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As I approach the house, my skin prickles with gooseflesh. The feeling is deeper than just a notion that someone is watching me. I don’t know how much is blocked by the chip in my neck, but something is getting through.
There are other specimens in the area.
Inhaling deeply, I smell a strong scent of diesel fuel though I can’t see any trucks or anything in the areas that would use it. No one is visible from the outside of the house, but I can see lights on inside through the drawn curtains. I can’t tell if there’s movement or not, so I inch up until I can get a better look.
In the front room, Riley stands against the wall with one of the soldiers positioned slightly in front of her, pro
tectively. It’s the same man who said he’d look out for her while I was gone. They’re facing one of the other soldiers, who points a handgun at them.
In the distance, I hear helicopters.
“Fuck.”
I slam open the front door, and see Riley and the soldiers jump at the noise.
“Galen!” she calls as she starts to head toward me.
Before he can react, I grab the man with the gun, and smack it from his hand. He barely resists me. There’s something about the look in the traitor’s eyes that doesn’t sit well with me. He’s not a man looking to win—he knows he’s going to die. He’s just trying to delay us long enough for the others to arrive. I grab his neck and twist until I hear it crack. He falls to the floor, where I notice the bodies of the other two soldiers.
“We have to get out!” I yell at her. “They’re coming.”
“They’re here.” I look to the soldier closest to Riley as he steadies himself and heads for the door. “You two get out.”
“Get to the back door, Riley!” I yell.
Riley nods and heads farther into the gutted house toward the metal door that leads to the back room and then outside. The helicopters are landing in the front of the house, and I can hear the sound of boots as they hit the ground. A second later, the front door flies open, and people star to pour inside.
“Go!” the soldier yells. A moment later, shots ring out, and he falls to the ground.
“Riley—move!” I yell, and she picks up her pace as I start to head in her direction.
There are fifteen of them, three of which are specimens. They carry their rifles at the ready. I’m still twenty feet from Riley, and there are too many of them to fight in such close quarters without a weapon.
Riley struggles with the latch on the door but can’t open it. She’s panicked, and her fingers are fumbling. I press the balls of my feet against the floor, propelling myself toward her so I can get the door open.
All at once, the soldiers raise their weapons, gun down the Carson soldiers, and then aim at Riley and me.
“Riley!” I scream as I lunge at her, pinning her to the metal door. Grabbing her shoulder, I pull her against me and tuck her head to my chest. I wrap her in my arms, shielding her with my body as the shots ring out.
When the first bullet penetrates me, I close my eyes and concentrate on the sensation as time slows to a crawl. I feel the tip pierce my skin at my lower back, and I shift slightly. I force the muscle to flex as the bullet enters, tightening around the projectile and holding it fast. As I capture the first bullet with my body, the second enters my shoulder.
I raise my shoulder just enough for the bullet to go over Riley and into the wall. The next one hits, and I catch it with my thigh.
Again and again, I take every hit, manipulating my body to hold the bullets and prevent them from going all the way through and hitting the woman I hold close to me. She’s screaming my name over and over as I’m hit, and my body quivers with the impact, but I can’t listen to her. It’s taking everything I have just to keep her from harm.
I can’t even tell how long they continue to shoot.
The shots stop. I have no idea if they’re all reloading at once or if they figure we must be dead by now, but I embrace the opportunity. I pull my arm back and slam my hand into the handle of the metal door. The latch breaks with the impact, and I shove Riley through the opening.
“Go!” I scream at her.
Riley turns and stumbles forward. As I start to move, the pain in my body doubles me over, but my implants immediately begin to compensate. The pain is muted, my thoughts focused on making the damaged muscles in my body act.
Running footsteps behind us start to get closer. There are three in front—the specimen team. Riley has no chance of outrunning them. Given my injuries, I’m not sure I can, either.
I have to. I have to save Riley.
“Keep going!” I yell as I shove her head of me.
