The Hunted: The Fifth Force Series - Book One

by X, Alice

  “What is that?” Ava asked almost to herself.

  “That machine is going to loosen your tongue for me,” Eliza said as she turned around, the fake smile returning to her face. “It’s going to give me the answers you’re trying so hard to protect.”

  Ava shivered involuntarily, and Eliza’s smile deepened. “You can easily avoid it, you know,” she said in a tone that was intended to sound kind. “Just answer me honestly, and you won’t find yourself sitting in that chair.”

  Ava squared her shoulders and looked Eliza in the eye. “I already have answered you honestly.”

  Eliza sighed dramatically and shook her head in disappointment. “Very well,” she said. “The hard way it is.” She nodded to the two guards. They tightened their grip and pulled Ava to the other side of the partition. Ava struggled uselessly. They placed her in the chair, looking straight at Eliza through the glass.

  A moment later, the door opened again and three people walked in: Frederick Madden, a short, middle-aged blonde woman and Thomas. Ava’s heart skipped a beat when she saw Thomas. His face was cold and showed no emotion. It gave nothing away. His eyes fell on her for a split second, but he turned away as though he barely recognized her. Ava tried not to let that affect her. She had to believe he was only acting for the benefit of the others in the room.

  Ava sat silently, her body trembling as the two guards hooked her up to the black machine. She felt her self-control waning. She bit her tongue to keep from crying out. She wasn’t sure if she had the strength to survive what she was about to endure. Worse, she wondered if she had the mental stamina to sit through the pain without her tongue loosening.

  If that happened, she would betray her father and her brother to an even worse fate. Ava clamped her teeth together, determined to defy the machine.

  The witch hunters stood in a neat line in front of her, Eliza at one end and Thomas at the other. In the middle stood Frederick Madden and the short blonde woman, who Ava did not recognize. She was distinctly unremarkable, but, yet, there was something powerful about her. Ava suspected she may be the infamous Rozan Talbot.

  Dr. Talbot was the scientist who had secured advantages for the Orion Task Force in the war against the witches. She not only devised the spoiler that prevented the use of any Fifth Force powers in the Orion Task Force’s underground headquarters; but, she also invented the procedure used to Cleanse the Fifth Force powers from the witches.

  The Cleansing procedure was said to use a laser to perform a leucotomy, a form of psychosurgery. It destroyed a witch’s ability to use their mind powers of telekinesis, psychokinesis or spell-crafting. In many instances, the procedure rendered them devoid of strong emotions and caused some memory loss.

  After Ava had been tied securely, the woman walked to the machine and started pushing a series of buttons. She stared at the monitors, looking emotionless and bored. Ava realized this torture was routine to the woman.

  “Gentlemen,” she said to the two guards. “You may step away.”

  “Yes, Doctor,” one guard replied as they moved towards the back of the room, behind Thomas.

  She turned towards Ava, her eyes a listless, murky brown. “Hello, Ava,” she said in a soft voice. “My name is Rozan.”

  Ava said nothing. Rozan came closer and lowered her head to Ava’s, as though she were going to tell her a secret. “Child,” she said in her soft voice. “This is going to be painful… extremely painful. There is no reason for you to go through this pain. Just answer the questions honestly.”

  “I have,” Ava said, her voice ragged with fear. “I have answered honestly.”

  “I’m afraid that is not what my colleagues believe,” she replied. “I am telling you this now for your benefit. Every person, who has sat in this chair, has ended up revealing their secrets. They may last one minute, five or fifty, but it does not matter in the end. They all reveal their secrets. Save yourself the suffering and tell the truth now.”

  Ava’s body was already cringing in expectation of the pain, but she forced herself to look the doctor in the eyes. “I have told the truth.”

  Rozan nodded. Then she turned back to the machine, her hand poised over a red button. She didn’t look at Ava when she spoke again. “What is your uncle’s name?”

  Ava sat silently.

  “Answer me, child.”

  Ava raised her head. Her eyes fell on Thomas. He was staring back at her with no expression on his face. She noticed that his hands were clenched into fists at his sides, and his jaw was rigid. She kept her mind focused on him.

  “I have no uncle.”

  Pain burst through Ava’s body. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before. It felt like something hot and hungry had wrapped itself around her throat and was squeezing hard, radiating pain everywhere. Her body was on fire. She couldn’t take in a breath. Her eyes were watering. Thomas and the room dissolved in a blaze of red spots.

  Suddenly, the pain stopped. Ava felt her head fall back. She had no energy to hold it up. The taste of blood was in her mouth. Someone spoke, but she couldn’t comprehend the words. She felt a cold compress on her forehead, and then Rozan Talbot’s face was in front of her again. She was speaking, but Ava couldn’t hear the words. Blood was roaring in her ears; it sounded as though she were in the middle of a rainstorm.

  After a few moments, Ava realized she could understand what Rozan was saying. “Would you like to rest now?” Rozan asked.

  Ava nodded weakly.

  “Answer this one question… and you will be free.”

  The last word sent waves of longing through Ava’s mind, but she reminded herself what the cost of her freedom would be. She could not afford to be weak now; she could not afford to lose focus. Her father’s face was hard to visualize, even Harry’s seemed to be slipping from her grasp. Ava looked up and found Thomas again. Knowing he was near calmed her, and she kept her eyes trained on him.

  “Help me,” she said without realizing she was speaking out loud. “Help me.”

  “Only you can help yourself,” Rozan said assuming that Ava was talking to her. “Who is your uncle?”

  Ava took a moment to feel the relief from pain. “I don’t have an uncle.”

  The pain again— worse than the first time. It bit at her skin, clawing every inch of her. Ava imagined chunks of her flesh ripped from her body leaving oozing sores and open wounds from which blood flowed freely. Her body jerked, her mind was unable to focus. She feared she would die.

  The pain abruptly stopped. Ava was numb. She couldn’t feel her own legs. It was as though she had no body; as if she was a ball of floating light. She felt pressure on her right arm, reminding her she was at the mercy of the Orion Task Force. With effort, she opened her eyes, expecting to see Rozan standing over her. But, it was Thomas.

  Chapter 17

  “Ava, hurry,” he said urgently. “Get up. We have to move.”

  “What…?” Ava said trying to keep her head from rolling back.

  “They won’t stay unconscious for long,” he said, his eyes were filled with fear.

  Responding to that fear, Ava lifted herself from the chair. Thomas had torn the wires that had been placed along her arms and legs. She blinked a few times, and the world slid back into focus. She looked past the glass divider. Both guards were on the floor, next to Frederick Madden. All of them were unconscious. Ava looked around frantically for the doctor. She was bent beside her ugly black machine, moaning in pain as she held her head.

  Ava watched as Thomas walked over to her, forced her upright and pushed her through the door. He turned back and motioned with his head for Ava to follow him. Her eyes fell to the gun clutched in his right hand. He had it pointed towards the small of Rozan’s back. Ava’s heart rate accelerated as she followed him out the door. He sealed the door behind them. Rozan was looking at Thomas as though he had grown two heads.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded. “Thomas....”

  “Be quiet,” he said h
arshly. “And listen. You’re going to get us out of here.”

  “How?”

  “Tell everyone that Griggs authorized a mission that includes a witch. Ava was chosen, and she needs to leave headquarters with me in order to see it through.”

  “No one is going to believe that.”

  “They will, coming from you,” Thomas said easily.

  “I’m not going to lie for you,” Rozan asserted indignantly.

  Thomas pointed the gun at her and walked forward until it was touching her forehead. Rozan cringed slightly but stood her ground. He held the gun in place and stared threateningly at her.

  “You will if you want to live,” Thomas said coldly.

  “I’ve known you since you were a child,” she said in a tone of disbelief. “And you’re really going to put a bullet in my brain?”

  “It won’t be easy,” Thomas acquiesced. “But I’ll do it.”

  “For what?” Rozan demanded. “To save this… witch? Why on earth do you think she’s worth it?”

  She looked at Ava with curiosity, as though she were truly baffled by Thomas’s behavior. She looked back at Thomas and then at Ava once more. Slowly, realization dawned, and her brown eyes seemed to grow darker.

  “Thomas,” she said looking back at him. “Listen to me. She is a witch and she’s probably cast some dark spell over you. You may think you care for her, but it’s a lie. She did this to get you to set her free.”

  Ava bristled. “I don’t have that power.”

  “Don’t listen to her,” Rozan said completely ignoring the gun to her head. “You can fight this. She is a witch, and you are a witch hunter.”

  Thomas shook his head. “Stop talking and start walking.”

  Ava was sure her heartbeats were so loud that everyone could hear them. Rozan threw a venomous look in her direction, but she started walking. Thomas kept the gun at her back. “Stay close to me,” he told Ava. He led them through a series of dimly lit corridors that seemed abandoned.

  He was taking them through the back passages to avoid running into anyone. They finally came to a rusty old door that led to a winding stairwell. He pushed Rozan through, and Ava followed behind them. At the end of the stairwell, there was another door. Thomas typed in a security code, and the door clicked open.

  Ava stepped into the bright light of day. For the first time in weeks, she felt the sun’s rays on her skin. It was easier to forget her aching body in the light and fresh air. She cautioned herself; she was not free yet. Once her eyes had adjusted to the sunlight, Ava saw they were in a large parking lot, where several large vehicles were parked. The logo of the Orion Task Force was emblazoned everywhere.

  “Thomas,” a voice called out. “What are you doing here?”

  A young man walked over. He was skinny with adolescent acne. He stopped short when he caught sight of Rozan.

  “Ah… good afternoon, Doctor Talbot,” he said sheepishly.

  He couldn’t see the gun at Rozan’s back. Thomas smiled and stepped to Rozan’s side so that he wasn’t directly behind her anymore. He kept his hand behind her, however; making sure the gun maintained contact with her body.

  Rozan nodded back at him. He turned his yellow-brown eyes on Ava and visibly paled. Ava froze in place as anger pulsed through her body at the sight of him. His face would forever be associated with her mother’s death— Vince. She forced her eyes down to avoid looking at him.

  “What is she doing here?” he asked his eyes glaring at Ava.

  “Doctor Talbot and I are on a special mission,” Thomas replied quickly, “that includes the witch.”

  “You’re taking her off the grounds?” Vince asked.

  “Yes.”

  “But… I… well, I happen to know she hasn’t been Cleansed yet,” Vince said glancing from Thomas to Rozan and back again.

  “We require her magic for this mission,” Thomas replied easily.

  “That’s… never been done before,” he said uncertainly, looking at Rozan for some kind of assurance.

  Ava saw Thomas push the gun against her back.

  “It’s been authorized by your leader,” Rozan said sharply. “So stop asking questions, soldier, and move aside.”

  Vince dropped his head and stepped aside immediately. At the same time, Ava heard the sounds of raised voices. The lot was filling up with guards. Rozan suddenly became alert. Thomas pushed the gun surreptitiously into the waistband of his pants.

  “Come on, witch,” he barked in an unrecognizable voice. “Start moving.”

  He placed a hand on Rozan’s neck and veered her towards one of the vehicles in the opposite direction. Simultaneously, he pushed Ava forward. She quickly got into the back of the massive range rover and watched as Thomas nudged Rozan into the front seat. She sat straight and rigid. Thomas seemed calm; his expression was focused and perfectly controlled.

  “You’re not going to get away with this,” Rozan said with subdued triumph. “They won’t let you through those gates.”

  To Ava’s surprise Thomas laughed. “You underestimate the influence your presence has, Dr. Talbot,” Thomas said, seemingly unconcerned about escaping the facility. Ava could see the set of his jaw and the vein in his forehead twitch, and she knew he was not as confident as he sounded.

  He started driving through the compound. Ava was able to see just how large it was— an army hiding in plain sight. She paid close attention to the details of her surroundings. The path was gravelled, but inside the large rover, Ava barely felt anything. They rolled up to a large black metal gate. Thomas came to a stop and turned his head in the direction of the guard.

  “Hey, Reynolds,” he said with a casual nod. “Can you get those gates open for me?”

  The man named Reynolds looked suspicious. Ava knew he wouldn’t be so easy to manipulate as Vince had been.

  “I didn’t receive any authorization for a departure?” Reynolds said coolly, looking over the rover carefully.

  Thomas turned to Rozan and gave her a pointed glare.

  “Doctor Talbot,” Reynolds said. “Sorry, ma’am. I didn’t see you there.”

  “That’s alright, Reynolds.”

  “Doctor Talbot and I are on a mission,” Thomas went on smoothly. “She’s all the authorization you need.”

  Reynolds didn’t seem convinced. He took a step closer; his eyes fell on Ava for a moment before they turned back to Rozan. “Is that right, doctor?” he asked.

  There was a split second of silence. Ava held her breath and prayed that Rozan would cooperate. Her body language was distinctly uncomfortable, and Thomas’s eyes were boring into hers.

  “Seal the gates, soldier,” Rozan stated emphatically. “Don’t let us out.”

  The suspicion in Reynolds’s eyes solidified. He reached for the gun by his side, but Thomas was faster. Ava almost missed the movement. The next thing she knew his gun was out and pointed directly at Rozan’s head. Reynolds froze with his hand on his gun.

  “If you ring the alarm,” Thomas said slowly. “If you call for back up. If you as much as move, she’s dead.” Reynolds was breathing heavily, as though he had just run a five-minute mile. “Do you really want to be responsible for the death of Doctor Talbot, who might be our last hope of winning this war?” Thomas continued.

  Reynolds swallowed hard. In front of her, she noticed that Rozan was sitting still as a statue.

  “Open the gate. Now!” Thomas ordered quietly.

  Reynolds turned and moved to the little station set up next to the gates. With the press of a button the gates started parting smoothly. Thomas revved the engine, getting ready. He kept the gun at Rozan’s temple, as he turned back to look at Ava.

  “I’m sorry about this,” Thomas said.

  “About what?” Ava asked in confusion.

  Suddenly his other hand left the steering wheel, and Ava felt a spray of liquid hit her full in the face. It smelt of salt and vinegar. The moment it settled over her, she found it impossible to stay awake. Falling back a
gainst her seat, Ava felt her eyelids grow heavier and heavier. Slowly, the world fell out of focus and out of her grasp.

  Chapter 18

  Ava struggled to claw herself out of the debilitating fatigue that had gripped her. She couldn’t remember anything except a few hazy images that held no meaning. She needed to wake up. There was a relentless buzzing at the back of her mind that did not allow her to rest despite her exhaustion.

  She willed her eyes open, and after a moment, she saw light and heard the sound of voices. She realized she was in the back of a moving vehicle. Her heart skipped a beat as she recalled she was no longer in her cell. It flew back to her in disjointed pieces. The memories shocked her out of her confused state, and her eyes jolted open.

  “You bastard,” she said, the words coming out before she could stop them.

  The vehicle jerked slightly but Thomas kept driving, his head turned towards her only an iota. She could see the redness around his ears.

  “I’m sorry about that, Ava,” he said sincerely.

  “Why did you do that?” Ava cried.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Rozan’s sharp voice spoke from the front seat. “He was trying to protect the Orion Task Force and the facility. It’s the one sensible thing he has done.”

  Ava ignored Rozan’s haughty tone and kept her eyes focused on Thomas. “Is that right?”

  Thomas sighed. “Ava, it’s complicated.”

  “No, it’s not,” Ava said angrily. “Stop the vehicle and let me out.”

  “I can’t stop here,” Thomas replied.

  Ava straightened herself and looked out the window. They were speeding down a four-lane highway. There were a few cars up ahead of them and a few at their back. Everyone was moving at their own pace, minding their own business. She allowed herself a moment of relief.

  “Take the next exit,” Ava said. “Then you can let me out.”

  Thomas made no sign of acknowledgement, but when the exit appeared up ahead, he took it and kept driving until they found themselves on a lonely stretch of road that was flanked by trees.