The Pursuit of Truth

by Aaron Hodges

  “No…” she whispered, shaking her head. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at Hecate. “What have you done to me?”

  A smile spread across the creature’s face as it stepped towards her. It placed a hand on her shoulder.

  “Now, you are one of us,” Hecate whispered.

  Before Susan could reply, the red haze rose again to claim her.

  Part 6

  Recovery

  48

  Liz paced down the corridor, her long strides eating up the distance in half a dozen steps. Reaching the end, she spun and set off back down the hall. Her wings stretched out to either side of her, as far as the narrow walls would allow. A spasm rippled down her back, the muscles stiff from the long days of disuse. Up and down she walked, stretching and folding her wings, working the knots free.

  It wasn’t enough, of course, and though she’d only had the strange limbs a few weeks, she longed to take to the sky. There was a recklessness within her, a need to escape the safe house and soar amongst the skyscrapers and hills of San Francisco.

  Instead, she and the others had found themselves locked away, under strict orders to remain indoors and out of sight. That meant no midnight flights, not even an afternoon stroll through the suburbs. After their freedom in the mountains and plains of California, the restrictions were quickly driving her insane.

  It didn’t help that she had spent the past week dodging Chris. She could see the hurt in his eyes each time she spurned him. It mirrored her own pain, but she couldn’t bring herself to wound him further.

  Then there was Ashley, who had apparently decided to shun them all. Liz had tried to console Sam, who was mostly confined to his bed while his leg healed. Mira was finally awake, and despite their best efforts to make her rest, the girl had taken to wandering the house at strange hours. Several of the men who guarded the house had already complained about her scaring them half to death in the middle of the night.

  And Jasmine, well…she at least had calmed down since Independence Square. But she was going as mad as Liz was, locked away in the house.

  Worst of all, there hadn’t been any word from the cursed Texan. Over a week had passed since he’d left with their feathers. Maria and the other Madwomen had expected him back by now, though they still insisted everything was okay. Apparently, it wasn’t unusual for the man to drop off the radar, but Liz was far from convinced. She should have trusted her gut and killed him on the spot—but between Chris’s reservations and Maria’s reassurances, she’d allowed herself to be convinced.

  And so they waited, trapped in the house, at the mercy of a man whose nation had wreaked havoc on everything she’d ever known.

  Her parents would be rolling in their graves.

  During the day, they took turns watching television, waiting for news of the attack in Independence Square to surface. The government had been tight-lipped so far, suppressing all details while they ‘investigated.’ But with so many people involved, even the government-controlled news agencies had started asking questions. Unfortunately, the days when everyone had a smartphone in their pockets had ended when stocks of gallium and other rare earth metals ran dry. Thirty years ago, a dozen videos of the attack would have surfaced by now, but so far there had been nothing.

  Liz froze as a door opened into the hallway. Ashley appeared, arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

  “Do you have to do that?” Ashley asked, her voice sharp.

  Leaning against the wall, Liz folded her wings behind her back and eyed the taller girl. The silence stretched out as she tried to pierce the veil Ashley had cast over herself. The girl standing in front of her was so different from the Ashley she’d known back in the facility. That Ashley had always seemed so perfect, as though the darkness could not touch her. Even in the mountains, with bullets flying all around them, Ashley had kept her cool.

  But back in Independence Square, Ashley had frozen.

  “Sorry, were you sleeping?” Liz finally replied.

  Ashley’s wings snapped out behind her, the feathers standing on end. “Of course I was sleeping!” she snapped. “It’s 3 a.m.!”

  “Oh!” Liz glanced at the clock on the wall, surprised she’d lost track of time. “Sorry, I didn’t realize.”

  “Of course not,” Ashley snorted, her eyes flashing. “Why would you?”

  Liz raised her hands in surrender, unwilling to say anything that might provoke her friend further. Still scowling, Ashley turned and stalked back towards her room.

  “What happened to you, Ashley?” Liz asked without thinking.

  Ashley paused in her doorway, one hand on the wooden frame. With her back turned, Liz couldn’t see her face, but a shiver went through her feathers. Her shoulders started to shake, and Liz realized Ashley was crying.

  Liz was at her side in an instant. She gently rubbed the small of her friend’s back. She had taken to wearing long sleeves and thin woolen gloves, but Liz was still careful not to touch Ashley’s skin. Ashley looked back at her, her eyes red.

  “I don’t know, Liz,” Ashley’s voice shook. “I’m terrified…of everything. I feel so helpless, so useless, like every bad thing that happens is my fault.”

  “That’s not true.” Liz gripped her by the shoulder and forced Ashley to look at her. “You know that.”

  Ashley only shook her head. Breaking free of Liz, she leaned against the wall and slid to the ground. Hugging her knees to herself, she went on.

  “You don’t know what it was like, after you escaped. Halt had me so drugged up, I couldn’t do anything to stop him. My…my mind was so muddled…the things he did, they’re still coming back to me, even now. Every night I go to sleep, and I remember something new, some fresh, horrible thing he did while I was helpless in that hospital bed. It’s like he’s still waiting for me, every night…” Her voice cracked. “And then there’s what Sam did…for me. I can’t bear it.”

  Staring down at Ashley, Liz could only begin to imagine what vile things Halt might have done to her in retaliation for their escape. She crouched beside Ashley and hugged her as best she could.

  “Come on,” she said finally, nodding down the corridor. “We need some fresh air.”

  “But…” Ashley trailed off, and Liz saw the fear in her eyes.

  “No.” Liz gripped Ashley under the arm and hauled her to her feet. “Don’t think it, don’t say it. It’s dark. There’s no one looking for us out there, not at this time of night. We’ll be fine. Sitting around stewing isn’t doing you any good.”

  With that, Liz set off down the hallway, half-dragging the other girl with her.

  Taking care to avoid the man on watch, they slipped out the back window into the garden, where a scattering of trees offered shelter from anyone who might have been watching. The last traces of Ashley’s injury had faded days ago, and while she’d had less practice than the rest of them, she still managed to take flight after only a short run across the grass. Her white wings clipped the treetops as she rose from the yard, then she was free.

  Liz laughed as she saw the grin on Ashley’s face. Stretching her wings, she drifted sideways, allowing her friend to catch up. As they drew side by side, their wings stretched out to brush against one another, black on white. The lights of the houses fell away as they rose higher, the strong San Francisco winds sending them soaring.

  High in the sky, it seemed to Liz as though the whole world was beneath them. The lights of the city shone like stars below, stretching north and east and south as far as the eye could see. In the distance, the lights merged with the sky, so that there was no horizon, only an endless tapestry of stars all around.

  “How do you feel?” she called to Ashley over the howling wind.

  Ashley grinned, her face more alive than Liz had seen it in weeks. Her amber eyes shone like twin beams in the darkness.

  “Like I’m home!” she shouted back.

  They fell silent then, drifting in the peaceful calm of the night sky. Liz studied Ashley as they flew, remembe
ring again the girl she’d first met in their prison cell. Ashley had said something profound then—something that had given them all hope in those dark days. She’d told them that Halt and their captors were only human, that they would make mistakes.

  Thinking about the past few weeks, the things they had endured, Liz found herself wondering if there was more to those words than any of them could have imagined. Because despite everything that had been done to them, the torture and experimentation, they were still only human. With all the loss and horror and guilt they had endured, it was a miracle one of them hadn’t crumbled long ago.

  And of them all, Ashley had endured the most. While the bullet wound had healed, the aftermath of Ashley’s fall had left far deeper scars. Liz just hoped her friend could claw her way back from the brink.

  “You know what I always dreamed of doing?” Ashley asked suddenly, a grin splitting her face.

  Liz shook her head, and Ashley laughed. Without offering any further explanation, she folded her wings and dove towards the distant city. Liz’s heart lurched in her chest. Tucking in in her wings, she gave chase.

  “What are you doing?” Liz screamed, but the howling wind tore her words away.

  Below, Ashley plummeted through open air, her wings still drawn tight against her back. Skyscrapers loomed as they drew level with their rooftops. Only then did Ashley pull out of her dive. White wings struck the air, sending her racing through the maze of buildings, until ahead, they gave way to the waters of the San Francisco harbor.

  Liz adjusted her course, surprised by Ashley’s speed. She heard the soft crash of waves from below as the winds raged on the harbor, and away to their right she saw the lights of Alcatraz. The prison had been reopened during the American War, and had since been used to hold those convicted of treason while they awaited execution. Or so Liz had thought, until a few months ago.

  But it wasn’t the prison Ashley was making for. Her wings shifted, lifting her higher again, as lights loomed above. Blinking, Liz couldn’t help but grin as they flew up through the twisting suspension. Red paint glimmered in the fluorescent lights, while below the odd car made its way across the harbor, unaware of the two fugitives soaring overhead.

  Liz laughed as Ashley reached the top of the steel suspension and dropped onto one of the crossbeams. With the wind swirling around them, it was no easy feat, and Liz took care not to knock the other girl off as she followed suit. Landing lightly, she shivered as her bare feet touched the cold steel. She shook her head, a grin on her lips.

  The Golden Gate Bridge.

  The bridge of dreams, the symbol of their capital and the young nation that had been born from the ashes of the United States. It had survived the passing of the empire that had built it, and might yet live to see the fall of another.

  Ashley lowered herself down, so that she sat with her feet hanging out over open space. With her white wings dangling behind her, she looked like some guardian angel, sitting in watch over the Golden City.

  But Liz could see the fear in the whites of Ashley’s eyes. Her face was pale and whatever courage had brought her this far, it was quickly fading.

  Liz sat beside Ashley and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Are you okay?”

  Ashley shivered in her arms. “This was a mistake,” she whispered. “They’ll see us.”

  She didn’t move, and Liz pulled her closer. “No, they won’t,” she laughed, “and if they do, just let them try and catch us up here.”

  When Ashley didn’t reply, Liz went on. “They’re not going to find us, Ashley. I’m not going back to that laboratory, and neither are you. We’ll never wear those collars again.”

  “Words,” Ashley said, looking at her. “They’re just words—from you, from Sam, from my parents. They will come for us, just like they did my sister. They have to. We’re a loose end they can’t afford to leave free. We barely survived the square.”

  “Then we’ll go for them first,” Liz growled. She gave Ashley’s shoulder a squeeze. “The Director, the President, heck, Halt’s ghost for all I care. We’ll take them all down if we have to. That’s what we’re doing now, isn’t it? When Mike comes back…”

  “He’s not coming back,” Ashley whispered.

  Liz shivered, her own doubts rising to the surface. She pressed them down. “Maybe, maybe not. If he doesn’t, we’ll go instead. We can’t give up.” She paused and stared out over the city. Finally, she went on. “I don’t know what Halt did to you, Ash…”

  “He broke me.” There were tears in Ashley’s eyes as she looked out at the city.

  “Did he?” Liz asked softly, giving Ashley’s arm a squeeze.

  Ashley took a great, shuddering break. “No,” she whispered. “I can’t, I won’t, let his cruelty define me. But in the square…I was so afraid, I couldn’t move…”

  “We’re all afraid,” Liz said, “and that’s okay—but we don’t have the luxury of giving up. Too many people have sacrificed their lives for us to go hide under a rock. Richard and Fallow, our parents, those women in the square. We can’t run away now. We have to fight.”

  Ashley closed her eyes, but after a long moment, she nodded. Smiling, Liz let her go, and turned back to the city. Sitting up there, high above it all, it was easy to picture San Francisco as she had once imagined it. As a child, it had always been so distant, a mythical place she could only ever dream of visiting. Those dreams had soured her first day of boarding school. Her time there had taught her only hatred and cruelty, and within days she had longed to escape.

  Now though, she felt a touch of that old magic return. Up here, it was easy to forget the corruption that plagued the city, the vile cruelty of the men and women who ruled it. Up here, she could almost imagine the San Francisco of old, the city that had stood against the corruption of the United States, that had led the Western Allied States to freedom.

  “I don’t know how to face him,” Ashley whispered suddenly.

  “Who?”

  “Sam,” Ashley breathed. “I know he did it for me, but…I wish he hadn’t. There is already so much blood on my hands, I can’t take being responsible for the deaths of all those kids as well.”

  “It doesn’t have to be that way,” Liz said. “Help us stop them, before they have the chance to murder any more children. Whether the Texan returns or not, we need your help, Ash.”

  Ashley’s chest swelled as she sucked in a breath and forced a smile. “You’re right,” she said, nodding. “We’ll stop them, before it’s too late.”

  “Good,” Liz said.

  “We should be getting back,” Ashley replied as the distant screech of sirens carried to them. “The sun will be up soon.”

  Liz smiled. “Are you okay?”

  Ashley shrugged. “It is what it is.” Their eyes met, and for a second Liz caught a flash of the old fire in her friend’s eyes. “But thank you, Liz. You were right, I needed this.”

  “We both did.” Liz laughed, standing. “Let’s go home.”

  49

  Chris looked up from the sofa as the lounge window squeaked, then jumped as a head appeared beyond the glass. He relaxed when he saw it was only Liz. She scrambled inside before turning back to offer a gloved hand to someone behind her.

  Anger flared in Chris’s chest as Ashley clambered inside. Keeping their eyes carefully averted, the two girls slipped off into the corridor. Chris bit back his questions and rose from the couch to follow them. He’d woken an hour ago in darkness, and unable to sleep, had risen and taken over watch from the Madwoman sitting in the living room.

  In the corridor, Liz bid Ashley goodnight and closed the door behind her. Her eyes widened as she turned and saw him, and for a moment they stood staring at each other in silence. Finally, she nodded and moved towards him. Chris let out a long sigh as they returned to the living room and took seats on opposite couches.

  “What was that about?” Chris asked, trying to keep the anger from his voice.

  “She’s been struggling…with what
Halt did to her. And what Sam did for her,” Liz replied. “I think she’ll be okay, but…” She trailed off as their eyes met.

  Chris could feel the barrier stretching between them. Since the agonizing kiss they’d shared, Liz had distanced herself, pushing him away until Chris found himself questioning everything they’d ever felt for each other.

  Watching her now, Chris knew he had a choice to make: let whatever bond they shared between them shrivel and die, or push through the walls Liz had created around herself. Taking a breath, he stood and crossed to her couch. His heart pounded hard in his chest, and an icy tingle wrapped around his stomach as he sat. Remembered pain laced through his veins, but he bit his tongue and forced it away.

  Liz watched him quietly, her eyes distant. “Chris…” She started to speak, but Chris pressed his lips to hers before she could continue.

  She stiffened beneath him, and he paused, his lips lingering as he waited for her reaction. When she made no move to push him away, he kissed her again. A moan rattled up from her throat, but he felt her hand against his chest, as though she were gathering the will to push him away.

  Stilling, he pulled back. Looking into her eyes, he waited for Liz to speak.

  “Chris…” she whispered, her eyes watering. “What if…”

  Chris shook his head. “What if we die tomorrow?”

  Then his lips were hard against hers again, and now she was responding. Desire throbbed in Chris’s chest as her arms encircled him. He threaded his fingers through her hair and kissed her harder. All thought of venom and pain fell away as they lost themselves in one another.

  When the agony finally came, Chris did not resist. He embraced it, opening himself to its fiery touch. He didn’t release Liz, only kissed her harder. His hands trailed down her back, stroking her jet-black feathers, even as lines of fire wrapped around his mind. Somehow, it made no difference. He clung to Liz beneath him, feeling the warmth of her body wash over him, mingling with the fire of her touch, until he could no longer distinguish between the two.