I take the first watch, along with Archer, Jethro and Kwan. The house itself is spacious, but thick layers of dust cover every surface. There are twenty of us, but everyone finds a place to sleep. Reed refuses to share a room and he stretches out on the floor in the back of his beloved Humvee. I shake my head in the dark as I pass by it on one of my patrols and hear the soft sound of his snores. Kwan, Jethro and Archer are on watch further out, away from the house.
As I make my way around to the backyard, I glance at my watch. Only another half-hour until I can wake Quinn to relieve me. My body is stiff and I click my neck, stifling a yawn. A second later I am fully alert when I hear the sound of a twig breaking to my right. I peer into the darkness, adrenalin pumping. I relax slightly when I see Jethro approaching, but my relief is short-lived. As he gets closer, I notice his body is arched at an unnatural angle, and then he is near enough that I can clearly make out the man behind him holding a knife to his neck.
My initial thought is that he may be Deranged but on closer inspection he looks too civilised, and as he steps closer into the light I make out that he is wearing the navy blue uniform synonymous with NUSA and, judging by the way he is restraining Jethro, he is obviously strength-Gifted. This doesn’t make any sense – if NUSA has found us, we would be overwhelmed with soldiers.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I murmur, keeping my voice low. But my head is spinning, wondering where the other Legion scouts are. I need to keep Jethro’s captor calm until reinforcements arrive. I am fast, but even so this stranger could slit Jethro’s throat before I could get anywhere near them. Discomfited, I wonder how he managed to capture Jethro in the first place? Jethro is Gifted with speed, and he is also highly trained.
“Luckily, you’re not me,” the stranger replies, pushing Jethro forward until they are standing only a few yards in front of me. In the dim light I can make out that he is tall – taller than Jethro, and pale-skinned, with a mop of unruly hair that looks black in the moonlight. “The name’s Heath, by the way, Heath Lyle. What’s yours?”
“Lucy,” I lie softly, not wanting to reveal my identity. I am probably the most wanted person in NUSA. “Why don’t you just let him go? There are more of us, and you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
“You came into my town,” he corrects. “And surely you don’t think I’m fool enough to be acting alone?” He jerks the hand holding the knife and I follow the direction of his gesture to see Kwan and Archer being herded towards me in the same fashion, each with a knife at their necks. I wish they had approached from the front of the house, where Reed is no doubt still snoring in the Humvee.
I shift my foot ever so slightly to the left, hoping to edge close enough to Heath, who is still holding Jethro, to disarm him. Unfortunately, Heath doesn’t miss a trick.
“Don’t even think about it,” he warns, twisting Jethro’s arm viciously. To Jethro’s credit, he doesn’t react.
“What do you want?” I ask, getting to the point. I don’t give any indication that I am aware of his connection to NUSA.
“I told you – you’re in my town. And we don’t take kindly to strangers.”
“We’re just passing through, we’ll be gone by morning.”
“Why should I believe that?”
“It’s the truth,” I snap. I am distracted because Jethro has caught my eye and I can see that he is trying to tell me something, but I cannot figure out what it is.
“There are only three of you,” I point out. “There are a lot more of us. This won’t end well for you.”
He laughs, the sound louder than I expect. “There are twenty of you,” he sneers. “In fact, let’s go and fetch the other one.” He yanks at Jethro and then pushes him to walk around the side of the house.
They must have been watching us since we arrived if they know how many of us are on the property. Worse still, their leader is dragging Jethro straight towards the Humvee. He obviously knows that Reed is inside.
“Open the door,” he hisses, beckoning me forward and I hesitate for only a second. They have the upper hand, there is nothing else for it. I yank open the door and step aside.
“Where is he?” Heath demands, and I peer into the Humvee. Reed is gone.
“Let them go,” I repeat, feeling more confident. Heath and his companions are unnerved by Reed’s disappearance. I glance around but it is impossible to see anything through the gloomy darkness.
“What’s going on?” Quinn’s voice calls from the direction of the house and we all turn to see him standing on the porch steps, his eyes wide with shock at the unexpected sight before him.
“Don’t move,” Heath says, louder than before. Woken by the sound of voices, the other members of the Legion file out behind him. Heath emits a low, shrill whistle and the hair on the back of my neck stands up as I anticipate an army moving through the trees towards us. I almost laugh out loud when a solitary figure emerges from the night to stand behind Heath.
“Four?” I ask incredulously. “There are only four of you?” His eyes narrow at the disdain in my voice. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you to count?”
The words are barely out of my mouth when a dark shape rockets in from the left. A second later, Reed has his arm around Heath’s neck, and Jethro is standing alone a few feet away, stunned by the unexpected turn of events.
“Never bring a knife to a gunfight,” Reed hisses in Heath’s ear.
“Put your weapons down,” I urge Heath’s companions, who are nervous enough that they might easily hurt one of my own. Archer and Kwan are held firmly in their grip, proof that these are no ordinary men. Kwan is speed-Gifted, but he is also a deadly warrior. The fact that he is being pinned so easily leads me to believe that the man restraining him must be incredibly strong.
“Every one of my men is Gifted,” I call across to Heath. I would bet money, if I had any, on the fact that he thought we were ordinary outcasts when he decided to attack us, but once he realised the lookouts he had taken hostage were Gifted, there was not much else he could do but continue. Heath doesn’t answer, but he looks a little nervous.
The silence is broken by a sudden scuffle as Heath tries to wrest himself from Reed’s grip. He slams his fist up into Reed’s face and twists violently. It is an impressive effort, but a second later Reed has him pinned again. The look on Heath’s face is priceless – no doubt he has never come up against an opponent with the Power of Three.
“Let my men go and you will come to no harm,” I say.
“Who are you people?”
“It doesn’t matter who we are. The point is we’re stronger and you, my friend, are seriously outnumbered.”
The man holding Kwan suddenly lifts his right arm and points at me, an expression of shock and recognition dawning over his face.
“It’s her!” he gasps, drawing the attention of his team mates. “It’s Rebecca Dane!” His surprise is his undoing. Taking full advantage of his loosened hold, Kwan strikes like a cobra, twisting in his fragile grasp and bringing a knife hand to the back of his neck. The man drops like a stone, knocked unconscious.
The last man holding a knife drops it with a dull thud at his feet and steps away from Archer as Heath gazes down at his fallen comrade.
“He’ll be fine,” I assure him.
“Oliver has never been the brightest,” he remarks drily. “So, is it true?” He turns to face me. “Are you Rebecca Dane?”
chapter 13
I lean back against the Humvee trying to establish whether Heath is telling the truth. Reed slouches beside me, his face giving nothing away.
“You expect me to believe you’ve been looking for me?” I repeat for what feels like the tenth time.
“Yes!” He sounds exasperated. “I told you, we snuck out of the States about a month ago; we want to join the Resistance.”
“You snuck out a month ago, and yet you’re still
only seven miles from the boundary fence?” Reed scoffs. “Not moving very quickly, are you?”
Heath looks embarrassed. “We . . . ah . . . we were a bit worried about entering the barren lands.”
I laugh at that. “Worried the Rados might get you? Scared of the Deranged?”
“They’re dangerous,” he points out earnestly.
“They’re not, not to you.” I am referring of course to his Gift of strength. “You just bought into Eric Dane’s bullshit, like everyone else.”
“Why did you want to find Rebecca?” Reed asks, his eyes narrowed.
“Rumour has it she’s leading a movement against NUSA,” he explains. “We want in.”
“Why?”
“Seriously, dude, you have to ask me that?” Reed doesn’t take kindly to the “dude” and Heath quickly continues. “I worked for NUSA, man. For five years. In the beginning, I thought that Eric was a good guy, I mean he always treated me well, and the perks were pretty decent.”
“So what changed?” My curiosity is piqued.
“About a year ago he had me working the boundary fences up in South Dakota. It was boring, but he needed a few extra recruits up that way. We heard there was some Rebel activity in the area and he wanted extra manpower on the fences in case of attack.” He trails off, lost in thought.
“And?” I prompt and he shakes his head, a look of revulsion coming over him.
“There wasn’t anything wrong with those people,” he grimaces and in a moment of clarity I understand what must have happened. I had seen it myself, years ago, when a helpless girl had approached the boundary fence in Michigan, seeking sanctuary. She had been bludgeoned to death by a NUSA soldier on patrol. Adam had hinted that Eric was not behind the attacks, but it hardly mattered. The fact remained that NUSA was tainted – things happened that the nation had no idea about. Awful things.
For the first time, I am almost convinced by Heath.
“Well, you found me,” I point out, “or, more accurately, I found you. So now what?”
“You’re really gonna bring down those fences?”
“Yes.”
“We’d like to help. Oliver, he’s got some family that were exiled a few years ago, he’s hoping you might be able to help us find them?”
“Not my forte,” I remark, “but I do know someone who can assist – he’s back at our base. When we’re finished here, you can come back with us. If that’s what you really want?”
I let the question hang in the air – a true test of his claim. Most inhabitants of the States are terrified of the barren lands – Chase Crawford is the perfect example. When we kidnapped him and brought him out into the Rebeldom he had been terrified, until he saw with his own eyes that he had been deceived by Eric’s propaganda.
Heath considers my offer for a moment and then he nods determinedly.
“We’ll come,” he affirms, sounding more confident than he looks.
“Deal.”
Reed takes over the second watch and I take his place in the Humvee, determined to finally get some sleep. Heath, Oliver and the other two ex-NUSA soldiers, Matt and Rory, all find a spot inside the house and settle down quickly, not in the least bit fazed that they are sleeping amongst people whose lives they threatened less than an hour ago. I know my Legion. They will not all sleep; they will make sure that the newcomers are watched over at all times. Kwan, Archer and Jethro have also retired to get some rest after a long night and their trying ordeal. I fall asleep to the sound of leaves crunching underfoot as the guards patrol, confident that we will be safe until morning.
After breakfast, we all gather around on the front lawn to go over the plan. There are now twenty-four of us, far too many to be accommodated in one room in the house. I stand as everyone sits down, forming a circle around me as I outline the basic plan.
“We’d like to help,” Heath interrupts, and I turn to Reed, who shrugs.
“The more the merrier,” he drawls.
I am not in the least bit concerned that they might turn on us. Heath and his group are defectors – they are no more welcome in the States than we are. We are bound by a common enemy.
“Fine,” I reply. “Your men will help the raid team. It’s imperative that they don’t see us entering, and we’ll need as much distraction as we can get. Once we’re in, you follow the raid team’s lead and get out of there. You’ll rendezvous back here and then head straight back to base. The border guards may well follow you, or try to track the team, so no waiting around.”
“Got it,” he nods. “How many of you are going in?”
“Seven,” I reply.
“You mean eight,” Michael grins and I turn to him apologetically.
“No, I mean seven, Michael. I’m sorry, but your sister was right. You shouldn’t be here.”
“What?” his outrage is not unexpected, but at least Morgan’s tight-lipped relief is palpable, and she looks as though the weight of the world has just been lifted from her shoulders. “That’s bullshit!” Michael continues, and I raise my brows in surprise.
Michael has never agreed with being left out of the action, but he usually takes it with nothing more than a grumble and a few mutterings under his breath. He has never been so outspoken before, and certainly never confronted me or called me out on a direct order. Then again, he is getting older and more self-assured.
“Michael,” Kwan rebukes the younger man. Kwan has always been close to the siblings and is even more so now that Michael is assisting him in the training of our cadets.
“It is!” Michael retorts. “I’m not a child. I’m just as capable as Morgan, and more capable than a lot of the soldiers older than me.”
“That may be true, Michael, but they aren’t here either. This plan is dangerous – only those with battle experience are entering the States.”
“What about him, then?” Michael casts a disdainful look at Chase.
“He’s necessary. He wouldn’t be here otherwise. You may still participate in the raid itself,” I relent. “Believe me, there will be plenty of action in that alone.” Letting Michael accompany us to the fences is in itself a huge concession, and against my better judgement, but this is the least that I can do for him. He’s earned it.
Michael looks as though he is about to object further, but then he shuts his mouth abruptly and stalks off in the direction of the house. Morgan watches him go with a thoughtful frown, but then she turns back to the group. She seems galvanised by my banning Michael from the invading party and for the first time since I announced this plan, she begins to contribute actively. Archer looks delighted by her about-turn, and he shifts a little closer to her.
“Good to have you back,” Reed murmurs as everyone disperses. I smile at him and am about to stand, but he places a warm hand on my leg, urging me to stay. “Where are you going?”
“I need to . . .”
“You need to nothing. Everything is done. You’re running away from me.”
“I’m not. Not really,” I admit.
“You know we were friends long before we were anything else, Tiny.”
“I know.”
“So stop avoiding me. I’m a big boy – I can handle it.” He lies down on the soft grass and clasps his hands together behind his head, and after a moment’s hesitation, I stretch out beside him.
We simply lie that way for ages, watching the clouds chase one another across the bluest of skies.
“The sky is the same wherever you are,” I muse out loud.
“Huh?” he sounds sleepy.
“Down here, everything is different. The barrenness of the Rebeldom, the opulence of the States . . . it’s like two different worlds. But up there, it all looks the same.”
“It will be the same down here, one day.”
“You really think so?”
“I have no doubt.” He rolls onto
his side to face me. “You’re going to change the world, Rebecca.”
Before I can respond, he adds, “But don’t let it go to your head, I can still kick your ass.” Leaping across, he straddles me, tickling every place he can reach. I wriggle in protest, laughing until I cry.
“Say uncle,” he taunts, his blond hair flopping over his eyes.
“Uncle!” I screech, feeling more like my old self than I have in ages.
By the time evening comes, Michael is still not talking to anyone, but he dutifully climbs into the Humvee that Quinn is driving. Morgan wavers, standing between the two cars, but then she strides over to the Humvee and yanks open the door that Michael just closed. I can see her giving him an earful, and I hide a smile.
“I saw that,” Reed drawls, his eyes meeting mine in the rear-view mirror.
A second later, Michael emerges from the car and gives his sister a brief stilted hug before getting back in the vehicle. Morgan stalks towards us, her curly blonde hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. She is dressed completely in black and her face has lost all traces of her teenage youthfulness. Morgan is astonishingly pretty but, more than that, she has grown into an exceptional soldier and she is a vital member of the Legion.
The raid team is travelling between the Humvee and my trusty Discovery. My team, which will be entering the States, needs to stay together, and so the seven of us clamber into the second Humvee with Reed behind the wheel.
We set off in the last light of day but within minutes darkness falls and the air turns noticeably cooler. We travel until we are only a mile or so from the boundary fence, and we park the vehicles behind a storage shed. One of the biggest problems we are facing is that this stretch of boundary fence, along the old State Line Road just north of Corning, is very remote and devoid of buildings or structures that could provide cover. We continue on foot and as the boundary fences come into view Reed points to an old abandoned truck stop, just over the road from the fences. We approach it from the south, undetected by the NUSA scouts at the fence, and use the few rusted big rigs for cover.
The Legend Page 9
