I don't bother trying to help Link as he fights the other four guards. He would probably be mad if I did. Instead, I rush toward the entrance but catch odd movement from the corner of my eye. I glance to the rooftop of a nearby building. One of Rafe's men is up there setting something up.
More guards spill from the broken entrance. I rush to join Link, jumping out of the way of a blast from a stun gun. Another shot hits me in the chest, dazing me momentarily, but my special suit quickly absorbs the electricity.
A muscular Dresden attacks me first. I take hold of his arm and flip him onto the grass. He swipes his legs at mine, trying to knock me off balance, but I dodge his blow. At the same time, I avoid another attack from a Speeder, as she swipes at my head with a knife. I dart away from the Dresden on the ground, giving me room to fully fight the Speeder. She's incredibly fast, but I'm faster and easily dodge her many blows. As soon as I catch an opening, I punch my fist directly into her right cheekbone. I feel and hear bones break beneath the force. Blood pours from her eye socket. I block it out and move to the next guard.
Several more fall by my hands. Only one gives pause. We stare into each other’s eyes, each waiting for the other to make a move.
"I don't want this," he says, shaking his head back and forth.
"Neither do I." I step to the side, giving him a chance to leave.
He places his hand on the stun gun on his hip.
"Please don't," I beg.
His chin quivers. "It's all I know."
The weapon flies from its holster, but before it can discharge, I'm smashing him across the face with a closed fist. He falls to the ground, unconscious or dead. My heart is heavy as I continue taking out guards that know no other way. But I am just like them. I can't walk away any more than they can.
It's not long before we have immobilized at least a dozen Primes. I stare at their broken bodies, feeling sick to my stomach.
Link raises his arms toward the building and cheers. "Is that all you got?"
A low rumbling shakes the ground, and I stumble to keep my feet beneath me. The vibration grows. Link glances back at me, his smile gone.
I press at my earpiece. "Shred? What's coming?"
"Maintain your position," he responds in my ear.
Directly in front of us, the shiny metal path leading to the front doors splits and begins to open wide.
"Can you hear that?" I ask Link. Just beyond the rumbling, there are voices. Lots of them.
He tilts his head, then his whole body stiffens. He takes several steps backward.
I touch the earpiece again. "Are you close? Because the battle you wanted is here."
"We're coming."
The vibrations stop. In front of us is a giant hole in the ground, but I don't dare get close enough to look inside.
All around us, there is an eerie silence, reminding me of a calm before the storm.
"I don't like this," I say. I glance over my shoulder. I don't see anyone on the streets anymore.
There's a clicking sound, quiet like someone chattering their teeth, directly below me.
"Move!" I shout, recognizing the fast-beat ticking.
I leap from the ground just as an explosion goes off. My body is tossed aside amid chunks of dirt and grass. I hit the ground hard, gasping for air. I look up slowly. All kinds of Primes are spilling out of the hole. I pull myself onto all fours and search for Link, but I can't see him through all of the smoke.
A Prime wearing a suit that looks similar to mine, but gray in color, raises a gun at me, the scary kind. I move to get out of the way but am not quick enough. A bullet hits my shoulder hard, nearly penetrating the suit. I grunt in pain and scramble behind a nearby tree.
I close my eyes. Focus! Link is out there and needs my help. This is why I chose to transform myself—to save the people I love.
I push myself to a standing position and look around the tree. Shred and his men have joined the fray, firing at the guards. Most of the smoke has cleared. That's when I spot Link. He's on the other side of the lawn lying on the ground. Several Primes have him surrounded and are punching and kicking at him. I'm lucky that they haven't tried to shoot him yet. He's blocking what he can, but they've overwhelmed him. I think about firing my gun, but there are too many of our own men in the way.
Keeping my head down, I sprint across the grass to get him. I'm met with much resistance. Bullets whiz by me. When a Peccarian moves to block me, I leap high into the air and jump over him. He attempts to shoot upwards, but I'm too fast. As soon as I land, I withdraw a gun from within my boot and shoot. My aim is perfect, and I hit him directly in the head. I turn away before I can see the blood misting the air behind him.
I point and fire the gun at those around Link. I kill three before they even realize they’re under attack. The others quickly raise their metal shields and withdraw their weapons, but I'm already upon them. I smash through everything I see to free Link, tossing bodies to and fro.
Finally, I reach him and kneel by his side. "Are you hurt?"
"They shot me in the leg," he growls.
I glance down. Blood pulses from a bullet wound in his calf. He must've been hit at close range to have had his suit pierced. I reach over to a body lying next to us and rip the sleeve from its arm.
"This really hurts." He attempts to stand on it but falls over.
"Look at me, Link," I order.
His bright eyes lock with mine.
"You're going to live." I tie the material around his leg tight to stop the bleeding. "Get up and fight. You chose to be a hero, so be one."
I straighten and hold out my hand. He looks at it briefly before placing his hand in mine. I pull him to his feet.
Chaos is all around us. Some of our guys are in hand-to-hand combat with the guards, while others have taken cover from all of the bullets flying through the air. The biggest troublemakers are three giant Titans who are not only blocking the guards behind them with wide and tall shields, but they are also advancing dangerously close to our team.
"Take out their legs," I say to Link.
He nods once and together we sprint, Link mostly limping, toward the Titans. They spot us immediately and focus their attention toward us. Before I reach the closest one, I drop to the ground and slide beneath his shield just as it comes crashing down.
As I'm sliding, I take hold of the Titan's leg and jerk hard. He stumbles, nearly falling down. I don't stop moving for fear of one of the guards’ bullets catching me.
While I circle my Titan, repeatedly punching at exposed areas, Link has scrambled to the top of his Titan and is choking him out. The Titan's neck is so thick Link has to use both arms to circle around the generous mass. The third Titan seems to be confused as to whether help his brothers or keep trying to shield the other guards.
My Titan swings at my head, but I dive to the ground rolling fast. Before he can get back into a fighting stance, I rush at his right leg, tackling it hard. He's unable to withstand the force and falls to the ground. I leap into the air and come crashing down on top of his head. My boots smash into his nose. The sound of bones cracking fills the air. It's a sound I won't soon forget. Blood bubbles from the Titan's nose and mouth, and his eyes roll to the back of his head. A second later he expels a breath, his last one.
"Get down!" a voice shouts.
I drop onto my belly, burying my head in my hands. Bullets from our soldiers fly over my head. Link has dropped the second Titan and is close to taking him out.
I spot movement near the broken entrance to MSR. Shred and several men are rushing into the building. A few of them carry small, metal briefcases. As soon as there is a break in the gunfire, I jump to my feet and rush after them.
The inside of the building is filled with soft light filtering in from the tinted windows. It's a large open space with only a few workspaces probably meant for reception. The floors are a soft blue, the walls a shade lighter. There's no sign of Shred.
Having memorized the layout of the build
ing, I turn right and sprint to a set of wide stairs, holding a gun tightly in my hand. I need to get to the third floor to the lab. Most likely that's where I'll find Shred and the others.
I keep my head on a swivel, searching for signs of trouble, but it seems most of the guards are outside fighting. I ascend the stairs but stop when I hear someone crying. I glance over to a glass-enclosed conference room. Men and women huddle inside trying to avoid the fight. I lock eyes with a woman who looks my age.
"Don't hurt us!" one of the men calls.
That's when I realize my gun is trained on them. I slowly lower it and catch my breath. I'm about to tell them to stay where they are when I hear gunfire upstairs. I continue up the stairs.
"Sage!" a voice calls from below.
I look over the rail at Link. "Up here!" I call.
.He hurries after me.
As soon as I reach the third floor, I slow to a walk, listening. The lab where they produce Fenoquel is just up ahead. I can hear Shred speaking low to his men. They don't sound like they’re under duress. Another voice, in the opposite direction, piques my curiosity, mainly because whoever it is sounds authoritative and not frightened. I catch several words, but the one that stands out is my father's name.
I sprint down the hall. Link's footsteps are close behind me. In a few of the rooms I pass, there are more people trying to hide. Soon their nightmare will be over. We will destroy the lab and all their chemicals and hopefully never return.
I reach a closed door with the words "exit" above it. Beyond it are the sounds of hurried footstep going up.
"Who is it?" Link asks quietly when he reaches me.
"I'm not sure, but they are anxious to get out of here." I turn the doorknob, but it's locked. I turn harder until the lock breaks. I carefully peek into the stairwell expecting gunfire, but there is none. It sounds like only three people.
"Hurry!" a voice says.
My blood turns cold. I know that voice.
Mom.
22
I fling the door open and sprint up the stairs.
"Sage!" Link hisses after me.
I take the steps three at a time, my heart pounding. I have to know what my mother is doing here.
In response to my hurried movements, the three people above me also rush. They are far enough ahead of me that even with my super-speed, I don't catch them before they exit onto the roof. The door closes just as I reach it. I jerk it open breaking the hinges.
Sunlight stings my eyes. I bring my hand up to block the light and search the rooftop.
"Stop!" a voice orders.
Link steps out and throws his arm in front of me when he sees the large gun pointed at my head.
I look beyond the gun-holding Prime. My mother stands near a hovercraft holding a large case in her hands. The craft's engine purrs softly.
"Mom?"
"You shouldn't be here, Sage," she says. Her eyes narrow. "You look different."
"What's in the case?" I ask.
She glances at Link and then back at me. "I'm protecting my life's work."
"Are you holding Fenoquel?" Link asks.
"We came here to destroy it," I say and take a step toward her.
The gun fires, barely missing my ear. Link's body tenses like he's going to lunge for the gun, but I take hold of his arm.
"That's what you were told," my mother says.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"When those in power only care about absolute control, they will stop at nothing to achieve it."
"That's why we have to destroy the Institute!" I say, frustrated that she can't understand that.
"You think it's only Ebony who cares about controlling people?"
I stare at her, the truth of her words hitting me hard. I know she speaks of Rafe and maybe even Myers.
"We can't let you leave with that," Link warns.
"I'm the only one who really wants peace, and Fenoquel is the key."
I bolt for the gun, easily knocking it from the Prime's hands. With my other, I punch at the man's face knocking him out cold.
My mother withdraws her own gun and points it at us. It shakes in her hands. "What have you done, Sage?"
I see the fear and regret in her eyes.
"Rafe convinced you to change, didn't he? Please tell me it wasn't with super pDNA."
"How do you know about that?" I ask.
She shakes her head. "Why?"
"It's the only way I can save the people I love!"
"But at the cost of your own life?"
"Sage is not going to die," Link says, "so you can save your words and hand over that case."
My mother glances at him. "I don't know who you are, but I can tell you care about her. You must not let Sage fight anymore. It will accelerate the speed in which her cells die. As it is," she inhales a hitched breath, surprising me, "she only has weeks left."
"What are you talking about?" he asks, glancing back and forth between us.
Her gaze returns to mine. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want this for you. If I had known what Rafe was going to do—"
"How do you know Rafe?" I ask.
"Listen to me, Sage," she says, her voice serious. "Rafe will use you. He cares only about his end game."
"What is his end game?"
"We have to go!" a voice calls from within the hovercraft.
"We can't let you take that case," Link warns.
She forces a smile and slowly lowers the case to the ground. "No matter. I have plenty more." She steps onto the hovercraft, and her eyes flash to mine. Sadness lurks deep within her blue eyes. "Be careful and don't overexert yourself. You need to live as long as you can."
She disappears into the open door. Link moves to stop her, but I grab him. "Let her go."
The door closes and the craft rises into the air.
My body is cold as I watch her leave. Her words have scared me. She knows Rafe, and the two have made some kind of deal.
As soon as my mother is out of view, Link turns to me. "What was she talking about?"
"Which part?" I turn around and walk back the way we came.
Link picks up the case my mother left behind and hurries after me. "All of it!"
"We'll discuss it later. Let's just get out of here."
I make my way back to the front of the building, passing by several people still huddled behind closed doors. Soon we will be gone and they can get on with their lives. It will take days for the Institute to get the materials they need to start production of Fenoquel again. Before that happens, however, we plan to destroy anything related to the drug, making it near impossible for anyone to produce it ever again.
My earpiece buzzes. Shred's voice sounds a moment later. "You and Link need to get out of the building now. You have thirty seconds."
"Why?" I ask, but no one answers.
"Let's go!" Link says and sprints, half limps down the stairs. Blood runs down his leg.
I follow after him, shouting to the people behind the glass conference room windows and whoever else can hear me too. "Evacuate the building! Now!"
If whatever is about to happen to the building is bad for Link and me, it can't be good for the others.
I make it to the front doors and glance over my shoulder. Men and women are slowly coming out of the room, probably unsure if they can trust me. I don't blame them.
"Now, Sage!" Link says. He tugs on my arm hard enough that I stumble from the giant hole where the front doors used to be.
My eyes adjust to the sunlight. There are bodies lying all over the lawn, broken and bloody. Shred is on the edge of the lawn watching the building. Those still alive stand behind him. I glance to the rooftop of the nearby building. There are two men on top pointing something long and metal directly at us. The tube-like contraption sits on a tripod. It takes me just a second to realize what it is. Rafe's special weapon from the West.
"Run!" I yell at Link.
I shove him forward just as there is a whistling through the air. An explo
sion louder than anything I've ever heard before follows, and my body flies through the air, flames licking at my back. I hit the ground hard. Chunks of debris drop all around me. A sharp piece of metal pierces my ribs.
I roll onto my good side and stare at the demolished building in horror. All those people!
"Sage!"
The sound of my name barely registers through the ringing in my ears. I blink and look up. Link stands over me, his brows drawn together. There's a deep cut above his left eye.
He pulls me to my feet and practically carries me away. The pain in my side is severe, but it's not crippling thanks to my new body. What is crippling, however, is the thought of how many people we just killed.
As soon as we are far enough away from the burning building, Link lowers me against the side of a convenience store.
"All those people," I whisper.
Link remains quiet, his jaw set.
Shred and those who are left walk back toward our vehicles. Several of them hold similar cases to what my mother had.
Despite the pain, I push onto my feet and limp toward the nearest one. I take it from his hands before he can stop me.
"What's in here?" I ask.
"None of your business." He reaches to take it back, but I shove him to the ground.
"What's going on?" Shred demands from the front of the group. When he sees me, he hurries over. "Give that to me."
"No." I turn it over in my hands trying to figure out how to open it. There's no keyhole but there is a keypad. "What's the code?"
"It is none of your concern," he snaps. "Now hand it over."
I slam the case to the ground and smash my boot into it. The top of it splinters into several places.
Shred draws his weapon and points it at me. Link, who has snuck up behind us, points his own gun at Shred's head. "Drop it."
Shred slowly lowers the weapon.
I bend down and remove several pieces of the case until I can see what's inside. There are at least a dozen vials of a green-colored liquid. "Is this what I think it is?"
Shred lifts his chin but doesn't answer.
"Why are we taking Fenoquel? We were supposed to destroy it!"
Saving Eden (Original Series book 3) Page 17