EVO Nation Series Trilogy Box Set

by K. J. Chapman

  “On a washing line. We were cloaked and heading through a small village about fifty miles south of here. I saw it as a sign.”

  “You stole it.”

  “I rehomed it.” He glances back over his shoulder. “Yeah, I stole it.”

  I slip the t-shirt over my head. “I don’t even know you anymore,” I joke. “But I have to admit that I look mighty fine in this.”

  He tucks me back into his bed, and I savour his kiss. “Look after our girl, buddy,” he tells Darcy, patting the bed for him to jump up with me.

  The warmth of the blankets, Darcy’s weight beside me, and the lulling hush from the wind rippling against the canvas sends me straight back to sleep.

  We’ve got this.

  ***

  “Is she decent?” Cooper’s voice creeps into my peaceful sleep.

  “Yes,” Wheeler replies. “Hey, Darcy.”

  “Are you really letting him lick your face? He licks his own balls you know,” Cooper says.

  “And yet, his mouth is still more hygienic than yours. God only knows where you’ve been.”

  Cooper laughs. “Fair play.”

  It’s his cold hand on my wrist that fully rouses me. The pair of them hover at my bedside, watching me intently.

  “Not that I don’t like being woken up by such pretty faces, but why are you here?”

  Wheeler’s toothy grin, despite the new chip in his tooth, is still as endearing as ever. Cooper opens his jacket, revealing a bottle of spirit inside. They both have an air of anticipation radiating from them.

  “When we were rescued, Silvain gave us a sixty-year-old bottle of Scotch to celebrate. That man can source just about anything,” says Wheeler. “We couldn’t drink it until we knew you were safe. Today’s the day.”

  “Do you have any idea how hard it has been not to drink this?” Cooper adds, un-stoppering the bottle. “You get the first glug.”

  Taking the bottle of yellow liquid, I take a swig. It’s sweet and sickly like cough medicine, but leaves a satisfying burn in the back of my throat. “Cheers to not dying,” I say, raising the bottle into the air.

  “Here, here!” Wheeler agrees, taking a long drink. “Cheers to getting our Teds back.”

  Cooper whoops at that one, giving me a shove. He savours his drink, slapping his lips together. “Cheers to you both for getting me through that shit.”

  That is the most un-Cooper like thing he could say, but also the sweetest.

  “Your insults got me through,” Wheeler guffaws. “I never found Shithead an endearing nickname before then. What was Teddie’s? Whiny asshole, wasn’t it?”

  “I had to rally the troop.” Cooper’s smile quickly falls from his face. “I’m not sure what was worse, watching them hurt you, or hearing you screaming from behind the wall.”

  The three of us sit in silence as those memories come flooding back.

  “I watched them shoot you both,” I say, snatching the bottle and taking another drink. Saying that out loud catches me like a thump to the chest. I choke out a sob, and then another. “You were both so brave. I was so proud.”

  Wheeler wipes his eyes on the back of his arm. “And you were so brave, Baby Girl.” He pulls me into a hug and gestures for Cooper to join.

  “Not a chance,” Cooper says, pressing the heels of his hands into his eye sockets in a desperate bid to fight down tears.

  “Come on, Coop. Don’t fight it,” I coax.

  “You know you want some Wheeler loving. Come and get some of the good stuff.”

  Cooper grimaces, but shuffles up the bed so we’re in a three-way cuddle. “Never use the words ‘Wheeler loving’ and ‘good stuff’ in the same sentence again, or in separate sentences for that matter.

  There is a clearing of throats from the doorway, and Adam and Emiko enter the tent. From their morose faces, they have been there longer than we realised.

  “You never speak about that time,” Emiko says, running her fingers through Wheeler’s hair.

  Wheeler shrugs. “It’s not something I wanted to burden you with. Besides, it was more important to find Teds.”

  We all look to one another in silent understanding.

  “You should talk to Emi,” I tell Wheeler. “Facing it head on takes Towley’s power away.”

  “The man only thinks he has power. It’s a charade that will crack before long,” Adam states.

  I know his anger, but we can’t be complacent. “Don’t underestimate Towley. The man is twisted.”

  Cooper leans back on his wrists. “We can vouch for that.”

  “No, I mean it, Adam. We can’t go into this blind. He is a sick, dangerous man. The things he said to me. The way he acted around me…” I stop mid-sentence.

  Adam tenses beside me and instinctively places a hand on my thigh. “Tell me, please.”

  “He would stay in my room until I fell asleep, took joy in feeding me like a child, even tending to my wounds and whispering that he hated to see me in pain- pain that he ordered upon me. He claimed that he loved me, and in his own, perverse way, I think he did. I was an object of his fascination and he wanted to collect me. ‘Do you know what I do with things I adore, Theyda? I control them.’” That man’s face burns in my mind, and I know Adam sees it too. “He told me that he envied you. He is threatened by you because I love you. He would mention you a lot. He’d ask me how you touched me,” I tell Adam.

  Adam lets out a shuddering, anger-fuelled breath. “He should feel threatened by me,” he growls.

  “I can remember his exact words to me on that cliff. ‘Do you know what it is like to hate something so much, and then fall in love with the very thing that embodies your hate?’ In his mind, if he couldn’t have me, then no one could.”

  “He didn’t love you,” Adam spits, jumping to his feet. “He almost killed you.”

  I place a hand on his forearm. “It’s pointless for us to sit here and try to understand the mind of a sociopath. I just want you to know who we are dealing with. What type of man now sits in the country’s top chair.”

  “If he really feels that way, when he learns that you’re not dead, he won’t stop until he finds you,” Emiko says. “He won’t stop until he gets what he wants.”

  The thought of Towley hunting me sets a fire burning in my belly. “That’s what I’m banking on. Towley will find me, and when he does, I will ruin him.”

  “We’re going to ruin him,” Adam corrects. “This isn’t all on your shoulders, Teds.”

  “Just leave me Dr Hollister,” Cooper adds. “I’ve got some unfinished business with that one.”

  Wheeler, Cooper, and Emiko leave to get their evening meal, and Adam paces the length of the tent.

  “Don’t waste your energy being angry at Towley,” I say. “Use it to stop him.” Adam forces a smile. “How did it go with Celeste?”

  “I believe that her source is sound, and Rafe’s given Celeste permission to get back into the field and establish contact. She was desperate to leave. She seemed really worried about this Ethan De’Laney. I think she genuinely cares about the guy.”

  “Let’s hope this war doesn’t break her heart.”

  Adam nods in agreement. “She apologised to me today. You know, about getting me sent to the TORO program.”

  That’s a new one. Celeste apologising is monumental, but it has been a long time coming. Those words must have tasted like poison as they left her mouth. I can’t fault her for swallowing her pride, though.

  “Obviously, I accepted her apology. I also told her that if it hadn’t have happened, I wouldn’t have you.”

  “Let’s drink to that,” I say, taking the bottle of Scotch from the floor.

  Adam laughs. “I like your style. Quick, hand it over before Cooper realises you have swiped it. Rafe wants us both back for training, and I’d rather have something to numb the pain when you kick my ass. Vin has been telling me all about his encounter with you.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  By the time we make it
back to The Hive, there is a strange buzz in the air. Not an excited, nervous energy buzz, but an anxious, confusion-laced buzz. Rafe doesn’t say a word, we just follow him silently into the canteen. All the lights have been turned down, and Kesh projects a video stream onto the far wall.

  ‘America has fallen. Canada has fallen,’ runs along the bottom of the screen. What does that even mean? A news reporter announces that American and Canadian governments have been overthrown. EVO have gained control of their countries. EVO-American senator, Kathryn Peters, is to be sworn in as the new President. Canada is still discussing the new governmental regime and will elect a new leader by the end of the week. It is most likely to be vigilante EVO, and leader of the uprising, Romy Tremblay. The reporter goes on to say that the situation with the rest of the world is unclear. China, Japan, Sudan, and Australia have gone dark. Great Britain has followed suit. Borders are still closed and air traffic halted. Britain will remain under martial law for the foreseeable future.

  The projection ends and we’re cast into darkness. Only the muted whispers of confusion cut through the blackness. I hadn’t given a minute of thought to the rest of the world. Isaac Woodman really did set a ball rolling, despite being a lunatic.

  “They’ve done it.” Kesh’s voice makes me jump, and Adam’s hand tightens on my own. “That’s not all. They have their own message for us. The government tried to intercept, but well, I’m the shit.”

  Another projection fills the wall. This footage shows people popping champagne, cheering, and dancing. A middle-aged woman in army fatigues sits in front of the camera with a bunch of rowdy people gathered behind her, giving the thumbs up gesture, hollering and whooping.

  “Romy Tremblay speaking. Canada is free! Our EVO citizens are free! To our comrades around the world, this is your time. Oppression must end. We are rooting for you!”

  A huge cheer goes up behind her, and then the footage ends.

  “Well, good for them,” Rafe booms. “It means shit to us. We’re a far cry from any kind of positive outcome. Get those damn lights back on.”

  Everyone blinks against the stark lighting. No one is sure how to deal with what they have seen. Rafe is right, that’s them, and this is us. That being said, a bit of motivation didn’t hurt anyone.

  With a jerk of the head, he beckons for Adam, Crow, and I to follow him into the office. I’m still energised from what I have just seen and could do without Rafe dampening my spirit.

  Rafe rubs his hands through his hair. “They’ve bloody done it!” he says, a little hysteria in his voice. He laughs now. “America, Canada, perhaps the rest of the countries that have gone dark.”

  “But you just said—”

  He waves his hand. “I don’t want anyone to get complacent, but this proves that we’re not fighting an impossible war. Granted, we don’t know their methods, or their intentions toward their Non-EVO citizens, but EVO are in control. This is huge. We’re going to win this for our country.”

  “So, when do we start our fight?” I ask. “What’s the plan for approaching Grayson?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Seven TORO trucks are lined up on the dirt track outside Adam’s base. Adam is marching around, giving orders, and passing instructions to Leoni and TORO 94, who I believe to be called Gerry. They’re to be in charge of the base whilst Adam is at Syndicate. He has hand-picked his team to accompany us. Fifteen TORO, along with Jude, Yana, and Cooper. Rafe shall be travelling with the TORO, and his hand-picked team is made up of Bo, Brick, Rio, and two of his advanced Cloakers. It will be down to the Cloakers and Rio to conceal us.

  Crow talks animatedly to Rafe, clearly unhappy with his choice of team- unhappier because he is being left behind to oversee the running of The Hive. Rafe has made the right decision. If it had been down to me, I would have left Crow too. He’s the only one who knows the ins and outs of The Hive, and the only one I’d one hundred percent trust with the responsibility of all those people. After Rafe, he is the next best at ability training too. Crow covers all bases. From what I can see, Rafe cuts him short and stalks away, leaving Crow red faced and frustrated. His eyes, yet again, rest on Yana as she re-checks her pack and discusses something with Adam and Jude. Before this week, I would have been shocked at Adam’s choice to take Yana on the mission, but after that display in The Tomb, I don’t doubt him for one second. Jude and Yana are a formidable team, and both have quick minds.

  Throwing my bag over my shoulder and readjusting the black wig that I have to wear, I ensure Darcy remains with Wheeler before making my way to the truck.

  Rafe places a hand on my chest. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

  “Since when does Rafe Lloyd pander to anyone?” I say, sliding passed him. Looking over my shoulder, I throw him a half-baked smile. “I’m fine.” I know I’m kidding myself, but it’s not going to change the fact that this needs to happen. I have to leave the safety of The Hive, and today is the day.

  Rafe takes the seat beside me, and as the truck fills with TORO, I take a composing breath.

  “Let’s do this,” I tell Rafe.

  His hand finds mine, but rather than say anything, he rests his head back against the side of the truck and closes his eyes. His grip remains solid. After a few minutes, his aura fills my mind. “I’ve got you, Kiddo. If you don’t believe another thing that comes out of my mouth, believe that.”

  Lowering my head on to his shoulder, I relax a little more. His arm wraps around me, holding me close, and for the first time since I met the man, Rafe Lloyd acts like a Grandfather.

  “I’ve got you, Kiddo,” he repeats.

  ***

  The lurching of the truck jolts me awake. “Why have we stopped?” I ask sleepily, leaning between the front seats. I can see nothing save fields and woodland. Adam has his hand raised, ensuring the convoy stops.

  Rafe sits beside me, head back and eyes closed as if in meditation. “You’re a Telepath, aren’t you?”

  It takes barely any effort on my part to reach out and sense hundreds upon hundreds of auras. Not wanting to push further right now, I lean further forward between the chairs. “What am I missing?”

  “Just watch,” TORO 73 says.

  Jeeps of armed people materialise from thin air. They stop in front of Adam, weapons aimed. Adam holds his hands in the air and jumps down from the truck. It is only then that a separate jeep appears, and Grayson James makes his way over to greet Adam. He waves off the armed soldiers despite the lack of distrust and anger on his face.

  The pair back and forth a bit, before eventually, Grayson nods his head and circles his hand in the air. The image before us wrinkles and blurs, and then stretches closer and closer until we’re enclosed in the projection. A base, at least four times the size of what I remember, appears before us like a mirage. The irony is that the mirage is actually what we had been looking at; an Illusionist’s trick that we are now inside of.

  “Quite something, huh?” says TORO 73.

  “This plan of ours might just work after all,” Rafe says, still keeping his eyes closed. “He’s put in quite some effort, and I doubt he’s ready to lose it all.” He opens one eye and pulls me back into my seat. “You’re dead, remember?”

  Readjusting the itchy wig, I pull my scarf up around my face a little more and slouch beside Rafe “I hope poor Grayson is ready to see some ghosts.”

  We drive down the grit road that runs through the centre of the tents, marquees, and caravans, and the true extent of this base becomes apparent. What looks like electric fencing topped with barbed wire runs the perimeter for as far as the eye can see, dotted at even intervals with lookout stations. People come out of their tents or stop in their work to watch us pass.

  “It’s both amazing and pitiful,” I say. “It’s a refugee camp.”

  Nobody replies. Everyone eyes the faces through the blacked-out windows, and a solemn mood befalls us.

  TORO 73 nudges his comrade and draws all of our attention to Grayson’s offices pos
itioned at the end of the track. They’re pre-fab, pop-up buildings with nothing ostentatious about them. Grayson stands outside chatting to Adam, Jude, and Yana. There are lots of arm gestures and tense facial expressions, and then Adam directs the vehicles to park; all except our truck. Our driver follows Adam’s instruction and takes us around the back of the offices where we await our summons.

  The back door to the office is ajar, and TORO 73 rolls his window down to allow us to eavesdrop.

  “You’re bloody lucky that I even let you back through those gates,” Grayson snaps. “What is this about?”

  “This is about the safety of Syndicate. Do you think I’d risk coming back here if it wasn’t important?” Adam replies.

  There is a moment of silence. “I’m listening.”

  “The E.N.C have made a threat toward you,” Adam continues. “We are working on neutralising that threat, but as a thank you, we want something in return.”

  “Let me get this straight. You take my best soldiers, vehicles, weapons, and then come back here claiming to want payment for a threat that may or may not exist?”

  “The threat exists.”

  “And let’s say that I believe you. What do you want in return for ‘dealing’ with the risk?”

  “Syndicate.”

  Grayson laughs out loud. “You think you’re going to take Syndicate from me?”

  “Not just me.”

  Adam appears at the door and gestures for us to join him. We get out of the truck, and the TORO form a barrier around me as planned, shielding me for as long as possible, and ensuring no one other than Grayson will see me when the time comes. Rafe readjusts my wig, takes a deep breath, and then walks into the office after Adam. I remain outside.

  “Rafe Lloyd shall head the organisation, but you will maintain some control of course,” Adam says, playing the ruse that he worked on with Rafe.

  Threatening Grayson with losing everything he has built up had to be done by the man who he no longer trusts. As far as Grayson is concerned, Adam screwed him over.