The Legend

by Melissa Delport

  “He would have killed our people!” I snap. “He only wanted our soldiers.”

  “She doesn’t believe that,” Michael explains, flinching at my obvious rage. “She thinks you were mistaken. She said that you rub people up the wrong way all the time. That you make mistakes all the time . . . her words, not mine!” he adds quickly as I snarl at him.

  “Why didn’t you tell me, Michael?” I ask, pulling myself together, although I know that I am effectively asking him why he didn’t betray his sister, which is grossly unfair.

  “I didn’t think she was serious!” he insists. “You know Morgan, she loves being contrary. She’s not happy unless she’s lashing out at someone. I thought it would pass, I thought she’d calm down.”

  “Where is she?”

  “I think she’s gone to our father.”

  The thought that Morgan would seek out her father is shocking.

  “Your father helped Eric Dane kidnap you!”

  “Yeah, I know, but I didn’t really come to any harm with Eric, did I? I mean, he didn’t hurt me, he never used me. He was kinda cool, actually. Not that he didn’t deserve to die,” he adds quickly.

  “The only reason Eric didn’t hurt you is because Rebecca didn’t give him the chance,” Reed reproves softly. “She got both of you out of there before Eric could hurt either of you.”

  “I know that,” Michael reminds us. “It’s Morgan who’s not convinced.”

  “I’m going after her,” I announce and Kwan steps up beside me.

  “I’m coming.”

  I nod. Kwan has always been the one that Morgan respects the most – if anyone can get through to her, it’s him. Reed also gets to his feet, as does Michael. I am faced with a predicament. Letting Michael come with us goes against every instinct, and yet we need him to take us to his childhood home.

  “You stay close to Reed,” I tell him. “Jethro, you stay here and keep an eye on things. And you,” I turn to Archer, “do you think you could maybe not let anyone out of the house while we’re gone?” He casts his eyes down and I take that as a yes. “Okay, let’s go.”

  Michael leads the way. Simon Kelly’s house – the same house where the siblings resided with their mother until she passed away undergoing a procedure that would give her the capacity to heal – is a small modest home with a tidy lawn and white shutters. We take cover in a nearby garden and watch for about ten minutes, but there is no movement from the house and the street remains quiet.

  “Do you think she’s in there?” Michael asks.

  “I have no idea, but there’s only one way to find out. Michael, you stay here.” I emerge onto the street, searching for any signs of danger, but all is quiet. Reed and Kwan fall into step behind me, the only sound our soft footfalls on the tarmac.

  As we draw nearer to the house, the sound of raised voices reaches us.

  “Who were you calling?” Morgan’s voice.

  “Just a friend. I was supposed to meet him for lunch, but obviously I’m not going to make it.” A man answers, no doubt Morgan’s father. There is an interminable pause and then, “Just tell me where they are, Morgan.”

  “Why? What does it matter?”

  “I’ve told you. We only want to talk to them – to explain. Rebecca has twisted everything. President Williams only wants to set the record straight. You know yourself how convincing she can be. It’s not fair on the others who she’s brainwashed. Maybe if we talk to them . . .”

  “I’m not going to tell you where they are. You won’t convince them. Those who are here are the ones most loyal to her. They’ll never believe you, so there’s no point in trying.”

  I take small comfort in the fact that despite Morgan’s abandoning us she will not give him the Carlisles’ address. She obviously doesn’t trust her father entirely if she won’t divulge our location.

  “Okay,” Simon Kelly concedes defeat. “Then at least tell me where the base is. We can help the others. Don’t you want your brother to be safe?” He is targeting her weakness – her unconditional urge to protect Michael.

  “How do I know I can trust you?”

  “Morgan,” his despair is so convincing, “how can you even ask me that? I’m your father.”

  “Your own wife didn’t trust you,” Morgan reminds him, but I have heard enough. Testing the doorknob, confirming it is locked, I kick open the door and enter the house.

  The two are standing in the living room, face to face, but their heads turn at the unexpected sound and Morgan’s eyes widen in surprise.

  “This conversation is over,” I say.

  “Rebecca Dane.” Simon Kelly looks like the cat that got the cream, although a glimmer of fear sparks in his eyes.

  “Morgan, what do you think you’re doing?” Kwan’s voice is heavy with disappointment and Morgan looks contrite for the briefest of seconds, before a determined, stubborn scowl settles on her pretty face.

  “It’s none of your business.”

  “You’re putting all of us at risk,” I correct. “Were you actually going to tell him? Where our people are? After what you saw in Nevada?”

  When NUSA had attacked our Las Vegas headquarters Morgan’s friend Hope had been killed by one of their soldiers. They had held our women and children hostage.

  “That was all your fault!” she hisses, and even though we have never had the easiest relationship, I am startled by the venom in her voice. Her guilt is fuelling her anger. “They only wanted you! To put an end to your lies! And innocent people got hurt.”

  “Morgan,” Kwan begins, but he is interrupted by a younger, more fervent voice.

  “Have you completely lost your mind?” Michael Kelly stalks into the room and stands towering above his sister. For the first time, real fear reflects in Morgan’s eyes.

  “What are you doing here, Michael?”

  “The right thing,” he retorts scathingly, “which is obviously something you’ve forgotten. Why in the hell would you come and see this asshole?” He points his finger at his father.

  “Now see here, boy,” Simon Kelly booms, stepping forward and Reed moves menacingly in his direction. Michael is completely unfazed, but a muscle is going in his jaw.

  “Don’t you ‘boy’ me, you filthy bastard. Morgan,” he turns back to her, “let’s go, let’s just get out of here.”

  “No,” she shakes her head. “We’ve been lied to for too long. I’m tired,” she whimpers, “tired of running, tired of fighting. I’m tired of losing the people that I love. We will be safe here, Michael.”

  “Says who? Him?” Michael glares at his father derisively. “The last time I was in this house he handed me over to Eric Dane!”

  “Eric wanted to protect you,” Simon Kelly finds his voice. “He heard that the Resistance was after you. It was the only way I could keep you safe. From her lot,” he adds, scowling at me.

  “I am her lot,” Michael replies boldly.

  “I am your father, Michael, you will abide by my . . .”

  “If you don’t shut your goddamned mouth I’m gonna shut it for you,” Reed growls, stepping towards Simon, his patience worn thin. Simon shuts up.

  “Michael,” Morgan grabs her brother by the shoulders, “you and me, we are in this together. It’s always been us against the world. You’re young, Michael, you don’t understand how the world works. You need to trust me, I’m doing what’s best for both of us.”

  “And what’s best for you includes handing our people over to NUSA?” I ask.

  “It’s better than what you’ve done to them!” she cries, on the verge of hysteria. “You’re keeping them out there, miserable, struggling for survival. You’ve lied to all of us!”

  “Why don’t you at least let them decide for themselves,” Reed drawls from the corner of the room. “Morgan, you say you want what’s best for everybody, but how is taking away their c
hoice the best thing for them? Do you really think Rebecca would stop any member of our community if they wanted to return to the States?”

  “Yes,” she answers automatically, but her brow narrows as she considers his question, and she convinces no one. “Of course you would take her side,” she points out defensively. “You’ve always been her most ardent follower. Waiting around for any crumbs she decides to throw you. You’re pathetic.”

  “Morgan, you’re resorting to petty name-calling because you’re scared.” Kwan steps forward and gets her undivided attention. “I understand that you’re confused. And scared. We all are. But don’t lose sight of everything we’ve worked for.”

  Kwan’s soft spoken words have more impact than anyone else’s and Morgan seems to hesitate, her face contorted in uncertainty.

  The moment is broken by the sound of tyres squealing outside, and Reed draws back the curtain.

  “They’re here,” he growls, all traces of empathy gone. “He’s turned us in. NUSA’s here.”

  “You called them?” Morgan rounds on her father in outrage.

  “Morgan,” he says briskly, “NUSA is not our enemy. They are.” He points at where we are clustered at the window. I watch as a second Humvee pulls up behind the first and more than a dozen NUSA soldiers step out onto the street.

  “Time to go.” I move away from the window towards the other side of the house as Simon Kelly rushes to the front door to call them inside. Reed knocks him out cold as he reaches for the doorknob.

  “Morgan, come on!” Michael pleads, dragging her by the hand as we spill out the back door and onto the neat lawn.

  “No!” she snatches her hand away and crosses her arms over her chest. “He’s our dad, Michael. He’s telling the truth, I know he is. We’re staying here.”

  “You’re staying here,” Michael corrects sadly, following us to the fence on the far side of the lawn. Reed peers over.

  “All clear,” he whispers.

  “Michael, you can’t!” Morgan’s gasp of astonishment echoes behind me as I vault over the fence. Kwan and Reed land beside me, as agile as two big cats, and I swing around as Morgan tries to restrain Michael. “You can’t leave me,” she pleads.

  “Then come with us!”

  “I can’t. I can’t do it any more. I just want a normal life. You’ve seen how Rebecca’s been acting! She doesn’t care about us, Michael. She doesn’t care about anybody. She’s on a personal revenge mission. Why can’t you see that?” The sounds of voices and commotion inside the house reach us.

  “Michael,” Reed says, rocking on the balls of his feet. I completely understand his agitation – we need to leave, now.

  “I’ll call them,” Morgan hisses through the fence. “You take my brother and I swear to God I’ll scream to high heaven. They’ll catch all of you.” Her desperation is tangible and Kwan looks pained.

  “No, you won’t,” Michael murmurs and then the sound of a soft thud has me leaping up onto the fence. I peer over and see Michael lowering Morgan gently to the ground. Her body is limp, but she’s only unconscious. I’m stunned. Morgan has always been the stronger of the two siblings – both physically and mentally.

  “You knocked her out?” Reed’s voice is disbelieving beside me. “I’m impressed. I’ll admit it, kid, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

  Michael angrily brushes a tear from his eye and then without another word, he vaults over the fence and we sprint away from his father’s house. And away from his sister.

  chapter 19

  The mood back at the Carlisles is sombre. Archer is devastated by Morgan’s defection and Michael, despite the astounding strength of character he displayed earlier, is in a bad way.

  “We can’t stay here,” Kwan voices what we all know to be true. We have gathered once more in the kitchen so that the Carlisles will not overhear us. “If Morgan tells them . . .”

  “I know,” I nod, all too aware of Michael’s look of despair at the thought that his sister might betray us. “We’ll go to Jupiter’s. It’s just one night – we’re leaving early tomorrow morning.” I am enormously relieved that, because of the presence of the Carlisles, we never mentioned exactly where Jupiter’s lab is situated.

  “We’re really going to leave her here?” Archer still cannot believe it.

  “She hasn’t given us a choice.”

  “I hate to be the bearer of doom and gloom,” Reed interrupts, “but has anyone considered that if Morgan does choose to air all our dirty little secrets to daddy and co. we have a far bigger problem. What if she tells them about the base?”

  “She won’t,” Michael insists. “She’s not a bad person, you guys. She won’t give them all up. She has friends back home too, she wouldn’t betray them.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Reed replies, as I loosen Richard’s ropes, “because there’s no way we can move that many people in time to avoid any threat that might be heading their way. We’ll be lucky to make it back before NUSA does, if they discover our location.”

  The thought is sobering but there is nothing for it. We will just have to hope and pray that Morgan isn’t going to sing from the rooftops.

  “You should be able to work your way out of those,” I tell Richard as the others head for the door. “Thank you both for your hospitality.”

  Lucy glares at me but Richard says nothing and I am almost certain I detect a glimpse of grudging respect in his eyes as I turn away. I am almost out of the room when he calls my name. I turn back and he eyes me meditatively.

  “There’s talk that a large group of NUSA soldiers spoke out against the new presidency,” he states conversationally. “From what I hear they were exiled – sent out through the Missouri fences into the Kentucky wasteland. You didn’t have anything to do with that, did you?”

  I am wondering why on earth he is telling me all this, but as Lucy turns to gauge my answer Richard uses her momentary distraction to give an almost imperceptible nod of his head. Richard is giving me information, I realise – information that could help me. Conscious of his wife’s confused suspicion, I shake my head exaggeratedly.

  “No, I didn’t,” I reply, fixing him with a hard stare. There is no way to convey to him that I understand his message, so I settle for “thank you – both of you” hiding my gratitude under the guise of their hospitality.

  The second we are out on the street I fill the others in.

  “You’re saying there’s a group of disgraced NUSA soldiers out in the Rebeldom?” Reed immediately grasps the significance of this information. “They must be pretty pissed at NUSA.” He grins.

  “How many?” Kwan is ever the voice of reason.

  “I’m not sure,” I admit, “but from the way Richard spoke, I think there are quite a few.”

  “Military men need a purpose.”

  “Yes, they do,” I agree. “And I think we can give them one.”

  If Jupiter is surprised by the arrival of seven unexpected overnight guests, he doesn’t show it, but he does do one thing that startles me.

  “Hello, Michael,” he greets him familiarly the instant he lays eyes on him. Michael looks slightly alarmed, but he meets Jupiter’s gaze coolly.

  “Do I know you?”

  “I knew your mother,” Jupiter explains. “She was an amazing woman. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “You knew my mother?”

  “Where do you think you got your ability, son? Speed, if I recall correctly. Strength for your sister . . . where is she?” he adds, looking past us to the empty corridor behind.

  “Not here,” I interject quickly in a tone that makes it clear it is not up for discussion.

  “You Gifted my family?” Michael asks incredulously. “Then my mother . . . she . . . she died here?”

  “Yes,” Jupiter nods. “She was strong and determined, I had a good feeling about her. Sadly,
I overestimated her. Her body could not endure the process. I felt bad about it,” he adds generously, “which is why I didn’t expect you or Morgan to pay off her debt.”

  “Her debt?”

  “Gifting comes with a price here,” Kwan reminds and Michael looks shocked.

  “My mother offered you payment?”

  “She was to serve in my personal security detail,” Jupiter replies. “She negotiated a term long enough that would ensure you and your sister safe-keeping here in SubTropolis until you both reached the age of twenty-one.”

  “And then what?”

  “I believe her intention was to find the infamous Resistance faction,” Jupiter turns his attention to me, “but it seems you managed that all on your own. You mother would be proud,” he places his hand briefly on Michael’s shoulder.

  Uncomfortable with the familiar gesture, Michael moves away, closer to Kwan.

  “Thank you for taking us in,” I change the subject.

  Jupiter very kindly provides food and accommodation, which is comfortable if nowhere near as luxurious as the Carlisles’ apartment. As I settle into my own room, which is more a cubicle built with dry wall, Reed steps through the door, dropping his head to avoid hitting it on the low frame.

  “Think he based the modelling on his own height?” he grins, referring to Jupiter’s diminutive stature.

  “Probably.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m not here to test your resolve,” he adds as he takes a seat on the edge of the bed. “I don’t expect you to throw any crumbs my way today.” His tone is light, but a nasty clawing in my belly reminds me of Morgan’s words earlier. “Don’t,” he drawls, as usual sensing what I am thinking. “She was just lashing out.”

  “She was right though. I have been acting just like that. Only concerned about myself, about finding Kenneth.”

  “That was only a drop in the ocean, Tiny. A knee-jerk reaction to what you had been through. We all know you’re not really like that. Even Morgan knows, deep down.”