Cristan
Derek has the audacity to smile in my direction. “I’m here to make a bargain,” he says.
Solar growls and I nearly do the same. “Let me guess? I come quietly and no one gets hurt?”
Derek keeps walking, his eyes shifting from Solar to me. “You know you made me look a fool.”
I choke on a bitter laugh shifting Mallory on my shoulder as I back away, gun pointing at him. “Tell someone who gives a feck,” I spit.
Derek’s smile disappears and he almost looks concerned. “She will die. Her only chance is to return to the new city.”
Heat rushes through me as I glare at him. “You’re lying.”
He shakes his head. “I can access her medical records to show you she’s carrying an engineered virus. But you should know, she doesn’t have long.”
I keep backing up, entire body starting to tremble violently from fatigue from fear from anger I can’t do anything. “Why did they infect her?
Derek seems disinterested. “That is not my concern. My concern is taking you back where you belong.”
Solar continues to growl as she hop retreats so she’s by my side. Derek releases a sigh. “There are still men loyal to me. Men who are waiting outside. You’re surrounded. There is nowhere to run. But you have a chance to save the Irrelevant girl’s life.”
My heart crashes around my chest as I flick a quick look at Drew. He doesn’t move, and judging by the slack expression on his face, he’s going to be out for a while.
My stomach twists as I try to think my way out of this. I can stall, but I have nothing left to bargain with.
If he’s right, and Mallory is sick, and he’s the only person who can get her help, if I shoot Derek, I’ll be killing her at the same time .
“What happens to Jed? To Jackie? Everyone inside here?” I ask.
Derek raises his hands. “I make no promises. This Unit is no longer under my jurisdiction.”
He gestures to Drew. “You respect this Irrelevant? Wish him to live?”
I nod shortly, breathing growing laboured as I keep edging backward. Derek keeps moving, slowly, cautiously, but not yielding. “Then I suggest you come with me and perhaps they will have a chance too? I would like to redeem myself. I can do that if I bring you in.”
I snort. “Why would I do that? I have no guarantees you won’t just let everyone inside here die.”
Derek shakes his head. “I have no interest in this Unit or in any others. My only aim is seeing my good name restored and that can only be accomplished by having you back in custody.”
I swallow, fire blazing through me as I try to think past the terror he’s not lying. It makes sense. All of it. Which only makes it harder to decide.
My doubt must be showing because he nods slowly. “You know this behaviour couldn’t go unchecked. Not indefinitely. Now the worst have been separated, this Unit will be destroyed. If you want to give them a chance, come with me now.”
I waver, no longer moving away from him. Sweat continues to pour off me, Mallory’s weight making my muscles shake with fatigue. The gun is starting to waver in my hand as my arm tires.
Derek slowly raises his hands. “I came unarmed. I know how much she means to you, can you really let her die?”
All my muscles clench as he takes another step towards me. I can see the faint bruising along his jaw, that can only have come from me. “I don’t trust your word.”
To prove my point, I send a pointed look at Drew, who’s still conked out on the floor. I grit my teeth as the arm holding Mallory starts to cramp.
Derek looks me dead in the eye and for the briefest of moments, I see something behind the cold exterior. Panic.
He needs me. His status is in jeopardy. He’s risking himself because he’s desperate. I can use that. I just need a minute to think.
“I want proof you are telling the truth about Mallory. And I want to see Jed and Jackie.”
Derek works his jaw, but nods. “Take her to the medical lab. I assume I can access the mainframe from there?”
His tone is so condescending that I glare even harder at him. “We had tech until your men took it. I have no idea what’s left behind.”
Derek sniffs as though that’s of little consequence to him, but he waves his hand as though giving me permission to leave. “I’ll follow you.”
I have enough in me to laugh at him. Does he really think I’m that stupid? “No. You walk ahead of me. I’ll tell you where to go.”
He shrugs his shoulders slightly but does as I ask. Giving me a wide berth as he steps over Drew’s body.
I’m a little disappointed Drew’s hand doesn’t shoot and grab his leg as he walks past.
But Drew’s eyes are still glazed, his head lolling to one side as he lies, barely blinking.
I don’t like leaving him. But if I go to the med lab, maybe he’ll have enough time to wake up?
I look at Solar and issue the command to stay. It’s not much, but if Drew manages to wake up, and finds Solar there, I can only hope he’ll go looking for Jed.
I’m trying to think of how long a stunner lasts on a normal person when I hear a voice, I never thought I’d openly welcome.
“What the hell happened to Drew?” Mike slurs. “What happened to the bloody lights? And why is that cockroach inside?”
Derek spins on his heel, a wild look on his face. When his eyes shift to Mike’s bare wrist, the final piece falls into place.
It’s in that moment, I realise Jed is probably on his own, and that Jackie will have been incapacitated along with the leaders wearing their time slides.
I hate to think what happened to poor Geoff if his heart was already giving him trouble. But I have no time to dwell, not when Jed is someone, probably terrified and alone.
“Mike, I need you to go find Jed and bring him to the med lab.”
He stares at me blankly, shooting glances between me and Derek. I feel a little better when he spits on the ground nearly hitting Derek’s carefully polished boots. “Why is this one here? And why are you going with him?”
I growl at Mike and try to infuse as much pleading into my voice as I can manage right now. “Mike. Listen to me. We are in trouble. All of us. I need you to make sure Jed is safe. Can you do that? Please? I don’t have much time.”
Mike shifts his weight on to one foot, squinting at Derek like he wants to pound on him. Solar is looking at me, and at Mike as if unsure if the command to stay still stands.
Derek, for the most part, looks irritated that Mike is holding us up, and that’s the only thing I think I can agree with on.
“Mike. I have to go. Mallory is sick. They infected her with something. Please. Go find Jed, he’ll be terrified. I don’t want him to be alone. Jackie will have been stunned, just like Drew was. You’re all that’s left.”
Mike’s eyebrows rise, then his face turns serious. And I see the man I always hoped he was. If he was a little drunk, the knowledge he’s the last man standing seems to snap him out of it. “I’ll bring him. I think I saw them heading into the kitchens.”
He turns and takes off at a jog, leaving me with a little more hope than I had five minutes ago.
Solar cocks her head and whines softly. Asking for permission to give chase as Mike’s footsteps disappear. “Off you go,” I tell her.
She wags at me then takes off hobbling as fast as she can.
I turn back, taking shaking breaths as Derek’s face twists into an impatient scowl. “Are we ready now?”
I ignore him, and wave my hand, and push as much sarcasm as I can into my tone. “After you.”
He merely turns and starts walking again. I bark instructions to him when we need to turn. But he doesn’t speak to me again until we reach the med bay.
The door doesn’t open. Either glitching or the G have automatically sealed it. So, I stand, as Derek waves his time slide in front of it. I can’t resist the jab at him as it slides open. “You know they’ll know it was you in here now.”
Derek’s eyes almost disappear as he glares at me. “Hurry up. I do not wish to be in this place any longer than necessary.”
The lights flicker on overhead as I struggle through the doorway. I jam the gun down the back of my trousers and place Mallory down on the closest bed and when she flops into the mattress, I have to smother a groan at the relief my muscles feel.
Derek is walking around the room, arms folded behind his back as he examines everything left inside. “You trained that pathetic thing you call a dog then?” he says.
I ignore him and brush Mallory’s hair away from her sweaty forehead. “She’s not pathetic. She’s loyal and smart,” I mumble.
Derek makes an odd sound with his throat. I turn around and find him staring at me. “This is what you value out here? Loyalty? Loyalty can be bought.
I get to my feet and start to search for something to help bring Mallory’s temperature under control. I open the cupboard closest, and curse as I find bottles smashed, and packages of pain and inflammation meds crushed.
“Not everyone can be bought,” I mutter into the cupboard. When I pivot ready to check the remainder of the cupboards, Derek seems to find me greatly amusing. “There is nothing you can do for her here. Every moment we stay is a moment her brain cells—"
“Shut the hell up!” I shout at him.
He blinks. Backing away as his cheeks colour. I huff out a breath, and stalk towards him.
He flinches as I stop directly in front of him. My chest is heaving as I try to control my temper. “Where’s the proof?”
Derek swallows, his hand carrying a noticeable shake as he lifts his time slide to his mouth. “Bring a tablet to the med bay,” he says thickly.
He drops his arm as a bored-sounding female voice replies. “Fine. But I want to leave. Now.”
I shouldn’t be surprised that Gina is still here and that she has a tablet. What does surprise me is how quickly she arrives and her attire.
She’s no longer wearing the drab greys but is back to her usual attention-grabbing style.
Her cleavage is well on display in v neck sleeveless top and tight trousers. Her hair is out, and she’s slathered on the make up again.
She doesn’t smile at me, just breezes past and hands the tablet to Derek. “How much longer? I’m all packed.”
Derek looks down his nose at her. Disdain is written all over his face. “I told you before. You cannot dress this way.”
Gina snorts and places her hands on her hips. “You didn’t have a problem with it last week.”
Derek’s cheeks heat but he ignores her and taps away on the tablet. I’m so disgusted, I can’t even look at Gina as she finally acknowledges me. She licks her lip suggestively. “You shouldn’t have turned me down.”
I’m so stunned, I can’t even speak. It takes all my control not to throttle her. Cold fury travels the length of me. “You’re really that vindictive?” I spit at her.
Gina shrugs. “You know what Tyler says. I’m a bitch sometimes. And this is my chance to leave this crap bucket and get my life back.”
Derek frowns at her as he hands me the tablet. I gape at Gina, unsure of what to say. Is she really that stupid? “You actually think he’ll take you back to the new city?”
Gina’s lips purse and she sidles closer to where Derek is standing looking decidedly uneasy. She looks up at him. “Why wouldn’t he?”
I shake my head, this is taking too much time and I don’t need the distraction she brings.
Judging by the way Derek’s body is tensing. Neither does he. I ignore them both and look at the full medical report.
My hopelessness only grows as I read the result and the prognosis. It seems my paranoia was founded. “Why her?” I ask Derek.
It’s Gina who answers for him, which doesn’t surprise me. “Who cares?”
A flicker of anger crosses Derek’s face, and it’s obvious he’s reaching the end of his patience with her.
“This is pointless. Cristan, are you ready to leave?” Derek asks me.
I glance at Mallory, who’s now shivering in her sleep, just like when she was in the Q Unit. I’m rendered mute while Gina starts talking about where she’ll live in the new city.
I stare at Derek, then at Mallory, hoping that Mike will show up with Jed, so I don’t have to carry Mallory all over the Unit looking for him.
“I can’t go anywhere until I know Jed is safe,” I mumble.
Gina is babbling so much, that I’m certain Derek didn’t even hear me. But he raises a hand to silence Gina, a dark look on his face as he snaps at her. “You served your purpose. Go.”
Gina’s mouth flaps open before realisation twists her face into a snarl. “You aren’t taking me with you?”
Derek doesn’t even bother to respond, just crosses the room, his eyes locked on me. “I have been more than reasonable—”
Gina tears across the room and launches herself at him, screaming like a wild woman and yelling obscenities.
I stagger back, knocking into the bed Mallory’s on while Gina attempts to slap Derek. He grabs her hands and backhands her with such force that she lands on the floor. He turns on me, looking more rattled than I ever thought possible. “I don’t have time for this.”
He glances at his time slide and his panic seems to creep up a notch. “Drones are on the way Cristan. In twenty-seven minutes they will be directly overhead and I do not aim to be inside this box when they arrive.”
Gina curses quietly as she pulls herself up to standing. Her mouth is split and blood stains her teeth.
Bile rises in my throat as I struggle to find the words to convey my thoughts. He steps closer, all semblance of calm gone as his mask slips away. “You can’t save them all. You don’t have time.”
Gina starts to edge towards me, as she glares at Derek. “You prick. You said no one would get hurt.”
I don’t have time to deal with her regret, I don’t have time to find Jed and get him out.
I barely have time to get Mallory and make a mad dash for the bike. But I can’t drive the bike if she’s unconscious.
My chest starts to hurt, as my heart starts to rip in two as time speeds by too quickly. All my thoughts seem to jump on top of one another.
Jed.
Mallory.
Jackie and Drew.
Tyler.
All of us locked inside. All going to die if I don’t act fast.
But what the hell can I do to stop multiple drones?
I grab hold of Gina and shake her. “Where are the radios?”
She blinks and swipes at her bloody mouth. “The what?”
Derek shakes his head. “I was the only one smart enough to monitor such obsolete technology. You won’t reach anyone in the position to stop the drones.”
I don’t bother correcting him, just grab Gina’s arm and make sure she’s listening. “You want to do something to help or are we all going to die because of you?”
Her shoulders stiffen but she nods. “What do you want me to do?”
I can’t believe I’m desperate enough to ask for her help, but without anyone else, she’s all I’ve got. “I need you to try to wake Drew up. He’s the only one who knows where the radio is.”
Gina frowns but backs away, but not before her eyes slide to Mallory. “She’s really worth all this?”
I gape at her, anger flowing too fast for me to stop it. “Are you going to help me or not?”
For too many seconds she stares at me, her lip protruding either from the swelling or her obstinance. “Fine. I’ll wake up Drew.”
She spins around and stalks out of the room, still swaying her hips in an effect that’s lost on both me and Derek.
His lips are pressed tightly together, and lines have formed on his forehead, the slightest amount of sweat is creeping down his forehead. “She has been very difficult,” he says.
I almost laugh at the ludicrous statement. “Seriously?”
He doesn’t seem to grasp I’m being ironic. He nods. “Yes, it is very serious. She was demanding, impulsive and underhanded.”
What the….? He’s calling Gina underhanded?
I do laugh that time which seems to baffle him. But I’m done waiting, I need to pick up Mallory so I can at least try to get her to safety before I locate Jed. “You brought a vehicle? Where’d you hide it?”
Derek looks about as tense as I’d expect. “You won’t get past my men without me.”
I don’t bother replying, I just ready myself to grab Mallory again and start my long trip back outside.
I’m about to pick her up again when Derek clears his throat. “It would be quicker if we used this?”
He points to an old chair on wheels. I’m not sure if it’s even more than a prop now. Jed used to ride in it when he wasn’t walking, but I’m not sure if anyone has bothered oiling it in years.
I step away from the bed and check the chair over. I kick out the lock and push it backwards and forwards, just like I used to when Jed couldn’t sleep.
When I’m sure it’s not going to buckle, it sparks another idea. One that might see a few more Irrelevants clear before the drones get here.
I kick the lock back into place, and heft Mallory up as carefully as I can, and place her in the chair, all with Derek drilling holes in my back.
Mallory’s pallor looks worse, and when I try to check her pulse, it’s so thready, even if I hadn’t seen the medical report, I’d have known she was fighting for her life.
A new burst of energy fills me. I start to push her, Derek on my heels, working out the time it’ll take to get her outside, the time it’ll take to get to Geoff, Tyler, pick up Drew and Jackie, find Jed, and somehow get to the radio.
There’s not a hope in hell I can do it in time. But I’m not going to give up without trying.
I can’t run or I risk Mallory sliding out of the chair, but I push as quickly as I can, heartrate thundering in my chest, less from the exertion than the awareness that a giant bomb is on its way.
My breathing is coming in short spurts as we come to the place Drew lay. The spot is empty, giving me hope Gina managed to rouse him, but I don’t slow down. I can’t. Not until I find someone to relay the need to get everyone out.
The odds are stacking up against me as I wheel Mallory towards the exit. I need to stay calm, not let my anger, my emotion drive me.
It’s not about revenge anymore, it’s not about making the G pay, or about hoping I can save as many innocent victims as possible.
It’s about protecting the people who never gave up on me even when I didn’t deserve their kindness.
Or their love.
I’m so focused on holding in the blazing panic in that I don’t see Solar and Jed as they rush towards me.
I choke on my relieved sob as Jed bolts from Mike’s side. I swoop him up under one arm and try to reassure him and push at the same time. “Mike, grab the chair, we need to move. Where are the others?” I say over Jed’s sobbing.
Mike glares hard, I presume at Derek behind me, then takes over pushing, so I can wrangle a trembling Jed. “They’re trying to wake everyone up.”
Derek huffs behind us. “That’s not possible. The sedative is from the new city.”
Mike looks like he wants to punch Derek, but he also seems to take a lot of pleasure when he smirks over his shoulder. “Shows what you stuck up bastards know. For every lower, there’s an upper. And thanks to our boys who make their own entertainment and Drew confiscating it, we’re well stocked for just such an event.”
Derek looks stunned as we hurry towards the exit. “But you’re just Irrelevants. How do you have the means to…. produce such things?”
Mike just laughs at him but I see something I’m not sure I’ve ever seen on Derek’s face before.
He’s confused.
I never thought I’d ever think it, let alone say it to him of all people, but as we shuffle roll, I tell him something he’s never even considered. “Irrelevants are some of the most brilliant, most creative people in Gallathia. We aren’t criminals or rebels. We just want to live, just like you do.”
He doesn’t reply to my eloquent speech, given with a teary, snotty six-year-old hanging off my arm.
My older brother doesn’t even flinch as Irrelevants start to appear in the hallway, looking wide awake and none too pleased to find the mild sedative wasn’t mild at all.
From a number ten, who’s lived a life of privilege and wealth, I’d expect nothing less than dismissal.
But dismissal isn’t what he has in mind. “This is…interesting,” he says so quietly the squeak of the wheels and Jed’s sniffing almost covers it.
I don’t have time to ponder what he means or whether I still have time to go get Geoff out, when Drew appears, looking more pissed off than all the Irrelevants put together.
I glance over my shoulder at Derek, wondering if he has the guts to face them all. He’s staring at them, in exactly the same way he looks at something he wants to scrape off his boot.
It’s the height of arrogance to not even be intimidated. He’s so absolutely and completely sure he has the upper hand.
Jackie is still shaky but she bursts into tears when she sees Jed, he slides down me and runs into her outstretched arms and I know then, I can’t walk away from this. Even if everyone here can.
Jed will never be able to relax if he has to worry about the G men coming any time they feel like it.
He’ll never have a family like he deserves if he’s always watching over his shoulder.
We come to a rolling stop as we reach Drew, who’s staring daggers at Derek like he knows he’s the one who fried him and wants to do something about it. He’s not about to try anything with Derek’s men waiting close by though. I know him better than that. If he’s been planning this, he’ll make his move when they least expect it, when they think we’re trapped, helpless and unable to fight back.
Jackson wanted me in the middle of this because he wanted a war.
Drew wanted to keep me out of it until I could make up my own mind.
But I have zero doubts as I stand between the man who saved my life, and the brother who is using me as leverage to advance his career.
“If I don’t go back to the city with him, Mallory will die,” I say to Drew.
I can’t look at Jed as he starts to cry again. I keep my eyes locked on the man who rescued me not once but twice now and never asked for anything in return.
He extends his hand, and I slap my palm against his as he squeezes my hand so hard I don’t even bother to hide my flinch. I draw courage that even after a dosing of volts, he’s strong and lucid. “We’ll take care of everything,” he says pointedly.
And I know he will.
But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to run as Derek produces the restraints he’ll need to take me in.
All this time, they viewed me as an Irrelevant experiment, a toy they could manipulate and provoke.
Now they think I’m a rebel and a murderer.
To do what I have to do, I’ll need to become every last one of those things.