Influence (Influence Series Book 1)

by David R. Bernstein

  “Yeah, right… Uh, sorry.” I break from my lock on Farren. “You need to relax; I promise you, we’re safe.”

  I proceed to tell her all about how Farren got caught up in his desperate plan to save his family and how Amanda and I became a part of it. Even though he saved us both from Magnus, I can still see Amanda isn’t going to forgive him that easily. She knows it was his fault we were caught in the first place. Even risking his life several times to help us doesn’t break down the wall she put up to protect us. We lag behind the group to give her a chance to breathe as I continue filling her in.

  “There are bigger things going on here,” I say. “Farren and the rest of them are part of a pretty big resistance against Magnus. We’re trying to end their hostile grip on this sector.”

  “We?” Her eyes almost explode from her head. “What do you mean, ‘we’?”

  “Um, yeah, I’m part of this now.”

  “You’re part of this? Kaylin, we haven’t gone to so much trouble to keep your ability hidden all this time just to expose it now.”

  I put my arm around her slight figure and pull her close. “I love you, but I’m done hiding,” I say. “Hiding is not living, and it’s time to use my ability for something important. I have a chance to help a lot of people and I’m not going to run from that.”

  A look of defeat washes over Amanda’s tired face as she realizes there is no changing my mind. Or maybe she’s just too exhausted to argue. She doesn’t have to say anything; I know exactly what’s running through her mind. That life of being scared, little kids on the run is over. Amanda will never leave my side, so supporting me is all there is now. She gives me a squeeze and rests her head on my shoulder as we catch up to the rest of the group.

  We walk through the dim-lit forest, stumbling over rocks and twigs as we make our way through the faint trail. Keeping pace with the others is not that difficult, as we are stopping every ten minutes for Caiden. He’s in need of medical treatment and the pain from his leg is slowing down the group. Just as we stop for our latest rest, Farren decides to join Amanda and me as we sit on a patch of dry moss lining the path. Amanda doesn’t even look at him. He sits next to me and the warmth of his body radiates out and tickles my exposed arms. Lugging Caiden this whole time must be tiring. He takes a deep breath and turns to Amanda. “I’m sorry for what I put you through. I was stupid and desperate. I promise you, Amanda, I will never allow anyone to hurt you guys again. And you don’t have to trust me, because I’m going to do it no matter what you think of me.”

  Amanda looks up at Farren with just her eyes. Not really wanting to address him, she quietly says, “Kay trusts you now and I trust her, so I guess that makes us friends—no, acquaintances. Just keep your stupid needles away from us.”

  A soft chuckle rattles my core as I place a hand on each of their knees. Quickly realizing what I’m doing, I pull my hand back from Farren and casually tousle my hair. He notices and gives me a smile.

  “Stop playing house over there, Ferret,” Caiden moans. “It’s time to get to Walton.”

  I return a smile of my own to Farren as we get back on our feet and continue on.

  Two hours later, we reach the opening that leads to the resistance-occupied Walton hub. It’s two in the morning now and we are all beyond tired. We funnel through the side hatch, eventually all breaking into separate groups. Ava and Maddux find a room toward the exit. Ava told me Maddux doesn’t like to be too far from an exit. Something about not liking to be in one place for too long. Farren takes Caiden to the makeshift medic’s room, which is no more than a bed and a storage locker of stolen medical supplies from the Magnus Order. I ask him if he needs an untrained, clueless nurse, but he just laughs and jokes about Caiden not wanting anyone to see him cry as he gets treatment. I tell him goodnight and Amanda and I make our way to the same room I stayed in last night. We share the one bed in the room. It feels normal to have Amanda back, even if everything in our lives has changed so dramatically from just a few days prior. We lie on our backs facing the room’s hatch door. Staring at the soft glowing light that hangs above the exit, my curiosity is aroused and I remember something about our rescue of Amanda.

  I roll over to my side and make out the dim shape of Amanda in the darkness. “When I was using my push at the Hawthorne hub, I saw you stuck behind a security latch. Then moments later you ran into us outside. How did you get out?”

  “You’re not the only one who’s made new friends,” she says while staring up at the cracked cement ceiling. “I’m not completely helpless when you’re not around.”

  As I have grown over the years, the relationship between us has changed. I love seeing Amanda step outside her comfort zone. Like her, I’ve found my own identity and become much more decisive. Less and less have I needed her guidance.

  “What new friends?” I ask. “Who helped you?”

  “Well, there was a cute security guard who thought he had a chance with me,” she boasts. “I played him along for a day just to get close enough to find his passcode to the exit hatches. I feel kind of bad for him. He risked everything to sneak around with me.”

  “A boy, huh?” I say. “So unlike you, Amanda.”

  “Shut up!”

  “I’m just saying,” a childish grin stretches across my face, “I’ve known you for eight years now and you’ve never let anyone get close to you.”

  “That’s probably because I’m too busy keeping you safe,” she says. “I’m done with this chat. Let’s get some sleep, please.”

  She rolls over and faces the wall. It doesn’t take long before we are both fast asleep.

  ***

  An echoing whack on the hatch door bounces off the walls in our room. I nearly fall off the bed. Amanda cringes and pulls the covers over her head. Dazed, I drag my legs off the bed and say, “We’re awake! What is it?”

  A frantic Maddux commands, “We need everyone to the mess hall, now.”

  Grabbing a fresh outfit from the lost-and-found bag, I quickly dress. A white fitted tank and cargo pants are today’s ensemble. I help Amanda find something that fits her. Half awake, she throws on a pair of dark jeans and a green, flowy top. We toss our hair into quick ponytails and bolt out the door. Although Amanda was a prisoner of Magnus, she at least was able to shower and it shows. Her hair looks to be washed and brushed. One of these days, I might be able to get a hairbrush and a shower. I would even accept a cold one at this point.

  We enter the cramped mess hall only to find we’re the last ones to arrive. Caiden sits at the small table. His leg is bandaged in a flexible, graphene wrap. Maddux sits next to him tugging at it as if it’s a new toy. The black, carbon material firmly grips his leg, but allows for full movement. Caiden doesn’t seem to be in any pain so I guess Farren knew what he was doing. Ava leans up against the rear wall snacking on a protein bar. She glances at me, giving me a sweet smile. I smile back and then turn my attention to Farren, who has his arms folded while he leans up against the food-prep counter. He doesn’t offer me his normal inviting smile, so something must be wrong.

  “Sorry we didn’t get here any sooner,” I say while guiding Amanda reluctantly into the room. “What’s going on, guys?”

  Farren straightens. “I’ve been trying to contact Jax for the last few hours with no luck. We have to assume he has been compromised.”

  Amanda looks up at me and whispers, “Who’s Jax?”

  I shrug her off, about to ask Farren for more details, when Maddux jumps in. “It must have been our mission last night. I bet we triggered an internal investigation related to our resistance.”

  “Could be,” says Farren. “Jax has never taken more than an hour to respond. If he’s compromised, we need to move up our plans before we lose all our embedded assets. Caiden and I have already communicated with our other contact points in the nearby hubs and camps. We are having everyone fall back to this hub to regroup. We are going to move out in a few hours and take out Talas.”

  Move out? Take
out Talas? This is happening much faster than I thought it would. I am not ready for this. I don’t even know the full plan yet. I just got Amanda back and now we’re about to put our lives at risk for this young and unproven resistance.

  14

  FEAST OR FARREN

  BACK IN OUR makeshift quarters, Amanda and I sit on the edge of the thin mattress. We’re supposed to regroup in the mess hall at nine a.m. That gives me an hour to bring her up to speed about Jax and the resistance. Before I have a chance to say anything, Amanda blurts out, “Okay, you’ve had your fun. Can we get out of here now?”

  “As tempting as that sounds right now, I’ve made a commitment to Farren and this resistance and I’m not giving up on all those Magnus-controlled civilians. I’m not afraid anymore, Amanda. I can’t be afraid anymore.”

  “I know, I know,” Amanda insists. “A girl can try, though.”

  For the next forty-five minutes, I go over the inner workings of the resistance and its leader, Jax Riley. Amanda is more about passion than details, so I try to focus on the stories and emotions of the leadership rather than the logistics. I fill her in on how Jax and Farren are working against Magnus from the inside and how this resistance has been building for quite a while now. As I catch her up on the people I’ve met in the last couple of days, she seems as fascinated with Ava as I am. I’m probably making her sound like some sort of mystical goddess as I vividly describe her. Amanda can sense I have a fondness for Ava and I get the impression she is a little bit jealous of this. I reassure her no one can replace my special Lost Souls sister. Amanda is the only family I have ever known and that bond is unbreakable.

  We put a change of clothes into a couple of small backpacks that Caiden gave us and head back to the mess hall. Without warning, time appears to slow as we walk down the corridor. My push ability somehow activates on its own. Through the familiar flickers of light, I see large groups of people hiking through the forest. My vantage point is several hundred yards off the ground. The sensation fills my body with adrenaline. I realize I must be recalling the recent memories of a bird soaring through the sky. The gust of wind racing past me drowns out all the chaos of the world and it feels isolated and calming. The feeling doesn’t last, as I’m quickly drawn down to the earth. Thrust from soul to soul, I bounce between the focal points of the oncoming group. The Influencers and consciously free civilians that are approaching must have triggered my connection. I have not been around this many people who are aware of the reality of our existence. It’s almost like I’ve slipped into their collective consciousness. These people are not restricted by the limitations of individual realities. It feels like lying on a beach and suddenly the tide rises, gently pulling me into a warm ocean of unity. A few seconds later the group’s thoughts are sucked from my vision and within an instant, I’m brought back to the corridor.

  Amanda is staring at me. “So, where did you go?”

  After I explain what happened, she looks at me as if she’s trying to dissect my facial expressions. More than anyone in my life, she’s always known when something was happening to me. Worrying about me is just part of her makeup.

  “Animals?!” her voice elevates. “Wow, that’s crazy.”

  “Yeah, lots of things are happening now,” I say. “My ability is a little more powerful than we thought.”

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when this happened.”

  Purposely, I avoid too much detail, but I let her know about my escape from the ranger post. This push is tougher to accept. I don’t like talking about it.

  “Let’s get going, okay?” I ask, hoping to avoid more questions.

  Amanda knows when I’m overwhelmed. She drops the conversation—for now, at least.

  After regrouping at the mess hall, we all head out to the clearing to wait for the remaining resistance to arrive. I let the guys know what I saw while in my push. Farren says based on the visions I had this particular group is no more than thirty minutes away. This gives plenty of time for Caiden to push Amanda’s buttons. Leaning against the hub’s outer wall, I sit back and enjoy the show.

  “So you’re Kaylin’s mom, huh?” Caiden smirks.

  “And you must be Farren’s grandpa?” she replies.

  He laughs. “Well played.”

  I watch them tease one another like siblings for a few minutes before my attention is drawn to Farren strutting toward me. I can’t help notice his tall and athletic frame as he approaches. Straightening up, I brush my hair behind my ears. With a loud thud his back slams against the wall next to me. With Amanda distracted by Caiden, it gives us a moment to talk. He places his hand on my knee and asks, “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” The gesture floods goose bumps down my legs and arms. I hope he doesn’t notice them.

  “I am ready for something new in my life,” I reply. “Something that’s better. Something that’s different from the fear and wandering of the past six years, you know?”

  “I know exactly what you mean. Ever since I was sixteen, I’ve been trapped in this life. A life I didn’t choose. A lonely life.”

  I look up at him and our eyes lock for a moment before my shyness pulls me back down again.

  He notices Amanda returning and pulls his hand from my knee. He leans in and whispers, “I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

  Before I have a chance to react to this intense statement, Amanda shouts, “Hey, Ferret, don’t you have some war planning to do or something?”

  He rolls his eyes at Amanda’s use of the nickname Caiden has given him. Even in the short time he has known her, it’s clear it will be well used. Amanda sits down just as Farren gets up. I’m left with a lump in my throat as he walks off. He turns and says, “I better get ready before the groups arrive.”

  Quickly, I snap my head toward Amanda. “Give him a break already, will you?”

  “Kay, you’ve known him for three days. I’m supporting you and this suicide mission, but I don’t have to play nice with him to do that.”

  I shift my body toward her, grabbing her forearm. She’s caught off guard as I lean in and say, “I am not that nine-year-old girl anymore. I don’t need you protecting me. If you haven’t noticed, our lives are changing. You’re going to have to accept that.”

  “I see how you look at him,” she says. “This is not just about you growing. This is about you liking this guy.”

  I let go of her arm and lean back against the rigid wall. Oh, man. Is she right? The accusation repeats in my head. You like this guy. Almost as if I’m responding to both of us, I say, “Maybe I do.”

  15

  MOVING FORWARD

  IT’S GETTING CROWDED here. Most of the resistance found their way to the Walton hub; the clearing is not so clear anymore. People have broken off into several groups and the leadership is scattered among them.

  Maddux works with a group of Influencers they plan to use on the front lines. I heard them talking about mixing civilian fighters with these Influencers. Their push ability will counter the effect of the Magnus Influencers targeting the implant-free resistance members.

  Over on the west side of the hub, near the perimeter gate, Caiden is assigning guns to fighters who have weapons training. They have been stockpiling weapons and storing them at one of the camps for the past few months. Some of the guns look pretty advanced. I have never seen most of this stuff before. Amanda has been hanging out with Caiden for the last couple of hours. Their personalities really blend well together. She seems happy around him. It’s much better than having her on my case at all times.

  A gentle tap on my shoulder breaks me free from my daze. I turn to see Farren standing with two people I have never seen before. A curly-haired young guy removes a greasy glove and reaches out his hand. “Hi, I’m Owen Helix. It’s nice to finally meet you, Kaylin.”

  I smile and shake his hand, noticing he has some sort of metal mask resting on top of his head. I recall that he’s the technical wizard everyone’s been talking about.

  He ca
tches me analyzing his outfit and politely says, “Sorry for presenting myself in such a disheveled manner. I’ve been working on vehicles ever since arriving.”

  The way he carries himself reminds me of the Terrance Party orphans from our last shelter. He stands tall and attentive, as if he was trained to be regal or something. Amanda’s worked hard to change the way she was around everyone. She knew it wasn’t an advantage to come from this former, privileged sector group. It didn’t make much of a difference in the end, though.

  Probably sounding like an excited fangirl I say to Owen, “Don’t worry about it. Hey, you made that implant burst thing, right? It’s pretty cool. It really saved our lives.”

  “Oh, it’s always nice to meet someone who appreciates my work. That piece of tech originated from the old EMP devices the US military used in the past. Scaling down the output and focusing it on certain electromagnetic fields allowed me to fine-tune the precision to target the small implants. We don’t want to fry the brains of any innocent people who might be near the burst.”

  Thanks to Amanda reading me every book she could find, I have become an overly curious person when it comes to new things. It’s been my one true education. The shelters never cared too much about schooling, so I am grateful for the knowledge and time she has spent with me.

  Before I’m given a chance to ask him more questions, Farren steps in. “Kay, I would like you to meet Miya Hurley, our embedded Magnus personnel coordinator. She worked closely with the Magnus leadership over the last few years. She knows the ins and outs of Talas.”