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  “We need to move out now.”

  “There is still more to learn. Your sisters and brother have more information to gather.”

  “Let them gather it while I go.”

  I lean back in my chair, steepling my hands on my chest. “Why would I send you out on your own?”

  “I’m ready. I have a target.”

  “If you’ve found something, you will share it with me, and then with everyone else. This is a team.”

  “You didn’t make me a team player, so why are you asking me to be one now?” he asks, genuinely confused. I’m also unsettled, because he shouldn’t know what he was built for.

  “I need you to trust me, Hinton.”

  “I trust no one, but I have no choice in following your rules, do I?”

  “No, son. You do not.”

  He turns and storms out of the room, slamming my glass door as he walks back out to the computer terminal he’d been working on. Maybe he’s not going to be so easy to rein in, but I’ll do it—I have no choice.

  Michaela

  I walk out of my office to talk with Michaela, since I don’t think she’ll stop what she’s doing to come to me. She’s laid five of our best soldiers flat already, and she hasn’t broken a sweat.

  Her old anti-social behavior was a side-effect of her being infused with the personality and mindset of Sherlock Holmes. Like the others, she has a bit of everyone else in her, too, but that character was her most dominant before she was activated. Now, she will behave more like Black Widow, combining that brain of hers with the fighting skills she now knows she has. I’m perfectly fine with her beating up my men, but I need to see where she’s at mentally right now.

  “Michaela, a moment please,” I say as she throws soldier number six on his back.

  “I’m not done.”

  “They’ll still be here when we’re done.”

  She raises an eyebrow, and I can’t help but smile back at her. Truthfully, the men still standing would probably scatter if that was an option for them. It’s not, and they know it, which is why when I nod, they fall into line. She smiles back at me and follows me into my office.

  “They’re weak.”

  “Weaker than you, yes. Stronger than most, also yes.”

  “They are not a challenge.”

  “You will be challenged soon enough.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  “You will surely have to kill.”

  “You can count on me to do whatever is necessary.”

  “Very good. You may go out and resume your exercise now.”

  “If it was exercise, I’d be breaking a sweat. Don’t you have anyone who can truly challenge me?”

  “You will be challenged soon enough,” I tell her again, and hold the door for her as she walks out.

  Abigail

  Abigail comes to me last, as it should be. She holds the keys to all of this, and I have no doubt she will embrace her destiny once I make it known. She has already traded her designer dresses for combat boots, jeans, and a tank top. Her transformation is the most extreme of them all, both on the outside, and on the inside. The inspiration for the old Abigail was Nancy Drew, the inquisitive, but nice girl. Now, she’s all Nikita.

  Well, not all—she’s not going to develop a conscience that would interfere with the work she needs to do. Oh, and she’s also got the leadership tendencies of M.

  “You’re wasting my time here with them,” she says, her lip curling into a sneer as she motions to the others behind my glass door. “They need to know I am their leader now.”

  “It’s not time yet.”

  “It is!” she insists, slamming her hands down on my desk and leaning over it. “I am everything they are, and more. I will not stand by and be treated as if I am just one of them, when I am so much more.”

  “You will do what I tell you to do. You may be destined to be their leader, but I am in charge here. Do not forget that.”

  She immediately responds to the venom in my voice, stepping back. “Yes, sir. Of course. I will do whatever you tell me.” Oh, I know she will.

  She has been programmed to be aggressive with everyone else, but to back down from me. God help me if she hadn’t been, because I would not survive it if she decided to attack. I honestly wouldn’t survive any of them, but she is the most dangerous—and the deadliest.

  History is Upon Us

  Twenty-four hours later, everything is in place. Our enemies have been revealed to the five, and they are ready to do what they were created for. A plane is waiting, and it’s time for me to send them on their way.

  “This is it, children. You will go out and make me proud. Gather what you need, and go.”

  They do not run because none of them feel as if time is an issue. They know where they are going, and they think they’re invincible. As I watch them walk to get their things, I hope they’re right. They know where we’re going, but they don’t know what’s waiting for them there. I can’t tell them—or anyone—but I do need to let my “boss” know our status.

  “Hello, Mr. President,” I say when he answers. “We’re wheels up in thirty minutes.”

  “May God be with you, and those children.”

  I don’t correct him as I disconnect the call, because I know I can’t change his mind.

  These five are not “children,” and they never truly have been. He knows it, but refuses to accept it. He will have to accept it soon.

  Soon enough, everyone is gathered back around me, and I lead them out to the waiting jet. Once inside, they spread out, none of them wanting to be too close to the other. They know of their bond now, but in this, nurture has overtaken nature. Or rather, society has broken the bond they could’ve once shared. They were not friends for sixteen years, and one day will not undo what we’ve done.

  They glance at each other often, looking for something they’re not going to find. They will never love each other like most siblings do. They won’t support each other unless it will help them in some way. And they definitely won’t put the others before themselves. They simply don’t have it in them to care.

  I’m distracted with my own thoughts, so I don’t see Abigail stand and move to the front of the plane, until she starts speaking. I sit up straight, but I don’t try to stop her. It’s time.

  “I am your leader, and you will all do as I say.”

  “I’m not taking orders from you,” Hinton says, laughing at her.

  “That’s not happening,” Michaela adds.

  “What have you done?” Abigail asks while moving to stand in front of Sabrina, who’s filing her nails and ignoring her. “Tell me!”

  “I’ve done nothing. I agree with them, but I haven’t tried to influence them. I don’t think it would work on them, but even if I did, you’re not worth it.”

  “I’m with them, in case there was any doubt,” Coalton tells her.

  Abigail is about to lose it, and I can’t let that happen. At least not yet. “Calm down, everyone.”

  “You know I’m telling the truth,” Abigail says, pouting.”

  “Yes. You will be their leader. But you must understand, although you were born to lead, they were not built to inherently follow anyone other than myself. You must earn their respect.”

  “I won’t ever respect her,” Michaela says.

  Abigail charges her, and they begin to exchange blows. I let it go on for a couple of minutes, because it needs to happen. I can’t let them fight to the death yet, so I get up and stop it. “Enough!” I yell, and they immediately break apart. “Clean yourselves up and go back to your seats.

  They do as I ask, each going in a different direction; one to the lavatory in the front of the plane, and one to the back. I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing their conditioning is firmly in placer indifference for one another develops into hate. It’s all part of the plan, and it makes me feel something close to pride, but I keep my mouth in a tight line as I survey the others.

  None of them seems affected by what j
ust happened, which means they, too, are behaving as they were trained to. Nothing around them should distract from what they have to do, even if it involves members of their own team—their own family.

  Death and destruction around them will need to be used to their advantage, not their detriment. There was no time to test them properly, but the two girls just did it for them. If I was a better person, I’d probably thank them, instead of feeling so happy about sending them to their deaths.

  Part II

  Five on the Island

  Michaela

  Looking at myself in the mirror, I try to remember who I am. Not who I’m supposed to be now, but who I was a little over a day ago. I’m quite sure the Creator expects us to just forget, but there are pieces of the old me lingering just out of reach. I know better than to admit it, or let it show, but I can feel the “old” me there, and I want her to break free.

  I’m tough, strong, and smarter than I ever remember being, but I also feel, and I somehow know that’s new. I feel like we’re making some kind of grave mistake as we fly towards Buccaneer Archipelago, off the cost of Australia. We know the threat is coming from there, but we don’t know what we’re walking into. All the spy and detective genes in the world can’t tell us something we can’t see. Satellite and infrared images were blocked, so we’re going in blind.

  I know there are snakes, crocodiles, sharks, and a tide that could kill a human easily. I don’t think we’re fully human, but since I don’t know exactly what we are, I don’t know what I can survive. Going in blind is never the best option, which also tells me the Creator doesn’t care if we live or die, as long as we complete the mission.

  I shouldn’t have fought Abigail for dominance, but there’s something wrong with her. Not just her personality change, but something else. She doesn’t just enjoy being mean, she seems to revel in it. Does she not feel like I do? Like there’s part of her still left from before? Do none of them feel it?

  I can’t ask, but I want to know. I need to know, because I want to come back from the islands alive, and I don’t believe any of us will do that if we’re kept apart. We need to work together as we face whatever’s coming our way. Even Sabrina wouldn’t be able to make that happen, though. We’re immune to each other—at least I think we are.

  I shake my head to try and clear these thoughts I’m having, and walk back into the body of the plane. The Creator is looking at me with an almost fond expression, and I force myself to smile back. I’ve never faked anything ever, but now I feel as if lives depend on it. Not just my own, but others, too. I don’t know how or why I have this overwhelming feeling, but it’s there.

  For the remainder of the flight, I go over information on the islands once again. There are roughly one thousand, but our strike will be focusing on just the one. The pictures of the snakes make me want to shudder, but showing weakness right now isn’t something I can do. The energy around me is tense, but excited, and I’m not in the mood for another fight. The “new” me should be, but that old part is still testing the hold on my brain. I bring my face into a disinterested sneer, and keep reading.

  I have a photographic memory, and I’ve been over all of this already, but I keep thinking I’ll find something I missed. I don’t know what, but there has to be something that can help me—help us all. Two hours later, and I’ve found nothing.

  Hinton

  I’m trying to remain calm, because I don’t think anyone else heard it—heard him. The voice in my head, telling me not to trust my Creator. He started speaking to me once we left the building and were walking outside to the airplane, but since we’ve been inside again, I’ve heard nothing.

  I want to believe it’s just a hallucination, or my subconscious telling me something is wrong with all of this, but I know that’s not the case. Until the voice was in my mind, I didn’t doubt what I had to do. My mission was—is—clear. Find the bad guys and take them out. I won’t stray from my mission just because someone’s trying to mess with me.

  That’s the only explanation I can come up with; it’s gotta be someone messing with me. Maybe even one of the others. I don’t trust them, and I know they don’t trust me, either, but I wouldn’t mess with someone. Why do that? We have too much to worry about without trying to get a laugh or two. I’ve got no time for anything frivolous.

  “Fasten your seat belts, everyone. We’re making our descent into Derby.”

  Derby, in the Western part of Australia, is the closest place to the island that has an airport where we can land. We’ll be taking a boat over there, and with all I’ve read, it looks to be a wild ride. I honestly can’t wait for the fun to begin.

  The landing is smooth, and we disembark with no problems. Flying on a government plane means there are no customs, and no one to check us for weapons. Even here in Australia, where gun laws are so stringent, we can walk off a plane with bags filled with ammo, and no one stops us. God bless the U.S.A.

  “Are you ready?” the Creator asks us.

  “No,” the voice whispers to me, “you’re not ready.” I ignore it.

  “Yes,” we all say in unison.

  “Good. You’ll each find a boat waiting for you at the Port of Derby. Make your way there, and get to the island as fast as you can. Time is of the essence.”

  We’re splitting up? And he’s not even taking us there? Something seems wrong.

  “It’s all wrong. Run, but not to a boat. Run from here. I’ll show you the way,” the voice tells me. Once again, I choose to ignore it. I run, but to my destiny, and not away from it.

  Sabrina

  Something is very wrong. I can feel it in the air around me. My brothers and sisters aren’t all focused on the mission. Back at the facility, we were all working as one, but now there are those who doubt what we are doing. They doubt the Creator, and our mission. The others are dedicated to what we have to do. I can’t pinpoint who feels what, but I know it will become a problem.

  Right now, I need to run. The seaport isn’t far, and I don’t want to be last. I have no control over the boat I’ll be taking, or its captain, but I can try and make sure no one has a head start on me.

  We must look strange to the people here—five teenagers who seem to be running a race through this small town. It’s a race where we all want to win, but we should be doing that together. I don’t like that we’re splitting up, but I’m not in charge, and I inherently know I won’t be able to sway my siblings. If I could, we’d be running together instead of all trying to beat each other to the boats.

  I’m the third one to make it there, with Hinton and Abigail right on my heels. I jump into the nearest boat and yell for him to go. Coalton and Michaela aren’t that far ahead of me, but since we’re supposed to split up, I have a choice to make. Who do I follow?

  I choose to follow Michaela, because I feel that she’s the right choice. The tide is whipping us around, and as we make our way through a chasm between the rocks, our boats are both airborne, cresting on top of a wave that shoots over thirty feet in the air.

  I try to hold on, but it’s no use, so I turn my body and dive for the ocean. I hear screams as I go under, and know they belong to the two captains. I feel the change in the water when they follow me under the tide. I also smell the blood in the water, and know trouble will be coming our way.

  I spin around and see blood.

  I follow its trail and reach the men right as Michaela does the same. Both are bleeding, one from a gash on his leg, and the other from one on his head.

  We each pull one to the surface, because while we don’t seem to have problems breathing underwater, these men are only human; they won’t last long. We break the surface and spot the boats right away. Now that the water has calmed for the moment, getting them back on board is the safest thing for them. Their blood is trailing behind us in the water, and I can sense that Michaela is feeling as nervous as I am. Just as we reach the first boat, it happens.

  A great white crashes down on the other side of the boat, tu
rning it into useless pieces of timber. Our only hope for these men is the other boat, but when I turn, I see that we are now surrounded by sharks on every side. I look to Michaela and she nods. Neither one of us will give up the captains to save ourselves. It’s not that we care about them, specifically, but it just doesn’t feel right to let them die. At least not to me.

  I feel the shift in the air as she tenses, and I know she’s planning a strike. “No. You’d have to let him go to attack.”

  “We can’t just sit here and wait to be eaten.”

  “Let me…try something.”

  “You think you can?”

  “Maybe?” I answer with a shrug.

  “Go ahead and try, but if it doesn’t work, I’m going to kick some shark butt.”

  I close my eyes and focus on the sharks swimming away from us. I picture it in my mind as I look for the threads of their feelings. It’s different than experiencing the feelings of a roomful of humans, but I can feel a mental wall crumbling around me as the sharks swim away.

  “Well, that was pretty cool.”

  I nod. “Let’s get them on the boats, and call for help.”

  Abigail

  I saw what happened to Sabrina and Michaela’s boats. How could I not see it? I was right behind them, and it looked pretty awesome. The captain of my boat didn’t think so, but I backhanded him, and he shut up pretty quick.

  I have a mission to complete, and if my comrades have to fall in order for me to succeed, so be it. I’m not like them, and even if they don’t know it yet, I do. I am the only one supposed to fulfill the destiny we were created for. The Creator didn’t tell me this, but I know. I will make him proud, and he will let me lead whoever is still alive once we finish here.