Run by James Moore

Author:James Moore
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2011-11-30T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Four

Evelyn Hope

“THEY’RE COMING.” EVELYN HEARD the Rafael’s voice softly through her headset. She watched the monitors and felt herself tense. There was a preposterous number of cameras set in the area, because there had to be. The entire neighborhood was a setup, a dummy placed for the purpose of seeing how well the Doppelgangers adjusted to life in a suburban environment. If she’d learned anything from the past, it was that privacy could not be allowed. Subject Seven had taught them that lesson, and it had been costly. Now she was grateful for the extra security and the technology that allowed them to have so many cameras and microphones hidden in plain sight.

All of the people who’d been on the street, waiting, looking around and acting as normal as possible, immediately moved for cover. They were trained—and well trained at that—but they were not here to fight. They were here to observe and to offer backup only if absolutely necessary. This was a test. Who was better at being a Doppelganger? Seven or the Strike Team? Evelyn had to know. She had to see for herself if everything they’d been working for was a successful endeavor when compared to the monster that had come before the Strike Teams.

She watched the Strikers ready themselves. The last time they’d been taken off guard. No one to blame but themselves, and they understood that. They had been told that their enemies were faster than humans, that they were actually on par with the Strikers, but it hadn’t registered. Hearing it hadn’t meant believing it. Now they had seen and felt it for themselves.

Rafael let them know it was time—reminded them that this time, failure would mean dire consequences. Perhaps a few of them might have wanted to argue, but they’d been better trained than that. It had to be done. They had to win this. There could be no excuses.

“Mary, Declan, Tori . . . Hit them from the left. Sean and Heather, wait for my mark.” He was talking into the radio headsets instead of using his mental commands for two reasons. First, because that way Evelyn could hear everything going on, and second, because they weren’t one hundred percent sure that Seven couldn’t eavesdrop on whatever mental commands he issued. There were still too many things they didn’t know about Seven and how he’d evolved over the last five years. Most Alphas couldn’t read the thoughts of anyone who wasn’t a part of their birth clutch, but that was because they’d been designed that way. Subject Seven and his friends were prototypes: they were unpredictable.

Evelyn watched them coming, heard the Strikers murmur their assent and waited. And they came, five forms moving at high speed, riding motorcycles that had been built with speed in mind.

The street was empty, of course, which was why they’d chosen this location.

She’d have killed to see their faces, but the five wore helmets with visors. They didn’t so much stop and park as they climbed from bikes that were still rolling.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.