Chapter Seven

“We’ve come a long way together, but I still feel like you’re holding out on me. What’s the plan?”

“What do you mean?” Jake looked blank.

Melissa blinked in surprise. “How are we going to get the cyborgs out of there? Do you think you can walk up, tap the guard on the shoulder, and ask for permission to go inside?” The sinking feeling she’d been having about the whole trip was starting to get worse. How could Jake make something a success if he didn’t know what they were going to do?

Jake shrugged. By now Melissa understood the expression meant he didn’t think her question was pertinent. “The people in Purity Force are big, dumb brutes. They hire the guys with the widest shoulders and the most folds in the backs of their necks, not the ones with brains.”

“You have a brain. Do you know a way to sneak in?” Melissa asked hopefully.

“Nope, but we don’t need to. We’ll figure something out.”

Melissa had been leaning against the van, exhausted from not enough sleep and too much time spent cramped up in a vehicle. At his words, she stood upright and put her hands on her hips. She didn’t care if she looked like a raging bitch. Jake deserved it. “Then tell me what you’re thinking. Everyone is hopeful, but look at us! We’re a bunch of college kids. Life isn’t a movie where we have a martial arts expert and a computer hacker and a guy on the inside. Get real and get a plan. Otherwise, I’m leaving.”

Melissa didn’t notice the rest of the group come around to their side of the van and silently stand behind her. Everyone was waiting for Jake’s answer. Apparently, she hadn’t been the only one with concerns.

Jake put his hands up defensively, palms out, but he never dropped his positive expression. “Calm down, guys. You’re overthinking things. I have a plan, and I’m not stupid. We’ll split into two groups. The first group will distract the guards by staging a mock protest. It will start small, but we’ve all seen how any demonstration can turn into a riot. They’ll call everyone over there to deal with it, and the rest of us will go inside.”

“Don’t you think they will have security on the doors?” Kenny was a tall guy with long hair who had spent most of the van ride sleeping with his headphones on.

Holding up one finger, Jake grinned. He reached under the seat of the van and pulled out a bag of tools. “That is the one thing I prepared for in advance. On the internet, you can order any lock-picking instrument ever created.”

Kenny raised an eyebrow. “That might have been useful a hundred years ago, but what if it’s an electronic lock? Those old things won’t do us any good.”

“We don’t have to worry about that, Kenny. It’s an old building, and Purity Force hasn’t had the time to upgrade it. They needed a place where they could store the cyborgs quickly and easily.”

“How about weapons?” Kenny folded his arms across his broad chest. Melissa couldn’t help but admire the ripple of muscles under his t-shirt. Maybe she should hang around him during their coup attempt. “I know Purity Force is going to have guns. What did we bring?”

“You’re acting like I didn’t think about anything.” Jake gave a placating smile. “If you were so unsure about the cause, why did you come all this way before asking your questions? What you need to understand is that the Liberators are focused on preserving life, not ending it. We don’t need weapons because we aren’t going to hurt anyone. That’s not what we’re about.”

He licked his lips as he surveyed the small group. Melissa imagined she could see the thoughts as racing through his head. Jake hadn’t prepared enough. Everyone was starting to realize it. If he didn’t say something quickly, he would have a mutiny on his hands. At this point, Melissa thought that might be a good thing. She was prepared to offer to drive as long as they kept Jake in the back.

“Are we going to stand down and let them torture or kill cyborgs? Is our lack of training an excuse? We don’t need special skills to get past these goons. We have justice on our side. You might think it’s risky, but wouldn’t you want someone to take a chance for you? Don’t let your fears get in the way of having a brilliant future.” Jake raised his fist in the air as a fierce expression appeared on his face.

The rest of the group nodded, pounded their fists, and murmured their assent. While there wasn’t the same amount of enthusiasm Melissa had seen at the Liberator meeting, Jake had managed to keep the group following him.

She didn’t want to admit that the ability to control a crowd turned her on because he had looked like an idiot with his lackadaisical attitude. But Melissa still felt a shudder of passion ripple through her as she saw the crowd rally to his side. Maybe she would still find a chance to finish what they had started.

Melissa shook her head as she got back in the van. Her evening with Jake had gotten her horny, and she needed to do something about it soon.

A few hours later, Melissa found herself crouching on a dirty sidewalk. Half of their party emerged from the shadows to distract Purity Force. Jake had arranged the assignments so he would be teamed up with her. She had been flattered at first, but she wasn’t sure it was a good thing anymore. The distractors had a dangerous job. They might be arrested or beaten. Still, that might be preferable to entering a building full of cyborgs and guards.

She’d run through every possible scenario in her mind while moving from the outskirts of the city to the holding facility. Melissa tried to focus on a positive outcome where they freed the cyborgs and escaped unharmed. It was hard for her to see success when images of her ending up in jail or dead kept passing through her mind. Melissa didn’t want to call and explain to her parents what she was doing. On the other hand, she didn’t want to lie bleeding on gum-covered asphalt. Her best hope was to stay wary and be prepared to run.

“We’re going to do this,” Jake whispered in her ear. He groped around in the darkness until he found her back and slid an arm around her waist. “Will you celebrate with me when this is all over?”

He had a remarkable knack for chasing her fears away. It made her feel like a fool later, but she always enjoyed the sensation in the moment. “Absolutely.”

Jake’s lips found her in the dark. He eased her mouth open and flicked his tongue between her teeth, tasting her before they put their lives in danger. He smelled like cologne and sweat. She could still taste traces of the coffee he drank before they arrived. She would celebrate with him, and she wouldn’t stop herself this time.

He tore himself away to watch the progress of the others, but she didn’t miss the look of craving in his eyes.

The mock protest was working. They had approached from the west side. The guard spoke rapidly into his radio. Two other officers left their posts to assist him, leaving their doors unguarded.

“Okay, guys. Remember to stay together and let me talk to the cyborgs first. Once we’ve finished, everybody needs to get out of there and back into the van. Got it?”

Melissa, Kenny, and the rest of the group nodded solemnly. Jake stood and dashed toward the south entrance. The remainder of the party trickled after him. It took forever to make their way to the door. Melissa thought she felt someone watching her as she waited for a bullet to hit her from behind. But they made it to the building without incident.

The next problem was opening the door.

“Shit,” Jake muttered.

It only took a moment to figure out what was wrong. The old, rusty door had a brand-new keypad next to the handle. The lock was electronic. The bag of tools in Jake’s hand was going to be useless.

“We can’t give up now.” Kenny looked enthusiastic. “Try pushing the numbers or unscrewing it. Maybe we can just smash it. But if we stand here something bad is going to happen.” He cast a glance over his shoulder. The guards were still busy chasing down the protestors.

Jake nodded and began randomly pressing buttons. The electronic lock beeped angrily at him but wouldn’t open the door. “I don’t even know how many numbers to put in.” Melissa could hear the panic in his voice.

“Let me try.” Kenny pushed Jake aside and made a fist. He drew his hand back over his shoulder, preparing to show the lock where it could put its pin code. Before he could swing, a squeal sounded behind them. The lock exploded, leaving a gaping hole in the door.

Melissa spun around, looking for the source, but Jake grabbed her arm as he shoved the door open with his foot. “It doesn’t matter how it happened. Maybe it’s fate. Let’s just get in there.”

They streamed into the darkness. “Is there a light switch around here?” Melissa started running her hands over the walls.

“Don’t turn on the lights.” Jake shook his head. “If we do that, they’ll know exactly where we are.”

“I think they’ve figured it out anyway.” Kenny gestured at the sound of heavy footsteps behind them.

The Liberators surged forward, but without a way of seeing where they were going, they couldn’t get far. Melissa felt her boot catch on something on the floor, and she flew forward. Crashing on her hands and knees, she scrambled to regain her footing. The sounds of moving feet and panicked breathing surrounded her.

A light turned on. Blinking, Melissa turned around to see a member of Purity Force standing in the doorway. They hadn’t made it far. They were in a long, narrow hallway that stretched the length of the building.

The guard had his gun trained on Jake. “I’m putting you all under arrest. Place your hands above your heads and go outside.”

Melissa knew when it was time to give up. She didn’t want to go to jail. She immediately complied as much as possible while lying on the ground.

A blast sounded from outside. A hole appeared in the middle of the guard’s body that looked like the explosion on the exterior door. The guard remained standing for a moment. A look of confusion passed over his face before he fell forward with a sickening thud.

The Liberators screamed and started to run. No one wanted to approach the dead guard’s body. The pack moved in the other direction, going through the doorway at the end of the hall.

After going down a steep set of stairs, they found themselves in an open, dimly lit room with concrete floors and walls. On the opposite side were another doorway and more stairs. Clear boxes almost as tall as the walls themselves ran along the perimeter of the room. Melissa had never seen anything like them before, but she could guess their purpose. These were cells Cyborg Sector had used to store the soldiers. She started thinking about the boxes as stasis chambers. It looked like a scientist or Purity Force member could keep a cyborg inert and harmless in one for a long time.

They had made it.

“How do we get them out of there?” Melissa squeaked. Now that she was about to achieve her goal, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to open the boxes. A massive man occupied each one. The cyborgs stood straight and tall. They looked like they were ready to fight right now, but they had their eyes closed. Wires and tubes protruded from the back wall of each cell and into the soldiers, keeping them alive.

Jake, apparently recovered from the incident in the hallway, boldly marched to the first cell on the left. He examined the electronic lock holding the door closed. “I need to talk to them. If we can free just one of them, he can help us get all the others out. After that, we’re out of here.” He randomly poked at the buttons on the box.

Melissa didn’t want to stand around and wait for something to happen. She started looking at a control panel near the doorway. With luck, there would be a command to release all the cyborgs simultaneously. It would be terrifying to see all the large men wake up and emerge from their cells, but she would have to overcome her fear if she wanted to get back out of the building.

Two buttons looked equally promising. They were both unlabeled. Melissa had her hand over one. She was about to depress the button when a voice growled in her ear. “That won’t work.”

Melissa froze. She didn’t want to face anyone from Purity Force. It felt like the skin on the back of her neck crawled. Someone was right behind her, but she couldn’t see him.

A hand wrapped around her waist and lifted her easily from the floor while a cold metal barrel pressed against the skin of her neck. “Everybody get out!”

The Liberators all turned to look at the strange voice. Jake visibly paled as he took in the scene, and Melissa waited for him to do something to help her. Despite her doubts, he had brought them into the holding cell. They were close to success and couldn’t give up now. But Jake stood rooted to his spot, only moving enough to point at Melissa and the man holding her.

“Are you deaf? Everybody leave, or I’m going to kill her! I don’t have time to deal with you.”

Melissa’s pounding heart threatened to stop complete at his words. Was this guy part of Purity Force? She knew they could be brutal, but they weren’t supposed to murder people in cold blood. She looked to Jake in fear.

The head Liberator stepped back from the cyborg cell in front of him and slowly raised his hands over his head. The man holding Melissa was blocking the way outside the building. Visibly shaking, Jake slipped past him and out into the hallway. The others quickly followed, leaving Melissa behind.

“Take me with you!” Melissa screamed. She didn’t want to be left by herself with a maniac who had a gun and had already threatened to kill her. Being arrested outside the building in plain sight of everyone else was starting to sound like a luxury cruise.

When the noise of the Liberators’ footsteps had faded into the distance, the man spoke into a radio. “I’m clear. Let’s get it done.” He marched across the room while holding her around the waist like she weighed nothing. He casually flung her into the far corner. “You’re staying here in case your friends decide to come back.”

Looking up, Melissa realized her captor wasn’t part of Purity Force at all. He was as tall as the cyborgs in their cells, with massive shoulders and rippling muscles on his arms. His close-cropped blonde hair shimmered in the flickering light, and his green eyes looked fierce as they stared down at her. Purity Force wore blue and white uniforms with badges. The man wore khaki cargo pants, dark boots, and a tight green t-shirt that showed off his body.

What was most shocking about his appearance was the gun where his hand should have been.

“You’re a cyborg.” Melissa started to shake.

“Did something give it away? Now, keep your mouth shut and stay here unless you want the number of human fatalities to go up by one. I have no qualms about killing you.” He turned as another figure entered the room.

Melissa knew instantly that the newcomer was a cyborg, too. He had red hair and a scarred face that was the stuff of nightmares. His hand had also been removed to reveal the tip of a gun. Where were all of these cyborgs coming from? The Liberators were supposed to be freeing them. Had they already released themselves?

“They’ve called in reinforcements for Purity Force.” The red-headed cyborg looked carefully at each of the unconscious forms. “We need every body we can get, so let’s take them all out of here.” His eyes landed on Melissa. “Thunder, what is that thing?”

“She’s a hostage.” Thunder didn’t look at Melissa as he started to open one of the locks on the cells. “I used her to get rid of the other humans.”

“Why didn’t you just kill them all?”

Thunder shrugged. It was a surprisingly human gesture. “It got them out of the way, and I don’t feel like tripping over bodies while I work.” He pulled open the door of the first cell and reached inside to detach the cyborg from his life support system.

“If you’re going to keep a pet, make sure to feed it.” The scarred cyborg look doubtful but posted two soldiers at the doorway and began to open the cells too.

“Savage, where is everybody else?” Thunder had the first cyborg free. He staggered as he stepped out of his chamber, but understand the situation immediately and moved across the room to free his brothers.

“There were more Purity Force officers in the building across the street. I’m not sure how they’re getting around so quickly, but they might be moving underground.” The door to the cell wasn’t opening. Savage shook his head, gave up on the lock, and started punching it with his fist. It shattered after a few blows. “We should have spent more time doing reconnaissance.”

“We’ll do a better job next time.”

It was intimidating to see how quickly the men worked. They were powerful. Even though they had just fought Purity Force to get inside, they didn’t seem to be winded at all. From her position on the floor, the soldiers looked even taller and bigger than they had appeared when she was standing up. The humans looked like children next to them. Their massive hands could crush her in an instant if she made a stupid move or said something incorrect.

Her thoughts shifted momentarily to Jake and the rest of the Liberators. Would they get past Purity Force considering that there were so many of them? Were they already lying on the sidewalk outside the building and bleeding out? The best scenario was if they were in the van already and not thinking about Melissa at all.

She was on her own.

Jake had said that he would talk to the cyborgs. He thought he could convince them that some humans were their allies. But Jake had looked directly at Thunder and didn’t even try talking to him. He had left her without looking back. Now there was no telling what would happen to her.

Moving to the next cell, Savage glanced at Melissa again with a hungry look. “What do you plan on doing with that?”