“So far we’ve been focusing on the Indiana fences, but we’ve already done a few raids there and they seem to be expecting it. We’re going to start targeting Missouri instead. We’re avoiding Illinois for the moment – those fences are the most heavily guarded.”
“They would be,” I nod thoughtfully. Chicago is NUSA’s capital city and it stands to reason that it would be most heavily protected, and even more so since we managed to infiltrate the city and blow up NUSA’s only genetics lab, ensuring that they could not produce any more Gifted soldiers. Making a lightning decision, I add, “I’m going with you tomorrow.”
“Not happening, Tiny,” Reed’s calm proclamation is so true to form that I laugh scathingly.
“Don’t presume to tell me what I can and cannot do.”
“You’re hardly in a condition to be of any help to us out there,” he growls.
“He’s right, Bex,” my father interjects, trying to defuse the situation. “You need to get your strength back first.”
“You couldn’t make it ten feet on your own earlier today,” Reed reminds me and my face flushes unbecomingly.
“I’m not asking anyone’s permission.”
“Okay,” Reed drawls, sounding bored. “I’ll tell you what. Kwan’s been training all our new recruits. He decides when a soldier is fit for active duty. When we’re done here, why don’t you head across to the dojo and show him what you’re made of. If he agrees you’re ready, I won’t dispute it.” He raises his eyebrows mockingly. “Sound fair to you?” I can hardly argue – it would be pure hypocrisy if I failed to abide by our own rules.
“Fine,” I smile smugly, but Reed looks unconcerned. I am hiding my apprehension well, but we both know that my Gifts have not returned. Not wanting to discuss it any further, I change the subject once more.
“Where are we with Gifting our own people?”
“I’m not sure I follow?” the General replies.
“How many more soldiers do we have?” I ask, wondering why he doesn’t understand the question.
“Bex . . . we left Nevada in a hurry,” my father explains gently. “There was no time to move our laboratory.”
“What are you saying?” I ask, aghast at what he is implying.
“We had to destroy the lab – we couldn’t risk NUSA getting hold of our equipment, not after all the trouble you went to to destroy their own lab.”
This is a monumental blow. We are ridiculously outnumbered, and with no hope of Gifting any new soldiers that is not about to change. The raiding may be reducing NUSA’s force, but not nearly enough.
“Could we build a new lab?” I ask, but I already know the answer. Our laboratory had taken years to build, and that was while my father was still working for Eric Dane. He had smuggled most of the equipment out of the States. Building a new lab is not possible. The only upside is that without my father’s technological know-how, Kenneth Williams will also not be able to replace the lab that we destroyed.
The meeting draws on and I can feel my head starting to spin. A wave of dizziness washes over me and I fight the urge to be sick, but even I cannot deny that I need to rest.
“I think that’s everything, for now,” I call the meeting to a close. “I need to speak to you alone,” I add, turning to Jethro, who is already making his way over to Veronica. “And you,” I add, catching Kwan’s eye.
“I’ll wait outside,” he nods, following the others out. Reed joins Morgan as they exit the room, but Aidan hesitates in the doorway, giving me a long look before a defeated expression comes over his face and he disappears through the double oak doors.
Jethro turns to me, puzzled as to why I would want to speak to him alone. There is no easy way to tell him, but I had wanted him to hear it from me, which is why I never mentioned it to the General.
“Jethro, the man who was working for Kenneth Williams – the man who did this to me,” I gesture at my concave stomach and he seems to understand – “it was Mason.”
Jethro’s eyes bulge and he immediately shakes his head in denial.
“No, it can’t have been. My brother is dead. He died undergoing his procedure.”
“He didn’t,” I assure him. “He is alive and well, and working for NUSA. He tortured me, seemed to enjoy it too. And he . . . he’s the one who killed my baby.”
“But . . . that makes no sense. Why would he let me believe he was dead? We’re close – we’re twins, for God’s sake!”
“I know and I’m sorry. It seems to be a NUSA strategy.” I have seen this before. Kwan’s wife, Nina Lee, also abandoned her family and let them believe her to be dead when in fact she was working for Eric Dane. “There’s more,” I continue. “Your brother has been Gifted with the Power of Three.”
This revelation is too much for Jethro and he leaps to his feet, his eyes wide.
“That’s impossible!”
“It’s not. Mason is just as powerful as Reed and me.”
“We need to find him. I need to speak to him, he’ll listen to me. They probably told him the same thing they told me – that I was dead . . .”
“No, Jethro,” I interrupt, “they didn’t. I told Mason about you – I told him we were on the same side. He wasn’t surprised, and he didn’t care.”
“You’re wrong.”
“I’m sorry,” I repeat. “I just thought you should hear it from me. I also thought it only fair to let you know I plan on killing Mason the very first chance I get.” His head jerks up at that, his brow narrowing in outrage.
“Your brother tortured me,” I explain calmly. “He tortured me and he murdered my unborn child. He deserves to be punished.” Disgusted, unsure how to deal with this overload of information, Jethro shoves his chair back and stalks out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
“What was that about?” Kwan asks as he enters a moment later.
“Jethro’s twin brother Mason is alive and working for NUSA,” I remark drily. Kwan takes this in his stride, probably because it is not that far of a stretch for him, given that Nina had done the same thing.
“What did you want to speak to me about? And please don’t tell me that you expect me to declare you fit for battle because we both know that’s not going to happen. Reed is right – you need to get your strength back.”
“We’ll see about that,” I brush aside his concern. “But that’s not why I asked you to stay. As you know, we’re outnumbered. I want all this to be over. This war will end soon, one way or another, but our chances are not promising. NUSA will overcome us with the sheer force of their numbers.” Kwan shifts uncomfortably in his chair, sensing where the conversation is headed. “I need to know,” I finish, “I need to know where you got your ability.”
Kwan Lee and the Kellys had been Gifted at an undisclosed location. Michael and Morgan could not remember much about their own procedures, but Kwan would. I have never pushed him on this issue before, because I never needed to know. Now, however, I need the location of that lab – it is the only remaining lab in the country that could turn ordinary men into super soldiers.
“I knew it would be only a matter of time before you asked,” Kwan muses.
“You understand why I need to know.”
“I do,” he nods. “And, to be fair, you have never pressed me for the information before. I appreciate that. I’ll tell you where the lab is, Rebecca, but it’s not going to be of much use.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s in Missouri.”
I groan as I register what it is he is trying to tell me.
“The lab is inside the New United States.”
chapter 4
“Jupiter? Are you sure? I mean, what kind of a name is that?” Reed sneers.
“That’s what Kwan said. Apparently this Jupiter person has a black market lab and will Gift a person . . . for a price.”
“What price?”
“I have no idea, I didn’t ask. But Kwan did say that even if we manage to get into Missouri and track Jupiter down, he won’t help us.”
“Why not?”
“Because we have nothing he wants.”
“We’ll figure something out.” By that, I take it Reed intends on resorting to brute force to coerce Jupiter into working with us.
“You don’t have to come along, you know,” I try once more to dissuade him. Reed had insisted on accompanying me to Kwan’s dojo after the meeting – he had been waiting outside in the hall when Kwan and I had finished our conversation.
“Oh yes, I do,” his smug smile assures me that he will take great pleasure in being proved right when I fail Kwan’s trial.
“Where is the dojo?” I ask as we cross yet another pristine courtyard.
“In the gymnasium.”
The more I see of it, the more I appreciate that the Lakeside Military Academy is the ideal base of operations. There are the barracks complexes, which have enough dorms for all our people, the alumni dining hall which seats over five hundred, an enormous library and multiple classrooms which are being used for the education of the children residing with us. There is also a theatre hall which is used for mass training demonstrations, and an indoor and outdoor track field.
“I can’t believe Kwan put Michael in charge of track training,” I muse aloud.
“He needed something to do,” Reed shrugs, rounding the corner of yet another building, “and he’s the most qualified person for the job. The kid can outrun practically everyone here.”
Including me at the moment, I think despairingly.
The dojo is empty save for Kwan and, to my annoyance, Morgan Kelly. Morgan and I have always had a tumultuous relationship and there is no doubt in my mind she would love to see me fall flat on my face. She has a grudging respect for me, but she doesn’t like me one bit.
“Rebecca’s been filling me in on the mysterious Jupiter,” Reed announces as we draw nearer.
“He won’t help us,” Kwan repeats. “He’s into everything black market, and he’s driven by money, not power. He doesn’t care who’s in charge, and he’s very crafty. He was never discovered by Eric Dane and I’m fairly sure he’ll always stay one step ahead of NUSA.”
“How did you pay him?” Reed asks.
“I spent six months training his Gifted soldiers.”
My jaw drops. All this time I had thought there were only two armies – my Legion and the NUSA militia.
“You’re telling us that there is another army running around?” Reed growls. “And you didn’t think to mention it before now?” There goes his brute force plan, I think wryly.
Kwan shakes his head. “Jupiter’s men are not an army. They have no quarrel with anyone – they exist simply for his protection.”
“Nobody would volunteer for these procedures without incentive,” Reed counters. I tend to agree with him. Risking your life to become a bodyguard hardly seems worth it. Every member of the Legion believes in the Resistance’s cause – they want to see a change, to save people and bring down the fences.
“They don’t volunteer,” Kwan explains calmly, rearranging a few weapons on a nearby shelf. I notice he does not select any for this training session. Weapons are used in advanced training only. I longingly eye the Bo staff resting against the shelf but, feeling faint already, I wonder if I would even be able to lift it. “I told you, Jupiter will give you nothing for nothing,” Kwan continues. “The men who serve him owe him a debt that they cannot repay through financial means.”
“They sell their souls?” Morgan interrupts, sounding disgusted.
“You could put it that way,” Kwan steps back, away from the shelf, and stares at me. “You ready?” he asks, and I nod. I wish Morgan would leave but Kwan signals her forward. Oh great, that’s why she’s here. My sparring partner.
Under ordinary circumstances, Morgan would hardly be an ideal candidate as my training opponent. With my exceptional Gifts, she could never stand against me. Only Reed is able to compete on my level. To my excruciating humiliation, however, within three seconds of Kwan lowering his arm, Morgan has me pinned on my back. I didn’t even land one blow. The force of her knocking me over, albeit far more gently than she would ordinarily have attacked me, expels all the air from my body. Winded, I gasp for breath, and stars burst in my vision.
As my sight clears, I look up to see Reed grinning. Kwan is frowning, and Morgan looks momentarily stunned. She turns to her mentor, a look of abject horror on her face and a question bursts from her lips.
“Will she get it back?”
Nobody answers her. I am not so easily fooled as to believe that Morgan’s interest lies in my own welfare, but we are all acutely aware of the fact that if I do not regain my abilities it will be a critical loss for the Legion. Reed’s grin fades from his lips and they all regard me sombrely. Finally, Reed steps forward, offering me his hand to help me to my feet. I brush his arm aside, blinking back tears of frustration and clumsily get to my feet. A twinge of pain shoots up my spine and I bite back a cry of helplessness. Waving aside their offers of help, I limp slowly out of the dojo.
I do not get very far before nausea overcomes me and I duck behind a bush to empty what little remains in my stomach. I am not sure I can even make it back to my depressing little room.
“Rebecca?” Jenna’s voice pierces the quiet and I slump my shoulders, mortified. I emerge back into the courtyard and freeze as I catch sight of her. She is standing arm in arm with Chase Crawford.
“Are you okay?” he asks, sounding sincerely concerned.
“What the hell are you doing?” I demand of Jenna.
“I beg your pardon?” she frowns.
“What is he doing walking around? He should be in custody!”
“What?” Chase snaps, anger replacing his concern.
“Becca! Chase is a part of our community now. You were the one who took him out of his holding cell back in Vegas – you sent him to the hostel.”
“Yes, but that was when I had scouts at every exit, Jenna! When I knew for absolute certain he couldn’t escape!”
“Escape?” Chase’s eyes widen incredulously. “I could’ve escaped a hundred times over since we left Vegas, Rebecca. I don’t want to.”
“Chase . . . Chase is with me now,” Jenna adds, by way of explanation, as if this will set my mind at ease. “I told you all about it this morning when I visited.” I had not listened to half of what Jenna had said, but now I wish I had been paying more attention.
“Judging by your taste in men, that’s hardly comforting,” I snarl, my embarrassment at being so weak and helpless fuelling my anger.
“What’s going on here?” Reed has caught up with us and he sees right through my bravado. Taking me firmly by the elbow, he starts to lead me back in the direction we came from earlier.
“I want him locked up!” I yell, attracting the attention of a few of the cadets walking around the grounds. “He’s a threat to the safety of everyone here!”
“Shut up!” Reed hisses, clamping a hand over my mouth. I pull away furiously but spots are already appearing around the very edge of my vision. I stumble and he bends his knees, lifting me up and hoisting me over his shoulder. The blood rushing to my head is too much and I pass out.
chapter 5
I wake up in a different room to the makeshift hospital ward that has been my lodging for the past few weeks. It is still light outside but judging by the muted rays of sunlight filtering through the yellowing venetian blind, it will be dark soon. This room is far more inviting than my previous accommodation, and the practical decor tells me that it must be one of the standard dorm rooms. I am lying on a single bed made up with white linen and a navy blue blanket emblazoned with the word “Lakeside”. There is a small matching blue rug on the floor beside the bed,
a chest of drawers in the opposite corner, and a small, neat desk by the window.
I ease my legs out of the blankets and make my way across to the desk, taking a seat on the rickety chair and watching the sun setting behind a copse of trees as I reflect on what happened today. I am angry – angry that Chase is wandering around arm-in-arm with Jenna when he poses such a danger to our people, angry that my father destroyed our lab without a thought to the consequences, angry that my abilities have failed me and that Morgan bested me so easily this morning. I am angry too with Reed and Kwan, who have always been my fiercest allies. They don’t understand. Neither of them seems to grasp how desperately I need to get back into the States and make Kenneth Williams pay for what he has done. And if they won’t help me, I will do it alone. I have to get better, I need to be strong again. Randomly, I trace the pattern of names gouged into the wooden desk – names of previous occupants of this room. Students of the Academy, all of whom are probably long dead.
A knock at the door interrupts my reverie.
“Come in,” I call, swivelling in my chair to face it as it opens. Aidan steps into the room, shutting the door behind him. I suddenly wish I had still been asleep when he arrived.
“How are you feeling?” he asks, walking over to sit on the unmade bed, dropping his hands between his knees and getting comfortable. “I heard you collapsed?”
“It was nothing, just a head rush.”
“You should be in bed.”
“I was. I just needed to think.” The fading sunlight through the blinds highlights the blonder streaks in his hair. “Where’s Alex?”
“He’s with your dad. He wanted to come and see you, but I told him to wait until tomorrow. He’s staying with me,” he adds. “I hope you don’t mind?”
The Legend Page 3
