Dead Planet Book 1 Exodus

by Drew Avera

  Chapter 20

  Kara and I ran from the university grounds as quickly as possible. I was thankful that she was without injury, but we had nowhere to go that was safe. We needed to find some place to rest for a while, restore our strength.

  "I'm starving!" Kara said. It must have been a couple of days since she had eaten last. It's been about five days for me. It's hard to keep track when you've been living on Serum.

  "Fine, we will stop at the first safe place I can find." I said. We must have ran a good two or three miles away from the university before we slowed down to catch our breath. We came across a restaurant that had minimal business so we stepped in. It was a seat yourself kind of establishment with one waitress who served the entire restaurant. Kara and I took a booth in the back corner, I sat facing the door so I could keep a watchful eye out for any policemen that may be looking for us.

  "Hello, my name is Glora. Can I take your order?" The waitress was about my age with a thick build. She had closely cropped blond hair and gray eyes. She smiled at us and seemed unmoved by my status as a policeman.

  "Can we get a couple of sandwiches please?" I asked.

  "Do you have a preference?" She asked.

  "No." I said.

  "We will just have your special if that's alright." Kara interrupted as she gave me an odd look.

  "Two specials. I'll have those right out." Glora said as she walked away.

  "Excuse me." I called her back.

  "Yes, sir?"

  "Do you have a media device available so I can catch up on the lottery?" I asked. Glora frowned a moment before retrieving a device from the table next to us and switching it on. The image illuminated on the wall next to our table. I looked back to thank her, but she had already gone back to put in our order.

  The list of names was scrolling in four columns that seemed to go in an endless loop. I was looking for names that I knew, but most of them were businessmen who were members of the Syndicate. The list was towards the end when I looked for Pontiff White's name, but it was not there. Kara read along with me and pointed out names of fellow scientist that she knew, most were in the pockets of the Syndicate. I focused on the list as it started over and then I saw his name. Kara gasped when she saw it, 'Thom Brine'.

  "I can't believe it!" She cried.

  "I know. He told me."

  "Do you know what he did? He stood there while those men carried me away!" she was practically shouting.

  "What?" I asked. "Sorell told me that Thom had sold me out. I just assumed he told Sorell when I was at the hospital. You mean to tell me that he alerted the Syndicate to come and get you?" I asked.

  "I don't know. I think so. All I can tell you is that I was asleep and the next thing I know these men are grabbing me by the arms and dragging me out. I saw Thom standing in the living room talking to one of the other men as they drag me passed. I made eye contact with him and he looked away. He didn't try to step in or say anything!"

  I couldn't believe it. When Sorell told me he had sold me out I thought it was just to protect the board members of the Syndicate from dying by my hand. Now I knew that I was set up by someone I thought was my friend, my ally. I swore under my breath. He had not only condemned Kara to death by ratting me out to Sorrel, but he was the one who set it all in motion.

  Glora reappeared with our sandwiches and sat them down on the table in front of us. "Were your names on the list?" She asked.

  "Not this time." I said as politely as I could. "Thank you." I switched the device off so I no longer had to look at it. Kara and I ate our turkey sandwiches and chips. Real food really did me some good. I hadn’t realized how bad I felt until I finished eating. I felt energized for the first time in days. Kara skipped etiquette while she stuffed her mouth with food as quickly as she could. We were both done eating within minutes.

  "What are we going to do now?" Kara asked.

  "I really don't know. We have no refuge and we can't afford to just roam around the city and hope that we aren't detected. The only thing I can think of is to go to White. He has his palace and it’s filled with rooms. Maybe he can put us up for the time being." I said.

  "That sounds like a good idea. Lets try that." She said.

  I nodded and stood up from the table. I dropped some money down for a tip and motioned for Kara to come with me. We left the restaurant and started walking towards the square. It wasn't too far away and I was careful to keep an eye out for possible threats. Now that we escaped I would bet that our fugitive status had skyrocketed. Once we made it to the square I scanned the area with my eyes and looked for any policemen I could find. It was odd to not see any in the area. Maybe there was a turnover of duty or the word had not been put out that we had escaped. Either way we needed to hurry inside the palace and find refuge.

  We entered the lobby and Kara gasped at the beauty of the waterfall on the wall in the back. I supposed that she had never been inside the palace before. We walked to the elevator and stepped in. It immediately lifted us to Pontiff White's office. Kara tried to step out first when the door opened, but I grabbed her before the floor could scan her. White looked up and quickly stood up from his desk and ran over to the elevator with us. He pressed the button that had taken us to the attic before. No one spoke until we were at the top.

  "I thought you were dead!" He said. "Word has been passed in the Syndicate that you were neutralized."

  "We escaped." I said with a nonchalant shrug.

  "Well, I'm glad to see you. How did you escape?" He asked.

  "By killing people." Kara quipped.

  "Of course. How silly of me." He laughed nervously.

  "We have a problem." I said.

  "What's that?" White asked.

  "Thom betrayed Kara and I."

  "How did you find that out?"

  "Sorell told me."

  "It doesn't surprise me. Sorell was probably trying to get information from you and told you that to get in your head." He said.

  "No it's true!" Kara said. "Thom stood by and let them take me!"

  "Oh my! That is a problem." White said.

  "It's worse." I said. "When he said I had been betrayed I let your name slip. I'm sorry."

  Whites face grew several shade paler. I could see worry crease across his face and his jaw went slack. I had just betrayed the one man who was in a position to help us. He paced the room silently for a moment. "I guess that explains why the lottery hasn't pulled my name yet." He said. "The puzzle is coming together piece by piece. Sorell knows that I was helping you, but instead of pulling a hit on me he chose to make it so that I stay here and die. It makes perfect sense."

  The three of us stood there in silence and reflected on our situation. There was no hope for us. We were doomed to die on a planet that was erupting in chaos.

  "White, I know it's a lot to ask, but Kara and I have nowhere to go. Do you have a room that we can stay in until all of this blows over?"

  "Yes, of course. There is a suite on the sixth floor that will serve you nicely. I know you're concerned that you betrayed me by letting my name slip. Don't worry about that. I knew the danger when we started this. I knew the risk and still chose to go against the Syndicate. I would choose to do it again in a heartbeat." His words made me feel somewhat better. "Come, let's get you to your rooms."

  We followed White back into the elevator and stepped off on the sixth floor. At the end of the hallway was a large suite that served as a living space for members of the Syndicate. It would now be a home to fugitives hell bent on bringing down the people who were leaving the rest of us to die. It only seemed fitting that we would enjoy the living conditions of those I was going out to kill, but first I needed sleep. White showed Kara to her room and then pointed me to mine. He walked out of the suite quietly and closed the door behind him. I walked over to the bed and laid out across it, it was a luxurious comfort that I had not experienced in years. I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

  Chapter 21

  I woke up
after a long deep sleep and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. My body was sore and stiff from laying in the same position for so long. I could feel the bones in my back popping as I stretched and rolled over onto my back before sitting up. Despite all of this I felt like a new man. It's funny what real food and sleep can do for a man. I rose up out of bed and walked into the living room where Kara was sitting in front of a media device watching the latest report on the lottery winnings.

  "Good morning," I said as I sat down beside her.

  "It's afternoon, Serus," She said with a smile.

  "Oh, I didn't know," it was the truth.

  "It's fine. I know that you needed the sleep," she said. "White stopped by earlier today. He dropped off some food and asked for us to attend a meeting whenever you are ready."

  "Sure, I'll eat some lunch and we can meet up with him after that." I walked into the dining area and grabbed a bowl of fruit and some pastries. I shoved the food into my mouth like I hadn’t seen food for over a month. Another product of my training with the Agency is my ability to eat an entire meal in mere minutes, of course manners and etiquette went down the drain.

  I finished my lunch and put the rest of the food away. Kara laughed at me as I finished and I cut her a dirty look letting her know that I didn't appreciate it, not that she cared though, sisters never change. Kara walked over to help me with the cleaning. Once Kara and I were finished I contacted White via message and he set up an appointment for us in the conference room on the fourth floor.

  Kara and I left the suite and went into the elevator. We were in the conference room and seated before White showed up so we just waited.

  "How are you feeling?" I asked. I knew that she had been through much more than most people could handle, with the abduction and having to kill the policeman with her own hands.

  "I'm fine considering our circumstances," she said.

  "Did you sleep alright?" I asked.

  "I did sleep, but I kept jarring awake. I had visions of that policeman from yesterday. All I could see was the blood running out of his mouth as he was grabbing me"

  "I understand. You've been through a lot, but trust me, it gets easier over time." She nodded her head in agreement as White walked into the conference room. He was dressed in a black double breasted suit with a stiff collar. His suit was very similar to my own except for his dress shoes and lack of a gauntlet.

  "I hope that you both rested well," he said in greeting.

  "Yes, thank you," I replied.

  "I hope you don't mind, but I would like for us to get down to business since the transports will be leaving in the morning. I already have a ticket from when you killed Harling, but we still need two more tickets in order for the three of us to make it on board a transport and return to Earth."

  "Hold on," I interrupted. "I thought our mission was to bring down the Syndicate. Not just kill people to take their tickets so we can leave."

  "Taking down the Syndicate will be impossible to accomplish in a single day, Serus. In order to fulfill our duty we must be on board those transports. We just have to take them out before they can set up another corrupt government on Earth, and if we can, we need to find a way to save the people that they leave behind. Quite simply put, we have a long road ahead of us," White finished.

  "Alright then. What's the plan?" I asked.

  "Thom has a ticket that was awarded to him because of his betrayal of you. He is probably the easiest person to gain access to being that he is still in the hospital. Most of the lottery winners and board members are already on the transports setup in their quarters. The transports are heavily guarded and it will be next to impossible to gain access to the board members. Our best chance is for you to kill Thom and take his ticket, then we will ambush a someone who is planning on boarding at the last minute. This way we will have three tickets allowing all three of us to board."

  "Sounds easy enough to me," I said. I looked over at Kara and could see how the talk of killing Thom was affecting her. He had betrayed her as well, but she still had a soft spot for human life. A sense of compassion that had already hardened in mine and White's hearts. "When does this need to happen?" I asked.

  "I suggest nightfall so you can go in under a cover of darkness. The hospital is not guarded so if you go in alone and use the rear entrance you should be able to go undetected. Besides, you and Kara are now presumed dead. I saw a report via message through the Syndicate that you were permanently dispatched. Apparently Sorell did not stick around to make sure that the job was done properly. I guess their plan is to just leave me here to die with everyone else. No one will be looking for either of us."

  "Then it's settled then. I'll go kill Thom and meet you two back here."

  "Yes, but one more thing," White said. "I want you to take Thom's gauntlet and bring it back to me."

  "Why?" I asked.

  "Because you will be the only rouge policeman on the transport and I plan on taking part in this mission beyond just being some figure head making decisions. I will wear the gauntlet and help out with the mission," He said.

  "Alright. I'll bring back the ticket and the gauntlet and meet you back here, and then the three of us will go to the transport station," I said as I rose to leave. Kara and White both stood up to see me out.

  "The sun will be going down soon. I will plan on your return in a few hours," White said.

  "Serus?" Kara said. "Please be careful. I don't want to lose you." She walked up to me and hugged me in a tight embrace. She was fighting back tears but was still trying to be strong. She was not as weak as she had been before all of this happened. She was turning into someone darker. I hugged her back and rubbed my hand over her hair. She broke away first and pulled her hair back behind her ears. I could still see my kid sister in that small gesture.

  I smiled at Kara and nodded at White as I walked out of the conference room. I knew my mission, and I knew what would happen if I failed. I needed that fear of failure to empower me now. I felt it spike my adrenaline. It gave me a reason for each step that I took. The fear was taking over my body like a drug. It numbed the pain and fueled my rage at the same time.

  The elevator door closed around me and lowered me down to the lobby. I could see orange and purple sunlight peaking through the stained glass windows of the lobby as I walked through. I was determined to succeed. I would save my sister, Kara. I would kill my friend who betrayed me. And as for the Syndicate? I would kill them all.

  Chapter 22

  The wind was blowing an unseasonably cool breeze when I stepped out of the palace. I wasn't focused on the wind, but it was the kind of thing that grabs your attention away from whatever else you’re focused on at the time. Perhaps a storm was on the horizon, it was hard to tell when you lived in a coastal city, the weather can change in minutes. I cracked my neck as I walked, still trying to relieve the stiffness in my body after my long slumber. What can I say other than the fact that I really needed that sleep. I felt more alert and more alive. The food helped a lot as well.

  I turned the corner on my way to the hospital and I could see rioting in the streets. Some businesses had their windows knocked out by rocks from pissed off pedestrians crowding the streets. Someone should intervene, but what would be the point? These people will still die once the magnetic field completely decayed. If it wasn't going to be oxygen deprivation then it would be from a series of asteroid impacts that will take place all over the planet. I shook the thought out of my mind and kept walking. My mission was in front of me. I had to kill Thom.

  The sky grew darker with each passing step. I was starting to enjoy the darkness, it was feeling more like home than I had felt in a long time. I guess I should be concerned by that thought, but I wasn't. The hospital appeared at the end of the street in front of me. The lights lit up every side of the building creating a kind of torch in the sky that beckoned the weary to come to it. It beckoned me.

  I walked in through a rear entrance and headed straight for the elevator. Not a single soul
was in sight. I walked into the opened door of the elevator and pressed the button for Thom’s floor. The elevator rose and then stopped at the fourth floor and I went straight for room four twelve. I entered the room without knocking. This was not a social call. Thom looked up at me with a look of fear on his face. It was apparent that he thought that I was dead. He must have realized that the shoe was about to be on the other foot.

  "Serus," he said with a tremble in his voice.

  "Hello, Thom. What's with the sour look on your face? Is it after visiting hours?" I asked.

  Thom scrambled up from the hospital bed and tried to reach for his gauntlet. He wasn't fast enough. I jumped across the room and grabbed him by the back of the neck and hurled him at the window. With the rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins I was able to lift him completely off the ground. The impact of his body against the glass caused it to splinter in a spider web effect.

  Thom groaned as he stood up on the other side of the room. "Serus, I can explain," he said.

  "Explain what?" I asked. "How can you explain betraying a friend by having his sister abducted? How do you explain having your friend set up to be tortured and killed for a lottery ticket? Didn't you realize that I was on the side of taking down the Syndicate and using their tickets to save all of the people I cared about?"

  The look of his face showed his regret. It was too late for that. Now was the time for reckoning. Now was the time to finish what I had started. I jumped over the bed and grabbed Thom by his throat. I clenched my hand around it as tightly as I could. Thom struggled against me. The lack of oxygen to his brain was making him weak. The longer I looked into his wide eyes the more angry I became.

  He betrayed me and let my sister fall into the hands of my enemy! With that thought running through my mind I slammed his head into the window. The thud of his head connecting with the glass caused a satisfying crunching sound. He betrayed me by alerting the Syndicate of where I was, allowing me to be abducted and almost killed. I slammed his head into the window again. I could see the life escaping him as I gripped his throat harder. Blood began running out of his mouth and eyes. It must have been from his brain swelling inside his head.