Separian - Book 1

Chapter 12

I melted away from John and slipped through the opening, gliding across the floor. The bodies passed by me like statues, not one of them aware of my presence as I maneuvered through them. Until I reached my first target. The rifle had been trained on me since I entered the hallway, but its carrier had still yet to pull the trigger. What were they after? A closer target? A safer kill?

I was fast. Faster than I remembered moving even when I'd fought against Casey. Yet, the faster I went, the larger the strain I put on my already injured shoulder. It was still attached but if I wasn't careful I'd dislodge it.

My feet struck the ground and propelled the rest of me forward, each step faster than the one before until the first of my six targets was in my face. The trigger still hadn't been pulled.

A woman. Eyes dark and deep brown hair tied into the cap she wore to protect her head. This was Jen's double. I couldn't see a single difference between the two of them now that I was inches from her. Identical, just as Casey and Ana had been. Right down to the shape and colour of her nose.

I ignored my observations and watched as my left arm lifted the object it held to meet her right temple. I was no longer in control of my limb.

She registered the action too late and attempted to move clean from my path. By the time her footing had begun shifting, my finger depressed from the already pulled trigger.

That was me, the mystery voice said quickly as my heartrate flew through the roof. I might not have had anything to do with Casey, but I'd witnessed this. I was here, trapped inside of myself while others used my body to kill and survive.

I'd had no intention of killing this woman. While my hand continued all the way through to her head, I'd only lifted it myself as far as her knee cap. But that wasn't enough for someone else. I now knew where this other voice was coming from... me. It must have been Samuel. Somehow he'd managed to change his thoughts' pattern and use my confusion as a way back into my temporary trust.

I felt nauseous again. The acid building in my throat was swiftly repressed as my body moved on to its next target. I didn't turn back to see if the woman was still moving. There was no time. And I sincerely had no desire to re-witness what I'd done to her. I was a murderer.

Noah, that was me. The voice was trying to reassure me now. You are not a killer.

Steve and Jen were waiting at the very end of the hallway. I had twelve bodies to push through before I reached them, three of which were eying me closer than before and moving away from their set formations.

The first of the three to reach me was a face I did not recognize. Another of the two remaining faces I did not know but it matched the one closest to me and I knew I'd found Luke and his double. Steve's other half was the last obstacle between the two at the back of the corridor and me.

Once I'd made the connection, I darted right, then quickly left, intercepting the body closest to me and pinning it to the wall. Before I could register the motion, the trigger cracked twice more. Once into the man's shoulder, thwarting an attack meant for my throat, and once into the center of his chest.

Do not look. Just keep moving forward. I didn't know whose thoughts I heard anymore. Because that's exactly what I was telling myself too. It might not be me in control of the killing, but as I'd gone to injure my attacker again, my body moved beyond what I intended as a crippling shot and went for fatal.

A low, consistent thudding sound that had been competing with my footsteps since I entered this corridor suddenly slowed and with it, one of the two approaching bodies vanished, leaving behind an almost golden haze in its wake. The small cloud lasted for maybe a blink, but when it was gone, I hesitated before moving on to the next approaching body.