Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Chapter Fifty-Seven
General Lawrence
I run through wooded terrain, charging toward a tunnel opening a mile away. The sound of wolves howling nearby pierce the air and spike my adrenaline. Faster. I have to run faster. Suddenly, the wind ripples, and Lucian appears before me, forcing me to an abrupt halt.
“Been a long time, General,” he drawls, referring to his time serving me at Groom Lake.
“Not long enough,” I say, aiming the Glock I’d grabbed from the lab before departing at his head. “Careful now, traitor. I’d enjoy planting one of these Green Hornets between your eyes.”
“This ‘traitor,’ as you call me, is your only chance to escape. Both the Renegades and the Zodius want your blood, General.”
“I don’t know what game you’re playing, but save it for someone who’s stupid. I know you are with Julian, Lucian.”
“I’m a free agent now,” he says. “You get the first opportunity at recruitment.”
“And why would I want to do that?”
“Because you don’t have a choice,” he says. “You’ll die if Julian gets his hands on you. Or rot in a cell if Caleb does. Agree to work with me, and I’ll windwalk you out of here, and we will begin planning a way to show both Julian and Caleb who’s really in control.”
“Windwalking might kill me.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. There’s no maybe to Julian killing you or Caleb imprisoning you.”
“How do I know you won’t take me to Julian?”
“Because you are still alive, General. I could have easily windwalked behind you and slit your throat. But you have resources I want.” Footsteps sound nearby. A scurry of movement. “Now or never, General.”
I consider only a moment before lowering my gun. Lucian might think he’s in control now, but I have no doubt I’ll fix that, and fast. I might have lost the Red Dart crystal, but I still have serum and twelve soldiers GTECH-ready. Now that I know what the serum is capable of turning a man into, I’ll take precautions with conversion—a kill switch in their brains. This is not over. All I have to do is survive windwalking.
“Do it,” I order. Lucian steps forward and grabs me. The wind carries us away.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Addie
Tad is taken prisoner and windwalked to Sunrise City by Renegade soldiers.
Caleb and Creed spend a good deal of time talking with a top US military official.
And Creed’s mother agrees to come to Sunrise City and help our cause, and is en route with a band of Renegades for her protection. I’m not sure I trust her, but I believe she has a lot to offer, and she’s done a lot at this point to prove she deserves a chance. I’m just not sure Creed believes as much, but she’s done a lot to hurt him. Maybe in time.
When we finally return to the city, Creed and I retire to our room, inhale a meal, shower, and sleep.
We wake the next day and make love, shower together, and do it again. Creed doesn’t want to see his mother right now, and I don’t push him. He talks to me about it, though, and that feels like progress. It’s about a week before they have a mom-and-son breakfast, which I refuse to attend. I’m not sure what happened, but he’s cranky after. He does agree to another meeting, though.
My father is still missing, and truly, it’s hard to believe he’s so far from the good man I once believed him to be. I have moments when I feel lost to know both of my parents are gone because, alive or dead, my father is gone to me. But I’ve been made to feel like family at Sunrise City, and I’ve even kicked off my new program to help protect innocent women from abduction by holding regular meetings and working with law enforcement.
It's two weeks after all the craziness—no three, I realize. Time has flown by, and Creed and I have little habits, like we used to, that we’ve fallen into. Places in the city we eat and movies we love. Human locations he windwalks me to visit. It’s a time of quiet before a storm to follow, we all know, but there is a sense of all of us needing it.
One night, Creed declares a surprise we must windwalk to, and I smile with pleasure. “Yes. Please.” I really do love windwalking, though I’ve yet to develop the ability on my own. I’m hopeful, though.
A few minutes later, we’re at the peak of a magnificent mountaintop at the edge of the Grand Canyon, a blanket beneath us, the stars twinkling a song above, and a picnic basket in front of us that Emma had apparently packed for us to enjoy.
“It’s magnificent,” I say, forgetting the war raging around us and embracing this moment with the man I love. He’s calmer now and less scary to everyone around him, too, I’m told. It’s my fault, he’s proclaimed often. He needs to be scary. As if, I think, and smile over at him.