Proxy: A Dystopian Thriller (The Unwelcome Trilogy Book 3)

by R. D. Brady

“I’m a Cursed.”

  “We know, but seeing it, it’s hopeful.”

  Miles could understand that.

  “And you didn’t kill Anixquold,” Gaxdrill said.

  Miles looked at him. “What?”

  “You didn’t kill Anixquold. You could have. But instead you went after the Esteemed Leader. We’ve never seen anyone do that before. We didn’t think anyone could do that.”

  The memory of that anger stirred inside him. “I nearly did kill her,” he said quietly.

  “But you didn’t,” Dexender said. “But why didn’t you?”

  “Anixquold didn’t kill my mom or my sister. And even if she did, it wasn’t her choice. That was the Naku’s. So I simply shifted the focus of my rage.”

  Neither Dexender or Gaxdrill said anything. After all, what could they say? Feeling emotions was new for them, never mind having control over them. So Miles decided to answer Gaxdrill’s previous question.

  “I think they are probably running away. My understanding is that the Ka Sama keeps your emotions in check, keeps you from dreaming, keeps you from remembering, but then once it is removed from your system, you start to be who you are supposed to be.”

  “But they have doubled the Ka Sama rations for us.”

  Miles started. “What? When did that start?”

  “About a week ago,” Dexender said.

  “Do you feel any different?”

  Gaxdrill shook his head. “No. It’s not like before. Before, like you said, we didn’t dream or think. All there was was the Naku and following their orders. Now when I look at them, it is difficult to understand how that was possible.”

  Miles frowned. So the Naku had uncovered the sabotage, and yet the increased dosage wasn’t having the expected result. But if the amount of Ka Sama each Unwelcome was getting had increased, they should in theory start to feel like their old selves. Or not feel, as the case may be. Unless …

  “When was the first time you were ever administered the Ka Sama?”

  “We took it when we were chosen for the shedar,” Dexender said.

  “So you were children.”

  Dexender nodded. Miles had read that children are much more susceptible to certain drugs, as the pathways were much more open in their minds. Was it possible that once those pathways stopped being fed, the Ka Sama that they had was closed off? That the Ka Sama might not have an effect anymore on the Unwelcome?

  When they had planned the sabotage, they had never even contemplated such a possibility. They had just hoped that it might give them enough time to get the women out of the breeding facility and perhaps cause a couple of Unwelcome to leave the Naku. They never imagined it could be a permanent situation. But if it was …

  “What about you two? Do you wish to leave?” Miles asked.

  The two Unwelcome exchanged a glance before Dexender spoke. “Yes, but we are never on the Earth’s surface. In fact, they have brought all the Unwelcome that are not critical back to the ship to increase the Ka Sama rations.”

  “The Naku are worried.”

  Dexender nodded. “Yes. There have been a few instances of Unwelcome not immediately following orders.”

  “What happens?”

  “The Naku compels them,” Gaxdrill said.

  Miles winced. He had felt that pressure against his brain, even though the Naku had not been able to get in. He couldn’t imagine how painful it would be when they actually succeeded.

  “That’s keeping people in line. But I’m not sure how much longer it will last.”

  Miles spoke carefully. “How many can the Naku control at one time?”

  “For the older Naku, I have seen them control as many as twenty at one time. For the younger, the most I have seen is four.”

  “Which means if you banded together in large enough numbers, then you would be able to overpower the Naku.”

  Dexender’s head jerked toward Miles.

  Miles put up his hands, not sure if he had pushed it too far. “Just something to think about.”

  The door at the end of the hallway opened. Dexender and Gaxdrill’s replacements appeared. Miles sat back on his cot. Gaxdrill headed down the hall. Dexender did as well, but he paused for a moment at the end of the glass wall.

  “I will think about it,” he said before continuing down the hall.

  Miles smiled. He wasn’t sure how much longer the Naku would keep him alive. But if he managed to create a small revolution in his wake, well, then that was a good enough legacy for him.

  73

  New City was quiet as Thor, Riley, and Adros approached. Behind them, Emma, Edna, Otto, and Max were walking tightly together. All of them were dressed in the tan uniforms of workers from the Fringe. Light was just beginning to creep along the horizon, getting ready to chase away the dark.

  Riley glanced at the twinkling stars above. It looked so peaceful. But then his gaze strayed over to where the mothership hovered above the city, ruining the tranquility. Its evil presence stood hovering over New City, hovering over everything.

  Miles was somewhere on that ship. Riley promised himself he would be one of the first people on it when the time came, but first he had a job to do.

  Next to him, Thor was back in uniform. In the dim light, and with that helmet on, he looked completely terrifying. All Riley could think about was the first time he’d seen an Unwelcome and how his whole world had shifted from that moment forward. His mother had gripped his hand, and they’d run. Less than twenty-four hours later, she was gone.

  He shook himself from the melancholy thoughts before he started thinking about all the people they had lost due to the Unwelcome over time.

  Because it wasn’t the Unwelcome who’d taken them, not really. The Unwelcome were merely a tool that the Naku had wielded with brutal efficiency. Ahead, an Unwelcome stood guarding the entrance to New City. Riley and Adros slowed down as Thor approached. Riley was too far back to hear what he said, but the Unwelcome at the door glanced at Riley and Adros before waving them inside.

  Riley and Adros quickly followed Thor into New City. Emma, Edna, Otto, and Max moved a little slower, giving the guard a wide berth as they followed them into the city. When they were out of earshot of the guard, Riley said to Thor, “What did you say to him?”

  Thor glanced back at the guard at the gate before speaking. “That the world was about to change. And that we were about to change it.”

  Adros grinned. “Darn right we are.”

  “Get going,” Riley said.

  Adros nodded, and he peeled off with Emma, Edna, and Thor. Max and Otto came abreast of Riley, and they walked silently through the street.

  New City was quiet. There was no one out at this early hour except for a couple of yellow robes patrolling the street. They watched Riley, Otto, and Max with narrowed gazes. Riley forced himself to keep his face unconcerned as he walked down the street, acting as if he belonged here. Finally, the yellow robe turned and continued on his patrol.

  The yellow robes had apparently taken over some of the duties of the Unwelcome while the Unwelcome were being recalibrated on the ship. They were the reason they had to split up their group. The yellow robes would be too suspicious of a group of six this early in the morning.

  Max, Otto, and Riley took a less direct route to their target. They walked for another five minutes before turning down a small street. The street was lined with small stores that had apartments above. If you didn’t know the type of people who lived there, you might even want to live there yourself.

  Halfway down the block between a shoe store and a drug store was a small alley. With a quick glance to make sure no one was watching them, Otto and Max slipped into the alley. Riley stayed at the edge of the alley, scanning the street and windows above before following them.

  It was a long alley the length of a city block. And at the other end, Adros, Emma, Edna, and Thor stood waiting in the shadows.

  Riley smiled at Emma and Edna as they approached. “You two all right?”

>   Emma’s head bobbed up and down a little too fast. “Yup. Just glad to help.”

  Riley knew the sentiment was true, even if they were both terrified. But when they had heard about the mission, they volunteered. And Riley knew they were the perfect people for the job. No one could put kids at ease quicker than Emma and Edna.

  Adros nodded to the building directly across from them. “Is that it?”

  The building was seven floors tall and made of brick, with some black shutters. It actually looked nice. But Riley knew that pretty façades could often hide ugly interiors.

  Max nodded with a shudder. “That’s it. There’s usually an adult on each floor. They make sure the kids don’t escape.”

  Riley rolled his hands into fists, anger surging through him at the idea of humans helping enslave children.

  But that ended today.

  There didn’t seem to be any movement in the building. No lights were on. A dim glow came from a room along the first floor, but that was the only light on in the building. Finally Riley nodded.

  “Okay. Adros and Otto, you take the back door. Otto, don’t let anybody out. Adros, make your way up the back stairs and take care of any adults you see. Wait until you hear us go in.”

  “Got it,” Adros said before he and Otto slipped across the street and around the side of the building.

  Riley looked over at Emma, Edna, and Max. “You three stay here until we signal you to come in.”

  They each gave him a nervous nod.

  Riley and Thor waited in silence for two minutes to make sure that Adros and Otto could get into position before they strode across the road. Thor nodded toward the front door. “How do you want to do this?”

  Riley contemplated going in quietly, but all hell was about to break loose. And there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. And right now, the adults in this building deserved a little fear put into them. “As loud as possible. Kick the door in.”

  Thor didn’t hesitate. He slammed his foot into the door, sending it crashing into the wall beyond. A man stumbled from a room by the front door, his mouth hanging open as he stood in just his underwear. Riley slammed his fist into the man’s face without a word. He went flying back into the room, crashing into a bed and tumbling over the side. He didn’t get up.

  Faces appeared from doorways along the hall. Riley put up his hands. “It’s okay. We’re not here to hurt you. We’re here to help.”

  The children didn’t step out of their rooms. A few their eyes grew even larger in the dim light as they took in Thor standing behind Riley. Riley glanced back at him. “Take off your helmet.”

  Thor quickly removed it, and the kids looked even more shocked.

  “He’s a friend of mine. He’s here to help us. We’re getting you out of the city.” Riley let out a whistle. Emma, Edna, and Max hurried in the door a few seconds later. Riley nodded to the kids. “Keep an eye on them. We’re going to check the other floors.”

  He’d heard Adros and Otto come in the back door and knew Adros was already making his way through the building. Riley headed for the stairs with Thor right behind him. They skipped the second and third floors, as Adros had taken care of those, and hurried up to the fourth. Within five minutes, they had all the adults in the building knocked out cold. Riley was tempted to do more than just knock them unconscious, but that wasn’t what they were here for.

  After securing the other floors, Riley had Emma and Edna head upstairs to speak with the children before they ushered all of them down to the first floor. The kids were scared. Some looked like they were in shock, and Riley knew they didn’t really understand what was happening. But he didn’t have time to explain it. He’d have to leave that up to Emma, Edna, and Max.

  Riley pulled Emma aside. “I need to get going.”

  “We’ve got this. You go on. I’ll unleash our secret weapon.” Emma pulled out a small sack from her bag. Riley could smell the cookies inside.

  He smiled. “Well, if your cookies can’t put them at ease, nothing will. Otto will stay with you. As soon as everything begins, he’ll get all of you out of the city.”

  “We know the plan. We’ll get the kids to the rendezvous point. But you be careful out there. All of you,” she said as Adros and Thor walked up.

  “We will,” Adros said. “Just keep these kids safe.”

  “That’s my plan.” She reached up and hugged Riley and then Adros. She turned to Thor and opened up her arms. “Come on, Thor, your turn.”

  Surprise flashed across Thor’s face before he reached down and gently placed his arms around Emma, looking like he was afraid he would crush her.

  After a moment, she stepped back. “Now you three scoot. We’ve got this.”

  The kids lined the hallways and were crammed into the rooms on the first floor. A few had tears in their eyes, but a few looked hopeful. “Okay, kids, we’ll see you back at the camp.”

  A few nodded back at him, but most just looked bewildered.

  Riley stepped out into the street once more. Dawn was just breaking along the horizon.

  “It won’t be long now,” Adros said quietly.

  Thor gripped his helmet before placing it on his head. “And hopefully this is the last time I have to put on this blasted thing.”

  Riley didn’t say anything, although he agreed with both of them. Truth was, all of their lives were going to change after today. Now they just needed to make sure that change was for the better.

  74

  Even though it hadn’t been that long since Lyla had last been in New City, it had changed. The streets weren’t quite as clean as they once had been, which made Lyla wonder if people were leaving the Fringe as well. She hadn’t asked, but it definitely looked as if the individuals who normally kept the city clean had taken a bit of time off.

  The residents of New City had also changed. They were less carefree than she remembered. Their eyes darted about as they moved along the streets.

  There were also more yellow robes than she had ever seen before. It seemed that on each street she turned onto, there were at least four of them. She wasn’t sure if they had recruited extras or if they were just out in full force.

  But it didn’t matter. They were not trained, at least not the way her people were. If any of them got in the way, they would be taken down.

  Lyla and Arthur had arrived in the Fringe late that night, well after dark. Jane ushered them into a small house, where half of the group was waiting. Riley had asked about Jamal and Addie, but Lyla had simply said they’d decided to join the veerfinah group. The other half of the group was in a house next door. Both were vacant. The occupants hadn’t been seen in days according to Jane’s source. “The Fringe is a lot emptier than it used to be,” said Jane, confirming Lyla’s suspicion.

  “What about New City?” Montel asked.

  “The yellow robes have started to patrol it. The Unwelcome are all but gone. There’s maybe six in the whole city.”

  Lyla exchanged a glance with Montel. “That’s good.”

  “Thought you’d like that. And people are talking about the Unwelcome, how they’re different. People are confused, not sure what to make of it.”

  So everyone was on edge. That could be useful. “Okay, let’s have all the commanders do a head count, go over the plan with their group one more time, and then tell everyone to get a little shut-eye.”

  Montel raised an eyebrow. “You really think anyone’s going to sleep?”

  “No, but let’s force them to at least rest their eyelids.”

  This morning, she’d watched with bated breath as Riley took the first group in. No alarm sounded from inside New City, no rush of movement.

  Lyla had let out a sigh of relief after twenty minutes of quiet. The Naku would not be expecting them to go for the kids. That part of the mission should go smoothly. She’d made sure each group went in before she left with the last group.

  Now she made her way down the street and waited until the yellow robes had passed before
she entered the old warehouse. Montel waited for her at the door. She slipped past him, and he closed the door quickly. She made her way into the main room. There were over three dozen individuals armed with staves, swords, and knives taking up the space. There were another four more warehouses just like this throughout New City and one on the outskirts.

  She looked over the group, quickly nodding at Rory and his sister, Tabitha, before turning her attention back to Montel. “Are we good?”

  “We’re ready. Just waiting for everything to get started.”

  “Well, it should start any minute. How’s the view from the roof?”

  “Perfect. No buildings obstructing the view. Arthur’s already up there. I’ll stay down here. You go on.”

  Lyla headed toward the staircase along the edge of the room and quickly ascended the steps. Then she walked along the long catwalk and climbed the small ladder leading to the hatch that led to the roof. She pushed it open and climbed out. Arthur stood poised along the edge of the roof.

  “Anything?” she asked as she joined him.

  He nodded back toward the Fringe. She could just make out the two veerfinahs taking off beyond it. “It’s about to begin.”

  75

  Thor peeled off from Riley and Adros once they reached the center of New City. Riley and Adros would be heading to a location closer to the city’s edge.

  Adros looked around as they walked, shaking his head.

  “What is it?” Riley asked.

  “I just don’t get it. How is any of this worth turning your back on your own species? I mean, we live with the Unwelcome, and I’m even willing to say that a lot of them are decent people. But the Naku? There’s nothing good about them. And the Unwelcome under their control, there’s nothing good about them either. So how do people turn their back on their humanity for a comfy bed?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe desperation, maybe they find a way to rationalize it to themselves.”

  “But they have to trade in children. No one who abuses a child should get away with it.”