United (Exalted Trilogy: Book 3)

by Elizabeth, Tara

  But when Cap returned to me, he said, “I see you’ve recovered from the Pump. How do you feel?”

  “How do I feel?” I repeated.

  “Yes, boy. How do you feel? Do you still want to kill me?”

  “I…I don’t know. I know I should…but I…Where am I?”

  Cap shifted his weight and stared at me. “You’re in a village that surrounds Toledo Lake. Your friends sent you here.”

  “My friends?” I don’t have any friends, I thought. The last thing I remember is chasing Ryker and Mena…

  “You remembering now?” Cap asked. “Now, now, don’t get angry. Take some deep breaths. Everything you’re feeling now is heightened. When you feel like you’re going to have an outburst, just stop and take a deep breath. You’ll get used to your emotions in a few weeks," he assured me.

  At the time, I couldn’t imagine getting used to those feelings. I felt like my internal organs were on fire. I wanted revenge on Mena for doing what she did to me—for sending me here. I hate her!

  “Now boy! Listen here,” Cap began. Then he told me everything. He told me the truth about the Republics, the Pump, Dr. Fredericks, and the overturn of power at my old Republic. When he was done, he left me still chained to the ground.

  I was confused. I felt dumb. I knew people thought I wasn’t intelligent, but I always knew I had a little more than they saw—a little more than I let them see. I needed to be a strong man like my father. A strong man and nothing more. That’s all that mattered to the Republic. I needed to be a man worthy of the first place ranking and everything that went with it: the first place female, a high-ranking job, and honor. Life was that simple.

  So after Cap left me there alone, I felt like I didn’t know whom I was. There were things happening inside of me that I couldn’t explain. It was like a war was being fought inside my head and my heart. When I wasn’t kicking the ground, I was doing pushups or squats. I needed to get the strange, toxic energy out of me.

  All that physical effort didn’t really help though. It seemed like time had slowed as I waited for something to change. I exercised until I couldn’t anymore. So, by the time Cap returned again, I was ready for him.

  “Cut me loose,” I said to Cap as he moved closer to me.

  “And can I trust you, boy?”

  “Yes. You can trust me. I want to help. I can help you.” That’s what I said to him. Today is my first day on the job as trainer to “marauders.”

  Chapter 5 / MENA

  “Who’s there?” I ask as I peer into the dark corner of the garage. Someone is moving around back there.

  “It’s me. Jenna,” a female voice answers. Jenna pushes away the rolling tool cart that kept her hidden. She staggers as she tries to stand. Her bottom and legs are probably numb from the uncomfortable position she’s been crouched in. I hurry over to her and gather her up in a tight embrace. “Are you okay?” I ask as I hold her against me.

  Jenna gasps in pain, “Mena!” A citizen like her is not able to stand the crushing hold of a strong Exalted. I’d forgotten.

  “Oh, sorry . . . I’m just so happy to see that you’re okay.” The relief of seeing her is so overwhelming that I begin to panic. “You are okay, aren’t you?” I look her over from head to toe. She doesn’t look injured as far as I can tell, but it doesn't stop me from inspecting every inch of her.

  The girl nods. “Yes. Yes. I slipped away before they noticed me. Your father saw them coming and told me to hide.”

  “My father . . . What happened to everyone else, Jenna? Are they okay? Were they taken?”

  We both turn when we hear footsteps approaching. "Mena?" Ryker is looking for me at the other end of the garage. He has two large bags slung over his shoulder along with a rifle.

  “Over here!” I shout, waving.

  Ryker drops his bags when his eyes land on me. He runs toward us. “Jenna! You’re safe!” Ryker hugs her as well, but he’s careful with his embrace, unlike me. His touch is light and comforting. Jenna smiles, relieved to see us as well.

  “Jenna was just about to tell me what happened,” I explain to Ryker. We both look at her expectantly. The wait for answers is excruciating.

  “Well, we were about to leave. You two were taking longer than planned and we waited fifteen minutes longer than we told you we would. Val and Ethan climbed into the bed of the truck, while I got in the cab. Your father was set to drive and was about to climb in when he leaned in and said, ‘Run, Jenna. Hide and don’t come out until you know it’s safe.’ I was confused. Your mother grabbed my hand from the other side of the truck and pulled me out. She said, ‘Go!’ So I did.” Jenna closes her eyes hiding whatever emotions she’s feeling.

  “Jenna?” Ryker says softly, prompting her to continue.

  She opens her eyes, but looks at her feet. Her blonde hair falls over her eyes. “I heard fighting and shouting," she chokes out, "mostly from your father, Mena. I think they must have gotten hold of some guns because there wasn’t as much fighting as I thought there would be . . . And there was one shot taken. I think it was your father . . . I think he got hit. They outnumbered us . . . plus the guns . . . They split everyone up into two trucks and then left down that tunnel.” Jenna points toward a dark void to her left.

  Still confused, Jenna asks, “What’s going on? Who were they and why would Exalted take each other hostage?”

  I glance toward Ryker, sending him a look that speaks volumes. He knows what I’m thinking—I can tell. No spoken words are needed.

  Finally, I answer my friend, “We found out some new information about the Republic. I decided to tell all of the Exalted . . . everything. There was sort of a spontaneous and fast change of leadership. Exalted control this Republic now. The ones you saw leaving are loyalists. I can only imagine that they are headed to one of the other Republics.” Recounting the events is strange. I still can’t believe what happened moments ago.

  “So they took your parents, Val, and Ethan as hostages?” Jenna asks. Her eyes are wild, like her head is spinning with this new information about the insane turn of events.

  “Seems that way,” Ryker shakes his head. The upset of the night pulls his eyes downward. Things are affecting him as much as they are me, but he is staying strong for me. He knows I need that. His strength will make me strong.

  Ryker quickly glances back up at the two of us. “Come on, we need to leave.” Ryker jerks his head toward the spot where he left his bags. I notice for the first time how much his hair has grown. It softens his face.

  “Leave?” Jenna looks between us.

  “We're going after them. We're going to find our friends and Mena's parents," Ryker says with certainty.

  I shake my head. "But what about the E.S.C? Don't we need to help with that as well?” As I stand in the basement parking structure, I can’t help but feel that I'm obligated to stay here in the Republic—where I can make a difference for a larger number of people.

  Ryker moves closer to me. He lowers his voice. “I got permission to leave. There are enough Exalted here for that mission. They don't need our help. And Mena, we have to go to Toledo Lake. They need to be warned. Basav charged us with serving as their protectors until things have been resolved with the other two Republics. We need to prepare them for a move, if a move becomes necessary.”

  "Are you sure?" I ask, desperately hoping he'll say yes.

  “That’s what he wants. He said to go find our friends, but if they're already inside the old Republic’s wall, we have to move on until they have been freed as well. It's a fair request. He’s also sending two of your training mates with us. They should be down here soon."

  “Okay. That's fair, though I know it's not what I'll want to do should we find that they are already inside of that other Republic." I know without a doubt, what I'll really want to do is storm the gates of the other Republic and single-handedly rescue them. But such things need to be planned carefully. I could get myself captured or killed. It would put others in danger. I need to
trust our new leader. Therefore, if Basav says to go to Toledo Lake, instead of taking on the old Republic, that’s what I'll do.

  "So, we head toward the First Republic of the Saved? Look for tracks?” I ask Ryker.

  "Yes, that's what we'll do," Ryker answers. He gathers me up in his strong arms. I breathe in his familiar scent and bury my face in his chest. He holds me for several minutes until we hear Jenna shift uncomfortably next to us.

  “Sorry, Jenna,” he says to our tiny, blonde friend.

  “It’s okay.” She gives us a crooked smile. “I’m sorry about your parents and friends.”

  “Thanks,” I whisper.

  “Mena?” a male shouts from across the underground space. I crane my neck to see who it is. Kwan and Trudi are looking at all the impressive vehicles and machinery as they wait for an answer to their call.

  “Yeah, we’re over here,” I shout in return. The three of us make our way over to Kwan and Trudi.

  “What is this place?” Trudi asks, though her face remains blank.

  “Just another thing the Republic kept secret from everyone . . ." Ryker mumbles as he heads over to a camouflaged vehicle. “We’ll take the Humvee,” he adds as he tosses the duffle bags in the back of the large, boxy vehicle.

  Kwan and Trudi follow suit and place their smaller bags in the back as well. We all gather around the Humvee, ready to leave, all except for Jenna. She stands off to the side with her arms wrapped across her chest. “Jenna, do you want to come with us?" I ask. "It’s your choice. But know it could be dangerous. You'll probably be safer here.”

  “I know, but I don’t want to stay here alone. I’d rather go with the two of you. Besides, they may need a doctor. The Republic has plenty.” She smiles.

  "Okay. Well, let's go," I say and smile in return.

  Jenna doesn't waste a second. She bounds over to the Humvee, passing Trudi by, and yanks open the back door of the monster vehicle. That's as far as she makes it on her own though. Trudi has to lift Jenna up to get her into the vehicle.

  Jenna’s face turns bright red, embarrassed at how much she will need to rely on us. “Thanks,” she says to the much larger girl.

  After we all get situated, Ryker turns the key in the ignition. The Humvee rumbles to life and we head out the north tunnel, toward our friends and then Toledo Lake.

  Chapter 6 / ETHAN

  It’s true. There is another city like ours. I wasn’t sure I really believed it, but here it is. It’s still far away, but I can make out the surrounding wall and a watchtower.

  Our vehicles pause, waiting for something. The engines are turned off, but no one moves. Dr. Fredericks must be giving orders from his seat in the first truck. I'd like to know what he is planning, but unfortunately I wasn't gifted with superhuman hearing.

  As we wait, I crane my neck around the side of the truck cab to get a better view of the foreign Republic. We can’t let them take us in there. We’ll never escape, and eventually they’ll kill Val. I can’t let that happen.

  “Hey, I need to pee,” I say to the traitors around me. No one answers me. “I said I gotta take a leak!” I shout louder.

  “You’ll have to wait.”

  “I can’t wait! Want me to go in your truck?"

  “You'll have to wait,” the guard repeats himself. No emotion is included in his response to me, so trying to annoy him won't work.

  “I’ve gotta go too,” Val adds, realizing my intentions.

  “What is it with you two?” the traitor with the scar says.

  “Please,” Val pleads. She’s better at acting than I thought she’d be. She wiggles a little, trying to make them believe her. “All that bouncing around. I can’t hold it.”

  “Fine," he folds. He must want to keep his truck dry and feels pretty confident about keeping us under control. "You three, take them to pee right over there,” the scarred man instructs the three other loyalists that ride in the back of the truck with us.

  Three against two—I’ll take those odds.

  A female loyalist hops out of the truck bed and then lowers the tailgate. She grabs onto Val’s bound hands and jerks her out of the truck so hard that she stumbles. Thankfully my friend doesn’t fall. When one of the male loyalists approaches me to do the same, I pull my hands away and jump down from the truck without his help.

  The guards silently lead us to the tree line—one female following Val and two men following me. Since I actually have to go, I unzip and urinate on the side of a tree.

  “Man, now I have to go,” one of our guards complains. Mistakenly sensing that we aren’t an imminent threat, he goes as well.

  This is the perfect time to . . . “Go!” I shout to Val. She shoots up from her squatting position and slams the top of her head into the female guard’s jaw. The woman is knocked out instantly. Her unconscious body slumps to the ground like one of our dummies from training.

  Before they have time to react, I turn and grab one of the loyalist’s rifles while the other man is scrambling to finish peeing. The armed guard doesn’t give it up easily. We wrestle, causing the other Exalted traitors in the truck to shout. I spin the loyalist around so that I’m not an easy target for a wild bullet.

  This guard is strong though, and he swings me back around. By this time, the other guard has finished urinating and runs up behind me just as a shot is fired. He falls to the ground, bumping the back of my legs with his body.

  Suddenly, I realize these loyalists aren’t part of the few elite that are trained to shoot firearms from the watchtowers. No, these fools have never even held such a weapon before today. I suppose they actually helped me out by shooting one of my opponents, but still, I struggle with the other guard. He is agile and counters my every move.

  Val bounces around behind him waiting for an opportunity to jump in, but then runs off into the woods. What? Why would Val run off like that?

  I don't have time to roll around on the ground with this guy any longer. The other loyalists will be over here any second to tie me up again. "Agh!" I grunt as I wrestle with this traitor. We break apart, both tensed and ready to attack again. Fortunately, that doesn't happen.

  Val flies up behind him and slams a thick tree branch against the back of his head. First, he drops his rifle, and then he keels over on top of it. I push him over with my boot, steal the rifle and then grab Val's hand.

  Before we leave, we pause and look at the other vehicle where Mena’s parents are tied up. I can’t tell her that I didn’t even try to help them, but there’s no hope of rescuing them now. They are both being held at gunpoint, and there are two vehicles approaching from that other Republic.

  I tug on Val’s soft hand and pull her after me as I run deep into the woods.

  Chapter 7 / AZ

  I follow Cap and three other Exalted—whom I’ve never seen before—to a huge field that has been cleared of its corn. I know this type of field well, because I’ve patrolled in one back in the Republic of the Saved. After gauging the size of the field and its perimeter, I look for the best route of escape and any objects that I could possibly use as weapons . . . just in case.

  Cap flicks me on my ear, interrupting my thoughts. I growl at him, but promptly stop when the man’s face becomes patterned with fear. He’s still not sure he can trust me, but he also can’t suppress his humorous, playful side—even around me. I’ll forgive him for the ear flicking this time.

  “Okay, this is the training field. The villagers will be building bombs, shaping arrows, and making bows. You’ll be training the better candidates to shoot arrows,” he begins, trying to ignore the recent awkward moment. “We all know regular people can’t take on an Exalted. There’s no chance of survival, but they can shoot from afar while our Exalted fight the Republic’s Exalted. So that’s what the regular people are going to do—learn to shoot. Teach them as best as you can, and teach them to hide. At mid-day, we’ll break for lunch. After eating, everyone is to return here to train until dinnertime. We’ll train everyday until there is
no longer a threat on our village and our people.”

  While looking between the four of us, Cap asks, “Everyone good?”

  We all nod, even me, though I am far from good.

  “Good,” Cap says, eyeing me suspiciously. “And you three," he motions toward me with a nod of his head, "keep an eye on him.” With that, Cap saunters off back toward the village, leaving me alone with three strangers.

  As I turn back toward them, taking in their size and weapons at their sides, I notice that they don’t have armbands to mark their ranking. Exalted outside of the Republic must do away with such displays, but I can’t help but wonder what ranking they held in their old Republics and which Republics they came from.

  After noticing their missing armbands, I notice that they are staring at me like I have two heads. I shrug it off and ask, “So, who are you?”

  The two male Exalted don’t answer my blunt question. They stride off toward the far side of the field. The female Exalted remains nearby. She is tall with wild black hair. She appears to be about ten years older than me, mature but without lines from age on her face. She tilts her head to the side. “Forgive my husband and Everett,” she says. “They’ll come around. My name is Dixie.”

  Dixie extends her hand toward me, which I stare at not knowing what she wants of me. She smiles, leans forward and places my hand in hers. Her grip is firm so I squeeze her hand in return. Then she does the oddest thing, she pumps our hands up and down, a gesture that I have never experienced before.

  "It's a handshake," she tells me upon releasing my hand.