Prodigy Eternal (book 2)

Chapter Forty-Five

Due to the difference in time zones and everything that had gone on, Alex couldn't sleep. She was having a hard time clearing her mind and adjusting to a regular sleep cycle. She got out of bed, being careful not to wake anyone, and quietly walked toward the equipment room.

At night, Incarus was so quiet that even her soft footsteps echoed through the long, empty tunnels. When she stopped in the doorway, the entire compound became so silent that she could hear the rats squeaking in the distance.

Looking around the room, she did a quick inventory of the equipment available to her. After letting out a deep breath, she got to work. Even though her brain wasn't as good at computing as it once was, it was still highly capable. She was also extremely motivated. Over the next several hours, she worked diligently in a hyper-focused state. Her brain struggled with the advanced computer science, which became increasingly frustrating when she considered what was at stake if she didn't succeed.

By the early hours of the morning, Alex was still nowhere closer to having a machine that would restore her intelligence. In her frustration, she let her temper get the better of her. She picked up the device she had been working on and threw it against the floor, smashing it to pieces.

With an entirely different strategy, Alex stormed out of the room. She returned to the living quarters, tiptoeing passed the rows of people sleeping on cots. Amongst them, she found her bed, which had Milo sleeping in it. She leaned over and kissed him gently, being careful not to wake him. She knew there was a possibility of never seeing him and the others again, but to her, it was worth the risk.

Alex took off running down the main tunnel until she reached the automobile room. She shone her light upon the row of exotic cars and street bikes, but knew exactly which one she was taking. Selecting one of the Ducati street bikes, Alex began pushing it down a ramp that led to the abandoned subway tracks. The headlight pierced through the darkness, providing Alex enough light to see. Without anyone noticing that she was missing, she quietly manoeuvered the bike down the tunnel.

Eventually, she found herself at the exit, leaving the underground compound. She squeezed the helmet onto her head and then mounted the bike. The bike's engine fired up with a low, rumbling growl. When she revved the throttle, the sound grew louder, reverberating into the forest that surrounded Incarus. Alex slowly released the clutch and the bike took off.

It was a little after 5:00 am and the sun had yet to rise. For several kilometres, Alex enjoyed the open road. She didn't encounter another vehicle until she got closer to the city. She caught some stares from people as she passed, but nobody knew who she was. Her face was completely concealed by the mask, plus she was going well over 200 kilometres per hour. When she merged onto the highway, she had the entire Megalopolis skyline at her back. That's when she really opened it up. Pushing the bike to its limits, Alex covered a great distance in a short amount of time. With an intense focus, she was determined not to let the mistakes from her past continue to haunt her.

Pulling up to the Leader's compound brought back a lot of memories. The last time she was there was when she was with Milo. The two were looking to break into the mansion and prevent the demise of the world. In some sense, this situation was no different, although she had opted to do it alone.

Alex ditched the bike and helmet in some bushes and then carried on the rest of the way on foot. Stationed high atop a hill, she overlooked the entire compound. It wasn't clear if anyone was inside the Leader mansion, but then again, it was very early in the morning. She figured it would take at least a couple of days before Van Buren moved in. She skidded down the hill on her feet and bum until she reached the bottom. From there, she ran across to the fence. She brought the same tools as last time and planned to use the same strategy that had enabled her access into the house.

Placing the magnets in between the metal bars in the fence, Alex created a makeshift ladder. But before climbing over, she needed to ensure the security system was disabled. Within minutes, she had paired her device with the compound's network and bypassed the security protocol. She quickly disarmed the sensors and deactivated the cameras. Now, it was just a matter of getting herself inside.

Alex scaled the fence like a ninja, and jumped down on the other side. Her legs compressed upon impact, but then she quickly stood up. She waited for the dogs, but they never came. Feeling as though time was of the essence, she continued across the enormous lawn with the boisterous garden and the unkempt landscaping.

Standing in front of the same window as before, Alex peered through. It didn't look as though anyone was living in the mansion, but that had yet to be confirmed. Taking her chances, Alex picked up a nearby rock and threw it at the window. The window shattered, creating a loud noise, but it didn't set off any alarms. Alex realized that if The Fox and Taranya were inside, she needed to move quickly. Getting into an altercation was not part of her plan.