by Sarah | Nov 18, 2011 | Escaping Humanity, Writing
The Saga Continues. Mary and I have been itching to get more of this story out. So we’ve decided to publish twice weekly installments. Once a week will still be the Indie Ink Writing Challenge and the other will be a prompt we have given each other.
Since we alternate every posting, you start here with Chapter 7 and then head over to Mary’s site with Chapter 8 of “Escaping Humanity”!
For those that have missed this from the beginning, you can find the complete story description and chapter listing HERE.
*~*~*~*
Dawn was approaching too fast. Soon she would have to find shelter. Chantalle had been traveling for the better part of six months now. Only at night. During that time she’d kept moving. Avoiding the risk of being caught by anyone remotely anti-mutant.
Beyond the cities that now lay in rumbles people were gathering. No. Humans were gathering. Trying to rebuild. To grow some food on the usable land that was left behind. Some were successful, and she’d seen the joy of people coming together and forming families out of the darkness.
For the most part she’d avoided the settlements, although sometimes the appeal of a hot cooked meal was too much. She only caved in mutant sympathetic settlements.
She was fortunate. She could tell when they were mutant sympathetic. She could tell if they were mutants in hiding. Most of the time she could give you a general rundown of their entire life history if asked for it.
Seeing a person’s aura gave you an inordinate amount of information once you learned the proper way to read them. Since that was the primary mutation she’d developed, she’d made sure to learn fast how to understand them.
Some days it was all that kept her alive.
The horse danced beneath her, pulling her back to her present situation. There were few options for shelter in the middle of nowhere like she was. While Indiana had mostly come out unscathed, it was only because there was a lot of open land. Filled with cornfields instead of possible hidden groups of mutants.
The ground was battle scarred, mostly from the after-war skirmishes that still raged between the military and mutants or sympathizers. Still, it was wide open. Only a few barns to shelter her. The closest had animals inside, so it was still in use.
Somewhere there had to be an abandoned barn. With a kick to the ribs she got her horse moving again, galloping through the faint light searching for a run down barn, a cluster of trees, somewhere to take shelter for the day. To sleep and recover.
A few more miles through the fields she saw the perfect barn. Not so run down that it could cave in on her, but obviously falling from disuse.
Unfortunately it was occupied. By one person.
Chantalle frowned, studying the aura in the barn with care. It was a mutant. For the most part she’d left mutants alone as well. Too many were far too paranoid and her general friendliness and understanding tended to freak them out more. It was far too lonely an existence for the people person she’d once been.
Just as she thought she’d have to move on, to leave this mutant alone her memory caught up to her. There was something familiar about this person.
She knew him.
A grin crossed her features and she led the horse to the barn, slipping down just outside. It was easy to tell he was sleeping and she hated to startle a mutant that was alone. There was no choice, the sun was coming up over the horizon. She pulled the door open and led her horse inside, pulling the door closed.
As she’d hoped the loud creak of the door had managed to wake up the sleeping mutant, but he was hiding now. His indecision was clear, so she moved forward, “Dr. Carter?”
There was a tiny squeak of surprise, but he didn’t move. As expected, suspicion tempered his moves. There was something else too. He was different, something major had happened. An injury, although his pain had been minimal. Probably a side effect of his mutation had helped.
“Dr. Carter. Maybe you remember me? I’m Chantalle Fries. Last year, you set my leg after the destruction of the city. You saved my leg, you saved me. Do you remember?” Chantalle moved forward, tossing the reins around a post. “Of course, my leg isn’t as important now that Broadway is nothing but rubble.”
“Chantalle,” he whispered. “I remember.”
“Good. Then you remember that I’m a mutant too, right?”
“You joked about your name.” His voice was still a whisper, hard to hear. “Said it was hilarious. Chanteuse means singer, and that’s what you were.”
“That’s right.”
“Complex displaced fracture of the fibia, complete fracture of tibia. Result of crushing with loose fragments. You needed surgery. I couldn’t move you, left you in the care of a friend of yours. We were supposed to return. Take you back when you were able to travel. I never made it back.”
“No. I feared the worst for you.” She moved around the corner of the stall he was hidden in. “Don’t feel bad, though. Dixon took great care of me. Once I was well enough to fend for myself he left New York to find his family.”
“You healed well, then?”
“I sure did. I’m surprised to find you out here in the middle of nowhere. You told me about the compound, I’ve been trying to get there. It’s slow going, just me and the horse. What about you? Where’s your wife?”
“Charlotte.” A wave of grief crashed over him with a blast of dark purple that consumed his aura. “I don’t know. We got separated. Indianapolis and St. Louis were among the last cities hit. We were trying to help some orphaned mutant children. She went to St. Louis. I came to Indiana. I just remember the explosion. The screams of the children, my own screams.”
Chantalle knelt in front of Dr. Carter, setting her hand on his arm. “Dr. Carter?” There was no way to stop her gasp when he lifted his head. The right side of his face was mutilated with scars, the eye she remembered as a stunning blue now white and dead.
His left eye moved in her direction, but it was slow and couldn’t seem to look right at her. “I was found by a sympathizer. Thankfully I was able to keep myself out of pain by numbing my own nerves, but I had no medical care.”
“Where is the sympathizer?”
“She’s gone. I guess she was already sick when the war came. Weak heart. She died a few weeks ago during a skirmish.” Dr. Carter’s hand shook as he ran it through his hair, “She helped keep the wounds clean, and even stitched some up for me, but there was no way to get me real medical care. My face and blood are among those tagged.”
“How have you survived?” Chantalle took a shaky breath and sat next to him. The wounds were bad, but she was relieved his suffering had been kept to a minimum. For her surgery she’d been appreciative of his unique mutation. Without any access to anesthetic he’d been able to operate while she was fully awake, and she hadn’t felt a thing. His ability to dull the nerves or make them fully alive in an attack had been one she’d declared the ‘coolest’ she’d ever seen. “What about food? How can you go anywhere?”
“Tracy had laid me in with some supplies every couple of weeks. I’ve been stretching them out. Right now I’ve been trying to figure out how to get back to the compound when I can only see shadows and light in one eye. I have to find out if Charlotte is alive. If she survived the attack on St. Louis.” His breath came out in a long exhaled attempt to keep calm, “She’s all I’ve got now.”
Chantalle smiled, “Well then, Dr. Carter I think I can help. I really do hate being by myself and I was heading to that compound too. If you aren’t afraid of horses, my buddy Shiksa and I can help you travel.”
“Afraid of horses? I was raised on a farm. I bred horses.” For the first time since she’d shown up there was a bit of hope in brightening up the layers of his aura. Even still, the sadness and longing for the love he remembered kept it dull.
“Good. Then at dusk we’ll set out again.” She squeezed his arm, “Don’t you worry, Dr. Carter. I’m the best at keeping away from troops and snitches. The best liars can’t hide the nastiness of their auras. I’ll get you home and back to your wife.”
“Thank you Chantalle. And please, call me Neil. I’m hardly a doctor anymore.”
“Okay, I’ll call you Neil. I have one stipulation to that, though.”
“What?”
“Don’t give up hope. Don’t ever give that up. It’s all we’ve got.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
For this installment, Mary prompted me with “Love Remembered” and I prompted her with “Oath Bound.”
by Sarah | Nov 13, 2011 | Challenge, Escaping Humanity, Writing
The Saga Continues. Since we alternate every week, you start at Mary’s site with Chapter 5 of “Escaping Humanity” – then come back here and read Chapter 6!!!
For those that have missed this from the beginning, you can find the complete story description and chapter listing HERE.
*~*~*~*
James led Annie down the hall quick as he could. The sooner he could pass her off, the sooner he could go let off some steam. Something about being near this woman was making his already taut nerves shatter.
For her part, Annie was still laughing under her breath. Apparently tension made her giddy. Either that or she was cracking under the pressure. Around here it wasn’t an uncommon event.
“Here we are,” he pushed open Warren’s office door. The brief relief he’d felt flew away at the empty space inside. “Dammit.”
“What?” Annie followed him in, a soft gasp interrupting the smile she’d still been sporting. “Oh my.”
James left the door open while she scanned the wall of monitors in Warren’s office. Just as he was about to grab his cell to text him, it buzzed with an incoming text.
Something came up. Be there soon as we can.
“Damn.” He shoved the phone back in his pocket, “Cyber’s been delayed. Have a seat. We’ll wait here.”
She took a seat, then looked up at him, “Are we going to sit in sullen silence? Or do you want to tell me about this telethon?”
“You don’t remember that either?”
“I told you. I don’t remember anything before the battle.”
James sighed, “Fine. The telethon. It was supposed to be to raise money and awareness as to what mutants really were. To help those hurt by the military, and their families. It was all my Mom’s idea.”
*~*
Five Years Earlier (2018)
“No. I don’t want this to be a parade or a freak show for the viewing public’s fun and pleasure.” Talisa slammed down her clipboard, “We aren’t a circus side show. This is serious. Any day now they could launch an all out attack.”
Roark walked up behind her and rubbed her shoulders, “I agree, Li – but we also have to make some bit of a show. There has to be at least a few mutants that have physical abnormalities. Everyone that we use has volunteered for it. They know what they’re getting into.”
James’ hands clenched together and his low growl rumbled through the room, “This whole thing is a freak show! Why don’t we just fight already? I’m sick of the subterfuge. You’ve got Cyber running so many pathways for this thing the entire country is wired for battle! I’m sick of hiding!”
“James,” Talisa’s voice switched in a flash. The frustration melting into concern and warmth he knew she reserved for all of her kids. Her hand smoothed along his head before rubbing his back, “If we go to an all out war, the destruction could be extreme. Right now our best defense is counteracting the propaganda. This telethon will take a large leap in that direction.”
“We’re taking every precaution to make sure that everything about this telethon is safe.” Roark didn’t approach, but his concern was laced into the warmth of his voice. Underneath it he was as tense as James, and James knew it. “Cyber is running all the interference necessary, making everything unhackable by even the best military minds. There are p.o. boxes all over the country in the offices where our best mutants are working. If this fails, you may just get your wish.”
“It’s not a wish,” Talisa snapped. “We don’t want a war. It would be too vast, too huge. So many innocent lives, both human and mutant, would be lost. I like a good fight as much as either of you, but I don’t want an all out war.”
“No one does,” Roark sighed.
“It’s going to happen.” James shrugged off Talisa’s hand and stood up. “Don’t delude yourselves into thinking this freak show is going to do anything but make them angrier. Make them hunt us down even harder. I’m supposed to be protecting our people!”
“And you do protect them.” Talisa frowned, “But we have to do whatever we can. Make people know what we are. How we were created.”
“Look at everyone here, James.” Roark pointed outside the windows of the office they were in. The crew was setting up for the first hour of the telethon. Both humans and mutants greeted each other like old friends. Some were starting to take their seats behind the phones. Others were showing off their mutations to each other. “They all have hope for something better. We need to foster the hope, not the fear.”
“You’ve turned into such a weak old man,” James snarled. “I remember when you both used to fight first and bother with science later.”
The sharp sting at the back of his head was the only warning before Talisa had him pinned on the floor. Her own snarl was deep and harsh. Pressure drove into his trachea, cutting off his air supply, “We lost a lot of good people that way. I almost didn’t live the last time we tried it that way. If the day comes that we need to fight you know we will be there on the front lines. Right now we are doing whatever we can to keep you and your brothers and sisters alive for as long as we possibly can! You need to stop being such an angry little brat and start using the brain I created you with!”
“Li,” Roark pulled her back against him. “Let him breathe.”
James coughed once the air started returning to his lungs. “Dammit, Ma!”
Roark growled low, “Remember son. We’ve been fighting since before you were created. You have the need for battle in you, but you haven’t had to live with nearly half the consequences we have. I hope you never have to.”
“I hope I never get as weak as you two have.” James spun on his heel and slammed the door behind him.
*~*
Back to 2023
James jaw clenched, staring at his clenched fists in his lap. The consequences he’d ended up facing were far worse than he’d ever expected. Worse than his parents had ever expected. “I was right. Everything escalated after the telethon. Within a year all out war had started. Small skirmishes grew into larger battles. Then a year ago the militaries sent out the mass destruction efforts.”
“And your mom was right about the innocent lives,” Annie’s voice was soft.
“To say the least.” James straightened up, pulling his phone out of his pocket. After he sent off a quick text he hopped to his feet. “Gotta go. Cyber will be here soon.”
“Wait. What?” Her face fell and she rose to her feet, “I’m just supposed to sit and wait?”
“Something like that. I don’t care. Just know that every move you make will be watched.” James walked to the door and closed it behind him. The memory had shaken him too much; he couldn’t be around anyone like her while he dealt with it. She was a stranger. An unknown. It had to stay that way.
“That was rude, big brother.” Charlotte touched his arm. The concern in her eyes let him know how much she’d overheard, “Go on. Lynx is waiting for you in the training room. I think after that you need it. I’ll wait with Anna.”
“Annie. She wants to be called Annie.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
by Sarah | Nov 6, 2011 | Challenge, Escaping Humanity, Writing
The Saga Continues. Since we alternate every week, you start here with Part 3 of “Escaping Humanity” – click HERE to go to Mary’s site and read Part 4!
*~*~*~*
Ilana sat on the stone banister of the steps in front of Anna’s apartment. On the surface she kept her features stoic, almost bored. For anyone that passed by the dirt under her nails was all that had her attention.
Inside she was laughing her ass off. James’ internal dialogue about the woman he was attempting to ‘save’ was just too much.
Dammit, she’s a stubborn one. What the hell does she have in that bag? Could we be tracked because of it? After a pause, he went right back to admiring her again. For someone that’s dying she’s got a hell of a figure.
Ilana sighed, picking at some actual dirt beneath a nail. James was a great warrior, an excellent tracker. Underneath it all he was always disgustingly male. She shut down the telepathic energy in her brain to stop listening in on his next series of thoughts. As amusing as some of his thoughts could be, she didn’t like watching porno. Plus, when he switched back to suspicion again, and he inevitably would, it would make her paranoid.
She hated being paranoid. Yes, they were living in a really shitty time. There were few people you could trust. Yes, she was fully aware of every danger lurking around every corner. Yes, she knew all too well how much the minds of the military had been corrupted into believing mutants were an evil insidious race.
Before the war had gone from covert military action to all out fighting, Ilana had been anything but paranoid. There’d been a time when she was anything but dark and depressed. There were days before she was nothing but a Guardian living only to protect her people and kill those that would kill them.
Unlike her parents, all of their kids had been born mutants. Ilana had been the most unique of them all. Instead of one mutation, or even two, Ilana had been able to call on any of the mutations her family members had. At will. Just as easy she could push it away like it had never been there.
She’d been pegged as a Guardian of her people. The embodiment of ancient tales of a shape shifter born to protect that had come to life.
Believing that, Ilana knew she’d been spoiled. Rotten as the day was long, she’d been a difficult child for her mother.
The War had changed all of that.
Guardian.
What a joke.
She hadn’t been able to stop the destruction of her tribe’s lands. She hadn’t been able to save her own parents.
“Illy,” James’ voice was soft. His hand on her shoulder was warm. “I left you alone too long again.”
James understood. His self-loathing over what had happened to their parents was close to equal to what she carried. Aware now of the tears lingering on her cheeks, she wiped at them and forced forward a smile. “I’m fine, Jimmy. This her?”
In a brief thinning of the dust cloud still darkening the sky, the young woman’s blonde hair shimmered a bit red. At first her blue eyes were wide with shock, but inevitably narrowed in suspicion.
“Yup. Insisted she bring a bag. Think you can haul this load?”
Ilana smirked, despite Anna’s anger-flushed skin. James’ intent had been to make her smile, not insult Anna. Even if he had managed to do both with a skill she almost envied. “Be nice, Jimmy. She’s got no idea what’s going on. Although with her mutation I have no idea how she couldn’t.”
“The war,” Anna straightened up like she was putting her backbone back into place. Admirable, even if it was an act. Without reading Anna’s mind, Ilana could see how worried and afraid she was. It was something they were all too used to seeing these days. Everyone they rescued wore the thin lips, wide eyes and pale flesh of fear. “New York City is pretty much dead. I can find signals out, but so much information is controlled or encrypted beyond what I can do.”
“Cyber,” Ilana said at the same time as James.
They both laughed and James nodded at her, “Exactly. I’m guessing whatever information Anna got a hold of was all military propaganda. Cyber is intent on protecting everything else from those that would use it to hurt us.”
“So you want the world to think the military is right?” Anna huffed, “Because if he’s blocking all of that information, no one is getting it!”
“He’s trying to make sure mutants are safe. There are more military now than mutants, or even humans. General Steele has all the power. More than the President who’s only a figure head these days.” Ilana sighed, “We have to be careful who gets their hands on what until we have a better idea what position we are in.”
“For what?”
“To fight back.” James lifted his chin, his lips curling up in an eager grin. “To pay back the bastards that created us only to try to destroy us all.”
“You look excited at the thought that this war isn’t over.” Anna adjusted her bag, taking a step back. “Haven’t we had enough?”
Ilana pursed her lips, “James. Is the distraction set into place? We should get out of here as soon as possible.”
Before James could answer a loud scream echoed through the remains of the buildings all around them. James grinned as it was followed by gunfire and high pitched female laughter. An explosion shook the ground, “I think she’s got it covered. Why didn’t you check yourself?”
“Because I didn’t want to hear your sick and twist thoughts, thanks for asking. You okay to get back to the plane?” Ilana rolled her shoulders, preparing for what she had to do next. In a blink she pulled on the one mutation she was born with and could never dismiss. Shape shifting.
“I’m fine. I’ll probably help out Lynx and meet you back there.”
“Fine. Just remember – you could still be killed!” Ilana frowned, knowing that he’d heard her even though he’d started running before she’d been close to finishing.
His voice echoed back in his gleeful shout, “Failure is not an option!!”
Ilana rolled her eyes, “Well then, Anna are you ready to get away from the chaos?”
Anna clutched her bag to her chest, staring where James had disappeared. What little color had been in her face was gone. Pale as a ghost, the dark circles under her eyes added to the effect of death. Maybe she wasn’t wrong. Maybe she was dying.
Ilana moved closer and touched her arm, “I know it’s overwhelming, Anna. I know James is a total idiot and handled this poorly. I mean really, I know there’s only a very small patch of Central Park left – but even post war it’s the last place you’d go to meet a stranger. Lynx and I came to late to stop his idiotic move there. Really, though. We’re the good guys. If there is such a thing.”
Anna trembled but nodded, “He’s a jerk.”
“Let’s get moving. Those two will only be able to distract the soldiers for so long. Once they scatter, our chance to escape will be lessened.”
Anna took a shaky breath, “But how will we leave?”
Ilana grinned, pulling her shoulders forward as wings grew out of her back. They stretched out to full length under Anna’s wide-eyed gaze. “We’re going to fly.”
“What the hell?”
“Yeah. I get that a lot. There’s a lot you have to learn, Anna. Don’t worry, I’m stronger than I look. We’ll get to the plane long before those two animals do.” Ilana stepped closer, “I know. It’s weird being picked up by a girl, but it’s going to happen.”
Anna’s weak protest was ignored as Ilana scooped her up and bent her knees. “Don’t hold your breath, Anna. That makes it worse.”
With a push she flew straight up into the air, making it to the dust clouds as quick as she could. It wouldn’t help them if any of the soldiers saw them before they hit the cover of the dust clouds.
Ilana didn’t need to see to fly back to their plane. Her sense of direction was impeccable. To her fortune Anna had gone completely still. If the woman had fought it would have been a bigger problem. Instead they made it to the plane with little trouble.
The barn they’d hidden it in was next to a burned out field. The barn itself was scorched and half falling over. Ilana pulled open the door of the barn, “Our plane is inside. It’s nothing fancy, but it gets us there. Cyber’s trying to build us something much nicer and stealthier – but parts are hard to come by. James will be along soon.”
“Seriously. What are you people?”
“Mutants.”
“I know that. What are you?”
Ilana’s amusement faded. “We’re what the military created with their virus, Anna. Thousands of mutants created because they tried to make super soldiers and instead spread a virus across the planet. In return for their blunder, they tried to find us all and kill us. You were there, you should know this.”
“I don’t remember.” Anna pulled her bag close, “I just remember the end. The day the city was destroyed. Before that – I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Then when we get back home you’ll get a history lesson. Right now all you need to know is that we are the ones fighting for survival. Mutants aren’t an insidious species. We are the victims of a virus. We just want to survive. To live. Like everyone else. Now please get on the plane. Hold onto the armrest, this plane has no stealth. We’ll be in for a bumpy ride.”
“I’m already on a bumpy ride.”
“It’ll get worse before it gets better.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
by Sarah | Nov 1, 2011 | Challenge, Escaping Humanity
My good friend, alpha reader, and all around awesome individual Mary & I decided to have a little fun with our challenges. For at least the next few weeks we are going to joint write a story using prompts alone as our guide. So, if you want to see Part 1 of “Escaping Humanity” – click HERE to go to her site and read it!
*~*~*~*
Well if everything hadn’t just gotten exponentially complicated. Most missions James had been on went smoothly. Mutants were scattered everywhere now, still being picked off by military that had been kept safe in hidden locations when the worst had hit.
James’ own home had been destroyed, the reservation that had housed not only a large Lenape tribe, but many mutants. His parents, fighting on the front lines had been blown up in front of his own eyes. The loss of them had been almost too much for him and his brothers and sisters to bear. Only the thought of keeping the people they held dear together had made any of them move forward.
Now what was left of the tribe had gathered in Montana. They had started rebuilding a life there. One that had become a sanctuary for many mutants. The Lenape had always accepted those that had developed mutations from the virus, so keeping the easy rapport had made sense.
His Mom’s old friend Warren had returned to the states with his wife Abigail. Since then, they’d been working to find as many mutants as possible to take to safety before the military found them. It was his job, along with his sister Ilana, to gather them up and bring them back.
Now there was this one. Anna. The young woman in front of him was a mutant, her response to his statement had been proof enough.
But dying? That complicated things. While Abigail was an excellent doctor, medicine was hard to come by. They had to rely on the land for most of it. Raiding abandoned hospitals was their next bet.
Maybe this was a case of mistaken identity. None of Anna’s records that they’d found had revealed any doctors at all. “Are you sure?”
Her scoffing laugh was enough of an answer, but she elaborated. “Yes, I’m sure. Or do you think I said it to make you go away?”
“Well that would be stupid. It would make me more determined to get you out of here. Somewhere that you can be cared for.”
“So you’ll take me some place I don’t know so that I can die with an audience? No thanks.”
“No. So that maybe you can get help.” He couldn’t stop the sneer that formed. “Or would you rather stay a spoiled brat and be killed in a far worse way then whatever is killing you?”
“Excuse me?” While moments before she’d been a bit trepidatious, she now showed him a bit of fire under her tired features; a fire that raged even more when she moved toward him. “You don’t know anything. So just go away or I will make you.”
A smile tugged at his lips, but he kept it in check. “I’m not leaving without you. There are people out there that will torture and kill you just for being a mutant. Spirits forbid the military get a hold of you. I can take you somewhere with a doctor and that’s safe.”
“I have absolutely no reason to trust you.”
“No. You don’t. Just…hold on.” He pulled out the ringing cell phone in his pocket and flipped it open. Keeping in mind the woman in front of him, he used Warren’s code name, “Yeah, Cy? What did you need? There’s been a complication. It’s taking too long to get her out of here.”
“A cell phone? There’s no active tower here!” Anna moved toward him, her eyes glued to the device.
James held up his hand to silence her and keep her at a distance, “No. She’s giving me trouble. Not frightened and desperate like most of them. She didn’t know what she was.”
“How could she not know? With the war, I thought everyone knew.” Warren’s voice raised a few decibels with his disbelief. “That’s what the damn war was about!”
“Look, I’m not paid to psychoanalyze the nutcases.”
“You’re not paid.”
“Exactly.” James looked over at Anna, feeling a little lift of satisfaction at her scoff of defiance. “She doesn’t trust me.”
“You got a mug like your Dad’s. I’m not surprised. Put her on the phone for me.”
James quirked a brow, but held out the phone. “Anna. Cyber wants to talk to you.”
She snatched the phone away, “Hello?”
James didn’t let on that he could hear every word. He walked to the window and looked out as Warren started to talk.
“Hello, Anna. Have you figured out my trail yet?”
The lingering silence almost brought a chuckle out of the depths of darkness James always carried these days. Almost.
“I’m not sure what you mean.” Anna recovered, but too late for them to not know she was bluffing. “What trail? There’s a strange man in my living room, and one on a cell phone in an area with no towers.”
“Don’t play dumb. It’s beneath your capabilities. Have you figured out how I got this cell phone to work? Have you followed my trail all the way to where I am?” Warren did chuckle into the line, but it was brief and respectably short.
“Not all the way,” she whispered. As if it would mean he wouldn’t hear her. “I’m tied up somewhere around what used to be Chicago. Where are you?”
So Warren had been right. Her mutation was the same as his. Being able to communicate with computers and through the internet using just their brain.
Warren smiled, “Despite the ground destruction in Chicago, many of the lines and towers survived. It’s easy to get signals twisted around there. That’s why I always use it as a hub. Don’t feel bad. For every hack you try, I’ve already got a counterattack in place. You’re not supposed to be able to get past Chicago.”
“How do you know?”
“If you want to know that, you’ll have to come and see for yourself.” Warren wasn’t an idiot, he knew James could hear. Without changing his tone of voice he spoke, “James. What is the complication?”
“You mean besides the ground troops heading this way?” James still didn’t turn around, but he could almost feel daggers being glared into his back. “She says she’s dying. I have no confirmation of the fact.”
“I am.” There was almost a sob in her voice, but then it was gone. “I don’t need a doctor to tell me that.”
“I see. Well, we have an amazing doctor here, Anna. We also have managed to procure a decent amount of equipment and medicine. Please, let us try to help.” Warren sighed, “How close are they, James?”
“Two miles. Give or take.”
“He’s spot on, Anna. He always is. I think it’s best to take your chance with James over those troops.” Warren’s tone was warm, but concerned. “The military will do whatever it takes to rid the earth of mutants. You don’t want to be caught.”
“I’ve passed their sweeps before without incident.” Anna was unsure, her voice lacking any conviction. When James turned around he saw how wide her eyes were. Fear.
“Maybe you would this time. But now you know what you are. It’s much harder to fake when you know the truth.”
James shook his head, “I’m done with the pleasantries, Cyber. We need to get out of here. They know my face and we will have trouble.”
“Okay!” Anna gasped when he advanced toward her. “I’ll go. I need to pack.”
“No time. Give me the phone. We’re leaving now.”
For a moment it looked like she’d be stubborn. Then she handed him his phone with a frown, “And just how are you going to get us out of here without them catching us?”
“Oh, I have my ways. Now let’s move. We have clothes and food at the reservation.”
“Wait. I need one thing.”
It took all his effort to not shout and scream at her to move. Instead he gave a short nod, “You have thirty seconds.”
She was back in fifteen, a large purse that might have been called a small suitcase slung over her shoulder. “Okay. I’m ready.”
“Good. I have one rule. Until we get there you do as I say. Remember, your life depends on it.”
“Doesn’t mean much to a dying woman.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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The Saga Continues. Mary and I have been itching to get more of this story out. So we’ve decided to publish twice weekly installments. Once a week will still be the Indie Ink Writing Challenge and the other will be a prompt we have given each other. 
