by JL Spelbring
Ellyssa stumbled as darkness rolled on the edge of her vision. She struggled against it. She spun, feebly attempting to take out the one they called Woody. A shot fired and echoed around her, disorienting her. She fell.
“I told you this was dangerous.” The voice sounded far away, like someone was speaking from the other end of a tunnel.
“Shut up and help me.”
Blackness laid a cold hand on Ellyssa.
11
A feeling of floating, and images of reds, browns, yellows, and white wavered in and out of Ellyssa’s awareness. Colorful hues and shades blurred around the edges. Bright lights burned her eyes and scorched her flesh, especially her leg. Something was burning it. At one time, she thought she’d screamed. If not, she’d wanted to.
Alternating feelings of hot and cold. Sweating and shivering. Angry voices. Intrigued voices. All filtered through. She wasn’t sure whether any of it was real or if it was all a dream. She didn’t care. She welcomed the darkness when it had sucked her away from the confusion. Welcomed the calmness and the blankness.
Ellyssa would have welcome it now, but she was awake. The burning sensation had been extinguished. The pain had not. A thin blanket covered her, and she was lying on something softer than the ground, her head resting on a pillow. Musty air smelled like fresh dirt, as if someone had turned the soil recently. And even though the area seemed open and lit, from what light filtered through her eyelids, it felt dark and enclosed, too.
She listened intently. Everything was silent. Before opening her eyes, she waited for another few seconds to make sure. In the distance, barely noticeable, she heard the shuffling of soft footsteps. Not the clicking of soles against tile, like back at The Center, but muffled and dulled. The owner of the footsteps entered the room and approached her bed. Cool, rough fingers, those of a male, gently grasped her wrist. She fought an impulse to yank away.
Whoever was taking her pulse let go and scratched something down on paper.
Ellyssa searched his mind. No ill-will tainted his thoughts. Mostly concern, and clear images of how she was posing as something once human. A ghastly face, greyish skin, sunken cheeks and eyes, cracked lips, and her hair stuck to her head in thick, tangled clumps. It would’ve been more befitting if a tag hung from her big toe.
Her head began to pound. She broke the link.
The male walked away, but didn’t leave. She felt his presence lingering.
More footsteps, this owner stealthier, entered the room. She heard water sloshing in a glass.
“How is she, Doc?” whispered a deep voice she recognized.
The male who’d just spoken was from the store. What was his name? Rein?
“The fever is gone, and her pulse is steady and strong,” Doc replied, his voice gentle and caring.
Ellyssa wasn’t sure where she was, but she was far from The Center. The way they spoke was different than what she’d come across before. Their cadence was soft and slow.
It hit her. The sounds of the footsteps. The enclosed feeling. The scent of soil. She wasn’t within the custody of anyone from society. She was underground.
Renegades.
She was a prisoner. Her heart skipped a beat. Barely breathing, she lay perfectly still.
Papers shuffled. “I was about to check her wounds. I could use your help.”
After a brief hesitation, Rein answered, “Fine, but it will have to be quick. I have other things to do.” His deep voice no longer soft, but sharp and irritated.
Both men neared her bed, and Ellyssa’s muscles tensed. Pain flared, but not like she had already suffered. Not bad at all. She breathed normally.
“What do you need me to do?”
“It’ll only take a few minutes. Don’t get all in a huff.”
Hands felt down her arms and poked the side of her waist. Fingers glided to the roundness of her hips and pressed against the hipbones, as if trying to flatten them. He moved down to her thigh, pressing against the edges of her wound. Pain flowed. She bit her lip and the hands touching her withdrew.
“Are you awake?”
Ellyssa didn’t answer.
“I know you’re awake, but if you want to pretend, that’s fine,” Doc said.
He slid his fingers under the edge of the bandage and gently pulled away the tape. “Word of warning—this is going to hurt.”
Hurt? She’d felt pain before. Motionless, her chest barely rising and falling, she readied herself.
She wasn’t prepared for what followed. Her eyes popped open, and she jolted upright as her torturer jabbed a fired wrought-iron poker into her wound. Two vises clamped over her biceps. She struggled, but in her weakened state, she didn’t put up much of a fight. The vises pushed her back against the pillow.
“Sorry, but I warned you.”
Her eyes wildly flicked to an older male, about fifty, his hair, the color of an oil slick with flecks of grey, cropped close to his head. He smiled at her. She glanced at his hands. They held nothing more than a soft-bristled brush.
“I know it hurts, but you still have an infection in the wound. It has to be cleaned,” he apologized.
Ellyssa stopped struggling. Movement only intensified the pain. Lips pressed together, she watched the brush moving back and forth over her raw flesh, each stroke igniting another blaze, pushing a scream she refused to voice. He wiped away the red streams that trickled down her thigh with a blood-soaked gauze before they could drip onto the blanket.
Pain and blood were not to be a source of weakness, but watching the doctor work on her own flesh, along with her throbbing head and rolling stomach, was more than she could take. She lay back against the pillow and focused on Rein, separating herself from the pain.
Rein let her go and crossed his arms over a muscular chest that pulled tight the thin cotton of his black T-shirt. Deep lines creased between two of the most spectacular eyes she’d ever seen as they glared at her. They were a deep, dark green, like jades, set into a tan face. Chestnut hair stuck up all over the top of his head, like he’d just run his fingers through it and called it groomed. So unlike the neat, trimmed hair of the people at The Center.
Watching him made her chest feel all funny, fluttery-like.
When their gazes met, his face twisted further in anger, or maybe it was uncertainty, emphasizing the planes of his cheeks and chin. She glowered back at him, matching his fury, ignoring the stinging that had replaced the inferno while the doctor cleaned off the brush.
“Rein, that’s enough. You’re going to scare her.” Doc patted her hand. She pulled away. “Just ignore him,” he continued, without missing a beat. “No one’s going to hurt you. You’re perfectly safe.”
“You have to watch her, Doc. I told you what happened at the storage.”
Shrugging and cocking an eyebrow, the doctor said, “Are we going to have problems from you?”
She shook her head once. She wasn’t in any condition to do anything. Yet.
He beamed, and small lines formed at the corners of his eyes and mouth. “There. You see? She isn’t going to pose a problem.”
The tendons in Rein’s neck throbbed as he clenched his jaw. “Fine. Have it your way.” He turned and stormed out. “I’ll tell Jordan she’s awake.”
Still smiling, the older man peered at her. His eyes were a light brown, the color of sand, and gentle, with a touch of humor. Except for the color, his eyes reminded her of the way Leland had looked at her when her father wasn’t around.
“I have to finish cleaning your wound.”
She nodded once and gritted her teeth. It still didn’t prepare her for the burn as the doctor mildly scrubbed the infected area. Without Rein to focus her attention on, tears squeezed from her closed lids and trailed down the side of her face, wetting her hair. After a few seconds though, sweet endorphins were released, and the pain dulled. He spoke to her while he worked.
“Most of the infection is gone. But it was bad. The pus was yellowish-green, and your fever was high. I don’t ha
ve the proper instruments to measure it, but I would say it bordered around forty degrees Celsius. Luckily, we still had aspirin left. That, coupled with cold water, brought it right down.”
He took a fresh bandage and taped it securely to her leg. “It amazes me, though.” He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. “That you made it so far in your condition. The closest town is over eighty kilometers away.”
She didn’t say anything. Her face remained expressionless. Apparently unsatisfied with the lack of response, the corner of his mouth pulled back. She’d seen that expression on her father’s and Leland’s faces when the results weren’t what they’d expected.
“What’s your name?”
She swallowed. It was a difficult feat. Her mouth was dry.
“Not going to answer?”
She blinked and met the doctor’s gaze.
“Suit yourself.” He returned his attention to her leg and finished applying tape to the bandage. When he was done, he faced her again. “I bet you’re thirsty. And hungry. You’ve been asleep for almost three days.”
Three days?
Until the doctor mentioned food, she hadn’t noticed the empty hole in her midsection. Her stomach rumbled. She nodded once.
The doctor smiled again. “That’s a good sign.” He grabbed the glass he’d filled earlier. “Can you hold this?” he asked.
Clear water sparkled under the lights. She nodded and struggled to prop herself into a slack sitting position. As she reached for the glass, something pinched her left hand. She looked down and noticed the needle sticking into the back of her hand, intravenously feeding her a solution.
She really was out of it.
“You were very dehydrated.”
Ellyssa nodded again, and grasped the glass with her free hand. Water sloshed into her mouth as she chugged away.
“Don’t drink too fast.”
She peered at the doctor over the rim and took another long gulp.
The doctor shrugged. “I suggest you take it easy, or you’ll make yourself sick.”
She defiantly took another drink before bringing the glass down. While her caregiver checked the feed of her IV, she studied her new environment.
She was in a cave, but one that was well set up, as if the occupants had lived there for a while. It was large and well lit. Long, fluorescent tubes hung from the ceiling. Wires snaked from them, out through the opening. A metal desk was shoved into the far corner, and three more cots lined the wall next to her. Opposite from the cots, more IV holders stood next to metal cabinets. The doors of the cabinets were closed, but she assumed they held other medical supplies. Thick beams crossed the ceiling.
“It isn’t much, but it’s home,” the doctor said. “A long, long time ago, it was a coal mine. Who would’ve imagined making a home from a mine? Now, how about some food?”
Ellyssa nodded enthusiastically. Food. Besides the berries she’d found, she hadn’t eaten anything filling since the night before she’d fled. Lemon-pepper chicken and broccoli with cheese casserole. For dessert, she had had chocolate cake with a raspberry sauce. Her mouth watered.
“Good.” Doc sounded pleased. “If you can keep the food and water down, I’ll remove that,” he said, indicating the IV.
The doctor started for the opening, but stopped when another set of footsteps echoed down the hall. Whoever it was wasn’t worried about being heard. The steps were loud and thumped with attitude. Ellyssa tilted her head to see around the doctor, but no one appeared. Instead, the visitor stopped just out of sight.
“Rein said the girl was awake.”
The voice she definitely recognized, the intonation clinging to her spine. The male who’d tried to wake her in the store. Jason.
“So?”
“He sent me here to guard her.”
“She is weak. I don’t think you need that.”
Ellyssa closed her eyes and used her gift to enter the mind of the doctor, while trying to ignore Jason’s. Jason had stringy, dark hair hanging limply around his face. He stood in the shadows of the tunnel and carried a shotgun in the crook of his arm.
“That’s your opinion,” he said to the doctor.
Ellyssa pushed past Doc and entered Jason’s head. His mind appeared simple, more barbaric. He didn’t seem well-educated, but she assumed most people here didn’t have the schooling she and her siblings had received. Images of her kicking him filled his thoughts. He wasn’t happy about it, either. Through his eyes, she saw the doctor. The older man’s forehead was pocked in anger. Clearly, the doctor didn’t care for Jason.
“And this is my domain. You stay outside of this door.” Doc jabbed his finger in the air. “Understand?”
“Fine.”
Before the doctor stepped through the opening, he glanced back at Ellyssa. “I’ll be back in a moment,” he said, emphasizing moment, to make his point clear, before disappearing.
Ellyssa stayed with Jason for a moment longer to see if he was planning anything. He seemed content to stay where he was. She heard him shuffle, and then a sound like him sliding down the dirt wall.
Her head pulsed. Taking the hint, Ellyssa withdrew. She was in no condition to push her ability, and she needed to conserve her energy. Regardless of how nice the doctor seemed, these people were Renegades. Dangerous people she had been engineered to kill.
Ellyssa’s eyes wandered around the rocky enclosure. Only one way in and one way out. She could hear Jason as he shifted positions.
She inhaled deeply and relaxed against her pillow. Her current circumstances posed a problem she hadn’t anticipated. The priority had been reaching Kansas City. Now, she was uncertain what to do. Maybe the dark-haired man had just sent random thoughts that she’d intercepted. But they’d seemed directed at her, as if he knew her capabilities. Of course, if it hadn’t been for the stranger, she never would have stumbled across her father’s lies.
From her earliest memories, Ellyssa had been taught that everything for the greater good was a necessity. She and her siblings had been trained to dispose of inferior beings. They were the solution, not part of the problem.
According to her father’s files, though, they would be just as disposable when the time came. Her father’s research was on its way to its apex; she was the foundation.
Thoughts racing around, Ellyssa’s head started to thrum as if someone was trying to split her skull open with a jackhammer. She placed her glass on the little table next to her cot. Thinking hurt too much.
The next thing Ellyssa knew, the doctor was hovering over her with a smile. Surprised, she jumped. Her whole body, especially her leg, wrenched in pain. She stifled a cry.
“Nice nap?”
She jerked her head.
“I brought you something to eat. Here, let me help you.” He started to reach for her, and she flinched. He paused. “I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.”
Ellyssa popped into his mind and back out, before the jackhammering started again. The doctor was sincere in his intentions.
Relaxing, she let him help. Doc propped several pillows and rolled up blankets behind her back for added support, then grabbed the tray from the table and placed it on her lap. Chunks of potatoes and carrots swam in a brown broth. Next to the chipped bowl lay a slice of bread.
“I want to see how you hold this down.”
She reached for the spoon and scooped up a potato. She eyed it apprehensively.
“I promise it’s good.”
Stomach rumbling like thunder, she put the spoon in her mouth. The soup was warm and seasoned with salt and pepper, and the vegetables were cooked perfectly. Surprised, she drank the soup until there was nothing left but a little liquid at the bottom of the bowl. She sopped it up with the bread.
“How does that feel on your stomach?” the doctor asked, taking the tray.
She stared at him.
“Still not talking?”
Ellyssa offered him a small smile. That bit of communication pleased him. Doc’s grin widened, an
d his eyes lit. He offered her a glass of water, which she accepted.
“Well, the least we can do is clean you up some. You don’t smell like a flower garden.”
He smiled as he said it, but she imagined he wasn’t lying. The last shower she’d taken had been the night she’d run away.
Doc went and poured some water in a basin and grabbed a washcloth. He set it on the table next to her, then uncovered her. Surprise registered when Ellyssa noticed her clothing had been replaced with a white gown. She had been seriously out of it.
After wringing out the cloth, he began wiping her arms and legs down. When he was done, he stuck the cloth back into the water, wrung it out, and handed it to her. “Why don’t you clean…um…other parts?”
Turning around, the doctor went and stood between her cot and the entrance. Keeping her eyes on the male, she pulled the gown up and cleaned her lower regions. The effort exhausted her more than she’d like to admit. Done with the task, she tossed the cloth back into the basin and cleared her throat.
“Finished?”
She cleared her throat again.
Doc glanced over his shoulder before turning completely around. He grabbed a basin and filled it with water. “We’ll get your hair later. Right now, you need to get some sleep.”
Her gaze darted to the entrance.
The doctor leaned closer. “Don’t worry about anything,” he whispered. “I’ll be sitting right over there.” He pointed at the desk. “When you wake up, I’ll bring you something with a bit more substance.”
He removed the extra pillows and blankets, and Ellyssa settled onto her back. Her eyes followed him to the desk. From the top drawer, he took out a worn hardcover book. Wondering what he was reading, she drifted into sleep.
Rein navigated the long tunnels, his thoughts lingering on the girl they’d saved. Deep down, he knew it’d been dangerous for him to bring her back here; the others had protested, especially after she’d attacked them, but he couldn’t leave her there to die. Her greyish skin, her eye sockets, dark and sunken, her knotted hair tangled into dirty clumps—he just couldn’t do it.
