He shook his head.
Riley just nodded, face serious. “We don’t know what we’re dealing with here, just things we’ve picked up along the way. But between what we know and what you know, we might be able to help stop at least some of it. The girl I told you about, the one Brody lost, she was at Crylo. They kept her as host to Alliance babies, Lancer, making her have these kids and then, taking them from her. That’s why they took her. There are other girls there. And that’s just one of the places we know about. That’s where we were going, only Brody’s girl accidentally stunned him near to death, and we had to fix his heart. We came here for that and some other things. The people you’ve seen already—that’s all of us. There isn’t anybody else and only four of us are trained. I’m not one of them, as you’ve pointed out. The girls can shoot well enough but that’s about it. Ella is a medic and good at it. We have us, some weapons, and the flier. I would like you to come with us, help us stop what we can. That’s as simply as I can put it.”
He slid down the wall so the kid didn’t have to keep craning his neck at him. He knew he just told him more than he should have, too much for someone to know if they ever planned on letting him go.
“Are you asking if I’d rather help you with whatever you have planned and live than have you kill me?”
Riley shook his head. “No, Lancer. I already know the answer to that. I know you’d rather I just shoot you. I know you probably haven’t slept since that night, not without nightmares, and you want out. I knew it when I met you….”
He felt his face flush and put his head down, but the kid ignored it and kept going, voice measured, calm. “What I’m asking is if you can get angry at whoever did this, instead of ashamed that they used you to do it for them. Angry enough to want to help fix it, instead of checking out, so maybe you can sleep again. Not now, but someday; so you can live with yourself…. And selfishly, so we get one more person who can fight, and who isn’t afraid to die if they had to. That’s what I’m asking.” Riley got up and walked over to him, making him stand. Brown eyes looking at him, patient, serious, old eyes—nothing that should be on a kid that young, but then again, this kid probably stopped being a kid a long time ago, when they took his sister maybe.
“I need to know something.”
The kid nodded.
“Why didn’t you tell me what that woman did to you when you were telling me everything else? It doesn’t add up for me….”
The kid looked embarrassed. “It wasn’t really relevant to how Brody would see him, so it didn’t matter to tell you that… and I didn’t want your pity. That’s the whole of it,” he whispered, looking down.
That explained why he bolted out of the room like that. He liked this Zoriner. Trained or not, this kid was all brain and heart. And what Ellis told him before made sense now, too.
“I don’t think your crew trusts me, Riley. I know you do, but that won’t be enough. It’ll put them in danger if they don’t. Not from me but it’s hard to protect someone who doesn’t trust you, impossible maybe. What I’m saying is I won’t be able to do much for you with my hands tied behind my back or a gun to my head. If that’s the only way your crew will be comfortable, you will need to shoot me.”
Riley had his hand out. “Understood,” he said simply, eyes on his.
He shook this kid’s hand, hard, harder than he probably should have, suddenly wanting to hug him instead, but he couldn’t let himself do that. “I need to tell you something, Riley. When you first woke me up in that big room, all those things I said, what I called you… I didn’t mean them. I was just trying to piss off Ellis enough to shoot me. I don’t know if you believe me on that, but it’s the truth. And what I said to you afterward—”
Riley smiled at him, stopping him. “I know, Lancer. I figured all of that out a long time ago…. So, when did you eat last? How many days, Maxton? Let’s go eat and I need to sleep some, I think, and then we’ll figure out how to make you less scary to the rest of my crew. I think they’re going to bloody love you.” He beamed at him, looking suddenly kid-like for the first time since he met him.
He would gladly die protecting this kid. It would be the easiest thing in the world.
8
Lancer
Riley, June 3, 2236, Reston
He was furious at them, at Brody and Drake and everybody, for not bloody listening to him about Maxton, for keeping him under guard like that. He wouldn’t talk to anybody, wouldn’t eat or drink anything, either. When he walked him into the room with everybody in it after taking him into the kitchen and stuffing him with Drake’s stew, telling them that he was in, and would help them, Brody pointed his gun at Maxton’s head and told Loren to tie his hands and put him under guard. It didn’t make any sense for him to do that but Brody insisted they keep him like that for a few days at least until they were sure they could all trust him. Until they were sure his men wouldn’t come for him, now that they let Brandon go, he said, and Lancer didn’t fight him on it, didn’t even try fighting him. He just walked over to Loren and put his hands out for the ties, not saying a word to anybody.
He found him where he knew he would, lying on the cot they put down for him in the old closet room, his hands tied in front of him. Riley sent Trelix away and crouched next to his head. He brought him food and tea again, and a small thermos of water, hoping he could at least coax him to drink something. He tried forcing water into him yesterday but Maxton swatted at his hand, spilling it all over himself, and he didn’t want to do that again.
“I know you’re not asleep, Lancer, and I know you’re mad, mad as hell, but you’re going to kill yourself in the worst way if you don’t at least drink something. We’ll figure it out. I’ll get them to listen to me, I promise. Please, just drink something.”
Lancer sat up, looking at him, and reached for the water.
He smiled at him, watching him drink. That was something, at least.
“Your friend told me you always keep your word. You made me a promise when we talked last and I need you to keep it. I’ve had about as much of this as I can take.”
He knew it would happen, that he’d ask him to shoot him if they kept him like this, but he couldn’t do it. It would be all kinds of wrong to kill this man because Brody was too paranoid or stubborn to trust him. He couldn’t let that happen.
Maxton was watching him, shaking his head. “Just as I thought, Riley,” he said, and lay down and closed his eyes again.
He had to end this, this fight with Brody over this man, one way or another. He pulled out his gun, switching it on, turned the dial all the way up, and pointed it at him. “All right.”
Lancer looked at him, surprised, and stood, slowly, shakily, probably for not having eaten in days.
He steadied him, keeping his free hand on his arm. “Here or outside?”
“I’d rather outside if it’s all right.”
He walked him out of the room with the gun at his back. He called for Brody to meet them downstairs on his comm and took Maxton to the street, neither saying a word.
Brody came out, looking very business as usual, after just a few minutes.
“I made this man a promise that I have to keep. We are going for a quick walk in the woods,” he said and started walking, gun still at Maxton’s back, knowing he wasn’t leaving Brody any choice this way, but he didn’t want to argue with him. He was too angry at him for that.
He found the small clearing he liked, an elm and a few young birches in it, and told Lancer to lean against the closest birch. He did, looking at him, face relaxed, nothing moving on it at all. He cut the tie at his hands. It seemed wrong not to and he knew he wouldn’t run.
“I am really sorry for what I’m about to do, Lancer,” he whispered.
The man smiled at him. “I know, Riley, but don’t be. I am okay with it.”
He handed him a blank screen, Lancer not taking it. “I won’t read anything you say, I swear… but if you have anybody you want to talk to, I’ll make sure i
t gets to them.”
Lancer just shook his head. So he really didn’t have anybody and knowing that made him feel even worse.
He walked over to Brody and stopped right in front of him. “I made Lancer a promise that I would shoot him if my crew didn’t trust him enough to help us without him being a prisoner. I know you, of all people, should be able to appreciate that request. I know you remember how it was when I did that to you”—he handed Brody the gun, handle first—“but I can’t do it. I can’t shoot this man, so you’re going to have to do it for me…. And when it’s over, you and I are done. Done for good. Because I’ll never not see you as a murderer after that. I won’t be able to be around you,” he said quietly, Brody staring at him, eyes angry. He forced the gun into his hand and stepped away from him, looking at Lancer.
The man didn’t move from that tree, but his face wasn’t calm anymore, and he was looking at him, not Brody.
Brody threw the still buzzing gun on the ground. “You win, Riley. He is free to either help us or leave, whichever he chooses,” he spat at him, and he turned around and ran back toward the city.
He knew he’d tell the others, and that when they get to the tower, nobody would be pointing guns at Maxton anymore. He just didn’t know if Maxton would want to stay with them after what they did and he was afraid to ask. He made himself look at him. Maxton was still leaning against that tree, eyes closed.
“He wasn’t wrong, Riley. He was just trying to protect his crew. But what you did…. You can’t do that to your friends. They’ll never forgive you for it,” he said softly.
“What do you want to do, Lancer? I am okay with it, either way, I’ll have to be. Just say it!” he snapped, all the tension spilling out of him.
The man’s gray eyes flew open. “I want to fight, Riley. I want to fight.”
They were all sitting around the table when they walked in and they all stood up, looking at Maxton. Brody walked over first and offered the soldier his hand, not saying anything. They shook, and Riley knew it would be okay for all of them now, it would have to be, because Brody was still in charge, and he would defend and protect this new man the same way he would anyone else on his crew, even if he hated him. He walked Lancer over to the table and had him sit next to where he and Ams sat. He noticed that his hands were shaking. He ran to the kitchen then and brought him a thermos of broth, the same thing that Brody made him drink when he was like that, and he could tell after a few minutes that he would be all right.
Stan got up with a holo, showing them everything he could find on Crylo. They were looking at a building with people milling around, women wearing the same strange dresses that Trina had on when he saw her last. He swallowed hard and looked at Brody and his head was down. Stan was explaining something about these dresses and how they would need to find a way to make them for the girls, and that he thought he could do it if he could get his hands on something or other. Brody got up, looking very pale, and left the room, Laurel chasing after him. Stan stopped, looking at him, confusion all over his face.
“It wasn’t you, Stan. Just keep going. He’ll be okay.”
And he did, and then Stan and Loren walked up to Maxton, shook his hand, and were gone, probably to try to find that thing Stan needed to replicate the dresses they saw.
Ams was staring at Maxton, eyes curious. “I don’t know how else to say it, Maxton, but whatever you do, please don’t make Riley regret this. He fought for you like I’ve never seen him fight for anyone but Ella and Brody before, and I’m not sure why he’d do that for someone who killed all those people. His people, Maxton. I don’t need to know or anything. Just… don’t hurt him.”
“I feel like an exhibit of some kind, the way everybody is staring at me, Riley. Can I get out of here?” he whispered just for him.
“No, I think you should talk to them, Maxton. They think what Ams does of you, that you killed all those people. Tell them what you told me.”
Maxton stood up, eyes taking in the few people still in the room, and put his hands behind his back. “Riley wants me to tell you that I didn’t murder all those people, but that would be a lie. I did. I didn’t know that’s what would happen, but it doesn’t change that it was me who dispersed the neuros. None of us knew what they were programmed to do. The code label said vaccine on it. I assumed it was. Doesn’t matter though. I’m still a murderer. It’s something I’ll have to live with. When Brody and his soldiers got me, I wanted to end it, check out, and I was okay with it, until this kid here made me feel ashamed for it. So I made a choice a few days ago that I would help you, if you’ll let me, instead of running away from it. I hope you do. But either way, none of you are at risk for my being here. I don’t know if you can trust me on that or not. You’ll have to figure it out for yourselves.”
Ams looked at Maxton for a bit, not saying anything, and then got up and left the room, probably going after Laurel and Brody. Drake walked over to him, offering his giant hand without a word, and Maxton got up and shook it, and Trelix was there, just shaking his hand, nobody saying anything. There was no need. Only Ella stood off to the side, waiting. She went up to Maxton, finally, took him by the hand, and walked him over to the couch, making him sit down and lean back.
She unbuttoned Lancer’s jacket and snapped at him to get her kit. He did, and then he looked at Maxton, the bandage gone now, and he knew what it was. The bloody wound was infected, redness spreading out from it down his chest, puss leaking out from between the stitches. He screwed up somehow. He used antiseptic, he remembered that. Nobody bothered to check on the man’s wound since he stitched him up. Stupid of them. Stupid of him not to. But Maxton had to have known, had to have felt it. Why the hell wouldn’t he say something?
“I want everybody out of here, please. Riley, you can stay if you want to, and maybe even help.”
Drake and Trelix filed out of the room without a word, Ella’s voice catching Trelix on his way out: “I need you to boil a few liters of water please, and find me a few bowls and a couple of clean towels.”
Maxton was watching Ella, not saying anything, eyes curious.
“Why the hell didn’t you say something, Lancer?” he snapped at him.
Lancer ignored him, still looking at Ella. “How did you know?”
Ella had him take his jacket off. “I’ve seen it too many times before, soldier. It comes off your eyes, your face, the way you look at food. I just knew. But I know you knew too, and you really should have said something to somebody before. It was stupid of you not to,” she said softly and ran off to wherever Trelix was dealing with the things she asked him for.
“Were you ever going to tell me?” He knew he sounded angry at the man. He was.
“I would have if things went the way they did. I’m sorry.”
And he understood it then, why he didn’t. If the crew didn’t accept him, the not telling would have spared him from pulling the damn trigger, if he couldn’t do it. That’s why he didn’t say anything. He would rather die from blood poisoning, or however things like this killed one, than have him live with the guilt. “I didn’t ask you to help us so you could protect me. I asked because we can use you. What you tried to do to spare me… I’ll never speak to you if you do something like that again.” He said it softly, the man watching him.
“Understood.”
Ella came in carrying the water and towels. She had Maxton get up while she spread one of the towels on the couch, and made him lie down on it. He kept his eyes on her.
“I have to cut you open, Maxton.”
A nod.
She fished in the medkit and took out a few white pills she must have saved from when they had to fix Brody, and handed them to Maxton, only he shook his head at her, looking uncomfortable. “Not trying to be a hero, Ella, but I can’t take those. Allergic. I’ll be all right,” he said and closed his eyes.
Riley turned away when she split the scar open, couldn’t take it, all the stuff coming out of it. He thought he’d throw up and was am
azed that Ella seemed calm about the whole thing. He looked again when it seemed she was done with the worst of it. Maxton was sweating, but he didn’t move and he kept his eyes closed. She cleaned it all up as best she could and stitched the wound, much better than the way he did it.
“We have to find you antibiotics somehow. This isn’t something that I can fix with hot water alone, I am sorry.”
His eyes were open now, looking at her softly. “I know. We have some at the lab. Brody or one of the other soldier boys should be able to get them. I just need to drop a note for my crew on a screen, if you got one you are not using, an untraceable one. My men will check, they have to.”
He ran out of the room without a word, looking for Brody or Trelix or somebody, and found Brody talking to Laurel out by the elevators, as if they were going somewhere.
“Brody, I need you to please go to the lab, you know, Maxton’s. We have to get him meds…” he said in a rush, panting, Brody looking at him, confusion all over his face. He stopped in front of his friend, and just told him what was going on, Brody nodding, and asking for five minutes.
Maxton was still lying on the couch with his eyes closed when he got back. Ella was checking his vitals, and jotting them down on one of her old pads. Brody came in finally, and walked right over to Maxton, handing him a screen.
“Type what you need to for your men, Maxton.”
He did, quickly, encrypting it, as apparently was protocol for the men in the lab. “Be careful with them. My men. They are better trained than they look. Go in through the door, not the roof, and hand this to Dyrig. You shouldn’t need to say anything. If Brandon is there, ignore him, Brody. Also, Dyrig will give you a screen for me. There are no secrets on it or anything useful to you, I swear…. It’s personal,” and Brody was gone.
Alliance: The Complete Series (A Dystopian YA Box Set Books 1-5): Dystopian Sci Fi Thriller Page 40