Immurement: The Undergrounders Series Book One (A Young Adult Science Fiction Dystopian Novel) by Norma Hinkens Page A
Authors: Norma Hinkens
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Mason, my heart pounding. I can’t shake the feeling we’ll be selling a piece of our souls if we lead the Rogues into a trap. Shouldn’t they at least have a fighting chance against the Sweepers? They’re human beings too, after all.
“So, what’s your plan?” Big Ed asks Mason.
“First, we eat.” He grabs a ladleful of stew and wolfs it down before handing the dripping ladle to me. “And then, we turn up the heat around here.”
I swallow a mouthful of lukewarm stew with a hunk of trout in it. Some kind of peppery seasoning explodes in my mouth. I lick my lips and hand the ladle back to Mason. “What does that mean?”
“I’m gonna give them someone to pin the weapons theft on. Doctor the crime scene—make it look like it was an inside job. Diesel’s already suspicious of his people. Let’s see if he lives up to his fire-breathing reputation.”
He walks over to the crack in the boarded-up window and peers through it. “Wildlife’s asleep.” He throws his hood over his head and treads across to the door. “Time to plant some ammo.” His eyes slide over to Owen, propped up in Big Ed’s arms.
“On someone who has it coming to him.”
Chapter 15
I rub my eyes to make sure I’m not dreaming. Did Mason really just fall from the rafters and walk out the door? How many lives does a clone have anyway? With an expiration report already on file at the Sweeper crematorium, this makes the second time he’s faked his death.
Big Ed gestures impatiently at the gauze and ointment lying on the floor. “Grab that stuff and let’s get Owen fixed up.” He reaches for his backpack and pulls out a clean bandana. “And pass me some water.”
I gather up the scattered medical supplies and the half-gallon jug, and kneel at Owen's side. “Does it hurt?”
“Lot worse than wrestling with you.” He gives a weak grin. “Nothing broken far as I can tell.”
“What were the Rogues doing so far north?” Big Ed asks, as he dampens the bandana.
“They suspected someone from Frank’s camp was ratting them out to the Sweepers. They’ve lost sixteen men in the past three months, extracted when they were out hunting, or scouting.” Owen shifts his weight onto his elbows and winces. “Rummy planned to take out the entire camp, but when they got there, the camp had already fled. They tracked down Reid and Becca though.”
Owen flinches when Big Ed applies ointment to the lacerations on his face.
“Reid and Becca were—” I break off, unsure of how to explain exactly what they were.
Owen exhales softly. “I know about the bootlegged clones. Mason told me everything.”
My jaw drops. “So you’ve known for months Mason’s a clone.”
“And Kat.”
I gasp and look over at Big Ed. The furrow of confusion between his eyes tells me he’s as shocked as I am. Slow-moving, lizard-eyed Kat is a clone?
“Something went wrong with her,” Owen says. “The cloning process is fraught with problems. Mason’s seen some horrific things.”
“What do you mean?”
Owen hesitates. “Deviations. Worse than Kat.”
Worse than those eyes, boring into me like empty husks? My skin crawls. I can’t imagine what he means. Half-human forms? Or something worse?
Big Ed takes off his glasses and rubs them with the edge of the bandana. “How did Kat get out of the Craniopolis?”
“Mason’s friend in the crematorium is Kat’s brother,” Owen replies. “He asked Mason to smuggle her out on the Hovermedes. She’d failed the screening tests. The Sweepers were about to submit her to the laboratory for experimentation.”
My spine stiffens. Cloning material and spare parts . So that’s what Mason was hinting at. No wonder Kat’s brother was desperate to get her out. Kat may have failed the Sweeper’s tests, but she’s not stupid. Somehow, her intelligence is locked inside her like a seed waiting to sprout. It scares me though, even more than Mason’s superhuman strength, the way her eyes flick through me like
“So, what’s your plan?” Big Ed asks Mason.
“First, we eat.” He grabs a ladleful of stew and wolfs it down before handing the dripping ladle to me. “And then, we turn up the heat around here.”
I swallow a mouthful of lukewarm stew with a hunk of trout in it. Some kind of peppery seasoning explodes in my mouth. I lick my lips and hand the ladle back to Mason. “What does that mean?”
“I’m gonna give them someone to pin the weapons theft on. Doctor the crime scene—make it look like it was an inside job. Diesel’s already suspicious of his people. Let’s see if he lives up to his fire-breathing reputation.”
He walks over to the crack in the boarded-up window and peers through it. “Wildlife’s asleep.” He throws his hood over his head and treads across to the door. “Time to plant some ammo.” His eyes slide over to Owen, propped up in Big Ed’s arms.
“On someone who has it coming to him.”
Chapter 15
I rub my eyes to make sure I’m not dreaming. Did Mason really just fall from the rafters and walk out the door? How many lives does a clone have anyway? With an expiration report already on file at the Sweeper crematorium, this makes the second time he’s faked his death.
Big Ed gestures impatiently at the gauze and ointment lying on the floor. “Grab that stuff and let’s get Owen fixed up.” He reaches for his backpack and pulls out a clean bandana. “And pass me some water.”
I gather up the scattered medical supplies and the half-gallon jug, and kneel at Owen's side. “Does it hurt?”
“Lot worse than wrestling with you.” He gives a weak grin. “Nothing broken far as I can tell.”
“What were the Rogues doing so far north?” Big Ed asks, as he dampens the bandana.
“They suspected someone from Frank’s camp was ratting them out to the Sweepers. They’ve lost sixteen men in the past three months, extracted when they were out hunting, or scouting.” Owen shifts his weight onto his elbows and winces. “Rummy planned to take out the entire camp, but when they got there, the camp had already fled. They tracked down Reid and Becca though.”
Owen flinches when Big Ed applies ointment to the lacerations on his face.
“Reid and Becca were—” I break off, unsure of how to explain exactly what they were.
Owen exhales softly. “I know about the bootlegged clones. Mason told me everything.”
My jaw drops. “So you’ve known for months Mason’s a clone.”
“And Kat.”
I gasp and look over at Big Ed. The furrow of confusion between his eyes tells me he’s as shocked as I am. Slow-moving, lizard-eyed Kat is a clone?
“Something went wrong with her,” Owen says. “The cloning process is fraught with problems. Mason’s seen some horrific things.”
“What do you mean?”
Owen hesitates. “Deviations. Worse than Kat.”
Worse than those eyes, boring into me like empty husks? My skin crawls. I can’t imagine what he means. Half-human forms? Or something worse?
Big Ed takes off his glasses and rubs them with the edge of the bandana. “How did Kat get out of the Craniopolis?”
“Mason’s friend in the crematorium is Kat’s brother,” Owen replies. “He asked Mason to smuggle her out on the Hovermedes. She’d failed the screening tests. The Sweepers were about to submit her to the laboratory for experimentation.”
My spine stiffens. Cloning material and spare parts . So that’s what Mason was hinting at. No wonder Kat’s brother was desperate to get her out. Kat may have failed the Sweeper’s tests, but she’s not stupid. Somehow, her intelligence is locked inside her like a seed waiting to sprout. It scares me though, even more than Mason’s superhuman strength, the way her eyes flick through me like
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