Free [Ganzfield 2] Adversary by Kate Kaynak Page B

grey cinders, Trevor’s unseen hands dug a pit in the newly-thawed earth next to the pyre. He swept the ashes in, and then covered them with freshly-turned dirt. The remains of the metallic suits filled a second pit. Trevor’s thoughts were steel-grey with cold anger.
    Ugly work.
    We scavenged for supplies from the infirmary and the kitchen. Little remained; the survivors must’ve done the same. Cabinets hung open and empty drawers lay scattered on the infirmary floor. The electricity was off and the main building seemed especially dark in the tepid light that came though the windows.
    Trevor and I went to our church. The front door creaked on its hinges as we approached. Our private sanctuary had been violated. My jaw quivered as I stumbled on the path.
    If we’d been here last night…
    Trevor and I silently gathered up our belongings and clothing. We didn’t know when—or if—we’d be coming back. Trevor’s mind churned—sick, grief-filled, and angry in turns. What if we’d been here? What if we hadn’t let the four men go yesterday? Did their report of killing us trigger this attack?
    I felt a hot flush wash up through my chest and into my head. I couldn’t swallow. Oh, no. Had this been our fault? Had we set this massacre in motion?
    No. We couldn’t start thinking like that. The Sons of Adam had to’ve been planning this for a while. What had happened to our security systems? What had knocked out the power? We were off the grid here; our wind turbines occupied one of the hills above the valley. Could that have been the weakness in our defenses?
    As we looked back from the double doors into our now-empty home, Trevor gathered me close. I wrapped my arms around him and we stood there in the dark, cold church, comforting each other—drawing strength from each other—as a torrent of emotions passed between us. A primal protectiveness built within Trevor, but I was feeling uncomfortably weak. I kept seeing lifeless eyes staring up from the snow. How frightened had the victims been as faceless, armed intruders herded them from their beds? Had they felt much pain when they died?
    Oh, God.
    I felt like curling up somewhere, making myself as small as possible, as though I could avoid the overwhelming emotions by making myself too insignificant to hold them. I’d never felt this powerless before—this helpless. I wanted to get angry, to feel a sense of energy, of purpose.
    Righteous wrath .
    I knew it was there, but it was like Trevor and I had switched reactions—he felt the anger that I usually did.
    Trevor carried our bags as we returned to the van. The snow fell more steadily now, swathing the world in a grey-white silence, covering the frozen bloodstains in the snow with a pure layer of white. The others also held bags filled with their belongings. We silently piled into the van. The intense emotions washing into me from everyone else made me want to scream.
    It was time to go. 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 6
     
     
    Rachel’s mental connection to Sean led south, a golden thread stretching past the horizon. Drew drove us down through Massachusetts, crossing into Connecticut. We stopped for gas at one point, and Hannah made us eat something from the gas station mini-mart.
    More than five hours later, as the last of the light ebbed from the sky, we pulled onto a winding, narrow road that Drew recognized. “My uncles have a property near here. It used to be a summer camp.”
    I curled against Trevor and clenched my hands to my forehead as though they would somehow hold everything in place and keep my silent scream from coming out. I had everyone else’s pain, fear, and anger inside my head along with my own. It felt like my brain was going to either melt or explode.
    A makeshift wooden barricade blocked the road. Flames blazed up from large metal drums on either side. Two people moved cautiously in the dark places beyond the fires. One of them slid off to the side, staying out of view. I recognized the