Recall

by M. Van

  “What if we expose their secret?” Kelle said.

  Instantly all our gazes shot in her direction. It took a moment for her words to settle, but as they did, I started to understand what she meant. If we exposed the fact that ArtRep was building a new world by using the much-needed resources of this planet, causing its own people to suffer while the selected few could indulge in what this new world had to offer, it would ensure riots of a scale these districts had never known. We just needed to empathize that they were willing to leave most behind—not just the people of Subterra, but also the majority of the people living in the cities. Kelle hadn’t said much up until now, but that hadn’t stop her from thinking it through.

  “Okay, you lost me,” Riffy said. Saera shook her head, patted Riffy’s knee and offered a gentle smile.

  “ArtRep has kept this new world they are building a secret for a reason. They want it for themselves and do not wish to share with people they decree unworthy, and that includes most of the Tenebrae population.”

  “But they need those people to build it,” I added, “and need them to provide the resources needed for the build at least for one more year.”

  “This could interrupt their travel plans,” Reece said. “It would not only bring every Subterran on our side but probably most of Tenebrae.”

  “It took you long enough.”

  We all reacted a little shocked at Harp’s voice sounding in our heads. He must have been listening to our banter the whole time.

  “So you agree?” I asked. Silence fell around us as we waited with anticipation for the voice to return on the coms.

  “It’s not hard to agree to something I had on my mind myself,” Harp said.

  Reece snorted a laugh. “This is exactly why you are his favorite,” he said, pointing a finger at Kelle. She kept her face stoic until Saera wrapped an arm around her, and I noticed a blush creeping up Kelle’s neck. The sight lifted my lips into a smile, but it faded as I thought of the impending consequences.

  “There could be riots,” I said. “People could get hurt, and what about Sulos’s threat to open another wormhole near the sun’s core? It might go supernova and leave the world for dead within a year.”

  “A lot can change in a year,” Reece said.

  “I agree,” Harp said.

  Chapter twenty-two

  Reece

  I didn’t know whether Harp had waited as long as he had because he only pretended to have figured out this plan on his own or if he wanted us to figure out on our own what he had planned all along. When it came to Harp, I would probably bet on the latter. That man never did anything without a solid reason behind it, but I figured he wasn’t about to explain that.

  The others didn’t seem to mind that Harp hadn’t explained his reasoning; they had made up their own reasons for broadcasting the information. I guessed that Harp hadn’t liked what he had learned and feared the council might be tempted to make some wrong decisions concerning Sulos’s plan to escape the planet. He had worked with these people for so long that he practically knew how their minds worked.

  After all, the members of the council and the government were human, and the promise of a free ticket to a place advertised as “the new world” could act as a hell of a bribe. The only way to keep the council or the government from doing something stupid was to get that information out there for anyone on this planet to see.

  Harp’s plan was simple enough that Riffy or even me could have come up with it. Following Maece and Saera had let us right where we needed to be. We had already extracted the information, now all we needed to do was broadcast it, and wasn’t it a coincidence that we found ourselves in one of the biggest communication hubs in the city?

  The feeds leading out of this building wouldn’t only allow us to broadcast in Tenebrae territory, but it would also allow us to reach every power and oxygen plant, remote outposts, and Subterra. The information would become available to every tablet, terminal, or whatever kind of data-streaming device with access to a relay station—even my own wrist device would have access. If we did this right, we could reach about every person alive on this planet, at least, that we knew of, and all of them would know what Sulos had planned for this world. Everyone would know how he was willing to abuse the people and resources of this world to benefit those who already had everything.

  I glanced at Maece, who seemed relieved that we didn’t have to blow up the building. If I was honest with myself, then I could do without that too. I got to my feet and held out a hand to her. She eyed it with suspicion for a moment but then decided to take it. Halfway up she groaned. That shoulder must still be bothering her. I grabbed her under her good shoulder to pull her up the rest of the way.

  “Thanks,” she said under her breath.

  “Not a problem.” I couldn’t help but relish in the contact. Grinning like an idiot, I held on a bit too long and she raised an eyebrow at me.

  “Sorry,” I said as I released her. I pretended to cough and looked everywhere except at her. This was too damn hard. I didn’t know how to act around her. This woman that I grew up with of whom I knew every detail of her life and then some. I chanced a peek at her and confirmed to myself that she was a woman.

  Not that I doubted it, but in a few years, a lot could change growing up, and she had definitely changed. She had changed so much that it was hard for me to keep my hands off her. I closed my eyes to force myself not to look at her tight curves or her ass or her—God help me.

  “Not a problem,” she said. Instead of facing her, I nodded and grabbed my pack off the floor. Riffy leaned against the wall, waiting for what was to come. Sweat coated his forehead as he tapped a nervous foot on the ground. Saera stood with Kelle talking a bit further down the hall. They had their fingers laced together, and an actual smile graced Kelle’s face. A big one.

  I could understand them wanting a little privacy away from us. They hadn’t seen each other in weeks, and I had some idea of how that felt. I found Maece at my side staring at the two.

  “She hasn’t told you,” I asked.

  “She hasn’t told me anything,” Maece replied. She smiled, and it was a beautiful smile, but I could tell a hint of regret hid inside it. “I have to admit that I am a bit envious.” Her voice held a sadness that was hard for my stomach to bear.

  “Of Saera and Kelle?” I asked with a sheepish grin plastered on my face. It wasn’t hard to guess what she had hinted at, but I felt it as my duty to defuse heartfelt situations with some comic relief. Fortunately, it seemed to work because she grinned and then said, “Perhaps.”

  I glared at her and hoped my mouth hadn’t fallen open. Looking thoughtful again, she added, “You’re all so close. You can add to each other’s thoughts without uttering the words, and I feel like I’m just tagging along for the ride.”

  Regaining my composure, I cleared my thoughts. “Well,” I said, “even if you don’t get all your memories back…” I hesitated, and I hoped that didn’t deter from the statement I was about to make, because I believed it with all my heart, but I couldn’t help feeling the pain of all those lost memories. “Trust me when I say that you will feel that connection again. Think of us as new friends whose trust you don’t have to earn anymore.”

  She absently nodded, her eyes on the loving pair who I imagined had as much trouble at keeping their hands off each other as I had with keeping them off Maece.

  Forcefully pulling my eyes away from Maece, I opened my pack and took out an extra suit.

  “Okay, lovebirds,” I called out, heading in their direction, “it’s time to gear up.”

  Maece seemed entranced as she watched Saera shed her clothes to change into the Subterran version of an exoskeleton suit. Her eyes were glued to Saera’s bare back and the elaborate tattoo that decorated her skin.

  “You should see yours,” I said as I came to stand at her side. Maece cocked her head, but her eyes didn’t dwell from the detailed drawing of the mystical bird that seemed to be born out of fire.<
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  “I don’t have a…” she started to say but stopped herself. Her eyes shifted to her suit as if she just realized that she probably wouldn’t remember if she did have a tattoo. “You’ve seen it?”

  I felt heat creep up my neck and figured it must have shown, because Maece stared at me wide-eyed. Clearing my throat, I returned my gaze to Saera’s back. Although I considered Saera to be more of a sister than anything else, I could still appreciate the toned physique. That was until Kelle shot me a knowing look that roughly translated into back the fuck off.

  I scratched the back of my neck, and my gaze returned to Maece, who looked at me expectantly, and I realized I hadn’t answered her question.

  “We all have them,” I quickly said. “Not the same, but similar enough. They kind of match our personalities.”

  Maece’s gaze returned to Saera, who finished pulling the suit over her shoulders and effectively hid the artwork that edged from her back onto her shoulder and along her arms.

  I couldn’t decipher the look in her eyes as Maece turned without another word and started to walk down the narrow hallway. As she pulled a hand through her hair, I realized that I couldn’t even begin to understand how lost she must feel, and I wished I could somehow help her.

  Trying to shift my focus, I joined the others in our wait for Harp. Knowing Harp, he would be going over the details of the plan with Kyran. They had to create a file that held the right amount of information to trigger enough of a fallout aimed at setting right the wrongs of this world. Kyran would need a program to upload that file and get it ready to broadcast. ArtRep’s systems were massive and infinitely complex. Things like that would take time to prepare, but I had a feeling Harp probably had a scenario ready for moments just like these. He might not understand the technical stuff, but the man knew his strategies.

  As time ticked by, the hallway around me had fallen silent. Riffy lay on his back, arms supporting his head, and his breathing came in a slow, steady rhythm. That kid had always been able to sleep anywhere. Saera had sat down across from me, with Kelle huddled by her side. Their fingers sat laced on Saera’s lap, and Kelle’s head rested on her shoulder, but Saera’s gaze held concern as she kept an eye on Maece, who stood leaning with her back against the wall at the far end of the hallway.

  I had a feeling that I understood why Maece tried to pull herself away from our group. She had told me as much—she didn’t feel she’d fit in. Maybe she thought of herself as an intruder if she sat too close. Glancing at Saera, I suspected she didn’t understand.

  “She’s okay,” I said in a whisper so Maece wouldn’t hear me. Her heads-up lay on the ground where we had left it, so she couldn’t have the device to decipher our words either. Saera glanced up as if surprised at my words. Then her eyes shot back to the end of the hall.

  “I know…I just worry that…” she said before hesitating. Our eyes locked and she finished her sentence, “we might not get all of her back.”

  I shook my head, not willing to think like that. We had gone through too much, all of us. I couldn’t just bury those memories. Besides, she had me jumping through too many hoops to get her where I wanted her—where I needed her—well, at least until she shot me down. Saera threw me an apologetic look as if she could read my thoughts.

  “I’m sorry,” Saera said. “I can’t even imagine what I would do if…” She glanced down at Kelle and smiled at her lovingly, before gazing back up at me. “How are you doing with all this?”

  I raised an eyebrow and took in a breath before I said, “You know, keeping my pants up where they belong.” Saera scowled at me, and I grinned.

  “I’m hopeful Spiro will be able to fix her,” I added. I wasn’t just trying to put Saera’s worries at ease. I really did think that the man in a child’s body would be able to help Maece.

  Spiro had been one of the first kids Harp had taken in, and although his appearance fooled most, he was the oldest of all of us. As a baby, Spiro had a similar neuro-device as Maece had now implanted in his head. A jolt of electricity from one of the Hymag lines had left him near death, but somehow, he had survived. The incident had also rendered the device in the back of his head useless, although something had changed inside him. His body had stopped growing, leaving him stuck in a child’s body with the mind of…I don’t know…a god.

  I always wondered if it been a freak accident or if Spiro had touched the spirals on purpose at the same moment a Hymag happened to rush by. He never spoke of it, and if he had, I probably wouldn’t have understood. Spiro had a way with words that made it hard for my brain to translate. Still, I’ve loved him like a brother from the day we’d met.

  He had been the one to convince Maece to go on this mission in the first place, and he had promised us that he could help her after. Of course, Saera didn’t know this yet.

  “We’ll get her back,” I said confidently and confirmed it with a nod.

  Saera’s smile was unconvinced as her gaze shifted back to Maece.

  As if she sensed Saera’s reluctance, Kelle shifted her head on Saera’s shoulder and said, “For once I think he might be right, Saera.”

  Kelle’s confirmation made me believe my own words, and I smiled at her. Then she cocked an eyebrow as if wondering where all this kindness had come from. I stuck my tongue out at her.

  It wasn’t long after that the device in my ear beeped, and Harp came on. Riffy woke with a start after I stuck a finger in his ear.

  “C’mon, sleepyhead,” I said and reached out a hand to help him up. Maece noticed and I gestured for her to join us. Not before long we all stood in a small circle more or less ready for action. As before every mission, I made eye contact with every one of them and found a healthy amount of tension and focus edged with a little fear. Fear was good; it would keep us on our toes.

  Lastly, my eyes caught Maece’s absent gaze. I couldn’t be happier to have her back, but that look left a tinge of doubt stirring in my gut. Watching the feeds of her and Saera escaping TED had confirmed what I already knew. Maece could handle herself in a tight situation—she was an enforcer after all—but a lot had happened the past thirty-six hours.

  “Okay, Harp, give us the details,” I said. His low, scratchy voice reached us through the com devices stuck in our ears. This almost felt like coming home in some disturbed kind of way now that Maece was back.

  “Three teams,” Harp said, coming straight to the point, “package delivery, doormen, and extraction. I wasn’t—”

  “What’s our exit?” I asked, cutting Harp off. He paused, and I think I might have heard something like teeth grinding.

  “The elevator at the end of the hall leads to an unregistered Hymag line that should get you out of the city.”

  “Sweet,” I replied, dismissing the annoyance in Harp’s voice. “I like those kinds of surprises.”

  A lone sigh filled my ears, and around me, the others shot me disapproving glares. I just shrugged but decided to keep my mouth shut while Harp spoke.

  “Saera, Kelle, you will secure the Hymag. Riffy, Reece, you keep our exit clear and, if needed, backup Maece,” Harp said. “Maece, Kyran will use your heads-up to link up—” Harp hadn’t finished his sentence, but this time it wasn’t me who interrupted him.

  “This is not how we work,” Saera said in a sharp tone that made me raise my eyebrows. If she wanted our attention, then she had it. Even Harp was silent on the line. “Maece isn’t going in alone—she’s with me, that is how it always worked.”

  “This situation is different,” Harp said.

  “How!” Saera said even more sharply than before. I almost never doubted Harp’s choices. He was good at this, and I had a feeling I knew why he wanted to change our routine.

  “This building is filled with enforcers, and Maece wears the only suit that can withstand multiple rounds without it affecting her.”

  “Bullshit,” Saera chimed in. “Her suit is compromised and won’t be any more effective than ours. I’m going with her.”

>   “Saera,” Harp said, trying to reason with her, “I need you to prepare the Hymag.”

  “But that’s usually Reece’s job,” Riffy said, sounding surprised.

  “Exactly,” Saera said. “He’s faster at it and a better pilot.” That brought a smile to my face because although I had known that, it was nice to hear Saera finally admit it.

  The only reasons I could think of that might have caused Harp to change our usual approach were that he either didn’t trust Maece or Saera. Come to think of it, it might be the combination of them. They had created quite a mess running around town, but that had been a common thing back in the day.

  Kelle shot a couple of indecisive glances between Maece and Saera. It seemed my young friend wasn’t completely sure about our old friend either. Certainly, not when Saera’s life might be at stake. Her eyes settled on Saera’s as if silently asking a question. Saera lay her palm on Kelle’s cheek and gave her the slightest nod. Then Saera raised her chin and said, “We do not deviate from the routine. This is how we work best.” As I thought about it, Saera’s argument seemed to make sense. Maybe something like muscle memory would help Maece through the motions; it seemed to have worked at TED.

  “Fine,” Harp said exasperatedly after a moment of silence. “Reece, Kelle—Hymag; Riffy—door; Maece, Saera—delivery.” Another moment of silence seemed to cut the tension, and as if in an afterthought, Harp added, “Don’t forget the heads-up.”

  The com line fell silent again after that. I straightened my shoulders and clapped my hands together.

  “With the entertainment out of the way,” I said, “what do you say we get to work.”

  Chapter twenty-three

  Maece

  “Here,” Riffy said in a gentle tone. He held out the heads-up. My gaze was still locked on Saera’s flushed face. Though grateful for her efforts to keep things as they were as if I had never left, I sensed something other than that seemed to be on her mind. I didn’t yet understand her relationship with Harp because she hadn’t told me, but something inside told me it hadn’t been this way before. A sense of guilt filled my chest as if I were the one responsible.