Intransigent (The After Light Saga Book 3) by Cameo Renae
“What do they want?” I asked.
“Shut up,” a guard snapped. He raised his gun like he was about to hit Dr. Simon.
“Don’t touch him,” I screamed.
The guard sneered and lowered his gun.
I was grabbed by my arm and tugged upward. “This way.”
“Don’t hurt her,” Dr. Simon yelled.
Half the room was blocked by a large curtain, and behind it I could hear the embittered screams and growls of Arvies. It sounded like there were a lot more than three this time around.
“Come on.” The guard holding my arm led me to the curtain and pulled it back so I could enter. There were fifteen chairs lined up as if these people were going to watch a show. In the front were two large steel cages. One cage was empty with a single chair sitting in the middle. The other held ten rabid Arvies.
As soon as the Arvies detected me, they became even more aggravated, throwing themselves against the cage. They knew I was different; that I had a gift.
Another door to the side of us opened and a bunch of men and women in white coats and military uniforms walked into the room. The Arvies screams didn’t seem to affect them, and then I noticed they were wearing earplugs.
Nonchalantly, they took their seats. Their glances caught mine and I watched them whispering, pointing at me with no regard. They were here for a show, and I was the main attraction.
I focused my thoughts on one of the men sitting on the end. He had a military suit on which was the most decorated.
“If she can do what they say she can, we’ll have the upper hand on the German’s. Not to mention the monsters.”
I quickly focused on the man next to him.
“What if she can’t do it? I guess someone dies and she continues her injections. Not the end of the world. Shit, she’s looking at me.”
I broke my eye contact and looked to my hands.
What did he mean someone would die if I couldn’t do it?
WHEN ALL FIFTEEN CHAIRS WERE filled, a white coat walked over and stood in front of me.
“Hello, Abi. I know everything is a bit hectic, and I’m sorry. But we have some special guests here to watch your session. These are the leaders of this bunker, and they are hoping to see a good demonstration,” he spoke with almost too much enthusiasm.
“A good demonstration? I’m not here to put on a show for any of you,” I spoke firmly.
“Okay, that’s fine. It’s your choice in the end.” He shrugged.
A door opened behind the cage. Two men dragged a body out with a sack pulled down over their head. They opened the door to the empty cage and placed the person in the chair, then strapped them down. It looked like they’d drugged the person because they weren’t moving and their head was lobbed to the side.
“You can’t do this. This is murder!” I screamed. “You’re no better than the mutants.”
“It will only be murder if you don’t save him,” he spat.
I started to hyperventilate. “There’s no way I can stop ten Arvies!”
“Then their blood will be on your hands, but as I said, the choice is yours.”
They were putting an innocent person’s life in my hands, and there was nothing I could do about it. I knew I wasn’t strong enough to save them. I could barely stand after my last session with three Arvies.
“You can’t do this,” I begged. “You can’t.”
“Sometimes people must die for the greater good.”
“I’m not going to participate in murder,” I roared.
“You will stop them, or he will die,” the white coat spoke calmly.
He nodded and the guards yanked the sack off the guy’s head.
My legs gave way and I dropped to the ground. Tears streamed down my face.
“No!” I screamed. “Not Finn! How could you?” I wailed and swung at him. “I hate you.”
I wanted to kill him, and every other bastard in this room who was allowing this to happen. I hated them. I hated them all.
“Abi,” Dr. Simon yelled from behind the curtain. “Remember the power is inside of you.”
His words hit me like a ton of bricks. They were the exact same words my Grammy spoke to me last night.
My head spun as Finn moved. He was beginning to come to.
I jumped to my feet and ran to the cage. “Finn,” I wailed.
His eyes were heavy as he glanced up. As soon as he saw me, he smiled.
“Abi?”
“I’m so sorry,” I apologized, trying to speak above the screaming Arvies. “You shouldn’t be here.”
He blinked heavily, as if trying to shake off his grogginess. Turning his head, he took in the Arvies, the cage, and his restraints, then turned back to me.
“Listen to me. Don’t be afraid. Just do what you have to do, and if I don’t make it—”
“No!” I sobbed. “Just stop. Don’t you dare.”
“It’s not your fault,” he said. His eyes were soft and his face was relaxed. He wasn’t showing any fear, and I knew it was because he was trying to be strong for me.
“It is my fault,” I sobbed. I couldn’t lose him.
“I love you, Abi…longer than forever.” He smiled.
“Longer than forever,” I repeated.
The white coat who addressed me earlier stood at the front of the room and gave a speech about the Reader program. As he did, one of the guards grabbed my arms and pulled me back to the side of Finn’s cage.
“Don’t hurt her!” Finn yelled, trying to break free from his restraints. He was still trying to protect me even when he was the one in danger.
As the white coat continued to speak, I closed my eyes.
A rage inside was building like nothing I’d ever experienced. Every sound became muffled, and I could feel beads of sweat drip from my brow. Something was bubbling under my skin, filling every pore. Hatred, anger, and resentment raged like an uncontrollable flame.
They’d almost killed Chloe. And they were about to kill Finn. They were willing to sit and watch him die, just to see if my power was real.
I’d show them my power.
This time, I would gladly let whatever was inside of me go…to save him, even if it meant giving up my own life.
I would do it for him.
I could hear Finn calling my name, but I was already consumed. I opened my eyes and focused on every Arvy in the cage.
Movement to the side alerted me of two soldiers who were about to lift the barrier between the mutants and Finn.
Everything around me paused.
I closed my eyes and let go.
A rush of immense power surged. It was so strong, I almost buckled.
Opening my eyes, I witnessed the brutal destruction firsthand.
They had opened the cage between the Arvies and Finn, but all ten bodies were strewn on the floor in lifeless heaps, crimson flowing in streams from every orifice.
There was movement behind me, and as I turned, everyone in the room was running toward the exits. But I wouldn’t let them leave.
This could never happen again.
My wrath turned toward who sat to watch Finn die.
As my attention turned to each one, they screamed then dropped to the ground. Their bodies lay lifeless, yet I had no remorse.
Someone grabbed me from behind and shook me.
I turned and Milton screamed, “Stop, Abi! Stop!”
He grabbed his head and dropped to his knees.
I was killing him.
I closed my eyes. Stop. Stop. Stop. I repeated in my mind.
When I opened my eyes again I reached down and grabbed Milton’s arm. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
“Yes,” he panted. “But you need to get out of here.”
I shook my head, not understanding his words. It wasn’t until I looked around the room that I realized the immensity of my power and the extent of how much trouble I was now in. I’d killed them all. Not only the Arvies, but the white coats, and the leaders of the hive. Everyone
I turned to Finn and my heart shattered when I saw his eyes. He was looking at me with fear.
Milton ran over to the cage and untied his binds. When he was loose, Finn stood and looked at me. “What are they doing to you, Abi?”
Milton was behind him making hand signals, pointing to my eyes. I assumed they’d turned iridescent.
“I’ve become a monster,” I cried, my voice shaking. The adrenaline was running out of steam and my whole body was weak. Whatever happened to me had taken its toll. “I’m sorry. I killed them, Finn. I couldn’t stop myself.”
“Abi, don’t,” he said walking up to me, pulling me into his arms.
“How you could ever love me after seeing what I’ve become?”
He held me tight and kissed the top of my forehead. “I’ve never loved you more,” he breathed.
“I’m sorry,” Milton interjected, “but you two really need to get out of here.”
“I’m not leaving without my family,” I said.
“They’ve already been collected and have been taken to a safe place where they’ll meet you.”
“All of them?”
“Yes, everyone from your old hive.”
“Who did it?” I asked.
“Juan,” Milton replied. “We had a feeling something like this would happen. Well, maybe not exactly like this, but we wanted to make sure you were covered, in case something like this happened. Actually, it was Dr. Simon who had us collect your family.”
I gasped. “Is Juan’s father—?”
“No. He didn’t make it to the demonstration.”
I could breathe a little easier. “How are we going to escape with the Arvies out there?
“The bunker has a secret exit which tunnels miles underground. Only the leaders know about it. They’ll probably be using it soon to evacuate everyone, so you’d better be far away by that time.”
“How did you get all this information?”
“I didn’t,” he said pointing behind me. “Dr. Simon did, and it appears he’s a very efficient mind reader, and has proven to be someone we can trust.”
Dr. Simon was standing near the curtain.
“Thank you, Dr. Simon,” I said, gathering enough strength to walk up to him and give him a hug. “Are you coming with us?”
“I can’t leave Chase and Chloe,” he said sadly. “They need me.”
“Can’t you bring them?”
“Not in Chloe’s condition. She still needs medical attention.”
“We have one of the best medical doctors with us,” I pleaded.
“It’s too late at this point. You need to go now, and I can’t risk her life.” His eyes appeared distressed.
“You’re risking your lives just staying here,” I cried.
“If you get free, all of this will be worth it. Maybe one day our paths will cross again. If not in person, then maybe up here.” He tapped my head. “No go, take your family to safety.” He embraced me one last time and whispered. “I know you’ll find her.”
I smiled. The sneaky little twerp. “Thank you, Dr. Simon. Until we meet again.”
“Until then,” he said. “Take care of her, Finn.”
“I will,” he replied. “And thank you for watching over her when I couldn’t.”
They shook hands and Finn took me by the arm as we quickly followed Milton out of the room. He was holding a briefcase that Dr. Simon had given him. I wondered what was inside.
When we reached the hallway, Finn stopped and turned to me. “You’re shaking.”
“I’ll be fine,” I answered.
“No,” he said, picking me up and cradling me in his strong arms.
I wrapped my arm around his neck and buried my face in his chest. I was finally safe, wrapped in Finn’s arms. Kissing his neck, I turned to look at Milton.
“Milton, this is my fiancé, Finn. Finn, this is Milton, my injector,” I said, introducing them.
Milton turned around. “Nice to meet you.”
“And you.” Finn nodded in greeting.
Milton had taken the swipe keys off of the leaders and used them to open the series of doors which hopefully led to our escape.
“Won’t they see us on the cameras?” I asked.
“Yes, but I have a friend who shut down all the cameras in the Arvy chamber, for the past hour. They won’t know what happened, and we have about twenty minutes before they suspect anything. So, just act normal.”
We went down a series of halls I’d never seen. One particular door opened that had the strangest pungent smell.
“What is that?” I coughed. It was overpowering and stung my nose.
“This is the place they keep the animals. We call it the Ark.”
I turned to Finn and almost passed out. “Animals? They have real animals.”
“You two have never seen animals?”
“No,” we both answered.
“Well, you’re about to get an accelerated tour because our escape is through this door,” he said.
“Rules are . . . stay right behind me. No reaching your limbs into the cages because you could lose them. Watch the monkeys, they like to throw poo. And please remember you’re trying to escape, so don’t linger.”
“Wasn’t planning on it,” Finn said, placing me down and lacing his fingers in mine.
WE ENTERED A LONG ROOM filled with lines of cages, and in each cage were different types of animals. They were real, and survived the apocalypse just like we had. Up until today, they’d only lived within the pages of my text books.
Emotions ran high as I looked deep into the eyes of these living, breathing creatures which would one day be set free to roam and repopulate. I could tell they were ready.
As we hurried our way through the Ark, Milton quickly threw out the names of the animals as we passed them. He didn’t have to, but seeing most of them for the first time, was mind blowing.
Sheep, cows, pigs, horses, dogs, cats, birds…the list went on. Some ran up to get pet, while others, like the cows, just stood and stared. When we reached the bunny cage, Finn literally had to pull me away. I wanted to pick one up so badly.
“Are there giraffes and elephants here?” I asked excitedly.
“No. Each government has taken in animals specific to their regions. Most have their own Ark’s, and I believe the African government houses the giraffes and elephants.”
“Wow,” I gasped.
A shiver ran down my spine and I felt myself pressing against Finn as we passed the reptile cages. They were filled with alligators, tortoises, lizards, and snakes of every shape and size.
“Why would you want to keep things like these?” I shuddered.
“Why not?” he shrugged. “They’re a part of creation.”
“So are the Arvies, but we want them extinct,” I noted.
Milton laughed but kept moving at a fast pace. As we reached the end of the Ark, there were enormous tanks filled with hundreds of varieties of sea life.
“How did you manage to keep all these things alive?” I gasped.
“It was difficult in the beginning, and we lost a few species along the way, but we have the best caretakers and vets in the nation tending to them,” he replied.
I glanced around and the place was empty, which was sort of odd. “Where are they?”
“Juan had a bunch of desserts delivered to the dining area which no one can resist. But they’ll be back soon, so we have to keep moving.”
We exited the Ark and entered another hallway. As we rounded a corner, Milton stopped at a random door and slid a pass card over it. When the door opened he stepped aside. A rush of happiness and comfort filled me as twelve faces stared at me with looks of worry and concern on their faces.
My parents, Uncle Frank, Aunt Sandy, Lily, Nana and Pops, Charlie, Tom and Mei Hatch, Dr. Banks, and Finn’s mom were all there. It was so good to see their familiar faces, and for a moment, it felt like home.
“Ab
“Yes, I’m fine,” I said, hugging her back, then everyone else surrounded me. I missed all of them so much.
“What happened?” my dad asked. “We received messages saying it was imperative we leave immediately, and it had something to do with you. That’s all we got, they didn’t go into detail.”
Lily walked over and hugged me. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
“Tell me about it,” I sighed. “I’m so sorry I’ve put you all in this position. I never meant for any of this to happen.”
My dad placed his hand on my shoulder. “Each one of us had a choice. We could have stayed behind, but we all chose to be here…because we’re family, and family sticks together.”
“Yes,” they all nodded in agreement. The looks in their eyes and on their faces told me they were speaking the truth.
Dr. Banks stepped forward with his arm around a young man who looked a lot like him. “I found my nephew,” he said with a glowing smile. “My sister passed in a car crash right before the solar flare. I had no idea what happened to this young man, but his step dad brought him here. He was helping in the medical department the other night, and we started talking. I guess it was fate.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” I said, holding out my hand to him. It was comforting to know Dr. Banks wasn’t alone anymore. “My name’s Abi, and this is Finn.” I turned and Finn welcomed him as well.
“Glad to be here,” he replied. “My name’s Martheus.”
“Hey, the more Banks, the merrier,” Uncle Frank proclaimed.
“Where’s Juan?” I asked.
“He had to go back. His parents are still here,” Milton said. “But he said he’ll watch after your friend Tina, Dr. Simon, and the others.”
“Good,” I breathed, relieved Dr. Simon had backup.
“Looks like we’re all going on another fun family adventure,” Uncle Frank said, holding up an M16 rifle.
“Looks like you’re ready for war,” I laughed.
“Well, hopefully prepared. Your friend Juan really came through,” he added.
“Did everyone get a weapon?” I asked.
“Yes.” He paused with a grin on his face. “Including you.”