Colt rests his palm on my back. "I have to take them. You two need to come too."
"We'll be right behind you."
He stares into my eyes, a weighted gaze that makes me want to crawl into his arms and cry myself to sleep. Instead, I dig deep and find the strength I need to get Max out of there. He's still alive, I remind myself.
"Let's go, Max," I say. He comes to his feet and follows me without question. As we walk past the open double doors, I peer inside. Ebony is face down on the floor in a puddle of her own blood. I feel nothing for her death. She may as well be a floor rug.
I'm numb the entire way out of the building. Even my brain. I don't want to think about what's happened to Max or how I failed him.
Rafe has rounded up dozens of Institute employees and guards. He has them bound and sitting on the grass. A large covered truck parks in front and barrels of what I assume is Fenoquel is loaded up by Rafe's men.
"Wait here," I tell Max. He stops and stares at nothing at all. The chaos, the blood around him, doesn't phase him. Maybe that's a good thing.
"Rafe!" I call and jog over to him.
He takes a break in barking orders long enough to say to me, "I'm busy."
"We need to destroy all this." I point at the barrels.
"Get out of my way." He shoves past me.
"Sage!"
I turn around. Jenna throws out her arms in frustration. "Where's Max?"
Jenna follows my gaze and walks toward him.
"Hey there little man!" she says, but stops when she must realize what's happened to him. She gives him a light hug. He doesn't return it. She glances back at me, her eyes sad.
A familiar hand on my back has me turning around and burying myself into Colt's chest. He holds me tightly.
"We'll find a way to fix it," he vows.
"We have to."
"There's not much time," he says. "We need to get everyone loaded."
"I know."
Rafe's truck pulls away from the curb.
"We need to stop him," I say as I watch it lumber down the road.
"I'm working on it." Colt lets me go. "There's still room on the main airship if we go now. Otherwise, we'll have to hitch a ride with Rafe."
"Let's go," I say.
I take Max's hand, and together we load onto the airship full of Originals. We are well on our way when the crowd parts and Link walks toward us. His forlorn expression nearly breaks my heart. I throw my arms around him. He holds me tight, his shoulders shaking quietly.
"It's going to be okay," I say. "I'm so sorry."
Eventually, he lets me go, wipes at his eyes, and turns away from me. "I have to go."
"Link?"
He disappears into the crowd. I move to go after him, but Colt stops me.
"He needs time," he says.
I huddle back against him and let him hold me, trying to block out the sounds of those crying and wailing. Everyone lost so much today. I drop my hand to Max's shoulder. He's the only one who seems unaffected.
When we land at Enfield, just before sunset, the mood isn't any better. No one is cheering for the won battle.
I take that back.
As I cross the Green, I hear the sounds of laughter. I glance toward the front, to Rafe's tent. It's packed with his men, all pouring drinks and celebrating the victory. Rafe catches my eye. I quickly glance away, but it's too late. He pushes aside the crowd and comes toward me.
"I see you rescued your brother," he says.
I grip Max's hand.
Colt steps between Rafe and me. "This isn't the time. Go finish your celebration."
"This party won't last long. The war isn't over."
"It is for us. I'm taking Sage and Max to Maine."
I look up at him surprised. This is the first I've heard of it, but I'll admit it's just what I need.
"Sage isn't going anywhere. Must I remind you that she is my property? She is still in good condition."
Colt shoves him hard. "She is no one’s property!"
"Colt," I say and reach for him, but he shrugs my hand away.
Rafe recovers quickly and crowds Colt's space. "Don't you ever lay your hands on me! All I have to do is press this button," he taps his arm, "and your precious girlfriend and her friend are dead."
By now a large group has gathered around us. Rafe's men cluster behind him, some of them touching their weapons nervously. Shred is there, but I notice he is at the back, waiting expectantly. I whisper to Max to go stand off to the side. I have a feeling things are about to get ugly.
"When will you learn?" Colt asks. "You can't control people like this. You're doing exactly what the Institute has done to all of us for decades. How is that right?"
"It's what wins wars," he spits back. "Maybe you should try it sometime."
"Forcing people to fight?" Colt laughs. "Sage would've fought without the threat of death. That's where you go wrong. You don't trust the people who are fighting for you, and you shouldn't because they're not fighting for YOU. They're fighting for a cause much bigger than you. And because you don't understand this, no one here respects you. They fear you, and it will be your undoing."
Rafe cocks his fist back and punches Colt across the face. "Fear instills loyalty."
He hits Colt again, splitting open Colt's cheekbone, but Colt barely flinches.
"Fear gets results." Rafe lifts his hand to punch Colt again, but Colt catches Rafe's fist.
"Fear makes you weak," Colt says. His giant bat-like wings snap outward from his back. "But if you respond to fear, let me show you what it really means to be afraid."
Rafe moves to deck him again, but Colt moves faster. As he ducks down and spins, the top point of his wing stabs forward into Rafe's chest slicing it open. Colt pops up behind him and wraps him in a headlock.
Rafe gasps for breath and struggles to break free from Colt, but Colt's grip is impermeable. Rafe's men move to stop Colt, but Link seems to appear out of nowhere and blocks them.
"I am not in the mood to deal with fighting amongst our own," Link growls. "We've had enough of that today, but I swear to you, if anyone lays a hand on Colt, our true leader, I will rip the limbs from their body!"
Nobody moves.
"This is what's going to happen," Colt says, jerking Rafe harder to keep him still. "You're going to destroy that thing in your arm and never lay claim to Sage and Link again. They are free, do you understand?"
Rafe struggles to free himself, but Colt chokes him even harder until Rafe's face turns blue. "Nod if you understand."
Finally, Rafe nods as much as he's able.
Colt lets up a little, allowing some air back into Rafe's lungs, which he sucks in eagerly.
"Next," Colt continues, "you will step down as leader, a role no one gave you to begin with, especially in the East. You will answer to me or Tank or whoever else ends up in command. You have proven that you are incapable of making the right decisions for both Originals and Primes. However, if you behave, we'll still let you serve in a smaller leadership role. Your knowledge of the Institute is invaluable, especially in their dealings with the West. We want you on our team, but not if you are going to continue to put lives at unnecessary risk."
"I will never agree to all that," he spits. "Only I can win this war."
"Only by forcibly taking away innocent people's free will," Colt says. He then surprises everyone by tilting his head up and yelling, "Tank!"
A second later, there's an explosion that startles the crowd. In the distance, a dark cloud of smoke rises into the sky.
"Do you want to know what that was?" Colt asks. "That was all your supply of Fenoquel. We found it and now it's gone. Destroyed. Something that evil should not be allowed to exist."
I smile, so proud and in awe of Colt in that moment.
"You’re a fool!" Rafe yells. "All of you are!"
I step forward, unable to stay silent any longer.
"You don't get it, do you? Many signed on to HOPE a long time ago thinking it was
just to protect Eden and the Originals who live there. But someone very important to me helped me see that Eden is a lot more than a place. It's an idea where everyone has the right to live free without the fear of death, where people can love freely or not at all, and even a place where someone can choose to be nasty simply for the sake of it. The goal is to ensure people have choices. You want to rid them of that and that goes against everything HOPE stands for. We are trying to save Eden, not destroy it. For that reason, you will be locked up until you have a serious change of heart. And I hope you do because even though we may not agree on your methods, you did help us win this war. If we can unite in one goal, I have no doubt we can stop the Institute once and for all."
I glance over Colt's shoulder at Rafe's men. "Do any of you have a problem with this?"
There's a low grumble, but only one speaks up.
"I'll make sure they support you," Shred says and tips his head.
"Thank you." I return my gaze to Rafe whose face is red with anger. Or maybe Colt is squeezing his neck again. "First thing first, deactivate the chip."
He blows air through his nose, his jaw muscles bulging, as he searches my eyes.
"You are the one with no choices right now," Colt says. "If you want it to stay that way, then keep fighting us."
"You can't kill me," Rafe coughs.
"Nope, but I can paralyze you from the neck down, and believe me, I'm very tempted.”
Rafe slowly lets go of Colt's forearm. He stretches his arm and presses a spot a few inches above his wrist. A faint keypad appears on his skin. With his other hand, he presses a series of numbers, then says, "It's done."
"Not quite yet," Colt says. He glances over his shoulder. "You have a knife, Link?"
Link circles around them removing a knife from a side belt. He looks Rafe directly in the eyes. "If you're lying, I will slit your throat before I'm dead."
He presses the knife to Rafe's arm and slices downward, exposing the implanted device. Rafe cries out as Link rips it from his arm. Link looks at me. We hold our breath waiting to drop dead but nothing happens.
"First good decision you've made," Colt says and releases him.
Rafe stumbles away and searches the crowd, probably for support, but no one steps up to help him.
"Link, please escort Rafe to lock up where he can think about which side he's really on," Colt says.
"With pleasure." Link grabs Rafe roughly by the arm and leads him away.
At the back of the crowd, someone begins to clap. I lift on my tippy toes to see who.
Tank stands tall, clapping slowly. Jenna's next to him and begins to do the same. Soon the whole crowd is united, clapping in unison until it becomes too fast. Tank lets out a monstrous roar. Others join in. The sounds are not the sounds of the joyful, but the sounds of those in mourning.
Colt lets them cry, then quiets them down. He yells to the crowd, "Today many of us lost loved ones. They will forever be remembered as those who gave their lives so that we may be free. Let us go home tonight and rest." He inhales deeply, looking as tired as the day he woke from being captured. "For some of us, there will be more battles to fight, as we help to rid the world of the Institute, but now is a time of reflection. Go."
Colt lowers his head. I step to him and take hold of his hand. Slowly the crowd begins to disperse. I glance back at Max. He's still standing in the exact spot I told him to, staring at everything and nothing.
"That was some speech," Jenna says to Colt. "Short and sweet. And to think you used to be a loser."
"And to think you used to be annoying," he responds, smiling slightly. He turns to Tank. "Thanks for destroying the Fenoquel."
"It needed to be done," Tank says.
While the three continue to talk, a strange sensation comes over me, like I've inhaled sleeping powder. My legs grow weak, and my eyelids heavy.
"I'm tired," I say between their chatter.
"What?" Colt asks.
My grip on his hand relaxes. I can't stay awake any longer.
"Catch me," I say as I feel myself falling backward into a dark, empty abyss.
28
My eyes slowly blink open. It takes me a moment to ascertain my surroundings. I'm in the room off of my father's lab lying on the same bed my father sleeps in. I'm clean and wearing a fresh gown. What happened?
I slowly sit up, but it takes great effort, more than it should. I haven't felt this fatigued since before I took the super pDNA. I lower my head into my hands, elbows resting on knees. I thought I would have a couple of more weeks at least, but maybe my mother was right after all. Fighting, all the extra exertion, will kill me faster.
It's hard to ignore the deep ache in my heart. I couldn't save Max, not really. At least he won't care when I eventually pass. I'd rather have him hurt, though, feel pain, because if he feels then that means he could be happy one day. Find love even.
"Sage?"
I look up. My father stares down at me, deep lines etched into his forehead. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired. Where's Max?"
"He's with Jenna in the dining hall. He said he was hungry."
My bottom lip trembles and I shake my head back and forth. "I'm so sorry, Dad. I tried to save him, but I screwed up."
He wraps his arms around me and hugs me tightly. "It's okay. You did the best that you could. Max is alive, that's all that matters. We'll find a way to reverse the effects, I swear it."
He continues to talk, speaking quickly about how he will do it, what process he will use, what chemicals he will test. His voice quivers.
I pull away and look at him. His eyes glisten.
"It's okay," I console. "I know you'll find a way."
"But I don't know how to fix you in time." He blinks and a single tear escapes his eye.
I swallow the lump that had been threatening to choke me since I woke up. "I never expected you to. Just help Max. That's all I care about."
I come to my feet, swaying slightly. I feel much better than I did before. "Where's Colt?"
"He's getting things ready."
"For what?"
"To get you and Max out of here."
I rub my hand across my face. "He's really doing it. What about the war?"
"He's leaving Tank in charge for now. He and Shred are discussing ways to get the soldiers to the West. Soon, I'll be leaving for Charlotte to set up my work at the Institute's lab where I can start mass producing the cure to the Kiss."
"That's good, but don't wait. So many need this."
He shakes his head. "I can't until you—"
"Don't wait for anything to happen to me. Save the lives worth saving now. Please, Dad." I walk toward the door planning to have the same talk with Colt. He needs to be where he can do the most good. "I'll say goodbye before we go."
I leave my father to go in search of Colt. I find him in the hangar loading things into a small hovercraft.
"You're awake!" he says and hurries over to me. He holds me tightly. "You should be resting."
"I feel much better, I promise."
"Good, because we're going on a trip. Max is already inside."
I take hold of his arm stopping him from loading up another back of supplies. "You don't need to do this."
His muscles tighten, and he turns around. "It's all I've wanted since I was rescued."
"But you can do so much good helping the war. People look up to you. I appreciate you wanting to look after me before I…" I clear my throat unable to say the word, "but I'm okay."
"I don't think you understand. This isn't just for you." He thumps his chest. "I'm breaking inside. I've tried faking it, and it has helped, it has, but I need to get away. I need to calm my mind, and the only way I'm going to be able to do that is to leave all this behind for awhile."
The desperation in his voice is unmistakable. I embrace him tightly. "Then we'll leave. Tonight."
"Not without me."
I let go of Colt and turn around. Jenna's smiling big, a bag flung over
her shoulder.
"I hear it rains a lot in the West. I hate rain."
I run to her and throw my arms around her, laughing.
It doesn't take long to finish packing the hovercraft. Before we leave, we walk around Enfield saying goodbye to those we've become close to. Most of them have no idea that they will never see me again. I try to keep from crying, but it's hard. I've made many friends.
I find Link with his family in the dining hall. His poor mother looks so despondent, but I know she's still in shock over the loss of her husband. Death of someone you love makes you feel numb.
"Are you leaving?" Link asks me. He pulls me to the corner of the room where it's quieter.
I nod my head.
"I'm not going to see you again, am I?"
"Probably not. I've begun to feel different."
It's his turn to nod like he knows what I've been feeling.
"What about you?" I ask. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going West. I want to fight until my very last breath."
I reach up and press my palm to his cheek. "Why does that not surprise me?"
He pulls me in for a hug. "I'll miss you."
"You too." I inhale a hitched breath.
It's hard to leave him. It's hard to leave everyone. The pain in my chest is crushing.
My father, Tank, and Ash are at the hangar when we return. I give Ash a hug and then Tank.
He releases me and says, "Who would've thought such a little thing could change the world?"
"I didn't do anything. You all were fighting well before me."
"But you helped us take it to the next level."
"And look how it ended up." I lower my gaze to the floor. "You're missing an arm, Colt was tortured, Anthony died, and Max is…" I can't finish the words.
Tank takes me by both arms. "The Institute is gone from the East! Finally! And I've got Jet and Raven addressing the President tomorrow. They are going to show him your father's work. If he believes a cure exists, he promises to give HOPE whatever we need. We're free now!"
I force a smile, but I can't look at him. I never realized how much freedom would cost.
To Colt, Tank says, "Take care of them."
"You know I will." They embrace briefly and say goodbye.
Saving Eden (Original Series book 3) Page 23