by Patti Larsen
“Jinder.” Ande takes a step toward the tall guy only to be shoved back by one of the others. “You said you'd help.” So broken, my young friend, trainless, his purpose gone, now betrayed by one he needed to trust, if only to save the rest of us. His grief registers, but I refuse to let the calm go now I have it back.
Jinder laughs in the little engineer's face, still holding Chime to him as if he owns her. Which he does, I suppose. I wonder what he's offered her for her loyalty.
“There's a reward for them two.” He points at Duet and I. “And the brat.” Poppy scowls at him when he jabs a finger in her direction. “You think I'd pass that up?”
Ande's shoulders sag as he meets my eyes. “I'm sorry.”
“Don't be.” I find a smile through the calm even as the tingle rises inside me and I step forward, in front of my friends. I want to make sure they are out of the line of fire when I attack.
It's not the same as the night I killed the Howls with one surge of power. But I've been long out of the calm and my return has made me stronger, more balanced. More in control.
“There will be no reward for you,” I say as I reach out and touch Jinder's hand, the tingle transferring from me to him.
His eyes widen a little before he laughs. And laughs. His people laugh with him.
“Heard about that trick of yours.” He hugs Chime to him again. “How you can give folks the Sick.” Jinder shakes his head, an evil light in his eyes. “Can't give it to us, girlie.”
This isn't right. I feel the calm falter, fade from me as I stand there and stare at him.
What's gone wrong? My strength, I didn't imagine it. Did Solo do something to me while I was drugged? Change me somehow?
But no, nothing so personally sinister.
“We've had it,” Jinder says. “The Sick. I used to be a Howl.” He jerks a thumb at the boy beside him. “Hens here was a Shamble.” The others are nodding, some licking their lips, which I find infinitely disturbing as I back up and join my friends, now knotted together in the middle of the circle. “All of us, once. Then she came.” A smile splits his face but there's no happiness in it, just madness. And I know where that madness comes from. Have witnessed it firsthand.
“Solo,” I whisper.
He shrugs. “Don't know what you call her,” he says. “But she healed us, the lot, put us out here, safe and sound. Lets us hunt.” He smacks his lips, eyes traveling over Socrates. “Dark meat's my favorite.”
Beckett's growl is so low I think it's the dog at first while my stomach clenches in horror.
“You're healed,” Beckett says. “But you're still cannibals?”
“Got to liking the taste of humans.” Jinder's laugh carries, echoing from the walls of the huge space, the sound going on and on forever.
I need to act, to fight, but again the calm has deserted me and I can't do anything.
“Now,” Jinder finally pulls away from Chime, a grim and violent expression on his face, “you three are to be good girls and wait for the Crawlers.” He grins then, right at Socrates. “While we cook up your little pet here for dinner.”
I fight at last, but it's no use. They are as strong as I am, she's given them some power it seems. Duet battles furiously while Beckett does his best, but I'm dragged off before I can do anything to save my friends.
***
Chapter Twenty Four
Duet sits chained beside me, piled with so much metal even she can't break free, though I know she's trying, her ichor leaking out to attack the metal links. But they resist her blood and I know now Solo has prepared this group for us, likely has packs of kids similar to this one all around the city ready to grab us or pretend friendship in order to bring us in.
Which makes Socrates's suggestion I'm from here all the more real. Though when I think of the young genius my whole body rejects the thought he may even now be gone.
“Out.” Duet growls the word while Poppy rises, goes to the door of the little cage. It's mostly wood, with only a few steel bars. The ceiling is low, but it's wide and long, some kind of shipping container I can only guess. I know I can break us out, but what then?
What then?
“You have nowhere to go.” A familiar voice, one I'd thought never to hear again, speaks from the darkness. Cade eases forward on his haunches, looks up at me. His face is covered in crusted blood, but his nose looks straight so Brick couldn't have broken it after all. Unless he's like the others now, changed by Solo. I have every reason to believe that's the case.
Why would she discard him, then?
“Like we'll listen to you.” Poppy comes to my side, defiant, but obviously needing me to support her. I'm happy to do it.
Cade smiles at her, the winning smile I remember. Too bad his handsome face is such a mess under all that filth. Instead of charming, he only looks hideous. “Crawler weapons,” he says. “They'll kill you first and think about her later.”
Her. “Solo will kill them if they touch us.” I know I'm right. My sister doesn't care who she harms as long as she gets what she wants.
“I know that,” Cade says. “And so do they. But they're animals, Trio.” He smiles again, I'm sure trying to be alluring as he eases closer. “Not like us.”
Cade is as insane as Solo, I've known it since I met him.
“You're hardly in a position to help us either.” I gesture at the shackle pinning his left ankle. “Looks like you're dinner.”
Cade snorts. “Not me,” he says. “Too valuable.”
“To who?” I turn away from him, tired of his lies only to hear him hiss at me.
“I can get you out,” he says. “But you have to help me first.”
Duet snarls at him, green eye flaring. “Liar.”
I agree with her. “Prove it.”
He holds out the chain connecting him to the floor of the cage. “Have your pet freak melt this,” he says, “and I will.”
I sigh in frustration. It's not like the tether keeps him from reaching us. He still has lots of slack. So freeing him won't do any harm. I nod to Duet who spits at him, but finally extends her fingers over the offered links, two drops of ichor falling on the steel.
His chain hasn't been affected and he's free in seconds. Cade's smile doesn't falter as he eases closer as though he's won some sort of permission to join us.
“This way.” He points at the back wall of the container.
I scowl at him, look at Duet. “I'm not leaving without her.”
Cade winks. “Of course not.” He steps close to my sister. She snaps at him, teeth clacking together. “Tell her I'm helping.” He finally sounds afraid and I feel like laughing.
“Duet.” I nod to her. “Let him.”
She moans and begins to hum as Cade crouches before her. He's looking at the chains, link by link, stopping at last with a grin on his face as he turns to me, showing me the off-color loop.
“Missed one.” He holds it out to Duet. “Do your thing.”
She grabs for it, repeats her application of blood and the link parts. I stand back as Duet surges to her feet, the coils and coils of chain falling to the ground with an immense thundering of metal on wood.
Cade winces, holds his finger to his lips. We wait, breathless. I should have stopped her, slowed her down at least. Surely the sound will call guards. But no, nothing. She's free and so are we when Cade leads us to a loose board in the wall, hidden behind a pile of boxes and holds it open for us before following us out.
“Not done.” His whisper has a note of hysteria to it as he leads us deeper into the warehouse. There are more boxes like the one we were kept in. Cade examines one, then another before stopping at a third. I'm immediately relieved when Socrates rushes to the bars, a look of desperate hope on his face.
“They didn't eat you.” I smile as Duet makes short work of the lock.
“Not yet.” He grins at me before shuddering. The others pile out behind him, Beckett, the dog, the puppies, Vander and all.
“Chime.” Beckett's
voice rumbles low. I want her too, badly. No matter the risk.
Cade glances over his shoulder toward the main part of the warehouse before shrugging.
“I can lead you to her,” he says.
I turn to Duet. “Take Poppy,” I say. “Guard her.”
“And the puppies?” Duet snuggles Shine against her cheek.
“And the puppies.” I pat her shoulder, meet Socrates's eyes. Vander's. “Go with her.”
They hesitate, but Socrates finally nods, Vander tipping his fingers at me from his forehead in some kind of salute before they slide away into the darkness.
Turning, I follow Beckett and Cade, the dog at my side.
***
Chapter Twenty Five
Luck is with us. We catch Chime alone as she leaves the main group where they huddle around a fire. They were easy to find, loud and still animal-like no matter how much healing Solo's done. I know we're on limited time. The Crawlers could be on us at any moment, but the sight of Chime rising from the circle and coming toward where we hide in the dark holds me still.
Very still.
I'm the one to grab her, my hand over her mouth. Her eyes are wide, the light of the distant fire shining on the whites. She stinks of burned meat and wood smoke, enough to make me gag, but I shove aside my revulsion and knock her to her knees.
She doesn't fight, doesn't scream, holds up her hands instead. Soft sobs emerge as she reaches for me, clutching at my pant legs. I've seen her angry, afraid, arrogant, but never weak. Until now.
They've broken her.
“I didn't know.” Her whisper is hoarse and heavy, a terrible sound. “I swear, Trio. I didn't.”
There have been times I've felt such rage I've been able to kill without conscience, but this is the first time I think I will enjoy it. I let fury settle around me as I bend and glare in her face.
“You betrayed your own people.” I don't have to say any more. I didn't see Ande at the fire or the kids we brought with us. Just her and the animals.
She shudders, shoulders slumping forward. “They have Ande,” she says.
Cade sighs, a sharp and angry sound. “We're running out of time.”
I spin on him and he backs off, but I know he's right.
“We have more to rescue.”
Cade hesitates, but nods at last when Beckett crowds him, fists ready.
We retreat, back the way we came, to the cages. I was sure they were empty, had I known would have searched them all. But there they are, the train's crew, huddled in terror at the back of the last box. Ande's weeping form falls in my arms as the door swings open.
I hold him a moment, feeling the bristly harshness of his red hair before he jerks free of me to face Chime.
“You were my friend.” He spits on her shoes, skinny body shaking with emotion. “Now you're dead to me.”
When he turns his back on her, Chime crumbles, falling to her knees. But that's not enough for her crew. They shove her, unresisting, into the box. Before I close the door, I grasp Chime's arm. The girl gasps, tries to pull away, but I refuse to release her. I have a new goal, though I'm unsure if I will succeed until the tingle sinks into her flesh and ripples through her body.
“Now,” I say. “What will they do to you when they find you here and us gone?”
She shudders, clutching the door Beckett binds with a length of rope he's found.
“Kill me.” I'm not sure if it's her answer or if she's begging me to. But I have better plans.
“They will.” I step back. “And hopefully when you're dead, they'll eat you.”
Chime rubs her arm, shaking and sobbing. “What did you do to me?”
“Just made you poisonous,” I say. “You can at least do some good being a last meal for your new friends.”
I turn away, see the horror on Beckett's face, but Ande is grim and determined and I know I've done the right thing.
The only problem, I have no idea if my soul will ever recover from it.
***
Chapter Twenty Six
We leave Chime behind, sobbing softly to herself and flee with Cade as our guide. I refuse to allow my heart to soften, calling gently to the calm to claim me. It does, sweeping over my senses, my body like a gift, though one that has its own price. I'll pay it, whatever the cost. This task of mine is nearing its end and I can't afford to be weak.
Someone grunts faintly ahead, a boy goes down, followed by a girl, both bloodied and silent when I run past them. I speed up, catching Cade, no longer willing to simply follow. I need to see, to be aware of where he leads us. I would never be so foolish as to trust him. Expect the betrayal I now know is coming.
Jinder's people are terrible watchdogs, too busy looking out to even pay attention to what's going on within their stronghold. The two final guards at the small doorway Cade guides us to don't even flinch until we're on them, and even then they simply stare in shock, unbelieving we were able to escape.
Fools, all of them. I wonder at Solo's influence, on what she's building here and why she feels the need to travel through time again. Perhaps this isn't exactly what she intended. If not, what is?
I don't want to know. I just want to fix this and go home.
I'm fooling myself. As we retreat down a side alley, the warehouse falling behind, traveling deeper into the city with Cade still leading, I try to be more honest about this. It's likely whatever I need to do to fulfill my task will require either my death to accomplish or the total consumption of my soul by the calm. Either way, I, Trio, will no longer exist. Can I live with that?
I can. For them. For Beckett who grabs my arm and pulls me back, blue eyes concerned. For Poppy who cradles Shade in her arms like she's the most precious thing in the world. For Vander and Socrates and even little Ande. For the future my sister has robbed them.
I'll do anything.
“Time to go our own way.” Beckett pulls us to a stop, glaring at Cade who turns and grins at him.
Beckett is correct. We have other things to do and Cade isn't a part of my plans.
Turns out he doesn't much care what I have in mind. The narrow street, tight with trash and an abandoned car is a natural funnel, forcing us to a thin line. As the back of it fills up with attackers first, I feel the calm tighten its hold, crushing my spirit. Let it. The front of the street is filling too, more kids, kids who look to Cade, wait for him to act.
The calm might be devouring me, but I need all the help I can get.
Cade laughs at Beckett as my friend surges forward, out of the bottleneck to stand beside me. I hear Poppy scream from the other end and turn to see her and Socrates in the grip of this strange group.
“Perfect.” Cade salutes me. “I knew you'd play right into my hands, Trio. You're nothing if not predictable.”
“Am I?” Fearless. Cold. Empty. His face is a curiosity to me, but only because I wonder if his altered body would survive splintered bone driven into his brain. There's one way to find out.
Poppy's shout is a distraction as is Beckett's hoarse cry as he tries to fight his way back down the narrow way to reach her. I turn around again, see Vander fighting off the others, pulling Socrates free, Shade barking as the one holding Poppy turns and runs away. The others follow as Beckett screams Poppy's name, held back by Cade's people. Socrates and Vander run after Poppy, disappearing from view.
My anger finds me as I spin and roar, the sound filling the alley with a volume so loud my ears ache. Poppy. They dare.
Duet, oddly silent, surges forward, leaping for Cade. His hand lifts, a black box sizzling with electricity. The taser jolts my sister, sending bolts of white and green lightning across her cyborg implants, her whole body jerking like a demented puppet before she collapses to the ground, the soft sound of sizzling fading in the sudden quiet.
She doesn't have the calm, it seems. That's my gift. Curse. Gift.
Cade's smile is manic. “You already know what she made me into.”
Solo. I nod. “Obviously.”
&n
bsp; His amusement cracks. Is he afraid of me? Of my calm? He should be.
He should be.
Beckett pants behind me. Has he given up? Not likely. I glance over my shoulder, see Cade's people falling back, the gap blocked by a few bodies, downed by rocks from Beckett's pockets.
“Beckett,” I say. “Get Poppy.”
He attacks anew, Cade's people retreating from the deadly stones in his hands, from the flying debris I can only imagine his mind controls. He breaks out through the remains of the pack and runs off after Vander and Socrates. I hear a whimper, only then notice Ande crouched to the side, the puppies at his feet, dog standing guard, pushed back so far against the shaking boy his tail and hind quarters aren't visible.
They don't matter. Only Cade and the taser and his death. Duet groans softly as Cade raises the weapon toward me, smile returning, lighting his eyes with that old familiar madness.
I feel the rumble under my feet before he does, am already leaning down to grab my sister, pull her to her feet as Cade's back-up scatters, kids running from the Crawler truck that pulls to a screaming halt at the end of the ally. Cade spins, practically spitting with rage.
“No!” He holds up the taser at them, as though threatening the four soldiers who jump down and stomp toward us. “I caught her! I was bringing her in!”
The calm wants me to kill him, but agrees there are better times and places for such things. I'm turning before he finishes speaking, Duet leaning in to me, Ande gathering the puppies and retreating, the dog shoving ahead as point. I don't look back, don't have to. From the sizzling sound of the taser Cade is occupied, though I hope the Crawlers don't kill him before I get the chance.
We break out into the street, the dog galloping away toward a distant corner and I follow without a thought. He at least I can trust without issue and I know he will take us where we need to go.
More taser sounds from behind. Cade is more wily than I gave him credit for. Good. Perhaps I'll get to kill him after all.
