The Cure

by Teyla Branton

  Maybe even the Emporium.

  I met Ritter’s eyes and he nodded, obviously interpreting my expression and agreeing. No wonder he’d kept an eye on her.

  I went to Mari, automatically doing an inventory of the weight my different weapons added to my body: pistol at my back, two knives on one thigh, extra knife at my calf, extra pistol on the other. Everything intact. I sat on the edge of the table opposite her two seats and leaned over, reaching for her shoulder. “Uh, Mari.”

  She jerked, her eyes flying open. “Trevor,” she moaned.

  Pain flew from her in waves, unfiltered. Crap! I slammed my mental shield shut. Apparently, my mind was back in top form, and touching her had opened an unexpected link. I saw nothing about Hunters or secret agendas, though she could be hiding that behind the more immediate emotion of loss. For a moment I felt dizzy.

  “Mari,” I said again, moving to the edge of her seat, helping her sit up. “How did you get here?”

  Her gaze went past me to Ritter. “Thank you for the blanket.” Then her eyes slid back to mine. “I don’t remember.” At least she was responding, which was more than she’d been doing before. She was wearing the same pants she’d worn to work yesterday, but someone had given her a clean yellow T-shirt.

  “Does Ava know?” I said to Ritter.

  “We radioed when she first—”

  A terrified scream covered whatever else he’d been about to say. I jumped to my feet, turning to see Benito at the back of the plane past the bathrooms, one corner of the curtain over the metal bunks clutched in his hand.

  “Damn it, Benito! What are you doing back there?” Ritter strode toward him.

  “I need to use the bathroom!”

  Ritter snorted. “We said you couldn’t unless we’re in the air. Besides, you’ve already gone six times!”

  “They’re all bloody! This one no has face!” Only it came out “Thees one,” his accent deepening under distress. Benito dropped the curtain and stared at us in horror. “What kind of people are you? I change my mind. I no want to be involved.”

  “Shut up.” Ritter yanked the curtain down. “You have no choice. Now go sit in your seat and stay there until we tell you, or you’ll join them.” He shoved Benito down the aisle. “Keene, don’t let him move an inch.”

  Keene nodded, his eyes glittering in amusement.

  “They no stink. Why they no stink?” Benito’s voice rose to a yelp as Keene’s hand gripped his shoulder, pushing him into a chair.

  Of course they didn’t stink. Besides severing the three focus points of an Unbounded, the only other way to kill them is to lock them in a sealed container where they can’t absorb nutrients until the tissue between focus points rotted completely, which could take years, given the Unbounded protective system. A miserable, painful way to die. Incineration didn’t even work in most cases because the Unbounded body would burn to a hard, impenetrable shell on the outside, preserving the inner focus points for later regeneration.

  Pushing the thoughts back into a remote corner of my mind that I reserved for nightmares, I said, “They aren’t dead, or we wouldn’t have brought them. Not all of them are even wounded that badly.” The mortals, I meant, and someone had bandaged them.

  Benito opened his mouth, but a glare from Ritter stopped him from saying anything more.

  I turned back to Mari, who was staring vacantly again. Great, just great. I glanced over to see Ritter watching me, the mocking smile on his face telling me he knew exactly how Benito came to be our problem.

  I flashed him a confident smile and sat beside Mari. “It’s okay,” I told her. “Everything is going to be okay.”

  Chris emerged from the cockpit. “We’re about to have visitors,” he announced.

  “No worries. They’re expecting us.” Us with our strange cargo and weapons, Ritter meant.

  We headed toward the door, which Chris was already opening. I checked my phone. Four o’clock local time, which gave us several hours before sunset. I went down the stairs after Ritter and Chris, followed closely by Jace. Sunlight met our gazes and the outside air felt warm compared to the controlled air inside the plane. Shielding my eyes as they adjusted to the brightness, I breathed in the aroma of lush vegetation, and for the first time in a month I felt warm. Maybe I’d make a habit of coming here during the winter. Or some other warm place. No way did I want to waste even another year enduring freezing temperatures. For now, I could definitely lose my camouflage jacket and the catwoman suit under my jeans.

  The area was deserted except for a small wooden building at the edge of the clearing next to the runway. Two vehicles thundered toward us across the dirt expanse that separated us from the buildings, kicking up dust behind them. One of the vehicles was a battered car, the second looked like an army surplus all-terrain vehicle with a raised green body, four large tires, and a green tarp that laced over the back half.

  Our ride, I assumed.

  Jace’s eyes lit up. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”

  “Is that an army Humvee?” Chris appeared equally fascinated.

  “No. Similar, though,” Jace said. “It’s a Pinzgauer. An old one, but reliable from what I’ve read. Several European armies use them. The Swiss, for one. Brits, too. A lot of people call them Pinz for short.”

  “Cool,” Chris said.

  Even Ritter couldn’t keep his eyes from the Pinz. “The cab and the bottom half of the back are armored,” he told them. “I keep it stashed nearby for when we need it.”

  Men and their toys. “I thought we were going low profile,” I muttered.

  At the top of the stairs, Keene laughed. “Good point. It’ll be great off-road, but we’ll be rather conspicuous in town.”

  “The scientists we’re looking for don’t live in town.” Ritter flicked a glance toward the men who’d parked several yards away and were climbing from the vehicles.

  “No, but if my information is correct the senator should be in Palenque by now,” Keene said. “We need to get to him before the Emporium does. There are far too many ways he could be hurt or disappear in the jungle.”

  “Senator eaten by a croc.” Jace pretended to read newspaper headlines. “Are there even crocs here?”

  Ritter nodded. “Big crocs. Scorpions, too.”

  “And lots of men with big guns,” Benito said, poking his nose out the plane door. When Ritter scowled at him, he lifted his hands to chest level. “I’m jest sayin’. They should leave you alone, but if an ordinary person showed up with all that stuff you brought, one of the drug cartels would make sure they didn’t have it long.” He cast a backward glance. “Can I come out? Because it’s creepy in here with all those d—”

  Before he could finish, Ritter made a motion with his finger and Keene grabbed Benito, practically hauling him down the stairs.

  “You can stay out,” Ritter said, “but don’t say a word. Now start unloading.”

  “Wait. I can translate.” Benito stumbled toward the hold.

  Keene looked at Ritter, who shook his head. “We don’t need him for that yet. We can get by here.”

  “I really think I should come with you guys.” Chris stepped closer to Ritter, his voice an undertone. “What use will I be hanging out here?”

  “You’re going to make sure we have a plane to come back to.” Ritter sounded weary, and I knew it was a conversation they’d revisited several times. If I’d been awake during the flight, I would have told Chris to save his breath. Ritter was as immovable as the mountains and twice as hard as any stone. “You’re also going to make sure those men don’t see our, uh, interesting cargo while we unload it. When we come back, we may need to get out fast. So stay alert and keep your phone on.”

  I felt Chris’s disappointment, but at the same time I was infinitely grateful to Ritter. One less mortal to worry about. One less family member to protect or to mourn.

  The short, swarthy driver of the Pinz approached hesitantly, going directly to Ritter and handing him the keys. Ritt
er nodded his thanks.

  “You leeve it like usual?” the man asked in barely understandable English.

  “Yes,” Ritter said.

  “Muy bien.” He bowed and backed away.

  The other Mexican driver was younger and taller, his smile ready. The darkness of his skin made Benito look pale in comparison. “You want I should help unload?” His eyes wandered to where Keene and Benito had opened the hold.

  “No.” Ritter’s answer was terse, and I had to agree. We could afford to pay a tip, but there was the little matter of eleven apparently dead or unconscious men to deal with.

  The young man’s face fell, but he flashed us a white smile. “Who ees dee pilot?”

  Ritter thumbed at Chris. “Him.”

  “Come, señor. We have a beery nice siesta for you.”

  Chris hesitated, his eyes falling to Jace and me. I knew it was still hard for him, who had always been the elder, the protector, to leave us to go into danger without him, but he’d have to get over it.

  “Keep an eye out.” Jace stepped forward and clasped his hand. Chris nodded at me over Jace’s shoulder, and I dipped my head in unspoken agreement to watch over him. Without another word, Chris turned and followed the Mexicans back to their sedan. I knew he was armed, and with the money we’d paid to land here, he should be perfectly safe. Not like the rest of us.

  “What about her?” Jace pointed at Mari, who’d followed us outside but stood vacantly at the bottom of the stairs.

  Ritter glanced after the receding sedan. “No,” I said. “She comes with us. We need to get her to Dimitri. He’ll be able to help her.”

  Ritter met my eyes. “And until then?”

  I didn’t really know. We knew Dimitri and Cort were tracking the scientists, but until they contacted us, we had no idea where they were. “Have you tried to call Cort?”

  Ritter nodded. “No response. There aren’t any phone towers around, though, and he could be too deep in the jungle for the satellites to work. Let’s get going and then we’ll try again.”

  “Come on, Mari.” I put an arm around her and began walking toward the Pinz.

  “I don’t know how we’re going to fit all those unconscious Unbounded inside with all our gear,” Jace said behind me. “That thing only holds eight in the back comfortably. And that’s conscious people.”

  Ritter took out his phone. “We’ve done it before, but today we won’t have to. By the time we get the Pinz loaded, our people will be here and we can hand off the prisoners.” He didn’t sound happy about leaving them to others, and I could understand why. If our Unbounded captives escaped or were rescued before they arrived at the prison compound we shared with the other Renegades, it’d make the attack in Portland—and especially Gaven’s death—that much worse.

  “Good.” Unlike Ritter, Jace sounded relieved not to have to cram in with the bloodied Emporium agents.

  Ritter hesitated a second and then said, “Erin?”

  “What?” I glanced at him, barely catching the keys he lobbed in my direction.

  “Turn it around, would you? It’ll be easier loading if you back up. Make sure you do it at an angle to block the view from that building, but far enough away that a van can squeeze near the stairs.” His grin was a challenge, one that my Unbounded genes took to immediately. I bet you can’t do it, it said.

  I’ll take that bet and raise you five. “Sure thing.”

  After settling Mari in the roomy passenger seat, I brought the Pinzgauer to life and turned it around, revving the engine to make a point. To my surprise, its maneuverability belied its size. Okay, I liked it—a lot. I put it into place with a cloud of dirt and a flare I didn’t know I possessed.

  It helped that I could also see the vehicle from the back through Jace’s eyes, the link between us comfortable and familiar. That kid has to learn to protect his mind. Remembering my fight with Ritter, I sent a warning pulse—shield!—and smirked when I glanced in the mirror and saw Jace jerk and trip over his own feet.

  As we finish loading our supplies, a large gray van appeared and sped toward us on the runway. Ritter stood at attention between the plane and the Pinz, his favorite SA58 FAL assault rifle strapped across his chest, his eyes moving back and forth between the van and the jungle surrounding the airstrip.

  Recognizing our vulnerability, I sent my thoughts out to the trees, probing for but not finding the bright pinpoints that signaled life. There were only smaller pinpoints, so many that at first I didn’t realize what they were. They weren’t as vivid as I expected, though their dullness appeared to result from their oneness with nature, rather than their smaller size. Animals. Yes, that was it. Not insects that didn’t register but warm-blooded creatures with some degree of intelligence.

  Keene took cover on the side of the Pinz, his hands also gripping a rifle. Taking his cue from the others, Jace stepped behind the plane’s stairway, motioning to Benito. I eased next to them, my mind now going toward the van, which screeched to a stop several feet away.

  “Two people,” I told the others.

  A slender, dark-skinned woman dressed in camouflage pants and a green tank top emerged from the passenger door, her long black hair twisted into countless small braids. I knew her at once: Tenika Vasco, Unbounded, originally from Angola. Two months ago, she had taken lead over the Renegades in New York after the death of their former leader. I’d only met her a few times, but I liked and respected her. Ritter and I stepped forward to meet her wide smile.

  “Tenika.” Ritter nodded and extended his closed fist in the traditional greeting.

  “Ritter.”

  “They didn’t tell me you’d be here.”

  “I wanted it to be a surprise.” Her words held the merest hint of a Portuguese accent. Ignoring his fist, she moved closer and planted a kiss directly on his mouth. I knew this was how she teased him, and that she was one of the few people Ritter had ever let inside his emotional barriers, however momentarily, but that didn’t stop the ridiculous surge of jealousy inside my chest. Part of me wanted to pull out a gun and growl at her.

  Ritter chuckled. “So what are you doing here? Any news on the missing Renegades?”

  “Afraid not. We had a run in with Emporium agents last week, and I’m here making a drop, same as you. I needed to get away, so I left Yuan-Xin in charge and came myself. I haven’t had a break in months.”

  I had to stop myself from grimacing. Since when was transporting prisoners a break?

  “When I heard what happened at your lab,” Tenika continued, “I offered to help transport your prisoners to save you time. I know Stella was really counting on that research, and we were here anyway.”

  “Thanks for staying.”

  “Can’t have them getting away. And the compound really doesn’t have enough personnel for pickups, though they did spare someone to help me find you.” Tenika jerked her head toward the van, indicating her companion. “Told him to stay inside until I checked you all out. He’s got a cannon in there that makes your rifle look like a child’s toy. He’s covering me.” She winked and turned in my direction, extending her fist, and I hit my knuckles into hers with a tad more force than I’d intended.

  “The Emporium’s using the Hunters to track us,” I said.

  She nodded. “Ava filled me in, and I’ve spread the word. I’m pretty sure that’s what happened to us last week, though we didn’t realize it at the time. Everyone will be on the lookout.” Everyone meant our ninety or so Renegades scattered in different cities across the world.

  “Hey, Jace.” Tenika offered him her fist.

  “What, I don’t get a kiss?”

  She laughed. “Naw. You’re still wet behind the ears.” Her gaze went beyond him to Keene. “Who’s your friend?”

  I made the introductions, but Keene apparently was in her files and she scowled at his name. “I thought I knew you. Why are you here?” Her voice held command, and I felt the urge to answer, though she hadn’t addressed me.

  Keene laughe
d. “Your hypnosuggestion won’t work with me. Not if I don’t listen long enough. You might say I’ve developed an immunity. However, rest assured that I’ve left the Emporium.”

  She regarded him with narrowed eyes for several long seconds, as if weighing his words. Then she turned and motioned to the van. The driver’s door burst open and a broad man with unruly blond hair and a ready smile emerged. Definitely Unbounded. He wore a pistol at his hip, but he must have decided to leave his “cannon” inside the van.

  “Hello. I’m Irwin Stafford,” he said to me after he greeted Ritter. “I help run the facility here.” Though he was obviously Australian by his accent, his ruddy skin was tanned even darker, making it almost impossible to tell his age. If I had to guess, I’d say late thirties, which for Unbounded meant three or four hundred years old.

  “Nice to meet you.” I extended my fist.

  Irwin smiled again. “The pleasure’s all mine. We don’t see a lot of new faces around here. At least not those on our side.”

  “Wait, wait, wait!” Benito inched forward from where he’d been crouching out of Tenika’s sight next to the airplane stairs. “I know you. You’re that crocodile hunter guy. Aren’t you? You look just like him. Well, maybe a bit younger. But . . . aren’t you supposed to be dead?”

  Irwin sighed. “Now you know why I’m hanging out at the prison facility. Everyone recognizes me everywhere else. I hope it’s not too much longer until people forget. Good thing there’s a lot of interesting wildlife down here, or I’d be totally bored.”

  He wasn’t the only famous Unbounded whose death had to be faked when the lack of aging could no longer be hidden. President Kennedy, his son, and Tenika’s second in command Yuan-Xin—once known as Bruce Lee—were only a few of the others I’d heard about. Some had been rushed out of sight only to die for real in battles against the Emporium. Irwin’s exile was his own fault for allowing himself to become a celebrity.