Matt Archer: Redemption
by Kendra C. Highley
Young Adult Paranormal
Date Published: July 3, 2014
“There’s more to me than you know…”
When Matt Archer’s sister, Mamie, said those words to him three years ago, he had no idea how prophetic they were, or what this would mean for his family.
Now, he knows. And it changes everything, bringing the war right to Matt’s doorstep.
In the epic conclusion to the Matt Archer series, the endgame is near. Betrayed by an enemy, the wielders have been called off the hunt by their own government, despite increasing reports of paranormal activity—and deaths—worldwide. Matt is forced to sit on the sidelines, knowing that proving monsters exist means revealing who—and what—he is. Soon the world will know his name…which will only make his job harder.
Matt’s only hope resides with a man he barely knows—his father. If Erik Archer can put together the final puzzle before the monsters do, maybe they’ll have a chance. Maybe.
Mystery, tragedy and the power of family combine as Matt races to win the war and save the people he loves. There’s just one thing he’s afraid of…
It might already be too late.
~Excerpt~
When I was
fourteen, I picked up a knife, ignorant of the destiny that awaited me. That
night seems like a lifetime ago, even if it’s only been three years.
A lot of
things can change in three years.
A boy can
become a man. A man can become a soldier. And that soldier can witness things
he’ll never forget. Earn scars that won’t fade. Cut down enemies. Save lives.
Lose them,
too.
Through it
all, I’ve tried to remember who I am, where the legend ends and the man begins.
Not to lose myself to my blade-spirit and become a monster. Some days are
harder than others. I’ve seen friends die in this war, injured myself, and
nearly lost the girl I love more than anyone, all for the cause. The price for
being named the guardian of humanity is high, especially when my own government
is calling me a criminal.
Despite all
the obstacles, despite the pain, one thing remains true: it’s still worth the
fight.
My name is
Matt Archer. And I’m going to save the world.
Or die
trying.
* * *
Packed into
a black government SUV with five other people on the way to a Congressional
hearing wasn’t my idea of fun.
That it was
my reality made it even worse. Especially since riding with these particular
men gave me a migraine of epic proportion. Being in close contact with the
other knife-wielders always caused me pain. It was better than usual—I’d gotten
used to the sensation of overwhelming power somewhat. Still, not the best way
to start this day.
My new suit
wasn’t heavy, but a trickle of sweat ran down my back the closer we got to the
Capitol and my tie felt like it was trying to strangle me slowly. If I’d had my
way, I’d be going to the hearing in bloodstained BDUs and my oldest combat
boots—the ones with African sand still on them. The House Armed Services
Committee wanted to call me a hardened juvenile delinquent? Fine, at least let
me look the part.
Everybody
else—except Will—told me that was a terrible idea. So Mom and Aunt Julie took
me shopping and wrangled me into the suit. Complete with shiny new wingtips.
I felt, and
probably looked, very stupid.
“I heard CNN
was going to carry C-SPAN live during the hearings,” Will said. He stared out
the window with his shoulders bunched up around his ears. “Everyone in the
world will know who we are after today.”
Everyone in
the world would know…but how we’d be judged was the question. Would our
accusers accept that everything we’d done was to protect and defend the
defenseless? Or would we go down in flames, remembered by history as the very
worst of violent offenders?
What worried
me most was that the world wouldn’t learn the truth until it was too late: that
the war wasn’t over. Pentagram Strike Force had been pulled off of active duty
to participate in this political circus. Meanwhile, the Dark Master had gained
a toehold in our world. The search for the Chinese shaman, our final lead—along
with hunting the last two prime monsters—should’ve been our priority, and
necessary to putting an end to the Master’s reign of terror. Instead we were
here, sold out to Congress by the enemy’s favorite human servant.
As we made
our way through the streets of D.C., Tink made a sullen noise in my head. I’ve never liked this place. Too many
skeptics.
“Insulted
some people don’t believe in you?” I asked, biting back a nervous smile. “Do we
need to clap and bring you back to life?”
Will
laughed, while Tink growled. The nickname
is bad enough without the jokes, thank you very much.
The other
wielders didn’t react. Parker was more pale than usual, and his freckles stood
out like measles on his face. Ramirez glared out the window. Jorge had his
hands folded in his lap and his eyes were closed, almost like he was praying.
“Anybody
else coming to the party?” I asked.
“This is it,
far as I know,” Parker said, the faintest hint of Alabama twang coming through.
“We brought a couple of our guys as character witnesses, but they aren’t
allowed to testify unless they’re called. So it’s just us.”
Ramirez
flashed me a rare smile. “Murphy’s here.”
“I heard,” I
said. “He’s driving my family over to the hearing.”
“He can’t
wait to see you.” Now Ramirez was chuckling. “Said he’d watch as we do the walk
of shame through the crowds at the Capitol.”
“Wait…crowds?”
I asked. “What crowds?”
“Haven’t you
been watching the news?” Parker raised an eyebrow. “That’s why we’re taking a
caravan with draconian seating arrangements. They wanted the wielders to be the
first out.”
“We gave up
on watching the news a few days ago when that anchor on MSNBC called me and
Matt ‘budding psychopaths,’ who’ve become trained killers,” Will said.
“You’re in
for treat, then,” Parker said.
He wasn’t
kidding. As we turned down First Street leading past the Capitol steps, people
choked the sidewalks. Some had signs saying we were saviors. Some yelled that
we worshiped Satan. Every single one of them watched the cars pass. We were
sacrificial lambs, going to the slaughter, and it would all play out on
television.
“This…is
gonna suck,” Will said as an egg splattered against the SUV’s window.
“They can’t
get near the entrance,” Johnson told him. “They have barriers holding everyone
back.”
Yeah,
because a little bit of plywood would be an excellent deterrent against mob
violence.
We turned
the corner on Independence, heading for the Sam Rayburn building. It was one of
the House’s office buildings and where we’d have the hearing. You’d think the
President was coming to visit, because we were led by a police car and followed
by two motorcycle cops.
More people
crowded the mall around the Capitol building and lined the streets all the way
to our destination. Tink was jumpy, twitching around my skull. Instinctively, I
reached for my knife handle, sheathed in my thigh pocket.
Ramirez’s eyes
tracked the movement. “The knives have to stay in the car.”
“I thought
they’d demand to see them,” I said.
“We don’t
want members of Congress to get a hand on them, so the plan is to lock them up
and leave them with Johnson.”
Being
without my knife in tense situations usually caused me physical pain and
leaving it behind sounded like torture. “But—”
“This is the
only way we’ll be certain to get them back,” Ramirez said as he handed his
knife to Johnson, looking as if it hurt to loosen the handle from his fingers.
“General’s orders.”
We followed
his lead. I set the blade in its metal box and locked it in. My head ached the
instant contact was broken.
I’ll
be nearby no matter what. You aren’t forsaken just because you aren’t wearing
the knife, Tink said. All the same, don’t do anything stupid.
“Okay,” I
murmured. Will whispered something similar and Captain Parker smiled at us.
Instructions were universal sometimes.
A rap on the
window announced the MPs’ arrival—military escort from the SUV to the hearing rooms.
I didn’t know if that was for our protection, or to make us look more like
criminals.
We slid out
of the vehicle, all of us steely-eyed and standing erect. The MPs led us along
the barricaded street. Cameras pointed our direction and reporters screamed
questions. As of now, anonymity wasn’t a luxury I had anymore. Everywhere I
looked, people were staring at us. I could almost hear the gasps of surprise
zooming through Billings as our faces started showing up on television.
Greenhill High was on fall break, but that only meant the news would travel
faster.
The building
itself was white stone, with two massive statues guarding the front door.
Crowds of people surrounded them, pressed against the blue police barriers and
jostling to get a better look.
As we headed
for the stairs, someone shouted my name and the voice sent a shock wave through
my chest. I stopped dead in my tracks and searched the crowd for the source,
finding who I was looking for when I spotted a flash of auburn hair. I wasn’t
sure how she’d gotten here…but I was sure she would be grounded for six months
for coming.
Ella stood
at the edge of the barrier, scowling at the MPs. I knew how she’d gotten such
prime real estate—by holding a sign that read “No more monsters under your bed, courtesy of my boyfriend!”
Penn stood
next to her, directing the crowd in a chant. Something about “stupid
politicians.”
“What are
they doing here?” I asked.
“No idea,”
Will said.
Before the
MPs could react, I ran for Ella. I heard Will pounding the pavement behind me,
but she was all I saw. Ella dropped her sign and flung out her arms. We got in
one long kiss before one my escorts put a hand on my arm.
“I can’t
believe you came,” I told her in a rush.
She lifted
her chin. “There’s no way I wouldn’t be here for you today.”
The MP’s
grip tightened around my bicep. I dug my heels in. “I love you.”
A second MP
had joined the first, tugging at my arms. As they dragged me away, she yelled,
“I love you, too!”
The frenzy
from the press got more chaotic, jostling to shove microphones in Ella’s face.
The last thing I saw as the guards pushed me into the building was her granting
interviews, looking like the queen of all she surveyed.
Our handlers
led us to a small room off the hearing chambers. A few minutes later, my family
showed up. My uncle and his wife, Colonel and Captain Tannen, came in first,
followed by General Richardson. Not long after, Mom, Mamie and Brent arrived.
Mamie looked anxious, twirling a pigtail around her finger, but Mom was angry.
The night she’d found out about the hearings…well, I’d never seen her that
pissed off, and her mood hadn’t improved much over the last few weeks. She
paced the room, looking like she wanted to punch something really hard.
Once we were
all settled, Army counsel gave us last minute pointers. Mom glared at him
several times, finally saying, “Enough. You’re making them nervous.” She put
her hand on my shoulder. “Tell the truth. That’s all you can do. Don’t let them
twist your words.”
I would do
my best, because I needed to focus on getting through the proceedings without
slipping up. If I did, Uncle Mike, Badass Aunt Julie and General Richardson
could lose their jobs. Or go to jail for endangering minors. Take your pick.
The general
and Uncle Mike talked quietly in one corner, wearing their Class As. It was the
first time since his wedding that I’d seen my uncle in full dress uniform. The
large section of commendation ribbons on his jacket made him look impressive
and I stared longingly at the uniform. I hated being in this suit. I belonged in uniform, but when I begged
to enlist with Mom’s permission, no one had gone for it.
“You
wouldn’t complete basic in time for the hearings,” Captain Johnson had said.
Mike had
ground his teeth a full minute before adding, “Before he died, you promised
Colonel Black you’d go to West Point. Stay the course and we’ll get you there.”
Mom’s answer
was even simpler. “No.”
So here Will
and I were, looking awkward in coat and tie, as if this was some joke of a
graduation ceremony instead of a moment that would decide the fates of every
single person in this room. I tugged at my collar, wondering if it would
suffocate me before the hearing was over.
Mamie
touched my hand. Brent loomed behind her, an ever present watchman to keep our
sister out of harm’s way. Despite the gravity of our situation, she smiled. “Go
get ‘em, Tiger.”
And so I was
laughing when someone knocked. A House page about Mamie’s age stuck his head
in. The guy eyed Will and me warily, then said, “I’m here to escort you to the
proceedings.”
The general
stood. “All right, gentlemen. Time to go.”
Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to two self-important and high-powered cats. This, according to the cats, is her most critical job. She believes chocolate is a basic human right, running a 10k is harder than it sounds, and that everyone should learn to drive a stick-shift. She loves monsters, vacations, baking and listening to bad electronica.
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