The Registry

by Shannon Stoker

  “That wasn’t a very nice trick,” Grant said as he tightened his grip.

  Mia didn’t think she could handle the pain in her shoulder. She felt her vision going dark.

  Suddenly, the RAG agent leading the way dropped to the ground. Grant let go of her and held up his gun, ready to fire at whoever had taken his friend out. A glimmer of hope rushed through Mia. She heard the sound of a gun cocking, but the dust made it impossible to see. Then Andrew appeared. Now Grant and Andrew both had their guns drawn, pointing at each other. Mia knew she should use this opportunity to make a run for it, but she couldn’t leave Andrew.

  “So now I shoot you and you shoot me?” Grant said. “Well, that won’t accomplish anything.”

  He moved his gun out to his left side, reached out, and interlocked his arm with Mia’s. He pointed the gun directly at her. “Put your gun down or I’ll kill her.”

  Mia knew that if she moved, he would fire; she was shocked he’d kept her alive this long. She looked at her love, the heartbreak that flooded his face. He was always so strong, for everyone around him. She knew she needed to find that strength herself now. Mia decided it was best that she run; she knew how this would play out and it would end with Andrew dead if she didn’t do something. It was her turn to sacrifice.

  She turned to run, welcoming Grant’s bullets.

  Before she picked her foot up off the ground she was knocked down again. Her body ached, but not any more than it had during her earlier fall. She had assumed a gun wound would hurt more. She ran her hands down her body, searching for the bullet hole. There was no extra pain. She lifted her head and noticed a new figure rising up.

  The figure began to look familiar. It was Carter. Before Grant could fire Carter had sailed through the air and tackled him to the ground, and Mia in the process. Now Carter was repeatedly kicking Grant in the stomach. Grant curled up in a ball while Carter continued his assault. Mia had never been so happy to see someone in such pain.

  Andrew bent down to help her up, and as she reached for his hand the RAG agent came into view, crawling on his belly only inches away from her. He was bleeding from a head wound but far from dead. His weapon was drawn and pointed up at Andrew. Mia saw he was seconds away from shooting her paramour. She pulled Andrew to the ground and in a moment of fury grabbed a rock and swung as hard as she could, driving the stone into the agent’s face. She could feel his blood spray back but didn’t care. She continued her assault over and over, slamming the rock into his skull.

  As she raised her arm for another blow, she felt a hand grasp her wrist and force her to drop the rock. It was Andrew. He looked directly into her eyes and didn’t let go of her hand. There was a look on his face that she’d never seen on him before. He looked grateful. He bit his lip and started nodding his head. She placed her hands on his shoulders and the two rose to their feet.

  She had just killed a man, and she had not been met with judgment or horror. There was no remorse for her actions; she had killed someone for love, and her love knew it too and loved her in return.

  He started walking and she realized his leg was injured. She wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tried to force some of his weight onto her.

  “The helicopter,” Andrew said.

  The wind from the propeller was overwhelming, but the two hobbled over toward the vehicle. Mia boosted Andrew into the front seat.

  “You said you wanted to join the air force,” she said over the sound of the propellers. He nodded, looking around at the buttons. “I need to go look for Carter.”

  Andrew pointed his finger toward the accident. The headlights from the helicopter made the area slightly more visible. A person was wandering out of the dust. Mia held her breath. As the figure inched closer it was easy to see he was dragging something. She knew it was Carter, hauling his father. She ran to help them.

  “Where’s Grant?” she asked over the propellers as she grabbed Rod’s legs.

  “I took care of him; we have to go now,” Carter said over the roar, nodding his head toward the flashing lights visible in the distance.

  He jumped into the back of the helicopter and pulled his father inside. Rod let out a groan as Carter tried to move him to the seat. Mia glanced over Rod’s body; he was in bad shape. His left leg looked like it was twisted all the way around. There were no doors on the chopper to close; Mia hoped he’d stay secure. She jumped up in the front seat next to Andrew, who handed her a headset.

  “I’m not sure how to get this to lift up or land, but I think I can handle it in the air,” he said over their radio.

  Before Mia could respond a bullet whizzed by her head. Grant was straight in front of them with his gun drawn. He was bloody and looked like even more of a madman than usual. Mia and Andrew both ducked toward the middle of the cockpit, shielding themselves from his subsequent attacks, but after a few seconds no more came. Mia looked up; an angry Grant was throwing his gun. He was out of bullets. This did not stop his assault. He limped toward the side of the helicopter with rage burning in his eyes.

  “Where’s your gun?” Mia yelled, and started searching the floor of the chopper.

  “I left it on the ground!” Andrew replied.

  “Do something!” Mia noticed the small joystick device and pulled it back; the machine began to rise, but only a few feet before it hovered and bobbed.

  She braced herself for Grant’s attack, but he walked right past her and focused on the passenger in the back. Carter. Grant jumped up and grabbed ahold of his leg. Carter started to slip out of his seat. The chopper wobbled but continued to rise at a slow pace. Mia twisted her body. She wanted to keep Carter in, but he didn’t need her help. It looked like Rod had renewed energy. He was completely alert and had his arms wrapped securely around his son. Carter continued to kick furiously, trying to knock Grant off of him.

  “Higher.” Mia looked toward Andrew, who had taken over control of the joystick.

  Carter managed to pull his leg loose and smash his foot down on Grant’s head, knocking him down to the ground.

  “We need to leave.” Mia gripped Andrew’s hand and tried to jerk the controls back farther, but the chopper was still just five feet off the ground.

  “I’m trying. I think we have too much weight,” Andrew said.

  Grant jumped up again. The machine went lower as he reached for Carter. This time Carter was ready and he kicked him back down. Again the chopper hovered, unable to climb any higher.

  “I love you.” A voice came over the radio. Rod had managed to put a headset on. “I don’t know if you can hear me. But these two will tell you what I’ve said later. Live a good life. Never come back here.”

  Grant was trying to jump up again, but Carter seemed out of reach as he looked toward his father.

  “Take care of yourself. You’ll be fine without me. It was always me that needed you.” Rod placed his hand on his son’s shoulder. “You’re the best of me. I think your mom is proud of both of us. I miss her so much. I think it’s time we were reunited.”

  It was obvious Carter didn’t know what Rod was saying or about to do. His face was a mask of confusion. Mia glanced toward Andrew, who continued to try to pull the chopper into the air. Grant made one final swipe at Carter’s legs. Carter kicked him down with ease, but the sirens were approaching the helicopter.

  “I wish I was half the man you are.” With that Rod popped off his headset and rolled backward out of the helicopter. As soon as his body left, the chopper went flying up at least twenty-five feet. Mia reached back and stuck her arm out, blocking Carter, who was about to dive after his father. He screamed, but no sound could be heard.

  She grabbed his face and turned his chin toward hers, shaking her head no. The group had already climbed a hundred feet in the air. Carter had no choice but to stay in his seat. Tears stained his cheeks and his nose turned red. Mia signaled to Rod’s headset and Carter put it on.

  “We have to go back for him.” Carter’s voice shook. “Turn around.”
r />   Neither Andrew nor Mia spoke.

  “Now. Turn this thing around.”

  “No. He wanted you to make it out,” Andrew said. “I am honoring his final wishes.”

  “Final wishes? He’s not dead! He’s lying on the ground about to get arrested.” The desperation in Carter’s voice was unnerving. “He would want me to go and save him.”

  “He did everything for you. He loves you.” Mia put her hand on Carter’s knee. “If you go back for him his sacrifice will have been for nothing.”

  “He hasn’t sacrificed anything yet.” He pushed Mia’s hand away; his breathing was sporadic and his eyes glassed over. “As soon as this thing lands, I’m going back.”

  It was too soon. Carter couldn’t face the facts of the situation. Rod was in bad shape. There was no way Grant wouldn’t take out his rage on him. Mia knew better than anyone what it was like to have someone sacrifice himself and tried to comfort Carter as best she could.

  “Okay.” Mia put her hand back on his knee. He continued to nod his head and look outside. She knew by the time they landed Rod’s death would have sunk in. Carter looked back at her and placed his hand on top of hers. Tears streamed down his face. She nodded at him before turning back around.

  Mia took a moment to catch her breath. The sun’s effects became visible in the distance. It wouldn’t make an appearance for several hours, but the east was light enough to let them know they were flying south. Adrenaline filled Mia’s body as the craft soared through the air.

  The trio sat in silence for some time. Mia’s worry about a missile or another helicopter chasing after them soon disappeared. She closed her eyes and focused on breathing. Images of Rod, Whitney, Corinna, Lisa, Alex, and Frank danced before her eyes. She wished all of them were there with her now, but she knew they would never cross paths again, at least not in this lifetime.

  “Look down,” Andrew said over the radio.

  Mia leaned to the side and looked. It was the Rio Grande. She recognized the landmark from one of Carter’s books. She’d made it. They’d made it. Relief filled her body and she felt her mind go blank.

  Mia was out of tears. She didn’t know what to say or how to behave. She was free, but it came at a high cost. Corinna, Whitney, and Rod had lost their lives; she had no clue what had become of Frank and Alex.

  Glancing at the other two, Mia saw how tired and drawn Andrew looked and how devastated and lost her happy Carter appeared. Both of them were covered in dirt, blood, and tears. Everyone had sacrificed a great deal for this crossing.

  She couldn’t sit and cry or weigh her mind down with the past. She was a woman now, and a free one at that. She needed to look toward her future. It was her responsibility to make sure her friends hadn’t died for nothing. The sheltered girl who had been groomed to care about only vanity and a life as nothing more than a wife was gone. She was aware that it was only going to get tougher from here and she needed to match whatever was coming next with more strength. She looked at Andrew. At least she wouldn’t face it alone.

  Coming Soon from Shannon Stoker

  Mia has made it to Mexico with Carter and Andrew, but it’s not the Promised Land they hoped it would be. When the young men are captured by rebel forces, rather than be deported to certain death, they become reluctant recruits in an underground militia, and Mia must stage yet another escape.

  Coming in Winter 2014 from

  Throw everything out, now,” Andrew commanded. It was difficult to hear him over the sirens going off inside the helicopter.

  Mia and Carter began tossing every item they got their hands on out of the aircraft. All of it belonged to Grant, Mia’s former intended; she hoped some might be useful. Andrew flew the chopper about twenty feet off the ground. The dashboard lit up and noises blared. Mia was certain a crash was imminent. She emptied out all the papers from a side compartment and found two guns stashed in the small box. She threw those out the side without a second thought. Andrew veered the craft as best he could to the left, heading out over the ocean.

  “Now you two are going to have to jump. Start swimming as soon as you hit the water. Don’t look back,” Andrew said.

  “I’m not leaving you,” Mia replied. She had waited so long to get close to him, she wasn’t about to let him play the martyr.

  “I’m jumping too, we don’t have time for this,” Andrew said. When he turned to look at her she watched his expression soften. “I’m not going anywhere you’re not.”

  Andrew reached down by his feet, pulled up a rifle, and readied to jam it against the helicopter controls, rigging the chopper to fly for as long as it could. Mia turned to look for Carter, who had already removed his headset and was preparing to jump, his face still stained with tears. Before she turned back around the sun caught her eye, reflecting off something jammed between the back cushions. She reached her arm out to inspect the invading light.

  A clear bag was wedged between the seats. She recognized it immediately: the emergency bag Rod had prepared. He must have found it after the accident and brought it to their getaway vehicle before he . . . Mia winced at her thoughts. Before he sacrificed himself to ensure their safety. She thought about how badly Carter must be hurting, and she knew he would never be the same after the loss of his father. This wasn’t the time to mourn, though; she grabbed the bag just as Andrew pulled her back to the front.

  “You have to go now. I’ll be right behind you.” Andrew removed her headset.

  She looked to Carter, who nodded to her. She readied herself at the edge of the chopper. She had felt so close to the ground before, but now she realized they were much higher than she’d realized. The water looked hard. She grew pale thinking about the pain of smacking the surface, but she reminded herself that the pain was worth it; she had her freedom now and was safely out of the country. Taking a huge breath, Mia threw herself out of the helicopter.

  About the Author

  SHANNON STOKER is a licensed attorney who works for Northern Illinois University, assisting students and staff with research integrity. The Registry is her first novel. Shannon lives in DeKalb, Illinois, with her husband and small dog.

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.

  Credits

  Cover design by Mumtaz Mustafa

  Cover photograph © by Martin Sobey

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  THE REGISTRY. Copyright © 2013 by Shannon Stoker. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  ISBN 978-0-06-227172-3

  EPub Edition JUNE 2013 ISBN: 9780062271730

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