Chapter 32

Midnight Reset

Catherine thrashed against the damp sheet tangled around her. She reached for the knife that should be under her pillow. Nothing. The midnight reset was here. She landed with a thud on a dirt floor. The reset memories ripped through her brain with such force she dry retched. This was her new reality. She was in a prison cell on the North Isle de Pantheon. This had been her home for the last year.

Debris rained down as her cell door exploded. Eve’s smiling face appeared through the smoldering opening. “Bet you didn’t expect to see me?”

Catherine remained silent as she struggled to wade through all the new memories her brain was attempting to comprehend.

“That was a rhetorical question. I know there’s a lot going on in that brain of yours at the moment.” Eve reached in and placed a lump of grey putty on the cell door lock and disappeared. “Fire in the hole! GET BACK!”

Catherine grabbed a blanket and dove under the bed. A wave of dirt and noise crashed down around her. Metal fragments scrapped against her bare skin. She was stark naked.

Eve pushed what now remained of the cell door open and threw some clothes her way. “There’s something to cover up your birthday suit.”

Catherine hugged the clothes to her chest as the altered memories about Eve solidified in her brain. “So you’re a sorceress...”

“Yes I am.”

“And you kidnapped Xavier?” Catherine took two quick strides and gripped Eve by the throat.

“Wait...there’s a lot more to that memory than that one fact.”

Catherine’s grip faltered as she realised it was Jonah who had kidnapped Xavier for Mortez. There were no words to explain the icy betrayal engulfing her heart. Eve she had forgiven. She released Eve and retrieved some underwear from the clothes on the dirt floor. “I see you haven’t mastered a spell to unlock doors in the last three years. Surely that’s one of the most basic sorceress skills?”

Eve grabbed Catherine’s wrist. “I’ve been a bit busy looking after your arse, and planning how to deliver you to the Break like Naitanui requested after you completed the GTs for two of those three years. For the last year I’ve been plotting your escape from here, all by myself.”

Catherine yanked her arm away when she spied a syringe filled with pale gold liquid in Eve’s hand. “What the hell?”

“Chillax.” Eve tugged her arm. “This will get rid of your residual temperature, nausea and the other side effects from the reset. You’ll be feeling like a million dollars in less than a minute. Look at me. I’ve used it and I’m taking this enormous reset in my stride.”

“Hmm.” Eve did look very well for someone just minutes into a major reset. There was nothing in Catherine’s memories to make her think she shouldn’t trust Eve. She hesitantly held out her arm. “Only because it’s you.”

“We’ve had three years to plan how the next ten minutes in history will play out. Admittedly you’ve been locked up in here for the last year of that, but don’t even think about messing this up now!”

“Ouch! You suck at giving needles.”

“You’re a rubbish patient. The serum will make you feel better, but also slows down you processing your altered memories. The others took it a few hours ago. I couldn’t get to you any earlier. WOW!” Eve screwed her face up. “You smell disgusting. Like moldy broccoli.”

“What does that even smell like?”

“So gross. Sniff your armpit if you dare and you’ll find out.”

Catherine didn’t need her reset memories to know she hadn’t showered in a long while. “I got a tattoo?” She poked at the gold star on her collarbone. There was something hard in the middle of it. “Is that some kind of piercing?”

Eve slapped her hand. “Don’t play with that. Get dressed. I’m uncomfortable being this close to you while you’re completely naked. Oh and we have to ESCAPE! Hustle, hustle.”

“What is that?” A zing shot through Catherine’s chest. Whatever was in that syringe was certainly kicking in.

“It’s a microchip. Get dressed.”

“Who put it there and why?” Catherine wrestled into the sports bra and tugged the T shirt over her head.

“You know all this stuff.”

Catherine rolled her eyes. “Excuse me while I process three years of the biggest reset ever.”

Eve examined her with narrowed eyes. “That serum must really be blocking your memories.”

“You want me to wear these?” She held up the leopard print leggings.

“It’s that or escape in your underwear. Choose and choose quickly.”

“You had three years to plan this, and you bring me leopard print leggings,” Catherine grumbled as she tugged on the leggings.

Eve hauled at her arm. “Come on. Elias put that microchip in there. It’s infused with an obstruction charm. It makes it impossible for you to use any of your magic. You can’t compel other Timesurfers or anyone else for that matter and you can’t make zombies.” Eve peeked around the cell door and motioned Catherine to follow.

“I really dislike that gold dress wearing tool.” Catherine jogged along the silent corridor behind Eve. Try as she may she couldn’t remember what had gone on with Elias. She couldn’t even remember why she was at the prison.

Eve signalled Catherine to stop. “I’d be more worried about the destroy chip embedded in the base of your neck. That one could kill you at any moment.”

Catherine’s fingertips touched smooth, cold metal at the top of her spine. “What the hell!”

“Don’t overreact. You’re fine while you’re locked in here. The wards surrounding the prison prevent any magic getting through. The wards at the Break will protect you too. I have to get you from here to the Break as quickly as possible. If Elias is aware you’re travelling he will active that chip and it’s lights out for you.”

“I don’t think it’s possible to overreact to that.” Catherine took a few deep breaths. She was panting after jogging for less than a minute. “So I’ve really pissed Elias off?”

“That is the understatement of the century. I certainly don’t have the time to go into it in any detail now. I’m going to try a cloaking spell to cover your time tube while we travel.” Eve stole a quick look around the corner. “This way.”

“Try?”

Eve nodded.

“Have you done that successfully before?”

“Nope.”

“Fabulous. Is there just you here to get me?”

“Yep. We hatched this plan all on our own. In an ironic twist, it’s pretty much just you and me again. We have no other friends.” Eve pressed her finger to her lips.

Catherine held her breath and flattened herself against the rough stone wall. Two heavily armed guards walked past. They were too busy comparing their enormous hangovers from the GTs toga party to notice the two girls as they passed the tunnel entrance. The toga party and the GTs seemed like a lifetime ago.

She shuddered at the sight of the electric batons swinging from their utility belts. Memories of hours spent at the mercy of the guards seared though her. Something snapped. She gave a guttural cry and tackled the guards to the ground.

“Not in the plan!” Eve hissed.

Catherine smashed the guards’ heads together. She grabbed an electric baton and stabbed their unconscious bodies in a frenzied attack. When she glanced up, Eve looked shocked.

“Right, while that was understandable it was also extremely disturbing. Now you’ve got whatever that was out of your system, follow me.” Eve scurried along the corridor. Puffs of dirt swirled around her feet.

“Where are we going?”

“We can only travel to the Break from the arrival and departures platform on the top floor. The guards do rounds every thirty minutes.” Eve check her watch. “We have exactly four minutes until Naitanui takes the wards down at the Break to let us through.”

“What happens if we miss the opening?”

“Get ready for an extremely long stay here.”

Catherine’s legs felt like string and her feet were heavy like bricks. Her vision blurred. She shook her head to refocus. “Who’s at the Break?”

“Naitanui and Rose are working out of the Break to help me.”

“Rose is helping you break me out?”

“Yes. She helps me all the time. I like Rose.”

Catherine searched her memories. She still hated Rose. That was quite reassuring.

Eve came to an abrupt halt. “Climb.”

She scrambled up the ladder. Her progress was slow as her feet slipped off and missed one rung after the other. Eve caught her each time. Exhausted, Catherine struggled to lift her weight. Her hands were slick and slippery against the metal rungs. Eve pushed and shoved, practically carrying Catherine on her shoulders up the ladder.

“Just a few more steps,” Eve panted. “You’re much heavier than you look.”

Catherine flopped on the ground. “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life!” A year of wasting away in a cell had not been kind to her body.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s not over yet. The hard bit is now,” Eve whispered.

Too drained to swear, Catherine groaned and rolled on to her stomach. “Hit me with it.”

“We have to sprint all the way down to that opening. Guards will be shooting at us.”

“Excellent! Run about a hundred metres while dodging lethal sniper fire.”

“Very succinct. Ready?”

“No.”

“On the count of three. One, two...Oops I forgot.” Eve massaged her temples. “There’s a twelve-story drop about three steps outside the opening. Be prepared to pull up quickly. On three...”

Catherine staggered to her feet. “Just run!”

For seconds there was only the sound of their feet scrapping and rasping breath. Then the rifle fire started. Bullets whizzed by Catherine’s body and pinged off the dirt. She stumbled as the ground exploded in front of her. The guards were using big guns now! She pumped her arms and legs. Her depleted muscles screamed with pain from the exertion. They were nearly to the opening.

“We’re going to make it.” Eve whooped and smiled.

A wet thunk was followed by red seeping through Eve’s shirt near her shoulder. Her smile faltered. She lurched and tumbled to the ground. Bullets ricocheted off the dirt near her unmoving body.

Catherine dove through the opening amidst a hail of bullets. The ground exploded inches from Eve. Catherine couldn’t leave her. She wouldn’t leave her. After three quick breaths she scampered back into the storm of bullets. She grabbed Eve’s legs and dragged her outside the opening. Catherine willed Eve to heal and a ferocious pain carved through her head. She screamed, unable to get away from the agony slicing through her brain. “Do not die!” She wrapped her arms and legs around Eve, determined to keep her close while they travelled. “Naitanui!”

The world spun.

Catherine hovered in the blackness. Eve remained deathly still against her body.

They landed in the centre of the Break.

“I need help!” Catherine screamed. “Rose!”

Rose rushed forward. “Where’s she hurt?”

“I think they shot her in the chest. I tried to heal her, but I felt like my head was going to explode. The bloody microchip won’t let me use my magic.” Catherine tore at her chest, desperate to get the chip out.

“I can do this.” There was a gentleness in Rose’s voice Catherine had never heard before.

“Hello, Catherine.” Naitanui’s yellow eyes glowered at her. “I’m pleased to wish you a happy nineteenth birthday in person. I wasn’t sure if you would come.”

Catherine ignored him and grasped Rose’s arm. “Will she be okay? Can you help her?”

Eve groaned. “I should get some kind of bravery award. Better still an enormous cash reward.”

Catherine hugged her friend. As she closed her eyes reset memories trickled through her mind. “Oh no! Elias has Jonah?”

Rose nodded and dragged her hands down her face. “He’s in a really bad way, Catherine. The combination of the drugs and his migraines are sending him insane. Elias captured him nearly a year ago when he freed Xavier. He’s forcing Jonah to do the most horrendous things.”

“But Xavier is safe now?” Catherine drew a blank on everything to do with her brother. She had no reset memories of him.

“That serum is really messing with your reset memories coming through,” Eve said.

“Ya think?” Cate replied.

Rose paced along the row of empty flashing table tops. “Elias no longer has Xavier. We don’t know where he is, Catherine. He didn’t return to the Break after Jonah helped him to escape, and the cubes don’t track his movement. He still has an active cloaking charm on him. It’s the same charm Mortez used on you. I’m terrified for Jonah.” There was fear in Rose’s eyes.

“Jonah betrayed me. He kidnapped my brother and lied to me about it for years.” Catherine was numb when it came to Jonah. There was no hate, no anger and no love. He was dead to her. “So Elias kidnapped Xavier again?”

“No. Xavier was attempting to free you when Elias captured him,” Naitanui said. “It was an unsanctioned mission.”

“He might be with Mum, I mean Mortez?” She had no reset memories of Mortez either.

“Nope.” Eve struggled to her feet. “Mortez and the boys are in hiding. Elias has an enormous bounty on each of their heads.”

“Where are they hiding?” Catherine didn’t know why she asked. She didn’t want to see them. Not yet.

Eve rolled her eyes. “Well if I knew that, they wouldn’t be in hiding, would they?”

“I’m in regular contact with Mortez,” Naitanui said. “Xavier isn’t with them.”

“You and Mortez are in regular contact?” Catherine had a hard time believing that.

Naitanui shrugged. “Elias has every Timesurfer convinced they must unite against you, Catherine. There’s only Rose and I left here at the Break now. Mortez and my relationship is one of necessity.”

“Where’s Rafe?”

Rose sent a chair flying across the room. “With Elias.”

“Immortality?” Cate asked.

“You’re starting to get some reset memories.” Eve clapped her hands gleefully.

“Nope, that was a good guess. What about Austin?”

Everyone suddenly looked everywhere but at Catherine.

“He’s safe,” Eve said.

A big silence followed.

“Zach’s still dead then?” Catherine asked.

“Yes.” Eve stated emphatically. “And he deserved everything he got. I feel zero guilt when I say good riddance to him.”

“Right!” Catherine brushed off her clothes. “I need something other than these ridiculous leopard print leggings to wear. Elias is going down.”

Eve giggled. “While that’s suitably dramatic, your first priority really needs to be a shower.”

Catherine sniffed gingerly at her armpit and gagged. “Oh my! A shower followed by revenge it is.”

THE END