The Unleashed Read online

  Daniel moved away from Jonathon and the others and joined Hiro on his bunk bed.

  “Aren’t you going to play with the other children?” Daniel asked. “Some of them are about your age.”

  Hiro wrinkled his nose. “I don’t like children. Their thoughts are stupid.”

  “You know you’re a kid too, right?” Daniel laughed, relieved to have a distraction from his claustrophobia. “What are they talking about?” He nodded over to Jonathon and the others. “Are they talking tactics?”

  “They’re studying a map of the GEM HQ,” Hiro said. “And discussing which entrance to break through and where they can meet the insurgent. Des thinks that K might have a big task for him, so he’s stalling.”

  Daniel swore under his breath. “I knew not to trust that guy.” He thought about his vision and how he had to stop it – even if it meant going alone.

  “You can’t break into the Ministry on your own. Only Dale and Des can contact the insurgent, and there’s no way you’d get inside by yourself.”

  Daniel leaned on his elbows and rested his chin on his hands. There had to be a way. Across the room Luce and Ali sat chatting. After a few days of recuperation he was up and about; not quite back to his best. Luce still changed his dressings every now and then. She was a curious girl who stared a lot. Her eyes held his for a second, and her face lit up. Daniel nodded in acknowledgement, but continued his conversation with Hiro. She creeped him out a bit.

  “What about the guns?” Daniel asked. “Are they holding out on us? They can’t keep using this weapon shortage excuse. We can make petrol bombs. We’ve still got ammunition left from the Compound.”

  “I don’t know,” Hiro said. “I think what he said was true about waiting for more from K, but I don’t know if it’s an excuse or not. He’s not thinking about something – he keeps blocking it out. I don’t know what it is.”

  “Okay,” Daniel said. “Thanks Hiro.”

  “Do you miss her?” Hiro asked.

  What kind of question was that? Did a flower miss the sunshine? Or a pen miss paper? “Of course I do.”

  “Me too,” Hiro said, his features turning serious. “I’ve been trying something new.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve been trying to think so much that Mina hears it in her mind.”

  Daniel leaned back to meet Hiro’s eyes. “Is it working?”

  “I don’t know. I think sometimes I hear her thoughts,” he said. “Even though she’s too far away. I think I saw her dream the other night. There was a snake and it transformed into her mum.”

  “She must know something’s wrong deep down. That’s a good sign.” Maybe Mina’s doubt could stop the vision coming true. His heart surged with hope.

  Kitty appeared silently next to their bunk in her annoying habit of sneaking around. “If you want to go and get her, you’re making it really obvious.”

  “What?”

  “If you want to sneak out.”

  Daniel shook his head. “I just want to know what’s going on. We need to do something. Des hates me. He won’t tell me anything.”

  “That’s because you’re always glaring at him,” Kitty said. “You know, you’re not very good at pretending, are you?”

  “Why would I pretend? I don’t like the guy.”

  “To get your own way. If you’d sucked up to him in the first place, maybe he’d be keeping you informed.” Kitty placed her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows.

  She was right. Daniel sighed, knowing that he’d approached this all wrong; going about it like a bull in a china shop; head strong and without tact.

  “Would you break out if we all went?” she asked in a hushed tone.

  Mike came over. “What are you doing, Kit?”

  Kitty glowered. “You know what. I’m getting Daniel on board. There is no way I’m sitting around here in this dingy basement for another second. I’m getting out and Daniel is coming with us.”

  Daniel felt the tension between them like an electrical charge. Kitty’s face was flustered and scrunched up in annoyance. Mike’s jaw had set; he didn’t seem his usual relaxed self.

  “No, we aren’t. You’ve no idea what you’re messing with, Kits. I grew up in London. I know what it’s like for the Resistance, and I know how big the GEM is. You can’t just break in. It doesn’t work like that. I know you’re frustrated but––”

  “This is just so typical of you,” she snapped. “You’re always telling me what to do; telling me you know best.”

  He squared up to her; his eyes flashing. “I’m trying to stop you getting killed.”

  “Guys, calm down, we can talk about this,” Daniel tried to intervene.

  “So you want to leave Mina in there to rot?” she replied, ignoring Daniel.

  “Why not? She left us?” said Mike.

  “Hey, she’s being drugged.” Daniel felt his feathers ruffled, and stood up to face Mike. He had a slight height advantage, although he’d never thought of Mike as an adversary before. “She can’t help what’s happening to her.”

  “Do you really think that? ‘Cos if you do, you’re stupider than you look,” Mike said, running his fingers through his dishevelled hair. “You saw the way she was with her mother. She doesn’t give a single crap about us anymore.”

  “That’s not true!” Kitty’s arms flailed as she spoke. “You’ve no idea what was going through her head.”

  Mike lifted his arms in exasperation. “No one ever does! That’s the problem. We’re always waiting around to see what Mina wants to do, when she just does whatever she wants.” He sighed. “I know this all sounds harsh but––”

  “It sounds like you’ve given up on her,” Daniel said. “Have you?”

  Daniel met Mike’s eyes and saw the answer for himself. Mike had given up on Mina. He’d already decided she was bad and not worth saving. If he told them about the vision they’d all give up.

  “I can’t believe you, Mike.” Kitty shook her head in disbelief. “We’re a family. We work together. Don’t you remember how strong we were at the Compound?”

  Daniel’s temple throbbed and the room faded to black. He blinked in an attempt to force his eyes to focus. He knew the signs. A vision formed – ready to tear through his skull and plunge him into searing pain.

  “Um, guys,” he said.

  “I remember how strong we were,” Mike said. “I’m just not sure Mina remembers.”

  “Guys!” Daniel said, louder. He fell backwards and the vision ripped through his mind. Flashes of colour and movement played in his imagination, like a broken television screen. He called out in pain as the flashes faded, and his mind descended into darkness. Someone caught him as he fell.

  *

  “How are we doing?” A soft hand stroked his cheek. Fingers traced over his cheekbones.

  Daniel immediately thought “Mina” and reached for that hand, pulling it to his mouth––

  “Hey!”

  Daniel’s eyes snapped open. Luce stared down at him, her large blue eyes wide and amused.

  “Oh,” Daniel said. He tried to sit up, and pain exploded behind his eyes.

  “Take it easy.” She helped him back down onto the bed, plumping the pillows. “You had a bad fall and passed out.”

  “I had a vision,” he said. “Someone get me my notebook. And something cold for my head.”

  “Already here, big guy.” Luce placed a cold flannel on Daniel’s forehead, which soothed some of the fire behind his eyes.

  Hiro passed him his notebook. He cracked open the pages and flicked through to an empty leaf. He had many pages to skip; most filled with visions of Mina. They reminded him of the years before he met her, when all he’d known was her face. Somehow she’d kept him sane even then.

  “Is that her?” Luce asked.

  “Yes.” Daniel found a blank page and began to trace the image in his mind.

  “Hmm, she’s pretty, I guess. If you like that sort of thing.” Luce flicked her
hair.

  The sketch formed the backdrop of sky-scrapers and offices. He drew a wide street that he imagined would be filled with bustling black cabs and people going about their business on any other day. In his image it’d been covered in rubble and smoke, with bodies scattered on the ground.

  Luce watched his pen move and gasped. “I know where that is. The tall building at the back belongs to the GEM. It isn’t their main headquarters. It’s a research facility.” She bent over the drawing. “Some of those people, they are wearing Resistance masks. Wha–what is this? Why are you drawing these people injured on the ground?”

  “I saw it,” Daniel said. “Before I fainted, I saw it happen.”

  A crowd gathered around Daniel, including Des and the others.

  “What’s going on here?” Des asked.

  Dale hurried to Des’ side. “I’m hearing reports of a Resistance attack.”

  Des snatched the notebook from Daniel’s fingers. “Is this it?”

  Dale’s mouth flapped open. “Yes, how did you––”

  “He had a vision.”

  “It’s probably Susannah, the old leader of this group. She went off the rails, started beheading GEMs until K pulled her out.” Dale grimaced. “I know that place and it’s right next to a school.”

  “What?” Daniel climbed unsteadily to his feet, ignoring his headache. “Let me get this straight. Firstly, the Resistance have beheaded people, and secondly, someone has bombed a building right by a school?” He glanced at Jonathon. He couldn’t work with them anymore. He had to get Jonathon away from them. “What kind of people are you?”

  Des held up his hands. “Now, calm down. We aren’t like that. Susannah has a few loyal extremists, but she isn’t one of us.”

  “Then why haven’t you stopped her?” Daniel snapped. He hated Des then. He hated anyone who stood by and watched others get hurt. They were the lowest of the low, cowards.

  “It’s not that simple,” Des said. “She moves around, taking over different Resistance groups. She’s quite powerful and charismatic.”

  “Did you behead anyone when she ran this group?” Daniel asked Dale. He couldn’t believe he was asking that question. He remembered the cell at the back of the room with a shiver.

  “No. It was close though. Luckily the prisoner escaped.” He spoke in quiet tones. “We lost a good member of the team because of her. A friend.”

  Daniel saw the remorse in Dale’s eyes and decided not to go any further. “Right, well we’d better go and stop this,” he bent low and picked up the drawing, “from happening.”

  Luce stepped in front of him and placed her hands on his chest. “Whoa, you’re not going anywhere. You could have concussion.”

  “I’m fine,” he said, side-stepping around her. “I have these visions all the time.”

  “She’s right,” said Des. “You should probably rest up.”

  “Listen, there is no way I’m letting a bunch of beheaders deal with this.”

  Des grabbed hold of Daniel’s arm. “And what are you? Huh? Some guy who sees the future. What is that? Did you get a gift from God? Are you the chosen one? Or have you been altered in some lab like a rat? Don’t think you and your friends can fool me. I knew all about you the moment I saw you.”

  Daniel glanced at Ali, who shrugged as though he didn’t know what was going on.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Your little Freak clan is all the Resistance can talk about. There’s a bounty on your head, boy, and if I’d wanted to, I could have put your head on a platter or given you over to the GEM. But I haven’t, have I, Vision?” He turned to Hiro. “Hearing.” Next, Kitty. “Taste.” Then Mike. “Smell.” And we all know who touch is.”

  Daniel wrenched his arm out of Des’ grip. “I don’t like you one little bit and I trust you even less but I have to help those people.” He stormed towards the steps of the basement.

  “Aye, well I’m no’ sittin’ back either. We can take the guns from the Compound. We’d just need a vehicle, Des.”

  “We’ll take the van,” Dale said. “I’ll drive us.”

  “You’re not going,” Matthew said to Ali. “You’re not ready yet. I will though.”

  “And me,” Luce said. “They’ll need medical help.”

  Daniel stopped and faced the volunteers, his heart twinged to see them all supporting him. Jonathon met his eyes and nodded slowly.

  “I’ll come too,” he said.

  “Well, in that case,” Des added. “I think we’ll make it a team mission.”

  *

  The Resistance owned garage space in a block a few streets away from the church. The priest unlocked the door to a black van inside. He saw the priest carried a number of similar keys and wondered if the Resistance owned a few garages, or even some storage units. What did they keep locked away?

  Dale knew his way around London, and he knew the quickest routes through the smaller roads. The GEM research facility lay in the boroughs around the city, meaning that they kept out of the main roads. Daniel piled out of the car before Dale applied the brakes. Smoke billowed from between buildings, and the screams could be heard from streets away. He ran towards the injured as another part of a building exploded – showering him in dust and debris. It was as though it was happening in slow motion. Bricks flew through the air narrowly missing him, leaving just centimetres between him and severe injury.

  Dale caught him up as Daniel found the first injured person: a young man bleeding severely from the leg. Luce hurried over with a medical kit as she lifted her arm to shield herself from the dust still raining down on them. She opened it and pulled out a bandage.

  “Help me,” said the injured man, tears streaming from his eyes. He was just a passer-by with nothing to do with the Resistance or the GEM.

  Luce wrapped the bandage around his leg, helping to stop the bleeding. She soothed him with a low voice.

  “We need to get him out of here,” Daniel said. He stepped back to see the chaos around him. It was like being back in the Compound, and he felt a huge surge of anger build up inside.

  He hurried over to another casualty: a Resistance member with a large chunk of glass stuck in his belly.

  “Don’t pull it out,” Daniel warned. “I’ll get you to safety, just don’t pull it out.”

  The man cried out in pain, as Daniel tried to drag him away from the explosions. Matthew hurried over and helped him. Together, they lifted him to a safe part of the street before rushing back into the rubble. Luce and Dale followed. Luce had blood smeared over her hands, but she gritted her teeth, and ran through the rubble without even flinching. Daniel was impressed with how she handled the sights. It was a lot to take in, yet she worked on – helping and bandaging.

  They all recoiled when he found the girl.

  Daniel lifted her out of the rubble, a girl not much older than Hiro. He knew she was dead before he even examined her. Her body was broken, laid like a smashed doll, with arms and legs at awkward angles. Dale watched him pick up the girl with his eyes watering. Daniel stared at him, a member of the Resistance, who worked with people willing to kill an innocent child and he lost it.

  “Is this what you wanted?” he shouted to Dale. “The death of a girl? Is this the kind of world you want to live in? You want a world started from pain? From the pain of innocent people? That’s what you want when you bomb and kill and maim. Fighting isn’t about hiding behind weapons. It’s about standing up for what’s right, and this is wrong. This is so wrong.”

  He shook his head, carrying the limp body of the girl. When he’d set her down on the pavement and covered her up with a blanket, Dale walked over to him.

  “You were right,” he said. “You’re so right. Listen, there’s something you should know. I had a timer set up to record a message for the Resistance today. It was set up on my Plan-It and designed to go live on the screens.”

  “So,” Daniel said, checking on the man with the injured leg.

  “Wel
l, I forgot to shut it down. I just filmed the bombing and your message at the end. It all went live across the country.”

  26 ~ Mina ~

  “Tell her,” Mum said. “Go on, tell her what they did to you.”

  I sat opposite Elena in Mum’s apartment, trying to pretend I didn’t know her at all. It was the morning after she’d showed me the beheading tape, and I still had the horrible sound of the blade cutting through flesh and bone in my mind. Last night I only slept after Mum’s medicine. It soothed away my nightmares. Yet now I felt the slight shake in my fingertips, and I knew I needed more.

  Elena sighed. “The Resistance kidnapped me. You see, I won a beauty competition and came to London.” Her eyes flashed. I felt like Elena was trying to tell me something. I just didn’t know what. “And on my victory tour the Resistance hijacked the bus and kidnapped me. They kept me in this dungeon; locked in a cage.” She rolled her eyes, typical of Elena. “And this total bitch filmed me for some blackmail video. It was proper creepy. I think they were going to kill me on camera.”

  “Is this true?” I asked. I searched Elena’s face for a sign. I didn’t know what I was looking for, yet I carried on searching.

  “Yes,” she said, staring at me with level eyes.

  “Elena decided to join the GEM after the attack,” Mum said. “In order to give back to the organisation that saved her life. Luckily they killed the kidnapper on the spot, meaning that Elena can live the rest of her life without worrying about him attempting anything like that again.”

  This time I did see the message in Elena’s eyes – anger. They flashed icy blue, and her jaw set her mouth into a tight line. The rage faded as quickly as it appeared, leaving her eyes watery and hurt. If only Hiro or Mike were here to tell me what she knew. My heart panged. Hiro.

  “Thank goodness for the GEM,” I said, raising my eyebrows at Elena.

  “Yes.” She smirked. “Thank goodness for the GEM.”

  “Mum,” I said. “Could you make us some of your tea?”