by Eliza Green
He jerked the door open and hopped out, breathing in the fresh air as he did.
Ben got out too, slower than him, and looked around. ‘Where are we?’
Bill pretended to focus on something in the distance, long enough to regain his composure. Laura’s leaving had put a dent in his confidence. He second guessed every decision now.
‘I could give you a set of coordinates, but that’s about it.’ He shrugged, trying to lighten the mood.
The teen had a curious, but relaxed, look on his face. He leaned casually against the parked car. ‘The chatter has dried up, you know, since the attack on District Three.’
Shit. The boy trusted him.
‘Yeah, I think that event passed over most people’s heads. Probably a good thing.’
‘Maybe, but in my experience, silence is never a good thing, especially where criminals are concerned.’
Fuck.
Bill cleared his throat. ‘I didn’t just bring you out here to show you the scenery.’
Ben frowned. ‘Yeah? Why then?’
He swallowed hard. ‘Someone travelled to Exilon 5 with Harvey Buchanan.’
‘That geneticist, the one helping you with the Elite?’ Ben frowned. ‘Who?’
‘Marcus.’
Bill watched the boy for signs of distress, but it didn’t come. To his surprise, Ben smiled. ‘You’re shitting me, right?’
Bill shook his head. ‘He’s here.’
Ben’s eyes widened as the news sunk in. ‘How?’
‘Changed his face, thanks to Harvey.’
His voice rose. ‘And now?’
‘He’s in custody. Caught trying to help the Elite break into District Three.’
Ben pushed off from the car and strode into the flatlands. He huffed, turned, and strode back. ‘Holy shit, Bill! How long have you known he was here?’
‘Three weeks, since the fight.’
‘And you’re sure it’s him.’
‘Harvey confirmed it.’
Ben marched off again, turning, then marching back. Hands on hips, he blew out another breath. ‘Why isn’t that bastard dead?’
‘Just lucky, I guess.’
Ben dropped his hands to his sides, now fists. ‘I mean, why haven’t you killed him? You know what he did on Earth and what he can do here.’
Bill wasn’t in the business of offing criminals on a whim, but a part of him wished the man had died that day. Someone had pushed him out of the air-controlled district into the stone stairwell, where there had been plenty of breathable surface air.
‘He can’t hurt you.’
Ben visibly shook. ‘He killed Albert and Kevin!’ The boy’s adopted grandfather and stepbrother. ‘He’s a lying, cheating murderer.’
‘I know all that, but he has no power here. There is nothing to fear, no Gaetano Agostini types pulling his strings. I don’t plan on letting him go.’
Ben rubbed his chin hard, matching the rhythm of his heaving chest. ‘I want to see him.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I do.’ Ben released his chin and raised it in defiance. ‘Will you take me? If you don’t, I’ll find another way.’
Bill didn’t see how he had a choice. ‘Okay.’
8
The air beyond the ITF-regulated hunting zones burned Stephen’s lungs—a reminder he was lucky to be alive. The wolf bayed in the inky black distance, keeping well clear of the danger area. Eight years of breeding programmes had populated an entire park of wildlife that could keep Stephen sustained throughout the year. But with time came knowledge. These were no ordinary animals. The genetically altered creatures were smarter than their regular-born cousin, and liked to toy with their hunters.
Eight years had passed since the enactment of the treaty. The hunting zones existed to settle human fears over Indigenes encroaching on their city, if given too much leeway. Stephen’s agreement to their rules had been to prevent a war. Now, the Indigenes had outgrown a treaty that he sensed was close to failing. All Indigenes had to show for their cooperation was a bunch of useless hunting zones that the animals no longer entered. Too often, he felt like a prisoner stuck inside his environmental bubble.
To hunt effectively forced him out of the safety of the hunting zone and into the wild, unregulated land. Not a problem for Stephen, had he brought one of Anton’s breathing devices with him.
In the dark and the oxygen-rich air, his breaths shortened and grew sharper.
The Elite’s successful attack had rattled his belief that he was the right leader for District Three.
Follow rules; don’t break them.
That had been Pierre’s leadership style. But Elise’s preference to create a democracy, not an autocracy, had been the one he’d used in the end. He had hoped the more inclusive style would put his charges at ease. But many young had not settled under his tutelage. Nor had the older Indigenes more attuned to Pierre’s style than his.
The sound of his bare feet scuffling over rocks echoed in the wilds of Exilon 5.
The mood in the district, off since the attack, had not recovered. A palpable fear had struck the hearts of a new generation who had not lived through the attempted cull of an older generation by humans, thirty-eight years ago. They had attempted to rid the planet of their failed experiment. The attack led by Tanya had proven to everyone, including Stephen, that nobody was infallible.
The forbidden land beyond the hunting zone drew him deeper into the black night. Air tainted with too much oxygen pinched at his lungs and left a blazing trail of fire in its wake. It had been stupid to come out here without one of the air filtration devices. But last-minute plans were the least thought out.
The wolf bayed again, sounding like it was nearer this time.
Before the Elite attack, Stephen would have retreated to safety, or at least stayed within the hunting zone, prey or no prey.
But now? He had seen the damage Pierre’s closed-off leadership style had done to the district. But Elise’s more inclusive style had not guaranteed success either.
He was damned whatever he did.
Despite the blaze in his chest telling him to retreat, Stephen ran deeper into the night. Every breath he took shortened his life.
The wolf bayed again, sounding closer than before. Stephen picked up its smell and prepared to meet a creature also flouting the rules. If the Indigenes didn’t hunt, neither did the wolf. DNA might separate the species, but a deep-seated hunting instinct could not be repressed.
A cluster of rocks ahead became visible, forcing Stephen to slow down. The wolf peeked out from behind it. Male, female—he couldn’t tell. Perhaps a kill would boost morale in the district, show the others that he could be a proactive leader.
The wolf’s bright eyes glittered in the darkness. Stephen’s enhanced vision brought its outline into sharp focus. The fire in the wolf’s eyes simmered, but not as hot as the fire scarring his lungs.
Each gulp of air caught in his throat, dragging along the sides of his windpipe and blooming fresh heat in his chest. Despite his pain, his mouth moistened with saliva.
I can’t do this.
Of course you can.
His one-sided conversations had become a common occurrence out here. It wasn’t the first time he’d ventured beyond his human-assigned prison. Nor was it the first time he’d struggled to draw breath. But he knew his limitations, even though he’d yet to catch one of the wolves without the air filtration device.
This wolf was no different to the others he’d encountered. The big, black dog with the reflective eyes cocked its head, as though it sensed Stephen was almost out of time. Stephen slowed his breaths down to a breath every thirty seconds, but it did little to ease the discomfort in his chest.
As though the wolf sensed his struggle, it tracked closer to him. With its head low and eyes on him, Stephen felt like the prey.
Despite his pain, he pushed on. He needed this.
One kill would boost morale in the district. He had to do it. District Three ne
eded a familiar gesture to return things to normal.
The hit of oxygen punched him in the gut and buckled his knees. He dropped to all fours, coming eye to eye with the wolf and its glistening teeth. He could see now it was a male. Not that it mattered. Male and female were equal in strength.
A low, menacing snarl sent a chill through him. But to show fear would make this situation worse.
Stephen clambered to his feet, despite the dizziness threatening to end this. What was he thinking coming out here alone, and without an air filtration device?
Sensing his weakness, the wolf stalked closer.
Maybe he could fight him off. Sure, if the rich oxygen levels didn’t kill him first.
Still, he had to try. Raising his fists to chest level, he readied for the wolf’s inevitable launch. It came at him, knocking him backwards. Stephen cried out as he hit the ground. The wolf’s weight pinned him down, pushing all remaining air out of his lungs. A yelp followed and the weight vanished suddenly.
Anton appeared from nowhere and wrestled the animal into submission. He paused long enough to toss something at Stephen’s feet.
‘Put it in.’
Stephen grappled in the dirt for whatever Anton had thrown at him. His fingers found the device.
Stephen quickly put it in. The device restricted the oxygen to levels he could breathe. With a sigh of relief, the pain in his chest subsided.
He heard another yelp, then a snap.
A panting Anton dragged the wolf to Stephen’s side, dropping it by his foot. ‘I assume you risked your life for this?’
His anger was palpable.
Stephen just nodded, unable to talk.
I almost had him.
And who had you? How did you plan to survive this far out from the zone? What were you thinking?
Strength returned to his muscles, enough that he could stand up. His breaths no longer pained him. His dizziness had subsided. But his chest continued to burn from his exposure to too much oxygen. Stephen grabbed one leg of the wolf and dragged it towards the zone.
‘I didn’t need your help, Anton. I was doing fine.’
Anton picked up the other leg and helped him to pull. ‘I disagree. Gabriel died for something worthwhile. If you had died, what would your excuse have been? To prove how strong you were?’
Anger rippled through Stephen. ‘No. I came out here to kill him.’ He jerked the dead wolf’s leg. The male would last a while. ‘It will help to return normality to the district.’
‘So bring an air filtration next time!’ Anton threw his free hand up. ‘You want to bring normality? Keep things under control. Don’t kill yourself out here.’
It had been stupid of Stephen to try. Despite agreeing with Anton, his hands refused to stop shaking. He’d come close to losing his life, a life he wasn’t ready to end just yet.
‘I’m not Pierre. I still have to prove myself with his charges.’
‘None of us will be Pierre or Elise, but you must have faith in your own abilities. We’ve all followed you for the last eight years.’
‘And where has that got us? The shaky peace treaty is close to collapse. The young are taking the advice of restless Indigenes and joining the rogue humans. The Elite attacked our district and none of the others. They must have thought us weak.’
‘Or we were simply the closest district to them.’ Anton shrugged. ‘Maybe they didn’t want to walk far.’
‘I don’t know what else I can do but bring back food right now.’
Anton huffed out a breath, straining against the dead weight of the wolf. ‘If you had died, what would I have told Serena, or Arianna? She would have killed me.’
Stephen switched to telepathy. How did you find me?
The continuing heat in his chest made it hard to talk.
Call it intuition. You’ve been acting odd for the last three weeks. Gabriel is gone. Margaux is still drifting in and out of lucidity. Who knows what’s happening with the other districts? We lost our link to District Eight when Gabriel died. Can’t you trust that things will get better?
Stephen wanted to believe it.
They dragged the wolf along, passing from the wilds into the regulated zone. The barrier irritated his skin upon entry. Safely inside, the air filtration device further restricted the already low oxygen levels, making it hard to breathe again. Stephen yanked it out of his throat and nostrils.
Anton did the same with his and tipped his chin at him. ‘You probably did some damage to your lungs out there. You should use the Nexus.’
He hadn’t used it for over a week now. Even though everything felt as it should, Tanya had contaminated it. A trust had been broken.
Let’s get this wolf inside first.
His arms blazed with the weight of the adult-sized wolf. Together they dragged the animal through the hatch, down the stairs and past the door to the protected environment. Indigenes, young and old, stopped and stared at the sight of the kill. Animal blood was a rarity around here, but Stephen would make sure everyone drank from this kill. It would boost morale and give Stephen confidence that he could keep doing this role.
Everyone gets a share, he announced to looks of surprise and glee.
Yes, this kill had been worth it. These were the first smiles he’d seen in three weeks.
He and Anton dragged the wolf to Anton’s lab where his team were working on new technological ideas. But since the attack, not much of anything had been happening. The team looked up when they entered. With extra help, Stephen hoisted the dead animal on to a steel trolley, set up a blood bag and began to drain the animal.
Stephen lingered by the trolley.
‘We’ve got this,’ said Anton, but Stephen stayed put.
He had nowhere else to go.
Yes, you do. Anton pushed him out the door. Nexus, now. Go!
Outside the lab, Stephen swallowed back his nerves—an action that only aggravated the damage to his inflamed throat.
The nearest tranquillity cave wasn’t far. A few minutes later, he entered the cave. Two dozen units were set into the floor. All except one was occupied. Hoping to find fewer users, he headed for a different one located on the other side of the district. Not that it mattered how many users there were. He could not escape their energies as soon as he entered the Nexus.
Stephen entered the new cave, where just half the units were occupied. He dropped the ten feet into one unit and sat cross-legged on the floor. Closing his eyes, he waited for the Nexus’ bright tendril to take him inside.
The rock transformed from a hard, unyielding surface into a glittering, orange web. The tendril poked through it and tugged gently on his arm, dragging his energy inside. He floated in the centre of the evolved Nexus structure—a curved wall that connected to the entry points, to create a full circle. Below Stephen, the energies from other users gathered in a cluster. Bright tendrils fed from the shimmering and golden wall into the centre of the energy.
Before the change, users had to go to the Nexus. Now, it came to them.
His mind’s eye checked out the exact spot on the wall where Tanya had attached her energy. He saw nothing out of place. It pulsated with the usual energies of the users.
Tanya’s attack on the one place that could kill them had rattled him. But Serena had assured him she sensed no trace of her. He had to believe the Nexus had destroyed her energy.
More users gathered in the centre of the curved wall, where the power was at its strongest. Stephen hesitated to join in and draw healing from their collective energies. The last thing he wanted was company. This would be a fast visit to heal his throat and lungs.
He floated to the wall and connected with it. The Nexus pulsated with a rolling energy. Tendrils jutting out from the wall tethered to him and pumped healing power into him. His energy brightened momentarily from the direct feed. In his unit, his throat burned less and the pain in his lungs subsided.
After ten minutes, Stephen broke free from the wall and floated over the heads of the users
’ energies.
Any other day he might have stayed; the Nexus had a way of kicking him out of his busy mind. But today, he had a dead wolf to deal with.
He disconnected and returned his revived energy to his mortal body. Opening his eyes, the saw the cold, hard rock of the unit had replaced the orange web. Stephen got to his feet and used the footholds to aid his climb out of the unit.
Just ten minutes in the Nexus. That was all the time he needed.
He reached the top and stood tall. A sudden sickness caught hold and unsteadied him. Stephen stumbled over the tops of several open units, almost falling into one. He dropped to his knees and crawled to safety near the exit.
Hands shaking and heart pumping, he stood. He took a quick breath and gave himself a shake to discard the worst of the feeling. It had been too long since he’d used the Nexus. Either that or he hadn’t disconnected properly. A few deep breaths sorted out his instability and his queasy stomach.
By the time he reached Anton’s lab, the sickness had vanished.
9
Ben stared out the window as the automated car drove Bill and him to the military hospital. Located twenty miles outside New London’s city limits and set against a steep mountain range, the hospital had good protection on all sides. The car swapped the main arterial road between New London and New Tokyo for a smaller one. Bill grabbed the door handle when the wheels hit rougher terrain. Ben looked too distracted to care.
The car pulled up outside a set of gates where six heavily armed ITF soldiers waited. The blue scanner checked the car and its occupants over, and the gate opened. As the car passed through, Bill fixed his gaze on the biodome, set behind the hospital and captured perfectly inside its high walls. The ITF had been using it as an isolation area, to detain those arriving on Exilon 5 who had presented with illness. Until they were cleared, they could not join society.
Ben pointed at the tarpaulin-covered dome covering a structure the size of a small warehouse. ‘You used to keep animals in these, right?’
Bill nodded, even though the teen had his back to him.