<center> *Did you miss Episode 54 of Alarm Clock Dawn? If so [click here](https://steemit.com/story/@ericvancewalton/alarm-clock-dawn-an-original-novel-episode-54) to catch up.* </center> 

<center> Are you new to Alarm Clock Dawn? If so [click here](https://steemit.com/story/@ericvancewalton/alarm-clock-dawn-an-original-novel-part-1) to start at the beginning. </center>

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Evelyn and Adam mounted their bikes, standing up as they peddled to get enough leverage to catch up with Bear who was already quite a ways ahead of them.


“Godspeed!” Ikeda yelled as the three of them rode off towards the city.


The group pedaled in silence for the first few minutes. The only sound was the breeze and their knobby tires pinging against the loose gravel in the road. Adam's mood was somber, and he was so immersed in thought that he didn't even notice the light droplets of rain that gathered on the lenses of the thick framed glasses that Ikeda had given him to wear.


Bear was the first one to break the silence. “So, do we have a plan, chief?” As he turned his head, his bike veered off towards Adam, and he quickly corrected his steering to avert a collision.


“Yes, well sort of. If my intuition is correct, we may have an ally at XenTek. I'm just not sure exactly who it is yet.” 


“We'll need one,” Evelyn chimed in as she quickly scratched her head then readjusted her blond wig with one hand. “I'm sure they're scouring the city right now for us both.”


“The disguises are ingenious,” Bear said, finding it difficult to believe how different Adam and Evelyn looked. 


Evelyn laughed. “Ingenious, but itchy. By the way, I must say you look fetching in that mustache, Adam.” 

Immersed in his thoughts, Adam was oblivious to the teasing remarks. He pointed just a few miles ahead. “This sky is not looking good. A tornado could drop at any minute.” As soon as the words were spoken, Ikeda’s words echoed in his head. *Free your mind from worry and open up to possibilities. Keep your thoughts pure and positive and you will soon see.*


Powerful gusts of straight line wind began to drive the rain sideways as the trio struggled to stay upright on their bikes. The wind blew warm from the east, but from the west felt it fifteen degrees cooler. 


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“We'll have to ditch the bikes and go the rest of the way on foot,” Bear said. “The wind is just getting too strong.” He led the group to shelter underneath a large gnarled oak tree. They all laid their bicycles down on the ground and continued their march towards the city.


As they made their way down the road, Evelyn began to look troubled. “Guys, where could Ikeda possibly be taking us? Seriously, what guarantee do we have that Ikeda won't just leave us behind once we get him the combustion chamb—”


“Deceit is not in his nature!” Adam interrupted. “This much I know. It's very important that we trust him. At this point, faith is all we have.”


“Come on now, we can do this,” Bear said. Standing between the two of them, he draped his heavy arms across each of their shoulders and pulled them closer. “No matter what challenges lie before us, we need to stick together. I see the edge of the Safe Zone up ahead. The checkpoint is only ten minutes or so from here.” 


At this observation, Adam's heart began to race in anticipation of what was to come. He had only been away from the city for a day, but after experiencing the peace and joy of Ikeda's camp, the thought of stepping foot back inside of the city was making him feel nauseous. 


As they got closer, Adam felt the urge to blow his nose. The pollution that shrouded the city stung his sinuses, making his eyes water. 


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“Now is the time to center yourself. Commit the names on your C.ID cards to memory,” Adam commanded. He looked down at his own card. “I'm Josh Edwards.” 


“Angela Moore,” Evelyn called out.


Bear rifled through his jacket pocket and pulled out his C.ID card. “Good day, the name's Percy Wright.”


“Really? Percy?” Evelyn’s voice cracked as she smiled nervously at Bear.


The guard shack was now only a few hundred yards away, and Adam sensed that they were already being watched by the guard. 


“We go through the checkpoint as a group. We all took a day trip out of the city. We lost track of time, hiked too far, and decided to spend the night. This is our story.” Adam calmly told the group.


Both Evelyn and Bear nodded in agreement. It seemed believable enough. They passed through the chain link gate with twelve-foot-high razor wire fences on either side. 


“Scan your cards, please!” the guard called out as the three approached the concrete guard shack.  His voice sounded tinny and robotic through the small speaker attached to the window. Adam gasped a huge breath and held it as they, one by one, touched their C.ID cards to the scanner and it beeped. 


“Okay, let's see, who do we have here?” The guard looked at his display screen and then glanced at each one of them, his eyes lingering on Evelyn longer than the other two. From what they could see of him, the guard was young, all of about twenty-one years old. There was a pause for what seemed like an eternity as the guard read his display screen. Adam's heart was so loud in his head, he was convinced that even the guard could hear it.


“Let's see. We have Ms. Moore, Mr. Wright, and Mr. Edwards. Ah and good, you're all Greens. This makes my job easier,” the guard mumbled under his breath, tapping his hand on the bare desktop. 


“Tell me what in the world would possess good consumers like yourselves to stay overnight out there in the uncivilized wilderness, especially in the storm?”


“Oh, sir, it was a terrible accident,” Evelyn answered with her brightest and most convincing smile. “I can't tell you how relieved we are to be back. The city is such a sight for sore eyes! We were scared out of our wits, spending the night out there with those savages!” 


Bear nodded his head and continued the charade. “Yes, it all started as a simple day hike. We lost track of time and got caught in a terrible storm. I'm sure I can speak for the group when I say it was the worst night of our lives.” 


The guard squinted his eyes as he looked at his monitor, and then his face took on a look of seriousness. “Well, you should consider yourselves lucky you weren't robbed, beaten, or worse out there. Especially with this lovely lady here. You should consider this a lesson and think twice before leaving the protection of the city. Come on through and welcome back, consumers.”


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When they were out of earshot, Bear exhaled deeply. “Whew. I'm relieved it wasn't the same guard as yesterday in that booth.”


“I'm sure he's probably visiting his chiropractor to straighten his spine after the shaking you gave him yesterday, big guy,” Adam said, smiling, as he slapped Bear on the back.


“Okay, XenTek headquarters is fifteen minutes away from here by subway.” Evelyn said. “We need Kosseth station.”




<center> *(All gifs sourced from Giphy.com)* </center>

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### Tune in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for new episodes of Alarm Clock Dawn! The final episode including a ENORMOUS plot twist will be read by yours truly live at the first annual [SteemFest](http://steemfest.com) in Amsterdam on Saturday, November 12th. ###

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*Alarm Clock Dawn is the first novel of a trilogy. The sequel entitled, Truth Is Stranger, will be published in the Spring of 2017.*

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