Chapter 25
Caden
“Why is the communication center so important?” I ask as we drive through the city center.
“Because it’s used less for communication and more for protection,” Hector says, looking edgy even though he tries to hide it.
“I built it when those two old AIs were fighting, and Father was planning to invade Colorado with his New-Humans. I needed to keep him blind from my city, but he ended up losing before he could become a real threat. Then it was the second AI who began snooping, so she needed to be kept out.”
“And if something happens to the communication center, will they gain important intel?”
“I’m less concerned about that than I am about them gaining control over the drones.”
I nod, realizing the gravity of the situation.
That means River must be stopped, assuming it really is him behind the attack.
I can’t help but wish it would be somebody else, because hurting River will hurt Josh, and hurting Josh…
I shake my head as I taste bile. The mere thought is sickening.
I swallow the nasty taste in my mouth and compose myself, but Hector watches me closely, all-knowing. “I’ll get it done,” I say.
We reach the compound of the communication center ten minutes later, and parts of it are already burning.
Guards lie on the ground, either dead or wounded, while the iron gate is still closed.
I climb out and force the gate to open so that the cars can enter.
The air is thick with the heavy scent of burning metal and plastic.
More bodies are scattered inside, and I’m becoming more convinced that River is behind this.
I’ve seen him in battle; his inhuman speed and his deadly precision.
Yet he failed to take down a New-Human on his own during the battle of Spring Spot, and I killed one only days ago.
Would he attack me on sight? Likely not, which means I might have a chance to take him down before he realizes I’m not his ally.
I could just injure him. He can’t fight if he’s injured, but would Hector consider that a failure?
I feel sick again, like something rotten shifting in my guts.
I should be braver. This is war after all, and war is never pretty.
The car parks inside the gated compound, and Finn and Hector climb out. Finn seems like he might faint, his eyes darting from side to side. He knows something he isn’t telling. He must have figured out the importance of this facility, but how the hell did he convey the message to River?
Eight soldiers of Hector’s personal guard have escorted us here, but I don’t want their support. If River sees me approaching with them, he’ll realize I’m his enemy, taking away my opportunity to overpower him quickly.
“Stay here,” I tell the soldiers, and before they can protest, I add, “That’s an order.”
Hector is the only one who can break my word, but he’s nodding his approval. Finn watches me with pleading eyes, or maybe it’s guilt for being responsible for this mess.
I turn away and walk deeper into the compound.
There are high structures around that River might use to jump on me.
I sharpen my hearing, but the crackling of the fire gets in the way.
Two large antennas lie shattered on the ground, but there are others that are still intact.
Is Mother already here, or is this place still salvageable?
Something explodes up ahead, sending more dark smoke into the sky.
I run toward it until I reach an open area where one of the structures is burning.
And there’s River, running toward another structure he likely wants to destroy.
Despite the distance between us, he senses my presence and sharply stops.
His long hair is now black. I’m sure he hated dyeing it.
“What are you doing?” I call, walking slowly toward him. We both have rifles strapped to our backs.
River scans my face, and his lack of surprise at my appearance is telling. But was it Finn who told him what happened or someone else in the city?
“I’m doing what’s right!” he calls back.
Despite the distance, I can hear how fast his heart is beating. Even with my newfound strength, he’s likely faster than me, which will give him an advantage if bullets start flying.
I take another step toward him. “You think that attacking Denver will end with a victory? What they have in—”
“—the sewers?”
Damn you, Finn. “Hector has been preparing for this moment, River! You have no idea what you’re facing. Leave now and tell Dino and the rest not to invade.”
“Then Hector will be the one invading!”
“It will be different. Less… bloody.” I don’t believe my own words, but I feel compelled to say them.
“You don’t have to help him!”
But I do. There is a certainty inside me that is undeniable. It’s flowing in my blood, entangled in my DNA. When I try to question it, something shifts in my brain and makes the doubts fade away.
“River, I don’t want to kill you.” I mean it. I know I have to stop him, but killing must be the last resort. I take off my rifle and throw it aside, knowing him well enough to expect he’ll do the same.
He takes off his own rifle, though he’s hesitant as he places it down. I walked hundreds of miles to bring him back to life, and now I might be forced to do the opposite if he doesn’t back down.
“Nobody needs to die,” I say, my palms open in front of me. “Just walk away and tell the others to stay back.”
“I’m not going to do that! Mother needs this place destroyed.”
“Mother should mind her own damn business!”
“Did you also want that when she helped destroy Vegas?”
I didn’t, but that was in another lifetime.
A sharp pain hits the center of my head and washes away my doubts, leaving me with a clear vision of what I must do. I can’t reason with this stubborn Semi, and I can’t let him cause any more damage to this facility.
I charge as fast as I can and reach him in seconds.
He dodges my fist, but I send another one and hit the side of his face.
Anybody else would have been knocked down by the impact, but he remains standing, though he seems dazed.
Before I can strike again, he growls and lunges at me, unbelievably fast. His fist collides with my stomach hard enough to make my spine crack.
I push through the pain and punch him in the chest, sending him flying backward. He coughs and struggles to stand. I hurry to reach him and grab him from behind, which turns out to be a mistake once he sends his fist up into my chin. I stagger back, blinking lights filling my eyes.
He rolls away and jumps to his feet. When he tries to run away, I manage to grab his shirt and pull him back, wrapping my arms around him tightly enough to hear his bones crack.
He hisses in pain and sends his head back, hitting my mouth and cutting my lips.
I spit blood on the ground and tighten my grip, forcing him down to his knees.
I’m going to break him—his bones, his ribs, his lungs… I can feel his skeleton giving in.
“You should’ve fucking left,” I hiss, unable to stop even though I hate what is happening.
A sharp pain suddenly erupts. I let go of River and fall back, watching my blood gush from a gunshot wound in my shoulder.
Next to me, River growls in pain, squirming on the ground.
I command my body to start healing the bleeding wound, then I look around to track my shooter.
I spot him standing on the roof of one of the tallest structures, aiming his sniper rifle at me.
Despite the distance, I see the tears sliding down Josh’s face.
“Stop!” he screams, but he’s already reloading for another shot.
I rise to my feet, ignoring the pain in my shoulder.
River remains on the ground, seemingly unconscious.
I can step on his head and smash his skull if I’m fast enough, but the thought of doing that in front of Josh makes my stomach swirl.
A faint sense of clarity washes over me, like peeking through a thick layer of smoke.
I glance down at my red and yellow blood that is already drying on the ground.
I’m bleeding Hector out of me.
With less of him in my bloodstream, his control wavers. But I already feel the smoke in my mind thickening again, giving me just a few more moments of clarity. I dash past River and grab his rifle from the ground. Josh fires a warning shot at my feet, but I didn’t grab the rifle to fight anyone.
I press the muzzle against my thigh and squeeze the trigger.
The bullet pierces through my flesh and hits the ground, shattering my bone.
I scream as blood gushes out from the wound, bringing with it another dose of clarity.
How much do I need to bleed to get rid of Hector?
With how quickly my body is fighting to heal itself, it’s starting to feel like a lost cause.
You fool, Hector says in my head. His voice is clearer than it has been since he gave me his final gift. It dawns on me that by bleeding him out, I’m also losing my defenses and allowing him to slip back into my mind.
I look up at Josh. He’s watching me with eyes filled with fear.
Get rid of him! Hector screams inside my brain.
I shake my head and slap my face to shut him up.
If these moments of clarity are the last ones I have, I can’t let them go to waste.
I press the muzzle of the rifle underneath my chin, my finger on the trigger.
Before I can fire the bullet that will end this madness, Josh shoots the rifle out of my hands, sending it flying in pieces.
I grunt in anger. He has no grasp of what might happen if I don’t stop Hector’s control over me.
I can try grabbing River’s rifle, but Josh will likely shoot that one as well.
I have one other alternative, though it will be much more painful.
I run as fast as I can on my wounded leg toward the burning structure that River destroyed earlier.
Josh shoots the ground to stop me, but if I don’t do this, his death will likely follow.
I’m going to make everything right again by burning down Hector’s champion. He can lead his damn army by himself.
The air turns blisteringly hot as I near the flames, and a horrifying thought crosses my mind. My body will try to heal itself as I burn. It will eventually fail, but the pain will drive me mad. And yet, I see no other choice. This has to stop.
Before I can lunge and engulf myself in fire, someone slams into me with unbelievable force.
I’m thrown sideways, landing hard on the ground.
Through the pulsing pain, I raise my head to see a blurry figure coming toward me.
My instincts urge me to defend myself, but there is no point since I was trying to end my life.
When my attacker leans over me, I notice long, red hair.
“Lyla?”
“Sorry about this, friend.” She slams her fist into my face hard enough to send me to oblivion.