Regress (The Alliance Chronicles Book 1)

by SF Benson

“Why? Where did you go?”

  “I stayed with a friend. I left my mom a voice message saying I was with you. Just cover for me if she calls.”

  “Sure. So do I know him?”

  She knew of him. I told her plenty of stories about my schoolyard crush, but they never met. Ko wouldn’t approve of Zared. "He was a handsome nobody who saved me from the drones."

  “Okay. If you say so.”

  “I say so. I got lucky Z was in the right place at—”

  “Did you say Z?”

  “Yes. His name is Zared.”

  Ko’s sudden silence concerned me. What wasn’t she telling me?

  “Um, we’ll definitely have to talk more when we meet again.”

  “Ko—”

  “I have to go. I leave at 0900 hours.”

  “Is there something wrong?”

  “No, no. Tru, take care of yourself. Stay out of trouble. I’ll see you in a few days. Love you!”

  What was Ko hiding? Lack of sleep must be playing tricks on me. I stuck my phone back in my purse and went inside the towering eyesore we called home.

  The ‘A’ Towers, a former luxury building on the riverfront, became our home when Mom lost her librarian position. When the Street Wars hit, it fell into ruin like every other place in town. Dust and mildew tickled my nose. I walked around the crumpled bricks in the sun-filled lobby. A roaring fire in the graffiti-covered fireplace would feel good today, but the area’s strays used it as their litter box. The elevator buttons weren’t lit. Power outages were a regular occurrence in our sector. Sometime we went without power or water for days.

  I used the vintage wooden stairs. Debris crunched under my feet as I climbed the steps to our apartment. I blew smoke out of my mouth as I stepped into the chilly, dark hall.

  There were no food smells coming from the kitchen. Not a good sign. I entered the living room and found my parents huddled together by the sofa. Cris sat on a nearby chair. They stopped arguing and looked at me.

  Dad, dressed in a thick sweater and gloves, faced me with nostrils flaring. “Where have you been? Did you forget how to call?”

  I took a step backwards. “I'm sorry. I left a message on Mom’s phone.” I sat down on the edge of the old, cracked-leather recliner. “Is there a problem?”

  “It's Eden,” Cris replied. “She hasn't come home.”

  “She might have lost track of time hanging with a friend. Have you called her?” He had a tendency to blow things out of proportion. My sister-in-law wasn’t the most considerate person.

  “Tru, it's been two nights since I spoke to her.” My brother, a dark man of average height, was the anxious type. He ran a hand over his cropped black hair. “Eden wouldn’t just walk away. Something’s wrong.”

  Cris hung his head and closed his hazel eyes. Usually my good-looking brother took great care with his appearance. Now, he sat in rumpled, dirty clothes and a coat. I caught a whiff of sweat and stale body odor. Funny. He made a more convincing street person than Zared.

  Mom flipped her waist-length, dark-chocolate hair off her shoulder. “I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation.” She squeezed Cris’ hand. He nodded and left the room. “Nothing you should worry about, Tru.”

  “Okay.” I had no interest in Eden’s exploits. She once told me I was a spoiled brat. I thought she was sneaky and the worst choice my brother ever made. No love lost between us. We merely tolerated each other.

  “Well, let me know what happens.”

  Mom took her hand out of her jacket pocket. She reached for the sterling silver necklace with pearl and amazonite beads around her neck. It was a piece of jewelry from her childhood. She fingered the two small orbs whenever she worried. Something was going on, but I had more pressing matters. After last night, I needed a hot shower, a meal, and a nap in my own bed. I was meeting Zared in a few hours.

  Dad blocked my path. “We’re not done here, mi’ja!” Calling me his daughter instead of using my name was a sure sign I was in big trouble. He grabbed my shoulders. “Where were you last night? The Pratts were here.”

  Damn, I didn’t think they were serious about me marrying Holden. Thank God, I didn’t come home. “Didn’t you get my message? I tried calling you, but—”

  “So, you called?” Dad glared. “Got no answer?”

  “Yes, Dad.” I gazed up at the ceiling and sighed.

  “If you had used your phone, you would have seen our messages. So why didn’t you come home last night?”

  Shit! I never checked my phone, and I didn’t notice the message on the screen when Ko called. Not good. Not good at all. “Ko and I had a lot to talk about last night. I didn’t check my phone.”

  “Not an excuse, mi’ja!” A vein pulsed on his tanned brow.

  Why was Dad so upset? I’d stayed at Ko’s plenty of times. Granted, I wasn’t there last night but nothing happened. I came home in one piece. Plus, I thought Mom wanted the match with the Pratts. When did Dad become a supporter?

  “The streets here are dangerous.” Dad’s light brown eyes were no longer warm and inviting. “We need to know where you are at all times.”

  “Are you serious?” I’d never had a curfew. They always felt the citywide one was enough. I peered over at Mom. She no longer played with her necklace. She was busy twisting her hair into a bun at the nape of her neck. “I was with Ko.”

  “Tru, your father is right.”

  Wait. She agreed with him? I guessed they were upset I missed the meeting with the Pratts.

  “Watch your tone of voice, young lady.” Mom stood next to Dad with her arms crossed and lips pressed together.

  “Yes, Mom,” I exhaled and rolled my eyes. “I won't do it again. Can I go now? I want to grab a shower. I have to go to the learning center.”

  “On a Saturday?” She narrowed her dark eyes.

  “I’ve got a project due.”

  Dad opened his mouth but didn’t speak. Mom touched his shoulder. He scratched his bald head. They exchanged a look and he left the room. She may have silenced him, but Mom was not finished with me.

  “It’s very important you’re home on time.”

  “But—”

  “Holden and his parents are coming over before dinner tonight. We’ll have the promise ceremony first. Your dress is on the bed.”

  “Mom—”

  “Truly Shara Shepard, you knew this day was coming. The examiner will arrive before the Pratts. You need time to see her and then change for the ceremony.”

  I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t do it. The idea of a stranger touching me made the whole procedure so wrong. I wasn’t “damaged goods.”

  “We're going out to look for Eden. We’ll be back in a few hours.” My empty wrist caught Mom’s attention. “Where's your Tracker?”

  I left it at the factory. Zared destroyed the chip to keep me undetected. I didn’t plan to wear the digital compass ever again.

  “It's, uh, in my bag. I took it off when I went to sleep last night.”

  “No excuse. Put it back on. You can’t lose it.”

  “Yes, Mom.” I hoped he still had it.

  After my family left, I flopped down on the sofa and put my feet on the coffee table—me breaking a rule. I had no concern about Eden. My feelings regarding her weren’t a secret. I hated the arrogant bitch. She didn’t deserve my brother.

  I admired her taste in clothes and shoes. Eden had a serious leather addiction—dresses, pants, jackets, coats, and designer shoes. You name it, she owned it. She had an amazing ring collection I wanted. I guess I did like something about her.

  Cris called Eden his soul mate. Hmmm, if she never returned, I could raid her closet. I had my eye on a pair of blue suede heels.

  I went to my room. My white lace promise dress, a public announcement declaring my life had ended, lay on my bed. Perhaps a pair of shackles was underneath it. This whole ceremony was Mom’s idea. My parents would promise my hand in marriage to Holden, and he would give me a ring. Once upon a time, people called it
getting engaged, but nowadays, families wanted assurances. An examiner would certify the future bride’s virginal status. What an invasion of privacy.

  I let the dress fall to the floor. There might be some hot water left in the tank for a shower. I pulled off my jacket and my phone rang.

  “Hey.” Zared’s husky voice warmed me like a cup of hot chocolate on a snowy day.

  “Any problems at home?”

  “My parents were upset.”

  “You ready to leave?”

  “No. I haven’t showered yet. My family just left to go find my sister-in-law.”

  “Why?”

  “Eden's missing. My brother hasn’t heard from her in a few days and is thinking the worst,” I said nonchalantly.

  “What do you think?”

  “I don't friggin’ care. She's probably cheating on my brother.”

  “W-well, hurry up and come downstairs.” His teeth chattered. “I'm waiting across the street.”

  “Are you following me?”

  “No.”

  “Tell the truth, Z.”

  “I, uh, wanted to make sure you made it back okay.”

  I pulled back the blinds, and saw him leaning against a rusty wrought iron fence across the street. He flipped up the collar on his jacket. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt if I let him warm up.

  “Look, my family will be gone for a few hours. Come on up. We’ll talk here.”

  “You sure?”

  No, I wasn’t sure, but since I was already coming up with dumb ideas, why not add another one. “Yeah. Apartment 207. You’ll have to take the stairs. The elevator’s out today.”

  “Be there in a minute.”

  “I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant: I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those who came before me and share such knowledge with our esteemed leadership.”

  —Hippocratic Oath, 2020

  Zared

  Tru met me at the door. Man, the girl looked good even in jeans and a sweater. Better now.

  Standing on the other side of the threshold, I gazed into the dark hall. “You’re sure this is okay?”

  “Stop worrying. My family’s gone. We’re alone.” She shut the door and I followed her into the living room.

  I unzipped my jacket. Damn it felt like the frozen tundra in her place. I decided against removing the jacket. “Your parents didn’t pay the bill this month?”

  “Huh?” Tru stood near the window.

  “It's freezing in here.” I rubbed my arms.

  “I’m sorry. Power’s out,” Tru answered. The arctic atmosphere didn’t bother her.

  I plopped down on the sofa, glad to be out of the wind.

  “So tell me more about Intrepid.” Tru sat near me. “How can we find it?”

  “You’re sure you want to do this?”

  “Hey, we’re helping each other. If you keep your end of the bargain, I’m in.”

  Hearing those words encouraged me. After dropping Tru at the rail station, I thought she might back out. “It could be dangerous.”

  “So,” she challenged.

  I grinned. I liked this girl. Always had. First time I saw her I was fifteen. She was the cutie with long pigtails and an upturned nose. Tru hung at the edge of the recess yard watching me from a distance. She never approached me. It shocked the shit out of me when she agreed to go out with me, but she was so reserved back then.

  The girl sitting next to me bore no resemblance to the girl on the playground. When I first saw her months ago, I thought she might have turned into a party girl. I assumed, incorrectly, she’d be flighty and irritating. Tru had backbone and loved a challenge. The years were good to her.

  “You like trouble?” The girl from the playground didn’t bend the laws. That’s why I kept my distance at first. I didn’t want to be the one who corrupted her.

  “Depends on the type.” She looked me in the eye and winked.

  “What’s your type?”

  Tru moved closer. “Tall, dark, and dangerous types. You know the ones who act first without thinking.” The corners of her lips twitched. “Ever visit the Underground?”

  I knew all about her fondness for the warehouse district. I followed her a few times. She should consider herself lucky nothing bad happened to her. Those guys got off on killing people. “Yeah.”

  She frowned. “But it’s not your thing.”

  I shrugged. “Not really.” I preferred not hanging out in places where my dignity required protection.

  Tru licked her lips. “Hmm Zared Aoki, I’ll find out what your thing is, but not today. We’re on a timetable here.”

  A little too confident? Nope. Tru had changed. The girl with the large dark eyes grew up. She liked playing with fire. I would have obliged, but she was right. We didn’t have a lot of time. I had two priorities—Intrepid and her safety. “Right. You wanted to know how to find Intrepid.”

  She nodded.

  “My dad’s journals mentioned your mother.”

  “My mother?” She tightened her lips.

  Disclosing everything to her right now wasn’t possible. “Perhaps it had something to do with her being a librarian. Remember Intrepid was a big deal. There might be information stored in the library databases.”

  Tru rolled her eyes. “You can do better than that.”

  “What?”

  “C’mon. I even know the libraries wouldn’t keep info about surveillance tech. It’s government info.”

  I ran my hands through my hair. I’d said too much. “Just testing you.”

  “We’ll do some recon. My brother works with computers.” Tru’s eyes brightened with excitement. This girl had a serious fondness for danger. Keeping her safe might be a major task. “He might know about Intrepid. Find your dad’s journals. Learn why he mentioned my mother. We’ll meet back at the factory in a couple of hours and exchange info.”

  She was an amazing, decisive girl. I didn’t care about the mission. I was in this for a chance to get to know Tru better. “Okay, sounds like a plan.” I stood. “I guess I should go.”

  Tru jumped up and grabbed my hand. “I appreciate your helping me. I don’t think I could find a way to skip my Inoculation Day by myself.”

  She underestimated her abilities. Tru was strong and determined. I was the one who couldn’t do this alone. “When I said I’d help you, I meant it.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes, seriously.”

  She cleared her throat. “I have another problem, and I need it solved like now.”

  “What is it?”

  “I’ve got a promise ceremony to ditch.”

  Hell, no! Tru belonged to me. No one else. Too much had gone wrong in my life. I would not lose her again, especially to some jerk who didn’t deserve her the way I did. My body tensed up. I would beat the crap out of this loser. There was no way anyone would block my chance for happiness. I exhaled.

  “When?” I asked, my voice strained.

  “Tonight.”

  I jumped up and pointed toward a closed door. “Get your stuff. We’re out of here.”

  Tru shook her head. “Running away isn’t much of a plan. Remember, I have to find out about Intrepid first.”

  I massaged my temples. Leaving Tru behind wasn’t a plan either. But she was right. I must calm down. Focus. Acquiring Intrepid was priority. I’d find another way to keep her away from the ceremony. I scrubbed a hand over my face. “Okay, but if you’re not at the factory in two hours, I’m coming back for you.”

  “I will be ashamed to say, ‘I know not,’ for not knowing is failure. My colleagues and their skills may replace me.”

  —Hippocratic Oath, 2020

  After Zared left, I hurried to my parents’ bedroom. I hated their room. It was a hideous throwback nightmare with chipped and scratched black lacquered furniture. A monstrous mauve and sea foam green comforter covered the double bed flanked by matching nightstands.

  Mom didn’t keep any photos or knickknacks on
top of the matching dresser. The room had the appeal of an old warehouse showroom of used furniture.

  An oak cabinet belonging to Cris and Eden stood in the corner. I swung open the double doors and pulled out boxes containing their clothes and personal effects. I had no idea what I hoped to find. He didn’t give me much to go on.

  I was elbow deep in a box when Mom opened the bedroom door.

  “What are you doing?” she demanded.

  My hand landed on what felt like a notebook. I fingered the cover while thinking of an excuse. I gulped. “Uh…I was being helpful. I thought I might find a clue about Eden. You know, where she might be.”

  “I doubt you’ll find anything in their personal belongings,” Mom snapped.

  “You’re right.” I exhaled. “Let me clean this stuff up.”

  Mom stepped into the closet. “I’ll take care of it.”

  I slid the notebook into my waistband. “Okay. I’m going out. I’ll be back before the ceremony.” I picked up one of Eden’s black leather jackets and rushed from the room. Dad and Cris were talking in the living room. I’d have to speak with my brother later. I grabbed my bag and dashed out of the apartment.

  Plywood loosely covered a doorway on the backside of the dreadful factory. Fetid puddles of water and piles of trash covered the floors. The air reeked of death and staleness. I held my breath and walked across the grit and grime. Zared insisted the isolated place without cameras would be safe from reward-happy snitches.

  He sat on a crate in the office with his head against the wall and eyes closed. My heartbeat quickened. The guy could be a centerfold. His long, dark eyelashes fluttered. At any moment, he might catch me staring. But I couldn’t tear my eyes away. He wore dark jeans and a black thermal top, which hugged his well-defined chest. I gasped.

  “Are you done?”

  I fingered one of my hoop earrings. “What?”

  A few drops of sweat trickled down my back. I removed my jacket.

  He glanced at me. “Checking me out.”

  I blushed. “Did you get your dad’s journals?”

  “Not yet. Did you find anything?”

  I held up the notebook and sat beside him. “I don’t know if it’s anything. My mom walked in while I was searching.”