The Solid Hold (The IQ Testing Book 4) Read online

  One me-chee pulls then drags a worker towards the opening. The me-chee tosses the worker with robot strength through the pink glowing mist. The worker screams, hitting the radiation bubbles on the opposite side. The worker dies.

  The other me-chees copycat the motion.

  The second worker is tossed into the pink glowing mist. The worker yells then dies.

  A me-chee is made of steel metal, forming a tight circle around the huddled and scared Dandine workers.

  One me-chee drags two workers from the circle, tossing into the pink pits.

  A second me-chee drags three small child from their mama’s hands, tossing four of them into the pits. They cry, scream and then die.

  Duchie stands. “Daddy!? You’re killing my friends, Ms. Mayor…”

  Marsilla smiles. “They are not needed anymore. I agree, Ms. Mayor. The me-chees can do all their work, an excellent idea.”

  The mayor smiles, watching the me-chee toss the workers into the opening. “Thank you, intern Marsilla. Calm down, intern Duchie. Or, you can join your friends…”

  Duchie gasps, standing. She brushes her hair bun, activating her camera cell, hoping it will help Rincon and Nephella inside the map room.

  10: 42 pm

  Colfax

  map room

  Nephella fingers the wall, jumping and yelling. “Save them, Rincon! My mama’s going to murder them.”

  Rincon studies the console, whispering. “An e-field is a piece of energy. Energy needs powers. Power comes from voltage or electricity. The e-field is low frequency, just increase the frequency then the wall will collapse between Dandine and Tonkey. Right! Yes. Right! I need to increase the frequency….”

  Nephella gasps. “The radiation pits, they’re used to maintain the e-fields. This is the power source of the e-fields. If you cut off the radiation flow field from the pits of Tonkey then the e-fields will fall and then disappear between the outer townships.”

  Rincon slams his fist into the console. “I know that. I don’t know how to do that.”

  The door opens.

  Hatch and Jara dash into the room. Hatch yells, holding her hand. “We’re watching it on the plasma. The mayor has gone crazy…”

  Rincon views Hatch. “How do I close the barrier wall opening?”

  Hatch shrugs. “Don’t know!”

  Nephella frowns. “Think of something, Hatch! The Dandine workers are dying, fast.”

  The four walls blink off then on with a new image. Two of the walls show the rear of the pink wooden platform. The sky is black with mean clouds, pouring down heavy rain. The grass is covered in both silver water and a silver travel car. Beyond the car, there is a row of me-chees, standing at attention, along the wall. Before the car, the barrier wall is empty, without any me-chees, except for the high pile of silver wheel barrels. The cesspools are unoccupied.

  Rincon fingers the wall. “That’s the camera from Duchie, located around her hair bun. We are looking behind her skull at the rear of the Dandine. She activated her cell for us to see.”

  Hatch exhales, viewing the floor then smiles at Rincon. He fingers the wall. “Call Ketona! Tell her to fly and land at the barrier wall of Dandine and Burrville then crack a hole into the wall between the travel car and the wheel barrels. She can help the other workers escape through the hole. All the workers are wearing their uniforms…”

  Nephella frowns, studying the rear view of the platform. “The children didn’t wear electron uniforms, while in school, like the workers…”

  Hatch nods. “No problem! Tell Buffo to round up all the teens and bring their farm uniforms. Toss the uniform through the hole then wrap each child inside the fabric. Then, toss the child through the opening, like we did Jara, when she was scared.” He kisses her face.

  Jara nods, smiling, being happy about seeing her parents.

  Rincon presses the button on his cell.

  11:05 am

  Burrville

  Farm.

  Beep. Beep.

  I groan from the bright light of the dull and damp raining day. I toss the bed covers over my curls. Last night, I entered my house, very late, after re-programming over hundred me-chee machines with my voice print.

  Beep. Beep.

  I exhale, grabbing my necklace cell from the nightstand. “Yeah!”

  Pause.

  “What?”

  Pause.

  “On it! Will do! Thanks, Rincon!” I wrestle with the bed covers then stand.

  I stomp towards my clothing, dressing jeans and shirt, running out the door. I halt, exhaling with annoyance. “Pouring down rain, always an emergency…”

  I enter the rain, finding a small rock then belt it at the window, where Buffo is sleeping or resting.

  We both were out late, last night.

  Buffo finally stands at the window, opening the glass.

  I yell, motioning with my hand. “Come on down! Hurry up!” I don’t waste time, turning and entering the garage. I drag both flies from the garage in the pouring rain then return, dressing in the farm uniform. I bundle more of the old farm uniforms into a tight pile inside the garage.

  Buffo enters, smiling and chuckling. “I don’t like…

  “The mayor is murdering the child of Dandine. I got a call from Rincon. She’s there, making the children walk into the Tonkey…”

  He drops his mouth. “Dang!”

  “You, go and get more teens. We need help flying them from the wall to here. I’ll hide them all here. There’s no time to waste…”

  Buffo nods and dresses then jogs to the flier. He straps in then lifts into the rain.

  I load the bundle of uniforms onto the flier then strap in, lifting into the rain storm.

  Chapter 8

  12:01 pm.

  Barrier wall of Burrville and Dandine

  I drop into the mud, landing the flier. Then, I gently set the flier into the mud, carrying the bundle of extra uniforms with me. I walk towards the barrier wall. I can’t see the action on the other side of the wall, with or without rain.

  But, I recalled the place, where the rows of pink wooden houses paralleled the barrier wall. Rincon told me to stab the magnets closer to the first cesspool between the flower and tree gardens for secrecy and safety.

  I exhale, kneeling in the mud, wiping the rain from my face. My hands shake holding the single strip.

  The mayor of Colfax is on the other side of the wall, tossing people into the radiation pits. Between the radiation and the electromagnetic field, they are dying, swiftly.

  I stab the single magnet strip into the wall, even with my nose. My single eyeball sees rain. I stab the second magnet strip about five inches sideways from the first one, waiting and watching for movement.

  I see down pouring rain, heavy. The droplets are thick balls of water. I wipe my face from the rain, too.

  I exhale, jerking out both magnet strips. I stand, reaching high over my helmet, stabbing with my right hand into the wall. I stab with my left hand.

  The barrier wall cracks then collapses down to my kneecaps.

  I squat, stabbing two more magnet strips five inches from the mud for a great big rectangular shaped exit hole.

  I stand, holding the bundle of extra uniforms, exhaling with panic.

  I see down pouring rain, heavy. The droplets are thick balls of water. I wipe the water from my face then place on my cowgirl hat and the scarf for protection of the electron ions. I whisper. “Good! The rain will disguise my movements.” I exhale, cuddling the bundle of uniforms then jump into the air, soaring over the electromagnetic edges of the rectangular hole.

  My feet land in the slippery grass as I slide side to side then balance my upright body.

  I scan the activity.

  I stand between the travel car, without any me-chees, and a tall pile of wheel barrels, without any pookie. On my left, there is a line of me-chee along the barrier wall, staring at the cesspools, without guns. Me-chees cannot harm humans. I think.

  Always, on my rig
ht, there is a group of Dandine workers surrounded by me-chees.

  I hear screams of terror and yells of fury.

  I exhale, seeing, in front of my body, are the cesspools. Between the cesspools are Dandine workers. They are crouched in the grass, waiting and worrying.

  I whisper. “Okay. Save them!” I exhale with fear then control my nervous breathing. I slowly walk upright, not like a spy, towards the huddle workers from behind the pile of wheel barrels, since my jumpsuit is colored yellow, too. I view to my right.

  Individual me-chees are violently dragging one adult, or a couple of children, or a couple of elderly people towards the big opening inside the barrier wall, using their robot strength.

  I see the glowing pink radiation bubbles, floating in the air then see the boiling pretty pink pits of the radiation vats along the red dirt, where the radiation lives and breathes in the outer township of Tonkey.

  I growl with angry. I can’t help that particular set of huddled workers, yet, without being exposed and tossed inside the pretty pink pit, too.

  I slowly walk towards the huddle behind the cesspools in the blinding rain.

  The me-chee has a set of eye sensors, being not human. They see in rain, at night, during the day any thing and everything all the time, which could include me.

  I stand, surveying the me-chees. The ones along the wall just stand, like they’re awaiting orders from the mayor. The mayor sits on top of a platform from pink painted wooden planks and natural tree limbs. I see Duchie’s hair bun, glowing with her wrapped golden cell and Marsilla’s short pixie. They sit between the mayor of Colfax. I see her short red hair and glowing golden leather suit. However, I don’t hear her raspy voice, only the screams of the dying Dandine workers between the rain drops.

  I squat, planting the bundle then open the uniform. I reach for the first Dandine worker. My farm uniform has changed colors from orange into yellow, after jumping through the barrier wall. I grunt then whisper for attention. “Go through the barrier wall into the farmland of Burrville…”

  The first Dandine worker wears the helmet, scarf, gloves, and jumpsuit, a requirement, being outside between the electromagnet field, without absorbing the dangerous electrons.

  I don’t waste my time. I reach around the first worker, slapping my hand on the second worker, saying. “I’m a famer from Burrville. The barrier wall is opened into Burrville. Jump through the wall into the other side. Don’t touch the edges. Cover your eyes with the scarf. Go. Now. Hurry.”

  The second worker hears then stands. The worker runs towards the opening then leaps into the air.

  The other huddled workers see the single brave Dandine worker land and roll safely inside the muddy farmland of Burrville. Each worker stands, runs, and then leaps through the opening.

  I stand, back stepping from the workers, watching them then twisting my hat, watching the me-chees. I continue to back step from the cesspool concrete and the escaping workers, protecting and guarding them, until something bad comes for me.

  The worker runs then leaps into the air. Then, two male workers stop at the opening then wrap each child and then toss the scared child through the barrier wall.

  The Dandine workers inside Burrville catch the child or assist the child from the mud, running the children away from the exposed opening.

  I back step, standing between the wheel barrels and the cesspool with my back facing the me-chees. I watch the workers run then leap through the barrier wall and then twist my hat, watching the workers, being tossed into the pits then die. I exhale with angry.

  I view the huddle workers. The line of hiding Dandine workers curves around the first cesspool and then down towards the fifth cesspool, as far as, my acute eyesight can see in the blinding rainstorm.

  The workers continue a steady pace, escaping through the barrier wall into Burrville.

  I twist around, seeing the me-chees toss a person at a steady pace into the fiery pits of Tonkey. I exhale with angry.

  The hand slaps my collar bone, when I growl, swinging into the mystery hat.

  “It’s me!” Buffo says. “The farm teens are helping on the other side of wall. What else can we do?”

  I growl then calm my nerves. “Open a second, and third, and an etcetera and an etcetera exit holes into the wall down, along the rest of Dandine property line. There are other numerous huddled workers, hiding behind the cesspools. So, you and some of other teens take out the other me-chees along the wall, so the hiding workers can escape…”

  Buffo says. “It’ll cause a commotion on this end…”

  “It’ll save more of the workers on this end…”

  “We can’t afford a fight. No one can beat or beat up a me-chee. It’s solid lead…”

  “We have to try and save the other huddled workers, standing in front of the mayor. Build your barrier wall hole from Burrville and then into Colfax. Then, attack all the me-chees from behind the Colfax wall. And, if someone attacks ya then kick their butt. Colfaxians are cowards. It’s our perfect nature. No one will bother ya.”

  “Got it!”

  I twist, viewing sideways with my left eyeball. I see the circle of me-chees, not stirring, surrounding the scared and screaming huddled workers, hearing another scream. I sneer. “Always, I want the mayor to figure out who’s causing her major trouble, too.” I growl. “Go, now!”

  Buffo swings around then leaps into the barrier wall.

  I stand as a protective guardian angel between the first cesspool and the pile of wheel barrels. I can’t see very well at this particular angle.

  Buffo opens up the wall, when the me-chee falls through the hole. Then, the alert Dandine workers dash towards the hole, escaping into Burrville from the mayor.

  I can see another me-chee disappear, giggling and grinning. My new farm teen friends have quickly learned the secret of the e-fields and the me-chees.

  I hear more screams then twist towards the huddle.

  The me-chees circle the workers. And, the huddled workers, consisting of adults, children, and elderly, have quickly diminished. The other workers have perished into the fiery pink pits of the radiation. The mayor and Marsilla calmly sit in chair on top of the platform.

  I sneer. “Marsilla, you’re my next target, darling!”

  Duchie stands, wiggling side to side with nervousness. Her face is swollen with tears and sadness, watching her people perish into the pretty pink pits of Tonkey. She can’t stop it or fight with the me-chees, or the mayor. The me-chees are machines with super human strength. She will die. She would die, but she needs to help, if she can. Duchie vows to stop the mayor.

  The mayor is smiling, watching the disobedience Dandine workers scream then die inside the radiation pits of Tonkey. No one disobeys her mayor rules. If only, she could punish the young couple of Hatch and Jara, too. She can’t. Jara is carrying a baby and is a former citizen of Colfax. The populous of Colfax is weak and cowardly. They would impeach the mayor, or worse, eliminate the mayor, if any harm comes to Jara and her unborn babe. However, the mayor can punish the other outer townships, too, especially, the ones that cooperated with Hatch and Jara’s escape, like Montag.

  I gasp with fear.

  One of the me-chees, within the circle, shuffles sideways then turns and stares at Ketona.

  12:22 pm

  Colfax

  map room

  Rincon smiles and fingers the wall, where Duchie’s camera is showing the rear view of the platform. “Ketona, she’s there. She’s rescuing them…”

  Nephella paces back and forth then stops. She studies the two walls, showing the rear view of the platform.

  A single short yellow jumpsuit stands between the cesspool and the wheel barrels. The workers run in front of the yellow jumpsuit and then do not return.

  Rincon nods, grinning. “Ketona has created a new barrier wall hold. The workers are leaping into safety into Burrville…”

  Nephella exhales. “Not for long! If one of the me-chees sees the rear view action be
hind the platform, then Ketona and the entire population of Dandine are dead. We have to do something more, Rincon. My mama’s crazy. She’s killing those people. We gotta close the barrier wall opening at Tonkey, somehow.”

  “I know.” He nods, slamming his fist onto the console, studying the instruments. “I’m thinking. We need to increase the frequency coming from the e-field around Dandine. The frequency is controlled by a resonance sound.”

  12: 25 pm

  ground level picnic area

  barrier wall of Colfax and Dandine

  The first teen farmer stands and stabs two refrigerator magnet strips into the wall, even with his collar bone.

  The me-chee falls backwards in shock then quickly uprights on two metal boots, seeing the rain inside Dandine. Its computer brain sensors indicate a new location Colfax. The machine swings around, seeing Buffo.

  Buffo doesn’t wear his farm hat and scarf, only his jumpsuit and sunglasses. His jumpsuit is golden color along with his gloves. Buffo grins and raises his folded fist, rotating them at the me-chee.

  The me-chee has wet and shiny silver tinted metal skin with a yellow ponytail. It wears a golden colored jumpsuit, without a hat, a scarf, or sunglasses. It also wears a permanent smirk in blood-red. The me-chee raises both its folded fists, too, and then races towards Buffo.

  Buffo slides, sideways, out of the way.

  The second farm teen smashes the bat between the legs of the me-chee. The me-chee halts, grabbing the bat from the farmer. The farmer drips his mouth, saying. “Dang!”

  Buffo shouts. “It’s a female.” He slams his fist into the left breast of the me-chee, activating the kill switch.

  The me-chee falls forward, immobile.

  The second farm teen frowns at Buffo, shrugging. “They all look alike to me…”

  Buffo laughs then sours. He sees an alert me-chee, standing in front of the new barrier wall leading into Colfax.

  The me-chee stands inside Dandine and studies the interior courtyard of the picnic area then waves its metal fingers at its other me-chee friends along the wall. Then, it charges through the e-field, without flaming into fire, being made of lead ions, like the e-field.