The Legend (13 page)

“Then come with us!”

“I can't. I can't do it any more. I just want a normal life. You've seen how Rebecca's been acting! She doesn't care about us, Michael. She doesn't care about anybody. She's on a personal revenge mission. Why can't you see that?” The sounds of voices and commotion inside the house reach us.

“Michael,” Reed says, rocking on the balls of his feet. I completely understand his agitation – we need to leave,
now
.

“I'll call them,” Morgan hisses through the fence. “You take my brother and I swear to God I'll scream to high heaven. They'll catch all of you.” Her desperation is tangible and Kwan looks pained.

“No, you won't,” Michael murmurs and then the sound of a soft thud has me leaping up onto the fence. I peer over and see Michael lowering Morgan gently to the ground. Her body is limp, but she's only unconscious. I'm stunned. Morgan has always been the stronger of the two siblings – both physically and mentally.

“You knocked her out?” Reed's voice is disbelieving beside me. “I'm impressed. I'll admit it, kid, I didn't think you had it in you.”

Michael angrily brushes a tear from his eye and then without another word, he vaults over the fence and we sprint away from his father's house. And away from his sister.

 

 

chapter 19

T
he mood back at the Carlisles is sombre. Archer is devastated by Morgan's defection and Michael, despite the astounding strength of character he displayed earlier, is in a bad way.

“We can't stay here,” Kwan voices what we all know to be true. We have gathered once more in the kitchen so that the Carlisles will not overhear us. “If Morgan tells them . . .”

“I know,” I nod, all too aware of Michael's look of despair at the thought that his sister might betray us. “We'll go to Jupiter's. It's just one night – we're leaving early tomorrow morning.” I am enormously relieved that, because of the presence of the Carlisles, we never mentioned exactly where Jupiter's lab is situated.

“We're really going to leave her here?” Archer still cannot believe it.

“She hasn't given us a choice.”

“I hate to be the bearer of doom and gloom,” Reed interrupts, “but has anyone considered that if Morgan does choose to air all our dirty little secrets to daddy and co. we have a far bigger problem. What if she tells them about the base?”

“She won't,” Michael insists. “She's not a bad person, you guys. She won't give them all up. She has friends back home too, she wouldn't betray them.”

“I hope you're right,” Reed replies, as I loosen Richard's ropes, “because there's no way we can move that many people in time to avoid any threat that might be heading their way. We'll be lucky to make it back before NUSA does, if they discover our location.”

The thought is sobering but there is nothing for it. We will just have to hope and pray that Morgan isn't going to sing from the rooftops.

“You should be able to work your way out of those,” I tell Richard as the others head for the door. “Thank you both for your hospitality.”

Lucy glares at me but Richard says nothing and I am almost certain I detect a glimpse of grudging respect in his eyes as I turn away. I am almost out of the room when he calls my name. I turn back and he eyes me meditatively.

“There's talk that a large group of NUSA soldiers spoke out against the new presidency,” he states conversationally. “From what I hear they were exiled – sent out through the Missouri fences into the Kentucky wasteland. You didn't have anything to do with that, did you?”

I am wondering why on earth he is telling me all this, but as Lucy turns to gauge my answer Richard uses her momentary distraction to give an almost imperceptible nod of his head. Richard is giving me information, I realise – information that could help me. Conscious of his wife's confused suspicion, I shake my head exaggeratedly.

“No, I didn't,” I reply, fixing him with a hard stare. There is no way to convey to him that I understand his message, so I settle for “thank you – both of you” hiding my gratitude under the guise of their hospitality.

The second we are out on the street I fill the others in.

“You're saying there's a group of disgraced NUSA soldiers out in the Rebeldom?” Reed immediately grasps the significance of this information. “They must be pretty pissed at NUSA.” He grins.

“How many?” Kwan is ever the voice of reason.

“I'm not sure,” I admit, “but from the way Richard spoke, I think there are quite a few.”

“Military men need a purpose.”

“Yes, they do,” I agree. “And I think we can give them one.”

If Jupiter is surprised by the arrival of seven unexpected overnight guests, he doesn't show it, but he does do one thing that startles me.

“Hello, Michael,” he greets him familiarly the instant he lays eyes on him. Michael looks slightly alarmed, but he meets Jupiter's gaze coolly.

“Do I know you?”

“I knew your mother,” Jupiter explains. “She was an amazing woman. I'm sorry for your loss.”

“You knew my mother?”

“Where do you think you got your ability, son? Speed, if I recall correctly. Strength for your sister . . . where is she?” he adds, looking past us to the empty corridor behind.

“Not here,” I interject quickly in a tone that makes it clear it is not up for discussion.

“You Gifted my family?” Michael asks incredulously. “Then my mother . . . she . . . she died here?”

“Yes,” Jupiter nods. “She was strong and determined, I had a good feeling about her. Sadly, I overestimated her. Her body could not endure the process. I felt bad about it,” he adds generously, “which is why I didn't expect you or Morgan to pay off her debt.”

“Her debt?”

“Gifting comes with a price here,” Kwan reminds and Michael looks shocked.

“My mother offered you payment?”

“She was to serve in my personal security detail,” Jupiter replies. “She negotiated a term long enough that would ensure you and your sister safe-keeping here in SubTropolis until you both reached the age of twenty-one.”

“And then what?”

“I believe her intention was to find the infamous Resistance faction,” Jupiter turns his attention to me, “but it seems you managed that all on your own. You mother would be proud,” he places his hand briefly on Michael's shoulder.

Uncomfortable with the familiar gesture, Michael moves away, closer to Kwan.

“Thank you for taking us in,” I change the subject.

Jupiter very kindly provides food and accommodation, which is comfortable if nowhere near as luxurious as the Carlisles' apartment. As I settle into my own room, which is more a cubicle built with dry wall, Reed steps through the door, dropping his head to avoid hitting it on the low frame.

“Think he based the modelling on his own height?” he grins, referring to Jupiter's diminutive stature.

“Probably.”

“Don't worry, I'm not here to test your resolve,” he adds as he takes a seat on the edge of the bed. “I don't expect you to throw any crumbs my way today.” His tone is light, but a nasty clawing in my belly reminds me of Morgan's words earlier. “Don't,” he drawls, as usual sensing what I am thinking. “She was just lashing out.”

“She was right though. I have been acting just like that. Only concerned about myself, about finding Kenneth.”

“That was only a drop in the ocean, Tiny. A knee-jerk reaction to what you had been through. We all know you're not really like that. Even Morgan knows, deep down.”

“I don't know what I'm like any more. It feels like my whole life is this war. Like there's nothing else. Like I'm not even me, any more – not really. I'm the leader of the Legion; the one who is supposed to fix everything. It defines me.”

“No, it doesn't. You know that's not true. You have so much other than this war. You have Alex,” he points out and automatically I smile, just hearing Alex's name. “You have your dad, and Kwan, and your friends.” I nod again. “You have Aidan,” he speaks without resentment and I press my lips together to keep from asking, but he senses the question. “And yes,” he admits, “you have me.” I swallow down a lump in my throat. “And, of course, you most certainly have Michael Kelly's vote.” He breaks the tension. “The kid chose you over his entire family.”

“I feel like I've failed him. Failed her. I should have seen this coming – I know Morgan, I know how impulsive and reckless she can be. I should have fixed things between us. If she hadn't been so angry at me, she would never have gone to see her father.”

“Maybe,” he admits. “But you have to accept that you can't always get everything right. Making mistakes is part of being human.” I settle back onto the bed, propping my pillows behind me.

“Tell me about Jupiter,” I ask him.

“He suffers from short man syndrome?”

I laugh out loud at that. “No, about the original version. You mentioned he was God of the Sky?”

“Ah,” he smiles knowingly, shifting so that his back is against the drywall and getting comfortable. Reed had once told me the story about the constellation of stars that included the Big Dipper. It had been the first moment that I had seen the sensitive side that was hidden beneath his intrepid exterior, the first time I had felt something for him other than irritation. As he tells me the story of Jupiter, his low, familiar drawl soothes me and my eyes grow heavy. I don't know the exact moment I fall asleep, or whether I imagine it, but in the vague recesses of my mind I feel the whisper of his lips across my cheek before I fall into a fitful sleep plagued by nightmares of the people I love being hunted.

I wake to find a familiar tanned arm slung casually across my stomach. Typical, I think to myself. I should have known he would fall asleep here, with me. We were both exhausted last night and I had been the one who asked him to stay longer to tell me the story of Jupiter. I ease my body out from under his arm and quietly leave the room. I have no idea what time it is – being underground there is no way to judge even whether or not the sun is up.

“Morning,” Jethro calls as, after numerous wrong turns, I finally find my way to what serves as the main kitchen. Jethro is sitting on one of the vast stainless steel counters, eating a piece of dry toast.

“You don't want anything on that?” I ask, amused.

“Couldn't be bothered looking. It took me about fifteen minutes just to find the bread, it's over there,” he points to a far cupboard and I retrieve the bread, popping two slices in the toaster. “Was he there?” Jethro blurts out as I rummage around the cupboards. “My brother, Mason . . . was he there at the Kellys' house?”

“No.” I wave a jar of peanut butter at him triumphantly and pull a knife from a drawer. “I'm sorry for what I said about him. I didn't mean it to sound so harsh. He's still your brother; I shouldn't have dropped the bomb on you like that.”

“Thank you,” he accepts my apology and gives me a small smile. “I always knew he had it in him. I hero-worshipped Mason growing up, but he had a vindictive streak in him. I'm sorry for what he did to you.”

“You don't need to apologise for him. You're a good man.” I pause as something occurs to me. “What will you do if you come face to face with him now?” This could pose a potential problem if Jethro hesitates at a time when one of our own's life is on the line.

“I try not to think about it,” he admits. “I understand that he's a target. If he's Kenneth's right hand then the chances are that he will need to be removed from the equation to get to the VP.” We all still refer to Kenneth by his previous title, none of us will acknowledge him as President. “I've come to terms with that. I only hope I'm not there to witness it. I'd rather be fighting nameless adversaries.”

“Gotcha,” I hand him a slice of toast smeared with peanut butter.

By the time Reed saunters in, yawning widely, I have had two cups of coffee and am more than ready to get going. Jupiter seems to be a late riser and I fight the urge to track him down and pull him out of bed. I'm more worried than I want to let on that Morgan will betray us. Michael may believe she never would, but he underestimates how angry Morgan is with me and while she may not know the exact location of the lab, she certainly knows we will exit the States through the Missouri border. After what feels like hours, Jupiter emerges, strolling into the kitchen in another tailored suit, his dark hair slicked back into a low greasy ponytail. He looks like he has spent the morning at a grooming parlour.

“You're wearing that?” Reed asks, choking on an ill-concealed snort of laughter.

“What would you have me wear?” Jupiter asks pleasantly. “Some of your second-hand knock-offs?”

Reed is unfazed by the barb and he winks at me across the table. Reed is still infinitely more attractive, even in his faded jeans and T-shirt, and he knows it.

“Get everyone ready and waiting outside,” I instruct, trying not to smile back.

“We're going in that?” My jaw drops at the sight of the enormous eighteen-wheeler tractor-trailer truck that emerges from the depths of SubTropolis and out onto the street.

“You didn't expect me to fit my lab equipment in a Chevy Spark, did you?” he points out wryly, and Lydia emits a peal of laughter.

I gather that Lydia and Jupiter are a couple, judging from the affection between the two, and Lydia is accompanying us back to base, as are Patrick, Randall and Sam, who form Jupiter's private security detail.

“You wanna go with them?” Reed asks coolly and I grin.

“As if you'd really let me.” I slap his shoulder as I move past him and head for the black Subaru 4x4 parked behind the big rig. As I pass, I gape up at what I thought was a standard forty-foot container. Curious, I leap up onto one of the tyres and grab the window frame closest to me. Peering inside, I can't believe my eyes. The back section must contain the lab equipment, but the front section has been converted into luxurious sleeping quarters. Jupiter must like to travel in style. At the far end are crates filled with foodstuffs and I can only assume that there is plenty of fuel on board.

“You have vehicles outside the fences, I presume?” Jupiter asks as he approaches me and I nod, jumping back down onto the road surface.

“Then we won't be needing any further transportation.” He starts to wave the Subaru away. “Your people can travel with us until we reach your cars.”

“If you don't mind, I'd prefer to take the 4x4,” I interject. “Two of my men have another mission when we get clear of the States. They'll be separating from the group and we could use the extra wheels.”

Reed and Jethro will be going to Kentucky to try to make contact with the exiled NUSA soldiers that Richard Carlisle had spoken of. I was against their going alone and wanted to accompany them but even I can't ignore the fact that getting the laboratory equipment back to our base is too important. There is a small rebel camp in Kentucky, complete with vehicles and fuel which they will use to ensure they can bring everyone back with them.