Equinox (8 page)

She was running late for class by the time she got to the Academy. She took a shortcut across the recreation area and saw Dalton lounging alone on one of the benches. He jumped up with a wave as he saw her crossing the gravel and jogged towards her.

He was wearing the Academy hover hockey uniform: a skin-tight dark blue singlet and matching loose pants. It made him look even more muscular than usual and nerves played along her insides. Was it possible he was Helios?

“Hey.” He smiled as he reached her. “How’re you doing today?”

“Okay. You late for astronomy as well?”

“Yes, yes, I am.” He fell into step beside her. “Weird how we have so many classes together, isn’t it?”

“Is it?”

Dalton peered at her with concern. “You all right today? You don’t look so hot. Not that I’m saying you’re not hot,” he added quickly. “I think the pale worn look really works for you.”

“Good save.”

He grinned. “Well, I am a champion receiver.”

Rosie shook her head. “I’m fine – just tired from studying, you know.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Okay, but if you need any help with anything, let me know. I don’t have a study partner at the moment.” His smile was relaxed and easy, but there was something about the way he was watching her that pricked at her. He was one of those people who really looked at you when you spoke, paid attention, like what you were saying was more interesting than anything else. It was unsettling.

“Um, thanks, but I’m all right.”

“Offer’s open.”

They walked in silence for a while, until he said, “You still haven’t said if you’re coming tomorrow.”

The party. She’d forgotten all about it. Rosie stopped. “Dalton, I’m sorry but I can’t come.”

“Got somewhere else to be?”

“No – I mean, yes.” She stuttered and the corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement.

“Well, which is it?”

“It doesn’t matter, I’m not coming.”

“Is it some other guy or do you just not like me? Which seems weird because I am very likable.” There was a light of mischief in his expression.

Her smile was weak. “If I change my mind, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Okay.” He put his hands in his pockets. “But are you sure you’re all right?”

“I’m fine, Doctor Curtis, thanks,” Rosie said dryly.

“Hey, I’m just checking.” Someone shouted to him and he waved at them over her head.

“I’ve got to go see my minions,” he said. “But don’t forget you can always change your mind. See you in class.” His hand touched her shoulder lightly and then he strode off to join his friends.

Rosie watched him go. Why was he so persistent? She found it hard to believe Dalton was interested in her, in a dating kind of way. Could he really be a Helios agent? Confused, she headed for the lecture room.

By the last class of the day, navigational physics, Rosie felt sick with nerves, gnawing tension growing in her belly. She tried to reach her aunt repeatedly, but got nothing but her com on stand-by.

It seemed to take forever for the class to finish and by then she’d almost decided she wouldn’t go to see her dad, but risk going to Riley – though caution won out. If she was being watched, going to Riley would be exactly what they wanted her to do. She should go see her dad, try to act normal.

The shuttle station was busier than last time and she had trouble finding a bench amid the after-school crush. Loud ads and announcements filled the air, along with the smell of hot metal, human sweat and fried onions.

The trip to Greenview didn’t help ease her nerves and, by the time she got off the shuttle, her anxiety had moved into high gear.

Her com pinged as she walked up the path to the main entrance. She stopped and took it out, not really wanting to look at it.

Some information is better shared
, the words said.
Let’s see what happens
.

Her insides took a dive to her feet. She spun around, staring at the trees, the building, the grounds, as if expecting someone to be standing there smirking at her. But there was no one. Her breath got short. What the hell was going on? She didn’t know what to do, or what the message even meant. Had whoever sent the vision shared it with Helios? She tried her aunt again. Nothing.

She stared at the hospital entrance. She couldn’t just stand here.
Go inside
, she told herself.
Act normal
.

Sure. Great, normal. Heart pounding like she was high on stims, she pocketed her com and headed for the door.

The hospital seemed quieter than usual. There was no one on the front desk or in the halls. That should have been a big clue right there, but she wasn’t thinking straight. It wasn’t until she got to her dad’s floor and looked through the window into the doctor’s office that she got it. The doctor was in there, but there were also two big men in Senate uniforms. They wore guns strapped to their hips, and both of them saw her.

Rosie froze. She stared at them, they stared at her and for a nanosecond nobody moved. Her only thoughts were: they know about the vision; they’ve come for me. Then instinct took over. She spun on her heels and bolted back down the hall.

“Stop!” one of the men called, but she didn’t turn around. She skidded around a corner, knocking over a trolley of medical supplies, and kept running. Adrenaline pumped through her veins like cold fire, her back prickling with fear that at any moment she’d feel a shot.

The men pursued her, their boots thundering on the hard floor. Her dad’s room was on the second floor and Rosie had no idea where the stairwell was. She’d always taken the lift. Terrified, she ran blindly around the next corner and past the bank of elevators. It had to be close. A door. Rosie saw a sign on it saying
No Admittance
before she ran through and slammed the door shut, locking it behind her. A heavy fist smashed on it, rattling it in its frame.

It was dim inside, hard to see. Opposite the door was a flight of stairs going down. Rosie took them two at a time, almost twisting her ankle as she rounded the platform at the bottom of the first flight.

Now that the Senate knew, how long would it be until one of Helios’s moles saw the vision and spread the word?

Crashes came from above like someone was trying to kick the door in. The stairs ended at an outer door. She pushed it open. Directly opposite was a small car park with a few solar cars and a big hover delivery truck. Thick trees and scrub backed onto the far side of the car park. There were more buildings on the right and open lawn on the left. She ran towards the car park but caught a movement from the corner of her eye. A Senate guard was sprinting across the lawn. She ran as hard as she could for the car park, not really sure what she was going to do.

“Stop,” the guard shouted, and she heard the whine of a weapon powering up.

Rosie ducked, but not quickly enough. A pulse shot swiped her shoulder. She screamed and staggered. It burned like a rod of fire scraping her skin. Tears filled her vision, but she kept going. The Senate guard was bigger, faster. She couldn’t outrun him, but she’d be damned if she was going down without a fight. She reached the car park, but he was almost in grabbing distance now. Then there was the rumble of an engine and she looked up to see a bio bike racing down the centre of the car park. It swerved side-on and screeched to a stop next to her. The black-clad rider turned to her, the visor on his helmet reflecting her petrified face.

“Get on!” The voice seemed familiar and a gloved hand reached for her.

She grabbed it instinctively, the skin of her left shoulder burning, just as the guard closed in. The guard snatched at her, but the man on the bike yanked her onto the seat, out of the guard’s reach, and took off.

“Son of a bitch!” Rosie heard the guard shout, and she hunched down as a shot of pulse fire whizzed past her head.

“Hold on!” the driver yelled. She clutched at his waist as he manoeuvred the bike out of the hospital car park and onto the road, cutting in front of a catering transport. Brakes squealed and Rosie thought they were done for as they headed straight for the side of another truck. The bike corrected at the last minute, leaning hard sideways to come up alongside the truck. Rosie could hardly breathe. Her shoulder down to her elbow felt like it was being peeled off in thin strips. Air streamed past, her hair whipping out behind her as the driver opened the bike up. The cars, trees and buildings around them became a blur of motion and she could do nothing but hold on.

Bio bikes were two-wheeled power monsters with camouflage shielding. The driver wove the bike effortlessly through the traffic as if all the other vehicles were standing still. They were soon over the bridge, bypassing the checkpoint as if they were invisible, roaring through the Rim.

Rosie clung on. For all she knew she could have just leaped into Helios’s hands, but it was too late to rethink. She was sure she recognised the voice though. Male, but not Riley. She didn’t try to ask for a name – the speed they were travelling at made it impossible to talk without helmet coms, and she was riding bare.

She hunched down behind him, using his body to cut the wind, and tried to pay attention to where they were going. It was getting dark, so she couldn’t be sure. South maybe. They cut through busy streets. Rosie saw the brief flash of a reader light scan the bike ID, but no alarms halted them.

The pain in her shoulder had become a hot spreading throb and she could barely feel her left hand clutching at the driver’s jacket. She began to feel strange, as if she was suspended in time. There was nothing but the rush of wind, the rolling thunder of the bike and the pain. The bright lights of the spaceport flashed past. She blinked. Where in the hell were they going? She knew she should be afraid, but the pain was taking over. Her vision was blurry and there was a funny roar in her ears.

She blinked and her eyes closed briefly – or not. She suddenly jerked up, heart pounding. The bike was wobbling, the driver gripping her arm. She’d been sliding off sideways. She sat up and the wind hit her full in the face, but not so fast. They were slowing down. The bike turned down a wide road flanked on either side by tall stone pillars.

They were in the Ocean Estates, playground of the rich, and about as far from the life of a Banker you could get. The pain in her shoulder asserted itself and Rosie swallowed a cry. She was suddenly wide awake. How had they got here? She must have passed out. The Estates were at least two hours south of the city.

They took a turn into a driveway, great steel gates opening before them. A sign above the gate was illuminated by soft lighting.
Newport
. The driveway ended at a sprawling mansion, the bike thrumming to rest in front of the door.

Rosie tried to slide off fast, make a break for it, but the driver was faster. The bike wasn’t even switched off before he’d twisted around and caught her by the arm. Not that it made any difference. Her legs buckled and she yelped in pain. He’d grabbed her injured arm.

“Ow, let go!”

“Sorry.” His grip loosened. “Relax, it’s okay. Wait.” That familiar muffled voice again. “It’s me.”

“Who’s me?” Rosie sounded hoarse and weak. He was still hanging onto her arm, but now he seemed to be holding her up more than restraining her. She twisted out of his grip and stood unsteadily, swaying slightly, a weird feeling coming over her. She knew that voice.

He swung his leg over the bike, switching the engines off. It was suddenly very quiet. She heard sea washing against the shore and smelled damp salty air, but it barely registered as he took off his helmet and shook out his hair.

Golden highlights glinted in the soft lighting coming from the house.

He smiled. “Hey, Pilot Girl. Told you I had a Prince Charming complex.”

She stared. “Dalton?”

Wait, wait!” He dropped the helmet, arms spread wide as she took three big steps back from him. “It’s okay. I’m not Helios.”

“What?” Rosie stopped.

“I work for Riley,” he said. “Really. He sent me to help you.”

Gravel crunched under her feet as she took another step back.

“Seriously.” He came slowly towards her, arms still held out. “I brought you here for safety. This is my family’s place.” He was watching her very closely, measuring the distance between them in case she bolted. She wouldn’t get two steps in her present condition. She was feeling light-headed and really, really thirsty.

“You work for Riley?”

“I’ll prove it.” Without taking his eyes off her, he unzipped a pocket on the thigh of the black bike suit. “I’ve got a com here. Riley’s going to call any minute.” The com made a low urgent beeping noise. “Speak of the devil.” He held it out to her. “It’s Riley. Ask him yourself.”

Rosie hesitated. He seemed sincere. She edged forwards and plucked the com from his palm. He didn’t move, but was watching her every step of the way.

“We should go inside,” he said. “You don’t look so good.”

“You keep saying that.” She hit the receiver and an image of Riley filled the screen. There was a deep crease between his brows and he looked mad and worried at the same time.

“Rosie?” he said. “Are you safe?”