Only a few of the usual soldiers were present in the Institute lobby. After a few more words, the small group discovered something unfortunate.
Finally, Quinton spoke again, cutting loose a stream of curses at the news.
The old man's message, brought forth at high risk, couldn't be delivered. Sergei and Isaac were absent.
******
Rick desperately wished he held a firearm while he moved through the dark streets of Old Haven, but most of his personal possessions had been left behind upon his escape from Sergei and Isaac's custody. Whatever he'd cobbled together since then had been abandoned when Gottfried "captured" him. Weapons weren't necessarily the issue, assuming they worked after the months and years of use and improper care. Ammunition, on the other hand, was kept under careful guard.
They were running out, after all.
He grimaced at the thought of the OHU and the Citizenship continuing their fight with fists, knives, wrenches, and hammers. An endless brawl, he thought as he walked along. Until the last person falls bloodied and broken. Not as though having ammunition will change that outcome in either case.
Rick needed distraction and to feel useful in some fashion. In spite of too many weeks with not much food or rest, exhaustion had become a companion as omnipresent as obligation. Sitting still, allowing others like Quinton to take care of Rick's business left him irritated.
Whether necessary or not, he decided scouting to be an excellent idea. He didn't want to risk disagreement with Olivia and Desmond, so he neglected to mention his departure to anyone. Of course, I also couldn't ask for a gun or some ammunition.
"Whatever," he muttered. "Maybe next time I'll-"
"You should really pay attention when you're walking around," a voice came from behind him. He spun around, seeing the young female guard from the previous evening. She carried her rifle, brandished in both hands but not aiming directly at him. "You never know who might sneak up on you."
Raising an eyebrow, Rick replied, "What are you doing here? Are you following me?"
The girl, no more than mid-to-late teens, smirked. "I saw you sneak out with a guilty look on your face. I figured it'd be a good idea to make sure you weren't up to anything."
"We're miles away from the school, your home. Why would you care about anything I'd do out here?" Rick frowned, wondering at the girl's logic.
"So you admit you're up to something?"
Rick blinked. "Uh, no I don't. I never said-"
"It's all over your face, big man," she cut him off again. "Now I wanna know who you are and what mischief you're up to."
"Ugh." Rick rolled his eyes. "Shouldn't you be guarding the entrance like a good little girl?"
At the mention of her age, she snapped the rifle to bear, aiming at his face. Her expression featured mixed smugness and anger. "Maybe a good little guard takes care of her enemies before they try anything funny."
Rick didn't react to the gun barrel hovering near his face. "And a good little guard is only useful when she hunts down actual enemies of the people who issue orders."
She made a disgusted face. "They don't give me orders, I-"
The statement of rebellious independence went unfinished as Rick shot out a hand and ripped the rifle free of her grasp. Shocked, she lunged to retrieve it only to be stopped by an angry glare and harsh words:
"Are you out of your mind? If I actually had ill intent, do you think I wouldn't hesitate to bash in your skull? You don't have a weapon anymore. I'm a stronger opponent, but you'd still charge at me?"
Any smugness or surprise in the girl dissolved behind anger. "You don't have to be such an ass about it. I didn't actually think you were trying anything suspicious."
Sighing, Rick said, "Then why did you follow me?"
"I thought you might need the help," she replied, annoyed. "You looked to be half-dead last night, and I saw you weren't carrying a gun. Do you even know what's been happening around here lately? These people will tear a big guy like you to bits if you're too busy being stupid."
Oh good lord, he thought. First the old guy, now a teenage girl. Am I going to be ridiculed by anyone else today?
"You weren't even paying attention when this little girl walked right up to you. What if I was one of those crazy guys? I'd have pulled out your heart and kidneys before you so much as twitched if I was actually trying to be quiet."
"All right, fine, I get it." Rick offered the weapon. "Your concern is noted but not necessary. I'm perfectly capable of handling my own business, so why don't you run along and get back to your guard duty."
She snatched the rifle back from him, scowling. "You don't have a gun. I do. Running might not be enough, especially if you're tired. I'm a good shot with this thing." She gripped the rifle in both hands. "I might just save your life if you let me."
Rick felt his insides wilt, not having the energy to continue arguing. I'm not going to be able to get rid of her, am I? he thought. Whatever, I guess this really will turn into nothing more than a quiet stroll. "Fine," he said, "you can come along, but for my sanity, please keep a lid on it. I don't think I can handle much more squawking today."
"Whatever you say, big man."
"It's Rick."
"Whatever you say, Rick."
They lapsed into silence, walking for a while. True to his request, the girl said nothing, holding only a smirk as she strolled next to him. He continually twitched his eyes to her, feeling the smug aura of her presence. It grated on the edges of his nerves, and the quiet became maddening in short order.
Gritting his teeth, he asked, "So what's your name then?"
"Cassandra." Her smirk widened to a self-satisfied grin. "Call me Cass."
"How did you come to be with Desmond and Olivia?" His gaze revolved around, keeping careful watch on the surroundings and holding small attention to her response.
She shrugged. "It was after the uprising. My parents were killed, and it just wasn't safe. I wandered around, away from the fighting, and eventually they found me."
"You were a Citizen, then?"
"Hah!" Cass gave a sharp laugh. "Yeah, you could say that, but it's not like children are that important, and we sure as heck didn't have status. We're pretty much treated like the servants."
"Uh-huh, and I'm sure you were a perfect angel, tolerant and kind to everyone."
She shook her head. "Not at all, but when I couldn't tell the difference between the Citizens rioting through the streets and the 'undesirables' from down below, I had a bit of a change of heart."
Rick replied, "Messes with your perspective, doesn't it? When it's your ass in the fire?"
Cass twisted her grip on the rifle. "Not many people handled the uprising so well. My parents never paid much attention to me anyways; always socializing and trying to find some way to elevate their status." She spat on the ground. "I've been taking care of myself for years, so them being gone for good wasn't much of a difference."
"You've managed to survive for a while now with Desmond and Olivia."
"Yeah. They're really good people. It's kind of hard to imagine how they've stayed okay with all of the liars and killers around them."
Rick chuckled. "They're pretty savvy, and I think you'd find some pretty heavy backlash if some jackass tried to screw them over."
Cass paused in thought. "Yeah, you're probably right. I know I'd plug anyone who messed with 'em, and I haven't even been at the school for very long."
"How did you manage to get down below?" Rick changed the subject, eyeing their surroundings.
She jerked her thumb back in the direction of the school. "They had a few of the adults up and around before the OHU and Citizenship solidified the sides. I happened to come across one of their people, who offered to take me somewhere safe."
Rick gestured at the rifle. "You seem to have adjusted quickly."
Cass brushed back strands of hair in her face with one hand. "They take on all kinds of kids and civilians. You know, people who stay chip in, and it's a
good community overall. Much as I hate to say it, their education is pretty useless compared to what I'd gotten before. Since I'm not attending any classes, I decided to make myself useful."
"You any good with that thing?"
Slinging the rifle against her shoulder, she raised her chin. "You think they'd have given it to me if I wasn't? If you hadn't looked so pathetic last night when you walked up, I'd have pegged you before you came within a hundred yards."
Heh, yeah, I doubt that, Rick thought with a smile. Not in disrespect of her ability: indeed her possession of the weapon, given to her by a largely non-aggressive group of people, suggested she had strong aptitude with it. However, there's no way the schoolteachers would ever let any trigger-happy idiots on guard duty.
"So it's just Cass then?" Rick asked. "No last name?"
She raised an eyebrow. "What's yours?"
He cracked a smile. "I don't seem to remember."
"Neither do I."
In spite of earlier difficulties and annoyances, Rick found himself starting to like Cass. In a way, she reminded him of Kaylee if holding a bit less of a stubborn nature.
The thought of Kaylee cast a pang of guilt into his thoughts. I hope she's okay. Bah, she's probably going to worry about me if Malcolm doesn't get a chance to let her know what happened. And Malcolm... Quinton says he got bloodied going over to where I wish I could peek. Maybe Cass finding me isn't so bad; I don't have to worry about doing something stupid when someone else is-
"You realize we're pretty much going in circles, right?" Cass cut into his train of thought.
He flashed her a grin. "You realize what the term 'patrol' implies, right?"
"You said you were just looking around." She scowled at him. "We don't run patrols anyways, so what exactly are you up? Or maybe I should say were, since apparently you won't do it now that I'm around."
"I never said I was up to anything at all." Rick shrugged. "You did. Maybe I'm only stretching my legs, getting some fresh air."
Cass set the rifle over her shoulder. "Come on. Don't treat me like I'm some dumb kid. You're trying to find some of those crazy people. Why you're doing it, I have no clue, but it does make you seem pretty stupid."
Rick tossed his head back and laughed. "You're not the first to suggest such a thing, but rest assured: I know what I'm doing, and at the moment it's definitely not that."
"Yeah, you changed your mind when I showed up. Now you're wasting time."
"Hey," Rick held up his hands, "I may not show much concern for my own skin, but I'm not about to let my stupidity get anyone else hurt."
She set her jaw. "I told you, I don't need anyone to help me. I can take care of-"
Rick shot up a silencing hand, hearing a noise from around the next corner. Cass noted his stern expression and roving gaze, shifting her talkative mood to a similar vigil. Her grip tightened upon the rifle, and she slowly panned the barrel back and forth in search of targets.
He made several hand motions to her. Rick pointed two fingers at his eyes and motioned in the direction of the noise. He gestured at her and jabbed a finger at the ground, mouthing, Stay put.
Cass developed an indignant expression and opened her mouth to object, to which he frantically waved both hands back and forth. No, no! he mouthed. He made the same motion for her to remain, followed by a quick pantomime of him approaching the corner, being assaulted, and her firing upon his attacker. "Cover me," Rick leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "Just don't shoot me."
Setting her jaw, she gave a firm nod.
Rick crept forward, movement light and careful. Another sound came, around the street corner. Changing his mind, he gestured, signaling for Cass to sneak around in a wide arc. She gave a quick nod and moved, stepping carefully and never dropping her aim.
Leaning his head around the corner, Rick's heart fluttered within his chest. Christ I wish I had a goddamn gun. I hope she's half as good as she thinks.
His jaw fell open as he saw the source of the noise. "Holy shit!" he heard Cass shout behind him.
An individual crouched over a dead body, sucking out blood from an open wound on the corpse's arm. At Cass's yell, the killer jerked his gaze forward and set his teeth in a snarl. A knife, slick with blood, gleamed in his right hand.
"Heathen!" he shouted, springing.
The killer's head snapped backwards, bearing a small red hole as the crack of Cass' rifle filled the air. Without taking three steps, the man dropped to the ground, dead.
"Shit," Rick jogged forward. He kicked over the man and peered into the lifeless eyes. "No one familiar, but we should probably think about getting out of here." He turned back to Cass. "Nice shot."
Her eyes were wide, hands gripping the rifle and still aiming at the body. She held a slight tremble, and after a moment she let the gun barrel drop. "Thanks," she breathed.
"Do you recognize either of them?"
Cass swallowed hard and stepped forward, flinching as she saw the two dead bodies, one featuring numerous wounds. "Oh God..." she whispered, pointing a shaky finger at the victim. "I know her. Oh God, I can't remember her name, but she's..." She covered her mouth with a hand. "She's one of the teachers."
"Way out here?" Rick frowned. "When's the last time you saw her?"
"I-I don't remember." Cass trembled, staring in shock at the corpse. "Couldn't have been more than a week... maybe even yesterday..."
Rick gestured toward the street beyond the body, noticing a few trailings of blood. "Looks like she was dragged here. She might have still been alive when..." he stopped talking, noting the horrified expression on the girl's face.
Standing, Rick put his arm around her shoulder. "We should get out of here. Someone else might heard have your shot, and there's nothing to be done for her."
Cass kept staring at the bodies, trembling with eyes wide.
Rick pulled, leading her. "Come on, step to it."
The girl did as instructed without objection. Her face remained horrified, and she appeared to be in a state of mild shock. Her feet moved, however, and it spared Rick from tossing her over his shoulder. He kept a careful watch all around, hearing and seeing nothing.
"You okay?" he asked, pulling her along.
She didn't respond.
Rick stopped, knelt, and cupped her chin. "You gonna be all right?"
Her vacant eyes focused on his. She drew in a shallow breath, mouth quivering. It took her several moments to speak. "I... I've never..."
"It's okay." Rick nodded. "Try to put it out of your head. You're alive, they're not. Until the fight is finished, nothing else matters."
She gave a slow nod. "Isn't it done already?"
Rick tensed, a prickle running up the back of his neck. Tilting his head, he saw a shape behind him. A woman, carrying a wrench.
"Not quite," he said, grabbing her rifle and spinning around.
The woman had barely enough time to twist her face into a snarl and scream, "Die!" before his shot caught her in the shoulder and spun her around. She fell to the ground, shrieking.
Slinging the rifle, Rick grabbed Cass's arm. "Run!" he shouted.
The woman's agonized yelling followed after them. A moment later, howling cries echoed. Fear burrowed into Rick, and the shouting resounded all around them. Cass herself started breathing hard, eyes welling with tears.
More shapes appeared, sprinting down the side alleys. Rick shoved Cass onward, swinging the rifle to bear. The crack of the weapon echoed as he ran, shot, and ran, pausing only to drop another of the pursuers.
The rifle ran empty with a dozen left chasing. Cass was a few paces ahead, and Rick's shouting spurred her onward. Focusing only on flight, Rick slung the weapon, secured even breathing, and ran.
******
"Mutilated bodies are appearing in every sector of the city, old and new," Michaels spoke, sweat beading on his forehead, "and you want to disobey the instructions of your superiors, put a number of people in danger, and..."
Kaylee waved him
off. "Yes, yes to everything you said and whatever else you planned on spewing out. Yes, I couldn't care less what those stupid asses said about staying put and not wasting resources on pointless missions." She made a disgusted face. "As though they, who are now apparently hunting down Malcolm, can make judgments on pointless missions."
"Well yes..." Michaels licked his lips, tasting blood where she had struck him. "Yes, I agree they're being foolish, but-"
Quinton, limping after hasty treatment on his leg, cut in, "Shut up, both of you. We're trying to keep ourselves from being discovered, aren't we?" Both Kaylee and Michaels mumbled agreement. "Then quit bickering. We all decided..." He glanced at the bruise and swelling on Michaels' face from where Kaylee had punched him and amended his statement. "Most of us decided action was needed."
Upon reaching the Institute and discovering the OHU leaders missing, Kaylee had taken Quinton to get first aid from the closest available source: Michaels. The researcher had returned to his work shortly after half-shouting himself hoarse at Sergei and Isaac regarding Malcolm's innocence. Though Kaylee and Quinton expressed initial surprise at the bloody mess and news of Malcolm's retreat, they wasted no time in explaining their own situation.
The radio contact with Sergei and Isaac, who had apparently launched an expedition to hunt down Malcolm, was brief and more irritating. In spite of talking with Kaylee, Michaels, and Quinton himself, neither OHU leader acknowledged the immediate necessity of discovering who these madmen were.
"One problem at a time, my friends," Sergei's voice had come through the radio. "If what you say is true, my good and dear friend Quinton, we will need to mobilize many of our people to counter their threat. It will take time, and rest assured I will immediately contact some of my trusted men to see the task started."
Michaels had wondered if the static had cut out considerable portions of the communication; it appeared the OHU leaders didn't catch the gravity of the situation. Or maybe, he thought, they don't care about protecting the civilians who left their care.
Exodus (The Fall of Haven) Page 10