The Caelian Cycle Boxed Set

by Donnielle Tyner

  Once outside, she pulled me into another hug that was less frantic, but still full of emotion. “Stay strong.”

  “With you as a role model, it will be a piece of cake,” I squeezed her before letting go and stepping into the idling car.

  Chapter 37

  Breaking News

  Members of the president’s staff as well as the reporter for Global News were infected with the Koenig serum late last night as they met in secret to discuss the public signing of the Talent Registration Act.

  Congress is requesting that the president sign the Registration Act in secret, an action sure to ignite strong debate among Caelian supporters about the validity of the signature.

  No response has been given by the White House.

  Chapter 38

  When I arrived, the underground was in pandemonium. Teams ran drills in the common rooms while men and women in crisp suits rushed from one room to another. As my escorts led me past the desks that took up the center spoke of the underground, I noticed they were mostly empty except for those few who typed with an almost feverish concentration on their devices. No one took notice as I was led into a conference room where Rebecca and Madison waited for me.

  “You’re looking a hell of a lot better,” Madison exclaimed.

  “We’re all glad that you’re with us again,” Rebecca added.

  Although I could tell they meant it, something was off. Both girls were drawn inward, holding their stomachs and looking defeated, and had deep purple bruises under their eyes as if they hadn’t had an hour of sleep since leaving the Moreau estate. Madison pulled at her orange locks nervously while Rebecca chewed on her bottom lip.

  “Tell me, is what’s got you two worked up the same thing that has the rest of the underground on edge?” I asked as I sat down in the chair opposite from the girls. The exhaustion from continuous travel was catching up with me. As an afterthought, I scanned the room. “Where are the boys?”

  “They’re with McCredie,” Madison answered.

  “Good. I need to see him.” I stood to go, but Rebecca reached across the table and grabbed my wrist.

  “They’re busy right now.”

  “Oh?” I sat back down.

  “About an hour ago Luca and Kian returned with the escaped double agent. The whole underground has been locked down until the tech guys can figure out if any more information has been leaked,” Rebecca stated as she rubbed her temples.

  “You’re the only person that has been cleared to enter in days,” Madison added.

  “Why do the two of you look like hell?”

  “The past few days have been difficult for the two of us. When we’re not in training, we’re being interrogated,” Rebecca sighed. “Plus we have volunteered to go on this mission McCredie has been planning and he has everyone running drills until you were able to join us.”

  “Wait. Interrogated? Why?”

  “Oh, I forgot that no one outside of the command center knows what happened.” Rebecca yawned and stretched as I sat across from her, my impatience growing by the minute.

  “What happened?”

  “For starters, the spy left in the underground was Emma,” Madison paused, letting that nugget of information sink in.

  Shock about Emma ran my thoughts off track for a moment. We were never close, but she was a part of our little orphanage family. She and Joshua both featured in many memories of St. Vincent’s, some not so great, but recently they had been fine. In fact, they had been nicer to me after my Talent had presented itself and were eager to be a part of the group. My stomach sank as I realized they’d been reporting back to the Koenigs.

  “Yeah. We all made that same face,” Rebecca whispered gloomily.

  “Because we arrived in the underground with both Emma and Joshua, along with the rest of the kids from St. Vincent’s, we were all questioned,” Madison continued while Rebecca struggled to keep her eyes open.

  “Questioned how?” My blood boiled as memories of how the HPC “questioned” me came bubbling forward.

  “Not like how you’re thinking, so calm down,” Madison grunted as she crossed her arms. “They wanted to make sure we were all loyal, so we were first questioned about our motives and then they wanted to know every interaction we had had with Emma and Joshua.”

  “How did they know you were all loyal just by asking questions?”

  “They have a Caelian who is like a human lie detector. You cannot lie when he’s in the room. It physically pains you,” Madison answered. “They made you lie with the first few questions so you know how it feels.”

  “Did they clear you all?”

  “Yes, and now that Emma has been returned, I’m sure the questioning will cease.”

  A soft snore came from Rebecca as she rested her head on her arms.

  “Hopefully, we won’t be stuck in this room much longer. Time is our enemy now more than ever.”

  “Let me send a message to Captain Monroe and see if he can move things along.” I watched as she typed a message and then responded when the communicator dinged shortly after. “They’re almost here.”

  “Good. Lay your head down and rest until they get here. I know you must be exhausted.”

  As the girls rested, I closed my eyes and reflected on everything I needed to say. It wouldn’t take much to convince McCredie that I needed more of an active role than bait, but it I wasn’t sure how he would react when I told him that I knew about Mae or her role in GenCorp and that I needed help from a civilian. After current events, he might think I was a spy too. No. He would have to know there was no way I would be working with the Koenigs.

  No matter what it took, I had to convince McCredie to let me contact Mae. If she didn’t do her part, this whole plan would go up in smoke.

  “I don’t like it,” Kian growled as he paced the room.

  “Never thought you would, but it’s the only way,” I responded.

  “Putting your life in danger was never part of the plan,” McCredie added. “If Cecile were here, she would murder me for even thinking about letting you do this.”

  “I disagree. Mrs. LaMotte was the first person to believe my Talent was meant for more. She wouldn’t like the idea of me being in danger, but she would accept that this is what I am supposed to do.”

  Rebecca and Madison nodded in agreement while Luca stood stoically in the background. Kian stopped pacing and gave me one last pleading look before sitting down in resignation.

  “Will you contact Mae?” I asked McCredie as I pulled my gaze away from Kian.

  “Yes, but she may not be willing. She was explicit with her demands when she joined.”

  “She’ll do it. Trust me.”

  “Okay.” McCredie clapped his hands and jolted Rebecca, who was on the verge of drifting back to sleep. “Captain, you set up contact with Mae. I’ll make arrangements with Marianne for your friend to meet us. The rest of you go to sleep and we’ll begin training in the morning.”

  “No,” I interrupted.

  “No?” McCredie raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms.

  “No. We have to finish this before the president signs the Registration Act. Everything hinges on that.”

  “We don’t know when they will air the signing,” Captain Monroe stated without looking up. His focus narrowed on his communicator.

  “That’s why this has to be sooner than later.”

  “You haven’t been briefed on any of the new information or…” the Captain looked up from his screen and narrowed his eyes.

  “The team can inform me while we move into place. My job is so simple it shouldn’t take more than a few hours to get me familiar with the plan. Besides, I’m sure you have it set up so I have significant backup.”

  “We do, but…”

  “Then there’s nothing to worry about. We need to leave in the morning.”

  Chapter 39

  Sweat poured down my spine and along the lines of my neck as I stood in an abandoned store behind a pocket park across the s
treet from GenCorp. When I imagined a building dedicated to genetic science, I had pictured something clinical and sterile. What stood across from me was a fortress with technology, weaponry, and man power that rivaled the military.

  No wonder the Koenigs holed themselves up after that broadcast.

  Worry gnawed at my faith in the plan. It wasn’t fool-proof and relied heavily on Mae to get us in the compound, but it was our only shot.

  Guards patrolled the perimeter in groups of four with weapons I had never seen before. I narrowed my eyes to see if I could focus on what was in the oddly shaped magazine clip.

  “Those weapons are loaded with the serum, as well as the many traps set throughout the external and internal perimeter. Any norm who steps within 50 feet of the compound gets a healthy dose of the serum,” Captain Monroe explained as he watched a section of wall close to the rear of the compound.

  “What about the Caelians in the military?”

  “There aren’t any qualified enough for a mission as sensitive as this one. Most Caelians in the military don’t make it past sergeant and none of them are on special forces.”

  “Does the military know what we’re doing?”

  “Yes and no. We told them we would attempt to infiltrate, but didn’t give them any details.”

  I nodded even though he couldn’t see. The rest of the team gathered by the basketball courts. If it weren’t for the boots and jeans it would look as if they were choosing teams. Madison noticed my stare and motioned for me to come over.

  “Everyone know where they are supposed to be?” Kian asked as I approached.

  Everyone nodded. “Good. We should get the signal at any moment. Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, go get ready.” At the command, a large section of the group left, splitting into different groups and going in different directions. “Charlie?”

  “Aye aye.” Luca saluted mockingly as Rebecca rolled her eyes and adjusted her prosthetic.

  “Don’t be an ass, Luca,” Kian sighed.

  “I’m always an ass, sir,” Luca lowered his arm and stood at parade rest.

  “Now’s not the time, honey,” Rebecca rolled her neck.

  “Listen to your better half,” Kian retorted.

  “I always do,” Luca relaxed.

  “Are we going to split up now?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Kian pulled me into a hug. “I wish I could go in with you and Madison, but we’re needed as a distraction.”

  “Kian and I made sure we’ll be on the team that reaches you first, so there’s no worries. Okay? We’ll find you two.” Luca mussed up my hair.

  “I have faith in everyone. This has to work.”

  “I’ve been given the signal,” Captain Monroe announced. “I’ll retrieve the package; you get to your stations. Now!”

  A quick round of hugs, the three of them ran out the back door. Madison linked her arm with mine, and I welcomed her touch by leaning my head on her shoulder.

  “You ready?” She asked.

  “Yeah.”

  I straightened, but didn’t release her arm as we made our way down into the parking structure under the building. The crumbling walls and puddles of murky water didn’t inspire confidence that the whole structure wouldn’t crash down on our heads, but we kept walking. When we arrived at the darkest corner of the lot, Mae stood waiting next to an open door. She bounced from one foot to the other as she frantically motioned for us to hurry up.

  Her anxiousness was contagious and the both of us sprinted until we slipped inside the door. Mae shut the door and typed a series of codes into the panel on the wall.

  “When I said hurry, I meant it,” Mae spoke into our minds. Her hands were at her waist and she leaned into us, glaring. She seemed years older, and I squashed the urge to shrivel under her gaze.

  “Sorry,” I thought back. “You told us not to come into the parking structure until you gave us the signal. We had no idea where the door was.”

  She waved her hand dismissively. “We need to keep moving. This entrance isn’t used often. The Koenigs typically don’t have much to hide from the general public, but those things they don’t want anyone to know about are brought in through here.”

  We followed her through the maze of dimly lit corridors.

  “Should we worry about guards?” Madison asked.

  I stiffened at the sound of Madison’s voice inside my head, the action causing me to stumble and receive a withering glare from Mae.

  “Not where we’re going. I’m not taking you straight through the compound, but around the outer edges. You will be coming out on the staging area where he does all his press conferences. It’s the least guarded when not in use because it isn’t connected to the main compound.”

  A heavy melancholy threatened to choke me as I thought about the last people who were on that stage. I wonder if they mopped up her blood.

  “None of that Sadie,” Mae scolded. “You’re here to end this. Don’t lose sight.”

  We rounded a few more corners before Mae signaled for us to stop. She walked up to another panel and punched in another complicated series of codes before the gleaming silver doors opened.

  “There are two soldiers on the other side,” Mae thought as she melted into the shadows. “They cannot see me here with you two.”

  “I got this,” Madison replied as she walked through the doors as if she owned the building. She walked right up to the soldiers and incapacitated them with her bare hands, hardly an effort on her part. “Come on out.”

  Mae and I stepped into a barren, gray room. A few scattered chairs made it look like the waiting room of the most depressing hospital ever. There was nothing on the walls to add any kind of visual stimulation except one panel screen. All of it was strangely dull and ordinary except for the far wall. The sparkling surface of tinted glass stretched from ceiling to floor, and just outside was the stage.

  “That’s where you will wait,” Mae pointed as she turned to the panel inside the room.

  “How do we get out?” I asked out loud as I took a tentative step toward the glass.

  “As soon as I turn on the power to this building, the two panels in the middle will open automatically when you get close enough. Once I activate the power, all the lights and cameras will turn on, alerting Miles to your presence. It shouldn’t be long before he shows up.”

  “I understand.”

  “Do you think he’ll bring others?” Madison asked.

  “I’m sure he will, but from what I gathered, he has been itching for a showdown with you, Sadie. Be careful.”

  “I will be.”

  “Okay. Hopefully my next task won’t take up too much time.”

  “Yes. Please hurry,” I begged as my stomach rolled with nerves.

  “One. Two. Three.” Mae pressed a button and took off running back down the dark corridor. The overhead lights in the room blinked to life, highlighting dust and cobwebs that added to the sadness of the room.

  “Let’s go out on the stage,” I suggested. Without turning to see if Madison followed, I approached the center of the glass wall. Just as Mae had said, the panels opened and a wave of muggy heat slammed into me.

  The stage was a lot smaller than it looked on the television. The two posts where Mrs. LaMotte and the norm girl had been tethered were still erect, standing like pillars against the amphitheater-like seating.

  Tentatively, I approached the pillar that had held Mrs. LaMotte as Madison followed close behind. It was pristine. No scratch or blood to indicate a woman had been held there and struggled until a bullet passed through her brain.

  “They’re approaching,” I whispered to Madison. My face pinched with worry as I brightened the map in my mind. He brought a small army with him. “There’s more than expected.”

  I pushed down the rising fear. One way or another, I had to end the war. It didn’t matter if he brought his whole house to witness. I would stop him.

  As the crowd grew closer, the signals separated and became clearer in my mind. “O
h no,” I whispered.

  “Oh yes, my dear.” Miles Koenig stepped out of the glass wall with a sardonic smile on his face. Unafraid, he walked until he was just out of my reach. “I hear that you are able to see Talents in your mind. Tell me, what do you see on the other side of the glass?”

  Madison made to step in front of me when the soft click of a safety being released stopped her. A man who could have passed for Link’s brother pressed the metal to her temple. “Take a few steps back, hot stuff. Mr. Koenig wants to converse with his granddaughter alone.”

  Madison shot me a questioning look before taking a few steps away from me. Guilt threatened to tear me apart. I had been so focused on the crowd in front of me, I didn’t see him coming. Get it together, Sadie. Everyone is depending on you. There was nothing I could do about it now except move forward.

  “I see a large group of people.”

  “And?” he asked, his voice shaking with glee.

  “I see that you’ve captured our people.”

  Chapter 40

  “Yes, yes. Bring them in!” he yelled as he spun his wrist with a flourish. At his command, the doors opened and soldiers wearing the Koenig family crest poured in with each one of the HCA soldiers, including Kian, Luca, and Rebecca in tow. I struggled to hold back my relief that Captain Monroe and the package had not been found.

  Tears welled as I watched the Koenig soldiers kick my friends to the ground. I let them fall as I watched as each solider pressed a weapon against the back of their heads.

  “You brought this upon yourself, my dear,” Miles tutted. “You chose to defend those who seek to oppress us.”

  “I chose to defend all people. Not just Caelian or norm. We are all human beings and we should come together in unification. It will be the only way we truly know peace.”

  With speed that belied his age, Miles closed the gap between us and struck my cheek before stepping out of range. “You are a child. And a fool.”