Reid hunts down Marcus easily, finding him huddled against a tree, head in his hands, shoulders shaking. Just as he bends to touch Marcus’s shoulder, Reid has a flash to the cabin he found, the cots and camp chairs, the pot-bellied stove and duffle bag full of rations and clothing.
It was army issue. Now he knows it. And the missile that took out the helicopter, the one Mustache and Scar planned to use for their escape after their poaching adventure, the one shot down as Reid and the others watched their first ray of hope destroyed before their eyes. He kicks himself for ignoring his instincts. He’s known but not wanted to admit it to himself. This mysterious organization, the phantom planners of this horrible experiment, the ones who are hiring slime like Syracuse to round up disposable kids and dump them in the enclosure, are none other than his own government.
He shakes himself out of the despair he feels. No time to wonder how the hell this is possible. Reid touches Marcus’s shoulder and squeezes just a little.
Marcus shrugs free, hugging himself, refusing to move or even look up. Reid knows how hard this must be for him. Pictures for a moment that was his dad down there in the compound, in league with the monsters, one of the men in charge of sending innocent kids to their deaths. His own son… Reid shudders, unable to make his father’s face stick. Because his dad would never, ever, do anything like this.
The very idea makes Reid sick to his stomach.
So yes, he can imagine how Marcus feels. But he has no idea, really. He hasn’t lived his whole life with a man like this one, who could do such a thing, accept and order such atrocities. That’s when Reid realizes there is only one way to communicate with Marcus, why he has been such an asshole all along.
He only responds to being treated like crap. No wonder the bits of help and approval Marcus got from Leila made him such a bastard, why any time he had a chance to be in charge without being challenged he took it and wrung it for all it was worth. Reid’s heart swells again, and in that moment of understanding he forgives Marcus everything.
Although he knows it will take a hell of a lot more than this realization for him to trust Marcus. If he ever can. But at least now Reid knows how to get what he needs out of him.
“Get your damned ass up.” Reid jabs Marcus in the side with the toe of his sneaker. Marcus flinches from him. Reid hates to prod him, but this is the only way. No, not the only. The fastest. Doing it the nice way will just take too long.
Reid steps back and crosses his arms over his chest. He pours all of the contempt he can into his voice, keeping his tone low, doing his best to guess how Marcus’s father might sound.
“You’re weak and pathetic,” Reid says, seeing the guy’s shoulders twitch with every word. “Nothing but a waste of my attention. You’ve almost gotten us killed so many times I’ve lost count. So if you don’t get up right now,” Reid suddenly leans forward and hisses the last of the ultimatum in Marcus’s ear, “I’m leaving your ass behind for the hunters to eat.”
Marcus is on his feet, eyes flashing rage, fists clenched, whole body trembling. His face is sheathed in tears, mucus hanging from his nose. But his crying is over, replaced by anger.
Perfect.
“Listen to me.” Reid grips Marcus by his arms and shakes him. “You have to pull yourself together. I know how much this sucks. I do. But we need you.” The one-two punch of harshness followed by kindness makes Marcus wobble on his feet. The rage fades, replaced by a quiet stillness Reid isn’t sure he prefers, but at least Marcus is paying attention.
“You think I know him, don’t you?” Marcus snuffles snot but doesn’t try to break free of Reid’s grip. “You think just because he’s my father…” Marcus looks away and back, dark eyes unreadable. “I don’t know anything about him.”
“He’s your dad.” Reid lets Marcus go but doesn’t step away. “You can tell us what to expect. How he acts.”
“No,” Marcus says. “I thought I knew him. I really did. But now I know I was wrong. I can’t help you. Any of you.” He sighs deeply, a massive inflow of air swelling his chest, then flowing out in a gush. “I don’t think I ever really knew him.”
Reid lets it go. “Fine. But we have to go. Talk to the others, tell them what we found. Figure out a way past those soldiers. There is a way.” Reid watches Marcus shake his head slowly. “There is. And we’ll find it. And when we do, we’ll tell the whole world what’s happening here so it can never, ever happen to another kid again.”
Marcus meets Reid’s eyes. “Being that optimistic will get you killed, you know.”
Reid laughs and punches Marcus gently on the shoulder, turning to grin at Milo and Cole who watch with wide and soulful eyes. “Hasn’t yet, has it?”
Despite Reid’s attempt to cheer them, it’s a quiet trip back.
As usual, Leila is the first to greet them when they appear. She takes one look at Reid’s face and grabs his hand.
“What happened?”
He shakes his head, glances sideways at Marcus. “We found the gate.” Marcus looks back at Reid before retreating to sit under a tree and close himself off from everyone around him.
Reid lets him. Until he comes to terms with his father’s betrayal, Marcus won’t be of much use to any of them.
“What gate?” Reid looks up into three new faces and his heart jumps in a moment of panic. But they are kids, like the rest of the pack, worn down and dirty.
“This is Reid,” Leila says to them before whispering to him. “They found us a little while ago.”
Reid nods. “How long have you been running?”
“Three days,” the tall guy says. He stands almost in front of the two girls, as though trying to protect them. They all look scared but the tiny girl with the short dark hair and elfin face rolls her eyes at him and gently moves him aside.
“I’m Sarah.” She is little, petite and Reid would almost mistake her for younger than she is. But when he looks closer he realizes she’s probably his age. “This is Kieran,” she jerks her thumb at her protector. “And Nishka.” The other girl nods, blonde hair falling over her eyes.
“Hi,” she says.
“Leila was kind enough to feed us.” Kieran says it like a challenge, as though he expects Reid to disagree with her choice. His dark eyes meet Reid’s head on, though he is shaking.
“She’s great that way.” Reid grins, offers his hand. After a moment of shock, Kieran takes it. Sarah snorts and pokes the tall, slim guy beside her, sharing a quick grin with Nishka.
“See,” she winks at Reid. “Told you.”
“You mentioned a gate,” Nishka says in her soft voice. “What gate? Is there a way out of here?”
The entire pack gathers at that, their need squeezing Reid tight and begging him for good news. He tells them everything, with the help of Milo and Cole, from the chase of the injured hunter to the discovery of the camp. He hesitates, not sure if he should share about Marcus’s father but before he can decide, Milo does it for him.
Leila turns away immediately and goes to Marcus. Reid’s instincts howl inside him, driving him to hurtle across the distance and yank her out of the reach of his rival. Reid is so shocked by the power of his jealousy it knocks him out of the need and back to reality.
When he looks up he sees Kieran watching him with an odd expression. Reid just shrugs it off and grins again, this time with no humor in his intent.
“Well, so good news and bad news,” the tall guy says. “Wish we could tell you different, but…” he glances at his two companions.
“Tell them,” Sarah says, impatient. “Or I will.”
Kieran sighs, some of the tension running out of him. “We already knew about the soldiers,” he says. “We’ve seen them.”
“One of them almost shot me.” Nishka hugs herself, expression so hurt Reid can’t look at her for long. But he understands the betrayal behind it and nods.
“We tried to talk to them,” Kieran says, voice low and sad. “We thought they were here to rescue us.”
“Yeah, like that was going to happen.” Sarah’s elfin face pinches in anger. “Assholes.”
“Where did you see them?” A plan blooms in Reid’s mind. “In the enclosure? On this side of the fence?”
They all exchange looks before nodding. Reid can hardly contain his excitement. Of course. Of course. It is absolutely perfect. If they can make the plan work. An ambush, some weapons, and the means to fight back on a large scale… Reid is vibrating with the simplicity of it. For a moment his heart quails, his fear rising again. He is actually planning to take on armed soldiers with a handful of tired and heartbroken kids.
Desperate kids who have learned to kill. Besides, his mind tells him, they have been fighting hunters. Surely they can take down a few ordinary men with guns?
Reid wishes he had thought of it sooner. “I know what we’re going to do.”
They all look at him, his pack, eager, waiting. He outlines the plan quickly, so they won’t resist him, but he needn’t have worried. The eagerness in their faces turns to determination and even joy. They know like he does. They have killed hunters.
They can do anything.
“We have to watch the gate.” Reid’s mind tumbles over and over as he refines his strategy. “Watch for patrols. When we see one, we follow. Keep our distance until they are far enough inside.”
“Do we use the same method we did with the hunters?” Cole speaks up while the others mutter their approval. But Reid shakes his head.
“We’ll be hunting them this time,” he says. “The soldiers won’t be watching for us, at least, not to chase us. No need for bait. We follow them until the time is right then we take them out.”
“I was right,” Marcus says, appearing suddenly at the edge of the pack with Leila hovering anxiously next to him. “You are insane.”
Reid shrugs. “We need weapons. And a two-way if we can lift one. So we know what’s going on in that camp. But we have to do it in a way they don’t know we’ve taken their people out.”
“And what about their rifles?” Marcus pushes but not too hard. “You’re talking about ambushing trained soldiers with guns.”
“I’d rather face a squadron with rifles,” Reid says, “than one more hunter without a weapon to fight back.”
“I’m in.” Kieran nods once, as though that emphatic gesture makes it all right for the rest of them. “This has to end.”
Sarah looks fierce, like she’s ready to tear a soldier in half with her small, bare hands. Milo and Cole exchange grins, though there’s no humor in them. The rest of the kids just vibrate with acceptance, trusting in Reid.
“I want a hand gun,” Nishka says, voice hollow with unexpressed emotion. “So I can shoot a hunter.”
Reid looks over at Marcus. He just sighs softly and turns away. It’s like the fight has gone out of him. Just when Reid needs everyone on the same page. He almost goes after Marcus but Leila shakes her head a little. Reid stands there among the pack of eagerly whispering kids and watches the girl he loves comfort the one guy he wishes hadn’t made it this far.
***