Configured: (Book #1 in the Configured Trilogy)

by Jenetta Penner

  A cascade of blood flows from the singed tear in her sleeve. Seeing it makes me dizzy. How are we going to get out of here now?

  "Can you stand?" I ask, kneeling at her side.

  She glances from her wound and nods. Father clutches her around the waist and pulls.

  "Wait," I say. I know we don't have the time, but we can't go onto the street with her bleeding all over the place. She can't die.

  I grab her hand and a snowfall of white engulfs my vision. I command the nanos to reboot. In seconds, I emerge to see the bleeding has slowed. Already her face looks improved, the bruising reducing.

  "You need to cover the injury," I tell her.

  "What did you do?" Father asks, looking a bit confused.

  "Nothing…" I lie. "It must not be that bad."

  I scan the room to find something, anything, to cover it, my gaze falling on the guards.

  "Help me get his jacket off," I say, gesturing in their direction. We run to the first guard and remove the black jacket from his stiff body. In a flash, I turn it inside out to hide the security logo.

  In one of the few tender moments I've ever seen my parents share, Father gently wraps the jacket rounds Mother's shoulders.

  458 N. 36th Street Unit 582

  I think it might snow.

  If not today, then on Tuesday.

  My heart leaps with joy at Meyer's message. Not only is he alive, he's given us a way out. The stuff about the snow must be the code to give the person at the unit.

  "There's a safe house a block away," I say. "You only have to make it that far for now. Ready?"

  Mother nods. She looks nearly healed by now.

  I stroke the security pad and the door shifts back, allowing the morning light to stream into the bay. I tuck the weapon into the cuff of my suit.

  "To the right," I whisper.

  We move out onto the sidewalk and quickly blend into a group of citizens heading to work. Somehow, none of them acknowledge us, too engrossed in habit.

  Drones zip overhead, and each time one passes, I wince. We reach the apartment front and scan the surrounding citizens one more time, but nobody is watching us.

  We sprint through the entrance and up the stairs to 582. The inside of the building is similar to my—or what was my‒‒apartment. Sleek and modern, the contact must be a Level Two working in the prestigious sector.

  The corridor is empty, but I check behind us for the hundredth time, activate the visitor alert, and wait. Leftovers of this morning's headache resonate behind my temples. The contact could be at work already. I reach for the security pad, waffling between the idea of breaking in or waiting.

  Click.

  I yank back as the door to another unit opens and a young man steps out. He walks the opposite way, toward the elevator, ignoring us.

  I sound the chime to 582 again.

  "No one is home," Mother whispers.

  We can't stand out here in the hall any longer, so I reach for the security panel and will it to open. Mother gives me a confused look as the door slides back and the three of us hustle inside.

  "I need to clean this up." Mother pulls off the jacket hiding the wound and glances back at me. "It's not serious. Just a nick. Looked worse than it was."

  I don't think she realizes I healed her yet.

  Father wraps himself around her and shepherds her into the unit from the entryway. Then, for some reason, he squeezes my shoulder and disappears with Mother down the hall to the back of the unit.

  The touch bites. It should be a comfort, but instead serves as a reminder we have so far to go and so much to lose. Rubbing off the sensation, I find a seat in the living room, but the rigid armchair offers no relief while I check the handheld and find a missed message from Meyer.

  Supplies on the way. Instructions to follow.

  Supplies? Just get us out.

  The door chimes, my heart leaping into my throat. But if Manning tracked our location, he wouldn't ring the chime and ask to come in.

  I stand to check the security feed. An Aerrx floats outside the door, releases a package to the ground, and glides away.

  The Flexx vibrates, and I wince.

  Answer it.

  Father rounds the corner of the living room, his face white. "Who is it?"

  "Uh, supplies? How's Mother?" I ask.

  His wide eyes relax. "She'll live. Cleaned it and grabbed a new shirt from the closet."

  I nod, then open the door where a sizable, unmarked package sits outside. The drone is gone, so I pull the parcel into the unit, and the door secures.

  "What's that?" Mother's voice sounds from behind. She's tucking the fresh shirt into the waist of her pants. She almost resembles herself again. Her disheveled, caramel-colored hair is now neat and tidy. Forgetting the package, I rush toward her.

  "Careful," she warns.

  I stop and embrace Mother gently. No doubt the wound is still healing, but she seems to be okay for the time being. Surprisingly, she accepts it. In the past, she always shrugged off any affection I showed. Maybe it's taken almost dying for them to see what's important.

  We stay for a moment until Father clears his throat. The package lies torn open at his feet, and he's holding a stunner and three light jackets with hoods.

  The handheld vibrates again.

  When ready, call for a secured taxi.

  A link to page the cab is directly on the screen.

  "Tell me when you're ready to go," I inform them.

  Father hands us each a jacket, and I put mine on. Then he holds out the stunner for me.

  "I have no idea how to use this," he says.

  I nod and take it. My first one stays holstered under the jacket, and I tuck the other into a pocket as Mother and Father don the coats.

  "Let's go," Mother says.

  I hit the link Meyer sent and a message pops up that the cab will arrive in one minute. It's 6:45, fifteen minutes before most citizens need to be at work.

  On the street, the taxi waits. I pause and watch the drones buzz above.

  Are any of them searching for us?

  Not wanting to consider the possibility, I scurry to the front as my parents load into the back.

  I then message Meyer.

  We're coming.

  * * *

  Out the window, the crowds of morning citizens on the street has thinned. Thirteen excruciating minutes later, the cab enters the upper sector of Level One, where the Affinity bunker resides. I grit my teeth from the stress of looking conspicuous if we don't make it by seven.

  "Are we going to make it out of here?" Mother whispers.

  I straighten, fill my lungs, hold it, and exhale. "Yes." I have no idea if it's true, but I have to believe.

  The vehicle stops to the side of our destination. Of course, no one greets us. A straggler citizen rushes by, and the ever-present drones litter the sky above.

  Exiting the taxi, I rush to the lobby door. My parents trail close behind, their footsteps in time with the pulse racing inside my ears. Inside, we pass a harried-looking man with a scrunched face, no doubt late to work and soon to be docked credits.

  The elevator doors whoosh back and the three of us move into the space, taking turns skimming our palms over the inside pad to confirm our identities. The door shuts, and the cab starts its journey down. Mother stands in the corner and hugs herself, and Father produces a thin smile. I can't even return the meager expression until we're safe.

  The cab rattles when it bumps against the bottom floor, and I propel from the wall toward the exit. The door skims back.

  Meyer. He's coming toward us, his strong shoulders held high, but a glimmer of worry shadows his face.

  I race into the corridor and clutch him around the neck. His arms lock around me, and I melt into the heat of his body.

  "I knew you'd make it," he whispers into my ear.

  Any uncertainty we'd fail washes away. I pull back, only inches from his face. His hot breath makes me gasp slightly for some air of my own.


  Meyer loosens his embrace and clears his throat. "Mr. and Mrs. Lark?"

  "Yes," Mother answers, sounding slightly annoyed.

  I let go and spin around. "This is my... friend. Meyer. He's with Affinity, and is going to help us."

  Both my parent have a look of shock on their faces, most likely because they are becoming more and more aware I'm working with rebels.

  "Uh... yes." Meyer plants his feet and gestures down the hall. "Ruiz is waiting."

  "You made it," Ruiz's voice calls from behind our little group. "Are you all uninjured?"

  Father glances toward Mothers arm, but looks away when she announces, "Yes, we are all fine."

  After, we settle in a cramped room with a table, and everyone sits except for Ruiz. The leader of Affinity faces me, clothed in a white, loose top, her head full of short, perfect, dark curls.

  "Congratulations are in order," she begins. "The work you did at GenTech was successful. The outcome gives us time to regroup and formulate a plan, but this won't stop Direction forever."

  At her words, my parents stiffen, shock further overtaking them. Father looks as if he's holding in a breath.

  "Breathe, Father," I say.

  He does and gives me a look that lets me know the significance of me needing to tell him to breathe is not lost on him.

  "Thank you," I mutter and glance at Meyer sitting next to me. "Preston didn't make it?"

  He frowns. "No. He did not."

  A sharp pain stabs in my chest, and Meyer shifts his eyes away from Ruiz. I don't know how close they were, but it's another loss for him.

  "Preston was an informed soldier willing to make the sacrifice." Ruiz lowers her head. "But it doesn't make the loss less painful." After a moment, she raises her chin again. "I am sending my captain to pick you and your parents up. You can't return to Elore, so we must get you out of the city. The transport should arrive within the hour."

  I begin to speak, but Ruiz's expression has changed. Her small mouth turns into a frown, and her eyebrows have pulled together.

  "Repeat?" she says to no one in this room, apparently hearing something in her ear comm.

  Her eyes flit my way.

  "Sources indicate our location has been discovered. Prepare for an imminent attack."

  32

  "Attack?" My gaze zips toward Meyer, but he's in as much shock as me.

  "Are you sure?" Ruiz says to whoever is in the comm.

  Father clutches Mother around the waist while the five of us wait silently, hoping a mistake has been made. Ruiz nods, then focuses her attention back toward us.

  "Meyer, get these three out. Manning is wasting no time, and there's no time to wait for backup. Use tunnel fifty-six."

  Her reminder of Manning jogs my memory. "That virus we destroyed, it wasn't just meant for Elore. He was going to use it on the Outerbounds."

  Ruiz's gaze snaps to me. "What?"

  "When I was detained… Manning told me," I say.

  She goes quiet for a moment, thinking, before saying, "You need to leave. Now."

  "Yes, ma'am," Meyer says as he stands.

  Mother reaches across the table and grasps for my hand. Fear clutches at every inch of me, but I push it away, squeezing her fingers.

  "Show us. We're ready," I say catching Meyer's dark eyes and rising from my seat.

  Meyer makes for the door and pilots us into the hall, leaving Ruiz behind. The halls were relatively vacant less than fifteen minutes ago, but they now bustle with activity. Equipment from the conference room is being moved out as people railroad past us.

  I catch up to Meyer. "There's a tunnel out of the city?"

  "Several."

  "Why didn't you have me use one when I had to get back into Elore?"

  "I wasn't authorized."

  I chuckle. "Did that matter?"

  He doesn't answer, but his hand brushes over the small of my back, giving me a small sense of hope.

  We reach the end of the corridor and enter into a plain room lined with opaque containers. One wall is completely free of them.

  "You're coming, right?" Father asks Meyer.

  "Yes, sir," he replies. "Orders are to escort you out of the city, and I'm the only one of us with an EP."

  "Don't remind me." I hated the EP at first, but after using it these past few weeks, the lack of information in my vision is disconcerting.

  Meyer cracks a smile, but it's gone as quickly as it appeared. He takes out his handheld and looks to be punching in a code.

  Something odd about the wall catches my eye. A shimmer. I leave the others to step toward it. The shimmer grows stronger, and I reach out. Upon touching the glow, an electric pulse zips through my muscles and I jump back. The illusion of the wall dissolves and a metal panel slides back.

  "Should have remembered you might be able to do that," Meyer murmurs.

  Mother's mouth hangs slack, and Father's face is blank.

  "Why… why can you do all these things?" she asks.

  I shrug. "There's not time to tell you now. Follow me."

  A crack sounds from overhead. I grab the side of the panel opening and duck while swinging around to check with Meyer. Mother lets out a yelp and Father steadies her.

  "Is anyone else coming?" Father asks.

  "No," Meyer says. "There's a larger tunnel on the other side of the build‒‒"

  His face goes white as his voice fails. He must hear something in his comm.

  "They're right on top of us." His eyes snap to the ceiling. "We need to get in and seal this thing." Meyer ushers us down the stairs and stops to reset the panel, hopefully to recreate the illusion of the wall on the other side.

  The staircase is tight, and longer than I envisioned. The dull auto lights overhead barely break through the blackness. An explosion sounds again and the lights flicker. Fire races through my skin and muscles as we pound down the steps. Our panting breath echoes through the space, interrupted by the battering overhead.

  The bottom of the stairs reveals a long, narrow tunnel. There's only enough room for about two or three people to stand shoulder to shoulder.

  "How far is it?" I scan the walls, and they feel as if they're compressing around me.

  "It's a ways," Meyer's voice rings out, cut short with another blast. "Keep moving."

  The four of us jog through the tunnel, and the noises stop.

  Father slows ahead of me. "Might be far enough away from the bunk—"

  Crack. Part of the ceiling crashes to the floor in front of us. We skid to a stop, tumbling into each other.

  "Keep moving forward!" Meyer yells.

  I dash past the crumbling material and queasiness burns my stomach. To keep it down, I swallow hard.

  Thunder fills the space. A split forms on the roof and chases toward us. There has to be at least ten feet, probably more, of concrete over us. If this collapses.... we're dead.

  "Manning knows our specific location. They're following us," Meyer yells. "How?"

  I stop and he clasps my arm to pull me forward.

  "Keep moving!"

  Fear explodes and rips through me. Tears blaze in my eyes, then blur my vision.

  "Did they give you anything?" he demands. "Do anything?"

  In my panic, I go blank. "Uh…"

  Meyer yanks my arm, and a rumble sounds again overhead, bringing me back to reality.

  "No... nothing happened. I didn't even eat or drink." My body churns and shudders. "I... I remembered what you said about Ruiz not trusting Direction's food. The only thing I took was the Flexx from Kyra—"

  Meyer goes rigid and his eyes widen. "I assumed you escaped on your own. Let me see it."

  I rip it from my wrist under my sleeve, holding the device out in front of Meyer. "This one… the one Kyra delivered..."

  Meyer stares at the handheld. "It's got to be bugged."

  I snatch it back. "But… but Kyra helped me."

  With my mind I access the processor and find it. Sure enough, we're being tracked. Re
vulsion spreads from my palm and worms its way through my arm, and I throw the device to the ground as if it stung me.

  Meyer crushes the Flexx with the heel of his boot as he curses under his breath. At first the thin, transparent screen bends, then cracks in two.

  "Kyra gave you this to track you," he says. "It's why you could escape so easily. Manning wanted you to."

  Mother keeps pace behind us. "Oh, Avlyn," she moans.

  I never could be what they wanted. Even now I'm a disappointment.

  "Why would Kyra do that?" I slow in my confusion. We've been friends most of our lives. I've always trusted her, and she trusted me with her secrets.

  The mass of confusion makes everything hazy, jumbled. Meyer grips my shoulders, shaking them and snapping me back to reality.

  "It's done. We need to keep going." Quickly he pokes at his Flexx. "I'm sending out a new signal to misdirect our location, but it will take a moment to engage."

  Meyer grabs my shoulder and propels me forward. My feet strike the concrete and drive any thoughts other than escaping away. A roar like thunder fills the shaft and I hurtle forward to get away from it. Crumbling bits of ceiling pelt us as we pass, dust catching in the little bit of light the emergency fixtures emit. The tunnel roars, and the breach above us widens, propelling dirt and concrete ahead of our group.

  "It's going to give!" Meyer yells.

  And with that, the ceiling breaks free. The four of us turn on our heels and tear in the opposite direction, back to the bunker. The walls rumble, and a barrage of debris slams down behind us. Shattered pieces of concrete fly past, cutting into my skin. I plow into the wall after someone pushes me forward, throwing my hands in front of me, palms scraping against the rough surface. Blood beads wet across my skin.

  Father's fallen beside me, and I try to choke out words to make him stand. Up ahead Meyer's wide eyes peer back toward us. I spin and look behind us.

  "Mother!" I scream, scrambling back through the rubble. An enormous, jagged chunk of concrete pins her to the ground. She's not moving. She must have pushed me out of the way. Then it hits me; she saved me.