Crimson Rising (24 page)

I raise my hands in the air, even as I take a step forward. There’s no way Barkley’d recognize Cassius, and probably not Skandar or Eva either, but he obviously hasn’t forgotten me. The old man looks more beaten down since the last time I saw him. Tired. He’d helped us get to Seattle and it hadn’t turned out well for him.

“Installed these floodlights myself,” he continues. “Part of a new precautionary system, thanks to the likes of you. You here with Unified Party cruisers trailin’ you again?”

I glance over his shoulder, relieved to see that his farmhouse is still standing. Madame could’ve easily leveled it last spring.

Avery moves to my side. “How’s your son, George?” The man’s eyes narrow. “Alive. You’ve got a lot of balls coming back here. We pride ourselves on staying out of the eye of the government. You brought ‘em straight to us. Still haven’t recovered completely.” He waves the nozzle of the revolver. “Go back. Wherever you came from, go back. We don’t want you.”

I slowly lower my hands, sighing. “We need your help.”

He chuckles. “Heard that one before.”

“It’s not like last time. It’s … we just need a place to stay for a few hours. Somewhere safe.”

George keeps the gun cocked, not saying a word.

I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to see Cassius standing behind me. “Come on. Let’s just take our chances back in the shuttle. This wasn’t a good idea.”

Barkley shakes his head. “Always knew you’d be back eventually. Didn’t think it would be so soon. How’d that army of Unified Party troops work out for you, anyway?”

“We didn’t mean any harm,” I say.

“Sure you didn’t. It was a mistake helping you in the first place. In fact, I ought to—”

A second voice interrupts him from beyond the lights.

“Dude, no way!” Bobby Henderson jumps into sight, a smear of oil on his cheek, black hair grown into a shag since the last time I saw him. Last spring, when Avery and I had stumbled into the town, he’d been the first to find us. Without his help, we’d have never made it to Seattle. Out of everyone we could’ve found out here, he’s the one I was hoping for the most.

Bobby’s about the same age as me, yet seems ten times more untroubled. He wears a broad smile on his face as he bounds toward us. Before I can move, he grabs my shoulders and forces me into an awkward hug. When he’s done, he moves onto Avery. “Oh, man, you don’t know how many nights I thought about you guys. Barkley told me you were ambushed by Unified Party soldiers as soon as you got to Seattle. I hope you didn’t worry about us. Those bozos left as soon as they realized they weren’t a match for you Shippers.”

He steps back and takes us all in. “Most exciting thing that’s happened to Lenbrg ever. Of course, my pops doesn’t agree, but who cares about him?”

George lowers the gun, shaking his head. “Why the hell are you out here, Henderson?”

Bobby brushes him off. “Don’t you worry about it.”

“This is my property,” he replies. “I’ll worry as much as I like. I’ve told you again and again. Too many times to count … ”

“Aw, cool it old man. These are friends. They don’t need you harassing them.”

“I ain’t harassing them,” he says. “You’re supposed to be organizing cans in the supply room.”

Bobby shrugs. “I got bored. They don’t need me, anyway.” He glances back at the piles beyond the lights. “Some security system, Barkley. You’ve got a blind spot there,” he points, “and there. And there. I can help you fix it if you want. I’m good at—”

“Shut up, boy.” George rubs his eyes before turning to us again. “You better leave. They ain’t gonna let you in the city. I can guarantee that.”

Bobby smiles. “You let me have ‘em, Barkley. You won’t even know we’re here.”

Avery steps forward. “We’re really not asking for your help, just some food if you have it … and a place to catch our breath.”

“Doesn’t seem like too much trouble to me.” Bobby beams. “Don’t worry, Barkley. I’ll take ‘em. And you have the added bonus of getting rid of me for a night.”

George shakes his head, cursing. “Stay clear of the city walls.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Bobby grabs my shoulder and leads me to the side. He turns to whisper in my ear. “I’ve got this awesome place all set up. Wait’ll you see it.” He pushes me away from Barkley. When we’re completely out of sight, the floodlights shut off behind us.

Bobby releases my shoulder and walks in front of me, leading our group around the edge of the town.

Eva moves beside us. “Shouldn’t we be heading toward the city?”

Bobby bends over to pick up a rock, then chucks it into the distance. “You heard the man. They don’t want people like us hanging out with them.”

I glance back at the farmhouse. It’s nothing but a dark shadow in the distance. Even the junk heaps are hard to spot. “Where are we going?”

“Just a little more.” Bobby points in front of us. “You see that?”

I squint. All I see is another blob of darkness against the sky, like a toe sticking up from the ground.

Bobby doesn’t wait for a response. He breaks off at a jog, oblivious to the heat. “Sometimes I get sick of being inside the walls. Lenbrg never changes. Plus, ever since you guys dropped by, the city council’s been freaking about the chances of another attack. I figure the town needed a lookout. I’m just fidgety enough for the job.”

We echo his faster pace. With each step, the details of the dark blob come into view. What looks like a miniature lighthouse stands before us, an awkward structure against the flat horizon. Farther beyond that, I see the outline of a turbine. Blades turn lazily in the breeze.

Bobby bounds to the side of the building and pulls a key from a necklace beneath his shirt. Opening a lock on the door, he ushers us into a tight circular room. It’s an uncomfortable fit for all six of us, but Bobby squeezes to the far side anyway. “Shut the door.” He grabs a nearby crank and turns.

Skandar pulls the handle, closing us in the hot room. I adjust my collar. “I don’t think this place is meant for more than two people.”

“Just wait.” Bobby continues to turn the crank. Three clicks echo along the walls around us, followed quickly by a half dozen more. Something whirs to life.

Suddenly, a cool breeze fills the chamber. I watch as a dozen fans, positioned at all angles, shoot cold air into the center of the room. Two floors up, directly above my head, is a temperature regulator attached to the ceiling. An old model, and loud, but it does the job. Within seconds the entire structure’s temp-controlled, even as Fringe air spills through the open windows.

“Rigged it up myself.” Bobby climbs a nearby wooden ladder and sits on the second floor, which is basically a ring of reinforced wood attached to the walls on all sides. “I call it my fortress.” He smiles. “Far enough from town to give me space to breathe, but close enough to keep watch for any trouble.”

Cassius runs his hand along the wall, careful not to get too close to the whirring blades of the fans. “You built this whole place by yourself?”

Bobby shrugs. “Nicked a lot of stuff from Barkley’s yard. He won’t even miss it. I was hoping to snag some new shades for these windows tonight but, you know, you guys are a much better find.” He leans back and emerges with an armful of cans. “Catch.” He tosses them down to us one by one, followed by an opener. “I forget what I grabbed, but it’s all edible. We throw out any bad stuff.”

As soon as I’ve got the opener in my hand, I rip the top of the can and shove my fingers inside, not caring what’s in there. I eat so fast that I can’t taste anything. We pass the cans around without a word, slurping and chewing and drinking the juice at the bottom.

“Whoa,” Bobby laughs. “I guess you really needed that. So Jesse, what’ve you been up to? Who are your friends?”

It’s a long story. Too long to tell him everything, but I give him the shortened version. I leave most of the stuff about Ryel and the Authority and Matigo out, but even without those parts, his eyes widen with every word. It’s the kind of eager curiosity I wish I had. I used to be like that, I think. Maybe.

“Well, you’re safe here,” Bobby says. “I’ve got scopes looking out every window of the tower. Nobody sneaks up on me here. I see ‘em first. In fact, just a few weeks ago I saw a Pearl land outside the east window, about half a mile away. Saw Unified Party Pearlhounds pick it up and everything.”

My stomach sinks at the mention of the word. The thought of the Unified Party hauling Pearls back to the Chosens makes me cringe.

“You can sleep here,” Bobby continues. “I’ll keep watch. You all look like you’re about ready to pass out anyway.”

“Thanks,” I reply. “And I know it doesn’t mean much, but I’m sorry about what happened last time we were here.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he smiles. “Like I said, it was the most exciting thing to happen to Lenbrg in ages.”

I nod, but it doesn’t mean much. The truth is, I feel like a time bomb. The way things have been going, I’m not sure Bobby knows what he could be getting himself into, even if it is only for a short time in the middle of the night.

“Five hours,” Cassius says. “I suggest you all start sleeping now because we’ll be back on our feet before you know it.”

Skandar yawns.

“I’ll settle for three,” Eva says.

As for me, I’ll take anything I can get. Anything without a surprise or an attack or some terrible combination of the two. It’s not much to ask, but it would mean everything in the world right now.

I manage a fitful hour of sleep. An hour and a half, maybe. And then I feel it.

At first I think I’m still dreaming, that this is one of those blissful, sail-away-on-an-island-of-peace dreams that you never want to wake up from. But as the feeling coalesces, as the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, I know that this is no make-believe.

I sit up. Most everyone else is passed out. Bobby’s crouched on the second level, leaning on the base of one of his lookout windows. I can’t tell, but I think he’s asleep, too.

A Pearl. I’ve felt this too many times not to know what’s happening.

Careful not to disturb any of the others, I tiptoe to the door and ease it open. Without a sound, I step into the night air.

I see it instantly, hurtling down like a meteor. It leaves a line of green in the sky as it approaches. I pray it didn’t pass a Chosen City on its way down. If their scanners had enough time to pick it up, we’ll have Pearlhounds all over us. But if I break it and let the freed Drifter sail back into the air, they won’t know where to look. If they come looking at all.

I stretch out my arms like I’m about to catch a baseball. The Pearl keeps its trajectory, right toward me. I imagine alarm systems going off, like they used to at the Academy when a Pearl was this close. I picture crowds of people running from the deadly force. And here I am, waiting for it.

The Pearl begins to slow, controlled by my fingertips. I pull it closer, every inch causing more somersaults in my heart. No one else can feel this. Nobody else ever will.

Before I know it, I’m holding the green orb in my hands. I stare into the deep waves of energy. It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to luxuriate with a Pearl like this. My heart swells with the healing warmth of it. This is better than sleep.

I survey the horizon, half expecting Alkine or Madame to jump out and steal the Pearl. Instead, Bobby’s voice cuts the silence of the night.

“I didn’t want to mention it,” he whispers, “but I knew I saw you catch one last spring.”

I turn, still holding the glowing orb.

His mouth hangs open in astonishment. “I’ve never seen one so close.”

“Duck,” I say, and toss the Pearl into the air. It casts a wide arc behind me. Bobby hits the ground. I close my eyes and feel the path of the Pearl through the sky. When it’s high enough, I break it.

“Christ almighty.” Bobby stands and shields his eyes as a firework of energy blazes through the darkness. It’s brightest at the center and dissipates as it streams toward us. By the time it reaches my skin, it’s only a tingle. Like feathers brushing against me.

I grit my teeth and whisper to myself. “Please come back, please come back.”

I spin and watch the Drifter shoot into the air, away from us. “Damnit.” I kick the dirt. “They never come back. Never when you need them.” I turn to Bobby. “I think it must be instinctual or something, like caged animals. They just wanna get as far away as possible.”

His eyes are wider than ever now. He carefully brings himself to his feet, shaking his head in disbelief. “You—” He chokes on his words. “What—” I’ve never seen him tongue-tied.

“There’s a lot you don’t know,” I say. “A lot nobody does. Pearls aren’t what they seem.”

He looks toward the sky. “I guess not.”

My shoulders slump. “We’ve got a fight on our hands, from all angles. I don’t even know if I’m helping or hurting.” I lift up my shirt.

Bobby gasps as he stares at the markings scrawled across my chest. “Who did that?”

I point to the sky. “One of those. But not a good one. At least, I don’t think so.”

“You’re freaking me out, man.”

“I know.” My gaze falls to the ground. “Be thankful, Bobby. Stay here. Stay where it’s simple.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

I turn and trudge back to the lookout tower, still abuzz with the energy. “You will,” I whisper. “If we can’t stop this, everyone will.”

––––

Another hour and my eyes fly open.

The door to the room hangs ajar. A thin figure stands just outside, staring in.

I bolt up, slamming my head against an overhanging piece of wood. The others wake around me, in varying levels of disarray. The fan blades continue to whir, giving the tight space a loud hum.

I keep my eyes locked on the boy.

The eyes.

Two pools of crimson pin me to the ground. Theo stretches an arm to lean against the doorframe. Moonlight illuminates his face as he moves closer. His expression is vacant, but his eyes are unblinking. They’re all I can focus on. His head tilts slightly to the side.

Bobby jumps down from the second level. “Who the heck—”

Theo opens his mouth as if to speak, but says nothing.

It stops Bobby cold.