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The breeze coming in from the ocean dried Harmony’s sweat-soaked clothes, but the muggy air made it impossible to breathe. And if that wasn’t miserable enough, tiny flying insects continued to bite her exposed skin. It took every ounce of willpower not to curse, but while the Overseers no longer kept the towers manned, they still patrolled the streets and railroad yard.
It wasn’t long after Griffin had left that Harmony spotted several strange looking robots entering the yard. At first she wasn’t certain what she was seeing, but after the fourth or fifth glimpse of a large round, dark object moving around the yard, one finally came close enough for a better view. If these robots were the Overseers, they were as scary as hell. They weren’t built at all like Boy or Robbie, but were made out of some kind of solid black material. They had at least eight legs that supported an enormous round body. How could such spindly legs support so much weight? She found it impossible to count exactly how many legs they really did have because they all moved so fast. Wandering around in the moonlight, they resembled big fat spiders, able to turn their bodies in complete circles.
The ugly things unnerved Harmony so much that by the time Griffin snuck in through the gate and over toward the tower, he was a most welcome sight.
It made her a nervous wreck not being able to do anything to help him as he ducked and dived around the train cars and equipment, but she was impressed by his ingenuity at finding places to hide as he scurried over. Griffin must have had a lot of experience avoiding detection by the Overseers. He never left a hiding place until they had done a one hundred and eighty degree turn and were looking in the opposite direction.
Harmony bit down on her knuckle to stop from screaming when Griffin made a final dash toward the tower. He was almost in when two of the insect-like robots appeared out of nowhere. By some miracle, their heads spun away in time for him to climb the stairs and disappear inside, undetected.
The moment he was safely inside, Harmony lunged at him and threw her arms around his neck.
Griffin returned the hug and whispered, “Hey, so what did I do to deserve such a warm welcome?”
Harmony stepped back and grumbled, “Not a damn thing.” His chuckle was low but it didn’t go unnoticed. “Did you find Walker and Journey?”
He sat on the floor and waited for her to join him. “I have a friend who knows where they’re being held.”
Maybe this was going to work after all. She sat and leaned over, then whispered, “Did he know if they are okay or not?”
Griffin pulled a water bottle out of his backpack and took a long drink before saying, “She.”
What the hell was he babbling about? “What?”
He grinned. “And maybe not even a she, even though her name is Molly.”
The man had lost his mind in the short time he’d been gone. “Molly, who may or may not be a she? What the hell are you jabbering on about?”
“Molly’s a robot.” He offered her the bottle of water.
Harmony took a drink while thinking over that revelation, then wiped her mouth. “Are you insane? You approached an Overseer about Walker and Journey? I thought the whole point of sneaking in was not to let them know we were here to breakout my brother and cousin.”
“Molly’s not an Overseer. She’s a lot like Boy, but not as sophisticated. The Overseers use robots like her to do all of the low level jobs they don’t trust humans to do.”
She wanted to believe Griffin knew what he was doing but it wasn’t in her nature to let others take over. “So why do you trust Molly?” She swatted at an insect flying around her face. She couldn’t wait to get out of this Godforsaken place.
“Because she’s watched over me ever since I can remember.” He glanced away before adding, “She was the one who warned me about what the Overseers had planned for me, and she also suggested I leave before they could carry out their plans.” He cleared his throat. “She’s absentminded, drops screws and nuts with every step she takes, but she’s looked after me like no one else ever has.”
Harmony nodded. “I don’t like putting my trust in a robot I don’t know, but okay. So, where do we find Walker and Journey?”
He blew out a long breath. “Getting them out isn’t going to be easy. They’re being held in the securest building in Freedom. We’re going to need Molly’s help.”
“Let’s go then. It won’t be dark forever and I think our best chance of going there unnoticed is in the dark.”
“Molly and I disagree. We both think it will be easier in the morning when their meal is being delivered. Molly will trade places with the robot that delivers their food, and with any luck, the guards won’t notice the switch.” Griffin used the hem of his shirt to wipe sweat from his face.
“So you expect me to just sit here all night and hope Molly’s plan works?” Sitting and doing nothing wasn’t in her vocabulary, but she wanted the rescue done without anyone getting hurt.
“Her plan is our best option. We’re not just going to just sit here and hope for the best, though. We’re going to get onboard one of the trains and figure out how it works. First thing every morning, the Overseers gather everyone in the town center and hand out assignments. That means none of them will be guarding the yard during that time. As soon as the guards are out of the way, we’ll get the engine primed and ready to leave for when Molly shows up with Walker and Journey.”
“Let’s go. If I don’t do something soon, I’m going to start screaming and never stop. I’ve never been so hot in my entire life.” She swatted at whatever was biting her neck. “And these damn, tiny pests are driving me insane. I’d rather be busy than just sit here.”
Griffin slipped the backpack on. “Keep your eyes on me. When I say run, I want you to run like you never have before. On my way back, I spied several good places to take cover. If we get separated at any point, watch the Overseers. When you see their eyes, you have until the count of thirty to get from one point to the next without being seen.”
When he stood, she followed. “I don’t like spiders.”
Griffin stared at her, like she might have lost her mind. “What?”
She shrugged. “They look like big, fat spiders.”
“Stay with me and you’ll be fine,” and he headed toward the stairs.
Harmony couldn’t help but feel he was right. The longer they were together, the safer she felt with him. She couldn’t remember another time when she’d ever trusted anyone – anyone who wasn’t a part of her family – as much as she was beginning to trust him.