Contrition (The Perception Trilogy)

by Strauss, Lee

  His lips pulled down and he scrubbed his beard. “I planted a rumor on my blog that something big was going down in Chicago next week. That’s when the president is going to be heading for L.A. Sly figures if homeland security has their men focusing on Chicago, they won’t have as many eyes on the president when he boards his plane to L.A.”

  “They’re going to take his plane down?”

  Noah covered his face with his hands. “I want to stop the president. But… I hope I did the right thing.”

  “It’s hard to know what’s right in these situations.” I took a chance. “Did you pray about it?”

  His head swiveled to me, a bewildered look on his face.

  “What?” I said. “I know you pray. I was just wondering.”

  “Yeah, I prayed.”

  “So what are you worried about?”

  “That I’ll still get it wrong.”

  I didn’t understand. “What’s the point in praying, then?”

  He pulled back. “Where are these questions coming from?”

  I didn’t want to tell him I felt jealous of Rebecca. It was trite. “I don’t know.”

  An awkward quiet fell over us. I’d screwed up somehow. Maybe Noah didn’t want me involved in his faith.

  Unless I shared it.

  Which I didn’t.

  He sighed. “The point in praying, for me, is that I believe there’s something more out there, something bigger than myself. Bigger than this mess we’ve made. If I don’t believe it, life just feels pointless.”

  I conceded. “That’s a good reason to pray.”

  Noah took a long breath, a contrast to my labored ones. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.” The way he said it, looking down at his hands instead of my eyes, made it sound dire.

  “What is it?”

  “I think I should take you back.”

  “Huh? Back where?”

  His eyes met mine, dark and glossy. “To Sol City.”

  “What? No!” I pulled myself up to a sitting position, locking my arms around my knees. “I’m going to be okay. Fred’s coming with meds.”

  “It might not be enough. Zoe, this is your life. You could die out here.”

  “It is my life. And if I die out here, it’s my choice.”

  He pressed his lips together and looked away. I had to convince him to throw that idea away. “They’ll strip my mind again, Noah. This whole year of my life, wiped clean.”

  “But you’d be alive.”

  “What kind of life would it be, though.” I reached for his arm. “Please, don’t even think of taking me back. I don’t want to go.”

  His eyes softened and he tilted his head, resting his forehead on mine. I needed him to say something. To affirm my wishes.

  He kissed me instead, cupping my cheeks with his hands. “I love you.”

  “Then don’t make me go.”

  I waited for him to say the words I won’t, but they didn’t come.

  Chapter 26

  Fred was like a knight in shining armor, showing up with supplies just before dawn. We cheered as we sorted through the four hefty bags he dropped at the mine shaft entrance. The other girls descended on the items first, sorting through the food. The borgs hovered behind, not hiding their curiosity.

  “Good job, my man!” Taylor said, patting him on the back. Fred responded with a stiff smile a moment too late. I studied his face. He looked different to me. Even in the shadowy light of dawn I could tell that his eyes were glassier, his skin more textured.

  “Is it just me,” I said, leaning toward Taylor, “or has Fred had some work done?”

  Taylor paused from examining the pharmaceutical supplies. “I think you’re right. He’s been upgraded.”

  I fought a surge of apprehension. “And they don’t know he’s missing?”

  Taylor frowned, then called out, “Hey, Fred, buddy. It’s getting light. You need to go back.”

  Fred turned without a word and jogged away. Jason whistled. “That guy can fly.”

  Lebron nodded. “Faster than us.”

  I squinted, watching his perfect high-speed technique until he disappeared over the horizon.

  “Scary,” Buck added, folding his bulging biceps across his chest.

  Sly scowled in agreement. “I don’t trust that thing.”

  “Hey,” Taylor said. “You’re about to eat something other than sand because of him.”

  “True,” Sly agreed. He scratched his buzz cut. “But the humanoids are getting… too human. We need to find another way to get food.”

  Taylor shrugged. “Let me know when you got that figured out.”

  Noah shouldered up to Taylor. “Did you get everything you need?” he asked. He meant for me, the drugs I needed to feel healthy again. I’d already been standing too long and had to sit down.

  “Yeah, looks like it’s all here.”

  “When can you get it made?” Noah pressed.

  “Can a man eat breakfast first?”

  Noah stared him down. “Seriously?”

  “Noah, it’s okay,” I said. “I’ve waited this long, I can wait five more minutes.”

  Jabez had started the fire, and the girls already had artificial eggs and bacon cooking. I peeled a banana but could only eat half. I handed the rest to Noah. He gobbled it up in one bite.

  We found a pound of ground coffee in one of the sacks Fred left behind. A “whoop” went up from everyone and now that it was served, a quiet descended on our circle. The rising sun turned the desert a blazing orange and purple, and my skin warmed up quickly. It would be blistering in a couple of hours, and we’d all take refuge in our home underground like the nocturnal creatures we’d become.

  I’d hoped the coffee would work its magic and fuse me with energy, but I remained in my now-constant state of fatigue. It wore me down, heavy, like I didn’t have enough blood. I leaned against Noah’s shoulder and sighed. His eyes darted to Taylor, narrowing as he watched him sip his coffee. Taylor returned the look.

  “Okay, okay. I’m going,” he said, standing up. I watched him disappear into the mines. How long would it take him to make my meds? And more importantly, would they really work?

  The borgs huddled together, their backs turned to the rest of us. Their whispers sounded urgent, and I knew they were talking about their plans to assassinate my grandfather. Even though Grandpa V had tried to have me killed, I wasn’t like him. I wasn’t a murderer. I wanted him stopped but I didn’t want him dead. Weariness crept deeper into my bones. I didn’t know how to prevent the borgs from taking action. Sly looked over his shoulder directly at me, like they’d been talking about me or something. I held his gaze, shivering at the determination that barely concealed his hatred.

  Of Grandpa V, of course, but I wondered if maybe Sly’s dislike spread to the president’s offspring as well, no matter what or why I was hiding from him.

  “Let’s go in,” Noah said. He stood then helped me up. I leaned against him as he led me to the mine shaft entrance and the small hop into the hole. I hated how weak I’d become. Noah left me lying on my mat. I stared at the dirt ceilings, propped up by an old wooden framework that didn’t look very sturdy. Straight lines of light from the entrance brightened the dark space. It smelled cool and musty. Soon that would change to dusty and dry.

  Noah returned with Taylor who held out a glass of water. “I just stirred the prescription in,” Taylor said. “Sorry, it’s not going to taste that great.”

  I didn’t care as long as it worked. I sat up, taking the glass, and gulped it down, unable to keep from grimacing.

  “We’re really low on water,” Taylor continued. “I vote we get Fred to bring us some.”

  Noah shook his head. “The borgs—”

  Taylor interrupted. “Since when are they calling all the shots?”

  Noah exhaled loudly. “You’re right. We need to do what’s best for us, and dying of thirst isn’t an option. Unless we can find a natural source, we don’t have a choice.
”

  I lifted the empty glass and Noah took it. “I tell you what,” he continued. “Let me take a couple of hours to snoop around. If I don’t find anything, you can summon him.”

  “It’s getting really hot out there,” I said.

  “Which is why I have to go right now.” He bent down and kissed my head. “I won’t be long. Try to get some sleep.”

  All I did was sleep these days, but I didn’t argue. Rebecca and Hannah were also preparing to sleep. Jabez came and took his usual place by Hannah. Taylor was glued to his tech, choosing to ignore them, and Mary sauntered in last, lying down and covering her eyes with her arm.

  Just another day in paradise.

  My mind went wild, hopping from worry to worry. Would Noah find water? Would the meds Taylor made for me work? I really, really hoped they did and quickly.

  Should I warn my grandfather about the impending attack on his life? Should I ask Taylor to help me warn him? That last thought burned in my mind. I pushed myself to get up. Taylor’s eyebrows jumped in surprise when he saw me approach him. He quickly closed the laptop, but not before I saw what was on there—the faces of five cards from a deck of cards.

  “Gambling?” I spouted.

  He raked his hand through long blond hair. “Hey, it pays the bills.”

  “That’s where your money comes from? Online gambling?”

  “Why do you sound so surprised? Where did you think I got it? My day job, plumbing?”

  “No, I’m just… surprised.” I didn’t know why. Taylor was anything but conventional. He was one of those genius types who could do anything, but I wasn’t here to judge him. I pushed my hair behind my ears, nervous.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “I have a question,” I began. “And maybe a favor.”

  “I’m listening.”

  I lowered my voice and leaned in close to his ear. “The borgs are planning an assassination attack on my grandfather.”

  Taylor pulled back, his eyes wide. “How do you know this?”

  “Noah is helping them.”

  “I see.” He tented his fingers together. “And you’re telling me this because?”

  “I need your help. I have to warn him.”

  He wiggled his eyebrows and whispered, “Does your boyfriend know you’re up to this? Seems to me you’re on opposite sides of the fence.”

  “It’s not like that,” I said. Noah didn’t want to murder the president, either. I didn’t think.

  Taylor’s eyes darted to the borg shaft and then back to my face. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Can you send a message somehow? Let Grandpa’s security know the Chicago thing is a distraction and that his plane is the target?”

  “The Chicago thing?”

  “He’ll know what that is.”

  “I don’t know.” Taylor shook his head. “The borgs are better hackers than me. They’ll figure it out if I mess with their plan.”

  “Please, Taylor. I can’t let them kill him.”

  “Why? Didn’t he try to kill you?”

  I shrugged. “That was what the cyborg assassin said. Why should I trust her?”

  His eye twitched and he rubbed it. “I’ll see what I can do, but no promises.”

  I smiled weakly. “Thanks. And let’s just keep this between us, okay?”

  He smirked back. “It’s our little secret, Zoe Vanderveen.” He flipped open his laptop and resumed his game. I inched away to my mat, using the wall for support, and waited for Noah to return. He’d been gone a long time, and my worry for him intensified. What if something had happened to him? What if he needed help? No one even knew he was gone except for Taylor and me, and we had no idea what direction he went. Despite my concerns, my eyelids dropped closed like lead weights. I fought the sleep that threatened to overcome me. I didn’t want to lose consciousness until I knew Noah was safe.

  Where are you?

  I almost called for Taylor, to beg him to go look for Noah, when I heard his steps. I breathed out in relief, though I could tell by the worn look on Noah’s face that he hadn’t found water. His forehead was damp and a strand of dark hair stuck against it. His shirt had wet spots under his arms and down his chest and back.

  “You need to drink something,” I said softly.

  Taylor entered then, apparently with the same thought. He handed Noah a cup of water, and Noah downed it in seconds.

  “Fred?” Taylor said.

  Noah frowned but nodded. “I hope we don’t regret this.”

  Chapter 27

  NOAH

  The borgs waved me over to their side of the mines. I could tell by the gleam in their eyes that they were excited about something. Not in a happy way, but nervous. Scared.

  I stiffened, feeling apprehensive. “What’s up?”

  Their eyes shifted from one another. Buck’s to Jason’s, Jason to Lebron, the three of them ending with their focus on Sly.

  “Thing are getting bad out there,” Sly said ominously. He laid a hand on my shoulder and stared me in the eyes. “Can we count on you?”

  “To do what?” I asked. Then I felt a sting on the back of my neck. A bug? I reached a hand up to slap it, but Sly clasped my wrist. I flashed him a questioning look. And then I blacked out.

  I came to moments later, sitting up against the dirt wall, my nerves freaking out. “What just happened?

  Sly peered down at me with a serious look. “You collapsed.”

  I remembered the sting on my neck and reached up. Sure enough, there was a small swollen spot. “I think something bit me.”

  “Here, drink this.” Jason handed me a bottle of water. “This should flush it out.”

  I accepted the drink, and slowly pulled myself back to my feet. “So what did you guys want me for?”

  They suddenly seemed disinterested in me. “It’s nothing. Go get some rest.”

  The borgs were acting stranger than usual. I left, unsettled. I rubbed the bump on my neck and shook it off.

  We sat around the fire later that evening. The low flames sizzled over the dead cactus and dry sage brush I’d kept feeding it. A purple hue bruised the horizon, and the tall cactus became black silhouettes against the sky. The borgs sat on one side as the rest of us collected on the other, our natural division and invisible line in the sand. Them and us. Only Jabez was missing.

  “Has anyone seen my brother?” Mary asked.

  Several heads started shaking just as we heard a “whoop,” calling from the darkness. Jabez’s frame entered the glow of the firelight. A small, limp creature hung from his right hand. “I got dinner!”

  Mary crossed her arms and tapped a foot. “You didn’t tell me you were going hunting.”

  “I didn’t want to worry you.”

  She braced her hands on her hips. “I’m worried now. What if you’d been bitten by a snake or something? No one would’ve known.”

  “I’m fine, Mare, and look, now we have fox stew.”

  She couldn’t argue with stew. We were all starving. My stomach growled.

  “Next time…” She wagged a finger. “Let me come with you. I’ll bring first-aid.”

  “What do we do with it?” Zoe asked.

  Taylor took it from Jabez’s hands. “I’ve butchered pigs, cows and chickens. I think I can manage one small fox.”

  Zoe squirmed and pressed her face into my arm. She mumbled, “I don’t want to think about what he’s going to do to that thing.”

  At least he had the decency to take this gruesome task out of sight. I had to hand it to him, fifteen minutes later, Taylor passed the skinned and gutted carcass to Rebecca and Hannah. They in turn worked their magic and cooked it over the fire.

  The borgs were very complimentary.

  “Nicely done,” Jason said, holding his stomach. “I’m starved.”

  “Lebron,” Sly said. “You didn’t mention how skilled these kids were.”

  Lebron scoffed. “Anyone can fry some meat.”

  Buck laughed.
“They had you tied up and disarmed. I’d call that skilled.”

  Lebron laughed back. “Fine, they got skills.”

  Zoe didn’t finish the small piece carved out for her. She handed it to me.

  “Are you sure? You need to build your strength.”

  She nodded. “I’m full.”

  I hesitated then tossed it into my mouth.

  “Back in Kentucky,” Buck began, “we used to go to summer camp as kids. Of course, marshmallow roasting over the campfire at night led to the inevitable telling of ghost stories. My buddies and I pulled this prank once. Jack told a scary tale, holding everyone captive. Just as he got to the part where the monster crept out from under the unsuspecting girl’s bed to kill her, me and three other guys jumped out of the woods and grabbed four of the cutest girls by the shoulders.” He chuckled at his own memories. “They screamed bloody murder, swore they’d hate us forever. ‘Course, they were the four girls we were crushing on. By the end of the night, we were making out in our tents.”

  I laughed and rolled my eyes.

  Suddenly, the borgs all whipped out their weapons and I was instinctively on my feet searching for the gun at my back. My blood pulsed as I gripped it. The borgs pointed their ammunition at a figure who had appeared out of nowhere.

  “Fred!” Taylor said, forcing laughter. “You can’t just sneak up on us like that.”

  “It’s the damn humanoid,” Sly said. His eyes darted to the other borgs, and they shared a look. Mistrust. Concern. “What’s it doing back here?” He slowly reinserted his weapon into its holster, and the others did the same. I returned my gun to my back, but my pulse continued to drum.

  “I had him make a water run.” Taylor jutted out his chin, daring Sly to challenge him. Sly glared, but I suspected his own thirst kept him quiet. Fred was loaded down like a mule. Jabez jumped up to help me, and Taylor relieved him of the jugs. Rebecca passed out cups and we poured water, wasting no time to chug it down.

  “Okay,” I said. “Let’s go easy now. We’ll be thirsty again tomorrow.”

  Taylor and Jabez took the remaining water into the shaft. I helped Zoe to her feet. “You look exhausted.”

  The firelight reflected in her eyes. Sadness. So far the meds Taylor concocted hadn’t made a difference. Maybe tomorrow. I smiled at her encouragingly.