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  Clone Two

  Book Two: The Clone Chronicles

  Patti Larsen

  Kindle Edition

  Copyright 2012 by Patti Larsen

  Purely Paranormal Press

  www.purelyparanormalpress.com

  Find out more about Patti Larsen at

  http://www.pattilarsen.com/

  and her newsletter

  http://smarturl.it/PattiLarsenEmail

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  Kindle Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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  Cover art (copyright) by Valerie Bellamy. All rights reserved.

  http://www.dog-earbookdesign.com/

  Edited by Annetta Ribken, freelance Goddess. You can find her at http://www.wordwebbing.com/

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  Chapter One

  The moonlight reflects from the retreating scenery as the train rattles its way down the track. I perch on the back of the car, where I’ve sat since we managed to escape Los Angeles. The dog sighs next to me, unable or unwilling to sleep. I stroke his soft golden fur with an absent hand as my mind turns as fast as the iron wheels beneath me.

  I like it here, alone in the night. Away from Chime’s anger and Beckett’s answering rage. I can’t bring myself to feel anything but guilt. I’ve brought this upon them all. The pursuit of the Crawlers, the odd yet powerful soldier-like group who have been after me from the beginning. I think I understand why they want me, at least. My ability to kill with an accelerated form of the Sick, the very illness which has lain waste to the population of the Earth, has to be the driving force behind their need to capture me.

  I know I should be alone in flight. My journey only puts the others at risk. I’ve already ruined any chance they might have of a more normal life, at least as normal as they are used to. Beckett and Poppy’s group are gone, scattered or dead. I adore the girl who rescued me when I first awoke, memory gone. And her brother, Beckett, who agreed to shelter me, only to have a second group, led by the insane and power-hungry Cade, tear his world apart. But inside is an inescapable need to fulfill my mission, whatever it is, pulling me onward, relentless.

  My mind drifts to Genki and Dauphine. I never trusted the red haired leader of the hoarders, so his betrayal to Cade for the second time wasn’t as much of a surprise as it could have been. But I worry for the blind girl who can see the future, knowing she will be killed or, if Cade is even remotely thinking straight, exploited.

  Two more families have suffered because of me. Socrates and his clever followers were safe and sound before I appeared. Now his precious library is burned, destroyed to save me, his people lost, forced recruits in Cade's mismatched army of frightened children. Emile, his tall, quiet second, her sweet smile vanished beneath a crowd of kids who pulled her down. And Vander, the Bright who took us into his home and trust, lost everything when Cade came hunting me.

  I wipe a tear from my cheek and fight my despair at last. There is so far to go, an entire country to cross, an uncertain fate awaiting me at the end of this journey. I can’t afford to lose my will now. But my time in the darkness, with just the dog, the moon and the flashing, sparse scenery for company has at least allowed me the quiet I need to feel sorry for myself in private.

  The desert stretches out forever, it seems, the heat of it gone, a chill in the night air as the moon hovers over the scrub, lighting it with a cold glow. I call on the calm that's always inside, waiting for me to accept it fully, to allow it control, but pull back when it rises. There's nothing to fight before me, no battle to win.

  Not a physical one, anyway. And I am certain the calm I feel won't do much but mask my feelings for a while even as it devours more and more of who I am. And once it takes me over completely, I fear it will only leave behind a killing machine, free of humanity, of compassion.

  I’m not willing to lose my compassion just yet.

  It’s the dog who decides I’ve had enough. He rises, shakes himself, swipes his tongue over my cheek before nudging my arm with his nose. I turn to him, finding myself smiling through my tears as I reach out and hug him. He chuffs softly in my ear, a soft, contented groan escaping as we lean into each other. The warmth of his body reaches through his golden fur, my clothing, my skin, muscle, bone and all the way to my heart. I feel the pressure of guilt ease, my tears drying up as I allow myself to accept this gift he’s giving me.

  I pull away at last, meet his dark eyes. I’m certain now he is far more intelligent than an ordinary golden lab. From the moment we met in the alley, the Brights surrounding him, preparing to make him their next meal, I felt awareness from him, as though he understood far more than he should. And here, now, I see the soul in him, conscious thought as he meets my gaze.

  I’m grateful for him.

  “Thank you.” I stroke my fingers over the soft fur of his muzzle. “It means a lot having you here.”

  He licks me again before swiping a paw across his nose. Is he laughing at me? Yes, I think he must be. His lips tremble, eyes sparkling in the moonlight. His teeth find the cuff of my jacket as he rises and begins to tug.

  “I know,” I say. “It’s time to talk to Chime.” She's the last person I want to see, the train boss's anger focused on me and me alone. I accept her rage, almost welcome it if it means shielding my friends. But if we're to continue on our journey, to make it all the way across this vast continent, I need to ensure Chime's agreement.

  I look out into the black for one more moment. “I want to say I’m ready.” I turn back to him. “But I’m not sure I am.”

  He lets me go, sits back on his haunches, head cocked to one side. A short bark tells me what he thinks of my hesitation.

  “You win.” I rise and follow him forward.

  The train shakes and rattles underfoot, the caboose bouncing its way along behind. The door slides open easily, the short, jerking path between cars making me nervous. But we manage to cross the gap and arrive safely in the next car. I exhale, not realizing I’d been holding my breath, as the door glides shut behind me. It’s oddly louder inside than in the previous car with its gaping open doorway, surrounded by vibrating steel.

  This car is far from empty, piled with boxes and stray sleeping areas. My friends huddle nearby. I hear them talking in whispers, the sound of the puppies Poppy cares for as they clatter around in play. I'm not ready to see them yet. Instead I continue forward, slinking through the dark like an unwelcome intruder on the fringe of their dim light and go to the end and the next sliding door.

  This car is worse, stuffed full with things and people, their hovering anxiety and dread like a weight in the air, tainting it, making it hard to breathe. What remains of Chime's people sprawl or pace here, heads down, fear and resentment strong enough I almost turn back. But this must be done and I'm the one to do it.

  I pass the eating station, a bolted-down table host to a small coal stove. The aroma of food cooking makes my stomach growl. I look around for Chime, but only meet with angry faces, outcasts on the run because of me.

  I have to find Chime and talk to her. To make this right if I can. But I'm not sure the leader of this train will be willing to listen if the attitude of her people is any indicator. They are most likely in tune with how she feels and from the way they stare, some with fear, some with hate and everything in between, I suddenly worry, deal or no deal, we may not have transportation much longer.

  My gu
ilt surges just as a tall young man with a bandage wrapped around his upper arm steps in my way. The dog growls at him, but the boy ignores my companion and glares at me with a mixture of rage and blame.

  “This is all your fault.” If he thinks his accusation will raise a reaction from me, he’s mistaken. I’ve heard the same litany enough in the past. Not just from myself, but from Beckett’s old friend, Nico, now dead and gone, who betrayed all of us in her attempt to be rid of me. Her face flashes in my mind for a heartbeat, making me flinch.

  “Excuse me.” I know politeness probably isn’t the best course of action, but I’m tired and worn thin and have little energy left to deal with this. I'm already second-guessing my decision to approach his leader and have no desire to go through such an argument twice.

  He pushes me back when I try to maneuver past him, forward toward the engine. The dog’s growl drops lower, teeth showing. My challenger glances at him, but doesn’t back off.

  “We’ve lost half of our people because of you.” I see the tension in his face, around his eyes, the way his throat works, his jaw clenching. He’s hiding grief behind his anger. My empathy surges forward, I can't help myself.

  “You’ve lost someone.” I reach out for him, but my sympathy is about as welcome as my courtesy.

  He slaps my hand away. “Chime doesn’t want you here,” he snarls, “and neither do we. The second we reach station, you’re all off.”

  I shrug as if his words don't bother me though anxiety blooms anew. I have to reach New York and this train is the only way I can do that. At least that we've found. “I'm sorry,” I say. “Please, just let me pass.”

  He’s not getting what he needs from my answers or my attitude. I can tell he wants a fight, but I’m not going to start or finish one. I carefully slide my hands into my front pockets, just in case the tingle meaning my power over the Sick has returned. Though I welcome the calm now, at last, the chance of battle triggering its release as it wraps around me and makes everything clear.

  “Step aside.” I don’t threaten him, nor do I show weakness. Or further emotion. It's lost behind my focus. Only curiosity, and vague at that. My mind tells me many different ways I could harm him, kill him even, cold and calculating the best strategy while he stares at me.

  He hesitates, his own emotions still high enough he could do something we’ll both regret. My body relaxes completely, prepared to put him down as cleanly as I can, choosing the most likely way to cause him the least harm, when the far door jerks open and Chime enters the car.

  She takes one look at the confrontation and stomps her way toward us. I catch a glimpse of her curls under her bandana out of the corner of my eye as she comes to a furious halt beside us.

  “Darnish,” she snaps, “go sit the hell down.”

  He turns to her, shock on his face. “But—”

  She lashes out with one hand, clipping him across the ear so hard he yelps.

  “Do as I say.” Her eyes meet mine. “She isn’t for you to deal with.” She spins around in a circle. “I’m the leader here. I’ll handle this. Understood?”

  Darnish grumbles, they all do, but they turn away finally and ignore me.

  “Thank you,” I say, my tone soft. “I didn’t want to hurt him.” I release the calm, feel it ebb from me though I miss both it and the focus it gives me. I dread the loss of myself it takes when it goes.

  She looks like she wants to hit me too, and for a moment I wonder if letting go of my fighting readiness was such a good idea.

  “Don’t even think about thanking me.” Her voice is a hiss of rage, amber eyes narrowed to slits. “You’ve ruined everything we’ve built. I knew I should never have gotten involved with you, shouldn’t have trusted Socrates.” She backs away a bit, expression flat. “This is not what I signed up for. No one mentioned going against the Crawlers. Or Cade.”

  “You’ve been paid.” She's right. We never intended to draw the mysterious soldiers to her, nor insane Cade and his rag-tag army of terrified and bullied kids. But she'd taken delivery of tons of coal for the steam engine, courtesy of Socrates, promised to take us where we needed to go. While the circumstances are difficult, I wonder about her honor and if she's more likely to abandon or turn us in now she has what she wants.

  My anger stirs. Why did I want to apologize to her again? It's not like she'll accept it. And while we hadn’t divulged the entire story, her precious train is right now running on the coal we provided.

  She scowls even more deeply, a thick line running between her brows. “Fuel’s no good without water for steam. And food and drink for the crew.” Chime snorts her derision. “What crew I have left.” Chime jabs a finger toward me. “You can bet your pretty ass we’ll be dumping you at the first opportunity.”

  My anger is almost in control of me now. It’s welcome, the heat of it burning away the weight of my guilt, at least for the moment. I’m about to speak when I hear the far door open. Beckett enters, spots me, heads toward me.

  “Trio,” he says. “Come on.” His hand finds my arm. I pull free of him, frowning while Chime turns to him and gets in his face, her corkscrew curls bouncing as she tosses her head in anger.

  “You’ll be wanting to keep your people out of our way.” Chime crosses her arms over her chest. “Wouldn’t want any accidents happening before we can find a place to dump you.”

  Beckett glares at her, but doesn’t respond. “Trio,” he says, an edge to his voice. “I said let's go.”

  I shrug and leave with him, feeling Chime’s gaze boring holes through me, as if she could destroy my very soul with her amber-eyed stare.

  As the door slides open, I hear her call, “Watch your step.”

  Indeed.

  ***

  Chapter Two

  Beckett hisses at me when we reach the rattling darkness of the rear compartment. “Where have you been? I looked everywhere for you.”

  This possessive Beckett makes me uncomfortable, like he thinks he owns me. Gone is the self-assured young man I first met. And gone, too, is the shoulder-bowed former leader thinking he needed to give up his principles to join Genki. I prefer the first version and feel another tickle of guilt. I've made him this way, caused this shift. And yet, I still want to smack him for being such an idiot.

  “Nowhere.” Golden fur rubs against my hand as the dog keeps pace beside me. “I'm just trying to figure out what to do next.”

  “In case you hadn't noticed,” he snaps, “you're not in this alone.”

  My temper, recently fed by Chime's, flares again, quickly diffused when Beckett stops and turns to confront me. I pause, meet his gaze, just enough light reaching us from further in the car to see the worry and stress in his handsome face, the concern in his blue eyes. “We need to talk. All of us. Like it or not, Trio, we're all in this together.”

  I nod, tension from the near battle leaving me. “I know,” I whisper, unable to force the words out with any volume. “And I'm sorry, Beckett. More than you will ever understand.”

  He reaches for me, one hand finding mine, squeezing my fingers with an oddly gentle look on his face. Yes, this Beckett. This is the one I feel inside me, as though we've met before. The Beckett I remember though I can't remember anything.

  So odd, standing here with him like this, as though it's only the two of us in the entire world. I wish it could stay this way.

  “Everyone's waiting,” he says, breaking the spell, pulling me along.

  This time I don't resist, sad to have to return to reality but happy to hold his hand, to feel the pressure of his skin, the warmth of his presence. My guilt and anxiety fade at Beckett's touch and I fight the memory I've not only met him somewhere before, but that somehow this contact with him is forbidden to me.

  Before? My life before? Maybe. But how? No time to contemplate, not when Poppy comes running, dark hair in disarray flying behind her to hug me hard, pressing her sweet face into my shirt.

  “I was worried about you.” Her voice muffles in the
fabric. When she looks up at me, I smile. No matter how I'm feeling, she always makes me smile. Has from the moment we met in the alley outside the school when she saved me, not only from Cade's boys who had plans for me, or from the Crawlers who had their own agenda, but from myself.

  The dog gently licks her cheek, bringing out a characteristic Poppy giggle. She hugs him too before leading me through the piles of boxes, holding my free hand, further into the car.

  It's darker here, more supplies piled in awkward stacks, a testament to the speed of our departure. I have a feeling Chime isn't the kind of person who normally allows such sloppiness on her train. We wind our way to the back of the dusty car, the glow of a single lantern leading us on.

  Socrates hunches over it, face distorted by shadows. The lantern itself offers some illumination, but our new friend Vander is a Bright, and the glow from his skin offers up just as much light. He smiles at me, though his face seems sad and I smile back, knowing he must be thinking of his loss. Not only of his underground home, the perfect and peaceful oasis preserving him his entire life, but the recent death of his brother, Gault, to the odd, aggressive aging influence of the Sick.

  I stand there while Beckett finally releases my hand, crouching next to Socrates and immediately wish he hadn't let me go. It's hard to be here with them, knowing what I've done, what I've caused and I feel the sudden need to sneak away as I had before, to sit in the open wind with the dog and the night and the rattling sound of the train for company.

  I'm a coward, then. At least when it comes to facing the people I care about. I have no idea how I've come to adore these odd, interesting people who have fallen into my life but sitting there, looking around at them, a surge of love and protectiveness takes over, so powerful my fists clench in response to it.

  I'm responsible for them and have to keep them safe. Even if that means abandoning them eventually. I can't allow my loneliness and need to put them at further risk, no matter what Beckett says.