Strange Skies

by Kristi Helvig

  My voice came out harsh and grating. “You think that was a scene? You have no idea what kind of scene I am capable of. I’ll ask you one more time since you seem to have a problem with your hearing—where are the freakin’ guns?”

  He sighed. “No one knows. I swear. Kale moved them somewhere after he brought Markus and Alec here. Said something about going to try and get more Resistance recruits from the outer areas. Markus has been drunk ever since, and Alec’s been … with you.” James gritted his teeth.

  Like I had a choice. Most of the past three months, I hadn’t even known who was around me because I’d been a doped up, drooling mess. James’ eyes drifted to my hair and then to Alec. “Nice flower. Where’d you get it?”

  I reached up to touch my hair. I’d forgotten about the flower. I ignored his question. Let James think what he wanted. “And Kale?” I kept my voice hard and businesslike. But the longer he looked into my eyes, the weaker I felt.

  James reached out to touch my hand. “Kale’s only been back once. Word is that he’ll be here again soon though.”

  I pulled away from him.

  “Please, Tora.”

  The way he said “please” reminded me of a fleeting dream about him. I couldn’t quite catch the memory and shook it off. James’ lack of answers was getting on my last nerve. “So what do you know? Did you find out the ‘something bigger’ thing that Kale was part of—the thing that was worth shooting me over?”

  James took a step toward me. “Yes, but I already told you all this. I never—”

  Lucy tore around the corner, leash dragging in the dirt, and jumped on me. She licked my face like she hadn’t seen me in years. I smiled despite my anger and patted her head. “Easy, girl. I missed you too.” And it was true. The sight of those big eyes and wagging tail made me think she was the only creature worth trusting in the whole universe.

  Alec rounded the corner. “Sorry, she took off and pulled the leash out of my hand.”

  “No worries. We’re done here.” I gestured at James. “Basically, he knows nothing about anything.” I studied the darkening sky and the long shadows beginning to creep across the ground.

  James pleaded with Alec. He sounded almost desperate. “Help me out here, man. Tell her. She doesn’t remember. C’mon, I took care of your dog—you owe me.”

  Alec hesitated. “Thanks for helping with Lucy,” he said, shuffling his feet in the dirt.

  I whipped my head toward Alec. “Remember what?”

  “Your first escape attempt,” Alec said.

  All I recalled was being told, while in a drug-induced stupor, that I’d run away once before. I stared blankly from James to Alec. “What about it?”

  Alec spoke like the words were being forced out of him. “It was with him. You ran away with James.”

  Chapter SIX

  NO WAY. I’D RUN AWAY WITH JAMES BUT HAD NO MEMORY OF the experience. Not that I remembered much of anything about the past few months. All I could recall were those few strange dreams in between med doses. I shivered. The air contained a noticeable chill now, and the sun had all but disappeared over the horizon.

  James watched me and looked concerned. “Did Alec give you the med to help with withdrawal?”

  Now Alec was the one on the defensive. “I couldn’t find it. There wasn’t time—”

  James reached into his pack and pulled out a blue vial. The slender tube had a button on the bottom side and a rough surface on the top. He held it out toward me. “Look, this will stop any new symptoms.”

  Did he seriously think I was just going to put out my arm and let him inject an unknown substance into me? Another chill grabbed hold of me.

  “It’s okay,” Alec said. “That’s the withdrawal med. I swear. It’s the same thing I was going to give you back in the containment center.”

  James inched closer to me. “Please let me help you.”

  “Fine,” I said. “Only because I believe Alec, not you.” I held out my arm and glared at him. “So if I ran away with you, how are you here when I was still stuck in the containment center?”

  James reached out and held my arm to administer the vial. Electricity shot through me at his touch. As he put the rough end against my forearm and pushed the button, I tried to focus on his words.

  “I was being held there too. Alec snuck me into your room one night, and I asked you to run away with me. You said yes.” James pulled the vial away but didn’t step back. My chills had already vanished. His eyes pierced mine. “Honestly, first you slapped me and called me a burner for shooting you. But after I explained and asked you to come to Callie City with me, you agreed, but said that being with me would ‘be only slightly more preferable than staying with the Consulate.’ Is any of this ringing a bell?”

  I shook my head. How could I have forgotten all that? Especially the part where he’d explained everything.

  A look of amazement crossed his face. “Wow, they must have given you some heavy mem drugs after we ran. I heard they were experimenting with stronger versions.”

  He knew about the memory drugs. Guess that made sense. He was a medic and all. “But my memories from before the containment center came back. I just have no idea what happened when they were giving me the meds. Will I ever get those memories back?”

  James had explained everything to me, and I couldn’t recall a single word of it.

  He searched my eyes. “I don’t know. I don’t agree with those kinds of drugs, so I’ve never used them. I hope you do remember though.” He looked disappointed. “Anyway, Alec helped us escape the building, but right as we got outside the door another guard saw us. You begged me to go without you. You told me that you’d never be able to keep up and that we’d both be captured.”

  That sounded like something I’d say. Even when I was in top form, my running was pathetic compared to James’.

  “Anyway,” James said, “Alec promised me that he’d break you out and bring you here. He and I pretended to struggle so we wouldn’t blow Alec’s cover, and then I took off.” James stepped closer and looked into my eyes. “Believe me, I never wanted to leave you. And I told Alec I’d be back for you if he couldn’t get you out.”

  Alec reluctantly agreed. “Yeah, that’s all true. After James got away, the Consulate started you on the really heavy mem drugs. Thought they could brainwash you to their way of thinking. I started to worry these last few weeks. You were way out there, ángel.”

  James clenched his jaw. If Alec calling me ángel made James mad, I hoped Alec would call me nothing else. Since he had saved me, maybe I should start calling him mi héroe. James should love that.

  “What about your girlfriend in there?” I asked sweetly. “She seems … friendly.”

  “She’s not my girlfriend. Her name’s Sonya and she’s part of the Resistance.” James stood close to me and the familiar knots started twisting in my stomach. “I told her all about you. She wants to meet you, but I told her to wait until we cleared things up.”

  “Good choice.” I wanted to say that girls don’t smile like that and walk their hands up the arms of boys for no reason, but I held my tongue. “I don’t feel like meeting her right now—I’m sure she’ll understand. It’s dark and we need to go.”

  A loud snore echoed from the tree. “Besides, we need to get Markus back to the hut so he can sober up. He’s no good to anyone like this.” I challenged James with my eyes. “That is, if you can tear yourself away from your non-girlfriend.”

  His eyes met mine again. “Tora Reynolds, you and I are going to have a long talk again … and you’ll remember it this time.” My name on James’ lips caused a shiver to run down my spine. He looked at Alec. “Let’s get this guy back home. Tora can take Lucy.”

  Hearing her name, Lucy bounded up to me with her tail whacking around like crazy. I gripped her leash and ran my fingers through her soft fur. The sky had turned inky black. “How are we going to find our way?” I asked.

  Alec smiled. “No worries, ángel. The stars
will be out soon and will give us some light. Besides, I know the way.”

  James and Alec half-carried, half-dragged Markus through the forest while Lucy and I followed. Every once in a while, Markus grunted in his sleep. Lucy trotted by my side like she didn’t have a care in the world. I couldn’t even imagine what that felt like.

  Sure enough, the sky soon shone with bright stars and the two enormous moons. We walked mostly in silence as we stepped around branches and tree roots. A small flock of birds took flight as we approached. They glowed a bright bluish color in the dark and cast off soft light as they flew, creating icy streaks across the sky. A strange howling erupted every so often. Lucy emitted a low growl in response and the fur on her back stood up.

  “What is that?” I asked, though I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer.

  “An animal,” James said. “They don’t look like anything I’ve seen on the Net. They come out mainly after dark. Pretty big, aggressive things, but we should be safe if we stick together.”

  “One of the Resistance had to kill one in self-defense,” Alec said. “Then someone got the idea to try and eat it. They’re not bad if they’re cooked.”

  I shuddered. Out of all the dangers I’d encountered, the thought of an attack by a hostile creature hadn’t crossed my mind, much less eating it. I’d rather run into a Consulate guard given the choice between the two. Not that I’d heard a peep from a Consulate ship since we’d arrived here.

  “The Consulate really hasn’t found this place?” I asked.

  “Not yet. They know the Resistance is around, though,” Alec answered, panting between his words as he shifted Markus in his arms. “I overheard some stuff when I worked at the containment center. They’re still establishing resources and manpower—I’d guess they’re coming soon.”

  “And our plan is to be ready for them. Even though Kale complicates things,” James added.

  “You trust him?” I scoffed. “He’s going to use the guns, with your help I assume, to defeat the Consulate. Which makes you guys the new Consulate, right?”

  James sighed loudly. Why did he always sigh when I spoke? “Kale has connections that I need. I tried to tell you this before. It has to do with Autumn’s … my whole family’s … murders.”

  I froze. I remembered the photo I’d seen of a younger James with his little sister, Autumn. It was the only time I’d ever seen a real smile on his face. How he’d told me that Autumn had loved leaves the way that my sister loved wildflowers. How she’d died with her little hands wrapped around his legs under the fire of Consulate lasers.

  “So you’ve been using Kale to get to them?” I asked.

  “Basically,” James said. “But it’s turning out to be the worst idea I’ve ever had.”

  I was about to ask more when we reached the first encampment, the one with James’ hut. He motioned at Alec. “Stop here a sec. I need to grab something.” They placed Markus on the ground and he sat up, mumbled something incoherent, and lay down again.

  James went into his hut and emerged a minute later. He strode up to me in the dark. “I want you to have something,” he said.

  He was giving me a gift? My heart thumped wildly in my chest. Stupid heart. He pulled my hand out and turned it palm up, then placed a gun in it. “Here, you should have one of these.”

  I studied the standard-issue weapon. “Seriously? Ithought you preferred to take these away, not give them to me.”

  There was that sigh again. “I had no choice. Believe it or not, I did it to save your life.”

  “And shooting me? Was that to save me too?” I lifted the shirt and tucked the gun into my waistband. Hopefully, my white shirt was too nondescript for him to notice that it was his.

  He touched my hand again. “You’re alive, aren’t you? And you realize I’m the one that called the Consulate to send those ships? I told you all about it right before we planned our escape.”

  I refused to admit he had a point about me still being alive, though it was pretty obvious. “Can we just assume that I don’t know anything that happened during that time? It’s all one big blank. The last thing I remember before finding Dad is you shooting me … I assume you know about my dad being alive?”

  James turned toward Alec. “What?”

  “I had no idea,” Alec said. “All I knew was that he was a ‘high-profile’ prisoner. Only Dr. Sorokin was allowed in his room until the day we found Tora in there. Then it all made sense.”

  “Whoa,” James said. “That’s incredible. How is he?”

  “Not great,” I said. Grief welled up in me at the thought of Dad still lying helpless in that place. “I’m hoping you all will help me get him out of there.”

  I couldn’t see James’ expression in the dark. He was quiet a minute. “We’ll figure something out.”

  The stars twinkled above us and I studied James in the dim light. I wished he could tell me everything again right now, but we weren’t alone.

  Alec walked over to Markus and nudged him with his foot. Markus grunted and turned over. “Maybe he could stay here with you for the night?” Alec asked James. “It would save us from carrying his ass any farther. I can take care of Tora from here.”

  I saw the wheels spinning in James’ head. “I’ll get him on his feet. Best that I walk you all back to make sure you’re safe.” He headed down to the creek, which must have been the same one that ran by our encampment. James returned with a container full of water that he dumped over Markus’ head.

  He spluttered awake. “What the hell?” He wiped water from his face as he sat up and blinked, then looked around like he had no idea what was going on. I knew how he felt. Only my stupor had been involuntary.

  Markus’ eyes finally focused, landing on me. “Tora? Is that really you?” He got to his knees and pushed himself up from the ground.

  “Yep, in the flesh.” I walked over to Markus, and he gripped me in a bear hug like he hadn’t seen me in ages. He reeked of alcohol. I patted him awkwardly, then stepped away.

  “I’ve been worried as hell about you,” he said.

  More like he’d been worried about where he’d get his next drink. “I’m fine, Markus. It’s you I’m concerned about.”

  Markus brushed dirt off of his clothes. “Nothing to be concerned about, sweetcakes. Just doing my thing.”

  I knew how much Britta had meant to him. I touched his arm. “Since when does ‘your thing’ mean drowning yourself in moonshine?”

  He shrugged. “It’s been hard for me. When I’m drunk, I forget about things for a while.”

  I remembered how good the Consulate drugs had made me feel. Like I’d be happy forever as long as I had them in my system. “I get it, Markus, I do. We’ll help you through this, but you have to try.”

  James put up his hand. “Okay, we need to get you guys back to your huts.”

  We trudged through the woods. Alec and Markus went first, followed by James, Lucy, and me. I was all too aware of how close I was to James, and distracted myself by focusing on Lucy.

  “Is anyone else starving?” Markus asked after a while.

  My own stomach grumbled in response. The fruit and energy gel were the only things I’d consumed in a long time. “Sorry, Markus, I don’t have any gel packs on me.”

  “There aren’t many of them left, anyway,” Alec said. “Everyone eats local food now.”

  I didn’t blame them. That fruit was delicious. “What besides the fruit?”

  Another howl pierced the darkness. James moved closer to my side. “That.”

  Markus made a fire in a pit not far from our huts while I collected more kindling. I scoured the ground for the small, dry twigs that James told me were best for priming the fire. Lucy curled up near Alec’s hut and watched us. Alec and James had disappeared, and had been gone for over an hour. On the plus side, the sky had started to lighten again.

  “Do you think they’re okay?” I asked Markus.

  He prodded the fire with a larger stick. “Sure, they k
now what they’re doing.” The fire grew into good-sized flames. “Think there’s anything to drink around here?” he asked.

  “The creek is right behind you. Caelia Pure is the hardest thing you’ll get while I’m around.”

  Markus grimaced. “You always were a hard-ass.” He dropped the stick by the fire. “Honestly, I’m not sure I can make it without a drink.”

  I walked over to the fire. “The Consulate had me drugged beyond belief. I made it through the worst withdrawal ever. If I can do it, you can too. James has something that will help.”

  He hunched down and warmed his hands by the fire. “Yeah, but you’re stronger than me. Always have been.”

  I settled next to him. “I’m not sure about that. In any case, I’ll help you through it. I need you strong.”

  He turned sideways to look at me. “You’re not still thinking you can beat Kale?”

  “I don’t just want to beat Kale. I want to beat the Consulate too. And I want the guns back.”

  Markus laughed. “Suicidal much?”

  “Not lately,” I said. Not since I discovered I’d accidentally killed my little sister who I’d loved more than life itself. “If we find the guns and get rid of them, the Consulate and Kale will be powerless. Everyone will have regular ole guns and we’ll have an even playing field. Then maybe everyone will leave each other in peace.”

  Markus tossed a twig into the flames. “I think you’re forgetting those Consulate bombs. We don’t have any of those. Plus, isn’t it human nature to be burners? Don’t you think people will always try to impose their will on others?”

  The heat from the fire warmed my face. “Not all humans. But the ones who do sure cause more trouble than the ones who don’t. I still have hope. Otherwise, all this”—I waved my arm at the new world around us—“is for nothing.”

  A grunting sound came from behind us. I reached for my gun and whirled toward the trees. Alec and James emerged, dragging something behind them. It was an animal—thankfully a dead one.