Retaliation (The Mind Breaker Book 2) Read online

  Marina Epley

  The Mind Breaker

  RETALIATION

  The Second Book in THE MIND BREAKER Trilogy

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  Copyright by Marina Epley

  Cover design by Adrijus Guscia

  Amazon Edition

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  Table of Contents

  Part 1

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Part 2

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Part 3

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Back to Top

  Part 1

  Chapter 1

  The constant noise of gunfire is driving me crazy. Our recruits continue their training even after dark. They shoot targets as they jog around the camp yelling out inspirational slogans. The training goes on and on incessantly. All in preparation for the last great war.

  “Freedom for breakers!” I hear them shout alongside a sudden burst of rifle fire just outside my shack.

  I don’t believe they can actually see what they’re shooting at in the darkness. Likely, they’re only wasting ammunition, hitting nothing but air. But learning how to shoot isn’t the primary focus of this training. The main goal is to keep the recruits wired and willing to kill any ordinary human they happen to encounter.

  After yet another volley, I give up on trying to sleep. I’m too anxious to rest anyway. It’s almost sunrise and our mission will begin in a few hours. This is the day I’ve been waiting months for. The day when I’m going to capture and kill my sworn enemy, Captain Wheeler.

  I crawl out of my sleeping bag, approach a small pile of clothes on the floor and dig out a pitch black uniform. The shirt used to have the hole from a bullet I took in the chest, but somebody sewed it recently. I know Hammer doesn’t want his recruits to learn I used to work for Elimination. It wouldn’t jive with the version of the story he’s already told them about me. Today though, I may need to have the ability to blend in.

  As I walk outside, a group of recruits jog by. They all wear identical camo uniforms with heavy military boots, and carry assault rifles seemingly too big for their arms. Their ages range from ten to fifteen. Passing by, most kids salute awkwardly, their lips stretching into wide grins.

  I can’t help from wincing. These recruits are way too young to be soldiers, but Hammer doesn’t give a damn about their age. He thinks all breakers must fight, even the children. Time was when I held the same belief. Not anymore.

  The night air is hot and humid. I walk through our compound, stumbling through mud after the recent showers. Puddles of water glisten in the moonlight. I pass several tents and poorly built shacks. More than five hundred breakers live in our compound and the number is growing with each passing day. We don’t have enough space for all of them, so some have to sleep out in the open under the stars. It’s bearable during the spring and summer months, but we’ll have to think of something else when winter arrives. If we’re still alive, that is.

  Another dozen or so recruits pass by, breathing hard and repeating spiteful slogans against non-breakers. All this hatred in the air worries me. Initially, Retaliation was a sanctuary of sorts, a safe place for mind breakers hunted by the government. But many ordinary people who managed to escape with us reside here as well.

  After several minutes, I reach the edge of the compound, stopping in front of a large opening containing several rows of fresh graves. Our cemetery. The nameless graves have no headstones, the deceased fated for oblivion.

  I don’t really know why I had to come here tonight. Maybe because I feel responsible for these deaths. A few months ago I swore an oath to protect the innocent from Elimination and stop the mindless killing. I’ve been an epic failure so far.

  “What the heck are you doing out here?” I hear a harsh woman’s voice coming from behind me.

  I don’t have to turn to know this is Jessie. She approaches and stops beside me, staring down at the graves. Her face is obscured in the dim light, but I can still see the scars on her chin and lips from the beating she took back in the Elimination prison. Jessie repeats her question, “What are you doing here, Rex?”

  “Nothing,” I answer. “Just trying to find a quiet place to think.”

  “You look like death warmed over,” she comments. “Have you slept any at all?”

  “Just a little.”

  “You sure you still want to go on the mission?”

  I nod.

  “Hammer won’t like that one little bit,” Jessie adds.

  “I don’t care what he likes,” I snap. “I’m going.”

  “Whatever,” Jessie says, yawning as she pulls a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of her camo jacket. Smoking, she says, “You’ve been sick for months. How are you gonna fight your way out if things go wrong?”

  “Just give me a break,” I say, causing Jessie to grin.

  It’s been five months since Drake, the former leader of Retaliation, shot me almost point blank in the chest. The bullet crushed some ribs and lodged inside my right lung. I almost bled to death, waiting to get proper medical care. By the time our mysterious supporters finally sent a medical team, I was close to falling into a coma. The medics performed surgery inside a tent under unsterile conditions, so I wound up with blood poisoning along with a subsequent case of pneumonia. Everybody thought I’d die. I finally recovered after about three months, but had become so weak that I could hardly stand on my own two feet. Hammer prohibited me from participating in rescue missions during that time. So, while other breakers were out risking their lives, I remained cooped up inside the camp.

  That changes today. I’ve become strong enough to contribute and am not going to miss another rescue mission. Not this one, at least.

  “Why do you think you have to come with us?” Jessie asks. “Is it because of him?”

  I understand instantly whom she is referring to. Captain Wheeler. A burning mass of hatred swells inside me. I can still see Lena falling, then bleeding to death in my arms.

  “You don’t have to come,” Jessie continues. “I’m gonna kill Wheeler this time. I swear it.”

  “I don’t doubt you a bit,” I assure her.

  “What then?” she insists. “Talk to me.”

  I hesitate for a second. Jessie waits patiently for my answer. She’s one of the few people I trust. She’s helped Kitty and I during some of our darkest hours.

  “I’m not sure what I’ve seen,” I say quietly. “The visions I’ve had are weird. I’ve never been able to locate Wheeler before. And then I suddenly get t
hese really vivid visions. It’s just not normal.”

  “How do you know what’s normal?” she asks.

  “Exactly,” I say. “I don’t know, and that’s the problem.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  I sigh. I don’t understand either. Being a level 4 breaker, I have an ability not only for hypnotism, but also for reading memories and getting telepathic visions. Unfortunately, I can’t always differentiate false visions from the real ones.

  “They were flat,” I add, taking another try. “Seemed unrealistic somehow.”

  “So you do think something may go wrong,” Jessie concludes.

  I nod again.

  “Frank will be with me, along with a bunch of recruits,” she says. “Isn’t it enough? Why do you have to come?”

  “What do you care?” I raise my voice, tired with her objections. Jessie doesn’t usually care what I do.

  “Because your freaking life is too important to waste,” she answers. “Without you everything will go to hell around here. You’re the only one keeping Roger’s killers from slaughtering the non-breakers in camp.”

  I open my mouth to disagree, but realize what she says is true.

  “I’ll be all right,” I say, changing the subject. “Have you seen Kitty?”

  “She’s in my tent,” Jessie answers, watching my reaction. “What have you done now?” she asks. “She’s really pissed at you.”

  “I wouldn’t agree to take her along on this mission,” I answer.

  “Why not?”

  “I have to protect her.”

  Jessie laughs, saying, “Protect her? I still don’t think you can even protect yourself.”

  I’ve heard this same statement from Jessie so many times that it’s become almost a joke between us.

  We share a moment of silence, watching the beginnings of sunrise. The first beams of light reveal the eerie ruins of a long ago abandoned city in the distance. Hard to believe people had once lived there before the Eruption swept away half of the world. Miles and miles of ash-covered wasteland stretches out from our encampment further to the south. A huge lifeless desert. Thick woods surround our camp on the northern side.

  Jessie finishes her cigarette, spits on the ground and says, “The briefing will begin soon.”

  We head toward what passes for our mission center. A large construction made of bare logs, where recruits receive final instructions before going on missions.

  A few teens in camo greet us as we enter. They sit along a row of benches, eating cold beans from a can. This cabin is the only one that is furnished.

  One eager recruit approaches, offering a can of beans and a couple of candy bars. Canned food, candy bars and potato chips dominate our everyday diet because they’re high in calories and don’t require cooking. Sometimes I wonder if I’m ever going to taste a homemade meal again. I’m sick with all this junk food.

  I hear a high-pitch giggling and turn toward the door. Laughing loudly, Kitty enters as all recruits stare in her direction. She’s wearing cut-off shorts and a t-shirt showing off a flat stomach. I’ve no idea where Kitty gets her civilian clothes from. She probably made an unauthorized visit into the nearest town and robbed a clothing store. Red curly hair falls gently down her narrow shoulders, coming down to her waist. Her face is still somewhat round and innocent enough, contrasting with her apparel. Kitty’s only fifteen, but looks even younger.

  Jack follows her. Upon noticing me, Kitty grabs his hand and pulls him closer, whispering something into his ear. Then she giggles again, a little too loudly.

  I know her game well enough. Kitty’s working hard to try to make me jealous. I do feel angry, but the reason is not jealousy. I don’t really mind her having a boyfriend. Maybe it would ease some of the tension between us. But I just can’t stand her choosing Jack for the role. I don’t trust him. Jack is almost nineteen, the same age as myself, a little too old for Kitty.

  They sit down together on a bench and continue whispering to one another. I look away.

  Hammer enters the room and all the recruits snap to attention, saluting. Victor and Frank follow close by. I smell the sharp scent of alcohol and realize that Victor is drunk as usual. I only hope he’ll sober up by the time we have to leave for our mission. We don’t have enough medicine and good food here, but there’s shocking amount of booze and drugs available throughout the Retaliation camp.

  “Turn on the radio,” Hammer orders. “Let’s listen to what those suckers have to say.”

  A recruit hurriedly executes his command and we listen to the government broadcast.

  The report is about new concentration camps, executions and freshly captured breakers. Nothing specific or special. The government is intent on turning the entire country into a slaughter house. Elimination continues scanning the general population to determine citizens with the capability for hypnotism.

  Then I hear a voice I recognize. My muscles tighten and I lean forward, staring at the radio. The most famous journalist in the country, Lola Great, is interviewing Captain Wheeler. The very man I need to kill, and they’re speaking about me.

  “How did Rex Hunter survive the lethal injection at his execution?” Lola inquires.

  “Our investigation suggests that he may have received assistance from a group of terrorists,” Wheeler answers. “They replaced the lethal injection with a strong sedative. In short, he faked his own death and somehow managed to escape.”

  He’s lying of course. Elimination controlled everything. They staged the execution for show, broadcasting it over the entire Republic, then forced me to work for them. Wheeler was one of my captors.

  “Does Elimination know where he is now or what he may be planning to do?” Lola asks.

  “He’s the leader of the primary breaker terrorist organization,” Wheeler answers. “We haven’t located them yet, but we have a team of professionals working around the clock on that. We are on their trail and will find them soon.”

  Another lie. Our organization has nothing to do with terrorism. We’re just trying to protect our future and live free. And I’m not the leader of Retaliation any longer. Hammer commandeered the leadership role while I was ill, and he now has singular control.

  The interview ends with Captain Wheeler announcing a generous reward for my capture, dead or alive. The sum of money offered is large enough to buy a mansion and comfortably retire. I’m currently the most wanted criminal in the country.

  “Congratulations, Rex,” Jack says in a mocking voice. “They’ve increased the reward again. You must be very proud of yourself.”

  I’m not. I’m actually afraid that certain members of Retaliation may rat me out. I have more than enough enemies here. Only the youngest of the recruits still think I’m some sort of a hero.

  Hammer begins our meeting. He explains how I’ve finally managed to locate Wheeler. He’ll be transporting prisoners to the Death Camp and our main objective is to capture him. This is even more vital than freeing the prisoners. Wheeler is the key to valuable information, and by capturing him, we may get a chance to rescue hundreds more prisoners later.

  “We don’t expect too many guards on site,” Hammer says. “Be advised that the guards who are present will be resistant. You can’t hypnotize them. Blockade the road, stop the trucks and shoot the guards. Snatch Wheeler and leave. That’s all there is to it.”

  It sounds really simple, but I still have a bad feeling about this mission. I have to be there to make sure Wheeler doesn’t escape. And I have to protect the recruits. They’ve never seen real combat yet.

  “Jack, you’ll be in charge,” Hammer orders.

  “Yes, sir,” Jack says, straightening his back. He raises his head, looking proudly over the recruits.

  I clear my throat and say, “In all due respect, Hammer, I think you should name me the leader on this mission.”

  “What did you say?” Hammer asks, although I know he heard me.

  “I’ll be going with them,” I say firmly.


  The recruits watch us attentively. Jack frowns. There’s no way Hammer can make an argument in front of everybody. He prefers his soldiers to think we’re the best of friends.

  “Great idea,” Hammer says. “Why don’t we discuss it outside?”

  “Sure,” I answer.

  Outside, Hammer grabs my jacket and whispers angrily, “Listen you crazy jerk. Don’t start with me again. You’re in no shape to participate in this mission. You have no specialized training, you…”

  “I not only survived the Elimination prison but destroyed it,” I say in a calm voice. “What additional training are you talking about? I have more experience fighting Elimination than any recruit here.”

  “Shut up,” Hammer orders in an attempt to keep me quiet. “We can’t risk your life. You’re the best telepath we’ve got. Retaliation needs you alive.”

  It’s strange when he speaks about my well-being. Five months ago Hammer attempted to kill me.

  “I won’t try to escape,” I say. “You don’t have to worry about that. I just want to make absolutely sure that Wheeler gets captured.”

  “According to your visions this will be an easy task,” Hammer reminds me. “What’s wrong? Are you hiding something?”

  I shake my head no. Should I tell Hammer the truth, I’m certain he’ll cancel the mission. I can’t miss a chance to kill Wheeler again.

  “They’ll bring Wheeler to you,” Hammer says. “I’ll permit you to do whatever you wish with him. You may beat him, shoot him, whatever. Just don’t disobey my orders or I’ll have you locked up.”

  “Listen Hammer, if you don’t allow me to go on this mission, I’ll simply walk away,” I say calmly. “We both know the real reason you need me. I’ve made a deal with our supporters and they expect me to be the leader, not you. If I leave Retaliation, you’ll lose their support. They won’t be sending supplies any longer. I’m sure most of the recruits will follow me. You’ll have nothing left. You’ll be a nobody,” I pause. “Or you can just let me tag along on this darn mission and everything remains the same for you. Choose.”