“I hope so. But Pollen, if something happens to me. Please, just promise me you’ll go back to Ceborec. Back to the shuttle.”
“I can’t make that promise Marcus.”
Marcus jumps back to his knees and kneels upright. The moonlight reflects off the grimace he wears.
“You have to. Our son needs you.”
“Timber will care for him. We both made sure of that.”
“Timber’s not his mother.”
“Marcus, I can’t raise him without you. After everything that’s happened, I don’t trust myself. What if—”
“You have to stop this Pollen,” Marcus snaps. “Stop blaming yourself. Stop letting your conscience tell you things that aren’t true. You are not responsible for anyone’s death.”
“I wish I could believe that.” I sit up facing Marcus, and hug my knees to my chest. There’s a chill nipping at me, but it’s not the weather. “Look at what I just did to . . .” I can’t finish it. The words won’t come without tears. And I refuse to cry. I bite the inside of my lip to stifle the emotion.
Marcus rests his arms over my knees, his face close enough to smell the sweetness of his breath. “Everyone who’s gone, every last person who has died, has been killed by the Trinity. They caused all this Pollen. Just because you pulled the trigger doesn’t make you responsible. It makes you their scapegoat.”
“Lex was my fault.”
“Lex was an accident. You’re not doing yourself or our son any good by hanging on to that. You’re a different person now. You’ve grown into the most incredible, strong, loving woman. I never imagined that I’d love someone as much as I love you.”
“But accidents happen all the time. What if I hurt our son?”
“That’s just a chance you have to take. It’s a chance everyone has to take. It’s perfectly normal to be scared Pollen. What matters is that I trust you. And you should trust you too.”
“I don’t even know why we’re arguing about this. You’re coming home with me. And you will be on that shuttle or I won’t go. There’s no debate.”
Marcus’s lips graze my neck and I feel them curve up in a smile.
“What do you think it will be like? On A1D3,” Marcus whispers, still nestled in the crook of my neck, leaving tender kisses.
“Cold. That’s all I really remember learning about it. I can’t believe we’ve known about this mission for so long and I never even bothered to do any research.”
“We won’t have to live underground anymore,” Marcus muses. “Imagine, enjoying summer the way it used to be. Living above ground, swimming in lakes to cool down, growing food in the ground instead of in tubes and greenhouses. Going to an actual beach with sand in the summer!”
“I wonder if we’ll see snow.”
“Snow.” Marcus repeats the word with an air of fascination; like it belongs in some magical far away fairy tale kingdom.
“Like in those old movies,” I add. “You know, how it would rain down like glitter and the characters would be bundled up in wool coats and furs. I know it sounds silly, but I’ve always wanted to wear big fluffy coats like that—but not real fur, of course.”
“You won’t have to.” Marcus smirks. “Not if you have me close by. If we get out of this alive, I’ll never leave your side, Pollen. I’ll wrap myself around you and keep you warm like one of those monstrous coats.”
Marcus scoots behind me and folds his arms and legs around me as if he’s trying to cover my entire body. My laughter floats through the breeze above us like pixie dust. This moment feels so perfect. I hate that it has to end. But I won’t think about that now. I can’t.
The remainder of the night whizzes by much too fast. I would have liked to watch the sunrise with Marcus, because although I still believe our mission will succeed, a tiny voice fights through the suppression saying that this may be our last. As my eyes flutter open, they catch the blurry outline of a figure standing above me.
“Get dressed, you two,” Jansen says with a heavy heart. “It’s time to go.”
Chapter 32
While I knew the Trinity’s hideout would be well disguised and certainly well guarded, what I hadn’t expected was that it would be built directly into a vertical wall of the mountain. It’s an incredible location that could easily be missed by any wayward hiker and from above even a bird could fly right over it and see a land untouched by humans.
We crouch behind some dense thorn bushes under a thick grove of pines to examine the layout. A small area is hollowed out from the rock where a pair of double doors is inlaid. From this angle it looks like there are five Enforcers standing guard. Two of them stand directly in front of the entrance while the other three pace continuously back and forth in robotic action, keeping watch.
“There’re four of us, five of them,” Sage comments. “We should take them easily.”
“Ahem,” I clear my throat with exaggeration. “There are five of us.”
“You are staying here,” Sage commands. “Nicron, circle around to the other side and see if there are any more on the other side of that rock.”
Nicron nods and takes off silently to the left.
“I can help. Don’t make me sit out and watch like I’m some useless benchwarmer.”
“No. We don’t need to put you in danger unnecessarily. We got this.”
“How are you going to take out the cameras?” I point toward the entrance, where two dome-shaped cameras adorn each upper corner above the doors leading into the facility.
Sage remains silent.
“You are going to take them out, right? Or are you just going to run in there, kill those guys and wait for an army of backup Enforcers to come after you?
“Jansen, can you hit those from here?” Sage asks, ignoring me like I’m just a rustling leaf blowing in the wind.
“Yeah, I think so,” Jansen replies, squinting.
I slide my hand into my pocket, feeling for the extra magazine I took out of the gun after I left Ceborec. It is still full with paint bullets.
“The gunshots will alert them.” I say. “Sage, if I can get close enough I can get rid of the cameras without anyone knowing.”
“I said you are staying out of this!” Sage’s eyes widen with fury.
Nicron returns as silently as he left and crouches down next to Sage.
“Three more on the other side. Eight altogether.”
“Damn. We’ll have to spread out. Take our first shots long range.”
“Let me take out the cameras first,” I interrupt producing a handful of paint bullets. I yank my holster from my thigh, shove my gun in the back of my waistband, and begin to assemble the slingshot.
Before Sage can refuse, Marcus jumps in. “Let her do it. If she can get close enough, Pollen can hit the cameras without being noticed. She’s a crack shot with that thing and it makes virtually no noise.”
“Can you do it Marcus?” Sage asks, determined to make me feel as tiny as a flea.
“I’ve never trained with a slingshot. And something tells me none of you have either.” All the guys trade glances with each other and conclude that Marcus is correct. I’m the only one who can do it.
“It’s too risky,” Sage says, shaking his head. “She’s too valuable to them.”
“But she’s the only one who can do this,” Marcus says.
“Besides,” I add, “if I’m caught it’ll distract them enough for you to strike. Then I’ll be an easy rescue.” Sage’s eyebrows furrow at my comment and the others shift uncomfortably. They don’t like the idea, but it’s better than telling them I plan on using myself as bait.
“You won’t stop me. Might as well do it my way.” I can see that Sage disagrees heartily with my decision, and he doesn’t hide his animosity, but his scowl tells me he knows it’s the best way to infiltrate the cave.
“Okay, but wait for my signal before you do anything. Marcus, Jansen, take the right. Nicron, you and I go left. Pollen, wait for my signal before going forward. And stay as f
ar back as you possibly can.”
The guys separate and I stay behind, watching them as they go. I have no intention of waiting for Sage’s signal—I don’t know if I can even trust him to give me one.
I creep forward, careful to keep myself covered by a tree, boulder or thick shrubbery. I risk a glance to the side and see Sage silently cursing at me, his nostrils flaring. I give him my most malicious grin and continue on.
I find myself in the midst of a leafless berry bush, with long skeletal branches protruding in every direction, thick enough to hide my body. I think I’m close enough to hit both cameras from here, but the aim has to be perfect. There’s no room for error.
With my slingshot and paint bullets ready I take aim and fire. The first one is a direct hit. The two men standing in front of the entrance look at each other as if they heard something, but it mustn’t have been loud enough since they raise no alarm. I aim the second bullet. But just as I release I feel something graze my right arm, just below my shoulder. The prickle causes my arm to flutter and I see a splotch of blue paint hit the overhang just above one of the Enforcers.
I whip my head around to find an infinity fly resting on my arm, staring at me with its opalescent eyes. Then it flies away with a whirring hum. I turn back to my targets. A bead of paint drops and lands on the Enforcers arm, alerting him to our presence. I quickly load and release another paint bullet, splattering paint over the second camera. I whirl around resting my back against a smooth tree trunk to try and steady my racing heartbeat.
My memory recalls a time when I’d tried to shut my heart off for fear that my pursuers would hear the tumultuous beating. It was the first time I had been shot at, just after I woke up in the woods and was being chased by bounty hunters. I would have given anything in that moment to not be seen. Now it is just the opposite. I am ready to walk in and face danger, square in the eyes.
Now all of the Enforcers are on alert and they begin to disperse towards us into the woods. After reattaching my holster and hiding some spare bullets in my boot, I turn to Marcus meeting his gaze one last time. I mouth the words “I love you” as I gather my nerves, stand, and march directly toward the Enforcers. I don’t look back.
Their guns are all positioned on me as I step forward cautiously out of the wood, my hands raised in the air. I meet each of their gazes one by one, expecting some recognition on their part.
“I’m Pollen McRae. I believe the Trinity are expecting me.”
The next thirty seconds whizzes by in a blur of loud pops, smoke, and blood spatters.
“What the hell was that?” Marcus storms toward me with a vengeance. I still haven’t moved since the ambush started. I lower my hands and rip the slingshot from my leg, ready to move in.
“A distraction.”
“We didn’t agree to that,” Sage barks.
“I know. Let’s go.”
I start to charge toward the double doors at the entrance where the two Enforcers lie sprawled in their own personal puddles of warm blood. Gaping wounds dress their foreheads like craters on the moon, their useless helmets splayed open like tin cans. Marcus grabs my arm, yanking me back.
“Why?” he begs.
“Because I knew there was no way any of you would agree to it. I had to take matters into my own hands.” Marcus glares at me, then grabs my head with both hands and plunges his lips to mine. His tongue thrusts deeply, and his mouth forms a suction cup to mine. He’s kissing me as if this is our final kiss.
When he releases me, I gaze up into his gleaming sapphire eyes.
“Don’t ever do that to me again,” he whispers.
I smile. “I won’t make promises I can’t keep.”
Marcus frowns.
“Ready?” Sage pulls us away from our moment to prepare for the entrance. “I’d insist that you stay behind Pollen, but I’d be wasting my breath and it ain’t worth it.”
“I’m glad we’ve come to an understanding,” I reply happily.
The doors screech as Jansen and Nicron heave them open. Immediately two Enforcers barrel through, raising their weapons, but Sage and Marcus both gun them down with a single bullet each.
The open doors reveal a broad stone staircase, leading down, well below ground level. If there were a stairway to hell, this would be it.
“Let’s go guys,” Sage commands and, for once, I follow orders.
The stairwell is dark and gloomy, descending into a daunting abyss; I can’t even see where it ends—for all I know the stairs could go on forever. The only illumination glimmers from some scattered spherical sconces along the walls. I glance up and immediately spot a glint reflecting off a domed camera above. With a paint bullet and a quick flick of my wrist I take care of it with a splash of sunshine yellow, and keep my eyes peeled for more.
We quietly dash down the staircase, following Marcus’s lead this time. He seems to know exactly where we need to go as if a map were printed inside his eyelids.
After what seems an eternity we reach the foot of the staircase and stare down a long empty gray corridor with flickering fluorescent lights. Marcus pauses and his face looks distant as if he is searching his mind for an obscure thought.
We start again, more slowly this time. Marcus pauses to peer down an intersecting corridor. He turns to me and, without saying a word points ahead toward another security camera mounted on the ceiling. Stepping in front of him I aim and fire. Then he pushes me back and we move on again.
Marcus stops again when the sound of marching footsteps echo down the corridor.
“They’re coming this way,” he announces. He begins to backtrack, leading us back to the intersection when he pauses, looking up at the wall above my head.
“The air duct,” he whispers. “Jansen, take Pollen and head to the security room. You remember where it is?”
Jansen nods.
“That’s not big enough for us,” I say, stating the obvious.
“It is for you,” Marcus states, “and Jan.”
“I’m a dancer, remember?” Jansen smiles at me. “I can contort my body.”
“But what about you guys?”
“Don’t worry, baby. It’s part of the plan.”
My first instinct is to protest, but I bite my tongue when I realize this could be to my advantage. I know he’s just trying to protect me, to get me out of the way so that I won’t be put in any more danger. But once I’m in the air duct I’ll be able to travel around the facility unseen, maybe even find Evie.
“Okay, lift me up.”
Sage and Marcus hoist me up until my feet find Marcus’s shoulders. I pry the loose grate off the air duct with Marcus’s dagger, hand it down to Sage and climb in. After I’m fully in, I can hear Marcus whisper something to Jansen, then he climbs in. The walls of the air duct press against my arms and hips and I wonder how Jansen managed to squeeze his broad shoulders in here. I slither deeper into the air duct and pray that Marcus and the others stay safe.
My only regret is not asking Marcus the details of the mission. It’s obvious knows where we need to go, but I don’t. I don’t know where Evie is. I don’t know where the Trinity are. I don’t even know how big this place is. I continue to wriggle my way through the duct until I reach an intersection.
“Go right at the next duct,” Jansen instructs.
The intersecting duct is much wider than the one I’m in, so I twist and contort my body, pushing through the pain, until I can turn the corner and proceed. I wind my way through the floor, peeking into the many darkened rooms I pass—sleeping quarters for the Enforcers on duty here—but find nothing of interest.
When I come to a vertical duct I pass over it to allow Jansen to go down first since he knows where we are going. After Jansen gives the okay, I lower myself feet first, using the soles of my boots to grip the side of the duct and keep from sliding down. I ease myself down cautiously, not too fast. We skip past the remaining floors, five in all, until we can go no further.
Slithering my body through the nar
row duct, the first room I see is a huge, elaborately decorated bedroom. The king-sized mahogany sleigh bed is dressed with a comforter of red with gold trim, and the matching night table and armoire are intricately carved. A hand woven rug brightens the floor, which has been covered with shiny hardwood planks, and a rare stained glass lamp casts an intimate glow in the room. This must belong to one of them. No Enforcer would have a room so lavish. Funny how things are backwards here. This is a room you’d expect to find on the top floor. And yet the top floor looked more like a basement level.
Jansen and I continue on, finding another exquisitely adorned room that I decide must belong to Marge Rosenfritz due to its feminine quality and excessive frilly hats piled high on a hat rack. We pass a few more rooms that look like they are used for medical purposes and also a laboratory that looks to be the size of a movie theater.
I freeze when I glance out the grate at the next room. It’s Evie’s room. She’s lying on a bed, sleeping I assume. Her hair is braided in pigtails and she’s wearing a pale pink nightgown. She’s cuddling with a redheaded rag doll in the crook of her elbow. Other than her pasty complexion she looks healthy and well fed. She’s even grown a little since I’ve last seen her. I suck in my lips and bite down on them to avoid crying but I can feel the moisture building up behind my eyelids.
I think of Drake. The way the gun exploded in my hand as I pulled the trigger. The way his lumbering body keeled over when I opened my eyes. The painful lurch in my stomach that felt like I’d just swallowed a cup full of razor blades. What am I going to tell her?
“Jansen!” I whisper. Up ahead he pauses and attempts to look back, though I can only see a single eye peering over his shoulder. “It’s Evie!”
“She’ll have to wait,” he replies and moves forward.
“But we can’t just—” A loud clack silences me. A fair-haired man in a white lab coat—I assume a doctor or nurse—enters the room and checks a monitor that sits on the plain white nightstand beside her bed. In the corner stands an Enforcer. She stands so still that I had mistaken her for some large piece of furniture. There’s no way I can get to Evie unseen right now.
The Trinity (Fall of Venus) Page 20
