by Harper North
“The EHC headquarters?” Drape asks. “You mean next to the prison?”
The thought of the glass prison cell raises the hairs on the back of my neck. “It’s Bellaton’s operations center. She’ll be there. Go for the jugular and the whole system will collapse.”
“It was heavily guarded when we were brought there,” Emma says. “There’ll be even more guards now.”
“But there will be fewer guards on the roof,” Talen ventures. “If we start on top of the building next door, we can get across and work our way down.”
“Easier than working our way up,” I say. “As long as there’s some way to get across.” My mind flashes back to when Reinhart landed his helicopter. “I think there’s a divide between the two buildings, but nothing we can’t manage.”
“Good,” Sky says. “Let’s go.”
Emma flicks the comm device back on and it crackles to life. Voices tumble over each other, shouting commands. “Sounds like they’re getting closer.”
I raise a brow, trying to figure out how she can decipher one voice from another.
“Keep it on.” Elias picks up the bag again and slings it across his chest. “We can take one of the side routes out of here. It’ll lead us back to the surface.”
We each take a minute to check our weapons and then follow Elias across the warehouse floor to a side door. He opens it, revealing another long hallway with grey walls and embedded lights overhead. We follow the corridor, which smells of must from the cold and damp. Talen picks up the pace, quickly leading us up the long, winding hall. Every nerve in my body is on high alert.
Soon, the dampness of the hallways begins to fade. I grip my gun tight and follow in Talen’s footsteps. Up ahead, I can see an exit. The chatter on the comm device sounds like the ops are still running circles down below in the tunnels until the words, “Data Center!” come across loud and clear. “They’ve headed out the east tunnel.”
Emma shoves open a door to the darkened outside. City lights glow and transporters zip above, bringing back a familiar memory of what it was like to reach the surface the first time we escaped from underground. A smile lifts my lips. I pull back my shoulders and take a deep inhale of the natural surface air. As we hustle through the darkness, I realize we’ve been underground for an entire day. Descended into darkness and emerged into the same.
“Let’s take the back alleys,” Talen orders. “We have to avoid the standard EHC patrol route.”
Our feet pound the pavement. Sweat drips down my back as I clutch my gun to my side, ready to take out the first op who gets in my way. As we turn the corner, we run into a small group of fancily dressed people standing outside a shop. A few eyes flash to us and we quickly pull back. Further down the street, more citizens mingle near a pulsating sign that shows each one of our faces followed by the words: “Dangerous. Criminals. Report immediately.”
Sky darts to the alley five feet ahead. The rest of us follow him, leaning against the alley wall, pressing into the shadows. I lean over to try and catch my breath to soothe my burning lungs.
“They saw us,” Drape says. “Someone will report us.”
“We can’t… worry about that now,” Emma replies between breaths. She holds the comm to her ear. “They’re… out of… the tunnels. They’ll be… right behind us… in less than a minute.”
“Then we have to keep going,” Elias orders. “No more stops. When we get to the research building, head straight to the back.”
Before there’s time to recover, we’re off again, running full speed through the back alleys. Emma tries to keep pace as Drape drags her along. We emerge onto the main street only long enough to find another path that will keep us hidden from the EHC patrols.
“Two more blocks,” Talen calls back to us.
I can only imagine what the citizens of Ethos must be thinking as they witness a pack of rebels sprinting down the street, guns in hand. One woman presses her back to the side wall. A stiff-dressed man pulls out his phone and frantically taps on the display. If only they could understand that we’re trying to change things for the better, but their frightened stares tell me that unless we succeed in taking out the EHC soon, we’ll never be thought of as anything more than the criminals Reinhart wants us to be.
The familiar sight of the EHC headquarters looms ahead. Its dark glass glistens even at night. Around back is the research facility attached to the headquarters.
Elias swings the gear bag off and takes out the guard who stands at the gate outside the entrance with a fast one-two punch to the man’s gut. The op doubles over and moans as Elias sends a final hit to his head, dropping him to the ground. Drape picks up the bag and in one quick, seamless move we’re through the gate and standing at the back of the research building.
Four ops appear from the back door of the facility. One yells to the others, and they rush toward us with their plasma guns drawn. My breath hitches as I raise my weapon and point it directly at the first op, ready to take him out, but before I can fire a round he’s down. The other three ops follow him, each writhing and screaming in pain. My eyes jump to Talen, who stands rooted to the ground, his arms raised, and eyes focused in concentration.
I freeze as flashes of what Talen did to us back at Mason’s camp fill my head. When it’s finally over and the ops are dead, I grit my teeth, brush away the thoughts, and follow him with the others in v-formation as we enter the building.
“We can't have more than ten minutes,” Emma says. “They’ll be more ops who will check on the ones Talen just took out.”
Inside, the building is cool and quiet. I scan for a way to get to the roof.
“Stairs,” I shout, leading the group toward the far corner and heading up several flights. My leg muscles tighten and a twinge of pain stabs at my side, but I keep climbing until a door bangs open on the landing ahead of me. An op fires off a round. I duck, feeling the bullet whiz past my ear, then return fire, taking him out with a clear shot to the chest.
“Nice,” Sky says.
We travel up another two flights, the echo of several pairs of boots pounding down the stairs ahead of us. Elias and Sky rush up first. Emma presses her back to the wall as rattling gunfire echoes around us.
“All clear,” Elias calls out.
“I…don’t know if I…can keep up,” Emma gasps, hunched over, fighting for air.
Drape puts her arm over his shoulder. “I’ve got you.”
She nods and exhales fast, determination filling her eyes. I smooth back my hair and continue to climb. My heart beats hard against my chest. I’m desperate for a drink to quench the dryness in my throat.
“Are we almost there?” Drape asks, his face red and dripping with sweat.
Talen opens the door at the top of the long, winding staircase. Twenty floors, I count, looking down. Another twenty to go. “We have to find an elevator.”
Emma tilts her head for us to follow Talen through the door.
“We’re halfway,” Elias says as a man in a white coat turns the corner. His eyes widen as he turns to run.
“Leave him!” Talen says, pointing to the row of elevators along the wall.
Just as one’s doors are about to close, Sky shoves his arm through and stops them. They slide back open and we rush in.
As the elevator speeds up, I take a second to try to catch my breath. I grab the water bottle from my pouch and down what’s left in it. The others do the same as the floors fly by faster and faster. Suddenly, the doors open at the top floor, letting us out on the roof.
Outside, the cool, night air hits me with much-needed relief. I take a deep breath as we move toward the edge. Above, the stars fight to penetrate the glow of the city, reminding me how good it feels to be a part of the surface world. I gaze at the city beneath us. The light pulses from windows as vehicles zip through the winding city streets, reflecting off the surrounding buildings. A soft yellow glow illuminates the sky, as if the whole city is electrified whether day or night. Further in the distance, l
arge machines work on new buildings, spreading the ever-expanding Ethos.
This city sparkles like thousands of stars.
As if understanding my thoughts, Sky reaches his hand toward me. His fingertips brush mine. Before I can say anything to him, a piercing alarm cuts through the night air. My shoulders stiffen.
“It’s the breach alarm,” Emma gasps. “It’s coming from this science building.”
“We don’t have time to wait,” Elias says. “We have to jump.”
“Jump?” Drape gazes at the huge space ahead of us.
Moving to Elias’ side, I survey the distance. “It’s our only chance to get in there, but it’s going to be a hard landing.”
“Over here,” Talen calls out.
We move toward where the building’s roof extends out. “This is the best jumping point.”
Again, my mind calculates. “Twenty yards,” I say. “It’s still a risk.”
Emma steps back. “I won’t be able to make it,” she says. “I’ll stay back and keep them occupied.”
“No way,” I say to her. “We can find another way.”
Drape pulls close to Emma’s side. Still out of breath, he says, “I’ll help her. You guys gotta go.”
“It’s not happening!” I shout over the ringing alarm. “We’re all going to do this!”
“Let me do this for you, Fin. I want to.”
My heart tugs at my chest. Looking at my friend, emotions flood me as tears brim to the surface.
“Please,” I beg. “I need you.”
Drape smiles at me. “I’ll see you again. I promise.”
“We have to go, now,” Talen urges. “The whole operation will be over if we don’t.”
“Come on,” Elias orders me.
I turn to Emma and Drape and hug them both. “Please,” I say, my eyes searching theirs, “stay safe. Hide, do what you have to, but please don’t let them take you.”
“We won’t,” Emma says, a reassuring tone in her voice.
Turning back to face the divide, my gaze falls on Sky. He furrows his brow.
“You okay?” I ask.
His jaw tightens. “Sure.”
“Don’t be nervous,” I say. “We’ve got this.”
He sighs. “Who’s first?”
Before we can decide, Talen takes five steps back, then runs full speed toward the end of the roof, launching himself off the edge. My breath hitches. I want to turn away, but the strength in his body amazes me. His arms and legs flail as he easily covers the twenty-foot chasm and lands, rolling to the ground on the other side. He quickly gets back to his feet and waves for us to follow.
Elias backs up. He may not be as strong as Talen, but there’s a fearless look in his dark, determined eyes. He runs toward the edge and sails through the air, landing with both feet on the other side, making it look like he’s done this a dozen times before. His head twists back. He yells at us to jump.
I turn to look at Sky, but before I can say anything reassuring to him, he’s already leaping across. “Sky!” I cry as he falls just short of the edge of the building, catching himself with both hands on the ledge and fighting to pull himself up. Talen and Elias are there in a flash, reaching over and pulling him up. Sky wipes his brow, stands, and waves for me to hurry, the three of them making room for me.
I rush back a few feet. My mind goes wild with calculations. My pulse races. Sweat drips down my cheeks. I swing my gun’s strap to my back.
I’ve got this. Run, jump, land, tumble, go!
Sprinting toward the edge, I push off with every ounce of power I have in me. I feel my body catapult up as if in slow motion, and then I begin to fall in a perfect crescent, landing hard on the other building’s roof, tumbling six feet to my side.
“Are you okay?” Elias asks, rushing to me.
“I’m fine,” I grit out, standing and dusting off my pants. My hands and legs are scraped, blood dripping from torn skin. Nothing that won’t heal soon. I push a stray hair from my face and glance back at Drape and Emma just as the door on the roof of their building opens.
“Run!” I yell to them.
The EHC ops waste no time firing off a dozen rounds. Bullets ping off the side of the building as Emma and Drape rush around the corner, taking cover near a large vent as they work on returning fire.
“We can’t wait,” Talen says. “We must go. They know what to do.”
Elias pulls me through another door and into the EHC headquarters, toward what I know will be the hardest thing we’ll ever do.
CHAPTER 13
AN ALARM BLARES, causing my shoulders to stiffen. Beads of sweat drip down my cheeks, and I try to stay focused as we race down a flight of stairs, but any second, we’ll be swarmed.
“We have to get to Bellaton before she escapes,” Talen says, rushing ahead.
“Wait!” I stop on the top stair, eyeing the next flight down. “Give me your plasma gun.”
Without question, Sky hands me his weapon. I turn back, climbing back up to the rooftop door. I quickly fire off several rounds along the edges, and the red-hot flare fuses the lock, sealing it tight. The heated smell of burning metal fills the air. No chance of an air lift out of here for Bellaton.
“Get going,” Elias’s voice echoes back up the stairwell.
Rushing back down, I pant out the words, “The door is sealed,” and hand the gun back to Sky.
“Good,” Talen says. “Now, let’s figure out how to get into the command center.”
Without hesitation, the four of us charge down three flights of stairs. Our boots pound the hard floor and skid around each corner. At each doorway, I tighten my grip on my gun and brace for an ambush.
“Two more flights,” Elias says.
My mind scans each level for where we last saw Bellaton. It’s not two flights down. “It’s here,” I call out, coming to a stop. I immediately recognize the perimeter of the conference room down the hall. Just beyond that has to be the command center and her office.
Taking a deep breath, Talen swings open the door on this floor. Immediately, bullets fly through the opening, pinging against the stairs and railing.
“Close it!” Sky yells.
Talen slams the door shut. The sound of bullets hitting the metal on the other side continues.
I press up against the wall, calculating how many ops lay in wait on the other side. “There’s five.”
Elias and Talen nod. I know they’ve calculated the same.
“I’ll take the one on the far right,” Elias says.
Talen’s eyes narrow. “The ones on the left are mine.”
“Far end,” I say. “I’ll get him.”
“What about me?” Sky asks.
“Get behind us,” Elias orders. “Ready?”
I take a deep breath and yell, “Go!”
Again, Talen flings open the door. I rush through, blasting at the op in front of me. His body spins and drops hard. Elias stands in the door frame and takes out two guards charging from the right office area. They slide forward as their bodies go limp. With a flick of his wrist, Talen takes out the ones along the left wall. They crumple like someone electrified them.
“Easy,” I say, swinging the rifle over my shoulder.
“Watch out!” Sky yells from behind.
Before I can turn, another op appears from around the corner. Sky raises the plasma gun and fires off a round of electric red light that pierces through the guard and fries him on the spot, but he’s not fast enough. Just before he drops, the guard fires off a round.
Talen grunts as he takes the bullet to his left shoulder. His face tightens as he presses against the wall, dropping his gun. His hand flies to clutch the injury.
“Help him,” Elias says. “Stay with him.”
I rush to his side. “Are you all right?”
He slowly nods, but his clenched jaw and tight brow show that he’s in pain. The bullet went clean through his shoulder and wedged into the wall behind him.
Sky and Elias mo
ve toward the front of the hall, taking out two more ops who turn the corner. The buzz of activity charges my body with adrenaline. I quickly scan around the corner just to the side of Talen. Ten more guards wait in formation.
“Careful!” I warn Sky and Elias, returning my focus to Talen.
“I’ve got it!” Sky shouts.
Blood drips down Talen’s side. “Pull back your hand,” I say to him. When he does, more blood flows. His hand is coated in red. “You need a tourniquet until your nanites kick in.” I pull my pack over my shoulder and dig through it to find some loose fabric. “Can you use your ability to take them out?” A part of me knows it’s selfish to ask, but another part of me feels like we’re going to get mowed down without his Aura powers.
Talen swallows.
“I’ll try,” he whispers. He raises his hand and tries to concentrate. Sweat beads across his brow. His face twists in agony. After a few seconds, he drops his good arm to his side. “It’s no use,” he says. “I don’t know what’s wrong, but I can’t connect to the nanites.”
I quickly wrap Talen’s wound. I tie it tight, but it’s not enough. The blood soaks through. It’ll have to work for now.
I shove his gun back into his hand and pull my pack over my back. “Let’s keep going, okay?”
There’s pain in his eyes as he shifts his weight off the wall. “We won’t be able to get through them.”
“What then?” I ask, running a shaky hand through my hair.
Talen’s eyes go to a side door. “We can take them from the back.”
My mind quickly follows his thoughts, and I recall a series of corridors, the same way they led us before stowing us in the holding center. It’s the long way around, but it’ll work.
I wave to Sky and Elias and point to the door. Sky slowly steps back and mouths, Let’s move. He opens the door and we slide through, working our way quickly around the back hallways of the building toward the Command Center floor.
“How much farther?” Talen asks, grimacing. I turn to see his face is twisted in agony. I fall back to his side, wondering if the bullet somehow impaired his enhancement.