Heavenfall: Genviants Book 1 (16 page)

CHAPTER
NINETEEN

Jonah rushed past Dex and through the door. He burst into the hallway, but stopped short when he saw one of the nurses floating mid-air in front of Corene. "What? How?" The shock left him unable to voice his thoughts.

The nurse fell limp to the floor, and Michael stepped around her. "I'll explain later. Is David here?"

"Yeah. Doc Ernst was working on David's arms. Should be done by now." Jonah couldn't take his gaze off Corene. "You were dead. I saw you, and you were dead."

Stran stepped up and took hold of Corene's hand. "Tell him, Corrie."

She nodded. "I asked Dex to let everyone think that I'd died. Don't blame him, though, he knew I'd be back. Anyway, I've got a little brother, Grady, and he's showing the first signs of brainwave transformation. My parents are totally into Brother Samuel's cult. Kept trying to exorcise the psychic ability out of me, then tried to beat it out of me. They took off on a pilgrimage to Samuel's compound ten days ago and took Grady with them. I had to try to save him. If he blasts, I know they'll kill him."

Jonah turned to Dex, not Stran, for confirmation.

"I knew she'd change her mind. I wouldn't have let her go, otherwise."

She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I was on my way out of town when I heard Hadrian's speech, and I turned around. I realized the Dragons are my family, too, and I couldn't leave. At least not until I made sure you guys were safe."

Michael added to Corene's defense. "She caught up with us on Norris Freeway. We were surrounded, by the military, the locals. Everybody wanted a piece of us thanks to Hadrian's little speech, but Corene used her telekinesis to get us out. I've never seen anything like it. Bodies, vehicles, even trees, flying everywhere. That's some freaky shit, right there. And, we managed to snag some weapons. We picked up some rifles and side arms, plus enough ammo to take out more than a few of Hadrian's security forces."

"Good deal." Jonah smiled. "Odds are getting better by the minute. Now, all we need is to find David and get out of here."

Dex reached down and helped the nurse stand. "Where's your break room? Vending machines?"

The crowd closed in around them, and Jonah took a step back. "We don't have time for a snack."

"Corene has to have the carbs." Dex glanced at the clock. "We've got roughly eight hours until the wave hits, and Corene's ability uses a lot of energy. She needs to recharge."

She did look a little pale. A little shaky, and from Dex's pointed look, Jonah knew he'd end up the same way. "Okay. You guys grab whatever we can carry. I'll find David, and we'll meet out front."

The nurse still had hold of Dex's hand. "Is it true?" she asked. "Do we really only have eight hours?"

"Afraid so." He addressed the crowd. "Look, some of you know me. Know I worked for Hadrian. Believe me, the Dragons aren't the enemy here. Despite Hadrian's accusations, we didn't sabotage the energy web. It's never been fully functional."

Still trembling, she pointed to his face. "We? But you don't have the tattoo."

"Haven't earned it, yet."

She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. "Follow me. I'll show you where the break room is, and a bank of vending machines." She let out a nervous laugh. "Go ahead and trash them. I've lost a lot of quarters in the candy machine."

Jonah watched them walk away, knowing Dex would make sure she got all the money from the machines. "Anybody with saddlebags on their bikes, go with Dex. Mike and Ella, you're with me. The rest of you, get out front and make sure nobody bothers the bikes until we get out of here."

The crowd scattered, not bothering to follow any of the Dragons. Now that they'd learned their prep time was cut in half, it didn't look like any of them were interested in collecting the reward.

Jonah turned to Ella. "We need to find David. You check the rooms down that hallway." He pointed left and turned in the opposite direction. "I'll check this one." Once Ella walked out of earshot, he pulled David to the side. "How was Mary when you left her?"

"She blasted while we were running from Hadrian's goons. By the time we got out of there, she'd passed out and was still out cold when I left her with John. Sorry, man. Wish I could tell you more."

"It's enough."

Another crash echoed through the clinic. The noise brought more medical personnel out of their rooms, including Dr. Ernst with David a step behind him.

"Looks like they found the vending machines." Jonah grinned. "Help them load up the food and get everyone out front as quickly as possible. We ride in ten."

"What the hell is going on out here?" Dr. Ernst yelled.

Jonah sprinted down the hall to them. "Shortened version, Doc. The Dragons are here. The wave's gonna hit in about eight hours. From here, we're heading to Palisade. Look, I hate to ask, but it's probably going to get messy, and we could use a doctor. Will you come with us?"

"Field doctor? I don't have any experience."

"None of us have experience, Doc." Jonah pointed to David's arms. "But we need more than a hot knife and gauze if we're going to get through this. Corene's already showing signs of fatigue from using her abilities. Right now, I'm the only person who can get the web to full power, and that scares the shit out of me. If I'm going to do this, I need your help."

The doctor shoved his hands in the pockets of his lab coat and looked at the ceiling. "Damn it! I should go home to my family. Make sure they're safe. Then I can meet you at Palisade."

"Don't you get it, Doc?" David grabbed the man's shoulder and forced eye contact. "Nobody will be safe if Jonah fails. Besides, six hours ago, it was like a war zone out there. Now? You'll be lucky to get  a mile away from this place. You'll never make through to your family."

"You've got three choices, Doc," Jonah added. "You can try traveling on your own, you can go with us, or you can stay here and watch the world end knowing you could've helped."

Doctor Ernst went nose to nose with Jonah. "You should know I don't respond well to emotional blackmail."

"How well do you respond to death?"

"Damn it!" He stepped back, scrubbed a hand over his face. "Okay. Give me a few minutes to get a med kit together."

"Great, and make sure to grab some energy boosters. We'll stow the stuff in David's saddle bags, and you'll ride with him."

"David." Jonah stopped him from following the doctor to get the supplies. "How are your arms?"

"Good to go, man."

"Glad to hear it." He stepped a little closer. "I hate to do this, but I gotta give you the short version, too. Dex is with us. All the way. If he gives an order, you follow it. No argument."

David bristled, muttered something under his breath, but finally nodded in agreement.

"Corene's alive and here. She's got some freaky telekinetic power, so she'll be riding on Stran's bike up front with Dex, Michael, and some of the other guys. I know you'll want to be up there with them, but you've got to stay back and keep the doc safe. I wasn't blowing smoke when I said I needed him."

"I think I'd be more useful on the front line. Let the doc ride with somebody else."

"Don't you think I want to be up there with them, too? You think I want to ride protected while my friends, hell, even the squids, take damage for me?" He got in David's face. Let the full force of his frustration out. "But you know what? I can't. I've got to stay back. Let them clear the way so I can get to the comps. And if my new hardware goes bad, or I start to fry? Doctor Ernst is the only backup I've got."

David held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Okay, man. I get it. I'll protect the doc."

"Thanks. When you get the med supplies loaded, meet us out front."

***

Jonah decided on the most direct route, straight down
Oak Ridge Highway. Michael took point with Dex on one side and Stran and Corene on the other. They rode hard and fast down the four-lane, and the roar of over thirty motorcycles was sufficient to send the other vehicles traveling the road to the shoulder, or into oncoming traffic. Didn't matter. With Corene's help, the Dragons didn't need to slow down or stop.

Until they reached
Bethel Valley Road. All the street lights were out, but searchlights illuminated the intersection and swept perimeter. One armored vehicle with a machine gun mount guarded the road with sixteen or so soldiers flanking it. One of Hadrian's elite security guards stood front line with nothing more than a bull horn. "Persons unidentified, this is a restricted area. Turn around and continue to the nearest safe haven. This is the only warning you will receive."

Michael leaned in to Corene, but Jonah couldn't hear their conversation. Corene pointed to the machine gun, nodded, and stood on the back pegs of Stran's bike.

"Hold your fire," Michael yelled back. "Let us through. This is the only warning you will receive."

The guy manning the machine gun smirked.

The sneer lasted about five seconds, replaced by a surprise yelp. He pulled his hands away from the gun, shook them, and took a cautious step back.

Jonah watched pandemonium break out through the formation as guns fell to the ground amid cursing and yelling. A blast from underneath the armored vehicle sent a shock wave through the soldiers, knocking them to the pavement. Shrapnel and glass erupted and embedded their sharp edges in flesh. Blood bloomed over the green fatigues. A grotesque rose garden where the thorns not only pricked, but killed. At first, he thought it was a grenade launch gone wrong. Even so, against the MRAP, a single grenade, or a dozen grenades, shouldn't have caused any damage. Those armored vehicles were built to repel blasts. But Michael nodded to Corene, a signal for her to stop, and Jonah realized she was responsible for everything, including the blast.

Corene cleared a path, and the Dragons rode through the destruction. None of the surviving soldiers tried to stop them. Jonah slowed when he reached the vehicle and realized the blast hadn't come from ordinance. All four tires had exploded, and what metal remained had melted and looked like some kind of surreal sculpture. Curious, he sped up until he was rolling beside Corene. "I thought telekinesis was your deal. What the hell was that back there?"

"An experiment. Telekinesis on a molecular level. Stran figured it out." She wrapped her arms around his waist. Gave him a hard squeeze. "Excite the molecules so it heats the metal, maybe melts it, and makes it so they can't use the guns
—period. Even their side arms, bullets, belt buckles. Whatever. With the added bonus of a nasty burn, so less danger of hand-to-hand." She gave him a cheeky grin. "The tires were my idea, though."

"Good one. The tires
. Wow."

"I know, right? My mom worked at a trucking company, and I remembered this time when I was there after school one day. The vending machines were in the bay, which probably held like six or so eighteen wheelers. I was about to go out there and get a Coke when this shop dude came into the offices and told everyone to stay put. They had a truck coming in, tires hot. I had a hissy fit, but mom wouldn't let me go. A few minutes later, I heard the explosion. And man, I did not expect the damage. I figured it'd be more like a blowout, you know?  It rattled the whole building."

"Yeah." He swerved to avoid a disoriented soldier. Poor guy. "Fantastic job. How do you feel?"

"A little tired, but it's mostly from the ride here and having to direct the kinetic flow forward without it affecting the Dragons. Don't know if I'll be able to work the molecular every time, but it doesn't use as much psychic energy as making people and machinery fly."

"Grab some jerky, or a candy bar, or something. Charge back up. Those guys were the first line defense. Won't get any easier from here."

Stran reached behind him with his left hand, rubbed Corene's calf. "All the more reason for you to get back there with David. We're getting close to the gate. Corene tries to melt that monster, it'll coat the road with hot metal and nobody will be able to get through."

"More fire power, too." Michael added. "Bound to take some hits, but we'll make it."

"What's the plan?"

"Get through it alive."

"That's not a plan."

Michael shrugged. "It's the best we've got."

Jonah let off the throttle and let the other riders pass him, but it still chaffed, staying back while everybody else took the risk.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Mary awoke in total darkness, with the scent of verdant earth filling her nostrils. The woods around her were too quiet. No sounds of nocturnal animals rustling through the underbrush. No birds chirping in the trees. No crickets. John leaned against a tree a couple of feet away from her feet. A glow stick illuminated the area around him, but she didn't see the other men who were supposed to lead them through the Devil's Footsteps.

She licked her chapped lips and sat up. "How long have I been out, and where are our escorts?"

"They're scouting ahead. Apparently, some survivalists are living in up here, and our guides are spreading word to everyone up here that we're coming through. Said people in these parts are real itchy about uninvited visitors. They should be back in a few. Said to wait." John pushed away from the tree. "You've been out about seven hours. Leaves us a little over eight hours to make it to Brushy Mountain, get in, get the codes, and then somehow get them to Jonah."

"It shouldn't have taken the nanites that long to repair the brain blast. Why didn't you wake me up?'

"Tried to, but the blast wasn't the only injury the bugs had to fix." He held out his hand.

She took it. Stood on shaky legs. "Do I want to know?"

"You had some pretty nasty contact burns from the paracord. A bullet ripped through your thigh, and you had some road rash and a nasty gash on your temple from the accident."

"Accident?" Her fingers found the hole in her jeans, pulled at the frayed threads. "Is David okay? Did he make it back to the med center?"

"Don't know, and before you even think about calling, I gotta tell you David tossed your phone after the accident. Hadrian's men came out of nowhere to intercept you, and he figured they were using the phones to track your movement."

"Yeah, makes sense."

"How do you feel? Is your spidey sense tingling?"

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes. "I got nothing."

"Maybe it'll take awhile, like Stran's did, or the nanites prevented the psychic shit from happening."

"I don't think so. According to Dex, Hadrian used the nanites and still developed some type of psychic power, but Dex doesn't know what the power is." She stretched, looked into the night sky needing its comfort, but the dense forest obscured her view. Left her yearning for her rooftop. "Doesn't matter right now, anyway. Whatever psychic power develops, or doesn't, I don't think it's going to help us out here." Her stomach growled. "Got anything to eat? I'm starving."

John grabbed a backpack hanging from a broke tree branch and unzipped it. "Dex said you'd need some protein after the blast." He shook his head. "Still haven't figured out how he knew you were going to blast. Anyway, There's some jerky in here, and some canned fruit, 'cause he also said you'd need the complex carbs, and a couple of energy bars."

"Let me have the fruit, first."

He pulled the top on the can and handed it to her, along with a folded camping spoon. "Finish it quick. We need to get walking. You can eat the jerky and bars on the trail."

With peach juice dripping down her chin, she licked the spoon, folded it, and stuffed it in her back pocket. "How long will it take us to get to
Brushy Mountain?"

"We started out as soon as you got here. Took four-wheelers as far as the terrain would let us. Be thankful you were out, 'cause it was a damn bumpy ride. Broke three axles over that godawful terrain. I think my brain is still rattling around in my skull." He handed her the canteen. "We traveled the last couple of miles on foot and entered the forest about two thousand feet northwest of the
Petros Cemetery about a half ago. We're almost a mile away from the prison. And to be honest, I'm glad you're finally awake, because I'm tired of carrying your ass."

She took a long swallow. Laughed. "Your arms can take it, and you're sure not going to hear me complaining about sleeping through the worst of it."

"Not the worst." John pulled the jerky out of the backpack, zipped the bag closed, and slung it over his shoulder. "We're at the head of the Devil's footsteps. It runs from here to the prison, and according to our guides, it should take us about two hours to get there."

"I can hike faster than that, even through a wooded area, and I'm not waiting around. We'll catch them to them."

"Don't kid yourself, Princess. There's a reason the prison was built on the side of this mountain. Some prisoners spent days wandering around up here after they escaped, and that was before the prison shut down and there were still hunting trails to follow. Plus, we'll move slower in the dark, and we've got a limited supply of glow sticks." He patted the back pack. "The guys Dex hooked us up with seem to know their shit, though. They've got some high powered flashlights, subdermal communication devices, and they're packing machetes to cut through the thick layer of underbrush, along with a couple of Glocks."

Only the military and Hadrian's security forces carried guns and had access to ammo. "What do they need with the pistols?"

"Rattlers and copperheads. They said." He glanced toward the crushed foliage.

"You don't sound so sure about that."

"Look, not long after I got to Kingston, Hadrian did a broadcast. Over everything. Television, radio, and the civil defense system. He put a price on your head." He snapped a low hanging branch, pointed it toward the woods. "Dex picked those two, and maybe they're all the way in on this, but we don't even know how much we can trust Dex."

"I trust Jonah, and he trusted Dex. Besides, our guides could have killed us at any time over the past six hours."

"Hadrian wants you alive. They don't need to kill you to collect the reward. All they have to do is deliver you into Hadrian's hands, and for all we know, they'll turn you over as soon as we reach the prison."

"Or, they might not. Too late to worry about it now." More worried about the possibility of running into snakes and other crawly things than Hadrian's security force, she took a tentative step and stopped. "Got any duct tape in your backpack?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Let's tape up our pants legs and shirt cuffs. Don't want any uninvited guests."

"Good idea." He dropped the pack, pulled out a roll of tape, and tossed it to her. "Not too tight."

She wrapped the tape around ankles and wrists and handed it back to John. "We'd better catch up to our guides before your stick runs out."

John grinned. "Never let me down before."

At least he hadn't lost his sense of humor.

The trail their guides left behind required too much concentration to allow further conversation. More than once, they misread and had to double back. John had been right about the forest. They'd been walking for about thirty minutes and had maybe traveled one hundred feet.

"This is ridiculous." With her hands fisted on her hips, Mary did a three sixty looking for signs.

"I agree." The man's voice echoed from out of the shadows followed by the crunch of his boots over the brush. "You should have stayed where we put you. Nearly got yourself shot."

Mary waited until the second man walked into the dimming sphere of light from the glow stick. "We don't have a lot of time here. Figured we catch you on the way back
, and did."

"You got lucky we saw the light. Neither of you can read a trail worth shit." He turned his head and spit. "You're going in the wrong direction."

She refused to feel embarrassed. Refused to be intimidated by the two men looking at her with a mixture of annoyance and amusement. "Okay, that's on me. How far off are we?"

"Not too far. We can make it up pretty quick." He stepped a little closer, flipped on his flashlight, and pointed the beam at her chest. "But understand this, you do what we say, when we say, from here on out. Got it?"

John moved to stand between them. "Then we'd better get started. We've got four, maybe five, hours before the wave hits."

"Got another problem," the second man said. "Looks like your backup ain't going to make it. Last anybody knows, the Dragons were heading north on 441 when the blockades went up, had to detour. They might've made it to Norris, but nobody knows for sure. We got people on the lookout, and they'll radio us if they learn something."

If the Dragons didn't make it past the blockades, chances were Niko and Ursula hadn't either. "How many guards are at Brushy Mountain?"

"Don't keep many. Fifteen. Maybe more if they're transferring someone in."

"Hadrian knows we're heading there," John interjected. "Probably pulled more guards, some military, to greet us at the door."

The first man snorted. "Most of them are locals. Born and raised in
Morgan County. Doubt they'll stick around. More likely they'll be trying to get their families to safety. Survival's a mighty powerful instinct, and even the promise of a reward won't keep 'em there."

"What about you? You thinking of turning us over once we get there?" Mary asked.

"Ain't stupid." He grinned and started walking. "Can't spend a reward if you're dead, and Dex says the energy web won't work without you."

"You trust Dex?"

"I owe the man my life." He patted the Glock holstered at his side. "Owe Hadrian, too." Without further elaboration, or explanation, he took started waking.

She followed the man. John caught up to her, and the second man fell in step behind them. She kept pace, but didn't venture too close to their guide. Mary recognized the cold hatred in his voice. It mirrored her own, and she wondered what Hadrian had done to the man, or someone he loved, to cause it.

Wondered, but didn't dare ask. After all, she wasn't stupid, either.