Immurement: The Undergrounders Series Book One (A Young Adult Science Fiction Dystopian Novel) by Norma Hinkens Read Free Book Online Page B

of the rumors going around. “So, they won’t kill Jakob?” I ask, my heart racing.
    Mason grimaces. “Not if he cooperates. Otherwise he’s … well, let’s just say he’s spare parts as far as they’re concerned.”
    A shiver runs down my spine. I can’t imagine Jakob doing anything other than resisting being cloned. “How do we find him?”
    Mason tosses his stick and runs his fingers the length of his jaw. “That's the easy part. It’s getting into the Craniopolis undetected that’s the problem.”
    “There must be a way,” I say, rubbing my brow. “If the Sweepers had extracted me, Jakob would stop at nothing to get inside.”
    Mason squares his shoulders. “There aren’t enough of us to overpower the security guards.”
    I pick up Mason’s stick and trace a large question mark in the dirt with it. “There is one option worth considering.”
    Mason frowns. “What’s that?”
    “We enlist the killing machines to help.”

Chapter 8
    “Ask the Rogues to help?” Mason stares at me as if I’m foaming at the mouth.
    Big Ed shakes his head. “You saw what they did to Reid and Becca.”
    “Because Reid and Becca were ratting them out,” I say. “The Rogues want to find a way to end the extractions as much as we do. With Mason’s help, we can lead them to the Craniopolis and let them do what they do best.”
    Mason studies me, his eyes signaling something that tells me he thinks it’s possible.
    “It all hinges on you convincing them of your story,” I say. “They already hate the world government. What you tell them will be more than enough to clinch the deal.”
    Mason nods. “It’s worth a try.”
    An eerie silence falls over us, broken only by the mellow whoo-whoo of an owl as it veers over us.
    Mason pulls some jerky out of his pack and offers it around. I cram several chunks into my mouth and suck greedily on the beef flavor flooding my taste buds.
    Big Ed looks at Mason curiously. “So how’d you escape?”
    “I stowed away on a Sweeper ship—a Hovermedes.”
    “Hover what ?” I rumple my brow.
    “Hovermedes. They’re named in honor of Archimedes, Dr. Lyong’s favorite engineer of old.”
    “Never heard of him—Archimedes, I mean.” I dab my sleeve at some jerky juice on my lips.
    Mason raises his brows. “Archimedes was a Greek physicist and inventor in the third century, considered by some to be the greatest mathematician of all time.”
    “It’s not like we have school in the bunkers,” I say, defensively.
    “Where is this ship you stowed away on?” Big Ed asks.
    “It’s hidden in the brush a few miles east of our bunker.”
    Big Ed combs his fingers through his beard and scrutinizes Mason. “It's been there this whole time?”
    My pulse races as the import of his words sinks in. If Mason had told us about the ship, we could have used it to fight the extractions. Jakob might still be here. Owen too. “You traitor!” I yell. “You said you hated the Sweepers, but all this time you had that ship hidden and you did nothing to help us.”
    I breathe slowly in and out, long shallow breaths that do nothing to satisfy me. I’m sick to my stomach. Mason passed himself off as one of us, ate our food, slept in our bunkers. All the while he knew exactly who the Sweepers were, what they wanted, and where to find them.
    I curl my fingernails into my palms until my skin is throbbing. Every fiber of me longs to throw myself at Mason and tear his eyes out. I clench my fists tighter. First, I need him to take me to the Sweepers. And then I’ll have my revenge.
    I scramble to my feet and reach for my pack. “We can still catch the Rogues if we hurry. If Mason can convince them to come with us, we’ll go back for the Hovermedes.” I narrow my eyes at Mason, daring him to challenge me. If he dies trying to reason with those butchers, it will be one less problem for me to deal with later.
    “Aren’t the Sweepers searching for you?” Big Ed asks, as he gets to his