The Kota

by Sunshine Somerville

  Gwen leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Ryu.” She hopped to her feet. “Let’s get back so Daddy can give you more instructions.”

  Ryu also got up and walked back with her along the dock. They slipped their shoes back on, then walked up the dirt road leading to town. Wild fields and trees lay on either side of the road.

  I have a million questions, he thought, but I don’t know where to start. Gwen now seems like quite a different girl, with quite a different family dynamic.

  He laughed and ran a hand through his hair. “And here I thought I was a hot commodity in this little town. Really, you’re just using me to get a message out.”

  “Hey, buster, I’m the one who should feel used in this scenario. I love my daddy, but ‘Gwen, we need to put a pretty face on the request’ is getting a little old.”

  Ryu laughed at her impression of Mr. Bennett as they rounded a bend into town. “So I’m not the first-”

  They both stopped when they saw the main street ahead.

  Five Dominion patrol vehicles were parked in the middle of town, and drones ran from building to building, guns drawn. Gunshots erupted from a side street with houses, and locals ran screaming.

  “Oh, no.” Gwen took off like a shot.

  Her speed shocked Ryu until he realized he was witnessing her MOB ability, but he regrouped and ran after her toward the hotel. Gwen ran straight down the middle of the road at such incredible speed that the drones couldn’t catch her. Ryu, meanwhile, ducked from cover to cover whenever the drones weren’t looking.

  He ran behind one parked vehicle and saw a frightened little boy lying on the back seat. The boy looked at him with eyes wide, and Ryu raised a finger to his lips while motioning for the boy to stay down. Then he spun out around the vehicle and ran to hide behind a Dominion patrol vehicle just as a pair of drones emerged from the grocery store. They crossed the street to another building. This left the street momentarily empty, and Ryu dashed out and ran in the direction of the hotel.

  He reached the building just as a window was shot out from the second story. He covered his head to block the raining glass and jumped under the overhang in front of the main doors. Throwing these open, he entered in time to see Gwen’s oldest brother throw a drone out the open lobby window.

  “Hey, Ryu!” called the young man. “Gwen’s out back!”

  As if they’re having a party, thought Ryu.

  He ran across the lobby to the central hall. This led to the kitchen, the dining room, and the back exit, which led out to a patio. He saw a drone run from the dining room, pursued by two Bennett brothers. They were as quick as their sister. Then, from out back, Ryu heard a gunshot. He ran for the back exit and felt a tingling burn as he kicked open the door to jump outside.

  By some miracle, he’d aimed just right to throw himself on a Dominion operative, who had a gun aimed at Gwen, her mother, and youngest brother. The operative turned in surprise as Ryu flew into him, and they fell backward over a patio chair. The gun flew from the operative’s grip.

  “Get him, Bear!”

  Ryu looked up from wrestling the operative and saw Carey, the youngest Bennett. The boy had a smile on his face as he cheered for Ryu. This was such a familiar motivation that Ryu lost any fear and went to town on the operative.

  The man was tough, though, and got in punches of his own. A MOB, his fist that connected with Ryu’s cheekbone had sharp scales. These tore into Ryu’s face, and he almost fell over from the blow. That gave the operative time to reach and grab his gun. Instead of aiming it at Ryu, he snarled and aimed at Carey.

  “No!” Mrs. Bennett shoved Gwen out of danger and used her own body to block Carey.

  With one final blow, Ryu punched straight down into the operative’s chest. He felt ribs crack. The operative gasped, dropped the gun, and slumped back on the ground. Dead.

  Ryu scrambled off the man and looked at the lifeless body’s concave chest.

  Oh, man, he thought. I killed him. I’ve never…

  A hand placed on his back startled him, but he had enough composure not to knock Gwen to the ground.

  “Thank you,” said Gwen. “We-”

  More gunshots inside the hotel caught their attention.

  Mr. Bennett appeared from around the corner. The burly man’s arm was bleeding, but he hurried over to check his wife and youngest son. “Get him to the bunker, Diane.”

  “Get the rest and meet me there soon.” Mrs. Bennett, with a quick smile at Ryu, picked up Carey. Then she ran with MOB speed across the back yard, through a gate, and disappeared beyond in the trees.

  “Bear.” Mr. Bennett came to shake his hand. He didn’t seem worried about his boys still fighting inside the hotel. “Gwen tells me you’ve agreed to help us.”

  Ryu nodded with a glance for support at Gwen. “Yes, sir.”

  “Thank you, son. Once you get to Angeles, go to Echo Park and ask around for Samson. He’s the one you’ll need to give our message. Remember, they have to be out of there by next week.”

  “Echo Park. Samson. Out by next week. Got it.” Ryu gave a nod and tried to look sure of himself.

  More gunshots came from inside the hotel. Gwen handed her father a gun and checked her own.

  “Well, Ryu, it was nice meeting you.” Mr. Bennett gave Ryu a final nod and charged back into the hotel to help his boys.

  Ryu turned to Gwen. “What can I do?”

  “You’re doing it.” Gwen clearly wanted to go help her family, but she looked up at Ryu. “We think Elite Dhar figured out we’re rebels when his operative disappeared after staying at our hotel. These guys were sent to squash our rebellion. You need to get out of here before they figure out you’re one of us.”

  One of us, thought Ryu. Just like that, am I a rebel?

  He looked over at the dead operative.

  “Ryu.” Gwen shook him to look back at her. “Don’t worry about us. People in this town have been gunning for a fight for a long time. We’ll have to leave town and go into hiding, but it’ll be worth it.” She slapped him on the arm. “Now get out of here.” With that, she smiled and ran into the hotel after her father.

  Ryu let out a huff and turned to run through the back gate.

  16

  “Together now”

  Alex had been in Chi for a week. In El Miret, she’d found a women’s shelter and worked for clothes and lodging, saving up enough for public transport to Chi. Problem was, now she had no idea how to get out of Chi.

  She stood at her high hotel window that overlooked the border wall running along the southwestern edge of the region. From what she could tell, it was impossible to cross undetected. A security drone station with scanners blocked the main highway leading south. She’d heard on the streets that no one without an ID tag was allowed to leave without an inquiry. She still technically had an ID tag, but she’d confirmed that her account was dead when she’d first tried to buy a transport ticket. This made her plans to escape Malice’s region rather tricky.

  I have to leave, she thought. I have to get to Angeles.

  She had one source of hope.

  Once she’d recovered from the shock of teleporting to El Miret, Alex had gone to the women’s shelter. Here she’d discovered once again that her telepathy was far stronger than ever before. When she’d looked in the eyes of the women at the shelter, she heard their thoughts without trying. It was overwhelming, but once shut up in her own room for the night she’d closed her eyes and drank in the glorious stillness. Then, she’d sensed something. It was faint, but it felt familiar, comforting. She’d closed all else out of her mind and realized she was sensing her mind link with Ryu. It had only the strength of a whisper, and she didn’t sense him anywhere near. But he was out there, somewhere.

  The next day Alex had walked around El Miret, trying to think like her brother. That was when she’d seen a sign for the Shack. Of course Ryu would use his strength to survive, and the Shack would’ve been the perfect place to earn kronar. She’d walked to
the Shack and used her telepathy to scan the crowds for any knowledge of Ryu. To her surprise, everyone in the stands knew her famous brother. She’d spoken with the owner and learned from Lewk that Ryu had left El Miret, traveling west with the intention of reaching Angeles. So, that’s where Alex had to go. She’d missed Ryu in El Miret by a few weeks, so she hoped to follow news of him from place to place and catch up with him.

  And I can teleport, Alex thought as she looked at the border wall.

  She was only a little less frightened by this ability now, but at least she knew how it happened. If she pictured a place she’d been to before, she somehow saw the place as it actually was, at that moment. Then, she could teleport to that place. She’d dared to practice a few times in El Miret, going from the women’s shelter to the street and back again. Now in Chi, she practiced by visiting places across the city, building up a catalog of sorts, and teleporting to these places from her hotel room. She’d even teleported from Chi to El Miret and back to Chi. But she’d never been any farther. She had no way to teleport outside Malice’s region.

  Could I teleport out if I can at least see a place beyond the wall? she thought. I don’t have a good vantage point even from up here. Down on the ground I don’t fare any better.

  With a sigh, Alex turned from her hotel window and walked to the kitchenette. It was a very nice hotel. She felt guilty about it, but she’d used her telepathy on the concierge and discovered that the owner of the hotel had a granddaughter whom none of the hotel staff had seen. Thereafter, she’d become Georgiana Kane. Alex didn’t plan on abusing this power for long, but at least she felt safe, for now. She’d made mind links with all staff she interacted with, so she was sure she’d hear warning if the truth was discovered. For the time being, she allowed herself to rest and eat a few decent meals.

  I need time to prepare for whatever comes once I get outside Chi, she thought. If I get outside Chi.

  After eating a quick lunch, Alex changed into clothes she’d bought on the Kane tab at various boutiques around Chi. She had to look the part if she was going to pull this off. Still, she knew she enjoyed this part of her adventure a little too much.

  But I’m alone, she thought. With strange abilities. In a strange new city. All the clothes in the world can’t make me feel…

  Dressed in a floral dress with a scarf tied over her hair, she slipped on sunglasses and picked up her purse, which cost more than everything she’d ever owned. Now in disguise, she exited the hotel room.

  Alex greeted staff working in the halls, took the elevator to ground level, and stepped out into a bustling, gorgeous lobby.

  “I’m late for-”

  “She looks awful in those pants!”

  “Where am I going again?”

  “How-”

  “Today is-”

  Alex closed her eyes to stop looking into people’s thoughts. She focused on her own thoughts and blocked out everyone else’s. Opening her eyes again, she started again across the hotel lobby. The doorman smiled and opened the door to the sunny sidewalk, and Alex stepped out into the fresh air. She took a deep breath before turning up the street.

  Chi was completely unlike El Miret. Malice had poured his region’s finances into restoring the metropolis. The cement under Alex’s heels wasn’t even dirty. Hovering filters purified the air streets, and noise-canceling machines hung off the skyscrapers. The shining sun lit the streets by day, old-fashioned lampposts by night. Public shops and businesses lined the street Alex walked down, and many well-dressed people strolled along the walkway. No one looked afraid. No one looked poor. Everyone was clearly in the Dominion’s favor. Alex had visited every part of this city and seen much the same splendor. She’d walked through the old parks, which held almost as much rich foliage as she remembered from back home. Along the northern edge of the city, the great lake reflected twinkling sunlight off its perfect blue waves.

  Alex walked along the streets and marveled at all this anew.

  It’s like a different world, she thought. No wonder so many people bow to the Dominion, when they’re given this kind of life. But they sacrifice their freedom. Say what you want about our little village, but we were left alone to live as we pleased…mostly.

  Alex turned down a street that led to the quieter residential neighborhoods. She was aiming toward the border wall, but she’d taken different paths the past couple of days. She hoped this looked less obvious to anyone observing her. Today, she walked uphill along a row of houses where families were busy at various activities in their yards, and she smiled at the locals as she passed.

  “Oh, my gosh,” thought one woman. “That’s Georgiana Kane. I recognize her from the boutique yesterday!”

  Crap, thought Alex. Picking a debutante to impersonate maybe wasn’t a good idea. If the real Kanes hear about this…

  She hurried to the street that ran along the border wall. On this sidewalk, she stopped as if admiring the scene. A park lay between the sidewalk and the border wall. Alex pretended to watch the people in the park while she really examined the wall behind them. There were no breaks. Ivy ran up the wall in great patches, but nowhere was it high enough to climb.

  It’s like this everywhere, she thought. I’d never be able to climb over the thing.

  At the end of the park, the wall curved to intersect the street. Here, a security station blocked the exit with a gate. Alex knew from maps that, on the other side of the gate, the street became the main highway running south. But she couldn’t see beyond the gate. The station was angled so that only a vehicle at the gate could see out. And Alex didn’t dare risk getting that close without a plan.

  Freedom is right there, she thought. Right on the other side of that wall. But I can’t teleport out if I can’t see where I’m going.

  Sirens blared somewhere farther in the city. Alex turned on the sidewalk, and people from the park joined her as a patrol vehicle from the wall’s security station shot off and flew down the street.

  “I wonder what’s up?” said a man to his friend.

  “Probably some rebel trying to get out of the region,” the friend answered.

  “The scanners must’ve picked them up when they got close to the wall.”

  Alex glanced at her hand with the useless ID tag.

  At least I’m not in danger of that, she thought. And I’m not a rebel, anyway. Not really. I’m more like an amped up common thief. That seems so selfish. I’ve stolen clothes, a hotel room, nice meals… People are trying to escape this city to save their families. What more can I do, though? I need to get to Ryu. That’s all I can think about or I’ll get myself killed, captured, factored, or abducted. The Dominion-

  Alex accidentally looked in the eyes of a woman standing beside her.

  “That was them!” the woman was thinking. “They’ll be caught. We’ll be next. We’ll never get out! Oh, Khoale, I’ve failed you… I’ll never show you the ponies. I’ll never see the ranch again. Mom won’t ever know what happened to us.”

  Alex examined the woman. She wore her hair twisted up to expose a lovely, middle-aged face. She wasn’t well-dressed for Chi, but she blended in well enough.

  The woman turned back into the park and walked over the grass. Her strides were uneven as she tried to hurry without looking like she was running away. She aimed for a young boy playing with a large ball.

  Poor woman, thought Alex. Oh. Could I? Oh!

  Alex hurried out of the growing crowd and caught up with the woman as she reached the boy. “Excuse me.”

  The woman pulled the boy close and faced Alex. “What do you want?”

  “I…”

  “Is she an operative?” thought the woman. “I’ll fight her and make Khoale run if I have to!”

  “I’m not an operative,” Alex blurted. She made a face at herself, trying to figure out what to say.

  Am I feeling her nervousness or my own? she thought.

  She faced the woman again. “Listen, I’m sorry if I’m frightening you, but I think w
e might be able to help each other. Are you trying to get out of this region? So am I. I know this will sound crazy-”

  “Who are you?”

  “My name is Alex Collins. I’m… I’m nobody.”

  “Then why should I trust you?” The woman pulled the boy closer. She looked past Alex at the pedestrians gathered along the sidewalk to watch the chase in the streets.

  Alex glanced back and knew she should hurry. But she also needed to stay calm and not frighten the woman. “What’s your name?”

  The woman took a breath. “Meadow. This is my son, Khoale. We were supposed to meet two men here to take us outside the wall. My… They killed my husband for hiding MOB refugees. My son and I barely escaped. Now…” She bit her lip and held her son close.

  Another siren blared in the distance. Closer now.

  “Meadow, where were you trying to go? Do you have somewhere to hide outside this region?”

  Meadow was near tears, her expression hopeless. “Why should I trust you?”

  Alex concentrated on the woman’s eyes. She pushed her telepathy to its new strength and projected her thoughts into Meadow’s mind. “I can get us out of here. Please, Meadow, you have to trust me.”

  The woman gasped and took a step back. When she had control of herself again, she asked, “How’d you do that?”

  Yet another siren blared down the street.

  “I’m a telepath,” Alex explained quickly. “Listen, Meadow, we don’t have much time if those men are caught. I need your help. And I can help you. I think I can teleport us out of this region if you let me look in your mind. I heard you thinking of a ranch. Is that right? Is this ranch somewhere we can hide?”

  Meadow swallowed. “It’s my mother’s ranch. In Zade’s central region. Can you really get us there?”

  I hope so, thought Alex.

  “If I remember a place, I can teleport there. If I see a place in your mind, I can do the same thing. I just need you to picture the ranch in your mind.” She stepped forward, reaching out her hands, one to Meadow and one to Khoale.