Viktor looks dubious. "It won't be easy. The Schutz Clones will have guards posted at the Intake Sektor. They may not suspect Dimitri or you of double-crossing them, but they won't take a chance of more Rogues showing up unannounced."
"We can't risk gunfire," I say. "Can we tranquilize them with the drugs you gave The Ghost?"
Viktor nods. "I'll double the doses to be sure. Meet me at Sektor Sieben."
"We'll head that way as soon as the Schutz Clones return from the Intake Sektor," I say.
Viktor wipes a sheen of sweat from his forehead. "I'll be waiting."
The hologram melts away as the sound of the Schutz Clones' distinctive march reaches our ears.
Dimitri strides over to meet them at the door. He stretches out his hand and lays it on the shoulder of the lead Schutz Clone. "Excellent work exposing the imposters. We are all safer because of your diligence. Upon our return to the outpost, I will be recommending you for promotion."
The clone gives a clipped salute.
"I want your squadron to remain in the docking station tonight and guard the Hovermedes. Make sure no one attempts an unauthorized departure."
The Schutz Clone salutes again, overly eager to please. "I stationed two guards inside the Intake Sektor," he says. "The rest of us will remain on duty here."
Dimitri gives a somber nod. "No Hovermedes are to leave this station under any circumstances until tomorrow morning when we'll escort the prisoners back to the outpost."
The Schutz Clone throws a glance in my direction. I widen my eyes, doing my part to feign fear.
Dimitri waves a dismissive hand at Trout and me. "Juniors. They know nothing." He leans conspiratorially toward the Schutz Clone. "I will personally arrest Doctor Koslov in the morning and hold him responsible for allowing this to happen on his watch."
The Schutz Clone clicks his heels together, the only indication of his satisfaction at the news.
Dimitri leads the way out of the docking station. Trout and I follow behind, heads hung low like chastised children. The moment we round the corner, we break into a run and make a beeline for Sektor Sieben.
Viktor greets us at the door. He peers furtively down the tunnel, before hustling us inside. "Can you operate this?" he asks, fumbling with a sleek long-barreled gun. He blinks at Dimitri, ignoring Trout and me.
"It's a gun," I say, testily. "How hard can it be?"
"It's a rapid auto-loader dart gun," Viktor says, giving me a hard stare. "The darts are designed for instant impact sedation, but the sedative needs to enter the bloodstream right away. Intramuscular absorption would take too long."
I shrug. "I'm an excellent shot. Just tell me where you want it."
Viktor loads a dart and hands the gun and several additional darts to Dimitri. Evidently he doesn't trust me with the job. I can't help wondering how good a shot Dimitri is.
Dimitri slips the dart gun inside his coat and embraces his father. The gesture makes me uneasy like he thinks there's a chance they won't see each other again.
Viktor scribbles something on a scrap of paper and thrusts it at me. "This is the master code Sven set for the Intake Sektor living quarters." He gives a conspiratorial nod. "When you're ready to release the Rogues."
"I can probably handle punching in a code," I say, snatching the note from him.
We take our leave of Viktor and make our way through the feeder tunnels toward the Intake Sektor. Even though Rummy and The Ghost are supposedly back under lock and key, I throw the occasional nervous glance over my shoulder. The Ghost has an uncanny knack for showing up when I least expect it, and at times, I almost imagine I hear a faint whistling coming through the tunnel.
I breathe a sigh of relief when we reach the Intake Sektor. We edge around to a side door and peer cautiously through the glass. Two Schutz Clones patrol the area in front of the holding pens. The tranquilizing shots should be relatively easy to take if we can get inside without being detected.
Breath on pause, I key in the entry code on the keypad. The door clicks quietly and I push it open, gesturing the others inside. Dimitri fumbles with the gun, his hand shaking. I exchange a quick look of desperation with Trout, before snatching the gun out of Dimitri's hands. "Where?" I mouth at him.
"He points a finger at his neck and I nod. I take aim and wait until the two Schutz Clones are at the farthest point from each other before I pull the trigger. The Schutz Clone nearest to us collapses in front of the holding pen housing the military clones. The chain link fence rattles when they grab it, shoving each other aside to see what just happened. The second Schutz Clone, confused by the commotion, points his weapon on the clones in the holding pen, then keels backward as the second dart finds it target.
I stuff the gun in my jacket and bolt toward the holding pens."Use the magnetic wand on the wall behind you," Sven yells to me. "It's a master key for all the pens." I yank it off the wall and wave it in front of the keypad on Sven's holding pen. The door clicks open and the military clones stream out and rush over to kick down the strongroom door and retrieve their weapons.
Sven wraps a giant hand around my waist and pulls me toward him. Before I realize what's happening he leans over and plants his lips firmly on mine. His warmth rushes through me, the softness of his lips sealing me in like a protective barrier from what lies ahead.
When we pull apart I see Rummy gripping the chain link fence of the neighboring pen with his fists, his eyes boring into mine. The Ghost steps up behind him and begins to whistle softly as he slashes a hand across his throat. My heart sinks. It's an unmistakable gesture. Someone in that pen is going to die if I don't do something. I can't leave this unresolved.
I walk across the foyer and toss my Glock onto a table by the entryway. "First one to the gun, boys," I say, waving the magnetic wand back and forth to unlock the Rogues' pen.
Their faces register a flicker of confusion, then comprehension. They barge through the open door of the holding pen and make a mad dash toward the table.
Sven throws me a stricken look and takes aim.
"I've got this," I say, curling my fingers tightly around the tranquilizer gun.
"Oops," I say, as I pull the trigger.
21
The Ghost folds over and drops to the floor. I snatch up my Glock before Rummy can cover the last few feet to the table and grab it. He comes to a screeching halt and stares down at The Ghost's crumpled body.
"That's for taking care of Fu for me," I say.
Rummy looks up and smirks. "Sure wish you woulda used a dang bullet, but I guess you don't owe me no more, Butter–"
"Don't! Go, before I change my mind and dart you too."
He taps his fingers to the side of his head in a mock salute. "Until next time."
"There won't be a next time," I say. "I'm done trading favors with you."
He shoots me a mocking grin as he steps over The Ghost and retrieves the gun from a motionless Schutz Clone. He slings it over his shoulder and disappears through the door without a backward glance.
"Why'd you let him go?" Trout asks.
I blow out a heavy breath. "I owed him one last time. Let's put The Ghost back in the holding pen. He'll be trampled to death once we turn the Rogues loose."
"Good riddance!" Trout mutters, grabbing The Ghost by the leg.
"I gave Rummy a free pass," I say. "This is as much as I'm willing to do for The Ghost."
We drag him back inside the holding pen and I lock the door with the magnetic wand.
"Don't you want it unlocked so he's free to fight the Schutz Clones when he comes around?" Sven asks.
"We'll leave that up to the Rogues to decide," I say. "Along with a note on the viewing monitor to tell them the Schutz Clones are in the docking station. They'll have the advantage of surprise at least."
I throw one last glance at The Ghost's sacklike form as we leave, pushing down the foreboding feeling that niggles at me. If he survives, I've no doubt he'll come for his pound of flesh.
When we r
each the Biotik Sektor, Dimitri pulls me aside. "Let me talk to the delegation for a few minutes alone. I'm going to try and persuade them to come with us voluntarily, but if they won't we'll take them hostage."
I chew on my lip as I weigh our options. He's right of course. We can't leave them behind in the Craniopolis. They'll either be slaughtered by the Rogues, or escape in a Hovermedes and return with a legion of Schutz Clones. "All right," I say. "You have three minutes to convince them before we tie them up and move out."
Trout and I gather up our stuff, grab a handful of lyophilized meal sachets, and close up our packs.
I throw a couple of uneasy glances over at Dimitri and the other members of the delegation as the conversation grows louder. One of the Sweepers raises his arm, and, for a moment, I think he's going to take a swing at Dimitri. He gestures briefly in an animated fashion and stomps away from the rest of the group.
"It's a split decision," I say to Trout. "Brace yourself."
A few minutes later Dimitri walks back over to us, a resigned look on his face. "They don't trust me. They want to see Fu before they make a decision."
"Not gonna happen." I shake my head. I gesture across to the CommCenter where Sven is bent over the control panel. "Sven's setting the timer on the Intake Sektor doors. We need to go."
"Then we're going to be doing this the hard way," Dimitri says.
In the end, the members of the delegation don't put up too much of a struggle. They protest, but they quickly realize they don't have a chance with Sven and the military clones at the ready.
I watch as the clones secure the delegation's wrists and separate them into pairs. I'm not excited about the prospect of yet another reluctant faction taking up residence in the city and adding to the tension, but for now, at any rate, I don't have a better place to take them.
Sven strides across the room to me, his face resolute. "We're ready."
"How much time do we have before the Rogues are free?" I ask.
"Ninety minutes. Enough time to get out through the tunnel and make tracks into the forest."
"Let's do this," I say.
"You know we won't be safe in the city for long," Sven says. "No matter who comes out of the Craniopolis alive, they'll come for us."
I grimace. "As soon as Iskra locates the Megamedes I'm going to figure out how to get us on board. If we can take over the ship, we can end this." I hesitate and lay a hand on Sven's arm. "And then Dimitri can help you and Jerome."
"I'm not interested in being an ex-Sweeper's lab rat," Sven says. "Dimitri developed a theory for resolving ossification, but that's all it was."
I frown at him. "What do you mean?"
His shoulders heave up and down. "I talked to some of the other members of the delegation. The clinical trials were never completed. There were too many inherent risks that came to light."
I stare at him in disbelief, a sickening feeling swirling around inside. That's why Dimitri couldn't make any promises about the outcome.
It can never work in the long run.
Dimitri wasn't talking about a relationship between a human and a clone. He was warning me about the risks they uncovered. My eyes burn with unshed tears. I thought Dimitri could cure ossification, but he's been snatching at straws. I can't ask Sven to suffer needlessly for my sake. He has a right to enjoy the few years he has left. But I won't give up. There's still the Megamedes. None of us know for sure what's on board, or what scientific advances the world government has made since the meltdown.
It takes a lot longer than we'd planned to get everyone out through the tunnel. The members of the delegation prove uncooperative once we're underway, arguing with our orders at every opportunity, and the military clones are forced to half-carry, half-drag them along at times. My muscles are cramping up by the time we reach the forest and climb back out into the cool evening air.
"We'll have to avoid the trails in case we're pursued," I say to Sven. "It'll be a tough overnight hike through some dense brush, especially with uncooperative hostages."
He nods. "The doors to the Intake Sektor should be opening about now."
Fear prickles like icy dew along my skin. My mind spins through the frightening scenario set to play out in the Craniopolis. "Who do you think has the better odds?"
Sven looks off into the distance. "The Schutz Clones are superior fighters, but they're grossly outnumbered. And opening those doors will be like letting the hounds of hell loose."
I shudder at the thought. I've seen first hand what the Rogues can unleash when they've been crossed. Sven's right; incarceration has only ratcheted up their hunger for blood.
Rays of evening sunshine blink through the trees as we begin our long hike back to the city. A thick bed of leaves and fallen twigs crunches beneath our feet, an oddly comforting sound after the hard clacking of our boots on the gleaming Craniopolis floors. The lyophilized food we packed will save us valuable time, but even without stopping to eat, carving a path through the dense undergrowth is time-consuming and exhausting. Without Sven and his men clearing the way with their Schutzmesser, it would be almost impossible.
I glance back over my shoulder. The delegation and the two military clones who are escorting them have fallen way behind, but I can still hear them moving through the brush. Viktor and Dimitri are somewhere at the rear of the pack, no doubt catching up on the past decade.
"The military clones are getting too far ahead of us," Trout says, coming up alongside me. "Shall I tell Sven to take it down a notch?"
"If only the delegation would quit dragging their heels," I grumble. "Tell Sven he needs to keep us in sight. We can't risk getting separated."
Trout takes off into the brush and I lean back against a tree to wait for the delegation to catch up. My thoughts drift to the Megamedes. Even if Iskra locates it, we still have to figure out a way to get on board.
An angry yell from farther back on the trail startles me upright. I reach for my gun and begin plowing my way back through the brush, brambles tearing at my clothes and skin. I leap over a moss-covered boulder and collide with an ossifying clone tipped forward in the dirt. My heart lurches. I look up at the sound of someone thrashing toward me through the undergrowth.
"Go that way!" Viktor yells, pointing to his left as he runs by. "The delegation split when he expired." He dives back into the brush and disappears from sight. I surge forward into the undergrowth in the direction he pointed. My pulse pounds in my throat. I wonder how long it will be before Trout and Sven realize we're not following them anymore. The last thing I wanted is for us to get split up.
Up ahead I catch a glimpse of one of the members of the delegation. I grit my teeth and pick up the pace. We can't let them any of them make it back to the Craniopolis and escape on a Hovermedes. I edge closer and take aim with my gun. "Hold up or I'll shoot!"
He throws a harried glance over his shoulder, then ducks beneath a branch and disappears from sight.
I take off running after him again. "Last chance!" I yell as I skirt around the tree, weapon raised. His frightened eyes meet mine. Someone's already got a gun to his head.
22
My legs almost buckle beneath me. Dark, metallic eyes in a shaved skull study me with a flicker of amusement. "This the skunk you're after?" Blade asks in a slow drawl. His lip twitches and the scar gouging the whole left side of his face writhes in concert.
I'm shaking inside, but I fight to hold my voice steady. "Him and a few other Sweepers. You could make yourself useful and help us find them."
For a moment, he looks mildly curious, but then he seems to remember something more important. He jabs the gun into the Sweeper's temple. "Where's The Ghost at?"
"How would I know?"
Blade eyes me skeptically. "Musta seen him. He tracked you to the Craniopolis."
I shrug. "Last I heard he was tracking you."
Blade's lips slit and tug up at one corner. "He ain't the type takes kindly to being made a fool of."
"Derry!"
I stiffen at the sound of Trout's voice.
"Derry! Where are you?" Trout yells more loudly.
"Don't answer," Blade growls. "Or the Sweeper dies, and then Trout."
I breathe slowly in and out. If I direct Trout this way, there's a good chance Blade will shoot him. But if I let him pass by, he'll waste precious time looking for me and run the risk of encountering Schutz Clones or Rogues, either of which is a sickening proposition. I squeeze my eyes shut and listen with mounting anguish as the sound of Trout's voice grows fainter.
Blade nods in my direction. "All right, walk toward me and set the gun down at my feet, real slow."
The Sweeper's eyes dart helplessly to mine. I grit my teeth. Now he wants me to save his hide. But it's his fault we're in this mess to begin with. Whatever I do next, it won't be with his safety in mind. I take a few steps forward, and then bend over and lay my gun down on the pine needles. Instinctively, my fingers seek out the switchblade in my jacket pocket. I get to my feet and stare glumly at Blade. The moment his face relaxes in a victory sneer, I make my move. I arc my right arm and slice the knife across his neck, knocking his gun upward with my other hand. Blood sprays me. Blade makes a guttural sound and staggers backward. Without a second glance the Sweeper bolts. I snatch up my gun and take off running low and hard, weaving my way through the brush, oblivious to the branches flaying my flesh. My only thought is to make it as difficult as possible for Blade to get a clean shot at me.
I can tell I'm making quick work of putting some distance between us. I'm faster and lighter than he is, and he's hurt. He's breathing heavily, cussing up a storm, thrashing through the brush. A shot rings out behind me. I throw a terrified glance over my shoulder and leap over a boulder, landing on a slope of half-mulched forest litter. My feet slide out from under me and I roll, trembling, beneath a clump of ferns. Blade's footsteps tromp closer and I tense, waiting for his next bullet to find its mark. Instead, I hear a heavy thud as something hits the ground.
Judgement: The Undergrounders Series Book Three (A Young Adult Post-apocalyptic Science Fiction Thriller) Page 14
