The headlights of the transport blind as it accelerates straight at me. The solid steel doors close in on either side. They’re slow, but only two arm’s lengths apart. And they're as thick as I am tall. I shake out my arms and release my breath. I’m about to be a lot thinner if I don’t pull this off.
“Here goes everything.” I lunge for the door on my left and will my energy into my arms and legs.
My muscles sting with the added strength. They burn as they rip and shred against the force of the door. I groan along with the grind and howl of the mechanics. My boots dig into the concrete for leverage. I’ve only managed a few steps, not enough for the transport to drive through. Luce, Cole, Hasta, and all the civilians in that transport flash in my mind.
“Aaaaah!” My roar drowns out in the squeal of gears inside the steel doors screeching to a stop.
A series of clangs and pops resonate through my limbs and rattle my teeth. The dense metallic door flies backward with no resistance. I scramble to get my feet under me as it escapes my grip.
“Rain, move!” Hasta lays on the horn and I dive for the tunnel wall.
The bumper clips my ankle. I skid a few feet, leaving a layer of my right cheek on the concrete in my wake. Hasta’s bare feet slap the ground as he races to me.
“Shit, kid. That was…are you ok?”
“Yeah, don’t worry about me.” I roll over and press a few fingers to my cheekbone. It’s wet and stings like hell.
He pulls me to my feet. I’m still amazed at his physical well-being considering where he’s been the last ten years. He scans me for other injuries and jerks his head back to the transport.
“What’s the holdup?” Luce rasps in my comm.
“Minor obstacle, but we’re on our way.” I reply.
I’m twitching and panting next to Hasta in the cab. I count my breaths and close my eyes. I envision the swell of energy coursing through me as a steady river. The tidal wave ebbs and flows evenly throughout my body and I breathe deep.
“Your father used to do that, count and breathe. Right after your grandfather died and your mom was pregnant with Elios. I never understood why. I thought he had panic attacks or something. He was always on edge. But now it makes sense.” Hasta’s eyes turn dark and shift away from me.
“Tell me.” I want to know everything he does. I’m tired of waiting.
He shakes his head. “I will. And you’ll wish I never had.”
“Oren, we’ve got company.” The captain’s call breaks my calm.
Centrum must have called in the tunnel guards for back up. My arms ignite and singe the upholstery, imagining her surrounded.
“Go! They’re under attack.” I jump out of the cab before I start a fire. I’ll get to the captain faster on my own anyway.
Hasta snaps out of his shock at seeing the blue flames dance along my skin. He jams his foot into the accelerator and the transport fishtails away.
“Luce, they’re under attack. I’m going ahead. Be ready. Over.” I can’t envision the captain’s location to blur ahead.
So I pump my legs and race through the tunnels. I pass Hasta and plunge into the cold, quiet of the expanse ahead. Red tail lights come into view and I slow down to assess the situation.
The captain, Kane, Nix, and Iva stand in front of our caravan facing a steel barricade. My skin cools and pales when I find them safe. The sealed doors are the same as the ones we passed through. The control panel on the side wall is torn apart. Computer parts and wiring ooze out of its box. But what has their attention are the sparks and shrieks of a buzz saw coming through the seam of the doors.
“Captain,” I call out to make my presence known, “Luce, Cole, and Zale are en route.” I line up next to Nix at the end.
“Zale?” Nix shifts on her feet and turns back to check.
“You still have tranqs?” Iva holds up his gun.
I shake my head in response. I threw my gun in the cab.
“We’ll use our remaining darts to take out their commanding officers first. And hope it rattles them enough to hold their attack.” The captain withdrawals her warrior weapon.
The saw stops and a shrill wrench splits the doors open. Two sets of meaty fingers wrap around the edges and the doors slide apart.
“Aim true, warriors.” The crackle of the captain’s whip slithers along the floor.
She raises her right hand with the tranq gun gripped tight. Kane and Iva follow suit. Nix pulls her crossbows from each side of her collarbone and I summon my blades. The handles flash blue and thrum in my grip.
I focus on the silhouettes of warrior born through the opening in front of us. They’re backlit by their headlights. It’s hard to tell if they’re out of shape, tunnel guards or Centrum’s guards. Tires screech behind us and rapid steps approach.
“You ready?” Cole steps up beside me. His warrior marks blaze and he withdraws his double-edged ax.
I don’t answer. I’m not ready to attack our brethren. To attack warriors who are just following orders. To risk valuable lives with my unstable, overpowered attacks. But that’s not what he’s asking. And I hate that I understand what he means. Am I ready to show my powers to get us out of this?
“No.” I turn to his endless black stare.
He stops on my healing road rash and nods.
“I’m glad you heal fast. A scar on those pointy cheekbones is too much for the ladies to handle. And my stomach couldn’t take it.” Cole says, and my shoulders drop.
“God, I hate you.” I say, and we turn back to the widening barricade.
“Same.” He holds his ax up to me.
I tilt my head, looking from it back to him. He rolls his eyes and tilts the razor-sharp edge to my blade. I hold it up and his ax clangs against my weapon. It sparks gold and blue when we pull apart.
“Now we’re ready.” He faces forward, leaving me staring at his profile.
The whistle of darts signals our attack. Short grunts and dull thuds echo before we’re racing ahead through the opening.
“Hold your fire!” A fierce command from the guards ahead rises above the chaos.
The captain stammers to a stop.
“Elites, halt!” She darts through the gap in the barricade and I’m fast to follow.
I grab her arm and yank her behind me. “Are you crazy?”
“Stand down.” The sure confidence of an officer’s voice comes from ahead.
It matches his lean, steady stride. The headlights obscure his face, but his general stars glint easily enough. I shove the captain farther behind me, square my shoulders, and cross my blades in a defensive stance.
“Identify yourselves.” He orders.
“Dad?” The captain steps around me and then she’s running faster than I can pull her back.
Wait, did she say, dad? I lower my weapons and turn back to Kane. He’s jogging our way and nods, answering the question I didn’t voice.
I will my blades back to the ether and set off a round of gasps and murmurs. ‘It’s him’, ‘Is that the Oren?’, ‘Did you see what he did?’ I lower my eyes and move behind Kane when he steps up. He chuckles and blocks me from sight with his mountain body.
“Elites, fall in.” The captain orders and I follow Kane.
The headlights of the utility vehicles cut off and my eyes adjust. The wall of guards we were about to fight turn out to only be about ten warriors in total. And the vehicles are not standard issued combat jeeps. They’re more like the carts we used for hauling small loads around the academy. The Hallow Point Academy name is etched into the hood of the closest one.
“Oren.” Sergeant Gray steps in front of me with his severe buzz cut.
But there’s a fire in his dark eyes and a tilt of a smile I’ve never seen before. He looks younger somehow. He holds up a scrap of dirt gray material dark with old blood.
“Quinn’s message was for you?” I say and Gray smiles, tucking it back into his pocket.
“Sergeant?” Cole’s gruff voice twists Gray's mouth into a grimace.
His thick bulking biceps round when he crosses them in front of his chest. Now that’s the look I’m used to receiving from him. I look from the sergeant to Cole, who steps back.
“I like this.” I grin.
“Well, I don’t. Tell him, Oren.” Cole steps closer to me, as if I’m going to protect him.
“I was there, Targe. I heard it straight from the general over the comm. I know the truth about your father.” The Sergeant lowers his arms and his warrior mark burns bright on the back of his left hand.
“If you heard everything, then you know I had nothing to do with it. Right, Oren?” Cole stutters
I raise a brow and commit this moment to memory. Cole is getting a tiny taste of what I was forced fed my whole life. I shake my head and shrug. Then a stinging slap cracks against the back of my head. I narrow my eyes at Luce as she sidles up.
“Cole’s with us now. He has nothing to do with the general’s deeds.”
The sergeant jerks back at her glower, then smiles. A massive teeth revealing smile. He steps closer to Luce and holds out his hand.
“I’m Derek Gray.”
Cole growls next to me. He grabs Luce’s elbow and drags her to where Kane stands with the other warriors.
“Derek, huh?” I rub the back of my head.
He shrugs one shoulder, still mesmerized by Luce’s retreating form.
“Is that why you’re here? Because you intercepted Targe’s communication during that mission?” I check out the others that came with him.
They’re in various uniforms and some in the khakis from the academy too.
“Yes. Plus the fact Centrum covered up the truth about who’s responsible for the death of our families ten years ago.” He shifts on his feet. “I told everyone. It helps that I have a copy of the mission log before it was deleted.”
“Why? Don’t you think Centrum has a reason for hiding the truth, that it’s for our good?” I can’t believe anyone will abandon their sworn duty and the lie they clung to for over a decade based on one mission’s communication log.
His eyes glint as he steps up to me. I want to back down. I want to look past his shoulder. To submit as I would any officer, but I can’t. I have to understand why these warriors are here. Because there’s a small voice inside heralding a coming change. A long overdue change. A change we’re not ready for.
“I’m sorry.” His words shoot through my mask, and I choke on my breath. “We can’t take back the years, the damage we caused you. But your village is aware of the truth. They knew long before that mission. And soon the entire nation will know. I promise you that.”
“We’re here for you, and for our brethren, and for the civilians. It’s time to end Centrum’s secrets. Because no one will survive the demon threat outside the wall with a bigger one living among us.”
I take in our gathering. Centrum segments us by our contribution to the nation. We live out their designation, the value of our life, in the gray, khaki, white, and black colors of our uniforms. Segmented and separated. But here they work together, warriors and civilians united.
“Warriors, prepare to move out. We travel on foot from here. Those that can’t, will ride in the cargo carts.” The general, the captain’s dad, orders, and warriors rush to unload the passenger cars.
“Go. We’ll talk later.” The sergeant leaves me staring at the captain’s father.
He’s got more white in his golden brown hair, but the similarities are there. Especially in his uncompromising stance and authority. I race back to the last transport where I left Hasta. I’m not ready to meet the captain’s dad. And huff out a laugh when the thought of making a good impression bombards me. I’ve only ever made one impression, and it’s never good.
Hasta stands ready to defend his passengers. His double headed spear looks like a mini version of Kane’s scythe. But the smaller curved blades are no less deadly.
“It’s our contacts. We’re moving out on foot.” I lower the ramp and stand at the opening.
The civilians huddle together. Many weep silently, and some are passed out.
“The ones unable to walk will ride in the cargo carts.” I say.
Hasta returns his weapon to his mark and walks up the ramp ahead of me.
“Everyone, this is warrior Oren.” He holds out a hand to calm down the murmurs my name invokes. “He’s a member of the Elite Squad and here to help us. We have to walk from here. Help those that need extra support. Anyone that can’t walk, remain where you are and we’ll carry you out.”
Their silent acceptance is unsettling. They move as instructed with no questions down the ramp. They’re little more than cowering shells going through the motions. Their hollowed eyes and gaunt face are unmoved. Gone is the spark every human possesses. That drive to rear up and demand answers, to demand more. My fist curls wanting to pummel and destroy the cause.
Three civilians remain, unable to move on their own. I stretch out my fingers and shake the anger loose before I walk inside. I find the blonde that Julian cared for curled into the farthest corner. She’s trying to blend into the wall and flinches when I move close.
“Back off, Oren.” Julian’s boots thunder across the floor and he shoulders me out of the way.
Her head snaps up at the sound of his voice. She’s up on her feet and buries herself in his chest. He murmurs quietly and sweeps her legs up to cradle her close. Her soft sniffles fade as he carries her down the ramp.
“You take that one.” Hasta points to a round, robust man passed out along the far wall.
He picks up an unconscious elderly woman easily and gives me a smirk. “What? I saw what you can do. You can handle him.”
I hold my grumble and work to maneuver the hefty body over my shoulders in a fireman carry. It’s awkward and I gag over the guy’s rancid odor.
“Oren.” The captain touches my shoulder when I finally lay the man in a cart.
We’re ready to move out. I turn to her hesitant smile and watch her fidget with the end of her braid. I take a step closer and study her wide chameleon eyes. Her heart rate flutters and I lean closer to learn more about this new side. A tanned, muscled forearm and outstretched hand darts between us.
The captain steps away from me and backs into a tall warrior in academy instructor fatigues. He tilts his sandy blonde head down to her. And my insides drop, watching them stare into each other’s eyes as she blushes hot.
