The Modified (The Biotics Trilogy, #1) (32 page)

 “Attention, everyone. I need you all to report to the nearest seat and buckle up. We are in for a rough landing,” Galileo’s voice echoes within the pod, waking me up. My head is leaning on Landon’s shoulder and I wonder how long I’ve be asleep. Everyone’s awake and adjusting their seat belts while preparing for our descent. Landon helps me settle into mine, giving me a quick kiss along the way.

We begin to feel the harsh turbulence and my stomach sinks to my feet because of the pressure. I feel like I’m on one of those drop rides at the carnival, only it feels a hundred times worse. The whole pod begins to shake and I find it hard to focus on anything, so I close my eyes, waiting for it to all be over. Suddenly, we crash into something and I feel the pod spin in all different directions. I can’t even tell which way is up anymore. As we come to an abrupt stop, I feel my body suddenly jerked forward and then pushed back with great force. The sensation is very jarring, even with my seat belt strapped tight.

“We have landed. Please wait for the hatch to fully open before you alight from the craft.” Galileo’s voice fills the cabin.

As the hatch slowly raises open, we undo our seat belts and stand. Looking outside through the hatch, we see a dismal scene awaiting us. Black clouds fill the sky, threatening to pour down on us as we stare out at the desolate wasteland. My hopes are immediately dashed, and the thought of being safe fades away.

Galileo leaves his seat and moves toward the hatch. We hear a loud engine noise sounding just outside. From behind Galileo, we see an old dark green military-style jeep pull up beside us, followed by a large green truck. The jeep idles and a man jumps out dressed in battle fatigues that I remember seeing in our history books. He’s tall, and even though he’s wearing a jacket, I can tell he’s all muscle. His hair is covered by a tattered black ball cap, and his face is rugged, complete with a large scar that runs down the left side of it. Despite this, he’s oddly handsome.

Galileo moves down the ramp and, to my surprise, shakes hands with the stranger.

“So the worst has happened, huh? I’m not really surprised since the Federation was involved. Where’s the doc?” the man asks Galileo, and glances over his shoulder at me.

“He’s not with us.”

“Who the hell’s that?” Sam whispers in my ear.

I shrug my shoulders and resume listening to Galileo talking to the stranger.

“How many got out?” the man asks.

“Five pods were dispatched successfully, I lost track of the others. We have eleven in our group including myself. All are Modified,” Galileo replies.

“Well, let’s hope the others show up soon. We’ve got to get going. It’s not safe to be out in the open for very long.”

“Good idea.” Galileo turns around and motions for us to exit the escape pod.

I notice the back of the truck outside is covered with a heavy-duty green cloth. Several people with guns in hand step down and out from the open flaps at the back. Their faces seem friendly, but I wonder if they’re really on our side. As I move down off the ramp, Galileo stops me with a hand.

“Kenley Grayson, I want to introduce you to Young, Malcolm. He is the contact your father set up many months ago.”

“You’re Grayson’s kid? He never mentioned you to me.”

“Funny, my dad never mentioned you either,” I reply bothered by the smirk on his face as he glances from me to Landon, who’s holding my hand.

“Well, I guess that makes us even. We should probably get everyone else on the truck. But you, Ms. Grayson,” he says pointing to me, “you and Galileo will ride with me.”

I feel Landon tense up beside me and I squeeze his hand while looking over at him. I shake my head and then let go, following Galileo over to the jeep as it begins to drizzle.

Landon makes his way with the others to the truck and looks back at me. I give him a slight smile and then watch as the truck takes off with us following behind it.

“So, your dad didn’t tell you about us, huh?” Malcolm asks, turning in his seat to look at me. I semi-ignore him since I don’t really want to discuss anything right now. The driver keeps looking straight ahead making sure the jeep stays on the bumpy road. The rain seems to be increasing and several drops of rain land on my forearm, but thankfully the jeep has a roof, otherwise we’d be soaked by now. I stare out at the scenery around us and it’s bleak. There are no trees, no grass—just wet, scorched earth.

“Did you hear me, Grayson?” I hear Malcolm asks.

“Sorry, where are we?”

“We’re in England. So I guess your dad didn’t tell you much, did he?” Malcolm’s piercing light blue eyes meet mine.

“Not really. My dad said he had a bad feeling, and that if anything happened we were to get to the escape pods. That’s it”

“Just like him, vague and all. Well, I guess we’ll have to have a chat real soon, but unfortunately this is not the time or place,” Malcolm says as we pass through a broken chain-link fence that has a huge sign partially attached. It reads:
R.A.F. Lakenheath
.

I can’t believe it. RAF Lakenheath! Why would my dad send us here to this place that impacted our life so much two years ago? This place is where the Shaw Blitz occurred. The awful day my brother was killed in the first large scale battle of this war. Tears well up in my eyes remembering the pain and sorrow our family suffered back then. My mom constantly crying, my dad’s eyes red and swollen on a daily basis, and me comforting Gavin, holding him for hours in my arms until he cried himself to sleep. Our lives did go on, but everything changed that day. Now two years later I’m in the area where my brother drew his last breath.
Dad, why did you send us here?
  I ask myself.

We travel in silence following the truck until we reach a dilapidated, airplane hangar. When I was little, my dad had taken me to an air base once, and I remember being amazed at how big the structures were that housed the planes.

The truck stops and I peer out the open window at the ground surrounding it. There’s a big red circle painted on the platform it seems to be parked on. I hear a mechanical sound and suddenly it begins to lower into the ground until the truck disappears.

“Neat, huh?” Malcolm comments, turning his head and flashing me a smile.

“Unexpected is more like it,” I reply.

“It’s our turn now,” he states while facing forward as the driver pulls the jeep into the red circle. I hear the sounds of the platform shifting and grinding as we slowly begin to move downward. Lights track up the sides of the shaft as we descend and cast an eerie bluish-green glow into the jeep. 

The elevator dumps us out into a massive area lit up with numerous floodlights, leaving no dark corner. A variety of military vehicles fills one end of the area and at the opposite end are four large tunnel entrances. I see the others getting out of the truck as we pull up and park next to them. Landon is the first to reach me, taking my hand before looking at Malcolm with questioning eyes. Sam, Geoffrey, Mara and the rest of the cadets move in behind us.

“This is our staging area. It’s been quiet for several weeks, since Bringer activity has lessened for now, but we’re always prepared. My driver, Rodney, will show you around and take you to the living quarters. I’ll meet up with you all at dinner,” Malcolm says hurriedly, and then abruptly leaves down the first tunnel on our left following the larger green truck as it pulls away.

“Right, as the boss said, follow me and try to keep up.” Rodney sounds irked as he moves toward the second tunnel entrance. Galileo takes the lead and we pull up the rear.

The walls of the tunnel are comprised of carved rock—all different shades of grey. As we make our way down the tunnel, I feel a chill from the damp coldness of the confined space, and wonder how far underground we are. The lightweight material of our uniforms does absolutely nothing to fend off the cold.

Landon hasn’t said a word. In fact nobody’s talking. The only noise I hear is our boots hitting the concrete floor.

“Hey, Rodney?” I ask breaking the silence.

“Yes, soldier?” he replies sharply.

“Who are you guys?”

I hear him laugh slightly. “We call ourselves the Defects.”

“The Defects?”

“Our group is comprised of soldiers who have all turned their backs on the Allied Federation.”

“I can see why you all did,” I state dryly. “I know why I hate them, but what did they do to piss you guys off?”

“Sorry soldier, but that information is classified. No offense,” he answers.

“None taken,” I say, knowing that once a soldier says it’s classified, there’s no use pushing the issue. They won’t talk. 

We finally reach the end of the tunnel only to find a round chamber with three tunnels leading from it. We take the middle one and soon meet a large number of people, all dressed in fatigues, who immediately stop what they’re doing and stare at us as we pass by.

Rodney keeps moving forward until we reach a long corridor made of some kind of shiny metal. At the end is a massive white dome-shaped room with a series of numbered doors lining the walls.

“Rooms one thru five are yours. Each room,” Rodney begins to say as he takes a key card and pushes it into a slot in the door, “has two beds and a full bath. You’ll have to pair up. Galileo, your recharge station has been prepared for you.”

“Thank you,” Galileo replies.

“No problem. Oh, and here are the rest of the room keys,” he states handing them out. “I’ve got duties to attend to, so rest up and someone will come get you for chow time.” Rodney looks down at his watch. “You’ve got two hours.” Without another word he spins on his heel and leaves.

“Mr. Personality, he’s not,” Sam says loudly and chuckles.

“Kenley and I’ll take this room,” Landon says, removing the key from the door and then faces the others.

Sam smiles broadly and grabs Mara while waving the key card around in her hands. “We’ll take the one next to the love birds. Come on, Mara, home sweet home,” Sam says as she ushers Mara into their room.

Landon gently guides me into ours and I miss seeing the others pairing up. He closes the door and lets out a heavy sigh.

“Sorry I didn’t ask you first about the room, Kenley. I saw Lakenheath on the sign and knew you’d probably be upset. So I wanted to make sure you’re okay. Besides, I can’t let you out of my sight. I almost lost you today. I’m sorry I didn’t ask if this was okay.” He looks at me, his eyes pleading with me.

“I can’t believe my dad sent us here. All those feelings from two years ago slammed into me the moment I saw that sign. I thought I had moved passed all of this, but now I’m not sure. And now I’ve lost Joey too. I feel so hopeless.”

Landon pulls me into his arms and rests my head on his chest. I instantly feel the warmth from his body seeping into mine. No words are said as we stand there holding each other and it seems like time is standing still.

 A sharp knock at the door interrupts our peace. Landon reluctantly releases me and opens the door. Galileo is standing there with a duffel bag in hand and presents it to us.

“Here is your bag, Kenley” he says as Landon grabs a hold of it.

“My bag? I didn’t have one,” I reply.

“It was prepared for you before the incident at the Magnus Academy. Doctor Grayson, Wyatt thought of every contingency.”

“Sounds like my dad, always prepared. What’s in it?” I ask.

“Just some necessities. A care package of sorts,” he answers.

“Thanks,” I say, taking the bag as Landon passes it to me.

“Oh, and Young, Malcolm would like to see you in his office, Kenley. I can take you there. It will be like old times,” he states with a smile.

“Did he by any chance say what this is about?”

“Not at all, he just told me to come get you,” he answers.

I follow Galileo out of the room after saying bye to Landon and leaving my bag on the bed. Galileo takes my arm as we walk and pulls it around his, so that they’re linked. “You know, I miss our little walks together. With our arms like this it almost feels like I am there on your wrist again,” he laughs.

“I’ve so missed you Galileo. I’m really glad to see you. I can’t thank you enough for helping us escape, you were so brave.”

“I was only following orders, Kenley. Though I guess that’s not completely true. There was this feeling inside of me that made me want to do everything in my power to keep you safe. It was an odd sensation that I could not explain. That same feeling is present right now,” he states as he pats my hand resting in the crook of his elbow.

“Maybe you’re evolving. Becoming more aware of yourself and the world around you.”

“Maybe, but I am not quite sure yet,” he says hesitantly. “Kenley?”

“Yes, Galileo?”

“I wanted to tell you how sorry I was to see you lose Reilly, Joey. I had this feeling come over me when I saw him on the ground, not moving as we carried you away. He was a good friend to you, and I know he will be greatly missed,” he states, seeming to get a little choked up.

“Thank you for that, Galileo. Joey was a great friend…family to me really. And you’re right, I do miss him very much,” I reply, my eyes becoming misty. I wipe away the stray tear that creeps down my cheek as Galileo comes to a halt in front of a large green door.