by Hanna, K. T.
She grunts. “Only to you. Do you think we’re doing the right thing with Ebony?”
“I think not doing it would be worse.”
“Cryptic, and yet no actual answer.”
Dom is silent as they jog back to Mele. He activates the door and motions her inside before speaking again. “Not doing this would be a disservice to the people of these cities, but they will realize they’ve been taken for fools for the last few decades. No one likes to be taken for a fool. Do you understand?”
“You mean they may react badly to finding out they’ve been duped for so long.”
Dom nods as he climbs into the driver’s seat and maneuvers Mele slowly away. “In a nutshell. Tell me, Sai, if you found out after decades that you’d been lulled into a false sense of peace, security, and agreement, how would you react?”
Sai grimaces. “I see your point.”
“Exactly.”
“How far away is the next PC?”
“About four hours, but we’ll get there in the middle of the day and stay hidden until dusk before we move in.” He glances over at her. “You should sleep. You neglect it far too much when back at the base. You’re going to need your upper body strength for this one. We need to scale a wall much higher than the shafts we’ve been dropping into.”
“What? How’re we supposed to have our contest then?” Sai pouts at him.
“You never asked me if it’d be fair.”
Sai cranes her neck against the dropping sun and the shadows deepening in the narrow passages between the buildings. “You’re sure it’s up there?” she asks dubiously as Dom grabs her equipment back out of a pack and presses them into her hands.
“If it’s wrong, blame Kayde. Actually…” Dom pauses for a moment. “Blame Kayde anyway.”
She glances at him for a second. “Do you want to be human, Dom? I mean—more human?” she asks, suddenly curious.
His expression hardens and he actually sighs before answering. “I just want to be me, Sai. Me and whatever that entails as long as I can make the choices that affect me.”
She watches him, the way the disappearing light reflects off his skin. “I see.”
“Do you?”
“Maybe.” She tests her weight against the stone wall, frowning as she hammers her foot into it. There are some things about Dom that stand out as so different that she has to do a double-take. “I don’t like this one.”
He closes his eyes for a moment, switching his grip, and checks both ways down the alleyway. “We have a twenty-minute window to get to the fan intake in the building. If we don’t make it in that time, a search light will sweep and catch us, and it’s going to be a hell of a lot harder to hold onto this wall with people firing crossbow bolts at us.”
“Great—just what I needed, deadly incentive,” she grumbles and starts pulling herself up the wall, ignoring the way her previous crossbow wounds twinge occasionally and her muscles strain and ache from their workout the night before. What needs to be done, needs to be done, and no one can take her place and do it for her, regardless of how much she might just want to go to sleep.
With each movement, she reforms her feet in her mind, punching through with all the weight and force she can muster, gripping with her fingers. Sheer willpower is all that keeps her going.
Seventeen minutes later finds her sitting on the ledge of the intake, letting her legs sway back and forth as she looks down at the fifty-foot drop beneath her. “Think that’d kill someone?”
“You have someone in mind?” He leans back slightly away from the edge, eyebrow raised.
“No, just for future reference.” She grins up at him and pulls her legs in just in time for the search light to sweep, as if on cue. “You weren’t kidding.”
“I rarely kid.” He blinks at her, the gesture barely visible in the twilight. “You’re getting faster.”
“Don’t need you to babysit me all the time.” Sai mock-flexes her biceps and winces briefly at the pain. He laughs softly, a slight metallic edge to the sound that resonates through the passage.
This ventilation intake is easier to navigate than the previous ones. There are several feet for her to get her bearings and phase through, even though there are two fans to get past.
“There are patrols inside here. You need to disable the ones on the left side. I’ll take the right. Do not kill them, do not let them see you. They need to wake up knowing nothing and finding nothing missing. Understood?”
“Crystal clear.” She pauses for a moment. “How do we know all of this? Kayde?”
“It’s not all just Kayde.” He shakes his head. “Exiled are everywhere, Sai. Quite literally.”
“What do you mean, everywhere?” This time it’s Sai’s turn to be skeptical.
“We have at least some people in each PC. People like Garr and those who tend at her bars. There are a lot of people not happy about the rule of the GNW—and now is our time to shine.”
“Have you been practicing that?”
Dom grins and begins to move down a hall far better lit and maintained that the previous PCs they visited. The first thing Sai notices is how her own footfalls are non-existent. The adrium conforms as her thoughts will it to be silent and absorb any of the noise.
The first guard doesn’t even hear her coming. She steps up behind her and presses the injector to the nerve at the base of her skull. Her body goes limp, and Sai barely manages to lower the guard to the floor. A slight exertion of healing and the pinprick isn’t detectable. She moves over to Dom’s unconscious guard to do the same.
One set down—who knows how many to go. Dom nods at her and they move farther down. Sai spares a moment of silent thanks in Kayde’s direction.
It’s the third guard that catches her by surprise, reaching back to scratch his neck just as she’s about to close in. Sai barely avoids him and moves flush against the wall as he turns around when his guard mate falls into unconsciousness. Dom melds immediately with their surroundings, but part of Sai has no way to chameleon, and so she takes a large step, elbows him to the ground, and grabs for his neck just in time.
The halls are bare, and her breath comes in ragged gasps. Stealth has never really been her thing. “You really do need two for this,” she says to him, not caring if he answers or not. “That was far too close.”
“Despite thoughts to the contrary, it’s not just your lovely company I wanted for the trip.” Dom’s tone is dry, and she isn’t sure if that’s because of wit or exasperation.
She shrugs. “For the charm of my company, for old times’ sake.” Even though she meant it flippantly, the words come out sincere.
He smiles, and she feels the tension ease up between them. Navigating whatever it is they have since the accident has been difficult. “That was the last guard. We have a window of time, but we can’t push it. Let’s make it back out before they wake up.”
The doors at the end of the corridor open into a much larger filtration plant. The hub in the middle is almost twice the size of the others, and in order to reach the depository, they have to climb up on top of it.
“This is so much bigger,” she whispers, almost scared of how silently the machines perform.
“This PC is closer, wealthier.” He shrugs carefully out of his backpack to extract two cylinders. The cylinders are slightly larger than the previous ones they’ve used and have a blunt and squared attachment on the end.
“This machine needs two?”
Dom nods. “This machine needs two, specifically detailed to fit this exact machine.”
“Let me guess,” she says as he inserts the tubes with amazing care. Her fingers strain as she holds back the flap and trigger again. “Kayde’s hacker skills?”
Dom waits until the tubes are settled before he nods.
They make the jog back down the hall with not much time to spare. Dodging the searchlight feels better than dodging a bullet, and for the first time in a long time, Sai actually thinks they might have some hope.
; Mele is warm and comforting, a home away from home. “Do you need to rest?” she asks, suddenly energized.
Dom chuckles. “No. Why?”
“I’m not sure. I suddenly feel invincible.”
“Ah.” Dom guides them out. “Well that’s it, then.”
“What do you mean?” Sai asks, genuinely curious.
“Whenever someone says that, it’s time to start watching our backs.”
The last run before they have to go back. The last distribution delivery before she gets to curl up in a real bed for a night or two, check on her friends, and make sure there are still some Exiled left to save. Sai watches as Dom inserts the cartridge carefully. The lights blink back to green and the machine gives a happy whir. At least, that’s what Sai likes to imagine, because really, wouldn’t anyone be happy to be distributing freedom to its people?
A crash echoes off to the side, and Dom starts. Sai crouches down, fingers lightly resting against the concrete floor, ready to spring as she scans the engine room. She frowns, trying to listen for any sign of the source of the crash, and opens her mouth to speak, but shuts it again at Dom’s gesture.
They’ve never run into anything unexpected before. Her gloves scrape softly against the concrete as she moves to crouch behind Dom so they have a full view of the area. For the first time, she curses the fact her hands aren’t as malleable as her legs.
She doesn’t expect the whirlwind that comes barreling into her and flings her up and over the top of the hub. Sai barely manages to grab the top of it to keep falling down the other side. The one thing she liked about the outskirt PCs was how short the hubs were.
Loud claws scrape against concrete and metal. Hound? Hounds don’t usually travel without their handlers or a patrol of Damascus, but that’s definitely what this smells like. She scrunches her nose in an effort to avoid some of the offending stench.
Squatting down as she circles the outside of the hub, Sai barely moves in time to avoid the Hound leaping off the top of it. Its leathery skin scours her left side, partially penetrating her body armor. The abrasion immediately starts to sting, but Sai twists around, hands at the ready, and catches the ugly creature around the neck.
Swinging herself behind it, she tightens the grip of her elbow around its neck, ignoring the prickle of sharp skin beneath her. Hounds have no humanity left in them. They’ve killed people she knew and hurt people she cared for. Off to the other side, she can hear Dom with his own set of problems, but right now, right here, she makes the split second decision.
With a twist of her body, she falls back, throwing the Hound over her shoulder and bringing the rest of her weight down on its neck. The crunching sound is sickening as the life bleeds from its eyes.
She’s not sure how long she stands there, staring down at the charcoal-tinged leathery hide. They’re so animalistic, so alien.
“Sai?” She jumps as she feels Dom’s hand on her shoulder. “Sorry…” He tugs on her again. “We have to dispose of them.”
Sai nods. “Good thing this one is a shaft, right?” The words sound detached, even to her own ears.
“Yeah, a good thing.” Dom pauses as he hauls the two he dealt with over his shoulders. “You okay with that one?” He pauses as she nods and frowns looking at her side. “Did it scrape you?”
“Yeah. It stings.”
“It’s poisonous,” he says, and for a moment his expression completely blanks. “It’s okay. I’ll get you some salve back on Mele. Just keep infusing healing to that spot. You’ll be fine.”
She shudders, but nods anyway. She can’t not be. They don’t have long before the patrols change, and they have to get back to base and refill. “They have poisonous skin?”
“Hides,” Dom corrects her. “It’s their last line of defense.”
Sai chides herself for not having known that. Not that she’d seen it coming anyway. She’s getting far too lax having Dom to rely on. The stinging spreads until it’s a fiery ache down her side, and she sends a shot of healing to the area. “What the hell were Hounds doing here anyway, separate from their patrols?”
Dom leads the way and doesn’t answer her until they’re dropping the lifeless carcasses over the side of the ventilation lip. “Not all Hounds have a Damascus Patrol. There were so many of them that some still have handlers—packs of them.”
Sai strains to hear the bodies land, but no sound follows. Maybe the thing really is bottomless. “Well, they’re gone wherever this goes now.”
“Time we were gone, too.”
“Hounds?” Mason frowns. “You’re sure they were Hounds.”
“No, Mason. We carried them back, dumped them down the ventilation shaft, and barely got a look at them.” Dom bristles at the irritation as it beckons the darkness inside.
For a moment Mason just stares at him. “I didn’t realize you were so adept at sarcasm.”
Dom laughs dryly. “Try spending time around your brother and Sai and not picking it up.”
“Touché.” Mason pinches his nose at the bridge and closes his eyes. He seems even wearier than he was when they left. “Was a handler there?”
“Not that we could see—just three Hounds.”
“Could they have been acting alone? Strike that…” Mason sighs. “I know, I know—since when do they have enough brains to do anything on their own? Maybe they were a scouting party.”
“Perhaps surveillance?” Dom shrugs and sits down for once. “Either way, whoever sent them is missing them now, and we’re fine. I just think we might have to be a little more careful from now on.”
“Probably safer.” Mason pauses for a moment and avoids meeting Dom’s eyes. “Tell me a bit more about this information you have from Bastian.”
“He did that whole dream-telepathy thing with Sai.” Dom wiggles his fingers in the air
“Seriously? And you want me to believe you didn’t listen in?”
Dom raises an eyebrow. “I leave her privacy once I know it’s safe and not malicious.”
Mason grunts. “Are you sure it’s him? I mean, is she?”
“From what I can tell, it seems to be him.” Dom shrugs. “And Sai is usually pretty good with that stuff.”
“I’ll have to talk to her.”
“Don’t.” Dom pauses, a hand on Mason’s arm. “Just wait a bit. She got too close in contact with the Hound. Her side is smarting a bit. She’s with Jeffries.”
“She okay?” Mason asks, genuine concern in his tone.
“She’ll be fine, but on top of everything else…” He glances at the door and back. “She’s dealing with a lot right now.”
Mason pauses for a second. “She misses Iria.”
“That’s just the tip of her iceberg. Sometimes I wonder why Bastian chose her specifically to throw into this mess.”
“Because he could and because she was capable, Dom. You’re acting odd lately—a little protective. Becoming attached?”
Dom scowls. “Of course I’m attached. She’s a seventeen-year-old girl, and you butchers have made her responsible for thousands of lives. Next time you feel like saving the world, you might want to take point instead of forcing it on someone else.”
He doesn’t wait for a response, but turns on his heal and leaves the room. Mason can wait for his briefing. Mathur needs his help with the pulse device, and frankly, Dom’s patience for stupidity is wearing thin. The shadows flitting through his mind are getting more difficult to fend off.
“Dom?”
Mathur’s voice interrupts his thoughts, and Dom shakes his head, only to realize he’d walked past the laboratory door. He turns back and smiles at the old man. “Sorry. Things on my mind.”
“You should talk to me.” There’s mild concern lacing the words. “I never thought you’d have that problem.”
Dom scowls. “You say that all the time. Were we really such a surprise to you?”
Mathur blinks at him. “Constant surprises. Things working in ways I never realized would happen. It is not a bad thin
g. They are good surprises.”
“Surprised by your own genius,” Dom quips goodnaturedly, forcing his irritation down.
“Something like that.” He motions Dom inside where Twenty-Seven looks up and waves at him. “Dom, meet Dael.”
“Dael.” Dom greets Twenty-Seven who nods back at him. “Good choice. It suits you.”
“And sounds a lot better than Twenty-Seven.” Dael’s smile is easier than Dom thinks his own is, and he can’t tell if Dael has chosen to be male or female.
“Most things do,” he says, trying to figure it out subtly.
Dael eyes him closely. “You can stop searching. I’ve decided I do not need to identify with a gender.”
Dom grins. “Just be you.”
They smile back, warmer this time, with a tinge of excitement to the upturn of their lips. He tries not to choke down a slight surge of envy at how easy the expression comes to Dael.
“So what’re we doing?” Dom glances around and notices how tidy the laboratory is without so many dominos lying around, waiting for their turn to be fiddled with. It’s an odd sight.
“Tinkering with the device,” says Mathur from behind said device. “It is coming along, but I still have a long ways to go. Getting that second kernel may help. The pulse we want needs to disable the Damascus permanently. It needs a lot more power than the one the boys’ father and I developed if we want to knock them off their grid for good.”
“They have a grid?” Dom backs up a bit. “I wasn’t aware they had a grid.”
“Not like the one the GNW use. They have a mainframe which is shared amongst all of the lieutenants. Like a traveling hub wherever they go.”
Dom nods thoughtfully. It would explain some things about the way they move, about the lack of communication between them if a lieutenant gets taken out. He eyes the device skeptically. Mathur has added several raised sections, intricately soldered into the flow of the circuitry, probably to help with the range they need. “Speaking of hubs, we got ambushed while switching out cylinders last night.”
“Ambushed?”
“By Hounds.”