I wasn’t proud of my blowup, but I felt lighter and more in control in its aftermath. I hadn’t realized what an emotional bomb I was until Reyes detonated me. A lot of pent-up emotions were released last night, and with my emotional load lightened I had gained clarity. My anger didn’t seem so frustratingly pointless anymore. It had direction now: Doc, Leisel Holt, Malcolm West, General Powell. Me. I understood why Reyes would think that I had walked away from the Pit. Through my own self-deprecating assumptions, I hadn’t recognized that I was part of the power struggle. But as one of the founding members of the Alliance, the wife of a prominent senator, and now the head of the Pit militia, I was very much involved. I was finally realizing that I had influence.
The thing that frustrated me the most was why there even had to be a power struggle. We were no longer stuck inside the Dome, constrained by limited resources. Even with our need to protect ourselves against the elevated levels of radiation in water and food supplies, there was still more than enough to go around. So this power struggle wasn’t about controlling limited resources; it was just about control. Although it rubbed me the wrong way to admit it, Reyes had another point about the need to get rid of obstacles in order to make way for the future. Maybe democracy wasn’t the answer, because our current government was beginning to act too much like the old.
Footsteps sounded behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I didn’t need to turn around to see who it was. Between his familiar gait and hulking shadow, I knew it was Reyes.
“Everything’s packed and ready to go,” Reyes said in a flat voice.
I was still squatting at the river’s edge, filling our water flasks. “You don’t have to come. You can go back and join your war,” I said without turning around to look at him. The water finished percolating through the last flask, and I capped it. Gathering up the other flasks, I stood and faced him.
His sunglasses were already covering his eyes against the morning sun, so it was difficult to read him. He shrugged one shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
Those two words surprised me. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard them come out of Reyes Crowe’s mouth before. Now I really did wish his eyes weren’t covered so I could see if the sentiment was genuine.
A flask started to slip, and I had to shift to keep it from falling. “For what exactly? Do you even know?”
Reyes took a couple of the flasks from my arms. “Look, you know how much I hate talking about touchy-feely crap, so I’ll just say this: when you offered me a gun to just point-blank shoot someone in the head, it made me think.”
I couldn’t help it, but a corner of my mouth jerked up into a lopsided smile.
“For the record, I didn’t say anything about shooting them in the head,” I said and handed him the rest of the flasks to carry. We walked toward the bikes. “I’ll admit you had a point too. If the old regime remains in government, then moving toward a new future isn’t going to come without a fight. But there has to be a better way than starting another war. Too many people have already died, Reyes.”
He stopped walking to look at me. “If you find a better way, you’ll have my support, but make no mistake, Sunny, I will never be a slave again. And if I do have to pick up a gun to fight for that, I will.”
I nodded in understanding—and total agreement.
We made our way to where the others were loading the bikes with gear. I volunteered to take Jin-Sook, but Reyes insisted he take her. She was on painkillers and her midsection was bound with bandages, so it was going to be difficult for her to remain upright on the bike. Reyes made a broader, stronger backrest. She sat on the bike in front of him, bow slung in front of her and quiver hanging to the side. We stowed her leather food pouch and water skin in Reyes’ pack.
Summer and I shared a bike, and Hayley insisted that Eli, our skilled guide, ride with her. Of course, she assumed the lead. Zach and the other soldier, whose name badge said Jonas, took up the rear. The ride up the ridge was bumpy, steep, and uncomfortable with two people on a bike, but the path smoothed out at the top. With our vehicles set to solar, we rode through the woods in relative silence.
Hayley led us back to where she had lost the recruiters’ trail the day before. The ground was marred by a lot of tracks seemingly going in three different directions, so I understood how they had become confused. However, Eli showed us the difference between tracks gouged by the full, heavier carts and those shallower ones left by empty carts. He explained that the shallower tracks were made by hunting parties breaking away from the main group to go in search of stragglers and would wind back around to rejoin the main group. Hayley cursed herself when she realized just how much time she had wasted on the maze.
Once we’d established the main trail, we ignored the breakaways. It was a long day of travel, but at least we made excellent time.
The trail eventually descended down the mountain and took us into the foothills. It was there that we found Ryan.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jack
Half my night was spent working my muscles, the other half I allowed myself a few hours of sleep. When the first rays of the morning sun streamed through the cracks of the shed walls, I awoke to a lucidity I hadn’t felt in a while. My thoughts were organized, clear, and concise, and my body tingled with renewed strength. Today wasn’t like yesterday or even the day before. Today, I had a purpose; I needed to convince Ryder to give me a tour of his plastic factory so I could steal a weapon. I hadn’t worked out all the details of how I was going to escape, but I knew time was running out. If the hole I was digging was any indication, I would soon be spending my nights underground, hands tied, with a plastic grate caging me in. Add a few armed guards to that scenario and chances of escape were slim.
Was it better to attempt escape during the day or night? Daytime was problematic because I didn’t know where Naoki and Talon were being kept; although if an opportunity to escape presented itself, I’d take it. I would just find somewhere to hide until nightfall and then use a little stealth to take out the guards and spring everyone from detention. But I also had to think about Teegan. I knew Ryder was using her to coerce me, yet knowing that didn’t seem to lessen my protective feelings for her. The burn on her cheek didn’t look any worse, but it didn’t look any better either. And after watching Ryan suffer from infection, I couldn’t bear the thought of her going through that kind of pain.
“Teegan,” I said gently. Her head rested on my chest, her mouth open and a little drool trickling out. “Teegan,” I said again, louder. She stirred. “Time to wake up.”
She drew in a deep breath, opened her eyes, and looked up at me. She almost seemed startled, but after a quick glance around the shed she relaxed. Disoriented, I thought.
“They’re going to come for us soon, and when you get back to the kitchen I want you to ask that lady to clean your cheek with clean water again, okay? But ask her not to put the salve on it.”
She sat up straighter and pushed her disheveled hair away from her eyes. “Okay,” she said in a sleepy voice.
“Is it still sore?”
She nodded. Her eyes filled with tears. “Do you think I’ll get to see my mom today?”
It was a heartbreaking question and one I couldn’t answer. “I don’t know, honey. I wish I did.”
I shifted away from her to maneuver my hands behind me again, and then we leaned back against the wall until they came for us. As we waited, I strained to hear the regular sounds of morning activity. A door being opened, distant voices coming from the direction of the commons, two females talking in low voices over by the big house. Last night had been a lot quieter, and it had allowed me to hear the person guarding our shed. Only one person, I was positive. If I ended up escaping at night, the element of surprise could work in my favor.
I blinked against the morning sun when they opened our door. Usually they gave us breakfast and time to eat it, but Fadi motioned with his head for us to come out. I wondered just how pissed Ryder was this morning after my fi
t of rage last night and what kind of punishment I could expect. We left the shed and headed toward the house, Teegan clutching my hand despite them being bound. Fadi’s eyes glanced down at the contact, and a smile curved his lips. It only confirmed my suspicion that Teegan was being used as a form of emotional blackmail.
We went through our familiar routine of leading me to Ryder’s office and then untying my hands. Ryder sat in his usual spot behind the table, his charismatic smile gleaming broadly. I wasn’t so sure that was a good sign.
“How are you feeling this morning, Jack?” Ryder asked as he waved me into a chair.
Were we going to keep up the cat-and-mouse game? Carry on as if I hadn’t called him every name I could think of? Fought my captors and told them they were all nuts? It was going to be difficult to keep up the pretense after I had been so honest. Suddenly declaring that I wanted to join his community and have free range was going to seem a little obvious. “Fine,” I said with a hint of disdain.
He frowned. “You’re still upset.”
“Of course I’m upset. I’m concerned for my friends.”
Ryder tented his fingers and looked at me pensively. “How did you come to meet the Ajuns?”
“I would think that a well-read man like yourself would know the word is pronounced Asian.”
“Force of habit. My apologies.” He placed his hands on the table in front of him and leaned on his forearms. “You become a bigger mystery every day, Jack. You see, I hadn’t realized how close you are with those two until your outburst last night. You really care about them.”
I shrugged, wondering what the revelation was. “I told you they’re my friends.”
“Yes, but I assumed that you became friends during your trip here.” He pursed his lips for a moment and then continued. “I had a more in-depth chat with Ralph last night. He seems to think you’re from the scorchedlands, but I’m wondering how a scorchedlander ended up with a group of Asians.”
For him even to ask that question told me he assumed there was a particular world order: Ajuns lived with Ajuns, scorchedlanders with scorchedlanders, and Daemon’s people to the north. Divided they were easier to conquer; united they posed a threat. I believed Ryder was scared.
“If I tell you everything, will you stop torturing them?” I asked. If I eased his mind, maybe he would be more amenable to my request of a tour of the plastic factory.
Ryder huffed out a laugh. “This isn’t a negotiation, Jack. I’m telling you I want the truth.” He thumped a finger on the table. “I want to know where you got that rifle and the clothes, why your burn healed, and why you’re keeping company with Asians.”
I put up my hands as if in defeat. “I tried to tell you from the beginning, but you wouldn’t listen. Are you ready to hear the truth now?”
He set his mouth in a thin line and leaned back in his chair. “Are you going to tell me about your advanced civilization again? Because I’m done with that, Jack.”
“The first time you asked where I got the clothes, I told you I found them. You didn’t believe me, so I made something up. The truth is that I found them about a year ago in an old collapsed building. They were in a plastic bin and well preserved. Shortly after I found them, Naoki captured me and took me back to his people.”
Ryder jerked forward. “His people?” he asked, eyebrows raised.
I nodded.
“How many?”
“They have a settlement of about twenty, give or take a few.”
“Why did you stay with them? Why didn’t they kill you?”
“Because they’re peaceful people. They only captured me because I had a gun and they thought I was a threat. When they realized the gun didn’t even work, they let me go.”
“Why did you stay?”
I tried to keep the smile off my face. This was going exactly the way I wanted it to. “There was a girl—a really pretty girl. And I had no place else to go.”
“She’s your wife now?”
I nodded.
“Ralph tells me she got away.”
I shrugged, raising my hands in an I don’t know gesture. “I was knocked out from the devil’s blood, so I only know what Hollywood told me.”
He touched his own cheek while looking at mine. “And your burn?”
“All my life I’ve healed quickly. I don’t know why,” I said, then paused and arranged my features into a serious expression. “Although now that I’m learning about your gods and all this poison running through our veins, I wonder if you’re on to something.”
Ryder laughed mockingly. “You think you’re a chosen one?”
“Me? No. It’s probably just coincidence I ended up here, in your city.” Ryder’s eyebrows shot up, but I continued before he could say anything. “But I did give some thought last night to joining your community.”
“You were very angry last night.”
“Naoki and Talon are my friends, and I don’t want to see them harmed. I’m sure if you asked them, they would be interested in joining your city too.”
Ryder shook his head. “I told you, Jack, they make people nervous.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “And I have a better use for them.”
I managed to maintain a stoic expression. “Which is?”
“I’ll instruct Ralph to take them back to where he found them so they can lead him to their people. I’d like to know more about this settlement.”
Not what I was expecting, but not a bad scenario either. It would get them out of the city and headed home. But if it meant being tied up in the back of a wagon and kept in a constant state of dehydration, that wasn’t good. We barely survived the first trip. In fact, Ryan didn’t.
“I’ll go too. I can lead them to where I found the clothes and rifle,” I said.
“No, Jack, you’ll stay here with me. I want to know more about this ability of yours to heal so quickly.”
A knock came on the door, interrupting our conversation. Teegan and one of Ryder’s pregnant wives entered, each with a tray of food. They had reapplied the milky salve to Teegan’s face. I could tell she was in a lot of pain, but she was conscious, which led me to believe the salve wasn’t devil’s blood after all.
“Thank you, Annie,” I said as she placed breakfast in front of me. She looked at me with those round, vulnerable eyes, and my heart broke a little bit. Ryder’s wife shooed her back to the kitchen.
Two raw eggs cracked over flat bread sat on my plate. Same thing as yesterday. Since I was no longer starving, I had to force myself to eat it.
Ryder dipped his bread in the raw egg, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly as he regarded me. “You’re becoming fond of the girl,” he said. His eyes gleamed in satisfaction.
I drew my brows together. “Fond?” I asked in disbelief. “She’s a bratty little kid who won’t stop sniffling unless I’m nice to her. It’s the only way I can get any sleep at night.” I shot a quick glance at him to see his reaction. I doubted he believed me. I changed the subject. “Since I’m thinking about staying, I was wondering if I could get a tour of your city.”
Ryder frowned slightly and tilted his head from side to side, as if weighing the pros and cons of my request. “Why do you want a tour? What difference would it make to your decision?”
I motioned toward the bookcase. “I think thermal depolymerization is pure genius. I’m really interested in learning how it’s done.”
He finished his breakfast and pushed his plate away. “Why not, Jack. Consider it a reward for your honesty. However, until your friends return with confirmation of this Asian settlement you’ve spoken about, your access to this community will continue to be limited.”
***
When Dena had told me about Ryder and his recruiters, the mental image it had conjured up was some head honcho backed by a group of thugs kidnapping good, innocent folk, forcing them to be soldiers, and making them fight against an unseen enemy thousands of miles to the north. It hadn’t occurred to me that recruiting was actually a lucrative ind
ustry and that most new recruits would welcome the opportunity to join Ryder’s community. In a sparsely inhabited, lawless world where predators roamed—both animal and human—belonging to a pack was attractive. If you could swallow his twisted religion, live by his rules, and avoid castration, Ryder’s community offered a safe haven.
Ryder gave me a personal tour of his city with, of course, Fadi and Amos flanking me at all times. The compound was about the size of one of the city blocks I’d seen in the old city we’d come through to get here. If I compared it to the biodome, the footprint was about the same size, but the Dome had several levels of living space stacked on top of each other and several levels below that made up the Pit. Still, Ryder’s compound was large enough to house a few thousand people.
At the opposite end of the plastic factory, on the southside, were training facilities and, of all things, a bear nursery. I had thought it was odd when I first saw bears pulling the wagons, but I hadn’t really thought about where the animals came from. It made sense that the bears would be bred and raised to perform the task. Errant or uncooperative animals were killed, their meat consumed, and their hides used for winter clothing.
The training facility was an open area, with targets set up for archery and knife wielding and a smaller area to practice hand-to-hand combat. Ryder allowed me only a few minutes to watch the recruits train, but it was enough time for me to glean that emphasis was placed on weapons. The trainers demonstrating hand-to-hand were slow and uncoordinated. Scanning the area, I looked for Naoki and Talon but didn’t see them.
We made our way from the southside, through the residential area, past the commons, until at last we came to the plastic factory, the one building I was actually interested in. Ryder took me to the production side of the factory first, the side with the stone stove and steaming pots. I didn’t really care about this side. I wanted to be where the workers used knives to whittle plastic into shards.
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