Colt raises his hand to silence Tank who looks like he's going to blow his top.
"What do you need?" Colt asks, his voice much stronger than I know he's feeling.
"We need to respond to the Institute's recent violence. Because of your position in HOPE, I'm giving you the courtesy of giving your opinion before I react."
"How generous of you," Colt says. "Now would you please tell me what violence you're talking about?"
Rafe places a metal cube in the center of Colt's hospital bed and presses a button. A projected image shines out from its center. It's a recent newscast. A Prime woman with lavender hair and eyes to match, says, "Earlier today, in a move some might see as controversial, the Institute sent a strong message to the terrorists who recently attacked Terratas."
The screen flashes to an image of Ebony, her chin-length hair looks extra shiny. "We have made a commitment to end this resistance once and for all. We regret that it's had to come to this, we truly do. Violence should be avoided at all costs, but sometimes people must suffer greatly for peace to be achieved."
An icy chill creeps up my spine.
The image returns to the newswoman. "The footage we are about to show is graphic so be warned." The screen changes to the center of Boston, its tall and shiny buildings rising high. The camera angle changes slightly. Two long and thick wires have been strung across the tops of two of the highest buildings. There's something hanging from the wires every ten feet or so.
"What is that?" Jenna asks.
We all move closer at the same time the camera angle zooms in. I suck in air through my teeth, and my legs weaken. Human bodies, ropes around their necks, hang from the two lines. There must be at least three dozen of them. All dead.
The room is weighted in silence until Colt straightens and turns around to face Rafe. "This is your fault."
"Mine?"
"You shot all those Institute employees. This is their retaliation."
"What's Colt talking about?" Jenna asks.
"I'll tell you later," I whisper to her, worried about what's going to happen between Colt and Rafe. The tension between them is palpable.
"This is war, Colt. You'd think as the leader of HOPE you would understand these things."
Colt crosses the room to him in three steps. "Killing people who have already surrendered is not war, it's murder."
Rafe drills his finger into Colt's chest. "Don't tell me what it is. I've been fighting this war for years. You signed on, what, a year ago? You think you know about cruelty and fighting, but you know nothing. You're still clinging to your ideas that humans are good by nature, but I'm telling you they aren't. They will do whatever they can to survive, including kill people. I'm trying to create a world where the killing actually stops. The only way to do that is to rid the world of the Institute and anyone who associates with them. We’re close, Colt. Closer than we've ever been, and I'm not about to stop now. You can either get on board, or I'll push you overboard."
Colt stares at him, his chest heaving. Part of him must think Rafe is right, but I know Colt. He has experienced too much good from people like Anthony and others that proves Rafe is wrong about humanity.
"If you have nothing else to say," Rafe continues, "then I need to leave. I'm making an announcement to the troops. They need to know that we will be hitting the Institute with everything we've got. And you know what? They're going to be happy about it because they want others to suffer just as much as they have. And sometimes they don't even care who's suffering, just as long as someone is."
"Are you sure you aren't talking about yourself?" Colt asks.
Rafe smirks but doesn't answer. He glances at me. "I need you beside me when we make the announcement. You too, Tank." His eyes settle on Jenna. "You can stay."
"Gee, thanks," she says.
"I'm not going," I insist. "I can't support this."
"Neither can I," Tank adds.
"Go," Colt orders, surprising us.
"Good man," Rafe says and walks to the doorway. He glances back at Tank and me. "As soon as everyone's gathered on the Green, I'll make my announcement. Obey your leader and be there."
As soon as he's gone, I whirl on Colt. "There's no way I'm going!"
He looks at me with pleading eyes. They are full of pain and sadness. He lowers onto the bed. "Please. I need you both there. I need people I trust to watch him. A couple of pages were missing from the Terratas report."
"I noticed that," Tank says.
"We need to find out why and what was in them," Colt continues. "Rafe needs to be reined in, and unfortunately I'm in no condition to do that just yet."
Tank places his hand on Colt's shoulder. "You just rest. We'll take care of everything."
I nod my head in quiet agreement.
"Thank you," he says, his voice barely a whisper. He looks so tired.
"Come on, Sage," Tank says. "Let's make sure the Dark Lord doesn't do anything stupid."
"I'll be back as soon as I can," I tell Colt.
"Thank you," he breathes.
"Do you want me to stick around, Colt?" Jenna asks. "We could play cards or something, even though I hate games."
He smiles, sort of. "I think I'm just going to rest."
It's hard to leave him. I can tell he needs a lot of support right now. If only I could take him away from here, but the timing is all wrong. Soon.
It takes almost an hour for Rafe to gather everyone onto the Green again. There are just so many more people that they are hard to organize. It doesn't help that everyone is angry over what the Institute did. The air is practically painted red with rage. They want blood. If Rafe isn't careful, they could easily turn into a mob, which will make them reckless.
"Sage!"
I turn around along with Rafe and Tank. My father attempts to push through a crowd of people to get to me.
"Sage!" he calls again. Dark circles are under his eyes.
I move to go toward him, but Rafe jerks me onto the stage. "Talk to him after."
"I'll find you after," I yell at him over the buzzing crowd.
Rafe picks up a microphone on the floor and says into it, "No words can express how I feel right now. Our friends and comrades have been brutally murdered."
Moans and angry voices fill the air. Rafe quiets them down.
"Having lived in the West for a long time, I've experienced the Institute’s cruelty more than I care to admit. They regularly hung and shot people, starved cities, burned others to the ground. There was no end to their violence. Fortunately, the East has not experienced this level of cruelty. Yet. But it's coming." He takes a moment to sweep his serious gaze across the crowd. "The Institute will do whatever it can to stomp us out. Are we going to let them?"
"No!" voices yell at once.
Rafe continues: "The only way to fight their kind of madness is to strike just as hard. We will have their blood, make no mistake about it!"
The crowd cheers.
"Starting tomorrow we will attack three key Institute strongholds and once we are successful there, we will finally destroy Charlotte and reclaim the East from the Institute's control!"
More people cheer.
"In just a few moments, we will have squadron leaders divide up all those who will be fighting to give instructions." The crowd speaks in hurried voices, all anxious to get going.
"Last time I spoke to you," Rafe interrupts, grabbing their attention once more, "I revealed the great sacrifice Sage made for us." He motions to me. I feel like he wants me to bow or something, but I remain straight, my expression blank. "She will be key in destroying the Institute. Her courage and extreme skills have already proven that when she saved Colt."
The crowd cheers and claps.
"But there is another!" Rafe says loudly into the microphone.
I swivel my head to him, my jaw dropping open.
"We have had another volunteer agree to take on such a dangerous task. Surely the Institute cannot defeat us now!"
Tank leans o
ver to me. "What's he talking about?"
I can't talk, can't even think. This can't be happening.
The crowd at the back of the Green begins to part. Someone walks toward us. There are so many people that I can't tell exactly who, but by my weakening legs and the pounding of my heart, I know exactly who it is.
"Most of you already know our new super Prime," Rafe says. "I hope you will give him the same hero's welcome you gave Sage."
The last of the crowd parts and Link steps forward.
19
I shake my head slowly, shock overwhelming me. I search the crowd, looking for the one person who would understand why this is so upsetting. My eyes lock with Jenna's. Her eyes water. She pushes her way to the front of the stage.
Link comes and stands next to me, smiling from ear to ear. He nudges me. "Isn't this great? We're like real life superheroes!"
I just stare at him as he waves to the crowd. They respond to his enthusiasm and cheer even louder.
I turn and glare at Rafe. He barely nods his head and gives me a sly smile. He knew all along that he was going to turn Link. He only told me what I needed to hear so I would take the injections. He really did know me well. All that research, the questions to my friends. And I played right into his manipulating hands.
It takes much longer for Rafe to quiet down the crowd this time, but when he does, he reminds them of their duties and how important it is that each person fights for the cause. I can tell he's winding down the lecture so just before he does, I step forward.
"I have something to say."
Rafe's expression stiffens. "This isn't the time—"
"I insist." I cross the stage and hold out my hand for the microphone. He reluctantly hands it over.
I face the crowd and inhale deeply. "The Institute has hurt us greatly today. It's our gut reaction to want to hit them back just as hard. We want them to feel our pain and make sure they suffer just as much as we have, but I want to stress that we can't lose our humanity in the process. Many of the people we are fighting are just like us. They want to live a long and healthy life. They want to love and be happy. They are tired of this fighting. The only difference between them and you is they chose to fight on a side that they think will end this war soonest. That's it." I search their many faces. "I want you to remember that as you go out and fight in the upcoming days. These are humans, someone's brother, someone's daughter. I'm not asking you not to fight, I'm just asking you when you become the victor and have a chance to show mercy, show it. Show them that there is a better way, that we are the better way."
I want to say more, but Rafe takes the microphone from me. "Thank you for that, Sage. As always, your words are moving. Now who's ready to destroy the Institute?"
The somber moment I had managed to instill over the crowd is ripped away when they burst into cheers. They pump their fists into the air. Link joins them.
"Stop that," I hiss and knock his hand down.
"What's your problem?"
I glance back at Rafe. He glares at me before he hops off the stage to give directions. I grab Link's arm and pull him off the stage and away from the crowd.
As soon as we are out of earshot, I say, "Why did you do it?"
He snorts. "Kind of a no brainer. I was tired of being mediocre. Besides, I want to get my family back. Now I can actually play a big role in that and not sit on the sidelines like usual."
"You shouldn't have done it," I whisper.
"Why? So you can be the one to get all of the glory, like usual?"
"There's no glory in this." I narrow my eyes. "Is that how Rafe sold it to you? That you’ll become a hero that will be talked about for centuries to come?"
He averts his gaze, his face reddening. "He didn't have to sell anything. I wanted this."
"Of course you did, but did Rafe tell you everything about the drug?"
"What's there to tell? It's a pDNA injection."
"But what about dying?"
"You mean like getting the Kiss?" He shrugs. "In a few years, maybe, but your dad already created a cure. As soon as he can mass produce it, and I'm ready, I'll get fixed."
I moan and furrow my brow. Rafe didn't tell him. Link has no idea that he's going to most likely die in a few weeks.
"Are we done here?" Link asks. "I need to get back. I told Rafe I would help direct the soldiers."
I don't know what to say to him so I say nothing. I'm not ready to tell him that it doesn't matter if he saves his family. He will die. Maybe people will praise his name for years to come, but he won't be around to hear any of it.
"I love you, Sage," he adds before leaving. "You're my best friend. Let's work together so we can get our families back."
I nod. When he leans in to give me a hug, I embrace him tightly.
He releases me, smiles, and runs back to join Rafe.
Jenna appears a moment later. "By the smile plastered on his face, he doesn't know, does he?"
"That he's going to die soon? Nope. Rafe lied to him, just like he lied to me."
"Does Colt know?"
"Not yet. He's so fragile right now, but I'll tell him soon."
"Wait as long as you can," Jenna says. "I have the impression you are the only thing holding him together."
"He's stronger than he thinks. He'll be okay."
Tank jogs toward us. His eyes are blazing with anger. "One of these days, I'm going to knock Rafe's teeth through the back of his head."
"What did he do now?" Jenna asks.
"He's over there telling everyone that Colt is too traumatized to lead. He's really playing it up too."
"I hate that guy," Jenna mumbles.
"We need to do what Colts asks though," I say. "Maybe we can stop some of Rafe's madness."
"We will," Tank agrees. "Rafe sent me to grab you. He wants to tell us the plan, as if we have no say in it."
"Take care of Colt," I tell Jenna then return to the crowd with Tank.
Rafe has ten of his top soldiers dividing the crowd into three large groups. I don't know these ten people. Rafe must've brought them in from the West. I make it a point to meet each one, learning what I can about the people who work directly under Rafe. I watch them closely, studying their leadership skills.
I can see why Rafe selected them. They bark orders just like him and demand respect. Very few soldiers question them, and the ones who do are quickly put in their place.
"What are you doing?" one of them says to me. He must've caught me staring.
"I'm watching how you handle the soldiers."
"My name's Dexter, but everyone calls me Shred."
The name suits him. His golden, thick hair runs in waves down his back. His bright blue eyes express a fierceness that nearly takes my breath away.
"Do you like what you see?" he asks me. His tone changes slightly, making me squirm.
"You're too hard on them."
"You have to be, or they won't respect you."
"On the surface, it may seem like your men are loyal, but behind your back, they are not yours. First better offer that comes along, they'll take it."
"What do you know?" he sneers. "You get some special injection and think you're a leader now?" He flips me hard on the shoulder.
"Don't touch me."
He leans in close until I can feel his breath. "If you don't like the way I handle them, maybe you'll like the way I handle you."
I punch my fist into his chest sending him flying. I swivel around and walk away. If nothing else, I can at least protect myself against jerks like him.
Rafe steps in front of me suddenly. He witnessed the whole thing and doesn't look happy.
"Your men sure take after you," I say.
He takes hold of my arm, squeezing it tightly until pain flashes through me. "Don't ever disrespect my men in public."
I'm about to shove him away but realize we're drawing a crowd. It might be best not to show a divided leadership, at least for now.
"You would be wise to do what I say and k
eep a low profile," he whispers in my ear. "I would hate to terminate my experiment early."
He releases my arm and turns away. I catch a hitched breath, too stunned to respond. Did he really just threaten to kill me?
"Gather around, Squadron Leaders," he calls into the crowd. It takes a few minutes for all of them to leave their groups.
The ten Primes, including Shred, circle around him. I stay just outside of their stupid circle, not wanting to be a part of it any more than I have to. Tank does the same.
Rafe says, "Our ultimate goal is to stop the production of Fenoquel and get it out of the Institute's hands." He lifts his wrist and presses buttons onto his wristpad. "We've identified three locations where the product is being made: Rainer, Merrick, and Colville. There may be more, but this is all we've been able to recover so far."
My wristpad buzzes along with everyone else's. I glance down at a projected image of a tall building.
"I just sent each of you the exact location I want you to attack," Rafe explains. "Click the image to learn more about your target."
I glance over at Tank's wristpad. His image shows a different building. I don't like that we are being separated. Tank meets my gaze, seeming to think the same thing.
"The goal of this mission is to not only destroy the labs, but to also cause a lot of damage. You decide what that damage is. Just make sure they hurt."
Several nod in agreement. I raise my hand to speak, but Rafe ignores me.
"How much resistance should we expect?" Tank asks. I should learn to just blurt my questions like him.
"I won't lie," Rafe says. "These targets are heavily guarded, but we recently smuggled in weapons from the West that should make for an even fight."
"What kind of weapons?" I blurt, but he still ignores me.
"We're putting Sage with the smallest team at Merrick. They shouldn't have any trouble taking it down. As soon as they are finished, we will have a hovercraft fly them to Colville to help as needed."
I glance up at Link who is on the other side of the circle. He quickly averts his gaze away from me.
"Rafe!" I say loud enough so he can't ignore me again. "What weapons?"
Rafe blows air out his nose and flexes his jaw. He clearly doesn't like being questioned, but I don't care. Someone needs to do it.
Saving Eden (Original Series book 3) Page 15
