The bosses had forked out for something, at least.
The door was closed so I had to pry it open before we could start to get inside. I stood by the door, helping those in and wishing they could all move faster.
One guard looking our way, that’s all it would take for our escape to be made impossible. It was the crossed fingers way of planning, just hoping that things would go our way.
The truck started to groan under the weight as it was filled but it would hold. The old thing was used to carting troopers around the city, it could handle a load of emaciated clones and two members of the Resistance.
A few of the more injured clones were trailing at the rear. My heart was already in dire need of calming down, we couldn’t wait for much longer before someone saw us and raised the alarm. It was pretty hard to hide eighty people.
I raced along the line to get to the slowest, determined to throw them over my shoulder and carry them the rest of the way if that’s what it would take to get moving. They’d only just stepped out of the building and still had a lawn to cross.
As I reached them, I heard something that made me stop. Someone was calling out for help inside the building.
I couldn’t just walk away, not having seen the level of damage. If someone was trapped underneath all that debris they would only have a slow and painful death to look forward to. Not even a guard should have to put up with that.
It could have been a stupid mistake but I ran inside the building again. The voice was male but faint, probably disguised by our footsteps earlier. He continued calling out, leading me toward him slower than I needed to move.
Everything inside me screamed to get back to the truck and leave the lab for good. But the only way I was going to do that was to get to the guy and free him so at least I could avoid one more death on my conscience.
I stood in front of a pile of debris, scattered bricks at my feet. The voice calling out pitifully for help was in there somewhere. My gaze scanned the area, my trooper training kicking in to search quickly and thoroughly.
I saw it.
A patch of skin. In the middle of the rubble.
It had to be him.
I started pulling bricks, dirt, and dust away from where I thought he was. “I’m here, I’ll get you out,” I grunted through gritted teeth as a bolt of sharp pain shot down my injured arm. I really hated the trooper who had shot me. All of this would have been so much easier with two good, working arms.
The sharp debris scratched at my fingers, burning cuts into the skin as I pulled it away. Attending to my wounds would be a privilege, if I ever got out of there alive.
The owner of the voice stopped talking and scratched around, trying to get himself clear of the debris. He’d probably spent the best part of the last half hour doing the same thing. No doubt he was in worse condition than I was.
Finally, I freed his arm. Grabbing on to his hand, I pulled and wriggled the man until he slowly emerged from the debris. He was covered in more than one layer of dirt, his skin lined with trails of blood – some fresh and some crusted. I couldn’t tell what color his hair or skin actually was.
But his eyes, they were bright and determined.
“Are you a clone?” I asked while we both caught our breath.
“Yes. Are you a guard?”
“No. I’m here busting all the clones out. We need to hurry.” I didn’t give him a chance to argue or think about it, I slung the guy over my shoulder and ran for the doorway.
He weighed barely anything and didn’t fight with my decision as I sprinted toward the truck. It was full now, all the others safely inside and waiting for me to drive the massive thing.
Joseph was standing by the door, the stress of the situation clearly written in every wrinkle and line on his face. He waved me along, urging me to hurry.
Then I saw why.
We’d been spotted.
Every guard in the grounds was heading toward us, their guns aimed firmly at me.
My legs never moved quicker.
I dived into the truck and Joseph slammed the door behind me. I slung the clone from my shoulder onto the floor, apologizing as I did for the hard landing. He thudded to the ground with an ‘oomph’ as the wind was knocked from his lungs.
There was no time to check on him. I threw myself into the driver’s seat and relief flushed through me when my hands clasped around the key in the ignition. It was protocol for the driver to take them with him. But, knowing troopers like I did, I knew they rarely did.
Because nobody would dare steal a trooper truck.
Except me.
The truck rumbled to life like it had a major problem with the world and wanted its presence known. Bullets started bouncing off the windscreen from the outside. We were surrounded by guards and troopers before we’d even gone a few yards.
“Hold on, everyone!” I called out. “It’s about to get very bumpy!”
Joseph stood on the steps next to me, checking on everyone in the back to make sure they were following orders. Not that it would have made any difference, the best way to ensure our safety now was to put as much distance between us and the lab as possible. To get out, we were going to have to go over a few bumps.
I floored the accelerator and we lurched forward. A few troopers moved out of the way but some refused, not believing that I would have the audacity to run them over.
They were wrong.
I plowed through them all, driving across the lawn and heading toward the fences. We were too far away from the main gate and it was already being blocked by more vehicles. They thought the gates would be my only escape option.
Once again, they were wrong.
I’d seen these trucks drive through houses, I knew what they were capable of. They were uncomfortable, but strong as hell. A few fences were nothing to the massive power of the vehicles. They might have been old and rattled like a skeleton, but the trucks were full of brute strength and raw power.
People screamed in the truck as bullets rained down on us. They pinged off every surface, doing no more damage than a few dents and cracks. They should have just saved their ammunition for another day, they weren’t stopping us.
I accelerated toward the first fence and didn’t stop for any of the guards standing in my way. They continued to jump out of my path at the last minute, firing guns directly at me through the glass. I was the one they were trying to stop. Take me out and they could get to the whole truckload. I wasn’t about to let that happen anytime soon.
The glass would hold.
The glass had to hold.
The fence rushed toward us as I kept my foot pressed down on the pedal. It was like a horrible game of cat and mouse, me against the fence, and neither of us refusing to back down.
“Are you crazy?” Joseph screeched.
“We’ll make it,” I replied through clenched teeth. Besides, it was too late to back down now.
Chapter 21: Reece
The last of the guards ran from the fence as I barreled straight into it. Joseph grabbed onto the railing to stop himself going through the windscreen. The truck roared out its displeasure about being forced to do something it clearly did not want to do.
My foot remained on the floor, the accelerator squished underneath. We lurched and groaned until finally the fence caved in and started crumpling down to the ground.
The sound of metal on metal scratching against each other was louder than the explosions had been. One fence down, only another two to go. Hopefully the truck wouldn’t break in two in the meantime.
Joseph let out a whoop of joy as we cleared the fence in full, the metal pieces lying in a crumbled and tangled mess behind us. They were going to have to demolish Laboratory Foxtrot and start rebuilding it from the ground up.
Unless we stopped Stone first.
That thought spurred me on harder. We were actually ruining their plans right now. We were stopping them from killing all the Defective Clones and closing down one of their labs. Maybe the Resistance
would have the final say after all.
Maybe we really could pull off the revolution.
Maybe we could take down Stone and her government.
Maybe we could change the world.
I didn’t even slow down for the second fence. I gunned the engine and sped up until I forced the metal to the ground. The truck bumped over it, everyone nearly silent now and ready for the rest of the journey. They were busy holding on tightly.
The third fence was a breeze now all doubts were removed. We tumbled over it.
And then stopped.
The back wheel was caught.
“Dammit,” I cursed under my breath. I lowered the gears and pressed the accelerator as hard as it would go. We lurched but didn’t get anywhere.
“What’s wrong?” Joseph asked, standing over me like he would be able to see the problem.
“Back wheel’s caught.”
“Try rocking backwards and then floor it.”
I followed his suggestion, allowing the truck to roll back a few feet before trying to accelerate again. The engine roared and groaned, threatening to give up completely. The temperature gauge was in the red zone, screaming at me to let the engine cool. There was no time for that.
Guns surrounded us, the troopers and guards still following us and firing. If we couldn’t move, they would simply wait us out. We would have to get off the truck eventually and then we wouldn’t stand a chance of escaping.
“Come on,” I urged, rocking back and forth again. The wheel just did not want to clear the fence, it wanted to anchor us there forever so we would certainly die.
I tried it one last time.
Held my breath.
And heard the satisfying crunch of the metal.
The truck raced for the road now it was clear. A round of applause sang through the seats behind me. I allowed myself a moment of relief before focusing again. The troopers were still following us on foot but it wouldn’t be long before they went back for their vehicles.
I barreled down the road, swerving to avoid the cars and people that got in our way. We had to be going twice the speed limit which was putting the truck at the far end of its capabilities. The temperature gauge was still red and now beeping at me for attention.
There was no time to stop. I would drive the truck as far as it would let me before it gave up the ghost. Hopefully it would last longer than anyone would expect.
We attracted too much attention as we wound through the streets of Aria. Thankfully, the moment the people realized it was a trooper truck making so much noise, they quickly turned their heads in the opposite direction. Everyone knew better than to stare at a trooper.
I slowed down when it looked like we had lost them. If they’d sent vehicles after us, they hadn’t been able to trace my windy path through backroads and suburbs. They might be able to follow us if they asked enough people but they wouldn’t do that, it would take too much time.
“Can this thing fit in the bunker?” I asked Joseph. He had resumed his seat on the stairs, his eyes darting everywhere to keep watch on our progress.
Everyone in the back were so quiet I had to check they were still there. Each of them wore masks of terror and disbelief on their faces.
“I believe so. I don’t think anyone is following us, do you?” Joseph replied.
“Haven’t seen anyone.”
He nodded decisively. “Head for the bunker and we’ll regroup there. Some of these people need medical attention, we don’t want to take them too far before making them more comfortable.”
I had to agree.
Still, I weaved my way through the streets in the most convoluted way possible to make certain we weren’t being followed. I was anxious to see Wren and make sure she was okay, but I had to keep my head about me. Too many people were relying on me to get them to safety.
I couldn’t wait to see Wren. I could still feel her lips on mine when I concentrated hard enough. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, tell her everything I felt for her. I’d waited too long, with so much else going on, it was time I was honest with her.
She might reject me.
But she might not.
And that was worth the risk.
The last corner came into view and I pressed on the brakes to slow down the truck. Just one more street and then I’d be able to see her. There was so much else to think about and Wren consumed my every thought.
She owned me.
And I couldn’t be happier.
I just had to know what she thought. At least then I’d know and not be in this terrible limbo where my thoughts went back and forth with no real answer.
The truck groaned as I shifted gears and guided the steering wheel around the corner. It was ridiculous how excited I was to be returning to the bunker.
I slammed on the brakes.
“Oh my God,” Joseph muttered.
“No no no no no,” I said, a hundred times over and over again.
There was nothing left. The entire bunker was gone, leaving nothing but a gaping hole dug deep into the earth. It was more of a mess than Lab Foxtrot.
The word obliterated drifted into my head.
“What happened?” I asked, needing a million answers to my questions.
“I have no idea.” Joseph’s eyes were as wide as mine were. I pulled over and stopped the truck, everything going too quiet suddenly.
Murmurs ran through the clones as they grew restless just sitting there. I couldn’t think of them now, all I could think about was the fact that Wren was in that bunker. There was no way they could have gotten out.
“What’s going on?” the clone I had rescued from the debris asked as he sat down. He hadn’t said a word through the journey, I had wondered if he’d passed out at some stage.
“There was an underground bunker here. We had the rest of you from the village hiding there,” I explained, as patiently as I could. I wanted to punch something, march straight into Stone’s office and strangle her for doing this. The order had to come from somewhere and the troopers wouldn’t have woken up and decided to destroy the place for no reason.
I didn’t know what to do. For once in my life I was completely frozen with shock, anger, and grief. I hadn’t been able to protect Wren, again. I thought if she stayed in the bunker she would be safe, I thought it was the safest place in the city.
How wrong I was.
She was gone.
I’d never get to see Wren again, never get to have that conversation with her that I wanted so badly, and I would never get to feel her in my arms.
“There was a tunnel,” Joseph said out of nowhere. I dragged my gaze from the emptiness of the hole to the old man before he continued. “Not many people knew about it, but Autumn did. If she had enough warning, she could have taken everyone away from the bunker. She might have made it in time.”
A flicker of hope sparked deep in my heart.
“What about Wren, would she have taken the clones too?”
Joseph’s mouth was set in a grim frown. “She wouldn’t have left anyone behind if she could help it.”
“Where does the tunnel lead?” I asked. If I didn’t get all the details in the next ten seconds I was going to go crazy. If there was a chance Wren was alive, no matter how small, I would find her. No matter where the tunnel led.
“Nobody knows,” Joseph replied.
“Did you say Wren?” the clone asked, suddenly joining the conversation. He only had half an arm, he had to be from the Defectives’ village. It was no surprise he recognized the name. Considering how famous her Maker was, everyone had to know her identity.
“Yeah, she was helping to look after everyone,” I said. A lump formed in the back of my throat when I thought about her. I had to swallow it down before it broke me.
“Was she alright? I thought she was dead, that’s what they told me at the laboratories,” the clone replied. He was standing up now, every part of him paying attention. “She’s really alive?”
“Stone had her, I got h
er out.”
Relief washed over his features as he took a few breaths. From what Wren had told me about the village, the others were all wary of her to varying degrees. This guy seemed more concerned than just being merely curious.
He acted like a friend.
A best friend.
“What’s your name?” I asked. I held my breath as I waited for the answer. Even though it came in only seconds, it felt like he took an eternity before opening his mouth.
“My name is Rocky.”
Chapter 22: Wren
My legs were going to fall off soon. I wouldn’t have a good and bad foot, I would have neither. We had been walking for hours upon hours. A part of me suspected this tunnel just went around in a circle and we’d be back at the bunker before too long.
Doubt was firmly set in my head. I’d lost confidence in my assuredness that we were going in the right direction. And I wouldn’t be the only one. There were dozens of Defective Clones and another few dozen of Resistance members who would be thinking the same thing.
We’d all stopped talking hours ago. There was nothing left to say now and we had to conserve energy. It took enough concentration just putting one defective foot in front of the other.
A few times I’d considered turning back and admitting we’d made the wrong decision to flee. Perhaps by now the troopers had given up trying to get into the bunker and they’d left us alone.
The thought was almost laughable.
There really was no choice but to keep going and hope they weren’t following our trail. It wasn’t like we were walking fast and they had training, stamina, and decent food to keep them going. We had none of those things, only a will to live.
“Hey! I see daylight!” a young boy cried out. It awoke everyone from their walking trance.
I’d never seen a group of weary and tired people run faster. We all charged ahead, spurred on by the hope that perhaps this torturous walk would soon be over.
We stampeded down the tunnel until we all saw it.
Daylight.
The tunnel ended and broke open into the bright lights of the sun. We all emerged blinking, holding a hand up to block out the light so it didn’t blind us.
Hundred Stolen Breaths Page 22
