“I don’t know why you keep saying that,” he said.
“Because it’s true.”
“No, it’s not. I saw your face when they took those kids away. You feel everything, just like the rest of us.” He paused, considering me before a mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes. “And you totally have the hots for me.”
A surprised laugh escaped my mouth.
“What? You do.”
I couldn’t argue with that, so I just smiled. He grabbed my hand and tugged me to him, planting a soft kiss on my lips.
“Leb wanted us to get out,” he said. “We can’t rescue his daughter if we’re dead. He must have thought this was the best way.”
“Yeah,” I admitted, tucking the map into my pocket. “I’d just prefer it if our heads didn’t explode.”
“Let’s run fast, then.” He lifted his eyebrows, looking at me for approval.
I nodded. “Start going in a zigzag pattern when they spot us. Should make it harder for them to hit us.”
“Got it.”
I took one more glance around before ducking out from behind the tree and heading for the open field.
We had taken only a few steps when the siren sounded. It was louder here, screeching from one of the towers. I felt the bullets before I heard them.
They pelted my shoulders and knocked against my helmet. My feet flew over the dirt, Callum at my side even as I picked up speed and began running in a crooked line.
The world was white suddenly, the ground rumbling as I fell against it. A second blast, closer, threw me across the dirt and sent a searing pain up my leg.
I couldn’t hear. I couldn’t see. I scrambled to my feet only to have the world shake again, the blast so intense I landed several feet away.
A bullet clipped my ear as I jumped up. They whizzed by, hitting the dirt like heavy drops.
Callum. I couldn’t see him.
“Callum!” I ran into the smoke and directly into a hard chest.
I couldn’t make out a face, but he lifted a gun to my head. I ducked, smashing my fist into his gut and knocking his knees out from under him. I snatched the gun from his hand and smashed the barrel against his head.
“Wren.” I heard Callum’s voice, quiet, but when I looked up he was right next to me, yelling. His helmet was half-gone, the left side of his head totally exposed. I took his hand and we sprinted for the fence.
His eyes were wide with fear as he turned to look behind us. I whipped my head around to see a massive group of HARC officers hot on our trail.
I lowered my chin into my chest as they fired, dropping Callum’s hand so I could run faster.
The fence was so close I could see it clearly now. It wasn’t terribly high—fifteen feet or so.
But it was electrified.
I could hear the buzz as we approached. We were going to have to hold on to it for several seconds to be able to get up and over it, but the force of the shock might knock us off right away.
Callum hit the fence a second before I did. I saw the jolt go through his body as his fingers wrapped around the wire, but he held on, his face determined.
I grabbed the wire and gasped as my insides lit on fire. The shock was so intense I almost screamed, almost broke my own rule.
I hauled ass up the fence as fast as I could, my hands black by the time I reached the top and hurled myself over.
The twitching was so intense it was hard to stand, let alone run. But I heard the buzz stop as they turned the fence off for the HARC officers. They’d catch us if we didn’t move. Callum’s body jerked as badly as mine so I grabbed him around the waist and turned him in the direction of the trees.
We needed to go north, and panic flashed through my brain as I struggled to remember which direction that was. Austin was south, but I didn’t want HARC to see us headed there. If they knew where we were going, they’d be waiting for us.
A shuttle roared through the sky, bringing a fresh round of bullets with it. I heard the crack, then felt the blast against my head.
The remains of my helmet toppled to the ground.
Right. North was right.
My brain didn’t want to run but my legs carried me anyway, floating over the dirt and grass faster than a human could keep up with.
We were in the trees, the beautiful trees, slapping against branches as our feet pounded the dirt. My insides jiggled around, unsettled, but I pressed on until the officers’ voices grew distant.
I came to a sudden stop, looking up as the shuttle zoomed by. I gestured for Callum to follow me as I darted farther into the trees and hid behind a thick one. I couldn’t see them anymore, but I could hear officers running and yelling from several directions.
I looked over at Callum to see the twitching gone, his fingers wrapped around the trunk of the tree as his eyes scanned the area. The rest of his helmet was gone, too, probably lost and shattered somewhere like mine.
“You all right?” I asked, breathing heavily.
“Yes. I can keep going.”
I glanced up at the sky as another shuttle flew overhead, and hesitantly took a step out from behind the tree. Nearby, boots crunched against leaves and I squinted in the darkness. They weren’t using flashlights, which was smart. Easier to sneak up on us that way.
I nodded at Callum, putting a finger to my lips as I took a careful step to the west. He followed my lead, and I wanted to hug him for his quiet footsteps. I eased past a fallen tree branch and glanced over my shoulder.
We crept through the trees until I couldn’t hear our pursuers anymore. It was quiet, the only sounds the breeze rustling the leaves and the distant hum of a shuttle engine.
“Run?” I whispered to Callum, turning to face south.
He nodded in agreement, his eyes serious when they met mine, but a hint of a smile starting to form on his lips.
I let myself smile, too, just for a moment. And then we ran.
TWENTY-THREE
THE QUIET SWIRLED AROUND ME. I’D NEVER EXPERIENCED such quiet before. I knew the sounds of the city, or the sounds of the shuttles, or the sounds of Ever’s breathing as she tried to sleep, but this type of quiet was entirely foreign. I felt like an intruder in this world. We were still just outside Rosa, but I was on a new planet, one where there was nothing but Callum and a breeze blowing softly against my skin.
The trees provided solid cover, but the ground was uneven, littered with leaves and holes and fallen branches. I hopped and dodged and stumbled but my breathing steadied as I healed, matching Callum’s as our feet hit the ground.
The healing provided only momentary relief, and I slowed as my stomach turned over in protest. We’d only run about four miles, but my face was hot and my legs were unsteady. Callum glanced in my direction, his eyebrows knitting together. He slowed, pulling on my hand to stop me.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. I’m just hungry, I think.” I hadn’t eaten a real meal in more than twenty-four hours, and my body did not appreciate the long run on so little fuel. My body didn’t appreciate so little fuel at all, actually. It was used to being fed well, and regularly, for the past five years.
I felt worse standing still, and I winced as I reached for my left shoulder. I could feel the hard lump just behind my shoulder, from a bullet lodged there. My skin had closed up over it.
I tried to push the pain away, but it was harder when I was weak. It throbbed, refusing to be ignored, and I frowned. How annoying.
“What?” Callum asked, reaching for my shoulder.
I shrugged him off, turning my face away. It was embarrassing for someone to be able to read the emotions on my face. I didn’t think anyone had ever been able to do that, even when I was a human.
“It’s nothing,” I mumbled. “There’s a bullet in there.”
He reached for me again, and I let him press his hand to my jacket, his fingers finding the spot. “Want me to get it out for you?”
I hesitated, glancing around. It was dark
, deserted. We were still quite a ways from Austin and far enough outside of Rosa to have lost any shuttles or officers. A breeze tugged a few escaped strands of hair from my ponytail into my face, and I batted them away. “Maybe we should just keep going.”
Callum smirked as he held his hand out. “Just give me the knife.”
I pulled it from my pants and handed it over. I felt a little burst of relief that he hadn’t agreed to keep running. It was the last thing I wanted to do.
“Probably easiest if you sit,” he said as I shrugged off my jacket.
I glanced around one last time before slowly sliding down onto the dirt and crossing my legs. I closed my eyes briefly as everything in me collapsed in a heap of exhaustion. Callum’s fingers brushed my arms as he sat down behind me and I shivered at his touch. His fingers found the hole the bullet had made in my shirt and when he spoke I could feel his breath on my neck.
“You need to take this one off,” he said.
I pulled my arms through the shirtsleeves and let it hang around my neck over my undershirt.
“Um, do I just dig in there with the knife?” he asked, holding my shoulder steady with one hand.
“Yes. You don’t have to be careful. Quick would be best.”
“Okay.” He exhaled slowly and I felt the tip of the knife poke my skin. I shut my eyes as he pressed harder. It was easier to block out the pain with his breath on my neck and the warmth of him behind me.
The bullet hit the ground with a thud, and Callum set the knife to the side, his hands sliding down my arms. He leaned forward until his cheek brushed my face, the slight stubble tickling my skin. He laced his fingers through mine, turning his head so his lips brushed against my temple.
“That’s the grossest thing I’ve ever done,” he whispered, a trace of amusement in his voice.
I laughed and he squeezed my hand, his lips forming into a smile against my skin. I turned and our eyes met, then our lips for the briefest moment. He was the one who pulled away, the concerned look back on his face.
“Do you want to try to find food?” he asked. “You look exhausted.”
I scooted away from him, sticking my arms back into my shirt. “I’m fine. Let’s just keep going.”
He looked like he might argue, but when I pulled my jacket on and started walking he followed without a word. I briefly considered trying to catch an animal, but I saw none, and we couldn’t build a fire to cook it anyway. HARC might see the smoke.
It was different going without food as a Reboot. As a human, it had been uncomfortable, painful, consuming. The hunger took over until I could think of nothing else.
My mind was clearer as a Reboot. I could focus on other things, but the gnawing in my stomach was worse. It felt like a monster was eating me from the inside.
Food hadn’t occurred to me when I was planning our escape. I hadn’t considered so many things, like where we would sleep or find water and fresh clothes. In my panic to get Callum out I hadn’t stopped to think that maybe we would be worse off outside. Maybe HARC had been right, and they were doing us a kindness by sheltering us and feeding us. Yes, we were technically their slaves, but maybe that was better than what we would face out here.
I’m sorry. Ever’s voice rang through my ears, as clear as the day she’d died. She wouldn’t have been worse off on the outside. In fact, if I’d paid closer attention, if I’d worked harder to escape when I first discovered it was possible, she might still be alive.
I closed my eyes against the guilt pushing at my chest. She would have liked it out here, hungry or not.
“The reservation is that way, right?” Callum asked, pulling me from my thoughts. He was looking up at the black sky and pointing north.
“Yes.”
“So all the HARC shuttles went in that direction. Do you think they know where it is?”
“Yes. That seems logical.”
“You really don’t think it’s there, do you?” he asked.
“No, I never did. If anything it’s probably just some Reboots running from place to place, hiding from HARC.” I sighed as his face dropped in disappointment. “I’m sorry. Is that the sort of thing I should lie about to make you feel better?”
He laughed. “No. I like that you always tell the truth.”
“I don’t really see the point in lying.”
“That’s very cool.”
“Thank you,” I said, a warmth spreading through my chest and all the way up to my cheeks. At least he didn’t seem alarmed by the fact that we had no idea what we were doing. His optimism was comforting, and I reached for his hand as we walked.
As the sun began to rise the thick trees gave way to open land, the green and brown grass spreading out in front of us. We were still a good ten miles or so from Austin, and we’d be easily visible to any passing HARC shuttle.
I ran a hand over my face as I stopped. We should have run. If we’d run we’d already be there, and we could have found food more easily in Austin.
“Should we rest for a while?” Callum asked.
“I think we have to until the sun sets,” I said, turning to trudge back to a thicker area of the trees. I plopped down against one, stretching my legs out in front of me. Callum stayed where he was, turning his head as he surveyed the area.
“How far from Austin are we?” he asked.
“We’re about halfway. Ten miles or so.”
“I’m going to go look for food,” he said, facing me. “You want to wait here? I won’t go too far.”
“Look for food where?” I asked, casting a baffled glance at the trees around us.
“I’m going to go that way,” he said, pointing. “Uh . . .” He turned around a few times. “East. Right? That way is east?”
I nodded. “What do you expect to find out there?”
He quirked an eyebrow at me. “They do have food outside a cafeteria, Wren.”
I tried to hold back a smile, but it tugged at the corners of my mouth anyway. “I have heard that. You really think you’re just going to find food?”
“I worked the fields. I know what to look for. And me and some of the others used to scrounge on the walk back to the city when the HARC farmers weren’t looking.”
I started to get to my feet, but he shook his head.
“You can rest,” he said. “I won’t go far. There’s no one around here anyway.”
I looked up at the sky. He was right: It was blue and clear and there wasn’t a shuttle in sight. If I was being honest, my body had no interest in walking anyway.
“Just don’t get lost,” I said, leaning my head back against the tree. “Yell if you run into trouble.”
He nodded and turned to walk away, tossing a smile in my direction even though his pace was slow and heavy. He must have been tired as well, and just as hungry, but he was hiding it better. I had to admire his ability to keep that smile on his face, even when things sucked.
I squinted my eyes as the sun peeked out from behind the leaves, my head beginning to droop to one side. I wanted to keep my eyes open, but they kept falling shut, and eventually I let them stay that way.
I woke with a start, my legs jerking against the dirt as my eyes flew open. A leaf was tickling my arm, and I pushed it away, quickly turning to look at the sun. It was higher, up above the trees now.
“Callum?” I called softly, getting to my feet. I turned in a circle, but I was alone, the only sound the flapping of wings as a bird took off from somewhere nearby.
I pulled my jacket tighter around me, glancing at the sun again. Where had it been before? I couldn’t have slept that long. Maybe an hour. Less, probably. It had been dumb to let him go by himself. Getting separated was the worst thing that could happen to us right now, and I had let him wander off in the middle of the wilderness by himself.
The bird overheard screeched and I jumped, stuffing my cold hands into my pockets. Escaping from HARC in the summer would have been a much smarter plan. Actually, any plan except for this one would have been a muc
h smarter plan.
I swallowed, trying not to panic as the minutes stretched out with no sign of Callum. I shifted from foot to foot as I pushed back the urge to run into the trees and find him. He was fine. If I kept repeating it to myself it had to be true.
A rustling noise made me turn, and I tensed, my hand flying to my gun. Callum’s triumphant face appeared a moment later and I exhaled, returning his grin.
“Sorry it took so long,” he said. “I went a little farther than I thought I would.”
He was holding his shirt out in front of him, and I frowned as he dropped to his knees and emptied the contents before me. I knelt down and picked up a small, black, round object.
“A squishy black thing?” I asked, eyebrows raised. I looked down at the hard brown balls mixed in with them. “Are those ones nuts?”
“Wren,” he said with a laugh, scooting over and taking the nut. “It’s a pecan. You’ve never seen a pecan?”
“Oh. Never in the shell, I guess.”
He glanced around and selected a rock, placing the pecan on the ground. “We’re going to have to get a little creative, since we don’t have a nutcracker.” He smashed the rock down and the shell shattered. He picked out the pieces of the nut and plunked them into my free hand.
“Thank you,” I said, blinking at them in surprise.
“And that’s a persimmon,” he said, pointing to the black fruit. “You just kind of squeeze it into your mouth. Not my favorite, but it’ll do.”
I ate a couple pieces of pecan as Callum continued cracking them on the ground, then I squished the persimmon with my fingers and held it over my mouth. It was sweet and messy, and my hands were black with juices as I tossed the skin aside.
We ate in silence and I wiped my hands on my pants when we’d polished everything off. Callum scooted back against a tree, opened his arm up, and I gladly crawled over next to him.
“Thank you,” I said, resting my head on his chest.
“You’re welcome.” He rested his chin on top of my head as he trailed his fingers down my arm. He was quiet for a long time, and I closed my eyes as my head moved up and down with his breath.
“Did you always intend to go to Austin?”