s out of his mind. I’m just about to tell him that he’s crazy when I’m interrupted. “I’m going to help you get Amanda back. I just need you to meet with some people first. They will help us free her even if you decide not to join the resistance. But I do need their help, so you will have to hear them out.”

  My stomach churns, so I stand up t
o walk off the fear and anxiety that has bubbled to my throat. I pace back and forth in front of Farren as his eyes follow in anticipation of my next move.

  “Was that your rebels or whatever you call yourselves who attacked the caravan that was transporting me?”

  “No,” he says. “Word has spread that Magnus found you. The Vernon Society knows what a find like you could mean for the conflict. I can’t believe I didn’t put it together when you took out those Harvesters. Why didn’t you change your name when you went on the run all those years ago?”

  “I was eleven when Amanda and I left. We were kids; we didn’t think there would be a manhunt for me. All I knew was that I had to stay on the move and keep my ability to myself. I knew I was different from most Influencers, but I didn’t think anyone would care after a few days.”

  “You don’t get it, Kaylin. Your push ability is far beyond what normal Influencers can do. You can instantly change the conscious minds of those around you. There is no need to nurture the push, no need for personnel to meddle in the daily lives of citizens. What you want to happen just happens. And now you can push animals too—truly mind-blowing. You have to know that sector groups like Magnus will never stop hunting you down.”

  The thought of being on the run, knowing there will be people actively looking for me, does make his offer seem like it’s my only option. It’s hard for me to get past his betrayal, but I don’t think I have a choice if I want to rescue Amanda. I can’t do it alone. I stand quietly with my arms crossed as I think of what to do. Options are limited for me and hope is at an all-time low.