Her gaze darkens. “He’s a handful. I’ve known him a long time. He’s just scared, and when he gets scared, he lashes out.”
For the first time, I see the Joanie I once knew—a genuine, kind-hearted leader. We sit in silence, and I scan the darkness beyond the fire. Other than the deserted structures, there seems to be nothing for miles. The howl of coyotes breaks the desert stillness. “How did you ever find this place?”
“We’ve had time to explore a lot of hideouts. We keep to ourselves, stay away from locals. For obvious reasons.” She crosses her arms.
“How long have you been staying here?”
“The last few months. It’s perfect during decent weather. Too exposed in the winter, but we have other hideouts when it gets cold.”
I gaze at the fire, watching as the kids laugh at something Ogre says. A few hunker down in sleeping bags, turning in for the night.
A smile rests on Joanie’s face, finally. “It’s not ideal, but it’s living,” she says. “Colin will make you a pallet to sleep on next to the fire. It’s the warmest place.” She yawns and stretches her arms up lazily. “I’m heading in. See you in the morning.”
“Night,” I say.
Striding over to the main house, she shuts the door behind her.
I’m restless and nowhere near ready to sleep. I know I should, but too many thoughts race through my mind. Instead, I hike slowly along a desert path; the brush and cactus leaves shine in the moonlight.
This entire time, my mission has been to hunt down Kenmore. Now I’m so close to finding him. If I can get inside Terranus, I have a shot at taking him down.
Ogre will help; the android will do anything for me. It dawns on me that besides Reed, Ogre is the only being I can’t possibly hurt with my touch. An android companion for a monster like me. Kenmore couldn’t have designed it any more perfectly.
I gaze up, and the inky sky seems sprinkled with bright dust. I’ve only seen stars this bright once before. The night I trekked across the desert with Cecile and Rik hunting for our target. Searching for the person we were meant to assassinate.
It was my kill but I refused. I fought and I lost. The guard, Peterson, probably ended up dead.
It feels like I’m really good at hurting people.
Even Reed. Despite his resilience to my touch, I’m wracked with fear that I’ll end up hurting him some other way. I’m not even sure how I feel about him. The one person I thought I cared about—Gatz—I only ended up pushing away.
And now I’m faced with a choice. Go after Kenmore but risk the lives of Joanie and these innocent kids, or do nothing.
I shiver, and goosebumps cover my arms and back. The easiest thing would be to give up. Forget Kenmore. Go live my life.
But how can I do that when he’s caused so much damage?
He’s hurt me and countless others.
The man needs to pay for what he’s done.
Twenty
I’m jarred awake, and my eyes are groggy with sleep. The sky above is a pale, murky swath of ash and silver, signaling morning twilight.
Still wrapped in blankets, I sit up. In the early morning hours after midnight, I’d sunk into a deep sleep surrounded by sleeping bags and warm, slumbering bodies.
But they’re all gone. Stones have been heaped onto the pit and the dwindling fire smolders, the last, lingering tendrils of smoke unfurling gently.
I panic and leap to my feet, spinning and looking for any signs of activity.
“Ogre,” I call out.
Nothing except a few dark, menacing vultures hovering about twenty feet overhead. And now I’m shaking because Ogre never leaves my side without telling me. Even when the android is moody.
I race into the shack where Joanie slept. Only dust and cobwebs linger inside.
I hurry back outside into the clearing, then check my biocuff. Two messages wait. I can’t believe the pings didn’t wake me. I must’ve slept like a dead person.
One is from Ogre.
Ida, they forced me onto the bus. Joanie threatened to melt me with her hands. I didn’t believe her until she demonstrated on an old car. My self-preservation mode kicked in. They assured me you wouldn’t be hurt.
“Oh, shit,” I mutter under my breath.
A video from Joanie waits. My pulse races as I check the send date. 0516. It’s now 0647. I hold my breath as I tap the play button.
Her face appears, surrounded by darkness. “Ida, you’re pissed, but hear me out,” she says into the camera, her face long and strained. “I know you won’t stop. You won’t give up hunting Kenmore.”
She pauses and casts her gaze downward. “Truth is, I had to leave this way because I can’t risk you corrupting my troops. Look, I was surprised to see you again after all these years.” Her voice strains. “Back in New York, you were like a sister to me.”
My eyes tear at the thought of my arrest—of being torn away from Joanie and the gang’s refuge.
But then she raises her chin and stares coldly into the camera. “But these people are my family now. And families don’t abandon each other.”
My throat is tight, my mouth as dry as the desert sand at my feet.
“I will not help you destroy us,” she says. “You can try going to Terranus, but you won’t get far inside before they discover you. Stubborn girl, I know you won’t quit.” She runs worried hands through her hair. “Walk the dirt road four miles and you’ll reach the highway. The city is another ten miles. You’ll discover the entrance at the base of a mountain called Gates Pass.”
She pauses, clenching her jaw. “I’ve taken your robot for insurance. Anything goes wrong with our medicine drop-offs…if Cassie and Max are even one minute late, Ogre will be a pile of steaming scrap metal.”
The video is nearly over. I sink to my knees as she narrows her eyes. “You’re on your own, Ida. I warned you.”
The video switches off, and I’m left shaking on the ground. Minutes pass, and the shock of Joanie abducting Ogre and abandoning me here settles in. A pair of vultures swoop down land on the shack’s roof. I pick up a rock and toss it at them. As the rock clatters against the tin roof, I shout, “Get your breakfast somewhere else.”
“Concentrate,” I say out loud. I need a plan. Joanie gave me directions to Terranus. Now, I must get there and figure out how to get inside. After that, I’ll have to improvise.
I gnaw on a gloved fingertip and pace the trampled area around the campfire, worrying about Ogre. The android left me a message, so it still has an operational comm.
“Hey buddy,” I say into my biocuff. “Can you hack the nearest unattended vehicle and send it my way? I’m stranded out here.”
Is Joanie capable of hurting a sentient being? I always looked up to her. She was older, streetwise, and taught me what I needed to survive. I always thought she was a good person, but now…so much has changed. I don’t know her anymore.
I’m a threat to her new family. I’d do the same if she threatened Lucy, Vera, or Gatz.
A ping sounds on my cuff. I glance down at an animated thumbs up sign. Ogre’s ability to hack is damn convenient. I’m going to miss having the android by my side. My hope is Joanie doesn’t figure out his capabilities, because she may never give Ogre back.
I will get the android back. Eventually. If I don’t, Lucy will be crushed.
While I’m waiting for a ride, I research a map of the area and follow the route that Joanie laid out. Locating Gates Pass, I project a holofeed model into the air and zoom in, searching for any sign of the entrance.
“How old is this map?”
“This map was updated last month,” the AI responds.
I study it but see no sign of any entrance to an underground city. Did Joanie lie and try to send me down the wrong path?
In the distance, a puff of dust swirls up from the winding road, signaling an approaching vehicle. A bright orange pickup truck comes into view. “Okay,” I mutter. Definitely not low-profile, but what choice do I have?
The truck halts, engine running. I toss my backpack in and climb into the driver’s seat. A coffee thermos—still-warm—rests in the center console.
Ogre must’ve hacked this from a nearby construction site which means I need to get the hell out of here before the police are alerted and come looking. I engage the accelerator and speed down the dusty road. I make good time to the highway and raise my cuff, “Message Ogre.”
“Message rejected,” says the AI.
“What?”
“I repeat, message to Ogre rejected. Incoming message from Joanie.”
“Play it.” Another video of her face appears. “Nice try messaging Ogre. That will be the last of that. We’ve disabled its comm. You’ll have to communicate with me.”
It was only a matter of time before she figured it out. Even so, I’m frustrated because she’s been a step ahead of me the entire time.
“Oh, and by the way, if you make it into Terranus, above-ground comms don’t work down there. You’ll be in dead space.”
“Not ideal.” I should have known that given it’s an underground city.
“Don’t forget…Ogre’s in one piece now, but if you screw up our serum drop-offs, his ass is toast.” She hesitates, as if biting back words. “Good luck…and be careful.”
She ends the message, and I drive in silence, scanning the rearview mirror for flashing lights or any suspicious vehicles. So far, I’ve been lucky.
My wrist buzzes. “Incoming call from Lucy, location Spark City. Marked as urgent.”
Bad timing. “I’ll take it. Audio only.”
“Ida? Are you there? I can’t see you.”
“Hey. I’m driving. What’s going on? What’s urgent?”
A pause. “I hadn’t heard from you in a while. I got worried.”
I tighten my grip on the steering wheel. “You can’t raise false alarms and mark messages as urgent. I’m incredibly busy right now.”
“Sorry. My messages to Ogre are bouncing back. Can you put him on?”
“Uh…no. Ogre’s not here.”
“Where is he? Why are you driving alone?”
“Ogre had to run an errand.” I hate lying but I can’t let her worry, or worse, try to intervene.
“What’s wrong with his comm?”
“Ogre’s on an errand for Space Squad. He needs to keep a low profile.”
“You called Ogre ‘he.’ I knew you would eventually.” She chuckles.
“Hey, I’m approaching my destination. I have to run.”
“Where are you?”
I veer off the highway onto the two-lane road that stretches several miles to the base of the small mountain where Terranus supposedly lies hidden underground.
“I’m in the middle of the desert.” This might be the first truthful thing I’ve said this entire call.
“You left Space Squad quicker than expected. Was everything okay there?”
“Yeah, of course.” A vision of Reed, strong and warm in my bed flashes into my mind. “I got a tip on Kenmore and decided to head down here right away.”
“Uh-huh. So, where is Kenmore? You found the lab?”
“Not exactly.” I slow the truck and turn onto a winding, dusty access road that I spied on the map. Biting my lip, I steer toward a
small hill that offers a vantage point to scope the landscape and locate Terranus.
“Are you sure everything is okay?” she asks, worry revealing itself in her voice.
“I’m in a jam,” I confess. “I know where Kenmore is. It’s a restricted access compound.” Mostly true. “I’m not sure how to get in.” Definitely true.
“Why can’t you wait for Ogre so he can hack their security net?”
I shake my head. “Ogre’s too noticeable. I’m going in undercover, and well, he’ll blow it for me.”
“Huh,” she says then pauses. “I guess…that’s a good plan then.”
“Best I could come up with in a pinch.”
“Are you going to pose as a lab employee?” she asks, eyebrows raised.
The thought hadn’t crossed my mind. How tight would security be? Wish Ogre were here. “Yeah, I’m going to try.”
“Play the new employee card. That always works.” She smirks and, for a moment, I realize how much I miss her.
“Good advice. I’ll do that.”
“But be careful. Ping me your location, so I can track you.”
“Comm doesn’t work where I’m going.”
“What? Wow. Then, let’s set a rendezvous time and if you’re not back, I’ll send help—”
“No,” I interrupt. “Ogre will return from its—his—errand before long. Ogre’s got my back.”
“Are you sure? You promise?” Her forehead wrinkles in concern.
I hate deceiving her this way, but I can’t slip up. I’ve traveled too far. Risked too much.
“Everything is going like clockwork,” I assure her. “Our intel says Kenmore’s not much of a threat. There are few guards and security is light here.” I leave out the part about the inhabitants having genetically-enhanced abilities.
Her eyes narrow. “Are you sure? What intel on Kenmore? How can he be not a threat?”
“I have to go.”
“I expect to hear from Ogre soon and if I don’t—”
“Stay out of this, Lucy. I have things under control.”
She leans back, frowning. “Ida, wait.”
“Yeah?”
“Just be careful. I love you.”
My breath catches in my throat. “Ditto, kid. Talk to you soon.”
Ending the call, I cut the truck’s engine and step out. Outside, the glare of the sun assaults my eyes, forcing me to grab a pair of sunglasses I spied in the truck’s console. As I face the bright light again, a small digital screen lights up in my peripheral vision. AI-enhanced glasses. Score.
I trek up a slope to the tallest point of the hill. Crouching, I scan the area called Gates Pass. Low-lying desert brush extends for miles, nestled around a vertical rock summit. Rust-colored towering arches of stone appear jammed into the ground as if carelessly dropped from the heavens by a God during her angry toddler phase.
No signs of humans or anything to indicate a nearby city. I tap the side of the shades. “Computer, zoom in.”
After a few minutes of carefully scanning the base of the mountain, I find only jagged rock outcroppings. My thighs ache from crouching, so I sit cross-legged, continuing to search for an entrance.
After ten more minutes, I lean back and push the shades onto the top of my head. “What am I doing?” I mutter.
Did Joanie trick me? Lead me on a wild chase? Without Ogre, I have no way of locating underground human activity. What now? I could call Reed with the ear transponder he gave me, but he’d think I was weak, and I’d be pulling him away from important business. Not to mention, I don’t have a plan anyway. How would he even help me?
I glance at my biocuff and scroll through the handful of messages Reed sent in the last few hours. More messages I’ve successfully ignored.
His latest reads: Hi there. Missing you. You okay? Worried.
I reply: “I’m fine. All good.”
After hitting send, I immediately regret my cold tone. But I have to be this way. I can’t get hung up on a guy right now. Too much is at stake. Reed’s a distraction. Except…I remember how safe I felt in his strong arms…how complete.
And then a pang hits me as I think about Gatz and how he told me loved me. Like an idiot, I refused to see him, fearing I’d only hurt him more. I’m so confused.
Sighing, I stare at the mountain base in the distance. The sun has moved farther west in the sky, casting new shadows. I’m just about to rise and dust myself off when a glimmer of light catches my eye.
I pull the sunglasses down and zoom in. A human figure appears dressed in dark clothes, boots, and wearing a baseball cap. Then another comes into view. This one holds an assault rifle casually against his shoulder. They’re having a conversation and take seats on
two rocks. I increase the zoom to discover they’re both young men—early twenties. One takes large bites from an apple.
The good news is I’ve found the entrance, but these men are guarding it. And one is heavily armed. Now what?
I can’t exactly go barging in, fighting hand-to-hand. Was Lucy onto something about pretending to be an employee?
I need a way in.
Then I remember the warehouse, and it hits me.
I have a plan.
Twenty-One
I’ve been lucky. No signs of police cruisers or drones searching for the stolen truck. Winding my way down the sloping hill, I take it slow, careful not to raise dust and give away my presence.
I want the two Gates Pass guards to be surprised when I roll up.
After a few minutes, I steer the truck off the main road, hitting bumps and trampling over brush. I spot a narrow wash that’s bone dry. I lurch the truck forward where the river bed is just narrow enough for me to wedge the vehicle in. Then I scour the area for branches, layering them over the rear of the truck, disguising it from aerial view.
After several minutes, I step back and assess my work. Good enough to hide it for now. I bury the keys under a pile of sand in front of the left rear tire. A means to escape if something goes wrong. If I can make it back here.
By this time, I’ve worked up a sweat. The afternoon sun is getting lower in the sky, and I need to hurry. I want to make it to Terranus while it’s still daylight.
I sling my pack over my shoulders and hike toward the mountain’s base. I found unopened water vials in the truck’s glovebox. I suck them down, grateful for the supplies I’d forgotten in my haste. The water drenches my dry throat as I trek briskly across the flat, scorched earth.
After a mile of walking, I near the area where the two guards loiter on rocks chatting away, oblivious to my approach. The closest one spies me and jumps up. “Oh, shit! We got company,” he says.
The other rises and clutches a rifle, readying it.
“Hiya, fellows,” I say with a huge smile. I hold my hands open to appear less of a threat. “I can’t even believe how long it took me to hike out here. The directions I got were wrong. They said it was only two miles, but it felt more like fifteen!”
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