by T. K. Malone
Cornelius stepped out of the truck. He shook each leg in turn, as if to get the blood flowing again. Brushing his fingers through his gray hair then scratching his shaven chin, he looked from Jake to Trip.
“That smell,” he said.
Jake smiled. “The stench of Black City Correctional. Once you’ve tasted it, once its fetid stink has sunk into your pores, you can never wash it away, Cornelius. How many men is Wesley going to bring?”
Cornelius shrugged. “All of them? I’d imagine all of them. That’s how many I’d bring. But you never can tell with Wesley; he blows with the wind. He might leave a few behind.”
“And Grimes?”
“He’s on his way—long way around for that boy—the long way around.”
Teah sucked in her breath, waiting for it all to explode, but somehow the tension wasn’t there. Trip seemed peculiarly disinterested in the exchange, as if what they were saying was no news to him. Cornelius walked toward them. Jake got up and held out his hand. “How did she do?” he asked.
“She was everything I’d hoped for,” said Cornelius, and he turned to Teah. “Well, are you coming in or not?” He then addressed Jake, “Tell me, Jake, did you have to kill my man?”
Jake laughed. “You didn’t know?”
Cornelius hesitated, looking back at Teah, who ambled after them, desperate for a word with Trip or Kelly, maybe even Max—anyone. She needed an explanation, and any would do, she thought.
“Know what?” Cornelius asked as he led them indoors, and Jake laughed again.
“That he was playing more than one side.”
“Devious.” Cornelius put his arm around Jake. “Looks like I owe you one.”
“Looks like you won’t have long to wait before I call it in. Cornelius, this is Kelly and Max, and Trip was the one on the stoop. Take a seat.”
Kelly and Max shook Cornelius’ hand, then they all sat at Max’s table. Teah took the seat nearest the door. Somehow, it seemed far safer.
“Been cooking up some booze, Max?” Cornelius asked, and Max nodded. “May I?”
“You may.”
“Can someone tell me what’s going on?” Teah at last had to ask.
“My dear,” Cornelius said, clearly at ease with being in charge of the situation. “Are you somehow not familiar with the theory there is the army, and then there’s everyone else? It’s a particularly relevant theory today—in these difficult times we find ourselves in.”
“They have Clay,” Teah muttered.
“Indeed they do. Jake, perhaps you might like to inform Teah, to the best of your knowledge, exactly what’s going on?”
Jake was sitting across the table from her. He looked her in the eye, his own eyes wide, clearly relishing the task Cornelius had set him. He slowly stuck a smoke in his mouth, his gaze never wavering. Striking a light, he lit it and took a long draw.
“All of it?”
Cornelius nodded.
“You sure you trust her?”
“Wesley seemed happy. She’s done everything and more required of her.” Cornelius shrugged. “And we’re running out of time—by my reckoning.”
“Well, you might wanna get another couple of jugs of hooch, Max. What about you, Trip?”
Trip was sitting back, balancing on the back legs of his chair. He appeared to be mulling over the question, but his grin told of a mind already settled. “Sure,” he finally said. “I trust her; trusted her a while back. You don’t get to kill a man together and not come outta the other end without a measure of understanding.”
Jake nodded. “And I think I’m finally there. So, here it is, Teah, here’s the problem: will you accept what we have to tell you?”
Teah reached for the jug and poured herself a mug of hooch. The long swig she took burned her throat and set her stomach on fire. “Will it get me my kid back?”
Cornelius slapped the table. “Get on with it,” he growled. “Time’s getting tight.”
Jake raised his palm. “Gotta be sure, Cornelius; gotta be sure.” He pushed his stool back and stood, leaning on the table as he looked down at her. “Queen: the term is everything here.”
“You called me a queen. As you did, Cornelius,” Teah muttered, nerves now somehow getting the better of her. “As did Josiah Charm.”
“Good; you remember that. In which case, let me start,” and Jake sat back down. “Have you heard of an artificial intelligence called Sable?”
Teah sat on the stoop, Trip beside her. The night sky appeared endless as Jake’s revelations took root in her mind.
“So, that accident in the sewer sparked all of this?”
“All of this?” Trip said. “What, the apocalypse and all? Nah. Them politicians were always gonna lose the plot. You see, Ned had a theory: thought they just got bored—Oster Prime and all them—thought they just did shit to irritate each other. Wouldn’t be a surprise to find out the nukes went up on the toss of a coin.”
“And the Sable thing?”
Trip shrugged. “Don’t readily understand that. Don’t get me wrong, I understand artificial intelligence, but I just can’t see it myself. Can’t see a computer being a solution.”
“Couldn’t do a worse job.”
“Than man? Probably not. Still, it’s a fucked-up place which can’t take care of itself. Thing I don’t understand is this: if she’s so good, why’d they say ‘infect’?”
“Infect?”
Trip nodded. “Yeah, like Jake said: ‘We need to get Sable to infect Meyers’ systems’. What did he mean by that? I mean, infecting is bad, isn’t it?”
“Maybe he meant ‘infiltrate’. That’d be better, wouldn’t it? Would you prefer that?”
He scoffed. “Sure.”
“Why do I get the feeling you ain’t okay with it all?”
“Oh, I’m okay, it’s just, well, computers: they don’t mean a lot to me. I mean, when was the last time you saw one up here? They’ve wiped out the cities now—so what’s the point?”
“Jake says the game goes on. You heard him. He says nothing’s changed, just the grid cities have gone. The war still carries on. The killing still carries on. Reckons the only way to stop it is to take their power away.”
Trip sparked up a smoke. “Sounds about right. Listen, I don’t need to be convinced. If we’re against Oster Prime, for whatever reason, I’m onboard.”
Behind her, the front door creaked and Kelly poked her head out. “Room fer one more?”
Teah shuffled up a bit.
“You okay?” Kelly said as she sat down.
“S’pose. Ain’t every day you find out you’re the key to saving the world.”
“Key? I thought you was queen?” Kelly nudged her. “Could be both, I suppose.”
“I feel kinda dirty. Odd. Like…”
“Ha,” Kelly exclaimed. “That made me want to puke on your behalf. Having something… What did he say? Having something hide in your head—that’s disgusting.” She shivered.
“What if I’d died? Then this Sable’s plan would never have worked.”
“Maybe you can’t die—ever think of that? I mean, if she—I take it Sable’s a she—if she made you fertile again—gave you Clay—what else could she do?”
“Do you think Clay—”
“That,” Jake’s voice rang out. “That we don’t know. We think not. No, from everything we know, you and Connor were the only ones affected. Connor holds her consciousness, and you hold the key to setting her free. How it works, we’ve no idea, but as I said: these last few days were a test. A test to make sure you weren’t going to destroy that which must be born.”
“And you’re sure about that,” Teah asked.
“As sure as I’ve ever been. You think back to everything that’s got us here. Lester—he sacrificed his life for you, Jenny too. What life Sable gave you, she also gave to Connor. She took from you both just to survive those early moments. Yet Jenny had seen enough; Lester had seen enough. He knew what she could become. He knew she was worth the
ultimate price.”
“Lester,” Teah muttered, tears glazing her eyes at just the thought of him. And Jenny, what of her? Had she, had he, had they both nursed Teah through the early years so she could survive to fulfill this destiny? Above everyone she knew, she trusted Lester.
“Lester. Fucking. Avery. Savage,” said Cornelius, strolling out of the cabin, vaulting the stoop and pacing around the front yard. “A man of impeccable morals,” he went on to say. “I hated that in him. Of everything we’ve told you, you’re going to do it because of Lester, Avery fucking Savage. I do not believe it.”
“I haven’t agreed, yet.”
“Oh, you’ll do it. You will march into that preppers' compound at the head of my band of renegades and scum. You’ll band them folks together, and any others we can find, and you’ll lead them against the army, against Oster Prime, against Irving Meyers, because…” He closed the gap between them and leaned over Teah’s upturned face. “Because you are the queen.”
“How do we know Oster Prime’s coming?”
“Because, if Zac did his job properly, Sable would have sent him a message.”
“What message?”
“Nevada Mead.”
“What does that mean?”
“Adam and Eve.”
End of book 2
Well, thank you—thank you because you’ve spent a load of your free time in one of my little worlds, and I still have trouble believing that.
No more teasers, no more hints at what’s to come in the next and last book. Complete closure of this story arc—that is what is defined in the next book.
Free World Apocalypse – Genesis– is out Jan 1st – Pre Order available now.
I hope you’ll join me there.
Thank you for reading
I hope you enjoyed Captive. We’re on the edge of the series’ volcano and that is going to boil over in the final instalment—Genesis. So, what do you think happens next? Did you like a particular bit? There’s one book left, what do you want? More in the world? A whole new scenario? You’re the reader, join the Facebook Group and let me know.
Hey! You read books, right? Found a great Post-Apoc author? Read a mind blowing dystopian? Let me know about that. I love to read too.
Genesis is the last book in the series, it focus’s on just about everything, and I hope you enjoy it.
She won’t let you down…
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T.K.
Also by T.K Malone
Genesis
The Free World Army is marching against the prepper compound, Banks is about to blow the Hell’s Gates and storm Project Firebird, Nathan Grimes has Connor in his clutches, and Zac has Renshaw to contend with.
Things are brewing up nicely… and talking about Teah…
Teah has remembered everything and revenge is on her mind, but will she survive to taste its bitter sweet flavor? Can she see through the smoke and mirrors and get all the factions allied against The Free World Army?
Meanwhile…
Connor is withdrawing further and further into himself. Will the power of the AI within him tear him apart? Or, will she be the saviour the world has been looking for?
Who the hell is Karina Drey?
And no, there are no cliff hangers in this final instalment of the Free World Apocalypse series.
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