by L. S. O'Dea
“And you just happen to have a key?” Hugh fought a grin of triumph. Everything was falling into place.
“I have ways of getting things sometimes.” Townsend’s gaze locked with his.
He had a little more faith in the other Almighty’s ability to find him his lab. “Sassy, you said that you can break in and out of just about anywhere but how? Do you use windows? Do you break—”
“I pick the locks. I can open any lock.” Sassy straightened with pride over her skill.
“She’s the one who taught me,” said Trinity.
“I see what your father meant about your new friends.” He could understand Tim’s concern but in this world Sassy’s skills were helpful.
“Parents never like me.” Sassy smiled and glanced at Bruno who grinned at her.
Parents may not like her but Bruno did and that meant the Guard may be more than willing to help with freeing Reese. “Bruno, are the executions scheduled?”
Bruno’s brows furrowed over his eyes in confusion.
“Do they perform the executions at a certain time on a certain day?”
“Every day. In the morning.”
“When do the House Servants change shifts, you know, day shift taking over for night shift?” He rubbed his hands together. This was coming along nicely.
“Right before the executions. The night shift don’t kill no one, but the Servants rotate. They all work the day shift at some time.”
“And the Guards?”
“They only come in to help with the execution. Then they go.”
“Perfect. I know how we can free Reese, but first, Sassy you’re going to have to be captured and taken to the Midtown Shelter.”
CHAPTER 42: HUGH
HUGH TURNED AWAY FROM the window and toward the camera. “The Servants have finished their perimeter check. It’s time to free Reese and Sassy.”
“Excellent. Cut. That’s a wrap. Whatever it is that I’m supposed to say.” Townsend joked as he put his video camera away.
“I’m just glad we’re done.” Hugh slipped on his cloak. He no longer liked talking about himself which had made the last several hours painful.
Townsend and Bruno had dropped Hugh and Trinity off the night before. Then early the next morning they’d left Sassy in the park. When they’d returned to the office building at dusk, the reporter had insisted on interviewing Hugh on camera. Although Townsend wrote articles and distributed them through an underground network, most Guards and Grunts couldn’t read. The recordings would ensure that this message reached the widest possible audience. According to Townsend, there were meeting places—bars, restaurants, shops, etc.—that ran these videos from the rebellion.
“It wasn’t that bad and the camera loves you,” said Townsend. “Especially with the stubble. That alone is going to boost the morale of the other classes.”
Hugh walked over to Trinity who sat in the corner, sharpening her spears and pouting. At least that’s what he was calling her behavior. Her part in his plan was to wait and watch. She wasn’t happy about that and she was an expert at letting her displeasure be felt without saying a word. If her glares were knives, he’d be a colander.
“Wish me luck.” He gave her a cocky grin just to infuriate her.
“You’re an ass.” She barely glanced at him as she shoved a spear into the quiver.
“And you’re a brat.” He turned to leave.
In a flash she was at his side, grabbing his arm. “I should go and you know it. Something’s not right. There should be Guards or Almightys or someone protecting the buildings.”
“We’ve been watching the place for over a day. They have new locks, extra Servants and they’re running perimeter checks every few hours.”
During the day the Servants patrolled every hour, but as night wore on the time between their rounds lengthened. It was typical Servant behavior. They were fast and could hear, see and smell better than the other classes, but they had a tendency to be lazy when unsupervised.
“It’s not enough and you know it.” She glanced out the window. “We missed something.”
“It doesn’t matter. I have to do this.” He pushed a strand of hair from her face. In his initial plan, only Sassy was going into the shelter, but as Bruno had pointed out, a young, brown-haired, female with brown eyes fit the description of ninety percent of the female Guards in there and every one of them would swear her name was Reese.
“There’s no reason that I can’t go with you.”
“We’ve been over this.” He didn’t like it either. It was too quiet, too calm and that was exactly why she was staying here. He wouldn’t risk her getting caught. It was bad enough that he’d had to send Sassy into the shelter. There was no way he was putting anyone else in danger.
“Do you actually think you can stop me?” Her hands were on her hips, claws out.
That was the problem. He couldn’t force her to stay, at least without hurting her, and if Sampson were to be believed, she might win against him, Townsend and Bruno. He needed to use logic and persuasion. “Please. Trust me. Everything will be fine.” He put his hands on her shoulders and they trailed down her arms until his fingers intertwined with hers. “If something goes wrong, I need you here. You won’t be able to save me if you get caught too.”
“I know you’re just saying that.”
“Did it work?” He smiled again, unable to help himself.
“Yes, but only because you have a point. You’d be swinging by your neck if it weren’t for me.” Her lips quirked upward in a half-smile, although her eyes were worried.
“I can’t argue with that.” He should let go of her hands, but he couldn’t. This might be the last time he touched her.
“Praise Araldo. I finally found something you won’t argue about.” All joking left her eyes. “Be careful.”
“I will.” He squeezed her hands and forced himself to let go. “You too.”
His eyes met Townsend’s over her shoulder. The Almighty nodded. If something went wrong, Townsend was to get Trinity as far away from here as he could.
Hugh gave her one last smile and left, following Bruno down the hallway, to the stairs and then outside. The area was clean, unlike the streets and alleys in the parts of the city controlled by Guards and House Servants. There weren’t even rats near the dumpsters. The only thing lurking around here was Say. The little Servant had shown up the night before a few hours after Townsend had dropped him and Trinity off so they could stakeout the shelter. Say had refused to come upstairs, spending part of his time right inside the doorway and the rest in the alley. “You should get inside.”
Say bared his teeth at him.
Ungrateful little shit. “It might not be safe around here soon. Trinity wouldn’t want you hurt.” It was true. Although he thought the little Servant was a creep, Trinity was fond of the kid.
Say hissed and darted behind a dumpster. Hugh caught up with Bruno. He’d tried. It was the best he could do.
They stopped at the end of the alley and Bruno peeked around the corner. The Guard nodded and they jogged across the street, staying in the shadows as they passed two side streets and darted down another alley. They stopped, hiding on the side of a building.
Bruno tipped his head and sniffed. “It’s clear. I’ll wait here until you’re inside.”
The crematory was still several yards away. “No. You should go now. If things don’t go as planned, Townsend will need your help getting Trinity out of here.”
Bruno studied him a moment and then nodded, slipping back down the alley.
He waited about ten minutes after he couldn’t see the Guard anymore and then raced to the crematory. He leaned against the building, his heart pounding. He’d been eager for this moment all day. He hated waiting. According to Gaar and Trinity, that made him a lousy predator and a dead prey. However, now that he was here, he wasn’t anxious to take the next step. Right now, he could flee if he had to—get lost in the city streets. As soon as he entered that building he
was trapped, just like Reese and Sassy.
He took a deep breath. There was no going back for him. There never had been. He ran to the shelter and scraped his fingernail down the door three distinct times. If everything had gone as planned, Sassy should be loose and opening the door any minute. The seconds dragged on. Sweat trickled down his back in the cold night. He glanced around, feeling a trap falling around him but the night was silent. Could Bruno have been wrong about the execution time or had they changed policies? He looked back at the crematory imagining Sassy’s body being placed inside and burned until only bone fragments and ash remained.
The door latch slid free and Sassy stuck her head out of the doorway. “Hurry.”
She was alive. He hadn’t caused her death. He wanted to hug her but since she’d probably hit him, he slipped inside, closing the door behind him. The stench of death surrounded him.
“I’ve gotta go. There’s another cell check coming up. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
He nodded as she disappeared into the holding area, closing and trapping him in the room of the dead. His blood pounded through his veins. He didn’t want to be here. It was prison all over again. He leaned against the door, getting as close to the living as he dared. A little light crept in from under the door and soon shapes began to form from the darkness. Now, he wished he could block the light. The dark was better than this sight.
There’d been no burning that day or from the looks of the place for several days. Bodies of Guards were piled on the floor. He didn’t want to look but he couldn’t help it. They were male and female, young and old. One little Guard caught his attention. His feet drew him to her side. She couldn’t have been more than six or seven, her tiny face peaceful in death. His hand trembled as he touched her hair. She was a child. Why would they kill her? They could’ve moved her to another shelter, given her a chance at adoption. They could’ve done something, anything besides murder her.
He forced himself to turn away. He moved to a corner and sat on the floor. He’d known what happened to unwanted Guards. He’d known what he might see in this room, but he still hadn’t been prepared. All these lives snuffed out for no reason other than no Almighty wanted them. His hand shook as he ran it through his hair, knocking off his hood. He didn’t want to live in a world where this was okay, accepted, expected. None of these Guards deserved this. He leaned his head against the wall. This had to change, but how could it? Life had been like this for hundreds of years. One rebellion couldn’t change that. The Almightys had guns. They didn’t usually use them, but they would. The Allied Classes couldn’t win this war. Once the fighting started in earnest, Jason and the Council would pull the weapons out of storage and that’d be the end. All his friends would die and it’d be his fault. His mind spun. There had to be a way to change the world without ending their lives.
“Hugh?” whispered Sassy.
He jumped at the sound. The silence of the dead had been overwhelming. He stood. He’d found no answers. No solution. There was no happy ending for these Guards and there’d be none for him. The best he could do was to try and save as many of his friends as possible.
“Let’s find Reese and get out of here.” Sassy’s eyes were wide as she tried not to look at the piles of Guards.
“Shhh. The Servants.” He didn’t like the odds of him and Sassy against the eight Servants on duty.
“As long as you don’t yell or say anything stupid, we should be fine. They expect chattering and whispers and according to the Servant who did the last check, they’re in the middle of a poker game and the pot is pretty big.” Her eyes fell on one of the dead Guards. “Come on. I can’t look at that.”
He followed her into the other room. There were rows of cages containing one or more Guards and everyone was awake and staring at them.
He and Sassy began walking up and down the aisles. Some of the Guards whispered, begging him to free them too. Others remained silent but their eyes pleaded for help. He glanced at the Guards as he passed, searching for Reese while trying not to make eye contact. He couldn’t save them all; he couldn’t. His gaze fell on a young, male Guard of about ten and he slowed.
“We can’t help him.” Sassy tugged on his arm. “We don’t have time to free them all and we’d never get out of here if we did.” Her tone was harsh, almost panicked.
“Hugh? Is that you?” said a familiar voice.
He raced to the cage as Reese moved to the front of her cell, grasping the bars. He clasped her hands. She was alive. He wasn’t too late. Sassy began working on the lock.
“Hugh, you shouldn’t be here,” she said, tears running down her cheeks. “It’s a trap.” Her eyes widened as her fingers touched his cheek.
“I’ll explain about the hair later. Do you know what they have planned?” he asked.
“No, but the only reason they came for me was because you escaped. Sarah said as much.” She looked nervously around. “You need to leave. Go, now.”
“We’re not leaving without you.”
“Let’s move.” Sassy opened the cage door.
Reese stepped out of the cell and he hugged her. He couldn’t help it. He’d been so sure she’d be dead.
“Hug later. Move now.” Sassy shoved him.
They headed down the aisle back to the execution room, Reese lagging behind.
“Come on.” Sassy stood at the door, legs twitching with the need to run, to get away.
“Hugh?” Reese stopped, glancing back at the cages.
The soft sound of crying drifted to him. Eyes stared at him through the dark, pleading for a chance. She was right. He couldn’t do it. “Sassy, you and Reese go on ahead.”
“What are you talking about?” Sassy’s lips started to turn up in a snarl. “We need to leave together. Right now.”
“I can’t. I’d rather free some of them and get caught then leave them all here to die.”
The Guards in the cages began to whisper.
“You won’t free any of them. Do you know how to pick a lock?”
“No, but before you leave”—he looked around and pointed to five cages each containing one very large Guard—“open those cages.”
“Why?” Sassy shot him a glare. “What good will that do?”
“They’ll help me get the keys. Won’t you boys?”
The Guards nodded, eyes no longer pleading but glimmering with anticipation.
An adult male in a nearby cage, who’d been sitting on his bed on the floor, stood. “I can do better than that.”
The Guard was big but not muscular like a protection Guard. He must be a mix similar to Jackson.
“Turn me loose and I can pick the locks for you. While you get the keys, I can be unlocking cages. I may be done before you come back.”
Sassy snorted her disbelief. “There’s no way. It’ll take too much time to unlock the cages. Hugh, we don’t—”
“Maybe with you picking the locks,” said the Guard. “Your technique is all wrong.” He smiled, his eyes looking Sassy up and down. “Let me out and I’ll teach you how to do it right. I’m an expert.”
“Really? You think you can show me something I don’t know.” Sassy had a smile on her lips but her body language and tone screamed that she’d like to tear the young male’s head off.
The Guard must not know females because he bowed in a mocking manner. “Brennon, at your service and I know I can show you plenty of things, but we’ll start with the proper way to pick a lock.”
“This I’ve got to see.” Sassy moved to his cage and in a moment had the door open. “Beat that time.”
“Give me your tools.” Brennan stepped out of his cage.
Sassy grudgingly handed them over. Brennon moved to the enclosure next to him, bent near the lock and in a second it was undone.
“How...” Sassy’s mouth was hanging open. “No way. That’s not possible.”
“I’ll do it again.” Brennon moved to another cage. “Pay attention, sweetheart. You don’t want to miss anything.�
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Sassy was so engrossed in watching him work that she ignored his endearment.
“Sassy, do you have another set of tools?” asked Hugh. “I’d rather not confront the House Servants if I don’t have to.”
“I always carry a backup.” She pulled another set from the side of her shoe, but continued to watch Brennon as he moved to another cage.
“Did you get that, darling?” Brennon unlocked another cage. “Or should I go slower for you?”
“No. Keep moving as fast as you can. You can show her later.” He tapped Sassy on the shoulder and she turned toward him, her eyes bright with excitement. “He can show you later. Let’s focus on getting everyone out of here as quickly as possible.”
Sassy’s eyes dimmed but she nodded and moved to the other side of the hallway and started opening the locks.
“Let’s make this a competition,” said Brennon. “Keep count and if I unlock more than triple your number then you owe...”
He liked this Brennon Guard. A contest would keep Sassy focused on the task and not the possibility of capture. He led a group of freed Guards through the execution room and to the back door. “Once you get outside there’s a building straight ahead. It’s going to stink, but you need to run over to it. Stop there and make sure no one is around before going to the next building and then cross the road and enter the alley. If you want to try and make it on your own, go ahead, but anyone who wants help getting out of the Almightys’ city, wait there. If someone comes or something seems off, flee. Don’t wait.”
The Guards’ eyes were wide with fear and hope.
“Good luck and stay safe.” He opened the door and they slipped outside into the night.
He went back into the main room and collected the next group. He repeated this process until they were done. It’d taken longer than planned but all the Guards were free. He, Brennan, Sassy, Reese and three large male Guards were the last to leave. As he walked through the execution room for the final time he stopped next to the little female.