the form I dictate. You were the only one I
was never able to conquer completely. You refused to surrender. But that’s
about to be rectified. I will own everything about you when we’re finished.”
Jarek felt the locks in his mind breaking, disintegrating
beneath the onslaught of the acidic drug coursing through him. He fought
against it, sweat breaking out on his body.
“No!”
Odon’s laughter echoed inside his head. The locks on the
doors melted, hot, molten acid spreading through his mind, and one by one the
doors shattered. His mind screamed in impotence.
“Do you see, pet? You are helpless to fight it. Unlike the
Nanus process that blocks thoughts, I have created a drug that actually molds
the thoughts and memories into the form I desire. A few more adjustments and it
will be ready for use on new Enforcer recruits. Much stronger than the Nanus
process. More reliable. The antidote your puny Freelions have created will be
worthless on this new force.”
Jarek could not let him succeed. All they had worked for
would be lost. The rebel forces would be defeated. There had to be a way to
fight the drug.
But as each door disintegrated and the last one broke free,
he knew a bitter defeat. Kierra’s thread. He had to find a way to sever the
thread. Kierra must never be touched by the warped horror Odon would seek to
create from Jarek’s memories. His mind felt like it was on fire.
“You will not succeed, Odon.”
“And how will you stop me, pet? Soon, any memory you have
will have been created by me. And once altered, it will not be recoverable. In
the thoughts I create for you, the female will never have existed.”
Jarek fought against the bonds that held him. He would not
succumb easily. He must destroy the link between himself and Kierra. She would
seek him out and what Odon would create would be nothing but a monster housed
inside the shell of the Serdionese she’d once known.
Jarek was losing the battle, he could feel it. His strength
was ebbing. What he must do was find a way to destroy himself from inside his
head before Odon could use him for his own devious purposes. But how? First the
thread.
What he needed to do was reach each room before Odon changed
the memory and destroy it beyond repair. In that way the memory couldn’t be
used against him or anyone he loved. Kierra would be safe. What would be left
of him he didn’t know. Probably a shell with no substance. It was what he must
do to protect the people he loved.
“I believe he’s ready for us to begin.” Odon spoke to
whoever was at the microreader ready to do as he commanded.
Jarek sensed there was little time left to accomplish his
purpose.
“You will never own me, Odon. I vow I will see to it and to
your death.”
“We shall see, pet, we shall see. You hold a strong mind and
that will make this all the more pleasurable as I mold you like a piece of soft
clay. Mine to form in any shape I please. Or to destroy. What I render here
will soon be an army to once and for all defeat the rebellion. You are but the
first. But you shall not be the last.”
*
* *
Kierra paced the command deck. “Are we almost there?”
“Yes,” Devon responded as he punched in the coordinates to
the safe landing site well hidden from the compound. “Now sit and strap in.”
She turned and made her way to one of the seats next to
Eluria and engaged the safety harness. “Do you have a plan on how we get into
the compound?”
“Yes. I’ll explain when we land. Let me get us on the ground
first.”
Fear for Jarek had her wound tightly. She knew she needed to
control the panic rising inside her. But the same thing kept chanting over and
over inside her head. She had to get to Jarek quickly.
Leaning back in the cushioned seat, she closed her eyes and
concentrated. They were close enough that she might reach him through
thoughtwalk. Concentrating, she found the thread and followed it. Slowly, she
allowed
was never able to conquer completely. You refused to surrender. But that’s
about to be rectified. I will own everything about you when we’re finished.”
Jarek felt the locks in his mind breaking, disintegrating
beneath the onslaught of the acidic drug coursing through him. He fought
against it, sweat breaking out on his body.
“No!”
Odon’s laughter echoed inside his head. The locks on the
doors melted, hot, molten acid spreading through his mind, and one by one the
doors shattered. His mind screamed in impotence.
“Do you see, pet? You are helpless to fight it. Unlike the
Nanus process that blocks thoughts, I have created a drug that actually molds
the thoughts and memories into the form I desire. A few more adjustments and it
will be ready for use on new Enforcer recruits. Much stronger than the Nanus
process. More reliable. The antidote your puny Freelions have created will be
worthless on this new force.”
Jarek could not let him succeed. All they had worked for
would be lost. The rebel forces would be defeated. There had to be a way to
fight the drug.
But as each door disintegrated and the last one broke free,
he knew a bitter defeat. Kierra’s thread. He had to find a way to sever the
thread. Kierra must never be touched by the warped horror Odon would seek to
create from Jarek’s memories. His mind felt like it was on fire.
“You will not succeed, Odon.”
“And how will you stop me, pet? Soon, any memory you have
will have been created by me. And once altered, it will not be recoverable. In
the thoughts I create for you, the female will never have existed.”
Jarek fought against the bonds that held him. He would not
succumb easily. He must destroy the link between himself and Kierra. She would
seek him out and what Odon would create would be nothing but a monster housed
inside the shell of the Serdionese she’d once known.
Jarek was losing the battle, he could feel it. His strength
was ebbing. What he must do was find a way to destroy himself from inside his
head before Odon could use him for his own devious purposes. But how? First the
thread.
What he needed to do was reach each room before Odon changed
the memory and destroy it beyond repair. In that way the memory couldn’t be
used against him or anyone he loved. Kierra would be safe. What would be left
of him he didn’t know. Probably a shell with no substance. It was what he must
do to protect the people he loved.
“I believe he’s ready for us to begin.” Odon spoke to
whoever was at the microreader ready to do as he commanded.
Jarek sensed there was little time left to accomplish his
purpose.
“You will never own me, Odon. I vow I will see to it and to
your death.”
“We shall see, pet, we shall see. You hold a strong mind and
that will make this all the more pleasurable as I mold you like a piece of soft
clay. Mine to form in any shape I please. Or to destroy. What I render here
will soon be an army to once and for all defeat the rebellion. You are but the
first. But you shall not be the last.”
*
* *
Kierra paced the command deck. “Are we almost there?”
“Yes,” Devon responded as he punched in the coordinates to
the safe landing site well hidden from the compound. “Now sit and strap in.”
She turned and made her way to one of the seats next to
Eluria and engaged the safety harness. “Do you have a plan on how we get into
the compound?”
“Yes. I’ll explain when we land. Let me get us on the ground
first.”
Fear for Jarek had her wound tightly. She knew she needed to
control the panic rising inside her. But the same thing kept chanting over and
over inside her head. She had to get to Jarek quickly.
Leaning back in the cushioned seat, she closed her eyes and
concentrated. They were close enough that she might reach him through
thoughtwalk. Concentrating, she found the thread and followed it. Slowly, she
allowed
Similar Books
