Rebel Bound

by Shauna E. Black

Two people dressed in radiation suits and dark jackets lounge outside the opening like Coalition sentries, resting weapons casually on their knees. They nod to Jate, and he returns the gesture.

  “We’re only an hour or so from AM.” Jate turns to look toward the east. “We’re about a mile and a half from Lincoln Shelter, so you should have enough time to get there, if you hurry. Head southwest on New Hampshire until you hit Twenty-first—”

  “I know how to get there,” I interrupt irritably.

  I can see him purse his lips behind the clear cover of the suit’s face mask. “The stuff in your bundles should buy you shelter for at least a couple of weeks, enough to get you back on your feet again.” He takes a deep breath. “Well, it was nice meeting you. Good luck.”

  He turns and goes back down the steps, just like that. Mardy and I stare after him. My mind has trouble wrapping around what he just did. Is he kicking us out? I thought Lucio wanted us to stay. My body feels numb. I didn't want to leave like this. I wanted to be the one to reject them, not the other way around. I think about going back to my life the way it was before, Mardy always stuck in a shelter, me searching endlessly and fighting for every scrap of scavenge I can find. Suddenly, I don’t want to go back to that life, but I can’t move. Can’t speak. I just watch Jate’s back as he disappears into the electric lights below.

  He’s almost at the bottom of the steps when Mardy speaks. “Do we—do we have to leave?”

  Jate stops, turning slowly to look back up at us. The tunnel lights give him a halo, casting his face into shadows that I can’t penetrate. “Of course you don't have to leave. But I was under the impression that you wanted to.”

  Silence falls between us as he waits at the bottom of the stairs. Mardy turns a pleading look on me. Even in the dark of PM and behind the mask, I can see the tears filling her eyes, spilling over and running down to drip off her chin. Her expression is lost and lonely and scared. It's the look she gives me every time I go topside. The one that breaks my heart whenever I walk away from her. It’s what pushed me to drag myself halfway across the city with a knife wound in the side and a broken arm so I could keep my promise to return to her.

  I think of Lucio's words, about everybody helping each other, of safety in numbers and loyalty. I know Lucio still wants something from me, even though he hasn't said what it is. But maybe I owe him something. He took us in when he didn't have to—fed us, nursed us back to health, gave us shelter and a comfortable place to rest. He made it possible for me to keep looking after Mardy. Without him, Mardy would be alone. It wouldn’t be right to take everything they’ve given us without offering something in return.

  Besides, I owe Jate something too for saving our lives.

  I make a decision. I walk back down the steps. When I reach Jate, I say casually, “Who said we wanted to leave? Mardy was just showing me around before she took me to our new room. We got a little lost, that’s all.”

  “Are you sure you want to stay?” A small frown line appears between his brows.

  Mardy marches past him. “Absolutely!”

  Jate hesitates, then follows her. “Well, then, let me show you the way back to the hotel.”

  CHAPTER 13

  This place is pretty big,” I pant.

  We've taken off our radiation suits and hung them in the stairwell with our jackets. I still clutch the bag of food in my right hand, but Jate carries my other belongings. Mardy supports me on my good side. All of this walking has worn me out. When Jate looks at me, little creases of worry form between his eyebrows. Maybe he thinks I don’t notice. He’s keeping up a steady stream of words going with a falsely chipper attitude.

  “When this was a Coalition facility, they didn’t let many people in even in the months right after the explosion. The ones who stayed here were treated poorly—half starved, forced to go topside PM after PM to avoid getting kicked out. Well, you know how the Coalition shelters work.”

  I nod wearily. I don’t remember being mistreated when I stayed here with my parents as a child, but I was young enough not to notice those things.

  “Lucio has ideas about changing things. He wants to right the wrongs the topsiders have had to put up with all these years.”

  We go back to the hotel a different direction from the one we came in. There’s more artwork, but I’m too tired to look at it closely.

  “Just how many people will fit in here?” Mardy asks.

  Jate gives me a worried frown as I sag harder against Mardy. “We walked it off when we first took over. As near as we can figure, we can house about four thousand people down here in the whole underground complex, maybe more, once we have enough food supplies. There’s that whole section back the other way that isn’t really developed. That’s where we keep the chickens.”

  Mardy stops walking. “Four thousand people?” She stares at Jate as though he sprouted a second head.

  Jate laughs at her reaction. It’s a low, throaty sound. “We don’t have nearly that many now. I think our numbers are only into the hundreds.”

  “Where do they all come from?”

  “Some are scavs, topsiders like you two. Others are from the Undercity.”

  “Like you?”

  “Like me. We’re all Impartialists now, helping each other.”

  “Stronger when we work together,” I whisper.

  The tunnel tilts sideways, and Jate reaches out a hand to steady me. “I think you’ve had a little too much excitement for one day.” He bends over, gathering me up in his arms. Being lifted off the ground only makes the dizziness worse, and I close my eyes, praying I won’t throw up on him.

  “It’s a good thing you’re small and light,” he grunts.

  “Is she okay?” Mardy frets.

  “Just overexerted herself. I’ve seen it before in people recovering from radiation. They say they’re fine one minute, and the next they’re out cold on the floor.”

  I feel warm and safe, enveloped in his arms this way. Snatches of their conversation weave in and out of my awareness, and soon the bobbing rhythm of his stride lulls me to sleep.

  WHEN I WAKE UP, THE first thing I realize is that the walls are a different color. Instead of brown and gray, this room is decorated in shades of blue and red. There’s a swirling pattern on the walls, and flowers stamped on the blanket covering me.

  Mardy sleeps in the bed next to me, her long hair a tangled web around her face. Two other beds, smaller than the one in Lucio’s room, are jammed wall to wall almost against each other. There’s little other furniture. The blankets on the other beds don’t match mine, and I realize that the hotel rooms didn’t originally come this way. Lumps under the covers and tousled hair on the pillows attest to the presence of others in the room.

  The last thing I remember is Jate carrying me through the dining hall, reassuring the people there that I was okay, just tired. I shift position, and something rolls off the blanket and lands with a thud on the floor. I peer over the mattress. It’s an apple. This one is fresher than mine, though it still looks shriveled and pocked.

  I jump as there’s a sudden pounding on the door of the room.

  “Time to wake up!” someone yells from behind the door.

  A girl in the other bed sits straight up, screaming at them to go away, and throws her pillow at the door.

  The other girls in the room groan and start to move. Mardy turns over and gives me a sleepy smile.

  “Are you feeling better?” she asks.

  I nod. I must have slept deeply because I feel well rested. But when I sit up, my knife wound aches. I fall back onto the pillow.

  “Come on, Caelin.” Mardy pushes on my good shoulder. “They don't serve breakfast to latecomers.”

  The thought of eating breakfast in the dining hall with other people makes me nervous. I’ve gotten used to my solitary meals in Lucio’s room. But obviously, I’ll have to do what everyone else does now. Maybe Ryanne will be there.

  There are four other girls in the room. They slide out o
f bed, dressed only in their underwear, and start pulling on clothes.

  One girl with dark skin and hair that spikes out in all directions bends over suddenly and picks up the apple off the floor. Before I can say anything, she takes a huge bite with a loud crunching sound. Juice dribbles from the corner of her mouth.

  “Hey!” Mardy says angrily from the other side of the bed. “That’s Caelin’s.”

  The girl shrugs. “Not anymore.” She takes another big bite and turns away. Some of the other girls give her a sour look, but nobody else protests.

  “That’s Sloan,” Mardy whispers. “Don’t mess with her.”

  I wonder why not, but decide to let the matter go. Getting out of bed is a difficult and slow process. My injuries throb for the first few moments, and my muscles feel sore and stiff. I decide I’ve been lying in bed too much lately.

  There’s a small bathroom connected to this room, just like Lucio’s. As soon as it’s free, I use the facilities. I’m washing my hands, enjoying the feel of the water, when someone bangs on the door.

  “You’ve had enough time,” Sloan’s voice yells. “Get out!”

  I turn off the water and dry my hands on the thick red towel. Sloan practically pushes me out of the way as I exit the bathroom. I glare at her, but she slams the door in my face. I clench my good fist, then relax. It isn’t worth a fight.

  By the time I’m dressed, the other girls are already gone. Sloan exits the bathroom. Her hair is slicked back against her head, and she wears a clinging dark shirt and jeans that accentuate her muscular curves. She bumps into Mardy on the way out, but doesn’t even apologize.

  “Is there any possibility of changing rooms?” I grumble under my breath.

  Mardy shakes her head. “I asked the first AM I had to spend with Sloan. I'm just glad you came along so Sloan had to sleep in a different bed.”

  I gasp. “You had to share a bed with her?”

  Mardy's mouth twists in a wry smile. “It's not as bad as you think. At least she doesn't snore.”

  “Neither do I.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  I smile at the familiar jab and follow her out of the room.

  When we reach the dining hall, the tables are full. People move in and out of the opening that leads to the kitchen, grabbing bowls of something hot and steaming.

  I scan the room for Ryanne or Jate, but don’t see either one. Mardy and I get into the line for food. When I get my bowl, I stare down at it in dismay. It’s some type of hot cereal made with grain, like the mush we got in Lincoln Shelter.

  Once Mardy and I have our bowls, she leads me to a table where a young man sits shoveling the mush into his mouth as though it’s his last meal. He has a round face behind a pair of glasses with a crack in one lens. His brown hair is cropped so short that I can see the skin underneath. He wears a long-sleeved jacket and blue cloth pants with loafers on his feet.

  “Hi, Keldon,” Mardy says.

  So, this is Keldon!

  He doesn’t look much older than Mardy herself, especially when he smiles. He has a wide mouth that stretches his already round face. He gulps to swallow his food. “Hi, Mardy.”

  “Are these seats taken?” Mardy indicates the two empty chairs at his table.

  Keldon waves at the chairs with a flourish. “I was saving them just for you.” He holds a hand out to me. “I’m Keldon.”

  I take his hand gingerly, but pull away as quickly as I can.

  “This is my sister, Caelin,” Mardy says as we sit.

  “I kind of figured. Mardy’s told me a lot about you.”

  “Well, she hasn’t told me nearly enough about you.” I pick up my spoon and turn the mush over a few times in the bowl, ignoring the kick Mardy delivers to my shin.

  I get the idea that I’m making Keldon nervous, and that brings me satisfaction. I glance around the room.

  Keldon clears his throat. “Mardy sure has been worried. It’s great to see you out and about.”

  Mardy kicks me again. I look up, surprised. “Oh. Thanks. Does Ryanne eat during this shift?”

  Keldon picks at what’s left of his mush. “She’s out topside with Jate.” He’s trying to act casual, but I can tell he’s hiding something.

  I decide to play along. “Doing what?” I ask as though I don’t care.

  Mardy looks at him curiously, but he doesn’t acknowledge it. “Some scouting mission or another. They’re always going topside lately.”

  “I noticed. We must have run out of apples.” As I speak, I remember that I still haven’t tried one.

  “Aren’t you going to eat?” Mardy asks. She’s shoveling her own mush almost as fast as Keldon is.

  I frown at my bowl. “I’m having flashbacks of Lincoln. What is this stuff?”

  “Farina,” Keldon replies. He pops another spoonful in his mouth.

  “It’s made from wheat,” Mardy explains, “instead of the oats we’re used to.”

  It doesn't smell revolting, but not exactly appetizing either. I put a spoonful in my mouth. The consistency is less gloppy than the mush I’m used to, and there’s something sweet that adds an interesting tang.

  “I thought they usually serve eggs for breakfast,” I say.

  Keldon bursts into laughter at my comment. “You’ve been in the sick ward a little too long. The good stuff is for those recovering. You'll have to get used to the glop now.”

  “It’s not as bad as I expected.”

  “At least they put recognizable fruit in the mush here,” Mardy says.

  Keldon shrugs. “It’s filling, anyway.” He finishes up his farina, but seems reluctant to go.

  “What are you up to today?” Mardy asks him.

  “The usual—fixing stuff. How about you?”

  “The usual.” Mardy gives me a sidelong look, and I pretend I’m engrossed in eating my bowl of farina.

  Keldon’s face falls. It seems he’s as upset about her learning to fight as I am. I start to feel a little friendlier toward him. “Well, don’t let Deice bully you today. If you want, I’ll rig his room to give him an electric shock.”

  Mardy flushes red. “Keldon!”

  “What’s this about someone bullying you?” I ask sharply.

  “Nothing,” Mardy says.

  “Don’t say nothing, Mardy.” He leans across the table intently. I can tell he’s glad to have someone on his side. “Deice is the trainer, and he likes to pick on Mardy. Probably because she’s one of the youngest.”

  “Keldon!” Mardy glares at him. “Don’t believe everything you hear from Tren. Deice works me harder because he knows I can handle it.”

  Keldon rolls his eyes. “Whatever. He’s made you fight Sloan twice now.” He turns back to me. “Sloan is the best fighter of the lot.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Caelin,” Mardy hisses at me. “Don’t get any ideas. Your arm is broken.”

  “What? I’m not going to do anything.”

  “Yeah, right. That’s what you said the last time.”

  I hear Ryanne’s cheerful voice from behind. “You started without me?”

  I turn to find her approaching our table, pulling a flannel shirt over a tank top. There’s a curious ring of bumps on her left collar bone that the shirt soon hides.

  She’s with Jate.

  My face feels hot as I remember the apple he left on my bed last night. I should thank him for it, but my tongue suddenly feels as though it’s been glued to the roof of my mouth.

  “Hi, Caelin,” Jate says. “It’s good to see you up and about.”

  “I thought you were topside,” Mardy says.

  Ryanne and Jate glance at each other. I suddenly wonder if there’s more between Ryanne and Jate than she let on.

  “We were,” Ryanne says quickly with a disarming smile. “We just got back. Hang on a minute, and we’ll join you.”

  I watch them move through the opening into the kitchen area. Jate places a hand solicitously on Ryanne’s back, letting her go first, and I find renew
ed interest in finishing the farina in my bowl. It’s gotten cold and doesn’t taste good anymore.

  Keldon stands, scooping up his empty bowl. “Well, I can’t wait around. Ehris will have my hide if I’m not in the tech room in five minutes.” He gives Mardy a stern look. “Stand your ground today.”

  She practically beams at him. “Don’t worry. I’m tough.”

  “You are. Nice to meet you, Caelin.” As he winds his way through the tables to return his bowl to the kitchen, I realize that he’s limping.

  “What's wrong with his leg?” I ask Mardy.

  “Some sort of farming accident. He doesn’t talk about it much, but I think he worked in one of the Coalition fields when he caught his leg in the machinery. He does talk plenty about Lucio saving his life.”

  “Do you want the rest of my mush—I mean, farina?” I push the bowl over to her.

  She gives me a weary smile. “You don’t have to pretend you’re not hungry any more, Caelin. There’s plenty of food here, and I’m getting enough.”

  I notice Ryanne and Jate coming back toward us. “I’m not pretending this time. This stuff is gross when it’s cold.”

  Mardy chuckles. “I don't really want the rest of mine, either. But I'll wish I had it later on.” She shrugs and spoons up the last of her farina, shoving it in her mouth. She makes a false cheerful expression. “Mmmmm! Yummy.”

  I smile at her joke, but I don’t follow her example.

  Ryanne takes the seat Keldon vacated, and Jate sits next to me.

  “How’s your new digs?” Ryanne asks me as she starts in on her farina.

  “Okay, I guess.”

  “That’s not very enthusiastic.”

  Mardy leans toward Ryanne as if sharing a great secret. “We’re rooming with Sloan. What can you expect?”

  Ryanne’s eyes widen. “Of course. You poor thing!”

  “What are you talking about?” Jate says. “Sloan’s one of our best fighters.”

  We all turn to look at him, and he shrinks a little under the onslaught. “I admit, she can be a little hard to get along with sometimes,” he adds.

  “A little?” Ryanne snorts.