by Harper North
“Actually…” Lacy grabs my arm. “Fin. Be quiet.”
I clamp my mouth shut as she steps carefully down the hall. She holds a hand up so no one follows. Her eyes close in concentration.
After a moment they fly open again. “There’s something on the other side of those doors.”
“What kind of something?”
She inhales. “Electromagnetic. Explosive, perhaps.”
“A bomb?” Cia shouts, like it’s the most exciting thing in the world. Sky shushes her. This kid is not turning out how I expected.
“Can you disable it?” Emma asks from the back of the growing crowd. “Like a brain?”
“Maybe.” Lacy frowns. “But brains don’t explode if I make a mistake.”
“No more explosions, if you please,” Cal says. I shoot him a look. He’s the genius who used hundred-year-old handcuffs to contain possibly the evilest person left on earth.
“The good news,” Lacy says carefully, “is that I don’t think it’s on a timer. Just a trigger if the door opens. He doesn’t want to risk a cave-in just for the hell of it.”
We all squeeze back down the corridor, away from the bomb. Cal vanishes into the storage shelves once we’re back to the big room and returns with a roll of yellow tape. Wordlessly, he tapes it over the entrance to the hallway.
“There’s another way out there,” he says. “Through the trash drop.”
“Wait, what if he’s rigged that, too?”
“I’ll go first,” Lacy says. She cuts in front of me and follows Cal down the other hallway, past the storage closets and the infirmary. I cast a glance at the door marked Surgery where Reinhart is safely contained. That’s one relief.
Cal takes us well past the infirmary and into a room piled high with disgusting trash. It’s more like an indoor compost heap and smells like the latrines in the mine. Cal’s boots crunch on a carpet of rotting vegetable skins as he wades over to a panel on the wall. He opens it and flips two switches.
A large panel hisses open at floor level. They must sweep this mess into the opening when it reaches a certain point. I gag because the point was several weeks ago.
“There. We’ll land near the river.” He looks to Lacy. “Do you sense anything?”
“Not yet,” she says, then slips into the chute feet first and slides down into the dark.
Sky edges ahead of me, but I go right after him. We slide past things I don’t want to think about and emerge seconds later in the same cave with the small river, which I now realize is used as a sewer.
“Cho will be expecting an explosion,” Emma says, emerging from the vent. “Without it, he might be more relaxed, assuming no one is coming after him. We should keep the lights off, so we don’t alert him.”
“That’s what I’m for,” Lacy says.
“He might have learned his lesson from last time,” I whisper.
Cal grunts as he slides out of the chute and lands on his butt, lantern bobbing in his hand. Emma helps him to his feet. He smiles at her. “Getting too old for this, aren’t we? No offense.”
She smiles back in the instant before she turns the lantern off.
We slide along the cave wall, moving around stalactites and eventually the supply crates from our first mission to capture Cho. I feel along them and realize they’re now broken and empty. Cal curses as he realizes this. Cho and his gang have looted whatever was left inside.
“It could have been worse,” I tell him.
“Supplies are precious down here,” he says. “We have hydroponic gardens, but the canned goods are our main source of protein. When they’re gone, we are too.”
“Oh.” So much for a long-term happy ending.
Cal shoves past me and follows Lacy farther down the tunnel. I don’t think he’s going to take Cho up on that polite invitation for another chat. Good. Being sure we’re all on the same side is nice.
The water gurgles and whispers around us, but if Cho’s right ahead, he’s staying quiet. Lacy says nothing as she concentrates, and then I run into an open hand as she whispers, “Stop.”
Everyone does without question. I listen but hear nothing over the water.
“Cho’s rigged the cave with more explosives,” she says. “If anyone tries to go through, we’ll cause a cave-in.”
“Maybe I can shoot the bombs,” Cia’s perky voice suggests from behind us.
We all jump. I can’t see her in the darkness, but I can feel the whoosh of Sky’s arms as he flails to get ahold of her.
“We can’t do that, sweetie,” Cal says, like it’s entirely normal that a child suggested it. “If we cause a cave-in, the river might back up and flood the area. That would cause us too many problems. Our only solution is to go back.”
I ball my free fist, hating Cho with every ounce of my body.
Cal turns on his lantern, ignoring Emma’s gasp of protest.
Cho has armed the tunnel ahead with a dozen bombs stuck to the walls of the cave. Each one is a black square no bigger than a canteen. It could be my imagination, but the hair on my arms stands up as I shift my gaze between them. They’re electromagnetic, all right, and I can feel the bombs from twenty feet away. I backpedal, fearing one will go off and set off all the others. This explosion would block the cave and the river for sure.
“This section is no longer safe,” Cal says. “Not until these bombs run out of energy. They use energy, right?”
“I can feel it,” Lacy says. “It would have to run out eventually, but by then, Cho will be gone.”
The air thickens in the cavern. The water continues to flow past the invisible barrier of death. I tremble, holding back rage and Sky grips my hand. His touch is the only thing that can quiet the roaring in my ears right now.
I look to Cal. “Then the only sure way to Cho is back through the rail system?”
“We could try the vents,” Cia offers, and everyone except Cal hisses, “No more vents!”
“Basically,” Cal says, and any hope left in the cavern drops into a deeper layer of the Earth because the rail system will be clogged with the Naturals who survived their suicide mission.
“We have to head back,” I say, pulling away from Sky. “Can we even get back up the chute?”
“It’s not that steep.”
We feel our way back in silence. I stub my toe on one of the empty crates and curse. “I’m sorry about your supplies, Cal.”
“That’s all on me. I should never have put y’all through that stupid test. I just wanted to be sure, and now look where it’s got us.”
“I’m sorry we didn’t hand Reinhart over right away,” Sky says. “Then we could have all worked together to make a good plan to take Cho out.”
“Wait, you handed over Reinhart?” Lacy asks. “Awesome.”
“I’ll fill you in over tea one of these days,” I joke.
“Oh, we ran out of that a long time ago,” Cal says mournfully.
I feel around in the dark until I can pat him on the back. “Listen, Cal. We all make mistakes. We trusted Cho once, and he nuked the entire world, so we understand why you went to the lengths you did. At least Reinhart has been contained before his inevitable mutiny.”
“Hey!” Lacy says. “Where’s Elias been in all this?”
I can’t find the words to answer. Finally, Sky says, “We may have had a small falling out.”
I sense Cal’s stride growing more purposeful, and suddenly it’s like I can feel the darkness of his thoughts. “Cal?”
“I won’t let another threat escape us. I’m taking care of that Destroyer tonight.”
“Elias?” It comes out a whimper. I don’t want him dead. I want my friend back.
Cal snorts. “Oh, I bet that pup is long gone, honey. The tunnels will take care of him. I’m talking about that sly old fox.”
My stomach turns as we draw closer to the trash chute—and not just because it’s disgusting. Dispatching Reinhart is the right thing to do. He purposefully abandoned Talen and Lacy, threatened me in
the crawlspace, and tried to get Cho to do the dirty work of murdering me, Sky, and poor Emma, of all people. He was only trustworthy as long as he needed us, and it was clear he no longer thought he did.
Cal crawls into the chute first, grunting with the effort of shimmying back up, and then he stops.
I hear pinging as the scraping sounds of his feet halt.
Gunshots.
My whole body seizes, and I don’t know why at first. Sky and I look at each other as he mouths, Those are close.
And he’s right. From here, we wouldn’t hear the shots from the station. These are happening from inside Elysian Beach.
“Cho!” I shout.
“Talen!” Lacy scrambles up the chute right after Cal. “Move! I’ll push you through.”
He grunts and I follow her. Lacy vanishes into the trash room, and I climb out next, rubbing my filthy hands vigorously on my pants. Cia pops out right behind me, and then I hear the scuffling of Sky helping Emma. Satisfied we’re all going to make it, I race down the hallway after Cal and Lacy.
An agonized bellow echoes from the infirmary, followed by a loud clatter. Reinhart’s attacking them!
I pour on all my speed and skid into the room to find Cal in a frenzy, turning over the metal tables and trays of equipment. There’s no sign of Lacy.
“Cal! What’s wrong?”
He wails and flings his arm at the open surgery room door.
Tears sting my eyes before I even look inside. I know what I’ll find; an empty metal table.
Someone staged a rescue.
And I have a feeling I know who it was.
A bad taste rises in my mouth as I choke out, “Cal, we’ll find him. I bet he’s hiding somewhere like the rat he is. There’s so much going on—”
He whirls on me. “I know that.”
Cal storms past me into the main area, snatching a new shotgun from the arsenal. He breaks it in half and fishes shells out of his pocket, stuffing them into the twin barrels. If Elias is with Reinhart when he finds him, he’s dead.
Sky and Emma and Cia catch up with us. From the looks on their faces, they saw the scene in the infirmary. We follow Cal toward the stairs. More gunshots ring out from the beach, and angry shouts fill the air.
“Don’t go out there!” Starla yells, popping out from behind a shelf of canned goods.
I can see a mass of frightened mothers and children hunkered behind her. At the same time, Talen bolts down the stairs, pushing Lacy in front of him. He stumbles onto his knees, shaking like someone’s just drained all the life out of him.
Lacy holds his pale face in her hands. “Talen, what’s happening?”
“I don’t have much strength left,” he says, eyes wide. “I took down a few of them, but I haven’t eaten—”
“Get him some food!” I shout to Starla. “Lacy, too.”
“They turned on us,” Talen continues, panting and struggling to speak. “As soon as they were sure Cho’s people were gone, they just started pointing their guns at us and telling us to get out. Us, and the people in the plaid. A lot of them didn’t make it.”
Sky shakes his head in confusion. “Turned on us?”
My mind clicks the pieces together.
Reinhart, Elias, and the former EHC ops. Or maybe not former after all. We sent them to put the fire out, but if Elias found them and told them his version of the story…
Sky’s eyes widen. He must have come to the same conclusion. Together, we bolt up the steps, ignoring his mother’s pleas. Lacy tells Talen she’ll handle it and runs behind us. More of the Dwellers do the same, eager for a chance to unleash all their pent-up hatred for the Leeches.
The scene from the top of the hill is even more nightmarish than before, because there’s Elias—good and brave and noble Elias—unloading an assault rifle into a forest full of Originals, Dwellers, and former EHC prisoners.
The air fills with fresh smoke. I watch as Reinhart flips a picnic table onto its side, Elias ducking behind it with him for cover. That’s when Reinhart sees us. I guess he’s recovered his sight. He lifts a rifle more than capable of making a shot at this distance. Sky yanks me back into the tunnel as sparks fly off the rock wall outside.
I watch as two Dwellers and a woman in plaid go down. The EHC has claimed all the Naturals’ weapons we left behind. We’re extremely outgunned.
“Get the civilians out of here!” Cal shouts back down the tunnel.
“We can’t go through the caves. The bombs!” Emma calls up.
“Lacy!” I yell.
But she’s already pushing past me. She shakes from weakness, too, but not as badly as Talen. If anyone has some fight left, it’s her. Cia tails Lacy, using her as a shield.
“Cia!” Sky reaches for her, but the two duck through the trees, taking advantage of the cover. He lunges out, but I yank him back.
“Trust her.”
Sky nods, but I know it’s killing him. Cal’s chin quivers as he watches more of his people go down, but I hold him back because Lacy can’t pick and choose her targets if someone gets in her way.
I wait for the screams.
And they come.
Several former EHC agents grab their heads and drop their weapons, consumed with pain. A fearsome battle cry rises from the forest as most of the Dwellers charge on their former oppressors, shooting borrowed pistols and shotguns. Several EHC ops go down, but the rest retreat through the station turnstiles and out of range of both Lacy and our guns.
And Reinhart and Elias are going with them.
Elias turns to fire a shot at the people he used to protect, and for a moment, we lock eyes across the settlement. A bullet flashes against the barrel of his gun, knocking it from his hands.
He glares at me one more time, then vanishes into the station.
“Don’t let them come back!” Cal shouts, running past me down the path.
We follow at a breakneck pace. As we near the beach, I spot Cia on the roof of the cabin we were sharing, lying flat on her stomach, aiming her pistol into the dark, smoky station. She shoots, and someone inside cries out.
We’re on the steps, feet sliding in fresh blood. Lacy joins Sky and me as we shove through the turnstiles. Cal’s not far behind, trailed by Steven and David.
I shoot blindly ahead of me, knowing I might hit Elias, but I may have to save everyone else I love. The black husk of the yellow rail car slumps onto the platform, still smoking. We leap over twisted metal. The EHC ops are fleeing into the train tunnel—their only option.
Reinhart appears through the smoke, holding a black square matching the ones we found in the cave. He must have looted a dead Natural.
“Come and get us, slags!” Reinhart roars, lifting the bomb.
I throw my arms out, halting Sky and Lacy. Reinhart sneers at us, then he hands the bomb to Elias and retreats into the tunnel.
We lock stares once again. I shake my head, my lips forming the word, “Please.”
“Stay back, Fin!” he shouts and runs after Reinhart.
For a moment, relief. He’s not past saving. Not quite.
And then the bomb flies out of the tunnel, skittering across the platform, stopping just ten feet away. Ticking, then hissing.
“Get back!” Sky shouts, spinning my body around and thrusting me toward the exit. Dwellers and Originals scream as they scramble back over the remnants of the yellow rail car, burning their hands on the hot metal. Lacy leaps clear.
My foot skids in ash and I hit my knee. Sky scoops me up and practically throws me over the melted metal. I land on my feet, wincing, but turn to grab his hand and yank him to safety.
The hissing grows more insistent, but our fighters are clogging the exit, struggling with the stupid turnstiles. Sky and I collide with a mass of writhing backs.
Our eyes lock. Sky grabs my face and presses his mouth over mine, and I let go, tangling my hands in his hair because if this is the end, this is exactly how I want it to be.
There’s a crack ahead of us. We fall forwa
rd as our fighters break free from the turnstiles. My back’s crushed against the bar, and then it gives away beneath me and I hit the concrete with the full weight of Sky on top of me. Spots flare in my vision.
The world explodes, filling the station with roaring, cracking, and crumbling.
Smoke fills the space above my head, leaving just inches of breathable air. Sky grunts as his body jolts and concrete rains onto his legs, pressing us together.
As the sound dies down, he seethes in unbearable pain.
I taste something metallic.
Sky’s blood.
CHAPTER 15
I FORCE IN a breath of the thick, acrid air as Sky’s body—and the rubble—presses down on me. The stench of blood mixes with everything. Blood. Pain. Death. It’s in my mouth and my nose, choking me. All I can see is the ceiling above, and Sky’s sandy hair spread across my eyes. He’s on his back on top of me. Blood is leaking from the back of his head.
Not again!
“Oh…” Sky groans, trying to shift under the rubble that pins us both to the concrete. The turnstile of the entryway lies twisted just above us.
Something wet and sticky clings to my pant leg, pressing it to my flesh. Sky’s blood, or mine? With another heaving breath, I hope that it’s mine, because I can’t do this again.
“Help,” I croak. “Someone. Please.”
Silence greets me, as if the whole world has died and we’re waiting our turn. Sky faces the ceiling, so we can’t even look at each other.
“Fin,” Sky says. “Don’t look. Just close your eyes.” He shifts and seethes in agony, and underneath his voice is a crack of pain. His leg might be broken.
“Sky, someone can get this off us.” As I finish speaking, the combined weight presses down on my ribs, crushing my chest. There must be hundreds of pounds of rubble on us, over our legs, and Sky has no choice but to lie on me.
“Over here!” Cal shouts from somewhere far away.
“Cal,” I croak. My lungs start burning.
“I need help over here!” he shouts. “The rebels are gone. We’re safe for now. Steve, get over here! We could use a hand!” Cal appears above us, pulling at a piece of concrete that doesn’t move. He grimaces as he works.