Read Online The Last Revolution by R.T. Carpenter - Free Book Online

could do to hold on. As the feeling slowly returned, he felt an awkward object pushing into his hand. Reaching down, Alden saw the handle of a knife sticking out of Father McKinley’s abdomen.
    He couldn’t think of anything else to do, so he wrapped his hands around the handle and slowly pulled it out. Alden’s gut clenched shut and through sheer force of will he held on, until the weapon had been dislodged. Without thinking, he dropped it to the ground and listened as the metallic blade came to rest against the wet path. It was done and Father McKinley was free.
    Alden slid out from underneath the body and carefully laid it down. Reaching up to Father McKinley’s face he closed his eyes. After a few moments Alden looked down at the deck he’d returned to him. It was the last thing he would ever give him and Alden slipped it into his wrist socket and clicked it into place.
    “Don’t move!” Thousands of needles stabbed Alden all over his body. They had caught him; he was dead. Slowly looking up, he saw three automatic rifle barrels pointed at him.
    A sudden wave of relief passed over him. “Thank God it’s you, I thought for a moment you were one of the other soldiers. Please move your weapons away from me. The person that did this ran that way.” Alden pointed off towards the woods behind them.
    “Alden, don’t make this any harder than it has to be. We don’t want to hurt you.”
    “What?” Alden said in a flat but irritable tone. He stood up to full his height and stared at the three Island guards.
    A fourth guard walked up, his side arm pointed at Alden. “Get down on your knees and put your hands behind your back!” Alden looked at the last guard as he moved closer.
    “Are you part of the attack on the Island?” Alden demanded.
    “No, you are,” the fourth guard responded.
    “Excuse me?” Alden responded.
    One of the other guards added, “There’s a capture or kill order out for you. It says you were involved with the lunar terrorists trying to overthrow the Council.”
    “You expect me to believe that? I’ve given my life to defend this Island. Now we’re under attack and I expect to find the person that did this.” Alden motioned at Father McKinley’s body. “Contact General Sokolov or Gabriel. They’ll clear this up!”
    “General Sokolov is missing,” one of the other guards responded. “And Gabriel has been reported KIA.”
    “What, no! This isn’t possible!” Alden yelled back.
    Suddenly a clear picture emerged in his mind. With the command structure destroyed, Vasentus’s status in question, and reports listing him as the traitor, he would never be able to prove his innocence in time to capture the individual responsible for killing Father McKinley.
    “The reactor has been stolen!” one of the guards yelled. “Only a member of your team could have done that. And you’re the only one left! Now you’ll do as we say or we will shoot you!”
    The fusion reactor has been stolen. The suffocating force abated long enough for the guard’s words to cut deep. It had cost Alden part of his soul and half his team—his family—to bring that weapon back to this island. The pain he had worked so hard to move past had returned. It was over. Gabriel had been right after all; should have destroyed it when I had the chance. Now Daniel, Mary and Gabriel really had died in vain. How many more will suffer because of me?
    Alden lowered his head and dropped to his knees. Father McKinley’s body lay next to him. Be at peace. Turning from the guards, Alden raised his hands and placed them on the back of his head. How could this be happening? He had to go after the killer now. In a matter of moments the reactor would be out of their reach for good. They will pay for what they’ve done.
     
     

Chapter 2
     
     
     
     
     
    The guards stood their ground, barrels pointed at Alden. He sat on his knees in a pool of water and blood, hands tucked behind his head. One of the guards moved forward,