by Dylan Steel
The Kunbriat might have protected her once, but now they posed more danger to her than anyone. And Eprah had provided the means to turn every one of her friends into an enemy with the System of Worth.
No. Everyone had betrayed her. Eprah wanted to destroy her. The Lawless wanted to use her. The Kunbriat wanted to enact vengeance on her. And everyone she’d ever cared about had left her or betrayed her.
She’d been on her own for a long time, and it was way past time she started acting like it.
Sage lifted her head, squaring her shoulders. Her way out was sitting in a drawer in Boulder’s office. Tomorrow night, she would meet Dred, and she’d have something worthwhile for him.
She was going to become a Rogue.
25. PAYMENT
“It’s another charge. How much you wanna bet?” Eric eyed the blinking light on the corner of his desk, scooping up his databook.
Sage grinned at him. “I dunno. You might lose that bet. I got a system failure yesterday.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? That’s weird. Table or tablet?”
“Tablet. Still have to return it by end of shift,” she said, rapping the side of Boulder’s databook with her knuckles.
“Better get on that.”
She shrugged. “It’s almost done. Worry about your own req,” she teased.
“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered as he headed out the door.
Eric’s absence left Sage alone in the tech room again. She set Boulder’s databook aside and flipped through the city maps, looking for anything out of the ordinary, paying special attention to the area near the north gate. It was probably still too early for anything to impact her evening plans, but she preferred to mitigate any risks she could. She didn’t need to look at the colored map to know that most of the dots there would be red—the areas near the gates were always red.
Fresh nerves fluttered in her stomach. She pressed her hand against the sensation, trying to physically force herself to calm down. Getting to the gate was the easy part. Stealing the metallic egg from Boulder’s office was the part where everything could come crashing down around her. But if it didn’t—if she got away with it—she’d have everything she needed to pay her way to freedom.
She hoped.
Dred hadn’t been very specific about what it would take to help her get out of the city, and she was pinning all her hopes on a tiny device that removed Eprah’s bracelets. Sage had thought of little else in the past day. She had to believe that he would help her—and if he wouldn’t, at least she could try removing her bracelet on her own.
That possibility terrified her. It was hard to separate fact from myth with all the rumors surrounding bracelets and zeptobes. If her intentions really did matter—if the zeptobes could discern them like she’d been told—then the very act of trying to remove the bracelet could kill her.
She forced herself to steady her breathing. Her pregnancy should protect her. But she’d still rather not take the chance unless it was absolutely necessary. And if Dred didn’t accept her payment, it would become absolutely necessary.
Sage glanced at the time. Her shift was winding down, which meant it was finally time to return Boulder’s databook. Technically, she could have done it earlier, but she hadn’t particularly wanted to spend the entire day walking around with a stolen egg in her pocket.
Grabbing the tablet, she pushed herself away from the table and rose, anxiously making her way to the hallway.
As she stepped off the Transfer and onto the fourth floor, her heart was pounding so loudly in her ears that she was sure every officer in the wing could hear it. She squeezed her eyes shut and exhaled slowly, willing her heart rate to slow before she continued down the hall to Boulder’s office.
She paused with her fist outstretched, shaking as it hovered just in front of the door. Just do it, Indarra. Clenching her jaw, she knocked on the door.
No answer.
Sucking in a breath, she cracked the door open.
“Boulder?” she asked softly.
Still no answer.
She pushed the door the rest of the way open. Her shoulders sagged in relief when she saw that the room was empty. She stepped inside quickly, shutting the door behind her.
A shudder of pain pulsed through her torso as she bit her lip nervously. If Boulder or anyone else interrupted her, she’d just say she was running a final diagnostic and looking for a place to put the databook. With his disaster of an office, it wasn’t too much of a stretch.
Keeping Boulder’s databook clutched tightly in one hand, Sage headed straight for the drawer where she’d seen him deposit the metal egg yesterday. Relief flooded over her as soon as she saw it. She snatched it up quickly, ready to leave at once.
But as she pocketed the device, her eyes fell on something unusual beneath it. A pearly white cylinder was there—thin and long, but small enough to fit in her palm. It was shoved carelessly in the drawer along with dozens of other small objects, but its beauty was stunning. Her brows dipped together as she picked it up to examine it more closely.
It shimmered in her hand as it caught the light, projecting delicate patterns across her fingers. A deliberate section was missing from the length of the cylinder, and Sage immediately realized why. This was an ear cuff like the one Nic had given her. Well, not quite like the one Nic had given her. This one was much nicer and significantly bigger—it would take up nearly the entire edge of her ear if she wore it.
She hesitated as her fingers curled around it. If the tech wasn’t enough to buy her safe passage out of Eprah, this cuff might be. Brushing aside any concerns, she slipped the cuff around her ear, hoping her hair would provide enough cover. Sometimes it was easiest to hide things in plain sight.
Slamming the drawer closed, Sage set the databook in the center of the desk. She’d gotten what she came for.
Sweat gathered at the corners of her face as she poked her head out the door and checked to make sure she was still alone. She was almost in the clear.
She stepped into the hallway, still listening closely for other officers. At first, she heard nothing, but by the time she was halfway to the Transfer, a couple men’s voices started drifting in her direction. Her heart pounded in her ears as she quickened her step, hoping for so many reasons that she wouldn’t run into anyone.
“O-oh.” Sage let out a gasp as a stabbing pain suddenly shot through her middle. She bent over, clutching at her stomach. This wasn’t just nerves. Bracing herself against the wall, she forced herself to stand, hobbling toward the Transfer. She winced as she reached out to send it to the third floor.
By the time the short ride was over, the pain was coming in waves that made walking difficult, almost impossible. Sage headed straight for the bathroom, pausing every few steps to brace herself against the wall. Her last meal must have been some sort of terrible mistake. Too many meal bars. Maybe she could spring for some real food tonight before she left. She couldn’t afford to feel like this if she was trying to flee Eprah.
Sage stumbled into a stall and sat down, crouching herself into as tight a ball as she could. The pain didn’t relent, but at least she hadn’t thrown up yet. Small mercies.
Moaning, she squeezed her eyes shut. All she wanted to do was get out of the Peace without getting caught with stolen tech—and now what was probably a stolen relic. She should be on her way to her apartment right now, not hunkering down in unexpected agony.
Maybe it wasn’t as bad as she thought. She shifted her weight, trying to stand.
Nope. No. Nooooo. It was definitely as bad as she thought. She wasn’t going anywhere until this feeling passed.
Opening her eyes, she looked down and noticed a bright red stain on her thighs. Her breath caught in her throat, and the walls began spinning around her. This couldn’t be happening.
Not the baby.
26. THE GATE
Sage slammed the apartment door closed behind her. The pain of her miscarriage had lasted for hours before subsiding enough to allow h
er to leave the Peace, and now she didn’t have much time left before she needed to leave to meet Dred.
Her throat was raw, her eyes swollen. There was nothing left of Everett anymore. Nothing tangible, at least. Just a hollow ache in her heart—and her womb. All she had left was his memory. His purpose.
I have to live, not just survive.
She cleaned herself up as best as she could, showering hastily. Dressing quickly, she split her hair into two braids and gave herself a final quick check in the mirror. She regretted it instantly. No amount of scrubbing could wash away the pain of the past couple days.
Pulling a small bag from the wardrobe, Sage stuffed a couple of her most practical outfits inside. There wasn’t room for much more, but she ran to the kitchen and grabbed the last of her meal bars, dumping them on top of the clothes.
She bit her lip, looking around the apartment, trying to think of what else to bring. She had no idea what the next days or weeks would hold, and she had no real way of preparing for life as a Rogue. Their existence was shrouded in mystery.
A sob rose in her throat as she remembered Everett’s med kit, but she choked it back, rummaging through the cabinets until she found the kit. Her brows knitted together. They’d used up more supplies than she’d realized, but it could still prove useful. She grabbed what was left of it and tossed it in the bag.
Exhaling slowly, Sage pulled the bedroom curtains closed, shutting out Eprah’s watchful eye. She reached under the bed and pulled out the sock she’d placed there a couple months earlier. Holding it over the bed, she turned it upside down and shook it until her mother’s necklace fell out.
Fastening the gem around her neck, she tucked it below her shirt to keep it hidden. She’d barely taken it out of its hiding spot since she’d been living with Everett, but there was no way she was leaving it behind.
Satisfied she’d grabbed everything useful, she placed the bracelet tech on top of everything else inside the bag then slung it over her shoulder, heading for the door. Dusk was already setting in, and it would take awhile to get all the way to the gate.
She paused, glancing back at the apartment one last time. If everything went well tonight, she’d never see this place again. But if everything went wrong, this was one of the last places she’d ever see. Her jaw tightened as she pushed open the door and walked out of her apartment for the last time.
***
As the outline of the gates came into view, Sage slowed her pace a little. She swung her head side to side, checking to make sure she was alone. So far, so good.
Dred hadn’t specified exactly where he would meet her, so she planned to wait near the edges of the buildings once she got closer to the gates. A large gap ran between the gates and the outermost buildings in the city, and the idea of being stuck in that space—completely exposed—was more than a little unnerving.
Sage adjusted the bag’s strap on her shoulder, hesitating at the edge of the last building. Still unsure of how she was going to find Dred, she decided to patrol along the outside of the buildings, sticking to the shadows.
The moon was little more than a sliver tonight, so the darkness provided a good amount of cover—enough to hide her from Eprah’s cameras and overly curious citizens. But hopefully not too much cover—they still needed to be able to find each other.
She looked down every street and alley, scanning the darkness for Dred. She even detoured down the alleys enough to check behind some of the larger stacks of trash. By the fourth pass, Sage was starting to doubt Dred was going to show. Granted, “an hour after sunset” wasn’t a terribly specific time, but she was pretty sure it was getting to be closer to two hours, and she still hadn’t seen any sign of the Rogue she’d met at the café.
Her shoulders sagged in defeat. The bag slid down her arm, and she caught it just before it fell, switching it to her other side. It was looking more and more like she was completely on her own.
A flutter of nerves rose in her chest. She couldn’t go back to her apartment, back to work at the Peace. She’d stolen things from Boulder’s office, and he’d figure that out soon enough.
Besides, she didn’t want to be controlled by Eprah anymore. But if she really wanted to be free, she was going to have to take her bracelet off—to walk out the city gates—by herself. She was going to have to risk losing all her Chances. Tonight, she’d find out whether or not the zeptobes really could discern her intentions.
She bit her lip, shoving her shaking hands into her pockets to still them. Maybe it would be a good idea to check for Dred one more time. Just in case.
Swallowing hard, Sage began walking forward slowly again, squinting into the black as she walked across the end of each street. She’d made it as far as she thought could be realistically considered near the gate and paused, ready to turn back around. To be safe, she’d check one more street.
Sulking through the shadows, she poked her head around the corner and stifled a gasp. There was someone there. Not moving. Watching her.
It was a man’s outline. She was sure of it.
Relief flooded over her in an instant. She wouldn’t have to do this alone.
“Dred?” she whispered loudly. “Is that you?”
The figure came a few steps closer and then stopped, motioning for her to join him.
Hesitating for only a moment, she took a few steps in his direction. “Dred?”
He motioned her forward again, taking another step toward her.
Chills trickled down her neck, spilling over her spine. “Dred?” she asked again, less certainty in her tone this time.
“Yes,” the man said huskily, closing the distance between them. Panic flooded her as she realized it wasn’t the Rogue. It was one of the officers from the Peace. “You should be filled with dread right now.”
She spun around, ready to bolt, but the man’s hand clamped first around her wrist, then her hair, jerking her backward forcefully. Off-balance, she tried to throw her hand forward in an effort to wrench his hand from her arm. It worked—or at least, it would have—but he’d already started to move his hand to her throat and was clamping down hard.
Stars burst in her vision as she scratched at the ends of his fingers, trying to pry one loose. This wasn’t happening.
The officer pinned her against the bricks with the weight of his body as she struggled against him. Electric pain shot down her spine. Her eyes widened. He’d just stripped one of her Chances—which meant the baby really was gone. And the zeptobes already knew it.
“S-top,” she gasped. She tried to draw her knee up to kick him away, but his size put her at a huge disadvantage. And the sudden lack of oxygen wasn’t helping her think any clearer.
“Come on,” he whispered gutturally. “I’m on duty for the next three hours. There’s no point in making this harder than it has to be.”
Her blood ran cold as he shoved his other hand against her stomach and slipped his rough, sweaty fingers beneath her waistband, giving it a hard tug. “This’ll be real good for you. Just don’t fight me.” He buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply as he added, “Or I’ll kill you.”
Sage stilled. She believed him. Even if she could fight him off, she wasn’t sure she could get far enough away before he stripped her Chances. She might be able to knock him out, but if she didn’t—
A tear slid down her cheek. She couldn’t have stopped it from coming if she wanted to. But for once, she didn’t want to stop her tears—she wanted there to be some proof that she wasn’t ok with what was happening—that this wasn’t what she wanted at all.
Her head lolled to the side. If she didn’t take a breath soon, she wouldn’t be able to do anything.
“That’s it. Don’t fight it.” The man’s voice deepened with a sick sort of eagerness.
Sage gulped in desperate breaths as his hand loosened from around her neck.
“Mmm… don’t… fight…” His lips twisted into a demonic smile as he pulled back a little so that he could paw at her greedily.
Something exploded in her mind. She was thinking more clearly now. The consequences didn’t matter. She was almost free, and she wasn’t about to let this piece of trash get away with this.
Her elbow collided against his chin with a satisfying crack. His head snapped back, and he staggered backward, hands cupping his face. He swore.
She didn’t give him a moment to recover. Her fist slammed forward, burying deep in his gut. As he doubled over, she threw her leg in a wide arc toward his temple. The connection knocked him into a pile of trash, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Looking around quickly, she spotted her bag and grabbed it. Slinging it over her shoulder, she started running toward the end of the alley, sprinting as fast as she could toward the gate. Somehow, being out in the open seemed like a really good idea now—much better than being hidden in one of the back alleys with a man intent on hurting her.
But she didn’t make it very far.
Something slammed into her ankle, knocking her down, dragging her back. Cobblestones scraped bloody grooves in her legs and arms as she kicked and clawed at the ground, fighting to get free.
“I told you I’d kill you.” The menacing voice spoke inches from her ear as a weight fell across her back, grinding her face into the gravel.
She cried out as he grabbed one of her braids and jerked it back hard. An arm wrapped itself around her throat. Her hands grasped at it frantically, but the pressure on her back increased even more, forcing the air out of her lungs.
Her vision started fading to black, hazy patches distorting the little bits of trash she could still see scattered in front of her. The man’s hot, panting breath stuck against her ears as they rang loudly, drowning out every other nighttime noise. Just as the last piece of trash faded from view, she felt the rigid vice twitch violently around her throat, then go slack. The man’s body fell on top of her, limp.
Sage still struggled to suck in a breath. The man’s weight was crushing her.
And then it wasn’t.
A grunt of exertion came from somewhere beside her as the man’s body rolled off of hers.