bigger than one person—even bigger than him.
“It’s Zenn,” she said out loud, which was somehow worse than her infiltrating my mind.
I couldn’t leave her there, but I couldn’t waste any more time stalled in the sky. “I know, babe,” I said, and that would have to be enough.
I swung my board around and held my hand out to Vi. She took it, and our group advanced toward the smoking Rise One.
Because of the other Rises, I didn’t see the swarm of Enforcement Officers until we crested the last building. The square mile of green area surrounding Rise One was completely filled with Officers. Armed and dangerous Officers.
They wore standard-issue uniforms and held tasers at the ready. They didn’t move, not even a twitch. Normal people couldn’t stand that still. My breath stuck in my throat.
The Enforcement Officers were either clones or—
“Jag Barque.” The voice belonged to Van Hightower, and it echoed through the empty streets, rattling off the tech buildings and coating my nerves in fear.
What was I supposed to say in return?
“Deaf,” I said. Despite all my careful planning, I honestly hadn’t anticipated that my greatest weapon—my voice—would be useless.
“Vi,” I said. “Can you read their minds?”
A strangled cry escaped her throat. “I’ve been trying. I can’t find their minds.”
“Maybe . . .” I didn’t finish, because I couldn’t think of a single reason why Vi wouldn’t be able to find and read their minds.
I watched Gunner fly along the perimeter, still attempting to use his voice to coerce the Officers. The seconds ticked by, but a battle raged in my head. Deep inside, I knew I’d never get another chance at this. I’d been working toward this takedown of Freedom for years.
In all my planning, I’d never imagined I’d be fighting clones. It was always Hightower, and he always fell.
Suddenly every Officer-clone stretched out his left arm as if they were one unit. Three of them hit Gunner’s hoverboard. One of them grabbed Gunner. A yell surged from my mouth. Anger pounded through my head.
“He’s controlling them,” I said to no one, really. “Indy, get everyone out of the city. Alert the rescue team that we’ve got two down here. Runners, go warn our tech team. Vi and I will get the maintenance crew.” That would put me at Rise Twelve, and maybe I could get my Insiders out. Maybe this mission wouldn’t be a complete loss.
“Nothing?” I asked Vi, just to make sure.
“I think he programmed them,” she said. “And he’s the only one who can get in their heads. Like he’s got the frequency, and we can’t communicate with them without it.”
In the crowd, each clone completed the same movement. I watched, helpless, as Gunn was shunted toward the entrance of Rise One. His body was limp; his eyes were closed.
“I’m going to try something,” Vi said.
I felt the triumph emitting from Vi. I didn’t know exactly what she might do, but I had a feeling that whatever it was, it would be successful.
And extremely dangerous.
“Don’t,” I said, far too quietly for her to hear with her ears.
She flew in close and stepped onto my board. “Tether my board to yours,” she said, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Don’t drop me.”
She looked right into my face, her teal-turquoise eyes swirling with fear and power and a million other emotions I couldn’t read before she said, “Don’t let me die.”
Her body became deadweight as she closed her eyes. I stumbled to my knees on the hoverboard; Vi’s head lolled to the side.
“Vi?”
She looked dead.
“Vi!” I shook her. Adrenaline rushed through my veins, and I looked around for help. But I’d sent everyone away.
Taser fire erupted on the ground. I ducked, shielding Vi with my body. But none of the techtricity swept by us.
Instead the cries came from the ground. I straightened and watched the scene below me unfold into utter revolution as one of the frontal guards unleashed blast after blast on his unit.
In a matter of seconds the clones became a smoldering heap of bodies. Rancid smoke rose up to meet us.
“Stop!” I cried. “Violet, stop.” I volleyed my gaze back and forth between Vi’s still-limp form, and the very angry guard on the ground. She was inside him, controlling him. And as soon as Hightower found out, the guard Vi possessed would become the target.
When one taser ran out of charge, she simply pried another from the grip of a fallen clone and kept firing. And firing. And firing.
My stomach clenched in a knot of pride and horror. She was winning. But at what cost? Worry seethed through me as she continued tasing clones.
Before, when she’d coerced the scouts into killing themselves, she’d maintained consciousness, probably because she could find their minds. Probably? Who was I kidding? I had no idea about the extent of Vi’s abilities.
Violet Schoenfeld was more than dangerous. More than powerful. More than deadly.
She was a deity.
As the taser fire continued, I stroked Vi’s hair off her forehead, whispering, “Please wake up.”
Zenn
34.
Somewhere far away a taser buzzed. The high-pitched whine made my head ache and set my teeth on edge.
In the dark, I can’t outrun the pain.
And this time the agony existed in my body as well as my mind. My back felt broken. My fingertips tingled with techtricity. I couldn’t move my arms or legs.
Something cool and wet swept over my face. At last the blackness lightened to charcoal, and then gray. And then blue, and finally white.
I opened my eyes, crazy-surprised to find they still functioned. I was even more shocked to find myself staring at a sterling silver ceiling. A fan whirred behind the duct, and voices floated nearby.
I couldn’t understand their meaning. I still couldn’t feel my arms or legs. Blinking seemed to be the only movement in my repertoire.
For the longest time I lay staring at the ceiling. No one came to check on me.
The light faded again, and Director Hightower came into view. “Ah, there you are, Mr. Bower.” He smiled, and his scarred cheeks stretched into wicked curves.
“You’re recovering from a nasty burn,” he said pleasantly, as if we were discussing my homework.
I struggled to move my mouth, but couldn’t.
