EVO Nation Series Trilogy Box Set

by K. J. Chapman

  Adam tenses at his words. “Well, you better start swimming, then.”

  Cooper’s chest puffs out. He’s a muscular man, not as tall as Adam, but I’m sure he can handle his own. His dark hair is short and messy, and he has a mousey brown beard that adds years to his face. Yesterday, he told October that he was twenty-five, but I’m not one hundred percent sure that he was being truthful. He has an unnerving habit of playing with fire. He’ll click his fingers and let the flames dance in his palm. He seems unhinged, and common sense tells me that fire and recklessness shouldn’t be mixed.

  “I’m just saying what everyone is thinking,” Cooper says, holding his hands in the air.

  “If you agree with Cooper, put your hands up,” says Adam. Not a single hand rises. “That settles it. Keep your mouth shut or I’ll shut it for you.”

  Cooper strides up to us, pointing a finger in Adam’s face. “Is that a threat, Lovick?”

  Adam stands, squaring up to him. “No, it’s a promise.”

  Cooper’s lips twist slightly and he shoves Adam hard in the chest. Adam staggers, but remains standing and shoves him back. Punches start flying as they scuffle, and in one swift movement, Adam has Cooper in a headlock. The look on Cooper’s face is worth photographing; he underestimated Adam. It’s moments like this when I see the TORO training he has in him. Cooper struggles to free himself as Adam squeezes tighter.

  Jude holds out his hand, and they both fly away from each other; Cooper clattering into the fold down table, and Adam landing on the couch beside me.

  “As far as I’m concerned, the only person welcome on this boat is Teddie,” says Jude. “If you have a problem with her, you have a problem with me, and I won’t think twice about kicking your asses overboard. So, if you don’t want to die in the middle of the ocean, put up and shut up. You got it?” He carries on pouring his drink as if he hasn’t just threatened to drown a yacht full of people. “Anyone want a coffee?”

  Cooper straightens his t-shirt and pushes passed Fabian into the bedroom.

  Adam takes my hand and leads me up the stairs to the deck. I don’t refuse; I need fresh air and to be away from the mess of my dream downstairs.

  The sea has the quiet, stillness of dawn, and a blue haze fills the sky; the second sunrise without Golding and Haydn. How can life keep moving on when so many pieces of my heart are stuck in different times?

  Adam sits on a lounger, pulling me down with him. “Sorry, but Cooper has been sniping about you since we got on this bloody boat. The guy’s an asshole.”

  “You never have to apologise for having my back,” I say, resting my head against the warmth of his neck.

  He smiles and lowers his mouth to mine. His lips are the best place to be. I can be so totally absorbed in him that everything else fades away.

  He pulls away slowly, lifting my chin. “You know that Golding would want you to be safe, right? We had to leave him.” His eyes search mine. “And you are not to blame. Isaac killed him. You did what Golding asked- you finished it.”

  “How’d you know...Oh, my God, did I share my dream with you? I’m sorry, I can’t control the telepathy. Cooper’s right, Tess has done something to me and I have no idea what to do with it.”

  Adam moves his hands to my neck. “You can share anything with me. No matter what, you can tell me anything or show me anything. We’ll figure this out.”

  I press my mouth to his again, running my fingers up his arms and over his stubbly neck. “You make me feel better. You’re the glue that stops me falling apart.”

  The sun has started to crest on the horizon. Adam laces his fingers in my hair and fans it out so the sunlight filters through, streaking his face in strips of shadow and amber light. “You’re beautiful,” he says, barely louder than a whisper. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”

  I lean in closer to reply, but the door to the stairs bursts open and Yana rushes out.

  “You two might want to see this,” she says, her Swedish accent stronger due to anxiety. Her slender, shaking hands push her blonde hair off of her sweat-slickened forehead. “The British government has just broadcast.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Someone has done a good job of tidying the mess I made. You wouldn’t have known anything had happened if not for Cooper’s face of thunder. A laptop sits on the breakfast bar and everyone has gathered around it.

  “Is it safe to have that on board?” asks Wheeler.

  “This is technically an E.N.C boat. No one can track the signal, well, not easily, anyway. My contact just sent me this,” Jude says, opening an email. “I think it’s someone you Facility One kids are familiar with.”

  A news reporter introduces footage of Sergeant Major Towley. His face is still as slimy as ever, although, he looks tired and on edge. His usual mousey hair is a little ruffled, and his small eyes appear puffy and red. Every time I saw Towley, he was pressed to perfection: ugly, slimy perfection. This image betrays his stress.

  “I have been informed by British intelligence that Isaac Woodman has been killed along with numerous EVO Nation Corp supporters. British and Italian intelligence traced Woodman to his headquarters in Italy last night, and Italian special operative teams stormed what we believe to be an EVO hotel complex. Woodman was pronounced dead after being eliminated by a special operative, and I have also received confirmation that the Dual- EVO was found deceased at the scene. As for the situation in Britain at present, we will maintain a state of martial law for the foreseeable future, and we urge all citizens, Non- EVO and EVO, to cooperate with the military on this. I have no further details.”

  The footage ends, yet Towley’s voice lingers in my mind.

  “Why is Towley addressing the press? The UK is under martial law, shouldn’t the Chief of the General Staff...” Adam’s sentence trails to nothing. “Tell me that Towley’s not Chief of the General Staff.”

  Jude raises an eyebrow.

  “Where’s Bramwell?” Wheeler asks. He looks just as shocked as Adam.

  “Bramwell’s EVO, hence the new General Sir Towley.”

  “What did they do to him?” I ask.

  “He took early retirement, and they clubbed together to buy him carriage clock. Seriously, Princess, what do you think they did to him?”

  I hold up my hands in submission. It was a ridiculous question to ask. I expect all EVO in positions of power have been ‘dealt’ with accordingly.

  “Towley shouldn’t be in that position,” Adam continues. “It makes no sense.”

  Jude pinches the bridge of his nose. “Government see Towley as top dog where EVO are concerned. Who better? It’s a time of many changes. The British military aren’t exempt in that.”

  “Why are they taking credit for Isaac’s death?” Emiko asks. Even when she is tired and make-up free, Emiko is a Japanese beauty, and even more annoyingly, she’s smart with it.

  “It makes them look good,” says Fabian, his Italian accent is as smooth as butter.

  I would place him in his late twenties, with floppy, blonde hair, brown eyes, and a surfer vibe. He moves a napkin around the table with an invisible breeze emanating from his palm. These E.N.C guys definitely have restless personalities.

  “If it was to get out that Isaac was killed by an EVO, it would only make us look less intimidating. They want the Norms to fear EVO. I think that your government has been waiting for a reason to start this war for a long time. This will spread worldwide- it is already spreading worldwide as we speak,” he continues.

  His use of the word Norms grates on me, but I let it slide. The E.N.C is known for using the word as a derogatory slur against the Non- EVO, and I can’t forget that seven of the people on this yacht are ex- E.N.C. I don’t know Cooper or Fabian, but I know that just like everyone else, they risked a lot to stand up to Gabe and Isaac.

  Fabian’s reasoning makes sense, and even Jude nods in agreement. What doesn’t sit well with me is that Golding and Haydn will be classed as E.N.C members. I can picture their bodies bei
ng carried out of the complex in body bags, loaded into the back of a van, and driven to some lab to be tested on like rats.

  “Do you know any more about what is going on back home?” Adam asks Jude.

  Jude swipes the loose strands of hair out of his face. “Apparently, the riots won’t last much longer. There’s a shoot on sight order for any EVO or Norm involved in the riots. This isn’t a war that will be won overnight. However, the government have announced a register and tracking objective. They’re testing everyone in Britain for what they’re calling the EVO gene, and then chipping them. Italy, and the rest of Europe, are following suit.”

  “They can’t do that. We’re not cattle,” says October, her eyes wide and angry.

  She has scraped her purple hair into a bun on the top of her head, and the phoenix tattoo in the shaved half of her scalp stands out against her pale skin. She hasn’t cried for her Dad since he died at the complex. I heard Jude telling her yesterday that her Dad would tell her to pull herself together. Yes, it could be construed as harsh on Jude’s part, but I met October’s dad and I’d say Jude has it spot on. October is by far weak, but she is more sensitive than she lets on. I admire how well she is handling everything.

  Jude shrugs. “They can do what they like. They are holding all the cards. My contact said that some EVO have gone into hiding. There are rumours that the more powerful EVO are going for chipping and are not returning. The government must see them as a threat or—”

  “Useful,” I interrupt.

  Yana’s head jerks in my direction. Our eyes meet and a mutual memory flits between us.

  Adam subconsciously puts his arms around me from behind- a protective gesture. “Towley told the girls that they had to prove themselves useful. I’m guessing Team ORO was just one of many top secret, EVO projects that he had on the go.”

  The memory of Towley’s face rippling through the orb of water that encased my head during the forced fight with Yana, and the burning pain in my lungs as I fought for air, flashes through my mind. Adam’s body tenses at the same moment. I’ve done it again; I’ve shared a thought telepathically. My lack of control terrifies me. Gripping his arms, I pull them tighter around my chest.

  “It’s okay,” he says into my hair. “Memories can’t hurt you.’

  “Something more is going on,” adds Jude. “Apparently, they are particularly interested in the under thirteens.”

  “Anyone who develops their ability before their mid-teens tend to be high grade EVO. You two were under thirteen I bet,” says Maggie, nonchalantly waving a hand toward Jude and I.

  She still can’t make eye contact with Jude, and I can feel the tension anytime he tries to talk to her. She looks to have aged decades in the last few days. She hasn’t used her chromokinesis to change her hair or eye colour, and has stuck with a limp blonde since Isaac’s betrayal. It’s not just her hair, everything about her seems dull and lifeless. A little piece of her died when she lost Boyd, but Isaac’s double bluff has snubbed out the small ember she had left.

  Jude doesn’t seem as fazed. “I was twelve,” he says, with a smug smile. He looks to me, inviting me to speak.

  My throat goes tight as all eyes fall on me. “I started noticing the telekinesis at twelve, but had my first proper episode- as Mum and Dad called them- at thirteen,” I say. Jude winks at me. I should leave it at that, but it is better that they know. “But I was five when I first showed signs of telepathy.”

  A hush falls over the room.

  Jude bites his lip in confusion. “Five? Are you sure, Princess?”

  I know his cynicism, I experienced it myself when Isaac first told me of our meeting when I was five. “Isaac suspected I was Dual- EVO all along. He told me I read his mind when he found us the day before my fifth birthday. Luckily, he still believed I was his daughter back then, and he left me with Rob to keep me safe.”

  A sudden memory springs to mind; the grainy memory of the bearded man on the doorstep- Isaac. It’s as if I have repressed the minute details until now.

  Isaac crouches in front of me whilst my Mum screams at him to leave. She grabs my collar, tugging me behind her and away from Isaac.

  “She’s mine too,” Isaac spits. He takes my elbow, pulling me back toward him.

  “Mummy?” I cry, fighting to free myself from him.

  “No, Isaac, she is Rob’s.”

  Isaac scoffs. “How can you know that she is for sure?”

  “How can you know she isn’t?” Shana snaps back.

  I wail as they argue. “I want my Daddy.”

  “I am your Daddy, Theyda,” Isaac says, his anger at Shana still lacing his voice.

  “No, he isn’t, Sweetheart,” Shana soothes, and then turns back to Isaac. “You’re scaring her. Leave— now!”

  Isaac crouches down to me and removes his sunglasses. “I’m your Daddy, Theyda. Look, I’ve even remembered it’s your birthday tomorrow.” He pulls a green, leather case out of his pocket, the same green case he gave to me on my nineteenth birthday just three days ago.

  Shana swats it out of his hand. “Theyda, go inside, right now.”

  I turn to run, but Isaac grabs the tops of my arms, pulling me to face him. His grip on my flesh is firm to the point of being painful. “Theyda, look at me,” he says, shaking me.

  I do- I look right into his hollow eyes. I can hear him telling me that he is my real Daddy and how much he loves me, but I can also hear something else- a voice behind his eyes.

  “If she thinks I’ll roll over and let my girl call another man Dad... I’ll kill her before she steals her away again.”

  An image fills my vision. I’m looking through Isaac’s eyes, and Shana is running for a door. He grabs her, punching her in the side of the face.

  “You’re a Norm?” he screams at her. “You’re a filthy Norm?”

  She screams and drops to the floor in agony, her arms cradling her baby bump. “Please, I’m sorry I lied to you. I want to be like you, but I’m not. I knew you wouldn’t be interested in me if you thought I wasn’t...special.” She is trying to placate him, to speak to his ego. “Please, don’t hurt my baby- our baby.”

  I pull back from him, wailing at the top of my lungs. Isaac shakes his head, his mouth gaping.

  “You’re a bad man,” I scream. “You think bad things.”

  “Theyda, sshhhh,” says Shana, wrapping a hand over my mouth.

  Isaac staggers away from us with a look of shock and shame on his face. “Did she just...? But she’s only five?” He runs a hand over his beard. “She’ll not be safe with me. People can’t know about her, Shana.”

  He stares at me for a moment more before heading back to his car. I can hear the rumble of his engine as clear as day, and feel my five-year-old self’s relief at seeing him accelerate down the lane.

  Shana drops to her knees and vomits.

  I lurch out of the memory and into the breakfast bar. My legs have turned to jelly beneath me, and Adam stumbles after me. Many hands right me and help me to the bench. Adam is slick with sweat, but smiles sympathetically and hands me the empty fruit bowl as I gag my guts up.

  “What was that?” Jude asks.

  “My memories are crazy vivid.” I say, clenching my hands to stop the shaking. “I’ve never recalled that memory in detail before. Why would I just forget something like that?”

  Jude shrugs, rubbing his fingers over his lips. “Tess stretched your telepathy. Who knows what changes you’re going to experience?”

  “No, that memory came back to her exactly like mine did after Golding influenced me to remember my manipulated memories,” says Adam. “I think Teddie’s telepathy is unlocking her repressed memories or—”

  Jude’s head whips in his direction. “She’s un-manipulating herself?”

  Another hush falls over the room.

  “But that m-m-means that Teddie h-had her memory manipulated at s-some point,” says Seth.

  I’ve never heard Seth stammer as much as I have in these last tw
enty-four hours. His grey eyes look swamped by heavy lids, and he can’t look at me without welling up. My relationship with Golding was strong. I think Seth sees me as the closest link to his memory, although, I’ve not heard him mention Golding’s name once since the complex. This is all wrong; none of us deserve this.

  The conversation is careening down a road I’m not happy to head down right now. Is it too much to ask for a little let up? I’ve been through enough. We’ve all been through enough. “Or perhaps, I just repressed that memory because it was bloody horrible. I was five years old and I saw inside Isaac Woodman’s mind,” I say, taking a sip of Jude’s coffee to wash the bile taste away.

  Jude’s eyes narrow as he surveys me. “You’re probably right. We’ll worry about your telepathy later. Right now, I need to work on finding a safe place to dock, and getting you lot out of my hair.” He breezes out of the room and up the stairs.

  “He is so rude. I’m not sure if I like him or not,” says Yana.

  “Oh, I’m certain that I detest the man,” says Maggie, flatly. “The sooner we’re shot of him, the better.”

  A pang of anger sparks in my chest to hear them slating him. I know Jude isn’t the easiest person to get along with, and I understand why they think badly of him after Boyd and Norah’s deaths, but they’re forgetting that he risked his life planning to dupe Gabe, and that he was at the complex just like all the others who came back to save those of us left behind.

  “I didn’t see anyone refusing his help last night,” I say. Maggie physically bristles at my words. “He followed his orders on that air field to protect me. He didn’t want to draw attention to his connection to me before he found out what Gabe was up to. He’s not the heartless murderer you make him out to be. It wasn’t easy for him.”

  Maggie laughs out loud. “You’ve changed your tune about him. Can you hear yourself? Giving the orders to kill Boyd and Norah makes him a murderer, and that makes him a monster. No justification needed.”