The Clash (The Permutation Archives Book 5)

by Kindra Sowder

  “I would, especially since you beat the shit out of me out there with Nero. You’re the child King cared about while he didn’t give two shits about me, and I can’t say I blame him. My mother left him and let another man raise me like his own, so I’m definitely not the kind of person he would’ve wanted me to be. Either way, King tried to use me to meet his own ends, and I can’t forgive him for that. You are so much like him that you’re basically an extension of the man. By extension, I can’t forgive you even though you are my brother. You deserve death just like he does, and both of you will meet death by my hands.”

  His breathing sped up, and I heard his heart hammering in my head as if it were my own. Reaching out, I placed my palm on his forehead and poured every bit of energy I had into his skull, causing the pressure to build until there was no space left but outward.

  The back of his skull exploded, splattering skull, blood, and brain matter onto the walls and clean floor. His large body slumped over and then fell to the linoleum with a thud. As soon as his life was gone, I felt some sort of odd relief. Like, as soon as his soul left his body, some of the anger left with it.

  The sounds of battle around me in the slim hallway were fading, and I let out a strong, feral cry as everything I had felt for Valdus as King’s son – my brother – flooded out with the sound of my voice. Barely giving Valdus’ body a second glance, I turned away and scanned my surroundings to make certain all of us survived. Valdus wasn’t worth more time then it took to kill him. It was unfortunate but true enough. I spotted everyone I had come with and watched as Ryder cut down one of the last remaining soldiers that had flooded the hallway with Nero and Valdus. Ryder lashed out with his own knife, and the man fell with a slit throat, Ryder spinning the blade in his palm before placing it back in his holster just as his body hit the ground with a lout, hardy thud. When our eyes met, he nodded toward me and stepped over the body – another two falling to the ground outside my peripheral vision.

  “You okay?” he asked, coming toward me with worried determination in his eyes.

  “Yup,” I answered.

  He noticed Valdus’ prone form, gore spewing from the back of his skull and splattered on the walls and floor like a macabre painting.

  “You do that?” he asked, nodding toward the scene.

  “Yup,” I replied curtly. “Where’s Julius?”

  “I’m over here,” Julius’s voice came from my left, outside of my field of vision, so I missed him altogether.

  Looking toward his voice, I spotted Julius standing before Nero, Nero’s back against the wall with arms up above his head as if he were surrendering. Our people stood at Julius’s back, a silent force of reckoning. All of us blamed Nero for how things had turned out, at least partially. He had sold us all out in the Spartan Compound and continued to stand behind King and his faulty, deadly ideas long enough for the United States to nearly crumble around him. King’s rule was going to be absolute if they had their way, which was one of the many reasons we had to fight against him. If we wanted freedom from his tyranny, we would have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

  Our humanity.

  I saw it steadily leaving Julius in waves as I approached, his eyes no longer warm, but cold and unforgiving. I came to stand beside Julius, Ryder at my back and crossed my arms over my chest – physically and emotionally closing myself off to Nero. This wasn’t my fight now. My true fight would come next. For now, Julius had his own demons to do battle with, and they had the same beautiful gray eyes. Nero’s lip was busted, bleeding, and beginning to swell, but the rest of him looked relatively unscathed. Seeing him that way wasn’t as satisfying as I had hoped, and the urge to punch him in his smug face just to cause more bloodshed was something I had to work hard to push into the back of my mind.

  Nero’s smirk turned into a broad smile, and he began to laugh when our eyes met.

  “So, this is it, huh? You’re going to kill me, and then what? Your little rag-tag team is going to stop King’s plan?” With an entertained huff, he said, “You all are delusional.”

  “No, what’s delusional Nero is you thinking Mila’s going to kill you,” Julius stated. “We may be a little crazy, but not for the reasons you think.”

  “And what are they, little brother?” Nero sneered.

  Julius walked up to him, pulled a fist back, and punched Nero in the center of his stomach, causing him to double over and cough erratically.

  “My brother betraying me to the enemy, for one,” Julius replied, taking a few steps back to join me and the rest of our group, “but that’s just the tip of the iceberg, brother. What I’m about to do, I’m sure I’ll think about it for the rest of my life, but you can bet your ass I’ll never regret it.”

  “I just hope you all realize that won’t be too much longer. You think King will let you walk away? That he doesn’t have some kind of fail-safe…just in case?”

  Fairbanks spoke up. “No,” he said as he shook his head. “King is too sure of himself for that. He has nothing as back up. That I can assure you.”

  Nero’s eyes turned into slits when he glared at Fairbanks.

  Julius walked back toward his brother and slapped his hand over Nero’s mouth, using his other hand to push into Nero’s jaw to ensure his mouth opened. It worked like a charm, and I could see the rage and the pain pouring out of him to envelop his brother like a stifling blanket – a snake coiling around its prey.

  “Enough bullshit, Nero. Mom and Dad may not have stuck around for us after we were outed as Specials, but at least they won’t have to know that you’re a fucking traitor,” Julius pushed out through clenched teeth.

  Then there was a sizzle, a sloshing sound, and Nero’s eyes went wide. The smell of cooking meat permeated the air and steam pushed out from his nostrils. It didn’t take a genius to know that Julius was using his ability to kill him. Nero’s hands came around Julius’ wrists, nails digging into flesh as he struggled against his hold. Why he didn’t use his own power, I didn’t know, but did it really matter? Nero’s eyes had been darting around in panic up until his final moments, settling on Julius as his insides cooked and boiled – being eaten away by the acid Julius produced.

  Then, without so much as a sigh or grunt, his eyes rolled backward, and he slumped forward on his feet. Julius let go of him and took a step back, so he could fall to the ground.

  Julius didn’t look sad like I had expected. If anything, he looked relieved beyond measure with his eyes closed and lips parted. His palm healed quickly, turning from an open and festering sore to perfect flesh – as if it never happened.

  His chest rose and fell sharply before Julius asked, “He said the lab, right?”

  “Ummmm, yeah,” Genevieve replied in a hushed whisper.

  “Then lead the way, Baker,” Julius said as he opened his eyes, turned to John with eagerness in his gaze, and clenched his fists at his sides.

  Chapter

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  “It’s this way,” John said in a hushed tone, pulling our attention away from the bodies and toward the Northern portion of the massive building.

  Turning away from the others, who were all exhausted, sweating, and breathless, I pulled at the dredges of my resolve. I didn’t have much energy left either, but we had to push forward, or all of this was for nothing. My mother, all those people along the way, had died for nothing. A part of me had died for nothing.

  I couldn’t let that stand.

  Clapping my hands together, I moved toward John at the head of our group and removed my pistol from its holster. I would only use the assault rifle as a last resort. In such close quarters, it may not have been the best idea, so I kept it strapped across my chest and over my back with the safety on. I stopped in front of him and heard the others follow at my back, rubber soles squeaking and scraping against the now filthy linoleum.

  Bak
er was hunched slightly, standing next to a rounded corner that led to God only knew where, pistol gripped firmly in his hand – steady as a rock. I was shaking slightly as the adrenaline wore off and the fatigue set in.

  “You sure it’s this way?” I asked, nodding in the direction he was about to lead us.

  With a bob of his head, he replied, “I’m positive.” He glanced back and cocked his head. “We better move quickly before everyone passes out. The faster we take that bastard out, the better.”

  “You can say that again,” Ryder muttered.

  I turned around and looked at all of them – Genevieve, Ajax, Jameson, Ryder, Julius, Fairbanks, Ruckus, and Gaia all looked like they could collapse. Ruckus even leaned lightly against the wall beside him with gun gripped at his side.

  “We’ve got to keep going. This isn’t over until King is dead,” I pushed.

  Each one of them began to nod, and I could see the grief in Julius’ eyes he was attempting to hide, taking small glances at his brother’s body – which was still sizzling slightly around the lips with eyes wide open. I felt nothing when it came to his death. I held onto that anger for far too long, and now that anger was gone right along with him, but Julius would feel the loss for the rest of his life. We just didn’t have time to soothe anyone’s bruised and battered souls at the moment. We had one objective, and even after that was over, the battle wasn’t. We had the country to put back together – if that were even possible. I reached out and touched his shoulder, showing a brief moment of silent solidarity. He closed his eyes, let out a deep breath, and opened his eyes to stare directly into my own.

  “Let’s kill that son of a bitch,” he growled while pulling his assault rifle from across his back and gripping it like a true weapons expert.

  “All right, let’s move,” John said just loud enough for us to hear.

  And we moved – like a well-oiled machine – following Baker’s lead in exact movements. He checked around the corner but didn’t take it. He continued forward toward the Northern quadrant of Fuji-O’Hara headquarters, heading toward the lab where Nero had stated King waited surrounded by guards. Not only would we have to punch through the defenses outside the lab, but then break through whatever lay just inside the doors to stand in our way.

  I felt like a hunter as we moved as quietly as possible through the halls. From what little I had seen, the place was deserted. To me, that made absolutely no sense at all. He left the city of Musgrave filled with its citizens, but did what with the scientists and military that typically remained inside the building? It was even possible King had strategically placed them, but how was I supposed to know for sure since I had never been there? Baker had, and he didn’t seem the least bit worried. Of course, he also had his hyper-sensitive senses working for him, which I also had, but still struggled with controlling them to our advantage.

  We pushed along, and I reached out with my ears, attempting to heighten just that sense while leaving the others at their regular sensitivity. It seemed to reach even small recesses of the building within a certain number of yards. I couldn’t say how far the reach was, but just knowing I could be helpful in some way before we reached the labs was enough. I saw John’s eye twitch, and then his body stiffen even more as he moved, which made me push my reach out even farther.

  That was when I heard it off to our left down another hallway, but not so far down we would easily miss them. I heard controlled breathing and the shuffling feet of three men that were attempting to remain silent. Then, off down the right-hand hallway, even more men approached.

  “We’re close, but this next push won’t be easy,” Baker whispered back at me.

  With a nod, I poised my pistol and switched off the safety. “I know, I heard them.” Keeping my eyes forward, I ordered, “Safeties off and at the ready.”

  I heard each safety click off underneath the sounds of our oncoming company. Taking a deep breath, I blinked past my frightened tears as my heart thundered in my chest, and I watched carefully for the first visible sign of King’s soldiers.

  It didn’t take long before the tip of a well-worn boot came into view. My eyes scoped upward and came to settle on the emerging head of a solder – his tanned skin flushed against the black with obvious nervousness and fear. Our eyes met – deep brown against bright green – and before he could react, I looked down the sight of my pistol, aimed, and pulled the trigger. His head jerked to the side, and his body fell quickly, lurching until he collided with the wall beside him. The explosion of the projectile caused the gun to recoil, my wrist almost snapping back if I hadn’t been holding it steady with both hands. A small rivulet of blood ran down his head and into his ear from the perfect bullet hole that appeared in his skull.

  Gunfire erupted at almost the same moment his head impacted with the wall, cracking the sheetrock. Everything seemed to move in slow motion from that moment on as the gun grew warm in my hand with each shot fired. Another came past the wall, aiming at me with a military-grade assault rifle. I didn’t hesitate for a second. Dropping the pistol at my side, I reached out with one hand and focused my power at the man, sending a shimmering wave of it at him that sent him flying and skidding on his back down the hallway in front of us. He cried out but was too stunned to do anything further.

  With sheer concentration, I focused my ability outward as soon as I came to the crossroads of the joining halls, putting one arm out while I turned my head to the other. Every man almost froze but moved back the moment of shock just enough to keep going – knowing they had to die before I could make it to the President. I sent my energy out toward them, creating a shield as they raised their weapons again and took aim at us. It reached each corner of the hallway, blocking each bullet as it attempted to break through to our soft bodies. It worked on both sides. I could sense it as each projectile hit, sending tingles and small shockwaves through my entire body with each shimmer – each repercussion electric. The sensations were throwing off my concentration, and I was losing my hold.

  “Go, before I lose it and we all become target practice!” I yelled over the gunfire.

  They must have heard me because they all moved past me, steady with eyes never wavering as I heard even more soldiers come from ahead. Ryder stopped beside me. I knew he wouldn’t leave me even if I asked – or ordered – him to. That just wasn’t who he was.

  “Let it down, babe. We’ll deal with what comes through,” he said, his body stiff as he held the gun at attention even though he didn’t let out a single shot as the others fought those that came to meet us.

  I turned to look at him, smirked, and then replied, “Then we may want to get out of the way because those bullets will hit whatever’s in their way.”

  He knew exactly what I meant. The bullets were stopped mid-air, but my ability was only a temporary barrier. Once it was down, they would continue their original velocity and trajectory, tearing down whatever was in their path. There would only be King’s own people in the path of the bullets he had provided them – once we got out of the way. I let the energy trickle back into my body and looked Ryder in the eye.

  “Move,” I shouted the order as I ducked, covering my head with my hands, and running full speed away from the epicenter of the hallway.

  Ryder followed my lead and ran beside me, coming to stand just as I had once we were approaching the backs of our own. His free right hand grabbed onto my arm as the bullets whizzed past us, air pushing past our bodies as they made their journey to inflict damage. He pulled up his gun, and I barely saw the man I used my ability on forcing his way through our people and make his way toward me us with gun drawn and rage in his expression. They looked startled for the second I saw their faces, but quickly enough, Ryder pulled me against him, turning my face into his broad chest, and cradle my head there, so I didn’t have to see what he was about to do. I had already seen plenty, but I couldn’t blame him for wanting to spa
re me anymore shock. So much gore and bloodshed had already burned into my memory, but he always felt the need to spare me, which wasn’t needed. I was much stronger than given credit for.

  His body trembled, and then he squeezed the trigger, each explosion of gunfire moving through him and into me. The recoil moved us both, but I stood steady, holding onto him until he ceased fire. As soon as it did, I pulled my face away from his chest and turned, pulling my own pistol to point dead-center at anyone who stood in front of us.

  “Wow, wow, wow!” Ajax yelled as my pistol pointed at the center of his chest, my hand trembling slightly with fatigue. “It’s just me, girl. Get it together. We have more company coming.”

  “We’re almost there,” John came from behind him. “This is the final push. King is just beyond those doors down there.”

  He turned and pointed down the hallway, a multitude of armed men and women, some Special and some not, barreling toward us with nothing but war in their eyes. Gaia and the others were at the head of our group, and when she glanced back at me, I saw a flash of fear – her eyes wide and her expression bleak. She looked even paler than usual with a slight pink flush to her cheeks and neck. Genevieve stood beside her while Ruckus took residence on her other side, both facing the coming soldiers – all dressed in black like we were. When it came to military dress, there didn’t seem to be much variation, but that didn’t matter. From what I could see between my own people’s bodies, Specials wore a custom patch on their bullet-proof vests. The same sigil King had emblazoned on all the weaponry that came from the Forge. The crown of thorns. The image flashing through my mind caused the hairs on my arms to stand up.