by Amy Tintera
“Hey, I was better, right?” he asked.
You’re fine the way you are.
I pushed the thought away, because he wasn’t. He was dead if he wasn’t better.
“Yes. You were better.”
Although I still wasn’t sure it was good enough.
FIFTEEN
I STOLE A GLANCE AT EVER AS I PULLED A SWEATER OVER MY undershirt. She looked more normal today. Balanced, calm, as she tied her shoes.
Too calm.
I didn’t think she slept last night. She was awake when I returned to the room and perched on the edge of her bed when I woke up. She’d been in the same position, staring at the wall, when I returned from my run with Callum.
“Are you ready?” I asked, edging toward the door. She was scaring me. Her eyes were hard and icy and I half expected her to leap up and tear my throat out.
She stood slowly, letting out a little sigh as our eyes met.
Then she stepped forward and hugged me.
I stiffened, waiting for the catch, the real reason for the hug, but she just clung tighter.
I slowly wrapped my arms around her back, gently pressing my hands against the soft cotton of her shirt. She was warm—not Callum-warm, but certainly warmer than me, although her body shook with the intensity of someone who was freezing.
She pulled away and took a deep breath, attempting a smile through the tears that had formed in her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
I heard the crack first. I hit the ground before I realized she’d slammed her foot into my knee, breaking the kneecap.
“Ever, wh—” I pressed my lips together to stop a scream as she grabbed my ankle and broke the other leg with one horrific twist.
I shoved the pain away, relegated it to a part of my brain I didn’t acknowledge. It tickled at me, refusing to be completely ignored, but I was a master at numbing my body.
Ever sent an apologetic look my way as she ran out the door. She was herself. Why would she do that if she were herself?
I gripped the edge of the mattress and struggled to my feet. A grunt escaped my mouth as fresh agony ripped through my legs and I had to cling to the edge of the bed to stay upright.
Gunshot.
My head spun to the door to see the Reboots who’d been walking past freeze in mid-step at the sound.
Silence.
Silence was never good here.
I let go of the bed and promptly crashed to the floor, my broken legs not able to support my weight. I dug my fingers against the cold tile and crawled into the hallway, whipping my head one way and then the other.
The guard at the end of the hall was dead—sprawled out on the floor, a bullet through his head. His gun holster was empty.
“Who did that?” I gasped, even though I knew the answer.
The young Reboot standing a few feet away looked down at me sadly. “Ever.”
I grasped her hand and she jumped, eyes wide with fear, as I used her as support to heave myself to my feet. My bones were beginning to heal, but I still wobbled.
I opened my mouth to ask if she would help me walk when another gunshot sounded. She jerked her hand from mine and sprinted in the opposite direction.
The wall didn’t have much to hold on to so I leaned against it, dragging myself down the hallway. Reboots flew past me, everyone else headed away from the shots. More rang out as I threw open the door to the stairwell. I could walk faster with a solid grip on the railing, and I hobbled down the stairs as quickly as I could.
“Hey,” I said, grabbing Hugo’s arm as he ran up the stairs. “Where is she?”
“She was headed for the cafeteria,” he said, eyebrows lowered as he surveyed me. “What’s wrong with you?”
I felt one of my kneecaps snap into place as it fully healed and I darted down the stairs, dragging the other leg.
“Where are you going?” Hugo yelled after me. “She’s killing guards; you’re gonna get shot!”
His warning faded as I raced through the seventh-floor door. Gunfire exploded in my ears and I looked from left to right frantically.
Two guards lay dead on the floor. Ever stood at the doorway of the cafeteria, a guard’s helmet on her head. Several bullets had dinged it and her white shirt was covered in blood.
A guard flew around the corner and Ever whirled to face him, gun aimed. She fired off a round straight into his chest before he could react. Her face was hard, her lips pursed, her eyes scanning the area for another threat.
But she was still herself.
She reached up and unhooked the helmet, letting it fall to the ground as she pressed her hand to the cafeteria door.
What was she doing? They’d kill her the minute she walked in.
Both my legs had healed and I took off running as she opened the door, trying to yell her name. My voice didn’t work.
“Wren!” I felt a tug on my arm and turned to see Callum’s worried face. I yanked my arm away and bolted after Ever as she stepped into the cafeteria.
“Wren, stop!” Callum’s footsteps followed me.
I burst through the door to see Ever climbing up on a table. She tossed aside the gun and made a gesture at the officers in the little room above the cafeteria like, What are you waiting for?
I ran for her, reaching out for her hand. “Ever, st—” My voice was lost in a barrage of gunshots.
I felt her blood splatter across my face.
Her head flew back.
And then I was on the ground, someone’s arms tight around me, his body shielding mine. I think he was talking, but his words sounded garbled in my ear. His scent was familiar.
Callum.
“Clear the cafeteria.” The sound over the intercom made me jump, the dull human voice piercing the fog.
His arms left, but I couldn’t move.
Clear the cafeteria. I had to walk.
I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t move.
Callum grabbed me by the arms and pulled me to my feet. Cloth against my face, and I opened my eyes to see him using his shirt to wipe away Ever’s blood.
“Walk,” he said.
I blinked and attempted to put one foot in front of the other. I stumbled.
Callum wrapped an arm around my waist and held me against him, dragging me through the doors and out into the hallway.
He pulled me into the boys’ restroom and propped me up next to a sink, slowly slipping his arm from my waist. I leaned against the cool tile wall and closed my eyes, gripping the edge of the sink for support.
I felt something warm and wet on my face and neck and opened my eyes to see him cleaning me with a cloth.
“Are you wearing an undershirt?”
I couldn’t comprehend the strange question. I touched my shirt and my hand came away wet, red. I took in a sharp breath.
He lifted up my shirt in back to check when I didn’t respond. I was. Always.
He pulled off the black top shirt and threw it away, wiping my bloody fingers until they were clean. He tossed the cloth in the trash.
He reached for me and I pushed him away. I thought I might scream if he hugged me, held me close like Ever had a few minutes ago.
No screaming. That was my own rule.
He put his hands on my cheeks instead, making me look into his black eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, close to tears.
I should have been close to tears. Ever would have been. A human would have been bawling.
Crying was the normal thing to do. She deserved tears.
I shook his hands off, pressing my palm to my mouth to stop the scream building in my chest. I couldn’t break down in front of him.
I ran out of the bathroom, keeping my hand against my lips as I leaped up the stairs and headed for my quarters. I curled up on my mattress, pulling the covers over my face so I couldn’t see her empty bed.
But still, no tears came.
SIXTEEN
CALLUM AND I WERE GIVEN AN ASSIGNMENT THAT NIGHT.
&
nbsp; I almost didn’t go. I wanted to crawl back into bed and wait to see if they’d take pity on me and assign a different Reboot to their stupid mission.
But I’d never seen any pity from HARC, and it didn’t seem right to desert Callum. So I pulled on my clothes, plunked my helmet on my head, and trudged across the facility.
HARC had found an adult Reboot living in Rosa and needed him brought in immediately. They didn’t give us specifics, but I suspected they’d use him for testing and then kill him. The hospitals made sure adults didn’t Reboot, but if one died in the city and Rebooted we had to go get him before he started killing people.
Lissy and Ninety-three met us on the roof. Four teenage Reboots for one adult. It was necessary.
“How’s he doing?” Lissy asked me, gesturing at Callum.
I blinked at her. I couldn’t speak. Everything around me felt fake, far away, like if I reached out to touch it my hand would fall straight through.
Lissy peered at me like I was a moron as the shuttle approached. I felt Callum’s hand on my arm and I turned to see a worried look on his face. He’d given me that look all day through training as I halfheartedly threw and dodged punches. He could have hit me multiple times, if he’d wanted to. I couldn’t focus, couldn’t stay in the moment.
The shuttle door slid open and we filed in, sitting when Leb gestured for us to do so. I buckled my strap and leaned back, letting my eyes close.
I’m sorry.
I took in a sharp breath and my eyes flew open at the sound of Ever’s voice. I almost expected her to be in the shuttle with me, her voice was so clear, but only Leb stared back at me.
He was standing right in front of me and I frowned at his closeness. Why wasn’t he in his seat?
“You all right there, One-seventy-eight?” he asked quietly.
Callum hovered next to me. The seats where Lissy and Ninety-three had been sitting were empty. We had landed.
Leb knelt down and unbuckled my strap for me. I slowly got to my feet, confused where the minutes had gone. Nothing made sense.
I staggered out of the shuttle, turning my gaze to the ground when I saw the annoyance on Lissy’s and Ninety-three’s faces.
Callum pulled out his map and pointed west. Lissy and Ninety-three turned to me for confirmation.
I had no idea.
Lissy frowned at me and peeked over Callum’s shoulder. She nodded and began walking west with Ninety-three. They’d dropped us on Main Street, and Lissy veered off the paved road and disappeared onto the dirt street behind a small house.
Callum laced his warm fingers through mine and I started to look down at them as we followed them. I caught myself just in time, snapping my head up before my camera recorded it. Officer Mayer would not approve.
“Is there anything I should know?” he asked, squeezing my hand. “About tonight?”
I didn’t know what he meant.
“Fighting an adult Reboot,” he prompted. He looked down at his assignment slip. “Gregor, adult Reboot.”
I felt an emotion pressing against my chest, and this time I knew exactly what it was. Guilt. I should have prepared him. I shouldn’t just stand there mutely listening to Ever’s voice in my head.
“He won’t run like a human; he will stay and fight if we approach him,” I said, my voice working for the first time all day. “In an adult, the Reboot causes insanity and extreme aggression. We’re ordered to capture if we can, kill if we have to. His strength will depend on whatever his human strength was, because he probably hasn’t been a Reboot long. But he will be quick. The Reboot reflexes kick in right away. Don’t try talking to him. You can’t reason with an adult Reboot. Whoever he was before is gone.”
“Why are the adults different?” he asked.
“They say it’s something to do with our brains not being fully formed. An adult brain can’t handle the Reboot the way a kid’s can.” I shrugged. “I don’t know. I think it’s more about change.”
“Change?”
“My parents always started screaming at each other when something changed. Like if we had to move or if HARC mandated another vaccine they couldn’t afford. But I always just went with it. I think we adapt better.”
A hint of a smile crossed his face. “That makes sense.”
Lissy stopped in front of a house with a crooked roof and sheets covering the two windows in front. I quickly dropped Callum’s hand as she turned. I missed the warmth right away, and I wanted her to point her camera in another direction so I could link my fingers through his again.
“You guys take the back,” she said. “We’ve got the front.”
I nodded and walked around, reaching for Callum’s hand again as soon as we were out of sight. He kept his face pointed straight ahead but tugged me closer, until my shoulder touched his arm.
I closed my eyes briefly, letting the tingles of warmth dance over my skin. I could see Ever in the darkness, feel her hand as it pressed into my back.
I’m sorry.
My eyes popped open as a tiny gasp escaped my mouth. Callum’s eyes were on mine now, full of concern, and I quickly looked away.
“Be prepared to fight,” I said, clearing my throat and trying to push Ever’s voice out of my head.
My hand was poised over the knob of the back door when I heard Lissy scream.
“One-seventy-eight!” Ninety-three yelled.
I took off with Callum close behind, rounding the corner to the front of the house in seconds.
Gregor was huge, so big that Lissy was a doll perched on his back, her arms around his thick neck. His eyes didn’t focus right, like all of the adult Reboots I’d seen, and his mouth hung open, even when he wasn’t growling. He brandished a large knife, wildly swinging it behind him at her.
Ninety-three lunged at him and Gregor whipped the knife in his direction.
I saw Ninety-three’s head snap back as the blade slid in, but I slapped my hands over my eyes before I had to watch him slump to the ground.
“Lissy, get—” Callum’s words cut off as I heard Lissy scream, then another thump.
Take your hands off your eyes.
Move.
My brain wouldn’t communicate with my body, wouldn’t do anything I said. I dug my fingers into my skin, trying to wrench my hands away, but I was frozen.
A grunt from Callum broke the spell. I dropped my hands to see him tear the knife from Gregor’s hand and hurl it as far as he could. Lissy and Ninety-three lay motionless on the ground, and Callum stumbled over the former as Gregor punched him across the jaw.
Callum’s eyes darted to me as he sprung to his feet, his expression clear.
Help me.
My feet worked, even if the rest of me didn’t. I raced across the dirt, launching my foot into Gregor’s stomach. He barely stumbled, his dark Reboot eyes sparkling at the challenge of a fight.
I found I had that in common with adult Reboots. They seemed glad for a fight, eager to release the pent-up aggression and anger inside. I understood that. But tonight I couldn’t find that energy.
Gregor threw a punch. I ducked, but another immediately followed. He’d been trained in combat as a human.
His fist slammed against my cheek and I hit the ground with a grunt.
I wanted to get up faster, to bounce up and revel in the fire of a fight burning in my belly, but my limbs were lead, moving like I was a human.
I was only up on my knees when he kicked me again.
He lifted his foot for another one, but Callum launched himself at the bigger Reboot, taking them both down. He tried to pin him to the ground but Gregor grasped his shirt and tossed him across the lawn.
I managed to stand before Gregor made his way over to me, lifting my fists to protect myself. I had to be faster than him. He was stronger, so I had to be faster.
I scrambled behind him as he swung, giving him a solid kick in the ass. He hit his knees and I reached for my cuffs, relief flooding me.
I yanked one arm behind his back but he
spun around and grabbed my ankle, sending my butt to the ground. His foot connected with my helmet, smashing the camera.
“One-seventy-eight!” Officer Mayer yelled in my ear. “We’ve lost visual on your camera.”
A pair of arms grabbed my waist, dragging me away as Gregor lunged for me. Callum darted around me and threw a punch directly into Gregor’s face.
“One-seventy-eight!” Officer Mayer yelled in my ear.
“He . . . he broke it,” I gasped, the world spinning a bit as I got up.
Callum turned at the sound of my voice and Gregor delivered a massive punch to his stomach, tugging viciously at Callum’s head. He succeeded in getting the helmet off, tossing it aside with a growl.
“One-seventy-eight! Get that helmet back on Twenty-two’s head! All we see is the ground!”
I raced for them, fighting back the urge to rip my com from my ear. I threw myself in between the two Reboots, breaking Gregor’s hold on Callum. I was messy, panicked, my eyes flying to my newbie to see if he was okay. I never saw the punches coming. Only felt the crack as he smashed my nose in.
My face was in the dirt again. I couldn’t remember why I should get up.
“One-seventy-eight!”
Officer Mayer’s voice was distant this time, and I squinted to see my com lying on the ground.
“One-seventy-eight, report—”
I slammed my fist down, the little plastic device making a pleasing crunch sound. I almost smiled, but a hand grabbed my shirt collar and I wiped at my eyes to see Gregor preparing for another hit.
I didn’t care.
Callum grabbed the fist and Gregor let go of me. I collapsed back to the ground. Callum punched Gregor, the hardest hit I’d ever seen come out of him. The bigger Reboot stumbled and Callum struck him again.
“Would you shut up?” Callum yelled. Considering neither Gregor nor I had said a word, I could guess who he was talking to.
He went for a third punch, but Gregor snatched his arm and cracked it.
Callum didn’t even wince. He slammed his palm against the bone, putting it back in place as he kicked Gregor in the stomach. He doubled over in pain and Callum kneed him in the face.