Page 85 of Born Savage

“Son, why do you think all this is here? This bunker? All these people? Why? We were all assigned to raise and protect Star. That’s what we’ve done. As a unit. As a family. We’ve been preparing for this very moment for years. From just after she was born. We knew. And we’ve been preparing for your arrival as well.”

“For what reason?” My voice was a little louder than I’d intended. Star threw a look over her shoulder, narrowing her eyes. I offered a nod of assurance and backed into the corridor.

Tom was frustrated but followed me. “You don’t know. Do you?”

“Know what? That the great king is planning on sweeping the country with his Freedom Hunters, utilizing an army that he’s been building by capturing and reprogramming first-generation Savages? Yes, I am very well aware the king is worried about the Resistance, especially after being attacked. I’m also aware there is very little that can stop him. He has the secure facilities and the equipment, the weaponry and all the necessities to act on his great plan. All of which the Resistance doesn’t have.”

He appeared amused, which in turn pissed me off.

“Who is Star? Can you at least tell me about her heritage?”

“She was raised by her mother, the father nonexistent. From what I know, and in truth we weren’t provided with the details, something tragic occurred with her mother. There is purpose in the story unfolding as it needs to.”

More cryptic phrasing as likely told in the prophecy.

While words from Star’s dream lingered in my mind, a child’s memory couldn’t necessarily be trusted. However, it was apparent Star had witnessed the tragedy. “She has no clue but is starting to remember.”

Tom didn’t seem startled by my announcement. In fact, the corners of his upper lip upturned.

“I had no idea you’d both been kept in complete darkness; however, perhaps that was best. Keeping you both underground was necessary. Peter didn’t mention how deep the hole went, but with Peter, there’s always a reason. We trust him implicitly. You should as well.”

“Peter, the apostle.” I took a deep breath, holding it in hopes of calming my anger.

“In a way, he is. He’s part of the Angels of Destiny. Our guide. Our holy man for lack of a better term.”

“All well and good except that doesn’t help the Resistance in any way.”

“I think there is assistance in everything we learn. While it isn’t my place to provide you with but so many details, I’ll talk to Peter. I think it’s time both you and Star understand more of why both of you are of such importance to the cause.”

The cause. If they honestly believed there would be a successful uprising, they were sorely mistaken. While the group here had mostly been protected from the barren, dangerous world, I knew what to expect and the horrors awaiting anyone who dared cross the king or his men.

“While I appreciate the offer of the vehicles, I plan on undertaking this mission and moving on.” Maybe fighting the machine was an attempt to produce additional information. I was tired of being in the dark.

There was something unnerving as hell about his smile, the way his upper lip curled while studying me. Maybe looking through me to see the reason for my fury. “I understand. Have a little faith, Phoenix. Your father was a brilliant, generous, and very kind individual. Trust in your past as well as the course set for the future. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to spend some time with my wife and daughter.”

“Of course.”

I lingered across from the doorway just as Wrath walked toward me, a perplexed look on his face. “What was that about?”

With a nod, I forced him away from potential ears. “Clues to this mystery mission we’re on.”

“The father?”

“Yeah. It would seem we’ve been kept in the dark our entire lives. Everyone believes Eden does exist.”

He studied me much the same way as Tom had just done. When he leaned in, he had his signature grin as if he knew something I didn’t. “I believe. You didn’t honestly think the Resistance would allow Theodore Jeffers’ son to be labeled a Verndari and nothing else. Do you?”

“What the hell does that mean?”

The roll of his eyes was just another irritating moment. “Why do you think the Verndari were created? Do you even know the meaning of the word?”

“Yeah, I know the fucking meaning. We were second generation since the great scientists fucked up the first. Now they’re being used against the Resistance.”

“The Verndari were created as the ultimate weapon. Did you ever think that maybe the scientists and the people in control of the government were afraid of espionage or maybe treason and had a kill switch installed in the Savages?”

“What?”

“Yeah, they’re dropping like flies. The king is doing a sweep to see if any can be found alive. To reprogram them or something. I’m not a damn scientist, but if you’d spent more time around John instead of acting as if he was the enemy, then maybe you would have picked up a few things.”