Unmasked Alloy: Sub-Normal, #2

By Becca J. Campbell

Genetically enhanced humans populate earth. Flaws are prohibited. Refusing to be altered means death—unless you can successfully evade capture.

Dake is one of these sub-norms on the run, and Eden’s status as a malfunctioning GenEn isn’t much better.

When Eden flees with Dake, their spree as fugitives is all too brief. Captured and thrown into a government holding facility where the only likely outcome is execution, the pair seeks help from an unlikely and untrustworthy ally.

In this second installment of the Sub-Normal series, trust and justice mix it up with the hyper-powered.

Approximately 7000 words.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Surreal Media Studios
• Release date: Dec 8, 2012
• ISBN: 9781497796980

Becca J. Campbell

An avid lover of stories that tiptoe the line between fantasy and reality (even when they plunge off one side or the other), Becca J. Campbell looks for new angles on bridging the gap between the two. She holds a special place in her heart for any story that involves superpowers or time travel. Her passion is defying the limits of her own creativity. Becca’s journey into writing began as many of her other creative endeavors do – by daring herself to try something new. The question “what if I wrote a novel?” and some hastily scribbled notes on a church handout were the inspirations that jump-started her first book. Since then, she has written half a dozen additional novels and several shorter works. As the wife of a musician and mother of three young boys, Becca’s life is never dull. Whether it is writing, painting or knitting, she enjoys making stuff that wasn’t there before.

Book preview

Part One

Heat scorched Eden’s palms through the rusty hood of the car. Frustration and anger warred inside her. She clenched her teeth and held back. Fear nipped at her other emotions, fighting for dominance with each beat of her pounding heart.

What have I gotten myself into?

Dake was next to her. His oil-stained shirt and frayed jeans said fugitive, and he would’ve looked even more the part if she hadn’t recently hacked off most of his dark hair.

His eyes were wide and fear tugged on his brows.

Eyes on the car.

The gruff voice made Eden jump. She caught a quick glimpse of the official before again fixing her gaze on the hood of the Beast, Dake’s recent escape project. The man shot a burst of orange flames up from his hand as a warning.

Make a move and you’re toast.

Literally.

She heard the clink of metal and a grunt from Dake as the agent handcuffed him. Her hopes of escape trickled through her fingers like sand.

With Fire Cop temporarily occupied, Eden snuck a peek at the other guard who was clad in the same gray uniform. His average stature and lanky build didn’t appear threatening, but she knew better than to assume. That copper hair and those angular thick-framed glasses were certainly masking some deadly power. She wasn’t falling for the trendy geek façade.

He stared at the palm of his hand, frowning. Hock—got a spare set of cuffs?

Fire Cop—whose name was apparently Hock—stepped around Eden to check on his partner. Since when do I need one? Got a problem?

Nothing. It’s fine. Trendy Geek rubbed his hands together. He neared Eden, palms up. She was confused for a moment, but then the surface of his hands began to churn. His palms swirled, then bulged.

Eden watched in awe, her curiosity trumping her urge to recoil. The expanding skin turned gray as it pulled toward her. It shot out in a long strand and broke free. In a matter of seconds the material had formed itself into a set of handcuffs and, an instant later, they had clasped themselves around her wrists. The dull gray rubbery substance settled