Free The Human (The Eden Trilogy) by Keary Taylor Page B

my head sharply to the left.  But the rest of my body held firmly in place.
    My eyes flashed open.
    The outsiders were gathered around me, Margaret at the forefront of them all.  Alistar stood at her side and another man with a gun stood just to the side of me.  It was him that had just woken me with the butt end of his rifle.
    I was bound to what looked like a moving-dolly with heavy chains.  I tried jerking my arms, but didn’t move an inch.  I wasn’t going anywhere.
    We were all on a boat.  A very large boat.  We were bobbing just twenty yards from the shore.
    And sitting right on that shore was a massive, towering city.
    “This doesn’t exactly look like the Redwoods,” I growled as my eyes met Margaret’s.
    “We lied,” she said, that grin creeping across her face.  “Welcome to Seattle.”
    “What about New Eden?” I asked, red hot coals building in me.
    “Fine, for the most part,” she said, her expression going dark.  “Once we realized what a valuable asset you were, we decided to take what we could and cut our losses.  We don’t have the Pulse, but I’m sure you’ll provide some very interesting, very valuable information.”
    “I don’t know anything about how to build the Pulse,” I said through gritted teeth.  “And I’m not telling you anything.”
    “That’s not exactly what we’re after,” she said with that wicked grin of hers.  “And talking wasn’t the method I had in mind to obtain it.”
    “Where’s West?” I demanded, again trying to jerk out of my bonds.
    “He and some of the others headed for shore just before dawn on the speed boat,” she answered.  “He’s safe.”
    “What did you promise him?”
    “We’ll honor our promise,” she said, lifting her chin just a bit, as if I had insulted her integrity.  “He provided valuable information, even if he didn’t realize he was giving it and what we intended to do with it.”
    “You tricked it out of him,” I said, hatred spewing from my every word.
    The grin spread on her face and there was a manic look in her eyes.  “The poor boy was so starved for some female attention.  Tara was so attentive and such a good listener.  She was so willing to hear all about the emotionally broken girl who picked another man over him.”
    “He doesn’t know you’ve taken me, does he?” I said, my voice growing quieter.
    “We thought it best with his…condition, if he remained cooperative and calm.  You wouldn’t want him making any rash decisions, would you?  We just might not be able to help him if he becomes unpleasant.  And you might not have picked him, but I am sure you still don’t want him Evolving.”
    I knew then that I would have no choice but to cooperate with this witch.
    She saw it in my face and I wanted to kill her when that smile of hers reached her eyes.
    “Now then,” she said turning to look at the shore.  “We need your help I’m afraid.  This big ship didn’t move as fast as we would have liked it to.  We sent ahead some of our crew on the speed boat, including your West.  They should have gotten to safety before the Bane woke.  But it’s starting to get light, and they’re waiting for us.”
    She pointed to the shore and I finally noticed the small details I had missed before.
    Bane.
    At least a dozen of them standing along the shore, watching us with empty eyes.
    “From what your friend told Tara, you have the ability to control them,” she looked back at me with curiosity.  “We need you to keep them off us so we can get home.”
    I chuckled and shook my head.  “I think you’re overestimating my abilities.  Controlling the Bane, especially that many, isn’t a sure thing.”
    “I think you’ll manage,” she said coldly.  Suddenly she made a signal with her hand and the boat growled back to life and started to crawl forward.
    It was going to be pointless to fight them, that much was obvious.
    So all I could do was start thinking stay away .
    The massive