Cyber Dawn (A Ben Raine Novel) (21 page)

I turned and darted back up the stairs. I needed my phone.

Megan was dead.

Sofia was dead.

If I didn’t hurry, Sarah would be dead, too. My top priority was to warn her.

I bolted into my room and grabbed my phone off the nightstand and my canvas bag from the desk chair. I turned and ran back into the hall, this time darting left toward the rear staircase.

On my sphere, the three dots had separated. Two near the front of the house, one on the side.

I tore down the stairs and tried to throw together a plan in my mind. I was outnumbered three to one and there was no doubt the men were armed. And trigger happy. Something told me a thousand hours of
Call of Duty
wasn’t going to help. Just like in the library, my only advantage was the tracking sphere.

As quietly as possible, I ran to the side door and waited. Above, I heard heavy footsteps searching the second floor. The other two men had wasted no time heading upstairs. It wouldn’t take them long to realize I wasn’t there.

With one eye on my sphere and one on the window in the door, I waited. I coiled my body, just like I learned to do in blocking drills in football practice.

The side door slid open.

Using every ounce of strength I could muster, I slammed into it.

A loud grunt sounded, followed by a sudden exhalation of air. I yanked the door open and rushed through.

A short, stocky man with a shaved head stood just outside, bent over and holding one hand over his face. Blood poured between his fingers. His other hand was wrapped around a giant matte-black handgun.

Without thinking, I threw my body into him again. He fell backwards, firing the gun once as he tumbled into and then over my dad’s brick-encased outdoor grill. The sound of the gunshot was deafening as it clapped off the side of our brick house. The bullet struck the ground inches from my foot, sending flagstone shards everywhere. The gun then fell to the patio as the man dropped limply to the ground. His torso was contorted at an odd angle.

I stared briefly, wondering if he was dead, before darting across the lawn.

A few seconds later, I was over the fence and running through Mason and Jessica’s back yard. I jumped onto the fence on the opposite side. As I climbed, I heard a voice call my name.

“Ben?”

My heart sank.

“Go back inside, Jessica!” I yelled as continued to climb the fence.

“Was that a gunshot?”

She walked toward me, a confused look on her face.

“Ben?” she called again, much too loudly. “What are you doing?”

I jumped down and ran to her. We met in the middle of the yard.

“Get back in the house, Jess,” I said sternly. “Now. And lock the doors.”

She scrunched her face. “Ben, what’s going on?”

“I don’t have time to explain,” I snapped, pushing her back. Over her shoulder I spotted Mason.

“Ben . . .” Jessica repeated.

“Just do what I said,” I barked. “Are your parents home?”

She shook her head.

“Listen to me. Somebody killed Sofia. She’s in the house. They are after me now. Go inside and lock the doors. Call the cops, now!”

I put my hands on her shoulders and pushed her hard.

Mason stopped a few feet away, head tilted in confusion.

“Mason, get her out of here!” I yelled.

Without hesitation, he grabbed his sister and pulled her back to the house.

Satisfied they would listen, I turned and ran back to the fence. I prayed I hadn’t just put my friends in danger. Enough people I cared about were already dead.

Because of me.

I ran through two more back yards then double backed to my Jeep. I pulled out my phone as I sped away.

“Hello?” Sarah whispered. I could hear sounds of the coffee shop through the phone.

“Sarah!”

“Ben?”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, what’s wrong?”

“Do not leave the shop.”

“What’s going on?”

“They went to my house,” I said. “Sofia is dead.”

A pause. “Oh my God, Ben . . .”

“I’ll be there in ten.”

“Why . . .” she started to say. I punched the END button.

My mind raced through what happened. It was too much of a coincidence to be a robbery. Just like Megan’s apartment wasn’t a robbery either. I knew now, for certain, it was CyberLife. They were cleaning up loose ends to the Titan program.

As I flew across town, I recalled Carter’s word for Dr. Merrick:

Ruthless.

33

I exhaled sharply when I saw Sarah standing in front of the Dragonfly coffee shop. I braked hard at the curb and stopped. She climbed in, a stunned look on her face.

“Where is your car?” I asked.

“Down the street, on the right,” she replied, voice shaky.

I accelerated and glanced at her as I drove. Her eyes were red and her face and jaw looked tense. I pulled past her Honda and parked my Jeep in a store parking lot. We climbed out and ran to her car. “Got your keys?” I said.

She pulled them out of her bag and tossed them to me.

As we climbed in, I said, “Ran into Jess and Mason. They’re calling the police. That means they’ll start looking for my Jeep. If they aren’t already.”

“Aren’t we
going
to the police?” Sarah asked.

“No.”

“Where then?”

“The mall,” I said as I started the car and pulled out of the parking spot.

“The mall?”

“We need a place to lay low for a few hours. And the mall is about as anonymous as any other place I can think of. I also have a few things to get.”

“Ben, I really think we need to go to the cops.”

“You are. But first, the mall.”

“
I
am?”

“Not now.”

“Then when?” she asked, anger creeping into her voice.

I didn’t reply. Instead, I picked up my phone and called Mason.

“Ben?” He answered on the second ring. It was the first time ever he didn’t address me as
dude
.

“Hey, Mason,” I said. “You two okay?”

“Yeah, we’re fine. The police are here. They found . . . Sofia.”

I swallowed hard and tried to push the image of Sofia out of my mind. There would be time to grieve for her later. Right now, I had to focus.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” I said. “That’s all I needed to know. Look, I have to run.”

“Ben, the police want to talk to you. There’s a Detective Frost here.”

I hesitated and glanced at Sarah. She stared back, hopeful.

“I can’t right now, Mason,” I said. “There is something I have to do first. Tell him I’ll call him tonight.”

I heard the sound of shuffling through the phone. The next voice was Jessica’s. “Ben, please.”

“Goodbye, Jess,” I said. “Take care of Mason for me.”

I pressed the END button.

Before I could set my phone in the center console, Sarah reached out and snatched it from my hand. She pulled a paper clip from her bag and popped out my SIM card. “If the police are looking for you,” she explained. “They will probably put a trace on your phone. It’ll take them a few hours, but better safe than sorry.”

I nodded.

“Mine, too,” she said as she pulled her phone out of her bag.

I drove across town and pulled into the mall parking lot. It was full, just like any other Saturday afternoon. I found an empty spot, parked, and opened the door. “Wait here,” I said. “I’m going to that sporting goods store to get a few things.”

I shut the door before Sarah could argue, and walked across the street to the store.

Twenty minutes later, I walked back out with a bag full of supplies, including a camouflage Army surplus uniform, a black Gore-Tex rain jacket, a multi-tool, a couple of energy drinks, and a handful of granola bars.

As I neared Sarah’s car, I froze.

Empty.

I spun around, searching the lot and between the cars all around me. Panic set in. I ran to the Honda, threw the bag in the back seat, and slammed the door shut. I started it up and backed out. When I checked the blind spot on my right, I slammed on the brakes. Through the window I spotted Sarah walking between two nearby cars. In each hand she held a large cup of coffee.

I breathed a sigh of relief and pulled back into the spot. She climbed in.

“Going somewhere without me?” she asked.

“No. Was going to
look
for you.”

“Sorry,” she said. “I hate waiting around and thought we could each use some coffee.”

“Thanks.”

The car was silent for several minutes as we sipped our drinks.

“Ben, we have to go to the police,” Sarah said, returning to my new favorite topic.

I didn’t respond.

“Ben?”

“I know,” I finally said. “I’ll take you there soon. Then I’ll go get the proof and join you.”

“Not that again,” she sighed.

I turned and looked at the bag resting on her back seat. Her eyes followed mine.

“You’re serious?”

I nodded.

“Ben, they are
killing
people.”

I stared ahead through the windshield.

“Ben, I said . . .”

“I know that, Sarah,” I snapped. “If anyone knows that, it’s me. I found Megan and Sofia, remember?”

Her face turned red. “Ben, this isn’t a video game.”

“I know it isn’t a game!” I yelled. “They are killing my friends. My family. What if my parents or my sisters had been home?”

“That’s my point, Ben,” Sarah yelled back. “We’re just kids. There is nothing more we can do. It’s foolish to think we can take on this company and win.”

I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white.

Watch me.

Lowering her voice, Sarah said, “I know you’re angry. I am, too. But this is a job for the police. Not a couple of high school students.”

I took in several long, deep breaths. “If there was another way, I’d be all for it. It’s not like I’m excited about breaking into the research campus. But I have to confront CyberLife at some point. If not now, in a week or two when I run out of Cytoxinol. At least this way I have some measure of control. If Carter is right, and I can find the proof in there, I’ll have leverage.”

“Leverage for what?” Sarah asked.

“To keep you safe,” I replied.

“That’s what the police will do.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know, Sarah. Do you really think they’ll believe our story? I’m a cyborg. CyberLife, who employs half the town, is killing people?”

She stared at me, eyes wet. “You’re crazy.”

My anger slowly faded. I reached over and took her hand. “I know.”

The car was silent for several minutes.

“I can’t believe CyberLife is killing people,” she said.

“Me either,” I replied. “Until a few days ago, CyberLife was a company I admired more than any other. They made me whole again. In a way, they undid all that terrible stuff that happened to me. Now I know they betrayed me. And those other kids, too.”

She leaned against the headrest and stared out the passenger window. “I still think you’re crazy,” she said softly.

“Probably. But I have to try. The good news is, I doubt they are willing to risk damaging their billion dollar investment.”

“Oh yeah, that’s great,” she said. “So, worst case, they just lock you up and you disappear forever. Great plan.”

I reached into my bag and pulled out Frost’s business card and handed it to her.

“This is the guy investigating Megan’s death,” I said. “When I drop you off at the police station, tell him what happened. After I’m done at CyberLife, I’ll come find you at the station and hand over the proof.”

“And what if you can’t find the proof? Or what if you get caught? Then what?”

“I’m not going to get caught,” I replied, hoping to reassure her. And myself. “I know that place better than any employee does. Including the guards. But if I can’t find the proof, we’ll just have to admit me as evidence, I guess.”

Despite the situation, Sarah managed a smile. “You sound pretty confident for a seventeen-year-old kid whose secret agent experience comes from books and movies.”

“Don’t forget video games.”

“Oh great,” she said. “I’m sure that will make all the difference in the world.”

“And don’t forget this,” I said, tapping my forehead with my finger.

“Too bad you don’t know how to use it,” she said with a smirk.

“That’s why I didn’t take you right to the cops. I need your help in figuring this thing out.”

I glanced at the time on my phone. It was four in the afternoon and I wouldn’t be heading west into the mountains for another few hours.

Sarah pulled her laptop out of her bag. “Then we better get started.”

Three hours later, I stopped Sarah’s Honda on the side of the road a block from the police headquarters in downtown Brookwood. “I’ll be okay,” I said. “It will work.”

She still didn’t seem convinced.

“Just tell Frost the truth,” I continued. “Except the hacking part, of course. Just blame that on me. He doesn’t get all this stuff anyway.”

Sarah looked down. A tear formed in her eye.