The Extinction Trials(5)

Owen’s first thought was that the bot had malfunctioned. It must have assumed that Cole was on fire. Then it turned its arm to fire at Owen. He turned just in time to feel the white substance coat his side and the girl.

The floor vibrated as the bot bound forward, arms outstretched, charging toward Owen.

It was a nightmare.

The bot was built to withstand fire and carry a family from a burning building. Owen didn’t stand a chance against it. On his own, he might last a few seconds. Holding the girl… it was hopeless.

Owen bent to set the girl down, ready to fight— But the bot slammed into the floor face first, front legs mashed together.

Cole. Even blinded by the suppressant on his helmet, the young man had lunged for the bot—a desperate move that had worked. He had caught its legs and held tight.

With his arms still around the bot’s legs, he reached a hand up and cleared the fire suppressant from his faceplate. The bot reached back and dug its pincers into Cole’s arm. Owen saw Cole’s mouth fly open, a silent scream. But still, the young firefighter held on, trying desperately to keep the bot down. He wouldn’t succeed much longer. He looked up at Owen, eyes full of tears, and he mouthed a single word.

Go.

Owen bent down, picked up the girl and glanced at the open doorway. Fire raged beyond. And more firebots were waiting in the building.

Behind him, the gaping hole left by the door looked out on the burning city. And the building below.

Owen turned, gripped the girl tight to his chest, and ran as fast as he could through the window.





Chapter Four





Maya awoke to a loud droning all around her. She was lying on her back on a cold, hard surface.

Her mind was cloudy, as though she had been drugged, and it was only now wearing off, its effects still lingering.

She squinted at the bright light circling her. She was in a cylinder not much bigger than Maya herself.

A woman’s voice came over a speaker, booming in the small space.

“Please stay still, Miss Young. The test is almost complete.”

“Test for what?” Maya shouted over the hum of the machine.

“We’ll explain soon. Just lie still, please.”

After that, the seconds ticked by like an eternity. The machine buzzed rhythmically. A blue light inside the cylinder’s white walls moved up and down the length of her body.

Finally, it beeped, and the glow dimmed and the table holding her slid out. A man in green scrubs pushed a wheelchair in, parked it beside the table, and held out a hand for Maya.

Instinctively, she froze.

Something was wrong here.

Something about the man put her on edge. She didn’t recognize him, but silent alerts blared in her mind. Was it the glint in his staring eyes? His physique?

Or was she imagining it all? Was it the haze of whatever sedative they had given her for the test?

She sat up and swung her legs off the hard platform, aware that the hospital gown would gape open. The man kept his eyes fixed on her, his hand held out. Was that another clue? Or was he a genuine human being just doing his job?

“What’s going on?” Maya asked, hoping his answer might offer clues to two questions running through her mind.

“Not my department, ma’am. I’m just transport.”

She took his hand and he guided her to the wheelchair. Without another word, he pushed her through the halls, where nurses both human and robotic bustled about and doctors spoke orders and questions into headsets connected to the hospital AI.

Her room held a single, narrow bed and a small bathroom in the corner. Maya’s clothes hung on the back of the door. Her handbag lay on a rolling bedside table. But it was the view out the window that drew her attention. Three columns of black smoke rose across the city.

She needed to check-in. The fires could be part of an attack that was related to the organization she had been investigating.

She was so consumed with the scene outside that she didn’t hear the door click shut. Or the man moving behind her.

She felt a cold, flat object press against her neck.

Then, her training and instincts took over.

Adrenaline shot through her bloodstream—apparently enough to save her.

She leaned away.

Just in time.

The injector fired and clicked but didn’t make contact with her skin.

Instead of trying to flee the man, she did what he least expected. He was bigger than her. And he was in a superior position. What he wasn’t expecting was for her to attack.

She grabbed the injector, momentarily shocking him. He leaned forward, reaching for it, but Maya was quicker. She stabbed it into his neck and pressed the trigger—once, twice, and a third time, his eyes growing wider with the sound of each click. Then, like a switch had been thrown, his face grew slack, eyes went glassy, grip loosened. He staggered, reached up to his ear, and held a finger behind it.

“Mission… fail. Subject… escaping. Backup—”

He collapsed in a heap.

Maya stood on shaky legs and held onto the end of the bed as she shuffled to the side table that held her handbag. She had to hurry. His backup could be seconds away. She drew out her armband from the handbag and activated it.

“Ops,” a female voice said.

“I’m compromised.”

“Cover?”