Dark Star (24 page)

“I’ll get you one,” Sulawayo said. “But that’s all I can do. I can’t go with you. If I expose myself, I will be of no more use here. I’ll try to provide some transport for you from the ruins, but don’t count on it. I’m being watched and anything I do outside my normal work would be shut down immediately – or make it harder for you.”

“I might be able to get that myself,” Rosie said, thinking of the bike Pip said he’d used to get here. He said he’d hidden it well, hopefully no one had found it. “I’ll need a com as well, to get help once we’re out. One that can’t be detected.”

“I can do that.” Sulawayo checked the time on her holo. “I have to go. Gillian, I’ll leave the gear in our usual spot. Now both of you, try not to do anything that will draw Alpha’s or Jebediah’s anger. The only reason you’re not locked up is Jebediah thinks he has you under control and that all his planned elements are falling into place. Do nothing to dissuade him. Wait here for twenty minutes after I leave. You’re supposed to be on cleaning task. And remember, Rosie, you’re supposed to think your boyfriend is dead.”

For the first time Rosie saw a hint of strain in the woman’s eyes as she walked past them and out the door.

As soon as they were back out in the dorm corridor, an operative marched them off to sit in the back of a class on tactics and navigation. By the time evening came, Rosie was exhausted from the tension of having to pretend she was grieving and Gillian was little better. They were sent back to their rooms for the night and neither of them undressed. Sitting on their beds, backs up against the wall, they waited, watching the hours pass away until it would be late enough for them to make their attempt.

It wasn’t hard to stay awake. Rosie couldn’t have slept even if she wanted to – her guts were in knots, hoping they’d succeed. Once it had passed two-thirty she felt like she was wired on stims. Gillian gave her a significant look and went quietly out the door to get what they hoped Sulawayo had left for them in the bathroom. She came back a few minutes later and pulled a stylus and com, and a thumb-sized holo from her shirt.

“I’ve already dealt with the surveillance,” she said in a low voice.

“What’s the holo?” Rosie asked.

“A map for the tunnels.” Gillian activated it, throwing a small square of schematic drawings up. There were the underground training rooms, but not as many as there were now, and branching off from them were a few lines indicating tunnels heading towards the ruins. “These are pretty old. The floor Pip’s on isn’t marked,” Gillian said. “It must have been added later. We can guess where it is though.” She pointed at where it should be.

“The tunnels aren’t too far,” Rosie said.

“Yeah.” Gillian’s mouth pinched tight and she turned off the holo, pocketing it. “Here, you take the com. I’ll work the stylus.”

Rosie stashed the com in the pocket of her pants. “Hey, Gillian, there’s another thing I need to do tonight.”

“Yeah?” Gillian was busy fetching jackets from the clothes locker.

“Dalton. I want to get him, take him with me.” Rosie knew this wasn’t going to go down well.

Gillian stared at her. “You can’t be serious?”

“I told you before, he’s my friend, and I’m not leaving him here. Not like he is. Plus, he can help. He’s big, knows how to fight and, with Pip in the state he is, I might need him.”

“He’s also Jebediah Curtis’s son.” Gillian’s expression was hard.

“I know, but he saved my life once and I owe him. He’d do the same for me, I know it, and you know what room he’s in, don’t you? Please, Gillian.”

Gillian chewed on her bottom lip, uncertain. “The more of us there are, the bigger the risks. And if something happens …”

Rosie realised then, something she hadn’t considered: how much Gillian was risking by helping her. The girl had no one outside the Enclave to go to if she came with her and, if she stayed, Alpha and Jebediah might find out she’d been involved. “It’s okay,” she said. “Don’t worry about it. You’ve done enough. Give the stylus and holo to me. You stay here, just tell me where the room is and I’ll manage on my own. I’ve done it before.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Gillian’s voice rose.

“It’s too big a risk,” Rosie said. “If you get found out …” She reached for the stylus but Gillian jerked it out of her reach.

“No.” She glared at her. “I haven’t stuck my neck out this far for no reason. I know what the risks are and I want to take them.”

“Gillian–”

But she cut Rosie off with a sharp shake of her head, her curls flying. “Those Helios bastards sent the gangs to kill my family because they wanted our farm, and then tried to act like they’d done me some kind of favour. I pretended to myself for a long time that wasn’t true, but then Sulawayo came along, and you, and I found out exactly how much Alpha and his mates have been playing me. I realised you were right. Helios has been lying to me for years. I didn’t want to see it, but I finally decided to face the truth. They screwed me. They screwed half the planet with the MalX and now I want to get my own back. There is no way I’m backing off, just because I might get caught. This is worth it to me, Rosie. I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for me, for my family and because I want to see Helios suffer. You get that?”

“Yeah, I get it.” Rosie nodded slowly. “Sorry.”

Gillian gave her a tight smile. “No worries then.” She threw a jacket at her. “Now put that on. We’ll try to get golden boy and get our arses out of here, okay?”

“Okay.”

Rosie slipped the light long-sleeved jacket on over her T-shirt and followed Gillian out the door. Dalton’s room was at the end nearest the iris and they crept towards it, as quiet as possible in their soft-soled boots.

Gillian whispered, “You better hope he’s here and not with Daddy.” Rosie tried the door. It wasn’t locked and she carefully opened it.

The room was exactly like theirs. Two beds, a cupboard, except only one bed was occupied. Dalton lay on his back, shirtless, one arm flung above his head. Gillian quickly deactivated the surveillance and praying he wasn’t naked, Rosie leaned over him and whispered his name. She had to do it several times before he stirred, blinking slowly.

His eyes widened as he saw her and he sat up, glancing beyond her at Gillian.

“Who–”

“It’s okay,” Rosie whispered, “she’s a friend. We’re getting out; you’ve got to come with me now.”

“Out? Out where?”

Rosie worried at the vague look he was giving her. “Out of the Enclave,” she said. “Dalton, it’s not safe here. Remember what I told you before.”

He frowned and his gaze went to Gillian then back to her.

“Hey, focus.” Rosie shook him. “You can’t remember how you got here, can you? I asked you that and you said no. And they’ve been hurting you, haven’t they?”

“Sometimes, I think …” He blinked and it was like he was having to concentrate on what she was saying.

“Here.” Rosie touched the burns on his temples. “And they’ve probably been drugging you as well. Do you feel weird most of the time?”

He took a long breath and pushed back the covers to reveal sleeping shorts, and swung his feet off the bed to the floor. “Yeah, I do.”

He was starting to sound more like his old self and Rosie felt encouraged.

But Gillian didn’t look impressed. “We haven’t got time for this, Rosie,” she said.

“Just wait.” She turned back to Dalton, putting both hands on his shoulders, looking into his eyes. He was so tall they were practically face-to-face with her standing. “Dalton, you have to get dressed and come with me, okay? We’ve got to go now. Do you trust me?”

He frowned like he was struggling to understand. “Rosie … yes, but … I don’t know. I’m supposed to stay here, my dad–”

“Your dad is a liar. Dalton, he wants to use the MalX to kill everyone he thinks isn’t worthy of existing. He wants to take over everything, control everyone. You can’t trust him. Pip was almost killed because of him and he’s taken him hostage – Pip is underground right now, and I’m going to get him out. You have to come with me–”

“Rosie!” Gillian grabbed her arm, dragging her back. “You can’t tell him all that! Look at him, he’s toasted. They’ve wiped his mind. It doesn’t matter what you say to him now, it’s too late. And what if he runs to his daddy?”

“He won’t; don’t say that.” Rosie pulled away and spun back to Dalton, but her hope faded. He hadn’t moved from the bed and was watching them in confusion.

“Dalton, come with me. I need you.” She took his hand and something flickered across his face, some yearning, but then it was gone, wiped away.

“I think my dad wants me to stay.”

“Rosie,” Gillian said, “he’s not coming.”

Close to tears, Rosie straightened. There was nothing to be done. She couldn’t carry him out. She bent forwards and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll find a way to get you back,” she whispered, but he didn’t react and she followed Gillian out to the corridor.

Dalton pulled on a shirt and opened his door. The girls were slipping through the iris to the cafeteria. He waited until the lock had closed again and they’d gone, then activated the call button his dad had given him. Hanto answered at once.

“I have to see my father,” Dalton said. There was a short pause at the other end.

“Wait by the iris.”

Dalton put the button back in his pocket. He could still feel the impression of Rosie’s lips on his cheeks. It made him feel odd. He touched his face. There was something he should know about that, what was it?

The iris opened and Hanto was on the other side. “Hurry up, then,” he said and spun on his heel, leading Dalton up the corridor and to his father’s room in the other wing.

His dad was at his desk, working. He dismissed Hanto and looked annoyed when he told Dalton to sit.

“What’s the purpose of this visit? You should be asleep.”

It was then that Dalton hesitated. He had felt a compulsion to come here after the girls had gone but now he wasn’t so sure. It didn’t feel as right as it had a moment ago. There was something Rosie had said. But his father had been telling him he must reveal everything, tell him everything. Hadn’t he? Unconsciously, Dalton rubbed at one of the burns on his temple. His head was buzzing as he tried to decide what to do. What was right?

“Well, what is it?” His father’s brusque voice broke into his thoughts. Dalton flinched and his mouth seemed to open and he spoke almost like it wasn’t in his control.

“It’s Rosie. She came to my room, with another girl.”

“What?” Jebediah went very still.

Dalton didn’t want to say any more, but somehow his mouth kept moving. “She said she had to get him out, P–” His lips clenched around the word, but it wouldn’t be silenced. “Pip. She’s gone there now.”

Jebediah got to his feet. “Just now?”

Dalton’s neck ached with the unsuccessful effort of stopping himself from nodding. Something inside was shouting at him, telling him he’d been a fool, he shouldn’t have told, should never have told. He gripped the arms of the chair so hard he could feel the fabric lifting. Rosie. Her name was a cry of shame in his head. He should never have said anything, but he couldn’t remember why. Why?

Unaware of his torment, his father was contacting operatives, ordering them to meet him. He grabbed an object from his desk. It was silver and the light caught it, shining across its surface. Dalton saw the etched Curtis and Co emblem on it and something snapped in his mind.

He’d seen that before. It was important, but why? It was a com, an older one. He tensed and watched his father turn and swipe his thumb over the DNA-activated safe in the wall behind his desk. He placed the shining com inside and closed it.

“Come on then, you should accompany me in this,” he said, then paused as he saw Dalton staring at the safe. “Son?” he barked and Dalton jumped. He forced himself to his feet.

“Yes.”

Jebediah frowned, but then strode from the office, and Dalton trailed behind him, but now something seemed to be happening in his mind. It felt like a mist lifting off his memories and, as he followed his dad, he tried harder and harder to see what was behind it.

Rosie and Gillian made it to the yard outside. The night was warm and Rosie was sweating as they ran for the platform that would take them underground. Every moment she kept expecting an operative to find them. Gillian opened the shaft and the platform rose to the top but then a bright beam of light switched on, catching them in its glow.

“Stop!” a deep voice commanded.

Gillian swore.

Rosie grabbed her hand. “Keep going!” She pulled her onto the platform and hit the downward command. Four operatives led by Hanto were running towards them. As the safety energy net came up Hanto fired but the pulse blast was deflected by the shielding and the platform shot down the chute.

“Stop it at sixteen. We’re going to need guns and shields,” Rosie shouted over the sound of the drop. “Is this the only way down?”

Gillian shook her head. “No, emergency stairs.”

As soon as the platform stopped, Rosie went to jump off but Gillian held her back. “Wait. Stay half on and off; keep it on this level.” Rosie straddled the gap between platform and the floor while Gillian pried at the controls with the stylus, flicking the cover off.