Vanished by John Shepard, Danielle Cloakey Read Free Book Online

trembling. Sitting up, she pulled knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on the trembling mess.
    “This won’t control me. It won’t define me.” Her whisper resounded in the dark room. 
    “But it will change you.”
    She gasped as the far wall moved, the shadows melting into the image of eleven familiar faces. The blankets threatened to tangle around her as she scrambled back, pressing her spine to the wall. The original speaker, Vendas, if she remembered correctly, stepped forward.
    “We apologize for startling you. However, after the televised event, we decided to hell with the council.” He extended a hand toward her. “We’d be honored if you’d lead Earthbound.”
    Words deserted her, and she gave a short nod, taking his proffered hand.
    His hand was firm on hers. With a quick tug, he pulled her to her feet and shook her hand with a brisk gesture. His eyes sparkled in the dim light, and he seemed to want to say something.
    “What they did… it was wrong.” A chorus of nods followed his statement and he shrugged a shoulder back at one of the men behind him. “Radek checked. After fifty years of physical trials, not one man ever has undergone... anything quite so challenging as you did.”
    His eyes locked on hers. “We do believe this means you are the strongest among us. A new era is dawning for our people, and we’d like it led by you.”
    She got to her feet, flesh still crawling with shock. The men straightened, saluting. Zoltan’s face stood out, but she refused to look at him. She didn’t want to think about him, see him, be near him. He would be forever tied to memories she couldn’t bear to think about. With a brief smile, she mirrored their motion and stood down. They followed suit, and she was led out of the room.
    Vendas directed the group down dimly-lit hallways out of the facility. Their heavy steps echoed down the halls like the rumble of thunder. At both her sides, men’s arms pressed in on her shoulders. Radek on her right, towered over her a good foot or so, the other about half that. She’d never thought of herself as a small woman, but the men were large, stocky and tall.
    A quick glance over her shoulder was met with a blink and a nod from those trailing behind, boxing her in. Zoltan’s stare maintained a searing heat on her back, but the need to avoid him kept her acknowledging him. She wondered how the group must look, these huge men clad in black, armored ship suits with her at their center, in a white undersuit.
    A hand touched her shoulder, light as a whisper. Grabbing his middle finger, she spun, twisting his hand. Her other hand locked around his forearm, and she shoved the finger back toward his elbow. Zoltan dropped to his knees, pain shining in his eyes.
    The group tightened around her, tense bodies suspended, breaths held.
    “Don’t touch me.” She growled the words, increasing the pressure. He jerked his head up and down. Her hands released him, and he fell back, rubbing his hand. She turned, catching Vendas’ unreadable glance. The man pushed forward, the group falling back into step.
    Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the council past Vendas. The men, still dressed in their flowing white garb, blocked the doorway.
    The whisper of weapons leaving holsters in unison around her sent her heart slamming. These guys were a unit. They wouldn’t hesitate to dispatch the council, she was sure. The click, click of pistols being cocked and loaded broke the silence. 
    Radek pulled a pistol, his right hand snagging her left wrist. He pressed the gun into her palm, and she couldn’t help a bit of thrill that the weapon was left-handed. He’d obviously packed it just for her.
    Her group drew to a halt before the council. She reached out and touched Vendas’ shoulder. He glanced back at her, shock in his features. With a sweep of his arm, he stepped out of her way, the barrel of his gun aimed at the floor.
    The large males parted,