Free The Copernicus Deception (The Human Chronicles Saga Book 15) by T.R. Harris Page B

continued to take wide, powerful swipes at the jungle growth.
    “You could have been killed. I suppose that could have been another outcome.”
    “Didn’t happen.”
    “Where is Copernicus?”
    “He’s back at the barracks. We’re now the barracks kings.”
    “Which barracks?”
    Adam turned and pointed to the building.
    “We are in the one next to it. What happens from here?”
    “I’m going to signal Copernicus when it’s time for us to make our break.”
    “Where to?”
    “Thought you could help with that,” Adam said. “Would it be possible for us to make it all the way back to Swiv in a stolen transport?”
    “There is but one road, and with clearing crews along its entire length. There would be ample opportunity to stop us during the journey.”
    “Then overland?”
    Kaylor stopped his cutting and stared at Adam. “Surely you cannot be serious?”
    “I am…and don’t call me Shirley. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”
    “I am confused.”
    “Never mind. But I am serious. We saw the beasts that live in the jungle, but it may be the only way.”
    “You saw only one of the beasts. There are many others.”
    “Well, we can’t stay here. We have these cutters—and we are Human. That may be all we need.”
    “How do you propose to signal Copernicus?” Jym asked.
    “I’ll make the lights flicker in the barracks. That will be his signal.”
    “With your secret Formilian device?”
    Adam nodded.
    “And our collars?”
    “I’ll deactivate them.”
    “You will have to remove them,” Jym said. “They have a battery backup in case of power failure. If that happens, then they produce a half-charge shock to keep the prisoners in line until power can be restored.”
    “What about the towers?” Riyad asked.
    “They have battery reserves as well.”
    “Can you unlatch our collars?” Riyad asked Adam.
    “I can for us here. You’re close enough for me to identify the locking circuits. But all I noted was the power supply on Coop’s, not the locking mechanism.”
    “You have been warned,” said a voice from behind them. They turned to see two guards with angry looks on their faces. “Now you will have to be disciplined.”
    The speaker reached for a small control panel strapped around her left arm. Adam took a step forward, lifting his chainsaw as he did so. The aliens reacted with remarkable speed, drawing their flash weapons, one pointed at Adam, the other at Riyad.
    Adam lifted his free arm. “Wait, I didn’t mean to—”
    The round eyes of the guard met Adam’s, and in that brief moment, Adam knew she was going to fire. As fast as he could, Adam mentally locked on the weapon’s fire control circuits and broke the connection using his Formilian artificial telepathy device—his ATD—preventing the weapon from firing. The guard was confused when she depressed the trigger and nothing happened.
    Yet the other guard wasn’t confused, just trigger happy. He was a male, and he fired at Riyad.
    The blinding plasma flash could be seen across the entire prison compound. It struck Riyad on the right side of his chest, slamming him backwards and to the ground, a perfectly round hole burned through his cape and inner garment all the way to the flesh. The Human’s thick skin kept the level-2 bolt from breaking the skin, but it did create near third-degree burns within a four-inch diameter circle. Riyad didn’t cry out, but he did groan and gnash his teeth quite a bit.
    Adam reacted to the shooting of his friend by lifting the chainsaw and triggering the rotating laser points. The blade sliced through the alien’s arm without even a trace of resistance, sending the limb falling to the muddy ground with the MK flash weapon still held firmly in the hand. The Visidoran didn’t cry out, either. Instead, he held up the stump that was now his right arm and stared at it with disbelief. Then he passed out.
    To Adam’s surprise, the other guard had produced a meter-long machete from somewhere—probably