Escape from Harrizel (40 page)

“I don’t want you at risk.”

“We’re all at risk.”

He’s still shaking his head.

“Reid—it’ll be fine. You can be there.”

“I’ll
kill
them.”

“What’d you do with the others?” Pratt asks
softly.

“They’re in the tunnels,” Tucker answers,
“but can we keep them
all
down there?”

“Where else is there?” Clark asks.

“We can keep them out there,” I gesture
toward the window overlooking the jungle, “with the people they
snatched.”

“Yes!” Pratt exclaims. “That’s perfect!”

“They’ll be out of the Castle when we
liberate it,” I say, “after that, we’ll figure out what to do with
them.”

Everyone nods as Reid stands solid, his
breath coming and going in sharp, furious breaths. He’s staring off
at something, biting the tip of his thumb, the room an anxious
cloud around him again.

Finally, he inhales a solid lungful of air.
“I’m to be present at every one. I choose the Rogues and the
Clients. If I say stop, we
stop
.”

“Fine,” I look to Sampson. “Does Blovid have
any more information?”

“About the Vermix meeting?” he shakes his
head. “Not at this time. Our best bet is to plan for the worst when
Beshib returns.”

“We’ll have to figure out the Clients
quickly,” Jace says, “I’ll talk to Kelly. Send them out tomorrow,
if possible. The sooner the better.”

“I’d rather tonight but…” Reid nods, “let’s
plan on tomorrow, first thing. Bring the best recruits here before
First Bell and notify the Rogues.”

Jace nods.

“Thank you,” Reid clears his throat, half
glancing at the door to his right. “I’m going to stay in tonight…
tend to Fallon.”

The others move for the door.

“The top three,” Reid clasps Tucker’s
shoulder, “enough time before First Bell to evaluate and
assign.”

He nods, leading everyone through the open
archway, Reid closing the door behind them. Once they’re gone, he
turns to me.

“You’re trying to give me a heart attack,
aren’t you?” he sighs, crossing the room to sit down next to me. A
long silent minute passes. “What’re we doing? What if something
goes wrong and…”

“You said you’d be there,” I take his hand
in mine, squeezing. “I trust you.”

His eyes dart over my eye and busted lip.
Brushing a few curls behind my ear, he shakes his head. “Look what
happened already.”

“I trust you,” I repeat, glancing between
his eyes. “We have to do this. There’s no other way.”

Reid leans in, resting his forehead on mine.
“I can’t apologize enough. You got hurt because of me. None of this
would’ve happened if—”

“They didn’t think I was your girl?”

He laughs. “Kind of hope you are, by now. Be
a little weird if you weren’t. Especially since you’re spending the
night.”

“And you’re sure the Dofinikes won’t
care?”

“Not for me. I’m an integral part of keeping
the humans at war so they tend to let things go where I’m
concerned.”

“Must be nice.”

“Yeah… the real VIP treatment,” he rolls his
eyes, “I’m allowed a girl in my room.”

“Hey,” I jab him in his side, “I’m not
any
girl.”

“No,” he laughs, “you most certainly are
not.”

And then he looks up, trapping me in his
gaze that lasts an eternity. Something warm ignites inside me in
this moment, my heart weighing a thousand pounds and suddenly, I
have no breath. Reid leans in, softly capturing my lips with his as
he cradles my face in his gentle hands. But just as he opens my
mouth, the split in my lip soars in pain and on reflex, I pull
back.

“Sorry…” I apologize.

He watches me cup my cheek and glares,
mumbling to himself, “Should’ve killed them.”

“What? No… it’s fine. I’m
fine
,” I
shift back on his bed. “Come on… let’s get some sleep. You have a
big day tomorrow—meeting the new recruits and all.”

He runs his hands through his hair and
exhales. Yanking his shirt off, he tosses it to the floor and
climbs into the bed. Throwing his arm across my stomach, he cradles
into me. “I’m going to make everyone of them pay for hurting you.
Every last one.”

Come in. Quiet.

Is she awake?

Don’t worry about it. Just be quiet.

My eyes flash open to the black wall inches
from my nose. There are more babeebs, but they’re kept in the
opposite corner. A soft shuffling and then a chorus of pattering
feet emits, followed by unidentifiable whispers. My lids grow heavy
again, the sweet coma overtaking me as I slip away…

“
Why didn’t you tell me?”

“
Would you have believed it?”

The lady with the red bandanna inhales, the
tip of her cigarette lighting into orange sparks. “I don’t…”

“
We weren’t sure…” the elder woman
starts, “when or how…” she reaches for the younger woman’s hand.
“I’ve wanted to tell you for a while. Your whole life…”

Another hand—a man’s—rests atop the other
two. The lady in the red bandanna turns in his direction.

The porch fades to an opaque fog as a new
face appears—the one with white hair and large, piercing silver
eyes. Her mouth never opens but her voice is solid, strong.

“
Fallon...”

Her eyes sting, striking me.

“
Fallon…”

She grows impatient.

“
Fallon…”

Her eyes widen, the silver overwhelming her
face.

“
FALLON!”

I’m awake, staring at the black ahead.
Whispers exchange behind me, back in the corner with the
babeebs.

You all know what you have to do?

How will we get further instructions?

Orders will be delivered at midnight before
the set up.

“Reid?” I ask, unsure if this is a
dream.

Hold on.

The bed dips and my eyes open just as I turn
to him. He’s leaning over me, “Hey baby. You okay?”

I pull him down to a kiss. He resists at
first, but then gets sucked in, hungrily returning it. He wants to
keep going but forces himself back when I open my mouth. “Hold
on.”

The bed lifts and more feet shuffle around
the room.

Any questions?

Thank you, Rox.

Thank you, Rox.

The room empties of all movement except for
one pair of feet which pause at the bedside. The mattress dips
again as he climbs in behind me, his lips brushing the nape of my
neck. He takes my elbow in his hand and brings my wrist to his
lips. “Hey,” his word vibrates into my skin.

“What’s the plan?”

“For now?” he moves his mouth around my
wrist, touching every part with his lips. “
This
.”

“For
later
,” I laugh. “The first set
up.”

“Don’t worry about that now…” he moves in to
kiss me when a knock sounds on the door. Reid drops his head.
Jumping off the bed, he makes his way for the crimson arch.
“In.”

Tucker and Able emerge, both acknowledging
me with a slight nod before quickly shifting focus to Reid.

“They’re good,” Tucker advises. “Just
waiting on the pull.”

“Signal?” Reid wants to know.

“Using a second Scout.”

“Who and who?”

“A new recruit to one of Jace’s. He’ll give
us the go-ahead.”

“Okay,” Reid sits on the bed next to me.
“This is the part where you have to pay attention.”

Sitting up, I rub my left eye with my
knuckles. Someone whispers, “Shit, Fallon.”

“What?” I look around.

“Nothing,” Reid forces a grin, kissing my
right cheek tenderly. “We’re going to try for one of the set-ups
today. Tonight. Once we have confirmation, we’re going to move you
to the Bathing Bubble right after Leisure Time starts.”

“Okay…”

“Able will walk you to it. Pretend you’re
going to use it like normal.”

“They’ll be in there?” I ask.

“That, or right behind you.”

“Where will
you
be?”

Reid chooses his answer carefully.
“Around.”

“So when I come and get you,” Able says,
“I’ll walk you to the Bathing Bubble. Don’t worry about
anything.”

“Do you know how many are going?” I glance
between all three of them. “Kings?”

The three boys exchange glances, Reid
clearing his voice. “Around four.”

“Or more…” Able mumbles as Tucker shoots him
a look. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.”

“I’m not worried. I’m ready.”

“Of course you are,” Reid laughs.

“What if Able doesn’t come?” I ask.

“Then it’s a no-go. And you’ll sit tight,”
Reid’s brows arch high into his forehead. “That cool?”

“Okay.”

“We got to go before the bell hits,” Reid
kisses me. “Your Safeties will be escorting you everywhere plus
you’ve got additional security. And I won’t be far from you
ever
. Right now, you’re the most protected person on
Harrizel.”

All three rise and head for the door.

“Jace and Chief will pick you up in a little
while. Remember,” Reid turns to me with a wink. “I won’t be
far.”

***

The bell to start Leisure Time rang fifteen
minutes ago. Able isn’t here. The Kings must not be coming. Pacing,
I nearly bite my fingernails raw, wondering what might have
happened. Are the Kings onto us already? Did a new recruit falter?
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. Maybe if I—

A fast-paced knock sounds on the door.

This is it.

Running to the crimson arch, I pause. How do
I know it’s really Able? We should’ve come up with some secret
signal. It’s too late for that now. Another knock sounds and I
finally open it, inhaling.

Able stands before me, his posture relaxed
but his eyes serious. “Ready?”

It takes everything I have to simply nod, my
chest pounding like a bomb. Once I leave the room there’s no
turning back, not if a sudden rush of fear creeps up my back and I
change my mind. Not that I would. If I can contribute anything, at
least it’s this.

“Let’s go,” he says as we leave my bunker,
taking the corridor to the closest Bathing Bubble on the right.
Matching his pace, we move quickly, quietly, his arm tucked tightly
in mine, locking me close to him. After a minute and without
turning to look at me, Able murmurs through grinded teeth. “They’re
watching us right now.”

“Us?”

“
You
. Making sure the info’s legit.
Just keep walking.”

As if I had any other plans. It’s only a
short distance to the Bathing Bubble but suddenly it feels miles
away. And with each step, it’s as if thousands of eyes pierce into
me, ripping apart every move I make.

“Where?” the soft word escapes my lips.

“Not sure. Probably the Courtyard. Maybe a
room.”

“How many? Do you know?”

Able shakes his head. We’re at the Bathing
Bubble’s entrance and he motions me inside, a blank expression
marring his face. It’s not encouraging, worried or anxious. It’s
flat, like he’s unwilling to give anything away, even to me.

Stepping in, I hold my breath. It’s black.
The few babeebs have been removed, keeping it in utter darkness. A
chill races down my spine, my heart thumping away. Are the Kings
already here? Are the Rogues? And where’s Reid? My eyes are slow to
adjust, the shapes of the giant glass balls gradually taking form.
I take another cautious step, my pulse racing as I glance around
the blackness. Everything’s quiet. Eerily still. Slowly heading for
the closest Bubble, I pause when a silhouette steps out.

It lunges for me.

Bracing myself for the impact, it never
comes. A darkened figure flies out from the right, knocking the
King to the ground with swift, sharp blows. The King is down but
the figure is already taking on another, offering the same lethal
jabs. I back up, just as a third body emerges from the left, taking
off for me in a dead run.

My arm is yanked back, Tucker’s voice at my
ear. “It’s me.”

Before I’m able to respond, he pushes me
behind him as the King collides with him, the two throwing swings.
The King is desperately trying to get at me. He hurls all his
weight into charging Tucker but the Rogue leader keeps his body a
solid, impenetrable wall that blocks mine.

I’m not sure which way to go. Stay by Tucker
or get as far away as possible since the King seems to be slipping
from him? Bolting, I run into the darkness, wishing there was more
of a plan, wishing we’d discussed it a little further.

Which way to go?

I can’t see straight. Shadows suddenly start
to come alive, moving along the glass balls. How many people are in
here? And are they all Kings… or Rogues? Running forward, I jolt to
a halt as a figure moves ahead, blocking the path.

He’s snatched back, thrown into the glass
wall of the nearest Bathing Bubble, face first by another
silhouetted figure. The King’s arms are cranked behind him and he
yelps loudly as if it’s just been broken. The figure holding him
disappears again, darting back into the shadows, behind the Bathing
Bubble.

That’s four. Is it done? It can’t be. There
are still more shadows moving. Someone yelps behind me, then a
curse. Footsteps shuffle in the distance, followed by more grunting
and another howl. My heart races. How many people are in here? A
few yells and quick shouts around the hall.

“She’s over here!” someone calls and I flip
toward the voice.

But he’s taken down already, his throat
strained under steel fingers. The figure has him on the ground,
twisting his arm until he cries out. The shadow disappears again
once the King remains incapacitated. I step forward but then stop,
still unsure which way to go. Who’s who? And where’s safe?

“
There!
” another voice announces
behind me. I spin to find three ferocious silhouettes just two
Bathing Bubbles down, making for me at a dead run.