[Contributor 02] - Infiltrator (2013) (25 page)

“I know how hard this is,” he said, the tremor in his voice betraying his own emotions. “But we have to keep it together so that we can get out of here. We need to get that information to Mal. Letizia wanted you to do that, didn’t she?”

Her voice failed, so she settled for nodding. It all seemed too much to ask. She was so tired. She wanted to lie down on the ground in the middle of the wasteland, let the grit accumulate over her, bury her.

What good would that do, though? Had she really gone through all this, sacrificed everything she had, to give up now? It would be an affront to everything Letizia had fought for, to Letizia herself. A part of Dara wanted to rage at Raj, at Mal, to blame them for the searing pain trying to carve her to pieces, but it wasn’t their fault. They had warned her, and though their warnings seemed pitiful, there was nothing else they could have done. Nothing could have prepared her for this.

“Please, baby. You can do this,” Joshua whispered.

“Okay, Dad. I can,” she said, trying to inject some conviction in her voice to quell the fear she’d heard in his. It was a weak effort, but her dad gave her a tremulous smile, his eyes full of all the things she knew he’d like to say to her, the words of comfort he’d like to offer. Raj was right, though, they had to keep it together. They weren’t out of danger yet, and she would have to keep the grief at bay a while longer, until she had the time to do it justice. Letizia deserved that much and more.

“Two more transports headed this way,” Ricky warned in a low voice. He crouched behind another beam, and even in the dim light she could see the large bandage tied around his arm, a dark patch of alarming size spreading.

Raj caught her looking. “It’s okay. He’ll need stitches, but he’ll be all right.”

“Are you hurt? Dad, are you?”

“I’m okay,” her father said, clasping her hand.

“It’s all just minor injuries. We’ll be okay, once we get to the bunker,” Raj said. For the first time she noticed the gash on his cheek, and her fingers reached for it but fell away before she touched it.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her throat aching. “I didn’t mean to tune out.”

“You were in shock. You don’t have to apologize.” She looked away from the compassion in his eyes. It was unbearable.

“We need to move,” Ricky said. “If they haven’t figured it out already, they’ll soon realize there’s no one in that transport, and they’ll begin their search in this area.” Staying low, he shuffled closer to them, and she saw the gun in his hands. Her eyes widened and Ricky gave her a crooked grin. “What? I’ve had a little training too, you know.”

Glancing at her father and Raj, Dara realized she was the only one who wasn’t armed, and it made her feel all the worse for falling apart. “Give me a gun too,” she said to Raj. “I’m okay.”

“Dara, I don’t know—”

“Raj, please.”

The pleading in her eyes must have convinced him, because he bit back whatever else he’d been about to say and handed her a gun. She had been scheduled for more training sessions to improve her aim, but those had been aborted when she had botched Javier’s and Shah’s extractions. The thought almost made her sick, but it was not the time to beat herself up; she would have plenty of leisure for that later, when she was in a bunker. Then she could go over her every last action, pick apart her every last mistake, until she got smarter, until she never made such stupid, deadly mistakes again. She could train in hand-to-hand combat until she dropped, shoot targets until her fingers bled—in short, whatever it took to release the pressure that was building inside of her.

Though he couldn’t have known what she was thinking, her face must have given something away, because Raj studied her in concern before moving closer to Ricky. The two of them conferred in low tones, gesturing and pointing as they picked out a route to take through the debris field. Dara returned to her beam, this time taking much more care as she peered over it, and she saw the two transports Ricky had mentioned.

“They’re only a few minutes out,” she warned.

“Let’s go. We can’t afford to wait any longer,” Ricky said, shouldering a pack.

Fear surged through her, and her fingers scrabbled at her clothing with such force that she heard cloth rip, but the bag was where she’d left it, securely strapped across her body. Running her hands over it, she found that it was intact, and she hoped with every fiber of her being that her leap from the transport hadn’t damaged its contents. Even if it had, she reassured herself, Mal’s miners and hackers would be able to extract the data. They would find the proof they needed. They would. Anything else was unthinkable.

They spent hours wandering through the blackness, picking their way through the ruins. Ricky and Raj tore their gazes from the horizon just long enough to check their watches at regular intervals, and the tension increased the closer it got to sunrise. They would still have cover once the sun rose, but hiding would be much more difficult. Only a dust storm could ensure their concealment from the Creators, but that would force them to hunker down and wait it out. Wherever it was they were going, they needed to get there before the sun started to rise.

Several times they heard the scuffling and static bursts that indicated the Authorities weren’t far off. Dara lost count of how often she gave thanks for the company of Raj and Ricky. Ricky in particular seemed to know the terrain like the back of his hand, making her realize that while she had spaced out whenever he had transported her somewhere, he must have been passing the time studying every feature of the land, learning its contours, noting the shape of the ruins, filing the information away for future use. It seemed there was a lot more to being a chauffeur than she had thought, and he must have had more experience with being stranded in the ruins than she’d imagined.

It should have been easy for them to slip away, given their advantages, but the organization and determination of the Authorities was singular. Whatever it was she had in her possession, none of them could have any doubts about its importance. The two transports they’d spotted couldn’t have held all the Authorities searching the wasteland, and as they darted from ruin to ruin, it became obvious that the Authorities were closing in on all sides.

“They must have sent transports to the north and south of us as well, and they’re combing the area in grids,” Raj whispered as the four of them huddled behind a crumbling wall. Every so often light strafed across the darkness, and Dara heard the telltale sounds of Authorities moving through the rubble.

“I know where we can go,” Ricky said, exchanging a glance with Raj, who blanched.

“No, it’s too dangerous. The scouts said—”

“I know what they said, but we don’t have much choice. It’s only a matter of time before they find us. Hiding down in the basement is our best bet. That building is on the verge of collapse, and the Authorities won’t expect us to hide there.”

“Or maybe they will because they know we’re desperate,” Raj said, his voice strained.

“You got a better idea, let’s hear it.”

A muscle worked in Raj’s jaw, but he didn’t protest any further. Ricky gave him a curt nod and gestured that everyone should follow him. They crouched for a while, but when the cover became more sparse, they had to drop and drag themselves over the ground on their bellies. Training had involved crawling over mats, not jagged debris, and Dara bit her lip until it bled, so that she wouldn’t cry out when she was poked, scraped, and scratched by the various obstacles in their path. Worry for her father consumed her. At least she’d had the benefit of some training, which was more than could be said for him.

To make matters worse, the crawling put additional strain on Ricky’s wound, causing it to bleed more freely. They were forced to stop a couple of times, losing precious moments so that Raj could rebind the wound to prevent Ricky from leaving a blood trail.

When they reached the ruins, Dara understood Raj’s reluctance. The building creaked and moaned, and one wrong move was likely to bring the entire structure down on their heads. They crept at such a slow pace it felt as if they weren’t getting anywhere, and every muscle in her body screamed. The Authorities weren’t far off now; they could clearly hear their movements and their radio chatter as they searched the ruins.

Sweat poured down Raj’s face as he heaved aside the metal cover concealing their hideaway, and his arms shook from the strain of setting it down without making a sound. The metal was so coated in grime it was barely perceptible, and she hoped the Authorities wouldn’t be meticulous enough to notice it. Her father went down first, so that he could support Ricky as he lowered himself into the hole. In the meantime, Dara and Raj piled up debris, trying to make it look as though no one had disturbed the spot in ages. Her father steadied her when it was her turn to descend, and by the time Raj joined them, it felt like every last scrap of steel in the building had already settled on her chest.

The situation became dire once Raj tugged the plate into place. Absolute darkness enveloped them, so deep that she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face, and she clung to her father’s hand for reassurance. Their labored breaths seemed so loud in the enclosed space that she was sure the Authorities would be able to hear them. Aboveground, there was a crash as part of the building came down, and she had to resist the frantic urge to claw her way out. Along with the risk of detection, there was a distinct possibility that they would be buried alive as the unstable structure collapsed on top of them.

The stench was unbearable, the odor of rot and decay so thick that it seemed like a solid entity. She took short breaths through her mouth, forcing herself not to panic. Maybe it was good it was so dark—it prevented her from being able to see what was causing the smell. The occasional rustle and sensation of something scurrying over her feet told her they were sharing their space with rats, and her mind conjured up lurid images of what the creatures would do to them if they couldn’t get out.

Something brushed her free hand, and Dara almost screamed, but then she realized it was Raj. His fingers scrabbled along, searching for hers, and he clasped her hand tightly when she caught them. His hand was shaking, and she knew he was as frightened as she was. How much more could she take? How much more stress until she simply collapsed in a gibbering heap?

They waited for what seemed an eternity, none of them daring to speak. Footsteps pounded overheard, approaching their position, but then there was a loud crash and muffled yells. Squeezing her eyes shut, she moved her lips in a silent plea, begging the Authorities to miss them, begging not to be trapped in this horrifying tomb.

An interminable stretch of time later, Ricky dared to speak. “We have to stay down here,” he said, his voice weak with exhaustion.

“I… Yes, I guess we’d better,” Raj said, his own voice weary. Dara had the distinct impression that he’d wanted to argue with Ricky but couldn’t. Another crash from above made her jump. On the upside, she hadn’t heard the Authorities in a while.

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Joshua asked.

“It’s the best option in a sea of bad choices,” Ricky said.

“I don’t hear the Authorities anymore, though. They must have moved on.”

“Or they could be out there waiting for us,” Raj said.

“They’re right, Dad,” she said. She squeezed his hand in an effort to reassure him.

“There are rats down here,” he said in a tight voice.

“Which is why we can’t all sleep at once,” Ricky said. He was starting to slur his words. No doubt Raj had noticed, but she wondered if her father had. She hoped not. No need to worry him further.

“You need rest, Ricky. I’ll stay awake,” Raj said.

“I will too. Dad, you sleep,” Dara said.

“No, honey, you first and then—”

“I can’t sleep right now.” She’d tried to control it, but her voice cracked, betraying her.

“Okay.” He pulled her to him and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

Holding hands like a human chain, the four of them shuffled to a wall, and Ricky let out a low groan. Raj let go of her, his hands brushing over her as he tried to feel his way to Ricky. She did what she could to guide him, and he and Ricky whispered to one another for a minute before Raj rejoined her. Neither of them spoke for a long time, until Joshua’s and Ricky’s breathing had deepened, then Raj leaned close to Dara, his lips at her ear.

“He’s burning up. We can’t afford to wait here long.”

Pressing a fist to her mouth, she tried to beat back the fear. “I messed this up too,” she whispered, her voice shaking.

“No, you didn’t, Dara. You didn’t. Something else must have happened, some security measure we must have overlooked.”

“Letizia’s gone, and it’s my fault. If I hadn’t screwed up with Shah, this wouldn’t have happened. Andersen wouldn’t have been as paranoid, the Creators wouldn’t have worried as much.”

“There was nothing you could have done. I know you need to talk, but we should be as quiet as possible. I’m sorry. I promise you that when we get to the bunker, we’ll talk for as long as you need.”

Even though he couldn’t see her, she nodded. His arm slid around her shoulders, and she eagerly accepted the comfort of his nearness. Holding the fragile threads of her self-control together was getting more difficult, and their surroundings did nothing to help. Time crept past, and with each minute she felt like the darkness was thickening, gaining mass, pressing against her until it would crush her. She bit down on her knuckles to prevent herself from screaming, gagging at the taste of the grime in her mouth.

Sleep was impossible. Joshua woke and tried to coax her into resting, but she couldn’t close her eyes, even though keeping them open made her no more able to see than she would have been with them closed. She felt sick to her stomach with all the adrenaline swirling through her, with regret and fear. Waiting out those hours in the basement was the worst torture she had ever known.

Raj crawled over Dara and Joshua again, and the sharp intake of his breath told her that Ricky’s condition was worsening. “We can’t wait any longer,” he said.