Arach caught on to her game, tapping his foot every few minutes to irritate Piper. It became a challenge between them to see who could get the best reaction from him as he first lectured, then ignored them.
Peep wondered if Arach had a plan or if he was just messing with Piper. She still needed to find a way out. Piper turned to speak to her, interrupting her thoughts as Mac walked back in. He nodded that Piper should follow.
Piper rolled his eyes.
“What is it?” he shook his head as if he were talking to a five-year old that didn’t follow simple directions.
“They’re here.” Mac finally said, unsure if he should admit that bit of information in front of the captives.
Piper’s face lit up with delight, his entire demeanor shifting.
“Well now, that’s a different story,” he said gleefully.
He tapped the ends of his fingertips together like the old-fashioned villains would do in black and white movies. Peep could picture him dressed in black, wearing a top hat with a curled mustache.
Piper turned to stride out the door. He didn’t glance back.
Once the room was clear, Arach moved into action. He rose to his feet, adjusting his hands as low as possible. Sitting on the edge of the seat with his hands below the chair, he worked his way through his arms, contorting his legs to snake his feet through his muscles. With his hands in front of him, he quickly sat back down.
“Play along,” he muttered, leaning back against his seat.
Confused, Peep just stared. She had no idea how that had been so quick for Arach. Had she tried to work her arms in front of her, she would have fallen off the chair and caused such a commotion that Piper would have come running back into the room.
Arach sat there as if nothing happened. He stared straight ahead. After a moment, he relented, speaking to her.
“Listen carefully,” he said quietly. “They’re here, which means they’ll be coming for us soon. I don’t know what we’ll find out there, but they’re going to try to use us as leverage. Just keep your head down.”
“What do you mean?” Peep gritted her teeth, waiting for an answer she probably wouldn’t like.
“You want to get back to your friends, right?”
“Right,” Peep confirmed.
“Then keep your head down and don’t cause a scene unless I tell you to. We have to play by their rules for this. Promise me, Peep. Promise you won’t pull anything unless I direct you to.”
Arach glanced at her from the corner of his eye, attempting to hold his lips still as he spoke. He felt safe enough to communicate, but still assumed they could be monitoring them and took precautions.
“I can’t promise that,” Peep admitted. “Who is here?”
Arach didn’t have time to answer. Several guards walked in, weapons ready.
“Up,” they commended.
Arach stood quietly, following orders. Peep rolled her eyes dramatically, throwing a little fit before standing. She wasn’t going to make this easy on them.
Her dark purple petticoat crashed above her knees when she finally rose, her flouncy lavender skirt moving on top of it. She swished her hands dramatically in front of her, running the backs of her fingers along her skirts to smooth them, making everyone watch her. She smiled sarcastically, tossing her purple and brown locks.
She reached up, angling her elbows to the side so she could smooth down the front of her tailored, button-down shirt. Her brass buttons popped against the light purple dress shirt, the cords making her look like an old-school ringmaster. She could only reach the lowest few buttons with the way her hands were fastened together.
She flashed an award-winning smile laced with poison at the men. They approached her, grabbing her elbows as the forced her toward the door. She held back her rage and convinced herself not to elbow them. Arach shook his head at her defiance.
“Move,” one of the men said.
“LET GO!” PEEP PROTESTED as the men dragged her through the door. She struggled to work against them as they propelled her forward.
It was cool. The breeze smacked her in the face, sending her brown hair whipping back into one of the guard’s eyes. He yelped.
“Don’t,” Arach warned sharply. “Piper needs her.”
The man swore behind her.
“What is the meaning of this?” Peep demanded.
Piper stood with a device in his hand. He spoke into a microphone as he watched a picture on his screen. The man strode toward the wall.
When he reached it, a panel slid open revealing the outside world. Grass gently blew in the background, highlighted by the light. Piper’s head immediately blocked Peep’s view, cutting her off.
“So feisty, Muffet. However do the Legends get anything accomplished with a leader like you?” Piper lifted himself up to get a better view.
Peep gasped. Fet was on the other side of the wall, her muffled voice coming through the now open panel. Piper yelled back, anger and fury overcoming him. Every muscle in his body tensed as he rocked back off his tiptoes.
A male voice answered him back only to have Piper threaten him.
“You’d better pray you can figure out the code then, or your people are dead.” He held a hand in the air, ready to signal his guards. Peep prepared herself for whatever that motion might mean for her survival.
“Spider, get out!” Arach yelled, scaring her and the guards.
Two men clamped down on Arach’s arms and shoulders, trying to force him to the ground. Even with two of them, Arach held his position.
Whether she could trust Arach or not, she needed him now. Her attention divided between listening for Fet, hoping she would figure out how to pass the plan along to her and trying to silently make a plan with Arach. Barely able to hear Fet, she chose to latch on to Arach’s gaze. He was smart enough to know how to break out of captivity and make it through the doors. She hoped part of that plan involved getting the doors open in the first place.
“Who is your leader, Muffet?” Piper yelled. “If you fail, I’ll kill them both.”
“Not if we kill you first,” the man shouted back.
“Tell me who it is!” Piper practically stomped his foot. Peep rolled her eyes at the absurdity.
“Send them out first!”
“I have the code! Send them out!” Fet’s voice was chilling. She couldn’t give the code to Piper.
Over her dead body.
Peep got ready to make a break for it, hoping a solid blow to the man’s face as she whipped her head back would give her just long enough to attack Piper. Getting out was no longer her goal, preventing Piper from getting the code was.
“System override in one minute,” a mechanical voice filled the yard.
Great, a time limit.
She caught Arach’s eye just long enough to start her own count down, mouthing numbers.
The click of the door, followed by a loud whoosh startled them. Everyone looked to the right as their path to freedom magically opened.
There was a change.
Peep could see Fet, kneeling on the ground in her hot pink plaid skirt, as she leaned over just enough to see inside. Her eyes widened when she connected with Peep.
From that distance, it didn’t look like Fet was hurt, but she couldn’t be sure.
“Code, Muffet, then you can have your pathetic friends back,” Piper leered at her.
“You’re so willing to kill for what you want. Is it worth it?” Fet growled angrily at him, looking ready to pounce.
“Fet.” Peep glared, willing her to listen.
“Gaining my freedom back?” Piper tipped his head, pretending to be thoughtful. “Yes. It’s worth it. After what they did to me…they deserve it. They took everything from me.”
“Says the man in a walled-in compound,” Fet challenged.
“My price for my silence. No matter though.” He tipped his chin slightly to the side, surveying the situation. “It will all be over soon and I can live anywhere I like. I’ll control everything.”
“You used to protect people,” Fet came alive, animatedly speaking. “That’s why I’m here, isn’t it? Your little failsafe for keeping the system and people protected. What changed?”
“They did,” he said, almost sadly. “They took everything from us. So what if there are a few deaths along the way to taking back our system from them? I’m going to set everyone free.”
“By ruling over them?” Fet sneered.
“I can keep them safe,” Piper said as if he cared.
“By controlling them?” Fet accused the man in front of her.
“By controlling you all.” His words were chilling. “Now finish it.”
“Fet, don’t you dare!” Peep struggled against the guards, knowing it was her only chance. The man next to Fet locked eyes with someone to Peep’s left.
“System override in ten seconds.”
If Peep could have destroyed the alarm that went off, she would have made that priority even over the codes. She never was one to tolerate alarms.
“Now or never, Muffet,” Piper yelled.
The guards raised their weapons toward Peep and Arach, making the situation more dangerous than Peep had anticipated. She knew Piper would never let her out alive, but she had pictured a more dramatic demise for herself.
Fet turned and started entering the code, bending to Piper’s will. Enraged, Peep watched. She was horrified that her friend would give control over to Piper just to save her. She wished Piper had killed her earlier and prevented this.
Peep felt dizziness wash over her, as Fet rocked back, no longer pressing the keys. It was done.
“No!” She fell to her knees, dragging the guards down with her.
Seeing an advantage, she broke free, barreling toward the compound. If she could get inside to the system, she might be able to undo the damage, or at least minimize some of it.
“Arach!” a voice yelled moments before she was lifted into the air.
The tall boy spun her, setting her back on her feet as he pulled her toward the door to the outside. She had no choice but to follow as he dragged her along.
A boy with dark hair, long on one side and short on the other, held the door open, wedging himself between it and the wall. Fet raced around him, holding off the guards as Arach pushed her forward.
In a moment of pure insanity, Arach leapt over the boy’s legs, propelling Peep forward as part of the jump. She sailed through the air, stumbling as she hit the ground on the other side.
Peep turned just in time to see Fet make the jump. The boy fell as the door closed. Peep’s friend pulled the boy along behind her, narrowly avoiding being squished between the closing metal.
“Run,” he yelped.
Arach guided them to the tall grass, moving quickly away from the compound. With each step, Peep’s anger grew. She held in her screams.
She stumbled twice, catching herself before she fell. It only added to her frustration.
When they finally slowed, she turned on Fet.
“How could you?” she screamed.
“Relax, Peep. You have so little faith.” Fet grinned sarcastically.
“She set up a back door,” the boy interjected.
Peep’s cheeks grew red in fury.
“And just who are you?” She turned to face him.
“That’s my brother,” Arach turned to her.
“The one that works for Piper?” She attempted to evaluate the situation, still unsure of whom to trust.
“Worked.” Spider held up a finger in protest. “Double agent.”
“Triple agent.” Fet looked amused.
“Wait a minute.” Peep realized who he was. “I know you. You’re one of the recruits!”
She squinted, looking closely at him.
“Can we skip that and get to the part about the backdoor?” Arach redirected, demanding answers.
“Fet used the Irex to create a backdoor,” Spider announced.
“Irex?” Arach’s shock was obvious.
Peep realized what Fet had done.
“You went…?”
She waited as Fet explained what she had done. Peep was annoyed that Fet had taken Spider to their hidden sanctuary, but she held her tongue.
“Now we have to get back to the Hub and fix this.”
“You’re sure we can take him down?” Peep asked, praying Fet had set everything up the right way in order to destroy the Piper.
“Now that you’re here, I’m positive. You’ve got the real code, after all.” Fet grinned.
“Well then, let’s go run the Piper off a cliff.” Peep nodded.
PEEP WAS SHOCKED BY the insanity that surrounded the Hub. People were fighting everywhere. At least it might make a good cover.
“Stay here,” Peep commanded.
They slipped further back into the shadows as Peep made her way toward the building. She crept quietly to the side, sliding along the outside wall until she reached the door.
Breaking in was easy. No one was watching the side door; they were outside, dealing with the masses. The door clicked shut behind her as she glanced around. Taking a breath, she steeled herself and set out to find Nim.
Her contact had to be around there somewhere. He would have transferred to the Hub with the other Coats. Peep just needed to find him without getting caught. Spying a bag on the floor, she made sure the coast was clear and rushed to it. Inside she found what she was looking for.
Entering into a secure channel, she sent a coded message to Nim. Peep dropped the device back inside the bag and settled it back on the floor. She rocked back on her heels to steady herself as she stood.
Nim arrived a moment later, finding Peep attempting to hide in the shadowy corner of the room. He limped inside, brushing his hand through his brown hair.
“I’m here,” he whispered once he was sure they were alone.
“I need to get my people inside,” Peep said, not bothering with pleasantries.
Nim nodded, taking a step back so Peep could lead.
“Who is with you?” Nim asked as they navigated the halls.
“Fet and two others,” Peep responded.
“Who are the others?”
“They’re not ours.” Peep watched for his reaction.
“Who are they, Peep?” he insisted, momentarily putting a hand on the small of her back to let her know he wasn’t giving up on his line of questioning.
“Their names are Arach and Spider,” she sighed. “They’re brothers.”
Nim’s head whipped around to face her.
“Wanderers,” he whispered.
Peep breathed sharply.
“I know them,” Nim said quietly before she could ask. “I’ve been watching them.”
“What do you mean?” Peep asked as they neared the door.
“I had been monitoring them to make sure they wouldn’t come after us. There was a raid, but I didn’t do anything about it because they weren’t Legends. I didn’t know how bad it would be until after. Peep,” he paused sadly, “most of them didn’t survive. That’s why they’ve been so quiet.
“I started watching Spider and Arach after the raid. I wanted to make sure they were okay after losing their family. I’ve seen them working on the inside. I even helped them out once or twice. They’re trying to bring down the Piper.”
“That’s who did…this.” Peep waved her hand around, indicating that the madness had been created at Piper’s hands.
“I see,” Nim nodded, opening the door. He filled her in on more details before adding, “Well, we can trust Spider and his brother. I’ve watched them long enough to know they would be good assets for us.”
“Noted,” Peep said as she darted into the open, Nim dropped his limp, keeping up with her.
“He can get us in,” Peep announced once she reached Fe
t and the boys.
When the group arrived at the door, Peep nodded to Fet, letting her know that Spider and Arach would be allowed to continue on with them. Peep lingered behind as Fet and Nim talked quietly. She could tell the moment Fet realized she was talking to Nim, her entire body nearly jumping out of her skin in excitement. She tried to suppress her grin, shaking her head.
When their contact left, Peep positioned herself next to Fet so they could talk. She filled her in on what Nim had told her about their newest members.
“He started watching them and says they are clear. We can trust them.” She released her grip on Fet’s arm as they found the room containing the Irex.
Peep helped Fet to restore the wires to their proper places, trying to activate the machine that had been disabled as Spider and Arach kept an eye on things.
“What did you use?” Peep questioned.
“The Way,” Fet replied.
Peep stepped back with her.
“Seriously? Your plan was to unplug the cords and use the Way?” Peep rolled her eyes dramatically.
“Just stop talking and take back the system,” Fet waved her hand at Peep condescendingly, making Peep roll her eyes again.
Fet retreated to stand by the boys, allowing Peep space to work. As much as she loved her friend, Peep was not a fan of having people hover over her while she worked. Perhaps that was why she and Fet got along so well—they were similar.
The codes spun, flashing before Peep’s eyes in a whirlwind of numbers. Her hands flew over the keys, pounding out codes to counteract the system.
Close.
“Ready,” Peep yelped, not expecting to need Fet so soon.
They fought the system together, attempting to regain power from Piper. Altering the codes, they reworked the entire system.
“Spider!” Fet yelled, realizing they needed another set of hands.
Peep had trouble breathing after awhile, warmth building up in the room, multiplied by the odd angle at which the three were bent over the Irex system. Peep bumped into her, accidentally elbowing her. Her fingers nearly slipped, but she caught them in time, avoiding what could have been a disastrous error in the code.
“Almost there,” Peep announced when she saw the final parts of the code.
And They'll Come Home Page 3