Outcasts

by Jill Williamson

  “Wait here to be discovered,” Rewl said. “And don’t try to escape.” He walked out of the room and the enforcer closed the door, leaving Shaylinn alone with Ciddah and the baby. What did that mean, Wait here to be discovered?

  “You can’t escape,” Ciddah said. “I’ve tried and failed three times since I got here.”

  So Ciddah was a prisoner too? Shaylinn was glad, for Mason’s sake. “Is that your baby?”

  Ciddah rocked the baby in her arms. “It’s Kendall Collin’s baby.”

  Oh, dear. Kendall must have been very upset when she didn’t find her child in the nursery. Omar probably had consoled her. Shaylinn scowled at the idea.

  Stop it, she told herself. Jealous thoughts could change nothing. They would only make her angry.

  “Why did he bring you here?” Ciddah asked.

  “Something to do with getting the task director general in trouble.” Shaylinn sat on the second wingback chair. It was soft. “Omar is here. He’s going to rescue me. Us, if you want to come.”

  “Omar?” Ciddah raised her eyebrows. “Isn’t he the one who got your people into trouble in the first place? The one who OD’d?”

  “Yes, but he’s changing. Or starting to, anyway.” He just needed people to believe in him, like Shaylinn did — or tried to.

  “Have you seen Mason lately?” Ciddah asked, and, for some reason, the worry in the medic’s eyes made Shaylinn blush.

  “I saw him tonight — last night, before they left.”

  “Who’s they?”

  Should she tell Ciddah about freeing the children? It might not be wise. Mason had said once that he didn’t trust this woman. Shaylinn suddenly realized just how he felt — to love someone you couldn’t trust. It was an awful feeling.

  “Just some people from my village,” Shaylinn said. “Why are you here?”

  “Because Lawten Renzor is insane. He thinks I am his lifer. And whether or not I like it, whether or not it’s true, he has claimed me as such.”

  CHAPTER

  36

  Omar didn’t dare attack Rewl when he had the stunner pointed at Shay, so he waited and followed them into the house. And what a place! Omar’s senses were on overload as he took in the ornate decor. He tried not to look, and instead focus on Shay and Rewl and where they were going. But a painting on the wall in the hallway stopped him cold.

  He’d seen this painting in one of his Old art books. It was called Starry Night, and it had been painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1889, one hundred and ninety-nine years ago.

  How could it be here? How could it even exist still? The frame looked new, so it must be a copy, perhaps a giclee. Omar leaned close to study the strokes, but footsteps on the wooden stairs pulled him away. Shay.

  He found the staircase and walked up as softly as he could, coming out into a plush hallway, marveling at yet another painting on the wall.

  Just ahead, the enforcer opened the door. Shay and Rewl went inside. Omar could hear low voices but couldn’t make out what they were saying.

  Should he go in or wait? He didn’t know. The enforcer was standing in the doorway, so until the man moved, Omar had no way around him.

  Then Rewl came out and closed the door behind him. “Stand guard here until I come back.”

  Rewl walked back toward Omar, so Omar turned and darted into the stairwell to wait for Rewl to pass by. But when he turned back, Rewl was coming down this staircase. Idiot! Why hadn’t he stayed up in the hallway?

  He turned and crept down ahead of Rewl, as quickly and as quietly as he could manage. He crouched under the van Gogh, fighting the urge to look at it. He drew his stunner, and when Rewl appeared, he fired. Rewl collapsed in the hallway. Omar ran to his side and dragged him to the nearest open door. A small bathroom. Perfect.

  He pulled Rewl inside and shut the door. Rewl’s eyes were squeezed shut, so Omar slapped his face and used one finger to push up his left eyelid.

  “Hey,” Omar said. “You stole the wrong girl, you know that?”

  Rewl frowned. His eyes flickered around the room, unable to find Omar’s face.

  “That’s right. I’m haunting you, you traitorous maggot. So, Bender is your dad, huh? Did he kill Chord or did you do it for him?”

  Rewl moaned, as if trying to speak but unable.

  “You’re both pathetic. Trusting Otley for anything is insanity. He will betray you. It’s what he does.”

  Omar looked for something to tie Rewl up with, but he couldn’t find a thing. So he stunned him again and darted back out into the hall.

  At the van Gogh, he leaned close and could see the individual brushstrokes and the thickness and texture of the paint. The swirling strokes directed his gaze around the peaceful scene. The church steeple and the tree both pointed to the heavens. Man and creation worshiping their Creator, perhaps?

  Or maybe pointing upstairs to Shay.

  Omar crept up the stairs, knowing that the painting had been no copy. Someone must have sought out the treasure to hang it here, in a random hallway off a kitchen. That such paintings still existed had never occurred to Omar. To think he might scavenge the world in search of masterpieces of Old.

  A thrill grew in his chest at the very idea.

  Four steps before he reached the top of the stairs, a blur of blue light walked by on the hallway above.

  Mason.

  Omar lunged up the last few steps to join his brother.

  CHAPTER

  37

  Mason stopped in the hallway, staring at the enforcer who was leaning against the wall outside a door, looking bored. Could that be where Ciddah was? Or Kendall’s baby? So far, every other bedroom door had been open and no one had been in any of them.

  Mason reached for his stunner, yet hesitated. What if that was a bathroom, and the enforcer was merely waiting for his partner? Mason might be making more trouble for himself. He would wait. Though he didn’t have much time to spare. He wished that Omar was —

  Something shot past his left arm. A crackle. The enforcer seized up and slid down the wall into a heap on the floor, a stunner cartridge stuck to his chest. Mason spun around and saw the glowing blue form of his brother.

  “Got him,” Omar said. “Why don’t you go say hello to your medic?”

  “She might not be in there.”

  “Well, that’s where Rewl took Shay,” Omar said.

  Mason ran to the door and went inside. It was a bedroom, white and bright and totally empty.

  Behind him, a voice whispered. “I don’t see anyone.”

  Mason turned around. Ciddah stood, pressed against an indentation in the wall beside the closet, holding a jade vase as if to slam it over the head of whoever might enter.

  Behind him, Omar pulled the guard inside the room, which to Ciddah likely looked like a man sliding across the floor by himself on his back with his feet in the air. She screamed.

  Mason darted forward and pressed his hand over her mouth. “Ciddah, it’s me, Mason.”

  She dropped the vase and her eyes bulged, rolling in their sockets as she looked for him.

  “We’re wearing suits that make us invisible,” he said.

  Her eyebrows sank and her fingers felt for Mason’s hand on her mouth, then up his arm. He released her mouth. “Mason?” she whispered.

  “When Omar closes the door, I’ll take off my hood.”

  “Guess I’ll close the door, then, brother.” Omar dropped the guard’s feet and stepped over him. The door clicked shut. “Where is Shay? I saw her come in here.”

  “Here.” Shaylinn’s voice came from the closet.

  Omar darted past Mason toward the closet. Mason removed his hood.

  A breath tremored past Ciddah’s lips as her eyes grew wide again and looked him up and down.

  “What? You don’t like my outfit?” Mason said.

  A smile chased the fear from Ciddah’s face. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

  “Not see me? Were you afraid you’d go blind?”

&
nbsp; She laughed, a breathy laugh, then grabbed his ears and kissed him.

  Mason let the moment take him, lost in the feelings she stirred within him. If this was not real love, then Mason would never understand it.

  Omar cleared his throat and Mason pulled away, though Ciddah’s fingers slid down his arm and took hold of his gloved hand. Shaylinn was holding a baby, standing beside Omar, who looked to be nothing more than a severed head, floating slightly higher than Shaylinn’s.

  They were both staring at them.

  “Kendall Collin said you were Lawten Renzor’s lifer.” Omar raised one eyebrow as if daring Ciddah to deny it.

  Omar … Now was not the time.

  “He’s obsessed with this idea of creating an Old family. And he mentioned moving away.” Ciddah looked up into Mason’s eyes and squeezed his hand. “You don’t believe I still care for him, do you? I don’t want to go with him.” Her eyes flicked back and forth from one of Mason’s eyes to the other. “You do. Mason, no. I love you. I want to stay with you. I want my donors to come too and — ”

  “Explain later.” Omar flashed Ciddah a fake smile. “Right now we need to get out of here.”

  Mason wanted to shake Omar for his “help” in regard to Ciddah. He only felt more flustered and confused now.

  “Do you invisible men have a plan of escape?” Shaylinn asked.

  “I think we should put the girls in the SimSuits,” Omar said, already zipping down the front of his. “That way we’ll be sure they get out safely.”

  “Excellent suggestion.” Mason unzipped his suit as well.

  “I’m going to wear that?” Shaylinn shifted the baby to her other arm and reached for Omar’s invisible middle, patting it with her fingertips.

  “What about Baby Promise?” Ciddah said.

  “I’m wearing a harness,” Omar said, shrugging off the sleeves of his suit. “The same one I used to carry Ben. One of you will have to put it on.”

  “I will,” Ciddah said.

  “You saved Ben?” Shaylinn said, beaming.

  Omar stepped out of one leg of his suit. “We saved all the children, except …”

  “Except what?” Shaylinn asked. “Is it Jemma?”

  Omar struggled to get his other foot out of the suit. “Nothing. Never mind.”

  “Jemma is fine.” Mason didn’t think now was the time to bring up Kendall’s death. He could imagine the effect the news of Kendall’s death would have on two frightened women. It would not expedite their escape. Mason left his SimSuit on the floor and removed his surgical kit from the pocket. He unrolled it on the bed.

  Omar took off the harness he was wearing. “We can give you our suits, but not the contact lenses. So you’ll have no way of seeing each other. Hold hands or something, so you don’t get separated.”

  Mason took the harness from Omar and helped Ciddah put it on. “I need to remove your SimTag next, Ciddah, or they’ll be able to track you. Did they give you a new one, Shaylinn?”

  “No,” Shaylinn said. “I just got here.”

  “Mason, what about my donors?” Ciddah asked.

  He met her eyes. “Your parents are in hiding. Omar and I got them to safety on Friday.”

  “Oh, Mason!” She threw her arms around him and hugged him so tightly he could feel her heart beat.

  He wanted to linger in her arms, but he made her sit on the bed. “Hold still so I can do this.”

  Omar took the baby so Shaylinn could get into his SimSuit. While Mason removed Ciddah’s SimTag, he shared what he’d overheard from General Otley. “It seems like it won’t be long until he’s the task director general. Though I don’t know why he wouldn’t just wait a few more months until Lawten is liberated.”

  “Because then the Guild takes a vote,” Ciddah said. “And if Otley can make himself look like a hero before then, he stands a better chance of getting the job.”

  “That’s madness,” Omar said. “It will be worse for everyone then. Do you think he’d really let Bender be enforcer general?”

  “Bender has no enforcer experience,” Mason said. “I believe Otley is manipulating him.” He taped a bandage over the incision on Ciddah’s hand. “Sorry I can’t do better than that right now.”

  “It’s fine,” she said. “You were right about our land: It’s anything but safe. In fact, the only place I’ve ever felt protected has been in your presence.”

  Mason took hold of her hand. “Then I will never leave you.”

  “Wow,” Omar said. “Keep that up and you two are going to make me sick.” Omar pulled Shaylinn to the bed. She was now the one with a floating head. “Sit and hold the baby for Mason. And you” — he nodded to Ciddah — “put on Mason’s suit, will you?”

  Ciddah got up from the bed and Shaylinn took her place. She hugged the child to her chest, which looked so strange with her body being invisible. “You’re going to cut him?”

  “I have to. They’ll track his SimTag otherwise.”

  Omar stood guard at the door, stunner in hand, while Ciddah got dressed in Mason’s SimSuit and Baby Promise screamed. Mason worked fast, though, and once Kendall’s child was bandaged up, he quickly fastened the boy into the harness Ciddah wore, then zipped her up until she was only a floating head too.

  “How will we get out?” Shaylinn asked. “I don’t know where to go.”

  “You’ll stay with us unless something happens,” Omar said. “And if it does, get out of the house and walk to the black truck that’s parked at a green house around the corner. Nash will drive you to Zane’s place.”

  “Can’t we just go to the cabin?” Shaylinn asked.

  “Not now that Rewl knows where it is,” Mason said. “Everyone will be at Zane’s now.”

  “Just get out of the gates,” Omar said. “Zane says they can find you wherever you are as long as you keep the suits on. So get out and look for Nash. If you can’t find him, sit somewhere and wait. He’ll come find you.”

  Ciddah took hold of Mason’s hand, and the thick suit glove felt strange against his skin. “I don’t want to be apart from you ever again,” she said.

  He looked down into her eyes. He wanted to say that his love didn’t change when they were apart, but Omar would mock him, and he still didn’t know with absolute certainty that she was being honest. “Stay alive, please. That’s your only task now.”

  “I will, if only to see you again.” She kissed him, and Mason couldn’t believe how happy a person was capable of feeling.

  “I think it’s time for the hoods,” Omar said, a little louder than necessary. Then he mumbled, “Walls, you two are worse than Jemma and Levi.” He laughed, then added, “And Levi agrees.”

  Mason and Ciddah broke apart, and Mason’s cheeks burned. He’d forgotten that people were watching through his eyes. He lowered the hood over Ciddah’s head and she vanished from sight. It was difficult to find the snaps with the suit already activated. He found the first two, but the third must have been twisted under the hem somehow because —

  The door burst open. “Don’t move!”

  Rewl walked into the room, gun trained on Mason, then Omar, then Mason again.

  “You can’t shoot us both at the same time,” Omar said.

  Mason was glad to see that his brother had gotten Shay’s hood on in time. Perhaps if he were able to stall Rewl, Omar could get the girls out. He looked for his stunner, then realized it was still strapped to his belt, which was coiled on the floor at his feet.

  “Where are they?” Rewl asked. “Where’s the baby? I can hear it.”

  The baby cooed from somewhere near the closet. He hoped Ciddah hadn’t gone inside, but then he saw her blue form inching along the wall toward the door.

  Rewl stepped forward and motioned Mason to walk to the foot of the bed, where Omar was standing. Mason backed up slowly as Rewl moved toward the closet. Rewl turned quickly, so that his back was to the closet and his gun aimed at Mason. He pulled the closet door aside.

  Empty.

 
Rewl frowned and looked at Mason. “I don’t understand.”

  His aim drooped enough that Mason took his chance. He tackled Rewl, knocking him into the open closet. Mason’s hand and temple scraped the wall as they fell. His elbow struck the metal runner for the closet doors, and pain coursed up his arm.

  “Go, Omar! Go!” Mason yelled, both hands on Rewl’s gun hand, pushing it away from him. No matter what, he had to hold on long enough for them to get out of the room.

  Somehow Rewl got on top and jammed his knee against Mason’s abdomen. Mason froze, as if paralyzed. His diaphragm was stuck in the inhale position. Too much air with no place to go. His spine instinctively curled. Rewl untangled himself and stood, then he shot Mason with the stunner.

  The electricity from the stun cartridge was stronger than Mason would have imagined. His muscles seized and felt like they were being stretched beyond their limits. The pain surprised him as did the fact that he had no voice, no motor control at all. Yet he was completely cognizant of his surroundings. Rewl was searching the room. Mason saw him look under the bed and behind the chairs and curtains, out on the balcony.

  Yet Mason couldn’t move. It was the strangest sensation he’d ever experienced.

  And then the cartridge ran out of current. Mason’s body relaxed, though every nerve still felt like it was vibrating.

  “He’s there,” Rewl said to someone. “Pick him up and follow me.”

  Two enforcers appeared over Mason. Hands descended upon him, and he was dragged out of the closet and from the room. The enforcers carried him through the house, down the stairs, following Rewl, and while Mason’s body no longer hurt, his muscles had yet to resume taking instructions from his brain.

  It truly was a fascinating experience.

  Suddenly the enforcers stopped. They were in the small parlor again. Lawten was there, sitting on the same red chair. Kruse sat beside him now. Two enforcers stood behind Lawten and Kruse, guns in hand. Two of the bodyguards in black suits lay on the floor. Stunned. Dead. Mason couldn’t tell. The others weren’t present. Bender sat on one of the beige sofas across from them. General Otley was standing before the fireplace.