“Hey oh, Rian!” Fox calls. I turn my head around and realize I’ve passed the three without realizing it. My hand raises up in an awkward wave, and I slow down to let them catch up to me. Fox asks, “Slow down, dude. There’s nothing to be excited about.” But I notice his stride is faster now as we near the hills.
Before we know it, we’re jogging at an incline, toward the highest point of the hill we’re on. Fox gets there a few seconds before we do and he gazes in wonder at whatever lies past the hills.
“What the?” he says. “Oh man. You. Will. Not. Believe. This.” He continues to gaze out.
Laurey gets there second, and Addison sees it third. I’m just so lucky that I reach it last, panting and trying to catch my breath. It’s difficult to run in these suits.
What I see as I stand at the top of the hill is something I do not expect to see.
Smoke. Buildings. A gate. Life.
It’s a town.
“It’s not burning, is it?” Fox asks quietly, still not taking his attention off the town.
Addison stares too. “No,” she whispers. “It’s...alive.” She sniffs and her voice cracks. “Ah, man...now I’m crying and I can’t wipe my eyes.”
Fox is the first to start jogging down the hill, toward the town. All three of us follow, and I hear the constant sniffing of Addison’s nose in the radio by my ear.
Fox pulls his assault rifle out.
“Whoa,” Addison exclaims, taking a step back away from Fox. “Nothing’s out here, so don’t use that.”
Fox shakes his head and points his finger toward the town. “See that gate?”
We all nod.
Fox continues. “Well, there’s someone standing at the entrance. With a gun.”
I squint and look toward the place Fox had pointed to. He’s right, there is what looks like a human figure standing guard. Only one? I guess they don’t expect much to happen here.
Addison snorts. “So you want them to think we’re a threat by showing them our guns? We’re here for Vivian, aren’t we? When we get her, we’re leaving.”
“You do realize we won’t leave right away, right?” Fox says. “There’s something called exploring. Besides, if Vivian is alive, I doubt she’d want to leave this place too. Who knows what living underground does to you. This town looks like paradise.” He slides his rifle back onto his back and continues walking toward the front gates. He doesn’t get far before that one guard spots all four of us. What does he do?
He aims his weapon at us.
I jump back and my arms go flying up in a gesture of surrender. The others copy.
“It’s okay!” I call out to the guard. “We don’t want any trouble.”
He doesn’t shoot, but he doesn’t say anything either. He just gestures for us to come closer, his weapon still pointed at us. I obey whatever he says, and to my relief, the other three follow me.
“It’s all right,” Fox says, starting to lower his arms. But the guard notices.
“Stay still!” he shouts, poking his gun at us. But he seems to realize something. I can’t read his expression that well to know what. Very slowly, he drops his weapon to his side and asks, “Did Kent send you?”
Silence stretches between us at the unfamiliar name. I turn my head to look at Fox just as he does the same to me, but his helmet keeps his expression hidden.
He looks back at the guard, arms falling to his sides casually, like nothing ever happened. “Yes,” he says along with a nod of his head. “We were sent here by hi—uh—Kent.”
We don't know if Kent is a man or woman, so it would be safer not to use pronounces.
The rest of us copy Fox and bring our arms back down to our sides. I'll leave Fox to do all the talking.
The guard points to the gate’s doors. “I haven’t been informed of the new suits. Someone must have complained about the old ones. Go on in. Best to not keep Kent waiting for the information.”
Fox nods and we walk toward the door, slowly.
This is it? The guard is just letting us through?
But I'm not halfway done with the thought when out of my peripheral vision, I see the guard swing his gun. My next thought: why not just shoot us?
It takes me an extra second to realize the guard is a threat, but it's not me he's aiming for. It's Fox. And fortunately, Fox is prepared.
He ducks and pulls his own gun out, but it's the pistol, not the rifle.
“Stay where you are and don't move,” the guard yells out. “You think I'm that stupid? You surely don't act like you know what you're—”
He doesn't finish his sentence. Fox twists around until he's right behind him. His hands go for the guard's neck, and the next seconds, I'm watching the guard struggle as Fox blocks the oxygen from entering his lungs.
I wish I could plug my ears, because the choking noise that comes from the guard is something I don't want to hear. But then it's over in a few seconds, and the guard's limp body falls to the ground.
Fox looks more alive than ever. His back is straight, but his knees are partly bent. His fists are out, ready for a fight.
Laurey squeals and recoils, bringing curled hands in front of her face to mirror Fox. “Jesus, Fox!” she cries out. But no one argues that his action wasn't necessary, because we all know it is. Fox just saved our lives.
He pulls in a sharp breath and shakes his hands out.
Laurey shivers, and I notice I've never really seen her shout like this. She's been in her own head this entire trip. I guess the thing that made her pull down her protective wall was seeing Fox choke some0ne unconscious.
I swallow and look away from the guard's limp body.
Laurey still has her fists positioned in front of herself. “Well, hide the body!”
Fox agrees, bending down to grab the guards arm and preparing to drag him. And then I notice something no one else has noticed. If they have, they would have pointed it out.
“The guard's breathing the air,” I say. I stop, letting the words sink into everyone's heads. Even my own.
Addison gasps. “No way.” She reaches for the back of her head and fiddles with the clasps of the helmet. She’s going to take her helmet off.
I stop her, but only for a second. “What if the only reason he’s able to breathe it is because their bodies have adapted to it? Maybe if we try, we’ll fall dead.”
Addison continues unzipping the straps attaching her helmet to her head, looking like she doesn't care at all. “Then you’ll have one less person to worry about,” she says. Then adds, “I want to breathe real air again.”
Before any of us can do anything to stop her., she grabs both sides of her helmet and pulls it off. Her black hair falls to her shoulders, and I realize I can see her face. She looks up into the sky and takes a deep breath, and smiling when she realizes she's still alive.
She is still alive.
We all stare at her, our eyes wide.
“Maybe it kills you gradually?” Fox suggests. But he’s the second person to take his helmet off. As soon as my helmet comes off, I inhale the deepest breath I have ever breathed in, which hurts my lungs. As the air enters my nostrils, I can’t help but laugh. The air is cold and sharp, but it’s the greatest thing I have ever felt. The smile on my face doesn’t seem to want to leave no matter how hard I try to lose it. And everyone else is grinning too.
CHAPTER 15
V I V I A N
I don't remember what I did today.
Everything has been passing by so slow, that as soon I do something, I forget it.
The temperature drops as the sun goes down, first to hide behind the buildings, then behind the horizon. I shiver and clutch myself, trying to take advantage of as much body heat as I can. Why did I give up that large sweatshirt?
The wind has picked up, and it blows strands of my brown ponytail into my face, stick to my mouth and refusing to leave me be even as I try to spit it out.
I shiver and jump off the bench I'm sitting at. The sky is already black, an
d I know I should keep to the shadows in case there are guards patrolling the dark streets.
But I am supposed to be doing something else. Marcus sent me back out here with a tracker chip in my arm. He wants me to lead him to the hideout, but I don't think I can do that. It's not only because I don't know where it is, but because I don't want to betray anyone, even if they're people who I don't know very well.
The town looks deserted and eerie in this darkness. It well past midnight now, but I still don't have anywhere to sleep.
A shadow passes over me, but disappears the split second after. I stop, straining my ears for a sound. Nothing.
Is someone out there? It’s better to keep going.
My legs want to break into a run, but I force them to keep moving at a regular pace. Running for it won’t help. I don't know where I'll be going, and I'm sure I'll hit a dead end. But if I'm just imagining things? What if no one's out here except me?
My footsteps echo through the streets as I put my left foot, then my right foot forward. Don’t go too fast, I remind myself, realizing my pace is increasing. I slow down and steal a quick look behind my shoulder. No one’s there, but something catches my eye on one of the roofs. A flash of a silhouetted figure. It’s gone now.
My feet start moving faster.
Someone is watching me.
Just keep moving.
Maybe it’s just my imagination. Maybe the dark frightens me more than I think it does. Maybe I should plant myself in an alley, close my eyes, and wait until morning. Maybe then my fears will go away.
Another black silhouette peeks out from the edge of a roof, disappearing the next second.
Definitely not my imagination.
I turn a sharp corner, hoping to find a narrow passageway I can fit through. But no.
Dead end.
I turn back toward the street and break into a slow jog. No one's out on the streets except me. Not even a stray. What if they're all hiding out on the roofs?
Where am I going?
My feet have been taking me toward an unknown direction, eyes moving this way and that, trying to spot a figure or a shelter. Some of the building’s windows are lit up, looking welcoming and warm. But I doubt anyone would want to let me—a filthy stray—into their home. I can't trust anyone either, no matter how sympathetic they appear to be.
I have to find a safe place to stay for the night. But maybe there is no such thing as a safe place. Every roof is occupied by someone, and right this minute, their eyes are on me. And I don't know if they're an ally, or an enemy.
A narrow passageway appears as I turn the corner. There are small puddles of water scattered around.
I need to stop here. This place will have to do for now.
I move around the water and head for the deepest corner, hoping this place is safe enough.
I'm going to have to wait and see what happens to me.
I press my back against the deepest wall of the alley, sliding down to the cold ground and wrapping my arms around myself.
As I bury my head between my knees, I finally realize what kind of life I'm living right now.
I’m an outcast. I’m going to live by myself for the rest of my life. And how long do I have left to live anyway? A day? A couple of hours?
The corners of my eyes start to sting, so I shut them and pull in a large breath of air. A block has planted itself in my throat, and there's no use swallowing it down.
I sniff and wipe my nose, biting my tongue to try to stop the silent tears.
A breath of air is blown out. Too loud in this silence. But I wasn’t the one to cause it.
My head shoots up to the alley’s exit. There’s no one there, but I swear I heard it.
There is someone on the roof right above me.
Should I get out of here?
I’m on my feet again, jogging out of the alley I found only ten seconds ago.
The streets are still empty. There are no guards, no civilians. If a stranger entered this place right now, they would think it's been abandoned.
I cross the street quietly, heading toward another alley. A sudden bash echoes through the air. I snap my head left and right, trying to locate the source of the sound. What if whoever is following me is a guard?
I break into a jog, turning away from the alley I had my eye on. I can’t go there now. I’ll gladly run around town the whole night if I have to.
Another alley catches my eye, and I want to stop there and investigate it. Maybe someone's sleeping there, or maybe I can use it as a shelter—
There’s a flash of a figure ahead of me, too fast for me to know if it’s male or female. My legs decide to turn around and go in another direction.
But another dark silhouetted figure appears in the direction I’m traveling. This one doesn’t leave. It remains stationary at the edge of a street, eye on me. It’s a male, judging my it’s tall, muscled stature.
No, no, no.
I spin on my heels and change direction.
Footsteps echo behind me, but I dare not steal a look back.
I am being followed.
The pace of my heart increases as the idea of potential danger makes its way into my head.
This can’t be happening.
I need to get away.
My legs break into a sprint, and I can still hear the footsteps, faster now.
I pump my arms and put one foot in front of the other. My heart pounds against my chest, matching the rhythm of the swinging of my legs.
The end of the block is right ahead. Only a few more feet until I can make a right turn. But what good will that do anyway?
Maybe there will be guard around the corner. He can help me.
I turn my head to look behind me, praying the man who I thought is following me isn’t actually following me.
I don’t want to die.
But no. There he is. He’s closer now and I get a brief description of him before I turn my head back to look ahead of me. Gray clothes and brown hair. His face definitely does not look familiar. It’s not Tobin, not Caleb. No one I’ve seen in the hideout.
He stretches an arm out, and the words that escape his mouth nearly make me stop in my tracks. “Vivian, I’m not going to hurt you!”
I don’t slow down, but when I turn the corner, I have to stop.
Four people stand in the middle of the street ahead of me, wearing gray and black uniforms. They look like guards, but a second look at them tells me they are not. Two girls. Two guys. One is holding a rifle.
I know who they are.
In front of the group of four people stands a tall man with spiked up blond hair. He freezes in his tracks as he sees me standing there. And I can’t believe he’s actually here. Am I seeing things?
But the guy with the gray outfit—the one who is following me—reaches my side. He sees the four black-uniformed people and runs at them.
Before I can figure out what's going on, he tackles the blond one to the ground. Rian.
CHAPTER 16
V I V I A N
I am hallucinating.
Everything I have endured has done this to my brain. The four aren't here.
They can't be.
Imaginary or not, I say Rian's name.
The unfamiliar man with the gray outfit has already grabbed Rian by the collar of his black uniform. His hand pulls back, but the three who came with Rian tumble forward like dominoes, turning themselves into Rian's shield before he gets struck.
The unfamiliar man gets a punch to the face by one of the girls, but that doesn't stop him. He's about attempt another hit at Rian's face. The tall guy with the rifle acts first. He shoves the rifle's end toward the man's chest, promptly causing the man to roll off Rian. He sprawls out on the concrete ground, and doesn't move again. I don't think he's dead. I don't want to be looking at a corpse.
“Rian!” one of the girls yells, pushing her black hair behind her as she kneels down in front of Rian. I've met her before in the white underground building, but I
just can't remember her name. “He didn't hurt you, did he?”
My knees buckle at everything that has just happened. I brush myself off and force my feet to move toward the five people. The unfamiliar man is still motionless on the ground.
Rian grunts and waves his hand, silently telling the black-haired girl to give him space to move.
“Rian, are you all right?” My voice cracks as I say this. I know it's a stupid question to ask. Of course he's not all right.
Just as soon as I say this, everyone's heads turn to me, eyes pulled open. It's like they just noticed my presence.
Fox is among the four. He looks the same as always. Short brown hair, and still towering over me. He looks at me as if he's never seen me around before. “Vivian?”
“Fox?” I say back. This could all be a dream. How could they be here with me, and breathing? “What are you...what are you all doing here?”
Rian pushes himself up, cringing.
I look around at the four surrounding me. “I—I don't understand,” I manage to get out. “What are you...?”
“We were sent to get you.” Fox is the only one who's talking. The others are sitting back, staring at me and afraid to touch me like I'll explode. “I don't understand either,” he whispers. “You're alive.”
I look down at my hands, examining the black swirl of graffiti weaving through my fingers. “I am.”
I never thought about what had happened to me. I woke up in the white container, and just accepted it. It's like black magic brought me back to life.
“So you are alive,” one of the girls speaks up. A quiet voice. Blond hair. I know her too. Laurey, is what I think her name is. “I didn't believe it when they sent us out in search for you. I thought it was their way of getting rid of us, but I just accepted it...”
I look at Rian to see his reaction. He keeps looking at me up and down, but his eyes tell me he's tired.
“Hi” is all I say to him with a small smile on my face. His hand reaches out to touch my hair. He thinks I'm a ghost...while I think the same of them.
I reach out to touch his hand to make sure he's real, but just for a second. His hand is cold, but he's tangible. I pull away.
“What is going on? Why were you sent to get me?” I ask, my voice trembling. “How did you know I was alive?”