Edge of Humanity: Book 2 in the Saving Humanity Series

CHAPTER 3

An ice ball settled in Caleb's stomach. Wide-eyed, he turned his gaze from Samuel and focused out the window. It scared him to think there was a place in the world more secure and more advanced than Zomtech—and no one knew about it. Caleb would be completely at their mercy. There would be no hope of rescue. No one would know where he was. If it turned out he couldn't help the world, no one would ever know about him. He swallowed thickly. He'd always had a sense of insignificance, but his gift was a chance to change that. But as all the possibilities about what could happen ran through his mind, the sense of insignificance turned into confusion and conflict.

Outside, hazy orange squares of light dotted the dark buildings. Caleb imagined people moving around their apartments, preparing dinner or watching TV, going on with life as normally as possible. The frozen ball grew, sending chills down his spine.

The city wasn't his home. It never had been. It had always been a place in the distance; a place to visit, full of fun, intrigue—and perhaps a little fear. He hesitated coming to the city after the rising, but now that he was there, he didn't want to leave. He didn't have much in the city, but it was more than he had out there. The gray streets and towering buildings provided him with a sense of safety, which wasn't saying much, considering RBZs lurked in dark alleys. But it was safer than where Caleb was going. He knew the places to avoid in the city; the same couldn't be said about this new destination.

Caleb had never been afraid of trying new things in the before days. He always considered himself adventurous. He had dreams of skydiving and exploring caves. When he went to college, he considered joining a climbing club and scaling mountains. Seeing his friends and family torn apart had killed the adventurous side. All he wanted now was a sense of security and to know what was going to happen. He had this with routine, but it was all going to change making Caleb extremely anxious.

His thoughts drifted to how scared he had been to have pizza with Jan and her friends after work. It seemed like ages ago, but it had been within the last few weeks. Right before the video of Rachel and him finding out about his gift. Going out after work was out of his routine, and he didn't want to get close to anyone, but Samuel talked him into going. He wanted Caleb to go so bad, and Caleb could only assume Samuel had nefarious plans even back then. He tried to remember the details of the evening and everything Samuel had said to him, but he couldn't figure out the end game. Maybe it was just another way for Samuel to try to weasel into Caleb's life. He didn't know.

He thought about sitting at the table with the others at the pizza place. He could barely focus on the conversation because he was so worried about saying something stupid. At the same time, he learned Jan had seen his favorite movies and enjoyed them, creating a connection between the two making him feel comfortable and at ease with her. Well, as comfortable and at ease as Caleb could feel. Still, from that night, his life went downhill. He changed his routine, which changed his life. It led him to where he was now. He should have gone home.

Too late to change it now.

"When are we leaving?"

Samuel took a long drink of water. "Soon enough."

Caleb huffed. "Soon enough? Samuel, I'm not going anywhere, and I obviously have no way of contacting anyone. Leveling with me won't hurt you."

Samuel smiled. "You're right. But there's not a lot of fun in that."

Caleb tightened his fists at his sides and blew a stream of air out of his nose. The urge to lash out at Samuel overwhelmed him, but there was no point. It was obvious who was in control—and he enjoyed every minute of it.

"Is there at least time to say goodbye?"

Caleb had regrets about the relationships he had formed, but he didn't want anyone worried about what had happened to him. For his peace of mind, he needed to know those he had contact with were safe.