Page 31

Don’t take tomorrow with a tender hand. Seize it with all your passion and might.

Khalani paced the confines of her chilly cell, tapping her palm incessantly against her thigh. Her fingernails were bitten down to jagged stubs as she waited in the hallowed dark for hours. The prison lights would power on soon.

Where were Takeshi and the others?

Barely audible coughing came from the cell to her right, and Khalani’s ears pricked up at the sound of a body slumping to the floor.

Takeshi must have turned on the gas.

Minutes passed, and the soft patter of footsteps made her muscles constrict.

She quickly turned toward the metal bars, and Takeshi emerged like a deadly assassin in the night. The bars quietly opened, and his imposing presence quickened her pulse as he entered her cell. Takeshi’s face was difficult to make out in the limited light, but his characteristic deep voice cut through the shadows.

“You ready, Kanes? ”

She tried to steady her breathing, but her feet felt rooted to the ground. Once she stepped out of those bars, there would be no turning back.

“Didn’t think you were coming for a second,” Khalani admitted.

“As if that would stop you.”

The silence stretched between them, and she didn’t have to witness his obsidian eyes to know they burned right through her. His intoxicating aura made it hard to think. Breathe. She cleared her throat and moved to leave.

“Wait.” Takeshi pulled a black handgun out of his pocket. “Take this.”

Her brows pinched together as he handed her the weapon. The weight and deadly feel made her palms itch and stomach coil.

“I don’t need this.” She tried to return the gun, but Takeshi shook his head.

“Yes, you do. I won’t let you go unprepared. Here’s the safety. Only aim at what you intend to shoot, okay?” His tone brokered no room for argument, and Takeshi wouldn’t let her leave until she nodded.

After opening Serene’s cell, Takeshi quickly led them both to the end of the hall where Derek, Adan, Brock, and Winnie were waiting. No other prisoners stirred in their cells as they raced as quietly as possible through the dark.

Everyone except Takeshi and Brock crouched slightly, casting wary glances around as if expecting a guard to shoot them at any moment.

They all carried backpacks, and the weight dug sharply into Khalani’s back.

Brock shot a surprised look at Takeshi when he noticed the gun in Khalani’s hand but said nothing.

“Let’s go,” Takeshi ordered.

Winnie squeezed Khalani’s open hand as they followed silently behind. Just as Takeshi said, no guards were in sight, and alarms didn’t blare as they ran to the elevator.

“Stay behind me,” Takeshi reminded them as the elevator ascended a few levels .

Khalani’s heart threatened to pound out of her chest, and no one dared speak. The overwhelming fear in the air made it hard to breathe, as if demons were tracking their every step.

When the elevator doors opened, Takeshi swiftly guided them through a labyrinth of tunnels. Occasionally, he raised his fist and halted their advance, glancing at his watch and waiting seemingly endless minutes for a guard to pass before they continued their escape.

They navigated the maze for what felt like an eternity until they reached a small opening. In the distance, Khalani saw something she hadn’t seen since their return from Genesis.

The Braderhelm entrance.

The massive steel doors looked even more imposing and intimidating now than on the first day she saw them. Two burly guards, looking capable of snapping her in half, stood at attention with rifles resting on their shoulders.

Takeshi motioned for them to crouch down, hiding in the stone passage.

“See that stone pillar? I led us to this passage because it blocks most of their view. Brock and I will sneak behind the pillar and shoot the guards. Don’t leave here until I give you the signal.” Takeshi’s rough stare flickered between them and centered on Khalani, sending nerves tingling through her spine.

Brock scooted to the front as Takeshi handed him a pistol with a suppressor, and gave him a harsh glare. “One wrong move, Death-Zoner, and I will end you.”

“Don’t give me any ideas, Steele. Let’s just get this over with,” Brock hissed, accepting the gun with a scowl.

Takeshi’s jaw hardened, but he turned back to the gate. Just as he began to inch toward the pillar, he abruptly held up his fist to stop Brock. A newcomer was approaching the two guards from a different entrance.

The guards straightened as the unknown man dressed in a fine suit spoke with them.

“Who is that?” Brock whispered.

Takeshi shook his head. “It’s the Warden. What’s he doing here?” he muttered to himself .

Their bodies tensed as a boom sounded throughout the halls, and the Braderhelm doors slowly swung open. Khalani’s face turned ashen, and her mouth gaped open as none other than Alexander Huxley walked through the gates.

“What the hell is going on?” Brock muttered furiously.

Flanked by two bodyguards, the Governor moved forward and shook hands with the Warden. After a few moments, the Warden gestured for the Governor and his guards to follow, bringing them close to their hideout. Khalani and the others pushed themselves against the wall as if they were fused together.

She closed her eyes and silently prayed for them not to be seen.

“Thank you for greeting us, Warden.” The distinctive voice of Alexander Huxley echoed through the cave. “I know we weren’t expected until tomorrow, but with recent events, there is much we need to discuss in finding other uses for this space.”

“Your assessment bodes well, Governor Huxley. I would be honored to serve as a councilman and eliminate the traitors.” The Warden chuckled.

The heavy footsteps led off down a separate hallway, the Governor’s voice slowly fading. Khalani let out a deep breath as Takeshi continued to eye the two guards still stationed in front of the gate.

“Now.” Takeshi gestured to Brock, and they snuck behind the stone pillar. They glanced at each other and nodded, aiming their guns at the guards. A second passed, and two soft zaps echoed from the guns, and both guards crashed to the floor with a loud thud.

Her eyes widened as Takeshi hurriedly waved them over.

“Move.”

Like a shot out of a cannon, they ran for the open door. Khalani’s legs beat under her, and she tripped over a rock and lost her footing, falling flat on her face. A strong arm quickly tugged Khalani to her feet.

“Don’t stop, Kanes.” Takeshi frowned, scanning over her with concern. She brushed herself off and continued forward when hard thumps sounded from behind them .

They turned in horror as a guard appeared in the hallway, his eyes widening in shock when he took in the scene before him. The young guard glanced at the two dead men on the ground and hastily shuffled a walkie out of his pocket.

“Code Red! We have an esc—”

Takeshi raised his gun and shot him in the head. The boy’s eyes were still open in pure terror as he collapsed.

“Let’s go!” He grabbed her arm as she picked her jaw from the floor, and they surged toward the doors. They bolted through the gates, and five transports were parked outside the entrance. Brock, Derek, Serene, and Adan got in one, and Winnie waited in another.

“Hurry.” Winnie waved them over.

Khalani and Takeshi raced forward. Takeshi got in the driver’s seat, and as soon as she sat down, they raced off.

The wind beat her face as Takeshi drove the transport to its limits. Her heart beat so fast, it blended into one sound as they surged down the long, dark cave, away from Braderhelm.

A few minutes later, Brock pulled the transport to a screeching halt. Khalani had to brace a hand in front of her as Takeshi slammed on the brakes. They all jumped out, and Brock started feeling along the walls.

“Where are you?” Brock mumbled to himself.

Her anxiety was crippling as she nervously glanced in the direction of Braderhelm. If any guards heard that last message, they’d be coming down on their location any moment.

“Got it!” Brock exclaimed and flipped open a switch to reveal an electric pad. He quickly input a sequence of numbers and stood back.

Nothing happened.

“Um, Brock, where’s the secret entrance?” she asked.

Brock frowned and entered the numbers again. No movement. Not even a whisper.

“Shit!” He slammed the thing. “They must have changed the password.”

Takeshi cursed as their plan began to crumble into a grave. There was no backup. Nowhere else they could escape or find refuge .

“Move out of the way!” Adan pushed Brock aside and started toying with the back of the pad, pulling wires out and connecting them.

The distinctive hum of transports shooting over magnets echoed through the cave. They whipped their heads in that direction, an all-consuming fear coiling tight around their necks.

“Hurry, Adan!” Serene exclaimed.

“Just a sec.” Adan frowned, laboring over the wires.

Bang!

A gunshot bounced off the walls, and they dropped to the ground, covering their heads. Lights from transports barreled at full speed, revealing their location.

There was no cover or place to hide.

A few more shots echoed past them, and Khalani heard someone cry out.

“Got it!” Adan yelled, and a small section of the wall parted, revealing an elevator.

They crammed inside, and Brock slammed the letter S on the dashboard. The doors finally swung closed just as the transports arrived, and the ground shook beneath them as the elevator began rising.

She leaned back against the wall and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

They made it.

“Khalani,” Winnie whimpered.

She turned to Winnie, who had blood pouring down her chest as she held a shaking hand to her collarbone.

Khalani’s jaw dropped. Her lungs barely seemed to operate as she raced to Winnie’s side. Blood continued to leak down Winnie’s jumpsuit, and the coppery scent invaded the air.

“No, no, no! Winnie. J-just hang on!” Terror surged through her, like a knife tore into her stomach. This was not happening. Not to Winnie.

The elevator continued to fly up at full speed. Takeshi was immediately by her side, tying a piece of cloth from his backpack. “Where was she hit? ”

“I don’t know!” Khalani yelled, panicking. “Her shoulder, maybe. There’s a lot of blood.”

“Distract her, Kanes. This will hurt.” Takeshi’s searing gaze ripped into her.

Khalani’s hands trembled as she placed the gun in her pocket and cupped Winnie’s cheeks. “Hey, Winnie. It’s me. Everything’s going to be fine.”

Winnie’s face was pale, and her bottom lip quivered as Takeshi swiftly tied the cloth around her bloody shoulder.

“Just focus on me, Winnie. Right here.” Khalani pointed toward her eyes. “That’s it. I was thinking about your music. Especially Grease . Wait until we reach the surface, and we can sing like Danny Zuko.”

Winnie’s mouth lifted until Takeshi gave a tight tug of the knot. Her scream coincided with a shrill bing as the elevator doors opened.

A faraway glow illuminated their shocked faces. In front of them lay a clear glass door. Through it, a tunnel led to an opening, shining with the brightest light they had ever seen.

The surface was on the other side.

“C’mon, Winnie. Stay with me,” Khalani added, as sweat dripped down Winnie’s pale face and she swayed on her feet. Khalani wrapped her arm around Winnie’s waist as they hobbled out of the elevator. The doors closed as soon as they exited and the elevator zoomed back down.

“We need to unlock the door,” Brock said, racing over to a console against the wall as Adan rushed to help.

“See that, Winnie? We’re almost there,” she whispered as Winnie leaned against the stone wall. Winnie’s cheeks were getting paler by the second, and Khalani turned to Takeshi frantically.

“Will she be okay?” Her voice shook as tears threatened to fall. Any answer other than yes was unacceptable to her.

Deep lines marred Takeshi’s forehead. “I hope so, Kanes.”

“We’re in!” Brock exclaimed as the glass doors parted open.

Takeshi went to the other side of Winnie and helped support her weight as the others raced through the tunnel .

The glass door shut soundly behind them, and Khalani and Takeshi moved as fast as they could while supporting Winnie—which wasn’t fast at all—but the light from the tunnel grew brighter, and hopeful energy surged her forward.

Voices shouted past the glass barrier. Khalani turned her head to see the Governor, the Warden, and several guards entering the cave.

“Open the door!” the Governor yelled at a guard.

“We can’t, sir! The radiation will kill us!” the Warden denied.

“Move faster,” Takeshi growled as they raced forward, practically carrying Winnie.

“You stupid fools! I will do it!” Alexander Huxley screamed.

The glass doors whirled open behind them, and adrenaline raged through her muscles as they surged forward. She squinted, her pulse racing as the light intensified, completely engulfing their bodies as they charged out of the tunnel and onto a sandy surface. Warmth caressed her skin and enveloped them like a cloak.

Sunlight pierced her eyes, and Khalani held out her right hand, shielding her face.

“The surface,” Winnie breathed out weakly next to her.

Khalani lifted her hand away and her body stopped, ceasing movement as if frozen in time.

A gigantic dome didn’t rise above them. Darkness didn’t envelop her. On the Earth’s surface, the skies were a clear, crystal blue, and the blazing sun was so intense that it nearly blinded her.

She looked around in astonishment. They appeared to be in a flat desert, surrounded by collapsed buildings and scattered rubble. Strange, rusted vehicles lay in disarray, their metal torn and twisted. Everything was abandoned and desolate.

Ruin never looked so beautiful.

Khalani breathed in deeply. Even the air smelled and tasted different. Free. They were free.

“Don’t go any further!” Alexander Huxley’s voice yelled .

They whirled, and the Governor stood before them, alone. Takeshi held onto Winnie and pulled out his gun, aiming at him.

Alexander raised his arms by his side in innocence. “I have no weapons. I come to you in peace. Why don’t you all just come back so we can sort this out? I can even grant your freedom from Braderhelm.”

His lies scraped against her skin, and Khalani pulled the gun from her pocket and took a menacing step forward.

“All you do is lie. Was there ever any radiation on the surface?”

Alexander’s lip lifted. “Oh, I assure you, there once was. Battles raged on the very ground you stand on. Apollo saved countless lives, and only beneath the earth can those instincts to destroy be controlled. As you can see, there is nothing out here, nothing but death.”

“In Apollo , there is nothing but death. It was you, wasn’t it? You’re the one responsible for destroying the crops.” The truth bellowed from her tongue.

The Governor raised an eyebrow.

“Perceptive. Rather…poetic, isn’t it? They view me as their savior when I’ve been biding my time, waiting for the day to strike back.”

“ Why ?” she screamed, the gun noticeably shaking. “Why would you do that?”

“You know less than you could possibly dream,” Alexander stated in a bored tone, as if they were talking about geological formations. “You don’t see it now, but this is for everyone’s benefit. All you have to do is trust me.”

Khalani let out a humorless laugh. “Anyone who trusts you is either stupid or insane. You’ve kept us locked away to cover up your lies for decades. But that ends now. We’re leaving, and we’ll spread the truth about the surface and the atrocities you’ve committed in Apollo,” Khalani hissed, her grip on the gun tightening.

The Governor’s chilling smile turned into an angry scowl. “Nothing will change what is coming. Nothing . You’ll die with the rest of them, just like your parents.”

Madness coiled inside her, threatening to strike and dismember as their faces flashed in her mind .

She was no longer empty, patched with voids. All the pain and suffering she’d endured filled her cracks and crevices, the need for violence suppressing any mercy left in her.

The old her would’ve cowered beneath the weight of such fury, but she was no longer beholden to the rules of the underground.

On the surface of the earth, humanity’s greatest triumph and heaviest burden was always free will.

Khalani raised her gun and shot Alexander Huxley in the chest.

The Governor didn’t move. He didn’t fall to the ground. Alexander glanced down at his chest…and smiled.

“That wasn’t very nice.” He smirked as Khalani’s hands shook, and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Brock moved forward and threw all his weight into a punch straight toward the Governor’s head, but Alexander caught Brock’s wrist as if he weighed no more than a feather. With a sinister grin, he snapped Brock’s arms back like a pretzel, and Brock released a shattering scream.

Quick as a flash, Takeshi crashed into the Governor like a train, taking both of them to the ground. Takeshi immediately smashed his fist into the Governor’s face, but the Governor freed his arm and punched under Takeshi’s chin. Takeshi’s head whipped back, and Alexander captured the advantage, quickly flipping Takeshi and kneeling over him.

When Alexander started railing his fists into Takeshi’s face, blood sprayed into the dusted sand like confetti. Pure terror cut her apart, as if her own body was being butchered.

She didn’t think. She barreled ahead with laser focus.

“Get off him!” she ferally screamed, lunging toward the Governor.

With a snap, Alexander Huxley clutched her throat in his bare hand. His cold blue eyes were filled with hostility as he squeezed his fingers and began crushing her windpipe. It felt like her throat was being molded to the size of a straw. Black encompassed the outer edges of her vision as she desperately heaved for an ounce of oxygen.

Nothing came .

She clawed the palm gripping her like a wild, trapped animal, but the fingers only tightened their chokehold. Her movements grew slower, sluggish. A gargle escaped her lips, eyes slowly rolling to the back of her head.

And Khalani knew that was the end.

No matter how hard she fought, death always returned for her.

A piercing and agonizing roar interrupted her bitter acceptance, and the deadly hand around her throat was ripped away. Khalani collapsed to the sand, choking and heaving as if her throat were filled with scorching sand. Saliva dripped from her mouth as gentle hands came around her body.

“I’ve got you. Just breathe,” Derek’s voice shook. Her blurred vision barely made him out, but Derek wasn’t staring at her.

Khalani twisted her head.

Time was utterly suspended as Takeshi stood over Alexander Huxley’s dead body. Quite literally dead because the Governor’s head was no longer attached to his torso.

Takeshi’s obsidian eyes weren’t fixed on the Governor, but on Khalani’s hunched-over frame as he raced over, panting heavily.

“Are you alright, Kanes?” He knelt beside her, pure brutality etched on his bloody face, the vehemence in his expression staggering.

“Yeah.” She coughed, attempting to move, but Takeshi’s strong arms entirely supported Khalani as she rose to wobbly feet.

“You ripped off his head,” Serene whispered in alarm, staring at Takeshi with wide eyes.

“Guys,” Adan voiced from afar.

Takeshi’s eyes roved over Khalani, jaw tightening over each and every injury. His mouth set in a hard line as he turned to Serene.

“And I’d do it again,” he declared without regret.

“You…you ripped off someone’s head,” Serene repeated incredulously.

“Guys!” Adan yelled. “You need to look at this.”

They paused at Adan’s shaken voice and walked over to where he was standing, staring at Alexander Huxley’s decapacitated body. Derek helped Winnie as they slowly walked closer. Brock stumbled over, still clutching his dislocated elbow in pain, and his mouth dropped open.

Jagged edges of metal and wires protruded from the Governor’s torn neck. Crackling electricity emanated from where his body still twitched. Khalani turned to where the Governor’s head lay on the ground.

His lifeless blue eyes stared straight through her, and if it weren’t for Takeshi holding her up, her trembling body would have collapsed to the ground

“He’s not human,” Derek breathed out in shock.

“He was a machine.” Adan’s face paled.

No one spoke as they stared at the Governor’s lifeless body. The impossible lay before them, shaking their very reality. Upending the foundations of their world. The man she hated with her entire being was never a real person, only a twisted mess of wires who controlled their entire lives.

Fiction and reality bled into one piece, and Khalani dug her nails into her palm with brutal force, as if to test whether she could still bleed, whether she was real too…

“This is crazy. This is…” Serene ran her hands through her frazzled hair. “This is insane. Did you know about this?” She swiveled to Takeshi, her fingers shaking.

“No,” Takeshi denied fervently. “If I did, I would’ve murdered him the first chance I got.” Takeshi spoke with such intensity and loathing that Khalani believed him.

“But what does this mean?”

“Does it matter?” Brock growled, and they turned to him in shock. “We can’t go back to Apollo. You all know that. Our path to Hermes remains the same, and we only have supplies for two weeks. We have to push forward.”

No one moved for a long time, but Adan grabbed his bag and put a protective arm around Serene, her eyes like blank mirrors as Adan urged her forward. Khalani didn’t miss the distrusting glance he sent Takeshi’s way.

The others slowly gathered their stuff with shell-shocked eyes as Derek put his arm around Winnie’s waist and helped her walk. Her friends moved as if they had no choice.

In the present, nightmares lived in reality, and the truth resided in fables. And the clock could never be rewound.

“I don’t understand.” Khalani’s stare stayed fixed on the Governor’s head, frayed wiring sticking out of where his neck used to be.

“I don’t either. But this… machine prevented us from finding the truth about the surface. And we’re going to find out why.” Takeshi’s expression darkened as his powerful stare shifted from the Governor to her. He glanced at the marks on her neck, and a chilling frenzy brewed in his gaze. Takeshi opened his mouth.

“We need to go now!” Brock yelled from behind them.

Takeshi shut his mouth with a snap, shaking his head. Still, his dark eyes communicated so much more, as if she were the blazing sun and he the brisk moon—striking and far-reaching, forever destined to be apart.

Her mind grappled with the impossibility of the moment. Millions of questions swirled in her mind when all that lay before them was misery, death, and destruction. But she had no choice but to put Apollo behind and embrace the earth before her, like a poem waiting to be written.

And for every thing or person who stood in her way, she’d etch their poem in blood.