Initiation of the Lost (Book 1) by M.R. Read Free Book Online Page A

Can I sleep now?"
    August looked to Connor, who nodded. "Sl–"
    The guard smiled, his eyes becoming heavy.
    "Wait. Why are there so few guards for a symp?"
    The guard yawned, his body going limp. Connor caught him, propping him up in a chair.
    "Your chikara has been thoroughly contained." Yaaaawn. "He was moved here from a high security facility to maintain secrecy."
    August was confused, and surprised: "If he's in a top secret zone then how do you know..."
    The guard was asleep.
    "It makes sense," said Connor. "He would know what's behind the doors." He reached into his coat, taking out a mechanized magnet and placed it on the screen. He activated it, waited, five seconds, then removed it.
    August reconnected the psy-network and inserted one last suggestion: *Forget the entire day upon awakening. Automatically erase any evidence of our being here.* Then he tapped his comm and said, "Phase two-point-one complete."
    "Phase two-point-two complete," said Abbey.
    And August briefed his teammates; they assembled before the doors on the first floor. They looked to one another. This was it, phase three: collect James "Raijin" Crawford and get the hell out.
    "This is it," said Connor. "We did it."
    "So why is no one moving?" said Abbey.
    "It all seems too easy," said Derek. On comm: "Dr. Farling, you sense anything?"
    In their ears, they heard, "All is well. Everyone is unconscious."
    The team once more looked to each other; Derek charged through the doors. They ran down the hall, peaking into the square windows into rooms: laboratories, supply closets, more laboratories. Finally, they ran through the double doors at the end of the hall.
    The room was a vast empty space. The moon's beams streamed through the wall of window panes, but there was another light, an eerie green glow radiating from a row of pods embedded in the wall ahead. They were empty, except for one, a capsule where James Crawford, unconscious, floated in a liquid, plugged into the machine by tubes running down his spine and into his chest. Cups, also connected to tubes, covered his genitalia and rear.
    "Oh God." Abbey gasped.
    "We gotta do something." Connor charged.
    Dr. Farling: "Wait." Connor stopped. "There's someone there. The ground. August?"
    August focused beneath them: "I sense three thought streams. They're heading straight for us."
    "Get out! Now!" said Cassandra.
    "They knew we were coming," said Derek. "This room is a trap."
    "We can't leave him," said Connor, pointing to James.
    "You have to get out!" said Cassandra once more. She had sensed the rage, the desire–the thirst–to hurt–to kill–heading for her students. And with a blast, the doors blew off its hinges–the team ducked as it sailed over their heads. Three Benzaiten flew into the room, unleashing a barrage of sonic booms that sent the team scurrying, each running for a corner of the room. The Benzaiten landed back to back in the center.
    " The young ones aren't half bad ," said Benzai-three.
    Benzai-one looked to the children, their faces focused, trying to contain their fear. Then she saw him: the boy she had arrested, turned into a lab experiment. She needed to get these kids out of here, give them a chance to escape.
    "Leave the boy with the glasses ," she said. He was closest to the exit. " Two take the girl; Three, take the boy in the jacket; I'll get the leader." She'd try to signal to him to run.
    "But–"
    She rose into the air; her subordinates followed. They hovered, then struck for their targets, flying for the corners.
    "Now!" yelled Derek.
    Connor blinked; the Benzaiten staggered through the air. While they had been chatting, August linked to Derek psychically. Derek had a plan: for August to project the illusion into Connor's mind that he could see their eyes. Then August linked Derek and himself to Connor and Abbey to relay phase two: blind the Benzai and head for the center of the room. He had thought for sure one of the officers would've charged August at the portal to