Liberated Read online

  “Go right,” Levi orders. He turns around to look out the back window. “We’re almost clear, suckers.” He allows himself a laugh. “Outdone by a girl who sucks at stick.”

  “Watch it,” I say.

  He directs me through the streets, and I think I’ve got a handle on driving the rusted bucket of bolts we’re riding in. The painting with the Seven Sins appears in front of me, and I feel myself breathe for the first time since the morning. We pass the house where we found Owen, conjuring up images of Owen’s parents. Cole keeps him close enough that he can’t see it.

  “Go deeper,” Cole says from over my shoulder. I check the gas gauge, and it’s well into the red.

  “It’s on empty.” I point to the dashboard and whack the steering wheel with my palms.

  “We’re alright,” he says. Silence ensues, sending prickles up my spine. “Get as close as possible.”

  I guide the car as far as it will allow. It stalls in the middle of the street before I can pull off. All of us pile out, wary of our surroundings and a little beat up.

  “Hot damn, that was quite the shitshow,” Bruno says, holding his hand in a bloody wrap. “Gra …” He cuts himself off and growls.

  “Guarantee she was screaming holy crackers, over and over again,” I say. I put a hand on his shoulder, but he flinches at my touch.

  He grunts a few times before straightening his shoulders. “Assholes blew off my middle finger.”

  “No more giving the bird with that hand,” Cole says. “That blows.”

  “My friend, your sympathy is overwhelming. Thank you.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  “Here,” I say to Bruno. “I should take a look.” I grab my knife from my pants and cut off a piece of my shoelace. Bruno holds out his hand as I tie a tight knot around the small stump of his finger.

  “He’s not hemorrhaging,” Levi grumbles. “He has nine left, we keep moving.”

  “Don’t be a jerk,” I say, turning to look around.

  The Rainbow District seems dead. It was quiet last time, too, but I know better than that. I was ignorant coming in the first time, not fully able to imagine the capacity of sick people, even after being in the Hole for so long. But there’s a queasiness that settles in me with our arrival. Like we’re being watched.

  Unlike the rest of the Hole, and even the shantytown, there is space between buildings here. Sparse grass grows up between pieces of cracked cement. Broken-down fencing lies bent and rusted between buildings, along with trash: broken bottles, cans, ripped clothing, spent shells from guns. Paintings mark the sides of most of the buildings we pass, some decorative and some bold, black letters. Names, dates, profiles, and crimes. Others have faces or murals. There is no organization to the streets, no grid to follow. But a stretch of packed dirt winding between buildings leads me to believe there used to be a series of paths for others to follow.

  After we pass four buildings, the stench hits me, and I see a pile of corpses stacked between two buildings. Some are completely decomposed, others still covered in flesh. Cole makes Owen turn his head away. Even Zeus takes one whiff and lets out a sneeze.

  The virus has reached the Rainbow District.

  Levi leads us along one of the pathways and into a concrete building. It’s better lit inside than others we saw from the street, and we easily clear it. After settling down and divvying out guard duty, Cole and I examine Bruno’s missing finger. It was removed to just below the knuckle. I keep the shoelace on for now.

  “Levi, cover us,” I say. “Cole, do we have cauterizing sticks?”

  “Checking.” He rummages through the medical supplies we managed to collect here and there, most stolen off dead guards. At least they won’t notice we took them.

  “Boom.” Cole holds up a packet of about ten sticks. He places them in my hand, and I tear the paper off with my teeth.

  “Okay, Bruno, brace yourself,” I say.

  “Want to hold my hand?” Cole asks him. Bruno glares at Cole and then smirks at him.

  “Can I bite it?”.

  “I don’t do kinky, Bruno.”

  “Guys,” I say. “Bruno bite your own hand.”

  Bruno does what I say; I take the first stick, which looks like a match on steroids, and press the tip into his open flesh.

  “GRRRRR!” Bruno bares his teeth while biting harder.

  Zeus stands right in front of him and licks his face. I focus, holding the stick in place until the area is burnt. Then I repeat the process with four other sticks, until the entire area is cauterized and black.

  “I think it worked,” I say with relief.

  Bruno leaps to his feet and vomits right behind me.

  All of a sudden, Zeus starts barking at the back entrance, and Levi shouts. I grab for my gun, but before I can move, Levi stands in front of me, eyes wide, and a knife held to his neck.

  Behind him, she peeks out, her glare ferocious.

  My body stiffens, thoughts bursting through my head as she locks eyes with me. Her face, although bruised and scabbed over from our previous engagement, is strikingly gorgeous. Her eyes are a dark, radiating blue that slice through me like glass. Her red brand stands out with her long, blond hair pulled into a ponytail. White lines run up her arms, and she has one pink scar down the right side of her face, which tells me she was sliced not too long ago. I’m surprised I didn’t notice them before, but she was trying to kick my ass, so I’ll give myself a break. The girl tightens her grip on the knife, her chin tilted upward in defiance.

  “So we meet again,” she says, not smiling. Levi squirms, but she reins him in with a prick of the steel tip. Her arm’s wrapped around him, holding him hostage. He never had time to defend himself, never heard her coming. Now, he stares at us with frightened eyes, his mouth open in shock. Her friends slowly file into the room behind her, unfazed by Zeus’s growling.

  Regret plunges through me for leaving her alive. I should know by now that kindness in the Hole rarely pays off. She has no incentive to keep us alive or protect us.

  “Were you tracking us?” Bruno asks.

  “Maybe,” she says.

  “Explain,” Bruno’s eyes never leave her.

  “Hm….” She muses, toying with us.

  “Spit it out,” Cole says, pushing Owen behind him.

  Her gaze glosses over Owen, who cowers, and plunges back to me.

  “If I sense you’re working with Wilson,” Cole continues, “I’ll put a bullet through your heart … no, make that three.”

  She laughs, flicking her gaze to him briefly. “You’ve got nerve.”

  “We’re not interested in your games.”

  “It’s not a game.”

  “Then what. Do you. Want?”

  “To join your crusade.”

  Cole chuckles. “You’re insane?”

  “No.”

  “On drugs?” my mother asks, and I spin around. Of course she wants some too. I narrow my eyes at her, but she bends over and holds her mid-section, ignoring my glare.

  “Again, no. All I want … is to kill as many guards as I possibly can.” The girl keeps her knife poised at Levi’s throat, confidence oozing off her.

  “That’s it?” I face her, squinting as I evaluate her lean, muscular appearance. But she’s not kidding, judging by the solid, emotionless expression on her face.

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t get it,” I say. “You can do that on your own.”

  “Ah, but you see, killing them to protect people … means more. The scum bags deserve to suffer like us.”

  “Why?” I ask. I take a quick step sideways to try to catch her off balance, but she wheels Levi and herself around to face me. Sweat slides down Levi’s face, his lips turned downward as he gasps for breath.

  “It’s personal.”

  This girl gives me a bad vibe, making the hair on the back of my neck to stand. For one, she’s holding Levi hostage, and two, she doesn’t seem like the type to take orders—only give them. Bringing h
er into our group is beyond risky, but then again, everything in the Hole is.

  “Hand him over, or there’s nothing to discuss,” Bruno says as he steps up next to me, surely an intimidating presence even without a middle finger.

  “Agree,” she says. “And he’s yours.”

  “Take your plan and shove it up your ass,” I say, certain she hears the challenge in my voice. “Or is this about me?” A flicker of rage crosses her face.

  “Tempting, but no. Here, take your guy. He’ll slow me down.” She shoves Levi toward me, knocking us both backward onto the hard cement floor. Zeus dives at her. She screams. The familiar clicking of guns and a shuffle of feet are all I hear as I scramble underneath Levi’s weight. His sweat soaks my shirt and drips onto my face.

  “Zeus, release,” Cole orders.

  By the time I get to my feet, Zeus has half the girl’s pant leg in his mouth, and she’s giving him a terrified look. Zeus lets her go and returns to Cole. Everyone has pulled their guns, as I suspected, and knives glint in the light. Levi lies on the floor, dazed at the sudden change of events. His hands go to his neck as if to make sure it’s still there and not bleeding out. Behind him, Owen clenches his fists, eyes wide in horror, a strange noise like humming coming from his mouth. I can’t handle seeing him distressed.

  “Stop!” I shout at the group before turning to the girl. “You can join us, but only if you let us stay here.” The girl squints at me and then at Zeus. “He won’t hurt you until Cole gives him the order,” I add.

  The girl turns to look at her friends, still tensed for a fight. One of them cocks his head, and she presses her lips together while pushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. “Alright,” she says. “Answer this. Why come back? This isn’t a safe zone.”

  “Our location was compromised,” Levi says simply. He wipes off his pants and stands. “I’m assuming you know who we are.” I hold up my hand, hoping he’ll shut up. “Lexi, it’s pretty obvious here. This young lady isn’t a moron.”

  “Never said she was,” I say through gritted teeth.

  “Call me lady again and I’ll cut off your balls.” the girl hisses. “Genesis is my name. But go on. Tell us what happened.”

  “We set up shop in the shantytown, but word got out,” Levi continues. “Coming here was our only option.”

  “Smart, the only area the guards hesitate to invade.”

  “We’re low on ammo, but we’ve got food. Others are on their way … if they make it alive, that is.” He gulps down some water and clears his throat. “We’re virus free. Maybe we could broker a deal for protection of some kind.” This time, Cole and Bruno are giving Levi the evil eye. But Levi shrugs. “We need help and—”

  “Are you brain dead?” Bruno cuts in. Genesis smirks. “This isn’t your call to make. I recall Cole making that very clear earlier. Or do you have wax plastered in your ears?”

  “What’s your deal?” Levi says, raising his hands. “It wasn’t an order.”

  Cole pushes him backward. “The decision to broker deals with the most dangerous criminals in the Hole is ours to make … together,” he snaps. “Keep it up, we’re going our separate ways.”

  “Threats aren’t necessary. All I care about is gathering ammo and allies,” Levi says, clearly aggravated. “Giving us more bodies to protect her.” He nods at me, and the vein in Cole’s forehead begins bulging as his face turns red.

  “Guys, knock it off,” I cut in. “My thought—”

  Genesis steps forward, effectively cutting me off mid-sentence. My gun almost touches her. She smiles and sidesteps it. “I do have one stipulation,” she says.

  The room goes silent except for Zeus’s occasional growls. Genesis stays far away from him.

  “We’ll protect you, work with you, fight with you,” she says. “I’m allowed to kill as many guards as possible, no questions asked. Nothing more nothing less. You need ammo; we’ll hook you up.”

  “That’s it?” Cole asks.

  “Food,” Genesis says.

  “You serious?” Cole asks.

  “Do I look like I’m joking?” She points to her face. “I’m starving. What do you think I was at the same house? Certainly not killing the kid’s parents.” She motions toward Owen. “That wasn’t me.”

  “You didn’t kill them?” I ask.

  “No, they were upstairs with those psychos when I got there. Look, there’s enough people dying already from this sickness going around. I’ve lost friends. People I care about.” Sorrow actually touches the features on her face. “I want to find the source and figure out why it’s so sporadic.”

  I open my mouth to tell her, but Bruno and Cole both shake their heads. They’re right. We can’t trust her enough to give her the answers yet. So we’ll play along.

  “If you guys help me out, then I can keep my group away from it, keep them safe. In return, we’ll help you.”

  “First, it was just food, and now we’re going on a virus crusade?” Cole asks.

  “Food and water takes priority,” Genesis says. “Virus comes second. If I have any chance of convincing my group to risk their lives for your cause, you better agree to ours.”

  “Yes,” Levi says immediately. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

  Genesis ignores him, showing respect for Cole and Bruno. At least she has one positive trait going for her. I think. She crosses her arms over her chest while waiting for our reply.

  Cole’s jaw works as he considers the offer. He glances at Bruno, who shakes his head. Tucking my gun away in my waistband, I put my arms around Owen and pick him up. I can’t imagine how making a deal with them would help our situation or give us any more information. They seem to know less about the virus than we do. At the same time, I don’t know how else we’ll survive. It’s true we’re running out of ammo, short on food, and have lost our only hope of usurping Wilson and saving Sutton. Everything fell apart when Bill and Roméo died smuggling those files out. We lost Grace. We’ve witnessed the virus decimate friends and foes alike. As much as I want to save Sutton, I’ve been focused on surviving one day at a time, and part of me wonders if that’s all we’ll ever have from here on out. If that’s it, then I don’t see how we have any other choice.

  “Think it over. Come morning, let me know your decision,” Genesis says. She orders her friends to leave our building before slinking away, blond ponytail swaying as she leaves.

  As soon as Genesis’s clan has disappeared through the back, Cole is in Levi’s face. He puts his hands on Levi’s shoulders and shakes him. “Why don’t you just tell them everything about all of us, huh? Why don’t you just compromise us a bit more?”

  “Calm down, Cole, they’ll hear you,” I say, putting a hand on his shoulder. He shakes it off.

  “You gave away Lexi. You told them about our supplies. If you hadn’t helped us before, I’d be beating your ass right now.” Cole loosens his grip, pushing Levi back against the wall.

  “Get a grip! You’re overreacting,” Levi says. “Isn’t he, Bruno?”

  Bruno crosses his arms and refuses to answer.

  “The guards killed your wife. They are the enemy. Not these people.”

  “Leave Grace out of this,” Bruno says in a menacing tone.

  “We need them, and you know it,” Levi says firmly.

  “We can barely feed ourselves,” I point out. “How are we going to manage feeding them as well? Not to mention getting them information on the virus now that Sutton’s stuck in that hellhole of a prison.”

  “We’ll figure it out. Otherwise, they’ll be feeding off our dead bodies,” Levi says with a serious face. “I saw others doing it down the street.”

  Bile rises in my throat, and I gulp it back down. “No, thanks.”

  “Enough,” Bruno says. “I’m taking first watch. I can’t listen to this bird chirp anymore.” He walks out the back, limping slightly, shoulders slumped. Worry creeps into my mind as our alliance begins to fall apart.

  Levi stares after
him and then slumps to the floor, hands folded in front of his knees. He shakes his head, saying nothing. His eyes search mine, hoping for an ally, but I avoid his gaze.

  Cole leans against the frame of a blown-out window, giving the illusion of relaxation, but his taut muscles flex beneath his shirt. The air reeks of disquiet, and jitters rock my stomach. I step toward him, and at first he ignores it, but when Owen reaches out his hands, Cole can’t ignore us any longer. Any hostility he was feeling toward Levi disappears when he sees Owen’s little hands grabbing for him. I don’t know why Owen clings to him, but maybe it’s the same reason I always have. Maybe he senses the warmth and loyalty beneath the hard exterior Cole has to keep. For whatever reason, Cole takes Owen into his arms and holds him like a father would a son. And I find myself wishing Cole was holding me instead.

  I follow Bruno outside.

  He sits on the ground with his legs straight out in front of him, his head tipped back, resting on the wall, and he’s gazing toward the sky. My first thought is to go back and let him be. Hearing Grace’s name was hard for me, and I can only imagine the agony it caused him. When I say her name—even in my head—a wave of pain paralyzes me. It’s like salt being poured on an open wound, cutting me over and over again. Shaking off the layer of cement holding me in place, my legs slowly lead me to Bruno. He doesn’t acknowledge me; he doesn’t even look my way. He snaps his head down, searching the back entrance for intruders, but I know better.

  I slide my sore, tired, beat-to-hell body next to his, my arm touching his. I reach over, and he lowers his gun. I take his right hand with my left hand, interlacing our fingers. His thick fingers practically swallow mine. My head rests on his shoulder, and he allows his cheek to rest on the top of my head.

  Nothing is said. No words are shared.

  We don’t need to speak, because right here in the moment we are thinking about our Grace. Levi’s right—she was murdered by the guards and not by Sinners. But would she want us to ally with these people? Would she be on board with helping enact revenge? A part of me feels conflicted about that, and I’m guessing Bruno does too. He lifts his head and stares into the sky, and I don’t speak as I watch his lips move. I sense he’s talking to her, and it brings a peace to my soul because I talk to my dad like that sometimes. When he finishes, he squeezes my hand and gives a faint smile. And we have each other to lean on as our hearts explode with grief.