Free 0692321314 (S) by Simone Pond Page A

hundred years earlier. In the virtual, everything was still intact—although abandoned. It had to be the early stages of the Repatterning—before the real insanity had started. Otherwise, she’d be standing in a field of nothing. Something shot across the sky, leaving a trail of white smoke. In the distance, a thunderous explosion shook the ground. Another object zoomed overhead—it launched a missile straight into one of the grand hotels. The beautiful white building crumbled to the ground in seconds, causing a domino effect with the surrounding buildings. Everything started to collapse along the boulevard. Chunks of concrete smashed to the ground, crushing cars and cracking through the sidewalks. She knew the program was designed to test her search and rescue abilities, but she needed to find shelter before she became a casualty. She started running toward the clapped-out brick building with a flashing sign that read LIQUOR, when another missile zipped down the middle of the boulevard. She dove behind a black car just as the blast rumbled through the street.
    “Like that’s gonna help,” a voice came from behind.
    She turned to find Blythe staggering toward her. Blood poured out of a gash in her cheek. A wave of queasiness curdled through Grace’s stomach. This was the first test and it was a killer—she had to rescue the one person she couldn’t stand.
    She went over to Blythe and held her up so she wouldn’t fall to the cement. “You’re cut pretty bad. Oh, man. I can’t look,” she said, turning away.
    “Wimp . . .” Blythe mumbled, losing her strength by the second.
    Another bomb dropped, taking out another few buildings.
    “I need to get you out of the street,” Grace yelled over the noise. She started pulling Blythe toward the liquor store across the street.
    Blythe dragged behind and dropped to the ground. “Go on without me,” she gurgled through the blood filling her mouth.
    “That’s a negative. I’m not failing this test. I’ll get you inside and take care of that wound,” she told Blythe.
    Grace half-carried, half-dragged Blythe over to the building and set her down in the alcove. The front door was locked. She grabbed a huge rock and smashed the front window and climbed inside, leaving Blythe outside on the pavement. Blasts continued down the boulevard. She ducked behind the counter and rummaged around. She didn’t find any first-aid kit, but she found a pair of car keys. She pressed the red buttons on the key fob, and a dark blue sedan out front beeped and flashed. She ran over to the front door and unlocked it. By the time she bent down to lift Blythe, it was too late. She was dead.
    “Gracie!” Marion yelled from across the street.
    “Stay where you are. I’m coming!”
    She ran toward the car without scoping the area first, and a spray of bullets shot past. She ducked back into the alcove. Marion scanned the area and gave Grace the thumbs up that it was all clear. She jumped into the car and started the engine. It didn’t have any gears like the Jeeps back home, so she put it in drive and pressed down on the gas pedal, slamming into the next car. She kept turning the wheel and ramming the car forward, scraping the other one until she was able to get out of the spot. She pulled away and barreled toward Marion.
    “Get in!” she yelled.
    Marion jumped into the passenger seat. Grace pulled away and headed down the boulevard in the opposite direction of the bombings. Out of nowhere a truck zipped around the corner, heading straight toward them.
    “Reverse it!” Marion yelled.
    “No—I can take them.”
    “Are you nuts? Back up!”
    Grace didn’t listen to Marion and pressed down on the gas. Both cars were heading directly toward each other like an apocalyptic game of chicken. The truck zoomed out of the way, passing Grace on the left. The driver fired shots into their car, missing Grace. She kept driving, careening through the streets until the blasts coming off Sunset