Heavenfall: Genviants Book 1

by Franklin, TG

  John laid his hand on her shoulder. "I think your psychic ability just kicked in."

  "Straight into overdrive." She stared at the gate. "I need to concentrate just a little more."

  "What about Hadrian? Did you see him?"

  "Yeah, he's with the prisoners. He's got two of his personal guards with him."

  "Where inside?" Lee asked.

  "Don't know," Mary answered. "A room, not a cell. Maybe if I knew more about the layout, or had more time, I'd get a clearer picture."

  "It's okay. You've given us more than we had. Could be you can guide us to them once we get closer." Lee pulled the Glock out of its holster. "Lock and load, boys. We're going in."

  "Wait!" Mary protested. "What if this isn't my ability? Or what if I'm not using it right. Maybe I missed some critical detail. Give me a few more minutes to make sure."

  "Sorry, princess. I'm with Lee on this." John gave her a reassuring squeeze. "I've got faith in you, and we've all got your back. But we need to go now. You said the prisoners are close to death. We can't waste any time. If they die before we get the codes...."

  He didn't need to finish. Or maybe he did. A twinge of guilt passed through her at needing the reminder. "Okay, let's go." She stood and dusted off her pants.

  "You know how to shoot?" Lee asked.

  "Yeah, Jonah taught me a few years ago, but I'm not carrying."

  "Are now." Lee pulled a compact 9mm out of his pack. "Keep it in your pocket."

  Her hands only trembled a little as she checked the sights, disengaged the safety, and chambered a round.

  They made their way down the side of the ridge with the rustle of underbrush echoing through the darkness. At the gate, Lee took point and led them through the yard to the main building. A faded sign, warped and rusted with age, leaned against the steps. Not a relic from the prison. It was from the distillery that moved into the building after the prison closed.

  "Forgot that this place was used to make moonshine," she commented.

  "Didn't last long." Lee pointed the flashlight's beam on the sign. "The company had only been in business a few years when the wave was first sighted. The government seized the property. Never gave a reason, but I'm pretty sure it was because Hadrian wanted it. Heard all kinds of rumors about what he was planning to do with it. He had the new fence put up, new gate, but whatever he was doing in there stayed secret."

  "Looks like we're going to find out."

  Inside, mold crept up walls and permeated the air with a pungency she swore coated her mouth as well as her nose. The distillery had kept the original entry room. A claustrophobic space with a door leading to the rest of the prison and what looked like a ticket window on the back wall. A quick sweep of her flashlight revealed a dusty photograph hanging between the glass and the door showed an officer sitting behind the window while two other officers frisked visitors. The caption read, "Visitation Day."

  The door led to a large public room. More photographs on the walls indicated it might have been the prison's rec room, or possibly the dining hall. She made the mistake of touching the wall, and hundreds of impressions assaulted her mind at once. Pain, despair, hatred, anger, regret. Glee. She physically felt the utter joy some random inmate felt more than sixty years ago as he tormented a newbie. "Welcome to the end of the line," she sneered.

  "What?" John pulled her hand away and shined his flashlight in her eyes.

  The vestiges of the experience left her shaken and a little nauseated. "Nothing. Let's find the prisoners and get out of here."

  "There's a couple of hallways leading out of this room, and a couple of stairwells." Lee pointed out each one with his flashlight. "Might go faster if we split up."

  "No, we stick together." Mary said. "Straight back."

  They moved carefully through the room and down a short corridor to a cluster of what appeared to be administrative offices. A weak shaft of light crept out from under a doorway at the far end. "Dropping breadcrumbs?" John asked. "Or luring us to an ambush?"

  "Neither. Both," Mary answered. "They're back there, but something's off."

  John and Lee fell in step with each other, forming a human shield between her and whatever lay ahead. Aaron, the other guide, guarded her back. Strange, but she didn't get a strong impression of danger. At least not the life-threatening kind, but the sense of urgency seemed to crush the air from her lungs as they approached the door.

  "Stay behind me," John whispered. "I'll open the door. Lee, you go in low. Target Hadrian and make sure his guards see your Glock aimed at his head. Aaron, you go left, and I'll flank right. On three." John reached for the door handle with his left hand and held his gun in his right.

  The door opened, pulling John off balance, and Mary grabbed his arm to keep him from falling.

  "Mary." Hadrian stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the light spilling out of the room. "I feared you wouldn't get here in time, and I so want to relish this moment." With a flourish, he made a sweeping gesture and smiled. "Please come in."

  She moved from behind John, though he tried to block her way, and stepped into the room with Lee and Aaron close behind her. Two guards stood shoulder to shoulder on the other side of the room, strategically blocking part of it from her view. Had to be hiding the third prisoner from her. But why? The president sat huddled on the floor in one corner, shackled. Obviously for show, because the man was in no condition to resist, or fight, or even stand. Brother Samuel sat beside the president. Handcuffed. Not as gaunt. Not as pale.

  "I don't get this." She pointed to the president and Samuel. Took a step toward them. "How can they be here? I heard them, both of them, earlier. Over the civil defense speakers."

  "Not only the speakers," Lee added. "The president's speech was broadcast over every television channel, too."

  She kept her voice even, hoping Hadrian didn't notice the strain. "So you found people who look like the president and Samuel. Whoever. Doppelgangers. Doesn't concern me. All you've accomplished here with this little display is a waste of time. Neither of those men is the extractor."

  "You are correct." He nodded to the guards. "Then again, neither is he."

  The guards stepped to the side and revealed their hidden prisoner.

  She followed Hadrian's gaze to the man.

  Years of abuse had changed his features. Scars from wounds that hadn't healed properly covered his face and upper body, and skin hung on his bones like rice paper.

  The floor went out from under her. Walls shifted around her. Added to the dizzying nausea threatening to erupt. She wrapped her arms around her stomach in an effort to control it. Shaky. Weak. Her voice finally broke through the lump in her throat. "Daddy?"

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Anger pushed aside the shock of seeing her father alive. The tears that burned her eyes sent spikes of rage through her veins. Her muscles shook with it. On trembling legs, she went to her father, sat beside him, and cradled his head in her lap.

  Barely alive. Emaciated.

  Shallow breaths rattled in his chest. Tremors racked his thin body. On closer inspection, she saw his veins, blue and bulging through the paper thin skin on his face and the backs of his hands. She cringed at the scars marring his wrists and neck where the shackles had dug into his flesh.

  "What have you done to him? Where's my mom?"

  Hadrian looked bored, and he waved her question away. "Your mother died in the lab accident. She wasn't useful. As for your father? He's dying now." His features hardened. "Which is less than he deserves. Perhaps, you should ask what he has done to me."

  "I don't have to ask. Dex told me. My father extracted the codes for the energy web from your mind."

  Hadrian exaggerated a shudder. "Ah, yes. The extractor." His laughter echoed through the room. "I'm disappointed in you, Mary. I warned you not to listen to Dex. There is no extractor. He is a fabrication. A fiction fed to you through Dex."

  "No." She whispered the word, refusing to believe Dex had betrayed them. "No! I d
on't believe you. Stran read Dex."

  "He fooled your psychic lie detector because Dex believed everything he told you. Still believes it, I'm certain." The mirth left Hadrian's voice. "Dex thought he could fool me. Of course, I discovered his plan immediately, and I allowed him to continue because his pathetic attempts to gain information amused me for a time. Until I found a way for him to be useful."

  Hadrian turned toward the door where John, Aaron, and Lee stood, guns aimed at Hadrian and his guards. "Gentlemen, you cannot possibly hope to attempt a rescue. Are you willing to sacrifice your lives for her?"

  "The girl means nothing to me," Lee answered. "All we want are the codes. We get them, we leave. What happens after is none of our business."

  "My God, are you all idiots? There is no extractor. There are no codes. In fact, I've gone to great lengths to ensure that a large portion of the energy web will fail in key locations. China, Eastern Europe, Africa. Millions will die."

  "Why?" Mary whispered. "Why are you letting them die?"

  "Perhaps you haven't been able to stay abreast of current events. News casts and such." He smiled. "I'm not responsible for the inevitable loss of life. You are. Your father will die knowing that history is going to blame you, his precious daughter, for sabotaging the energy web, and for the resulting death and destruction."

  "Revenge?" It didn't make sense. "He worked with you. He helped you. He—"

  "He tried to destroy me!" His hands clenched and red suffused his face. "Tried to destroy my legacy." He looked down, eyes wide, and opened his hands. Gained some composure. "However, despite his treachery, I have discovered a new legacy. Observe."

  It seemed to happen all at once, the transformation. She focused on his eyes, but not his eyes. Not his features. Not his hair. He stood a little taller. Looked a little leaner.

  Looked exactly like the president.

  A shape shifter. Explained a lot, like how Hadrian was able to fool Dex and plant the false info. How he was able to gain so much control of the government. How he had managed to blackmail foreign officials, if Dex was even correct about that part of Hadrian's plan. But the answers only led to more questions. And they were running out of time.

  "Demon!" Brother Samuel yelled. Spittle flew from his mouth. "Son of Satan!"

  Hadrian held out his hand, and one of the guards handed him a pistol. He pointed it at the preacher, but hesitated. "It's the strangest thing, but no matter how irritating he gets, I simply cannot bring myself to kill a man of God."

  She shifted, covering as much of her father as possible. No illusions, here. She'd seen it in Hadrian's eyes. He had no intention of letting any of them live.

  "On the other hand," he continued. "I have absolutely no problem killing the president." He pointed the gun at the president's head and pulled the trigger.

  She immediately covered her ears with her hands, more out of shock than protection. Her ears were already ringing. Specks of blood dotted her shirt, her hands. Her father's cheek.

  He hadn't even flinched when the gun fired.

  Gone.

  And again, she never had the chance to say goodbye. To tell him she loved him one last time. All the pain, loneliness, and heartache of the past five years burst through the barriers she'd built. She choked back the scream threatening to erupt, ignored the tears burning her eyes. She noted that John and Lee hadn't moved. Still stood in the doorway, Glocks aimed at the guards. In her peripheral vision, she caught movement. Aaron shifted a little so Hadrian stood his the man's line of sight. No fear or regret in their eyes. A quick nod from each of them, an affirmation, and she stood to face the monster.

  Hadrian spoke, but the words were distorted. Muffled. Like she was hearing them through water. Residual effect from the shot. But his words didn't matter. Probably gloating.

  She dug her hands into her pockets and palmed the 9mm. Her hands weren't shaking now. "Shut. The. Hell. Up." Not bothering to take the gun out of her pocket, she pulled the trigger. The bullet ripped through her leather jacket and caught Hadrian in the side.

  A fraction of a second later, John and Lee fired. The guards crumbled to the floor.

  In the background, Brother Samuel raised his voice in prayer.

  Her second shot hit Hadrian's chest, and the son-of-a-bitch still hadn't dropped his gun. She pulled the Glock out of her pocket, looked him straight in the eye, and pulled off two more shots. One in his throat. One between the eyes. Gun still clutched in his hand, he corkscrewed and fell into a bloody heap. It was almost graceful. Behind him, Lee worked to free Brother Samuel. She leveled the barrel, ready to empty the magazine.

  John rushed forward and grabbed her arm. "That's enough," he said. "Hadrian's dead."

  Panting, she lowered her weapon. "Not dead enough." She tried to walk away, but her anger broke through the surface of her calm, and she turned and kicked him. Kept kicking him until she felt the satisfying crunch of his spine under her boot. "Hope you have to crawl through hell."

  "We need to get out of here." John pushed her toward the door. "Radio Dex. Fill him in about the codes. Find someplace safe to ride out the wave."

  Her stomach clenched, and bile rose in her throat. How was she going to tell Jonah she'd failed? They'd had enough fire power. She should have fought to get her dad out of there instead of allowing Hadrian to distract her.

  "My child." Brother Samuel stopped her and laid his hand on her shoulder. Gave her a reassuring squeeze. "I know what you must be feeling, but there is nothing you could have done. Your father is in a better world, now. He shall be rewarded for his suffering."

  Mary knew the preacher meant to comfort her, but she didn't want his assurances. Yeah, like the universe cared about what she wanted. "Thanks." The word sort of just fell out of her mouth. Awkward and too fast.

  From outside the room, John called for her. "We got hold of Dex. We need to go. Now."

  Brother Samuel smiled at her. "Go with your friends. Do what needs to be done. My place is here, caring for the dead."

  She nodded and silently walked away, but stopped at the door. "Look, I don't know much about religion, how all the rituals and stuff work. You say your prayers over them, give them their propers, whatever, but no absolution for Hadrian. You got that? He burns."

  "Of course, child. There are punishments in the afterlife as well as rewards. Hadrian will receive his due."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  The Dragons made it through to the last building with no problems. "Stay sharp," Jonah warned. "Niko's monitoring the security cams. He says sec mechs are set to intercept us when we enter controller central, and there's no way to reroute."

  "How many?" Michael asked.

  "Ten, maybe twelve. He says the feed's too grainy to get an accurate count."

  Michael's features hardened, his posture straightened. Military mode. "Our escorts have side arms. Can you order them to provide cover fire?"

  "Can do, but it won't be much. They aren't carrying extra ammo."

  "It'll be enough. Have two of them go in with David and Stran. Pick off the easy targets. The other two will go in with Corene and the second cluster. Provide them with cover while Corene does her thing. And Corene?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Leave the weapons intact this time. We might need them."

  "Sure thing."

  "It'll be chaos. Too many bodies in too tight a space, but it should clear the way for me, you, and Dex." He did a quick sweep. "Where is Dex?"

  "Taking a phone call," David answered. "Least that's what he said before he ducked in to the office we just passed."

  "A call?" Michael asked. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Is it a euphemism or something for taking a piss?"

  David shrugged. "No idea."

  The sound of furniture and glass breaking reached the hallway, and dread hit Jonah square in the chest. He knew what Dex meant. His man at Brushy Mountain had checked in, and it didn't sound like good news.

  Jonah pushed past the guys and burst through th
e door. "Did something happen to Mary? Is she okay?"

  Dex looked around at the damage like he was surprised to find himself in the middle of it. "Mary? What? No, she's fine. Just shaken up a bit. They're on their way here."

  "Shaken up? What the hell happened?"

  "Short version? The president is dead. Hadrian killed him. Hadrian's dead. Mary killed him. The man we thought was the extractor isn't an extractor, and he's dead. And the kicker? There are no codes. Never were. It was all a ruse, intricately engineered by Hadrian." Dex kicked a chair. "He played me. He rigged the web and used me so he could blame you and Mary when parts of the energy web fail."

  "Why?"

  "Whatever whacked out reason he had, it doesn't matter. What matters now is getting the web repaired and to full power. Can you do it?"

  Jonah started to answer, a knee-jerk yes, but stopped. "I don't know. Depends on how he's got it rigged. How many controllers are left, and the biggie, how much time until the wave hits."

  Dex checked his watch. "Conservatively, a little over two hours. Is it enough?"

  "It'll have to be."

  Michael appeared in the doorway. "We're ready out here. You guys good to go?"

  Jonah took a deep breath and nodded. "Just give me a second to send the new orders to the drones." By the time he made it out to the hallway, everyone was in their designated teams.

  Michael started barking out instructions. "Alpha team, go left and low. Bravo team, follow alpha team to position one. Once in position, Corene you pull the doors off by their hinges and send those suckers straight into the sec mechs. Take out as many as you can. Charlie team, we'll follow. Questions?" Everyone stayed silent. "Good. Move out."

  "Wait!" Jonah pointed to the ceiling. "The lights. They'll see us coming as soon as we open the door."

  "And what do you suggest?" Michael asked. "I don't see any switches, do you? And we don't have enough ammo to shoot them out."