Prologue #2
“Put your bags in the trunk,” Official Gould says from beside my father without looking up. She’s pointing at different places in the contract for my father to sign. The shiny fountain pen flies across the paperwork as he signs my life away without hesitation.
Like I’m property.
I do as she says and lug the flimsy suitcase down the porch stairs, my trusty backpack slung over my shoulder.
The mousy Beta assistant meets me halfway, taking the suitcase from my sweaty palms with something between a smile and a grimace.
Once we vanish behind the car with the trunk open, her demeanor undergoes an abrupt change. The simpering assistant is gone, replaced by a commanding young woman.
“Listen to me carefully, Halley,” she whispers, gripping my upper arm tightly, her fingers digging into my flesh, demanding my attention.
“You don’t want to go where Official Gould is taking you. I promise you.” Her words are hurried but firm.
I squint and then nod slowly.
All of my instincts are screaming at me that whatever the Companionship Program is, it’s not good. I don’t like the sudden change of plans or not knowing where I’m going. The colossal sum of money being paid to my family seems like hush money.
The Beta holds my gaze, forcing me to focus on her every word. “I’m going to give you a chance to save yourself, okay?”
Save myself? Surely there’s nothing I can do. My father is taking the money. I’m bought and paid for.
“There’s somewhere you can go. Somewhere you’ll be safe and protected by the law. Legally, no one can touch you once you get there. Do you understand?”
I don’t understand, but I nod anyway, caught up in her demanding energy.
“Do you have a phone?”
I shake my head. No one I know has a mobile phone. They’re reserved for the upper classes.
“What about a tablet?”
I shake my head again. We barely have electricity.
“Shit!” she hisses under her breath, but quickly collects herself. She digs in her pocket and pulls out what appears to be her personal phone. Tapping quickly, she pulls up a map and types in an address.
Barkrood Military Base.
It’s an eight-hour drive away.
“I don’t have a car,” I squeak. My mind is racing.
If she’s right, I can make this nightmare end. With each passing second, my inner instincts are screaming louder.
Do. Not. Go. With. Official. Gould.
I’m not a rebel. Frack, I feel guilty when I sneak an extra slice of cake. I’ve lived a small and humble life, hidden from society to protect my future. A future that just blew up in front of my eyes.
This is the big leagues. What this stranger is suggesting is tantamount to treason. Omegas are a tightly controlled asset from the moment they have their first heat. I’ll be hunted down like a criminal.
“Okay, okay, okay,” she chants as she scans the yard. It’s littered with rusting farm equipment and scrap.
“How about that truck?” She points to my father’s pickup he uses to get to and from work. It’s clunky and old, but carefully maintained. It’d make it eight hours to Barkrood Base. Probably.
I nod at the Beta. “The keys are always in the ignition.”
The assistant presses the phone into my sweaty palm. “Follow these directions. If you need to stop, pull off the road and hide somewhere remote. They’ll be looking for you.”
My deep, shaky breath fans around us. I can hear the low voices of Official Gould and my father negotiating a term of my contract.
Hurt squeezes in my chest. How can he so casually sell my freedom? I’m his daughter. Isn’t he supposed to want me to be happy and safe? He knows nothing about where I’m being sent or what will happen to me.
“When you get to the base, say these words exactly. ‘I seek sanctuary in The Omega Division.’ Ask for General Stone. Don’t take no for an answer. They have a legal requirement to enlist you.”
My father lets out a booming laugh of joy, and it’s the final knife in my gut. The stab of betrayal shoves me into action.
I don’t let myself think. If I do, I’ll chicken out, and I don’t have the luxury to waste time.
I’ve decided. I’m not anyone’s possession to sell.
The assistant’s grip tightens, and I meet her steady gaze.
“Good luck, Omega Sparks.”
I sprint to the truck, my second-hand sneakers pounding against the dry, cracked ground.
The truck’s door hinges scream as I wrench it open. I slip on the footstep as I scramble into the cabin.
My hands shake violently, and I fumble with the key.
The engine roars to life.
“Halley?” my father calls from the porch.
I’ve only ever driven the farm truck to do chores, and I hope it’s the same principle. Handbrake off. Clutch in. Stick to first gear.
“What is she doing?” Official Gould spits at my father. He rises from his chair, disbelief followed by rage flashing over his bearded face.
The truck lurches forward with a jolt and I wrench the steering wheel towards the driveway.
“Halley!” my father hollers, his voice cracking with fury.
I don’t look back. I can’t. I know if I do, I’ll lose my nerve and give in to my father’s demands.
“Where is she going?!” Official Gould screeches as the truck picks up speed, bouncing wildly.
Family members emerge from their homes. Familiar curious faces blur as my eyes sting with unshed tears. I press harder on the gas pedal and focus on the road.
I’m not sad to be leaving them. They’ve never made me feel like I belonged. Always the odd one out. The Omega.
I reach the end of the dirt driveway and jerk the steering wheel sharply to the right. The truck fishtails, skidding and spewing rocks behind me like a final farewell to my past. I leave the plume of dust behind as I accelerate onto the surfaced road.
I’m not a gambler, but I’m betting everything on the word of a stranger.
I’ll go to the military base. I’ll ask for sanctuary and see where my fate takes me. It has to be better than whatever the Companionship Program is.
The truck roars as I push it faster, hoping I’ve gotten far enough ahead of the government car that’s bound to follow.
“I seek sanctuary in ‘The Omega Division’,” I say to myself, trying the words out. My heart thumps wildly in my chest as I try to imagine what I’m walking into.
The Beta had seemed so sure I’d be safe there, but I know nothing about the military or this mysterious Omega Division.
I can’t picture my future. It’s a blank canvas.
Fear is quivering through me, but I’m also overcome by a wave of elation.
I roll down the window and let the wind lash at my hair.
For the first time in my life, I’m in control.
Manic laughter ripples from me, and a wide grin splits my face. I throw my head back, grip the steering wheel, and howl like a wild beast.
It’s my first bite of adventure, and I like the taste.