Fractured | The Portal Series book 1

Chapter 14 - Jessica

4:49 a.m. SET – 8/2/341 U.M.

4:49 p.m. BTS – 8/1/341 U.M.

"Run! Go!"

People shoulder past me in a panic, but one face leers at me at the edge of my vision. When I turn my head to get a better look, he is gone.

He is the reason for the attacks.

Screaming, screeching. Dire warnings.

I suddenly realize that I am lost. "Help!" I yell.

Everyone ignores me. Someone shoves my back, and I stumble forward, and fall into a black chasm.

My eyes pop open. Yesterday feels like an eternity away. Turning my head, I glance at the luminous clock face. Four forty–nine. Sighing, I slide out of my warm bed and into the chilly room.

Shivering from adrenaline and cold, I pad my way to the changing room. Tess sleeps on.

After getting dressed, I go downstairs. It is dark and chilly, as it should be at five in the morning. However, I still go to the gun range. It has been a long week, but today we are all working on the one thing I really love—target practice.

I pull out my FL, turning on a couple of lights along the way. Not enough to be noticeable by anyone, but enough so that I can see my weapon.

I fire. Bullseye.

I fire again. Dead center.

Pulling the trigger again, feeling bored, I wonder, Would Zarek let me tape a penny up there?

Probably not.

All the same, I put the safety on my blaster and put it into its holster. Pulling a penny bill from my pocket, I approach the back wall, past the holographic target. The shock–absorbent material has taken quite a few shots, but it looks brand new.

I press the paper against the sticky, spongy material, but it won't stay. Hunting around the range, I find a roll of painters' tape, which is used to help beginners figure out where to stand. I rip off a piece and roll it so I can attach it to the back of the bill and stick it to the wall. Thankfully, it stays. I'll just put one up for now.

Done with that, I return to my FL, aiming carefully. Because of the holographic projection, I have never hit anything farther than fifty meters. This is fifty-eight.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Fire.

I look down the range. I was off by what must have been barely half a centimeter.

Sighing, I take that information into account as I ready my next shot.

Straight through the center.

A wide smile breaks out on my face as I go to check it out. The penny now has a smoldering hole in the middle. Grabbing the tape, I stick several more pennies up in different places.

It doesn't take long to run out of bills, so I settle for using the tape and a pen to mark out my own bullseyes.

I am there for an hour and a half, but I don't even notice. My only hint is that people start coming in to get a few shots in before practice. For the first time, my stomach growls.