Protected by the HERO (24 page)

She was wearing a short yellow sundress she had stolen from a shop, along with a huge native hat and matching sunglasses. She had already cut her tresses short up to her chin and was now sporting a blonde hairdo. Even her eyes had been covered up with blue contact lenses. And with the different way she carried herself now, she was quite unrecognizable again.

In her disguise, she'd actually strolled into government offices and fished information from employees without causing any suspicion. Slowly, all the pieces were beginning to fall into place. All the research she had done the past year was now painting her the evil picture that the New Government was obviously gearing for.

She had lost all of her family, but she yearned to avenge their senseless, untimely deaths. They had all contributed to the Last American Renegades. And she had not been as fast in saving them. She carried that burden in her heart, and it was what fueled her to continue fighting.

She was back on the streets, passing by a restaurant, when she caught sight of her childhood best friend. Elise was seated inside the upscale Italian cafe, looking fine and dandy and very much happy with her husband and kids. As Micah watched her, something seemed to squeeze her heart tight. She remembered how the two of them had been inseparable when they were little girls. She recalled how Elise had actually been her idol when it came to being brave and standing up for what she believed was right.

Where are you in there, Elise?
Micah wondered with sadness. She looked through the window at the beloved friend she had lost because they had chosen different paths when they were teenagers. Elise had become one of those "happy" people. But in the process, just like the others, she'd lost her uniqueness and humanity. She had lost her feisty spirit and her real self. She was now similar to a doll or a robot, just like the others.

It broke her heart to watch her friend looking so happy and at the same time knowing that it wasn't real. She turned around and was surprised to crash into something hard. She soon realized it was the bulky chest of a man with a familiar scent. She caught a whiff of the fragrance and immediately knew who it was. She looked up with a scowl at the cyborg who had caught her earlier.

"Hello, Micah," he greeted her, with a stern look. "I love your new look, but unfortunately, you're still under arrest."

Micah was taken aback.
How the hell had he followed her?
This guy was apparently not as stupid as she thought. She quickly considered her options at that very moment.

"There's no way out," he told her, sneering. "Other cyborgs are currently hidden, waiting to lunge at you and even kill you. But if you come with me voluntarily, I will make sure you live. At least for a few more days." He chuckled and wrapped one arm around her shoulder. She tried to shrug his arm off, but he made his grip firmer. She glowered but didn't argue anymore.

"How'd you find me?" she asked curiously, as they slowly walked away together.

"Your scent," he replied, without blinking or glancing at her.

Micah almost laughed. "So you're not just a cyborg, but a werewolf too!"

Her comment seemed to irritate him. He glared at her, his brown eyes flashing daggers. "You think you're so smart, huh? Well, it seems I outsmarted the infamous Micah Morgan. That blanket was covered with a scent that had easily transferred to you, a special scent that can last for days and can only be detected by a special device I have. So don't try anything funny now, because I'll still find you anywhere you go."

Micah was stunned and captivated at the same time. "Nice one," she muttered. "So, are you now going to turn me over to your bosses?"

"Still thinking about it," the cyborg replied curtly.

Micah was intrigued. She was at a loss. What was he planning with her? Suddenly she was filled with dread. For the first time in a long time, cold sweat broke out on her skin and an eerie sensation spread across her body.

They approached a crowded intersection then. The handsome cyborg in his formal security uniform motioned for her to cross the street with him and many others. She took the opportunity to try to slip away from him, slinking fast and getting lost amid the throng of smiling people.

But before she could get far, she felt a piercing pain shoot up her leg, making her stumble to the ground. The last thing she saw was the face of a pretty yet sullen girl, with dark brown eyes, looking down at her. Then, everything went black.

*****

For the second time that day, Micah found herself a captive again. Still in the yellow dress she had been wearing earlier, she woke up feeling dizzy and in pain. Her leg was throbbing, but there was no wound. There was no blood shed and yet she knew she had been shot by that girl. She reached out and rubbed her leg as her eyes tried to adjust to the darkness.

This time, she figured she was locked up in what appeared to be an old-fashioned cabin. The entire room was empty but made of thick logs. The lone window had been boarded up, but she could hear all sorts of animal and nature sounds that made her realize that she was in some forest. She'd lived a good part of her life in forests and mountains as a fugitive, so she knew the sounds by heart.

She tried to get up and go to the wooden door of the small cabin, but that was when she saw her feet had actually been tied to a wooden post that seemed thick and sturdy. She was able to stand and walk within a limited area, though, because the chain used on her was a bit long. It was a bulky metal chain wrapped around her ankles and padlocked.

Suddenly, the door opened. Five men entered, led by the cyborg she now greatly disliked. Behind the men was the girl she'd seen right before she had blacked out. She sauntered forward and stood beside the cyborg. That was when Micah saw the resemblance. This must be the sister, Shelley. She looked quite young, probably just in her teens, and was not wearing the cyborg police uniform. The other men were all in uniform, though.

"I see you're awake," the head cyborg said, with a grin. "I'd like you to meet my cyborg team. And of course, my sister Shelley, who always helps out with my projects and missions as she is training to be a part of our police force soon."

Micah narrowed her eyes at all of them. "Why are you keeping me here?" she asked suspiciously.

"You should be grateful," her cyborg captor shouted at her, then composed himself and said, "If I turned you over now, you'd be dead in no time. Do you know that you're one of the priority fugitives that we are supposed to kill on sight?"

"So?" Micah asked defiantly.

"So, you should be thankful that we're keeping you alive by bringing you here…"

"I don't care," she spit out.

The cyborg laughed and then motioned for everybody to leave the room. He strode toward her and leaned forward with a look of annoyance until their faces were just inches away from each other.

Micah's breath caught in her throat. Her green eyes widened and she couldn't help the rise of her body temperature. This man was surely different from many of the other cyborgs she had encountered, and fought. What bothered her the most was the way he seemed to affect her. But what gave her some satisfaction too was the realization that she seemed to have the same effect on him.

"You're certainly a handful," he whispered, his look of exasperation shifting into one of interest and curiosity. "I want to know more about you and why you're doing this. I want to gather information on your renegade team, which you will give to me willingly."

"Why would I do that?" Micah asked angrily, meeting his intense gaze and then feeling her heartbeat racing wildly. She didn't know if it was some sort of attraction or she just hated his guts. Even her anger was now quick to manifest and she was having difficulty controlling her emotions around this guy.

"I know you don't have any more family left so I cannot use them to threaten you," he began slowly, his face moving even closer. "I know that you probably wouldn't care less for your own life, although you would surely fight to the death. And I also know very well how passionate you are about what you are fighting for."

Micah waited for him to go on. His closeness was sort of distracting her, though, but she struggled to remain focused. Besides, his little speech was making her totally intrigued.

"You're going to give me all the information I want because I just might be able to help you with your own mission," he said, breathing heavily.

She could feel the warmth of his breath on her face. But more than the weird reaction of her body to this, she was most definitely dumbfounded. What the hell was he talking about?

He leaned in closer and spoke, his voice almost penetrating her skin. "Make me understand your mission, Micah," he said in a serious tone. When he took on that serious tone, his voice was intoxicating. She wanted him to speak to her more in
that
tone.

Micah tried to read his face, her eyes sweeping from his intense brown eyes down to the bridge of his nose and to the strong features of his jaws and finally to his tempting mouth, surrounded by stubble. She was intrigued… and lost.

"Release me first," she demanded. "Unlock this chain around my feet."

"No," the cyborg immediately answered. He pulled away, turned and began to walk away, finally making her breathe normally.

But then she realized that she now had to use her intellect rather than letting her pride get in the way. "Fine," she gave in loudly. "After I tell you my mission, you've got to unlock the chain."

He stopped walking. Slowly turned around, a smile playing on his lips. "Deal," he said, leaning against the nearest wall and folding his muscular arms across his chest. "Go on."

"The New Government is planning something really bad. It's going to destroy humanity. I want to put a stop to it."

The cyborg's mouth dropped open. Then, he was bursting out laughing. "You're crazy," he said, shaking his head in amusement.

Micah felt enraged. How dare he laugh at her life mission! "You know nothing," she seethed.

"Enlighten me…" he said, opening his arms wide in a mocking gesture.

She glowered at him. "I told you my mission. Unlock the chain now."

He looked at her incredulously. "You have to make me understand first."

"Look. I promise to explain further, but you have to do two things first- release my feet
and
take me seriously."

When the cyborg saw that she was dead serious, he stopped laughing, pulled the key from his pocket. He walked toward her and stooped down in front of her, and unlocked the chain. Without any reaction, she shook her feet and flexed them. She did some lunges to shake off the pain and discomfort. Then she stood up straight only to feel a laser gun pointed at her temple. She instantly threw her hands in the air. "I'm not going to run, okay! I can keep promises."

He did not remove the gun. "Just making sure," he said. "Sit on the floor, now."

Micah stood her ground, ignoring him and even stretching her arms and legs. She then leaned back against the wall and faced him.

He remained standing in front of her, but his face carried a serious look of fury. She simply smiled back at him. He crossed his arms and faced her squarely. "Fine. Go ahead. Speak."

She found his actions amusing and felt herself being pulled in by his charisma. She pushed the feelings aside and began to tell him of her life passion. "My mission is to expose the New Government. Do you really think feeding people the happy pill will actually improve their lives and make the world a better place to live in? It's just turning humans into robots, for Christ's sake! I know for a fact that you cyborgs don't take those pills but are brainwashed through chips inserted in your brains. Were you even aware of it?"

"Yes," he answered.

Her voice grew louder as she continued. "See? You don't even care because you blindly follow them. Those in power have plans to build a world of robot slaves. When the pills are not taking effect on some people, they kill them without any remorse. They have no heart for these ordinary men and women, or even children. What about rebels like me? They would not hesitate to kill anybody who crosses them or speaks against them."

"I know," he said, nodding in agreement. "I've been getting restless myself because of our rulers' ways. The men you met earlier feel the same."

Micah started at him in surprise. Then she narrowed her eyes, doubting his sincerity. He could very well be making it up or just leading her on to gain her trust. She would never divulge the details she had gathered in her research.

"I know you don't trust me. I wouldn't trust me either if I were you…"

She stared at him, astonished and apprehensive.

"We couldn't do our own research inside, of course…" he continued cautiously, "but we did get some data that might be of interest to you. We can exchange information… or we can choose to work together."

Micah was silent. After about a minute, she simply said, "I'll think about it."

*****

Micah woke up with a start in the middle of the night, sweating and panting.
It's just a dream.
She tried to console herself, forcing her breathing into normal speed once again. She could still picture her former best friend Elise, and other people she knew, smiling at her creepily, moving in on her as the New Government controlled them. "Kill Micah, kill Micah, kill Micah…" they were chanting in her nightmare.