The Returning Read online

  “Please—we have done all you asked,” the man said.

  “I said get back!” the guard yelled, but he kept his gun pointed toward his assigned group for fear that turning his weapon to the old man would spur more outbreaks.

  “Dalen,” a woman pleaded from the spot in line where the man had been. Her eyes were filled with tears as if the worst had already happened.

  Wife, Nicolas thought. That made it better. He felt the twitch behind his cheek and it ached with fury. He had unleashed the beast and now it couldn’t be contained.

  “Please,” the man said again, but Nicolas had heard enough. In one quick movement, he pulled his weapon from his side, aimed it at the old man, took one short breath, and pulled the trigger. The bullet sailed through the air flawlessly and landed dead center in the man’s forehead.

  For a moment the echo of the gunshot off the mountain wall was the only sound, and then a thunderous cry replaced it as the woman who’d been calling for the older man screamed in anguish. She tried to rush forward, but those around her held her back as her vocal cords broke the sky.

  A sliver of pleasure blossomed in Nicolas’s chest accompanied by more delicious evil filling him with power. He watched for a short moment as blood from the fallen man’s head trickled across the dirt; then he turned back to Carrington, whose cheeks were dampened with tears.

  He knelt beside her, wrapped one hand around the back of her neck, and yanked her head toward him. She moaned in pain, and Nicolas’s power lust escalated.

  “You did this,” Nicolas said, as he forcefully turned Carrington’s head to face the dead old man only a few yards away.

  More tears escaped her eyes and her broken bottom lip quivered.

  The city remained still as Nicolas lifted the syringe and injected its contents into Carrington’s arm. He heard Remko let out a muffled cry as the Genesis Serum made its way into her bloodstream.

  Remko remained on his knees, tears wetting his cheeks, his eyes glued to his fallen wife, his face filled with pain. Cries dotted the air as the city of Trylin accepted the death of one of their own. Nicolas watched as a milky cloud covered Carrington’s vision and snuffed out the light that had been shining there before. The rest would have the same fate, and then they would know that his power had defeated their light.

  Tic, tic.

  20

  Sam and Franklin led the group through the city, just as they had promised. It took them a couple of hours, moving slowly so as not to gain any unwanted attention, using alleyways and less traveled streets.

  The mostly constructed building loomed a block ahead. A single vehicle was parked in front. Stacks of newly cut lumber, workbenches piled with tools, buckets of paint, and large rolls of plastic were scattered around the grounds. Tall scaffolding crawled up the left side of the structure, and uninstalled glass windowpanes leaned against its base.

  It was quiet, but there was some movement inside. Elise could feel the energy the second they crossed the boundary onto the property. They were meant to be here. It gave her a sense of peace for whatever was coming next.

  There was still some hesitation among the group. Why were they here? What were they doing? Why now? She could see the questions, like ants crawling under the surface of their brave faces. They were all here out of faith, following the belief that this was about something bigger than them, which was both terrifying and exhilarating.

  “This place is pretty cut off from the rest of the city,” Timmons said.

  “Yeah, they’re trying to expand out this way,” Sam said. “So other than the construction workers, we shouldn’t run into anyone else.”

  “We’ll leave lookouts at each entry point just to be safe,” Willis said. They all agreed, and Willis motioned for Sam to take the lead.

  The group took to the left side of the property and moved carefully toward the back entrance. The outside of the building was nearly finished, doors present in all the frames. Sam tested the first door they came to, but it was locked. He moved to the second set, a pair of double doors, and they opened easily. They moved inside one at a time.

  The only light came from a couple of construction lights illuminating the large room they entered. The floor was concrete. Drywall had been hung, covering the framing, but not yet completely finished. The room smelled like glue and freshly cut wood.

  Sam paused and turned to Kane and Timmons. “Monitor the back side of the building; make sure to alert us of any trouble.” They nodded, and he turned back to the rest of the group. “Franklin and I will guard the front. Willis will take you from here.”

  Sam and Franklin headed off toward the front of the building, while Kennedy, Lucy, Sage, and Elise followed Willis toward the staircase at the far left side.

  The stairs weren’t completely finished either. Pale wooden steps led upward, and the Seers were careful not to make too much noise as they climbed. Ten steps up and they were dumped into another large room with finished hardwood floors and warm beige walls. The windows here were filled with glass panes, and the trim was laid out on one side of the room, drying. The smell of fresh paint permeated the air.

  Muffled voices drifted toward the group as the final member ascended the last step. The voices came from the doorway to their right and had several distinct tones. There was more than one person through the open frame, and Elise was willing to bet it was a group of men, standing around discussing floor plans, just as Willis had foreseen in his dream.

  The rest of the group froze, all of them looking to Elise for their next move. The first two times she had connected with her power, it had been beyond her control, and the last time, it had happened out of necessity, to keep them all safe. She still wasn’t completely sure how she was supposed to use what was contained inside her, but she’d trusted Willis’s instincts to come here, and she had felt the calling of truth when they’d arrived. Suddenly a wave of doubt washed over her, and she felt a strong rush of fear.

  What if she’d been wrong? What if she couldn’t control it and this had all been a mistake? Nervous tension filled her chest, and she could hear her heart slamming against her ribs. She felt panicked. What was she doing here?

  Remember who I call you.

  Elise closed her eyes and focused on the voice floating through her mind. Remember, she thought. Remember the power, remember the call, remember the light. As quickly as the panic had emerged, it was doused with peace and silenced. This was who she was, who they all were. There was no need for fear.

  As if led by the truth itself, Elise walked with confidence past the rest of the group and into the next room.

  Six men stood around a large wooden cube, tall enough to act as a table but really just an oversize crate flipped on its head. On top of the crate sat long white papers with blue drawings etched across their faces. The men were deep in conversation, but one looked up as Elise stepped inside.

  “Hey, you can’t be in here,” he said, drawing the attention of the others. They all turned, looking confused. Elise felt the presence of the Seers as they filed into the space after her.

  “Lady, are you nuts? This place is dangerous,” one said, taking a step toward them.

  Elise blocked out all the doubt and fear trying to wage war on her resolve and surrendered to the buzz rumbling in her gut. The floor began to vibrate slightly, and the men all stared in disbelief. Elise felt the small tingling ignite into a fire as it spread through her body and across the floor. Before any of the men could move, it had reached them, climbing up their legs and into their chests.

  The scene around Elise changed as images of the past came to life across her vision. So many memories collided like a mesh of indistinguishable colors. She tried to focus and control each image and the emotional charge it brought, but it was all too overwhelming. She started to lose her sense of self, and then the light flickered and went out and the room returned to normal. The men shook their heads, looking confused and frazzled.

  Elise didn’t understand. She searched for the
light and found it again, calling it forth. It charged through her like lightning and once again set the room ablaze. She reconnected with the men, their memories exploding across her mind. Again the power proved too intense, but just as she thought she was about to lose it, an anchor attached itself to her mind and expanded the light. Kennedy. Elise could feel her sister’s spirit melding with her own.

  More visions splashed through the scene. The men fell to their knees as the power exploding from Elise and Kennedy washed them free of the Genesis Serum. Another anchor of power erupted beside them, making the light extend to every corner of the room. Lucy.

  Reenergized, Elise pushed herself even further with both Kennedy and Lucy responding in kind. They tore away the mask of delusion that Genesis had caused and brought forth a truth strong enough to change the world. The room spun as the men cried out, their minds being transformed and renewed.

  A soft hand reached out and touched Elise’s shoulder, causing the entire room to still as if paused. She opened her eyes and saw that Sage was standing beside her, concern written on her face.

  “Trouble’s coming; we have to go,” Sage said.

  Elise looked to Kennedy and Lucy, then back to Sage. Trust her; follow her. The voice of her conscience was clear, and so she did. Elise spun around, Kennedy right behind her, Lucy at the rear, Sage leading the way. Willis was still standing at the top of the stairs, keeping watch, awe written on his face, his mouth parted in a smile.

  “Wow,” he mouthed, shaking his head. Elise smiled and continued to follow Sage down the stairs, the others on her tail. They nearly collided with Sam and Franklin, who looked surprised to see them.

  “We need to go,” Sam said.

  “We know,” Kennedy said, stepping past him and heading back the way they had come. Kane and Timmons were exactly where they had left them and didn’t ask any questions as they all fled the building. They hurried back along the left outside wall, quickly taking cover behind the closest building and maneuvering away from the construction site, not stopping until Sage finally pulled up nearly a half mile away.

  They all took a beat to rest, panting and huffing from their steady pace, sweat collecting on their faces. No one spoke for several minutes as they all worked to catch their breath.

  “What happened?” Timmons asked.

  Elise looked at Sage. “How did you know trouble was coming?”

  The rest of the group looked at the small girl, her face flushed and red. She swallowed and shrugged. “I saw it.”

  “Saw it?” Kane asked skeptically.

  She nodded and gave a small smile as if struck by the oddity of it herself. “I saw the soldiers coming, like a waking dream, I guess.”

  Elise smiled. Sometimes the quietest ones made the biggest impact.

  Timmons nudged Sage playfully. “Should have told us you have superpowers.”

  She shook her head. “I didn’t know.”

  “That was insane,” Kennedy said, a huge smile plastered across her face.

  “I don’t know what you guys did,” Timmons said, “but I could feel it through the floor.”

  Elise locked eyes with Kane for a moment and saw the doubt etched into his face. While the rest of the group lit up with excitement and wonder over what had happened—what could still happen—he looked as though he believed less than before.

  “I’ve never experienced anything like that,” Lucy said.

  “That was a heck of a practice round,” Sam said.

  Elise suddenly felt light-headed and wobbled sideways. Willis stepped up to catch her before she fell and she smiled, embarrassed. Her chest ached a bit, and her head felt bloated.

  “Whoa, you okay?” Willis asked.

  “Sorry,” she said. “Just dizzy.”

  “That really takes a lot out of you,” Kennedy said. “I feel exhausted myself, and I only helped.”

  “You did more than help. I couldn’t have done that without you.” Elise looked to Lucy. “Both of you.”

  “We all played a part,” Lucy said.

  “We can really do this,” Sage said. “Group by group, we’ll go wherever Willis dreams about and cure people from this disease. This is why we’re here.”

  Everyone was nodding. “Oh, man,” Kennedy said. “Davis is going to be so mad he missed out.”

  They laughed as they headed toward home base. They could do this, Elise thought. They were created to.

  21

  Jesse stared out the window of his office, down over the city. The sun was fading, the day coming to a close. He was waiting for reports on Elise’s whereabouts, lost in thought and constantly searching for answers. A dark essence pulsed inside his chest, and he swallowed hard against it. It had been growing, as if taking on a life of its own. Ever since Roth had handed him those vials.

  Now they sat inside the top drawer of the tall chest against the wall behind him. Hidden from sight but not from his mind. He could feel whatever was in those vials calling to him from nearly anywhere in the Capitol Building, but being in the same room with them was almost too much to take.

  His mind drifted to Roth. The man was back in his bedroom, nearly dead to the world and under constant surveillance. After his maddening outburst, he’d been pumped full of enough sedatives that he wouldn’t rouse again. Jesse wasn’t sure what to do with him yet. He had seen the devil in the old man, a darkness that exceeded his own and was fully in control. If he let Roth wake, Jesse wasn’t sure it was Roth he would be getting. Jesse visited him every hour or so to make sure he stayed unconscious. So far he’d been able to conceal the deaths of the other Council members. He was thankful that the Genesis Serum was happily pumping through everyone’s veins. They didn’t question much. They were designed not to.

  There was a knock at the door, and two guards let themselves in. Jesse turned to face them, hoping for good news. Their expressions spoke for them and Jesse slammed his fist down on the top of his wooden desk. The guards standing before him jumped as he cursed at their news. “How can she elude you again? She is only one girl!”

  “She was gone by the time we got there, sir. We are searching everywhere, and we have started regular patrolling units through the underground tunnels as you requested,” the guard said, “but with four hundred of our men out—”

  “Yes,” Jesse cut him off. “They are on their way back as we speak. Still, one would imagine that even the guards remaining in this city could easily contain a single girl.”

  “She isn’t acting alone.”

  “But there can’t be more than a handful of them. A city of our strength . . . They are making fools of us!”

  “We will continue—”

  “Enough!” Jesse said. “I’m tired of your excuses. Get out.”

  The guards looked at one another, and neither moved. “There is something else, sir,” one of them said.

  Jesse closed his eyes and rubbed his temples with his fingers. “What?”

  “Another group was found on the east side of the city.”

  “Another? How is that possible?”

  “A larger group than before, their minds warped, and they were speaking insanities just like the others. They were transported to the Genesis Compound for readministration.”

  “How many groups are there now?” Jesse asked.

  “This was the seventh incident, sir.”

  The room fell quiet as Jesse thought and the guards waited for further instructions. “We have to figure out how she is moving through the streets without being detected and if there is a pattern to her movements. She must be caught but remain unharmed.”

  “Yes, sir,” the guard said.

  Jesse nodded for them to leave, and they exited, closing the office door. He stood in the silence and tried to sort through the frustration thundering through his mind. Elise had been missing for five days, and in that time, a thread of chaos had started to unravel the Capitol Building.

  The voices in Jesse’s head were starting to rage against one another. Some calle
d for her blood due to all the havoc she was causing; others were convinced that if he could just get her back, he could help her see the pain she was causing the city. He liked to believe she harbored feelings for him, that she thought of him even now while she was away. She couldn’t be completely lost.

  The opposing voice of darkness hissed inside his mind. He was being delusional. She was a permanent threat to the entire functionality of what made this city’s peace sustainable. The Genesis Serum. She was immune to its effects, so where could she possibly belong?

  But as always, the deep feelings he housed for Elise crept in. He loved her. Could he bear to live without her? There had hardly been any constants in his life. His father had been a terrible drunk, his grandfather had been taken from him too soon, Damien Gold was a lost cause, and his relationship with the Scientist had always come with strings attached.

  Elise cared for him. She had to. Maybe she was the only one who ever could. And he was supposed to give her up? No. Anger flared hot under his skin. He was ruler of this city. Roth was indisposed; the rest of the Council was dead. It was only him, and after all he’d sacrificed for the betterment of his people, he would have the thing he wanted most. She was his, and they would not take her away from him.

  She isn’t yours, you fool.

  She will ruin you.

  The darkness grew with each passing hour. Large, like an expanding balloon, threatening at times to push out his other emotions so it was all that remained. He tried to fight against it but still found it oddly comforting. It had always been there, hissing, questioning, directing. It sang of Elise’s demise, and when Jesse wouldn’t sing along it cut away at his innards. It tortured him, and he was weakening with every blow.

  Jesse collected himself and pushed his anger deep within his chest. Again the pull from the nearby vials called to him and he gritted his back teeth. He should destroy them, but he had tried, and each time he had stopped himself. So he would keep them locked away. They might torture him, but he would not succumb to the darkness as Roth had. He would be his own master, and he would have her.