The Elimination

By Stormy Corrin Russell

The attack is over, innocent lives have been lost, and Eroyn Fairchild has been wrongly imprisoned. From inside her jail cell, she vows to get revenge on Ryker Stroud, no matter the cost. But Stroud is not easily overcome, and his attacks soon verge on all-out war.

And though her physical battles are dangerous, her feelings for Archer are much more terrifying. It will take a journey to the male half of Compound A, sacrifices for all, and new allies to win freedom. And nothing can prepare Eroyn for the truth about her way of life.

14+ due to adult situations

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evernight Teen
• Release date: Jan 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781773391472

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Published by Evernight Teen ® at Smashwords

www.evernightteen.com

Copyright© 2016 Stormy Corrin Russell

ISBN: 978-1-77339-147-2

Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Editor: Lisa Petrocelli

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

For my students, who inspire me as much as I hope I inspire them.

THE ELIMINATION

The Separation Trilogy, 2

Stormy Corrin Russell

Copyright © 2016

Chapter One

It’s cold. The kind of cold that seeps into your bones and aches there. I try to remind myself that I’ve been colder—much, much colder—but somehow that doesn’t matter. That blizzard in the forest and the night we almost died seem far away now.

The holding cell that security has locked me in is also leaky, leaving me curled in a shivering ball against the stone wall, trying to avoid the puddles growing on the floor. The only sound is the drops of water splashing onto the rock every so often. The quiet wasn’t so bad at first. After all the bombs and screaming and chaos, the silence was welcome. It gave me time to think. With all that time to think, I should have found some sort of peace.

I haven’t.

Instead, I have been sitting here, teeth chattering, overthinking the same problems for hours on end. Today, the problem is Archer. More accurately, Archer and the kiss.

I keep replaying it over and over in my mind—his hands tangled in my wet hair, my lips slightly parted to breathe him in, the feeling of hazy perfection that came after—and a blush rises into my cheeks even in this frigid cell. It was wrong. And I know wrong. I’ve broken just about every rule there is in the past month, which resulted in turning women against men after eighty years of peace. All things considered, I really should feel a lot less guilty about touching a man than ruining the system that kept us alive since before I was born. But as usual, I don’t feel what I should. It’s the complete opposite. I can’t stop thinking about what I’ll say to him when I see him again, which is stupid considering I won’t ever see him again. A small twinge hits my stomach at the thought.

Stupid. Especially because even if I did see him, I would have to tell him that what we did was a mistake. Amidst all that death and misery, we were both just happy to find someone alive. So we overreacted, and, well, it just happened.

It’s the truth.

Right?

And so it goes. Over and over I think it through, and no matter what, I reach the same conclusion—there is no conclusion.

And then of course there’s Ryker. It’s hard to tell how long I’ve been in here since there are no windows, but I spent at least the first week raging around, screaming until my voice went out. All I could picture were the bombs falling, the unmoving women in the streets, and my brother’s corpse under a soiled sheet. At some point, I even kicked a wall, and I’m pretty sure that my third toe is broken. After the anger burned out, though, a more dangerous feeling took its place. It’s colder, more calculating. And it won’t go away anytime soon.

There’s much more on my mind—like whether Luna’s still in hiding, where Archer is, if Phoenix is really Matriarch, and if I’ll ever get out. But the thing I always come back to is Wes. So the cycle of confusion and anger always seems to end with me crying hot, painful tears as the image of my dead brother swims in my mind. I’ve almost stopped blaming myself, but I know it’s not just Ryker’s fault either. We have to share the responsibility for that. I know that. But somehow, knowing this only makes it harder.

So it is like this, with soft sobs leaking out of me, that I see the Matriarch for the first time since my arrest.

It takes two security officers to unlock and shove the heavy door out of her way, but I’m so surprised that I barely have time to wipe my eyes. Phoenix Handler looks down on me without expression once she enters. She gives the officers a nod, and both step outside the cell. I think one of them is Avalon, but she doesn’t look at me.

Eroyn. She looks at me evenly, tossing a few stray strands of black hair out of her face.

Phoenix, I try to say, but my voice cracks. I clear my throat but don’t attempt to talk again. Plus, it occurs to me that I should probably call her Matriarch now. I know that she saved my life, but she also locked me in here. I don’t think I can call her that quite yet. Not with our history.

Are you ... cold? Her arched brows knit together with concern for a second, then she turns away.

I’m fine, I lie, forcing myself to stand up. My knees pop as I do, proving just how long I’ve been sitting. What do you want?

Well, it’s not a social visit, she answers dryly.

Then what is it? I’m running out of patience, and she just got here.

I’m here to deliver your sentence.

Oh.

The Council was going to send a representative, but I thought ... well, I thought I owed it to you to deliver the news myself. You might have made some stupid choices, but you made at least one good one. And it kept a lot of people alive.

I don’t answer. I’m not even sure how to respond to that. In the end, it doesn’t matter because she starts reading off a long sheet of paper.

By the order of the Matriarchal Council of Genesis, your crimes are: conspiracy against the –

Could you maybe not read that? I interrupt, holding a hand up.

Fine. Her tone is curt as she scans to the end of the uncomfortably long document. In payment for your crimes against the female half of Compound A, the Council requires an unassisted expulsion from the compound.

So ... they require... I watch as she folds the paper and crosses her arms. I’m sorry, what?

You’re leaving, Phoenix informs me. Today.

Leaving ... Genesis? I swallow, only to discover that my throat feels dry. The sides scrape together, making me want to cough.

The arrangements are made. Avalon and Tabby will make certain you leave.

Without another word, she turns on her heel and makes for the door. I leap after her, still in shock from what she’s just said.

But, wait—no! I put my hand on her arm, and the two security officers are suddenly in the room, waiting for instruction. Phoenix eyes me warily, but she doesn’t send her guards after me.

What?

What about Luna? Just saying her name makes me feel sick. What will they do to her if she’s found? Or have they already found her?

Oh, Phoenix says softly. She shoos the officers away again, apparently convinced that I’m not a threat. Luna’s situation is a bit different.

Different how? It was my fault. She shouldn’t be punished! Have they found her, have—

Stop. The new Matriarch looks, for the first time, uncomfortable. "No one’s found her because she’s not in hiding. Her situation is different."

Her tone says I shouldn’t ask any more questions. But I never know when to stop, so I push on, terrified that she’s somehow tricking me. I can live with paying for my mistakes, but Luna paying for them is another story.

What was her punishment?

Eroyn, she didn’t have a punishment. She was pardoned. End of story. Phoenix tucks her hair behind her ears, looking at me with a shadow of sympathy. I still don’t believe her.

And how did that happen?

Are you sure you really want to—

Yes, I interrupt, frustrated that even now people are still trying to spare my feelings and treat me like a child. After seeing what I’ve seen, Phoenix should know better. She of all people should know.

It was determined that she is more valuable in the city than out of it. She’s a medical prodigy. She was influenced by you to do the things she did. It couldn’t possibly have been her idea. She was just manipulated into the wrongdoing by you and the men. She’s proven her commitment to the compound. Or so the Council decided. Phoenix sighs at the end of her explanation. Happy now?

Am I supposed to be? I look up, feeling a slightly different type of cold.

You’re leaving today, she repeats, although I can’t figure out how that relates to what we were just talking about. This time, though, I let her leave. I sink back down to the floor, letting the chill seep into my bones. I’m not sure what unassisted expulsion will be like, but it doesn’t sound good. Suddenly this cell doesn’t seem quite so bad. At least in here, I can pretend that everything will get better. At least in here, I can imagine that I’ll get out and see Luna again. I might go crazy in the meantime, but at least there’s hope.

Not long after Phoenix leaves, two women come through the door and wrench me to my feet. I don’t know their faces, but I can guess they know mine. And they don’t like me. The one on the left is leaving bruises on my arms with her fingers, but I bite my lip and don’t complain as they drag me from the cell. I wonder how many women fought over the pleasure of getting to hurt me before I’m kicked out of the compound. Probably a lot.

Rather than dragging me into the light of day, they drop me roughly at the end of the hallway, in front of feet that I recognize. Tabby.

So you’re the one who gets to—

I’m cut off by a backhanded slap, hard enough to send me reeling. The other officers stifle laughter.

I rub my cheek, eyes watering. That was unexpected. I stare resolutely at the stone floor, tears in my eyes, until the other women disappear.

Sorry. Tabby offers a calloused hand. Gotta keep up appearances.

I take her hand and haul myself to my feet with a hesitant smile. I forgot that no one knows about her part in all this. I guess she probably wants to keep her reputation clean. She’s under enough pressure as it is. Lacking any bit of femininity in her body, Tabby has always been under judgmental eyes. Now that the eyes are all on me, I don’t blame her for wanting them to stay there.

Avalon’s at the gate, waiting for you.

She points down the dark stone tunnel, and I am glad that I get to walk this far on my own. Soon, her outline is clear in front of me, and I see a smile flash across her features.

Ero! She reaches out to embrace me, which is almost as unexpected as Tabby’s slap. I knew they’d let you go. I’m the one who suggested exile, you know. I begged for your life, told them you weren’t a bad person! I knew they’d let you go. She smiles again, but this one is sadder. I don’t have much to give you. They said ‘unassisted expulsion,’ but I have this.

She withdraws a small bag and opens it, revealing what looks like bread, cheese, and maybe some smoked meat. Pushing it into my hands, she takes a deep breath.

Avalon, I can’t.

If you don’t, you’ll die. Her expression is matter-of-fact. Just take it.

I finally stick the food into my pocket—in the same jacket I’ve been wearing for weeks— and Avalon sets to work opening a big steel door in front of us. That’s when I realize this is it. The door rumbles open after she punches in a code of numbers, a light scans her palm, and probably much more that I didn’t see.

She turns back toward me, her brown eyes wide and kind. You saved us, she whispers. I remember. Even your name … Eroyn rhymes with heroine. You can survive this. I know you can.

As the sun starts to shine through the gap in the door, it occurs to me that Avalon has been a perfect friend to me. She fought for my life in front of the Council, she gave me food, and she trusts me even when everyone else in Compound A wants me dead. She’s one of the only perfectly good people I’ve ever met.

It makes me think of Luna. Somewhere in the city, she’s probably getting off a shift at work, going home to relax. Her life has probably started to seem more normal in the weeks after the bombing. I’ve spent so long in that cell hoping for her to be forgiven, and somehow it actually happened. It’s nearly a miracle. Just as it’s a miracle that Avalon is here at the gate to send me off with her endless smiles and positivity. I should be happy about both of these things. I have my life after all. That’s more than what half of Genesis has.

A good person would be satisfied. Happy, even.

A good person would accept her punishment and march into the daylight, ready to pay for her crimes.

I’m not a good person.

I’m sorry, I murmur as I shove Avalon as hard as I can against the wall. Her head cracks against the stone exactly the way I knew it would.

She’s temporarily stunned, but it’s enough to give me the head start that I need. As she gathers her senses, I slip the pistol from her belt and take off at a dead run down the hallway. After a moment, I hear Avalon calling my name raggedly, sadly, but I don’t stop. I must run past Tabby at some point, but she doesn’t stop me.

Nothing can.

****

Finding the way back to the city is easier than I expected. The tunnel led directly to a metal door that locks from the inside. After pushing it open and locking it behind me, I find myself standing in a clump of trees in front of the wall. And beyond those trees is what’s left of the Res.

From there, it’s easy to run to the house where Luna and I lived after the bombing. It’s a gamble to assume she’ll be there, but I have to try. And even if she’s not, what’s the worst that will happen? The Council will just kick me out, and they were going to do that to begin with. Avalon’s words about begging for my life come echoing through my head, but I ignore them as I round the corner. My hood is pulled up to hide my face, but I still feel some strange looks from the few women out on the streets. Where is everyone?

I shoot across the last street, cut through an alley, and come out in front of the little home on Moss Street. Only the little home isn’t there. In its place, a dark pile of rubble is sending spirals of smoke into the air. I feel my heart drop into my stomach as I take another step toward it, disbelieving. A small crowd has gathered, talking loudly. It’s burnt to the ground, gone. Who did this?

But I already know. The group of women around the pile of charred building isn’t talking loudly.

They’re cheering.

I watch them laugh and hoot, kicking down parts of the wall that haven’t hit the ground. Knowing that every person in my city hates me is one thing, but seeing it is something else altogether. I am frozen in place, the whole reason I came back into the city forgotten. I should’ve left. I should’ve known better. These women will kill me if they see me, and I can’t even blame them for it.

Ero?

I whirl away from the remains of fire, my hood slipping down. The voice is coming from across the street, and I almost cry with relief when I see who it belongs to.

Luna. I run across the street to her, glad that everyone is too busy celebrating to hear us. With more force than necessary, I wrap my arms around her. When she squeezes me back just as hard, I get a whiff of her hair, that warm vanilla scent that seems to follow her everywhere. I bury my face in her curls, not wanting to let go.

Inside, she whispers, looking around frantically. I do as she says, trying not to look at the smoldering building behind us.

What happened? I ask once we’re inside the little apartment across the street.

They… Tears spring into her light brown eyes. They came and burnt it down. A woman showed up and told me to move over here, to bring all my things. Then a group came back that night, and they lit it on fire.

I swallow hard, trying not to think about the fact that I can hear them yelling through the walls.

Ero, they don’t know what happened. If they knew, they’d never—

Hate me this much? I sigh, looking at my best friend. I’d hate me, too.

No. Her voice is small. It’s just to unite them. There’s so few of us. I think the Council wants us to have ... solidarity. It’s all we have left. I don’t know what they would do to me if they knew that I was here.

I give her a strange look. You think the city would punish you?

I know they would. They won’t see reason … and I’m as much to blame as you.

She’s wrong, but I don’t question her. After all the lies I’ve told, it really shouldn’t bother me so much that she’s stretching the truth. She’s been pardoned, so why wouldn’t she just tell me that herself? I can tell by her expression that she’s trying to make me feel better, but I’ve never lied to her before. She must be taking lessons from the Council about solidarity. After a moment, something else occurs to me. If Luna only had a few hours’ notice, what did she do with Archer? I look out the window at the thinning crowd, heart thumping in my chest.

Archer? My voice is soft but hopeful.

He’s here.

I feel my stomach do a backflip as I laugh with relief. He’s here. He’s alive. The city may hate me, and Luna may have decided to lie to me, but he’s alive. I want to sprint up the stairs and find him, but part of me doesn’t know what would come next. I stop myself from tearing through every room to find him. Instead, I decide to act like I believe what she said. I don’t know why she wouldn’t just tell the truth, but now isn’t the time to question her.

You’re in trouble with the Council? I ask, looking around at the dark apartment. She nods.

Well, good, because I am too, I say shortly. And we need to leave. Now.

She nods again, and I feel a pang of guilt dragging her into my mess yet another time. I remind myself that this time she could