Genesis War (Genesis Book 3)

by Eliza Green

  Pierre’s face faded in and out from sight as a vision arrived. His head pounded as the dark ball of intent barrelled down upon him. He pressed his hands against his head to slow the speed, but the pressure only increased it. A deep, dark force revealed itself to him; tried to possess him, to take control of his mind, like Benedict had done to Anton.

  Then the force slammed into him and everything went dark.

  10

  Hundreds of people shuffled along the streets of Nottingham. The chill damp air of the United Kingdom had turned them into zombies and Bill Taggart saw no signs of the inclement weather abating. He checked the time as he exited from the Maglev station and headed for the docking station entrance a mile away. Laura was due to arrive from Sydney.

  A flood of people emerged from the station’s entrance. They shivered as they passed through the environmental barrier to the harsh conditions outside. Bill searched the faces in the crowd. Then he saw her, gel mask on and long blonde hair spilling over her shoulders. Laura wore a heavy overcoat, but his breath caught when he caught sight of the red floral dress it hid. He smiled at her heavy black boots that contrasted the pretty dress.

  ‘What?’ she said, as she approached him. She checked her outfit and touched her face and hair. ‘What is it, Bill? Have I forgotten something? Is my hair a mess? Come on, tell me.’

  ‘Nothing’s wrong. You look nice, that’s all.’ He refused to say what he really thought.

  She relaxed with a sigh. ‘It’s my mother’s dress, actually.’ Bill lifted his brows. ‘I know—I didn’t think she owned anything this nice.’ She held the skirt of the dress out, and examined the floral pattern.

  ‘Not sure the boots go with the look,’ said Bill. ‘We’re supposed to be on a pretend date.’

  Laura stamped her feet. ‘Dress up or keep warm—I couldn’t decide. So I compromised. The boots are a necessity. I refuse to freeze my ass off, even for you.’

  Bill grinned but when Laura looked him over he dropped the smile, straightened his tie and glanced down at his own dishevelled appearance. He should have changed out of his work clothes first.

  ‘Do you want to go home and change first?’ said Laura.

  Bill looked down, suddenly unsure. ‘Should I?’

  ‘You look fine.’ She waved her hand. ‘As you said, this is just a pretend date. Besides, I have to get back to Sydney soon.’

  They hailed an automated taxi to take them to Cantaloupe, the only real food restaurant in Nottingham. The congested streets slowed their journey but it gave them time to talk.

  ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t come to Sydney,’ said Bill. ‘Things are too weird at work.’

  ‘Things are strange for me, too.’ Laura combed her fingers through her blonde hair and Bill caught her floral scent. ‘Did I tell you the woman from booth sixteen is back?’

  ‘Yeah I heard about that—about her family.’ Bill put the scent of Laura’s perfume out of his mind. ‘Now that I’m back working full weeks, I can see what’s changed in my absence.’

  ‘Like what?’

  The taxi pulled up at the kerb and Bill paid by waving his identity chip over the small screen that presented itself. They got out of the car.

  ‘Like Simon Shaw,’ he said holding the restaurant door open for Laura. ‘He’s different to how he used to be.’

  Inside, they removed their gel masks. Laura looked nervous as she glanced around.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ he said.

  ‘I feel a bit overdressed for this place.’

  The other diners were casually dressed. ‘Don’t worry, you look great. Keep going right to the back.’

  Laura followed Bill’s instructions to a private booth at the back. She slipped off her coat and handed it to the waitress. Then she slid into the seat of the booth Bill had reserved for them. He sat down opposite her and couldn’t help but notice the effort she’d made: she had curled her hair and applied colour to her pale cheeks and lips.

  ‘Stop staring at me like that.’ She slapped his arm. ‘You’re making me uncomfortable.’

  ‘We’re a pretend couple, so get used to it.’ He smiled. They had agreed that they could use their fake relationship to explain to those who cared why they spent so much time together.

  The waitress appeared with two digital menu cards and they each took one. The waitress left and Laura smiled as she smoothed down the crisp white linen tablecloth and straightened the silver cutlery.

  ‘Gosh, it’s all so old-fashioned,’ she said. ‘I could get used to this—a real restaurant with real chefs and no tasteless replication food. God, my mouth’s watering already.’ She scanned her menu, then looked up at him. ‘What are you having?’

  ‘My usual. Steak and chips.’

  Laura pursed her lips and studied the menu. ‘I’m not really in the mood for a hunk of beef.’ She twirled a strand of hair around her finger. ‘Maybe some salmon, or oysters’—she dropped the menu and clapped her hands—‘or both.’

  Bill shook his head. ‘Pretend date or not, chicken or steak is as far as my budget will stretch.’

  Laura tapped a finger on her lip. Bill noticed the other men in the room who glanced in her direction. She had no idea how attractive she was.

  She sighed and put the menu down. ‘Chicken it is.’

  Ten minutes later the food arrived—Bill’s steak and chips and Laura’s chicken provençale with mashed potatoes and baby vegetables. Bill was too hungry to wait for her, but on occasion he glanced up from his food, eager to see her reaction. Eating at Cantaloupe no longer thrilled him.

  Laura cut a piece from the chicken, slathered it in the thick tomato sauce and brought it up to her lips. She smelled it then shoved the fork in her mouth.

  ‘Oh, my God. This. Is. Delicious,’ she mumbled. ‘My taste buds actually hurt.’

  She carved off another piece of chicken and covered it in mashed potato before eating. ‘Mmmmmm. So creamy.’

  Bill stopped eating to watch her.

  She nibbled at the baby vegetables. ‘They’re so sweet and crisp, not like the insipid ones you get from the replicator.’ A tear leaked from one eye. She didn’t seem to notice it. ‘I’ve been too busy working in a stupid job, waiting for some stupid opportunity to transfer to Exilon 5 that may never come. I could have enjoyed what’s right in front of me.’

  After the meal, the waitress cleared the dishes away and handed them the menu cards for dessert.

  Laura looked hopeful. ‘Can I?’

  Bill nodded. ‘Aye, within reason.’

  Laura ordered a slice of chocolate cake and Bill ordered a coffee. He sat back, amused while her face contorted in pleasure.

  ‘Oh... my... God... This... is... so...’ She swapped her fork for her fingers and shoved cake into her mouth.

  ‘Easy. You’ll make yourself sick.’

  Laura made a noise—something between a laugh and a reprimand. She finished off her dessert and licked each finger clean.

  Bill stared at her. She looked up, surprised. ‘Sorry. I don’t know what got into me.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it.’ He leaned forward. ‘So, do you think the couple to my right got a good show?’ They had followed them inside the restaurant. The woman read a menu card while the man looked around him, as if bored.

  Laura dabbed her mouth with the napkin and sneaked a look.

  ‘They’ve been following us since we came back to Earth,’ said Bill.

  Laura coughed. ‘Some crumbs went down the wrong way.’ She pressed a fist to her chest and sipped some water.

  Bill reached for her. ‘Give me your hand.’

  Laura hesitated, then gave it to him.

  He made tiny circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. ‘Tell me about the woman from booth sixteen. Has she said anything to you?’

  Laura looked at him with fake adoration. ‘Not a thing. She’s different to how she was at the beginning.’ She picked up her dessert fork and gestured with it as she spoke.

  ‘How is she dif
ferent?’

  ‘Well, she’s afraid to speak to anyone. She won’t acknowledge me. She’s a shadow of her former self.’

  ‘That’s no different to how she was before all this started. She barely spoke to you then, either.’

  Laura dropped the fork and it clattered on her plate. The couple in the corner looked over at them.

  ‘There’s something strange going on. Trust me,’ she said.

  He rubbed her hand. ‘Try not to attract so much attention,’ he whispered. ‘All I’m saying is everything seems a bit too... calm, as if nothing ever happened. Booth Sixteen comes back and acts as if she never gave you the file. Not a surprise but if the World Government knows about her activities, Gilchrist would have called you in by now. Instead they leave you alone.’

  Laura reclaimed her hand. ‘That’s what I thought. They must know about our trip to Exilon 5.’ She coughed again and drank some water. ‘Are you thinking what I am?’

  ‘We’ve covered everything else. It’s just as I said on the flight home—we must be of some use to them.’

  ‘But that makes no sense. If we’re so valuable, why doesn’t the World Government or ESC use it to their advantage?’

  Bill glanced at the overly-attentive couple by the window. ‘I don’t know.’

  Laura leaned in. ‘We should find out if they know about our trip to... you know where.’

  Bill had to agree. ‘There’s only one man who can confirm that.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Simon Shaw.’

  Bill kept his stride long as he led Laura to his private apartment in Nottingham. She had offered to pay for a taxi but Bill couldn’t bear another slow journey through the city. Besides, his apartment was only two miles from the restaurant.

  ‘Do you really think Simon will help?’ She half-jogged to keep up with him.

  Bill checked over his shoulder to see the couple from the restaurant had followed. He stopped and pulled Laura into an embrace. Over her shoulder, he kept an eye on the couple, one of whom had now stopped to tie his shoelace.

  ‘I don’t know. I’ve never asked him outright for help before,’ he whispered in her ear. ‘Simon works for Deighton, who works for those poisonous elite board members, so that makes him just like them.’

  ‘I hate to point out the obvious, but so do you.’

  Bill smiled. ‘Okay, I’ll give you that one.’ He eased her off him and took her hand. The couple moved again.

  ‘I’m not sure why they’re following,’ said Laura, glancing back. ‘They probably already know where you live.’

  ‘They’re under orders to follow us. I’d rather not lead them to my private apartment just in case, so let’s string them along.’

  Bill pulled Laura along as they zigzagged their way through the backstreets to Bill’s apartment. When they were a mile away, Bill pulled Laura into the deep shadows and waited for the couple to pass. Then they walked in the opposite direction. He let go of her hand.

  ‘You know, this reminds me of that time I followed you in Sydney, when all this started,’ Laura said, a little out of breath. ‘Same pace, too. You almost lost me that day. But I know your tactics now.’

  They made it back to his apartment block without being followed and took the stairs to the second floor. Bill opened his apartment door and held a finger up to Laura as he closed it behind her. He retrieved the sound disruptor where he had hidden it under the loose floorboard and connected it to the Light Box. ‘It’s safe to talk now.’

  Laura had picked up the glass flower ornament from his mantelpiece. ‘This looks familiar.’

  Bill went over to her. ‘It was a flower from Isla’s ceremony. I wanted a better reminder of her than the useless trinkets in this apartment.’ He caught the sweet scent of Laura’s hair and moved away. He had made no effort to look the part tonight.

  ‘Do you want something to drink?’

  ‘Water’s fine. No—I’ll have wine. I mean water.’

  ‘Which is it to be?’

  ‘Actually, I’m more hungry than thirsty.’ She coughed again as she sat down on the sofa.

  The cough worried him. He left and returned with a glass of water.

  She looked up at him. ‘No food?’

  ‘Where did the cough come from?’ Bill sat on the arm of the sofa at the opposite end from Laura, and propped one foot up on the seat cushion.

  The mention of the word seemed to set her off again. After some water, she said, ‘I’ve had it since we came home from Exilon 5. It’s not as bad as it was. I think it’s easing off.’

  ‘And how’s the Seasonal Affective Disorder?’

  ‘No dark thoughts, no erratic moods. I assume the treatment worked.’ Laura coughed again.

  ‘Any side effects from what Stephen gave you?’

  She shook her head and drank some more. ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘If that cough gets worse, tell me. We know nothing about what Stephen used to treat you with.’

  ‘Will do.’ Laura got up and stood in front of him. She playfully grabbed the back of his neck. ‘So do you have any food or must I hunt it myself?’

  He flinched at her touch. ‘What are you doing?’

  She snatched her hand back and walked over to the mantelpiece. ‘Nothing. Just hungry, that’s all.’

  He watched her for a moment. First the cough, then the excessive hunger—and now the flirting. It was out of character for her—not that he minded the last one.

  Laura sat down again. ‘Look, I don’t think you should blurt anything out to Simon until you know whose side he’s on. Yes, he might have something important to tell us. Then again, he might run to Deighton the minute you open your mouth. I think you should wait before you talk to him.’

  ‘Maybe you’re right,’ he said. When Laura frowned, he added, ‘What?’

  ‘Have you ever tried profiling him?’

  ‘Not really. I pay attention to his body language, but I usually reserve my more detailed analyses for the criminals.’

  ‘Well, maybe you should,’ said Laura.

  He nodded. ‘Aye, I think you’re right.’

  ‘When will you see him next?’

  ‘At work tomorrow—at the briefing he never told me about. Simon’s going to be shocked when I show up.’

  11

  Stephen clutched his head as the vision retreated into the background. The cold from the stone floor chilled him where he had collapsed outside Anton’s door. Pierre, Gabriel, Leon and Arianna hovering over him made him feel worse. Scuffled noises turned into voices as Serena and Margaux argued with the guards.

  ‘Let them pass,’ said Gabriel.

  Stephen closed his eyes to hear one pair of feet get closer. When he opened his eyes again, a worried Serena gripped his hand.

  ‘Help me move him.’ Pierre glanced at the guards. ‘There are too many distractions here.’

  ‘I’ll take him.’

  Gabriel lifted Stephen up and carried him inside one of the empty rooms. He placed him gently on the floor.

  Gabriel turned to Margaux. ‘I thought I told you to wait at our private quarters.’

  ‘I wanted to meet her.’ Margaux’s eyes were on Serena.

  Stephen caught the unsure glance Gabriel gave Serena. He tried to get up, to defend Serena who clearly did not come from District Eight as she’d claimed, but Pierre pushed him back down. Black spots danced before his eyes. The auras of those around him sharpened into focus. He sat up and a stabbing pain caused him to wince.

  ‘Just be patient. You’ll feel better soon,’ said Pierre.

  He eased Stephen into position so his back rested against the wall. Pierre kept a hand on his shoulder. Stephen closed his eyes against the frustrating pain that prevented him from functioning at the most basic level. When it subsided into a duller ache, Stephen shook off Pierre’s help and stood up. Gabriel grabbed his arm to steady him.

  ‘What happened?’ said Gabriel.

  ‘I think I had a vision.’ Stephen sensed Serena�
�s annoyance at him. He had no idea why.

  ‘Was it something to do with Anton?’ said Leon.

  ‘I don’t know. It was too vague.’ Stephen turned to Pierre. ‘Who’s Charles Deighton?’

  ‘A man I once knew when I was a human. I believe Benedict, who’s passing himself off as Deighton, is just an imprint of that person. But in Anton’s body, he’s no less dangerous than the real man.’

  ‘How bad is the situation?’ said Gabriel.

  ‘Bad enough,’ said Pierre. ‘There’s a power struggle between Anton and the imposter. Anton still has control of his own body, but he grows weaker.’

  ‘So you’re saying Benedict is now in charge and Anton doesn’t stand a chance?’ said Gabriel. Stephen swayed and Gabriel firmed up his grip on his arm.

  ‘Not necessarily,’ said Pierre. ‘If Anton still has some control over his body, it means his mind is active.’

  ‘We must use the Nexus to break their connection,’ said Arianna. ‘It’s the only way to separate them.’

  Pierre patted her on the arm. ‘Yes, you’re right. The Nexus is where we find strength. Benedict is unfamiliar with how it works. If we can focus the combined power of the Indigenes on Anton using the Nexus, he may regain enough control to oust Benedict.’

  ‘Then what?’ said Leon. ‘What do we do with Benedict once he’s defeated? Keep him inside the Nexus indefinitely?’

  ‘No. We must destroy him,’ said Pierre.

  Leon’s sudden pacing drew Stephen’s attention. ‘After Anton killed Elise, I asked his team to run some tests on him. They discovered a device—a tracer and recording chip—inside his head.’ Leon stopped pacing. ‘The humans record everything my son does, everywhere he goes. The device doesn’t transmit to anyone because the omicron rock blocks the signals. But if the humans manage to penetrate the omicron shield, they could download the information from the device and gain access to maps of our tunnels and the Nexus. Anton may be a prisoner now, but he had plenty of time to explore the district before the explosion.’

  A shocked Pierre stared at him. ‘Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?’