by Marina Epley
The soldiers shine flashlights, searching for us. I realize they might possibly follow our tracks through the ash. Jessie leads us further inside the ruins, changing direction several times.
We jog through long crumbling passageways and finally conceal ourselves in a dark nook of a dilapidated building. It’s very quiet and I get a small hope that we’ve shaken our pursuit. A couple more silent minutes pass, then we hear footsteps approaching. We take off again, trying to maintain a safe distance. Kitty grips my hand tightly, leading me forward. It’s so dark I can’t see where I’m stepping.
Flashlights continue slicing through the darkness. We take cover as soldiers pass by only several yards away.
“Rex! Come on out, we know you’re here!”
I recognize Hammer’s voice.
“Come on,” he yells. “You have nothing to fear. Guardian just sent me to speak to you.”
He pauses, waiting for my response. I get a strong desire to yell something back at him. I remain quiet, listening.
“I have an order to bring you in alive!” Hammer shouts. “Guardian still believes in you, Rex. You should stop resisting and accept your fate.”
I can be sure he’s lying. It’s just a ploy to make me reveal our location.
“Let me help you,” Hammer groans. “Let’s quit these silly games. You know who you are. You’re a breaker and belong with us. It’s time to go home. We’re not your enemy.”
Such a bad liar. I’m certain he’ll try to put a bullet between my eyes the first chance he gets.
“Guardian will give you more freedom,” Hammer promises. “You don’t have to be a prisoner. You only need to do as you’re told. Just think what you’re turning down. You can have whatever you wish. You can even bring Kitty along, no problem. We can always use more strong telepaths.”
I remain silent. Jessie watches me with an alarmed expression. Is she really having doubts about me? I thought she knew me better than that.
“Kitty, we need strong fighters like you!” Hammer continues. “You’re welcome to join us.”
Kitty snarls, and I barely manage to cover her mouth before she shouts something back. I put a finger to my lips, signaling her to keep quiet. Kitty rolls her eyes, looking very angry.
“Jessie! Are you there as well?” Hammer continues. “You did an impressive job killing those guards during the parade. Our army needs good snipers. Guardian would be pleased to have you on our side.”
Jessie remains unfazed. She approaches me, whispering something. I turn my head, directing my good ear to her.
“I saw their trucks further back on the road,” she whispers. “We need to steal one.”
I hadn’t noticed any trucks, but I can’t see well in the darkness.
“We’ll need a distraction,” Jessie says.
I understand her instantly.
“It’s gotta be me,” I whisper. “I’m their main target.”
“Professor Holtzmann!” Hammer yells. “Guardian is ready to make an exception for such a valuable scientist like you. We’ll spare your life as well.”
“Draw their attention away, while we take a truck,” Jessie instructs. “Then head toward the road. We’ll try to cover you.”
“Victor!” Hammer continues. “We can always find a spot for experienced hypnotists and memory readers!”
I become tensed, watching Victor suspiciously. He remains oblivious to Hammer’s words, but I still don’t fully trust him.
“I’m going with you, Rex,” Kitty whispers. “I’m not letting you go anywhere without me.”
I want to protest, but Kitty looks too determined. I doubt I can change her mind, and we don’t have time for any argument.
“All right,” I agree.
She tightly grips my hand, leading me off into the darkness. Kitty has much better night vision than I do. We distance ourselves from our group and wait a few moments. I aim my rifle at the sound of Hammer’s voice. He still continues his idle attempts to sweet-talk our team into joining Guardian.
“Come get some!” I yell loudly, pulling the trigger and hoping to hit Hammer.
“Take him!” he commands.
I hear footsteps and voices fast approaching. Kitty and I run between the crumbling walls. She leads the way, firmly clutching my hand and pulling me forward. I jog, staring straight ahead and trying not to stumble. I feel disoriented. Without Kitty’s guidance, I’d be entirely lost in the darkness.
A soldier suddenly charges into me, grabbing my rifle with both hands. I hadn’t seen him coming. I swing my arm around, hitting him in the face as hard as I can. My fist stings. The soldier’s head bounces to the side, but he doesn’t release my rifle. Another guard grabs me from behind, wrapping his arms around me. I sway my head backward, head-butting him, as I simultaneously kick the first guard into the knee. He comes back with a haymaker that I just manage to slip. I hear Kitty struggling with a third guard somewhere nearby.
I punch the guard gripping my rifle again. A solid blow right into his temple. He silently goes down, sprawling in the ash. I grab the wrist of the second soldier, throwing him to the ground. He lands on his side. Anger fills me and I smash the butt of my rifle into his head until he stops moving. I truly hope he’s dead.
“He’s over here!” somebody yells.
Another soldier lunges at me and we both hit the ground, sinking into the deep ash. He winds up on top, tightly gripping my arm and twisting it. Kitty emerges from the darkness, jumping on the soldier’s back. I notice a small blade flashing in her hand. She slits his throat with one smooth motion. The soldier lets out a wheezing noise as blood spills from his neck. His body collapses. I push him off, scrambling back to my feet.
“Get them! They’re right over there!” Hammer commands.
I grab Kitty’s hand, running as fast as I can. A couple dozen soldiers chase after us. Now that they are all aware of our location, there’s no longer any need in trying to remain concealed. I fire my rifle as I run. They open up as well, aiming above our heads.
As we approach the road, I finally see four military trucks parked along the side. Several bodies lie unmoving in ash. A few guards stand motionless, limply holding their rifles. They obviously see us, but don’t react. I realize they’re deeply under. I increase my speed, running toward them.
“Here!” Jessie yells, standing at the back of a truck. She aims her rifle into our pursuers. Dave comes out from the front of the vehicle, firing his weapon. While they provide cover, Kitty and I jog between hypnotized guards and climb inside the truck.
“Fire!” Victor commands.
Gunfire fills the space behind us. I take a brief look outside to see the hypnotized guards shooting at our pursuers. Victor and Jessie hop inside the truck and the vehicle abruptly leaps forward. Dave must be driving. I sit motionless on the floor, taking a moment to rest. My head is still spinning. I look around and see a pale-faced Holtzmann crouching in the corner. His eye is twitching, but he seems stable enough. Kitty is right beside me, wiping off her knife.
“They won’t be able to follow us anytime soon,” Jessie says. “We cut the tires on the other trucks.”
She smiles broadly and I smile back. I still can’t believe we’ve slipped away.
“You’re hurt,” Kitty utters, gently taking my hand. My knuckles are bloody.
“It’s okay,” I say.
She kisses my hand, muttering something. I have a flashback of her cutting the guard’s throat without mercy. It’s somewhat disturbing. I’ve known for a while now that Kitty can be a vicious killer, but haven’t fully reconciled the fact yet.
***
Several hours later I stand beside the parked truck, staring off into the distance. I try to make out any Elimination checkpoints, but can see only outlines of the city across the field. It’s early morning and a thick veil of fog blocks visibility. I’m feeling nervous, but do my best to remain calm.
An anxious Holtzmann paces around the truck, mumbling something about apocalypse. Kitty
and Dave sit napping, side by side.
I finally see Victor and Jessie walking back toward us. As they approach, Jessie says, “We were right. There’s a checkpoint at the city border. We counted twelve Elimination guards.”
“Are you completely sure about this idea?” Victor suddenly asks me.
I’m not sure about anything, but I nod.
“We should split up,” Jessie suggests.
“Holtzmann, Dave and I will contact Elimination,” I offer. “You, Victor and Kitty provide backup.”
“No way!” Kitty exclaims, immediately waking up and scrambling to her feet. “I want to come with you!”
“Kitty, we need a telepath to monitor the contact group,” Jessie says. “You’re staying behind. That’s a direct order.”
Kitty frowns, turning away disappointed. Jessie winks at me.
Holtzmann, Dave and I begin walking toward the checkpoint. The professor leads the way, acting as a human shield. Soon, multiple guards move to block the road. They raise their rifles and we immediately raise our arms, staring down at the numerous barrels pointed our direction. I feel really uncomfortable, having no weapon. We left our rifles back at the truck, as a gunfight here isn’t amongst our objectives.
“Halt!” a guard commands. “Identify yourself!”
“I’m Professor Egbert Holtzmann!” Holtzmann yells.
“Hold your fire!” the commander orders the officers.
I realize they’ve obviously recognized Holtzmann. I identify myself, proclaiming that we’ve arrived to offer our full cooperation. A long pause follows, then all the guards come for me.
They approach quickly, holding their rifles ready and barking commands. I drop flat to the ground, spread-eagled, covering my head. I know they believe I’m a terrorist, the very one who has destroyed the country. I can’t understand why they haven’t shot me yet.
Dave begins explaining that he’s an Elimination officer as well, but the guards aren’t listening. They throw him to the ground, securing his arms behind his back. A now gasping Holtzmann shakes his fists in the air, demanding them to stop this madness. The guards gently lead him away, treating him as if he’s a freed hostage. Somebody puts a knee on the back of my neck while roughly handcuffing me.
I work hard on giving no reaction, although my blood is boiling. I deny an almost overwhelming desire to fight back. I can probably hypnotize some of the guards, but it wouldn’t serve our purpose. I have to be obedient and cooperative.
Two guards grab my arms, forcefully dragging me closer to the checkpoint. I don’t try to resist. They place a hood over my head and throw me inside a transport vehicle.
“Don’t move, breaker,” a guard growls, shoving a barrel of his rifle into my face.
I see it’s gonna be difficult to persuade these jerks on not killing me.
We drive for half an hour before the vehicle stops and the guards lead me outside. I wind up locked inside a prison cell, still wearing a hood over my head. Nobody has bothered to remove my handcuffs. I remain alone like this for a long while, recalling my first time in an Elimination prison. I can’t believe I have to go through this all over again.
I vividly remember the sadistic Captain Wheeler and Warden Browning. I wonder whom I will have to deal with this time.
I finally hear the screeching of the door sliding open. I become tense, readying myself for anything. Somebody approaches and removes the hood from my head. I look up and see a tall Elimination officer in his mid-twenties.
“You’re an idiot,” he says.
“Hi Chase,” I answer. “Nice to see you too.”
“What the hell are you doing here, breaker? Why did you turn yourself in?”
It’s a really good question.
“I’ve come to offer my full cooperation,” I answer. “This is what Elimination always wanted from me, right?”
Chase takes a moment to think.
“You’ve gotta be kidding,” he says. “You do realize that you’re currently the most wanted criminal in the country, don’t you? You’ve long since received a second death sentence.”
“Tell me something new,” I answer, smirking.
“What game are you playing?” he asks.
“No games this time. I simply want to cooperate.”
“I don’t believe you. You’re always plotting something, breaker.”
I realize that Chase is glaring at me with outright hatred. His voice sounds aggressive. It’s confusing because I thought we were friends.
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
“You manipulated me into helping you destroy the Death Camp,” he answers. “You involved me in the killing of Elimination executives and then you assassinated the leaders of our government. I don’t trust a word you’re saying.”
I stare at him in shock. “Is that what you really believe, Chase?”
“I don’t know what to believe,” he answers. “I only know that you’re nothing but trouble.”
I wonder why Elimination didn’t execute Chase as a traitor. Do they even know about him helping me destroy the Death Camp?
He keeps quiet for a while, then asks, “I’ve heard your gang was still holding Rebecca hostage. Is she all right?”
“We’re not a gang, Chase,” I answer. “Rebecca is with us by her own free will. And yes, she’s fine. She’s helping to take care of kids in the camp.”
I don’t think he believes me.
“Did you really get shot in the face?” he asks.
I nod.
“Let me guess, no brain damage,” he continues. “So I was right, you’re brainless. There’s simply nothing to damage, otherwise you’d be dead.”
I don’t say anything.
“Major Vogel will arrive soon to interrogate you,” he adds. “So you’d better think of what you’re going to say.”
“Who’s Vogel?” I ask.
“The current commander.”
“Another Wheeler?”
Chase grins.
“Major Vogel is not only smarter but much more dangerous than Wheeler,” he answers. “So let me give you some free advice. Don’t even try playing any mind games, because there’s no way you’ll win.”
Chase leaves me to my thoughts, locking the door behind. I lie down on the floor. I think about my coming encounter with Vogel. I haven’t decided how I should act yet.
The majority of the regular guards are just brainwashed, but their commanders are typically of the sadistic killer variety. They genuinely enjoy torturing and killing mind breakers. I doubt this Vogel is any different. Most likely he’s as bad as Captain Wheeler, or if Chase is correct, possibly even worse.
I close my eyes, forcing myself to relax. The strain of the last days and lack of sleep finally hit me, and I pass out almost instantly. I watch helplessly as Guardian’s recruits gun down unarmed prisoners in my dreams.
The next thing I know, somebody is shoving the barrel of his gun into my shoulder.
“Wake up, breaker,” Chase commands. “It’s show time.”
I sit up, gazing around sleepily. My head is foggy and I’m a little disoriented. I see Chase holding his weapon on me. A tall thin woman in her late forties stands beside him, looking at me with a sort of detached curiosity. She’s wearing Elimination black and has a holstered handgun.
“Good morning, Rex,” she says in a soft voice. “I’m Major Erica Vogel. And I need to hear a really good reason why I should continue keeping you alive.”
Chapter 8
Major Erica Vogel. I have to admit to being a little confused. I’ve never heard of female officers in Elimination, but they obviously made an exception for this particular lady. And I think I can make a pretty good guess as to why.
There’s something about her that already reminds me of Wheeler. She has the similar polished appearance and hardened eyes of a cold-blooded killer. I can easily imagine her pressing a gun to my head.
I grin, trying to appear friendly and calm.
“I’ve come her
e to offer my full cooperation,” I say. “Elimination and breakers will be needing to combine efforts in a war against a very strong common enemy. Is that a good enough reason for starters, major?”
I realize my words sound stupid. Unfortunately, it’s the best stuff I can come up with on the fly.
Vogel returns my smile, answering, “Very interesting. I have to admit I was quite surprised by your sudden decision to turn yourself in. How can you be so certain I won’t just order your execution?”
“Elimination needs me alive,” I insist.
Vogel watches me warily, still wearing the same artificial smile. She suddenly looks at Chase holding the rifle on me and says, “Chase, that won’t be necessary.”
Chase lowers his weapon.
“And remove his handcuffs,” she adds. “He looks awfully uncomfortable in those.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Chase answers, executing her request.
I think I know what she’s doing. Vogel is showing me she’s not the slightest bit intimidated or threatened by me and can even free my hands. She’s role playing the good cop, attempting to make me more cooperative. Not a bad effort, but it won’t work on me.
“I’ve studied your personal file,” Vogel says. “You have an impressive list of crimes, considering your age.”
I recall the file states I’m twenty three.
“My crimes were exaggerated,” I answer.
“You’re only nineteen, aren’t you?” she asks.
“That’s correct,” I admit.
“Shall I call you Rex or Alex?”
I look at her, doing my best to conceal my surprise. How the heck does she know my real name?
“I prefer Rex,” I say.
“Very well, Rex,” she continues. “So please, tell me the real reason for your contacting Elimination.”
I take a deep breath and repeat what I’d said earlier, adding information about Holtzmann’s plan to assassinate Guardian.
“Who’s Guardian?” Vogel interrupts.
“You really don’t know?” I ask.
“Answer the question.”
Her voice sounds soft, but I sense a hidden menace behind her polite manners. I begin telling her about Guardian. I don’t really believe she has zero information concerning her most dangerous enemy. Vogel really must be playing some sort of game with me.
