by Matt Ryan
“She might be losing too much blood.” Julie swayed. “I’m not feeling too hot myself.” She swayed again and Hank held her steady.
His friends stared at him in silence. Tears pooled in Julie’s eyes. Poly slumped in her chair, and Lucas stood above his puke and leaned on the table.
“I’m not feeling too good, guys,” Lucas groaned, wiping his mouth. “I think I should just get away from you all before something bad happens.”
“Lucas, you’re not going anywhere without us,” Hank said.
Joey took a deep breath and knew this was the end. If he didn’t give in now, his friends were going to die. He’d have to put out a hand for help and hope it didn’t get bit.
“Julie, can you find a hospital on your Panavice?” Joey directed.
She jumped when he said her name, but was quick to pull out her Panavice and search. Her mouth opened and she held her Panavice up so he could see the screen.
The top of the screen read Wanted: Terrorists. Below were close-ups of their faces, and at the end, a reward of $100,000. There must have been cameras at the dome.
“Can you get past that wanted screen?” Joey asked.
“Yep.” She zipped her finger around the screen and the soft glow of the Panavice lit up her pale face as she pushed through the pages of screens.
“There’s a hospital, I think, half a mile from here.” She pointed out the boarded up front door.
Joey turned back to Poly, her face turned up at the ceiling, eyes closed. His heart stopped as he grabbed her wrist to find her heartbeat.
“We need to take her, now.” He grabbed her waist to pick her up, when Hank put a hand on his arm.
“Let me carry her. It’ll be faster,” Hank said.
Joey nodded and faced Julie and Lucas. “Can you guys walk?”
“Yeah,” they said in unison, but Lucas held onto his stomach and gazed at the floor. He looked wet with sweat and his eyes seemed different, as if some of the light had left them.
Hank picked Poly up like a child. Her arms flopped around Hanks back, one red with blood. They left out the back door into the alley. Joey peered down the alley and heard boots stomping in their direction and the sounds of radios buzzing with talk. He didn’t have time for a showdown with the authorities here. All he needed to do was get to the doors of the hospital; they’d have to take them. He shot a look at Julie, begging for the directions.
“It’s this way,” Julie said, looking at her Panavice.
Joey ran down the alley and turned a corner before he slammed on his brakes and scurried back behind the corner. There were two black cars with flashing lights parked in the alley. He held out his arm, stopping his friends. Looking around, he saw a door marked with a marionette. Lucas hung on Julie as they caught up.
“Through here,” Joey said, opening the wood door.
Stuffed bears and boxes of action figures filled the stock room before he entered the back of a toy store. To his surprise, it was similar to the one in the scene generator back at the bunker. He walked past the play swords and toy farms, striding to the front door. He looked back at Hank holding Poly, her head flopping around as he trotted through the store. Julie, panic spread across her face, held Lucas up as he stumbled past a group of metal chirping birds.
The shopkeeper got off his chair from behind the counter, raising an arm, and opened his mouth. He locked eyes with Joey and collapsed back in his chair, mouth still open. The TV on the wall behind the shopkeeper showed their faces on a newsreel.
A group of black uniformed men ran by the storefront windows. Joey ducked behind a stack of board games, watching them run by the front door. They were closing in on them. He felt claustrophobia weighing down on him.
Is the room getting smaller?
Joey felt dizzy. He needed to get out of there. His friends needed help, or they weren’t going to make it. He concentrated on slowing down time but the chills never came. He clinched his fist and made eye contact with Hank. “I don’t know what to do.”
“If Harris were here, he’d know what to do,” Lucas said, coughing into his shirt. His face poured with sweat and his skin had a hint of gray pigment.
“You’re with Harris, Harris Boone?” the storekeeper asked.
“We were with him,” Joey said.
“Oh no. Listen . . . We might only have seconds before they’re here,” the shopkeeper rushed to say. “They’re going to take you, but I’ll do what I can to see that Harris knows what happened to you. If I’d known you weren’t terrorists, I would’ve never called it in.”
Joey turned to the window to see what he feared. Black-uniformed men filled every visible space of the front windows, staring into the store. He heard a rustle in the back and saw black helmets over the aisles of toys, making their way into the store.
Lucas stumbled away from Julie, grabbing a spinning display of action figures, pulling it to the ground as he fell on his face. The toys crashed down around him. Julie fell to her knees, screaming as she shook his limp, gray body on the floor.
Was Lucas dead?
“Lucas!” Julie stopped pushing him and her bloodshot eyes connected with Joey.
He took a step toward them, fighting the tears welling in his eyes. Seeing his friend motionless on the floor was more than he could bear. His heart hurt and all rational thought flew out the window. He didn’t know what to do. He turned to Hank. Hank’s closed eyes didn’t see Joey’s plea for help. Joey stepped closer to Hank and saw his mouth move then he heard “Dear Lord. . . .”
Poly’s limp body dangled from Hank’s arms, blood dripping off her fingertip. He touched her cold hand. How much blood could she lose? Her blood smeared on his hands. It was a fitting end; her blood was on his hands. All of their blood was. Every misstep he made, led them to this toy store. He turned to the wall of men at the storefront. He concentrated, trying to slow things down. His body shook from the effort.
He yelled with his shaking fists and felt tears run down his face. They had lost; everything was for nothing. Joey fell to his knees and tossed his guns to the floor. He raised his hands as a small ball skipped on the floor near him. He knew they’d all be dead in seconds. This was the end, death by a grenade. He gazed up at Poly’s face. He wanted it to be the last thing he saw. Her hair dangled over her face, but he still made out the shape of her nose and those lips.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
An electrical bolt shot from the ball in all directions, striking him in the abdomen. His body went limp, crashing to the floor. He kept his eyes open long enough to see black boots stomping around him.
“DID YOU DISPOSE OF THE bombs?” Harris asked.
“Yeah,” Compry answered.
The Arracks had left bombs throughout the bunker when they left, leaving Compry and Almadon to diffuse them. With any luck, they never knew the kids were here.
Harris stared at the screens in front of him. News lines from around the world scrolled through at a rapid rate. He frowned at the information. It had been days since the kids left for Earth.
Well, they should’ve been back on Earth, but something had gone wrong. The video showed Lucas typing in a different location. Now they could be a million different places. Were they ready for this? He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked at Compry’s painted nails. Her comforting face did little to slow down his heart. If Simon got to them first . . . No, he wouldn’t allow the thought. The kids were smart and wouldn’t let it get to that.
“They’re out there somewhere. We’ll find them,” Compry said. “Or they’ll find us.”
The cleared bunker provided him with a safe option for now. The upper floors were hit badly, but most of it was still in operating condition. Smoke hung in the air, and an occasional warning over the intercom about a fire were the main reminders of the attack.
Harris lingered on the screen, showing the bunker’s Alius stone. He kept a hand over a button in preparation of an attack, or the appearance of the kids.
The steel
door behind him creaked open. Due to the strain of the attack, the structure of the bunker had weakened in many places, leaving some of the doors harder to open and close.
“Any news?” Almadon asked.
He shook his head and watched the screens. Come on, guys. Get to a stone and head back here.
“The craft is ready for launch, Harris,” Almadon said.
He knew the craft was ready, but without the right passengers, he didn’t plan on using it. He could not abandon them to Simon. He wouldn’t let Simon use these kids for his sick purposes. He gave Almadon a nod and she stood behind him and Compry, joining them at the screens.
They couldn’t stay here long, not anymore. Simon would figure out the bombs had not gone off and would be back. He felt a touch on his shoulder again.
“I won’t leave until we find them again,” Compry said.
He knew she’d stay with him until the end. If Arracks swarmed the building and flooded each room, she’d be at his side. He placed his hand over hers.
The door opened fast and the sound of it hitting the wall was loud in the steel room. Harris spun out of his chair with gun in hand. At the end of his sights stood Nathen. He still had his arm bandaged from a bad wound he sustained defending the bunker.
“You need to turn on the world broadcast channel,” Nathen stammered out.
Harris hit a button and the screen changed from the scrolling text to newscasters. He turned the volume up.
“Breaking news, a terrorist attack at Capital’s museum leaves downtown in chaos. Those responsible are still at large.”
The all-too familiar faces of the kids popped on the screen. Harris leaned closer. He saw Poly’s bleeding arm. They all looked terrified, except Joey, who had a determined look on his face. He figured the newscaster had selected each of the pictures for maximum effect to make them look like criminals.
“There is a reward of a hundred thousand dollars for any information leading to the capture of these terrorists.”
The screen changed to a live, hovering shot over the museum dome. The broken glass on the floor the museum shimmered in the lights.
“If we’re seeing this, it may be possible Simon’s seeing this as well,” Compry said.
He needed to get to the kids before Simon did, or worse, MM’s police.
“Here’s some strange surveillance video, taken moments before the explosion,” the reporter said.
The video showed the kids appearing at the Alius stone and Harris cringed at the sight of Poly grabbing her bleeding arm. Lucas didn’t look right, either. A familiar small box sat at the edge of the circle—a bomb. Then, suddenly, each of the kids disappeared.
The reporter talked over the video. “Slowing the video down, we can see one of them moving at what appears to be near the speed of light as he moved his fellow terrorists out of the bomb’s path.” The camera changed back to the reporter.
“This is another obvious terrorist attack from Mutant Isle. We must put the right to exterminate all inhabitants of Mutant Isle on the ballot.”
Harris had seen enough. Capture was imminent in a city they didn’t know, without any friends. He’d have to get his team ready for an attack.
“Let’s get on the craft and get to Capital,” Harris said.
He watched as they all stood and walked toward the door without hesitation, all but Compry. She took a step toward him, her eyebrows crunched with her questioning face. He always liked that look. The others stopped at the door.
“You think this is smart, going to Capital?” Compry stopped a few feet in front of him.
Harris stood from his chair, the warm feeling of watching Compry walk toward him went cold as he thought about the results the last time they went to Capital.
“Is this any less urgent than last time? We may even get to them first.” He knew the chances were slim, but Marcus did miss stuff on occasion.
“My sister died last time, and many others.”
Harris rubbed his bare ring finger. They had both lost someone that day.
“Is it worth it?” She pinched her facial features again.
He took a while to respond, searching his mind for the answer. He would give his life to save others he cared for, but he didn’t think he could give the life of others. He had given far too many and each memory weighed on him, as if their souls were attached to him; they were his responsibility. “It is, and if something goes wrong, we can always blow the kids up.”
Compry raised an eyebrow at Harris’s words.
“It better not come to that.” Compry paused. “How are we going to get in?”
“We’re going to have to land a district over, if we have any chance of making it in,” Nathen said.
“Trade district will be the fastest. We can get the papers and tags we need,” Almadon said.
Harris nodded. It would take a day or two to cross the many layers of security. With each layer, there stood a chance a guard would take a second look; with each glance, there was a chance he would have to kill someone.
JOEY STARTLED AWAKE. HE OPENED his eyes and saw nothing but white. He realized it was a dream, yet his heart raced and sweat beaded on his face. He tried moving his head to see more of the white room, and couldn’t. Maybe he was still dreaming.
Attempting to wipe the sweat from his eyes, his arm wouldn’t move. He tried to look, but could only move his eyes. He saw his arms strapped to a chair. His feet, locked down as well. Joey couldn’t see it, but he now realized there was a strap across his forehead, locking it to the back of the chair. Nothing blocked his voice and he wondered if he screamed aloud while dreaming because his throat felt raw.
He looked around the room the best he could. The walls were white, and a door sat directly across the room. Squeezing his eyes closed, he tried to remember how he got there. The cloudy thoughts raced through his mind: guns, zombies, deserts, and heat. It was fuzzy, but it seemed important. There is something I need to remember. . . .
He felt panic building—something was missing. Not being able to move his body started to make him crazy. He felt as if the room was closing in on him and he was helpless to protect him and his friends. Friends! He was here with his friends. He remembered Poly, Lucas, and the others—what they had all endured . . . and Samantha.
The door opened. A man in a white, long jacket with an oak tree on the chest, walked in, carrying a thin screen. He noticed Joey and smiled. “Oh good, you’re awake,” the doctor said.
“Where are my friends?” he asked, shaking his body in futility. “Tell me!”
“Well, you and your friends are being held here for the safety of the people.”
He remembered a toy store. Fighting Poly with foam swords, as she easily beat him in their friendly battle.
“Where is Poly? Is she okay?” he demanded.
The doctor smiled. “Now which one is she? The one with a gunshot wound?” The man raised his eyebrows.
“Yes.”
The doctor wrote on his screen. “She’s fine, although some of my nurses cut themselves on the knife collection she had on her. So, her name is Poly?” he verified as he wrote on his screen.
Joey’s eyes widened and he bit his lip. He didn’t want to give the man any more information about his friends. Panic bubbled up and made him dizzy. He blinked, trying to stay alert. His heart raced and sweat dripped into his eyes, making them sting. He struggled against the tight straps, but they didn’t move. How did he get here?
“You don’t look too good,” the doctor said.
He felt a hand touching his neck.
“Your heartbeat is at a dangerous level. I’m going to give you a sedative.”
He barely felt the sting in his neck.
JOEY FELT A NEEDLE GLIDE out of his neck and the room popped into vivid detail. He’d never been so awake. He felt the smooth metal chair with his fingertips. The ceiling lights flickered. The toy shop crashed into his thoughts. His friends were dying. He remembered his last thoughts before the explosion. Who were
the three people in front of him? He listened to their conversation.
“Oh yes, he’ll be alert for a while. Although, I’ll have to monitor his heart rate to make sure he doesn’t go into cardiac arrest,” the doctor stated.
“Fine. Now leave us,” some woman ordered. She wore a black jacket with a tight, dark gray button-up shirt underneath. A gun stuck out from her hip, next to a badge attached to her belt.
The doctor left the room and a heavyset man sat on the doctor’s chair as he cleaned his fingernails. Joey saw the shape of a gun through his black jacket. Cops or detectives of some sort.
“I’m Unitas and this is my partner, Larry.” The woman pointed to the portly guy in the corner. “We need to talk to you about what happened at the museum.” She smiled, but not the kind of smile Joey got from Poly. This smile made him squirm in his seat.
Museum? She must be talking about the Alius stone. He remembered slipping with Poly’s name and steeled himself not to repeat his mistake. Joey pushed his lips together and said nothing.
She paced in front of him. “You know, I have been an officer of the law for a long time. Don’t go thinking I started here. No, no . . . I had to work and claw my way into Capital.”
She stopped and took on a big smile, full of pride and teeth. “You know how many terrorists have gotten through my walls, my check points, and facial recognition?” She raised an eyebrow, but Joey kept silent. “None. And now, I have a mere kid strapped into a chair in front of me, and I know just by looking in your eyes, you weren’t the one to organize this. You weren’t the one to fund this. So I have to ask, who did?”
Unitas moved closer and Joey tried to move back from her advance.
“Silence then, that’s fine.” She shrugged. “You know, your friends are talking right now. The first person to tell us about the whole operation will get a deal.”