by Rachel West
“I know. I saw.”
“I heard you ordered him cut down,” Jaxon says gratefully. He stretches his fingers out, bridging the space between us, until the tips are softly brushing against my own.
“We aren’t monsters.”
“War makes us monsters. We can’t stop what we’re doing Evie. It’s twisting us all into things we never thought we’d become. It’s falling apart. All of the pieces. I can’t keep them together much longer. Every day this drags out we are one step closer to failure.”
“We won’t fail.”
“We can’t last much longer. All of it, it’s all stacked against us. What if he’d gotten to the Praetor’s with that map? All of it would be over. We’d have lost everything. I would have failed. And who is this lady Max spoke of? Another traitor? Is she the one destroying our supplies?”
“We’ll keep fighting because we have to. We’re not going to fail. We can’t.”
“Am I turning into him? My Father?” Jaxon asks. “Is this who he was when he tried to unite them all?”
“You aren’t you father, Jaxon. I didn’t mean that.”
“I could be. I feel his rage writhing within me. Tearing me apart from the inside. And with every death and every new corpse I feel it grow.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” I smirk and try to lighten the mood. “Someone needs to keep you under control.”
“What happens when you’re not? If you hadn’t been in that room with me I would have had that traitor tortured. Killed. I can’t ask you to always watch my back because what if--” a twisted sob catches in Jaxon’s throat before he continues on. “If they took you from me I would tear the city down. All of it, Evie. Until there was nothing left.”
“I won’t let that happen. I won’t ever leave you. And you won’t ever leave me.”
“It’s that simple?”
“Yes.”
Jaxon is silent for a moment as my words bleed through the air around us. Small clouds of breath slowly steady as I see the weight of what I said sink in.
“You know,” Jaxon leans back on his hands and finally turns to look at me. “If we win – if somehow, against all the odds we win. They’ll write stories of us.”
“Of you maybe.”
“No,” Jaxon says. “Of us. The histories will sing of you and me. Our names written in the stars. When this is over we’ll go out to the Astronomy tower. I’ll show them to you. ‘Evelyn and Jaxon’ they’ll say.”
“With a big heart around it all,” I joke.
“Couldn’t have it any other way.”
“You may be a Millennial Jaxon Prayer, but I doubt even you could convince the stars to rearrange themselves.”
“Not just me Evie, but you and me. Together we’ll change everything.”
I lean back, resting against hard stone as I stare up into a sky full not of stars, but zeppelins and sirens and h-bikes.
“That sounds really nice,” I whisper softly.
CHAPTER 26
“We have a traitor in our ranks,” Jaxon declares to the small group packed into our bedroom.
Darren, back pressed against the wall and bouncing a ball off the door, misses his catch and the small red ball goes tumbling across the room.
“A traitor?” Red asks.
“It’s Isabelle,” I say with certainty.
“We don’t know that,” Jaxon responds.
“It makes sense. We know it’s a girl since Max referred to her as ‘the lady’ and ever since she arrived things began to go wrong.”
“Hold up,” Red raises a hand. “Max?”
In hushed tones, Jaxon quickly explains to Red and Darren about how the man was caught trying to meet up with the Praetors outside the crematorium. About how he bit of his own tongue to protect his secrets.
“It has to be Isabelle,” I repeat. “She’s always underfoot and asking questions. She’s got a reason to hate us. Rescuing Annie resulted in her father’s death and imprisonment of her brother.” I think of her too-sly grins and how she’s always hovering just outside Jaxon’s radius.
“No way,” Darren says looking between all three of us. “She may be a bit psychotic. But I can’t see her risking her brother.”
“Who knows what she was promised,” Red says. “Maybe his freedom for her help.”
Darren’s lopsided grin falls into a frown as he thinks of the implications.
“Regardless,” Jaxon says. “We have been compromised.”
“What do you wanna do? Lock her up?” Darren asks.
“No,” Jaxon glances sidelong at me. “I won’t lock anyone up until we’re sure of their guilt. But it does mean that we need to fast track our plans.”
“For attacking the crematorium?” Asks Red.
“No,” Jaxon replies. “For taking out the Turritopsis dohrnii.”
A hushed silence falls over the room.
Jaxon crouches down and pulls a small box out from under his bed. The box is made of dark wood, no larger than the width of his hand, and covered in silver metalwork.
“You brought that?” Darren asks, sounding suddenly embarrassed.
Jaxon smiles up at Darren, a smile that speaks of years of friendship and adventures shared. “Of course,” he says, as if there was no other possible answer. He opens the box, first pulling out the small jack from Ki that he sets reverently aside, and then from deeper a small, folded square of paper. He unfurls the parchment, spreading it out on the floor as we all crouch around it. It’s a miniaturized version of the map Jaxon drew for me, showing only the east side of the city and the surrounding workcamps.
“Here,” Jaxon points to the far corner. “This is where the facility is.”
“At least a week by foot,” Red says, judging the distance. “Maybe further.”
“We cannot leave the city for that long,” Jaxon states.
“Only a couple hours by zeppelin,” Darren offers. “Or h-bike.”
“Would an h-bike get us there and back?” Red asks.
“Possibly. If it was freshly charged and not carrying too much weight.”
“Where can we get h-bikes?”
“You already have them,” Darren says. I look from Jaxon to Darren, waiting for one of them to clarify but even Jaxon has his head tilted in question. Darren, seeing our confusion, continues on. “From the Manor. In the lower basement. Tons of weird shit down there mixed in with at least a dozen h-bikes. I might of uhm-- broken one or two of them,” Darren coughs discreetly into his hand. “But there’s enough left. I’m sure of it.”
“What about the raid on the crematorium?” Red asks. “If we all disappear the night before people will have questions.”
“This is more important. If we have been compromised this cannot wait.”
“Darren, get those h-bikes charged up and ready to go. Try not to break any more while you’re at it. Red, we’ll need supplies. This should be quick, in and out, but if anything goes wrong….”
“So it’s just us? Just the four of us?” I ask.
“We’ll need Kalia,” Jaxon says. “Either her or Tanis to help with explosives.”
“Kalia,” I affirm and Red nods along with me.
“I’ll go find her,” Darren offers. “She’s probably with her brother.”
Red and Darren depart, leaving Jaxon and I alone in his small bedroom.
“So this is it?” I ask.
“This is it” Jaxon replies with a fierce grin.
“I need to talk to Annie. Say goodbye incase….” I trail off unable to finish the sentence through the knot in my throat. I think of my sister left behind without me and wonder if she would be better off.
Jaxon nods and without a word I cross the small hallway and knock on Annie’s door.
“Hey,” I say pushing the door open.
“Hey,” Annie says from her prone position on the bed.
“Just grabbing some stuff,” I lie then drop to the ground next to the small chest at the end of the bed. I sort through it, not lookin
g for anything in particular, but merely postponing the time with my sister. “How are you?”
“I’m fine,” she gets up from the bed and comes to watch me sort through the chest. “What’s up with you, why are you acting weird?”
“I’m not acting weird. I just--I stopped by to say goodbye. Things are gonna be busy tonight. And tomorrow…” I trail off lamely. “Wasn’t sure if I’d have a chance to catch you again.”
“Oh,” Annie says. “Where are you going?”
“The War Room,” I tell Annie. I gesture aimlessly to the hallway behind her. “We’ve got to finalize the plans for the raid on the crematorium.” I want to tell her the truth. That tonight we are taking the first step to finally end this. That maybe, sometime soon, we will be free to be a family again. But Jaxon is right, we need keep this small. Keep our plans secret.
“You’re going through with that? When?”
“Tomorrow, hopefully.” I stare blankly at the wall behind her. How are we supposed to manage tonight’s raid and tomorrow’s battle? “If all goes as planned,” I add unenthusiastically.
“Tomorrow?” Annie pales and smooths the line of her dress. The yellow one again, although the edges have begun to fade with wear.
“Tomorrow morning. Don’t worry, you’ll be safe here.” I try to reassure the unexpected fear I see in her eyes.
“Yeah,” she agrees.. “Evie--” She says my name then freezes, drawing her lips into a thin line.
“What?”
“Nothing. Nevermind. Just – be careful.”
“Of course,” I extend out my arms, expecting to be rebuffed, but Annie steps into my embrace. I rest my head atop hers, breathing in the fresh, clean scent of her hair. “Soon Annie,” I promise. “Soon we’ll be safe again. I swear it.”
Annie steps back, one arm still wrapped around me but reaching for the door with the other. “I know.” And with a final indecipherable look, she darts out of her room, letting the door fall shut between us. The aluminum walls quake with the sound, a low rumble that sounds deeply ominous.
“Soon,” I whisper one last time.
Later that evening, just as night begins to fall, Red and I hurry to meet the others in a small warehouse at the edges of the city. As we sneak through the small crack left in the entryway we’re greeted by the sight of five h-bikes. Kalia weaves between them, packing the seat compartments full of supplies while Jaxon and Darren stand off to the side staring down at one of Darren’s tablets.
Red and I cross the remaining distance at a jog until we come to a stop next to Jaxon. We’re all wearing our best approximation of stealth-wear. Except for Darren, who somehow decided bright orange was the appropriate color for breaking into a Millennial stronghold.
I drop a large backpack at Jaxon’s feet before moving closer to the bikes, curious what they look like up close. The bikes are big enough for two, although the seat is clearly just for one. It’s made almost entirely of two twining pieces of metal, like two halves of a bike were stuck together and welded into one. The bottom rests nearly flat on the ground where the two pieces of metal meet.
“I’m not going,” Darren says from next to Jaxon. In one hand he holds up his tablet and in the other a small mouth piece. “I’ll be more help to you from here. Besides…” he adds with a nauseous look, “I’m not so great with blood.”
“Really?” Red deadpans. “Squeamish. I would never have guessed.”
A pink blush rises in Darren’s cheeks in stark contrast to his vibrantly blue hair. But he meets Red’s eye and refuses to back down until eventually it’s Red who settles on a grin as a peace offering.
“So who’s the extra bike for?” Kalia asks.
“That would be mine,” Ezzor steps from the shadows. I startle at the sound of his voice appearing suddenly behind me then glare angrily at the black-clad man. “Evie,” Ezzor meets my glare. “Always a pleasure.”
I snort and turn away, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of my fear. Ever since the presidio, I’ve managed to distance myself from Ezzor. I could never trust a man who displays such wanton destruction of human life.
“Take these,” Darren passes out small headsets to each of us after showing us how to attach it to the inside of our helmets. “Line three. I’ve isolated the signal so no one should be able to hear us.”
“Time to go.” Jaxon hops on his h-bike and with a twist of his wrist sets the motor humming. I follow suit, jumping onto the bike nearest him. Covertly, I eye the position of his hands and then mirror them with my own until I find the small starter button. A small gasp escapes my lips as the bike rises a few inches off the floor, feeling almost like I am somehow floating in water.
The others follow suit except for Kalia, who stands behind my h-bike securing two heavy saddlebags over the back. “Try not to jolt these too much,” she says wryly and I wince, imagining the explosive filled bags going off mid-air. After a final pull of the nylon strap she pats the rear of my bike. “All set,” she says as if speaking to a trained animal.
Kalia hops on the final back and starts it with a no trouble. Jaxon, seeing everyone ready to go, begins to guide his bike to the exit of the warehouse. Darren trails behind him on foot, both of them pausing at the wide entry-way. Darren leans in and whispers something to Jaxon softly enough that even from right beside them I am unable to make them out. Jaxon nods once then pulls his helmet firmly over his head.
I hear a brief suggestion of static, then Jaxon’s voice through the headset.
“Alright. Everyone follow me.”
CHAPTER 27
We land in a small clearing a half-mile away from the research facility after two hours of flight. I pull my helmet off, steam rising from my skin in the cold winter air. Depositing my helmet on the handlebars I turn and watch the others navigate their landing.
Kalia’s h-bike rocks almost as much as mine did as she comes in at an angle that is far too steep. I avert my eyes, expecting her to go tumbling from the bike but after a few moments of silence I peek behind me to see her hopping off her bike with an exuberant grin.
“Sweet,” she gives me a double-thumbs up.
Red and Ezzor swoop in last with landings far more graceful than I achieved. After pulling off the saddlebags and emptying the rear compartments the four of us drag our h-bikes to the tree line and make a haphazard attempt to cover them with bits of brush.
Kalia drops to her knees, emptying out the saddlebags in a circle of goods that grows steadier around her. I crouch down to help, unrolling five flattened backpacks for us to fill with supplies. Jaxon and Red hover just behind us, flashlights in hand to provide us enough light to see by.
“Does everyone have their headsets?” Jaxon taps the black earpiece wrapped around his ear.
“Mine’s still in my helmet.” I gesture to the half-hidden h-bikes, hoping no one sees my embarrassment over forgetting such an obvious thing. “Got it,” Red mutters and walks off, shaking his head.
Red returns and drops the headset into my lap. I quickly tuck it into my ear. “Planning to leave me behind?” Darren voice comes through sounding slightly tinny, but clearer than I expected with the distance.
“Everyone ready?” Jaxon asks as Kalia passes out backpacks to each of us. Three synchronized nods and a grunt from Ezzor and we are off. Jaxon leads the way through the forest. The undergrowth is thick. Leafless vines that look ghostly in the blue-white glow of flashlights stretch up and impede our path. Eventually, after the fourth time getting caught by thorny ridges, Jaxon pulls out his synthblade and cuts straight through.
We exit the forest into the edges of well-lit field. At the far end is the facility, looking like nothing more than shadow and smoke as it reaches out of the darkness.
“For the zeppelins,” Jaxon gestures to the field. We creep around towards the facility, keeping just out of the dim edge light. I keep my attention split between the facility before us and the forest behind us. Between Praetors and Automatons there are far too many unknowns out here
for me to be comfortable.
“Stop!” Darren cries through the headsets. All of us freeze immediately and begin looking around carefully for any hint of movement.
A door at the edge of the facility opens and a Praetor in full uniform exits. He walks a short distance from the building then fumbles with the bottom half of his uniform, his back turned for us. In seconds we hear the steady stream of urine offset by Darren’s cackling through the headset.
“Ezzor. Go,” Jaxon whispers.
Ezzor glides away, quickly blending into the surrounding darkness. I try to follow his path but all I see is a glimpse of cloth and a dull shimmer as light reflects off his headset.
Suddenly he is behind the Praetor, looming from the shadow like death incarnate. The other man senses him at the last moment, but before he’s able to turn around, Ezzor’s blade plunges into his throat, drawing a thick line of blood. The man collapses, and Ezzor catches him, dragging him further out of sight before lowering him to the ground.
“Is it over?” Darren asks weakly.
“How are you seeing all this?” I whisper over the line.
“I’ve tapped into the cameras. There’s another Praetor at a station just inside on the left.”
“Go now,” Red says. “Before he starts to wonder where his partner is.”
We enter the facility behind Ezzor and by the time all four of us have stumbled through the doorway the Praetor at the guard station is hunched over his desk, blood draining into his keyboard and dripping to the floor.
Jaxon pulls out a tablet. “Darren?”
“On it,” Darren says. A blueprint of the building appears on the tablet. Jaxon swipes to the side, changing the angle so we can see all four stories.
“The main tank is here.” He points to a large, empty looking space that spans three floors. “Red, Evie and I will go here. Ezzor, Kalia. This is the procedure room, there’s at least two smaller tanks here that will need to be destroyed.”.”
“The three of us,” Red smirks at Jaxon. “Just like old times. Would be nice if we could get through this without you turning on us.”