Centalpha 6 Part IX

By James Todd Cochrane

Breyden is in the race of his life. A deadly disease is spreading through the rebellion, infecting almost everyone, and time is running out to find the cure. The sheer number of sick has drastically reduced the available personnel to hunt for a viable solution.

With Breyden’s attention focused on helping those who are ill, the People’s Government puts its own plans into motion - to finish off the rebellion and bring order back to their totalitarian universe. When wars begin popping up all over the galaxy, the blame for the unrest and senseless violence is placed directly upon Breyden’s shoulders.

Breyden and his friends must engage in a deadly game in order to save their ailing colleagues and bring about real change to the destructive system under which they are forced to live.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Todd Cochrane
• Release date: Apr 3, 2015
• ISBN: 9780991523443

James Todd Cochrane

James Todd Cochrane was born in Fremont, California. He received his BA from Utah State University, where he majored in Business Information Systems with a minor in German.A writer since elementary school, he published his first novel, Max and the Gatekeeper, in 2007. The sequels, The Hourglass of Souls and The Descendant and the Demon’s Fork, followedHe now lives in Madison, Wisconsin, where he writes part-time while working as a computer programmer.His first novel, Max and the Gatekeeper, is on the Accelerated Readers List and was a 2010-2011 Alaska Battle Book.

Book preview

Centalpha 6

Part IX

James Todd Cochrane

Special thanks to all my family and friends for their help and support. Thanks to all my fans. You inspire me to keep writing.

All rights reserved. Published by Dark Moon Publishing Inc.

Copyright 2015 James Todd Cochrane

Smashwords Edition

Published April 4, 2015

www.darkmoonpublishing.com

ISBN 978-0-9915234-4-3

Edited by Janet Michelson

Cover by Kalen O’Donnell

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

About the Author

1

Breyden rushed from cot to cot, waking the occupants. Most of them felt as if they were on fire and struggled to remain conscious. Their faces were pale, with dark rings circling their eyes. To Breyden’s dismay, Ryan and Zane had also contracted whatever was running rampant through the area.

Maya struggled to remain on her feet. She leaned against the wall after waking the occupant of a cot next to her. Breyden caught her as she slowly slid down its stony surface.

"Rest here, but stay awake." Breyden made sure her eyes locked with his for a moment before checking on the others.

Jack, Zalinda, Jill, and others showed up and began examining the patients.

Zak is sick too, Hilt reported to Zalinda, who then rushed to her son’s bed.

How are you two feeling? Jack questioned Breyden and Hilt.

I’m fine, Hilt responded.

So…am…I. Breyden paused for a moment, hooked Jack behind the elbow while Hilt followed, and escorted him out of earshot of everyone. I think we need to move fast. I have a bad feeling the People’s Government injected Jonas with a highly contagious disease. I’m betting they don’t have much time. The only thing I can think of is that some of us aren’t sick, which means we may have the antibodies in our blood.

Jill, take blood from everyone in this room, including those who aren’t sick. Do it fast and separate the sick blood from the healthy. Let me do my work. The doc jumped into action. He ordered a couple of aides to check for anyone who showed signs of being sick throughout the complex and bring them back. Start setting up IVs. We need to keep everyone hydrated.

Before the doc had time to really get organized, several of the sick started regurgitating, splattering vomit onto the floor.

There doesn’t appear to be any Gleaners among the sick, Jack mumbled as he worked his way across the room.

It looks like keeping your mother was a good idea, Hilt stated. We don’t know how much time everyone has.

For the first time, Breyden noticed lines of worry creasing Hilt’s face. We need to work fast, and this time we take no prisoners. Breyden’s head began to spin and his stomach twisted into tight knots.

Agreed.

Breyden and Hilt hurried through the complex, racing down tunnels. They rounded a corner and almost collided with Dis, Til, and a group of Gleaners.

Whoa, what’s going on? Dis inquired. We heard something terrible has happened.

Yes, they shipped a highly contagious and probably extremely deadly disease in with Jonas. We need to act quickly. We don’t know how much time we have. Breyden could feel the weight of the situation squeezing in on him.

Are any Gleaners sick? Til questioned.

Not that we know of, Breyden answered. We were heading to visit my mother. We are going to extract some information from her that might help us get our hands on a cure.

I know your doctors know a great many wonderful things. But would you allow a Gleaner healer to take a look? Dis asked.

Any help would be welcome, Hilt replied.

"Yes!’ Breyden added.

What else do you need? Dis wanted to know.

Send someone to check on Shawn and his group. Find someone who can connect us to my father’s phone once more and who can operate the teleporter, Breyden called over his shoulder as he and Hilt dashed towards the detention section.

They found his mother curled up in a ball on the floor against the back wall, away from the Gleaners. Breyden yanked her off the floor and shook her awake. Rage pumped through Breyden’s veins at the thought of losing so many of those he had grown to love. He no longer recognized her as the woman who gave him life. He only saw an evil person who stood in the way of saving his friends.

She cried out in shock at being awoken so abruptly and in such a violent manner. Please don’t hurt me, she begged, but upon realizing it was Breyden, her tone changed. "Oh, what do you want?"

I’m going to ask you some questions and unless you want to suffer extreme unpleasantness, you’re going to give me some answers, Breyden hissed through gritted teeth, his face only inches from his mother’s.

"You don’t have the guts. I see you brought your friend to do your dirty work again. You subs can all go to hell," she spat.

Without thinking, Breyden extracted his knife and pinned his mother’s hand against the stone wall. She screamed, staring at her punctured palm, blood running down the wall.

Breyden grabbed her by the chin and forced her to look into his eyes. Her expression reflected fear and disbelief. Now, I want to know where I can find some more senators, or do you want me to stick your other hand to the wall as well?

Ten minutes later Breyden and Hilt stood in the teleportation room, checking their equipment. They wore lightweight body armor with minimal weapons in order to travel quickly. Breyden adjusted Hilt’s headgear so it only had audio since he wouldn’t need night vision, thermal imaging, or binocular features.

It appears everyone, besides the Gleaners, who worked for the government was given a vaccine at some point, Hilt suggested.

That’s what I’m thinking too, Breyden added. Mine must have been sometime during my life. You?

When I was an assassin for the People’s Government, I had to hunt down others in some very undesirable places. I remember them giving me all kinds of inoculations. I’m guessing I went into areas where they had unleashed chemical or biological weapons. Zalinda’s would have been while she was working in the military hospitals.

It’s time to strike some fear into the People’s Government. Breyden cocked his berretta. He was happy to have an outlet to release some anger and tension. He needed to be active to keep ahead of the worry about to consume him. Are we doing the right thing? Isn’t this like revenge? It’s what got us into this mess in the first place, going after Matt.

Yes, but now we are doing the unexpected. Oh, I’m sure this has crossed their minds, but since we have your mother they will be expecting a phone call.

Yeah. Somehow this didn’t ease Breyden’s concerns.

There were only a couple of hackers on Shawn’s team who hadn’t contracted the illness spreading through the complex: a short heavy-set man with a mop of red hair named Felix, and a tall lanky dark-haired man named Teddy.

Breyden grabbed a remote and a handful of circuit boards. This thing has proven to be our best weapon ever. Breyden stuffed the items in a pocket on his belt.

Hey. Flit’s blind eyes grew wide. We couldn’t bring you back while you and Jonas were inside the force field created by a remote, correct?

"Well, maybe. I’m not sure. At least, not using the circuit boards we had on us inside the