“Teddie, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m Ethan De’Laney.”
We exchange pleasantries, and I listen to him disassociate himself with Towley. Celeste hangs back, allowing our introductions without her overwhelming presence. She must really like this guy to be playing it so cool.
“Celeste told me that she met you in Italy. It’s funny how these things come about. This chain of events led us all to this point.”
If I think too much on fate, I might go a little crazy. “It’s surreal,” I say. “I hope you bring us good news, or at least something to work with.”
The office falls silent, everyone waiting for Ethan’s response. He looks to Rafe, Adam, and Fernan for permission to answer.
“My Dad and Minister Cox will pass on information about the detention centres to aid in the liberty raids. They will do all they can to help the rebellion from their end. Towley believes that the first raid was solely E.N.C orchestrated, and that you’re using scare tactics to incite fear. As far as he is concerned, you used a body double to play Teddie’s part. Apparently, even the guards were left unsure whether they actually saw Teddie use telekinesis, and that it wasn’t some kind of bluff.”
“Okay, so we get Teddie to use her abilities next time. I’ll ask the important question, shall I? Is there food at either of these centres?” Kid asks. Crow elbows him in the ribs, and Rafe glares from across the room. The food situation is a sore subject, but I’m glad Kid has the balls to ask the sore questions. “What? Do you think those guys out there care if Towley thinks that we’re playing games with him? No, they care about their bellies.”
“He’s got a point,” Jude agrees.
“There are pellets,” Ethan replies. “You may have seen them at the last centre. They have minimal vitamin supplements and taste horrid, but anything is better than starving, right?”
“Their hungry bellies should mean nothing when considering those still imprisoned in the bloody centres. They’re not starving, not yet,” Rafe snaps.
“It shouldn’t, but it does. If you want a cooperative, motivated army, then you’ve got to feed them,” Jude bites back.
“And we will when we take the centres next week,” Adam replies.
“Centres? As in plural?” I ask. Wow, he looks stressed. What the hell has happened in the last ten minutes since our training session.
“There have been protocol discussions for the situation where you take another centre,” Ethan continues. “Innocent people will die in the remaining centres.”
“We have to take both centres in one swoop. Two centres, two raids before they can retaliate,” Adam says, sighing. “We do have one thing working in our favour, though. The centres are only twenty miles apart.”
“Are you serious?” Cooper asks. “Look me in the eyes and tell me that we can pull this off.”
“It’s doable,” Fernan pipes up.
Cooper’s head whips in her direction. “I wasn’t asking you.”
Adam looks up from his hands. “It’ll be tight, but I reckon we can do it. We have to do it if we have any chance of continuing our fight. Either that or we starve before we even make a dent in this war.”
“Plus, we can acquire a stealth plane in the process,” Fernan adds.
Ethan nods in agreement. “I can confirm that they have a stealth plane within detention centre three, previously known as Facility Four. It’s currently being fixed.”
Fernan swings her cane and taps the collage of notes and maps on the walls. “We have three powerful and angry, EVO organisations working together toward a mutual goal. Granted, tensions are running high, but we can do whatever the hell we set our minds to. We’ve proven that already. Not forgetting, that despite what Towley believes, Teddie Leason is alive and kicking. We’re not playing tricks, we’re not fucking magicians, we’re EVO!”
Fernan’s people whoop and cheer, whilst the rest of us look on despondent.
Adam simply runs his hands over his unshaven face. “Meeting adjourned. Ethan, we would like you to stay if you would. The rest of you, out. Do not breathe a word of this until we finalise plans.”
“Yes, Chief,” choruses back at him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Someone took a swing at me this morning; a poor attempt considering the extensive training I have been receiving. She was adamant that she had less in her bowl than the woman in front of her in the slop line. When I explained that every portion was dished out using a measuring ladle, she threw her bowl of food at the man serving the breakfast, and then took a pop at me. Effortlessly stopping her fist with my telekinesis, I threw her into the air and walked to Fernan’s tent with her writhing like a snake in the air above me. Dropping her at Fernan’s feet, I threatened the woman that the next time she tries to lamp me, I will make sure she hurts. I think the display put a few people on edge. I rarely use abilities in front of anyone outside of my circle. I help with training the Telekins in strength building lessons and such, but no one sees what goes on within The Tomb. Only the best of the best get to train in there.
Shana hands me a pile of clothes. “That’s the last of the laundry detergent,” she says, tucking her hands into her pockets. “As of today, the washers and driers are being switched off for the foreseeable future to conserve energy. Dad says that clothes will have to be washed in the river without soap powder.” She taps the pile. “Enjoy them while they last.”
I exhale loudly, leaning against the wall and looking up to the ceiling in pure exhaustion.
“It’ll be alright. E.N.C and TORO Squad are used to washing in the river,” Shana adds. “Shift will just have to put up with it.”
“It’s not just that. We’re nearly out of everything. They’re barely keeping their shit together as it is and they haven’t been told that they’re going to have to wipe their asses on leaves. The raids can’t come soon enough. Adam’s working like a machine, Rafe is constantly grumpy, and Fernan can barely keep her guys from killing ours.”
Shana shrugs. “What do I know? I just keep house.” She pats my hand, and then meanders her way into the canteen.
That seems to be everyone’s opinion. They just shrug and think, ‘Adam, Rafe, and Fernan will deal with it.’ There is only so much you can put on someone’s shoulders before they crack under the strain. I’m doing my best to take some of the strain from Adam, and he is trying his best to shield me from it.
“Teddie,” croaks a voice from the bottom of the hatch shaft. Jonah hobbles toward me with blood streaming from his nose and a fat lip to match. “Could you find Lizzie for me? I may need her to stitch my nose.”
I take him under the arm. “What the hell happened?”
“Apparently, Norms are not welcome here.”
“What? Who said that?”
“An E.N.C member. I was working in the E.N.C camp and saw one member and some others eat dinner, then they lined up again for seconds. It was my duty to point it out.”
They beat Jonah because he was pointing out a truth that they didn’t like. I’m fuming mad.
Lizzie tends to Jonah, and I tear out of The Hive to the E.N.C. base in a rage. It’s the last time Fernan’s people do as they like, when they like. Adam and Rafe may not want to step on her toes, but sod that. Teddie Leason doesn’t give a hoot.
“Shift to the E.N.C field,” Rafe’s voice fills my mind as I sprint.
The hatch opens behind me as Shift members pile out upon Rafe’s orders. Something is going down, and I’m sure as hell going to be a part of it. My fists are twitching to hit someone, and I damn well plan on obliging them.
The shouts reach me before I’m in sight of the camp. Rounding the hedge, I see a rowdy crowd roaring at Adam, Rafe, and Fernan. They stand on the flatbed of a truck trying to placate the horde.
Rafe steps up with a megaphone. “We understand that the situation is tense, but we have to work together to get through this. Next week’s raid—”
Another round of boos and shouts cut him off.
&nbs
p; Adam’s jaw is taut and he grinds his teeth in anger. His arms folded across his chest, legs planted firmly on the flat bed, and the glare in his eyes, tells me that he is one step away from full-blown, smack down mode.
Fernan snatches the megaphone from Rafe. “Quiet down. We’re all in the same boat.”
Even louder shouts cut through Fernan’s speech. People jeer that the leaders are eating larger portions. Some say that Shift must have a secret stash of food in The Hive. E.N.C shout at TORO and Shift. Shift and TORO shout back. First, there is a little shoving, then fists start swinging and the crowd descends into total chaos.
“Hey!” Adam shouts in the megaphone. “TORO Squad, back to base. Fernan, control your people!”
Fernan holds her hands out to Adam, clearly unable to do anything to stop the rabble.
“Shift, get back to The Hive! NOW!” Rafe’s voice pierces my mind.
No one pays their leaders any heed. The chaos is nothing but an excuse for hundreds of people to relieve their stress by punching and kicking the crap out of each other.
I admit, I was ready to hurt someone, but this is madness. Levitating myself up on the flatbed, I take the megaphone out of Fernan’s hand and the gun from Adam’s belt. Firing two rounds into the air, I shout, “Shut it!”
The crowd quickly falls silent as I step in front of the trio.
“Are you seriously doing this? Take a look at yourselves. You should be ashamed. Adam, Rafe, and Fernan are trying their best to accommodate you all whilst managing our efforts against Towley. If you haven’t noticed, we’re at war. We’re preparing to fight for our lives and freedom. People are dying all over the country, and some are still in those centres that these guys rescued a good percentage of you from. Yet, here you are, whinging and bitching because you can’t wash every day, you’re tired, you’re hungry. Well, guess what? We’re all hungry, and we all stink, and we all want to not be able to smell the latrines, but we’re lucky that we are eating, we are safe, and we have got a hole to crap in. Do me a favour and show some damn respect for the three people who are holding this mess together. They’ve got enough to put up with without you adding to it. At this point in the game, it’s either shut up or pack up. If you think you can do a better job at keeping yourself alive, then do us a favour and leave. We’ve got a war to be winning. Oh, and if anyone lays a finger on the Non-EVO who are helping our sorry asses through this shit, I will break your damn wrists. Got it?”
Fernan’s mouth is agape when I hand back the megaphone. I jump down from the flatbed and head out of the field, praying that my intervention has helped and not hindered. I meant every word of what I said, but some people don’t like having their flaws pointed out. What if a large amount of powerful EVO take me up on my offer of leaving? What if they turn against me and decide that they don’t want to risk their lives for someone who won’t take their shit? My temper won out again, but seeing Adam as stressed as he is today just snapped my ‘no more nice girl’ switch.
It’s not long before Adam comes back to the tent. He throws his jacket on the bed and marches from the bed to the trunk and back again. “You’re right. You’re bloody right. We are busting our balls for those ungrateful bunch of assholes, and all we hear day in and day out is bitching. We’re trying to win a war. I’m trying to win this war for you. Thank you for saying what you did. It probably put a few noses out of joint, but who cares, right? They had to hear that. Jeez, there are a few who I hope will do us all a favour and sod off.”
Taking his hand, I drag him to a halt. “Stop pacing. You’re making me dizzy.”
“Sorry,” he says, clenching and unclenching his fists, subconsciously returning to his pacing. “I’m just ready to burst. This place is so claustrophobic. I can’t even beat the crap out of wall without someone thinking I’m losing my shit. I could really do with beating the crap out of a wall.”
Without welcome, Fernan hobbles into the tent, throwing herself down on Adam’s bed in a foul temper. Her cane is flung across the room, and she picks up a pillow and screams into it. “Nice speech, Teddie, but you may have just screwed us all,” she says, groaning.
Rafe clears his throat before joining the gathering. “You’ve just given people with knowledge of our location your permission to leave.”
“No one will leave,” Adam says. “They’ll see that what Teddie said makes sense.”
“And how do you know this?” Fernan snaps. “Do you have a god damn crystal ball that you’re not telling us about?”
Adam bristles. “If I did, do you think we’d be in this bloody mess?”
“This is exactly why I said what I did. Look at you guys, you’re exhausted, stressed. None of you have slept a wink in days. They are lucky to have you - we all are - but they’re disrespecting you. Someone needed to put them in their place, and I enjoyed doing it.”
Fernan sighs. “This still doesn’t help our situation. If we can’t keep everyone on side, the raids may fail. And what if we do succeed, but we can’t scavenge supplies, or worst-case scenario, there are no supplies to scavenge?”
“De’Laney and Cox told Ethan that there are supplies to keep us going,” Rafe adds.
“Excuse me for not trusting some ministers who may or may not be EVO,” Fernan bites back. “There’s too many what ifs, maybes, and pot lucks for my liking.”
“It sounds like you’ve given up?” Adam asks. “The raids have to happen, Fernan. We’re in too far. You need to get your shit together and get on side, unless you’ve got a better idea.”
She sits a little straighter, her eyes flitting between Adam and Rafe, and then coming to rest on me. “Plan B,” she says, barely louder than a whisper.
Adam exhales loudly. “You’ve still got Lorrell working on that chip, haven’t you?”
“Of course, I have.” She gets up, realising she launched her cane just minutes ago. “Cane, please.”
Adam chucks it in her direction. “I can’t believe you. After everything, I consider you a friend.”
“I never said I was your friend, Adam. I’m your ally. And as your ally, I made sure that we have another option before this all crashes and burns. You presented me with objectives, made me promises that have fallen through, that you were probably never able to keep. We’re all in this mess together, and it seems only I had the foresight to keep an escape route open.”
“Escape route for whom?” Rafe asks. “You? Your people? Certainly, not for her!” He jabs a finger in my direction. “You’re E.N.C through and through.”
“Yeah, I am,” she agrees, setting her jaw hard and her face proud. “And you need me. I want to get at Towley before I starve to death. You may not see sense, but I know she does.”
The attention falls on me. “I’ll do what is necessary. Plan B has potential. If handing myself over—”
“Over my dead body,” Adam interrupts. Striding out of the tent, he grabs his VIDI screen from the bed.
We follow after him, noticing a growing crowd outside of the tent.
“He won’t kill me. I’m our best shot at getting Lorrell’s chip inside.” He still doesn’t turn around. “Don’t walk away from me!” Adam stops and looks over his shoulder. “At least think about it.”
He shakes his head and pours himself a drink of water from the decanter on the camp table. “You are not going to hand yourself over to that man.”
“Like I said, you don’t get to decide for me. If there is a chance that this will work, that the free world we dream of can become reality—”
Adam spins to face me, the look in his eye is not one I have ever seen. “WHAT GOOD WOULD A FREE WORLD BE TO ME IF YOU’RE NOT IN IT?” He slams his glass onto the table, smashing it to pieces and slicing his hand open in the process.
Everyone recoils from his outburst. Even Leoni steps aside to allow him to pass. No one says anything. They all look to one another, unsure what to make of what they’ve just witnessed. Some even looked scared.
“He would sacrifice everything we’r
e doing here, everything we have done, just to keep her safe,” Cal says to a round of agreement and nod of heads.
“Don’t judge him,” Leoni pleads with them. “Adam remembers everything that the government did to him. He is not wiped liked the other TORO. Teddie is his world. He won’t send her back to that man because he can’t lose her. He won’t let her become another bad memory.”
The familiar clink of Fernan’s cane taps behind me. “He won’t be sacrificing anything, because despite what he says, he can’t stop Teddie from doing what she thinks is right.”
“No,” Rafe interrupts. “He won’t be sacrificing anything because Plan B is not an option. Just because something seems like the easiest solution, it doesn’t mean it is the best solution. It’s easy for you to send someone of little importance to you into the lion’s den, but if the boot was on the other foot, I think you’d feel differently. Get this nonsense out of your heads and get back to preparing for the raids. You all want to eat, don’t you?”
The crowd disperses,
Cooper and Seth play cards with Yana and October on a blanket outside their tent. At least, they were playing cards, now they look confused and concerned.
“What happened?” Yana asks, getting to her feet. “Adam’s hand?”
“He smashed a glass,” I reply. “Did you see where he went?”
Cooper stands up, eyeing me warily. “What has been said?”
“Do you remember Plan B?”
Cooper shakes his head in disbelief. “I hope you’re kidding.”
“Where did Adam go?” I ask, ignoring his question.
Cooper nods in the direction of The Hive. “Don’t you think he’s got enough to worry about without you and Fernan plotting your death behind his back.”
EVO Nation Series Trilogy Box Set Page 77
