Still gasping for air, I wipe my mouth after I stand. Blood covers my hand, and I take my bottom lip into my mouth tasting it. I suck it to stop the heavy bleeding and spit it out across the stage.
Luke’s still on the floor, holding his cracked ribs.
My knee hurts, and my hand’s busted. I limp to him, ignoring all my issues. I kick his face, angry he won’t give.
“Give, Luke,” I yell, kicking him again in his cracked ribs.
“Agh!” he moans in agony. “I’m going to kill you, Ky,” he says without menace.
“Shut up and give!” I go in for another kick. He grabs my ankle, yanking me so hard he knocks me off my feet. I hit the floor.
He’s over me as my head spins. “I told you to give,” he says before his fist smashes into my face and darkness takes over my vision.
“Ky? Get up, Ky. So you can heal me,” Luke says, shaking me.
Grumbling, I swallow the metallic taste in my mouth. “I hate you,” I say, opening my eyes and touching my lips. They’re dry, and all my pain has subsided. I sit up, still on the stage. Luke’s kneeling in front of me with a black eye and swollen lip. “I want to kill you.”
“I beat you to it. Don’t be a sore loser.” I grab his hand and take care of him as he has already done me. “Thanks.” He stands and pulls me with him.
I push him away. I am a sore loser. I absolutely hate losing.
Jord claps. “Very good, the both of you. She almost had you, Luke.” His smile is wide, too pleased with our fight.
“A little,” Luke responds, jumping from the stage.
I jump down. “A little? I had you, Luke, a lot, you need to admit it.”
“You two give a better fight than those who are not siblings,” Jord says. “You did well, Kylie,” Seits compliments.
“Thank you, ma’am,” I respond. “Admit it, Luke.” I push Luke’s shoulder.
He shakes his head. “If you had me, Ky, it would be you waking me up, not the other way around.”
I shove him as we sit. “You’re a sore winner.”
“Anyone here who didn’t find that entertaining?” Jord asks, smiling. The only one in the hall boiling over with joy. “Anyway, moving on.”
Everyone gets a turn, and it takes all day, fights running into the night.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The leaders stay behind when the others are dismissed for the night, by Jord’s request of course. “As you know,” he starts, vest slapping the table as he removes his protective wear, relaxing, “Separation begins tomorrow. The newcomers will arrive, ignorant about what you know.” We’ve crowded around him, awaiting the big reveal. I’ve been hoping he’d finally tell everyone what we’ve been called out here early for. “They will remain oblivious until the day after tomorrow.” So much for that. “Those of you who know will tell nothing, not even to the ones you work next to or share a home with. Those who are curious to find out will remain curious until we talk. You will find out when the rest do. As a reminder, the newcomers to Separation will not have twins that can heal. Those individuals, you will take it easy on. Train hard, yes—but unlike our extensive training that’s limited to the Creations, feel free to use the simulators.” He rubs his bald head. “This is why the Creations were brought here first. We need them to be ready and go through the training that prepares them for the unexpected. Remember, we do not honor failure, but we will understand many of those in Separation will be afraid. They will be scared. You will need to comfort since a few of you will be new captains. Understand their fear and help them overcome it. However, that is not acceptable for the Creations.”
“Sir,” Collins interrupts. “The Creations in Separation that will be coming tomorrow, we treat them kindly?”
“Captain, there will be no Creations in tomorrow’s draft. The Creations who will be coming in this fourth year are already here. Those joining tomorrow are the Normals who are taking part in Separation,” he answers.
“Like the ones who volunteered to come, Sir Jord,” Cory states.
“Exactly. There will also be some who did not volunteer. New law.”
“General, how are we supposed to treat them?” I ask.
“As you would someone who is afraid. Someone who knows fear,” he answers.
“Okay, sir,” Luke begins. “Just as a run-through to make sure we all follow.” Jord nods for him to continue. “The teenagers who are a part of Separation will pour in tomorrow. This year there will be some in Separation who were forced to come, and there will only be Normals in this draft.” Jord nods. “Okay. Got it.”
“Anyone has any questions?” Jord asks.
“Yes, sir,” Cory’s sister states, “How do we comfort fear?”
Jord thinks for a moment. I, too, think of a way I would comfort someone’s fear. Thinking back on my parents and what my mother did for me when I was scared. But I don’t remember being scared while she was around, other than fretting over a bad dream. Then there was my uncle, and Luke helped during that time by just being there, a brother. And more recently, the day all those things came back, and fear shook my body. And I was put at ease by…
My gaze lifts to Marc leaning against the wall behind Jord. He put me at ease. He pacified my tremors and even took away my nightmares. There’s an unfamiliar sentiment in his gaze, and though I know it’s wrong to experience or want to experience the caress of another, I want to explore it with Marc.
“You will need to show your understanding. Express you care even though you don’t. You don’t have to hug them, but a gentle pat on their back will do fine. Taking out some time to talk to them about their fears and issues will also help.” Jord scratches his head. “Don’t be too gentle and too understanding—we don’t want them soft. But you may need to soften up when speaking with them. And no shooting them.” His gaze slices me in two, but I don’t regret my actions. My tactics worked. He nods, and we follow with a nod. “Okay,” he continues. “Lukahn and Kylie are top. Marcain and Collins are next.”
Collins slams her hand on the table. “What?” she angrily interrupts. “Why?” she shouts.
He flicks a quick gaze at her through narrowed eyes. “I beg your pardon?”
“Why is she ahead of me? First, she’s picked over me for the Chicago mission. Now this!”
I speak up, “Collins, we both knew I’d rank over you. Your anger is misplaced.”
She points, accusing, “The only reason you got the spot is because of Cory!”
“Stop!” Jord commands, cutting me off. “Collins, Kylie has proven herself on multiple occasions, and I doubt Cory has anything to do with it. He has no say in our decisions.” Turning his attention to me, Jord asks, “Do you mind proving yourself to Collins? Does anyone else here doubt Kylie?”
I fold my hands, slipping my fingers between each other before cracking my knuckles. Standing, I say, “I can prove myself to Collins.” I lower my brows, meeting Collins’s matching glare. “How would you like for me to prove this to you?” She called me out in front of everyone and involved Cory for no reason. “Drag you across the floor, break your jaw, crack your spine…? Which one is it?” She’s sitting right next to me, and if I were as low as she is, I would punch her without her expecting it.
Luke laughs. “Do you really want to do that to yourself, Collins? Get embarrassed for no reason by challenging my sister?” He stands. “Tell you what. Fight my sister, and if you lose,” he looks up at the ceiling, pausing, “and we know you will. I’ll fight you. Just to highlight your stupidity.” Smiling and nodding, he adds, “Call it a spanking.”
“If I lose a fight with your sister, you want to fight me?” she asks, appalled.
“Yep,” Luke answers her.
Jord laughs. “Or the four of you can make it a twin-on-twin fight. Collins and Cecilia against you and Kylie. But before you do, let me finish. When the others come in, they will be greeted by Cory and Ace as you were. Stephanie and Zoe will show them to their homes and give them instructions and help t
hem to get acclimated. They will need to be shown around, and that is all tomorrow will be concerned with. Refrain from shooting and beating the life out of each other until they are comfortable. They will meet you before we explain what is going on the day after tomorrow. Respond!”
“We understand,” we respond peacefully. He nods and walks away. “Enjoy your squabble.”
“Okay, Collins, let’s go,” Luke says, and I take his side.
“Will tomorrow be an off day for us?” Fein asks Cory. The three of us stroll to the rec hall of our teams, Cory hanging on to the conversation though he lives in the opposite direction.
“For you all, not me,” he answers. “Mostly meet and greets, but you can linger. Luke, Ky, Collins, and Marc maybe not.”
I’ve been avoiding making eye contact with him. His stare is constantly burning when it lands on me, a look of concern and aspiration in the depths of his eyes. “What will we have to do?” I ask. We stride along, Fein in the middle of us, which I’m grateful for.
“Whatever they request.” He knows. He’s been doing this for quite some time, but he doesn’t want to tell us.
I walk ahead of the two, making it to the opened door of the rec hall for the non-leaders. The majority of my group is gone, the only stragglers are Joe, Anthony, and Robert. Cory and I sit on a table near them, and Fein finds some from her group. “Hey, guys. What are you all up to tonight?”
“Preparing for tomorrow. We want to set a good impression by being too tired to stand up straight.”
I frown.
Anthony laughs. “Kidding. We’ll be headed in shortly.”
“Do you feel good? Feel better about yourselves than you did when you first arrived?”
“We do,” Anthony answers. He lifts his arm, flexing his muscles. “I got guns.”
We laugh.
“What could I have done differently as your leader?” I ask, knowing their initial failing was my fault.
“I don’t know,” Robert says, before greeting Cory. The others follow. Cory responds to them with a nod.
“If you could change something, what would you do?” Joe asks.
I shrug once. “Never thought about leading, I’ve been a two-man army for my entire life, but I knew it would come. I trained you like my brother trained me: hard and no sympathy for weakness or consideration for your pain. I’d find my own way that works for all of us. Everyone doesn’t learn the same, and I should’ve considered that. However, I can’t accept weakness from you all. I let you all off easy while I should’ve stayed hard on you without being mean to you.”
There’s an uncomfortable silence that takes over the conversation. Then Robert says, “I guess if we were all trained by Luke Alexander, we’d come out like you too. I’ve never seen someone take three shots to the back and still try to make their way through a course. You and your brother have made names for yourselves, and we should’ve known what to expect as members of your team. Plus, we were weak and needed to try harder, to improve ourselves, and now we are better.” He flexes his muscle again and points to his bicep as his brows dance. “Guns, remember.”
I nod. “We’ll be sticking together through Separation and maybe beyond that. The team will grow larger when the Normals come in. You’ll need to hold your ground while I prep and train them, but I will remain tough on all of you if you start slacking off. Got it?” I say kindly.
“We got it, Ky,” Joe replies without rancor.
I stand. “Great.” Cory follows behind me as I leave. “My brother doesn’t like for you to follow me around, Cory,” I tell him once we’ve left the rec hall.
“Good thing I don’t care about your brother.”
“Don’t push this.” I stop. “This is nothing.”
“So you’ve told me,” he says, crossing his arms and hitching a brow.
I sigh, and turn away from him. He may be sorry, but he’s still not past this. “I’ll talk to you later,” I call over my shoulder, heading home.
Luke’s sitting in the den with Collins—again—an inch or two too close. I lean my shoulder against the doorframe, saying, “You can deface my character, try to downplay me in front of everyone, and still try to creep on my brother?” She’s changed from her blood-stained shirt, and Cecilia has healed her bruises. She sits before me, evidence of her “spanking” disappeared. That will be the last time she speaks badly about me.
“I’m sorry, Kylie,” she says, gaze casted on the floor, hands tucked under her armpits. “I just really wanted that spot.”
“You were never in line for that spot,” Luke tells her. “Get over it already. It’s getting annoying.”
“That’s not true,” she replies loudly, throwing a punch in his shoulder.
Sean comes to my side, blocking the doorway. “Why are you yelling?”
Gunshots blare, calling each of us to attention. Luke and Collins, on their feet, sigh after looking over their inside clothes. Sean and I race outside, searching for the attackers.
Hoarse groans break through the air.
“Zombies,” we mutter.
We sprint to Jord’s office. He’s gone.
Silence falls over the base. Others stand outside, weapons in hand as we look over the grounds or wait for a sign to identify where the ruckus is coming from.
I scan the faces, not finding the one I search for. “Where’s Marc?” I ask Sean.
He shrugs.
Bursts of light from exploding gunpowder flash four houses down from ours. A second set of groans and snarls sound over the gunshots. Running in their direction, I pull my gun out from its holster, boots smacking the dirt, kicking up dust in the night.
We slow as we get closer, now swallowed by the darkness that has devoured this side of the base. Floyd and Fein are on our heels.
“This,” I show Sean my lighter gun, “isn’t going to do anything.”
“I know,” he responds as we turn the corner of the house. “I only have one.”
I nod and Fein asks, “Why is your gun going to do nothing?”
There’s a low snarl followed by a snapping gun shot. The world falls silent.
Jord, Marc, Cecilia, and Susan stand in the opening. Sean and I run to Marc. Susan clings to him, face buried in his chest.
“If you knew nothing before,” Jord starts, “you know nothing now. Nothing you have seen should leave your mouths. If you didn’t see anything, do not ask any questions.” He pulls Susan from Marc and heads for the halls, likely taking her to see the medic. Her feet drag along the dirt as he yanks her beside him. Eight Zombie corpses circle Marc where he’s still kneeling on the ground.
As he stands, he avoids my eyes, but he gives Sean a nod.
Luke’s calling me, running in my direction. I retract, eyeing Marc, then turn and jog away to find my brother.
“Luke,” I call after making it back into the light of the dirt-paved roads.
He jogs around a house, asking, “What happened?”
“Those things are getting closer. They got them though before I got there.”
“Who?”
“When we got there, Jord, Marc, Cecilia, and Susan.”
“Why was Marc out there with those two?”
I shrug. “He was and said nothing so—”
“Luke, Ky,” Jord calls. “My office, now,” he commands, climbing the couple of steps to the porch.
We jog across the dirt road to his office, entering behind Seits.
We crowd around in the small space. His walls are lined with maps of The America and a guide for the route that leads outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Opposite the wall behind his desk, a sign hangs that reads Survive Today, Live for Tomorrow. Seits sits on his desk, finding a spot that isn’t taken up by messy stacks of paper. Jord leans against a wall, thick arms crossed in front of his wide chest. His jaw works as his warm chocolate skin deepens in complexion. He reveals, “Brenden’s sister Susan was bitten. You two were there; you saw it when it happened. She is still here. She withstood the infection.�
� Jord looks us over with a testing glare as though we have no choice but to go along with a story about Susan that didn’t happen, but that he plans to tell The Guidance.
We nod. None of us knows what happened to Susan because none of us where there, we only arrived for the aftermath. Creations’ deaths are not taken lightly. A lot of currency and resources went into establishing these genetically altered imperfections, and when one dies, it’s a cause for investigation.
“Susan, she was bitten. Marc, alone, held them off until we,” he points to Seits and himself, “got there.” He shakes his head. “For your ears only, after she was bitten, she immediately started showing a change. Bloodshot eyes, loss of feeling around the area where she was bitten, the blue in her eyes started to fill with red. Her skin color even darkened, all within minutes of us standing there examining her.”
“What did you do to her?” I cut in.
“Terminated.”
“Her brother?” Luke asks.
“Nothing yet. Back in Chicago, you said there was one who did not have a twin, and he was fine. Their leader?” he questions.
“Right,” Luke confirms.
“Well,” Seits begins, “that makes us think he will be fine. But he will be limited to the training without his twin here to maintain his life.”
“In other words, sir, we will not kill him,” Luke states.
Jord nods. “They are getting closer. We’ll set up a guard for night and day to cut them off at the legs before they’re able to cross our border, but for tonight, we need to go out to decimate whatever group has neared our section so we can all sleep peacefully. We will not take a large group, although it would be wise, but too many of us would be difficult to keep up with.”
“Then the four of us?” I ask.
“The four of us.” Seits nods. “And we are not asking. We are informing.”
“Get ready,” Jord says, dismissing us with a quick wave.
We run to our house. From my room, I snatch up my goggles, helmet, scarf, and gloves. I will not get scratched by one of those things again. I grab my heavier gun, but it’s empty. I’ll reload and get other firearms from Jord’s office.
Imminent Threat Page 24
