“Born ready,” he replies. He is fun to be around, and pleasant on the eyes.
We both look around. There are no guards here, and we take off running to the food storage area.
“Stuff it in here.” I hold out my bag, and he does as I order. It's hard to realize that they are poisoning our food. Everyone I love will die if they stay here; I'm glad Lowell decided to come with us.
“Okay, let's head to the watering hole.” I raise my head over the storage counter. Damn! Madam Uri, of all people, is standing in the middle of the food quarters, staring right at me.
“Run!” I gasp, and quickly take off.
“She's here, she's over there!” Madam Uri's voice bounces off the cave walls. “Get her!” She takes off running toward us, and for a big woman she can move fast. The guards are quickly following her orders.
“Shoot her!” I yell to Hayden. “Hayden?” Where has he gone?
Dax, where are you? They are coming for me, Hayden has disappeared.
What? We're coming. Run and hide, we will find you!
My feet feel like they aren't touching the ground, I'm running so fast. I have to get away!
“Get her! She's my ticket out of here!” Madam Uri yells, breathless. Her voice begins to fade—clearly she cannot keep up with me. But the guards will.
Quickly looking over my shoulder, I see several guards running toward me with guns at the ready.
“Oh no!” My body slams into someone, knocking them to the ground. Damn, it's Madam Enid. “Sorry!”
“Keep on running, get out of here!” she yells as she gets back to her feet.
A loud crack echoes through the cave. I turn back once more to Madam Uri swinging her arm through the air as if she's just slapped Madam Enid in her face. Madam Enid's body is on the ground. She's been dying to do that, and I gave her the reason to do it.
Skylier, hide... more are coming... Before Dax's words can leave my mind, the guards appear in front of me. They've come down from the main entrance to the Cueva; my exit through the watering hole is blocked!
Dax, I'm trapped, where are you?
Skylier, we are outnumbered. We hid when the guards ran past. Is there another exit?
No.
Quickly I change directions. There is nowhere to run now. They are going to catch me soon.
I have no choice. Dax, I'm going to our leader to tell him everything. Maybe he will protect me.
What if he doesn't? Dax mind asks.
The guards will get me either way. Get out of here, find our uncle and come back for me.
Skylier, I cannot lose you. I just found you.
I am here, go now.
Skylier, no...!
Block.
“I want to see President Tyler!” I yell out to the guards standing in front of the President's quarters as I run toward our leader's door. Why are there guards here? It cannot be to protect him from me.
“President Tyler, come out!” I shout with my newfound confidence, to the guards' surprise.
The metal door opens slowly. “What's all this noise about?” President Tyler peers around the door.
“President Tyler, I need to speak to you,” I mumble quickly.
“Child, of course,” His bushy eyebrows rise up in surprise.
Tyler waves his hand to the waiting guards at the end of the corridor, signaling for them to leave. I smirk at them smugly. I knew he would listen to me.
“Come in, child.” He opens his door wider. Deep wrinkles shoot across his face as he gives me a friendly smile.
He follows me in. I've never been in his private quarters before. Whenever we met him it was in the communal areas or at functions with my family. His place is double the size of my dorm... twenty girls could fit in here easily.
His walls are covered with photographs from around the world; there's a beautiful picture of Cader Sanction's dome covered in snow. I've never seen snow, and I doubt I ever will.
“Please sit, child.” President Tyler points to a chair and I oblige him. The seat is so comfy and the cushion wraps around my buttocks as if it's hugging me.
He sits next to me. “Now, dear child, what have you been up to?”
I lower my head in shame. I don't understand why I feel this way.
“I needed to get medicine for my mother,” I say as I rub my head. All the adrenaline was stolen from me once I entered the room.
“Did you give her the medicine?”
Why does he care? My eyes scan the room. Things seem out of place, as though they don't belong here. It's too clean, too Purenet. Then I see it—a picture of the Chancellor and President Tyler smiling and shaking hands, proudly placed on his shelf. I don't see any other photos of his family, only the one with the Chancellor.
“How is your mother? I'm very sorry about your father... he was a dear friend of mine.”
“She has cancer.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Do you know how she got it?” I ask, still staring at the photo.
He turns his head toward the photo, and back at me with a completely new expression. His bottom lip curls upwards, and his forehead wrinkles.
“No, I don't know, dear child, why don't you tell me?” His voice sounds like a creepy young boy's.
“It's in the bio meat. But you already knew that, didn't you?” I state bluntly. My hands begin to tremble.
He just smiles back at me. “You, child, are just like your father, always meddling in other people's business. It's a shame Xander wants you alive, for some unknown reason. I wish I could kill you like I did your father.”
My mouth dries up as he speaks.
“Skylier, who told you about the bio meat?” My eyes widen in fear as he moves his body closer to mine. Pulling the remainder of saliva from the back of my throat, I force it forwards and phlegm comes flying out of my mouth and onto his face and glasses.
Before I can react, he smacks me, knocking me to the ground. My cheek stings in pain.
His long, awkward body bends over me. “Dear child, it looks like you are hurt,” he says as he pushes his bony finger into the bullet wound in my arm.
Intense pain rips though my flesh as he pushes down; I squirm away from his finger, as a ripple of pain washes over my body. “Arh... stop!”
“Oh, sorry... does it hurt?” President Tyler mocks.
He steps closer to me. “How about this?” He jabs his finger quickly into my open flesh once again.
Piercing white light flashes in front of my eyes as I scream out in pain. “Arh... leave me alone!”
“Who are you with? Tell me and I will stop,” he says, as he extends his finger toward me. I squirm away; my body comes to a halt as I back up into the wall. I’m trapped.
Dax, get out of here. They are coming for you! Go now.
Skylier, wait....
GO!
“Tell me!” Spit flies out of President Tyler’s mouth as he yells.
“No. Xander wants me, not them.”
“You will tell me!” My stomach surges upwards as President Tyler kicks me in the stomach. I coil up in pain, my muscles burning as they contract.
President Tyler grips hold of my hair, pulling me upward. Each hair strand rips at my scalp, like hot pokers burning into my scalp. I scramble to my feet.
“Arh…” I scream out as he punches me in the stomach.
“Are you ready to talk? Or would you like me to continue?” he asks, twisting my hair tightly around his hand, making my head throb.
“Yes,” I scream out, unable to bear any more pain.
“Good child. Who told you about the bio meat?” he asks.
“A Grounder told me,” I reply.
“What is his name?” He twists my hair tightly around his hand, and bright white lights flicker in front of my eyes as the pain scorches my scalp.
“Dax.”
“Tell me more about Dax.”
I pause, for too long. He yanks my head toward him. “He's the Chancellor's son.”
Presid
ent Tyler releases the grip on my head instantly, like a bolt of lightning hit him. I drop to the ground.
“His son?”
I just nod.
“Guards, take her to the shuttle. We are leaving now!”
Then his arm swings back again and his knuckles come flying toward my face.
Chapter Twenty-One
The brightness burns through my eyelids as I try to peel them open. My head rings out in pain. My limp body is being carried somewhere. Disoriented, I raise my head to see guards carrying me down toward the gate at a brisk pace.
President Tyler is walking alongside us, his grey hair swept across his forehead.
“Arh, you gave us a fright. Thought you were out for good. Xander would not be happy with that.” He's smiling and sweat rolls down to the top of his lip. His repulsive tongue creeps out and licks the drops away.
“You like that? I do wonder what Xander has in mind for you....” His fingers reach out and grab hold of my chin. “Your pure little family finally gets the punishment they should have received years ago,” he says as he squeezes my cheeks together.
I push my head away from him and toward the shuttle.
Oh no! Mother, Calista! Mother's body lies out on the ground, with Calista's arms around her.
“What have you done to her? Xander wanted me, not them!” Anger courses through my body and I begin to thrash my limbs around. I kick a Guard in the legs and his body slams into President Tyler. His head knocks against the side of the gate wall and his glasses fall to the ground.
“Knock that little bitch out!” President Tyler orders, as he turns to face me, gripping his nose as blood pours out.
“What the...” My body springs up too quickly, and my head begins to spin. I go to place my hand on my head, but I can't. They've strapped my arms down. I frantically pull and twist, but I'm stuck.
“Nice of you to join us,” President Tyler says, as he sits down in front of me. We are on the shuttle. A table between us, and the hand restraints, stop me from attacking him. My body slumps down. I will not win this fight. I have to save any energy I have left.
“Where are my mother and sister? “ I shout.
Mother... Calista... where are you?
They don't answer.
“Skylier, this is no way to speak to the President. You make me sound like an animal. I'm merely following Xander's orders. But can I tell you a little secret?” He edges toward me.
I lean a little closer to him, half wanting to know what he's going to say next, half wanting to run and hide.
He opens his mouth to speak, revealing dark, yellow-stained teeth. Repulsive breath flows from his mouth. “I'm enjoying it,” he whispers, and then begins laughing. “I would like to know what Xander has in mind for you,” he continues, his head tilted as he examines me up and down.
“Maybe a new Bazi... how I do love the Bazi—the most beautiful people from our Sanctions...” he pauses, then adds, “or would he like Calista to be his new Bazi?”
I scowl in disgust and glare at him.
“Oh, the thought sickens you? Are you better than they?”
I want to spit in his face once again, but I cannot handle any more hits across my head. Between the motion of the shuttle and the vile face, it's all I can do to not get sick.
“You know they cannot, she's too young! And she's not volunteering.” Those are the rules... you have to be over seventeen, and you must volunteer. And no one in my family would volunteer for that.
Mother... Calista... where are you?
“Your mother and sister cannot hear you. I wouldn't waste your time.” He smiles smugly.
“What have you done to them?”
“Tell me more about Dax. Where's he been? Tell me and I will let you see your precious family.”
I look out the window at the blurry white walls. Occasionally there is a flash of turquoise light, as it guides us to our final destination.
What harm will it do if I tell him about Dax? Dax and Lowell will be out of the Cueva and away from danger. If I tell him, then I will be with my family.
The white blurry image of the shuttle walls is replaced with darkness. The glass window has been blacked out, and they've painted over it... blocking the view of hope and natural beauty, hiding the view.
“We are having a bit of work done on the tunnel; don't want you Cueva people thinking there is anywhere else to go, do we?” He rubs a finger across the bottom of his lip.
“What do you mean, 'you Cueva people'? I thought you were one of us. You are our leader, after all! Does that mean anything to you?” I can feel the anger burning through my veins, as he just sits there smiling at me.
“You are truly your father's daughter—so passionate, so stupid.”
He waves his hand in the air and a staff member comes running over with a silver tray filled with food.
“They do make the most delicious food in Purenet,” he adds as he cuts into his bio meat. Then he puts the bio meat into his mouth and starts to chew.
“I hope you poisoned your own meat as well!”
He spits the bio meat out, and food flies across the table and over onto me. I wipe it off my dress.
“Guards, get her out of here!” Time to face my fate. With a guard on either side of me, we exit the shuttle.
Up ahead, I can see my mother and Calista walking with guards at their sides, same as me. They had them at the shuttle farthest away from me so we couldn't message each other.
Who's that with them? I hone in toward the other silhouettes... it's Madam Enid. She is also surrounded by guards and her hands are tied behind her back. Madam Uri stands proudly next to them... she almost looks happy. She finally got her ticket back into Purenet.
Mother... Calista... are you okay? I'm so sorry.
Mother's turns back to face me.
My dear child, it is not your fault.
Oh, Mother, I'm so sorry... all I wanted was for you to get better.
And you did it. Somehow her mind stays calm.
What do we do now? I ask.
Do as they say, try not to upset them anymore. What does Xander want from you?
He wants me to be his Host.
Mother stops in her tracks.
You cannot be his Host, you are his sister!
The guards push her to walk faster.
What shall I do...? I think quickly as Mother begins to disappear into the hub.
“Mother!” I yell out. I pull the guards forward as I try to run, but it's pointless. Their rigid bodies are firmly locked to the ground.
“Ha... ha. Did you really think we would make it that easy for you?” President Tyler mocks. “Did your mother have any words of wisdom? Or tell you that you have brought shame to your family?”
I lower my head. My fight is disappearing, just like my mother.
“Ahh, shame it is... Guards, let's take her to Xander.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Through one white corridor after another, we walk around the edges of the hub, away from any prying eyes. I felt the anger and hatred from the second we arrived. They've already condemned me. Whatever happened to “innocent until proven guilty”? I guess in my case that doesn't apply.
The pain in my arm is the only thing reminding me that I'm still alive.
We stop at the end of a corridor and a guard reaches over to open a door.
Waiting at the other side are cars. I've never been in one before. They are like mini-shuttles with wheels, and I climb in as instructed.
“Guests of Xander,” President Tyler announces.
“Scan,” a female computer voice says from the car panel. President Tyler waves the back of his hand over it.
“Welcome, President Tyler. Xander has been waiting for you,” it says.
“Perfect,” he says, as he sits back in the seat. With that, the car begins to move through the tunnels. The tunnels are not like the glamorous ones around the hub. These are dirty, almost rusty, old metal panels with a damp smell to them. I'll
bet he doesn't show these off when it's Sanction Parade Week, when the other five Sanctions make their visits.
“Are you excited?” President Tyler asks.
“What about?”
“To see the Chancellor's quarters; this is a rare treat.” He grins.
“Yeah, I'm over the frigging moon. I cannot think of anything else that could possibly be more fun.”
“You'd better watch your tongue,” President Tyler snaps, making me jump. “I think you need to remember, it's not just about you now. They have your family.”
I don't want to admit it, but he's right. I will stay silent for the remainder of the journey.
“President Tyler. Welcome to Xander's home,” a female voice announces. My gut drops before the car can come to a complete halt. I don't want to learn my fate.
“Prefect, let's get this over and done with, then I can go and see my Bazi,” he says, licking his lips. Just the thought of him and a young girl sends a shudder through my body.
He stares at me for a moment. “Maybe if you are lucky, when Xander is done with you, you can be one of my Bazi.”
“That's it, get me out of here. I would rather see what Xander has in store for me than spend any more time with you!” I retort. I climb out of the car, taking the guard with me.
He just laughs. “Ha, ha. Go ahead, little girl... go see Xander.”
“Chancellor,” President Tyler says into the car control panel.
“The Chancellor has been waiting for you, President Tyler,” says the computer panel, as the car begins to move.
“Tell Xander you are my gift,” he yells out from the car, leaving me with the guards.
Get down... Dax's voice rings through my mind. I instantly drop to the ground.
Suddenly bullets fly above me from every angle. I place my hands over my ears to block out the loud whizzing sound.
Then silence follows.
“Skylier, get up.” That's Hayden's voice. I look up and only three guards remain; the other bloody bodies are laid out around me.
“Hayden, is that you?”
The guard lifts his mask up to reveal his face.
“How could you?” I cry, as I swing my hand across his cheek with one loud crack. He stumbles back and his face turns red.
Wasteland: Age of Sanctions (A Invasion Survivor Series) Page 11