Escape from Harrizel (39 page)

“How do your knuckles feel?” My sight drops
to the raw, pink skin I doctored earlier.

“Don’t hurt enough.”

I take his hands in mine. He hesitates
letting me hold them and jerks back until I insist. Finally, I
bring them low to investigate. I look up, frowning. “I don’t want
you to hurt.”

“Funny. Feel the same about you,” he
withdraws, pacing up and down his room, gnawing at his thumb.

A long minute goes by and I can’t take it
anymore. “Are you going to tell me what you did?”

He pauses and removes his thumb from his
teeth. His body goes rigid again, “Do you really want to know?”

I don’t want to know, I
need
to
know—it’s non-negotiable at this point. I meet his eye and offer
the slightest of nods. Reid accepts the tiny gesture with a low
sigh, keeping to his rigid state and folding his arms with a cocky
confidence. “I beat the shit out of them.”

“Did you…”

“No,” he shakes his head, already answering
my panicked face. He starts pacing. “Believe me, I
wanted
to. At one point, I thought I might. But no. Last I saw they were
alive.”

“Did you get hurt at all?” I search his body
again for possible injuries as he comes in and out of the babeebs’
golden light.

“Are you kidding me?” he laughs. “It wasn’t
even fair. Normally there’s no point in beating a man while he’s
down, but in this case…” he scans my swollen eye and busted lip,
“…I made an exception.”

“But the Kings will know. They’ll retaliate
on the Rogues when they see what you’ve done,” I think of Able and
the others, Rogues that have no reason to get hurt for me. Starting
to make further protest, Reid is already shaking his head,
dismissing my argument.

“They’re not going back to the Kings,” a
sharp inhale and then, “I’m holding them.”

“What?” I bolt to my feet.
“
Where
?”

“Tunnels.”

I search his face for any contradiction, any
slip of the joke. But they’re serious. He has them hidden,
somewhere below, in the underground labyrinth.

“How…” I start when another knock sounds on
the door.

“In.”

Tucker emerges first, followed by Able and
Jace. They scan me fleetingly but focus on Reid who’s pulling his
shirt on.

“What’ve you got?”

Tucker steps forward. “Grisham hasn’t said
anything yet. Mantis is keeping quiet too,” he clears his throat
uncomfortably. “But Fallon’s absence has been noticed.”

“Story?”

“Berry juice, same as last time.”

Reid nods. “And myself?”

“No one’s asking questions,” Able responds
this time. “
Yet
. They seem more concerned with Pratt.”

“Of course—everyone heard that scream,” he
crosses the small space for his piece of cloth on the windowsill.
Retrieving it, he spits on it, wiping just behind his ear. Finding
his image in the mirror, he brings the cloth across his brow again,
digging away at some dried blood. “Double misdirection. Smart,” he
rubs the fabric down by his jaw. “She’s been on over-guard this
whole time—who’s been assigned?”

“Booker and Simon both volunteered for the
time being,” Tucker says.

Reid rubs the cloth over his neck, turning
toward Jace. “And the fight?”

“Arrivals were promised a few Gupples to go
at each other like animals. Both likely candidates for the
Kings.”

“We know they can follow orders…” Reid
considers. “Find out who’s been scouting them and what other
targets they have. Intercede if necessary. Any real candidates, get
me,” he tosses the cloth to the windowsill. He holds his arms out,
displaying his clothes. “Too obvious?”

“No time for the Bathing Bubble,” Tucker
shakes his head. “You’ll have to go as is.”

“We can spin it that you just spilled some
Gupple juice on you? Maybe?” Able looks to Jace in the silence,
hoping for support, but Jace, like the other two, just shakes his
head.

Reid turns to Tucker again. “If the Kings
aren’t asking questions, neither should we. For right now, let’s
keep a low profile on this one. They’ll pretend four of their
Clansmen aren’t missing and I’ll pretend they didn’t come after
Fallon. Nearly even.”

“She coming with you?” Tucker glances at
me.

“No. Fallon can’t go downstairs looking like
that.”

“Is it really that bad?” I cross the room
for his mirror. The red swelling’s lessened around my cheek and eye
and only a slight bruise ripens in its place. My lip still looks
nasty though, something that’ll draw a lot of attention. But I
don’t give up without a fight. “Come on—I can go.”

“No. This is
non
-negotiable. Able,”
Reid turns to him. “Stay with her. I’ll make an appearance
downstairs and be right back.”

“And the Rogues?” Tucker asks, the three
making their way for the crimson arch.

“I’ll address them later,” Reid shoots me
one last look over his shoulder. “I’ll come back after the
Reminders. Will you be okay?”

“I’m fine.”

He nods at Able who returns the serious
gesture. Reid, Tucker and Jace step through the open arch and into
the corridor the next minute, disappearing from sight. When they’re
gone, Able turns to me.

“Ooh people have been talking about you!
Sick again. Will she get
Rox
sick? Will it spread? Now this
is coming mostly from the Clients...”

“And everyone else?” I ask, sitting on
Reid’s bed. With the wall to my back and my legs folded up to my
chest, I wrap my arms around myself.

“Not sure what to think,” he shrugs. “We
were kind of hoping he’d let you out, at least downstairs so people
could know you’re like, still alive.”

“What do you mean
let me out
?”

Able scoffs, like it’s a silly question to
want answered when we should be discussing more important things.
He looks at me, then the door, then back at me again, a belittling
expression crossing his face.

“You think there’s
any
way that boy’s
going to let you out of his sight from now on? Sheesh—I’m surprised
he left you with
me
,” he laughs as he stalks the room with
quick, heated steps. “I think he knows he has to make an
appearance. For the Rogues at least. If you both didn’t show, then
they’d
really
know something was up… he can’t let the others
think the Kings have an advantage,” he shakes his head again, his
swift steps moving him around the room, “but if that wasn’t the
case,
hell
no. He’d be right here with you. If not
downstairs with the four missing Kings...” Able strokes his chin,
considering an image from earlier, perhaps. “Letting you out of his
sight is
not
something Reid has on his urgent to-do
list.”

I tighten my hold around my legs, trying not
to think about tomorrow, or what the rest of my time on Harrizel
will bring. “So what does everyone think then?” I ask to distract
myself. “I’m really sick or do they know?”

“The smart ones know and the higher ups.
Clients and most Scouts… probably not.”

“Do you think the Kings will try to
retaliate?”

“At some point,” he shrugs again, continuing
to pace. “With all the new Arrivals, it’s going to be war. And it’s
going to be here
fast
.”

“Are the Rogues up for it?”

“We’ll have to be.”

“But you guys seem to know what you’re
doing—fighting at least,” I play with one of the navy rags. “Plus,
you said all Rogues are trained in combative basics. And Jace and
Chief…”

“Are the best fighters after Reid, yep,” he
sighs, still pacing, “and you’re right; all Rogues
do
know
the combative basics, so at least we have that. See,” Able sits on
the bed next to me, “Reid must have had some training at some
point. That’s why he did so well at first with leaving the Kings.
No one could get a hit in on him.”

“What kind of training?”

“Who knows?” he shrugs “but every Rogue he
invites into the Clan has to undergo intense training with Jace and
Chief, who he personally coached. I mean, they were already good
fighters but Reid showed him whatever it is
he
knows. So
every Rogue is pretty knowledgeable when it comes to fighting.”

“Even you?”

“I mean,” he laughs, “I may not be the
shining star like Chief and Jace but yeah…
even
me.”

I exhale, leaning my head back against the
wall. “So what now?”

“Now,” he follows my lead and leans back,
“now we wait.”

The next ten minutes pass in silence until
Reid reemerges with Tucker, Jace, Clark, Sampson, Vix and Pratt,
who jumps on the bed next to us. The others file in around the
room, grabbing the little bit of space they can as Sampson adds a
few more babeebs to the hanging chandelier in the center of the
ceiling.

He makes his way over to me, his voice
gentle. “How are you feeling, Fallon?”

“I’m fine. Slept off most of it.”

“I meant to come when I heard but no one was
to reveal your location. I’m so sorry… has the Vilbrees
helped?”

“Doesn’t hurt as much.”

“Good,” he manages a small smile. “That’s
good.”

“What did they say at Reminders?” I skim
over Reid, who’s in the opposite corner, arms folded and standing
still as a statue. My eyes only linger on him a second before
scanning Tucker, Jace and Clark, also silent on the subject.
“Anything important?”

“They made a suggestion,” Jace finally
exhales.

When he doesn’t elaborate, I glance around
the room but no one wants to help him out. “About what?”

“Jeb wants more mating,” Vix says
quietly.

“Mating?”

“For the Rebirth,” Jace starts up, “you
know, to repopulate earth.”

“But he always alludes to that.”

“Well,” Jace feigns a smile, “he made sure
his message was loud and clear. He was ‘disappointed’ in the
illness still haunting Harrizel and thought we should be ashamed of
ourselves for not trying to repopulate while we could.”

“But it’s not being forced?” I look around
again, stopping on Reid who’s too livid to speak. “Right?”

“Not yet,” Tucker shakes his head, “but it
seemed… it might go there if they don’t get the results they
want.”

I turn to Sampson, reassuring what I already
know to be the truth. “Eleven days?”

“Less than that. And when they come back,”
he nods, inhaling sharply. “It
will
be forced.”

The room grows silent, everyone taking in
the reality of the situation. The one Reminder I should’ve attended
and I was up here to miss it.

“What can we do?” I ask.

“Only eleven days,” Clark shakes his head,
“that’s all the time we have left
and
,” he stresses it, as
if we forgot, “we have to get rid of the Kings.”

“Well four of them are taken care of,”
Tucker nods to Reid who still remains rigid in position.

“How many more are there?” I ask.

“Too many,” Clark sighs.

“I asked for a number, not an opinion.”

The room stops again and Tucker’s mouth
twitches. “Forty-four, not including Grisham. But that’s…”

“Still doable,” I glance to Pratt and Able
beside me, then to Sampson and Vix. “Chief and Jace
alone
took down four. And that was what… in a few minutes? If that’s done
twice a day,
every day
, they’ll be cleaned out in a
week.”

“Yeah,” Clark gripes, his face flushed with
annoyance, “and how are they going to do that? It was the two
best
Rogue fighters after Reid and no one was around to
witness it. Best possible scenario.”

“Then we’ll recreate it. Every time.”

Reid’s head snaps up at this. “No.”

“How else can we do it?”

“No,” he shakes his head again, his voice
stiff and threatening. “Absolutely not.”

“I’m not doing nothing. If they want to come
get me, let them,” I toss back, “we’ll just be ready.”

“How?” Vix asks curiously.

“The new recruits—their first assignment is
to get recruited by the Kings. Share inside information of where
I’ll be,” I shrug, “lure them in.”

“You mean bait yourself?” Pratt asks.

Nodding, I look to Reid again. “They’ll know
you’ll constantly be around me. They’ll have no other way of
getting to me unless I go to the Bathing Bubble or wherever. The
Scouts or Clients will plant specific information for when I’ll be
vulnerable… and we’ll be ready.”

“Jace and Chief every time?” Vix asks.

“Not every time,” Able shakes his head.
“Other Rogues will want their chance at the Kings.”

“And I’m sure it won’t always be four at a
time,” Tucker chimes in.

“However many times it takes,” I shrug, “how
else can we pick off the Kings? And in only eleven days?”

“That’s
if
they keep going for the
bait,” Clark shakes his head. “When they realize their Clansmen
aren’t coming back, will they keep sending them after you? They’ll
know the information is false. And that’ll put your Clients at
risk.”

“Not really,” Sampson considers, cupping his
chin, “they don’t know where their Clansmen are going; don’t know
if they’re alive or dead. At that point, Fallon,” he indicates to
me, “will be the only way back to them, to
find
them.
They’ll need the information.”

“
Plus
,” Able chimes in, “once they’ve
lost Clansmen, they won’t stop. It’ll be their only goal. They’ve
taken a wound to their pride and they won’t stop until they have
her.”

Tucker turns to Reid who’s buried himself
deep in the shadows, gnawing on his thumbnail. Barely nudging him,
Tucker whispers, “What do you think?”

The room quiets, all awaiting Reid’s
response as the heavy silence fills the air. Finally, he shakes his
head, “Absolutely not.”

“What other way is there? We only have
eleven days,” I remind him. “Unless you want to fight the Vermix
and
Kings?”