I should have known I wouldn’t get picked to leave. All because Luke is now a captain. If I’m not on Zombie duty, I’m on training duty. I want to go out for Citizen Management. Get out of the desert for a few days.
“Kylie,” Jord calls. “My office.”
I give a silent grumble as I rise to my feet.
“Sorry you weren’t picked, Ky,” Collins states as I get up. “That has to suck.”
I ignore her. Collins likes to get under my skin. I’ve come to the conclusion she does these things to annoy me on purpose.
I run into Luke on my way to General Jord’s office. “You’re done for the day?”
“No, I have to go check on the Normals, then I’ll be done. Sir Jord just requested I meet him in his office, though.”
I frown. “Me too.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, but I hope he has the air on.”
Luke drops his arm down on my shoulder. “You ready to talk about me walking in your room when Marc was in your bed with you?” Here he goes again, wanting to talk about Marc. He should stop caring. I am trying not to care. It’s time he jumped on my bandwagon and gave up on these talks.
“Nope. I do not want to talk about it, and I was asleep like I told you. I think I dropped a bomb on a bulldozed building, though. Destroying the remaining rubble.” Also known as Kylie and Marc’s complicated friendship.
“How do you mean?” Luke tilts his head a bit to the right. “Why do you say that?”
I pull Luke to a stop and tell him every word of Marc’s and my conversation from earlier. I watch his expression shift from uninterested, to shock, and remorseful, but he doesn’t interrupt me. “His words made me feel, um,” I snap my fingers as I try to recall the word. “Worthless: having no good qualities. I felt his contempt. And I’ve never felt like I wasn’t good enough.”
Luke sighs and purses his lips.
“I know this is better this way,” I say rolling my eyes. “To let him stay angry and us stay separated. I get that. That’s why I’ve been staying away. Ignoring you when you want to talk about it and ignoring him when he looks at me, but that doesn’t make the way I feel go away.” I shrug. “I don’t know. I thought me saying it all out loud would fix it. But that didn’t help either.” I walk off.
Luke catches up with me. “You don’t want to hear what I have to say?”
“Is it going to be what I said?”
“A little.”
I smooth my hands over my ponytail and shove my emotional state in a low place. “Let’s go see what the general wants, Luke. No, I don’t want to hear it. And yes, I can stay away. I just wish we could be friends, I guess. Can we be around each other without the attraction and confusing feelings?”
“It’s because of the attraction and the feelings that you want to be around him. So I guess you can’t. Stop feeling the way you do, stop liking him, stop being attracted. See if that works.”
“That isn’t helpful.”
We travel the quick walk to the general’s office, and Luke opens the door. “Sir?” Luke says, and I nod.
Seits and Jord sit at his desk. “Kylie, you will be responsible for checking in on the captains and groups who are leaving. Luke, make sure you follow up with the groups of the captains. You all cannot train outside, so there will be all day training in the training hall. Lunch will be brought to you. Luke, you will be there as well. You all will be responsible for the entrances of Non-Creations and the remaining Creations of this draft for Separation. Numbers should be fine with the Creations leaving with their leaders. Do either of you have any questions?”
“No, sir.”
“Okay, Luke. Ace and Stacey will be leaving as well, so any and all responsibilities will fall on you. Everyone who is supposed to be here for this draft’s Separation has arrived, and our area is managed properly, so things should not be difficult to maintain.”
“Kylie,” Seits begins. “You and I will ride to the hole in the morning to check on the preparation of the labs. Luke will stay here and help Jord prepare for the Creations’ departure. Respond,” she demands softly.
“We understand.”
“Do either of you have any questions before you leave this office?” Jord asks.
“No sir,” we respond.
“As you were. We will meet you both in the morning.”
As we walk out of the general’s office, the howl of a coyote calls loud in the distance.
Our gazes meet. Ignoring it, we walk to our house.
When I’m in my room, getting changed, I hear two more coyotes howl louder. Peeking out my window to see how close or far they are, I catch Floyd and Fein running off from behind another house, leaving the base for the hills a couple miles out.
They are going out there to see the coyotes? Is it this easy to see us when we are running off?
I push away from the window, charging for Luke’s room, hoping they aren’t that fast so he can see them too. Without knocking, I burst in. He’s changing and looks at me suspiciously as I rush through the room. “Sorry, but look.” I point to the window that faces the same direction as mine.
He helps me pull back the curtain.
We watch Fein and Floyd run toward the hills and hear another coyote howl. “Looks like Floyd by the wonky way he runs.”
“It is.” We close the curtain. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Yes.”
We hurry to put on our suits and run from the house in the direction Floyd and Fein ran. When we make it to the hills, we quiet our footsteps to a silent jog.
Around the corner of the hill, there are whispers.
We throw out our arms, stopping each other from moving closer. Raising our index fingers to our lips, we tell each other to stay quiet as we prepare to peek around the corner.
Two Vojin males stand before Floyd and Fein. They look angry, displaying a hint of red in their swirling blue and green color. Like Talock did the day he strangled me in the borrow. I can just barely hear them, but I can make out the one on the left speaking in angry, hushed tones about someone trying to overthrow their plan back at their home.
Floyd raises his hand and asks, “What do they want us to do if things are back home and we are not affected down here?”
“We have never been to the home you speak of,” Fein chimes in.
“That does not matter. It is where you are from and what your second priority is beyond your twin. We cannot afford to be overthrown; there is too much at stake for this and our plan to overtake this planet. You are either with us or against us. We need you two to get multiples to side with us when the time comes to enforce our better living upon the humans.” He sounds exactly like Talock’s domineering nature.
“This is not going beyond what we were implanted here to accomplish?” Fein asks. “This is strictly for a better living instructed by the Maker?”
The male Vojin on the left takes a step toward her. “Are you questioning us, Feiney? Have we done something for our word to not be good enough for you or followed without question or a second guess? Or is it the Creation in you rebelling against what you know is right?” He stops when he makes it in front of Fein. The blue and green hue of him reflects off her face. She stands strong, nostrils flaring. “Should we now question your motives?”
The explanation these Vojin are giving Fein and Floyd is different from the two stories we have already heard. We can’t believe any of them.
“No. She wasn’t questioning you. We will do as instructed,” Floyd states.
The two Vojin nod and sink into pits of glowing particles before zipping back to the sky.
Luke pulls me back, and we press against the side of the mountain. He holds his hand out, saying we will stay. I chunk my thumb toward the corner of the mountain, asking if we will wait for them. He nods, and I nod, confirming.
Their ordered footsteps pound the dirt as they head in our direction. Luke and I wait for them to spot us.
We’re cloaked by
shadows with dusk falling over the hills. I doubt they will see us or that they are worried about someone being here if they didn’t think they were followed. Slowly, they round the corner. If we were snakes, we could bite them multiple times and kill them before they even noticed us.
Luke and I step out, strolling behind them, waiting for them to notice we’re here. They don’t discuss the recent events. Their stroll is silent. So silent it keeps them from being aware of their surroundings.
I look around us, making sure we were not followed. Although we aren’t typical Creations, these actions are normal for Luke and me. Floyd and Fein’s aren’t.
We’ve almost reached the fields when Luke kicks a rock.
They both halt, shoulders hitched near their ears, backs tight. They don’t turn around as they stand in shock and silence.
“Who is it?” Floyd asks, shoulder slowly lowering, hand creeping to his gun.
“Luke and Ky,” Luke says.
Floyd and Fein face us, both with their right hands drawn behind their backs, likely clutched around their M17. “We can explain,” Fein says.
Luke shakes his head, and I gesture with a quick point to their arms. “Lift them up.”
Muttering a slur under their breaths, they lift their hands in surrender. “It’s not what it looks like, Ky.” The muscles in Floyd’s jaw twitches. “You need to hear us out.”
Luke and I separate and walk in opposite directions around them. They keep us in their sights, turning their heads to watch our movements. Luke says, “Ky?”
“Yes?” I say in a hard tone, matching the way he called my name.
Luke scrapes his nails across the scruff on his chin. “It looks like we have a couple of traitors in our midst.”
“It does…”
Fein drops her arms and faces me. “Kylie, really, we can explain.”
Luke and I cross paths as we circle them again, staring them down. We don’t have any intentions to take action, not right now, but we will let them know we know their secrets. And as Creations, we will treat them as traitors, to keep our own footing in this world. We also need them to know they dropped the ball, allowing themselves to get caught.
“No explanation needed, Feiney.”
Luke and I meet back up and head for base, leaving them to ponder our next move.
They don’t call out or follow us.
We jog back through the winding hills, over the dried, crack dirt, to the base and passing the fields and courses to our empty house. When we make it back to Luke’s room, I push his door closed, asking, “What do you think?”
Luke throws his hands on his hips as he paces the floor. “Why would they run off when people could see them?”
I sit on his bed and lean over on my knees. That would be the million-credit question. “Maybe they wanted to be seen?”
“And you don’t check your surroundings while you’re out risking your life?”
“Not a mistake Creations as good as Floyd and Fein would make.” I lower my voice to a whisper. “Why would the Vojin call in the day? You think they set them up?”
“How do the Vojin know who they are calling?”
I waggle my finger. “How do we know who they are calling? It’s not like the coyote howls come with a name associated with them, or the little marble balls have our name carved into them.”
Luke stops and meets my gaze, eyes wide with awe. “What if it’s a test for us?”
I wince. “Like to see who’s willing to risk their lives when they call? Or testing to see if they have any rebellious hosts like that Vojin mentioned.”
“That would be it. Knowing Creation hosts have had their implants removed and we’re really thinking on our own, not controlled by the Vojin anymore. That would pose a problem to their plan.” Luke halts in his tracks and rubs his hand back and forth over his low-cut hair that’s starting to grow out. “I don’t know, Ky. But does what just happened make any sense to you?”
Someone knocks on the door.
I stand from Luke’s bed to answer it. “I think we should talk.” Cory stands on the other side of the door, fingernails tapping against the door panel.
I was not expecting him. “About what?”
“I saw you and Luke run after Floyd and Fein. I know what you saw. We should talk.”
I look over my shoulder and back. “We’ll be talking with Luke.”
“I don’t trust Luke.”
Luke comes to the door, ripping it from my hand as he yanks it wider. “I don’t trust you either, snake.”
“How do you know what you tell me, I won’t tell Luke?” I ask.
Cory looks back and forth from me to Luke, over and over again. “I don’t know. Will you?”
“I tell Luke what he hears, when it comes to things you have said to me. If he doesn’t hear it, he doesn’t know.” But he’ll definitely hear it, from me that is. I hold in my chuckle.
“What do you know?” Cory asks Luke.
Luke’s upper lip curls upward, revolted by Cory standing in his doorway. “I know you are a snake,” he states matter-of-factly.
Cory steps in without an invitation. He walks over to the window and looks around outside. “If you do not mind, Luke, can you stay by the door to ensure we are not heard?”
“Just say what you need to say, speak quietly, and we won’t be heard.” Luke closes the door and stands with his back to it.
I lean against Luke’s dresser.
“The night you saw me leaving from Jord’s office, I was retrieving a list that revealed names of Vojin-implanted Creations. Their names were on that list.”
“Are you working with Floyd and Fein?” I ask. I don’t think every mixed Creation is on the same side. I don’t know if there is a side. I can’t help but think everyone is lying. And if they are not, we all may end up fighting against each other. We may be better off if we take out all the Vojin, regardless of what the greater good is.
“Yes. I’m working with them,” Cory answers without hesitating. “They sent me here to talk to you two, to request your silence.”
“Why should we trust any of you?” Luke asks. “What is our silence buying them or us?”
“Their lives and your friendship. For you, nothing. It may make you feel better as a person, a remedy for you being such a dick,” Cory says. He crosses his arms and takes an unbreakable stance, but the twitch of his right brow gives away his insecurity.
Luke glowers at him.
Our names must not be on this list Cory had. The way Luke treats him, he would have called him out long ago. Maybe not in front of everyone, but he would have let it slip that he knows Luke is mixed and would have blackmailed him for sure. Cory looks humiliated to be asking Luke for anything.
Luke flicks his gaze from me to Cory, also noticing his distress. He looks back at me and slightly nods, then shakes his head, asking me whether or not we should go with it. I shrug my right shoulder that’s out of Cory’s view. He raises his brows up and down quickly, indecisive.
Another coyote howls in the night.
Cory looks to the window. “What made you follow Floyd and Fein out there anyway?” He turns his attention to Luke.
I snort a laugh, acknowledging his Creation-like way of interrogation. He’s trying to get something on us, so we will give him our silence.
“I saw them sneaking off. We do not sneak. And if we do, we are up to something corrupt. Luke and I hold positions that allow us to follow up on anything we interpret as questionable. With or without permission from the person taking part in those mischievous actions.”
“Like the ones you know all too well,” Luke chimes in.
I follow quickly, before Cory and Luke go back and forth again. “They ran off, and I came here to get Luke so we could find out what they were running off to. We all have been complaining of the heat, yet you would run out to the hills, in the heat that has brought you discomfort all day. They deserved to be followed and questioned.”
“We didn’t question them,
” Luke interjects. “So there is no reason for you to question us. Tell them they have our silence like Kylie has granted you. Now get out of my room.” Luke opens the door, inviting Cory to leave.
As Cory passes, he says, “Can you come talk to me after breakfast in the morning? I think you believe I mean something that I don’t.”
“You asked me for my silence, Cory. Let’s not get comfortable in our disputes by discussing them or trying to come to a common ground that will never get established. How dare you question us about our actions for following up as leaders on more of your kind to keep our sector and our people safe? This is what we were born and trained for!”
He quickly defends, “I wasn’t questioning you like―”
I throw up my hand, stopping him. “It may seem like I care, Cory. But if you look me in the eyes, you’ll see that I don’t.”
Cory lowers his head and glares at me through his lashes. “That’s not what your lips said the other day, Ky.”
“It’s what they are saying today,” Luke chimes in. “You might want to listen to them. I don’t want my sister to have to repeat herself.”
Cory turns to Luke. “I can’t wait until I’m able to get some dirt on you. I know you are not as good as you try to make yourself out to be. You’re hiding something worse than all of us, and when I find out what that is, I am going to make sure I watch you crumble, and it will be you begging me for silence,” he snarls, inches away from Luke’s face.
Luke smiles, looking at Cory through hate-filled eyes. “Keep your fingers crossed,” he encourages. “I’ll be waiting for that day right along with you. But for now, I like to watch you beg…and crumble.”
Cory balls his fist then un-balls it before he leaves, eyeing Luke all the way to the door.
Luke closes the door behind Cory’s departure. He turns around and rubs his hand over his buzzed head, grumbling. “Do you need to shower? I am going to shower.”
“Yes, I do. I’ll meet you back here after.” I approach his door, doorknob in hand. Please don’t let me open this door to Marc. Please don’t let Marc be in the hallway. Please don’t let me run into Marc as I go to the shower stalls. I open the door to an empty hallway. Phew.
The Separation Trilogy Box Set: Books 1 -3 Page 39
