by L. S. O'Dea
“Screaming. Someone’s screaming.” Prin sat up.
He stood, drawn to the front of the cage by the terror in that voice. “Sounds like the kid. The young Guard, Charlie.”
“Charlie?” Prin moved to his side, tipping her head to better catch the sound. “Oh no, it does.” She glanced at Rufus. “What’s happening to him?”
“I have no idea.” He’d never, ever heard noises like that. Screams for help he’d heard often in his life, but not this sheer terror. He wrapped his arm around his sister and pulled her close.
“Listen. Footsteps.” Lee walked over by them.
Something was coming down the hallway, the pace fast but uneven. “It’s either hurt or...there’s something different about it.”
They all took a step away from the front of the cage.
“More footsteps,” said Prin. “Larger. Running.”
“In the other direction. Toward the screams.” Someone was braver than him. He wouldn’t go anywhere near a sound like that.
“They’re going to help him,” Prin whispered. “Thank Araldo, someone is going to help him.”
He hoped whoever was moving toward Charlie hurried. The young Guard didn’t deserve whatever was happening to him. Another scream pierced the air and he shivered. Nothing deserved what was happening to that kid.
Something hit the door and it flew open. He shoved his sister behind him and Lee stepped forward to help block her. A Servant hopped into the room, letting the door close behind him. He was an adult male and something bad had happened to his leg. It was mangled and dragging.
Rufus’ gaze moved to the Servant’s face, ready to plead for help but his words died in his throat. He’d seen death and fear, starvation and desperation, but he’d never seen such a look of horror.
The Servant’s gaze darted around the room.
“Help us,” Prin stepped from behind her brothers.
Rufus grabbed her arm. This Servant was unstable—scared past the point of acting rationally.
The Servant’s wild eyes landed on her for one second.
Lee raised his nose and tipped his head. “Someone’s coming. The key is on the wall. Open the cage and we’ll hide you.”
“Can’t. They’ll find me.” The Servant grabbed the door handle.
“Help us, please,” begged Prin.
“I can’t.” The Servant opened the door and peered down the hallway before glancing back at them over his shoulder. “I’m sorry, but if they catch me, they’re going to feed me to...to a monster.” He took off down the hallway, half-hopping and half-running.
“What did he mean by that?” Lee’s voice came out as a squeak.
Rufus stared at the door as it closed. “Don’t know.” He didn’t want to find out either. “Only know that escape is off for tonight.” There was too much action. Too many footsteps. “Hopefully, we can leave tomorrow night.”
CHAPTER 12: RUFUS
Rufus and Lee leaned against the wall, discussing in hushed whispers how to get out of the building once they escaped from the cage.
“She’s getting worse.” Lee looked at Prin who was still sleeping.
“I know, but we can’t risk leaving until they capture that Servant. They were searching all night.”
“You’ve noticed her stomach, haven’t you?” asked Lee.
“Yeah.” He didn’t want to think about that. She was getting bigger every day. It wasn’t normal, not at this stage of the pregnancy. Living on the streets made them all very familiar with pregnant females and none of them showed this early.
The door burst open and Scottsmoor strode into the room, muttering under his breath. “This is Gruntshit. I have to waste my time because McBrid screwed up. Killing an Aranea with water. How does that even happen?” He turned on the computer. “And that Guard should be fed to a River-Man for his stupidity.”
Rufus looked at Lee who shrugged. They’d heard rumors on the street that there were things haunting the forest—unnatural things. One of them was called the River-Man because it stayed in the rivers and lakes, hunting anything that got near. Neither of them had believed the stories, but unless Scottsmoor was being whimsical the creatures existed. He snorted back a laugh. The Almighty was a lot of things, but whimsical wasn’t one of them.
“Come on.” The scientist stared at the computer, pressing a button on the keyboard.” I don’t have time to watch all the footage. I only need to see what happened after the escape.” He tapped faster.
Lee nudged him and he nodded. It seemed the Almighty never watched the tapes and that was excellent news.
Scottsmoor straightened. “He was here.” He looked up from the computer. “Where did he go?”
“What are you talking about?” Rufus didn’t like Servants but he liked Scottsmoor even less.
“The Servant who came in here last night.” Scottsmoor’s face was turning red.
“It’s all on the film,” said Rufus.
The Almighty’s eyes narrowed but he looked back at his screen and then left.
“Hopefully, with all this excitement, he’ll forget about our shots.” Those things did more than hurt. They sparked a fire in his blood and he was pretty sure they were burning away who he was and leaving something new.
CHAPTER 13: RUFUS
“We need to get out of here. Now.” Lee sat on the floor by Prin.
“We can’t. Not until they find that Servant.” Rufus paced in the cage. It was dark and everything should be quiet, but it wasn’t. The Guards were still searching for the escaped Servant.
“She can’t take many more shots,” said Lee.
“I’m fine,” mumbled Prin.
“You’re not fine.” Rufus wanted to tear the Almighty apart with his teeth. Teeth that were changing, getting longer and sharper in the front and disappearing from the back of his mouth.
“We have to try. If we don’t go tonight...” Lee stared up at him. They both knew it was the only chance Prin had.
“Okay.” He moved to the front of the cage and slipped his hand through the bars.
“Rufus, we can’t. There are Guards everywhere.” Prin sat up, her face pale. “We’ll only get one chance.”
“But if we don’t leave tonight, you”—Lee cupped her cheek—“won’t be strong enough to go.”
“Then you’ll leave me.”
“Stop talking like that.” Rufus dropped the metal. “Gruntshit.”
“Be careful with that,” said Lee.
“No shit.” He bent and grabbed the fork tine from the other side of the cage. He shouldn’t have dropped it. It was their only chance but the idea of leaving her...leaving either of them tore him up. Probably, because that thought had crept into his head more than he’d ever admit. They wouldn’t have much time to get out of here, but with her they’d have to move slow. Leaving her would be the smart thing to do, but he couldn’t. He wouldn’t.
“Rufus, think about this. I’m sick.”
“You’re pregnant,” said Lee.
“We all know that has nothing to do with what’s happening to me...to all of us.” She stood and walked over to Rufus, touching his arm. “We can’t risk leaving tonight.”
She was right, but he didn’t care. If they waited, it’d mean she wouldn’t go with them and that’d mean the Almighty had won. Even if he and Lee were healthy and free for the rest of their days, they would be changed. The Guards who’d come into this lab would’ve never left their sister. “We’re leaving tonight.” He shook her hand off his arm. “Get your things.”
“Rufus, don’t do this.”
Lee stood and grabbed the cards and some bits of food they’d hidden, stuffing them into his pocket.
“We’ll only get one chance. I know it. I feel it,” said Prin. “We need to wait for the right moment and this isn’t it.”
He slipped the metal into the lock and turned it, listening. His hearing was better, a lot better than before and that’d help the three of them escape. He moved the metal a fraction and pushed. T
he lock clicked. He dropped the pick into his pocket as he opened the door. “Let’s go.”
“Please. Not tonight,” said Prin.
Lee grabbed her hand, pulling her but he should know better. Force never worked with their sister.
“Let me go.” She jerked free from her twin.
Rufus stepped into the cage and rested his hands on her shoulders. “Listen to me, Prin. We are not leaving you. Ever. Understand.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. “It’ll be my fault you die. It is my fault. If I hadn’t run from you when I found out I was pregnant, we wouldn’t have gotten caught in the sweep.”
“Stop it.” He pulled her close. “None of this is your fault. None. Everything’s the fault of Almightys. An Almighty wanted to rape you. It’s their laws that say we can’t roam free. They put us in cages and they’re giving us shots that are...making us sick.” He waited for the argument. They all knew the shots were doing more than that, but neither twin said anything.
“I’m staying. I’m not going to be the reason you both die.” She sat on the floor.
“Stop being a stubborn Grunt’s ass.” Lee grabbed her arm. “Get up.”
“Leave her.” Rufus’ large body trembled as if poisoned by his words.
“What?” Lee stared at him as if he were a monster.
Prin’s tears came faster as she looked away.
“Prin, listen.” He squatted in front of her.
“There’s nothing you can say—”
“No. Listen.” He tapped her ear. “The Guards aren’t here. They’re way down the hallway. They already searched this area which means we need to go in the opposite direction.”
She tipped her head, listening, and her eyes brightened with hope. “You’re right.”
“Of course, I’m right. I’m always right.” He grinned at her.
“Let’s go.” She laughed as she stood.
CHAPTER 14: RUFUS
Rufus opened the door and peeked into the hallway. It was empty except for...“Cameras.” He should’ve expected that but he hadn’t. “They’re probably watching them pretty closely because of that Servant.”
“Nothing we can do about it. Keep your head down and move fast.” Lee tried to push past him, but he grabbed his brother’s arm.
“Wait. They may not have seen the slight opening of the door.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Lee pulled free and stepped into the hallway.
The cameras were going to notice that, but his brother was right. If they waited, Prin wouldn’t be able to come with them.
“Let’s go.” He grabbed her hand and hurried down the hallway. He had a vague recollection of the way they’d been brought into the facility but there were too many twists and turns.
“This way.” Lee darted down a narrow side hallway.
“I hope he’s right,” said Prin.
“He’s always right about the alleyways.”
“He knows the alleys,” she mumbled.
“We don’t have much of a choice,” he said.
Lee was the best with direction and he had a natural instinct on not getting caught. Even this last time, when they’d been scooped up by the sweeper team, Lee had gone down a different path when they’d gotten separated. His brother wouldn’t have been seen, except he’d come back for them. It was the three of them until the end.
“Wait.” Prin stopped. “Smell that?”
They both stopped and sniffed. “Guards. A lot of them.”
“They came this way”—he sniffed again—“not too long ago.” His sense of smell had been good before but now it was amazing. He could differentiate between faint odors and could estimate how long the scent had been there.
“They’re still ahead of us.” Lee trotted forward.
“But they could turn around.” Prin hesitated. “I don’t think we should be this close.”
“Come on.” Lee stopped at a corner. “We need to go this way.”
“How do you know?” asked Prin.
“I just do.”
“That’s not good enough. Not this time.” Prin crossed her arms over her chest.
“Do you have a better plan?” Lee hated being questioned, especially by his sister.
“Yeah. Not following a group of Guards for one,” she said.
“Stop it. Both of you.”
Lee made a face at his sister.
“We need a plan,” he said. “We followed you this far but I don’t think this is the way we were brought into the lab.”
“It isn’t, but we’re not getting into an elevator,” said Lee.
“No, that’d be stupid, but the stairs are near the elevators.”
“There are stairs this way.” Lee pointed down the hallway.
“How do you know?” Great. Now, he sounded like his sister.
“Listen,” said Lee.
He tipped his head and it was faint but he heard it—footsteps, a lot of them on stairs. “You’re suggesting that we follow the Guards to escape?” His brother was crazier than he’d thought.
“Yeah.” Lee smiled. “They know how to move from floor to floor. We don’t.”
“That’s nuts,” said Prin but there was a hint of respect in her tone.
“It’ll work. Trust me.” Lee took off down the hallway.
Prin looked at him.
He shrugged. “I don’t have a better idea. Do you?”
“Unfortunately, no,” she said.
CHAPTER 15: RUFUS
Rufus and his siblings followed the scent of the Guards until they found the stairwell.
He grabbed Lee, stopping his younger brother. “I’ll go first, then Prin and then you.”
Lee nodded, stepping behind Prin. It was unspoken, but they always kept their sister safe. Lee may bicker and fight with his twin but he’d give his life for her.
They quietly made their way down the stairs. They stopped at the first door, sniffing and listening.
“A lot of the Guards went to this floor,” said Lee.
“Not all of them.” He sniffed along the walls following the fresh scent.
“They split up,” said Lee.
“We need to keep going.” Prin held her stomach, her face tight.
Rufus wasn’t sure if it was from pain or worry but they needed to move. “First floor, here we come.”
They walked down the stairs as quickly as was safe and it didn’t take long to get to the bottom floor.
Rufus hesitated, gripping the handle. This was possibly the few last seconds they had together. “We don’t know who we’re going to bump into when I open this, but we need to run if we can and fight if we have to.” He searched both of their faces. None of them had ever touched an Almighty in anger. It was certain death but so was going back to that cell. “Fight anyone, no matter the class.”
“Anyone.” Lee’s normally friendly face was pinched, making him look years older. “It’s us or them.”
“Exactly.” Prin nodded. “Let’s do this.”
“Okay.” He tugged on the door but it didn’t open. “What the...” He turned the knob and pulled again. “It’s locked.”
“Pick it.” Lee glanced up the stairs. There was nowhere to run or hide if someone came from the floors above.
He grabbed the metal from his pocket and bent by the door.
“Hurry up,” Lee’s leg trembled, causing his foot to tap an uneven rhythm on the floor.
“I can’t. There’s no hole.”
“Keypad.” Prin pointed above the door and to the right.
“Gruntshit. I can’t pick that.”
“Then we have to find another door.” Lee pointed at the stairs.
“The Guards said someone escaped before,” said Prin.
“Yeah, because they let him out of his cage.” He tugged on the door again. They couldn’t be this close and not get away.
“We’re already out of our cage.” Lee headed up the stairs. “All we need to do is get out of this building.”
“Maybe, they le
t him go outside.” Prin followed her twin, Rufus right behind her.
Lee stopped at the second-floor door and tried the handle. “Locked.”
“What if we can’t get back inside?” Prin’s eyes were wide. “There’s nowhere to hide in the stairwell.”
“We’ll figure it out.” They’d have to fight or surrender, and neither would end well for them.
“I should’ve thought about the doors locking behind us,” said Lee as they headed up the stairs.
“Any one of us should’ve thought about it.” It wasn’t Lee’s fault but this was kind of his area of expertise.
Lee tugged on the handle on the third floor but it was locked too.
“Two more floors.” He trudged up the next flight of stairs.
“And then we’re back where we started.” Prin’s voice cracked.
“We’ll get out of this. I swear.” He gave her a quick hug. “I promise. I’ll keep you safe.” He tried to keep the fear from his voice, but from the look on her face, he’d failed.
CHAPTER 16: RUFUS
Rufus stared at the fifth-floor door handle. He turned it again, but it was still locked. This couldn’t be happening.
“What are we going to do?” Prin leaned against the wall.
“I don’t know.” He was supposed to take care of them, not get them trapped.
“You heard that Servant. They were going to eat him.” Prin closed her eyes. “I don’t want to die like that.”
“You won’t. I swear.” It was an empty promise and they all knew it.
“We could...” Lee leaned against the railing, looking down. “It’d hurt but it wouldn’t be as bad as being dinner for a River-Man.”
“Don’t talk like that.” He grabbed his brother’s shoulder and spun him around. “We are not done.”
“There’s nowhere to go. This is it, Rufus. The end.” Lee’s brown eyes were filled with fear.
“No. It’s not.” It couldn’t be. He’d spent too many years fighting to stay alive for it to end like this.
“It is.” Lee pulled free and walked over by Prin. “We tried but either we end up back in that cage which means more of those shots or they kill us for trying to escape.” His eyes went back to the stairwell. “At least if we jump we decide and”—he looked at one and then the other—“we go together.”
