Redeemer (12 page)

“There,” Les says. “We can all stay there.”

“And you'll tell us how to get into the city?” Fischer asks.

“Absolutely,” the leader says. “By the way, I'm Guard Rok.”

He's a guard, as I suspected. My mind spins. How long has he been down in the tunnels? Does he know Guard Nev? I can't remember which city Guard Nev was from, but it's a high possibility they were acquainted.

I want to ask him, but something holds me back. A distrust.

Maybe it's the way he works with Les, and the fact Les's eyes travel up and down my body every time he glances at me.

I step closer to Fischer as we walk. He glances at me, already frowning. Something feels off to him, as well, I can tell. He takes my hand and holds tight.

I hope he never lets go.

 

 

 

 

16

 

My neck strains as I stare at the enormous building in front of me. It reminds me of the buildings in Greater City, but I've never seen one so big outside of that city.

“It's twenty-seven stories.” Les moves forward to open the door. “It was small when it was built.”

Small? Maybe two hundred years ago. This thing is so old and decrepit, and it hasn't been kept up at all. I'm not entirely sure it will hold the seven of us. Still, we fall in line behind the rats and enter the building.

“Why are these buildings outside the city walls?” It doesn't make sense to me, leaving this one area out of the city.

Les shrugs. “How should I know?”

He leads us to a doorway and then to a staircase. “Got a preference on how high you want to go?”

I look to Fischer who gazes up the stairwell. “As high as we can, I guess.”

We begin our trek upward. After seven flights I'm beginning to get winded, and by floor twelve my legs, lungs, and throat burn. Les marches on.

Finally, around floor eighteen, he leans over and sucks in a deep breath. “This high enough?”

Fischer nods, sweat pooling on his brow. By now, his dark brown shirt clings to his back. “Looks good to me.”

We push through the heavy metal door and walk into a dirty, dingy area. Windows line the walls, but they're so dirty they let in little light. Mounds of grimy furniture dot the room, but it's hard to make out what any given piece used to be.

Our movements scare up a flock of birds who go squawking and flurrying away as fast as they can. Their presence explains the questionable material covering everything.

“You expect us to stay here?” Isabel gives Les, Guard Rok, and the other two a scowl.

“At least until our deal is fulfilled. Then you're free to go.” Guard Rok stands with his feet apart and his hands on his hips.

Fischer nods. “We'll get you what you need, but not today. The sun's going down. We'll get some rest, and tomorrow we'll head into the city.”

Guard Rok relaxes. “That is acceptable.” He pulls a pack off his back and digs out a bottle of water. After taking a long drink, he passes the bottle to us.

I didn't realize how hungry and thirsty I was until I saw his water, but now I'm hoping he's got food in that pack of his, and he's willing to share.

A moment later, he pulls out a wrapped package. Once the dressing falls away, I see meat.

After days of berries and water, the meat looks like the finest banquet at Frost Moon's mansion. Guard Rok doesn't hold back.

As we eat, I study him. He's short but muscular. His hair is short cropped, and his jawbone is firm. He is the epitome of a head guard.

What did he do to get demoted? How did he fall out of favor with the Greaters he served?

Who changed his mind?

My questions go unanswered because they go unasked. I have no interest in actually getting to know these people—these people who won't help us unless we help them. Hopefully, our acquaintance with them will be short lived.

Once we finish eating, we work together to clear out a suitable place to sleep. For the first time, it hits me we'll all be sleeping in this one space together. When it was Isabel, Fischer, and me, I didn't mind at all. I trust Fischer.

Les? I don't trust him at all.

Fischer clears out a spot between where Isabel and I will sleep and Les and his group will sleep. Then he sits right in the middle.

Les smirks. “Not going to sleep with your girl? She might get cold.”

Burning cheeks heat my face, but I refuse to acknowledge his statement. Fischer stands to face the rat. “Hana is none of your concern. I sleep here to protect her.” His voice is quiet, but it holds definite warning.

“Protection? What are you afraid of, boy?”

I swallow hard and glance at Isabel. She shakes her head slightly, telling me to keep quiet.

Keeping quiet is not what I want to do, but I take her advice.

Fischer retakes his seat, dismissing Les.

Guard Rok steps forward and nods toward the windows. “You take watch, Les. Stay at the window unless you see something.”

Les gives Fischer a piercing look before obeying orders, and once his back is turned I let out a pent up breath.

Looking to Fischer, I expect a word of assurance, but he's already lying on his back, his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. I turn away and face the other wall, Isabel between Fischer and me. If I get any sleep at all in this place, it will be a miracle.

Snoring wakes me sometime in the dark hours of the night. I roll over and try to find the culprit, and that's when I notice Fischer standing guard at the window. Les lies on the floor, his mouth open and a terrible sound coming out of it.

I pull myself off the grimy floor and pad over to him. He stares out the window, looking over the city on the other side of the fences.

He takes my hand in the dark, never turning toward me. I clasp his as tightly as I can, uncertainty filling me as I take in our task.

What are we doing here? Dragging Keegan deeper into this mess? What can we do besides wage war on the Greaters themselves?

Fischer senses my turmoil, and he pulls me closer and puts a hand around my waist. “There are manholes directly inside the fences. Les said he'd take us to them, and once inside we can get different clothes.”

Different clothes from where? As in stealing from the Middles?

I swallow hard, pushing out thoughts of entering someone's home without permission. “There's no other way?”

He glances at me. “Can you think of one?”

Finally, I shake my head.

We stand together in the dark, staring out over the darkened city below. My eyes roam the streets, following them like the mazes we used to do as children. After a few wrong turns and dead ends, I find what I am looking for.

A group of buildings similar to the ones where I found Fischer a few months ago—the training dorms. This is where I'll find Keegan, and the first place we need to go. Keegan will have more information, more ideas. He'll be able to give guidance to my haphazard plan of finding the Free and Guard Nev.

Fischer squeezes my waist gently and I look to him. He nods at the sky, and I turn just in time to see a shooting star as it drops from the sky. It is majestic and magical. It reminds me of God's love, and it gives me a sliver of hope.

I smile and turn back to him. His face is so close to mine, and he looks at me with an intensity I've fantasized about over the last few days. He's fooled me before, though, and I work to keep my expectations low. He won't kiss me. Not here, not with all these people.

Sleeping people.

He draws closer and excitement bursts through me. I can't help it, I close my eyes. His lips are soft and warm, and my heart beats a million times each second.

A loud snort interrupts the short-lived moment of bliss, and we both jerk around.

Les wallows around like a hog, his snores coming in bursts.

Fischer chuckles as he turns back to the windows, but the magical spell of the star is broken.

Finally, he kisses the top of my head. “Go back to sleep. You'll need your strength for tomorrow's adventure.” He says it with a smile in his voice, and I can't help smiling.

“I'd rather stay with you.”

“I'd rather you stay with me, but it's better for you if you get rested.”

His voice is firm, and irritation buzzes through me—irritation that he's shooing me away when I've craved his attention for the last several days. But I nod and do what he says, making my way back to Isabel's side. She looks suspiciously like she's smiling. Closing my eyes, I do my best to get some rest.

 

 

 

 

17

 

Les leads us back into the depths of the city's underground. “Come out slowly when you reach the top, just in case someone's around. But it should be clear. It's an alley in a mostly abandoned part of the city.”

Fischer nods, but I catalogue Les's words for later use. Mostly abandoned houses will probably hold at least a few pieces of clothes we can salvage without breaking into people's homes and stealing. From there we'll be able to maneuver through the city without drawing so much attention. The biggest issue will be making sure we don't get caught. The only ID's each of us has is in our arms. That's not good.

No matter where we'll get the clothes from, though, gathering food won't come without taking from someone else. None of us likes that part.

Isabel climbs toward the top, insisting again on going first. She pushes through the top and a small stream of light filters down. “It's clear.”

She scrambles out, and Fischer and I climb up behind her. Glancing down at Les one last time, we lug the heavy metal disk back in place.

“Where do we check first?” I ask.

Isabel doesn't stop to debate. She moves to the first door and gives it a good shove. It opens easily. Fischer and I follow her in and we go into separate rooms, searching for whatever we can find.

A pair of men's shoes peeks out from under a fallen shelf. Men's. “Fischer?”

He appears in the doorway holding a shirt, also men's. I hold up the shoes and he gives them a once over. “They'll work.” He backs into the room he just came from then reappears a moment later wearing the scavenged shirt and shoes. His pants don't stand out so much now. He's probably set.

“Not too bad,” Isabel says. “Too bad there ain't nothing else in this dump.”

She's right. The rest of the house has been gutted, other than a few random men's supplies.

We move to the next house. After six abandoned houses, we finally pull together enough supplies for both Isabel and me. The clothes are old. They smell, and they're a wrinkly mess. But they are definitely more Middle and not as much of the homespun Lesser look.

“I want to get across the city.” I have the route memorized. “I saw the training dorms from our window last night.”

“How is your friend going to be able to help us?” Isabel asks. “I have to be honest. I'm not even sure what we're doing here.” Her hands move to her hips and she looks sassier than ever.

I sigh. I still haven't explained to her about Fischer and Keegan, and now I wish I had. “I don't know, Isabel. But he's smart, and he can help us figure it all out.” It's not entirely true, but it will have to do. I spend the rest of the early morning hours contemplating what the missing Lessers could mean, and I'm hoping Keegan can either confirm or shoot down my ideas. I don't know why I feel the need to keep my suspicions to myself for now, but I want to be sure.

The ideas swirl inside my head, and it's hard to make sense of them all. But Keegan has always been there to help me put the pieces together.

Fischer moves into the street first. He makes sure the coast is clear then nods us out. “Which way?”

I point them in the direction I see clearly in my head. It's the middle of the day, and I have no idea if Keegan will be there at this time of day. At night he does concerts, though, so he has to be home sometimes.

We move as quickly as we can without drawing attention to ourselves, pretending we know our way around these streets. It was lucky we moved to the skyscraper so I had a chance to study them.

No. It wasn't lucky. It was a blessing; that's what Isabel would call it.

The entire city passes beside us. It's so similar to Middle City 3. Homesickness sweeps over me, and I want nothing more than to go home and see my small white house near the levies and Dad.

Working to control my emotions, I trip over my own feet. Isabel helps me up, concern written all over her face. “You OK?”

I nod, trying to pretend it's true. But then I notice Isabel's face. Her eyes are wide, and her movements are stiff.

“Isabel, are you OK?”

She frowns and turns away. “Why wouldn't I be?”

“You don't seem very comfortable.”

She snorts. “It's the first time I've been in a Middle city in over a decade. Things have changed a bit. So what?”

Things have changed. Poor Isabel, she must be very uncomfortable. I squeeze her hand. “Maybe this won't take long.”

We reach the dorms without much effort. Almost no one pays attention to us as we make our way through the city, though more guards roam the area than in the Lesser cities.

Kids my own age stroll on the lawns in front of the dorms. It's so similar to the training area in Middle 3, I cast a glance at Fischer. His face shows a soft relief, like he suddenly knows exactly where he is.

“I can ask around. What's his last name again?”

“Clem.” Keegan Clem. My best friend. Flutters burst through my stomach. He might not be here. He might have been punished for
my
bad choices.

I have no idea but, hopefully, I'm about to find out.

Fischer makes friends like he's been meeting and greeting Middles his entire life. I shouldn't be surprised—he did the same thing to me—but I'm awed by it. It's a good thing his bruising and swelling have healed, or things wouldn't be going so smoothly.