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Chapters (37)
  1. Cover
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. Prologue
  7. Chapter 1
  8. Chapter 2
  9. Chapter 3
  10. Chapter 4
  11. Chapter 5
  12. Chapter 6
  13. Chapter 7
  14. Chapter 8
  15. Chapter 9
  16. Chapter 10
  17. Chapter 11
  18. Chapter 12
  19. Chapter 13
  20. Chapter 14
  21. Chapter 15
  22. Chapter 16
  23. Chapter 17
  24. Chapter 18
  25. Chapter 19
  26. Chapter 20
  27. Chapter 21
  28. Chapter 22
  29. Chapter 23
  30. Chapter 24
  31. Chapter 25
  32. Chapter 26
  33. Chapter 27
  34. Chapter 28
  35. 1
  36. 2
  37. 3

No, I’m joking. Numpty .

Before he could press ‘enter’, Alex laid his papers down on the desk and pinched him on the arm.

A pinch. It was an odd way of getting his attention. Ewan turned to find Alex pointing his eyes towards a neighbouring computer screen.

As a fourth clone stood up, Ewan kept his head still but moved his eyes, and read the alert message that had caught Alex’s attention.

RED ALERT - FOR URGENT ATTENTION OF SOLDIERS IN THE CENTRAL RESEARCH HEADQUARTERS The occupants of Stations 3 and 4 are highly dangerous armed insurgents and must be neutralised immediately. A discreet surround-and-shoot method is advised. Do not make them aware of an attack before you have shot them dead. Marshall

The last clone rose to his feet. Ewan stopped breathing.

Chapter 18

We can’t defend ourselves with bullets. If a gun goes off, every clone within half a mile will head this way.

There wasn’t even a split-second to hit the ‘enter’ key before Alex tore his knife from its sheath, spun around at the nearest body and ripped the blade across its throat. The stunned clone had not even touched his holstered weapon before the shock took over his body and sent him to the floor.

Ewan was so quick to jump to his feet that his brain had not quite realised what was happening, and for the opening seconds of combat it felt like someone else was controlling him. He gripped his assault rifle in both hands and picked out his first opponent, as it raised its own rifle to fire.

He leapt forwards to within whispering distance of his target, and killed with one blow for the first time in his life. He swung the butt of his rifle upwards into the clone’s nose, sending bone fragments into his brain, and the open-eyed dead soldier fell backwards into the arms of his ally behind him.

The unexpected body was enough of a distraction to allow Ewan to leap again and attempt the same trick twice, but he was faced with the largest clone model in Grant’s army – and an enemy who saw what was coming. The clone’s dodge put Ewan off balance, and a knee thundered into the bony part of his thigh. Ewan staggered in pain, for a moment not even realising that his assault rifle had fallen from his hands. The large clone threw his dead ally’s body away from him, but could not aim his rifle before Ewan’s clawing hands snatched out for it.

Ewan was losing the wrestle. The clone’s hands were stronger, and had a much more secure grip on the weapon. Desperate, Ewan looked to the other side of the room to call out to Alex, but his teammate had problems of his own.