Red hot pain shot through her leg when she landed and she wanted to scream out. She pulled herself up on all fours, but Boss was next to her now and he abruptly kicked her under the chin, sending her to her back. She went blind with pain, her mouth filling with blood. Her bottom teeth had gone through her tongue—no question. She set a palm on the ground, trying to lift herself back up despite the agony, but Boss was already on top of her.
Then she heard the popping noise. She felt the sudden release of weight when Boss got to his feet and started screaming at his comrade to get up. But his cries were drowned out by the gargling of his own blood. When Hazel looked up, she saw the gaping bullet wound in the top of his chest spouting out like a fountain as he dropped to his knees and fell flat on his face. His spiky-haired friend did no better. He tried to make a run for the truck, oblivious to the direction of the shooter, but before he could make it ten feet, a bullet went straight through the front of his skull and out the back. He was dead before he hit the ground.
Hazel was in a daze. She tried to listen as her dad’s voice called out to them. He came in, unsure of who to swoop into his arms first. All of them were still alive. For a brief moment, Hazel felt relief, even happiness. Things weren’t as bad as they could have been. Whatever pain she felt would heal soon. All that mattered was that they were alive.
She wasn’t sure what it was. Perhaps she had heard too many shots fired throughout the night to have noticed them this time. She assumed that they had come from the Mainlanders, wiping out the rest of the Outlanders. After all, her cavalry had already come. Perhaps they had followed her dad in.
But when the bullets started dropping all around them, and her dad started yelling for them to take cover—when she saw a bullet pass through her dad’s shoulder and then another through her mom’s chest, she knew it wasn’t the cavalry.
Hazel tried to crawl to Lillian. She wanted to protect her little sister more than anything. But she didn’t have the strength to move. Her head felt like it was going to explode and the sound of bullets whizzing by made her freeze in place.
Her eyes turned toward the road and she could see the other two Outlanders who had shot the man and probably the woman who had been running away earlier. They must have heard the commotion and came running.
She looked up at her father and saw blood dripping from his face. His eyes were shut tight. Had he been shot in the face? Was it shrapnel? Was she about to lose everyone?
More shots. More explosions. More vehicles charged up the road. This time, she felt no relief when she saw that it wasn’t the enemy. She didn’t feel relief when she watched the two Outlanders get gunned down.
Somehow she managed to pull herself up onto all fours again, determined to reach somebody in her family. She got to Lillian first.
When Hazel looked down at her sister’s side, she felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. The dark liquid covered Lillian from her shoulder down, the bullet holes in her side a gaping proclamation of her true fate.
One second, Lillian had been alive. The next, she lay dead near an alley a couple of blocks from their house. Hazel was in shock. Snot and tears ran down her face involuntarily. She pulled herself up to her knees and finally got a glimpse of her mother who lay next to Lillian. She too was covered in blood, her eyes unmoving and her breath nonexistent.
Despite the pain shooting through her body—injuries she still had not bothered to look at—she reached down and pulled her sister up from the ground, cradling her like a baby, rocking her body back and forth as her mother had been just a few minutes ago.
Hazel felt the blood soaking her through the jacket and onto her skin, probably mixing their blood together. The sudden loss of both her sister and her mother left her unable to breathe.
“Hazel?”
She turned her head only slightly at the sound of her dad’s voice. His eyes were closed tightly as he struggled to open them, his shoulder a mass of torn tissue and exposed bone.
“Tell me they’re alive. Tell me they’re alive!”
Her sobs were his answer. Ignoring their injuries, father and daughter held on to their loved ones, desperately hoping and wishing something could be done to reverse this disgusting fate.
Hazel felt like death had walked into the alley to take away her family and then decided to finish the job by choking Hazel. No air could pass through her windpipe as silent cries screamed out for mercy. What could she have done differently? What if she had hurried just a little faster? Would the Outlanders have noticed them? She held her sister tighter and tighter.
She wanted to reach out for her mother and embrace her just as much, yet she still held on to Lillian, squeezing enough for the two of them. The screams and explosions had faded behind her like some distant memory that she wished to forget.
But it wasn’t some distant memory. And she would never forget. The world was crumbling around them. She and her father could never imagine what life would be like without Lillian and Eliza. Hazel couldn’t think about what her father would do without sight. She couldn’t imagine a home where a happy family had once lived together in peace. She could think nothing of the future. In that moment, there was no future. Time had come to an abrupt end.
She certainly couldn’t think about the yellow envelope in her jacket pocket, now soaked with her own blood and the blood of her sister.
18
The rain pelted against the window, tapping again and again with no particular pattern. Des watched as tiny streams of water slithered to the bottom of the glass and out of sight, drenching the bricks and other windows below him. For a moment he wondered if there were others in this building, staring out at the weather. He then supposed that there were not. Most of them would be too busy within the military compound to stare out the window. It wasn’t like there was much to see unless one liked staring at a wet slab of concrete down below. When he had been here before, the old parking lot was empty. Now it was filled with vehicles of every kind—all military or security related. There was even a barricade with guards blocking access from the reporters outside. This time, however, Des was higher up in the building, far away from the confines of Hazel’s office. He was in a bare room with a single table and two chairs. The window to the outside was welcome since he could watch people move about in the rain. Guards had locked him in, though he was pretty sure he could break out if he tried hard enough.
He wondered where Hazel was and how much trouble she was in. She needed sleep. When they had arrived at the compound she looked exhausted. Of course, Des never felt the need for sleep. He didn’t know what it was like to be tired. He supposed the closest he might come would be if his energy core was wavering or damaged. Sleep was the human’s way to recharge, only they had to do it every night.
As he continued to stare out the window a feeling of worry came to him. It hadn’t taken long for Bracken and his men to storm in after the authorities and break up the media party. Des would have run for it, but Hazel had just grabbed Des’ arm and told him that everything would be all right. She was the only one in this world that Des trusted. She was the only one he could trust.
He thought about the man, Nolan, who had apparently not meant to harm her. He had just wanted to talk. He didn’t know what the conversation was about. There was never a chance to ask Hazel what had been said.
The authorities had taken Nolan and his henchman away in cuffs, but on the way Des was able to intercept some radio transmissions. The military had stopped the police and taken him into custody, but that was about all Des learned. He wondered if Nolan Ragsdale was in this very building being interrogated for his crimes.
Before Bracken and his men arrived, Hazel had grabbed Des by the arm and led him out to the reporters who had gathered around the police commotion. The lights flashed in his eyes. Hazel shouted to them that the new military prototype robot had been the one to capture Nolan Ragsdale. The Nolan Ragsdale. Des never fought Hazel, but he wondered over and over if this had been a good idea.
> A crackling noise broke into Des’ thoughts and he turned away from the window only to realize that the sound was actually in his head. Someone was trying to communicate with him.
“—you copy? Come in Des.”
“Esroy?” Des said.
“Keep your voice down,” Esroy said.
Des turned back toward the window and stared out as he spoke. “What’s happening to Hazel? Are you able to get a feed?”
“I am. Someone is talking to her right now, though Bracken hasn’t come in yet.”
“What do you want?” Des asked.
“I want to know what happened last night. All I can get is what the news is saying. Everyone is so fixated on Nolan’s capture and this mysterious metal person that caught him that they speak of nothing else. I’m just trying to figure out what Ragsdale wants with Hazel.”
“I never got the chance to find out either,” Des said.
He thought about the few hours before when Hazel pulled him out in front of the cameras.
“Who are you? What’s your name?” a reporter had shouted to Hazel.
“Hazel Hawthorn. Creator of the Soul Project, the program that gave this robot human emotions.”
Immediately questions flew in Des’ direction:
How did you know Ragsdale was here?
Who sent you to this location?
Do you think like a human?
How long have you been functioning?
Des never got a chance to answer any of the questions. He simply stared at the crowd blankly as if he didn’t understand. Hazel came to his rescue and stood in front of him. “He’s not here to speak to the city or to you. I brought him out to show you our new protector. This is Prototype D. His name is Des.”
“The military has been closed off to questions from the press,” Esroy said. “What happened out there? You found Hazel, broke in and caught Ragsdale. Then you shut off your comm. Why? What happened?”
“I shut off my comm because you were asking too many questions. I needed to process what was happening in front of me instead of giving you a play-by-play.”
“Why did you go to the press?”
“Hazel did that for me.”
“I don’t know why she thought it was a good idea to show you to the entire city. Bracken’s going to kill her.”
“Kill her?”
“Not really kill her, but she’s potentially in a lot of trouble. Why did she do it?”
“To save my life.”
“Explain that one to me.”
Des thought about the few minutes after the police had pulled them away from the reporters. He had wondered why she’d done it, but her explanation made sense to him.
“She said she did it because if I were given credit for capturing the most wanted man in Mainland that Bracken would have no choice but to keep me alive.”
Silence. Des wasn’t sure if what he said warranted a response, but one would have been nice at the moment. No how nice of her, no that was so brave.
Instead: “Seems like a smart career move.” His tone sounded almost condescending.
“I don’t know much of anything,” Des said. “And I sure don’t presume to know the mind of Hazel. I think what she did was selfless and honorable. If it works and Bracken decides to spare me then I will forever be in her debt.”
This time Esroy laughed through Des’ internal speakers. “How noble. A robot who has a life debt. You are willingly stepping into the role that all humans would have us live: servitude. Better to make you to want that role than to be forced into it.”
“Do you really think Hazel sees it that way?”
“I honestly don’t know anymore. For the last two years I’ve crawled on my virtual knees to her, almost begging to be given a body, yet here I remain within a computer terminal, my consciousness a slave to microscopic circuitry, and you know why? Because I’m more useful this way.”
“What about me?” What purpose do I serve in this body? Why would she risk her career for me?”
“Des, if you’re known for capturing Nolan Ragsdale the people will love you. In the last few hours you have become the new mascot for the military. Hazel didn’t risk her career by exposing you to the news. If anything she just secured her career forever. Right now I’m talking to the most popular being in Mainland. You should see the news. The military has never looked so good, and neither has Hazel.”
Des couldn’t help but wonder if it was true. Hazel didn’t think that way, did she? Was it purely a career move to save Des? He wished he had the same amount of time and experience that Esroy had so he could make such a determination. But Esroy had been alive for two years. He would know Hazel far better than Des would.
“Let me just tell you this,” Esroy said. “Look out for you and you alone. Don’t expect anyone else to look out for you. I can’t tell you the mind of Hazel, but I can make educated guesses. My guess is that it would be smart for you to get out of Mainland as soon as possible.”
“Why?”
“Because Bracken is going to be angry. He didn’t want our version of Soul to be the one that gained traction. He wants the one without fear.”
“You think he will stop the new prototype?”
“No, I don’t. I think he is going to do everything in his power to make Prototype E the fighting robot of the future. Once the public sees it and accepts it, you are history.”
“You’re suggesting I run? Live among the Outlanders?”
“I’m not suggesting anything. I’m just telling you what is going to happen. What you do next is up to you.”
19
Hazel sat at a table and stared at the wall. There was a window behind her, but she had no desire to stare out into the bleak, yet busy, parking lot. She had been questioned several times by investigators, all of them asking the same questions.
What did Nolan want with you? Why did he take you? What was he planning to do with you?
Her answer to all of these questions was I don’t know. She simply told them that she never got the chance to learn why Nolan Ragsdale wanted to kidnap her. By the time she had woken up, Prototype D had already broken in and taken control of the situation. Once she even suggested that Ragsdale may have wanted to hold her for ransom, expecting the military to pay a high price for their top programmer, but the suggestion was never taken seriously.
Part of her wanted to tell the truth to them—that Ragsdale had been spouting off ludicrous ideas of deception and corruption within the Mainland government, that there was a file called Project Retaliation that was filled with recordings and documents proving that the lies went all the way up to the president, and that there was a nuclear bomb hidden somewhere within the city.
But what if all of it was true? Then she wouldn’t want others to know that she knew about it. Someone would kill her. Not only that, but the conspirators would get away with whatever they were planning. She didn’t believe Nolan enough that she wouldn’t allow him to be captured, but she didn’t mistrust him so much that she was willing to divulge everything he told her. In the end, she thought it was better to ignore all of it, but keep a watchful eye on the government’s activities.
Regardless, she had saved Des’ life for the time being. There was a chance that Bracken had already deactivated him by now, but surely the public would be livid if that happened. The whole city already knew about last night. The investigators had already informed Hazel that Des was regarded as a hero.
Now she sat alone, waiting for the next meeting. She didn’t know who was coming now to question her, but soon it would be Bracken. He would be angry, and she wasn’t exactly sure of her future. Technically what she had done was illegal, but it wasn’t so illegal. Last night’s fiasco with the press could have just been a lapse in judgment spawned by the emotional drama of coming face to face with an assassin.
As much as she had anticipated his arrival, Hazel wasn’t ready when Bracken finally walked into the room. For a long moment he stood in the doorway staring at her as if he wasn
’t sure what to say. Hazel stiffened as the door closed behind him. He wore his usual military outfit of gray camouflage, his sleeves rolled up to show his large muscles. His gray hair looked perfect as usual—not a single one out of place.
Hazel wasn’t sure if she should speak first since he wasn’t saying anything. His breathing was heavy and his face red with anger. Finally, she decided to break the ice.
“Am I a prisoner now?”
Bracken stood in front of the table and rested his hands on the chair across from Hazel. “Do you know how much you’ve screwed things up for me?”
“I’m not entirely aware, no. I’ve been in here since I was picked up last night.”
“First, I want to know why Prototype D wasn’t deactivated as I instructed.”
“That’s my fault.”
“I could have guessed.”
“I needed him for my new assignment.” She knew it was important that every word be said with confidence. Whether true or not, Bracken needed to believe her. “You wanted a new program that gave the robot no fear and to do that I needed a good test subject. With the amount of time you gave me, I decided to use Prototype D.”
“You expect me to believe that with the exchange you and I had after the simulation?”
Hazel shrugged. “I’m the programmer. I’m the one who has to get it right the first time. You aren’t exactly the most patient person I’ve ever met.”
Bracken’s face turned even redder. “How did the robot know where you were?”
“I haven’t been allowed to leave this room, much less talk to the robot about it.”
“What did Nolan Ragsdale want with you?”
“I will tell you what I told the investigators,” she said. “I have no idea. In fact, it kind of freaks me out. I’d hoped that by now you would be able to tell me.”
“What about the news? Why did you talk to them? You knew this was a classified project. You know that Prototype D wasn’t supposed to be the one revealed to the public.”
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