Halfkinds Volume 1: Contact (14 page)

Being the two oldest siblings is
always a big responsibility, but being the two oldest in a family on the run is
even harder.  My little brothers and sisters look up to Tiago and me for
direction and, so far, the struggle for leadership has been difficult with
someone like him to bang heads against.

When we first decided to leave
home, I agreed with him, but unwillingly.  It was a decision that I didn’t want
to make, but I felt the pressure from my siblings and I agreed to make the call. 
But I knew Leonard wouldn’t follow us quietly.  Mother and he were inseparable. 
It was like we were practically asking, no, demanding, him to amputate one of
his limbs.  Even though he agreed on the surface, I knew he had doubts, but I
didn’t know that he would act on them.

When Ace came back with the news,
I was devastated.  I played a part that lead to his death and that will stay
with me for the rest of my life.  We should have been more sensitive, I should
have spoken for him, but I didn’t.  He is dead because I failed to lead.

The more and more Tiago shouts his
orders, the less control I feel I have.  I wasn’t even aware of his grand
scheme to go to the Moon when I should have been.  I knew we’d eventually have
to make a run somewhere else.  We couldn’t live in this building forever, but
things happened so fast that I didn’t have the time to formulate our next move.

When he told us his plans, I was
caught off guard.  I thought we would coordinate everything together, that no
decisions would be made without each other’s blessing.  And then he goes and
announces to everyone that the Moon would be our final destination.  He didn’t
even hint his idea to me.  I was as surprised as everyone else.

I didn't and still don’t, like his
proposal.  It’s far too risky.  He thinks we can waltz into a teleporter, hitch
a ride to San Francisco, and make it to the Moon?  What about security, what
about actually using a teleporter?

I normally don’t doubt that he
hasn’t considered these issues, but the way he’s been acting the last few days
gives me major concerns.  Tiago has never struck me as a compassionate person,
but he’s been too cold, even for him.  When mother died, he didn’t flinch an
inch.  No remorse, no pain, no emotion.  And when news of Leonard’s death reached
us, he was already making preparations.  Most of my brothers and sisters were
struck with grief, not him.

Most of them at least.  Tiago has
his entourage and they look up to him for guidance and direction.  They emulate
what he does and obey his every command.  And in that sense, they dominate my
other brothers and sisters.

You have Alex, Tiago’s bodyguard,
brutish, with the durability of a tank.  He is Tiago’s muscle.  Then you have
Ace, Mr. Covert Operations.  He can be in your proximity, and you’d never know
it thanks to his speed and grace.  He is not mentally gifted, but his ability
to walk unnoticed sure makes up for it.

Finally, there’s Curtis.  I’ve
known him all my life and I still don’t know much about him.  He hangs in
Tiago’s circle, but he rarely says a word.  On the outside, he looks like a
monster.  Long, sharp teeth, tough as nails scales, and the bug eyes of a
reptile.  He has a prehensile tail that sticks out of his back and razor sharp
claws.  Yet, when I dig past his physical appearance, he does not strike me as
a killer.  He looks sad most of the time, like living in this world brings him
great agony, and this was before we were on the run.  He could probably match
up with Alex in a fight on any given day, yet he mopes around behind him.  And
he’s an amazingly oversensitive individual.  Sometimes, the slightest insult is
enough to pierce his psyche.  I don’t understand how someone so strong can be
so weak.

Yet, despite his mental frailty,
Tiago shelters him.  Perhaps Tiago still sees a use for his physical gifts,
despite what he lacks in his confidence.  Having two bodyguards is better than
one.

I always feel that when it comes
to leaders, I have to speak for the rest of us who won’t stand up to Tiago and
his gang.  We are brothers and sisters, but that does not mean we are shielded
from the politics that every group must face.  Those who aren’t in Tiago’s
entourage don’t fall in line with his militant command of style.  Candy has
always been more interested in learning than in following.  I can’t say she’s a
devotee of Tiago exactly, but I do know that he respects her intelligence.  We
all do.

The twins are also a neutral
party.  The only ones they really stick with are each other.  But for the most
part, they get along with everyone.  Just as Tiago respects Candy’s
intelligence, he sees value in the twins’ intuition and empathy.  They seem to
know things we don’t.

The rest of the family members are
the ones I have to lead.  They are the weaker ones: Maddie, Lombardi, and
Leonard.  Tiago and his cronies would be so cruel to them when we grew up.  He
used to bully them, tease them, steal their things, and whenever they tried to
fight back, it wasn’t him they had to face, but the clique.  I always stuck up
for them whenever it happened.  I wasn’t afraid of Tiago.  I was bigger than
him, bigger than most of them.  I would go toe to toe with Alex if needed. 
Bears are juggernauts in their kingdom.  Behemoth in size and swift in speed. 
And when we were growing up, I grew and grew and grew.  None of them can take
me.

I feel it is my responsibility to
help those weaker than me.  Maddie, Lombardi, and Leonard didn’t have a choice
in what God gave them.  Maddie’s cow DNA means she is clumsy, slow and
lethargic.  But she is also sweet and kind.  I admire her for that.  While the
others live in a world that is harsh and cruel, Maddie lives in one that I wish
I could be in, a place that doesn’t know the brutal realities I see.  I will
always protect her from it, no matter what happens.

But it’s funny how some people
react when they need saving.  Leonard sought mother’s protection, Maddie looked
to me, and Lombardi, he kept coming back to Tiago for more.  I guess sometimes
you don’t want to be saved by someone else, it’s a rather shaming thing.  But I
didn’t care, I just wanted to help.

And now, as we’re grown up, on the
run from who knows what, I feel this is the time that my younger siblings need
me the most.  Some things don’t change.  Tiago doesn’t physically bully my
younger brothers and sisters anymore, but he isn’t going to take care of them
either.  It’s always been an every man for yourself mentality with that guy,
family is no exception.

When mother died, I was scared
like all the others.  I was too afraid to think on my own and Tiago was brave
enough to react for all of us.  But now, after Leonard’s death, and as I fear
the worst for Lombardi, I’m not so sure if his leadership will lead us to the
right path.  He is far too selfish to care for us all.  I’ve known this all my
life.  I need to speak up.

One of them is dead, possibly
two.  Tiago’s orders are leading my brothers and sisters to their demise, and
he goes about his business like we’re some kind of army.  My brothers and
sisters are not collateral damage, they are family, and family should take care
of each other.  Tiago is no general, so why is he acting like one?

Tiago has already made another
order without consulting me.  When it reached 10:30, and we started to think something might have gone wrong, he told Ace to investigate the supply depot,
check to see Lombardi’s status.  Naturally, Ace went without hesitation, and
while I don’t doubt that it’s a good idea to send our scout to actually scout
something, they way he did it came off cold.  He didn’t tell Ace to see if
Lombardi was okay, he told Ace to see what was taking so long.

I knew, the minute Lombardi
volunteered, that Tiago was irritated.  Just like when we were kids, Tiago
still sees Lombardi as a weak link, someone not to be trusted with such a
valuable task.  But I had faith in Lombardi.  It’s not right to keep everyone
in the dark, and if he said he can do it, then damnit, he can.

Tiago unwillingly sent Lombardi. 
He’s waiting to see when he will screw up so one of his guys can make the save.

Worst of all, when he sent Lombardi
on his task, he gave him a bomb.  Is this what things have come to?  Shoot
first, ask later.  Does he want our brother to be killed, to have a big target
on his back?  I tried to tell Lombardi not to take it, but he assured me that
it wouldn’t be used.  Then why have it at all?

I believe when Tiago gave that
bomb to Lombardi, he was setting him up for a fall.

Suddenly, the front door of our
hideout opens.  Lombardi?  No, it’s Ace, and he’s breathing heavily.

“You’re back!” I say to Ace
warmly.  Even though he runs with Tiago, I’m still glad my brother is safe.

“Did you find him?” Tiago asks
Ace.

“Yes,” Ace says.

“And?”

“He’s dead.”

I feel like someone has punched me
in the gut.  It’s the same thing I felt when Ace told us Leonard had died. 
Another one of my family members is gone.  The times when we were young, under
mother’s roof, flashes before my eyes.  It seems like only yesterday, we were
carefree children.  I’ve failed to protect another one.

“What happened?” Tiago asks.

“I don’t know.  I got there and
saw a group of animals snooping, United Species Alliance vehicles parked all
around the depot.  The building looked like it had gone through some damage. 
There was a cloud of smoke and dust hovering above it.  I carefully snuck into
the building and I hid in the vents and observed.  Those animals were putting
something in a body bag, and it had a hand sticking out from it which had
feathers…”

All of us are silent, but I can’t
stay silent anymore.

“This is your fault,” I say to
Tiago.

“What?” he says immediately, voice
raised with a hint of anger.

“This is your fault.  Didn’t you
hear what Ace said?  The building had a cloud of smoke over it.  Your bomb
probably went off.  You sent him to his death when you made him take it.”

Alex inches closer to me as I make
my accusation, but Tiago puts his hand in front of him, holding him back.

“Don’t throw out accusations at
me, brother.  Lombardi knew the risks when he volunteered to go.  We all knew
the dangers.  I gave him that bomb in case there was someone in his way and it
looks like there was.  It probably would’ve happened with or without the
explosive.”

His callousness surprises even
me.  “Are you listening to yourself?  How could you brush off our brother’s
death like that?  You act as if it’s expected.  Do you even care about any of
us?”

He grimaces his face toward me. 
“How dare you say that!  Don’t even question my love for my family.  Everything
I’ve done, every instruction, every plan, every move that I’ve made was for
this family!”

“Then why are you so hardened? 
Does Lombardi’s death mean nothing to you?  Why are you so unrelenting in your
pursuit?”

“Because we don’t have the time to
relent.  Two of us are dead and it’s because of them, these agents of the
United Species Alliance!  They’re after us, they’re moving in for the quick
kill.  If we don’t act fast, there’s going to be more of us to mourn over.”

“Two of us are dead because of
your plans.  Leonard would have never left us if we had given him the time he
needed.  Lombardi would still be alive if you hadn’t given him that bomb.”

“Oh really?  Correct me if I’m
wrong, but wasn’t it you who vouched for him?  You’re the one who sent him on
the suicide mission when I wanted someone capable like Ace.”

“I sent him to get us supplies,
not bomb it.”

“Stop it both of you!” Iris tells
us.  “This is getting us nowhere.  You can fight later, but for now we need to
consider what’s going on.  Leonard and Lombardi are gone, and we don’t have
anything to sustain us.”

“Uh, actually…” Ace says meekly. 
He takes his backpack off his shoulders and reaches in.  He pulls an insta-item
out and some packs of food.

“Unbelievable,” I say to myself. 
“You sent Ace to get supplies, didn’t you?”

“No,” Ace says hastily, “I got
these myself after the Alliance was gone.  Tiago didn’t tell me to get
anything.”

“Liar!” I yell.  “Stop covering
for your hero.”

“Shut up, Oscar,” Tiago says.  “I
didn’t tell Ace anything, but at least we have what we need to make it to
Moon.”

“The Moon, that’s the only thing
you care about.  You want to be as far away from home as possible and it
doesn’t matter who goes down in the process.  You’re not a brother, you’re a
dictator.  And I’m done taking orders from you.”

“What are you saying, brother?”
Tiago says.

“What I’m saying is I’m not going
to follow you into the slaughter.  Your quest to get out of here is going to
leave a lot of bodies and I won’t be one of them.”

He shrugs off my threat.  “Fine,
but you’ll be on your own.”

“No, he won’t,” a voice says
behind me.  It’s Maddie.  “I’ll follow you wherever you go and I’ll be able to
find us shelter until you figure out what we should do next.  I’m sorry Tiago,
but I’m not ready to leave so quickly, not after all that’s happened.”

I look at her with a nod.  “Thank
you.”

“Fine, take her.  Anyone else? 
Anyone?”   Tiago asks skeptically.  No one responds.   “Just as I…”

“We’re leaving, too,” a voice
says.  It’s Isaac who speaks and Iris follows behind him.  I’m actually shocked
that it’s them and Tiago looks just as stunned.

“Brother, sister, why?  You know
you two will always have a place with us,” he says.

Isaac takes a moment to speak.  He
looks at me and Maddie, and then he looks at Tiago and the others.  “I’m sorry,
brother, but if we go with you, we’re going to die.  I feel it.  I can’t follow
you on your path to destruction.”

The words break Tiago’s emotional
wall like a battering ram through a castle gate.  He has always liked both the
twins.  He believes there’s something extraordinary about them, and their
rejection hits him hard.