Arlo

by Arcadia Shield

  Juniper wriggled her toes. “The first infusion helped, and my healing abilities have kicked in now. You’ll waste the serum if you give it to me. Save it for someone who needs it.”

  Sophia’s eyes narrowed. “I cannot force you to accept medical treatment, but I seriously advise you to remain here for another twenty-four hours. We need to keep you under observation. You’ve drained yourself severely by using your abilities. If you leave here and relapse, I might not be able to save you the next time.”

  “It’s my health, so it’s my risk.” Juniper slid to the floor, the ground cold beneath her bare feet. “I need to get answers. I won’t be able to rest until I’ve heard what this commander has to tell us.”

  Arlo looked at Sophia. “I don’t suppose I could get you to sedate her for the next couple of days?”

  “Believe me, if I didn’t think it would do more harm than good, I’d jab her with a needle right now.” Sophia glared at Juniper. “As she said, she is responsible for her own health. If she abuses it, there is little I can do. But know this. If you come back here and you’re sick, you’ll be bottom of the list for me to treat. If you don’t look after yourself, you pay the price. There are plenty of people in this bunker who need my attention and are grateful for it.”

  A trickle of guilt ran through Juniper. Sophia was incredible at what she did, always running on limited supplies and never having enough people around to help out. Juniper didn’t want to appear ungrateful, but all she could think about was getting to the commander.

  “I promise, I won’t do anything stupid,” said Juniper. “I do appreciate what you’ve done for me. I’m feeling much better.” That was providing she ignored the tingling ache all over her skin and the desire to shed her clothing to allow the air to get to her irritated flesh.

  Sophia let out a sigh. “Fine. Do what you have to do. Then get immediate bed rest afterward. And you need someone to keep an eye on you. Arlo, can I trust you to take care of Juniper?”

  “I won’t let her out of my sight.” Arlo moved closer to Juniper.

  Juniper felt a swirl of pleasure. Arlo was acting like her own personal shadow. She wouldn’t mind having him around. That was an understatement, but she wasn’t willing to examine her tangled feelings right now.

  He grabbed hold of her elbow and leaned down until his mouth was by her ear. “You’re under my protection now, so no funny business.”

  Her insides heated at the thought of being under Arlo’s protection. Sometimes his stubborn demands grated on her, but right now, she felt in need of a protector, and who better than Arlo? “I want in on this interrogation.”

  Arlo and Heath exchanged a glance.

  “It wouldn’t do any harm for her to watch,” said Arlo. “She did help bring the guy down.”

  “Fine. But you stay with Arlo.” Heath turned on his heel. “And you won’t be able to avoid Danni for long. She’s demanding answers about what happened.”

  “Don’t worry,” said Juniper as they followed Heath out of the medical room. “She’ll get them. Everyone will.”

  Chapter 11

  Heath slowed as they reached the communications room. It was usually quiet, with only four workstations in there used for monitoring squad movements and State chatter. But this morning it was busy, with a dozen people squashed inside surrounding Jude, who sat at his desk, a grin on his face.

  Heath pushed open the door and gestured for Arlo and Juniper to follow. He looped an arm around Annie’s shoulders and smiled at her.

  Annie and Heath had been dating for months. Arlo knew it was serious. They were a perfect match. Annie helped him to relax and remember there was more to life than fighting.

  “It looks like good news,” said Heath.

  Annie smiled up at him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “The State don’t know what’s going on. Well, they know the tower is down. The word is they’re not sure what to do next. That one was a central communications hubs. They routed most of the comms through it.”

  Jude looked up from the screen where he was chatting with Zane Blanchard over a secure comms channel. “The State are in a mess. Losing that tower has screwed with them. No messages are being distributed in three Alpha zones.”

  “Is there any impact on the population yet?” asked Heath. “The last time you checked, nothing had changed.”

  “Not yet,” said Jude, his smile fading. “It’s early days. We’ve only knocked out the public broadcasts. People are still getting messages through radio signals and televisions.”

  Heath scrubbed a hand down his face. “I’d have liked to have seen a change by now.”

  Jude shook his head. “Give it time. I’m sure those signals are manipulating people. We should see people react within the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours.”

  “Looks like we did something right after all,” said Juniper.

  Arlo shot her a warning look, but Heath either ignored her comment or hadn’t heard.

  As always, Jude had Flame radio playing in the background. As the song faded, he shushed everyone as Octavia spoke.

  “It’s your girlfriend,” said Arlo.

  “He wishes,” said Zane over the comms link.

  “Stop messing around, you two,” said Jude, his expression suddenly serious. “She’s been talking to us all morning.”

  “You’re sure you’re not reading into that,” said Arlo. “You always think Octavia is talking to you.”

  “Arlo could be right,” said Heath. “She can’t talk just to us.”

  “This time, it’s different,” said Jude. “It’s almost as if us blowing that tower has given her more freedom. Maybe it’s made it harder for the State to track her movements now that a key communications hub is out of action. We could have made things safer for Octavia.”

  “Or her pirate radio station isn’t considered such a threat,” said Arlo. “She can’t do that much damage wherever she’s hiding and broadcasting from.”

  Jude waved his hand in the air, signaling everyone to be quiet.

  “It’s good news for everyone looking to make a little money over the holiday season,” said Octavia, her warm, velvet tone sliding through the room. “The bounties on the Ember brothers’ heads has doubled, again. If you decide to go out and catch yourself a brother, you’ll be in for a windfall. In fact, I’m almost tempted to go out looking myself. What do you say, boys? Fancy a new recruit? I promise not to turn you all in.”

  Jude laughed. “As if she’d ever do such a thing. She’s on our side.”

  “You never know,” cautioned Heath. “We know nothing about Octavia. If she was desperate enough to earn credits, she could cause us trouble.”

  “She doesn’t know where we are,” said Jude quickly. “Just as we have no clue where she is.”

  “Or even who she is,” said Arlo.

  “Octavia supports what we do,” said Jude.

  “A word to the wise,” continued Octavia. “You need to be careful out there. There are powerful people who want to spill some important blood. I would hate to see such fine, handsome figures downed because they make a mistake.”

  Some of the cheerful atmosphere in the room slid away. They all knew the risk of going up against the State.

  “She must be talking about your muscles, Jude,” said Zane over the comms. “Are you sure the two of you have never met?”

  Jude flushed and looked away. “Only in my dreams.”

  Arlo grinned. “I bet you’re all she dreams about too.” He slapped his brother on the shoulder and then looked at Heath. “Let’s get out of here and have a chat with this commander.”

  The three of them left the comms room and continued toward a lower basement area. It was cooler down there, and they used the rooms to keep perishable goods.

  Arlo glanced at Juniper, sensing her tension. “You were going to tell me something about this guy?”

  Juniper’s head shot up. “I was. I mean, there was something there when we connected.”

  “What was
it?”

  Juniper lowered her head and sighed. “Now that I’m thinking about it, I’m not sure it can be true. Maybe we should get him to talk and tell us.”

  Heath stopped by a door. They’d set aside a single room to use for questioning prisoners. Not that they often brought people down here. There were rarely any survivors when they were fighting.

  “The two of you go wait in the next room. The glass is one way. There’s a comms link into the room so you’ll see and hear me questioning this guy. You’re here to observe only.” His gaze was fixed on Juniper as he spoke.

  “I won’t do anything to get in the way.” Juniper sounded like she spoke through gritted teeth. “I’d like to be in there. I know more about him than you do.”

  “You think you do,” said Heath. “Remember, they’re powerful. We know nothing about them.”

  “I do,” muttered Juniper.

  Heath raised a hand, shutting down any arguments. “I’ll do the interrogation. If I need backup, I know where you are.”

  Arlo saw Juniper open her mouth to protest. He grabbed her elbow and squeezed it gently. “Let’s watch for now. Heath knows what he’s doing.”

  She clamped her mouth shut and gave a curt nod. “I’m only trying to be helpful.”

  “I know that.” Arlo led her into the next room where a large one-way mirror was recessed into the wall.

  Juniper stopped dead in her tracks, her gaze fixed on the commander. He sat tied on a chair, his arms shackled behind his back. His black suit was smeared with dirt. Dried blood covered one side of his suit jacket.

  She inched toward the glass, and Arlo saw her whole body shudder.

  He placed a hand on her shoulder. “He can’t do anything to hurt you now. You’re safe here.”

  “I know that. But every time I’m near one of them, I get the same reaction.”

  “I get that. They give me the chills as well.”

  “It’s more than that.” Juniper glanced up at him. “They’re dangerous.”

  Arlo watched as the door into the room opened and Heath walked through. Arlo activated the audio system so they’d be able to hear what was said.

  Heath stood behind the commander for a few seconds, his expression fierce, before he strode in and sat opposite him at a small table.

  The commander gave Heath a disparaging glance before returning to an inspection of his dirty shoes.

  “We know you’re the commander of transportation in Alpha Zone three,” said Heath.

  The commander didn’t even acknowledge he’d heard Heath.

  “What’s your name?”

  The commander raised his head, his smile humorless. “Call me the commander.”

  Heath shrugged. “Tell us why you’re here.”

  The commander glanced around the room. “I’m assuming I was brought here to be interrogated.”

  Arlo saw Heath’s shoulders tighten. “Why have the State taken control? What purpose do you have in destroying the dragons and killing off the monarchy?”

  “We have taken control because it is our right to do so. We destroyed the dragons because they are not the rightful rulers of this planet. And, as for your pathetic monarchy, even the dragons only humored them. They were figureheads, puppets acting as mouthpieces for the dragons’ demands.”

  “That’s not true,” said Heath. “There was clear respect between the dragons and the human monarchy.”

  “As they would have you believe,” said the commander.

  “And the population control?”

  The commander sneered. “The human population has some uses, but they’re our slave labor. Once our plans are finalized, we can move to our final phase. Until then, you need to be kept under control.”

  “What are your plans?” asked Heath.

  “That will be for you to find out,” said the commander. His cold gaze ran over Heath. “I have to admit, we didn’t expect to meet such... resistance. Our previous experiments led us to believe you would all fall under our control. Sadly, there is always an annoying minority that refuses to bend. The outcasts who never fit in.”

  “You mean the people you haven’t been able to manipulate with your hypnotic suggestions,” said Heath. “We’ve decided to fight back, and others will soon enough.”

  The commander’s nostrils flared. “I take it the destruction of the communications tower was one of your stunts?”

  “It’s gone,” said Heath. “You’ve been abandoned. No one is coming for you.”

  The commander shrugged. “We all have a role to play. I did not expect their support.”

  “You don’t expect them to take you back?”

  “No. And if they did, they’d be foolish to. I have no fear of you. Our plans will continue once I’m gone.”

  “You think I will kill you?”

  “I would if I was in your position,” said the commander. His gaze traveled slowly around the room. “To keep me alive would be stupid. I’m assuming this is one of your bases. You must tell me how you keep yourselves so well hidden. We have yet to effectively detect you. Although, we’ve come close on numerous occasions. We’ll get you and your desperate followers, eventually.”

  “That will never happen,” said Heath.

  “Which is why you will kill me,” said the commander. “I know about this place now. I could bring back a troop of militia and destroy it. Destroy every ridiculous thing you’re fighting for.”

  Arlo heard Juniper inhale sharply. His fingers on her shoulder tightened. “This place is safe.”

  “You’ve checked him for tracking devices, right?” asked Juniper.

  “Of course,” said Arlo. “He’s clean. There’s no way in hell he can be tracked here.”

  The commander’s gaze went to the glass. Arlo had to resist the urge to take a step back. It was as if the commander could see straight through to them. But that was impossible.

  The door to their right opened and Danni walked through. She shut the door softly and joined them by the glass. “I’ve been meaning to speak with you, Juniper.”

  “I’ve been busy not dying.”

  Danni’s eyebrows rose. “So it would seem. And also not following orders.”

  Juniper kept her gaze on the glass.

  Danni sighed and gestured at the commander. “Has he revealed anything useful?”

  “He seems determined to talk in vague generalizations,” said Arlo.

  “Perhaps Heath should use a more rigorous technique on him.”

  “Torture?” asked Juniper.

  “It would be something they’d use on us,” said Danni.

  Arlo saw Juniper wince. A look of determination crossed her face. He was worried. She seemed too calm. Perhaps she was holding everything in, determined not to snap. He didn’t want her to hide things from him, though. Maybe he’d made a mistake bringing her in on this. It was too late for that now. They were both in too deep.

  “When we were at the tower, I heard mention of their next steps,” said Juniper. “There was also talk about an egg.”

  Danni focused on her. “A dragon’s egg?”

  “That’s what I thought,” said Juniper.

  Danni’s lips pressed together. “If they’re ahead of us with this, if they already have an egg and are planning on breeding their own dragons, we have to stop them. We need to find out what they’re doing, and either take away the research or destroy it.”

  “Let me speak with the commander,” said Juniper.

  “No way!” said Arlo. “You’re not going up against him again. The last time you did, it almost killed you.”

  “You’re exaggerating.” Juniper scowled at the commander. “I can influence him. Get him to tell me everything he’s hiding.”

  THE THOUGHT OF GOING up against the commander again made Juniper queasy. If this was the only way they could get information, she was prepared to do it.

  Arlo stood in front of Juniper and turned to Danni. “It’s too risky. You didn’t see what he did to her. Juniper’s hiding
it well, but she’s still recovering.”

  “This time, he’s weakened and alone,” said Juniper, touching Arlo’s elbow. “I can break him. I can get him to talk.”

  Danni looked from Arlo to Juniper. “The sooner we know what they’re planning, the sooner we can stop them.”

  “Exactly,” said Juniper. “Which is why I have to go in there.”

  “Give us a minute, Danni.” Arlo grabbed hold of Juniper’s arm and pulled her away from the glass and out of the room, shutting the door behind him. “Are you crazy?”

  “I’m serious about this,” said Juniper. “Give me five minutes with him, that’s all I need.”

  “Maybe that’s all he needs,” said Arlo. “He could use that time to finish what he started.”

  “He won’t destroy me,” said Juniper. “I know you don’t believe it, but I can take care of myself.”

  “Don’t worry, I know your insides are made of titanium.” Arlo glared at her. “That still doesn’t mean I can’t look out for you.”

  “I never asked you to look out for me.”

  “It’s happening, so get used to it.”

  Juniper sucked in a deep breath of air. If Arlo knew what the commander was, he wouldn’t let her anywhere near him. It still didn’t seem real to her. Maybe she’d made a mistake, and going up against someone so strong had messed with her head. She tried to clear the muddle in her thoughts, think back to when she’d grabbed the commander and forced him to open his thoughts to her. Couldn’t he have been lying about what he was? She needed more time with him to find out. This was the perfect way to do just that.

  Arlo stroked his fingers down a strand of her hair. “I know it’s driving you mad, seeing him in there and knowing what he’s done. Heath knows what he’s doing. He’ll get the information we need.”

  “Maybe not in time.” Juniper saw a flash of something in Arlo’s eyes. Was it fear, anger, frustration? She couldn’t be sure. Still, she had to do this. Even if she got injured, this was bigger than she was. It wasn’t about keeping herself safe, it was about helping everyone else and stopping the State from their next twisted move.