Lie to Me (43 page)

While lowering her forehead to his chest, her fingers clenched on his shirt, fisting the material, and he could feel her internal struggle as if it were his own. “We should join them,” she said after a moment.

Stone didn’t push for a decision, but gave her space to think.

––––––––

“H
ow many do you have here that are part of X-Ds?” Stone sipped the home-brewed beer thinking of the way Kella had been greeted by the inhabitants.

She’d introduced him and James to the masses before guiding them to Creed’s private quarters. It was easy to see how much these people loved and respected her, and while they’d gazed at him and James with distrust, they openly welcomed them because of her. He was even more smitten with her because they adored her.

Baby steps, he reminded himself as a memory of their youth assailed him. If he gave her time, she would eventually come around and elect to stay with him, hopefully even welcome him into her world.

He’d thought she trusted him as a child, but when he thought back he could admit she’d never given her confidence to anyone. At least not totally. She hadn’t even put her faith in him regardless of his rank and their friendship, but expected everyone to disappoint her. He was stepping into her world, forcing his way into her life, and he worried he was making the wrong move. Could she ever trust him now?

––––––––

S
tone went in search of Kella at Judy’s request because no one had seen her since before school that morning. He found her in the church, a small building that should’ve been condemned years ago. An odd place for the holy terror since she’d admitted that she never prayed because
if
God was real, He didn’t like dregs anyway, so they weren’t friends, and she couldn’t depend on Him. In a woebegone tone, she’d confessed she could trust no one because none cared about her, anyway. It was the way of the world.

Offended she’d placed him in the same category as all the rest, he’d argued with her, but she’d shunned his quarrel. The stubborn girl failed to see her worth, but instead of arguing further he’d focused on her other claim. He personally didn’t believe in God, his dad said He wasn’t real, and he was never wrong. But he reasoned if God didn’t love Kella, the most loveable person Stone knew, then God sure as hell wouldn’t like Stone either. She’d looked him dead in the eyes and reminded him his dad had confessed this truth to her...God loved Regents but not dregs. A Regent’s word was law, so of course he was right, and Stone gave up the fight because how could he argue that logic?

That day he’d found her in a corner of the chapel, knees drawn up to her chest and her forehead resting on her knees, sobbing so hard her shoulders shook. Curling his nose at the dust and filth, Stone slumped down beside her nonetheless. He would hazard just about anything for her, but only for her would he make this concession.

“Who hurt you?” Anger had been sharp in his mind. That anyone dared to harm such a perfect girl required punishment, if not total humiliation.

Kella had flinched and turned her head on her knees to the side to peer at him. She sniffled. “Doesn’t matter. I deserved it.”

“Tell me everything
right now
.”

“Don’t be bossy.” She’d sat up, and crossed her arms over her chest. A chest that’d become bountiful with breasts that other girls envied and boys admired. Even Stone wasn’t immune to them.

He shuffled closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer. She rested her head on his shoulder like she always did, accepting the comfort he offered. “Please tell me, sunshine.”

It was a long time before she spoke up. “Bobby said you weren’t really my friend, that you only put up with me because your momma made you.” Rage burned in his gut, but she went on, so he said nothing and let her talk. Confessions were good for the soul, right? “That I was a good-for-nothing dreg, pretty to look at, and even though I was schooled like an elitist, I didn’t need to forget my birth or my worth. That when I grew up all I’d be good for was as a...a...fuck toy.” The final two words were whispered, her breath catching in her throat.

“You believed him?” Stone couldn’t understand why she would let Bobby or any of the other pretentious brats get to her. They were mean-spirited bullies, and they sought to belittle her to make themselves feel superior because everyone could sense the integrity within Kella. A trait all of them lacked. Even he didn’t measure up when weighed against her good heartedness.

“It was brutal to hear, but he’s right, and I needed to hear it. Momma warned me last month I was getting too big for my britches and not to forget I was a dreg and none of my schoolmates were my friends.” She ran the back of her arm beneath her nose, leaving a smear on her shirtsleeve. A horrible habit of hers he’d eventually break.

“Don’t do that.” He pulled her arm down. “I’m your friend.”

Kella’s eyes widened, maybe just now realizing she’d lumped him in with all their classmates. “Of course, you are.”

She didn’t mean a word of it, and that disheartened him. Why did everything always come down to division among the classes?

“I’ll prove it tomorrow morning.”

“I don’t need proof, Stone. I know where your heart lies.” The miserable expression in her eyes said she thought his heart resided with those other rat-bastards who thought to demean her.

“Just meet me at the school steps ten minutes early.”

“Don’t do anything,” she’d pleaded. “Bobby will beat you up, or tell your dad, and then you’ll get in trouble, and I’ll feel guilty. I’m not important, you are. No one likes me, but everyone adores you.”

If no one liked Kella, then they were fools. She was the sweetest, most heartfelt person he knew. “Bobby won’t say anything to my dad. And James will beat him up.”

“Please do me this one favor, and let it pass. I was dreaming too big, Momma warned me first, but I didn’t listen. I never listen. If I’d listened, Bobby wouldn’t have had to tell me too.”

“Bobby’s a fool.” Stone had made his decision.

The next morning, he’d confronted Bobby in front of the entire school. Kella had gaped, shocked by his defense, while he’d delivered his own style of retribution to Bobby, forcing him to apologize to Kella and cater to her needs for an entire month. The bully had balked, threatened to go to Peter, but Stone had called his bluff and encouraged the boy to tattle to his dad. Their classmates had gotten into the fray calling him a “tattletale”. They didn’t know it, but their mockery helped.

Stone had hinted if Peter knew of Bobby’s cruel ways, the Regent would impose a harsher punishment. Kella did live in their home, after all, so Bobby should know Peter’s allegiances resided with her.

In the end Bobby had caved, and he’d done Kella’s bidding for a month. He carried her books to class, got lunch for her, and threw away her trash. Cleaned up any mess she might’ve made. He’d been a servant for all her wants, and even the perceived wants Stone could conjure up.

In retrospect, it wasn’t much of a punishment, but they were kids, and the public castigation had been enough to deter others from bullying her. Stone’s immediate defense of her had sent as big a message as drawing the proverbial line in the sand. She was his. Everyone would respect her or they’d answer to him. And none of them wished to get on the bad side of the Regent heir-apparent.

“I told you, I’m your friend,” he’d said to her after school that day as they hung out by the bank of the river in his backyard.

She’d hugged him, and he’d wrapped his arms around her.

“I can’t believe you did that for me,” she’d said.

“You’re mine to protect.” Had been his to protect since she was six. And he’d protect her until his dying breath.

“You’re my best friend.”

“Always and forever,” he’d agreed, giving her a squeeze, proud he’d managed to prove his loyalty to her.

––––––––

S
tone shook aside the memory and focused on the woman sitting down beside him. Kella didn’t have any more faith in him now than she had then. No, that wasn’t right. She trusted him, but she didn’t believe he could handle the realities of the world, to follow her into danger, or make the tough choices outside the plush atmosphere of his Quad. Once again, she doubted him, questioned his ability to know his place in her world. Or maybe she thought he followed her blindly into an uprising without realizing the danger he put himself in.

“Sip the beer slowly,” she said, “it’s stronger than you’re probably used to.”

She was stronger than he was used to also. Had their lives gone differently and she’d remained at his side, would she be as resilient as she was now? He couldn’t say yes with conviction. The time apart, scraping out a living in a harsh climate, and still coming out on top, had most likely been good for her.

I would’ve suffocated her strength, and she would’ve become half the woman she is now
.

And yet there remained a vulnerability about her that left him with a need to shelter her from the world, while she attempted to do the same for him. So long as she cared for him, they could make this work. He
had
to believe that. They would just have to learn to trust one another again, and wash away their doubts because he too had been guilty of doubting the logic of her choices. Sure the revolt was dangerous, but worth the gamble.

The gap she left between them on the sofa represented the gulf dividing them. Stone couldn’t abide the separation, but he elected to focus on their issues later while in private.

He studied the room, metal walls with piping. Kella explained the area used to be a missile silo, the main hub where the warhead was once housed. Tunnels branched from all directions, some part of the original structure, and others crafted after the world died to make room for an ever growing population.

Dutch joined them, imparting the news she’d ‘blown up’ the system to the second teleport machine and that her intel confirmed Jones kept armed guards inside and outside his bedroom. She was now on a mission to discover which ones could be bribed to leave their post. The likelihood of paying off enough of his guards to be effective posed a real problem. With the coordinates, they could teleport into his room, but as James had pointed out previously, sometimes the process resulted in an unfavorable side effect. Dizziness the number one complaint, and some were so disoriented to the point they were inoperable anywhere from five minutes to one hour. They couldn’t risk going in, even with numbers, if the transport unsettled everyone, leaving them exposed and weak. Good way to get their heads hacked off.

Either way, Dutch was on a mission to figure out a way to weaken their opponent. And the glee in the girl’s eyes at having an assignment gave Stone the creeps. He counted himself lucky to be on this particular mastermind’s good side.

“Twenty are housed here,” Creed said, answering Stone’s previous question about how many X-Ds were located in this facility. “There’s another fifteen to the north.” Creed sprawled in his chair with his legs stretched out, fingers laced together and palms flat on his abdomen.

Stone understood why the populace looked to the man for leadership. Creed had been born to lead, and his bossy presence came naturally, compelling others to follow him. He also obviously cared about his people, and they approached him with clear respect and without fear.

“Impressive that so few of you have accomplished this much damage.” James had his back to the wall with his hand on the hilt of the gun attached to his waist. As far as his buddy was concerned, they were in enemy territory, and James wasn’t giving up his guard anytime soon.

“I know you took the most recent X-gene.” Stone threaded his fingers with Kella’s and was pleased when she didn’t rebuff him. “What about the others being transported over the last three months?”

“Kella and I saved the ones from Quads3 and 4,” Reaper acknowledged. “We weren’t responsible for five. We’ve no idea who has her.”

“I’m guessing another set of Raiders has her.” Kella squeezed his fingers, what he took as a small sign of her affection. “Xenos are a big commodity to some of them too.”

“I finally have scouts in every Raider compound,” Creed said. “If a Xeno goes up for sale, I’ll know about it, but I wouldn’t necessarily know if they took one and planned to keep her.”

Stone nodded. He didn’t understand how their system worked, so he didn’t figure it’d hurt to ask. “Would she be put up for sale openly in a Raider compound?”

“Yeah.” Creed nodded. “Not all Raiders feel the same as us, and some are as quick to exploit a Xeno for a quick profit as a Regent.”

“None of the people here are wearing a bio-shield, except the few of us. How’s that possible?” As this was a hot zone, everyone should be suited up, so Stone was perplexed by the populace’s outward appearance of health.

“I wondered the same thing.” James pushed away from the wall to perch on the arm of Dutch’s chair. The hacker gave him a startled peek, but he just winked at her.

“We think their cells have mutated,” Kella said.

“Can’t they all be Xenos?” James asked.

“No.” Kella shook her head. “They still get sick with colds, can catch diseases and die. Do catch diseases and die. Us Xenos are immune to it all.”

“Except death.” She inclined her head in agreement, as a new question hit Stone. “Where do you house the Xeno’s you’ve saved?”

“They’re V-chipped and given new identities,” Creed answered only part of his question.

Reaper filled in the gap. “All the ones we’ve taken are here.” He sent Creed a hot glare. “Total disclosure. We agreed to it if he’s to be considered.”

“Yeah,” Creed agreed, but Stone understood trust issues.

“I like what you’ve set up here, Creed. Are you willing to return to your Quad when we unseat your dad?”

The former Regent heir-apparent shook his head. “I like leading my outlaw lifestyle. I don’t want to become a part of that beehive again.”

Stone considered his options. He needed someone on their team they could trust. “I want to knock the walls down, literally and figuratively between societal classes.”