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

secure the exit.
    The four teammates ran to each other–Derek noticed they didn't go for the door. But it was too late. As Benzai-three sailed through the air, heading into his corner, he swirled firing a sonic laser that drilled into Connor's back. Connor howled, the pulse driving his senses into madness.
    The Benzai crashed into the walls; Team Blue crashed into each other. No one could see. Connor's power had gone berserk.
    "Follow my voice," whispered the team leader.
    "Something happened to Connor." Abbey grabbed him.
    "He went haywire. He got hit." He wanted to scream for August and his injured friend, but he had to stay calm. "Everyone quiet."
    In the darkness, Derek pushed Abbey, hoping she understood he wanted her to leave him. The Benzaiten knew where they were–they needed to scatter. The officers themselves were still at the corners. If they had moved he would've heard the mechanized hum of their armor. He needed August. If they could mind-link they could talk without alerting the Benzai. Derek kept reaching out with his mind, trying to find, to grasp, his friend. But nothing. What had happened? He balled his fist: if he had to kill all three of them to get his friends back, he would.
    "Alright," he finally said. "My team has already scattered. You shoot me, you'll be blind forever."
    "We know where you are," said Benzai-one. "Sonar."
    "Well you haven't attacked. So you must want your eyes back. You kill the one who blinded you'll stay that way forever." A lie? Who knew?
    "We will let you leave."
    "We want our friend first."
    A laugh. "Sure," said Number Three. "Unplug him and take his corpse."
    "What my subordinate is trying to say is, we've seen those pods before. They're for preservation. Life support."
    "What happened?" Derek's voice shook. He had to buy time, account for Connor and August. He wanted to believe when he had said they'd scattered, they understood he was talking to them and left. He wanted to believe it was just him in the room. Everything was okay as long as they were gone.
    "Your friend must be gone by now," said Number One.
    "It happens," added Number Three.
    A gasp. Abbey. By the portal.
    A high pitched winding. A machine charging.
    "My second subordinate has the girl."
    "Not quite," said Abbey. Benzai-two yelped, feeling his metal armor crunch around him.
    " She's controlling my armor ," he muttered through the pain. " I can't move. Armor is glitching. "
    "Alright," said Derek. "Considering what you did to our friend, you don't care about anyone else. We leave then you get your sight back. You kill us, you’re blind forever."
    "Like hell," said Number Three. "I think–"
    "Silence," said Benzai-one. "Leader, gather your team and get out."
    Derek couldn't see the menacing armor, the cold black masks. He only heard her sincerity.
    "Rocky Road, you here me?" he called out.
    When the room went blind, August had come to a halt. In the dark, he shuffled forward, still moving towards the center. But he tripped, falling to the ground. Reaching behind him, touching out to feel what he stumbled over, he grasped cloth, a coat, Connor. A hand grasped him, holding tight. He tried to reach for Derek, for Abbey, but afraid for Connor, his telepathy could only reach for him, his fallen teammate. He held Connor's hand, tears falling, feeling Connor's pain and fear as his mind slowly slipped away. They didn't hear Derek or the Benzai. The world was dark and silent. August held Connor tight, hugging him, trying to make him feel warm, like the tighter he grasped the body the tighter his mind could grasp the mind fading. But he knew he was going and would be gone; so he showed him some place special, a place where a large tree was surrounded by flowers, surrounded by plains of grain, where the stars twinkled in the daytime at his command. There. Connor. Faint, but there. He looked at August. Smiled. And was gone. The body in August's arms went limp. He saw his teammate, lifeless in his arms. But he would've