Salient Invaders: A Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic Dystopian Series (The Separation Trilogy Book 2)

by Felisha Antonette

  The male Vojin on the left takes a step toward her. “Are you questioning us, Feiney? Have we done something for our word to not be good enough for you or followed without question or a second guess? Or is it the Creation in you rebelling against what you know is right?” He stops when he makes it in front of Fein. The blue and green hue of him reflects off her face. She stands strong, nostrils flaring. “Should we now question your motives?”

  The explanation these Vojin are giving Fein and Floyd is different from the two stories we have already heard. We can’t believe any of them.

  “No. She wasn’t questioning you. We will do as instructed,” Floyd states.

  The two Vojin nod and sink into pits of glowing particles before zipping back to the sky.

  Luke pulls me back, and we press against the side of the mountain. He holds his hand out, saying we will stay. I chunk my thumb toward the corner of the mountain, asking if we will wait for them. He nods, and I nod, confirming.

  Their ordered footsteps pound the dirt as they head in our direction. Luke and I wait for them to spot us.

  We’re cloaked by shadows with dusk falling over the hills. I doubt they will see us or that they are worried about someone being here if they didn’t think they were followed. Slowly, they round the corner. If we were snakes, we could bite them multiple times and kill them before they even noticed us.

  Luke and I step out, strolling behind them, waiting for them to notice we’re here. They don’t discuss the recent events. Their stroll is silent. So silent it keeps them from being aware of their surroundings.

  I look around us, making sure we were not followed. Although we aren’t typical Creations, these actions are normal for Luke and me. Floyd and Fein’s aren’t.

  We’ve almost reached the fields when Luke kicks a rock.

  They both halt, shoulders hitched near their ears, backs tight. They don’t turn around as they stand in shock and silence.

  “Who is it?” Floyd asks, shoulder slowly lowering, hand creeping to his gun.

  “Luke and Ky,” Luke says.

  Floyd and Fein face us, both with their right hands drawn behind their backs, likely clutched around their M17. “We can explain,” Fein says.

  Luke shakes his head, and I gesture with a quick point to their arms. “Lift them up.”

  Muttering a slur under their breaths, they lift their hands in surrender. “It’s not what it looks like, Ky.” The muscles in Floyd’s jaw twitches. “You need to hear us out.”

  Luke and I separate and walk in opposite directions around them. They keep us in their sights, turning their heads to watch our movements. Luke says, “Ky?”

  “Yes?” I say in a hard tone, matching the way he called my name.

  Luke scrapes his nails across the scruff on his chin. “It looks like we have a couple of traitors in our midst.”

  “It does…”

  Fein drops her arms and faces me. “Kylie, really, we can explain.”

  Luke and I cross paths as we circle them again, staring them down. We don’t have any intentions to take action, not right now, but we will let them know we know their secrets. And as Creations, we will treat them as traitors, to keep our own footing in this world. We also need them to know they dropped the ball, allowing themselves to get caught.

  “No explanation needed, Feiney.”

  Luke and I meet back up and head for base, leaving them to ponder our next move.

  They don’t call out or follow us.

  We jog back through the winding hills, over the dried, crack dirt, to the base and passing the fields and courses to our empty house. When we make it back to Luke’s room, I push his door closed, asking, “What do you think?”

  Luke throws his hands on his hips as he paces the floor. “Why would they run off when people could see them?”

  I sit on his bed and lean over on my knees. That would be the million-credit question. “Maybe they wanted to be seen?”

  “And you don’t check your surroundings while you’re out risking your life?”

  “Not a mistake Creations as good as Floyd and Fein would make.” I lower my voice to a whisper. “Why would the Vojin call in the day? You think they set them up?”

  “How do the Vojin know who they are calling?”

  I waggle my finger. “How do we know who they are calling? It’s not like the coyote howls come with a name associated with them, or the little marble balls have our name carved into them.”

  Luke stops and meets my gaze, eyes wide with awe. “What if it’s a test for us?”

  I wince. “Like to see who’s willing to risk their lives when they call? Or testing to see if they have any rebellious hosts like that Vojin mentioned.”

  “That would be it. Knowing Creation hosts have had their implants removed and we’re really thinking on our own, not controlled by the Vojin anymore. That would pose a problem to their plan.” Luke halts in his tracks and rubs his hand back and forth over his low-cut hair that’s starting to grow out. “I don’t know, Ky. But does what just happened make any sense to you?”

  Someone knocks on the door.

  I stand from Luke’s bed to answer it. “I think we should talk.” Cory stands on the other side of the door, fingernails tapping against the door panel.

  I was not expecting him. “About what?”

  “I saw you and Luke run after Floyd and Fein. I know what you saw. We should talk.”

  I look over my shoulder and back. “We’ll be talking with Luke.”

  “I don’t trust Luke.”

  Luke comes to the door, ripping it from my hand as he yanks it wider. “I don’t trust you either, snake.”

  “How do you know what you tell me, I won’t tell Luke?” I ask.

  Cory looks back and forth from me to Luke, over and over again. “I don’t know. Will you?”

  “I tell Luke what he hears, when it comes to things you have said to me. If he doesn’t hear it, he doesn’t know.” But he’ll definitely hear it, from me that is. I hold in my chuckle.

  “What do you know?” Cory asks Luke.

  Luke’s upper lip curls upward, revolted by Cory standing in his doorway. “I know you are a snake,” he states matter-of-factly.

  Cory steps in without an invitation. He walks over to the window and looks around outside. “If you do not mind, Luke, can you stay by the door to ensure we are not heard?”

  “Just say what you need to say, speak quietly, and we won’t be heard.” Luke closes the door and stands with his back to it.

  I lean against Luke’s dresser.

  “The night you saw me leaving from Jord’s office, I was retrieving a list that revealed names of Vojin-implanted Creations. Their names were on that list.”

  “Are you working with Floyd and Fein?” I ask. I don’t think every mixed Creation is on the same side. I don’t know if there is a side. I can’t help but think everyone is lying. And if they are not, we all may end up fighting against each other. We may be better off if we take out all the Vojin, regardless of what the greater good is.

  “Yes. I’m working with them,” Cory answers without hesitating. “They sent me here to talk to you two, to request your silence.”

  “Why should we trust any of you?” Luke asks. “What is our silence buying them or us?”

  “Their lives and your friendship. For you, nothing. It may make you feel better as a person, a remedy for you being such a dick,” Cory says. He crosses his arms and takes an unbreakable stance, but the twitch of his right brow gives away his insecurity.

  Luke glowers at him.

  Our names must not be on this list Cory had. The way Luke treats him, he would have called him out long ago. Maybe not in front of everyone, but he would have let it slip that he knows Luke is mixed and would have blackmailed him for sure. Cory looks humiliated to be asking Luke for anything.

  Luke flicks his gaze from me to Cory, also noticing his distress. He looks back at me and slightly nods, then shakes his head, asking me whether or not we should
go with it. I shrug my right shoulder that’s out of Cory’s view. He raises his brows up and down quickly, indecisive.

  Another coyote howls in the night.

  Cory looks to the window. “What made you follow Floyd and Fein out there anyway?” He turns his attention to Luke.

  I snort a laugh, acknowledging his Creation-like way of interrogation. He’s trying to get something on us, so we will give him our silence.

  “I saw them sneaking off. We do not sneak. And if we do, we are up to something corrupt. Luke and I hold positions that allow us to follow up on anything we interpret as questionable. With or without permission from the person taking part in those mischievous actions.”

  “Like the ones you know all too well,” Luke chimes in.

  I follow quickly, before Cory and Luke go back and forth again. “They ran off, and I came here to get Luke so we could find out what they were running off to. We all have been complaining of the heat, yet you would run out to the hills, in the heat that has brought you discomfort all day. They deserved to be followed and questioned.”

  “We didn’t question them,” Luke interjects. “So there is no reason for you to question us. Tell them they have our silence like Kylie has granted you. Now get out of my room.” Luke opens the door, inviting Cory to leave.

  As Cory passes, he says, “Can you come talk to me after breakfast in the morning? I think you believe I mean something that I don’t.”

  “You asked me for my silence, Cory. Let’s not get comfortable in our disputes by discussing them or trying to come to a common ground that will never get established. How dare you question us about our actions for following up as leaders on more of your kind to keep our sector and our people safe? This is what we were born and trained for!”

  He quickly defends, “I wasn’t questioning you like―”

  I throw up my hand, stopping him. “It may seem like I care, Cory. But if you look me in the eyes, you’ll see that I don’t.”

  Cory lowers his head and glares at me through his lashes. “That’s not what your lips said the other day, Ky.”

  “It’s what they are saying today,” Luke chimes in. “You might want to listen to them. I don’t want my sister to have to repeat herself.”

  Cory turns to Luke. “I can’t wait until I’m able to get some dirt on you. I know you are not as good as you try to make yourself out to be. You’re hiding something worse than all of us, and when I find out what that is, I am going to make sure I watch you crumble, and it will be you begging me for silence,” he snarls, inches away from Luke’s face.

  Luke smiles, looking at Cory through hate-filled eyes. “Keep your fingers crossed,” he encourages. “I’ll be waiting for that day right along with you. But for now, I like to watch you beg…and crumble.”

  Cory balls his fist then un-balls it before he leaves, eyeing Luke all the way to the door.

  Luke closes the door behind Cory’s departure. He turns around and rubs his hand over his buzzed head, grumbling. “Do you need to shower? I am going to shower.”

  “Yes, I do. I’ll meet you back here after.” I approach his door, doorknob in hand. Please don’t let me open this door to Marc. Please don’t let Marc be in the hallway. Please don’t let me run into Marc as I go to the shower stalls. I open the door to an empty hallway. Phew.

  I rush to my room and grab my nightwear. Don’t run into Marc. Please don’t run into Marc sings through my head. I’m in the clear all the way to the shower.

  Luke and I can’t be the only ones oblivious to the invaders here. There’s no identifier that reveals them, but Cory has built a close enough relationship with Fein and Floyd that they trust him. Or maybe Cory has used the knowledge provided to him by having that list, and he’s recruiting or blackmailing them. What side is Cory working on? Based on what he said the day we were outside, it’s reconstruction.

  He is on the side of the ones I met in the burrow that coyote led me to. They’re all wrong. I remember their message, In order to reconstruct, you must first destruct. And the destruction is what we are trying to avoid. Anyone who is for this world’s destruction is against this world’s survival. Though their intentions may be reconstruction, the ruler would establish this world in their view, to their liking. And while this place may need some changes, it doesn’t need any more control.

  Chapter Eleven

  I sit by myself in the rec hall, watching everyone prepare to leave for their Citizen Management tasks. Correction: I sit by myself in the rec hall, watching Marc prepare to leave. They don’t have a time span for the length of days they will be gone. Jord says they’re to return once the job is done.

  Marc and Sean are coming in my direction.

  “Hug me, Ky,” Sean says with a smile, mocking Marc’s deep voice, “so we can go.” Marc motions for me to come to him with a slow rise of his left brow.

  I hug Marc hard.

  “Don’t miss me,” he says, holding me tight.

  “No problem,” I whisper as he kisses my cheek and moves from our hug.

  I sit back down and watch him leave the rec hall.

  This will be perfect. Marc being gone may give my stupid attraction for him a break. He’ll come back, and I’ll be over him, back to the old me, the person I was before I ever laid eyes on him.

  I run into Fein when I leave the rec hall. She avoids my eyes though she stops and says, “Thank you, Ky.”

  I pinch my lips to the side, quizzically staring at her. I never suspected Fein to be an implant, and I never thought she and Floyd would be so negligent to leave their back open to be followed or found out.

  “You are welcome,” I say strongly with a nod, and leave her.

  At the training room, all the captains and privates’ groups of Normals are hanging out with my group. There was no specific instruction given for what they need to work on or train in, so I fill their day with battle techniques I’ve discovered are effective against the Zombies.

  “Danny,” I call him to help me demonstrate my next technique. He comes over, standing in front of me. “Take my back, and I’ll take yours. This way,” I say loudly to the room. “You have eyes in the front and back. The undead are unpredictable. You never know which way they are going to come from, when they are going to come, or how fast they are going to attack. Implementing this simple maneuver may help keep you and your group members safe. You walk in step with them to limit tripping over each other’s feet. Use their body language; if they halt and they’re stiff, you know something is unexpected. If they are placid and stop instantly, you know a gun may be pointed at them. If they tap you, your first instinct should not be to turn around, but listen, wait, respond low, questioning what it could be. You all are each other’s protection.”

  Moving from Danny’s back, I retreat a few steps. “Okay Danny, face me.” He turns. “Now take a few steps back.” He follows orders. “Okay, you have to trust your group members. In an open field at night, your vision is limited. Facing Danny, I acknowledge the surrounding space. If they approach him from behind, what is the first thing you do?” I look out toward the large group.

  “Tell him,” someone yells.

  “Get him out of the way,” someone else follows.

  “No, you shoot the Zombie. Don’t warn him. He’ll get it when you shoot. If you tell him, he may panic and make the wrong move, making himself more vulnerable,” another with a boyish voice relays.

  “Right. Who said that?”

  A tall boy with shaggy hair that falls around the top of his head stands up. “I did,” he states proudly.

  “What’s your name and what are you?”

  He looks around at everyone before answering. “Today!” a girl from my group prods. I recognize the sound of Amber’s voice.

  “Cool it,” I order. “But it would be nice if you could answer today,” I tell the new face.

  “I’m Christian, I’m a…human.” He scratches the back of his head. “If that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Whose
group are you from?” I ask.

  “Seanabe.”

  “Okay. You can sit down if you want.” I scratch the end of my eyebrow. “Christian is right.” I turn back to Danny. “If Danny is about to get attacked, I don’t want to panic him. He might make the wrong move, putting himself at jeopardy of getting attacked. I want to handle it, and Danny must have trust in me and believe if I’m pointing a gun in his direction, there is a good reason.

  “Already, getting a gun pointed at you is intimidating. For some of you, it may raise panic at this moment, seeing me with it.” I hold up my handgun in my left hand. “So now we will test your trust. Danny and I will go first, only as an example.” Pointing my weapon at Danny, I ask, “Do you trust me, Danny?”

  Danny pushes his long hair back, stretches, and then cracks his knuckles. “If I hadn’t known you before this and how good of a shooter you are, I would say no.”

  I lower my gun. “You are supposed to just say yes, Danny.” He taps his leg with his fingers. “And don’t seem nervous,” I gesture toward his anxious tell, “you’ll scare them.”

  “Okay, Gabriel and Fredrick, can you bring the silicone dummies over here and place them behind Danny with their heads over his shoulders?”

  “Sure,” Fredrick responds as they get up.

  “Danny, I promise I won’t shoot you.”

  He wipes the sweat from his chin with his sleeve. “I believe you, Ky.”

  Once the dummies are in place and Danny is facing me, I fire my pistol twice, blasting two holes in the heads of the dummies. After the first shot, Danny jumps to his left where my second shot is headed.

  I miss him by an inch only because the bullet is faster than he can move.

  “Rule number two,” I shout, gaze angrily pinned on Danny. “Do not dodge a bullet that is not aimed at you. Your trust is with the person who is saving your life. They see what you don’t. So you don’t see what they do. My bullet was an inch away from meeting your skull. You almost killed yourself jumping out of the way of non-danger.”

  “A warning would have been nice.”