Reapers

by Bryan Davis

  “High morals, huh?”

  “Not really. Just scared to death of getting in trouble. He lost a security-guard position at the phone company for sleeping on the job, but we gave him a chance. He’s supposed to be assigned to posts where he’s not allowed to sit.”

  “That could be helpful.” I crouched next to Tori. “Just stay close to me. I might need you again when we get back to my room.”

  She nodded. “I will.”

  After waiting for one of the searchlights to sweep past the guard, I walked straight toward the Hilton’s rear entrance. When the guard caught sight of me, he nodded. “May I help you, young man?”

  I stopped in front of him and read his name tag—Stanskey. “My name is Phoenix. I’m in residence here for the reapings.”

  “Ah! So you’re the one.”

  I tried to read the guard’s tone—a bit irritated. The trouble had begun.

  He withdrew a miniature tablet from his pocket and read a message on the screen, too small for me to make out. “Alex said to watch for you.” He talked with the cigarette in his mouth, making ashes fly. “She’s been delayed, or she’d be here herself. She said to escort you to the dining room. You’re supposed to wait for her there.”

  I noted a radio at his belt next to a set of handcuffs. “Am I in trouble for some reason?”

  “Probably, but not in as much trouble as the guard at the watchtower after you explain that she’s the one who let you out tonight. You couldn’t have gotten out through this door.”

  “Catching some heat, huh?”

  “Yeah. Your little tomcat prank could get a lot of people in trouble.” He began tapping out a message on the tablet’s screen. “I’ll just tell Alex you’re here and—”

  “Wait!” I pushed the tablet down.

  He narrowed his eyes. “Wait for what?”

  I glanced at the searchlight. Its beam would return soon. “Well, I suppose I could decide not to point the finger at the watchtower guard, couldn’t I? Then you’d have to get out of trouble on your own.”

  Stanskey threw down his cigarette and mashed it with his foot. “Are you trying to hustle me? Because if you are—”

  “No.” I dodged his puffs of smoke. “I’m just trying to make a point. Hear me out before you contact Alex.”

  “Okay.” Giving me a skeptical stare, he slid the tablet back into his pocket. “I’m listening.”

  I swallowed. I had to summon my best acting skills, and fast. “Look, if you take me to the dining room, you’ll leave the door unguarded, right?”

  He nodded. “It’s locked, so it’s no big deal. The prisoners work hard so they’re glad to get some sleep. No one ever tries to get out this way.”

  “Really? No one ever tries?”

  “Not since I’ve been here.” He pulled a new cigarette from his shirt pocket and slid it into his mouth. “Besides, it has an alarm.”

  “That’s odd. I saw this door open a little while ago, and no alarm went off.”

  He flicked on a lighter and lit the cigarette. “I disabled it before I opened the door and—” He blew a stream of smoke into my face. “Did you sneak out when that little ghost ran by me?”

  I coughed through my reply. “What little ghost?”

  “A girl ran out a couple of hours ago. I reported it, of course, but since she vanished into thin air, we decided she was a ghost.”

  Tori grinned at me, but I kept my face slack. “That makes sense. Living people don’t vanish.”

  “Don’t get smart with me, kid. What’s your angle?”

  I fanned the smoke away, again glancing at the searchlight. Probably less than thirty seconds until it would return. “Simple. You let me back in, I tell Alex I got lost exploring the compound, and no one gets in trouble, not you, not me, and not the watchtower guard. It was all a big mistake.”

  After glaring at me for a second, he let out a sigh. “You got me by the short hairs, don’t you?”

  “True, but it’s probably best for all of us.”

  “But how do I know you won’t go alley catting again?”

  “Because you’re going to let my friend into the Hilton, the girl I went to visit.”

  His tone sharpened. “Now that’s going too far. I’m not going to contribute to your—”

  “No, it’s not like that.” The searchlight beam was closing in. I spoke rapid fire. “She’s a Reaper, and she’ll stay with another female. She’s having a hard time meeting quota, so she wants to get involved here. I sneaked out to set it up, and I’ll get her to reap the little ghost, so that problem will be out of your hair. You just have to keep it all a secret.”

  Stanskey looked over the Hilton’s wall at the top of the watchtower. He, too, seemed nervous about the searchlight’s approach. “All right, all right. If it’ll keep you and that spook from getting me in trouble.” After disabling the alarm on a wall-mounted keypad, Stanskey pulled a ring of keys from his belt, unlocked the door, and opened it.

  Tori and I hurried inside and waited for the door to close. I flicked on my flashlight. Her eyes glowed brightly again. “So what do we do now?” she asked.

  “Go out to the car where you saw me and wait for Singapore. She’s shorter than me, has dark skin, and she’ll be wearing clothes like mine. When she comes, tell her what I said to the guard. My guess is that the hall guard will leave when I get there, but if not, you’ll have to figure out a new plan to sneak her into the room.” I gave Tori a reassuring smile. “You’re smart. I know you can do it.”

  Her gap-toothed grin returned. “You bet I can. I’ll make sure Sing gets there. I want her to take me to my mommy.”

  “Good girl.” I pointed the flashlight at the exit. “I’ll see you in a little while.”

  Tori scampered through the door and disappeared.

  With the beam leading the way, I hurried to the stairwell and up to the second floor, then stopped at the door to my hall. I looked through the windowpane. Another flashlight beam wandered from side to side, coming toward me. Its glow illuminated a woman gripping a police nightstick.

  “Crandyke,” I whispered. “I have a female guard patrolling my hall. Can’t tell her age. She’s about five eight. Plump but not obese. Too dark to determine hair color.”

  “And you want me to get you out of trouble again.” A tsking sound followed. “Phoenix, now I know the real reason you kept me around. You have no conscience to guide you, so you have to lie and deceive.”

  “Crandyke, I’m not a kid who’s lying to steal a cookie. Give me a break.”

  “Not this time. Even if your nose is as long as Pinocchio’s, I’m not going to play Jiminy Cricket. You’ll have to get out of this mess by yourself.”

  “I’m trying to save lives!” I hissed. “You know that!”

  “Tell that to the guard. Maybe she’ll believe you.”

  I leaned my head against the door. What a bad time for Crandyke to pull the ethics card on me. Still, his advice to talk to the guard might be a good idea. The straightforward approach had worked before. Why not?

  I unplugged my clasp, opened the door, and strode into the hall. The guard’s flashlight beam jerked toward me and landed on my face, blinding me. “Phoenix?” the guard called.

  “Yeah.” I squinted, blocking the light with my hand. “Is there a problem?”

  She slid the baton into a sheath and grasped my arm. “Where were you?” Her voice was gravelly, though not harsh. “Why weren’t you in your room?”

  “I was checking out this place. You know, exploring my home away from home.” I swung my beam toward the stairwell. “Would you believe there are more stairs on this side of the building than on the other side? I would’ve thought—”

  “You’re supposed to be in bed. There’s a curfew.” She shifted her beam to herself, illuminating a pointed chin and severely dipping eyebrows, but her compassionate tone softened her appearance.

  “Right. I read about the curfew. I thought it meant I couldn’t leave because of bandits outsi
de.”

  “That, too. But you’re not allowed to wander anywhere you want. This is a prison, not a shopping mall.”

  “I noticed.” I tried to read her name tag, but darkness covered it. “What’s your name?”

  “What’s it to you?”

  “Just wondering. You’re one of the nicer guards I’ve met.”

  “Don’t brownnose me, kid.” She shone the flashlight on her name tag—Andrews. “Theresa. Theresa Andrews.” She withdrew a miniature tablet from a pocket and began tapping on the screen. “I’m notifying Alex so she can stop looking for you.”

  “You do that.” I let out an exaggerated yawn. “Can I go to bed now?”

  “Go ahead.” She frowned at the tablet and muttered, “Everything’s down. I’ll have to use the radio.”

  “Well, goodnight, Theresa.”

  “One more thing. We altered your lock. Alex’s orders. You can’t get out from the inside. We’ll open it in the morning. Same deal for Shanghai.”

  “So we’re prisoners now.”

  She wagged her flashlight at me. “It’s your own fault.”

  I pulled the room key from my pocket. “Are you going to stay on this floor?”

  She shook her head. “I’m normally a perimeter guard. I walk the grounds outside the camp. But I’m staying here until you’re locked in. Alex will have my head if you sneak out again.”

  “Sure. I understand.” I unlocked my door, stepped inside, and pivoted back. “Seriously, I’m glad you’re here. You’re doing a good job.”

  “Well… thanks… I guess. Sorry about the prisoner thing. I wish I could do something about it, but… you know.”

  “Yeah, I know. It’s not your fault. Good night again.” I closed the door. The knob rattled—Theresa checking to make sure the lock engaged.

  “You’re a smooth operator, Phoenix.”

  I aimed my beam toward the voice. Shanghai stood a few steps away holding a lit candle. Three more candles burned on the dresser behind her. “Listening in, I presume.”

  “Every word.” She joined me near the door and laid a microphone in my palm. “Attached to one of my bedposts. No others, though. Even in the hallway. I checked every inch before Theresa showed up.”

  “Good job.” I pushed the microphone into my pocket with the other one.

  She leaned her shoulder against mine. “What’re we going to do now? We’re trapped.”

  “No worries.” I showed her my key. “I’ll slide it under the door when Sing comes.”

  I gave her a quick rundown of what happened with Sing, Alex, and Stanskey and how I planned for Sing’s entry. When I finished, she nodded at the key. “So Sing can let herself in, we’ll keep the door from latching, and we’re free birds again.”

  “We’ll let it latch. We need some sleep.” I unfastened my cloak and tossed it onto the bed. “After tonight, maybe we’ll keep it unlatched until just before they come for us in the morning.”

  Shanghai tapped her socked foot on the carpet. “Okay. It’s all kind of fragile, though.”

  “Right now, everything feels fragile. Since Theresa’s patrolling outside, Sing has two guards to worry about.”

  “Don’t worry. She can fly under any radar.”

  “Let’s hope so.” I leaned my back against the door and slid down to a seated position. “Get some sleep. I’ll doze here. When I hear Sing, I’ll push the key under.”

  Shanghai rubbed my shoulder. “All right if I snooze in your bed? I want to be here when she comes.”

  “Well… actually…”

  “Right. Sing wouldn’t like it.” Shanghai stooped in front of me. “Tell her to crawl into bed with me. There’s plenty of room.”

  “Thanks for understanding.”

  “Hey, we’re all friends.” Shanghai kissed me on the cheek, lingering the same way Sing had. The touch was electric. A buzz raced along my spine to my fingers and toes. Her minty breath and berry-scented hair swept through my senses. My heart thumped harder than ever. When she drew back, she whispered, “Goodnight, friend.”

  With a graceful turn that accentuated her athletic form, she sashayed into the bathroom. Light from the candle swept away with her, leaving three other flames undulating in the background, as if echoing her moves.

  My skin tingled. Heat sizzled within. My heart seemed to rise into my throat, pounding like a hammer. The shell was cracking, and either Shanghai or Sing could easily smash through. I had to patch the cracks. Remember my promises. Stay focused. Stay away from those two girls. My heart thrummed in protest, but I didn’t dare pay attention. Too much was at stake. Just seven more years to wait. I could do it.

  After climbing to my feet and using the bathroom, I settled at the door again and closed my eyes. As the sensation of Shanghai’s touch came back to mind, I let myself smile. And why not smile? Wasn’t it okay to enjoy her affection as long as I didn’t betray Misty? Getting reacquainted with Shanghai was like a dream come true.

  For more than three years I had been alone, constantly monitoring for a death alarm, never letting my senses tune to another frequency for fear that a little Molly somewhere might die without my knowledge, and her soul would wander in confusion. And medicine smuggling was too dangerous to allow for close friendships. A false friend could betray me. A true friend could be accused as an accomplice.

  Now, finally, a friend had risen as if from the dead. And Sing made a trio. With both of them here, maybe enduring the next seven years as a Reaper wouldn’t be so bad.

  I slept for a while, maybe an hour or so, until a whisper crawled into my ear.

  “Phoenix? It’s me, Tori.”

  “Tori?” I opened my eyes. Tori stood in front of me, her expression anxious. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, maybe.” She pointed at the door. “Singapore’s in the hall. I brought her, just like you told me to.”

  “Great!” As I climbed to my knees and turned, my leg muscles tightened, complaining about the recent run. I slid the key under the door and whisper-shouted, “Sing, take this key and open the door.”

  I rose and backed away. Two seconds later, the lock disengaged. Sing bustled in carrying a flashlight and a small hard-shell suitcase. Blood trickled from an inch-long cut on her forehead, and a deep bruise darkened her cheek. She dropped the suitcase and threw her arms around me. “I made it!”

  Chapter Fifteen

  What happened?” I took her flashlight and shone it on the bruise. “Bandits?”

  “Three of them.” She caressed her fist. “Two won’t be walking anytime soon. They might even be dead. But the third one got away with my cloak.”

  I looked at her back. “Your cloak!”

  She nodded, tears welling. “It was my mother’s… and… and they must have thought souls were in it, because it always shimmers. But when they find out it’s empty, they’ll probably sell it as a souvenir. I’ll never get it back.”

  Laying a gentle hand on her arm, I pushed her toward the bathroom. “Maybe you should clean up those wounds, and then we’ll talk.”

  She pulled away. “I’m all right. My heart hurts more than the wounds do.”

  “I can imagine.” I turned off the flashlight. Now only the three candles and Tori’s glowing eyes illuminated the room. “Maybe if I get word to some friends I know in the shroud, they can be on the lookout for it.”

  She offered a thankful nod. “But be careful. Since Cairo is patrolling my district, we can’t let it be known that my cloak’s missing.”

  “Good point. Any other ideas?”

  “I can try to contact my people.” She brushed tears from both eyes. “They know I was coming here, but I don’t know what they’re planning. They said we’d find out soon.”

  “I hope so.”

  I took the next few minutes to give Sing a summary of discoveries at the camp—the schedule on the tablet, the microphones, the altered locks, and other details, including how I found Tori. When I finished, I exhaled loudly. “Tomorrow we’re supposed to lea
rn more about what we’re doing here, so we can make plans after that. Tomorrow night you can start snooping after electricity cutoff, so get plenty of rest during the day.”

  “I will.” Sing looked toward the bathroom door. “Shanghai is that way?”

  I nodded. “She said just crawl into bed with her. There’s plenty of room.”

  Sing wrapped her arms around me again and pulled herself close. She stayed quiet for a moment, so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat. After several more seconds, she whispered, “Sometime soon I need to talk to you about something important.”

  “Okay. Why not now?”

  “Too much has happened.” She dabbed at her cut with a fingertip. “Maybe I’ll feel better in the morning.”

  “Don’t worry. I understand.” I pushed her away and laid a hand over her bruise. “If you need me anytime during the night, you can wake me up.”

  “I’ll remember that.” She glanced at Tori, then stood on tiptoes and kissed my cheek. “Good night, Phoenix.”

  I touched the tingling spot. The warm sensation was all too familiar. “Good night.”

  She picked up her suitcase. As she headed into the bathroom, I got a better look at the cracked and dented shell. Maybe she had bashed a bandit or two with it. When battling three men at once, any weapon would do, though it seemed strange that she had managed to keep her suitcase but not her cloak. The cloak was far more valuable.

  I shook my head hard. I couldn’t let doubts enter my mind. Her wounds proved her story. Questioning it was stupid.

  After washing my face and hands in the bathroom and changing to baggy shorts and T-shirt, I tossed my traveling clothes onto the floor next to the dresser. Tori sat on the end of the bed, twiddling her thumbs. Of course she wore the same ratty dress as before. Except for fully entrenched level threes, ghosts never appeared with clothes other than what they were wearing when they died.

  “Where have you been staying at night?” I asked. “I know ghosts don’t sleep.”

  “In the room where my mat used to be. They rolled up my mat and my mommy’s and took them away, but I didn’t have anywhere else to go, so I just laid on the floor. I didn’t sleep, but hearing everyone else sleep made me feel better.”