Saving Eden (Original Series book 3)

by Rachel McClellan

  "Where's Myers?" he demands.

  "They killed him," I say and point to where Myers's body lies.

  Rafe walks around the other side. He stops and stares at the body. He swallows before saying, "Who turned off security?"

  "I did."

  "How?"

  "I went through the tunnels."

  He glances back at Shred.

  "It's true," Shred says. "We dropped bodies into the tunnels to distract the Junks and she made a run for it. Honestly, I didn't think she’d make it."

  Rafe grunts.

  "Where is everyone?" Jenna asks looking all around. "I mean I know it's a Sunday, but where's Ebony? She's here, right?"

  "Those who are left have been moved to the top floor for extraction," Rafe says. "We received word that Ebony has contacted LA for assistance. They’re on their way, and we do not want to be here when they arrive."

  "When will that be?" I ask,

  He glances at his wristpad. "Maybe thirty minutes, and we don't know how many will be arriving, so let's get the Fenoquel and leave as soon as possible."

  "What about the Originals in the building?" I ask.

  He looks at me pointedly. "There's no time."

  His words don't sink in. There is time. There are thirty minutes, I want to say, but he speaks again.

  "Let's go," he orders.

  Two male Primes drop onto the floor not far from us. I glance up. Tall and well-built, they must've hopped the rail from one of the other floors. Their gray uniforms look eerily similar to mine, and their muscles are taut and hands clenched tight like they want to pounce on top of us. There's something about them that feels familiar, but I can't put my finger on it.

  Shred's men withdraw their guns and point them at the two Primes.

  "Kill them," Shred orders.

  While Shred and his men engage the Primes, Rafe dashes off to the left toward the staircase leading to the elevator. The two Primes, neither of whom have any distinguishable characteristics to give away their species, dive out of the way of gunfire and move faster than I expect.

  The one with black hair leaps across the room like a graceful frog. He reaches Rafe before anyone can do anything and swats at him hard, knocking him from the staircase and across the room where he smashes into a pillar. Rafe's body falls to the ground. I think he's dead until he lets out a small moan.

  I make my own mad leap toward Frog-man, but just miss him when he jumps from the staircase. A couple of soldiers fire at him, but the rest of them, Shred included, are attempting to stop the other Prime who is cutting through them way too easily.

  That's when I realize: they are like me. Super Primes, once Originals. My heart sinks into my stomach. How did Ebony get them to fight for the Institute?

  I chase after Frog-man first and manage to catch his fist just before it crashes into Rafe's head. He looks up at me in surprise.

  "How?" he grunts, as I twist his arm backward.

  I kick him hard in the stomach sending him sliding across the floor.

  "You think you’re the only special one?"

  I lunge for him at the same time he lunges for me. Our fists clash together. I punch, he spins away. I duck to avoid a high kick. Round and round we go, punching, kicking, spinning, giving it our all. At one point our movements feel so fast we probably look like a tornado.

  It doesn't take me long to realize that I can't beat him like this. We are too evenly matched. I need to rely on the talent I was born with. My memory.

  I quickly begin to memorize his style of fighting searching for any weaknesses. His pattern is much more complex than anyone I've ever fought against, but there is a pattern. Every tenth move, he ducks. I don't know why. Sometimes there isn't even a reason for it. He just does it, like a bad habit.

  The pattern starts again. I punch, spin, toss him, whatever I can get in, but when I see him go into the duck, I dart around him and take him into a chokehold. He jumps backward and crashes my body into a pillar behind us. I gasp but manage to hang on.

  I catch movement off to my left. Rafe has recovered and managed to grab several others who aren't already engaged with the other super Prime. Rafe ascends the steps again, this time not as quick.

  "Go with him, Jenna!" I call to her. She's hiding behind the staircase, gripping a knife.

  I don't have to tell her twice. She hurries up the steps after him. Shred disengages from his group and follows close behind her.

  Frog-man attempts to flip me forward, but my grip is so tight that I take him with me and roll to the ground.

  I'm worried about the other Primes. From my view, they are dropping fast. I squeeze tighter around Frog-man's neck, yelling in frustration. He punches at my arm, pinches, claws, but I don't let go despite the pain in my shoulder from the bullet wound.

  With as much strength as I can muster, I jerk my arms to the left. A clear snap echoes in the great room. Frog-man is dead. I toss him aside and rush to help the others. As soon as they see me, most of them retreat against the wall. The super Prime frowns, wondering why they are retreating. He moves to turn around, and as soon as he does, I'm there to meet him with a hard upper right hook. His body flies upward then crashes to the floor.

  "Go!" I yell at the others. Those who are left standing take off after Shred and Rafe.

  The super Prime jumps to his feet and growls. This time when we fight I'm quicker to memorize his moves. I learn he often leaves his right side exposed, but he's much faster than Frog-man was and manages to stop me every time I try to catch his weak side.

  Because I'm so focused on attacking him there, he catches me off guard with a kick to my chest. I fly backward and crash into the long counter at reception, snapping the hardwood. Air explodes from my lungs, and before I can catch a full breath, the super Prime lands on top of me, his hands gripping my neck tightly.

  I scramble to claw at his face, but my arms aren't long enough. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a long scanning wand on the floor, meant for checking people's IDs as they come into the building. I reach for it, but my fingertips just barely graze it.

  The Prime squeezes tighter. Stars explode in my vision. I hit at his arms trying to break free, but I'm growing weaker with every lost breath.

  Over the Prime's shoulder, I spot something dark coming toward one of the higher windows. At first, I think it's some sort of a missile, and for a split second I think we're all dead, but then the glass shatters. There is no explosion, only a tall figure expanding his great, black wings to break his fall. Colt lands gracefully onto the floor.

  The sound is so loud that for just a fraction of a second, the Prime loosens his grip as he glances behind him. I reach quickly for the wand again and wrap my fingers around the handle. Before he can turn back around, I stab it right through his stomach. It slides in much easier than I expect. Warm blood bubbles onto my hand. The Prime's body falls on top of me, and he expels a hot breath onto my cheek.

  "Sage!" Colt yells. He sprints across the room and falls on his knees. His face is covered in dirt and blood, as is his bare chest. He rips the Prime off of me.

  "I'm okay, I think." I sit up slowly and rub my neck. "Just stunned."

  Colt assists me. "You look like you crawled out of a grave."

  "Close. The tunnels." Before he can tell me how dangerous that was, I add, "It was the only way I could turn off the security field. They killed Myers before he could do it."

  His jaw tightens, but he doesn't say anything as he helps me to my feet.

  "We have to hurry," I say. "LA West is on their way here. We don't have much time before they rescue Ebony and whoever else. We need to be gone by the time they get here."

  Colt glances at both staircases. "Which way?"

  "Elevator."

  I lean into him as we hurry to the stairs, but by the time we reach them, I've gathered my strength. That's what Colt does for me. I've always known it.

  As soon as we are in the elevator, I press the fourth-floor button and ask, "How is Link? Di
d he save his family?"

  Colt looks away from me as he says, "Tank and Link are loading up as many of the Originals into the airships as they can handle. A lot of them survived. Thank goodness Link showed up when he did. He took out a super Prime for us."

  "But Link's family, did he find them?"

  His eyes flash to mine. "His brother is fine, but his father didn't make it. He died in the bombing before we even got here. There's nothing we could've done."

  I punch at the door, my heart breaking for Link. Colt rests his hand on my back. He understands my anguish.

  The doors open. A woman in the hall sees us and screams. She runs the opposite direction. Two more people dart out of a room and follow after her.

  Colt and I step out of the elevator and proceed cautiously. People are hiding everywhere. I can hear them behind closed doors, their frightened voices fearful for their lives. So this is where the majority of employees have chosen to seek refuge.

  "Which way is Max?" Colt asks.

  "This way." I jog down the hallway making turns when necessary. I press Jenna's contact number on my wristpad, and say, "What's your status? I'm on the fourth floor."

  She responds right away. "We've already begun to remove the Fenoquel. There's a lot of it in giant barrels. Rafe took a group up to the top floor to try and find Ebony. Did you find Max?"

  "I'm almost there. Colt is with me."

  "Tank? Link?" she asks.

  "They're okay. Loading up Originals at Kendel Field. See you soon."

  I take my last left corner before I reach where Max is. Finally, I'm going to see him! My chest feels lighter than it has in a long time.

  "You're smiling," Colt says.

  "Am I?"

  I turn the corner and come to a stop, pressing my palm to my heart. At the end is a glass enclosure and inside is Max. He's standing at the glass, his eyes big. Rafe had told the truth.

  "Sage!" he yells. "I knew you would come!" He smiles big.

  I jog down to him, laughing through tears in my eyes. I press my hands against the glass. "I'm so happy to see you!"

  "I've missed you so much," he says. He glances behind me. "Hi, Colt!"

  "Hey, buddy."

  "Are you okay?" I ask him. He looks pale and his mouth and eyes have a yellow tint to them.

  He shrugs. "It hasn't been too bad here, other than not being able to go outside a lot. And they draw my blood too much. But guess what?"

  "What?" I quickly glance at Colt and motion my head toward the glass. He seems to know what I'm thinking and begins to look for a way to get Max out.

  "I've seen Mom! She comes to visit me sometimes." He frowns. "I haven't seen her for the last few days, though."

  "Did you have good visits with her?" I ask. Colt is searching all over, but I can tell by the way his brow is furrowed that he's frustrated.

  "Always. She still loves us, you know." He wrinkles his nose. "You look different."

  "Hey, Max? How do I get you out of here?"

  His expression drops. "You can't. It's controlled in the main hall where they keep the other Original children. That's where I was too until Ebony moved me here a few hours ago."

  My gaze meets Colt. "Why would she separate you from the others?"

  "I'm not sure, but she seemed really nervous."

  "Where is she now?" Colt asks. His voice teeters on anger.

  "I don't know. I heard her mention trying to fly out, but then later I heard their hoverships were destroyed. She wasn't happy." He hesitates like he wants to say more, but all he adds is, "Since then I haven't seen any adults. They just left us all."

  "Don't worry," I say. "We're going to get you out of here."

  He nods his head a little, but there's something in his eyes that gives me pause. "What is it?"

  "You have to free all those kids," he says. "All of them."

  "I plan on it," I say. "I'm going to save you all."

  "Promise me you'll save them first," he says. "No matter what."

  "I promise. We're getting out of here soon and going home."

  "Come on," Colt says. "We'll be right back, Max."

  "I love you, Sage!" Max says to me as I jog after Colt.

  "I love you, too! See you in a second." I glance back at him. His head is lowered and pressed against the glass. It worries me that he seems so sad. We're so close!

  We turn the corner and stop in front of two double doors. Before I go through, I listen close. Many frightened voices chatter behind closed doors, so many I can't hear individual words.

  Colt nods to me and opens the doors.

  I walk through and freeze.

  Ebony smiles.

  27

  Ebony uncrosses her legs and recrosses them on the other side as she sits in a tall, plush red chair wearing a short black skirt and white lab coat. The chair looks completely out of place in this great room painted all in white. She sits in the center, in an area that might've once held dining tables. Individual rooms with closed doors surround the wide-open space.

  "I always knew it would be you," she says. "I should've killed you the moment we took you from those horrid woods."

  My eyes dart around the room, searching for something that would release Max.

  "It's over, Ebony," Colt says. "You lost."

  Her eyebrows lift high on her forehead. "You think this is a game? Games have rules, young man. The work we've done at the Institute has broken all rules, and we're just getting started." Her eyes lock with mine. "It appears you have been breaking some rules too. When I learned Scarlet stole a couple of vials of super pDNA, I knew you would be one to take it. You seem to be a magnet for martyrdom."

  "How do we free Max?" I ask.

  She draws her brows together. "Max?"

  "My brother."

  "Is that his name?"

  I close the distance between us. "How?"

  "Maybe the release is in one of these rooms."

  I hurry to the nearest door and peer inside the small window. Three girls are huddled together on a single bed. I try the door, but it's locked. I go to the next room. Colt does the same, but all we find are more Originals, nothing that looks like it might unlock Max.

  "You're wasting time," Ebony says.

  I storm over to her and raise my fist. "I will put a dent in your forehead so deep, birds will be able to nest on it. How do we free Max?"

  "You Originals, so controlled by your emotions." She slips her long fingers into her jacket pocket and removes what looks like a pen with a small red button at its top. Something about it makes my legs weak.

  "You mention games," Ebony begins. "Let's play one now."

  I lunge for the pen, but she is surprisingly quick and clicks the button before I can get to it. A sound, like escaped air, hisses in the room.

  "As I speak, these rooms, including your brother’s, are being filled with Fenoquel. Within a minute, all these Originals will finally fulfill their potential—become docile so they will never rise against us."

  I dart to the nearest room as does Colt. I tug on the door as hard as I can, but it won't budge. I step back and kick hard. The door flies open.

  "Get out! Now!" I yell at the three teenagers inside.

  "Move quickly," Colt says to me, his voice urgent. He is doing the same as me, kicking in all the doors.

  "I have to get to Max," I say to no one.

  "Go," Colt says. "I'll save as many as I can."

  I kick down a door, my heart pounding and quickly count how many rooms are left. At least twenty and who knows how many kids are in each of those rooms. This is what Max meant. Somehow he knew this was going to happen. I shake my head. Forty seconds left, I think. There's still time. I kick a door and then another. Originals who have been freed move into the rooms and help pull others out quickly.

  "Go!" Colt yells. "I can get the rest."

  "There are too many rooms!" My heart is beating so fast I think it will explode. I can't save them all! I kick harder and faster.

  Ebony lau
ghs behind me. "You'll never be able to save him. You don't even know how to open the door. All your efforts to turn yourself into a super Prime to save your brother are wasted. Soon you'll be dead, and Max won't even care."

  There are only three doors left.

  "I've got the rest," Colt shouts. "Go!"

  I sprint at the door, but in passing, I pull out a small knife in a pocket on my forearm and slash it across Ebony's throat. I don't even look back to see if it kills her. I just keep running, bursting through the doors and down the hall back to Max. The glass enclosure is filled with smoke. Max is on the floor, his hand pressed against the glass.

  "Max!" I scream.

  He looks up, a spark of life igniting his expression. "It's okay."

  I reach the enclosure and begin to pound on it as hard as I can. "Hold on!"

  I search all over the glass again, but there's nothing. "Don't breath it in Max!"

  "Help me remember," he whispers.

  "Don't talk," I beg. I back up and kick at the glass creating a giant split in the glass wall. I cry out and kick at it several more times. Almost through. If only I had done this when I first saw him!

  "Slide back, Max," I order before I give it my final blow. I glance down when I don't see him move. That's when I see it come over him. He's with me one heartbeat, but in the very next, his whole countenance relaxes.

  I've lost him.

  I kick the glass wall one last time. It shatters all around me. I take hold of Max and pull him away from the Fenoquel that's still puffing out an opening in the ceiling.

  When I am a safe distance away, I kneel next to him. "Max?"

  His gaze goes to mine, but there's nothing there.

  "Sage!" Colt comes running toward us. "You did it!"

  I stroke Max's face, tears spilling onto my cheek.

  Colt must see what I see because he doesn't say anything as he lowers next to me.

  "Hey Max," he says quietly and rubs the top of Max's head.

  "Hello," Max says, his voice emotionless.

  Someone behind us clears their throat. I continue to hold Max as I look up. There's a group of scared children huddled together.

  "Where do we go?" an older boy asks.