The Preston Six Collection: (Book 1, 2 and 3)

by Ryan, Matt

  With her plate empty, Poly looked at the printer. “Can that thing print anything, say knives or guns?”

  “Those are illegal,” Julie said sliding her empty plate away from her. “This one can only do organics and proteins, edible stuff.”

  Poly frowned. She let the ideas of pulling rocket launchers out of the printer fade away.

  Another day passed before someone knocked at their door. Poly jumped up from the kitchen stool with her printed slice of pizza and ran to the door. A digital screen displayed the person at the street pressing on their button. Poly stared at the person at the front door and moved her thumb over the open button on the screen, paused, let out a sigh and pushed her thumb against the screen. She heard the lock released from the doors.

  Julie ran to the door. “Was that Gladius?”

  “Yep.”

  Poly listened to Gladius’s foot steps up the stairs. The digital screen changed to a picture of the stairwell and Gladius standing at the apartment door. Poly pressed her thumb on the open button and the door clicked. Gladius pushed it open.

  She held a large bag and gave them a scowl as she walked in. “You have no idea what I had to go through to get here.” She flung her large bag on the kitchen island.

  “Hi,” Julie said.

  Poly stood behind her as she reached into her purse and pulled out Gem. The doll squirmed in her hands as she sat her on the floor.

  “I’m so sorry, Gem. I hate to keep you stuffed in there like that.”

  The doll looked up with her unblinking glossy eyes at Gladius as she spoke. They were matching, with a small black hat, black shirt, and black pants.

  “Hello,” Poly said.

  Gladius glanced at Poly and let out a long sigh. “Two dudes groped me, saying they were looking for you two.” Her nostrils flared. “Do you have any idea what you have caused out there?”

  “Sorry,” Julie said. “But why are you here?”

  Gladius closed one eye and rolled the other. “My dad has a thing for that one.” She pointed at Poly.

  Poly felt the heat in her face. She kept glancing at Gem and the thought hit her, she was getting used to the doll and the realization it wasn’t going to go all Chucky on her.

  “Anyway. . . .” Gladius said. “I’m here to check on you and give you some supplies.”

  Supplies? Ugh, Poly’s shoulder’s slumped. She was hoping Gladius was there to smuggle them off the island, or get them to a stone.

  “Oh, thanks,” Julie said.

  Gladius looked around the room for the first time. “What a dump. This is where you’re living now?”

  “Not by choice,” Poly said. “We were kind of hoping you would help us get out of here.”

  “And leave such a wonderful space?” Gladius said, touching the corner of the couch. She rubbed her fingers together in disgust. Gem climbed onto the couch. “No, Gem, get off that thing!”

  Gem jumped off the couch and ran to her leg. Gladius picked it up and held it in her arms. “Better keep those shoes clean as well.”

  Julie rummaged through Gladius’s bag in the kitchen.

  “So what is Travis saying? Is he coming for us?” Poly asked.

  “I don’t know,” Gladius said. “That creepy Max guy is always around him.”

  “Great, so are we just supposed to stay here forever?”

  “You’re welcome,” Gladius said as she looked at Julie in the kitchen.

  Poly sighed, Gladius must have gone through a lot to get them a care package. “Sorry, and thank you,” she said. “What’s it like out there?”

  “It’s terrible, guards everywhere, people rioting and tearing down the outers, drones are covering the whole city—all because of you two. Thankfully, Center City hasn’t been affected much. The gates seem to keep them out. The reward is ridiculous though . . . a hundred mill? For you?”

  Gladius moved her head from Julie to Poly and back again. “Don’t worry, my dad made me promise not to turn you in. Besides, it’s not like we’re poor, what’s another hun mill gonna do for me?”

  “I never thought you would turn us in,” Poly lied.

  “Sure,” Gladius said sarcastically, placing Gem on the kitchen island. “You get all the stuff out of there?”

  Julie nodded.

  “Good, ‘cause I’m out.” Gladius then spoke in a baby voice. “I’m sorry, Gem, but you need to get back in the purse. You’ll get stolen in two seconds out there.”

  The doll crouched into the purse and she closed it, slinging it over her shoulder.

  “Good day, ladies.” Gladius took a step toward the door.

  Poly stepped in front of her. She stopped and glared at Poly.

  “He told you something, didn’t he?” Poly asked.

  Gladius slumped. “He’s under constant supervision, I’ve never seen him so upset. And the rumors of you and him prancing around town don’t help.” She paused and adjusted her large purse. “But he did say he misses you and he’ll get you out when he can.”

  “That’s it?” Julie asked.

  “He also said to make sure you try the chicken.” Gladius shrugged.

  Poly shot a glance at Julie. “Well, thanks for the stuff.” She opened the door.

  Gladius stopped at the door and adjusted her purse while she stared at Poly. “I just don’t know what he sees in you.” She shook her head and stepped into the stairwell.

  “Be safe,” Poly said.

  “I’ll stab the next person who tries to touch me. Those damned outers better stay clear of me.” She walked down the stairs and squeezed out the door at the bottom.

  Poly stared at the stairwell before closing the door. She turned to find Julie’s hands digging around in one of the bags delivered.

  “Is there anything good in there?”

  Julie’s face changed to a smile and she pulled out a small plastic bag. “Found something.”

  Poly rushed to her side. Julie pulled open the plastic wrapping and two pills fell out and bounced on the countertop. Poly grabbed at them and held them in her hand. She made sure not to crush them. Large white pills, similar to the poison pill Harris had given her. Julie pulled a small piece of paper out of the plastic bag. She turned it in her hand and then brought it close to her eyes.

  “What does it say?”

  “It doesn’t make sense,” Julie said, peering at the small piece of paper in her hands. “It’s a blank piece of paper.”

  “Can’t you scan it with your Pana?”

  Julie smiled. “Yes.” She placed the paper on the island and put her Panavice on top of it.

  “There’s nothing,” she said. “Wait, there’s a hint of radiation.”

  Poly took a step back from the kitchen.

  “It’s not harmful,” Julie said. “The isotopes are aligned in a pattern, so tiny they are nearly undetectable. Let me plug in Almadon’s decrypter.” She slid her finger around the screen, a cold expression over her face. “It says ‘stay there for further instructions. If capture is imminent, take the pills. It’s a painless way to go.’”

  “What?”

  “That’s it, that’s all it says,” Julie said.

  Poly glanced at the white pills on the counter. “He sent us kill pills. What a jerk.” She paced from the kitchen to the front door.

  “It is an option,” Julie said. “Actually, it’s quite thoughtful.”

  “No, it’s not.” Poly placed the pills on the counter.

  Julie frowned and scooped up the pills and placed them in the plastic bag. She slid the bag into her pocket.

  “Harris say anything today?” Poly asked.

  “Not yet,” Julie said. “Let me check.” Her face went pale white. “Oh my god.”

  “What is it?” Poly tried to pull the words from Julie as she blankly stared into her Panavice.

  Julie raised her head to meet Poly’s eyes. The look of terror on her face sent chills down Poly’s arms. “They shut down Sanct’s net. It’s gone, they must have disconnected it entirely.�
�

  “We’re cut off?”

  “No, Almadon set up a bunch of hidden servers for us. But the rest of Sanct probably isn’t as lucky. MM is trying to cut off the city from the rest of the world. People kept posting videos on the net about what’s happening here.”

  Poly frowned at the news. “What’s the big deal?”

  “You don’t get it, everything here is connected, everything. People are going to go freaking crazy. This is going to cause more trouble than that reward.”

  Poly switched on the TV, expecting to see the aerial view, but a reporter materialized on the screen.

  “Haven’t been broadcasting, as MM has been conducting their extensive search throughout the city. With a population of ten million, it is going to take time, and we ask everyone to cooperate with their local guards. Even though we know these faces like our own, I will show them again.” Julie and Poly’s museum pictures displayed on the screen. “They are extremely dangerous and the hundred million will be awarded to anyone who can capture or give information that leads to their capture.”

  Julie sighed. “Great.”

  The reporter fidgeted with a screen in his hands, the high resolution picture showed the sweat beading around his forehead. He looked off camera briefly before clearing his throat. “There is another thing I need to report on. Due to the lock down, Sanct will not receive any imports of Orange until they are found. All Orange dispensaries are closed. And, as a further precaution, all servers have been shut down.” The reporter’s voice strained to get the words out.

  “What in the hell are they trying to do?” Poly felt sick.

  “They want the city to burn down around us,” Julie said.

  “Maybe people keep supplies at their houses?”

  “It won’t matter, the ones who don’t will make up for the ones who do.”

  Poly felt the weight on her shoulders. These people would die because of them. How many would suffer at their hands? The pressure made her chest hurt and she ran to the bathroom. Face sweating, she leaned over the toilet bowl, holding back her printed pizza from coming back up. She wanted to cry, scream at the world for putting her there, but she couldn’t. She reached into her pocket and popped a pill from the package and crushed it in her hands. The warm wave washed over her.

  HARRIS GAPED AT THE TV. The reporter was saying they were cutting off the Orange and net to Sanct. He fought back a laugh . . . it was better than he could’ve hoped for.

  “What does it mean?” Lucas asked.

  “It means we have a chance,” Harris said, feeling the soft leather on the couch.

  Lucas fidgeted with a magazine screen and rubbed his shoulder, where normally a strap for his quiver would lay. Hank sat next to Lucas with his hands on his knees, his broad shoulders taking up too much space, making it a tight squeeze on the couch. Harris glanced at the ornate wood door, next to an equally decorated desk. The woman behind the desk never looked up from her Panavice.

  “Send them in,” a voice said through the woman’s Panavice.

  “She’ll see you now.” The receptionist pressed a button on her desk.

  “Remember what I told you,” Harris whispered a warning to the boys.

  “We know.”

  Harris walked into the senator’s office. The senator sat at her desk and set down her screen as they entered.

  “Please, take a seat,” she said. Her cold voice gave him some trepidation. Everything needed to happen just right.

  “Thank you. This is Lucas and Hank,” Harris introduced, taking a seat.

  He took inventory of the room as he sat down. A camera in the back of the room, above the door, four pictures of family members, two potted plants, and no TVs. He felt as if he had a chance.

  “And that makes you Harris,” she said. “The Ghost.”

  “Yes, and thank you for having us, Senator Jones.”

  “I must say, I was very surprised you came to me.”

  “We have a drastic situation in Sanct, I can no longer be in hiding while the people suffer at the hands of Marcus,” Harris said.

  Her eyes narrowed for a split second when he mentioned Marcus. “He’s back you know.”

  “I heard. He stole a couple of friends of theirs to facilitate his recovery.” He saw in her eyes she didn’t care about the friends.

  “I agreed to this meeting out of curiosity, more than anything. Why don’t we get down to what you want?” Senator Jones said.

  Harris took a second to look at Hank and Lucas. They were stoic, and had been that way ever since he split them from the girls. He hoped to reunite the Preston Six soon, but everything had to be planned out first. Marcus was the smarter man, and by only doing many things at once did he have a chance of one of them working. He stared Senator Jones in her eyes and made sure not to waver. “We need your support to siege MM’s bunker. We need a clear port to land on and no interference from the local authorities.”

  She laughed, a strange laugh, like someone far out of practice. “You can’t be serious.”

  He didn’t respond.

  “How can you get past his army?”

  “Leave that part to me.”

  The smile left her face. “You think you can do it?” A hint of hope. Harris let a corner of his mouth peel back.

  “With your help, I have no doubt.”

  “Sanct’s not enough, they won’t get behind an island city. Even with the current situation there.”

  “Sanct is the first, there will be another by the time you have your first meeting with the other senators.”

  She leaned back in her chair and let out a long breath like a whistle. “If we fail, MM will kill us, or make us have an ‘accident,’ we have so much to lose if Marcus caught the slightest wind of this.”

  “I think you know who to talk to and who not to,” Harris said.

  She nodded her head and leaned forward. Looking from Hank to Lucas. “Who are these guys?”

  “I’m trying to get their friends back. Their friends, much like your son Timothy, have disappeared under the hands of MM.”

  “How can you possibly know about Timothy?” Her stunned faced leaned forward.

  “Senator, I’ve seen firsthand what Marcus can do to the people he finds a threat.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Do you know where he is?” There it was again—hope.

  “If I can get into their bunker, I think I can find out.”

  Senator Jones pondered this for a moment, but Harris knew he had her and the rest was just for show. “I will put out the feelers and see what support I can get. There are plenty who would like to see Marcus step down. Do you have an exit plan?”

  “You know I do,” Harris said.

  “Yes, I think I know you do.”

  Harris stood up and extended his hand across the table. Senator Jones shook his hand, she held it tight and pulled it closer to her. “If I get a whisper of a double cross on this Harris, you’re dead to me.”

  He nodded once and she released his hand. He knew the risks for everyone, but the rewards could be massive. The plans were going better than he could have asked for, so far.

  THEY BOARDED THE AIRCRAFT OUT front of the senator’s office.

  As the craft lifted, Harris set it to auto-pilot. “Lucas,” he called.

  “What’s up?” Lucas asked. Harris hated asking him for another favor, but he needed someone on the inside.

  “I need you to go to Mutant Isle and head up the distractions in Brissels.”

  Lucas didn’t respond at first. “If it helps the cause, sure. But why?”

  “I need to know what’s going on, and I think you could be good at causing mayhem,” Harris said with a hint of humor.

  “I think I can manage that.” Lucas rubbed his hands together.

  Harris sighed, he half wanted the kid to resist more. Being so agreeable and nice, made it harder to put them in harm’s way. He hoped Poly and Julie could stay hidden for a while longer. Every day they did, Max squeezed that city harder and harde
r. With any luck, the whole city would break and MM would divert more resources there.

  “Can I go with Lucas?” Hank asked.

  Harris expected this. “I was thinking of having you go to the next meeting with me. You two are great conversation pieces.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t think Lucas should go by himself.”

  “You’re a true friend,” Harris said. “Sure, you go with Lucas as well.”

  “Cool, when are we going?” Lucas asked.

  “Now.” He handed Lucas a Panavice. “This thing is set up to communicate with me. I need to know exactly what’s going on. It also has the coordinates for Brissels in it.”

  “Does this thing have Angry Birds?” Lucas asked holding the Panavice.

  “I don’t think so,” Harris said. He had no idea what Lucas was talking about. “Everything is hinging on the Mutants putting on a good show.”

  “You think they will just shoo us out of there?”

  “Marcus has standing orders not to kill Mutants. You’ll be fine, they might ship you back to Mutant Isle, at worst,” Harris lied.

  MAX’S EYE TWITCHED. “I HAVE it under control.”

  “Really?” Emmett’s voice repeated through the speaker of his Panavice. “Because, we’ve given you thirty thousand men, and a hundred million dollar reward. I’ve even been given reports you turned off their networks and stopped all distribution of Orange. I could care less about any of that, if you had the girls. But you don’t.”

  “They’re here, somewhere, it’s only a matter of time until we find them.”

  “The big man wants them alive and the way you’re handling it, the city is going to kill them long before we can get to them.”

  Max lowered his Panavice from the side of his face and gritted his teeth. He hated talking to Emmett instead of Marcus. Marcus would understand what he was doing and why. Marcus would understand everything in such detail that he would personally thank Max for his efforts. Max raised it back to the side of his face.

  “I will have them by tomorrow, guaranteed.”

  “We’re sending in more troops to do some PR. They’re bringing with them Orange and other supplies, and will turn back on their nets. Oh, and I’ll be there too.” The active line turned off. Emmett was gone.