by SF Benson
“Like hell,” says Mom. “You didn’t try to get away from them?”
“As soon as I found out what they were up to, I left. We ran into Leon on the road.” I raise my head. “And then they showed up at the safe house.”
Mom rubs her temples and says, “How did they find the safe house? You said you ran into Leon earlier?”
“Yeah. In Sudbury. Asher and I were meeting with someone.”
“He must have placed a tracking device in the vehicle.” Mom speaks so low I think she’s talking to herself. “And you came back here… why?”
I reply, “Because I lied and told Leon the card was here and Gliese has it.”
“The redhead we have in custody?” she asks.
“Yup,” I mutter.
“Oh, Zared, the lies stop here.” Mom drags her hands through her hair. “Do you have the card?”
“Yes.”
“Give it to me.” She holds her palm out.
“Mom?”
“I won’t bargain with you,” she says sternly.
Tru slides off my lap and onto the sofa. I wipe my hands on my jeans. “No. I know what’s on it. We need a safe place to keep it.”
Her face wears a sudden formidable look. “You don’t trust me?”
“It isn’t about trust. I refuse to lose another parent…”
“Another parent?” Sadness crosses Mom’s face, and she clutches her chest. “Tell me what happened.”
I can’t tell her. Words escape me.
“Zared, what happened? Apanē pitā kē li'ē mujhē batā'ō kyā hu'ā.”
“What did she say?” Tru begs.
“She asked me to tell her what happened with my father.” I squeeze her hand. “I-I can’t do it. Tru, please… help me?”
Tru blows out a noisy breath. “Z, it isn’t my place.”
“I’m begging you, Tru.” My voice is strained. “I can’t do this.”
Tru wets her lips and twists the bottom of her shirt. “Taa, remember our arrest?”
Mom says nothing.
“Well, Katsuo wanted the card, but we refused to give it to him. We escaped New Belle Isle, but he didn’t quit. The Alliance requested a meeting. They demanded Katsuo surrender and cease experimenting. He rejected their offer,” Tru says hurriedly.
Tears roll down Mom’s cheeks.
“I wasn’t there”—Tru casts a brief look at me—“but I heard what happened. Katsuo shot my friend, Ko. Zared reacted.”
The words fly out of her mouth. “He was just trying to protect her, not kill his father.”
“Zared, tuma apanē pitā kō māra ḍālā?”
“I didn’t mean to do it, Mom. I…” My shoulders quake. I thought I was stronger than this.
“You did what you had to do. I don’t blame you.” Her voice catches. “Mērē priya laṛakā. Katsuo caused his own downfall. When I created Intrepid, I’d hoped to protect and save him from himself. I failed.”
She kneels in front of me and puts her hands on my knee. “I love you. Don’t you ever forget it. I’m so sorry for the life you had to live. And I’ll do whatever I can to fix this.”
After talking with Mom, people drift back into the room wearing black combat gear. Ko and Tru talk animatedly to one another. Asher hands me a combat suit. I recall wearing the exoskeleton on New Belle Isle. I have no desire to rush encasing myself in another one.
“Get changed,” Asher commands. “We’re going over the plan in a minute.”
Asher has this outrageous plan requiring us to escort my mother, a traitor to the AR, to New Belle Isle. We settle on Mark’s course of action—arrest Tru and me. Asher, Mark, and Griffin will escort us out of here. Once we clear the compound’s gate, we’ll ditch the military Jeep and backtrack to the car Mark left near the fence. From there, we’ll return to the safe house. Mom contacts the Alliance and arranges transport back to New Detroit. I don’t like this plan at all.
Mom hands over a fake set of orders to Asher and announces, “Here’s the arrest warrant.”
Asher folds the document and places it inside his suit pocket. He holds his chin high, pushes his shoulders back, and assumes the role he does best—Riza sergeant. “It’s a straightforward plan.”
Tru fidgets next to me. Her brow wrinkles. She doesn’t like the plan, either, but we have to do something and it’s the best idea we have.
I whisper in her ear, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s too risky,” she confides. “What if something happens and we end up on New Belle Isle again?”
“Let’s not play ‘what if’,” I caution. “We don’t have time to contemplate what could go wrong.”
She taps her foot. “Did Taa tell you that Holden and my clone are still missing?”
A door closes in the distance. I look up and notice that Asher and Ko are gone. Mark is going over details with Mom. I’d really rather not talk about her clone nor that bastard. Grudgingly, I tell her, “Yeah. She did. Why?”
Tru adds, “If they’re still here, he might see us. Holden is—”
“Is not a concern,” Mom interrupts, sitting beside us.
“You’ve found them?” Tru asks excitedly.
“No. They may not even be here anymore.”
“We need to get moving,” Marks says. “Everyone—”
The door to the room bursts open, and a Riza guard storms in.
“Your healthy teenager reports for Inoculation Day. Afterward, your teen behaves like a sickly toddler. The CHA tells you there’s a cure for it. There is… don’t be inoculated! The vaccine is dangerous! Stop the madness! Don’t report for Inoculation Day!”
—A Message from the Alliance
Tru
I’m notorious for never listening to that little voice, the cautious one, inside me. No matter how dangerous the predicament, I usually act like I know better. But this time… this time, something gnaws at me. It screams danger. I can’t turn off the voice in my head. I’ve been wrong before, so I choose to listen.
When the guard barges into the room followed by our team of misfits—Leon, Griffin, Gliese, and Mark—I’m not surprised. It’s just the beginning of what’s to come.
Taa puts her hands on her hips and berates the soldier. “What’s the meaning of this? Why did you bring them here?”
The blonde soldier simply announces, “Dr. Aoki, you need to check the video stream.”
Taa walks to a metal plate in the wall. She swipes her hand across it, and a flat screen appears. After punching a few buttons on a remote, the stream starts.
Angry protesters gather outside of the New Order’s executive mansion. Some hold picket signs displaying ‘No Clones,’ ‘Say No to Genetic Engineering,’ and ‘Don’t Mess with God.’ A group of people in tattered clothing rock the wrought iron fence surrounding the property. Riza, dressed in combat gear, stand on alert.
A reporter’s voice plays over the video.
“Once again, our nation is in turmoil. Demonstrators outside the nation’s capital demand answers to the latest manifesto from the rebel group, the Alliance. The factious rhetoric claims the New Order is acting in defiance of the United Nations’ ban on genetic engineering. Protesters request answers from our esteemed leaders, namely President Benjamin J. Salk. Documents bearing his name are touted as being responsible for our government’s actions. Just a minute… we have a live feed from one of our leaders…”
The image of Jacob C. Venter, one of our heads of state, appears on the screen flanked by Riza soldiers. Venter is a handsome, older man with gray-flecked dark hair and beard and kindhearted brown eyes. I’ve seen those eyes before. His well-tailored navy suit, white button-down shirt, and thin red tie are very patriotic.
“Citizens of the American Republic, our country is in an unfortunate crisis. Rebel forces have taken to the streets, jeopardizing the lives of innocent civilians. Effective immediately, any person brandishing weapons will be arrested. If you refuse to lay down your arms, Riza soldiers will shoot to kill. There will be
no leniency for civil disobedience. Our country won’t be divided again. A 24-hour curfew is in place. Long live the American Republic. Stay strong, stay loyal.”
I look over at Taa. For a fleeting moment, hatred flickers in her eyes before she turns off the stream and says, “And so it begins.”
The mood changes in the room. No one speaks.
Mark taps my arm. “You created this mess uploading that software. What’s your next brilliant move?”
Captain Obvious is right. My action was like the push on a stack of dominoes. I told Zared that we were waiting for a response. Well, this is it. What’s our rebuttal?
The one time I listened to my little voice, the world crumples. That’s the last time I do that. We should have been moving forward, getting out of this place. We have too much left to do. Citizens, whether they know it or not, are depending upon us.
“Zared, we need to act,” I say.
He stares at me. “How?”
“Follow me.” I pull him toward the bathroom.
He closes the door. “What are you talking about?”
I hold out my palm. “Do you still have the card?”
“Of course. Why?”
I remove the confiscated SIM card from the dead driver’s phone from my pocket and place it on the edge of the sink. “Give me our card.”
Zared retrieves the SIM card from his boot.
I tuck ours into my boot and give Zared the other one.
“What’s this for?” he asks.
“My gut is telling me not to trust your mother. Did you notice the look on her face during the video stream?”
He shrugs. “I didn’t think much of it. She seemed pissed.”
“Yeah.” Not exactly what I’d call it. “Just trust me on this one. If she asks you for the card, give her the fake one.”
Zared nods. “And then there’s Leon… Before we got here, I overheard a conversation between him and Griffin. They have a plan to take the card and turn us over to the authorities for a reward.”
My pulse speeds up. I clench my fists, ready to do bodily harm to Santa’s fat elf. “If that’s the way he wants to play this, it’s you and me. We don’t trust anyone else.”
“What about Asher and Ko?”
Good question. I haven’t seen them in a while. “If they don’t return soon, they’re out of the loop.”
Zared agrees.
We step into the outer room just as the main door bursts open. Asher and Ko run inside.
Asher, slightly out of breath, says, “Soldiers are running all over this place. What’s going on?”
“The New Order just decreed martial law. The entire country is under a mandatory 24-hour curfew,” Taa states without looking up from the computer. “Locking down the compound is protocol.”
Ko looks at Asher and asks, “How will we leave now?”
“Won’t be a problem,” Mark announces.
“How so?” I ask.
Mark stares at the floor for what feels like an eternity before making eye contact with Asher. “I’m sorry, man. I had my orders.”
Asher flexes his forearms and growls, “Orders?”
“Yeah. I had to bring in Zared,” he says.
Asher’s nostrils flare. “Damn it, Mark. I thought we were friends. Shit, you’ve been like my brother. How could you?”
“I didn’t have—”
Mark doesn’t finish his sentence. A loud crack fills the air as Asher slams his fist into Mark’s face. Mark grabs his nose.
Zared holds onto Asher’s arm.
“Let me explain,” Mark says through the blood running down his hand. “I was at headquarters when the order was issued. I volunteered to keep you safe.”
Asher’s face hardens as he asks, “Me?”
“Yeah.” Mark wipes his hand on his leg. “The order said to apprehend the both of you.”
I stand in front of Mark. We don’t have time for this crap. He’s either with us or we need to take care of him permanently. “Whose side are you on now?”
He looks at me and winks. “Yours.”
I fold my arms. “How can we be sure?”
“You can’t, but I don’t hurt those I like. Count yourself lucky,” he teases.
“Whatever.” I roll my eyes. “So how do we get out of here?”
“Just follow my lead,” he says. “When—”
Before he finishes, footsteps rush through the hall. Sirens cut through the air. The door swings open, and Holden walks in.
“Citizens of the American Republic you should know that we, the Alliance, are fighting for you. We’ll pay any price, muster any load, deal with any oppression, lend a hand where needed, and fight any enemy to make certain we all live in a free world.”
—Manifesto of the Alliance
Zared
The door suddenly swings open. A tall, lanky man with ginger hair storms into the room. He’s swinging a gun. His beady eyes are wild.
“There you are, my dear,” the man hisses, approaching Tru. “Did you think you could leave me, leave this place without me?”
Tru holds her chin high and says boldly, “That was my plan, Holden.”
So this is the prick who hurt her. I scan the room, looking for the best way to take out this ass. Mom is in front of me next to Asher. Ko is behind us. Tru stands between Mark and the soldier, the only other person with a weapon. If I get closer to Holden, I could disarm him.
“No. It wasn’t your plan,” he drawls and makes eye contact with Mom. “This was your doing, Dr. Aoki.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Mom’s voice shakes, and she takes a step back.
Holden pushes past Tru. “You engineered the switch between Tru and her clone.”
“Where’s Shara?” Tru shouts.
Her question goes ignored. “Whose side are you on, doctor? How long have you been working against me?”
Mom folds her arms across her chest. She puts up a brave front, but her trembling voice gives her away. “Dr. Pratt, you’re delusional. I received orders that Tru is to be transported to New Belle—”
“Stop lying!” Holden raises his arm and cocks his weapon.
My eyes dart from Mom to Tru. I can’t protect the both of them. Mark’s eyes settle on mine. I plead silently that he’ll keep my girl safe. He nods.
“Dr. Pratt, you don’t want to do this,” Mom pleads.
He says, “No, but it’s necessary.”
I hear the pop and push Mom out of the way, never taking my eye off Pratt.
My body jerks.
Pain pierces my body as I fall down on top of her. I can’t move. Breathing hurts. Someone is screaming. Fuck! I think that fool… I think he… shot me.
I smell blood… mine. Hell, I don’t want to die. My eyes are so… so heavy. Sleep might help.
Not long ago, I killed my father and saved Ko in the same day. This time, I saved my mother. God, please, I’m not ready to die. Not now. Not when I finally got Tru back.
Tru
My heart races. I didn’t go through hell just to lose Zared. Not happening.
“Seems like I’ve missed,” Holden mocks. “Oh well, we didn’t need him around, anyway.”
I see the grip of a weapon jutting out of the female soldier’s holster. No time for thinking. I grasp it and aim at him.
“Love, you’re not going to shoot me.” His lips curl around the words.
“Think again.”
I squeeze the trigger. The slug tears a hole in his chest. Crimson bubbles burst from his lips. Holden’s body slumps to the ground, blood continuing to flow from the wound.
I tear my eyes away from the sight of his dying body. Zared’s lying on the floor with Taa by his side.
“No, no, no, no,” I cry out and drop to my knees.
Taa is applying pressure to his chest. “We’ve got to get him to the medical wing. Too much blood… too much…”
Why didn’t he put on the combat gear? I scream out, “Somebody call for help!”
&n
bsp; The female soldier taps a device in her ear and calls for medics.
Tears fall from my eyes. I grasp Zared’s hand. His eyes flutter open. “Hey, babe.”
“Hey, yourself,” I choke out. “We’re getting help.”
He inhales with difficulty. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. Don’t talk. Save your strength.”
“What about…?” He tries to squeeze my hand.
Zared didn’t have to tell me who he meant. “Holden’s dead. He won’t hurt anyone else.”
Suddenly, the room shakes. I cover Zared’s body with mine. Dust from the ceiling rains down on us. A heavy plastic smell fills my nose. My head and ears, which won’t stop ringing, feel like they’re stuffed with cotton. Something warm trickles down my face. I raise my hand. Blood.
Slowly, I move off Zared. I check for a pulse. It’s still there, but it’s getting weaker. My shirt is soaked with blood.
I knock pieces of drywall off of him. Where are those damn medics?
Asher crawls over to Ko. He says something to her, but I can’t make out the words. He turns to me.
I point to my ear.
Asher says something and leaves the room. Seconds later, he returns with the medic team. They place Zared on a stretcher and start checking his vitals.
My eyes dart around the room. Taa stands near the medics and cries. Leon braces himself against a wall, holding his bloody head. Griffin and Gliese step over fallen objects.
The fog slowly lifts from my ears just in time for another explosion. I cover my head as more dust falls from the ceiling. When the soot settles and my vision clears, I see we have a problem. The door to Taa’s room is blocked. How will the medic team carry Zared out?
I look down at him. He’s so pale. I can’t lose him.
Release: an Alliance Chronicles novella is coming late Fall 2016
Rebel: the Alliance Chronicles book three will be released in 2017
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