CHAPTER 25
The van sped down the road. The blond cyborg drove it, and no one spoke. The only sound that was heard was the tires against the pavement.
The vehicle was big enough to accommodate ten people, but apart from the front seats for the driver and a passenger, the windowless rear only had seats for four.
It surprised Celise that it was clean and seemed well taken care of. The interior was white, and black rubber mats covered the floor. Guns hung behind the driver, locked behind bars, and next to it, a med kit. There was even a computer tablet attached there. She had, for some reason, imagined the Fighters to be a sloppy gang, but much pointed to the opposite.
Nightmare and the red-haired cyborg sat in the back with her and Faye.
Wind lay on the floor with the scanner against his chest. If anything changed, she’d know instantly.
The worry refused to release her, making her keep a watchful eye on him. She could only hope their destination wasn’t far.
Celise looked at Faye, sitting next to her, but her friend didn’t spare her a glance. Faye was being so mellow. Why? There was no trace of the rebellious person she usually was.
She had suspicions to why Faye had agreed to this. She’d seen the guilt in Faye’s eyes when Nightmare had mentioned Silver. Maybe, she had finally accepted she had to face him.
Celise turned her gaze to the redheaded cyborg. He had unusual beauty and appearance, with high cheekbones and a wide mouth. She hadn’t paid much attention to him before, but she did now, and his shining eyes had a red glow. She’d never seen that before. She’d also never seen such pale skin. It was almost as if he lacked pigmentation.
“I’m Blaze,” he suddenly said.
She winced. Hadn’t expected him to speak, considering the anger she’d seen in his eyes in the forest. Strangely, that rage didn’t seem to be there anymore. Instead, his eyes were filled with anticipation.
“I’d say it’s nice to meet you, Blaze, but I don’t think it fits the situation.”
His lips twitched. “Don’t worry. You have nothing to fear from me. We’ve been waiting for you.”
She blinked. “What?”
Blaze looked at Nightmare with a silent question in his eyes.
The rogue leader only nodded, and the redhead turned back to Celise. “The world has a messed-up image about us. Most people believe we’re crazy, dangerous, and not reliable.”
Celise frowned. “You kill people.”
Blaze remained calm. “Not without cause.”
“And you rob places.”
“Also, not without cause. We have to survive.”
“Many of you are also damaged because of the broken bond.”
He nodded. “We’re damaged because the bond tried to kill us once our bound one died. We do everything we can for those cyborgs. No one is terminated unless there’s no other way.”
“So I’d say the world has a rather good image of you.”
His lips tensed, but he still remained calm. “There’s more to us than you think. You’d be dead by now if we were the bad guys media portray us to be. We’re about to show you everything about us, and we’ll even let you go once our talk is over. We’re sacrificing everything here. Doesn’t that mean anything?”
Silence filled the van for a short while.
“You need someone to tell your story,” Celise gasped.
Blaze nodded again. “We’ve been looking for the right person for years, and it couldn’t be just anybody. It had to be a doctor who works for MedAct. We’ve had our eyes on you, and other doctors, but you are the one we considered.”
Her jaw dropped, and she stared at the cyborg as everything he’d said sank in. “Why me?”
“Because you seemed like a kind and understanding person. You also have something most of the other doctors lack.”
“And what is that?”
“You see us as equals, and you really care about us.” A gentle smile played on his lips as he reclined against the wall of the van. “You’re also the one who created the program that can track cyborgs using the forgotten signal inside our programming.”
Shock went through her, and she straightened her shoulders. “How did you know that?”
His smile slid into a grin before he chuckled.
Nightmare chuckled with him.
“I didn’t,” Blaze said. “You just confirmed our suspicions.”
Her heart pounded as she stared at them. They seemed amused by her surprise. Celise was unable to speak. Her brain felt like toast, but as she slowly came back to her senses, she understood it’d been just a matter of time before they’d find out.
“We might be a bunch of damaged cyborgs, but we’re still smart,” Nightmare said. “We managed to track the signal you sent out. When we realized it came from Glaswell, it didn’t take much to understand that one of the doctors who work for MedAct operates it from there.”
Defeat filled her. “Is my program the reason I’m here?”
“No. We’ve already told you why you’re here. You’re here because we need you. We want you to see the truth. We want you to understand everything.” The leader’s eyes were serious.
She nodded, relief flooding her. For a short moment there, she’d thought she’d been played.
Celise glanced at Faye. She’d remained silent during the whole conversation. It worried her since it was so unusual for her friend. She took a deep breath. “Why do you trust me? It’s obvious you’d been spying on me, but you don’t know me.”
“We don’t trust you,” Nightmare said, “but we’re willing to take our chances. Something has to be done to change our fate. We hope you’re one step in the right direction.”
“And what is your goal?”
The cyborgs remained silent for a while. They exchanged glances as if they were trying to decide what to admit. “To eliminate the bond and take down MedAct,” Blaze finally said.
Faye snorted, breaking her silence. “Good luck with that.”
Nightmare snorted. “I know you both think it sounds crazy, but when you know what we know, you’ll rethink.”
The van slowed, and a few seconds later, turned right. The ground changed and became bumpier.
Celise tried to look through the driver’s window. She had no idea where they were, and all she saw were trees. It’d taken about fifteen minutes to get from where they’d been.
“Where are we?” Faye asked.
“About an hour from Glaswell,” Blaze answered.
The vehicle drove for another minute before coming to a halt.
Nightmare opened the back door and got out. Faye followed, and Blaze after her.
Celise hesitated. She looked at Wind, who still lay on the floor with closed eyes. The scanner on his chest still indicated the same thing — he was dying, and if she didn’t stop it soon, there’d be no way to bring him back.
His bond to Diane had changed. It should be gone, but instead, it was still there, and she had no idea how to interpret that. She just hoped Nightmare had a solution.
“Don’t worry,” Blaze said. “Heaven will carry him inside.”
Celise frowned. “Heaven?”
“The bastard who drove us here.”
The driver’s door opened, and seconds later, the blond cyborg came to the back of the van.
His emotionless dead eyes made her jump. He seemed so different from the calm Blaze. It was as if there just wasn’t anything on the inside. Usually, people showed some kind of emotion, but when it came to Heaven, there was nothing.
Nothing at all.
As if he was empty.
“Relax,” Blaze said, offering her his hand. “Heaven won’t harm Wind.”
Heaven’s dead eyes looked at her. “Hurting Wind is not a logical action. We need you. Therefore, he cannot be harmed.”
Celise blinked, unable to move. Her instincts told her to stay put, to not leave Wind, in case he’d need her. Plus, she’d have to remove the scanner from his chest in order for Heaven to carry him.
The emotionless cyborg was just as attractive as Blaze with his androgynous features. He was tall and muscular, and she didn’t doubt he was strong enough to carry Wind.
With a heavy heart, Celise grabbed the scanner and stepped out from the van. She was doing the right thing, wasn’t she?
Celise couldn’t recall how many times she’d changed her mind during the journey. She should’ve gone to MedAct instead. What could Nightmare possibly do to save Wind, anyway? She doubted he had the necessary expertise and equipment.
Celise scanned their surroundings. The car was parked on a slim gravel road. Where it continued, she had no idea. A beautiful forest with healthy trees and tall grass encircled them. Probably the same forest from before, since it stretched on for miles. “Is this where you live?”
“You could say that,” Nightmare said as Heaven lifted out Wind from the back of the van.
Faye frowned. “There’s nothing but trees here. Are you guys some kind of Robin Hood type?”
His lips didn’t even twitch. “I guess you’ll find out soon.” The leader walked into the forest, approaching a small clearing. He stopped in front of a tree and placed his hand against its trunk. A blue light came from underneath his hand just before a clicking sound was heard.
Celise gasped when the ground started to tremor.
“Shit!” Faye yelled, taking a step back. “What’s going on?”
“You’re about to enter our home,” Blaze said with a smile.
Something seemed to be approaching from underground judging by the sound. It became louder and louder, and before Celise could fully grasp what the sound was, an elevator rose from the ground with grass still attached to the top. It came up from the middle of the small, but open area. The elevator had no walls, just glass surrounded it.
Amazement filled her. She’d never expected this.
Most people believed the Fighters lived shabby and dirty lives, constantly on the run from MedAct and the police, but this indicated something completely different.
It almost excited her to find out where the elevator went. A tiny glimpse of hope awakened within her as well. Maybe there was a chance to save Wind here after all.
“You expect me to get inside that?” Faye asked with huge eyes.
“Yes,” Nightmare answered.
“Well, forget it! You won’t trick me into doing such a stupid thing. Who knows what’s down there!”
Heaven seemed uninterested in the sudden fuss. Instead, he entered the elevator with Wind in his arms. He stared ahead, waiting.
Celise’s legs moved of their own accord toward the elevator. She had to go with Wind, no matter what. She was the only one who could defend him if anything went wrong.
He was so helpless right now, and she’d give up her life to protect his if she had to. She didn’t trust the Fighters, but hope had brought her here.
Maybe there was more to them, after all.
Heaven spared her a glance when she entered the elevator.
“Celise! You can’t be serious,” Faye said.
“I can’t leave him. I just can’t.”
Disbelief colored her friend’s features, but Celise avoided reminding her about her promise to stay no matter what. She couldn’t demand that of Faye. The fear in her eyes was obvious, and the decision had to be hers.
Celise preferred to have Faye by her side. It kept her somewhat grounded, and who knew what would happen once the elevator reached its destination. Worst case, she’d lose it and break down if her hope had been in vain.
The Fighters didn’t say anything.
Instead, they entered the elevator as well.
Faye cursed and stomped with her left foot. She pressed her lips together and fisted her hands, glaring at the Fighters. “I’m sure I’ll regret this, but fine. I’ll go.” She stepped onto the elevator, pointing a threatening finger at them. “But if any of you as much as touches me, Wind, or Celise the wrong way, I will hit you where it hurts the most.”
Nightmare only grinned and pressed a digital button on the glass wall.
Celise tensed when the elevator started to move down. She closed her eyes and prayed she’d done the right thing.