Breaking Order: Book 1 (Breaking Order Series)

by Catherine Kopf

  Shots fired at us, and my heart thumped quicker and quicker with each one. We couldn’t die here. Not now.

  “This way!” Wes called out.

  We sprinted up the hill to where we told the people we rescued to go earlier.

  “Where are we going?” Enya asked.

  She threw a fireball behind her. A guard screamed. Her aim was improving.

  “To the caves!” Wes shouted.

  We followed him up the hill as he commanded us.

  I looked back. My father made it out the doors of the building and was chasing us. I didn’t know whether to run faster or to hide. My lungs gasped for air, but I couldn’t stop. If I did, death would be close by. My lungs squeezed in my chest, but I had to press on.

  Against all odds, I followed the others. I promised I wouldn’t abandon my friends and that was exactly what I would do. I didn’t even notice Wes, Ambert, and Enya climbing a ladder and going towards a cave. I climbed the ladder after them.

  I gulped as one of the rotted legs of the ladder collapsed under me. I was going to fall. Swiftly, Ambert pulled me up to his level, and Enya and Wes pulled him up so we could make it to the top.

  Wes took a match from his pocket and lit it on a rock nearby. He burst the ladder into flames and threw it to the opposite side of the narrow passage below us. To my father, we escaped the other direction.

  We hid in a small cave and kept quiet. Once we were sure The Regime’s soldiers and Father were gone, we emerged from our hiding spot.

  “Everyone okay?” I asked.

  “Let’s never do that again,” Enya suggested.

  “I’ll say… even for Aurelia, I can’t bear to almost be killed by those dream-killers again…” Wes shook.

  “Where’s Ambert?” I asked.

  “Holy crap… did we lose him? Please tell me we didn’t…” Enya’s eyes widened. I couldn’t blame her. He was the only real family she had left.

  Wes crawled back into our hiding space.

  “He’s in here!” Wes called out to us with an echoing voice.

  I rushed to him as quickly as I could.

  “Is he alright?” I asked.

  Wes crouched down at Ambert’s side and shook his head. “He’s been shot…”

  Ambert’s blood covered his thigh. That had to be a sign of something getting hit there. Blood oozed from the gaping exit wound way more than June’s wound from earlier. A shard of glass embedded itself in his leg as well.

  My eyes widened. This couldn’t be happening!

  “Sorry, Cal…” Ambert said. His voice shook and sounded weak.

  “You’re not dying on us,” Wes insisted.

  Wes grabbed the glass in Ambert’s leg and pulled it out.

  “ARGH!” Ambert yelled, clenching his teeth. He was being strong for us… I knew it from the tears he held back in his eyes.

  Wes removed his shirt and wrapped it around Ambert’s wound. Blood soaked into the black polo almost instantly.

  Wes wasn’t well-built, but he wasn’t scrawny like Ambert either. That was bad in Ambert’s case. On Wes’ chest over his heart, a gold and white wing was etched like a tattoo.

  “I take it that’s the symbol for Onlooker?” I asked.

  Wes nodded. “If only I watched him better.”

  “I can’t let this part of my dream come true. Death isn’t taking Ambert. Not while I’m still alive…” I uttered.

  “Do you have anything in your bag?” Wes asked Ambert.

  “Not for… this…” Ambert clenched his teeth.

  “You packed a heavy bag and you didn’t bring medicine!?” Wes placed a palm to his face.

  “Let me see… did you bring stuff from home, or…” I began.

  “Cal, no… don’t… there’s nothing…” Tears streamed down Ambert’s face as he tried to move.

  “No, just stay still, Ambert,” I begged him.

  “This is the time to think about a What-if, Calista…” Wes looked to me, pity in his eyes. I knew what he meant.

  “No! I won’t lose him, Wes!” I yelled.

  This I swore.

  Thirty:

  Night was setting in, leaving Wes, Enya, and I little time to help Ambert before losing daylight. Wes came up from the cave and Enya looked at him wide-eyed.

  “How is he?” I asked.

  Wes sighed. “He’s tired. Lost consciousness too. He won’t make it unless he sees a doctor.”

  “Crap, we’re fugitives… traitors! We have no doctors!” Enya raised her voice.

  “At least he’s sleeping,” I paused, “I’d rather him sleep than be in pain.”

  “I don’t think any bones are broken. I’m just concerned about all the blood loss,” Wes explained.

  “I’m not losing him, Wes. I care about you and Wallflower, but I just found out Ambert’s part of my real family. He may be the only piece I ever find. I can’t lose him now.” Enya lowered her gaze, deep in thought.

  I nodded. “We have to hope for the best.”

  “And improvise without a doctor around,” Wes added.

  “As much as I hate to admit it, you’re right.” Enya’s posture slumped.

  “Keep him company, Enya. I’ll just talk to Calista out here,” Wes ordered.

  “You’re sure?” Enya asked, “You’re pretty attached to him.”

  Wes blushed. “Just go.”

  Enya entered the cave, leaving Wes and me alone. I looked at Wes for a second. I scoped the horizon to look for a sign.

  The wind blew through my curly red hair. I couldn’t think about the blood, only how to heal it. Ambert wouldn’t last a week without a doctor. He would last even less than that. Anyone who could see his wound knew that.

  I sighed. “Is he really that bad?”

  Wes paused for a minute. He probably thought of how he was going to break some bad news to me.

  “He’s going to die Calista. Without a doctor or a healer, there’s no way he’ll live,” Wes confessed.

  “We didn’t bring anything that could help him? What about the medicine for my head injury?” I questioned.

  “I already tried that. It isn’t working.”

  Tears streamed down my face. “I can’t lose him, Wes. I don’t have anyone else. I betrayed my father, and Mom and Gran left me. I can’t be alone.”

  “I know, Calista,” he placed a hand on my shoulder, “We’ll find a way. I’m sure of it.”

  “What if—”

  “Don’t think about that. Right now, we need to care for him the best we can.”

  “... We’re almost there. Once we reach the cave I can treat that arm…” a voice echoed below the cliff.

  “Did you hear that?” I tilted my head.

  “Someone else is down there!” Wes smiled.

  We both glanced over the cliff. Below were two people: a boy slightly younger than Ambert in a cotton lab coat and a small girl with her hand in a split. The girl’s dark eyes stared at me, and she used her other hand to point my direction.

  “Up there!” the girl squealed.

  The boy in the lab coat looked up. “Care to help us out?”

  I nodded. “Let’s get something to help you up.”

  I turned to leave, but Wes grabbed my arm.

  Wes spoke barely above a whisper, “Are we sure we can trust them?”

  “She’s from Father’s testing, remember? Besides, the one in the lab coat might know medicine.

  He’s carrying a bag isn’t he?” I asked.

  “Alright, but on the first sign of trouble, we run, okay?”

  “Do we have some rope?”

  Wes shivered. Wearing his jacket without something underneath must’ve made him feel like a popsicle. He shook his head and hot air steamed from his mouth.

  “Could you help them up?” I asked.

  Wes stood near the edge and took the lab-coated boy’s tanned-colored hand. Together, the two of them pulled up the small girl. A crooked smile appeared on the side of her face.

  “Aren’t we
glad to find you. You guys are Dreamers, right? The ones who help Mai escape The Science Department?” the boy in the lab coat asked.

  “We might’ve Mr…” Wes began, leaving room for the boy to tell us his name.

  “Just call me Zeke. Zeke Blackford. Mai escaped from the compound and came to my hospital for help. If she would’ve seen any other doctor’s assistant, I doubt she would be alive right now.”

  Zeke moved his hand towards the girl beside him.

  “Nice to meet you, Mai…” I offered her my hand.

  Mai turned away from me. Her eyes glanced to the snow below and she clutched the split on her right hand. The wind blew her dark pigtails to the side. She mumbled a few words I couldn’t hear and smiled. Mai looked around twelve, maybe thirteen at most.

  “Nice to meet you,” Wes paused, “How did you both end up out here?”

  “We heard Dreamers fled to the caves this afternoon. I decided to follow so I could help,” Zeke explained.

  “You did say you were a doctor, right?” I asked.

  Zeke laughed. “A doctor’s assistant, but I am pretty handy with stitches.”

  “What our luck…” Wes smiled.

  “My brother was shot… well, he’s my adoptive brother, but still. It looks pretty bad.” I dragged Zeke and Mai towards the cave.

  Enya kept a small flame in her hand to light the cave. After seeing Zeke and Mai, she rose from her spot next to Ambert. An angry glare painted across her face.

  “Who are they?” Enya questioned.

  “This is Enya, Ambert’s twin sister,” I paused to look at Enya, “Enya, Zeke’s a doctor. He and Mai can help Ambert.”

  “Are you sure we can trust them?” Enya raised an eyebrow.

  “They’re Dreamers too. Besides, I recognize Mai from The Science Department,” I explained.

  Mai waved to Enya. She didn’t speak as a small giggle cooed from her throat.

  “Guess it’s nice to meet you, especially if you can save him. He’s all the family I have.” Enya stepped aside so Zeke could examine Ambert’s leg.

  “You were right about needing a doctor. He’s paler than a ghost. One more day on his own, and we probably would’ve lost him,” Zeke took his backpack off and zipped it open.

  Mai tilted her head in Ambert’s direction for a second before joining Zeke on the floor.

  “Mai, you don’t have to help me. You’ve already proven you’re heart’s gold and...” Zeke began.

  “I want to…” Mai uttered with her quiet voice.

  She had to be traumatized by the incident in The Science Department. Maybe she was grateful for what I did to free her.

  Zeke removed Wes’ shirt from Ambert’s wound and tossed it to Mai, who avoided it like the plague. Blood oozed quicker than it did before. The wound probably had some trouble clotting.

  Zeke examined the wound further. “This is definitely the exit wound. Must’ve been shot in the back of the thigh while you ran. With the adrenaline running, I doubt he noticed right away.”

  “Can you fix it?” I asked.

  Zeke nodded. “Unless a major artery is damaged, I’m pretty sure he’ll be fine. He would’ve died within a few minutes if that were the case. I’ll just need to clean and stitch the wound. How much blood has he lost?”

  “Not too much, I think, but he passed out,” I explained.

  “Judging by the wound, I’d say maybe a pint. A blood transfusion won’t be necessary,” Zeke disclosed.

  “Thank goodness!” Enya sighed.

  Zeke grabbed a cloth out of his bag. “Mai, can you hand me the saline solution?”

  Mai nodded and searched the bag.

  “It’s best if you both leave. I’ll concentrate better that way,” Zeke explained.

  Enya crossed her arms. “He’s my twin brother!”

  “Trust me on this…” Mai cooed, “He got really nervous with other people there.”

  Mai handed him a clear liquid in a container.

  I took Enya’s hand and led her out of the cave.

  A couple hours passed, and Wes, Enya, and I anxiously waited for Zeke and Mai to tell us how Ambert was doing.

  “When Ambert gets better, where are we going? We can’t go back to Fortress…” I twittled my fingers in my hands.

  “I know a place. It’s a secret Dreamer cave with materials we can use to survive,” Wes said.

  “Secret sounds good. Cave does not,” Enya mumbled.

  “You don’t like caves I take it?” Wes questioned.

  “Shut up, Paint Can…” Enya shoved Wes lightly.

  Zeke emerged from the cave. He removed bloodied gloves from his hands with a wide smile on his face. To my surprise, Mai wasn’t with him.

  “So, does he live?” Wes asked.

  Zeke nodded. “He’ll be fine. He just can’t run for a while. We have to protect the leg brace and the stitches we put on him for at least three weeks.”

  “And Mai?” I asked.

  “She’s watching him. He’s awake, but she thinks no one should talk to him all at once,” Zeke informed.

  “So, I can’t talk to him?” Enya asked.

  Zeke shook his head. “Wait until tomorrow.”

  “Then let’s get some sleep,” I added.

  We all nodded in agreement, relieved to know our friend would make it through the night. I hadn’t failed him after all.

  Thirty-One:

  Sleeping in the cold was way worse than sleeping in the warehouse. The snow-covered ground covered me with a chill. We gathered some firewood and Enya lit it with a fireball she conjured from her hands.

  Sleep whisked me into another dream.

  “Commander, I apologize. I had no idea I shot…”

  This voice came from the boy in the mask. I never wanted to see him again, but lo and behold here he was. Why was I having a dream about him? Were my secret fears getting to me?

  “Well, you should’ve realized it, Illusionist. I told you to kill the blonde one,” another voice interrupted.

  Was this voice The Commander’s?

  “They were so close together, Sir…” the Illusionist said.

  “Sammy, Sammy… you can’t just ignore my orders. I had to stop The Lieutenant from piercing your heart. I’ve already lost too much to the Dreamers. I’m not losing my empire too.”

  Whoever this lieutenant was, I didn’t want to meet her. Just the fact the title was brought up so many times showed that The Commander had more faith in her than Father.

  “I apologize, Sir.” The illusionist placed a hand on his mask.

  “Don’t show me that scarred face of yours and expect me to pity you. We can’t afford the Sollicitus to fall out of our reach. Project Dark Phoenix will never succeed if you fail me again…” The Commander paused, “Join the others and get back to work.”

  “Yes, sir…”

  I opened my eyes and took a sharp breath.

  “Another dream…” I mumbled this aloud.

  Fortress’ lights loomed on the horizon below us. Colors of red and grey filled the city. As I pulled my jacket closer to me, I shivered.

  I looked up at the stars, feeling the dreams within them. How did the stars feel about our little world? They reminded me so much of one of the dreams I had.

  A shooting star passed me by. It was a symbol of hope… of resolve. Those stars brightened more than any lights shining in the skyscraper-filled city below. I smiled.

  A dim light shined from inside the cave. Was Ambert awake? There was only one way to find out.

  I got up from the snow and tiptoed to the cave’s mouth. A laugh signaled Ambert’s wakeful state. A small voice talked with him. Mai was so shy around everyone else! Yet again, Ambert had a way with people. I was pretty shy too and he got me to talk.

  “Guess you were pretty good in military school then,” Mai giggled.

  Ambert laughed. “But it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I wanted to do something bigger. Something that didn’t mean going to the front lines as a foot soldi
er.”