Ordinaries: Shifters Book II (Shifters series 2) (14 page)

Chapter 25

Guests Usually Don’t Knock on the Back Door

–TANNER–

Naturally, I’m not thrilled with being left behind, but here I am, sitting down to eat while Ryland and Kai are in some kind of life and death struggle. I get that I’m injured and all, but Corey did fix me up. I’m a little sore, but it’s not like I can’t fight.

The food Elly and Alli brought tastes as bad as it looks. Seriously, where’s a McDonald’s when you need one? I’m so hungry I don’t complain while the girls watch me take every bite and pretend to enjoy it.

As it turns out, Ryland and Kai didn’t need help after all. They come back in, and everybody is patting them on the back like they just conquered the Nazis or something. Ryland is the last one in. She’s covered in blood and trying to coax some frail lady to follow her.

Fluffy’s bouncing up and down with excitement. I think his happy barks are scaring the woman more than helping her, but I can’t help but smile.

“Who’s that?” I ask Kai, referring to Ryland’s new friend.

Kai rolls his eyes, nods toward my sister, and says, “Mother Teresa over there just had to bring her.” He continues loading the storeroom with all kinds of dangerous weapons.

Elly and Alli run over to the woman, and she appears relieved. The girls each take one of her hands and lead her into the house. Alli says, “Come on. It’s okay.”

Elly tells her, “They’re the ones here to save us.” They leave the room telling her about how we are from the prophecy.

Ryland stands with a stoic glare, but I notice her lip twitch and her eyes well up. My sister, the warrior, is about to cry while people rush to unload their ship. I think of how I used to sneak into her room when we were little if she was upset. We would hold hands and talk until we both fell asleep. It wasn’t that long ago that we were just normal kids in a normal house in a normal town with normal friends. The closest we would’ve ever got to outer space was watching
Doctor Who
on BBC America, or me at least. I don’t think Ryland ever paid any attention.
Now look at us!

“Are you okay?” I ask Ryland.

She wipes her eyes and sniffs, saying, “I’m fine,” then walks toward the war room.

I turn to catch up with her as several men walk out. One of them tells her, “That was really something back there.” He pats her on the arm and says, “I’m glad you’re on our side,” before walking off.

“What was that about?” I ask her.

“Nothing,” Ryland tells me.

“Are you kidding me?” Clay says, as he comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. He pulls his hands off and grimaces at the blood smears. “Anyway,” he says. “She was like,
whoosh
through the air like a superhero, and ‘Oh, yeah! No, you don’t,’ then
bam
! She takes him out with his own weapon. It was awesome! And I was like, ‘Uh-huh, that’s my girlfriend.’”

Kai looks up and shakes his head at Clay’s story.

“Where are they going?” Ryland asks Marcus, pointing to the small group of heavily armed and muscled men heading out the door.

“Finishing what you started,” he answers. “The enforcement unit is weakened. They should be able to secure it. Tanner, we are nearly ready for your plan. Both of you come here.”

“What plan?” Ryland asks sharply, spinning around.

“I think we can cut off their supply line near the mountains. We’re going tonight,” I tell her.

“You’re not going,” she tells me.

“What are you talking about?” I ask. “I have to.”

She turns to Marcus and tells him, “He’s
not
going!”

“Marcus,” Kai says. “It’s not a good idea. Tanner still needs rest. We’ll go.”

“Listen,” Marcus starts. “It’s already decided. We need Tanner’s Apt if we’re going to succeed in taking their supplies. He’s going. Get ready, Tanner. Viktor is preparing the ship. We leave in ten minutes.”

“Fine,” Ryland says. “I’m going too.”

Alice, who had apparently followed them in, pipes up, “I’m coming, too.”

Marcus shakes his head wearily. “No, I’ll need you and Greg to keep the Sixers, Keepers, and Young from getting into any more disputes. Also, I need you to check in on Sol
é
. We sent Kyle on a run earlier, and she had an episode without him.”

“Marcus,” Alice starts to complain, but he holds up a hand to silence her. She hangs her head and walks out of the room.

Marcus turns back to Ryland and says, “I expected you to come.” Then he looks at Kai and says, “Both of you, of course?” He doesn’t wait for Kai’s nod before walking outside.

Ryland grabs a large weapon and tosses it at me. I catch it before it slams into my face and say, “What was that for?”

“You’re gonna need it,” she snaps while she and Kai both grab their own weapons and start to head for the door.

We walk to Viktor’s ship where Mona is waiting for us. “Welcome, Tanner. Welcome, Kai. Welcome, Ryland. Is there anything I can get for you?”

“Yeah,” Ryland answers. “How about eight hours of sleep?”

“Actually, Miss Ryland,” Mona responds. “I don’t think—”

“I was kidding, Mona,” Ryland tells her, rolling her eyes.

“Oh,” Mona responds. “That was humor, wasn’t it? Very good one. Since one can’t sleep for—”

“Yes, Mona,” Kai says. “We get it.”

There are about twenty Ordinaries with us on the ship, including Tori, Miles, and Bryce. Viktor takes the ship to the north, over the mountain range. He guides the ship along a valley between two peaks. It’s obvious he knows this area.

“Approaching the first sensor,” Viktor says from the cockpit.

Do you call it a cockpit on a spaceship?

“You’re sure you can do this?” Miles asks me.

I nod and ask Viktor where it is. He points and tells me that it’s just over the next rise. I look at Miles and nod.

“If you don’t,” Miles says.
“This war ends here—along with us.”

I walk to the front of the ship, stand next to Viktor, and ask him where. He points me in the direction. I ask if he can get higher. He shakes his head and tells me The Wizard won’t mask our heat signatures if we go any higher. He thinks he can get us in view, but I will have to be quick.

I concentrate as I stare into the mechanism. I see into it right away. I think that this is getting easier the more I do it. I see the sensors and feel they have noticed something different and are beginning to refocus their beams in our direction. I see a light begin to omit and strike the canyon walls as it aims closer to us.

“Get down,” Miles says. “Everyone, prepare for incoming.”

I watch it approach, but I can’t locate what’s detecting our presence. I’m vaguely aware of my sister saying my name. I search, but this system is different. The light is within a few feet of hitting us, then begins to crest over the stealth surface of The Wizard.

“I’m taking us down,” Viktor whispers.

“No,” I tell him. “Hold here.” I feel the light come across my forehead. I stay still as several beams from all directions spring to life and spin toward me.

“Take us down,” Miles whispers to Viktor. “It’s too late. We’ll have a better chance on the ground.”

I see it. I shut the sensor down, and all lights go out. I scan through the system and tell it to sleep.

I turn to Miles and say, “You can get up. We’re good.”

Viktor smiles and drops us right at the door of the Shifter main supply line. There is absolutely no one guarding it. I guess they don’t expect visitors at their back door.

–
RYLAND–

“Nice,” Kai says, slapping Tanner on the back. He’s so pleased we are here, ready for another fight.

Tanner’s beaming at the praise as if Kai were his big brother or something. I hope he remembers we actually do have our
own
big brother. He wouldn’t be that impressed with Tanner going on a dangerous mission while seriously injured and emotionally compromised; although, he would do the same. Bryce has been going on these awful missions just as often as I have.

“Do we have any intel?” I hiss to Miles as I study the door. It’s old and slightly rusted, but I have an awful suspicion it’s more dangerous than it appears.

“All our intel implies this should be a simple mission. In and out in five minutes with their supply lines completely cut off.” Miles is matter-of-fact. He does not sound at all pleased with himself for prepping this mission. He almost sounds bored, but I can hear the slight tension in his tenor voice.

I suppose if I had been part of an underground resistance movement for years with little-to-no success, I might be a little more cautious with my hopes as well.

Kai pulls on the latch as though it will simply open to him. Of course, it doesn’t.

“Really?” I scoff. “You can’t pick a lock?”

Kai gives me a glare. “Of course I can.”

He pulls a small kit from his back pocket and kneels to open the door. Miles hisses for him to stop just as he slides the pick into the lock.

A siren blares so loudly that I flatten myself to the ground, expecting a bomb to ignite. Of course, nothing happens. It’s a warning to the Enforcers inside that we’re here, trying to break in.

“Nice!” I scream over the sound.

Miles is cursing, or I am assuming he is because he looks furious, but I don’t understand a single alien word he is saying. I guess curse words would have developed differently here. I crouch behind a nearby boulder, and I carefully pull the gun out from where I have it slung behind my back.

A Shifter appears on the cliff face just beside the doorway, but before he has a chance to aim his weapon, I pull the trigger. A blue flash of light knocks him from his feet. My gun will need at least a second to recharge before it’s able to fire again, but this is time I don’t have. Shifters are appearing from everywhere as if they were just waiting for us.

Kai snaps his head around and fires without even aiming. Despite the impossibility of his random shots, he takes down one of the Shifters climbing up behind me. Miles takes aim, but he’s knocked to the ground by an explosion before he has the chance to fire.

I scream, but my voice makes no sound as I shift. I’m able to knock one of the now-frozen Shifters from his perilous perch on the cliff before others join me in my time-warped state. Suddenly, I am being hit with a fist, forcing me to double over in pain, clenching my now aching gut.

I grunt as I lash out like a wild animal, forgetting any training I’ve had. I screech and claw at his face, not seeing a man, only a deadly beast trying to destroy me. His eyes are covered in blood, and he’s screaming.

I don’t stop to think about how I may have blinded him; I move toward my next target, sprinting dangerously toward the cliff’s edge.

Kai’s screaming at me to stop while he’s trying to fight off an older Enforcer. I ignore him. I don’t have time to think about him right now.

Before I reach the next Enforcer, I leap into the air and do the most ridiculously ungraceful kick ever. She flies backward, shrieking at me. I slam into the rocky ground and slide toward the edge. Just as my feet are over open air, I grab hold of a root protruding from the rocky soil and stop myself from falling to my death. That was too close for comfort.

Despite our obviously impressive fighting skills, we are still surrounded. Tanner’s cries make my head snap up. I can see someone has punched him in the stomach. Blood is seeping through his shirt, so he must have been hit directly on his scarcely healed stab wound. Even Corey and his magical healing powers couldn’t fix it completely.

I
knew
Tanner shouldn’t be here!

There are four more men on the cliff ledge holding the door. I quickly calculate that if I stop to fight the nearest one, then the one beating Tanner will have time to knock him out and do God only knows how much damage. I grit my teeth as I pull myself into a crouch and launch myself toward my brother.

Chapter 26

I Think I May Need a Medic

–TANNER–

I’m in pain, but I am in control. While Ryland should be dealing with the guys at the door, she abandons our mission and lands on the guy that’s beating me. I take this chance to look for some kind of weapon. There are several mounted cylinders I quickly scan. Just as I thought, they are remote-controlled defensive weapons.

My eyes flash back to the Shifter guards as one of them propels himself into the air. He’s flying. I follow his path to see where he’ll land. The Ordinaries that came with us are taking cover behind an outcropping of rocks and firing on the Shifter group. If he lands, he’ll take out all of the Ordinaries.

I force time to slow and look at the mounted weapon opposite of the small canyon. I hear a strange scuffle and watch Kai fight a Shifter guard in nearly real time. I realize both of them must have shifted, but they are still in slightly slow motion. I must be moving faster than them. But I can’t worry about Kai right now—I have to stop the flying Shifter.

I focus on the cannon-like weapon and locate its motion and firing controls. I know how to operate it, but I realize I can’t make it work as fast as I am moving. I’m going to have to break my shift and time it exactly to protect our allies.

I quickly survey the scene and try to determine where he will be by the time I can fire. I take a deep breath and return to normal time while locking my eyes on the cannon. It lights up as I aim and fire. A blue burst appears, and the flying Shifter disintegrates.

Ryland looks at me with wide eyes. I know what I have to do. I yell, “Help Kai!” She nods and vanishes. I aim the cannon and start blasting anywhere I see an enemy Shifter. Explosions erupt everywhere I aim. Several guards are caught by surprise as their own weapons turn on them, but others realize what’s happening and disappear. I know I have just become their number one target, and they have already shifted.

I shift and duck for cover, knowing they’re coming for me. Directly above me, I see two Shifter guards diving in slow motion, with surprised expressions on their faces, about to collide at full speed. Am I
faster
than them?

I break my shift and hear a grotesque crunch as they collide and fall to the ground, motionless. Focusing on the cannon, I aim at the metal door and fire. The Shifter jumps to avoid the blast as the door explodes.

“Go!” one of the men shouts. The Ordinaries scream a battle cry and charge the smoking doorway.

I look toward Kai and watch him execute a spin kick that connects with his opponent’s chest, and I’m terrified at the sickly scream from the Shifter guard as he disappears from view over the edge. Kai reaches for Ryland, pulling her to her feet, and I yell for them to get to the door. They run through the door as I pause at the opening.

A small blast erupts to my left so I take cover, focusing on the cannon and aiming it at an outcropping of rocks. I fire, then duck inside as debris begins to rain down. The Shifter guard is gone from my sight, as the doorway is completely blocked by the collapsing door. I hear a sickly moan, and I realize the stones broke the guard’s shift. He’s sticking halfway out of the now-blocked door. He looks up at me, pleading as the life fades from his bright green eyes. I’m absolutely sickened by the sight of his crushed, lifeless form.

“Come on!” Miles yells, waving his hand.

Ryland and Kai rush back to me, each grabbing one of my arms, dragging me through the hallway like an injured animal.

“What are you doing?” I yell, as I try to free myself from their grip.

“You’re injured!” Ryland yells, her grip as tight as a vice.

“What?” I ask, as I look at the front of my shirt, which is covered in somebody’s blood. “I’m fine! Let me go!”

“No, you’re not!” Kai yells, dragging me down the hallway. “Stop fighting!”

I realize it must be my blood, but I can’t feel anything. I am way too full of adrenaline to feel anything.

We rush down a hallway and break through a set of double doors, entering a room so large it could house a colonial ship. The room is full. Racks of weapons line the walls to the left, vehicles line the center, and enough food supplies to last a year are stocked on the shelves to the right. The only problem is we aren’t the only ones here.

–RYLAND–

I hear Kai curse as we see the second group of Enforcers guarding the supplies. Someone told them we were coming. There’s no other explanation. This must be every Enforcer from this hemisphere! Maybe from the whole planet!

Wasn’t this supposed to be a relatively unguarded planet and an easy first battlefield? Where are the strategists now? Clearly, they’re full of crap.

The youngest Enforcer I have seen so far, who must have just started shifting when the prophecy occurred, stares at me with wide, unbelieving eyes. She could be my twin, except for the age difference. She’s my height with the same long blond hair, curvy figure, and glowing eyes.

I take a deep breath and realize she can’t be related to me. She can’t be my sister. I lived on Gaia, our home world. That’s where my ship came from. I can’t be related to someone on Six.

Still, my heart beats faster as the catlike sneer on her face reminds me of myself when I’m angry with Tanner.

Fighting and gunfire have already erupted around me as I stare at her. I want to move, to fight, to help, but I seem frozen in place. Tanner is screaming at me, asking why I’m just standing there.

“Do you see her?” I shout over the noise.

“Who?” he shouts back.

“Me!” I shake my head. “I mean, she’s slightly older, but she looks just like me!”

Tanner grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me roughly. I am forced to look into his eyes, which are full of fear and concern. “Ryland,” he pleads, “No one is there.”

I turn to look back, but she’s gone. I scan the rest of the room, but I can’t find her. I push Tanner away, and desperately search for an exit, for anywhere she might have gone. My mind’s racing. I’m not crazy. That girl looked
just
like me!

I’m slammed back to reality as Kai crashes into me, knocking me off my feet. “Get it together, Ascunse!” he shouts angrily.

I launch myself at a nearby Enforcer, who’s beating one of our Ordinary allies. Once free, the Ordinary nods before scrambling to help someone else. I turn my full attention to rendering the Shifter unconscious. But before I can, a blinding flash fills the room.

When I’m finally able to blink away the blindness, I see we are alone. All the Enforcers are gone. “What was that?” Marcus asks in shock.

Miles grins. “That was a victory!”

“Why weren’t we aware they had flash grenades?” he snaps.

“Why were we ambushed?” Tanner questions.

“Someone on your team is a rat!” Kai spits.

They’re screaming at one another. Ordinaries begin to shove Shifters and Tyros. Chaos is erupting.

All I can think about is why no one else saw her. Who was she? Why does she look so much like me? Why
didn’t
anyone see her?

“Stop!” a voice screams, waking me from my reverie.

I then see Alice standing in the midst of the chaos. The entire room is now frozen, staring at her.

She looks different than the friend I once knew. She looks tougher. Her black hair is short, hanging just to her chin. Her father’s camouflage jacket makes her bronze skin stand out. She looks like a marine.

“We’re fighting the same enemy!” she says, her voice full of rage and authority. “We’ll find the mole, but for now we have succeeded.”

The room is full of grumbles, but a quiet tension follows. The groups break up to surround their various leaders. Everyone seems pacified—for
now
.

“Ryland, what was that?” Kai snaps. “You can’t have a mental breakdown in the middle of a battle!”

I glare at Kai. I’m not having a mental breakdown. That girl
was
here. “Who are you to judge?” I grumble, thinking every battle Kai fights is evidence of his mental breakdown and emotional trauma. He’s using this war as an excuse to become a cold, calculating machine.

He’s not the same person I met.

The person I liked.

The person I . . .

“Are you okay?” I ask Tanner, trying to focus on the task at hand.

Now that the fighting is over, his face is white, drained of all color. He holds out his bloody hand in shock. “I think I may need a medic,” he says as he falls to the floor.

“Marcus!” I scream. “Where’s Corey?”