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Chapter 16 It took Eira almost all day to reach a place where she could spend the night. The sun was beginning to set and the desert was cooling down quickly, so she was glad to find a large rock formation with overhangs and caves, where she would be safe from cold winds, dust storms and prying eyes. Eira walked through a canyon for a while, until she found a cave that would suit her needs. It was raised about four meters above the ground, so she would be out of sight from any possible passersby. She took her backpack off and flung it onto the ledge in front of it, before climbing up herself. Having been inside the Facility most her life, Ei

Chapter 15 The sun was unbearably hot, mercilessly scorching the ground under Miles’ feet. He had managed to run for a while, but fatigue and pain had quickly turned his run into a slow stumble. To prevent his head from boiling, Miles had tied his jacket around his head as an improvised turban. His shirt was caked in blood and dirt, but the bleeding had at least stopped. Miles was unsure whether or not this was a good thing. He stumbled in his slow, but steady pace for a good couple of hours before his bad condition got the better of him. His foot caught behind a small rock, which caused him to lose balance and fall to his knees. A sh

The rain poured down on london's streets as Peter exited the bus. Cabdrivers honked angrily at cyclists as they tried to overtake them. People chattered away loudly on their cellphones, those without an umbrella desperately attempting to shield their precious device from the rain. It was grey, noisy and smelly. Nothing had been the same since he had returned. Each day seemed bleak, boring and empty compared to what he had seen and felt when he was there. Of course he had been scared and lonely in the beginning, but there had been light, too. A kind of happiness that he had never known existed. Life was simpler then. People found happiness in

Chapter 14 Miles drove through the city towards the Facility. Everything had gone wrong. He should have gone with the Subject while he had the chance. “Eira,” he corrected himself. “Her name is Eira.” To the East, the sun was coming up. Miles looked at it with a pang of sadness and fear in his gut. Could this be his last sunrise? Was there a chance Claudia Graves would let him live if she found out that he was the one behind the disappearance of one of her subjects – and the death of seven others? No. He had known Claudia for most of his life. She was an unforgiving, sadistic sociopath. All she cared for was p

Chapter 13 The car hummed pleasantly as Miles drove to the tower where he had left Eira to her own devices. He felt a little guilty for leaving her like that, but it couldn’t have been helped. He had other matters to attend to. Besides, he would be meeting her at the lake shortly. There was no reason to think a trained Subject like herself would not be able to fend for themselves out there. After arriving at the tower, Miles grabbed his own backpack off the back seat of the car. He checked inside to see if everything was there, especially the memory card. He held the tiny card up and examined it under the light. Funny how something so

Chapter 12 Dr. Carlson stood frozen in horror, staring at the bullet holes defacing the concrete wall in front of him. The hand holding the gun hung limply at his side. He had let them escape. One of his colleagues lay dead, the other regaining consciousness slowly. He had screwed up. Again. And this time, he would pay for his mistakes dearly. Claudia Graves was unforgiving and cruel. She had granted him leniency once already, and he knew there would be no second time. Maybe if he told Mrs. Graves about her assistant, she would overlook his errors and allow him to leave his job at the Facility with his life. But why should she believe him? H

Chapter 11 The winding stairs were dark in the shadow of the tower, looming overhead. Eira's footsteps echoed on the metal steps as she ascended cautiously. She had no idea of what to expect once she reached the top. Until today, she had never even been outside the facility, let alone been inside the lair of a drug lord. She wished with every fibre in her body that Miles was with her, telling her to stay calm. The feeling of his hands softly touching her cheeks still lingered on her face. Eira could feel that she was blushing. Get a grip, she told herself. So, instead of letting her mind wish for things that weren't going to happen, she c