Evade (The Ever Trilogy) (27 page)

He sets down a block away from my house, where it’s quiet. But the quiet just puts me more on edge. This decades-old neighborhood has always been full of noise and kids, even after the Uprising. And this seems to hit me harder than the Uprising did, because I’m suddenly struggling to hold back tears. The sudden revelation of stories made real is nothing next to my family and friends being threatened.

“Over here, I think,” Axel whispers, reminding me that those friends, that family, is why I came back, why I didn’t just leave when it might’ve been the safer and smarter choice.

But two steps are all I get. Two steps. That’s how quickly the soldiers throw off their camouflage and surround us, guns pointing. I freeze, but Axel moves as fast as he did in the woods.

“Go with them. Be careful. Be safe.” His quickly spoken words are all the explanation I get before he’s airborne and flying away, and I’m left here.

Damn it! Thanks for nothing.

“Another filthy sympathizer.”

The voice pulls my attention back fast. I don’t see whoever spoke at first. But then I catch the smell of his cigar, and see him pushing his way through the crowd of gun toting goons. Like all the others, he’s wearing grey urban camo, and has about six guns strapped to him.

My eyebrow quirks up in an expression I’ve never been able to help. “Wow, really? Overcompensating much?” My arms cross in annoyance. Axel’s abandoned me with nothing more than a handful of confusing last words, and these assholes just stand here pointing guns in my face, like I’m some über-dangerous monster or something.
Who the hell do these people think they are, anyway?

My focus narrows in on their cigar-wagging leader. He isn’t much taller than me. His eyes do an up and down over me, grunting.

I can’t help it. The way he’s standing, like he owns the world, just brings out the snark in me. “Can we say Napoleon complex?”
God, you idiot, shut up!

His lack of height puts me at a disadvantage though, since he just sucks on his cigar and blows the smoke in my face.
Ugh. So gross.

I turn away, coughing, and he laughs.

“You’re lucky I’m feeling generous today. Otherwise I’d shoot you right here. You damn monster lovers are why we’re in this mess in the first place. If we’d just killed them all when they first showed up, life would’ve gone back to normal. But no, you people had to try and
live
with them.”

He blows another cloud of foul smelling smoke in my face.

“Put her with the others.”