Fury Rising (8 page)

Aries didn’t flinch.

The woman sighed and leaned back against the support beam. “If you’re not going to kill me, than what are you going to do? Stare at me some more? You could at least give me something to eat.”

“Catch,” Aries said and she tossed the plastic bag. Olive tore into the crackers, stuffing a bunch in her mouth before even bothering to opening the jar of peanut butter. She washed everything down with half the water while Aries waited.

Afterwards, she grinned through a mouthful of cracker mush. “Thanks. But I don’t have anything else to say. I’ve given you everything.”

Aries sat down crossed legged on the floor, still keeping a five-foot radius from the Bagger. “I know,” she said.

The woman paused, a half chewed cracker between her lips. “Then why are you here?”

Aries sighed. She didn’t know. How was it possible that something inside Aries calmed the Baggers? She’d discovered this months ago, back when she had her back to the wall and a Bagger ready to kill her. The murderer changed before Aries’ eyes, turning back to human, albeit the whole thing being temporary. Daniel had confirmed everything, admitting to Aries that being around her kept him human. As if something inside of Aries, some sort of power, somehow, trumped the darkness inside.

She was a freak in a world of killers. And she still had no idea how to control it.

Why had she come back? Maybe because she kept hoping to find a clue to how Daniel’s mind worked. If she could understand the Baggers, if she kept working on whatever strange power she possessed, maybe she could find a cure for him. For all of them.

“I want to help you,” Aries said.

Olive dropped her package of crackers and her fingers wrapped around Aries’ wrist. The Bagger screeched, pulling Aries forward.

This was always the hardest thing to do, the moment when Aries didn’t know what was going to happen. Around her, there was no guarantee that the Bagger would stay normal. They tended to go back and forth. The lack of control was the hardest part. If only Aries could figure out how she did it.

Because if she couldn’t control it, there was no guarantee it would always work.

Olive’s fingers tightened, yanking Aries hard. She brought the baseball bat around, ready to use it before the Bagger managed to get her nails into Aries’ eyes.

At the last second, Olive’s grip loosened. Aries didn’t pull herself free. Instead, she took the woman’s hands and held tightly.

“I used to have a daughter. A pretty girl. So pretty. Five years old. Had bright blonde hair like her father.”

The eyes that looked up at Aries were blue and clear.

Aries waited.

“I killed her. Right after the earthquakes. I took her tiny skull and crushed it.”

“You didn’t mean to do it,” Aries said. “It’s not your fault.”

“When you’re around me, you make me remember. Over and over. I can’t turn off my mind.” The woman leaned back against the wooden beam. “If you really want to help me. Kill me. Leaving me like this, this is crueler than anything I could ever do to you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not. If you were, you’d let me die. You’d kill all of us.”

Clementine

“Who’s bright idea was this again?”

“Yours.”

“Right. Next time just smack me over the head and knock some sense into me.”

“With a head that thick, I wouldn’t even make a dent.”

“So use a drill.”

“You want me to drill you?”

“Well, yeah. Duh.”

Clementine turned and grinned at the boy beside her. Michael’s hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She couldn’t get over how long it had grown over the past six months. Halfway down his back, she liked it best when he let her run her fingers through it. Her own personal rock star.

Dear Heath. I know I don’t talk to you as much as I used to. I’m sorry, but it’s not like you’re really listening. At least I hope not because that suggests something a lot worse than I want to consider. But I think you’d like Michael. He’s not like the guys I used to date. We won’t talk about them either. But Michael is different. I hope you get to meet him one day. Just don’t threaten to beat him up like you did with Mark Westerberg back in fourth grade. I’ve never forgiven you for that one.

“Speaking of knocks to the head, I could really go for a nap right about now,” Michael said as he stifled a yawn. “We might as well find a place to curl up. Can’t do anything until it gets dark anyway.”

“Let’s go check our target first,” she suggested. “Make sure everything’s in order.”

“Really?” Michael yawned again. “It’s going to be the same as the last time and the time before that. We know this place inside and out. All systems go. Operative status is first class, soldier.”

“I love it when you talk nonsense to me.”

“All we need to do is pop in the back for a bit. Lots of blankets. Some romantic music. Might even be a candle or two.”

Clementine shifted in the passenger seat. Part of her wanted to agree with Michael. They’d been up the entire night plotting with Aries and Raj and she was beyond tired. They had nothing but time on their hands until the plan went into action. Technically, a few hours sleep would be perfect. A necessity too, considering they wanted to be alert for what came next. They couldn’t have picked a safer place either. No one would bother them. Baggers almost never went into the suburbs. Aside from the one house a few blocks away, the world could very well be devoid of all human life.  

“I could use a few hours,” she said. “But not in the van. Too risky.”

“How about there?” Michael pointed at the row of townhouses lining the street. “Shouldn’t be too hard to jimmy the patio doors and sneak in. No one will be the wiser. Still gives us a good view of the street and there’s a front and back exit. I can take first watch.”

“Works for me,” she said. 

They’d snuck out of camp last night around two and hadn’t stopped moving since. The journey back to downtown Vancouver had taken forever, they’d had to go the old fashioned way by foot. Although they kept kayaks down by the rocks for transportation, they’d all agreed that walking was better. Too many people kept count and a missing boat would be noticed. Being that the whole mission was top secret, they couldn’t take the chance in anyone discovering they were gone.

Not that people wouldn’t notice. But Aries planned on telling anyone who asked that Clementine and Michael had gone to do some gardening.

“I’ll keep it simple,” Aries said last night. “And if that doesn’t work, I’ll just tell them you’re off having sex.”

The plan wasn’t a good one, but it was the best they could come up with. They’d kept it quiet for several reasons. With the ever-growing group of survivors, it was harder and harder keeping Aries in charge. In the beginning, Aries had suggested a democracy. Instead of one leader, they’d form a committee so that everyone could have a say. Teams would be formed to share responsibilities. Safety would be a top priority. Regular meetings would be held once a week and all the camp members could come together and discuss what they wanted to do. For the most part, things worked. Three adults: Marvin and Betsy, a husband and wife team from the Plaza of Nations, and a former police officer named Juan joined the leadership. Clementine liked them all, especially Juan who offered self-defense lessons a few times a week.

In the beginning, everyone worked well together. They were all assigned tasks and jobs to do. Some people were on gardening duty, others on cooking and security. Almost everyone took their role seriously and worked hard. Thanks to a guy who used to work with BC Hydro, they even had water in the bathrooms.

              Even though they’d built their safe haven, things still found a way to fall apart. Aries found it more difficult to keep things under control as time went on. People were scared and unable to deal with the slightest problems. Everyone had different opinions and ideas of what they should be doing. As of late, the group had split down the middle, half the people wanting to make a mad dash into the mountains, the other half wanting to stay and fight. Many of the adults felt that Aries, Clementine, Michael and the others were far too young to have a say in anything, even though they’d proven themselves over and over again. Having Martin, Betsy and Juan helped. No one dared criticize Juan when he spoke. They didn’t talk over him the way they did with Aries when she tried bringing up the problems with the lookout crew the other night.

But no matter what they did, or how often they tried to protect everyone, it was never enough. Safety was still the number one issue. It wasn’t easy living with the reality in which the Baggers could show up any moment and destroy everything they’d built. Although it hadn’t been spoken out loud yet, Clementine could see resentment and doubt in the eyes of plenty of people.

And it wasn’t going to go away. Not until the Baggers were defeated.

Like that was going to happen any time soon.

They’d kept this mission secret, mostly because it was risky and selfish. But also because Marvin, Betsy and Juan would be against it.

Aries tried bringing it up a month ago, but was shot down immediately.

“We can’t go charging back into the Plaza until we’ve found a way to rescue all those people, with the least amount of causalities,” Juan said. “It’s a tricky situation. Every time we go in, the Baggers get better at defending. I know Mason’s your friend, but that’s not enough reason. We can’t take the chance.”

They took a vote that night and were outranked. Even Colin voted for the other side, not that anyone was really surprised about that. But Aries refused to give up. Through secret meetings, they kept working on their plan.

And now they were ready.

Juan was right and they all knew it. But it didn’t make Aries any less determined to save Mason. He was one of them. And that was the one thing that Michael and Clementine completely understood. They were a family and they wouldn’t be complete until they were all together again. And if Mason came back home, maybe Aries would stop spending her days moping over Daniel.

“You don’t have to do this,” Aries kept saying while they’d planned everything out. Last night she’d been a wreck, completely unable to focus. She kept staring out the window as if she expected someone to show.

“We have to do this,” Michael said. “It’s only right. We have to be a group again. We can’t leave Mason out there to die.”

“He’s one of us,” Clementine said. “He would do the same for you.”

“We’re risking everything to save him,” Aries said. “Juan’s right. What if Leon retaliates and starts killing people.”

“He’s not going to kill anyone. He needs them as much as we do,” Clementine said. “And I’m okay with the risk. Stop trying to feel guilty. We all need this and I’m not letting anyone try and tell us otherwise.”

“What if they kick us out? What if we get Mason back here and they force us to leave?”

“If they do, they’re idiots,” Clementine said. “And would it really matter? Then we start over again. This is a big city. Plenty of places to hide. I’m sure Raj, Joy, Jack and Eve would come with us. Larissa too. She’ll never leave Joy’s side until she has the baby. We’ll have the best of the best.” Clementine paused. “They can keep Colin.”

Although she tried to hide it, Aries gave her a grin. 

Clementine looked down at her watch. It was strange, having the leather band on her wrist, after spending many months without having to be anywhere on time. Aries had given one to both Michael and her last night, just to make sure things ran perfectly. They’d all set the clock at midnight, even though it probably wasn’t accurate. Not that it mattered; they only needed to make sure they were all in sync with each other. Three hours in. Several more would go by before they would be reunited again.   

“Do you think Raj made it?” Clementine asked. “He should almost be there by now.”

“I hope so,” Michael said.

Clementine hoped so too, because everything they were about to do depended on Raj managing to stay alive. If he failed, there wouldn’t be a second chance. The Baggers would instantly know that Aries group was involved and they’d go after Mason. After hearing stories about what went on at the Plaza of Nations, Clementine knew what kind of things the Baggers were doing to the people still being held prisoner there.

Baggers were capable of doing far worse than just killing. That’s why they needed to get Mason out. And it also explained why they’d travelled to the suburbs to start the first stage in a rescue mission they’d planned for weeks.

Clementine and Michael made their way across the Lions Gate Bridge in the early hours; careful to keep their ears and eyes open for any hint of the white vans that continued to patrol the streets. There were still plenty of survivors in hiding and the Baggers hadn’t given up on trying to find them. Clementine still hoped that one day she’d run into the group where her brother Heath might be. He’d travelled all the way from Seattle to Vancouver after the earthquakes and she was still determined to spend all her free time searching for him.

I promised Mom, Heath, and that’s never gonna change. No matter how long it takes. I won’t rest until I find you. Even if you’re dead (and I refuse to believe it), there’s got to be someone out there in this city that’s crossed paths with you. I’m not giving up.

And she wouldn’t.

They crossed through Stanley Park without a hitch and made it most of the way up Georgia Street before spotting the white van at the Budget Car Rental. Michael suggested they try and get it running. The original plan had been to sneak through downtown and pick up one of the cars from the Toyota lot on Kingsway. But a white van was too hard to pass up. They’d blend in better. Hopefully if anyone unfavorable spotted them, they’d just assume Michael and Clementine were on the same team. Just a few Baggers out for an early morning joyride.

In Burnaby, they picked up the blankets and food they’d stashed inside a house a few weeks ago. They took the longer route, using an old map book that was horribly outdated, but better than nothing.