Worlds Collide: Sunset Rising, Book Two

by McEachern, S. M.

  “What do you mean ‘might’? Wouldn’t you remember giving birth to two babies?”

  “Not me, Sunny—your father. He was only thirteen when Amelia Holt took him as her lover. But your father is a romantic and he fancied she was actually in love with him. He fell hard for her, stupid fool,” she said, shaking her head. “It was during the time she was using him that she became pregnant. Holt knew she had a lover and didn’t really care. They married each other only because they were both from the right breeding stock. So when Leisel was born with eyes as black as an urchin, he went insane. It was a bad night. I thought he was going to thrash your father to death.”

  “Leisel’s eyes aren’t black,” I said.

  “She wears contacts to make them blue.”

  I looked over at Leisel, now almost secured to a chair. She was fighting so hard it took all three of them to get her tied up. I didn’t see a family resemblance. But we were the same height. And I was able to convince the entire Dome I was Leisel at the wedding.

  Oh my God. She was my sister?

  “Was Dad her only lover from the Pit? Maybe she had more,” I said hopefully.

  “I don’t know for sure. I know Holt took out his anger on your father. You don’t need to know the details, but there’s a reason why your father suffered from depression. Holt turned on me, too. I’m surprised your dad and I both lived through it. We stayed together after that.”

  Leisel was tied up now and Summer was suggesting they tape her mouth shut.

  “Maybe she’s not my sister,” I said.

  My mom gave me that smile. The indulgent whatever-you-want-to-think-Sunny smile that meant she didn’t want to have an argument with me. “Maybe not.”

  Whether or not the spoiled brat yelling profanities at us was my sister couldn’t be my main concern right at this moment. We had an army in the hallway waiting for us.

  “Are you okay here on the floor for now?” I asked.

  “I’m fine,” my mother said.

  “Okay.” I stood and looked at the others. Leisel was secured to the chair with grey-and-black patterned neckties, another tied around her mouth, gagging her. “We should bring her into the computer room with us. I don’t want her out here with my mom.”

  Evans shot me an exasperated look, but he and Bron picked up Leisel’s chair and carried her into the room.

  Bron didn’t waste any time. She sat down at Holt’s computer.

  “We should try to connect with the city first. Jack thinks it’s hardwired to this computer,” I said.

  “I have no idea where to start looking for it,” Bron said.

  “Try Powell, or General Powell, or city, or…”

  “Those sound like files, not channels. It wouldn’t be named like that. It would have an address—wait a minute!” Bron peered at the screen. She ran her finger down a list. She clicked on one item. Nothing. She tried another. Her fourth try, something happened. “I think it’s trying to connect to something.”

  We waited. Nothing. She tried again. Waited. It connected.

  General Powell’s face came into view. He was sitting up in bed, his hair smoothed down, and dark circles under his eyes. “Mr. President,” he said.

  “You did it,” I said to Bron.

  “Is that General Powell?” Evans asked. “I thought he was in quarantine.”

  I peered into the computer screen. “General Powell. You’re looking better,” I said.

  “What the—” he started. “How the hell did you get in there?”

  A hand holding a gun flashed into view for just a second and then a familiar face peered into the screen. “Is that Sunny? Is she in the Dome?”

  “It’s me, Terran, and yes I’m in the Dome.”

  “Good Lord, we thought it was Holt calling. The last thing we need right now is for the president to suspect something’s up and send out reinforcements.”

  “I don’t think the president will be bothering you…I do need to speak to Jack though. It’s urgent.”

  “Jack?” he repeated, a little discombobulated. “Mr. Kenner? He’s um…” He moved out of the view. “Somebody get Jack Kenner!”

  By the look of the background, Powell was in a bed in the urchin corral.

  “How did you get into the Dome?” the general asked.

  “A little girl led me here,” I said honestly. “Where’s Jack?”

  “Putting a search party together for you, last time I heard.”

  “We’re a bit pressed for time. I’d appreciate it if you could let everyone know it’s urgent that we find him.”

  “What the hell is going on?”

  “I’ll wait to tell that to Jack.”

  An awkward silence followed. He peered into the screen and we peered back. I noticed the background scenery had piqued the interest of Summer, Bron and Evans. Late afternoon sun poured in from an open door, casting a type of shadow never seen inside the Dome.

  There was a commotion on his end—a blurred screen—then Jack’s face came into view.

  He peered into the screen. “Sunny?” he said in a tight voice.

  Bron moved aside and I sat in the chair. “It’s me.”

  He covered his eyes with his hand for a moment before he pulled it through his hair—a clear indication he was frustrated. “I thought we had a date.”

  It was a statement. In fact, it almost sounded like an accusation.

  “We did. I mean we do. I mean—” I rubbed my eyes.

  “I went to look for you, and I couldn’t find you. Someone I’ve never met before told me you left a message—you were going to move a couple of rocks. Rocks, Sunny. That’s all I had to go on.”

  “I thought that’s all it was going to be, Jack, but it turned out to be a way back into the Pit. I had no idea.”

  “Why didn’t you come back and get me?”

  “I wasn’t sure the tunnel we came through would hold. It was my chance.”

  He nodded. “And I’m going to assume you’re in Holt’s office?”

  “We are,” I confirmed. I cleared my throat. “Summer’s been stuck here. He hasn’t let her go.”

  “I see.”

  “And President Holt is dead.”

  He opened his mouth slightly and then closed it. “Are you sure?”

  I nodded. “Very.”

  A variety of different expressions flitted across his face, finally ending with a triumphant grin. “We won. If the codes to the warheads died with him, we won.”

  I was glad Jack was happy. However, I had an army outside the door waiting to kill all of us.

  “Jack, I have someone here with me. His name is Evans. I was wondering if you could show him a bit of the outside.”

  Jack’s expression sobered. “Why?”

  “We could just use him on our side right now, that’s all.”

  Evans moved to peer over my shoulder, intent on the screen. Jack squinted back.

  “No problem,” Jack said. He started walking. “So Evans, are you one of the president’s men?”

  “Yes I am.”

  “Are you the only security guard in there with Sunny?” he asked.

  He left the building and walked into the sunlight. I noted the surprise on their faces as they drew closer to the monitor. This wasn’t a movie. This was Jack Kenner, live from outside the Dome. He held up the tablet and gave a panoramic view of the area. Mostly, it was the corral in the foreground, but in the distance I could see the wire fence and some of the people beyond it—including Dena’s warriors. The mountains, blue sky and white fluffy clouds completed the picture.

  “Yes I am,” said Evans absentmindedly, mesmerized by the images
he was seeing.

  Jack’s face came back into view. “And what’s the situation in there?”

  Evans licked his dry lips, staring into the computer screen. “Armed forces are outside the door. They don’t know the president is dead. We’ve told them Sunny O’Donnell is holding him captive in an attempt to extort clemency for you. They’re waiting to negotiate.”

  “Good,” Jack said. “Because I’m coming in there. And if Sunny so much as breaks a fingernail, I’m holding you responsible, Evans. Do I make myself clear?”

  Evans straightened. “Yes, sir.”

  “Where’s the entrance, Sunny.” It wasn’t really a question. More like an urgent demand.

  As he walked, the background scenery continually changed. My companions were riveted to the screen. Summer put her hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

  “North, behind the corrals. We walked toward to the Dome for about…twenty minutes? There’s an outcrop with an entrance into the caverns. The tunnel to the Pit is at the back. There’s a mining crew working on the tunnel, so you might be able to hear them. They’re going to start evacuating the Pit as soon as it’s stable.”

  He gave me a nod of approval, which would have seemed impersonal except for the fond grin. “Are you all armed?”

  “Bron and Evans are,” I said.

  The sound of a jeep coming closer drifted through the computer. “If the army tries to bust their way in, don’t hesitate to start shooting. Threaten to kill both Damien and Leisel. Make them believe it. Don’t take any crap from them, Sunny.”

  “Jack, can’t we do this without shooting? I mean, look how Evans and Bron are reacting to seeing this. Everyone in the Dome wants to get outside just as much as the Pit. Can’t we put this on television?”

  He stopped walking and stared into the screen. People ran around behind him, there were shouts. A jeep drove by. But Jack was still.

  “Did I ever tell you you’re a genius?” he asked.

  I smiled. “Once or twice.”

  “Bron, can you link me into the mainframe? It’s time to get in touch with my family.”

  I started to rise out of the chair to give the computer back to Bron. “I’m going to go check on my mom.”

  “What’s wrong with your mom?” he asked.

  “She was shot. I think she’s okay, but she needs a doctor soon.”

  “Hang tight. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I stood the rest of the way. “Sunny?” he called me back. “We’re still partners, right?”

  Maybe I should have been surprised by that question, but I wasn’t. Even though I knew it might be my only chance to get into the Dome, I felt the weight of guilt the moment I decided to come in here without even telling him. As though I was breaking an unspoken rule between us.

  “Always,” I said.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  My mom had managed to get herself up onto the sofa by the time I returned to the reception room. She was in a lot of pain but seemed to be holding up.

  “We might want to get rid of them before they start to smell,” she said, pointing at Holt and the dead security guard.

  Summer, Bron and Evans were still in the computer room, so I did it myself. Holt was easy to move since he was in a wheelchair. I saw the look of horror in Leisel’s eyes as I wheeled him past the open office door. A pang of sympathy hit me. She was strapped to a chair, a necktie gagging her, and her father was killed in front of her. I shouldn’t feel sorry for her—she wasn’t the type to show mercy to a fellow human being. The problem was, I wasn’t like her.

  The security guard was more of a challenge. He was a heavy, dead weight and the thick carpet only added to the drag. With great difficulty, I managed to get him into the same room where I stashed Holt and closed the door on both corpses. I didn’t mind doing the cleanup. It kept me busy.

  I found a blanket for my mom and made sure she was comfortable before I returned to Holt’s office. Summer was leaning over Bron’s shoulder, directing her to different areas on screen, and Evans watched with interest.

  “How’s your mom?” Summer asked.

  “She needs a doctor, but she’s doing pretty well right now. Is Jack still on?”

  Bron shook her head. “We lost reception with him so he’s probably out of range. Before we were cut off, I was pretty sure I recognized the guard who gave you his uniform.”

  “Did you see anyone else familiar?” I asked. “Maybe they’ve started the evacuation.”

  She shook her head.

  I wondered if the guard gave up his uniform with the full intention of never needing it again—went to the tunnel, said goodbye, and left. How many more would be just like him?

  “Our hour is almost up,” Evans said. “We’re going to have to contact them soon. What do you want to say?”

  “How about we demand retribution?” Summer jeered. “Payment for a lifetime of abuse!”

  Bron was caught up with whatever she was doing on the computer, but Evans and I turned a startled look on her.

  “We’re trying to stall them, not provoke them,” I said.

  Summer pointed to something on the monitor. “There and there.”

  Bron peered at the screen. “Unbelievable.”

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “Holt’s formula for a master race. He made it mandatory for every baby born in the Dome to be genetically tested.” Her eyes searched the monitor, bringing up different files. “And it doesn’t stop there. He has a list called ‘Deviants,’ which appears to be people with undesirable traits…like homosexuality.” She typed something on the keyboard. “Look at that—I made his list. So did Cam. How did he know? I thought we kept it secret.” I walked around the desk to have a look at the list. It was long.

  “So it wasn’t just everyone in the Pit he was going to kill.”

  “He was planning to get rid of anyone that didn’t fit in,” Bron said. Her face was red with anger, her eyes alert and focused on the screen.

  Evans’ communicator came to life. “What are you going to tell them?”

  I thought about it. “Tell them the truth—we’re waiting for Jack Kenner. The president has granted clemency and Jack is coming to claim it.” Evans raised the communicator to his mouth. “Oh, one more thing. They should clear the way for him or Holt will die.”

  “Don’t you think you’re pushing it a little bit?” asked Evans.

  “I don’t want them to think we’re wimpy. We need to let them know we mean business.”

  Summer straightened. “Anyone want a drink?” she asked.

  I followed her out into the other room. She went over to a hutch and opened it to expose a small bar. She poured herself a big glass of something and took a gulp. When did she start drinking?

  “Is there any food?” I asked.

  She motioned toward a door. “In the kitchen.”

  “Do you want to help me?”

  “Sure.”

  She topped up her drink and led me through a door into Holt’s private rooms. I had never felt uncomfortable with Summer before, but there was an obvious tension between us. Maybe she was angry with me for not paying enough attention to her. But in my own defense, we had a lot going on.

  Holt’s living quarters were a lot bigger than even Leisel’s apartment and much plusher. He even had his own kitchen. Summer opened up the fridge door for me and then hoisted herself up onto the counter.

  “Aren’t you having anything?” I asked.

  She raised her glass. “I’m good.”

  Was that why she was so thin? She had traded food for alcohol? This went beyond being mad at me; she was different.

  “I can make you some eggs,” I said optimistically.
“I know how.”

  She ignored the offer. “So, that’s really something about his city. I didn’t see that one coming.”

  I closed the fridge door, turning my full attention on her. “It’s better than we ever dreamed about, Summer. The way the wind feels blowing across your skin. And the sun’s so warm! Hot, really. I can’t wait to take you outside!”

  Summer smiled at me. Not her usual silver-lining grin that I was accustomed to. This one had a hint of something foreign in it. “And will Jack Kenner be joining us?”

  The way she said it was like a slap in the face. Not that I had planned to bring Jack with us. I had envisioned taking Summer by the hand, telling her to close her eyes, lead her outside, and then tell her to open them. I wanted to see the look on her face as we realized our lifelong dream together.

  But I didn’t like her tone when she spoke about Jack.

  I shook my head. “It’s our special time, Summer. Just you and me.”

  “It’s a special time for the entire Pit, Sunny. We’re finally free!” she said, her words slurred ever so slightly. She looked around the kitchen. “As long as we can get out of here in one piece, that is.”

  “I just meant you and I have dreamed about this since we were kids. Don’t you remember that movie we watched all the time—the one with the girl running around the mountains with the guy and the goats?”

  “Heidi?”

  “Yeah! That one. That’s when we started fantasizing about life outside the Pit. Making up stories about what life would be like and acting them out. Don’t you remember?”

  “I remember. I also remember there were no bourge in our made-up world.” The words weren’t spoken as a reminder; they were meant to be a challenge. “Last time we saw each other, you said that you and Jack weren’t together like that.”

  So that’s what was making her angry. She searched my face for an answer. I wasn’t sure how to respond. I didn’t want to lie to her, but I didn’t want to upset her any more either.

  “I knew it!” she burst out. My silence must have confirmed it. “The way he practically pounded his chest and threatened Evans if anyone hurt you. And you were all always Jack.” Her expression was sour as she tried to mimic me. “Ach!”