Phantom Universe (37 page)

“
She can do that?” asks Rob, chuckling.

“
I’ve trained my car well,” admits Gage with a grin.

“
Brilliant!”

Lucy and Summer are still stuck in their “Oh My God” stare.

The car flies the opposite direction of the traffic on the ground and then drops onto the asphalt again. The lights of cars are all coming at them so quickly that Summer’s in a constant state of flinching, just waiting for the collision that’s surely to come. Horns blare left and right as Cameron commands the car into weaving in and out of traffic, several times taking the wheel and turning the car sideways in a skid before she speeds forward again. The car jumps up into the air, and they spin a one-eighty before they begin to go the direction they had originally been going moments before. The cops are thoroughly confused as they slide sideways in the air and on the road to try and catch them again. But then Cameron cuts the wheel and leaves the freeway completely, running into downtown Phantomship that was once Los Angeles. Huge buildings tower over them from every side, and Summer’s awestruck by the city, regardless of the high-speed chase.

“
Up ahead!” shouts Gage.

Cameron gives a tight nod and suddenly they turn right, still hovering in the air, and when they reach a T in the road the car doesn’t slow or turn. Summer’s chest heaves when the building up ahead only grows larger as they race toward it. A blood-curdling scream erupts from Lucy’s mouth as Cameron crashes the car into the building. Glass rains down on the car like tinkling rain against the car.

“
Holy shite!” exclaims Rob. He’s still grinning like an idiot.

It’s an office building, and people dive out of the way as the car barely fits between the floor and ceiling. They crash through several walls while desks and ceiling tiles smash into the car before they drive through more glass, exiting the building in the same style they entered, and spin wildly in circles in what appears to be a parking structure.

“
Launch now!” shouts Gage.

They land on the ground and slowly drive through the parking structure—parts of the vehicle drag on the ground—until they’re in the basement portion of it. They pull into a parking space, and the car shuts off, the seatbelts releasing them. Summer’s tense muscles relax as she leans against Landon in relief, though she doesn’t know for how long this sensation will last.

CHAPTER
44: DIVERSION

16 years old

Cameron and Gage start chuckling, and Jaden and Rob join in.

“
Aren’t they going to find us down here?” asks Landon nervously.

“
We deployed a decoy,” Gage says proudly.

“
We figured this might happen, so we had a diversion set up here,” explains Cameron, trying to withhold her giggles. “We sent a battered silver Outlander from the parking structure. It’ll evade the cops until it doesn’t run anymore.”

Summer sucks in a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

“
Are you okay?” asks Gage and Landon at the same time.

Dazed, she nods sluggishly and sits up.

“
A new update,” informs Cameron, changing the subject while her fingers tap on the glass before her. A man’s somber voice fills the vehicle.

“
The police are still in pursuit of the stolen Leaguer vehicle. It has come to our attention that two Leaguers from the camp in Phantomship were taken during the escape of the prisoners.”
Prisoners?
That’s what Gage had called Summer long before she was told otherwise in the law class. Still, it catches most of them off guard. “Cameron Steen and Gage Appleton are said to be hostages.” A holographic image suddenly appears in the middle of everyone in the back of the Outlander, making Summer jump in surprise. The same image appears on the windshield. It’s a picture of Cameron and Gage, studiously scowling while in their uniforms. “Avoid the roads right now. If you see this Silver Outlander”—a picture appears of the pursuit—“move far away. If you see these two on foot, do not approach them. Contact authorities immediately and remove yourself from the situation.

“
Now back to our regular broadcast. . . .”

Cameron presses a button, and all goes silent in the car. “I’m famous,” she jokes thoughtfully.

“
Infamous,” Gage corrects.

“
Prisoners?” barks Landon crossly. “That’s what I thought!” He begins to grumble incoherently. Summer’s thoughts are on the same wavelength.

“
What the bloody hell is the point of those idiotic classes if we’re considered prisoners?” gripes Rob.

“
Two reasons,” says Gage. “First, to keep everyone from focusing on escape and the fact that they’re actually being held against their will. Second, those who show promise and can possibly be brought up in our society will be accepted—especially younger Outlanders.”

“
So what?” shouts Rob irately. “The plan is to keep us locked up forever?”

Summer glances between the two, wondering the same thing.

Gage looks down, ashamed. “This is why we’re against the government’s plans. . . .”

Rob’s face turns into a mask of heated rage. “Just spit it out!”

Startled, Gage’s eyes snap to Rob’s. “They want to kill those who are useless to our society!
Okay?
They want to kill the Outlanders. Only a tiny percentage will survive. At least that’s how it is in the Canadian Federation. President Beaumont is only waiting for the bill to be passed to start executions!”

“
Why didn’t you tell us this from the beginning?” roars Rob with such outrage that spit flies from his mouth.

“
I’m sorry! I knew if I told you too early things could have easily taken a wrong turn. You’ve escaped, haven’t you? We helped, didn’t we?” defends Gage while he points at Rob.

Summer gently places a palm on Gage’s forearm and brings his arm back down. He turns to her, and his eyes are full of deep remorse. “I would have never let them kill you or your friends.” His tone’s sincere, and she believes him—after everything they just went through to get away from the authorities it’s obvious which side they’re on. The thing is . . . she can feel the tide of anger rising in her as well at the news. It’s something that rarely happens, but now that she’s found this new freedom, she’s also found the freedom of thought. The last time she let her fury take her over was when she cooked hot peppers in the whole crew’s dinner. But now it’s boiling just barely under the surface.

“
So what do we do now?” asks Jaden, pulling Gage’s attention from Summer.

“
Ethan—our tech genius—turned the cameras off in the parking structure as soon as we crashed through the building, so we’re waiting for someone from the Greenhorn Project to bring us a vehicle,” explains Gage.

“
Greenhorn Project?” asks Lucy with raised brows.

“
The way things were in your camp were heavenly compared to the other camps,” says Gage gravely. “Outlanders at other camps have been starved, beaten, and killed. It’s getting ugly, and many citizens are embarrassed by President Beaumont’s blind eye.”

“
This has sparked the Greenhorn Project, a group of people who are against the mistreatment of Outlanders,” adds Cameron. “We’re secretly a part of this project and have their full support to rescue you specifically, Summer.”

Me?
she thinks with raised brows.

“
Our ride’s here,” says Gage suddenly, leaving Summer to her wild thoughts.

CHAPTER 45: MONTGOMERY

16 years old

Their new ride sits abandoned on the first floor of the parking structure. It’s black and sleek with a rounded rear and large, tinted windows. The backseat’s not quite as large as the Outlander’s so they’ll have to squeeze inside. On the back of the car, in silver paint and fancy cursive, is the name
Velocity Rapture
. Summer has a bad feeling about this car, her stomach giving an uncomfortable squeeze—she’s still a little woozy over the last ride.

Today’s the first time that Summer’s ever seen the outside world in its true form. There’s a revolution under foot—the Federation’s taken a turn many of the Canadians disagree with, and it’s obvious on the streets. The Greenhorn Project’s symbol seems to pop up everywhere: a white dove taking flight from an open cage. Cameron explains that it represents freedom and peace. It’s on shirts, in holograms, on flashing screens, and even drawn on the back of speeding cars.

Farther out of the city, Summer can finally see the true magnificence of this phantom universe she’s stumbled into. Lights hang in the air to display where lanes are for flying cars, while far above them there are several hovercrafts that are just oval-shaped dots in the sky. She can see where parts of the old city are intermingled with the new, shiner parts. Technology’s advanced much faster than predicted, but that’s because it was the Federation’s priority to be the most advanced nation on the planet, explains Gage as Summer stares out the windows and marvels at the city along with her friends. The view completely makes her anger melt away to be replaced with wonder.

They slow when Phantomship’s out of view and only low-rise buildings surround them. This is the first time she really gets a good look at the people of the future. Some look normal while others have strange-colored hair and abnormal clothes and accessories that she’s never even dreamed of before, let alone seen. Yellow hair, short hoop-like skirts, wild tattoos, eerie eye colors, and many more things that are bizarre. Parking outside a building with huge windows and digital images moving across the glass, Cameron taps the windshield again, and images immediately cover all the windows in the hovercar.

“
This is Emma’s mother’s store,” explains Cameron in the dark, turning a light on. Summer, yet again, can’t find the source. “She owns one of the last stores in the whole Canadian Federation that still has physical books. She’s left me instructions on how to enter the store, and the back has supplies for us to use.”

“
Are the cameras disabled?” asks Gage.

“
Mrs. Waters put the cameras on a loop starting at dark. Until then, we need to stay in here,” says Cameron. “We’ll stay in the store tonight, and tomorrow we’ll meet up with the other Leaguers in the Midwest Providence. What we need to discuss is where we plan to go from there.”

“
Actually,” interrupts Gage, “I was thinking of New York.”

“
What?” squeaks Cameron. “You can’t be serious?” Gage and Cameron exchange looks, as if speaking with their glances. “You
are
serious! And you think that they’re just going to let us pass? Just like that? No questions asked?!”

Everyone watches them carefully, absorbing the information—especially Summer who exchanges a look with Landon. He shrugs, and they both look at Gage.

“
Of course there will be questions asked! But don’t you see . . . the one person that everyone wants the most is in our possession!” argues Gage, his voice rising.

“
What? You can’t just treat her like a possession,” argues Landon, his voice low and even.

“
That’s not what—”

“
You want to use Summer to get into New York? That’s what you’re saying, right?” accuses Landon. “Don’t you think they’ll want to imprison her just like the Federation? The accusations of the Secret Clock Society will put her on everyone’s hit list.”

Gage’s mouth opens wordlessly until he gains his composure back. “That’s not what I mean—”

“
Isn’t it?”

“
No way will you use her as bait,” jumps in Rob, suddenly coming to Summer’s defense.

“
Yeah,” agrees Jaden, Lucy, and Avery in unison.

“
Summer?” asks Jaden, and all eyes turn to Summer.