Rogue (Exceptional) (20 page)

       Ally sighed. Was this raid forced upon Champaign because of her, or was this just a random occurrence?

       "Wouldn't it be nice to be able to raid the City? To make them line up in the streets and account for their families?" Lilla said suddenly.

       Ally noticed the brightening gleam in her eyes, and the sinister smile on her face.

       Lilla raised her hand, palm up. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

       Ally laughed. "I don't really even know
what
all I can do."

       Lilla raised one eyebrow. "How is that even possible?"

       Ally fought back and forth with whether or not to tell Lilla her story, about how she came to be an Exceptional, but something inside of her finally decided against it. Lilla was nice, but there was something about her that made Ally nervous.

       "They are just still developing," she finally said.

       Lilla nodded. "Late bloomer. Watch this..."

       She placed her palm on the floor and her eyes began to glow. The lights around them shimmered across the room in a wave, and finally the TV sparked and turned off.  The Exceptionals gathered around it grumbled and complained, and Ally heard
Lilla
leave several of their mouths.

       "You can control electricity?" Ally's mouth hung open. "No wonder you ran from the City, you were probably at the top of Aden's acquisition list."

       Lilla nodded. "I can only manipulate what is already there. I can't create it, but it is still pretty cool. I can also move objects a few inches at a time, like most of the other Exceptionals."

       Ally raised her hand, trying to figure out how to display her abilities. "I can move objects pretty far if I concentrate enough. That part of me developed easily. This part however..."

       She finally centered her thoughts on a large, blue ball sitting against the opposite wall. There were no Exceptionals in her path, or sitting within ten yards of the object.  She let her abilities loose and watching as the white light lit up the space between them, and made contact with the ball. The rubber material wobbled for a moment and then burst into a thousand pieces. A burnt circle and scraps of rubber were all that were left in a matter of seconds.

       Now Lilla's mouth hung open. "Whoa"

       The room fell completely silent, and Ally didn't have to look around to know that the rest of the Exceptionals were watching her.

       "So that tree by the club..." Minx appeared out of nowhere and sat down next to Ally.

       "That was me," she said with some amusement.

       Minx grinned at her. "Cool."

       He was younger than she had originally thought. Eleven or twelve years old, maybe. Both he and his sister had blonde hair light enough to look white, and skin as pale as snow. She imagined that if their eyes weren't violet, they would be blue like ice, to match the rest of their appearance.

       Over the next two hours she learned a little bit about Lilla and Minx. How they had lived in the City since birth, and had spent a good amount of time in the training center. It was when Aden started to come after Lilla that their parents decided to make a run for it.

       "There is a group in the City that helps Exceptionals escape," Lilla told Ally.

       Ally stared at the concrete floor in front of her. "A group? I mean, don't get me wrong, it is great that there are people helping, but we managed to escape quite easily on our own."

       Lilla let out a loud laugh and for a moment Ally thought she might be hysterical.

       "Ally, you only truly escaped because they wanted you to. Don't you think they monitor those surrounding woods with more than just Guards? The only reason teenage Exceptionals get over the wall to explore the settlements is because Aden allows it. He knows they'll be back. But if he felt that someone was leaving, and he didn't want them to, they wouldn't make it ten feet past that wall."

       Ally let those words sink in. "How did you find out about this group?" She was curious that she hadn't heard of it, and that Luke didn't seem to know about it.

       "It is very secretive, and usually only known amongst the outer neighborhoods" Ally knew that translated to 'poorer neighborhoods'.

       "And they are the ones that got you in contact with Heath?" she asked.

        Lilla nodded. "We were brought straight here, and we haven't left since."

Their conversation tapered off there. With her body relaxed against the wall, Ally started to drift off. It had been dark out when they entered the club, and she knew it was getting late. She pulled her legs up into her arms and looked around. Many of the other Exceptionals were curled up on their makeshift beds, trying to fall asleep. Minx had disappeared a while ago, but Lilla still sat next to her, manipulating small amounts of electricity around them.  Ally was just about to crawl over to her own assigned bed when two knocks sounded on the steel door across the room.

       Lilla popped up, along with several other Exceptionals, including Ally. They all moved as one toward the door, practicing caution as a group. Minx leaned against the door and waited. This time six knocks came, in a musical sort of tone, and Minx pulled open the door.

       Max slipped into the room quickly, followed by Heath.  They both laid eyes on Ally, a grim expression on their faces.

       "What? I'm fine, see. I'm just glad you guys showed up before bedtime..." She stopped speaking when their stares grew uncomfortable. "What? What happened?"

       "Ally," Max said as he stepped forward.

       "Tell me, Max," she stepped back in response.

       "They took Stosh and Sabine," Heath blurted out.

  
   
"
What?
” Ally said with force.

       "Ally," Heath said her name this time.

       "Don't
Ally
me," she spat, "Tell me what happened."

       "We have hiding spots for runaway Ordinarys," Max started. "Spots more local to the town center. When Stosh and Sabine slipped out the side door, Jed gave them directions to the safe spot. They were intercepted along the way."

       "We had to pretend that we didn't know they were here," Heath added. "We all would have been in trouble and they would have searched the entire town. They searched a portion of the homes where you have been staying, but never got to the Warehouse. Something called them back to the City."

       "So you just abandoned them?" Ally said. "You didn't fight for them, or try to get them back?"

       "There was nothing we could have done!" Heath shot back. "We don't have the ability to fight them. A dozen Exceptional Guards versus hundreds of Ordinarys still isn't a fair fight."

       "I would have turned them to ashes," Ally said through gritted teeth.

       "Not before I electrocuted them," Lilla said from her side. She had forgotten about the others up until that point.

       "We leave tonight," Ally pushed past Max and Heath and entered the stairwell. She knew they would be fast on her heels. 

       "Ally, we need to talk about this," Heath said as he hurried up the stairs behind her. She could hear more than one set of footsteps so she knew Max was following as well.

       "No more talking. I'm going with or without you," Ally burst into the warehouse and walked over to the big steel door. A smaller door hung open near the top of a catwalk, which was probably how Max and Heath had gotten in.  She used all her strength to slide the door open and the effort broke it off its hinges. The door slammed to the floor of the warehouse, narrowly missing Max and Heath.

       "They have leverage now," she said. "They won't want to make a deal for the guns. They are going to be making a deal for my brother and Sabine."

       She stopped outside of the warehouse and Heath came to her side. "I know. That is why we need to talk. We can't let this ruin our chances at a deal."

       "We shouldn't be making a deal in the first place. We should be giving them the guns because it is the right thing to do. Now I'll be bargaining for the lives of Stosh and Sabine."  She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Max. Even though none of this was his fault, she felt a little aggravation when it came to their friendship. She realized that if Stosh and Sabine really had been taken to the City, Luke would be in charge of their capture. She felt a small bit of relief at that thought, but it was short lived.

       "We leave tonight," she said firmly.

       Ally took off at a run towards town. It was pitch black by now, with no moon for light, so it would be more difficult for Max and Heath to catch her. She wasn't going to let them talk her out of this. She would gather her stuff and go to Max's house, where she knew at least he would be waiting. But first she had a stop to make.

"Hey Al." Willow was bent over a bed in the upstairs of the processing center. An older woman lay on the thin mattress, the sheets and blankets tucked tightly around her. Her skin was pallid, and the space beneath her eyes sunken. She was clearly sick.

       "Should you be caring for people this sick, Willie?" Ally's eyes traveled down to Willow's midsection. A small bump protruded from her stomach, stretching her shirt ever so slightly.

       "Emma isn't sick, Al, she's old," Willow said softly.

       The old woman's throat cackled in what sounded like a couch mixed with a laugh. "I could still take you on."

       Willow smiled and patted the old lady's hand. "Rest, Emma."

    They left the room; Willow shutting the door behind her. "Emma is eighty-three years old, ancient in settlement terms. Carla believes she is on her deathbed, so we are just keeping her comfortable."

       Ally leaned up against the wall and smiled.

       "What?" Willow asked.

       "You just seem so.... happy," Ally responded.

       "Should I be unhappy?"

       "No! I'm glad you’re happy. I'm glad you've found something you love to do," Ally said the statement with truth, even if she knew she was losing Willow more with each day that passed. "Look, Willie, I'm leaving tonight."

       "I thought there was still time?" Willow had been filled in on the trip during Ally’s last visit.

       "There was, until tonight..." Ally took a deep breath before she had to speak what came next. "The Guards took Stosh and Sabine."

       Willow gasped. "When?"

       "During that raid tonight."

       Willow nodded. "Carla had me hide in a hidden room in the basement. You wouldn't even know there is a room there; it just looks like a wall. Thankfully no Guards ever even came into the building."

       "I'm glad you were safe," Ally said. "I just wanted you to know that I am going away for a few days. I'll come find you when we are back."

       "Yes, and fill me in on the details," Willow said with a wink. "I want to hear all about your reunion with Luke. I won't be surprised if he comes marching back into Champaign with you."

       Willow and Sabine seemed to have two very different ideas of what Ally’s reunion with Luke would be like.

       Ally laughed. "We'll see about that. Take care of yourself, Willie, both of you."

       Willow set her hand over her belly. "You too, Al."

       Ally slipped back into the night, finding her way back to her home. Brooke, Alexis, and Andrea were chattering loudly when she walked into the house. They had to be all keyed up from the evening.

       "Ally?" Alexis called out just before Ally slipped into her room. "Oh, thank God you are okay."

       Ally turned around slowly. "Yeah, Max hid me just in time."

       "Where are my heels?" Brooke looked down at Ally's feet and frowned. Of course Alexis would be worried about her shoes. Ally took in the sight of her outfit. She hadn't noticed until now but the pants were covered in spots of dirt, and the shirt had a hole above her belly button where a tree branch had caught it.

       "I had to ditch them when we were running. I almost broke my ankle trying to escape in them."

       Brooke nodded her head, as if this were one of the few acceptable responses for losing shoes. "Oh well, I'm sure I can find another pair in the warehouse tomorrow. Good night!" She disappeared back in Andrea's room and the chattering recommenced.

       Ally gave a sigh of relief and slipped into her room. She slipped the small pack carrying the vaccines into a bigger pack, wrapping them in a towel so they would be better protected. She packed a few loose fitting shirts and pants, some socks, and a large blanket off of the bed.  She changed her outfit quickly, placed her dirty outfit in the laundry bin, and hurried down to the small kitchen. She grabbed several bottles of water and some snack bars. They had planned to have all of this packed before the big trip, but now she needed to improvise. She knew that at least the camping packs were already together at Max's house.

       By the time she got to Max's house Jed, Tilt, and Hank were already seated around the meeting table. Max was there too, as well as Heath.

       A quick look around the room told her that the others were packed to leave as well. She smiled triumphantly and laid her pack on the table.

       "Don't look so smug," Heath said quickly. "We are still going into this with a plan."

       "And what would that be?" Ally asked. "Because right now all I can see is walking in there with the guns and demanding my brother and Sabine back."

       "You will," Heath responded. "And then move into the original deal with the promise of more guns."

       Ally just nodded. At this point she would agree to anything that got her to the City, and then decide if she needed to change the plan once she got there.

       Max cleared his throat. "We thought with the recent raid, and time sensitivity of our trip, that we should go with the entry plan from Plan B."

       "I agree," Ally said. 

       Plan B had them traveling to a westward outpost and camping the night there. The Guards there were strong allies and would drive them into the City the following day. There would be no sneaking over the wall around the City. At least, not going in.