“Because Towley has been proved a liar before. How many more times must we expose your government’s corruption and lies before you open your eyes?”
“Spoken like a true rebel,” says Towley. His voice washes over me like a wave of fire. “Passed caring, huh?”
“It doesn’t take much energy to speak truths. You must be exhausted, Ray. I’m surprised you can sleep at night. I mean, you kill your own people because you hate EVO that much.”
“Not this again. Stop redirecting blame for the bombings, Theyda.”
“You can continue brainwashing the Non-EVO about that as much as you want, it’s you who has to live with that, but you cannot deny that you killed your own soldiers to stop us giving innocent EVO their freedom. Those bombs were detonated in cold blood. It didn’t discriminate between us and you. It wiped out anyone who was unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Your men included. Am I wrong?”
“Sometimes, good men have to make hard decisions.”
“Villains always see themselves as the good guys.”
“You’d know,” Towley replies.
Is this man for real? I could laugh in his deluded face. “Tell me, what happens if this facility is compromised? You seem to think that is an imminent reality.” I don’t wait for him to reply. I look to the soldiers who have turned as white as ghosts. “If you see your dear Prime Minister leaving Facility One quick smart, make sure you’re running in the same direction.”
“That’s enough rebel talk from you,” Towley says, standing in front of me, flashing me a warning look.
“Like I said, it makes no difference now,” I add, trying to keep up the act that is so easily slipping from me.
Towley offers a curt nod. I’m not convinced that he is convinced. “Now, can someone please explain to me why this prisoner is drenched in water?”
The soldier who doused me has a glean of sweat on his top lip. I’m not sure if it is from fear of Towley’s reprimand or the realisation of what Towley has just admitted. “Um, the EVO… the prisoner requested…”
“He was pouring me a drink and got smart with me, so I tried to bite him.” I shrug. “Shit idea on my part. I’m still thirsty by the way.”
The marine gawps at me and swallows hard before turning to Towley.
Towley merely laughs. “I know this one’s temper,” he says to the marine. “Get some more water, and then you both are to report to the Therapy Suite when your replacements come on duty.”
“You’re still going ahead with that? We’re on Code Black Alert, Sir.”
“And only Theyda here knows that. The others will stick to routine, for now. All EVO are being transferred as we speak. You are on express orders to maintain appearance. We don’t want them excitable.”
“What’s happening in the Therapy Suite?” I ask.
Towley takes a towel from the bathroom and dabs my hair dry. “The usual- Ability testing.”
“You let them use their abilities?” I ask, excitement overcoming my voice. “I need to use mine. I can feel it building. I need an outlet. Research me, examine me, whatever, just let me use it.”
I need to be where the other EVO will be.
“I have heard talk amongst the strongest EVO that they use the sessions as an outlet, Sir. Perhaps it is wise to let her exercise her telekinesis in a controlled environment,” says the marine.
His eyes meet mine briefly. This is his way of repaying me for keeping him out of Towley’s bad books. Consider the favour repaid, marine. You have no idea.
“Take Theyda to the Therapy Suite,” Towley instructs him. “Protocol is to be followed without fail. And Theyda, if you want this to become a regular thing, discretion with the other EVO is a necessity.”
The marine wheels me from the cell whilst the other follows alongside, gun trained on me.
“We didn’t bomb any civilians,” I reiterate under my breath. “Think about it. I’m not Isaac Woodman’s daughter, I killed him in Italy, and the bombings were not orchestrated by my people. We already proved that he lied about two of the three, don’t let him pull the wool over your eyes about the third. Especially, after he admitted he bombed your comrades.”
“Shut up,” the marine hisses under his breath. “This means nothing.”
***
My chair is wheeled into a line with the other EVO. All heads turn in my direction, but I stare straight ahead at the camera. I know this set-up and how it works. Fear creeps into my stomach at the thought of using my ability against the others in this room. That was what happened the last time I was in here, only, I allowed Yana to practically drown me. The soldiers retreat, and the vault like door is closed and locked on us. I need this opportunity, but I won’t hurt anyone else to keep it.
“Is it the same story?” I ask no one in particular. “They say jump and we say how high?”
There is silence for a moment, then a male voice replies, “Pretty much. Just do what they say and they won’t hurt you.”
I smile to myself. “A good friend of mine used to say something similar.” Turning my head toward the voice, I lock eyes with the skinny man it came from. “She knows better now.”
He flexes his wrists against the restraints. “Why are you here?” he asks, lowering his voice. “What about the rebellion?”
This has piqued everyone’s attention. What they want me to say and what I have to say are two very different things. I’m sure Towley is listening with keen interest somewhere behind these walls.
I look away from him. “There is no rebellion. It’s over.”
“The soldiers are saying that you handed yourself in. Why?” The desperation in his voice is agonising to hear.
I address all of them, forcing my head as far forward as the restraints will let me. “I’ve lost enough people to know that if you’re dead, lie down.”
The man beside me shakes his head. “Never.”
I can see in their faces that I am not the person they thought I was. It is killing me to not instil any confidence or faith in them. As long as I remind myself why I’m here, I can at least look them in the eye.
Adam’s calming aura settles my nerves as I link. “Are you ready?” I ask him.
“Teddie, what’s going on? We’ve been waiting for you to link for hours.”
“I am in the Therapy Suite with every other EVO here. Whatever you are going to do, do it now. I’ve got us all in one place, now you get us all out.”
“We’re in communications with the Techs. Play the game for a little longer.”
“I’m about to have my tags and cuffs deactivated, make sure they stay that way.”
“Quite a line up,” says Towley’s voice over the speaker, making me physically jump. “Theyda, all the EVO in this line up are Telekins. We’re pleased you can assist us in our research.”
I look to the defiant man beside me for more details.
“Apparently, they’re researching an accurate grading scale.”
“And we now have the final piece of the puzzle,” Towley adds. His voice rolling around the room is just as intimidating as Roscoe’s used to be.
There is a whirring of machinery as items lower in front of us on mechanical arms: slabs of stone in varying sizes. Finally, a slab the size of a car lowers in front of me. I remember a version of this test. I also remember outright refusing to participate and ending up in solitary for thirty-six hours.
“I shall do a quick run through of what is expected for Theyda’s benefit. Each EVO will have their tags, cuffs, and collars deactivated to perform the task. Lift each piece of concrete until you can no longer do so. Say ‘Done’ when you have reached the extent of your ability. Any deviation from the instructions will result in sedation. Severe deviation and threat to Facility One will result in execution.”
The person in the chair furthest away from me in the line lifts the first two slabs, then shouts, ‘Done.”
This continues down the line, and my palms sweat the closer it gets to my turn. I
t’s clear that we’ve been lined up from weakest to strongest, but the man beside me struggles with the second to last slab. He lifts it about a foot off the ground, panting and gasping from the effort.
“Good,” says Towley. The man’s restraints and cuffs activate with a quiet beep. “You’re up, Theyda. Seeing as it is you, you are not required to start from the beginning. Start where you feel comfortable.”
Once the sedation devices deactivate, I concentrate on the last, largest slab. My telekinesis stretches from my body like a muscle that has been cramped up. It feels good to have the freedom. Without so much as a flinch, I lift the slab straight up into the air.
“Bravo,” says Towley, the admiration evident in his voice.
Before he can reactivate the devices, I stretch my telekinesis that little bit further, lifting every wheelchair into the air, level with the slab. Some of the occupants scream, some laugh, some make noises of awe.
“Brilliant, Theyda. Nicely done. Are you getting these readings?” he asks someone, a nurse perhaps.
If he wants a show, I’ll give him a show. Keeping the wheelchairs and the slab in the air, I turn my attention to the mechanical arms. As my ability pulls on them, the ominous creak of bending metal echoes around us. With one tug, the largest arm tears free from the ceiling, falling with a screech of metal.
“Enough, Theyda!” Towley booms. “Rein in your ability at once! You will lose this privilege.”
“This isn’t a privilege, Ray. This is my right.” I lower the other EVO back to the ground before sending my own wheelchair soaring into the air, straight for the camera.
“Activate her devices!” Towley shouts. “Activate them immediately.”
There is no beep or sting from a sedation needle. The hooks holding the tag into the flesh on my back retract and the tag falls away. The restraints on my legs and wrists click open, and the chair crashes to the floor. I keep myself airborne, turning in a pirouette until my back faces the camera, and I point to my bleeding, tag-less skin.
“What is happening?” Towley snarls at some unknown facility worker. “Get in there! Sedate her! Sedate them all!”
The other EVO realise that their own devices are no longer activated. They rise from their chairs in a state of shock. All flex their limbs, help each other, laugh into the air.
Numerous soldiers file into the room. The first hold riot shields, the rest point guns. I lower myself to the floor in front of them as Towley orders the first round of shots. The EVO scream, the gunshots carry loudly around the room, and I force out my telekinesis like a shield. The bullets stop in front of me, dropping like dead flies. The marines are taken aback, unsure how to proceed.
“Theyda, what is this?” Towley shouts from behind his own shield.
“This is me not using my discretion,” I say, shrugging comically. He taps at his tablet, pure fear taking over his features. “I think you’ll find that won’t work for you.”
Another voice speaks over the speakers, and my stomach bubbles from the sound. “This is Adam Lovick, leader of TORO Squad, and I would personally like to address Ray Towley.”
There is a pause as Towley’s eyes meet mine. I throw him the most patronising of winks.
“Honey, I’m home!” Adam calls, the sarcasm dripping from his voice. “I am accompanied by Rafe Lloyd of Shift and Fernan Rue of the E.N.C. We have control of all of your systems. Basically, you’re screwed.”
The soldiers look to Towley for guidance, but he hasn’t a clue what to do. There is nothing to be done.
“We offer everyone within the facility the chance to surrender. However, resistance will be met with resistance. You have five minutes from now to make your way up-top where you will be met by TORO. Hand over your weapons and you will not be harmed.”
Some of the soldiers turn and leave the room, despite Towley’s roars of protest. “Stay where you are. That is an order. Cowards… cowards the lot of you. Heads will roll for this!”
Every man and woman can smell the defeat pouring from him. They take Adam’s offer, disappearing into the corridor and leaving their commander - the Prime Minister - to fight his own battles.
There are gunshots from elsewhere in the facility. Clearly, some are not as willing to let go of Towley’s ideologies. If anything, this ignites a spark of hope in Towley. Grabbing guns from the floor, he starts firing at us all. I deflect each bullet, angering him all the more.
“Give up, man!” the defiant EVO shouts. “The rebellion has won. She has won.”
Towley pulls a grenade from his pocket. Can I conceal us from the blast? After everything, am I going to die like this, in this hole in the ground?”
Towley holds it up, making sure we have a good look at it, and just as he is about to pull the pin, Darcy bounds up behind him, locking his teeth on his forearm.
A soldier follows Darcy in and snatches the grenade from Towley’s other hand.
Mangard.
Towley rolls on the floor, screaming as Darcy’s teeth sink further into his arm. “Get it off!”
Mangard brushes Darcy aside and lifts Towley by his scruff, then he headbutts him unconscious.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
“Stop gawping and get up-top,” he orders. Judging by the reactions of the other EVO, they’re just as surprised as me. Mangard laughs. “I’m one of the good guys.”
“Since when?” I ask.
“Since Ethan got me on detail here.”
“You know Ethan?” He hoists Towley over his shoulder and leads the throng of EVO out of the door. “Where are you taking him?”
Mangard carries on up the stairwell to the next floor. “The chief wants him brought up-top.” A soldier appears from around the corner, and Mangard shoots him dead, struggling to wield his gun and carry Towley. “
“Give him here,” I tell him. Towley floats from his shoulder with telekinesis. His limp, prostrate body glides along beside us as we make our way out of this hell hole. “Are you EVO?”
Mangard shakes his head, checking around a corner before ushering us to follow him. “No, and don’t want to be. You guys have a rough ride of it. Fred De’Laney is like the Dad I never had. Ethan and I grew up like brothers. I want a free world for Fred. That’s the story.”
Loyalty is a good a motivator as any.
“And Darcy?” I ask. Mangard looks confused. “My dog, what is he doing down here?”
He pats at Darcy’s head. “Idiot followed me in. I assumed he was something to do with you.”
“Teds, are you with a marine? Mangard?” Adam asks.
“Yes, we have Towley and the other EVO on the Therapy Suite level. Darcy is here too.”
“That bloody dog! Okay, we’ve got you. Look to your three-o clock.” He waits until I spot the camera on the ceiling. “Hey, Baby, I see they’re still using the red scrubs. Tell Mangard to avoid the canteen. Just get to the main stairwell and keep on up until you make it up top. I’m on my way. I’ll meet you half way.”
I relay Adam’s instructions, and Magnard makes a sharp left turn, taking the steps two at a time. “Hurry,” he snaps.
“Some of these guys are weak,” I call after him. He makes a face. “And no one is getting left behind.”
My body is aching from lack of exercise, and now, being forced to sprint upstairs whilst continuously levitating a body at the same time is like running through mud. Mangard doesn’t let up. What is it with these marines and TORO? They love to make me work. Darcy keeps pace with me, despite being able to best Mangard in speed.
Footsteps pound the stairs above. Darcy’s ears prick and a low growl rattles in his throat. Mangard holds his hand up to halt us.
“Un-friendlies heading your way,” Adam shouts into my head. “Steer clear of the stairwell.”
“We’re in the stairwell!”
I don’t even have time to relay the message to Mangard. A man, not in military uniform, almost leaps down the stairs toward us. As soon as his eyes lock on mine, a sick grin twists his face.
“This is my service to my country,” he bellows, pulling a grenade from behind his back.
The pin tinkles on the floor, and in a moment of chaos, Mangard gives an animalistic yell, tackles the man to the ground, and holds him in an embrace. That’s all I see before I am catapulted backward down the stairs. Darkness falls on us, and dust and debris fill the air around me.
Most of us are piled atop of each other. My head aches from crashing into the EVO behind me. There is coughing and crying, but I think everyone is mobile. Darcy sniffs and licks at my face. I rub a hand over his head to let him know I’m okay and my palm comes away red and sticky.
“He’s hurt,” I say out loud to no one in particular.
A trembling hand rubs at my own cheek. “It’s not his blood… or yours,” says one of the EVO. “It’s Mangard’s.”
My hands are moist and slimy, and I desperately wipe them clean of blood in my scrubs. The emergency lighting flickers in the corridor. The dim, blue glow illuminates the rubble and the creaking directly above us. I daren’t look further up for fear of seeing Mangard… or what is left of him.
“Teddie!” Adam’s frantic calls fill my mind.
A middle-aged, female EVO stands beside me with a gash over her eye. She pays it no heed and gawps at the destruction instead. “He saved us. I thought he was an EVO hating asshole, but he saved us.”
“Is everyone alive?” I ask.
A chorus of yeses greet me.
“Teddie, what was that? Are you okay?” Adam asks again.
“Get back into the corridor,” I yell at the EVO. “Help each other. This stairwell is about to give.”
“Mangard is dead,” I tell Adam. “He shielded us from a grenade. The stairwell is about to collapse. Where the hell do we go? The lift is adjacent to the stairwell, we can’t risk it.”
“Is everyone else okay?”
“Yes, everyone is mobile at least.”
“There is a fire escape hatch just passed the Therapy Suite. It’s your only way up from the lower level. I will get there as soon as I can, but we have un-friendlies between us and you. The structure above you is unstable, so await my instruction before getting out of the tunnel.”
EVO Nation Series Trilogy Box Set Page 86