The Outerlands - Sedition

by Aleigh Schuster

  He raised a single blond brow, his lips quirking. “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I hadn’t been sure, you know, with all that thanks and praise you’ve been throwing my way the last twenty minutes or so…” I narrowed my eyes and he smirked, adding, “But your welcome, beautiful. It was my pleasure. Truly.”

  We held each other’s gaze, neither making a move to look away. Some sort of intense emotion flashed across his face, although I couldn’t quite place what it was. Desire, regret…maybe a bit of both? Either way, the moment was fleeting. When he noticed the question in my eyes, Ford quickly composed his features, threw me a playful wink, and opened the door to level two.

  “Let’s get your brother to safety.” The husky sound of his voice reverberated through the stairwell as we left it and stepped straight into an argument between two familiar GWs.

  Of course Cali was the first to spot us, her entire body vibrating with anger. “And just where in the hell have you been? Graff has been going mad. Our entire unit has been redirected from our mission to search for you—” As she and Rafe ran over, my brother moaned something unintelligible while his head lulled back and forth. I saw the second Callie’s anger turned to immediate relief. “Oh! Keegan!” She made it to us first, edging Ford out of the way to take his place.

  “Here. Let me help,” Rafe said as he did the same on my side to hold up Keegan. I shook out my arms, rotating them a bit to help with the pins and needles I hadn’t felt until now. I turned to Rafe as he spoke again. “It’s good to see you in one piece. Where did you find our boy?” he asked, smile dropping once he took in the extent of Keegan’s injuries.

  “Up on six—”

  “We can debrief them later,” Cali interrupted. “Keegan needs medical attention and someone needs to contact Graff ASAP.”

  “I’m with her,” Ford, who had been quiet up until now, agreed. He came up from behind me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “Let’s get moving,” he whispered. “We’ve been out of com range for a while. As soon as Keegan is settled, we should check in with our team leaders.”

  All I could do was shake my head before relaxing into his side. Ford had been so unexpected today. He’d been there for me, helping me when I needed it most. Helping my brother. I wasn’t used to throwing my trust around, but I realized at that moment that Ford had it unequivocally.

  * * *

  The battle outside was still going strong. The GWs had all but corralled the government soldiers to one end of the property, surrounding them on three sides. Unfortunately, the soldiers were fighting back hard and didn’t look like they’d be retreating. Ford and I took the lead, running ahead every so often to check each new area while Cali and Rafe carried my brother between them. In a matter of minutes, we were through most of the fighting and had snuck around to the back of a smaller building on the outskirts of the property.

  “We’re almost there,” Ford told us, pointing to an area about twenty yards away where a large camouflaged tent and several transport vans were situated. “Come on.” He motioned us forward just as the static from my, Rafe and Cali’s coms rang out in unison.

  “Did either of you catch that?” Cali asked, turning her com-link up a notch and hitting it several times when nothing else came through.

  Beside her, Rafe did the same. “No,” he replied. “There must be some sort of interference nearby.” He hit it again as if that would clear it up.

  “It seems mine’s still working, but only on my unit’s frequency,” Ford offered. “Let’s get to the tent and I’ll contact my team leader; find out where the rest of your unit is.”

  We all simultaneously agreed and followed Ford’s lead, moving toward the medical tent.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Ford left to find better com reception as soon as we reached the entrance of the tent. The rest of us walked inside to find a mountain of chaos. Hundreds of wounded Gunari lay strewn haphazardly on the floor. Men and women in white smocks ran up and down makeshift aisles as they tried separating the less seriously injured to the side while attending only to the gravely wounded.

  I focused on one of the doctors who’d helped Gunner at base camp and made my way to where he stood. I felt Cali and Rafe trailing close behind, my unconscious brother still between them.

  “Dr. Wilson?” I asked, catching his attention just before he walked toward a new patient.

  “My sweet child,” he exclaimed. “You don’t know how happy I am to see you.” He grabbed my hand to pull me down the row of bodies. “Come, come. We could certainly apply whatever ability you used to help your friend right now.”

  I flinched at his words, digging my heels into the dirt and halting our forward progress. “Um, sir…” I started but hesitated, not wanting to voice my failure.

  “Yes?” he asked, only half-listening as he keenly surveyed his patients, assessing who he should attend next.

  Swallowing my humiliation, I tried again. “I can’t help you. I’m sorry.”

  At my words, he, Cali, and Rafe all scowled.

  It was Cali who spoke. “What do you mean you won’t help them?”

  I huffed. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t. I said I couldn’t. Do you honestly think I wouldn’t have already healed Keegan if I could do it?” At their stares of confusion, I added, “I tried. Back in the facility. It didn’t work. Not even a little.”

  The doctor’s eyes moved from my face to my brother. “He’s one of the prisoners, correct?” I think it was the first time he’d noticed him with us.

  “Here,” Dr. Wilson said, lowering himself to one of the few empty spots on the ground. “Lay him down over here. Let me have a look.”

  Cali and Rafe did as he asked before taking a knee as well. Only I still stood watching on while Dr. Wilson attended to my brother, anxiously waiting for his assessment.

  “It’s as I suspected,” he finally said, letting out a long sigh. “None of his injuries seem to have begun the healing process even though they are all hours—if not days—old. He must have been in contact with the same substance coating all the bullets I’ve been digging out of all our people.” He lifted each of Keegan’s eyelids before gently pressing fingers to his shattered eye socket. “No one I’ve encountered can heal themselves until the toxin is completely out of their system. It must have been put directly into his bloodstream for the effects to last this long. An injection, maybe an I.V.” He seemed to be talking more to himself now. “There is simply no other explanation for why his injuries haven’t started to improve.”

  Devastated, I sunk to my knees. “What are you saying, Dr. Wilson?” My voice cracking with every word I uttered.

  “I’m saying that it’s critical for this man to be moved back to base camp where his system can be properly flushed. A complete blood transfusion. Maybe more.” I nodded while he continued, although I wasn’t paying attention anymore. All I could think was that I’d failed Keegan in some way. If I’d been able to keep him from being captured in the first place or if I’d gotten here sooner before they had time to…

  As I pushed that frightening thought away, I caught the tail end of the doctor’s words.

  “… if there were an antidote to counteract this, but without it—”

  “Wait a second,” I blurted, his statement jogging my memory of what I’d found in the bunker. “Something my father wrote down.” I looked between the doctor and Rafe. “He said something about the pill being the cure. With everything that happened, I forgot all about it. But it’s still in my backpack at my cabin in Sector Three. It’s attached to a small bag with a capsule in it. But I saw more of them—two boxes full—back in the bunker at home. I didn’t know what they were because they were labeled with the government’s logos, but what if—”

  “It’s possible,” Dr. Wilson interrupted, cautiously optimistic. “I’d need to analyze them in a lab but if what your father claimed about those pills has any bearing on what the government’s using on us now, this could be exactly w
hat we need to save our people and end this battle.”

  “Hell, not only that but give us the upper hand in the entire war,” Rafe chimed in, turning and silently communicating something to Cali that made her immediately run out of the tent. Then he turned his attention to me.

  “Henley,” he said, “I’ll send Jarvis and Quinn with a team to go back to Sector Three with Keegan and Dr. Wilson so he can analyze this pill you have. I assume Jarvis can get in the bunker.”

  “Of course,” I said.

  “Okay, good. If it turns out to be what we think it is, the team can retrieve the remainder of the medicine from your family’s bunker.” He reached his arm out to a nurse rushing by, thanked her as he grabbed something from her front pocket, and then dropped it into my hands. When I looked down at the pen and pad in question, he added, “Write down exactly where your backpack is and the code and location of those two boxes in that bunker.”

  As I wrote down the information Rafe needed, Ford returned. “I got a hold of my team leader,” he said, panting. “He’s with Graff and a few others at the edge of the forest. Henley, Graff asked me to bring you there immediately.” At hearing his words, I instantly got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. For the first time since I’d separated from the group, I let myself think of how angry Graff would be with my actions.

  Dropping down beside Keegan, I grabbed his hand. “I’m not leaving my brother. Not until I’m sure he’s going to be okay.”

  Rafe squeezed my shoulder. “The doctor here will be with him the entire time.” I shook my head, not wanting to listen, but he went on anyway. “And you know Graff probably needs you there for more than just yelling at you.” My eyes shut. Yes, I knew why else Graff needed me: Our abilities were stronger when we were together. The internal struggle between staying with Keegan and running off to help Graff proved too much. I let out a whimper, my shoulders sagging.

  “I don’t know what to do,” I whispered.

  “Let Ford take you to Graff. I’d go with you guys but I should really start assembling that team we talked about,” Rafe stated. “The sooner they leave the better.”

  Once I was able to push down some of my emotions, I realized he was right. I couldn’t go back to Sector Three with Keegan and the others. There was still a battle being fought all around us and some of those people had come here specifically to help me get my brother. I couldn’t leave them. Moreover, I couldn’t leave Graff.

  “Hang on for me, big brother,” I whispered, kissing his cheek. I held Keegan’s unmoving hand a moment longer before finally letting go.

  “All right,” I conceded, and stood to face the men. “Please. Take care of him for me, Rafe.”

  “With my life.” Rafe gave me a quick hug before going back to work with the doctor, setting their plan into motion.

  Ford, who had been quiet, led me out the tent’s side door without a word.

  * * *

  “Where are we headed again?” I finally asked, having already walked for several long minutes in complete silence.

  “It’s just over there behind that building,” he replied, pointing to where four small buildings hugged the tree line. The fighting had all but ceased back here, with no GWs or government soldiers in sight. I briefly wondered if Graff would need my help after all.

  “You mean he’s just over there…?” I corrected.

  “What? Oh, yeah,” Ford muttered and I glanced over to find apprehension consuming his features.

  We walked around to the back of the largest building, and when I still didn’t see a single trace of anyone else around, I said, “All right, Ford. Seriously. Are we lost or something? There’s nothing here. Where is everybody?”

  “Look, Henley,” Ford said, taking a step toward me. “I’m sorry to have to do this to you, but as with any Gunari…family comes first. And unfortunately for both you and me, I didn’t get to choose my family.”

  “Okay…wait. What are you talking about?”

  “This,” Ford replied, and out of nowhere he produced solid metal cuffs, quickly binding my wrists together with them before I knew what was happening.

  “What the hell are you doing? Are you cra—” I was abruptly cut off when he raised a hand to cover my mouth.

  “Quiet!” he hissed in my ear, winding his arm around my waist to yank me under the coverage of the trees. “Look, if you yell or scream I’ll have to gag you. Is that what you want?” he asked impatiently. I shook my head and he added, “All right. Now if you behave, I’ll remove my hand, but I’d better not hear a sound out of you.”

  When I nodded vigorously, he followed through with his promise to release me, even going so far as to move his arm from around my waist. Regrettably, he then grabbed my cuffed wrists and, unbeknownst to either of us, pulled me further into the shadows toward my preordained destiny.

  Chapter Thirty

  Ford dragged me through the muddy sloped terrain until we reached the forest’s edge where hundreds of soldiers had been patiently waiting our descent. He released me once we stopped; his expression almost forlorn as two soldiers pushed me into the clearing and then to my knees in front of a smaller group of men dressed in all black uniforms. My fear spiked as I recognized these to be Devlyn’s personal guards—the same ones we’d been informed he traveled nowhere without. Keeping my eyes to the ground, I noticed movement within their line and watched as several sets of black boots moved aside to let someone through. I took a deep breath and pulled on my ability, readying it for the greater threat slowly making his way toward me. Gathering my courage, I looked up and came face to face with the man who was responsible for the death of almost everyone I’d ever cared about.

  “You did well, grandson. At least your Gunari mother was good for something,” Devlyn said, addressing Ford. “Now get to the compound and put on a proper uniform.”

  As Ford walked away, he bit out, “This wasn’t for you. It was for my father.”

  No time to be shocked by Ford’s betrayal, I stilled when Devlyn’s attention focused solely on me.

  “Well isn’t this my lucky day?” He had the nerve to smile down at me.

  “You shouldn’t sound so sure of yourself,” I responded without thinking.

  “Oh? And why is that?” Devlyn asked, tilting his head as if he was truly curious.

  “The day’s not over yet.” I waited until this moment to call on my powers.

  Devlyn took a cautionary step back as the wind steadily picked up around us, the power surging through me. Before the guards could react, I sent a small shock through my wrists, breaking the cuffs, stood up, and threw my arms out to my sides like I’d done so many times in training, feeling for the connection with Graff but not finding it. Damn. He was too far away for me to pull energy from. The current started to cut in and out as I panicked, knowing that Devlyn was right. My abilities alone wouldn’t be anywhere near enough to take down this army.

  Clenching my hands, I unintentionally hit three guards when electricity shot over the rows of soldiers in rapid succession. Taking deep breaths, I pushed all other thoughts from my mind and concentrated only on controlling the currents coursing through my arms.

  Though his eyes stayed wholly on me, Devyln smiled and motioned to a nearby guard. I made a last ditch effort, striking at the ground and slinging mud and rocks into the air toward him and his men. His smile only grew wider. I had to admit, this guy was a little more than intimidating. He hadn’t flinched once at the chaos I’d caused or the sparks flying from my fingertips when all of his guards had now taken a defensive stance around him. I decided not to wait any longer and took aim at Devlyn’s chest, but just as I brought forth my power, a guard surged forth, clamping a metal collar around my throat. I was knocked to the ground, debilitated by a massive jolt of electricity.

  “Impressive,” Devlyn said, slowly clapping for effect. “But did you really think you could take me down, little girl? And all by yourself?” He laughed maniacally, but I could barely process any of his words in my
struggle to get air back into my burnt lungs.

  “You should know,” he continued, “the inner layer of that collar is pure Graphene. Your abilities won’t work while you have that on. All that will happen if you attempt to use them is that the metal will revert the energy back into your own body the way it did just now. You do it enough and you’ll fry your internal organs. And as much as I hate to admit it, I need your specific ability to help execute my plans. Heed the warning or there will be consequences. I can’t have you ruining things when I’m so close to having everything in my grasp.”

  “Why would I…do anything…to h-help…you?” I asked through gritted teeth, taking shallow breaths in order to speak at all. Severe pain radiated down my spine while I still fought to free myself from the contraption around my neck.

  “Because you have been charged with sedition and have no alternative.” There was no need to say more. Instead, he showed me by pointing to the hillside I’d just come down. Standing at the top of the ridge with weapons drawn were Graff and my entire team. They were blocked from coming any further by large interconnecting MAG nets spanning the entire width of the hill. I turned back to Devlyn and could see it in his smug expression: He had me exactly where he wanted.

  “All right,” I whispered, accepting my new fate if it would keep the others alive. “So what now?”

  “Well, as of now, Miss Brooks, you work only for me.”

  “And if I don’t?” I asked, stalling but there was no real point. I’d do whatever he asked as long as he let Graff and the others walk out of here.

  “I think you know.” Devlyn turned and started to walk away before barking orders to his personal guard. “Keep six men on her here and replace the front line of soldiers between us and her friends until we’re ready to leave.”

  Six soldiers came to stand guard over me while the rest made way to move out.

  Could my life get any worse? As if in answer, my connection to Graff started sputtering in and out, and I heard whisperings of Cali arguing with the others that they needed to take care of things the way the Council would want them to. I watched Graff from a distance as he nodded furiously, but Cali only persisted, and when she didn’t get the answer she wanted from him, raised her own gun my way. I tensed, knowing although it was an extremely long shot, it was one she could make. She always did when it counted.