Chapter 1
Nico smiled, even though his eyes were still closed. He was eleven years old again and a ray of sunshine warmed his cold face. He could smell the farm fresh eggs and toast cooking downstairs and hear the clatter of dishes and silverware as his mother worked to make breakfast for the family. He hoped that she still had some leftover spice rations, maybe even cinnamon. Then it hit him.
Something hard struck him in the mouth. A water bottle.
“Nico! Wake up you idiot! You’re late!” It was Adrianna, his breeding program mate and she was angry again, but this time she was right.
“Oh shit, I am, give me my uniform quick!” Nico said, rolling out of bed and into his socks from yesterday that still lay beside the bed.
Nico looked at Adrianna as she rifled through the pile of laundry in the corner of their one bedroom apartment. She still looked pretty despite just waking up herself. Her hair was messy and her anger was clearly written all over her face, but she was wearing a loose tank top and every time she bent over to look for a uniform piece he caught a view of what was underneath. They didn’t have to like each other to be in the program but it certainly helped to be attracted to each other. He had some work to do to earn that from Adrianna.
She noticed. “Nico, you’re such an asshole. Here.” She scolded him and tossed his blue jacket at his face.
He threw it on, deciding to button it on the way, and quickly found his pants to go with it. After sliding on his boots and tucking the laces inside for the time being, he darted out the door and straight into something solid before glancing off and hitting the slush covered sidewalk. He looked up in shock as an armored Sharlah peacekeeper stared down at him with its expressionless black faceplate. A Hound stood near, growling deeply and salivating at the thought of ripping his flesh from bone.
Nico stuttered and crawled backward. “I’m s s so sorry, please. Forgive me.”
The hound stalked forward, its pale grey skin rippling with muscles, until it was inches from his trembling face. He could feel its hot breath easing out against his lips. A stream of drool dripped from its mouth and landed between Nico’s legs, the explosive violence barely contained inside the mutated animal. Nico was overcome with fear until the Sharlah finally shocked the creature and walked away, trusting that it would follow, and it did.
Nico stood and tried to brush the slush and snow from his already worn pants but there was no hope of making them look fresh. He would just have to ask forgiveness a second time, though the Sharlah at the capital building were sometimes more unpredictable than the hound. They weren’t soldiers, they were bureaucrats, and sometimes that could be worse. They controlled everything that happened within the northeast region of the continent and had very little patience for someone like him screwing up the simple job of getting out of bed and looking clean. He would surely be punished.
His heartbeat quickened and his mouth went dry as he walked through the security checkpoint and told the guards that he was late for his shift. The guards inside didn’t have their helmets on but it was the same result, just cold black eyes and gray skin staring back at him as if he was the most uninteresting thing they’ll see today. One of the guards turned its back quickly and wretched as if he was going to vomit but regained his bearing and gestured for Nico to pass. That was odd.
Nico walked into the locker room where he had hoped to find a clean set of uniform trousers and waved to one of his men when something hit him so hard that he woke up on the floor. He moaned and rolled over just before taking another shot to his right eye and then another on the forehead. He turtled up and took several kicks to the ribs before the beating relented.
“Don’t ever be fucking late again Nico. Clean yourself up. We have a job to do if you don’t mind.” It was the voice of Maxime, the Captain of the C.C.A., the Civil Compliance Authority, and his boss.
“Maxime.” Nico said, breathless. “I’m sorry.”
“I give no fucks Nico.” Maxime said with his signature French accent. “Get off the fucking floor now and listen.” Maxime said and bent over to straighten Nico’s collar.
Nico did as he was told and grimaced at the pain in his ribs. Of all the blows, the kicks hurt the worst. Maxime continued.
“We are going to Boston. We received information from local people that there’s an illegally married couple living there who have also not registered for harvest. They are called Glenn and Rose Mcgowan, both in their mid forties. We are to arrest them and bring them back here to Pittsburgh. A dropship is waiting. Wipe your..” Maxime motioned to his eyebrow and walked out of the locker room, the men following in his wake.
Nico nodded at them as they passed, each managed to convey unsaid sympathy with their eyes or a solemn nod. He stepped over to the mirror and saw bright red blood streaming from above his eye and down the side of his face. He would have time to stop the flow during the ride, so he just balled up a few paper towels and hurried to the landing pad on the roof. Humans weren’t allowed to use the elevator so Nico jogged up the first few flights of stairs before the fatigue took hold. He hadn’t had breakfast or even a drink before rushing out of his apartment and he could feel all of it by the time he reached the door at the top. Nico was second in command of his unit so even in his current state, that position demanded some respect. Jessie hopped out of the dropship and helped him climb up and find his seat.Nico nodded his thanks and strapped in before giving the sharlah pilot a wave to let him know everyone was aboard.
The dropship circled the neighborhood where the target was located both to find the specific house and also to cause a spectacle that the other residents would remember. Jessie looked at Nico and handed him a pistol, grip first. Nico took it and nodded his thanks again, swallowing even more humiliation. How could he have forgotten his weapon? The ship banked hard and slowed to a crawl causing Nico to grab the bar above his seat with his free hand. It slowed to a crawl and descended into the backyard of what he assumed was the target house. He hadn’t been there for the real briefing. He piled out with the rest of the squad and calmly fell in behind Captain Maxime.
“Open the door by order of Overlord Cygnus and the CCA” Maxime said and pounded hard on the wooden front door.
To Nico’s surprise the door opened a few moments later and a skinny man wearing only pants and house slippers stood with a shocked look on his face.
“What is the meaning of this?” The man who must have been Glenn asked.
“Where is your wife?” Nico asked.
“My wife? I don’t have a wife.” Glenn said, performing his line well.
“You are lying, move out of my way.” Maxime ordered and pushed past him.
A woman darted from the living room into the hallway and slammed a door behind her. Maxime drew his sidearm and pointed at the door. “Arrest her!”
The three other men who make up Maxime’s squad, Jessie, Rolo, and Quinn moved in an instant to surround the door and started kicking. Nico watched as Glenn pulled on a flannel shirt and jacket and then took a seat at their kitchen table, sobbing into his hands.
“Glenn Mcgowan, you are under arrest for failure to register for Harvest as well as participating in an illegal marriage without documentation.” Nico said and moved to handcuff him as the bedroom door shattered and Rose let out a scream. She was thrashing to break free and kicking Rolo in his shin pads. As they passed, Maxime slapped her hard across the cheek.
“Have some dignity, woman. You’re serving a wonderful purpose to the Sharlah just as our ancestors did and more before them.” He said.
“You’re next!” She screamed. “Theres not enough of us. They have to make up rules for us to break! You’re next!”
