Free The Harvest by N.W. Harris Page B

gonna be easy,” Shane said,
breaking their catatonia. “But we can handle it.”
    “How’d he know we shut down the limbic
manipulator?” Jules asked, pinching her chin thoughtfully. “An hour
ago, Lily acted like she didn’t know when we told her. Now it’s
common knowledge?”
    “Maybe the room where Lily met with us was
being monitored too,” Tracy murmured covertly, glancing up at a
camera in the corner to the left of the door. “They’re probably
studying us already and planning our training.”
    “I’m not sure we’re the right people for
this.” Laura crossed her arms and rolled her shoulders forward,
seeming to get smaller. “I mean, what experience do we have? Those
Koreans have been practicing martial arts all of their lives.”
    “Look,” Tracy snapped. “These aliens brought
us the internet, computers, cellphones—hell, they came here in a
spaceship. They’re way more advanced than we are, and I’d have to
say a heck of a lot smarter. I don’t think they’d have chosen us if
we weren’t good candidates. Out of all the billions of kids left on
the planet, they picked just forty-nine. Why waste their time on us
if we couldn’t hang?”
    “She’s right,” Maurice seconded, though with
more compassion than Tracy would ever manage. “We may not be the
ones who’ll take out the flagship, but we have to do our absolute
best. Those kids we fought so hard to protect need us now more than
ever. According to Lilith and her friends, the whole world needs
us.”
    “And Aaron, Matt, and Billy gave their
lives,” Steve said mournfully, eyes heavy and somber. “We owe it to
them to do our best.”
    “I’ll die before I let anyone hurt my
sister,” Kelly snarled. “If there’s a fight that’s going to save
her, I have to be in it.”
    The rage and aggression he’d seen when they
fought Shamus’ gang in Atlanta entered her eyes. She was a cornered
lioness, ready to use tooth and claw to protect Nat. The look was
the opposite of the one the sweet girl he’d gone to church with on
Sundays and had a crush on for most of his life had worn. Her
ferocity would cause even the bravest man to cower, and it was hard
to hold eye contact with her for more than a couple of seconds.
    “Give it a few days, Laura,” Shane said. “I
think you may surprise us all.”
    “Yeah,” Kelly agreed, her features softening.
“We just have to stick together, and we’ll do fine.”
    It was abundantly clear to Shane—their
ability to transform from quiet, humble kids from Leeville into
violent warriors was why they were here. He wasn’t proud of what
he’d done—the lives he’d taken. The thought of hurting anyone or
anything else made his stomach turn. But as much as he hated the
realization, he was good at killing when the situation demanded it.
Not something he would’ve thought to put on his résumé until
recently. Aliens indirectly murdering his dad and coming here to
enslave the girl he loved were situations that justified some
killing—that was for damn sure.
    Laura must have the same strengths, but she
hadn’t gone downtown with them. According to Jones, the rebels were
going to put them through some vigorous training. He reckoned
they’d soon learn what Laura was capable of, and then her doubts
would fade, and Tracy would show her more respect.

 
     

    “I’m stepping
out for some fresh air,” Shane said, overwhelmed and exhausted from
being around them. “You guys should do as Jones said and settle
in.”
    He didn’t want to appear weak to his friends,
knowing they would look to him for leadership, but he needed a
moment to clear his mind. Without giving them a second glance, he
headed out of the barracks.
    The door squeaked closed, and he stood on the
edge of the tarmac. The hot August sun shined full in his face. He
closed his eyes and tilted his head back, letting the distracting
heat soak him.
    Opening his eyes, he noticed a narrow egress
between the barracks and the hangar next