The Rat Collector: A Dystopian Thriller (Age of End Book 1) (18 page)

He reached the shore and collapsed in the sand, Saul falling beside him. The waves crashed over them as they lay on the ground. He glanced at Saul’s almost dead eyes and forced himself to get up, dragging Saul along the sand. The giant tortoise had walked up the beach and was heading towards a patch of grass. The hot grains shifted beneath Vince’s wet feet. His toe caught a rock, and he stumbled over face first. When he got back up his face was covered with sand. He grabbed Saul and kept on marching.

When they reached the tortoise, he collapsed beside it. The creature ignored him. Vince hovered his hand over the rough shell and felt the pulsing energy. He grabbed Saul’s hand and pressed it again the surface. “Come on Saul! Drain!” A tear ran down his face. “I know you’re still there. I know you can feel it.” Saul didn’t move. “Don’t give up on me, damn it. Drain!” He shook Saul’s shoulders until his eyes peeked open. A confused, delirious daze washed over his face. Vince pointed to the tortoise. “Saul! Drain! Now!”

Saul looked over, reached his hand out, and leaned against the shell. The tortoise let out a loud moan, reacting to the touch of Saul’s skin. It pulled away, but Saul leaned in with it. Its legs gave out, and it fell to its stomach, squirming around in pain. It retracted its head into the large shell. Sounds of death chimed from within until finally all noise and movement stopped.

Saul’s hand dropped to the ground as he fought off a coughing fit. Vince patted his back. “There you go. Just breathe.” He looked into his eyes again and saw life. “Are you okay?”

Saul grabbed his stomach. “I think so.” He lifted his shirt to see the healed wound. In its place was a deep red scar. “It still hurts, but it’s better.”

The raft reached the shore, and the others ran up the beach. Alan reached them first. When he saw that Saul was okay, he ran up and squeezed him in his arms. Confused, Saul tilted his head at Vince. Alan let go and stepped back. His cheeks turned a rosy red. “Sorry,” he said. “You don’t know me.” He stuck out his hand. “My name is Alan.”

Saul grabbed his hand and firmly shook. “Nice to meet you, Alan.”

“You saved my life. I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Ella and Rupert came up behind him. Rupert stepped up and shook his hand next. “I’m Rupert. This is Fred. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Vince has told us much about you.”

“Not too much, I hope.”

“We know your past. We know what you went through in Rodin. But you seem to have turned around. It’s good to see you’re on our side.”

Lastly, Ella shook his hand. “Ella. Glad you’re doing better. You were getting pretty bad, but it looks like that drain did the trick. You’re all healed up.”

Saul scanned across all the new faces. “You know about draining?”

Rupert nodded. “Vince told us.”

Vince looked at the giant tortoise shell. “Ella, the giant tortoise can live for over two hundred years.”

They all laughed.

Alan looked past Vince and pointed. “Guys, look.” They turned their heads, and in the distance, at the very edge of the horizon, there was a wall. It was a great distance away, stretching far off in both directions. “Do you think that’s the City?”

Saul squinted. “Looks like an outer border. A wall to keep outsiders like us out.”

“That’s the border?” Ella said in disbelief. “The City must be huge.”

Vince nodded. “Bigger than I anticipated.” He looked to the setting sun. “Come on, let’s get moving. The day’s almost gone. If we leave now, we can get there by morning.”

They walked to the raft and pushed out into open waters. Vince and Saul paddled while the others slept. They did not know what dangers awaited them, but they knew they would face them together. They drifted towards the unknown. Towards the City. Towards Victor Greene.

AGE OF END:
KINGS AND CROWNS
PREVIEW CHAPTER

ONE

THERE WAS A room, walls lined with monitors. Screens on top of screens, side by side, emitting an aura of video footage. In the center of the room, sitting on a rolling chair, was Charlotte.

Her eyes were glued to the wall of monitors. She watched in amazement as Vince and the others sailed across the ocean. She was fascinated by the events in the cave. She knew Barnabus was a loose cannon, but slaughtering everyone in the cage? Greene would not be pleased. And now Vince and Saul were on their way. She scribbled notes into her journal, keeping track of everything.

A man popped his head in the room. “It’s happening again. More bombings.”

“More?” she said. “Christ, Trevor. Sometimes I just don’t know about this world. Do you think we’re safe?”

“Oh yeah. There’s no way they’re getting through the walls. Anything interesting happen in here?”

Charlotte leaned back in her chair. “You have no idea. Barnabus is dead. Vince shot him with his own gun.”

“I can’t say I’m not surprised. It was bound to happen at some point. The man got stabbed in the eye on his first assignment. He was careless. Always has been.”

“He had it coming, too. That crazy son of a bitch slaughtered all of Greene’s subjects. Dismembered them in the cage.”

“Holy crap! I’ve talked to him a few times. He did seem a little off his rocker.”

“I know, right? He gave me the creeps.”

“But your name sounds so similar to his.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. Marble was such a pleasant last name until I met Barnabus Carbul, weirdo of the century. I don’t know why Greene likes him so much.”

“They go way back. They’ve been working together for a long time. He’s about as loyal as they get.”

“Until he snaps and goes on a murdering spree.”

Trevor chuckled. “Yeah, well, not everyone’s perfect.”

Charlotte glanced back at the wall of screens. “Anyway, now Vince, Saul, and the others are headed this way. They took his boat and their sailing across the ocean right now. They say they’re going to stop Greene. Saul’s pretty injured, too. Barnabus shot him. I think he’s going to die.”

“Wow. You’ve seen some exciting stuff these last few days.”

“Jealous?”

He smiled. “Cosmetic test subjects aren’t nearly as exciting. You really lucked out getting assigned to the vitality sector.”

“Luck had nothing to do with it. I worked hard to get where I am.”

“I know. I’m just teasing you.”

A rumble came from outside. Charlotte turned. “Are you sure we’re safe? Those bombs sound close.”

“There are three walls around the Spire, all armed with cannons. We’ll be fine. That’s probably just our guys firing back.”

The lights in the room turned red, and the alarm blared over the speakers. A loud automated voice called out. “Potential spire breach. Secure all data and proceed to your designated safe room.”

Charlotte took one last look at the screens against the wall, hit the record button, and grabbed her journal. “So much for safe. Think we’ll finally get to use the evacuation pods?” She walked through the door.

Trevor followed as they walked down the hall. “The alarm sounds if they breach the first wall. They’ve still got two more to go. There’s no way that will happen. It never has before.”

“You never know. Simon is resourceful.”

“Simon is a crazy terrorist with a messed up sense of justice. He plays dirty.”

“Even more reason to take this seriously.”

Trevor shrugged. “I am taking it seriously. I’m just confident in Greene’s security.”

“You shouldn’t be overconfident. It leads to embarrassment.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being confident.”

“There is if it gets you killed. That’s how Saul got shot. He didn’t think Barnabus would do it. But when it comes to people like Barnabus, or Simon, you always proceed with caution. There’s no telling what they’ll do. The crazy are unpredictable.”

“Where does Greene fall on your crazy-scale?”

She looked around to see if anyone was listening, and then lowered her voice. “I don’t believe in everything Greene stands for, but the man has principles, and he sticks to them. I respect that. Simon is just a savage.”

They turned the corner and headed towards the safe room at the other end of the hallway. “You don’t believe in what he stands for, huh? This is the first time I’m hearing this.”

“Keep your voice down. It’s not really something I want to advertise. I probably shouldn’t have even mentioned it.”

“You’re right, you shouldn’t have. That kind of talk will get you fired. Or thrown in prison.”

“I wouldn’t get thrown in prison.”

“You would. Have you seen the cell room? Do you have any idea how many of those people committed treason?”

“But those are terrorists. Members of the Crowns. He wouldn’t lock one of his workers up with them.”

“Are you sure about that? I’ve never met the man, but I hear he can hold a grudge.”

“Just don’t mention this to anyone else and I won’t have to worry.”

“My lips are sealed.”

They reached the end of the hall and entered the safe room. Everyone else was already there. “Took you long enough,” said the man in front. “We’ve been waiting. You know there are terrorists out there, right? You could have picked it up a little.”

Charlotte sighed. “Calm down. They won’t even make it past the second wall.” She pressed the red button and the door locked behind her.

To Be Continued in…

Kings and Crowns

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Kings and Crowns
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About The Author:

Chris Yee grew up in Needham, Massachusetts. As a young child, he had a wild imagination, thinking up stories of mystery and wonder. People would ask what he wanted to be when he grew up, and the answer was always the same. He wanted to be an author. As he grew older, educational interests pulled him away from the world of writing and into math and science. He attended Northeastern University and received a Bachelor’s Degree in civil engineering. He now works in Boston, full-time as an engineer. Despite his technical background, he never lost an interest in writing. He writes every day, to fulfill a passion that has never faded.

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