Chapter 14
Pelton had always joked that Wendy would be a force to be reckoned with if anyone really got her mad. He'd been right.
Wendy's mind cleared of the flashes and the fear and the comfort she thought she'd had here. Mike had sent Dennis to interrogate her. Her cover was blown, but she could still get out.
After she hurt someone.
Thoughts stopped, and rage took over. Wendy grabbed Dennis by the head and twisted. Not enough to break his neck, but enough to force him to turn and fall. Before he hit the ground, she kneed him in the spine.
His yell of surprise and pain was music to her ears.
Wendy didn't wait for the others to approach. Two steps brought her to the nearest silhouette. This one was tall, so she went for his knees first, then his ribs. When he doubled over, she elbowed him in the face. He didn't make a sound as he hit the floor.
A quick glance to the side told Wendy that Dennis was slowly getting to his feet.
Good. She wasn't finished with him.
Another of the shadows stepped toward the light. The fourth had retreated.
Wendy recognized the short, stocky frame, but his name didn't register. She didn't care about names anymore.
He came in swinging for her head. She silently thanked him. A quick duck and a step forward got her into range. Using her momentum and strength, Wendy punched him in the stomach. All of the air in his lungs came out with a gasp, and he stumbled back. Before he could get away, Wendy kicked him in the back of the knee. Before he hit the ground she chopped him in the back of the neck. He joined his friend—unmoving on the floor.
Dennis had come to his feet, and he thought he had the upper hand as he approached Wendy from behind.
He was wrong.
Wendy let him get close enough to kick her before she turned and blocked his shin with her elbow. The collision sent a jarring pain through Wendy's arm, which only added fuel to her anger.
The confident look on Dennis' face faltered as Wendy followed up with three punches and two kicks. He blocked the first two, but after that Wendy's strikes started to get through his guard.
Dennis grunted and lunged forward, catching Wendy's ribs with a solid hit. "Riggs said you were unstable."
"You have no idea," Wendy said.
A flicker of movement caught Wendy's attention. The fourth shadow. It had to be Jordy. Wendy circled to put Dennis between them.
"Why are you here?" Dennis asked.
They exchanged more blows. Dennis got Wendy in the side of the head hard enough to set her ears ringing.
"Mike brought me here, why don't you go ask him?"
Jordy had moved so that he was perpendicular to the two fighters.
Wendy had to finish this. Every fighting instinct she had screamed for her to back up as she let Dennis get close enough to grab her.
His hand shot out and snatched her elbow. Wendy let him have it. She turned her back to him and let him get her into a choke hold.
Hopefully this would work better than it had with the Skinny.
The moment he thought he had control of her, he said, "Do it."
Wendy grabbed Dennis' wrist and pulled him close to her. She let out a yell as she threw him over her shoulder.
Bigger guys never expected her to be able to throw them, which is why she'd practiced it so much. Dennis' feet left the ground, and he came over her hip just in time to get hit by the little pronged machine Jordy had used on her earlier.
Wendy let gravity do its job and let go, afraid she might get caught up in the shock.
"Damn it," Jordy said.
Wendy sprung over the now twitching Dennis and got to Jordy before he could move. She grabbed his wrist and twisted. The machine clattered to the floor. Wendy continued to turn his hand, locking up the whole limb to his shoulder. A pop sounded, and Jordy yelled out in pain.
Wendy wished she had time to do more damage, but she had to get out. She kicked him in the side of the head, and he went down in a heap.
Dennis continued to twitch, apparently still receiving electric shocks. Wendy picked up the machine and walked over to him.
She squatted down and pointed at the knob. "I'm just going to turn this up a little."
He didn’t answer. He couldn't even move, but Wendy clearly saw the increased fear in his eyes.
Wendy turned the knob. A gurgle came from Dennis' throat, and his body convulsed. She set the little box down just a few inches from his hand. "Enjoy."
The room didn't extend much beyond the light, and the only thing in it besides unconscious teenagers, was the cupboard Dennis had put her in. The glint of metal caught Wendy's attention, and she relieved Jordy of his knife. Wendy found the door and slipped out. The hour must still have been late, because the lights were low. Wendy had expected a guard, but the hallway was empty.
She didn't know where she was, so she went to her left. Adrenaline and anger filled her to the point of busting, and Wendy's whole body shook as she walked.
Why didn't Mike have someone here to guard them? Had he been watching somehow? A camera she hadn't seen?
She had to get out.
The sound of approaching footsteps jump-started Wendy's heart. She ducked into the nearest room—grateful to find it empty—and waited.
Familiar voices spoke.
"Where could she be?" Cal said.
"I don't know. Arie said it didn't look like her bed has been slept in." That was Kev.
Wendy's mind clicked into action. They'd said they knew how to get out of the complex. Just after they passed, Wendy jumped out after them.
Kev was the better fighter, so she went for him. Neither of the boys saw her coming, and a moment later she had Kev by the neck, her knife at his throat.
She met Cal's shocked eyes. “Get me out of here and he lives.”
Kev was tense under Wendy's hand, but he didn't move. He knew better.
“Get me some supplies and get me out of this place.”
"What's going on?" Cal asked.
Maybe he didn't know anything. Maybe he did. No time to figure out the truth. She tightened her grip on Kev. “Get me out of the building and past the shield and the two of you go free.”
Cal took in Wendy's appearance. "What happened?"
"Mike isn't who you think he is."
"Who is he?"
Wendy gave him a flat stare. "Show me the way out."
Cal met her eyes. “Where will you go?”
Wendy ground her teeth. “Away from here.”
“Once you leave, Mike will hunt you down.”
“Let him try.”
Silence settled on the group. Wendy waited, ready to do whatever she had to, to get out.
After a few long seconds, Kev spoke. “Show her the way."
Cal gave Kev a look of confusion, but it quickly resolved into a nod. “Follow me.”
“If you try to trick me, Kev will die,” Wendy said and adjusted their position so Kev was standing in front of her, her knife a hairsbreadth from his back. “Even if I don't have the knife at his throat.”
“We all know how deadly you are,” Cal said in a tense voice.
Wendy almost felt bad for using Kev and Cal like this—they had been her friends—but she had to get out. Mike kept Skinnies. If she stayed, he would give her bad food. She would either become a Skinny or she would refuse to eat and starve to death anyway. Wendy didn't like either of those options. If she could get out, maybe she could find one of the other groups her dad had been working with and take these guys down. They had a nice setup here in this complex. If she could find a group to take them out, people could be safe.
They didn't encounter anyone else as they traversed the maze of hallways toward the marketplace.
Wendy kept the knife at Kev's back as they walked. When they reached the marketplace, she looked at Cal.
“You have five minutes to get me a bag, food for three days, a canteen, two knives, two gas bombs, a change of clothes and a med kit.” She could really use new boots?
??hers were too big—but they didn't have time.
Cal gave her one more glare before moving off to get her supplies.
Wendy and Kev crouched behind a pile of crates near where she had taken down the Skinnies. Kev said nothing. Wendy could feel the tension coming off of him, but he kept his cool.
Wendy's mind raced as she watched Cal move away. Why had Mike sent Dennis after her now? What had changed? Why the rush?
Suspicion blossomed in Wendy. Kev and Cal coming by at that moment could not be a coincidence. Mike was going to let her go. He wanted the map, and he figured she would go back for it, then he would follow her. It was a brilliant plan. What he didn't know about was the rendezvous point. If any of her people had gotten out, they would have left a clue to where they went. The map wasn't going anywhere. She would find her people and then they would come back for Mike. It might take a few years, but she would do it.
People died every day, but to take out an entire community of people was unforgivable. Mike had done it, and Wendy would make sure he paid.
“Cal's right, Mike will hunt you down,” Kev said.
“I wish him luck with that,” Wendy said.
“Wendy, why are you doing this?” Kev turned to look at her. His eyes were narrowed, but still more confused than angry.
Wendy sighed. “Mike isn't what he seems. I know about the Skinnies. I can't be here. Not with them. Not after what he did.”
Kev blinked and shook his head. Maybe he didn't know the whole story, but then again, maybe he did.
Cal reappeared with the supplies.
“Here,” Cal said, handing her the bag. It had a long shoulder strap as well as back pack straps.
“You carry it until we get out.”
“Fine.” Cal shouldered the pack and looked around. “It won't be light for another three hours. Our best bet is to go out through the bottom.” He looked at Kev for confirmation.
“Yeah, probably.”
“This way,” Cal said as he took off down a nearby hallway. His long legs ate up the distance, and Wendy had to rush to keep up.
The only sound came from their footsteps on the tile floor as they made their way through two unmanned and open gates.
“This way,” Cal said after they got through the second gate.
“What part of the complex is this?” Wendy asked. She had never been this way.
“This goes to the hangar,” Cal said.
Wendy slowed. “What?” There were bound to be people watching the vehicles.
Kev sighed. “There's a small door that only a few people know about. We found it by accident about a year ago. Mike doesn't even know we know about it.”
Sure he didn't.
“We can get you out there.”
“And through the shield,” Wendy said.
Kev's eyes narrowed again. “How do you know about the shield?”
“I listen.”
Besides, it was the only explanation for this place still being safe. Pelton had told her about a complex surrounded by a shield that he'd broken into once. He said if you touched it from either side, you'd get fried. It would be too easy for the boys to let her loose outside and then have her get killed before she found the opening.
“You do know how to get out of it, right?” Wendy said.
“Of course,” Cal said, his voice even.
Cal led her through a door, down a hallway that had dust on the floor and into a small supply room. She could hear sounds from a hangar—transports taking off and the clinking of metal on metal—but didn't get a glimpse of it.
“Here,” Cal said, following the walkway to yet another door.
“That leads outside?” Wendy asked. Rust stains ran down the metal surface of the door like tears. There was no indication that it had been opened in the last year.
Cal didn't answer, but he moved forward and tugged the handle. The walkway provided just enough room for the door to pivot inward.
“This way,” Cal said.
Beyond lay darkness. For a moment Wendy's feet wouldn't move, but Kev kept going, and dragged her along with him.
Cool, mountain air greeted her, the smell invigorating. The door led to a small cave. She followed the boys around a corner and into the night.
Around her, everything shimmered.
According to Pelton, shields bent light and looked like whatever you programmed them to from the outside. Wendy took a quick glance over her shoulder, and had to make a conscious effort not drop her jaw open at the straight wall of the plateau rising into the air above. The entire complex must be hidden in the rocks.
The shield must have been here before the Starvation.
Amazing.
And very hard to get into.
Wendy's eyes fell back to the ground, and she eyed the forest around her with trepidation. Would Cal actually lead her out?
“This way,” Cal said. “The guards are on rotation right now, so we won't be seen.”
How convenient, Wendy thought.
Nighttime was usually filled with the noise of animals, but silence reigned here. She wondered if the shield kept sound out.
This forest closely resembled the one around the Den. They must be close, or at least near the same latitude.
A few well-worn paths lead into a stream.
Smart.
This way no one would leave a distinct path through the shield, and the shore of a stream was a hard place to track anything.
She wondered if she could find the opening again.
The shield only lay about fifty feet from the bottom of the cliff. Cal jumped into the water, which came almost to his knees, and started wading upstream.
“Wendy, you don't have to do this,” Kev said as he followed Cal. Wendy still had a knife poking at his kidney.
“Yes, I do. Don't worry, soon I'll be out of your life.”
Cal turned to look over his shoulder. “And what if that's not what we want?”
Wendy shook her head. “Mike is a monster. He killed everyone I know. I can't stay here.”
“You're wrong.”
“I'm not.”
Cal didn't respond, just kept wading. The cool water shocked Wendy's system, and she became even more alert.
“Here's the tunnel,” Cal said.
“You go through first,” Wendy said.
Cal complied, followed by Kev. Wendy went last.
She expected to feel a change in temperature or pressure, but didn't. Instead, she heard a buzzing noise, followed by the normal sounds of the forest at night.
Wind lifted the boughs of the trees. An owl hooted in the distance and something ran through the brush at her right.
Cal climbed out of the stream. Kev followed, and so did Wendy.
“You're out,” Cal said. He held the pack out for her to take.
Wendy reached into her pocket, and grabbed one of the gas balls she’d picked up in the market before her encounter with Dennis. She moved so Kev and Cal were right next to one another, then ran a few steps away. Neither of them followed.
“Sleep tight.” She took a deep breath and threw the ball at them.
The thin, outer shell shattered, and white gas filled the air.
Three seconds later, they collapsed. She made sure they didn't end up face down in the stream, and then turned to the woods.
A voice immediately drew her into a crouch.
“I saw something over here.”
Wendy swore under her breath. Someone was coming in from the outside. That probably wasn't part of Mike's plan.
She ducked into the brush surrounding the stream and moved back as far as she could without making too much noise. The moon was either dark or behind the clouds so they might not spot her.
Wendy almost jumped out of her shoes when the voices came from above her.
“Isn't that Kev?”
Wendy turned her eyes upward and found two men in repulsor boots flying overhead.
They didn't see her, but turned their attention to Kev and Cal. r />
Wendy had forgotten about the boots. If she could get a hold of a pair, she could not only outdistance Mike's men, but leave virtually no trail.
The two men landed. Wendy slipped her knife out and let it settle into her hand. A single breath later, she rose and charged.