Broken Wings (Cruel and Beautiful World, Book One 1) (50 page)

"I
did
help you," corrected Xander. "You can't fake letting people go. I could have taken you down the other day once you had an unconscious comrade to protect. You know I could have, and that would have looked damn good for me, bringing in Godfrey's son and fucking trigger happy Triggs. But I didn't. Now, move along, you're boring me."

A floorboard creaked.

Both of their ears went on alert.

And then another creaked. And another. Someone was walking up the stairs. It was impossible to be subtle in a house like this.

"What do you think? One of yours or mine?" asked Xander, taking out his Element. "Probably mine, since the idiots all seem to lack the art of guile."

Ignoring him, Dakota moved out of the doorway and stepped more into the room, getting in a position that gave him access to shoot at both Xander and whoever was about to walk through that door.

Staying where he was, Xander quickly recognized someone in a Guardian trench coat heading down the hallway.

"Mine," he said quietly so only Dakota could hear.

"You in here alone, Ruby?" asked the familiar voice of Aila Parrish.

Xander grimaced.
Damn
. He had hoped for someone with less of a vendetta against Dakota. This would surely end in a mess.

"Do you see anyone else?" he said.

"I heard voices."

"Don't worry about it, Aila. Get lost."

"What makes you think you can order me around?" she said, taking a few steps closer.

"I'm sorry, did you not hear the president yesterday?" asked Xander mockingly. "I am the lead on this mission. Now. Get. Lost."

"No," said Aila, taking a few more steps forward.

Xander aimed his Element at her but she did not stop, entering the room and immediately looking to the left at Dakota. The two locked eyes.

"
You
!" spat Aila.

She aimed her Element and fired. Dakota was able to duck in time, but it was clear by the huge hole blasted through the wall behind him that she was aiming to kill.

"You killed my brother, you bastard!"

Dakota barely steadied himself before she was trying again. It would have hit him too, if Xander hadn't grabbed him and yanked him out of the way.

"What are you doing?" shouted Dakota.

"Saving your ass, apparently."

"Well, don't!"

He pushed Xander off of him and darted for the window. When he got there, he fired his gun at Aila, forcing her to dodge. It gave him enough time to climb onto the roof. Xander stared out at him and watched as he jumped into some bushes on the ground.

Aila shoved Xander away from the window and followed Dakota, landing slightly less smoothly. Judging by her reaction, the bushes were pricklier than Dakota had let on.

Xander grunted and ran down the stairs, practically slamming into Luka as he rushed out the front door.

"Xander, what's going -"

"You let Aila get inside!" shouted Xander.

Luka froze. "I didn't ... I mean, she must have gone in the back or -"

"Doesn't matter. She's gone after Trigger. We need to move."

Xander ran in their direction with Luka just behind him.

Dakota and Aila had headed for the forest. When they found them, Dakota was in the middle of a small clearing, shooting at Aila while she darted behind trees. He ran out of bullets quickly, letting out a loud grunt and hurrying to reload. Aila took this moment to tackle him to the ground.

"You'll pay for what you did to my brother!" she shouted, trying to aim her Element at him while he grabbed her wrists and wrestled it away.

"Seriously, Aila?" said Xander, leaning casually against a tree. "Your family's inbreeding has become a real nuisance. You'll find another lover. Maybe a cousin."

"Shut your sick, twisted mouth, Ruby, and stay out of this! It doesn't concern you!"

"Actually, it does," he said, picking at his nails.

Luka cocked his head and stared curiously at the sight in front of them. His Element was out and ready, but he didn't seem especially eager to use it. Aila wasn't winning. She had gone for a tackle, for some reason, when she had a dangerous weapon in her hand.

"You interrupted a very important conversation between Trigger and me. And do you really think the president would appreciate you killing the Resistance's top fighter?"

"I'm not going to kill him!"

"Really? And I suppose those blasts you were just shooting at him a moment ago were simply to make him wet his pants?"

"I was surprised!" she shouted. "All I plan to do is torture him to the point where he'll be begging me to die! Just like what I did to his toxic bitch!"

All three men tensed. None more than Xander ,whose blood now boiled. His breaths became deep and heated.

"Do you want me to tell you all about what I did to her, Trigger? As payback for you taking my brother's life?"

In a quick moment, Dakota was tossing Aila off of him and jumping back to his feet. She did the same and they aimed their weapons at each other, ready to attack.

"How dare you touch her!" he shouted.

Aila smiled wickedly. "Oh, I'm not the one who touched her. I merely tortured her so horribly that she faded in and out of consciousness for days." She laughed wickedly. "You should've seen her tattered body once I was through with her, not even aware of all the men I brought in to have their way with her while she was in too much pain to even realize what was happening -"

A light shot out of Xander's Element in the form of a long whip.

Dakota winced, positive that it was aimed for him. But then Aila was on the ground, screaming in agonizing pain as Dakota stared at her, dumbfounded.

The attack must have confused her, because she seemed to have no idea where it came from. Dakota was still in too much shock to move, so she leapt at him, tackling him into the mud and rocks once more before aiming her Element at his heart.

"You will suffer, you little -"

"Take me!" shouted Dakota suddenly.

Aila furrowed her brow. "What?"

"You need one of us, right? I'll come with you obediently if you let Deryn go!"

Xander felt sick as he noticed the desperate look in Dakota's eyes as he spoke. This was not just about saving his friend. After all this time, he was still very much in love with her. For some reason, Xander was overcome with a surprising amount of anger.

"That's stupid, Trigger," he said, moving off of his tree and taking several steps forward. "Surely, even you know better than to make a deal with a Guardian."

"I'll take the risk!"

Aila looked at Xander and smiled.

"I already told you. We
don't
have her anymore."

Aila's smile faded. "Why would you tell him that?"

"It doesn't concern you," said Xander, lifting his Element and pointing it at Aila. Another whip of light shot out of it and struck her.

She fell backwards, writhing and screaming in the mud.

While Aila was down, Dakota got back to his feet and aimed his gun at Xander. "What the hell are you doing?" he shouted. "Why do you keep helping me?"

"I thought I already made that clear," said Xander, watching Aila carefully. When her squirming died down, he hit her with the whip of light once more.

"Is that really necessary?" asked Luka, taking a few steps into the clearing.

"Of course it is," said Xander, striking her with the whip three more times. "I've wanted to do this for a long time."

"
DAKOTA
!" An earth-shattering scream echoed through the forest. All three men glanced around frantically.

"Neetles!" shouted Dakota, still keeping his gun aimed at Xander.

Xander knew the name. It was a nickname for a girl named Nita. She was another Outsider who had been 'recruited' to join the guard and had escaped the day of the attack on Eagle Center. He hadn't seen her much since, but he knew she was around and active in the Resistance.

Xander suddenly found himself wishing that Nita was the one he had run across instead of Dakota. She had been friends with Deryn too and, from what he remembered, she had always been pretty sensible. It was safe to say that his conversation with Dakota had been a waste of time and energy.

Dakota looked back at Xander and pointed his gun more fervently, but Xander didn't flinch, still keeping his Element aimed at the struggling Aila.

"What are you going to do? Kill me?" asked Xander with an amused grin. "You don't have it in you."

"I've killed before."

"Of course you have. We all have. But I've obviously put enough doubt in your mind that you're not going to take the risk. If I hadn't then I would already be dead. Or you would."

Dakota's nostrils flared. "I don't believe a word you've said to me, Ruby. You're a manipulative bastard who mentioned the one person you knew would make me cooperate. Even going as far as calling her by her first name."

Xander pursed his lips. Oh, right. Dakota was used to him calling her Leon. In training they were required to use surnames. If there weren't so many damn Guardians who were family members he would still do it now.

"But you saved me up there." Dakota motioned towards the house, which was barely visible through the trees, and slowly lowered his gun. "So we're even."

And, with that, Dakota turned on his foot and took off running, heading the long way back to the village, probably so he could be discreet.

Xander sneered. "Go after him, Luka. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

Luka nodded. He looked down at Aila, who had finally stopped struggling but was too beaten to do anything more than lie there and catch her breath. "You going to kill her?" he asked.

"Yes," answered Xander.

Luka nodded again. "Don't be gentle about it."

When Luka was gone, Xander took a few more steps so he was standing directly above Aila. He crouched down and placed the mouth of his Element on her heart.

"W-why?" she asked in a strained voice.

"So sorry, Aila." Not really. "But you sealed your fate the day you touched Deryn. I saw your handiwork and you must suffer for it."

"Y-you know w-where she is?"

"That's right." Xander reached into her inner coat pocket and searched until he found a small chip. One of the mind control chips. "I had a feeling you'd be carrying this." He took out his dagger and pressed his Element harder against her skin. "Goodbye, Aila."

He stabbed her first, so her death would look like the Resistance's handy work, then he pressed the button on his Element, hitting her with a shock that caused Aila to thrash around wildly before going stiff. It was the same shock that had killed his mother. While it may have been quick, it didn't feel that way to the victim. The pain was worse than being stabbed with a thousand daggers at once.

Aila's wide eyes were still staring at him as he slipped the chip inside his inner coat pocket. He would have liked to torture her more, but this was hardly the place. Someone could run by and catch him at any moment.

Xander left her body there and returned to the village. When he arrived, Resistance members and Outsiders were scattering towards the forest while several Guardians and guards chased after them.

"They're in the trees!" someone shouted.

Xander looked up and, sure enough, several ropes had pulled all of the Outsiders up in the trees, where they ran as fast as they could along bridges hidden in the leaves. His eyes widened. That was new.

The guards and Guardians all returned shortly, unable to get up there and follow them.

Glancing around, Xander saw that a guard and Orson Yam were lying dead on the ground. A S.U.R.G.E. had also been beaten down, something that, until now, he had believed to be impossible. Another one buzzed over to him. He ordered it to follow the Outsiders, but not to attack. It zoomed off.

"What the hell happened?" shouted Veli, stomping over to Xander.

"They obviously knew we were coming. It looks like your source steered us wrong.
Again
."

"No they did not!" he spat, his entire body shaking. "There is no way they could -"

"Why not?" asked Xander. "The Resistance wouldn't have been able to take out three of us with absolutely no casualties on their side unless they knew we were coming! And how the hell did they take down a S.U.R.G.E.?"

"It was some weird weapon," answered a guard. "Looked like a satellite and knocked it right out of the sky."

Veli ignored the guard. "Three?" he asked Xander.

Xander nodded. "Aila is dead in the forest to the east. Go retrieve her," he ordered.

Veli took several deep and angry breaths before walking off with Gordon.

When Xander looked back at Orson's body, Finley was leaning over it. He didn't like how relieved he was to see she hadn't been hurt. She kneeled down and sighed before carefully closing his eyes. Xander walked over and knelt down beside her, searching Orson's pockets until he came out with another chip.