Catalyst

Copyright @2011 Shelly Crane

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Editing services provided by Jennifer Nunez

Naming contest for 'Rylee' winner is Jennifer Snyder

Printed in paperback December 2011 and available in Kindle and E-book format as of December 2011 through Amazon, Create Space and Barnes and Noble.

More information can be found at the author's website

http://shellycrane.blogspot.com

ISBN-13:
978-1468120257

ISBN-10:
1468120255

When you're a catalys
t for change, you make enemies.
and I'm proud of the ones I've got.
Rupert Murdoch

For my
family

who we've missed while on the road. We were thinking about you. Out of sight doesn't mean out of mind.

Fit For Battle

Chapter 1 - Cain

             
“Listen, y
ou don’t worry about me. I’m trained for things just like this. I’ve
done
things just like this. I’m ready. I’ll be fine,” I told Lillian
for about the fifth time
.

             
She hadn’t said anything but her hands were shakin
g in mine. I knew she was upset
about the whole thing. The Lighters had taken Sherry to ‘interrogate’
her
, which was just a pretty word for torture. I had volunteered to go into the enforcer
's
containment unit with Billings to retrieve her, undercover as a recruit for the enforcers program. I was the only one who could and was equipped to do so. I was immune to the Lighter Speak and couldn’t be detected as a Special for some reason. I was unemployed. I was with Billings. It would work. It was a good plan.

             
Still, Lillian was freaking.

             
“I know. I’m trying really hard here, Cain,” s
he said, her voice scratchy from
fighting tears.

             
“I know you are,”
I replied
and pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her in an effort to calm her somehow.

             
It was morning. We’d been up almost all night planning and plott
ing, learning. Merrick was sick, absolutely sick with grief. Like a zombie, h
e just watched from the stairs in an anger cloud. I pulled him aside sometime during the night
and tried to talk him out of it;
tell him that I’d get her back, no matter what.

             
“You know I’ll do everything I can, man. I’ll bring her back.”

             
“I know that. I’ve just never felt so helpless in all my existence. If you weren’t here, there’d be no way to get her back. I- none of us could go and make it out alive. Not to say I wouldn’t try but.
..” He bent over from the stair
where we were sitting and put his head in his hands. “Oh, God,
please
let nothing happe
n to her. Please,
”
he begged to no one in particular.

             
“She’ll be ok.”

             
He looked up at me sadly.

             
“I know what they are doing to her in there, Cain. I know what the purpose of those facilities are. They’re torturing her. God know
s all the horrible things they’re doing to her,” he grit
out through his teeth, looking like he might throw up.
Then, too fast for my eyes to se
e
, his fist went through the plaster of the wall beside us.
             
“D
on’t, man," I told him. "We need you
. Y
ou’ll be right there when I brin
g her out of the building. We need you to
finish out the plan. Everybody’s got a purpose.”

             
“Bring her back, Cain. Bring her back.”

             
“Absolutely.”  

             
Lily ran in and jumped into his lap. No one had told her what had happened with Sherry and she kept asking for her.

             
“Whewre’s Shawwyy? Whewre’s mommy?”

             
“Soon, baby.
You’ll see her soon,” he promis
ed and buried his face in her hair.

             
Danny had blown a gasket at being told he couldn’t go into the facility at all. Lighters can still sense Specials, all but me for some reason. He was unhappy to say the l
east. He wanted to leave then - r
ight then, n
o waiting until morning. He shouted, he cursed and pushed Jeff and Merrick off as they tried to calm him.

             
Only Celeste, who was still wrapped up in her own grief for her mother, had been able to reach him and get him to settle down. They eventually huddled together
in the corner in a pile of arms,
legs and heaving and comforting whispers. Man, it hurt to watch.

             
I ha
d neve
r been close to my own family. I d
idn’t have any brothers or sisters.
I didn’t understand the pull, t
he need to protect a
nd comfort. But I felt it now and i
t was a fierce thing.

             
And Margo. We
had to put her in a room. No one could
or would deal with her right then
. T
here were t
oo many other things going
on. She was silent and waiting. W
hether she knew her fate
, understood what was happening to her
or not, the rest of us did. And it was one I wasn’t ready to deal out.

             
Lillian loo
ked up at me with
eyes glistening.

             
“That’s it.” She wiped her eyes and took a
deep meaningful
breath.
Her eyes were full of decision as she said,
“I’m coming with you.”

             
“No,” I said and grabbed her upper arms
gently
. “You most certainly are not.”

             
“Yes. I am,” she said firmly and pulled away from my grasp, even as I tried to stop her.

             
She walked f
urther into the commons room
right up to Billings.

             
“I’m coming with you.”

             
“Uh.
..” H
e looked at me, walking behind her. I’m sure he was trying to decide if the g
lare was directed at her or him.
“I’m not sure about that.”

             
“I am. I’m coming. One more person
to help in the search, right? We can cover more ground and be i
n and out faster.”

             
“L, no,” I said turning her to me. “Why? Because you’re scared for me? Remember what I told
you about not risking yourself?
I meant it.”

             
“You need me. You may not w
ant to admit it but you do. Wome
n can be enforcers, can’t they Billings?”

             
I turned my glare on him full force and silently dared him to speak.

             
“Uh...well,” he stammered and I could tell he wanted to bring her, to use her.

             
“Don’t even think about it
,
Billings,” I growled.

             
“What? If you want the truth, we could use her. A pretty thing like her would-”

             
“Don’t say another word!”
I bellowed.

             
“Fine. You asked.”

             
“Actually, I don’t think I did.”

             
“Hey! I’m right here, you know,” L said
clearly
annoyed. “Don’t talk a
bout me like I’m not here. Cain.” S
he turned to me, pu
lling me from facing Billings. S
he grabbed my face in her warm long fingers and looked into my eyes. “I lo-” She closed her eyes and licked her lips. I wondered what she was going to say. “You mean a lot
to me. A lot. But you are kind of
making me crazy right now. T
his isn’t just about you and me, n
othing is anymore. This is Sherry we’re talking about.” She quirked a brow and I wanted to drag her to her room and demand
that
she explain what she meant by that. Did she really think I still had feelings for Sherry? “She w
ould do what she could for us. W
e all have to do what we can for her. You can’t make me sit on the sidelines when I know I can help.”

             
I leaned closer to her so no one would hear but her.

             
“I know what you’re insinuating, but I’m not doing this for some hang-up on Sherry.”

             
“I know that.” She looked stricken. “I didn’t mean it like that at all. I meant that I know you care about her, we all do.” She rubbed her temple. “I’m not trying to start a fight with you right n
ow. I know we have things to do. A
ll
that
I’m saying is
that
it’s not fair and it’s not right to make me stay here when I can be helping and doing some good out there. That’s what Mitchell tried to do.”