20.
Reunion
Thea Dark. The kind-hearted young Guardian who discovered my Gift eight years ago and then taught me how to use it. She couldn’t possibly be here now.
But she is. Unless I’m hallucinating, she’s standing less than an arm’s length away from me. But why?
“You won’t understand now,” she says, as if answering my thoughts. “But things will become clearer with time.”
“We don’t have time.” Liv shifts her legs impatiently – like a deer about to bolt. “They could be homing in on his chip right now.”
“Not down here.” Thea looks up at the icicle-draped ceiling. “There’s at least one thousand feet of bedrock above us. They would have to be directly overhead to get any signal.”
“What if you’re wrong?”
Thea shrugs, her full lips curving into a smile. “Then I guess our reunion will be a short one.”
Before I can ask what she’s doing here, the Aletheian who’s still lurking in the shadows holds up a hand to silence us. Then he cocks his head to one side, listening. Whatever he hears can’t be good, because now he’s running toward us with the efficient, stealthy strides of a soldier. Under the cone of light, he looks brawnier than I thought. Even Vin would have trouble taking this guy down.
He waves his slicer toward the far end of the tunnel. “Movement.”
“Are you sure?” Liv asks, but before the soldier can elaborate, the air around him splits open with light.
Blinding light.
Followed nanoseconds later by a sizzling sound – like a thousand angry rattlevipers burrowing into my ears. I drop to the ground and retch, my stomach recognizing the sickening smell of charred flesh before my brain does.
Someone was just incinerated.
Eyes now useless, I spin into what can only be sunlight. Nothing else could sear my retinas like this. Unless…
Unless I’m staring right into a spotlight.
Enforcers. Even before I hear the orderly shuffle of boots, I know they’ve found me. I’ve led them straight to the Aletheians.
I’ve brought Liv and Thea certain death.
“Hands on your heads!” an iron voice commands.
I do as I’m told, numbness washing over me. How could I have been so stupid? Of course they were going to hunt me down. You don’t just escape from a man like Cillian Gant.
“Get on the ground!”
I press my body into the cold dirt, listening to the crunch-crunch-crunch of approaching footsteps. The sound reaches a crescendo, then cuts off. Three beats of silence, followed by the scrape of boots as someone turns.
He’s standing right beside me.
I ball up my fists, trying to guess the timing and location of the first blow. Enforcers usually go for the head shot. If he uses a boot or fist, then I may be able to get in at least one solid counterpunch, maybe even buy Liv and Thea a few seconds to escape, but if he uses his lightning stick…
He clears his throat, practically in my ear, only the sound’s all wrong for an Enforcer. Too high-pitched and pleasant. Too… feminine.
“Taking a stroll, Wil?”
Astrid!
I roll onto my back and gaze up at her in shock. What in flames and ashes? She’s supposed to be back at York Command, not hovering over me in this frozen, terrorist-infested tunnel. She and the three Enforcers crouched behind her must have followed me, but how?
“Nice friends you have. Care to introduce us?”
She tilts her head to the right, where I find Liv and Thea, both kneeling with their hands folded behind their heads. So, it was the man with the slicer who just got incinerated. I puff out a sigh of relief, then swallow hard when I realize what horrors still await them. Interrogations. Mind stripping. And what if Cillian Gant decides to run those inquisitions in person? Whatever comes next, I can’t let that happen. Maybe if I try to reason with…
“Astrid,” I say, forcing the tremor out of my vocal cords. “Will you at least let me explain what happened? I wanted to –”
“Don’t!” Her shout echoes through the tunnel. “I trusted you, and this is how you repay me?”
“But you don’t understand!”
“Oh, I understand perfectly. You’re aiding and abetting terrorists, which makes you a bleeding traitor. For all I know, you could have been behind the Washton attack.”
“That’s insane!”
“Is it? Then tell me, why weren’t you at the extraction point?”
“Why weren’t you?”
Instead of answering, she just glares at me, arms pressed rigidly to her sides. You don’t need to be a Sifter to read that body language. The Enforcers shift restlessly behind her, looking like they’re itching to bust some skulls and don’t get what’s holding things up.
“Damn it, Astrid! Will you just listen? Don’t you owe me at least a chance to explain?”
“You’ll have plenty of time to share your story. In chains.” She glances over her shoulder to give the Enforcers a nod.
She may as well be unleashing three rippers. They rush toward us, lightning sticks raised. Thea's eyes dart to mine – she’s trying to tell me something – but before I can absorb her message, an Enforcer wraps his arms around my chest and lifts me off my feet.
Whack! A fuse blows in my head, followed by a starburst of pain. I drop to my knees in a daze. Wondering why the tunnel wall just slammed into my skull. Why it’s flying at me again.
This time, I turn to absorb the blow with my shoulder, then ricochet to the ground. When I try to stand, my attacker slams his lightning stick into my calves and flips me onto my back. Through the wall of pain, I hear Thea's telepathic voice calling to me:
Don’t get up.
I gasp for air, hurt lancing through my back as I process her message.
Don’t get up? Shouldn’t be a problem with the Enforcer now kneeling on my chest, an elbow jammed into my windpipe. I gasp as he reaches for his lightning stick, giving me just enough slack to jerk my neck and one arm free. When I punch his rock-hard chest, he doesn’t even flinch.
Enforcers aren’t supposed to show any emotion, but I swear this one’s aura is burning redder and hotter than a lava flow. I just gave him what he desires most in the world: an excuse to kill me with his bare hands.
He palms his lightning stick, hooded eyes fixed on my skull.
Duck!
Something flashes bright blue just as – whoosh – the lightning stick whips past my ear. Missed! He’s coming around for another swing, but before he can connect – Pop! – his arm jerks away as if yanked by an invisible string.
More flickers of blue strobe light, chased by a staccato Pop! Pop! Pop!
Frag fire!
Now that I recognize the sound, I look up just in time to see sparks rattling off the Enforcer’s body armor. They swarm him like firewasps, pinning his convulsing body to the tunnel wall.
Armor or none, he’s shredded long before the frag fire dies down.
So are the other two Enforcers. I spin in a slow circle and count their motionless bodies, which lie sprawled on the tunnel floor. Smoke swirls around me as I turn, flooding my nostrils with the biting smell of frag propellant. Who just opened fire on us?
Shadows move to my right, emerging from what I now recognize to be a deep side tunnel. Five, no six more Aletheians, all heavily armed. They must have been waiting there all along. Preparing another ambush.
Which means they knew the Enforcers were coming.
Why in flames did Astrid follow me? Why didn’t she just get on that damn heli? Now I’ve done exactly what I tried so desperately to avoid: delivered her into the hands of the terrorists. They played me perfectly.
Where is she, anyway? Is she hurt?
Before concern can turn to panic, I find her crouched in the middle of the tunnel, neck craned over the edge of the pit. I don’t need to look into her eyes to know what she’s thinking. She’s going to jump
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
The warning comes from the shadows. From one of the new Aletheians, who approaches Astrid in quick, powerful strides. “That track’s crawling with rats,” he says in a rich baritone. “And they probably haven’t eaten in weeks.”
“I appreciate your concern,” she replies as she swings her legs over the edge. “But I’ll take my chances with four-legged vermin over the two-legged kind any day.” And before he can reach her, she drops into the darkness.
“You won’t last long down there,” the Aletheian calls after her. “Please, Miss Blake. Enough people have died today.”
She must still be visible, because he leans over the edge to extend his hand. Yeah, like she’s going to accept that offer.
My jaw drops when I watch him, moments later, hauling Astrid out of the pit. He makes it look easy, like he’s lifting a small child.
“Who are you?” she demands after he sets her down gently on the tunnel floor.
“Name’s Cael,” he replies, leading her toward the cone of lantern light where Thea, Liv and the others have gathered. “Sorry for the violence, but your Forcers didn’t give us much choice.”
This Cael guy must stand at least six-foot-five. He has a warrior’s build, with a shield-shaped chest and the kind of compact muscles that only come from years of battle. There isn’t enough light to make out the details of his face, but I can tell he’s handsome in a brutish, Enforcer sort of way: shaved head, squared jaw and masculine brow. His confident demeanor screams ‘leader,’ so I’m surprised when he reaches Thea and gives her a respectful bow.
She takes his hand. “Cutting it close. Any later and we would have been finished.”
So, Thea is the leader.
But is she anything more to him? I get my answer when Cael moves on to Liv and she reaches up to grasp his shoulders, tiptoeing into an embrace. They’re a couple. I know instantly, and even though I shouldn’t care, I still can’t take my eyes off them as they share this small intimate moment.
I swallow a painful knot in my throat. Why does it feel like I’m watching that yellow bus rumble away all over again?
“Welcome, Miss Blake,” Thea says, pulling me out of my thoughts. “You’re safe here, I promise. If we wanted to hurt you, we would have done so already. This is our third opportunity.”
“You,” Astrid breathes out. “You’re the voice I followed in Washton.”
“That’s right. I guided you to safety.”
“You mean you’re a telepath? But that’s impossible. You’d have to be… an Abomination.”
Thea frowns as the word leaves Astrid’s lips. “Can’t say I’m too fond of that term. My friends call me Thea."
“But how…?”
“How is it possible I’m still alive?”
“Yes.” Astrid backs away as if retreating from a ghost. “Your type – you’re not supposed to exist.”
“What type?” I interrupt. “What in flames are you talking about?”
Thea turns to me, hazel eyes answering:
The most dangerous type, Wil. I’m the serpent in the garden.
It takes me a moment to realize her mouth hasn’t moved. She’s said this with her mind.
“You’re a Gamma?” I ask. “But I thought you were a Sifter.”
“She’s both,” Astrid says, still backing away, and I get the feeling she’d keep on going, that she’d already be running if she thought she stood a chance of escape.
***
© Copyright 2025 graymartin. All rights reserved.
Regular reviews are a general comments about the work read. Provide comments on plot, character development, description, etc.
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Hey Gray,
For me, I think the chapter flows well and I didn't see any holes...but often they don't occur to me until later when I think about the story again. There is a lot going on, but it was all clear to me as to what was happening. I liked the descriptions...sound of rattlesnakes, etc. All good.
I could picture Cael. I have a brother who is 6 feet 5, who used to be a cop and in uniform, there was no one more menacing! Once a guy that tall is in any sort of uniform, they appear to be 10 feet tall.
This chapter moves the story forward. I am curious as to how Astrid and her guys found Wil so quickly. Did they follow him? Since Perrin seems to have set a trap for them, I guess she allowed them to follow him.
Since Astrid is there, I'm also guessing she won't be leaving. They can't risk that...so, I'm curious as to what will happen next and that's a good thing.
Sorry I don't have more to offer. Hopefully, others will. I enjoy reading stories which are easy to read. Yours is. I'm not much into "literary" fiction. I just want a story that entertains me and this one does.
~Ann
“She’s both.” Astrid says, backing up into me, and I get the feeling she’d keep on going, that she’d already[ by ] (be)running if she thought she stood a chance of escape. “That’s why she’s a Forbidden.”
I'm back!
Purple prose? You? Never! (Trust me, I have read some PURPLE stuff. Downright violet.)
like a deer about to startle -> would you consider changing "startle" to something like "leap"? Only because, if you want to be really literal, "startle" implies suddenness and lack of deliberation.
Great encapsulation of conflict here: "I’ve brought Liv and Perrin certain death." Technically speaking, and based on all his training, Perrin and Liv ARE the enemy, and he's done the right thing. But at the same time, they were once his friends. He's very conflicted here, and should be. Especially given that Gant is involved somehow in all this.
You do a great job, when Wil's on the ground, of relating only what he can sense and feel, since his eyesight has been robbed. This is an important part of writing in 1st (particularly 1st/present) that many writers neglect! (IMO.) lol, I love that it's Astrid standing over him, too. It's kind of funny, even though it's a serious scene.
Consider eliminating this portion: "Liv’s a stranger now, so why should I care who she loves?" To me, it's a bit too deliberate. I think having Wil refer to the yellow bus is much more subtle and evocative. I do this too, though--I'm so concerned with the reader "getting it" that I over-hint at a lot of stuff. So I spend a lot of my rewriting time cutting those portions, lol.
There IS a lot going on in this chapter, lots of revelations, but I kept it all straight. I think! Tensions are high, too, particularly at the end. Not much to say other than good job. :-)
JLiz
Hi, GM! This story is continuing to entertain. As far as description goes, you could stand a bit more detail about the cavern in which this story is taking place. Are there any sights which Wil sees? Was this place a subway platform, or an old supermarket? Please elucidate.
Nits, Comments & Concerns:
>>Which means they knew the Enforcers were coming.
It would be quite simple to line the entrance tunnels with concealed motion-sensors. Even hidden observors could do the job: put sentries in concealed side-tunnels with communications devices. The sentries could be protected from the cold by using survival suits.
>>Armor or none, he’s shredded long before the frag fire dies down.
Either the armor is ineffective against high-velocity metal, or the fragments are more than mere metal. Given Wil's inexperience, it is likely that his label of the slugs as "frag fire" is a misnomer. In that case, the Aletheians are using armor-piercing rounds; probably Teflon-coated shells designed the penetrate Kevlar.
>>Where is she, anyway? Is she’s hurt?
Drop the "'s".
>>This Cael guy must stand at least six-foot-five.
Excellent! He's as tall as I am.
>>The most dangerous type. I’m the serpent in the garden.
In John Milton's Paradise Lost, Satan explained his purpose in defiling the Garden of Eden. His argument is that the dictatorship of God does not allow for freedom of choice; that, in effect, God has required him to be there. If good exists in the world, then it follows that evil must also. They are two sides of the same coin. Satan saw his own role as that of a freedom-fighter. He destroys Eden in order to allow mankind the freedom to fail. Without that freedom, there can be no growth and change.
The ultimate trap in Paradise Lost is that the author made evil's point-of-view understandable. The reader realized that the hero of the book was Satan.
>>“You’re a gamma?” I ask in a daze. “But I thought you were a psion.”
>>“She’s both. That's why she's a Forbidden," Astrid says
To date, we have only heard the Neoden explanation for Gammas, that they are the chaff of humanity for whom violence is second nature. But what if they are more than that? My personal theory is that Gammas are what is left of the human race. They are ordinary humans who display none of the psionic powers that the Guardians have. They have been relegated to reservations by the Founders where they are tagged and watched with the implanted chips. these not only allow observation, but the power to terminate them if they display behavior or developments which would be dangerous to Neoden. Organizing a resistance force is obviously against Neoden's purpose. But what if there's another one?
Perrin could be the first of a new breed: humans who have evolved the same powers which the Guardians achieved through genetic manipulation. It is easy to surmise that the Founders twisted the genetic code in order to breed a ruling class. Those who did not make the cut were labeled Gammas and "released into the wild". But Perrin's display of her own power is proof that her abilities were not detected. Why not? The obvious answer is that she is a new strain of human: Homo-Excelsius. A person who appears to be an ordinary human, but displays none of the usual genetic markers by which Guardians are supposed to have.
This explains the crackdown, and why Cillian Gant is moving to seize power. Both he and the Guardian government realize that humanity has caught up to the Guardians. In one or two generations, the Gammas will have the same abilities as the Guardians, and will be demanding political reform; they will want their fair share of the pie! The guardians want to stop this movement in its infancy. Gant may be trying to curry favor with renegade Gammas to support his coup.
Poor Wil! He has no idea what is happening all around him!
Lawrence
Uh OH!
Wil screwed up. But lucky for you is creates a great plot twist! LOL!
A couple of things.
It could just be from the time lag, but I’m getting terms confused and I forgot what a psion is. A gamma is a free thinker. Is a psion a term for what the Guardians do?
Last thing, I think I would hold out on dashing Wil’s chance with Liv for a little bit, but that’s the romantic in me. LOL!
Bimmy
Hey, GM - Great chapter! No stumbles, plot holes, and definitely no purple prose! Lots accomplished in the chapter, while lots of questions remain - urging us on to the next chapter.
Having Liv and Cael be a "couple" solves one of Wil's conflicts. Or does it? :)
I had a little trouble understanding how frag fire works. It's apparently designed to penetrate armor in some way. Perhaps its your intent to leave this vague, but since Wil knows how it works, maybe we should, too.
One nit, at least to me: My jaw [must drop] (drops) when I watch him... {"must drop" means he's either not sure it occurs, or it's forced to do so; I think the simpler declaration works better.}
You've got a good story going here, one that's fun to read.
Take care,
Jack
You were right, this chapter does answer a lot of the Qs I had last chapter. It looked clean of nits as far as I could see. Intrigue still high, keeping me wanting more. Anxious to read on & see if he saves Astrid or if Astrid really needs saving!
Gray, you have to forgive me. I just realized that I put the review for this chapter into chapter 21, which I read last night. LOL Probably didn't catch it because there were no errors for me to jump into the meat of the work during the review.
Had two pauses while reading Invitation (21), so you will get that review here. I bet my review for REUNION had you shaking your head. hahahahaha Maybe it will make more sense now. hahahahaha
Anyhoo, without further ado, this review is for chapter 21 INVITATION:
My first thought after finishing the chapter was about Wil's unshared thought for going after his sister. Does he really have a sister? I don't know why the boy would think anything Gant does or says would be on the up. Hope Wil shares his desire with someone else—Perrin would be a good choice.
Excellent chapter, your characters and the visuals you give me of them always enthrall me. Love Cael. I am sooo glad Astrid knows about the chip and even happier that Gant screwed himself by implanting it. They would have gone back–at least Astrid would have—if they didn't make her believe. In essence Gant will be his own downfall. Ffreakin-A! No better way to show the control Gant has over her than getting that thing inside her without her knowledge (a major lack of control for Astrid) along with the possible death of her father if she doesn't do something. The scene rocks.
The coin is really cool too, although Perrin was vague on how they would get to them in time of things go south. Can't wait for that to happen.
Your use of the years of mind bending control, as these children grew up, adds so much evil to the plot. But it does make me wonder how and why Perrin was Wil's teacher and how Wil became part of the opposite team. And I wonder about Liv being taken away in that bus. Both are still a mystery that I hope gets solved.
Using things like 'the forbidden' and the myth of 'Aletheia', the mind push of it being yet another really evil place where they rebelled against the 'Great One'. All of the chants, the way they were drilled like little killing machines that were expendable in the end is so wicked evil. The kids are going to eat this up. Hell, I am.
I can see this cold silver, dark, and stark white place they find themselves in on a movie screen. Awesome visual. Such a good read.
Two places gave me pause:
"Will you help us [to] stop him?" Not sure you need [to].
The Great One punished them by (razing) their city to the ground.***At first I thought you'd misspelled this, but then after searching it does mean destroy, annihilate, etc. But it did give me pause— made me have to break to check it out. Not a problem really, since all a kid would have to do on an Ereader is highlight and learn, but still wanted to mention it. Of course, I'm an idiot, so you can totally disregard this.
Another great read, looking forward to chapter 22,
Susan
Curious about the people following Wil... would they not have had to slide as well? I'm sure the Alethians would have heard a squadron of troops battering their heads off stalagmites (unles Liv wwarned them to lie down like she did Wil -- but somehow I doubt she would have)
When I slam an elbow into his rock-hard chest, he doesn’t even flinch.
>haha Wil's a little girly-mahn (Ahnold voice)
Duck!
>Missing italics or goose
Armor or none, he’s shredded long before the frag fire dies down
>Does any blood spray?
Sorry for the violence, but your Forcers didn’t really give us much choice
>Enforcer? 'Forcer?
Why does it feel like I’m watching that yellow school bus rumble away all over again?
>Anachronism here... the last school bus rode three thousand years ago.
Yep... Astrid's been caught. Wil's gonna catch it from Grant
-K
Another great chapter, with lots of action. That was handled very well, I have to say. The only possible plot hole I see is how Astrid and her enforcers got there so quickly. I have a feeling Perrin guided her there as well, via a different path, because she wants Wil and Astrid. If that's your idea and it's explained later, I don't have a problem with it, and it works.
If that's not your plan, or it isn't explained later, then I think it is a hole that needs to be filled.
Cheers,
Don
Hey Gray,
Happy New Year! Great chapter. And romantic that I am, with all the action and fighting and fire, flashes, bumps, rolls, slashes and rips, what's my takeaway? That Wil and Astrid are good to go, since any languishing loyalties to Liv are usurped by Cael (where and how do you come up with these names, btw!? ). Loved how you described that tho, like Wil was watching the school bus all over again. Perfect image.
Nice. I expect that we'll get the backstory now? About why the revolution is the right thing? And Astrid will eventually come around? Which will be a real conflict for her, since she's the Leader's daughter. Somehow, I don't see her being held for ransom..she'd kill herself first, I think.
Looking forward to getting my questions answered!
Simi
{Perrin Dark.} I missed it in the last chapter because the hook was so strong. However, you need something to show the triggering of his memory and the influx of memories suppressed until now, including her name. Until now she was a vague memory.
The arrival of the backup came as a complete surprise, in part because Liv is so stressed that he’s being followed. Since Wil is alone and Cillian Gant’s devise in his head can’t hear down here, why is she so skittish? A minor observation I didn’t even notice until the second read through.
I also liked the way you kept Astrid’s look in her eye to signal something else going on. I’m curious to know what it is.
Other than that suggestion above about a flash of memories, I found nothing to comment on. The chapter dragged me through so fast that if there is any nit in it, I missed it. I read it twice and still didn’t find any. Outstandingly done. R.M.
Hey Clever Gray,
It's good to have Astrid back in the story line, even though it seems I misjudged her character. And I got to meet Perrin, Wil's Yoda. Apparently the "terrorists" are the good guys--the patriots, and Astrid is a double-agent. Yet Perrin's telepathic voice to Wil may be sit up straight: "The most dangerous type. I'm the serpent in the garden." Hopefully, she was being facetious, for Astrid's benefit; that is, if Astrid could hear Perrin's words. I'm thinking the Founders may have taught this to the Guardians, that the Forbidden are like the serpents in the garden of the Ancients.
..like they're itching to bust some skulls and don't get/understand what's holding things up.
Five, no six more Aletheians.../Five--no six more Aletheians, all heavily armed.
Let me try again. manana, Gray
Hello, Gray. Yes, a LOT does happen in this one:-0 Then too, I think I'm keeping pace...either CG is in league with Perrin or CG believed/believes that if Astrid walked into the trap, she'd find a way to off Perrin and company(with help, of course)and return. At this point, in league or not, I'd say both Perrin and CG are BAD(CG especially seems quite irredeemable, lol). That's what it's looking like to me, at this time...
A LOT of great action came with this installment as well!
If I don't go the next, it shouldn't be long before I'm back:-)
CHEERS!!
Mike
Author
Reply
Glad you like this one, Mike. Perrin's supposed to be a bit of a dark horse now, but her true nature will hopefully become more apparent as the story progresses. Take care! Gray
No
Ann Everett