Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45773 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45773 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Emissary Jacob seems to be shouting, his features torn in anger.
“So much for controlling your emotions,” I mutter. “Is there any way we can hear what they’re saying?”
Dad shakes his head.
“Disable the insensates,” Idris orders. “We’ll only have the enforcers to deal with.”
Kenzo grins at the bit of good news. “We have enough ammunition to take down the fuckers.”
“Oh, no,” Dad gasps. “Look.” He points at a different security camera, showing the staircase.
There’s a group of insensates coming toward us.
“Get to work,” Idris roars. “Everyone guard the door and keep the fuckers out as long as possible.”
Dad starts typing fast, and even though it’s freezing in here, sweat beads on his forehead.
Chance helps me off the counter, then says, “Stay here. If the insensates get past us, help Idris and Dawn to protect your father until he shuts down the program.”
I grab hold of Chance’s shirt, tugging him down, and our lips crush together for a breathless moment before he pulls away and runs toward the door.
I move closer to Idris and my father, my fingers flexing around the handle of my gun. My eyes lock on the monitor, showing the insensates march up the stairs.
“Quicker, Dad,” I say, urgency lacing my words.
“I’m trying,” he breathes.
Gunfire erupts, the blasts echoing through the icy air. I glance at Idris and Dawn, then shake my head. “I have to help them.”
Before Idris can stop me, I limp as fast as I can toward the action. My friends have taken cover behind computer systems, and as the insensates march into the room, they’re taking them down.
It works for a couple of minutes, but then the insensates practically pour into the room. There are too many to pick them off one at a time.
“Joseph!” Chance shouts. “Any time now would be good.”
I aim and fire, not blindly shooting, seeing as I’m on my last clip.
Kenzo runs out of bullets first, and dropping his weapon, he storms the nearest insensate, slamming his fist repeatedly into the face of the insensate.
Chaos erupts, and it’s everyone for themselves as we fight to keep the insensates out of the room.
When my gun is empty, I dive for a dead insensate, and slamming into the body, I grab his weapon and pray it works the same as a regular gun. As I turn onto my back, I open fire.
Within seconds, my friends arm themselves with the fallen insensates guns, and we’re back in action.
Chapter 23
Jai
All at once, the remaining insensates drop to the floor.
There’s a moment in which you can only hear our harsh breaths and the buzzing from the computers, then Kenzo lets out a loud victorious holler, pumping his fist in the air.
We did it.
Shocked that we actually managed to shut down the insensate program, I’m frozen in place until Chance’s arms wrap around me, lifting me off my feet. He hugs the ever-loving crap out of me, laughter bursting over his lips.
We did it.
Victory hits me so hard, I let out a sob as I wrap my arms around his neck. “We did it,” I whisper, the relief I’m feeling more intense than any emotion I’ve ever experienced.
From over Chance’s shoulder, I see Raze and Skater hugging and jumping with joy. Kenzo is swinging Mom in a circle.
When I see Ethan drop to his knees, I push at Chance to set me down. “Ethan.”
Chance swings around and darts to his brother, who looks stunned with relief. I was worried there for a second that Ethan got hurt, but when Chance pulls him up and hugs him, I get back to celebrating our huge win.
With the pain in my leg forgotten, I run to Idris, Dawn, and Dad. I fling my body at my father. “You did it!”
Dad lets out a chuckle, a world of relief in the sound.
“I’m so proud of you,” I say before I let go of him. Our eyes lock, and there’s so much emotion between us. “Thank you.”
Dad seems overcome with emotion. He just nods and lets out a sigh.
“Now for the emissaries,” Idris shouts.
With adrenaline and happiness flooding our veins, we take the insensates weapons and rush up the stairs. The victory has given us all a fresh burst of energy, and as we storm into the hallway, Idris shoots at the door.
It shudders open, and after all the fighting we’ve done, we take down the enforcers without much effort.
Emissary Jacob is the first to drop to his knees, begging, “Don’t kill me. Please.”
“Everyone on their knees,” Idris shouts. “Follow your leader’s example.”
The other four men kneel beside Emissary Jacob.
I stare at the five men that have ruled the ecocity with an iron fist.
“Why did you do it?” I ask. “Why all the lies, the control, the cruelty, and violence?”
Emissary Jacob lifts his eyes to me. “It was to stop the annihilation of the human race.”