MEMORIAM (16 page)

After a few hours we landed and switched to a magnus that was waiting at the outskirts of a field. Vince edged his way closer to me and rested his hands on my shoulders when we sat down in the magnus.

“You look like you want to say something,” I said.

“You look different. More troubled than usual.”

“Ever since our last mission...” My voice went quiet. I cleared my throat and readjusted my pack. “It’s hard to come back from that, you know?”

“Believe me, I understand.”

“There was something you told me after...
it
happened, about your family.” I paused. “Are they really gone?”

“It was my own fault. I was a risk-taker. I used to tell myself, ‘one day I will give it up and spend my time with my family.’ That day never came.”

Vince being a risk-taker surprised me. I’d known a few students in my class who were risk-takers, constantly doing extreme activities that put their life in danger. Some loved it so much they went to work for the government. It was a dangerous job and many people lost their lives.

“You said you had a daughter. How old was she?”

“She was just a few years younger than you. Sixteen,” he said. He fell silent. He clenched his fist. “I didn’t treat her right.”

“I’m sure you were a wonderful father.”

He shook his head. “I was addicted to shots. Half the time I wasn’t even conscious because of all the poisons I was injecting into my body at once. By the time I quit, it was too late. She was gone.”

He looked up at the ceiling of the magnus, as if he could see the skies. “I hope she’s happy, wherever she is. She deserved so much more.” He smiled and patted my knee. A tear escaped his eye as he let out a sigh.

The magnus lurched to a stop and I fell off my seat and landed on Zanna. “Hey, watch it,” she said, shoving me back.

“Sorry.” I got off the floor. “We can’t be there yet, can we?”

“I don’t think so,” Vince said. He climbed out of the magnus. The others got out and I followed behind, pulling my klave out of my belt. Vince’s klave was out, too.

“It sounded like we hit something,” Zanna said.

“Or someone,” Malina interjected.

Zanna threw her hair over her shoulder. “That too. Sev, check around the magnus. Vince, the trees.”

“On it.”

I squinted up at the bright sun. There were mostly shrubs around us, no large trees like the base had. The sky was an intense blue and the sun was already burning my scalp.

“Guys?” I called out. They had all disappeared. I spotted a small city down the hill. That must have been our destination.

“I found our stop!”

“Must ‘ave.”

I flipped around to a tall man behind me. He ripped the klave out of my hand and threw it on the ground. Still holding onto my arm, he twisted it behind me, hugging his knife to my throat. I gasped, tilting my head back. Vince showed up from behind the magnus and pulled his gun out.

“Let her go. We are the Head’s hunters and we will shoot.”

The man’s grip tightened. His breath was hot and smelled of rotting compost. Vince raised his gun in the air and shot it. Sev rolled his eyes.

“There’s an easy way to settle this. Show us your wrist.”

The knife pressed into my neck stung as the man struggled to roll up his sleeve. I saw a glimpse of a Pax tattoo and something else further up.

“Looks like we have another hunter here. Let him be, Vince. He’s just having a little fun.”

The man laughed in my ear and let go, shoving me forward. Vince caught me as I swore, turning to examine my captor. He didn’t look like a hunter. His yellow teeth were large and horse-like, and his sallow skin clung to his high cheekbones. His blonde hair was greasy and hung in stringy strands around his face.

“Are you all right?” Vince asked.

“Fine,” I muttered.

“What are you doing here?” Vince asked the hunter.

“We were on a mission down south and thought we’d take a stroll until our cop came.”                  Another man came around the magnus with Malina. He was very different from the other hunter. His long dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail. His jumpsuit hugged his dark skin and his brilliant green eyes glowed as he came over. “What’s the problem, Lavin?”

“Nothing, Saevus, just greetin’ some ‘unters.” He smiled at me. Vince shifted his position so he stood halfway between Lavin and me. “You look kind o’ young to be huntin’ people, sweets. How old are you?”

“Nineteen,” I responded through gritted teeth.

“She’s of age,” Vince added.

“Can we go?”

“What’s the hurry?” Malina said with a smile, eyeing Saevus. “We’re in no rush.”

Lavin straightened his posture and bowed his head. “And you are?”

“Malina.” She walked over to Saevus. Sev joined Malina as well.

“If there are only two of you then I see no harm joining forces. Besides, you may join us for a small killing spree if we’re  lucky.” Sev snorted with laughter.

“Well if this girl ain’t gonna be at our throats then we’d love to.” Lavin jerked his head in my direction.

“You’re the one that threatened me with a knife,” I retorted. Everyone had already started walking and did not hear my comment.

“Vi, drop it.”

I wanted to argue but Vince flashed his eyes, so I kept quiet. I hung in the back and walked next to Vince, letting Sev and Malina lead. Lavin stayed close to Zanna. I saw him eyeing her figure and instantly wanted to gag. What kind of filth was this? The Pax weren’t like this. We were a respected people with kindness and compassion.

The city we were headed for grew larger as we walked. We made our way down the dirt hill, kicking rocks and watching bugs run for cover. The sun overhead bore down on us. Soon, sweat glistened on our foreheads and glided down our backs. I wiped my forehead.

“Hello.” Saevus must have hung back and now sped up his pace so we were walking side by side.

“You sound different. Do you speak without an accent in front of others?”

“Lavin doesn’t like it, but I do.”

He smiled at me and flashed perfectly straight teeth. Up ahead, Malina and Sev paired off and walked separately from the group.

“Don’t mind me prying, but don’t hunters travel in groups of five?” I asked.

“Yes, they do.”

“Then why- ”

Saevus finished my sentence for me. “Why aren’t we traveling with our combination? Some missions do not require five hunters.”

“Oh. Where were you hunting?”

“You ask a lot of questions,” he said. My cheeks flushed.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Saevus was eyeing me. I returned his stare with a nervous smile. “So what part of Rinfero are you from?”

He held out his right arm and rolled up his sleeve. Where there should have been a Pax symbol there was nothing, only a large ‘H’ like I had.

“You’re not a Pax?”

He shook his head. “My home rector is Trali. I was living as a guest here when the Trux took over. I was punished for hiding some of your people and was put in a base as punishment.”

“I’m sorry.”

“My people are fighting for you. I want you to know that. We want you to be free.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

It was eerie as we came to the edge of the city. The usual bustle was replaced with personal belongings and clothes littering the street.

“Zanna, why don’t you take some of the others further in? Violet and I will check the outskirts,” Vince said. I‘d never seen him give orders before. Saevus strode over to Zanna and Lavin staggered over to Vince and I.

“I guess that leaves me with you.” He winked at me.

“Lavin, go with the others.”

“I think you need morassuport.”

“No, Lavin. You are going with the others,” Vince said. Lavin frowned and eyed Vince.

“I think I’m going with you.”

“Fine,” Vince rolled his eyes. Saevus took off with the others, but not before looking over his shoulder at me and waving. I returned his wave then turned to follow Vince.

Lavin kept close to my side as we weaved in and out of the rubble that was strewn across the center path. As part of the Environmental Protection Movement, our society had constructed cities without roads. The only road that was allowed was a center path that ran through the middle of the city, and only public vehicles were allowed on it.

We stepped over large chunks of shattered glass and synthetic wood. Vince pointed ahead to a large building with a sign in front:
Kao Healing Center.

“We’ll check this place first.”

Lavin wedged himself through the broken sliding door on the bottom level of the healing center. The door moaned as he pushed against it. He managed to push the door back.

“Thanks,” Vince said. He climbed through the door, then pulled out his knife. I did the same. Lavin was staying extremely close to me, almost too close.

The hallway was dimly lit. Any noise made my ears perk up. I pressed myself against a wall and held my breath, listening. Lavin leaned across me and peered in the doorway of a room.

“It’s clear.”

“I thought you weren’t supposed to show yourself to your victims. You’re supposed to hide because you don’t want to give them an open shot.”

“Where did you learn that?”

“Training.”

“Hunters don’t have rules outside the base, sweetie. I could shoot you right now and the others wouldn’t blink an eye.” He wrapped his arm around my waist. I shrugged him off and caught up to Vince.

“Be careful,” Vince said. Someone hit me from behind and I fell on the ground, hitting a pile of crates. I groaned as my arm grazed the wood and heard Vince swear.

“Lavin! Are you trying to injure Violet?”

“Sorry.” He didn’t sound sorry. On the contrary, he sounded pleased. I got up and dusted my hands off on my jumpsuit.

“Don’t worry about it, Vince. It was only a pile of crates.”

“It doesn’t matter. He can’t treat you like that.”

“Would it make you feel better if I gave him hell for it?” I asked.

Vince smiled. “Be my guest.”

I made sure to shove Lavin as I passed him. If Lavin didn’t let up then I would shoot him with my klave. The format on the second floor was the same; a long hallway with doors leading off, all with a bed and nightstand.

“What was this place?”

“It was a healing facility.”

“Huh.”

The healing facility was completely trashed and broken now. What happened to the people who once walked these halls, hopeful of attaining peace and happiness? Were they killed?

“I know what you’re thinking,” Vince rested his elbow on a broken crate. “Sometimes I wonder if too much compassion is bad for you. Come on. This place is empty.” He went back down the stairs. Lavin was waiting for us outside when we reached the bottom.

Vince pointed to the sky. “Looks like a storm is heading in.” The brilliant blue was now a dark and stormy purple, clouds swirling fast. The wind howled in my ears and ripped at my jumpsuit. There was a loud bang.

“What was that?” I asked Lavin.

“Looks like we got ourselves a chase!” he hollered.

There was another bang. “You don’t think…”

“Come on,” Vince said. We broke into a jog, running down the center path where small buildings lined either side. I ran frantically, my jacket flapping in the wind, Lavin trailing behind me. He sure as hell couldn’t run as fast as hunters were supposed to. I turned a corner and spotted a flash of blonde hair.
Malina,
I thought to myself.

“Vince, over here!” I yelled. Vince stopped and turned around, ducking around the corner. He sprinted past me. For an older man he sure could run. He must have sensed danger like me. I pushed my legs further, my left thigh starting to ache. It was still recovering from the gunshot wound I had received on our last hunting spree.

Malina was standing in front of a large building. Vince didn’t even hesitate. He ran past Malina and inside. I stood there for a moment, glancing back at Lavin. If I stayed out here I could guarantee Lavin didn’t attack anyone, but letting Vince kill ruthlessly was more risky. There was another gunshot. I gripped my klave tightly and ran up the steps, bursting through the door.

A woman ran past screaming, heading to the back of the building. Vince locked eyes with me from across the room. I saw the same fear in Vince’s eyes now that I had when he told me about his daughter. He was just as afraid as I was. How, then, did he kill so freely?

Two young men ran past as well. Vince pulled out his gun and followed the two boys up the stairs at the back of the room.

“Vince, no!” Three gunshots rounded off, thuds following. I shuddered, staring at the ceiling.

“No.” I wasn’t going to let more people die like this. Wind ripped through a shattered window and howled in my ears as screams echoed off the walls. I closed my eyes tightly, forcing the image of the woman out of my head. Vince needed to be stopped. I ran up the stairs, looking around frantically, hoping I wouldn’t come across any of the dead bodies.

At the top of the stairs there was a bedroom overlooking the street. Part of the floor creaked. I whipped around and spotted a closet. Three pairs of eyes gazed at me through the crack in the middle. My mouth went dry. I hurried and shut the door to the bedroom before coming over the closet and opening it. Two young women who appeared close to my age gripped the older man between them. I held a finger to my lips.

“I’m not going to hurt you. Stay here until it’s safe to come out.”

The man nodded. I shut the closet doors again and made sure the people were hidden from view. When I left the bedroom I ran into a woman who stood at the top of the stairs. She turned and ran. I yanked my klave out of my pocket and fired but missed as she flung herself out of the way.

Vince was at the other end of the hall with dark stains on his jumpsuit. I couldn’t think about those stains right now. He held up a hand and we listened. Mixed with the howling wind was moaning. Who was moaning? Rain fell through holes in the roof, hitting us like bullets. 

Vince disappeared into the bedroom to his right and I followed suit. Sev was holding a young man up against the wall. He yanked at the man’s scalp, screaming in his ear. I cringed. This was inhumane.