Authors: Airicka Phoenix
Using the wall as leverage, Scarlett pushed herself off. She staggered, but kept on her feet. “Hunter. I have to—”
“Slow down, sweetheart.” Hurtful hands shoved her, sending her back into the wall. She collided and everything spun. “No need to hurry off.” Something fisted in her hair. Her face was yanked up. “I thought you wanted air.”
His mouth closed over hers, choking her with the tongue he forced between her lips. The sour taste of candy filled her mouth, making her gag and try to twist away. Five blunt fingers curled around her throat, restraining her as she was mashed into the wall by a hard, grinding body. A knee was forced between her thighs and she was vaguely aware of something tearing. It sounded like fabric. Something forced itself beneath her skirt.
“No!” She struggled against the numbness weighing down her arms.
“Hold still.” His sweet breath washed over her face. “This won’t take long. You’ll like it.”
He was right. It didn’t take long. No sooner had he touched her bare hip with his fingertips than her stomach revolted and they were both drenched in hot, sticky sickness.
With a curse, he shot back. Removed of his support, Scarlett crumpled to the ground, choking on what little was left in her stomach.
“You bitch!” Darwin snarled, using his hands to swipe at the slimy chunks clinging to his front.
It would have been satisfying, even amusing, if she could stop the heaving, could stop the violent tremors that wrecked her body. But it was taking all her effort to keep from collapsing completely right there in the hallway.
“What’s going on here?” The voice belonged to a third party she couldn’t see.
Scarlett tried to twist her head around, but the simple gesture of raising it sent the walls and floors bleeding together and spinning. She shut her eyes and passed a shaky arm across her mouth.
“Help…” she croaked, her voice hoarse.
“Scarlett?” There was a scuffle of feet. Then someone was in front of her, taking her shoulders and pushing her back. Something solid and cold touched her back. “Scarlett!” Hairs were pushed off her face and her cheek was patted. “Scarlett, look at me!”
Her eyelids parted and she blinked at the swaying figure inches from her face.
“Rolf…”
Rolf’s fingers tightened on her shoulders. “Did he hurt you?”
Her head lolled forward, her chin nearly brushing her chest. She picked at the torn fabric of her dress, now damp with sweat and vomit, with two fingers.
“He ripped my dress.” She let the soggy material drop along with the hand she could no longer support. “He wouldn’t stop.” She forced herself to meet Rolf’s brown eyes even though it felt impossible. “He was trying to … to—”
“She’s lying!” Darwin’s hysterical exclamation echoed like a bomb exploding inside her skull. She winced. “She came on to me. She asked for it.”
The hands holding her vanished.
“You son of a bitch!”
She had no idea where Rolf went, because he was suddenly gone, too. Then there was a crack, followed by a thud and more cracks. Disorientated, it took her a moment to turn her head in the direction of the noise. It took even longer for her fuzzy brain to make sense of the image unfolding before her.
Rolf sat straddling Darwin, fists flying. Maybe it was her drug induced imagination, but they were blurs cutting through the air and slamming into Darwin’s already bloody and bruised face. There were four other people standing over them, grabbing at Rolf, trying to pry him off. They were shouting something unintelligible.
Scarlett ignored them. Her head hurt, her tongue tasted funny, and she smelled gross; but most importantly she needed to get Hunter and go home. She didn’t want to be there anymore. Now if only she could find her legs. They seemed to be missing, or at least she couldn’t feel them if they were still there. God, she was so tired.
“Scarlett?” Rolf was there again, his eyes dark and wild against a face speckled with blood. “Stay awake, okay?”
“Hunter,” she slurred. “Get Hunter, please. He’s there…” She pointed in some random direction, having no idea where the door to the club was. “Please. Don’t leave him.”
Something shifted across his face, but he kept her gaze. “I’ll get him, but you need to stay awake. Can you do that?”
Scarlett swallowed, grimaced at the rancid taste. “I threw up.”
The hardness in his eyes melted into amusement. “Yeah, you did.”
“I’m sorry.”
He touched her cheek. “Nothing to be sorry about. Just stay awake.” He started to rise.
With a strength she didn’t know she possessed, she grabbed him. “Don’t leave me.”
He bent down and pushed aside a strand of hair off her face. “I’m going to find Hunter. I’ll be right back.”
Hunter. Yes, they needed to find Hunter.
She released Rolf and watched as he rose and went over to the group standing a short distance away. She could feel their eyes watching her, but she couldn’t find the sense to be embarrassed or self-conscious.
There was no concept of time when Rolf returned. He dropped down in front of her and scooped her up into his arms.
“I’m gross,” she protested as he pressed her into his chest. Her head lolled onto his shoulder. “I’ll make you dirty.”
“I get you in my arms. Don’t really care about the rest.”
It was unclear how it happened, but she blinked and they were at her apartment and she was looking into the worried face of her grandmother. Words were exchanged and she was taken into the washroom. Then it was just her grandmother removing the beautiful dress she’d bought Scarlett for her birthday.
“I’m sorry,” Scarlett said as she was cleaned. “He ripped it. I told him to stop.”
“It’s all right, sweetie.” Grams dosed her with cold water, jolting Scarlett’s senses back. “You’re safe now.”
“Rolf hit him,” she said, trying to make her grandmother see that the wrong had been righted and revenge had been taken for her dress. “He hit him hard.”
Grams smiled. “I noticed that. Boy will have to get his knuckles looked at by Dr. Ora.”
Scarlett was dressed in flannel bottoms and a T-shirt. Her hair and teeth were brushed and she was left on the toilet as her grandmother went to get Rolf despite Scarlett’s protest that she felt lucid once more. He walked in almost instantly. His blazer was off and she had a suspicion it was because it was covered in her sick.
She grimaced sheepishly. “I’m sorry.”
Without missing a beat, he lifted her into his arms. “You said that already.”
“I can walk.”
His response was to carry her out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. He lowered her gently onto the mattress.
“Where’s Hunter?” she asked him as he drew the covers over her.
She didn’t miss the glance he tossed the other side of her bed before he drew away.
“Your grandmother’s taking care of him now.”
“Is he okay?”
Rolf nodded. “He’ll be fine … unfortunately.”
Scarlett frowned. “What? Why would you say that?”
“Because it was his responsibility to look after you!” His unexpected growl made her jump. “It was his job to make sure you were safe.”
“It wasn’t his fault!” she cried, struggling to sit up. “I—”
“Not his fault?” Fire snapped behind his eyes. “He took you into that place, then he left you alone. How is that not his fault? He’s lucky I don’t go out there and beat the shit out of him.”
“Don’t you dare!” she shot back. “He’s done nothing wrong. It was my fault for leaving with the guy. If you’re going to be angry with someone—”
“You’re right. It was your fault. What were you thinking, Scarlett?”
“I was dancing …
alone
!” She added before he could comment on it. “I don’t know where he came from. I tried to push him away, but he wouldn’t let go. I don’t even know how we got into the hallway.”
“The drugs,” he muttered. “It’s not supposed to happen, but it does. It’s lowers inhibition just enough so people can have fun. Sometimes, they go too far.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it was your fault. It wasn’t.”
“And Hunter?” she prodded, folding her arms.
Rolf’s eyes narrowed. “I still want to beat the shit out of him for letting that happen to you. He should have been paying attention, not … doing whatever he was doing and leaving you alone.”
“We were there to have fun. He would never have gone if he’d known. Hunter’s not a bad guy, Rolf.”
“Debatable,” he mumbled, turning his head away.
“He’s not,” she pressed. “I know him better than anyone.”
He said nothing for a moment. Then he glanced at her, his face shadowed. “You should get some rest.”
Knowing the end of a topic when she heard one, Scarlett scooted back down on the mattress and drew the covers up around her shoulders.
“Goodnight,” Rolf said and started for the door.
“Night, and, Rolf?” She waited until he’d turned back to her. “Thank you.”
He inclined his head before snapping on his heels and marching from the room.
Scarlett closed her eyes and drifted off almost immediately.
Chapter Six
“Earth to Scarlett.” Hunter waved a hand in front of her face, poking her out of her inattentiveness.
Scarlett blinked and frowned. “What?”
Across the table, Hunter eyed her. “What’s the matter with you this morning?”
Disbelief had her wanting to stab him with her fork. “I was attacked last night, Hunter. I was nearly…” she trailed off, unable to put a name to what nearly happened. “I’m sorry I’m not cheerful enough for you.”
His eyes closed and he grimaced. “Jesus, Red, I’m sorry.”
But that wasn’t enough. “Where were you last night? Why did you leave me?”
He opened his eyes and peered across the table at her. “I’m sorry!”
“That isn’t good enough!” she snapped. “We never leave without telling the other. That’s our deal! You left me!”
“I’m sorry!” he said again, louder, drawing heads in their direction. But neither noticed. Hunter sighed and lowered his voice. “I met someone and stupidly got caught up in the moment. We weren’t supposed to go that far. I got carried away, okay? I’m sorry.”
She shook her head, disappointment and hurt coiling tight inside her. “You have no idea how scared I was. If Rolf hadn’t shown up…”
“I know and I said I was sorry. You know I would never have let that happen to you.”
Scarlett rose from her seat and picked up her tray. “But you did.”
She walked away before he could stop her. She dumped her untouched tray into the disposal hatch and left the refectory to get to work. She was abandoned to the corn fields once more, left to de-weed an entire area by herself. But for once, she was grateful for it. She wasn’t in the mood for company. Instead, she did her job, clocked out, and went back to her quarters.
“Hey, you’re back.”
Hunter rose off the sofa when she entered the suite. He wasn’t in his uniform, but casual cargos and a navy T-shirt. His hair was a mess, like it had seen abuse under anxious hands, and there was desperation in his eyes behind his glasses.
Scarlett frowned. “Why are you home?”
He rubbed both hands down the length of his thighs. “I called in sick,” he said. “I needed to talk to you, Red.”
“I need to shower,” she replied, moving towards the bathroom.
“Please!” He moved to block her path. “Just hear me out.”
Resigned, she nodded. “Fine.”
He slicked a tongue over his lips before speaking. “I screwed up. Royally. I know I did. I don’t blame you for being angry with me, possibly even hating me. I deserve it. But you have to know that I would never have let that happen. I would have killed the bastard. You know I would have. I was just so … out of it. I couldn’t think straight. Everything was happening so fast. I swear it felt like two seconds. I turned and you were gone. I was looking for you when Gray found me and told me what happened. I just … I’m so fucking sorry, Red. I swear to Christ I will never let it happen again.”
There were tears in his eyes as he stared at her, pleading with her to forgive him. But even without the tears, she knew she would. She could never stay angry with him, for one, and for another, she knew firsthand how the drugs affected a person in that place. How could she blame him for something completely out of his control? She knew he would have protected her if he could have. It was just the way their friendship worked. They always had each other’s backs. Always.
“Stop cussing,” she muttered, rolling her eyes and giving him a small grin.
Relief sagged his shoulders. Then his arms were thrown around her and she was crushed into the hard wall of his chest and smothered there.
“I love you, Red!” he breathed into the top of her head.
“I love you, too. Now get off me so I can shower.”
With a hard kiss on the cheek, he released her. “I got paid today,” he said as she made her way towards the bathroom. “Want to celebrate my release from the doghouse by getting ice cream?”
Scarlett paused in the doorway and glanced back. “Deal, but I’m getting a double scoop with walnuts.”
It was a nice fantasy. Mint swirl with walnuts had always been her favorite, until the ice cream shop had run dry. Now they handed out crushed ice in a cup drenched in syrup or artificial coloring. It wasn’t nearly as good as real ice cream, but it was okay.
The refectory was busy with the early supper crew. People were lined up with their trays at the food dispenser. Scarlett and Hunter joined them and waited.
“So, did you get it done?” Scarlett heard a girl
at a nearby table ask her friend.
“No!” the other girl said. “They were completely booked. But I signed up to get my booster next week.”
The first girl clicked her tongue, making a sympathetic sound. “My dad got us in right after the assembly.”
“You’re so lucky your dad’s a
commanding officer!” the second girl gasped. “I’m sure if my dad was, we’d totally get seen already.”
Scarlett tipped her head ever so slightly to the side, just enough to watch the girls through her peripheral vision. Part of her wondered if that meant Hunter hadn’t gotten his either. She’d forgotten to ask. But a part of her hoped he hadn’t. That he had to wait
, too.
“So, how did it feel?” the second girl asked.
The first girl shrugged. “Didn’t hurt. But I felt kind of nauseous right after. Dr. Ora assured me it was normal. That the drug was working. But it still felt totally weird.”
The second girl bobbed her head, riveted by everything her friend was saying. But Scarlett wasn’t listening anymore.
She turned to Hunter.
“So you never told me what happened with the boosters,” she asked him as they waited. “Did you get it?”
Hunter shook his head. “They’re only accepting the mentors right now. Novices have to book a time.”
Scarlett frowned. “So did Grams get hers?”
He shrugged. “I think so. We got separated when we got there. They had this weird set up going on. They told her to go in one line and me in another.”
“That is weird…” she mused, brows puckering.
“Nah.” He wrinkled his nose. “Dr. Ora said it was because they wanted to make sure the mentors and staff got theirs first.”
“Why?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” Hunter laughed. “Why do the mentors get a second helping of dessert every night? Because life sucks.”
She rolled his eyes at his reference, even if it was true.
“That still doesn’t explain why—”
There
was no time for her to finish her train of thought when a loud crash at the other end of the hall caught their attention. All heads swiveled around to face the commotion.
On the other side of the
room, a small cluster of people were huddled over a fallen form. Others were rising out of their chairs, ready to leap in if necessary. Scarlett craned her neck to see around the wall of people now blocking her view.
“What’s happening?” Hunter asked
, going up on tiptoes.
Scarlett shook her head, bobbing and weaving her head to get a better look. “I can’t see. I think someone fainted.”
Sure enough, Dr. Ora was called in and the person, a woman was carted away on a hover platform. The refectory was abuzz with the news, but it was quickly forgotten as everyone resumed their day.
“That was so weird, huh?” Hunter said as they made their way to the vendor level, cups of crushed ice and syrup in hand.
Scarlett shrugged. “Her blood pressure was probably down or something.”
Hunter pursed his lips. “Yeah, maybe.”
At the bakery, Scarlett pushed open the glass door and slipped inside.
“Grandma?” she called, a frown tangling her brows together.
Something was wrong. It was too quiet. The air was too still.
“Grandma?” She left Hunter standing at the front and hurried to the back
. The lights were all off. A cold itch began between her shoulder blades. “She’s not here,” she said, returning to the front.
“Maybe she went
back to the apartment,” Hunter guessed.
Scarlett rubbed the back of her neck, smoothing down the risen hairs. “Yeah, but
everything’s off, like she hasn’t been here all day. She never misses work.”
Hunter shrugged. “She
probably took the day off, or she forgot.”
She didn’t say it, but that was an impossibility. Her grandmother never forgot the bakery. She never forgot to bake. It was her life.
“Was she at the apartment when you got there?”
Hunter winced. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. I arrived maybe ten minutes before you. The place seemed empty so I just sat and waited for you to get off work.”
“You didn’t check to see if Grams was home?”
He jerked his shoulders. “Why would I? She’s usually at work at that time. I knew you were at work. I assumed I was alone.”
It didn’t make sense.
“Come on!” She grabbed Hunter’s hand and pulled him from the
shop.
She didn’t let go until they’d left the
transporter and were hurrying down the corridors towards their apartment. Scarlett pushed through the door first, stumbling into the sitting area, her heart already plastered in her throat.
“Gra
ms?” she called, hurrying towards the bedrooms.
The bedroom was a black cub
e. Darkness pressed into every corner, thick and impenetrable. A sort of chill swept from the room, clawing over all exposed flesh. She shuddered. Her arms wound themselves around her midsection, keeping her together.
“Gra
ms?”
In the bowels of the room, something rumbled. The sound was low, guttural, like a dog giving its first warning. It rolled along the walls, dripping from the odd smell hanging from the air. Scarlett couldn’t put a name to it, but it was thick, like opening an airtight container of meat after it had been sitting in the hot sun for an hour. Not quite decay, but sour.
“Hunter…” Her voice was barely audible so she was surprised when he slipped up behind her.
His warmth and presence was what propelled her to reach into the compacted blackness for the light switch.
It was impossible to be sure, but she was almost certain she wasn’t expecting the sight in the room once the light had chased away the shadows.
On the bed, tangled in sweat-soaked blankets, her grandmother lay wheezing. Her normally groomed cap was in disarray around her pasty face. The blanket rose, then stuttered all the way down with her uneven breaths.
Scarlett was at her side in a heartbeat. She set her cup of crushed ice down on the end table and grabbed the other woman’s frail, bony hand. “Grams?”
Green eyes haloed with faint, purple rings, opened a slit. They peered up at Scarlett, confusion bright in their murky depths. She opened dry and cracked lips
, as if trying to speak. A raspy sound left her chest. Heat rose off her grandmother’s clammy flesh like a campfire. It burned just being too close. Scarlett leaned forward all the same.
“Gra
ms?”
A series
of groans escaped the partly gaping mouth.
“Hunter!
Get Dr. Ora up here now!” She took her eyes away from her grandmother just long enough to call over her shoulder. She didn’t wait to see if he’d do it. She knew he would. She turned her attention back to the woman on the bed. “It’s okay,” she said, putting a brave smile on her face. “Hunter’s going to get help. Everything will be okay. I promise.”
Gra
ms continued to watch her with emptiness in her eyes. It was a cold sort of blankness. Scarlett had only ever seen it once before, when she’d gone to sickbay right after the riots. She had seen the patients locked behind the sheets of Plexiglass. There had been a sort of vacancy in their expressions as they stared off into space. Some were mumbling to themselves, rocking. Others just stood there, staring, saying nothing. Scarlett shuddered at the memory, at having it forced back on her by her grandmother’s equally jarring stare.
“Gra
ms?” she whispered quietly, squeezing the frail fingers clutched between both of her hands. “Can you say something?”
A puff of air slipped past her
cracked lips. The tiny, barely audible sound squeaked in the thick silence. Her mouth moved in what looked like words, but nothing seemed to be filtering through.
“What?” Scarlet brought her ear closer, hoping to catch even a syllable of what her grandmother was trying to say.
The arms came seemingly out of nowhere. They wound around Scarlett with strengths that should have been impossible for an old woman on her sickbed. She was dragged forward, landing in a flailing heap across her grandmother’s thin chest, her arms trapped at her sides. The pillow soaked her scream. A high hiss split the air, amplifying the panic running ice cold through her veins. The top of her knees struck the side of the mattress as she kicked, fighting to be free of the sour tang coating the inside of her mouth with every effected breath.
Pain so blinding, so white-hot, she nearly passed out from it, splintered through her shoulder. Something warm and sticky rushed down her arm. The sickening scent of blood perfumed the air. Scarlett shrieked. By some miracle, she was suddenly free, flying backwards and landing in a dazed heap on the floor beneath the bed. Numbing madness sunk cold fingers into her brain, seemingly freezing the world around her to a syrupy speed. She was only loosely aware of the groan above her, even less aware when the mattress squeaked and sheets rustled. The erratic pounding betwee
n her ears had only one focus—escape.