Repossession (The Keepers Trilogy)

by Rachael Wade

  “Wait, what?” Jet asked, tugging off his wet shirt to change.

  Kale glanced at us nervously, peeking over his shoulder. People were starting to stir; the line at the bathtubs already stretched to the end of the hallway. “I don’t know. I just know he’s hell-bent on leaving tonight. See you in Sector One in five minutes.”

  Kale hurried off and I hastily started to change, wringing my hair out with a towel. “Wonder what that’s all about.”

  “Yeah, Mr. Boy Scout seems mighty flustered this morning.”

  I slipped my feet into my boots, glaring up at Jet. “Did he say breakfast? As in real food that we don’t have to trade for?”

  “It looks like this Hole handles trading differently. They actually have mealtime and they ration their food. We better take advantage of it while we can.”

  We finished changing and hung our wet clothes out to dry, then started for Sector One. When we arrived, the others were already digging in. My mouth watered at the aroma wafting through the room. Fresh-baked bread and hot coffee was on the table, complete with cream and sugar. Jet and I wasted no time breaking the bread and loading up on caffeine.

  Rico cleared his throat and stationed himself in front of the maps on the wall. “It’s come to my attention that the South railroad has been destroyed. The Invaders took it down themselves, with no help from human street patrol. Their presence is continuing to increase throughout the cities and on the open road, their control strategies and objectives continuing to evolve. That means we have to act faster than we’d originally planned, and that there’s a good chance the Shepherds have begun to report to Central Control. Their activation is well underway. There’s no time to waste. We’ve been in contact with rebel forces in Arizona and Nevada, and we’re ready to move in. Our mission to breach San Francisco’s control station begins tonight.”

  A chaotic uproar swept through the room, with objections from not having enough time to prepare or enough supplies to bring, to the need for larger numbers before we attempted the break-in.

  “That’s enough!” Rico shouted, slamming his fist on the pegboard. “Now, here’s what we’re going to do. I’ve been up all night devising a plan, and I’ve run over it with the other leaders before I called you all here. We know we’re asking a lot of you, but we’ve all agreed this is the best way.”

  I slipped my hand into Jet’s, not missing the way Kale’s gaze noted the connection.

  “We’re well aware that safety has been a number-one priority for many of you, and yet coming into this movement, you knew safety was never guaranteed. However, to assure you that your wellbeing is just as much a priority to us as it is to you, as your leaders, we believe we need a new tactic to successfully—and safely—accomplish this mission. Make no mistake, the safety I speak of will not apply to all involved. But in the grand scheme, it’s better for all of us.”

  “Come on, Rico,” Kale said impatiently, crossing his arms. “Enough of the pep talk. Let’s hear it.”

  Rico glared at him for a moment, and I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about Kale’s sudden short fuse. Where was the calm, collected, easygoing man I’d just met?

  “We’re going to send someone in to volunteer for service.”

  Gasps sounded throughout the room at Rico’s statement.

  “He or she will be implanted, and be responsible for gaining access to Central Control. This will allow us to gain entry undetected, and allow us to have a direct connection with the enemy. We’ll wire our volunteer, so they can translate and relay the Invaders’ language and commands back to us. This way, we’ll know exactly what’s coming before it hits us, and we can hopefully help speed up the process of activating the Seven. When the Shepherds are fully activated, they report to Central Control. All we’ll have to do is wait for them to show. Judging by the Invaders’ shift in Black Hole raids and the railroad incident, a few of the Shepherds have already activated and reported for duty. They’re probably attempting to speed up the process by instilling more fear in the streets, trying to force the remaining Shepherds out of hiding. The activation process began the second the Invaders arrived on Earth, but it can take a while for the Seven to get in and report. Keeper Legend says their human consciousness might try to resist their calling until the activation completes its full course.”

  Kale’s eyes were wide and fearful now, his fists clenching tightly as he began to pace. “You think we’ll go undetected?” he scoffed. “This is worse—being implanted will only make us more visible. One wrong move, one small behavior that’s seen as the least bit sneaky, and the Invaders will home in on us in a heartbeat. Whoever does this … they’ll be trapped if they’re caught on the inside. It’s a guaranteed death sentence.”

  Rico nodded, reiterating what he’d said seconds ago. “There is risk. No doubt about it. But it’s the best way. It has to be done.”

  “Because you and your leader friends say so?”

  “You better check yourself, brother. This is not the time to air your grievances. You chose to commit to this movement’s mission and its course of action. You’re either in or out.”

  “It’s bad enough the person implanted will be at risk. If they’re caught, whoever else we assign to be on the property is also at risk.”

  Rico glared at Kale, their epic staredown drawing everyone’s attention. “You have a better idea? Let’s hear it,” Rico lifted his chin, holding Kale’s gaze.

  Kale finally broke their connection, his eyes bouncing from left to right, his hands moving to perch on his hips. “No … yeah—yeah, I do.”

  “I’m listening.”

  Kale’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, his shoulders tense. Everyone’s gazes bore into him, including mine.

  “I think we need to consider an entirely different tactic,” he said. “Something radical.”

  “Like?”

  “We should consider a compromise of some sort … a peace deal.”

  The room was already quiet, but Kale’s words doused it with razor-sharp stillness. Rico’s body was stone, his eyes shifting into thin, vicious little slits.

  Seconds passed before he moved. “I don’t think I heard you right. No sane rebel who seriously values their honor, integrity, or life would stand here, in the presence of this movement, and suggest something as insulting,” he slowly stepped toward Kale, “as asinine, as cowardly as a compromise with the enemy.”

  Kale didn’t budge, but the tic in his facial muscles and faltering gaze gave away his fear. I knew just as well what he was probably thinking at that exact moment—these people would execute him for this. “I’m not proposing we surrender,” he said. “Making peace with the enemy is not surrendering. We’ll still have conditions. I’m not saying we offer up our integrity, honor, or lives to them on a silver platter.”

  “Then what are you saying? And if I were you, I’d think real carefully before you speak, because as far as I’m concerned—and these people you’ve vowed to fight for and protect are concerned—you’ve just taken the position of a traitor. And you know what we do with scum traitors.”

  “All I’m saying is that it might be worth our while to consider the possibility that if we find out what the Invaders want from us, maybe we can use that to our advantage. Maybe what they want from us isn’t so horrid … maybe they just don’t know how to communicate what they want to us, so they’ve resorted to hostile force. It’s not like we welcomed them to our planet. We didn’t even try to communicate with them, we just started attacking their ships. What would we do if we approached another life form, on another planet, and were attacked the minute we arrived? We’d immediately defend ourselves, right? If they wouldn’t listen, we’d make them listen—the hard way, right? What other option would we have?”

  “To retreat,” Rico hissed. “To pack up and leave. That would be the sensible, compassionate decision, instead of raining down in fury and start wiping them out, or forcing them into submission! They’re making us slaves, and you’re suffering fro
m one serious delusion if you think any different.”

  The woman Kale had identified as Thelma earlier stumbled forward, her face filled with contempt. “Making us slaves? We’ve been slaves. For hundreds of thousands of years, for who knows how long, while those bastards created us for the hell of it, then sat comfortably out there in the universe, watching us squirm. This is blasphemy! Rico, I won’t stand here and listen to this. He’s supposed to be on our side!”

  Rico closed the remaining gap between him and Kale, leveling their gazes. His voice lowered to a menacing tone. “You and I have already discussed this. We already know their objective.”

  “You asked if I had another idea, and I told you I did. But you won’t listen, and now you’re putting everyone at risk. Their objective could change if we approach them in peace.”

  “That skull of yours must be pretty thick.” He tapped Kale’s forehead. “How many times do I have to say this whole operation is a risk? Their goal will not waver. If they gave a damn about keeping peace or had even the slightest interest in what we might want, they would’ve gone about things a hell of a lot differently, a long, long time ago.” The tips of Rico’s boots hit Kale’s, his glare murderous. “So get on board, and be fucking glad we’re not putting a bullet in your head right now.”

  Kale ground his teeth, nodding. Without a word, he turned and stormed out, causing the room to erupt into another flurry of bickering.

  “Connor,” Rico seethed, pointing to the heavily armed, athletic man next to him, “follow him. Don’t let him out of your sight.”

  “Yes, sir.” Connor rushed after Kale and my gut clenched, silently praying Kale would calm down. I didn’t want to see anything happen to him, even if I didn’t entirely believe in his commendable, yet dangerous peace-talk idea.

  Then again, I wasn’t sure what I believed in at this point.

  “Let’s pretend that little spectacle never happened, shall we?” Rico raised his voice, returning to his task. “Unless someone would like to willingly volunteer for this mission, we’re drawing a name.”

  Jet’s hand found mine and he carefully guided me behind him, moving me out of sight. “I’ve got you,” he murmured over his shoulder, his big body shielding me.

  “Any takers?” Rico asked, scanning the circle of rebels around him. Gazes were lowered to the ground and throats were cleared as the room fell silent.

  “All right, then. We’ll do this the hard way.” He turned to the table and grabbed a small bucket while directing everyone to write down their name on the scraps of paper inside. The bucket was passed around until one by one, we all retrieved slivers of papers and scribbled our name onto them, dumping them back into the bucket when we were done.

  The bucket was returned to Rico, and he wasted no time digging his hand in to pull out a name. Every hair on my neck stood on end; a slight tingling spread down my spine. Instead of feeling a chill, the tingling filled me with rejuvenating warmth. My pulse raced with the thought of being picked, and what it might mean for the rebels. For the human race. My heart pounded harder, and then another thought came, one that sent me tipping over the edge from sanity to insanity.

  What would it mean for Jet and his sister Hera?

  My arm acted independently from my mind, ignoring every reservation stirring there. My hand shot up in the air and I called out before Rico could read the name on the piece of paper he pulled from the bucket. “I’ll do it,” I said.

  Jet spun around, his blue eyes bulging from his head, his hands clamping onto my shoulders. “Skylla, what are you doing?”

  “Who’s that?” Rico asked, craning his neck in the direction of my voice.

  “Skylla!” Jet said, louder this time.

  I glanced around him to Rico, then returned my attention to his shocked, disbelieving eyes. Their blue was strikingly fierce, with flecks of fire lurking in their depths. “Think of Hera,” I whispered calmly. “This is your prime opportunity to find her. You were implanted … you were close to finding her location. Just a little more digging, and you could’ve—”

  “No,” he said with no hesitation. “You can forget it. I won’t let you do this.”

  “Let me finish what you started, Jet.”

  “I said no. You made me promise. Made me swear I’d never let you be held prisoner again. I’ve broken a lot of promises, Sky. This is one I won’t break.”

  “Hey, little girl,” Rico shouted over the chatter that had ignited throughout the room, glaring around Jet’s protective shield. “What’s your name again?”

  “Skylla.”

  “Step forward.”

  Jet caught my elbow but I shook him away, moving forward toward the man who now held my fate in his hands. “What do I have to do?”

  Rico watched me for a moment, no doubt sizing me up and questioning my loyalty. “You’re prepared to do this?”

  My body trembled, telling me to run. “Yes, whatever it takes,” my mind said, pushing the words from my mouth.

  A string of curses exploded from behind me. One glance over my shoulder confirmed the fact that Jet was officially freaking out. He was saying something to me now, but his words were blurring together, sliding and bending into one another, creating an incoherent, jumbled mess of speech. I watched as his desperate features pleaded with me, watched as his fingers weaved rapidly through his hair, but my focus wasn’t on him. It was on Rico and the other rebels waiting, expectant, curious to know whether I’d follow through with my word.

  “Good.” Rico nodded, resolute. “I’ll give you a briefing in one hour. Have some breakfast and collect your things.” He disappeared through the crowd and out the metal door, leaving the other rebels to the food portions on the table. Excited chatter ensued the moment he exited, and as if nothing significant had happened, everyone began to spread out and help themselves to breakfast.

  How easy it was for them to forget. It wasn’t their lives on the line. Not yet, anyway.

  I’d already had my allotted portion of caffeine, so I reached for some water and snatched a bagel before turning to head back to my sleeping quarters. Jet was hot on my heels, his mouth still moving and arms flailing wildly around as he spoke, but my mind was in a haze. The warm, tingly feeling hadn’t left my body since I’d raised my hand, and something in me wanted nothing more than for it to stay. It felt as if I was on the right track somehow, that I’d done the right thing.

  But I couldn’t explain that to Jet. Not when I couldn’t even explain it to myself.

  “Skylla, are you listening to me?”

  He jumped in front of me and then my body was encased against the wall, his firm hand cupping my chin, forcing my eyes to his. When I found them this time, something in me sank. They weren’t just desperate—they were heartbroken.

  “I’m listening. I’m sorry … I’m … still processing what I just volunteered to do.”

  “March back there and say no. Hell, I’m going to find Rico right now.” He pushed off the wall and started in the other direction.

  “Jet—”

  “Don’t!” He pointed a finger without looking back. “Just don’t.”

  I released a frustrated sigh and began to charge after him, only to be yanked back by Kale. “Kale? What the—” My bagel flopped onto the ground.

  “Quiet.” A silver blade appeared in his hand and he brought it to my neck, hooking his arm around me from behind. His other hand moved to cover my lips. I flinched, feeling the heavy weapons banging between my body and his. He was strapped for combat. Moving his fingers just enough for me to speak, he asked, “Where’s your boyfriend going?”

  “I—I don’t know, he went to see Rico,” I stuttered, blinking furiously. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Just stay quiet and come with me.” Yanking me tighter against his body, his chin shifted above my head as he scanned from right to left, then dipped down the hall and into a narrow crevice. The jagged rock formed a tight passage, barely big enough for a child to fit through. He shoved me forwar
d, eyeing my hand as it hovered over my gun holster. “Move.”

  “I can’t fit through that.”

  “Yes you can.” He reached over and snatched my gun. “Now move. Hurry! Rico’s men are looking for me. I don’t have much time.”

  He forced me forward into the passage. The rocky maze led me deeper and deeper into darkness. Kale waited until we were almost completely submersed in the gloom before he turned on his flashlight.

  “Are you going to tell me where you’re taking me?”

  “I told you, I need allies.”

  “Holding someone at knifepoint and kidnapping them is not the way to make friends.”

  “I had to get your attention. I would never hurt you, Skylla. What’s Jet doing with Rico?”

  “Hoping to talk him out of sending me on the mission.”

  “What?” Kale came to a dead stop. “They volunteered you?”

  “I volunteered myself.” The whites of his eyes flickered in the dim cave light. “Why would you do that?”

  “I have my reasons.”

  “Skylla, cut the bullshit, why would you do that?”

  “I want to get on the inside. It’s my best shot at finding Jet’s sister.”

  Kale blew out a heavy breath and rubbed at his eyes. “This is all wrong. Rico will take him out. Come on, keep moving.”

  Kale smacked into me as he tried to move forward. “I’m not leaving without him. I won’t let Rico touch him.”

  “I don’t know what you two are … whatever you have going on or whatever, but in case you haven’t noticed, the circumstances aren’t exactly ideal for having any kind of relationship. You get that, right?”

  “I didn’t ask you for fucking relationship advice.”

  “If he challenges Rico, Rico will take him out. Sorry, but it’s reality. We have to go.”

  “I’m not leaving without—”

  “Yes,” he withdrew the blade again, pointing it at my throat, “you are.”

  His face went cold and he pushed me into motion again, sparking an uncontrollable rage, a rage I would’ve happily let eat him alive, if it weren’t for the shiny blade at my back and the fact that I was unarmed.