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For a human race on the cusp of extinction, breeders are the most prized men in the world. One in three thousand are born to the wealth, privilege and status of the position. A life in the lap of luxury, the chance to be anything and do whatever one wants, and all that’s required is to do one’s civic duty and aid in repopulating humanity. Of course, if you’re Rohan Mathews, that’s not going to be easy.

As a student of the tower where breeder males are taught, kept and tended to, his greatest concerns are passing his classes, avoiding trouble with security, and of course keeping his secret relationship with best friend Kaden completely secret. After all, what use is a breeder who won’t breed?

That ceases to matter when Rohan finds his mother wounded and on the run from security. When he’s handed a small flash drive and told to escape, keeping secrets and passing classes are the least of his troubles. All the while, the Overseer of the tower will stop at nothing to recover Rohan and his mother’s data. Against the Overseer and all her power, all Rohan has is his mind, his silver-tongued friend, and the warnings of his traitorous mother:

Get out.

Trust no one.

Run.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateNov 11, 2015
ISBN9781310903113
Y
Author

Shane Jason Taylor

Once, in a distant and wondrous age known as 'The Eighties' was born a child. This child was simple. This child was ordinary. This child was one of many children. This child, however, had a calling.He fought valiantly from a young age to defeat the twin evils known as School and Boredom. He cultivated few trusted allies with which to share his adventures. He pored over tome after tome, immersing himself in lore esoteric and fanciful. Until there came one fateful day, where an instructor offered him an assignment. A test. "You will write a story."For the first time in his eleven short years of life, his eyes opened anew. Gone were the assumptions that those great writers who had inscribed their work in ink upon paper were some superhuman beings, blessed by gods with talent unknowable by mortal hands. Gone were such illusions from his mind as this instructor said unto him, "No, Shane. ANYONE can write a story."I never stopped.Years and years and years later, I'm still writing. Self-taught and struggling to ever hone the craft, the one thing that's never faded in my life has been my love of writing. Since the moment I started weaving stories with words, I knew I never wanted to do anything else in my life. And now, after all those years of honing myself, here I am. Published novelist.Here you'll be able to peruse the scrawlings etched in my head by the many, many voices that live inside there. I'm a huge fan of speculative fiction and that comprises the bulk of what I like to write as well. That doesn't mean I don't like to explore other types of story; I like the adventure that comes with a new literary challenge!My debut novel, Y, is out now. I'm currently working on a fantasy piece during NaNoWriMo 2015, and a science-fiction drama that I would like to release in early 2016. Plans are malleable, however; if you'd like to keep track of what I'm up to and what I'm thinking, feel free to hit me up on Twitter. I'm always up to say hi to my readers!And finally, I hope you enjoy delving into my tales. Happy reading!

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    Book preview

    Y - Shane Jason Taylor

    For a human race on the cusp of extinction, breeders are the most prized men in the world. One in three thousand are born to the wealth, privilege and status of the position. A life in the lap of luxury, the chance to be anything and do whatever one wants, and all that’s required is to do one’s civic duty and aid in repopulating humanity. Of course, if you’re Rohan Mathews, that’s not going to be easy.

    As a student of the tower where breeder males are taught, kept and tended to, his greatest concerns are passing his classes, avoiding trouble with security, and of course keeping his secret relationship with best friend Kaden completely secret. After all, what use is a breeder who won’t breed?

    That ceases to matter when Rohan finds his mother wounded and on the run from security. When he’s handed a small flash drive and told to escape, keeping secrets and passing classes are the least of his troubles. All the while, the Overseer of the tower will stop at nothing to recover Rohan and his mother’s data. Against the Overseer and all her power, all Rohan has is his mind, his silver-tongued friend, and the warnings of his traitorous mother:

    Get out.

    Trust no one.

    Run.

    This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is purely coincidental.

    Copyright © 2015 Shane Jason Taylor

    All rights reserved.

    Except for use in a review, no part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.

    Written and published by Shane Jason Taylor.

    Cover designed by Scarlett Rugers Design www.scarlettrugers.com

    ISBN: 978-1-310-90311-3

    I would like to dedicate Y to the memory of my grandfather. Of all the people I’ve known in my life and of all my friends and family, only one person has ever been absolutely unwavering and uncompromising in their belief in me. I wouldn’t have reached this point, let alone had the confidence to try, without his support and love. Thanks, pa.

    I’d also like to offer special thanks in particular to my friend Scott, without whom this novel would never have been. Also to all of those who worked with me, ironing out kinks and fixing all my little mistakes and missteps. Thank you all so much.

    And to you, thank you for picking up this novel and delving into my world. I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I have!

    XX

    Escape. At last.

    He’d maintained his composure as long as it’d taken to reach the door leading out of the classroom. Once he was outside though, Rohan let out a breath he never knew he’d been holding. He stepped to the side and leaned back against the wall, closed his eyes, and heaved out a sigh as he ran a hand through thick, messy blond hair. Escape. Free at last.

    The teenage boy looked up with a start as he heard the door slide open again. He’d half expected to see the familiar, frustrated features of Instructor Lee poke out, intent on lecturing him again on the finer points of assignment focus and fulfilling criteria. He’d even braced to receive her lecture.

    Instead, it was another boy that emerged. Complete opposites in appearance save for gender and the black-trimmed silver uniform they shared, he grinned in contrast to Rohan’s exhaustion. His skin was dark to Rohan’s light, his eyes a sharp green to Rohan’s warm brown. The boy elbowed Rohan in the side as the door whirred and slid back into place again. Oh, c’mon, Ro! It’s not that bad! He leaned back and stretched for a moment, and when he settled back into place he was still half a head taller than Rohan.

    The old nickname dragged a groan from Rohan. Thankfully, in the early evening when detentions usually finished on the education floors, there weren’t any of his fellow classmates left around to hear. Only two people called him ‘Ro’ and didn’t do it to tease him, and he only really liked it from the one. "Just ‘cause you can parrot to the Instructors doesn’t mean I can, Kaden," he muttered.

    One of Kaden’s arms draped over Rohan’s shoulder and helped to guide him off the wall. Hey, I was in there for being a smartass. You don’t have any excuse.

    Rohan grumbled wordlessly to himself as he straightened down his jacket. Kaden was right, in a way. He could have just written a class presentation on the rise of the United American Territories like all the other boys. But no, he’d had to go and dig himself a hole by looking too deeply into the data. The presentation was on-topic, he finally replied.

    Kaden’s arm slipped down and off Rohan’s shoulder, and his hand dragged for a moment down along his companion’s arm. Lee didn’t think so, Kaden pointed out with another little smile.

    A grimace spread across Rohan’s face as he glanced at the wall. The screens set there always went dark after schooling hours, and provided a decent enough reflective surface that he could see the frustration on his face. Lee didn’t like that I wasn’t patriotically extolling the virtues of the UAT breeding program, he replied with a shake of his head. That’s all she wanted.

    With a chuckle, Kaden gave Rohan’s side another, firmer elbowing. "C’mon, Ro. You heard her. That’s not what she wanted. He smirked. Someone decided the tower intranet didn’t have enough data and had to hack his way out to play on the exonet again, didn’t he?"

    Rohan couldn’t help the little smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth as he nudged back at Kaden with his side. "I wasn’t playing on the exonet, he drawled as he rolled his eyes. The tower archives are just… incomplete. I thought the presentation would go better with better data. As the pair rounded a corner, the corridor stretched out toward the doors of an elevator. You’re heading back to your dorm?"

    Yeah. You walking me there? Kaden threw Rohan a hopeful smile. Protect me from all the big, bad security guards doing their drills today?

    Rohan mirrored that smile as he held Kaden’s stare. Only if you promise not to get me in trouble this time, he insisted. Especially with security. Last time, Cameron almost caught us out.

    Kaden just laughed. Aww, it wasn’t that bad, he countered with a broad grin. Besides, you didn’t seem too worried before he came in.

    Rohan rolled his eyes as he tilted his head to hide the blush drawn from that memory. That was Kaden. The only thing he liked more than getting himself into trouble was his ability to fast-talk himself right back out of it. Rohan, however, lacked his friend’s silver tongue. You know, one of these days you’re gonna spin a lie for someone and it’s gonna bite you in the ass.

    Hasn’t bitten too hard yet, replied Kaden as he slapped at the button to call the elevator. He glanced up and his smile slipped. Huh. They’re still out, too.

    With a frown, Rohan followed his gaze upward. There, omnipresent, rested one of the many cameras that lined the corridors. The usual blinking green light at its base was cold and dark; the camera was offline. That’s… what, since lunch? asked Rohan as he nodded to the camera.

    Kaden nodded and reached up to tap the lens with one finger. Yeah, and exonet access’s been down just as long. Must be some heavy-duty maintenance if they’ve been out all day. That, or it’s part of the security drills. He paused for a moment and then smiled as he glanced over at Rohan.

    Rohan saw the mischievous glint in Kaden’s eye and immediately shook his head and backed away. Oh, no. No, no, no. He spared a glance over Kaden’s shoulder; there wasn’t anyone else in sight. At least, as far as he knew. No, what if- mmf!

    It was short as kisses went, but it was enough to silence Rohan in the middle of his protest. Kaden didn’t grab him or force him back against the wall — those kisses were reserved for less public locations, after all — but it was still more than Rohan would have dared. Of course, knowing that it was coming and all, he still didn’t exactly put up much of a fight against it.

    When Kaden pulled back again, there was a particularly satisfied grin on his face. Rohan, by contrast, fought very hard to look properly frustrated and very definitely not blush. The sudden pounding of his heart didn’t hurt those efforts. That was…

    Nice? Kaden offered, with that same smug smile plastered on his face. Your cheeks think so.

    So much for not blushing. Stupid, Rohan corrected him as he shoved Kaden’s shoulder. Another glance showed there was still no one else in the corridor. Kaden hadn’t even checked. "What happens when you do get us caught? Huh?"

    Kaden shrugged as the elevator door opened. There was no one inside, and Kaden quickly tugged Rohan in before he responded. "But we didn’t get us caught, Ro."

    Not this time, but do that again and you might! He felt genuine frustration work into his voice as he poked the button marked ‘47.’ You know how hard we’ve had to work to keep… you know… He gestured between the two of them as the elevator’s biometric scanners hummed away and confirmed their status. And you don’t help with stupid stuff like that!

    Kaden fell silent as a look of genuine concern spread across his face and the elevator door closed. Rohan watched him for a moment before he sighed and turned away. There, serving as the back wall for the elevator, was instead a great big window. Outside rested the eastern side of the United American Territories’ capital city, sprawled out far below and full of lights and sounds and motion. Thousands of people living their lives as best they could.

    He almost jumped when Kaden placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. When he turned, Kaden was there with the smallest of smiles. You wanna tell me what’s bothering you? he asked. "You don’t get this mad about me stealing a kiss unless something else’s going on, and I bet it’s not Instructor Lee and detention."

    For a second, Rohan almost threw himself into a vicious tirade about publicly showing their affection, but a glance into Kaden’s eyes shut that down. He knew there was something more there. He always knew, and he’d pry it out of Rohan with a crowbar if there was even a chance he could help. Rohan knew from experience. We’re fifteen, he finally muttered.

    Rohan caught the twitch of Kaden’s mouth as he prepared to say something witty, and was grateful for Kaden’s control when he remained silent. We’ve got months, Rohan continued. Just months. Then our studies are done, they compile our reports and profiles and… He shrugged as his shoulders drooped low.

    And we’re registered and sent off to do our civil duty for what’s left of the human race. I know. Kaden’s arm slid around Rohan’s shoulders and gently pulled him close. "You don’t think they’re gonna split us up, do you? ‘Cause I know you wanna stay close to your mom, and I wanna stay close to you."

    With a sigh, Rohan shook his head and leaned in against Kaden’s embrace. He only had a moment or so to enjoy it before he could feel the elevator begin to slow. It’s more about what they do when I’m given my first contract, he muttered as he disengaged from Kaden’s arm and stared back out the window again.

    Ah, Kaden sighed as he nodded. He gave Rohan a tug, and when he turned Rohan could see the doors opening to another, identical corridor to the one they’d just left. As Kaden gently guided him out of the elevator, he added, When they find out you won’t perform?

    Rohan jerked as if Kaden’s words had electrocuted him. He spun to stare up at the camera that rested over the elevator door, but even so many floors down it too was dead. "When they find out I can’t perform. At least you’re… you know… He winced as he tried to find the right words, even as he kept an eye out for the other boys he knew were on the same level. You at least like girls too."

    Kaden gave another easy little shrug as he glanced around. There weren’t any other boys in sight, at least; they were probably down in the commissary for dinner. Detention had gone late, again. I like you more, he pointed out as he reached up to tousle Rohan’s hair. "Hey. Don’t worry about that shit right now, alright? We don’t know if we’ll be leaving the tower. We don’t know if you’ll even have a breeding contract right away."

    Rohan grit his teeth even at the mention of the contract. That was his purpose. That was Kaden’s purpose. That was the purpose of every boy in training in the whole damn tower. Remember when they told us we could have anything we wanted when we graduated and became breeders? he asked as he looked up at Kaden and tried to push the future out of his mind. Did you ever buy into that?

    Of course I did, Kaden replied as one of the doors down the corridor opened. From it came another boy, a couple of years younger than them. He nodded as he passed, and Kaden returned the gesture before he continued. You did, too. Everyone does. Everyone… He trailed off for a second before he chuckled. "Oh. That’s what you were getting at with your presentation, wasn’t it?"

    When Rohan nodded, Kaden gave a glance back to make sure the boy they’d passed was out of sight again. He looked around surreptitiously before he leaned in and gently planted a peck on Rohan’s cheek. You’re worrying too much.

    You’re kissing me in public too much, Rohan hissed back as he too gave a look around. They still hadn’t been seen, but that was one of Kaden’s more annoying qualities. He wasn’t afraid of anything. And yes, it was. Lee just didn’t want to see me take apart the entire social structure of the UAT.

    Pretty sure half the class didn’t want a lecture on… Kaden frowned. What was it… segregated systems?

    Caste-based segregation, Rohan said with a shake of his head. Mom even helped me find all the data for it; we had to dig through so much crap to find the real data under it all. Lee just didn’t want one of her boys to see the world the way it really is. Guess that’s why they keep us locked off the exonet.

    As they finally reached the door to Kaden’s dorm room, he chuckled. Well, I’ll give you points for this: no one’s ever rilled Lee up the way you did, he said as he pressed a thumb into a small socket in the wall beside the door. Green light shone around the hole and the door hissed open as Kaden removed it and stepped into the room. Lights on, he announced, and the globe on the ceiling slowly began to glow and fill the room with light.

    Rohan followed Kaden in and glanced around. It was the usual mess he’d come to expect from Kaden; no matter how many times the Instructors — or once, to his surprise, the tower security guards — told him to keep it tidy, he always just messed it up again shortly after. This time however, half of the room was empty. Where’s Cameron? Rohan asked.

    Kaden looked confused for a second before he followed Rohan’s gaze to the empty half of the room. Aside from a couple of dirty socks, there was almost nothing over there. Oh! I got the message earlier today. I thought he was getting another disciplinary hearing, but turns out he’s been transferred. Said he was sent to the West Coast Center for Human Propagation. He smirked. So he’s basically just in a different tower with a different view and a different Overseer sitting on her penthouse throne.

    With a frown, Rohan looked over the empty half of the room. Cameron had been a nice guy, if a little loud and sharp-tempered. While he and Kaden had more fun when he wasn’t around, he’d been good company in spite of the times he interrupted more personal matters. Did you ever tell him about your little project up on the roof? Rohan asked.

    "Pfft, no. Of course I didn’t. That’s just between you and me. Kaden chuckled and waved a hand at the little computer terminal set into his desk. By the way, thanks for the help spoofing the elevator biometrics and the intranet search system. You’ll have to teach me how to do that sometime. I’m almost done! So close, and I could really use a way to get up there without having to drag you along."

    Rohan smirked as he glanced at the terminal. Kaden might have had a quick tongue, but he wasn’t nearly as good with computers as Rohan. Cracking the tower’s security isn’t hard, he replied as he patted the desk. Mom taught me the exploits in their operating systems to access the exonet. Practiced with her in rec time for years until I was good enough to do it for real, and and it’s the same sort of thing that… He trailed off as Kaden began to roll his eyes back into his head. "Sorry if I’m more boring than your secret project."

    Kaden grinned. "I’ll just have to ask your mom to teach me, then. Maybe I’ll even ask how she learned how to do all that stuff."

    She’ll tell you what she told me. ‘A girl’s gotta have her secrets, you know.’ Rohan smiled. He did wonder after the answer to that question from time to time, too. For a biochemist, his mother seemed to know an awful lot about hacking secure computer systems.

    For his part, Kaden just laughed it off. Well, even if I could do it all by myself, I’d still keep you involved over him. Cameron’d just try and take over, make it all about him. You know how he could get sometimes.

    Despite the smile on his lips, Rohan frowned as Kaden’s words brought back a memory. Hey, about Cameron. Didn’t you say he’d been disciplined a lot lately?

    Yeah, he… oh, I see what you’re getting at. Kaden laughed quietly as he fell down onto his bed and spread his arms and legs out wide. "He was transferred, Ro. He’s not sitting in a cell somewhere on the black floor right now. That’s just a story the older boys told to scare us into behaving."

    Rohan shook his head. It might have just been a story, but some digging he’d done in the tower intranet had turned up some pretty impressive evidence for its existence. It was legendary; the floor of the tower that no one ever went to except for the breeders and boys in training that were too troublesome to be part of the breeding program anymore. "I’m just saying that it’d make sense for the towers to have a black floor, he reasoned. If Cameron was causing too many problems, but he was still a breeder…"

    And I’m just saying it’d be a massive human rights violation if the stories are true, countered Kaden as he lifted his head and patted the bed beside him. Come sit for a bit. Cameras are down, it’s dinner time, Cameron’s not here… we’ve got time alone and in private now, if you wanna do some things that’d get us sent to that black floor if they knew. He winked. And if it existed.

    Tempting as the offer was, Rohan nevertheless rolled his eyes and shook his head. No, I should get home. Mom should be back from the lab and she’ll want me to eat something. He narrowed his eyes as Kaden began to grin. Not you, you idiot.

    Hey, you don’t know what shit she’s into, Kaden commented, and he laughed as Rohan scooped up some dirty clothing and tossed them right into his face. Okay, okay! Sorry! I didn’t mean it! He grinned wide as he pulled the clothes off his face and winked at Rohan. Hey. Don’t I at least get a goodbye kiss?

    "Not after getting a face full of your laundry, Rohan replied with a smile as he stepped over the mess to reach the door. Besides, don’t you think you got enough of them when you could have gotten us in trouble?"

    Kaden smirked and shook his head. "No, but fine. Tease. You go back home. See if I care. I’ll probably go start working on the next assignment. Ancient studies, right?"

    Rohan nodded. From what research he’d already done, his presentation might have gone over better in that class. Yeah. Mesopotamian culture, it was. He pointed a finger at Kaden. Don’t forget to eat this time.

    "Yes, mom," Kaden called back to him as Rohan opened the door and started out into the hallway. He smiled as the closing door cut off Kaden’s laughter, and Rohan headed back toward the elevator with a smile. He might have been capricious and fearless and just a little too quick with a lie for most, but Kaden was a good person.

    He’d seen the boy work his magic with everyone, from other boys in the tower to the guards and the Instructors to even Rohan himself back when they’d first met. He smiled a little wider at the memory. Kaden had managed to trick Rohan into trouble with an older Instructor one day by convincing him to hack her presentation to play cartoons instead, back before he’d known how better to cover his tracks. He’d thought Kaden was an ass.

    He would have continued to think that if Kaden hadn’t apologized to him afterward and tried to make it up to him. Rohan hadn’t believed him until Kaden had quickly stepped in to distract a security guard in the library long enough for Rohan to disconnect from the exonet before he was discovered. Since then the pair had been friends, and Kaden hadn’t lied to or used Rohan once.

    He was a rare exception to the masses in Kaden’s games, and Kaden was a rare exception from the other boys in that he actually enjoyed Rohan’s company. They complimented each other well; Rohan kept Kaden from going too far with his games, and Kaden brought a new excitement and vitality to life in the tower that Rohan had lacked. Mix in genuine care, time together and patience enough for each to deal with the rougher edges of the other, and they had a friendship that lasted years.

    Of course, that said nothing for their shared secret attractions and how those had brought them even closer together. He’d been downright terrified when he’d confided in Kaden that he had no interest in girls at all; a confession that he’d dared not even share with his mother. Kaden’s admission that he didn’t care about gender himself had been liberating for the pair of them though, and that shared secret had helped Rohan come to terms with who he was. Suddenly, with that honesty, they were more than just friends. They were something else. Secret, but a shared secret.

    Rohan quickly turned his thoughts away from the memories as he called for the elevator. That time was quickly coming to an end. Soon their training would be complete, and they’d be assigned their first breeding contracts. Then his secret would come out, and the best he could hope for was that he could enjoy Kaden’s company as much as possible until then. After all, what use was a breeder who couldn’t perform for a woman? Without every breeder doing their part, all humankind could collapse under the weight of its own mistakes.

    It almost startled him when the doors of the elevator opened and a pair of tall women in dark blue, full-body armor stepped out. Rohan immediately held his breath and flattened himself to the wall so that the tired-looking women had room to move. They looked him up and down as he noticed the smooth, rounded, silvery rifles in their hands and the active communications earpieces they both wore. More drills.

    Their pronged barrels gave the weapons away as the non-lethal electrolaser stun rifles favored by the tower security forces, but that didn’t mean Rohan wanted to be on the receiving end of their burns. He needn’t have worried, as after the women looked him over they started off down the hall. No sign at elevator forty-seven, E-2, one of them growled as she touched a finger to her earpiece. Advise the Overseer that we’re sweeping the dorms now.

    Rohan followed the guards with his eyes for a few moments until the pair fell silent. He hurried up and into the elevator and pressed the button for his mother’s apartment’s floor. Whatever the women were looking for, he didn’t want any part in it. If they were reporting for the Overseer — administrator for the tower and the absolute law within its walls — on something going wrong, the only thing he wanted to do was stay far away from it. Kaden liked getting in trouble. Rohan preferred to stave it off as much as possible.

    He frowned for a moment as the elevator refused to move. Rohan hit the button again, but still it wouldn’t ascend. He almost reached down to press the button that would call the tower’s Tech Control, but then a few seconds later the biometric systems in the elevator hummed to life. The door finally closed as it verified his identity, and Rohan sighed as he leaned against the wall. At least it had worked, in the end. He didn’t want to be stuck in an elevator with security on the prowl. He also fought off the thought of being trapped in said elevator with Kaden for a few hours; that wouldn’t help his mind settle.

    Instead, he turned his attention back to the glass wall at the back of the elevator and the city that lay far below. It was a city that he’d been promised since puberty. The whole world at his feet, all for that successful, one in three thousand chance of being born with the right genetic makeup. A breeder. King unto himself. Salvation of humanity, free to have whatever he wanted. Except Kaden, of course. Or a choice in the matter.

    He sighed and tried to put it out of his mind as the elevator came to a halt. The door slid open after a short delay, and Rohan steeled himself as he stepped out into the corridor. As much as he was looking forward to his mother’s presence after such a long and difficult day — she understood his presentation better than Lee had, and she at least wouldn’t keep him in class during the after-school Rec period to rewrite it — Rohan just felt tired. Eating and going to bed were going to be high on his To-Do list once he arrived home.

    It wasn’t unusual for Rohan to finish his classes and arrive home before his mother. She often stayed back at the lab longer to finish up extra work for the day. Rohan wasn’t always clear on the particulars — his mother’s biochemistry experiments were significantly more advanced than anything he was likely to learn in his classes — but he didn’t mind. As far as he knew, he was one of only a couple of boys in the tower that lived with a parent. As stifling as it was sometimes, she was a familiar element in his little tower-contained world.

    What was unusual was arriving to the sight of their apartment door open.

    Rohan frowned as he peeked inside, but the lights were all off. Lights on, he announced to the room as he stepped inside, but nothing happened. He frowned as he glanced through the room, lit only by the hallway light. "Lights on, Rohan repeated as he frowned harder. He sighed and shook his head as he made his way through the familiar layout of the apartment toward his room. Ugh, again? Mom’s gonna freak out when she gets… home?"

    As his eyes adjusted to the darkness in the apartment, a flicker of illumination caught his eye. Underneath the door to his mother’s bedroom and directly across from his own was a glimmer of light. Mom? he called out as he started toward the door. You in there?

    There was no reply from inside her room, though the door swung open as he called out. Rohan felt a shiver run through him as he glanced back at the apartment’s front door. Part of him shouted to turn and run. He forced it down. No one broke into the tower, and who’d want to break into their apartment? It had to be his mother.

    That reasoning didn’t keep him from holding his breath as he started around the corner. After all, the security guards had been on the hunt… Uh… mom?

    He didn’t know what he was expecting inside the room, but the sight he was greeted with left his jaw slack with surprise. A flashlight lay on the bed, a beam of white light shed across everything from where it lay to

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