I go into the bathroom without saying a word. My back slides against the closed door until I’m sitting on the floor. For years I dreamed about being around Primes and living in their world, but it’s clear I don’t belong. I was so naïve. Someone’s going to get hurt because of me. And even if I were mad at Colt for what he did, I’d never wish any harm to come to him.
I close my eyes tight before tears fall. Focus on Max. Nothing else.
After counting to sixty, I stand and go back into the wood-paneled room. Anthony and Colt are inspecting various weapons as if they’re preparing for something big. I try not to think about it and ask, “Where’s Jenna?”
Colt removes a gun with a long barrel and says, “Like I said, no one knows about this place. Not even her.”
“She’s at her mom’s,” Anthony says. He holds out a long stick-looking weapon. It’s an older model, but I know its tip has the ability to shock people. “This one needs a new charge, Colt.”
Colt walks toward him as if to take it, but suddenly he falls to the floor. At first I think he’s tripped, and I’m about to help him up when his back arches and he starts shaking, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.
Anthony rushes to him. “Help me turn him on his side.”
I drop to my knees and push him over, which is difficult because every muscle in his body is flexed and stiff. “Why is he having a seizure?”
“Just hold him still. It will pass in a couple of minutes.”
Anthony holds his legs and arms, while I cradle his head, making sure it stays sideways. Colt’s jaw is clenched tight and his rapid breaths force their way through his pressed lips. Sweat breaks all over his body and within seconds his clothes are wet. I hurt just looking at him.
“Is he aware of the pain?” I ask.
Anthony’s quiet for a moment. “I don’t know.”
Colt’s body jerks hard, and we tighten our grip. After another minute, his shaking slows and one by one his muscles relax. His eyelids close, and I lower his head to the floor. He looks asleep.
“Why did he have a seizure?”
Anthony withdraws his hands from Colt. “He has the Kiss.”
My head snaps up. “What?”
“He’s old, nineteen.”
“That’s not old! And besides, you’re at least, what, seven, eight years older than him?”
“But I’m not as mutated.”
I look down at Colt. How could he be dying? I reach out and gently stroke his black hair; my earlier anger toward him turns to sorrow even though I barely know him. He’s so young.
My father had told me stories of how it used to be before humans tampered with their DNA. People living until the age of a hundred, having children, grandchildren, and often great-grandchildren. They went to college, had long careers, traveled. Experienced life to the fullest. There was none of that now. With so few years to live, the majority of humans rarely lived to fulfill their dreams. They took whatever job they could get to provide for basic comforts. Many didn’t marry or have children. It was too painful for them to find love only to have it taken away from them so soon. It’s no way to live life. If hell existed, that would be it.
“You say my father helped people. How exactly?” I ask.
“He never spoke of his research, but he found a way to temporarily heal human DNA, probably using his own DNA or yours.”
I nod, remembering how he used to draw my blood once a month. “I wish I would’ve paid attention more to his work, but I was so tired from all his training that I never learned what he was doing. I regret that now. Maybe there’s something I could have done for Colt.”
“You have no reason to feel guilty. This,” he glances down at Colt, “is the world we live in. We’re used to death, but your presence gives us hope for the future. One day there will be a world where we can live to our full potential and death will come for us naturally, and not because of some scientist’s experiments.”
It sounds wonderful, but too far into the future. At least for Colt.
“You are so important, Sage. Do you understand?”
“I’m trying to, but I don’t feel like my life is more important than any of yours. We can all make a difference in this world whether we live for five years or five hundred. It’s just about what we choose to do with the time we have.”
He’s quiet for a minute, then, “My wife believed that too. The world was a better place with her in it. I was better.”
I want to say more, but Colt makes a sound, a deep moan. I slide back a little to give him space. He rolls onto his back, flinching as if the movement hurts.
Anthony leans over him. “How are you feeling?”
“Like my mind exploded. Did it happen again?”
Anthony nods and sits back.
Colt glances over at me briefly but doesn’t say anything. Neither do I. What do you say to someone who’s dying?
Colt takes his time standing, but when he’s up, he says, “What’s the plan?”
Anthony reaches for a black bag against the wall. “Bram gave me some items we can use to go undetected inside the party tomorrow night. It should make things easier.”
“What about extra help?”
“He has someone on the inside, but he wouldn’t say who.”
“That’s it? One person?”
“You know how it is. Everyone who supports our cause is already being used.”
Colt walks to the other side of the room, his scowl deeper than ever.
“So what now?” I ask.
Anthony’s eyeing Colt, as if he’s worried what he might do, but he speaks to me. “The most important thing you can do right now is rest. You’re going to need it. And besides, there’s nothing you can do for your brother until tomorrow.”
Although I don’t like waiting, he’s right. I’m in no condition to confront others, and I need to be at my best if I’m going to rescue Max.
Anthony unzips the black bag and hands me two slices of bread from a clear sack inside. “I wish I had something better, but it’s all I have for now. There’s water in the bathroom. Eat and then get some rest. Blankets are in the corner.”
“Thank you,” I say and take a bite of the bread. It’s dry and chalky in my mouth. I have to drink a lot of water to get it down, but by my last bite I’m fuller than I’ve ever been, making me think it’s something more than simple bread.
I take my last drink from the faucet while Anthony and Colt speak quietly in the corner. They’re talking strategy. I should be helping, but my eyelids are heavy. I unroll a blue mat and lie down, pulling a scratchy blanket up around me. I’ll just shut my eyes for a few hours, then I’ll get up. My last thoughts are of Max and my vow to raise him in a better world.
My eyes open. The room is dark except for a small lamp in the corner. Colt is there, his back against the wall. He’s reading a thin book in his hands.
I watch him for several minutes before I ask, “What are you reading?”
He startles. “Um, a book that used to belong to my mother.”
“What’s it called?”
“Deliverance.”
“It sounds interesting. What’s it about?”
For the first time he smiles, changing his whole countenance to something warm and inviting. Its like he’s momentarily forgotten his life. “Four men who go on a rafting trip, but then all this crazy stuff happens. It’s a fight for survival.”
“That’s something we all know about, isn’t it?” My anger toward him from yesterday has dulled. Either that, or my thoughts are too focused on getting Max back that I can’t think or feel anything else.
“Unfortunately.” He sets it down.
“What time is it?” I ask and stretch. My body feels better. I still have sore muscles but at least they’re not shaking anymore.
“Almost twelve.”
I sit up, surprised it’s only noon. “I only slept for a few hours? But I feel so much better.”
“Twelve, midnight. You’ve been asleep for al
most fifteen hours.”
Fifteen hours? A weight sinks inside my gut. I should’ve been preparing. “So the party is in less than twenty-four hours?”
He nods.
“Did you and Anthony get any sleep?”
“Both of us did. Slept most of the day.”
The bathroom door opens. Anthony looks at me and blinks a few times as if he’s not fully awake. “Good morning, or evening. Are you feeling rested?”
“Much better, thank you.”
“Good. We’re meeting Jenna in an hour.”
“How come you’re always meeting at night?” I ask.
“Easier to go undetected. While the rest of the world sleeps, we plan how to save it.” Anthony winks at me. He opens his bag and tosses me an apple and more bread. I eat them quickly.
In just a short time we’re ready to go. Anthony and Colt both carry two bags; I carry one. It’s filled with party costumes I have yet to see.
It’s dark outside, the streets quiet. This area differs greatly from where we were before. The structures are still metal on the outside, but parts of them are rusted. The chipped sidewalks are a faded gray, and nearby two people sit close together against a doorway. They look as if they have nowhere else to go. It doesn’t smell very nice here either. There’s an aroma in the air that reminds me of potatoes that have been left in the sun for far too long.
I slide into the front passenger seat of a small silver car. It’s not as nice as Jenna’s. Part of the interior is peeling up near the base of the window. Anthony climbs behind the driver’s seat, followed by Colt, who’s driving.
“Back roads?” Colt says.
Anthony looks around. “That would be best. Fewer cameras.”
“You really think they have me ID’d?”
“Possibly. Better to be safe.”
“Does this car have a tracker on it?” I ask.
Colt swings the vehicle in the opposite direction and drives down a littered street. “Nope. It’s an older model, before the government made it mandatory.”
We pass many more buildings, several rusted on the corners and windows. A few are even partially collapsed. Every block or so, a few people huddle against a metal wall, a warming glow of light the size of their fists burning brightly at their center.
“Why is this area so run down?” I ask.
“It’s the old part of town,” Colt says. “It used to be nice, but then Junks appeared. The government attempted to get rid of them, but it was a slow process. All they managed to do was drive them underground, but by then people had already moved out, the important ones with money anyway. Ever since then, this part of the city has slowly rotted.”
No wonder so many people have trouble making connections. They’ve been taught to move on from anything deemed broken. It’s not long before the decayed buildings pass by us and give way to newer construction oblivious to the world it left behind.
We arrive at Jenna’s house. She lives in a small subdivision just outside the city in a metal home, but the exterior is made to look like wood and rock. The forest is just beyond. I feel more comfortable here, being so close to nature.
Jenna’s waiting for us inside, typing on a flat keyboard built into a desk. She looks up and says, “It’s about time.”
I move into the room behind Anthony and Colt. A large, framed picture hanging on the wall overwhelms the small living room. It’s a shadow of a ballerina, twirling beneath a full moon. There are fingerprint stains on the glass like it’s been touched a lot.
Anthony drops his bags onto a nearby chair. “We took the back roads.”
Jenna hushes him. “Mom’s sleeping. Keep it down.”
“Right, sorry,” Anthony says, his voice lowered.
Colt drops onto a black sofa. “When are you going to update this place? A little color would be nice.”
“I kind of like it,” I say, surprising everyone in the room. The room is all black and white with splashes of red. Other than the ballerina picture, there is another painting of several red birds in a dive position over a smoking field. It’s something I might pick out if given the opportunity.
“We might get along after all,” Jenna says and slaps me on the back as she walks by me to get to Anthony. “What do you have for me?”
He opens one of the bags and removes a small container the size of my finger. “You’re going to love this. I got one for each of you,” he says and tosses one to Colt.
Colt examines it. “Is this what I think it is?”
Jenna looks up at Anthony, her eyes wide. “I thought these were illegal?”
I glance over Jenna’s shoulder to see what she’s looking at. “What is it?”
“They’re contacts. Colored to be exact. This way you’ll appear more like one of us.”
“How did you get them?” Colt asks.
“Bram has a guy who secretly makes them.”
Colt’s eyebrows rise. “Wow. I had no idea he was in this deep. That’s pretty brave considering the penalty is a minimum of fifteen years behind bars or worse. And us? At least ten if we’re caught wearing them.”
“I know I’m asking a lot,” Anthony says, “but remember why we’re doing this. We’ll never make any headway if we aren’t willing to take risks.”
“What color are mine?” Jenna asks, seemingly unfazed.
“Jenna,” Colt says. “Did you hear what I just said? Serious jail time. What about your mother?”
She continues to study the small box. “She doesn’t recognize me anymore. I’d guess she only has a few weeks left to live.” She looks up at Anthony. For the first time there’s sadness in her eyes. “Once the Kiss finally takes her, I’ll have no one but you. Your cause is mine.”
Anthony moves to give her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder, but she backs away. “No need to get all emotional about it. Sheesh. You act like you’ve won a popularity contest or something.”
I shake my head, both disappointed and sad that Jenna can’t allow herself even a small moment to feel something deeper than what lies on the surface. Anthony frowns too, like he’s thinking the same thing.
“Where are my contacts?” I ask, suddenly realizing that Anthony only pulled out two boxes.
“You don’t need any,” Anthony says. “You’ll be staying with me in the car, monitoring things from the outside. Colt and Jenna will get Max.”
I speak before he’s finished. “No way. It has to be me that goes in.”
Colt sits up on the chair. “You don’t have a say. We’re trying to save you, not throw you into the lion’s den.”
“But you don’t understand. Max won’t go with anyone else. It has to be me.”
“We’ll offer him a lollipop or something,” Jenna says. “And kids adore me. He’ll come.”
I think of a way to explain Max, which is not an easy task. “Max isn’t what you would call normal. Trust me when I say he won’t come with anyone else. It has to be me that gets him or he will scream, and you guys can’t risk exposing your position.”
They look at each other as if trying to decide if I might be right. I pounce on their hesitancy. “Besides, I have those underground tunnels memorized. I can get us there faster than one of you trying to decipher a map.”
Anthony tightens his mouth as if he’s considering it, but Colt is still unconvinced and says, “Bad idea.”
“What if she’s right?” Anthony asks. “And the boy won’t come with you? Then everything we’re doing right now will be a complete waste and will surely get you two killed.”
Jenna turns to me. “Can I keep the contacts when you’re done with them?”
Colt glares at her, but I smile. “Sure.”
“Then it’s settled,” Anthony says. He reaches into his bag and removes a small metal case. Inside are four pairs of what look like black dots. “We will all wear these on the inside of our ears. This is how we will communicate. Bram’s guy inside will have a pair too, but he won’t be able to communicate with us, only listen. Jenna and I wil
l monitor things from the outside, listening to various conversations from inside the center. If anyone is on to you, we’ll know.”
“Where are the costumes?” Jenna asks.
Anthony motions to the backpack on my shoulders. “In there. You’ll have to look at the dress. It should fit Sage, but it might be a little short. And you can do her hair, right?”
Jenna slides her fingers through my long hair, and for a moment I’m worried she might pull it. “No problem. She’ll look just like them.” She turns my chin until I’m facing her. “Just don’t mess it up in the tunnels, got it?”
“I’ll try not to.”
Colt asks Jenna, “Did you pick up the meat?”
She snorts. “Of course I did. Can’t you smell it? Why is it that I always get stuck with the crap jobs?”
“Because you’re good at them,” Colt says and relaxes back into the sofa.
Anthony glances at his wrist. “We have a few more hours until sunrise. Let’s go over everything in detail until we have it memorized and then try to get some sleep. We’ll wake at three in the afternoon, get ready, and get out of here. Got it?”
Our eyes all meet in silent agreement. There’s a knot in my stomach, but I ignore it for fear it will tighten.
When it comes time to sleep, I’m ready. Anthony had each of us repeat the plan, including the layout of the tunnels and Center, so many times that I think my brain might return to mush. But when I lay down on a small bed in Jenna’s basement, I can’t sleep for several hours. I’m plagued with guilt for leaving Max. Memory problems or not, I should’ve sensed he was my brother, the most important person in my life. I am sick that I forgot him so easily.
Eventually I do fall asleep when I can’t mentally take the guilt any longer, but it’s soon after when I hear my name. Half asleep and half awake, I think I recognize the voice. It’s the only voice I heard every morning for the last six years. “Sage. Sun’s up. Let’s go train.”
I open my eyes and blink a few times. Not my father, but Colt. He is staring down at me, his blue eyes practically glowing in the darkened room. “Anthony’s waiting for us upstairs.”
I sit up and rub my eyes. “Is it already time?”
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