Road to Clover (The Breanna Raven Series) by Katarin Haley Pope

amazing to hear. We don’t understand what they’re saying, but we can tell the Enlightened has truly taken over the world. The ones we do understand, they indicate they’re still mounting those cylinders. Registration stations are being set up in every part of the planet. Camps are being built for those that will not comply with the Enlightened. There’s talk of mass extermination and methods in which to make it happen. Agni and I are in complete disbelief.
    No one has mentioned the helicopter crash, but that means nothing and doesn’t make me any less nervous. The site very well might be found already. I want to ask Agni his opinion about it, but I really don’t want to hear the truth considering we probably stole something really important.
    As I’m about to sip on a drink pack, a familiar voice sounds off on Agni’s radio. It’s not my family or Agni’s dad to my disappointment, but it’s the man I spoke to when I was back in the cove. He asks a question, and a woman acknowledges him. She sounds extremely bored, and that man sounds like he’s absolutely livid. I bet he’s angry like that all the time. We listen to their conversation.
    “ Blue Team Commander, I confirm the meeting in King Potrea has concluded without incident.” The woman says again.
    “Excellent, continue forth with the next phase. Report your status when completed.”
    “How do you want to handle the Allium Center incident? Shall I ask for a White Team?”
    “No clean up. Leave the bodies where they are. This will remind the m what will happen if they are against us.”
    “ Dead bodies in the street can cause a health hazard, sir.”
    “ Squad Leader, the health hazard in that place is not my concern. If the Commander of the White Team wants to send his medical personnel in, let him do it.” There is a distinct silence before the man continues, “Continue as ordered. I’m out.”
    I shake my head and say to Agni, “He’s a real prick.”
    He laughs and turns to the next channel. The people on that channel are talking about another meeting in Penny Valley that’s about to start in a few minutes. They report it’s the biggest crowd they’ve had so far on the island.
    “We need to try and avoid that meeting, Agni. I don’t want to see anyone else get massacred.”
    “Yeah, that’s a good idea, Breanna. We’ll stay in the alleys and backstreets, and hopefully, we’ll make it.”
    After our break is over, we look down Sun Drop Highway. It is strangely empty. Not a car or a motorcycle of any kind in sight. Actually, since we’ve been on the road, we haven’t seen another soul driving at all. It’s very unsettling for me, but what evens it out is the view of the Gulf and the bright blue sky on the right hand side. Sometimes it seems like we’re riding to the edge of the island because the road goes toward it, but then it winds back toward the southeast direction. Other times the highway goes into wooded areas and high dunes where the ocean view is blocked entirely. Unfortunately, we have no time to really enjoy the scenery. We have to make it to Agni’s aunt house, and we have to try and get there safely.

Nine
     
    The sign welcoming u s to Penny Valley is wooden. There is a white five petal flower painted on the top right hand corner, and in the center of the painting is a crown of yellow stamen. The flower is actually very simple and beautiful at the same time.
    Unfortunately, that’s the only thing that’s beautiful. The town ahead is chaotic. We can see smoke spilling from several buildings down the street, and there are people running around. We can hear screaming, and then there’s the distinct sound of gunfire.
    “What are we going to do now?” I ask him .
    “ We’re taking the side streets and alleys like I said before, to the end of the island where she lives.”
    I don’t want to go. What we’re seeing is worse than what we saw in Allium Center. It’s at a much bigger scale.
    “ We can see where the