Barcode: Legend of Apollo (46 page)

Antonio shakes his head, “So the rude jerk I had to deal with every morning is now his entire personality.”

“Oh. Come on Antonio, I’m not that bad,” he burps, staring at me. “Who the hell are you anyway and why are you wearing a hood inside?”

“I’m the grim reaper, and I’m considering doing Antonio a favor and killing you.”

Seth holds up two fingers and forms a cross while limping over to a couch that he falls on. “Stay away you demon.” He activates the barcodes on his forehead and smiles, “Hmm. That jacket has some wicked technology. It shuts out all light on the inside, but it looks so bland. There are no designs.”

“I agree.”

“I need to get some practice in with my mind under the influence. I’ll develop an adjustable jacket that changes with your size so if you bulk up or slim down any, it’ll go with you.” Tilting his head he says, “What’s your name anyway?”

“It’s not time to reveal that yet. I’ll let you know soon.”

After saying goodbye to Antonio, I head back up to my room, which is three floors down from the penthouse. Dennis says no one uses that floor and thought I would appreciate having a smaller room with the rest of the floor dedicated to my training. He knows me so well.

I quickly remove my hood and jacket, stand up straight, and adjust my black shirt. I take a few deep breaths and open the door to my actual apartment, a replica of the apartments on Spencer’s floor. On my couch I see Dennis  waiting with Hayley.

The room smells nice. I’m still learning about different smells, but I think this may be a perfume.

“If that smell is food, it’s a lot better than your cooking earlier,” I say to Dennis.

He shakes his head and introduces Hayley. She’s drying a few tears, but finds time to marvel at my face. “Oh my Writer,” she says while roughly holding my cheek. “You are gorgeous.”

“He’s a boy. That makes him handsome,” Dennis tries to correct her.

Hayley waves off his comment while still holding on, “He’s prettier than me. I think I can say what I want. Why is your skin this perfect?”

“My blood naturally filters out—”

Not caring or listening, she says, “And your hair’s so smooth.” She briefly allows one hand to stroke my short hair before returning to my face.

The first thing Dennis did this morning was cut off my hair. He didn’t want to risk Hayley hearing that Kode had dreadlocks.

No. I wasn’t willing. Yes. He did have to hold me down, which is why he introduced me to my sparring room. After he trimmed most of them, he had a professional barber from East LA cut the rest. I’m glad he didn’t think he could style my hair on his own.

“Thank you,” I mumble with my face smashed between her soft hands.

“It’s like looking at a magazine cover.”

Dennis pulls her hands away, but she keeps her eyes glued to my face. She’s extremely pretty herself. I like her already.

“Hayley,” I say heartlessly. “My real name is Kode.” Dennis hangs his head, and Hayley watches me closely, waiting to hear the rest. “Dennis wants me to hide because Spencer and I fought after the war and my weapon accidentally killed him…I killed him.” Tears trickle down her face. “I’m...”

Her eyes are glued to me, and mine are still closed. I think she deserves to look into the murderer’s eyes. I open them and try to speak, but her green eyes sparkle brilliantly. I lose myself.

Her beautifully vibrant red hair reminds me of fire dancing in the wind. Her tanned skin is bronze and even all around her body. Though she tries smiling, her smooth pink lips are bent, reflecting her pain.

The sound her heart makes falls like feathers on my ears. The ticking inside of her chest has no rhythm, but it sounds so beautiful. She’s not like the heartless warriors I know; she’s a real human.

I listen as her heart beats a sorrowful song. Beads of sweat form on the back of her neck. The veins in her hands widen as she resists the urge to slap me. No. She’s actually breathing deeply because she feels relief.

Our eyes soothe each other. I wonder if the codes floating through my iris have similar entrancing properties like my blood.

Hayley senses my honesty. Either that, or she’s moved by my tears.

Still sputtering over my words, Hayley wipes my salty raindrops and says, “Finish, sweetie.”

“I’m sorry I killed him. Damn. I don’t cry this much I swear, but...” I trail off again before muttering, “The only time I’ve lied, I ended up killing the one person that was connected to me. It’s my fault and you deserve to know that. I don’t deserve your compliments or affection. I can’t lie again.”

As the small woman wraps her arms around my waist, I notice barcodes forming on her hand. I try stopping my tears, but a few more fall on her shoulder.

Dennis catches me as I fold over Hayley. I bury my head into his chest.

In my ear he whispers, “You really are powerful.”

From this day, I have a new family. One that loves me in spite of my past, and everything I’ve done. Even if they plan to turn against me, I wouldn’t care. They deserve my dedication and love.

Love? Now, that’s an angelic woman I thought could never find me.

Thank You

Thank you for reading this novel. I really hope you enjoyed it. I did my best to warn readers about the ending. There are subtle clues throughout the story: Spencer mentioned this was a tragedy. Death chased him. He had a dream about dying. Leo even foreshadowed Hannah’s death.

My objective isn’t to create a wow factor. I’m honestly just writing because that’s what I love to do.

Two events led me to develop this story. One, my friend was murdered—a really good guy that always protected others. The other was a conversation I had about how so many fantasy books end in predictable manners. You may be upset that everyone accepted Kode at the end, but this is only book one of a series.

If you’re still interested, the next book is underway. Kode is the main character and he is still partially evil. 

If you want to learn more about this story or to contact me, please head over to www.kashifross.com or follow me on Twitter @Animscition. I’d love to hear from you.

Thank you again for reading. Please look out for
Barcode: The Cavern of Youth
on Amazon. The tentative release date is June 18th. Turn the page to read the first chapter.

Warning: Michelle will not be included in the next book. She’s building a militia to go after Spencer’s killer and Helios, so she needs a bit of time. And if you’re curious, she plans to blow things up when she returns.

Preview

Peering down the barrel of a gun can make even the toughest man tender. Knowing the idiot on the opposite side of the chamber may piss his pants enough to squeeze the trigger prematurely is more unnerving.

Stephen’s somewhere in his early teens. The sweat falling from his eyebrow and the white knuckles around the grip say he’s never been this close to killing a man. If that’s not enough, the rumbling sounds in his stomach confirm the notion.

“That’s a Terry Madison 500,” I jeer to see if he’s actually scared enough to pull the trigger.

“Shut up, dude. And keep your hands where I can see them until my team gets here.”

“They’re right behind you...dude.”

“I’m not falling for that.”

Tony clears his throat and says, “We’re really here.”

Tony and the other five members of his militia hold automatic weapons that make the handgun look like a pup. But I won’t underestimate it. I have one similar that lies next to my bed. Just last year I considered blowing my brains out with it, but I haven’t touched it since I started living with Dennis.

Stephen gets distracted when he hears his team cock their weapons. Though that would have given me enough time to snatch his, I refocus his attention on me instead.

“The gun is a replica for the ancient Smith and Wesson fifty caliber magnum.” He swings his head back towards me as I continue, “It’s considered art more than a weapon, but the barcodes on the barrels that convert dust and particles into ammunition are not decoration unless it’s spilling blood on a canvas. Do you really have data strong enough to fill the chamber? I’m impressed. You’re so young.”

“Shut up!”

Tony holds one hand up, and the others lower their weapons. He maintains a steady hand while focusing his 9mm fully automatic machine gun on my heart. “Calm down or you’ll do something irrational.” Listening to the advice from his commander, Stephen takes three large, controlled steps back.

I confirm, “That’s the proper distance. You had the gun so close I could’ve taken it. You could use more training, but you did a nice job sneaking up on me. Kinda.”

Stephen appears to control his anger, but his twitching eyebrow says he’s ready to fire off a shot.

“Are you one of the dungeon’s gladiators?” Tony asks as Stephen fights against his building anger. He’s staring into the empty space inside of my jacket’s hood. It’s a technology that was developed by the Gonzales family. It removes all light so that my face isn’t visible. Seth tried making a replica, but the hood kept sticking to my head. It removed flesh from my neck every time I undressed.

I had Dennis request an updated jacket from the Gonzales family because my initial one was boring. I’m not too into fashion, but that thing was ugly. Now, there’s a bit more stitching, a more modern/sleek appearance, and it has a Punk Rap feel. Once I tore off the sleeves, it was perfect.

“Guardians. Gladiators. Protectors. I hear there are a number of names for us. Each arena uses a different term. You’ll pull the trigger if I say yes, because that would mean I’m from Colt, and you hate them. Right?”

“No. We try to avoid killing at all cost. I think I have a few tranquilizers left. But
gladiator
would mean you could dodge the bullet. Only thing, you’re not wearing armor so I’m trying to figure out why you’re here.”

“For now, let’s say I’m an art connoisseur.”

“Well you’re far away from art, my friend.”

“By your standards, but if you can ignore the exhaustive heat in this dungeon, you’ll see magnificent designs. Look at the rocks. Most are, what color? Gray, with green limestone? Not these. These illuminate with the same color of a blacklight. How about the stalactites and stalagmites? Though they seem rough, they feel like clay. I can make small imprints, but no matter how tightly I hold them, they never get more than a small dent.”

Tony keeps his gun on me while the others observe their surroundings, “So you like caves?”

“I like history and there’s so much here. We’re currently standing in a three thousand square foot space. The ground is rough and difficult to run on, but the rocks and darkness in this cave provide an ample amount of space to find cover. The light fog on the ground makes it difficult to find your footing, and the stairs hidden in the dark above me are easy escape routes.”

“You sound as though you’re analyzing a fight, not providing history.”

“If we have to fight, won’t we create more history? Turn around and you’ll provide your team with more memories.” Tony smirks, but not much. He’s not the type of guy to laugh at something like that, but the girl next to him smiles. “I think for a group like yours, it’s best to sit down and think of ways to find money other than attacking gladiators that are protecting China Town’s stadium.”

Once the other members of the militia register my words, they hold their guns back up. That was all the motivation Stephen needed to pull the trigger. He fires a shot that’s meant to skim the side of my face. Jerking my head while still holding my arms up, I dodge the bullet. I don’t want to damage this jacket. It took Dennis forever to convince the Gonzales family to make it.

“How do you know about our mission?” Stephen yells. Tony tightens the grip around his trigger. I assume he’s on edge after watching me avoid the shot.

“Let’s say I’m a seeker of information.”

“Let’s not.” Tony takes a small step forward. “Answer his question.”

“Well Tony. It’s quite complex.”

“How do you know my name?”

Rachel’s a short, but muscular woman with a gun larger than Tony’s. She eases next to him and whispers in his ear, “Did you see him avoid the shot at the last second? I think that’s the faceless demon people have been talking about.”

Tony waits for her to refocus her gun on me. Matching her volume, he firmly replies, “They’re not
some
people. One guy started that rumor. A drug addict that shouldn’t be with the militia. We need this money, and we have to get through.” She doesn’t seem moved by his words, so Tony tries more convincingly, “Plus they said he had green demonic eyes, not just a blank face. That’s a hood we can’t see in. Mike’s an idiot that wants to scare us away.”

“Actually, it wasn’t just Mike.” All of their eyes widen as I lower my hands and say, “I normally don’t let people who see my eyes live, but they seemed like nice guys. You should really listen to Rachel.”

“How do you know my name?”

“Are we really going through this again? I didn’t answer him. Is your question supposed to make a difference? Let’s get this out of the way so I can stop surprising all of you. Tony, Michael, Rachel, Andrew, Daren, Jorge and Stephen...I’m the voice you’ve been hearing, warning you to turn around for the past two hours. But none of you even mentioned the creepy voice in your head.”

Rachel lowers her gun, “I thought I was going crazy.”

“You are if you try to get by. Let’s think about this. You need to get to Yang’s old arena because some wealthy idiots that know they’re better than you—because let’s face it, they are—hired you over the phone two weeks back.”

Rachel raises her gun again. This lady really needs to make up her mind.

“Tony. He knows too much.”

“I’d consider letting you pass in hopes that the rich bastards get caught in the crossfire, but I’m not allowed to. I know you’re just trying to make a living, especially you, Tony.”

A bead of his sweat falls to the ground, disappearing in the fog as he clenches his jaws tightly.

“But your worthless lives could actually amount to something one day. You should try using what little skills you have to do good. If you’re killing others just to feed your family, you’re no worse than the criminals you despise.”