Dead End

by C. P. Rider

  Aedan touched my hand. A gentle brush of his fingers, letting me know he understood. I wished he'd stop it. When he did things like that, it made it hard to forget I wasn't really his girlfriend.

  Samuel said, "They'll encase him in a stasis container. Possibly induce a light coma. With medication, not magic."

  Aedan's expression didn't change, but I felt his discomfort. "If they know what's good for them, they'll put him in a deep coma. He has plans for Sanctum and they aren't good ones—except for Elites." He eyed Samuel, who had his head cocked at a forty-five-degree angle, obviously trying to listen to the approaching worm storm.

  "Samuel isn't like the others," I said. "He's seventy-five percent less of an a-hole than your average Elite."

  "Thanks," he grumbled.

  "Don't get mad. You can be a little judgmental sometimes, is all. Though you'd better get over that fast if you ever want to date Cindy."

  A deep red flush worked its way from Samuel's neck to his scalp, but he didn't deny it. Cindy's face was pink around the edges. Neither of them looked at the other.

  "Who's this?" Samuel demanded.

  "Are you seriously just noticing him?" I asked.

  "No. I was preoccupied a minute ago, so I'm asking now. Who is he?"

  Aedan held out his hand. "Aedan Sterling."

  Samuel shook it, then seemed to realize what he was doing and stopped. "Tell me you aren't…"

  "The war criminal's son? The one and only. But I'm at least seventy-five percent less of an a-hole than he is, so no worries, pal."

  The earth rumbled, this time so hard it sent Cindy flying against Samuel's ATV. I went to check on her, but Samuel was already there. "You okay?"

  She righted herself. Straightened her shoulders. "I'm fine, thank you."

  "Whoa, that's a lot of worms." Aedan shielded his eyes with his hand. Stared at the oncoming duststorm. "It's like Wormageddon up in here."

  Cindy and Samuel appeared confused by his joke.

  "Definitely," I replied. "So, what are we going to do to prevent it?"

  Samuel spoke up. "I have a plan."

  "So do I," Cindy said.

  We all looked at Samuel. He'd spoken first, so I figured he got to lay out his plan first. It seemed fair.

  But Samuel didn't. Instead, he nodded to Cindy. "Not making that mistake again. Let's hear yours first."

  "That's a terrible plan," I said.

  "Horrible," Samuel said.

  "The worst," Aedan said.

  The three of us stood in a huddle around Cindy, giving her the same ‘are you kidding me' look.

  "Maybe I didn't explain it right. Here, I'll show you." She dug into her pants pocket and pulled out a test tube filled with green liquid. She uncorked it, and we all retched. "This is the crushed malodorous root."

  "Oh God, I'm going to barf up my ginger pepper," Aedan said.

  Samuel's eyes were watering. "Where'd you get it?"

  "My mom grows it in her garden." Cindy popped the cork back into the tube and tapped it with her prismatic black-painted fingernail. "As I said, a quarter of a cup of this stuff could spread through the entire town in minutes."

  "Would the town stink like that forever?" I dry-heaved. The smell was so putrid I could taste it in the air.

  "No, it dissipates after a while. A couple of hours, I guess."

  "Hours?" Aedan coughed.

  "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure about the time, but I know it disperses. My mom mixes it with specialized herbs and alkaline dirt to make it less potent, and uses it as fertilizer. The limpid worms are drawn to the smell the way garden gnomes are drawn to boysenberry syrup, but they eventually go away." She pursed her lips and placed a finger over them. "I'm thinking that if I douse myself with this stuff and start running, I can lead the worms away from town without any issue at all."

  I held up a hand. "Uh, I have an issue. I don't particularly like the idea of my best friend risking her life on an insanely reckless plan."

  "I second that." Samuel said, and Aedan held up three fingers.

  Cindy blinked at us in disbelief. "What? I'll be fine."

  Samuel eyed her. "Do you know that for sure?"

  She held his gaze for a second, then looked away, murmuring. "I'm 95% sure."

  "Then tell me how you plan on escaping once you've led the worms out of town."

  "Okay, 85% sure," she said.

  I put my hands on her shoulders. "Cindy, we aren't trying to come down on you. We just don't want to risk your safety."

  She looked at me as though she wasn't sure I meant it. I could hardly blame her. Her relatives had been persecuted for centuries by Elites. It was hard for her to tell the difference between someone worrying about her and someone disregarding her.

  "We care about you," Samuel said softly. He seemed embarrassed by the admission, as if he'd blurted out "I love you, Cindy," instead.

  Finally, she nodded. "Okay. What's your plan, Samuel?"

  I hugged her.

  "I'll tell you, but first I have a question." He regarded Cindy. "Could we put the malodorous root on, say, a car? Or some sort of tank? If we could do that—"

  "No. It has to be mixed with an organic substance. Steel won't work." Cindy smiled. "Thanks for taking my idea seriously, Samuel. Not many Elites would."

  "No problem." Samuel's complexion darkened. He cleared his throat, smiled a little, cleared it again.

  "Your plan?" I prompted.

  "Yeah." He motioned for us to kneel. He drew a cloud shape in the sand with his finger, then added a big circle about three inches below it with D.E. in the center.

  "Okay, this is the worm horde," he pointed to the cloud, "and this is the town." He pointed to the circle.

  "We're with you," I said.

  He drew four stick figures, two between the cloud and circle, and two inside the circle.

  "We need two people to be on the front lines, running interference against the oncoming horde, while the other two are in the town, helping people get to the bunkers and taking out any straggler worms. Once the people are safe, the two in town send out a signal to the others, then retreat to the bunker and wait out the worms until they pass through."

  "But won't they destroy the town?" I asked.

  "Damage can be repaired," Samuel said. "The people here have lived through a lot worse and landed on their feet."

  Cindy acknowledged this with a nod, and they shared a smile. It was the knowing look of someone who had grown up in this odd town, in this strange world. I hadn't lived here long, but in the short time that I had, I'd learned to like it. The people in it, at least. The giant worms I could do without.

  "Look, we can have our kumbaya moment later. Right now, we need to deal with the problem at hand. Problems, actually," Aedan said.

  "What's kumbaya?" Cindy asked him.

  "I'll explain later if neither of us is digested by a mutant worm." He clapped his hands. "So, how are we deciding who goes where? Do we get to choose our partners?" Aedan slung his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side. "I pick Maria because she's strong and mean and can protect me. Also, I like her."

  I pinched his arm, making him yank it back. "Aedan and Samuel can be on the front lines while Cindy and I round up the town. Sound good?"

  Samuel and Aedan sized each other up.

  "Why do I have to go with him?" they said simultaneously as they frowned and crossed their arms.

  And people think teenage girls are dramatic?

  I spoke to each male in turn. "Because Aedan can shoot electricity out of his body, and because Samuel has more experience fighting these things. Also, if we signal from town, Samuel will be able to hear it with his ability, since there are no cell phones here."

  "What?" Aedan went a pale shade of green. "What?"

  "You get used to it," I said.

  "Wait. You're an elemental Elite?" Samuel looked down his nose at Aedan. "I've never met one before."

  Aedan flicked a piece of imaginary lint off his shirt
. "I'm signing autographs later."

  "Thought you'd be taller," Samuel drawled.

  "I am taller," Aedan replied, then glared at me. "Wait a damn minute. You're sending me to fight a stampede of carnivorous worms with a dude who can hear really good? Do you know how crazy that is?"

  "I also have an ax." Samuel took it from his back sling and held it up.

  "Oh good." Aedan swiped the ax, swung it around. "If I get cold, you can build a fire."

  "Mine." Samuel snagged his weapon back without any effort whatsoever. One second it was in Aedan's grip, the next it wasn't.

  That scored him a grin from Aedan. "How did you do that?"

  "I listened for the sound of your grip shifting."

  "Holy crap, that's awesome." Aedan motioned toward the oncoming worms. "You know what? We're good. Lead the way, Batman."

  Samuel eyed him speculatively. No doubt the reference had soared right over his head and he was trying to decide if Aedan had insulted him again.

  "It's a compliment," I said.

  "Yeah, it's a compliment." A look of pure panic came over Aedan's face. "Are you telling me they don't have the DC Universe here?"

  I shook my head.

  "I'm going to die."

  "Come on." With one last look at Cindy, Samuel took off toward the impending horde, Aedan jogging behind him.

  35

  As I expected, the park was filled with people. Kids swarmed the playground equipment like bees on a hive while their parents chatted on benches. Joggers jogged, picnickers picnicked, and practitioners of Tai Chi Tai Chi'd.

  Cindy and I stopped at the entrance and surveyed the scene. There was no way we could get everyone out by yelling.

  Still, I tried. "Limpid worms are coming. Everyone get to the bunkers. Hurry!" I yelled this as loud as I could. A few people looked over, then immediately returned to what they were doing.

  "It's no good. We need a bull's horn," Cindy said. I was nearly positive she meant the actual horn of a bull, not the voice amplifying device, and likely not the sort of bull I was thinking of, either.

  "Worms are coming!" I yelled again. A little boy on the slide stuck his tongue out at me.

  "You're really bad at that."

  Cindy and I turned to find Gilda standing behind us. She was dressed in yoga pants and a tank top, and her hair was tied up into a bun and accented with three blue butterflies. I don't know how she did it, but she managed to look just as stunning in workout clothes as she had in a designer dress.

  "How do you get those things to stay in your hair?" I asked.

  "These?" She lifted a delicate hand to the butterflies. One alighted on the tip of her finger. "They're family pets. Why are you yelling at everyone in the park?"

  "What are you even doing here?" I asked.

  She gestured to Tamara and Ava, formerly Thing One and Thing Two. They were dressed similarly. "We run here on Sundays. Answer my question."

  I did, explaining the situation to her, leaving out the parts about Kilshaw. If what he'd said was true and he was leader of the Elites way back then, I wasn't sure it was a good idea to mention it to an Elite like her. She'd find out soon enough, anyway.

  "Limpid worms, huh?" She peered at the dust cloud outside of town. It was larger, which meant the worms were getting closer.

  "Where's Samuel? Is he—?"

  "In the thick of it, yep. He and a friend of mine are buying us some time by distracting and, hopefully, thinning out the herd."

  "So, we need these people to evacuate? Head to the bunkers?"

  "Yes. Quickly, please," Cindy said.

  "Okay." Gilda bounced around and cleared her throat.

  I slapped my hands over my ears. Cindy, Tamara, and Ava did the same.

  "Dead Enders. There is a worm horde headed straight for town. Elites, please stand by for instructions. The rest of you, head to the bunkers and wait for the all-clear. Go now."

  With a rehearsed fluidity, everyone in the park went into action. Parents grabbed children, picknickers put out BBQ fires and gathered up food, joggers jogged in the direction of the bunkers, and the tai chi practitioners tai chi'd the heck out of there.

  This definitely wasn't their first rodeo. The majority of the town headed toward the bunkers while the Elites formed a crowd near the jungle gym. I saw some familiar faces from the party last night and the town meeting.

  Gilda approached the group with the air of a natural born leader, and I motioned for Cindy to follow her. She seemed hesitant, but did as I asked. When we came to a halt in the circle of Elites, I felt the unfriendly stares and knew they weren't aimed at me.

  "What is she doing here?" the pyrokinetic guy that had burned the sleeves off my dress last night asked.

  Cindy took a step back, shoulders bowing. I could tell it was a conditioned response, and I hated that it was. Glaring at the punk, I grabbed Cindy's hand and yanked her to my side. I'd taken a neutral stance when dealing with this issue before, and I wouldn't make that mistake again.

  "Shut it, pal." I guess I could have been more diplomatic, but I wasn't feeling it. "She's with me."

  "Her kind doesn't belong here. She should run and hide with the rest of the sheep."

  "The way all of you big brave Elites ran when the chimera attacked?" I jabbed my finger into his chest, looked him dead in the eyes. "You're in charge? Wow, I feel safer already."

  The parents of the Elite teens looked at their children with confusion. The pyrokinetic frowned hard, and a patch of grass near my feet caught on fire. "Watch it, earthmover."

  "God, you're annoying." I stomped out the flames. "Exactly who do you think stopped that chimera when you were all at home, hiding in your mom's basements? I'll give you a hint."

  I pulled Cindy closer. Some of the Elites looked interested, some surprised, but most glared at us and began whispering amongst themselves.

  "All right, enough." Gilda moved between the pyro and me. "Max, take a walk."

  He huffed, then spun on his heel and disappeared into the crowd.

  "Why are you in charge?" one of the older Elites asked. She appeared to be around twenty, though it was hard to judge the age of what I'd call an "opposite-Sphynx." Instead of possessing a human head and a lion body, her body was human, and her head had the mane, nose, and teeth of a lion.

  "Gilda is the Elite-appointed Jr. Evacuation Director," Tamara replied coldly. "If you'd attended the training sessions, Mara, you'd know that."

  "Thank you, Tamara," Gilda said loftily.

  "Whatever." Mara crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes.

  Gilda gave Cindy a brisk nod. "Regardless of your lucky break during the chimera incident, Max is right. You should evacuate with the others. You'll only be a burden in a fight."

  "She'll be the exact opposite, actually." I was getting really tired of repeating myself. "I need her help. She stays. End of story."

  "Fine. Have it your way." Gilda spun on her heel and faced the crowd.

  "You okay?" I asked Cindy.

  She nodded. "Not like it's the first time I've heard that."

  Gilda's siren voice rang out over the park. "Elites, we've done this as a drill many times, so you know what to do. Evacuate the town to the bunkers and eliminate any worms that cross your path. Stay in groups of three. Go."

  I tried to unplug my ears with my fingers. "A warning would be nice."

  Cindy grimaced. "You know, I'm really starting to dislike that particular Elite."

  "So, it's true that Kilshaw Sterling is back in Dead End?" Gilda asked as we ran through town in search of other townspeople.

  I cursed under my breath. Damn telepathic editor.

  "Because I'd heard he was, but there are always rumors about him floating around Elite circles, so I didn't pay any attention. It is true?"

  I nodded. "My fault. I opened a ripper and let him in."

  "You seem upset about it." Clearly, she wasn't.

  "The guy is a murderer. Yeah, I'm upset about it."

&nbs
p; Gilda pursed her lips, side-eyed Cindy. "In some circles, you'd be hailed a hero."

  "Those are not the kinds of circles I want to belong to." I watched as Cindy grabbed the hand of a crying little girl and led her across the street to her frantic parents.

  "There are circles you belong to, whether you want to or not." There was wistfulness in Gilda that made me think she wasn't only talking about me.

  "Not me. I don't buy into the whole ‘Elites are the best' thing. My grandfathers don't believe that garbage, either."

  "You may not like it, but it's the truth. It's not only about being superior, you know. It's the duty of Elites to stand between danger and the lessers, because they're simple people who need protection."

  "Hate to break it to you, but you're still being superior. The sad thing is that you Elites have all this power, but you're limited by your own small minds."

  Gilda lifted her chin. "That's ridiculous. There are no limits for an Elite."

  "Your belief in that only makes it truer. Trust me. I read dystopian fiction on the regular. First sign in a book that a person or organization is going down? An unshaking belief that it will never happen to them because they're too powerful. Classic."

  Her perfect forehead crinkled into a frown. Guess they didn't have dystopian books in Dead End. Good thing I'd brought a couple with me.

  I turned away from her and pointed to a mountain of soil erupting through the asphalt in the street outside the sacred gardens. "What the heck is that?"

  Cindy replied, "Limpid worms."

  "But they didn't make those mountain things before. The one that attacked Toby and me only made a little sort of volcano-looking thing, but nothing like that. And the ones that went after those kids didn't, either."

  "The ones near the school erupted on the outside of town. You just didn't see the exit mound. And one worm makes a little hill, but something this big indicates a lot of worms."

  "Like how many?"

  She frowned in concentration for a moment, then gave me a proud grin. "A shit ton."