Free Hybrid Zone Recognition by C.E. Glines Page A

choice for me. But, if I did turn it in, would I just leave? How would I explain that to Kenny and the rest of the group? Or to myself? That would leave no one standing between the hybrids and the government. What would happen to them then?
    There had to be a way out of this mess that didn’t involve manipulation or annihilation of the hybrids or rebellion against the government. I just couldn’t see it yet. Depending on what these people wanted from me, I might not have to worry about it at all.
    My pillow shifted further away, and I leaned in closer, claiming the space he’d given up. He’d just failed if he was trying to get away. That was ironic. Shouldn’t I be the one trying to get away?
    I covered another yawn and curled my legs beside me on the seat. Leaning more heavily against my Goon, I wrapped my arms around his arm and pulled it towards me. He resisted briefly before he let me adjust him. That was better. Now maybe I wouldn’t wake up with a knot in my neck.
    Well, here was hoping I didn’t drool.

Chapter 4
    I t was daylight when I woke up, and I felt more tired than I had before I’d slept. I hated when that happened. But not as much as I hated my body informing me that I hadn’t moved while I’d slept. I couldn’t feel my legs at all.
    Gingerly, I moved them back to the floor and waited for the pins and needles to start. Unwrapping my arms from my bicep pillow, I sat up and began to roll my head from side to side. Neither of my captors seated on either side of me paid me much notice.
    Peering out the front window, I observed we were no longer on the interstate. I probably could have deduced that without seeing the road simply by all the bumping the SUV was doing.
    The smooth interstate had been replaced by a dirt road lined by very tall weeds on either side. I was summarily being tossed around, constantly rebounding off the nearest Clone—I’d updated their designations this morning, more scientific. All this movement was probably what woke me up.
    I didn’t often ride in the middle seat, but it didn’t take long to form my opinion. Riding in the middle was the worst. There were no places to hold on. I had to grip my Clone just to stay in the seat. If I didn’t think he was emotionless, I would have sworn he was enjoying the steady jostling I was enduring. I certainly wasn’t, particularly not with the needle sensations throbbing every time my legs bounced into something.
    We fielded one long string of incredibly large ruts that slung me everywhere, including into his lap. He seemed truly startled that I was there.
    “Don’t look at me,” I said accusingly. “I’m not driving.”
    He didn’t say a word, just deposited me back in my seat, which was fine with me. It was where I was headed anyway.
    The ride smoothed out after that. The vehicle climbed onto a blacktop road right before we entered an airstrip, a private one by the looks of it. A sleek jet was parked at one end, and there didn’t seem to be any other vehicles around.
    I wondered if the current Clones were going with me or dumping me here to be ferried somewhere else. I found myself surprisingly not wanting to give up the little bit of familiarity I had gained with my Clone. Not like we had connected or anything. He hadn’t spoken to me since the night before, and even then it was the bare minimum.
    Come to think of it, I hadn’t heard them make a sound all night either. Maybe I had slept really soundly or maybe these guys didn’t talk the whole way there. That would require more discipline than I possessed. Maybe they weren’t communicating verbally, yet another interesting and frightening thought. I’d have to experiment with that later.
    The SUV pulled to a stop alongside the jet, and my Clone didn’t waste any time escorting me to the gangway. It appeared my Clone was the only one accompanying us because the SUV carrying the rest of them drove away as soon as we stepped onto the ramp.
    I found it strangely comforting