Tetlak studies me, contemplating his next move. When he finally responds, I can make out only one word. “No.”
“We were close—I’d like to gather some of her things.”
Tetlak leans in, but with the digging stopped, the Gollop silenced and not a person daring to breathe—let alone, speak—whatever Tetlak says will be carried along the wind, new gossip to spread with Hinson’s death. He lowers his head to mine and I fumble back at the movement, stepping on someone’s foot. Reid’s behind me, glaring up at the towering Dofinike.
Where’d he come from?
“Not this one.”
“Explain it to her then,” Tetlak warns, looking to me with those reptilian eyes. “Get back to work.”
Sandwiched between the two demanding forces, I’m not sure what’s happening. But Reid slips his hand in mine, pulling me back before I can say anything else. “We have to go.”
I don’t want to leave. I want to stay, fight if I have to, but something in his words begs me to trust him. We need to go right now. Or else. We retreat slowly, as if moving too quickly might ignite some explosion, and then, after much distance, turn completely around and head for the trenches. Reid leads me like a child as I try to review the last few moments in my head. Have I failed? Or just lived to see another day? Whatever it is, it’s not how I planned it and for some reason, I feel as if I’ve let everyone down.
Trying to encourage the fledgling guilt rising from the pit of my stomach, I’m distracted by the slightest flicker of Reid’s fingers against mine. Not even a flicker, really. More of a slight brush. It only lasts a second before his hand falls numb again, dragging mine like a handle.
When I expect us to part—him heading back to the Gollops and me to the trenches—he surprises me by leading us to the trough’s right flank, back to where I’d been working. He descends the ladder first and heads for the exact spot I’d been. The guys working there abandon it upon seeing Reid, but he doesn’t notice. He simply selects the Senz from the half filled bucket and begins to dig. I assume the station next to him, mirroring his action.
“You really must be suicidal,” he whispers, focused on the wall.
“I had to try.”
“Glad you got it out of your system?”
“It’s not out of my system.”
“Man,” he shakes his head, half laughing, “you have no idea how close you just came to being dead. That’s twice now I’ve saved your ass.”
“Twice? When was the first time?”
He leans in, lowering his words. “Uh—does the other night ring a bell?”
I think of us out in the jungle, of him securing me as Tetlak and the others dragged Hinson past. Raj and I were already hidden, but if he wants to take credit for that too, whatever.
“So why don’t you stop then?”
“It’d be easy,” he inches closer, tossing gibb into the bucket between us, “if you didn’t act so rashly.”
“Hey!” I turn to him, “I came back and I didn’t have to! I’m not going to sit by and let—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa…” Reid lowers his hands, motioning for silence. He glances around before focusing on me again, “just saying… think before you make these decisions. That’s all.”
“I was thinking. I was thinking I don’t plan on staying here forever. And I’m not waiting for someone else when I can do it just as easy. I’m not thinking rashly. I’m thinking strategically. Long term,” I shift between his eyes, “I’m thinking revolt.”
His mouth perks into an adorable grin that sets an unexpected fire inside me. His expression blossoms into a full-blown smile and I have to force myself to look away. He faces the wall too and we both resume digging. A long, silent minute passes.
“So…” he clears his throat, “what do you think about the Rublies?”
The question catches me so off guard that I falter. “I—yes they’re…” I gulp, trying to calm myself, “the Rublies are delicious. Thank you for all the food by the way.”
He nods, still focused on the wall.
“But you really don’t have to.”
“Sure I do,” he sneaks a peek at me with another melting grin. “What kind of bastard would I be if I didn’t keep you fed?”
Before I’m able to respond, a young boy—the same one constantly keeping at Reid’s heel—saunters up, his wavy black locks shaking as he walks. He joins Reid’s other side and scratches his long, sharp nose with the edge of his Senz.
Reid glances over, slowing at the sight of his new neighbor. If he’s surprised, he doesn’t show it, but simply watches as the boy blinks three times, pauses, and blinks twice more. Reid nods and the boy retreats. Before he goes, he casts me an acute glance. Just long enough to get the information he needs. He’s gone as quickly as he arrived and Reid’s turning back to me with a bit of a frown, trying to decide his next move.
“Look,” he removes his Senz and tosses them in the bucket, “try not to get yourself killed, alright? Strategizing is one thing but challenging Tetlak,” he backs up with a head shake, “instant death.” His eyes scan me one last time as he heads for the ladder. “See you.”
***
It’s Lecture Time again.
Donned in the same red robe with black lining, Beshib is going through the same routine as last time, describing how we killed ourselves and sacrificed everything to feed our greed. Tonight, however, Beshib finishes his encouraging speech with a bit more news.
“Lastly,” he concludes, “it’s come to my attention that the humans have contracted a new disease in the colony,” he emphasizes his accusation toward us. “In fact, I heard of one particular passing—most terrible, indeed,” he nods to himself, his hands at his back. “News of her treachery did make its way across my path. Not treachery in the worst way, you understand,” he continues turning about the trunk, his crimson robe flapping with each black booted step, “but treachery, regardless. With warnings, with well-intentioned advice to not go out, not to encounter potentially lethal wildlife, she couldn’t be convinced and found herself in this manner.” He stops, scanning us. “Do you see, now? Disobeying our orders—which are put in place for your good, your safety—will only bring harm. We’re doing our best to remedy this situation but we can only work so fast. In the meantime, you’ll find a pill in your left sleeve pocket.”
Everyone in the room checks their arm at the same time.
Running my fingers over the scratchy blue material, I feel a tiny bump, like a rock in the padding. Pulling back a cleverly hidden flap, I reach in, rolling out the small lavender pill as I hold it between my finger and thumb.
“A tablet,” Beshib goes on, waiting for each of us to find it. “It will not completely cure you of the berry juice ailments but it will help prevent it from being passed to you.” He waits a moment before advising with a hint of instruction. “You may take it now.”
I can’t believe how willing everyone is. Without a second’s hesitation, people slip the pill in their mouth like ordered. Grasping it between my fingers, I bring my hand to my mouth, imitating the gesture.
A satisfied grin sneaks across Beshib’s lips. “Very good. We will notify you when you need to take it again, so you don’t pass it on. Not that it’s contagious,” he corrects quickly, worried at his misnomer’s effect. But we all stand, listening to his words bounce around us. Encouraged by our unresponsiveness, he goes on, “…So don’t let it upset Leisure Time. Just know it’s easy to contract these diseases from the environment around you. That’s why we request—we plead—that you stay within the gate. If temptation should get the best of you, think of your responsibility to your human race.”
He offers a lowly dipped, overly gracious bow before leaping from the trunk and into the parting crowd below. And then he’s gone.
The music starts and the room erupts into itself, the heavy layer of lust settling like usual. And just like that, people are back to their routines without any idea of what they just put in their body. Unless they feigned it
like me? They’ve got to be smarter than taking something the Dofinikes give us. But I need to know for certain.
Taking off, I weave through the crowd in search of Sampson or Reid or Pratt. Maybe one of them will have information on this pill. Curving toward the West wall, I locate Reid instantly, but stop as I find him paired off with a beautiful honey-haired girl. She grasps his scrub with desperate fingers, demanding his attention, but he’s not listening. He eyes the crowd, finding interest in anything else, everything else. About to retreat, I step back and bump into a body behind me.
“Careful there,” Walker steadies me, “wouldn’t want to endanger you twice in one day.”
“Oh—sorry.”
“You just don’t know when to quit,” he folds his arms, “do you? Your first day and then today? What’s going through that insane head of yours?”
“At least I’m trying.”
“To get yourself killed? Yeah, we’re aware of that,” he grins, leaning in, “look—that thing you did earlier was amazing. Really. No one’s stood up to Tetlak. Ever. It got a lot of people talking… but no one’s ready to back you yet. So you got to cool it before things heat up.”
“Thought they only took you if you tried to escape?”
“I’m sure they’d make an exception,” he eyes something over my shoulder, his face growing stern. He looks to me again, “I got to bounce. Just… remember what I said, all right?”
He dashes through the crowd and disappears behind a shield of dancing bodies. And suddenly, Reid’s here, in front of me, standing where Walker stood mere seconds ago. It feels a lot closer. “Is Raj still pushing him on you?”
“No. He just wanted to say hi.”
“Sure he does,” Reid stares off after him. Finally, he abandons the mission, returning his focus to me. “So… did you take it?”
“Give me credit,” I bring up my hand, revealing the tablet still hidden between my fingers. “Like it isn’t obvious.”
“Well, you and me.”
“The others?”
He nods.
“What do you think it is?”
“Not an antidote,” he rolls his eyes, “that’s for sure.”
“Does this happen often? Pills?”
“Never. Only when we first get here. You’re still new,” he glances over me, reminding himself, “didn’t Jeb give you something when you woke up?”
“Yeah… he did actually.”
Something’s ticking behind Reid’s eyes which suddenly get lost in the distance. He frowns, reading movement to the right before quickly pulling me back to the wall. He wedges me between two couples and before I realize what he’s doing, he flattens his body on mine.
“Pretend to be intimate,” he leans in, brushing his lips against my neck and igniting the fireball somewhere below. I stiffen as the fiery roots burn their way up my chest and down, into the unexpected yearnings of my loins. He senses me tensing beneath him and, releasing his grip on my hips, rests his mouth at my jaw. “Relax…”
My heart threatens to explode, especially as he kisses below my ear.
“Go with it…” he whispers, tightening his squeeze again, his nose trailing down my neck and ending at the base of my throat. It sends a chill over my body, my mouth opening at the sensation. He slows to a still, something catching his attention again. He withdraws slightly but then, after another minute, when my body feels like putty, like liquid held together in the trappings of my skin, he pulls back fully, freeing himself of the heat. He runs his hand through his hair, “Sorry…”
My heart’s still trying to quiet back down, my mind racing with what just happened.
What did just happen?
Reid rubs the back of his neck, his eyes aloof, away from mine. He motions behind him. “Ergiloff and Jeb and the others… they…uh… like to catch up,” he clears his throat, scanning the movement behind us, “mostly with people available to chat,” and finally his eyes find mine, shifting between them. “I’m not ready to chat.”
“So I was your scapegoat?”
“Something like that,” he laughs, clearing his throat, “although it seems the only way to keep them off your back.”
“What?” my heart’s still slowing. “Keeping busy?”
He returns his serious stare, the kind that liquefies me all over again. “Yeah. Listen,” he backs up, “I need to take care of a few things. Pick up Raj by the entrance,” he indicates down the wall to the Maze’s opening, “do a lap, then meet me back there in ten. Cool?”
“Yeah…” I start and then pause, “wait—how do you know she’s there?”
He shrugs. “I’ll have her sent.”
“By who?”
“Don’t worry about it,” he winks, “see you in a few.”
I head for the West Wall’s entrance, going over everything. If Reid’s not a Rogue… then what’s his deal? Why do certain people—like Raj now—work for him? Is he something similar to the Kisses, being his own independent unit? Or is it something else?
“Hey,” Raj grins, joining me at the entrance. “Ready for our lap?”
“Lead the way.”
We walk in silence, my mind still racing with the Jeb- Ergiloff distraction… and Reid’s lips. Does he do that often? And is that why Leisure Time is the way it is? Because no one wants to ‘catch up’ with the Guide and scientist? There are so many things to diagnose, the foremost being the pills. Why did the Dofinikes have us take them?
“Raj…” I ignore the heat still radiating from my skin, “did you take the pill?”
“For the berry juice? Yeah,” she throws me a contemplative frown. “Didn’t you?”
Ignoring her question, I try to keep this as innocuous as possible. “Do you feel any… different?”
“Not really.”
We breeze up by the East Wall. “So… no different at all?”
“Why?” she frowns. “It’s supposed to protect us.”
A long minute passes. “But what if it doesn’t?”
“What do you mean?”
“We don’t know what it is.”
“It’s like they said—an antidote for the berry juice.”
“Right, but what if it’s something else and they’re using Hinson’s death as a catalyst to get us to trust them?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well think about it,” I toss her another glance, “they tell us someone’s died, so there’s a reason to take it, and it’d be strange if they didn’t offer some sort of protection…”
“No,” her brows pinch together. “I mean, who’s Hinson?”
Chapter Ten: Pills and Passageways
I’m not sure what to say.
Is she joking? But why jest about this? About something that was so clear to us all the other night. It doesn’t make any sense. But Raj doesn’t look like she’s kidding. In fact, she looks serious. Confused. Worried, if anything.
“Fallon?”
I can only manage one word. “Hinson.”
“Yeah, but who is she?”
“Hinson,” I repeat, as if she’ll get it by the stress of the sound, “Hinson.”
“You keep saying that,” she exhales, frustrated, “but who is she?”
It’s important how I phrase my next few statements. She knows something’s wrong. Already. She can see it in my hesitation, my aversion to look her in the eye and tell her it’s lost. Whatever it is she’s supposed to have.
“Let’s keep going,” I inch forward, along the East Wall’s entrance, “we’ll get it straightened out.”
“No!” She snatches my hands in hers, stopping us. A tremble quivers in her voice, “Don’t keep me in the dark. Tell me, please…”
“It’s fine,” I lie, still inching forward. Raj’s hand grows tight around mine, squeezing it to the point of bruising. I look down to her.
“Fallon,” her voice grows shrill as a few nosey onlookers glance in our direction. “I know something’s wrong. Just tell me. Whatever it is, tell me. I have to know.”
>
I grasp her shoulders, steadying her to the ground. “Raj, I need you to do something for me,” I command in my sternest voice, “can you do something for me?”
Like an obedient child, she nods, battling out the moistness in her eyes.
“I need you to act like we’re having a regular conversation. Because we are, right?” I enforce the authority in my tone, reminding her I’m the one in charge.
She nods again, quickly. “We are.”
“Right. We’re just talking, about nothing important, right?” I signal the correct response.
She nods again, wiping a lone tear from her cheek with her palm.
“Good! So, what I’m going to do is take a walk with you to Sampson. Not so hard,” I swing my arm over her shoulder. “We’ll go have a chat and sort everything out, okay?”
This seems to calm her down.
“Okay,” she allows me to lead us back toward the West Wall’s entrance.
I have no idea if he’s there but Reid will know. And we’re expected to meet him anyway. Arriving just as Clark disappears inside the entrance, I keep Raj tucked behind me, at the edge of the narrow opening. Reid appears moments later, swimming to us through the crowd.
“Is Sampson inside?” I indicate to the entrance.
“Yeah,” he sees my unease, his brows pinching together. “Why?”
“Let’s get to Sampson first,” I glance to Raj under my arm.
Without a word, he leads us into the Maze and back to the same spot with the hidden door. Sampson, Vix, Clark and Pratt are already there. I drop Raj with Pratt before speeding toward Sampson. “We need to go to Camp now.”
“What’s happened?”
I shake my head. “Best we talk there.”
“Of course,” he nods, his eyes shifting between Reid and I, who’s suddenly at my side. “Take my Callix,” Sampson tosses me the pulsating blossom, “so you can find your way.” He turns to Reid, “we’ll get a head start. Meet us when you can.”
With his hand on her shoulder, Sampson escorts Raj through the black passageway where Pratt, Clark and Vix have disappeared, the wall sliding into place behind them.
Escape from Harrizel Page 12
