New World Ashes (18 page)

I laughed ironically. “And now you’re sending us out on the very same death mission.”

“You’re different.”

I glared at him.

The conversation lapsed into silence as we both became lost in our own thoughts. Now, more than ever, I wanted to leave this place, let these people suffer for their sins. I wanted to get Mouse as far from here as possible and keep her safe. But a large part of me also wanted to see Fandrin and Gage punished for what they had done. And I wanted to be the one to dole out that retribution.

Ryker’s bright eyes shifted around the room as if they were looking for something they couldn’t find. After a moment they settled on me.

“I will make you an offer.” His tone was measured, careful. “There is something I want you to see. Something I think you
should
see. If you agree to come with me and still feel no desire to join our cause, I will see that you are escorted safely from The Sanctuary with all the supplies you will ever need. No one will judge you for your choice. And—if we prevail—at the end of this war you will be free to live as you choose. No one will stand in your way—not from our side at least.”

“
But
…?” I waited for the catch.

“No but.” Ryker shook his head slowly. “If you choose to leave there will be no retaliation. If you choose to help us, we will be forever indebted to you. Regardless, you have a choice. This war
is
going to happen, but I will not recruit those who are unwilling to fight.”

I didn’t need to think about it. “When do we go?”

Ryker smiled dryly. Dragging himself off the floor, he limped his first few steps toward the door. “Be ready an hour before dinner.
Just
you. There are some civilian uniforms in your room, make sure to wear one. I will meet you in the living room.”

Ryker glanced around the bunker once more. “You and your
boyfriend
had better get this cleaned up. There is training in here tonight and I cannot have my recruits’ only practice space destroyed.” And with that he left.

IT TOOK TRIVEN
,
Mouse and I nearly an hour to clean up the training room. Mouse’s eyes had grown wider as they came into the bunker, her mouth popping open in a small “O”. It took all of my restraint not to gather her in my arms and never let go. While she carefully waded through the debris of weapons and broken stands, Triven took in my disheveled appearance. A small smile played on his lips.

“What?” I asked.

“You look better than he did and judging by Ryker’s curtness, I don’t need to ask who won.” Triven’s eyes burned with pride. Ever so carefully he pushed the hair back from my face and ran his thumb along my bruised jaw. I didn’t pull away.

“We can take care of that.” He offered.

I shook my head and bent to pick up a handful of knives. “I’d rather let them heal naturally. It’s a good reminder of who I am and what I have always fought for.”

I snuck a glance at Mouse.

Triven nodded. His understanding never ceased to amaze me. I knew he hated seeing the bruises on my face, that he hated leaving me to fend for myself against Ryker. But he understood it was something I needed. I wasn’t the kind of girl you rescued. I preferred to rescue myself.

When I told them about Ryker’s offer, only Mouse’s face fell at the mention of leaving. And even though her disappointment was apparent, she took my hand in hers and squeezed to say that she trusted me.  At least whatever we faced it would be together this time. I wouldn’t have to leave them again.

As we cleaned, Triven’s eyes were ever watchful of me and mine of him. We could both feel the shift, the change happening inside of me. I wasn’t the same girl Triven’s people had taken in from the streets, but I was no longer dead inside either. As our eyes met again, my chest swelled with pride. Something akin to the old Phoenix was rising again. Now, I just needed to figure out what version of her I wanted to be this time.

I STOOD RIGIDLY
in the living room sixty-two minutes before dinner was customarily served. The white linen uniform felt starchy. It chafed the scrapes on my arms, making me shift awkwardly to keep the fabric off my skin. Triven glanced up at me periodically from the book he was reading to Mouse. While his posture seemed casual, there was a slight tension in his jaw. Even though he didn’t say it, I knew Triven wasn’t totally comfortable with me leaving the house with Ryker. Asking him to fight me in a controlled environment was one thing. But based on Ryker’s choice of attire for me, we were leaving the safety of the house. I would be alone with him—in public.

I focused on keeping my breathing even and not nervously fidgeting. Even though I now understood that both Mouse and I owed our lives to Ryker, I still couldn’t shake the feeling of distrust. My once perfected mask of emotionless bravado was sliding back into place. To Triven and Mouse I looked calm and confident, but inside my mind raced with all of the ways Ryker could betray me. The thought of how he expected to make the face of the Ministry’s most wanted fugitive go unseen was making my stomach flip. What could he want me to see so badly that risked exposing us all?

At one minute to the hour Ryker appeared not from his room as I expected but from the stairs to our hidden quarters. Unlike me, he had used some of the healing serum. His face was once again flawless. I stuck my chin out further, as if to show I was still stronger than him. Ryker was dressed to match me, all hints of a soldier hidden beneath his white linen shroud. He looked me over and nodded slightly to himself as if I passed inspection.

“Well, are we going to do this or not?” My tone was a little more terse than necessary. Mouse raised her head. I tried to ignore the pressure of her eyes on me.

Ryker stepped aside and motioned toward the opening through which he had just come. “Ready when you are,
Princess.
”

His eyes were sparkling with mirth. I bit back the retort bubbling its way out of my throat. Just when I thought I might be able to tolerate him, he acted like a total ass. I was, however, beginning to read him better. He wanted a reaction from me and I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. I took a steady step forward, but a warm hand caught me. 

Triven’s hand slid around my waist in what seemed like an uncharacteristically affectionate manner. I stiffened for a moment beneath his touch, but thawed as his intentions became clear. His hands lingered on my hips as he pulled me closer to him. He let his lips brush my ear, tracing my bruised jaw as he pulled away. His words were barely a breath, but I heard them. “Just in case.”

As his hands left my hips there was a significantly heavy mass pulling down my left pocket. I shifted my weight discreetly and felt the familiar, cool metal against my leg. I knew the bullets in this gun would not be for training. No, they were live ammo.

As Triven stepped back, I lowered myself just as Mouse threw her arms around my neck. She kissed my cheek and signed.
Be careful.

With a determined look she then hugged Ryker before signing to him too. She ended by pointing at me. Triven’s voice carried an additional warning as he translated Mouse’s words. “Bring her back,
safely
.”

Ryker bent and kissed Mouse on the head. “I will keep a close eye on her.”

Neither Triven nor myself missed that there were no promises made of a return. Triven’s hand fluttered at his side, indicating his pocket. With one brief glance, I understood his message.

Shoot first.

I WASN’T SURE
what I had expected, but it certainly wasn’t going back down into the tunnels. Still, I followed Ryker through the maze of hidden panels and narrow passageways. Our soft-soled shoes made no sound on the poured floors. My eyes flickered to every tiny camera we passed, the glowing red lights made my nerves tingle even though I knew their eyes were blind. The lights meant the guards’ system would still show the cameras as functioning, despite the fact they saw a false image. Where we stood now they would only see an empty tunnel-way. We had passed a multitude of doors that looked just the same as the one we had exited from Ryker’s home. I had counted twenty-nine.

The farther we traveled away from Ryker’s home, the more anxious I began to feel. A hushed thought whispered in my ear. Taking me out alone was never about secluding me from the others. It was about controlling me. About making me listen. With Mouse and Triven locked away in Ryker’s home, I couldn’t run. Not without them. I couldn’t forsake my promise to hear Ryker out, now I had to listen. I mentally kicked myself for not seeing it before. It was too easy to forget that this stranger knew me so well.

“If you decide to use that on me, you better make sure you don’t miss.” He tilted his head in the direction of my left pocket. Triven had been beyond discrete, but apparently like mine, Ryker’s watchful eyes missed nothing. 

“Give me a reason to use it and I won’t miss.” I said. Why deny it.

Ryker glanced at his watch. “Hurry, we only have three more minutes before the cameras go live for rounds.”

“Where exactly are we going?” I questioned, hastening my steps to match his long strides.

“We are going into the city, but we have to make a stop first.” Ryker took a sharp turn and halted before a door just like any other we had passed. Ryker glanced at the door before us with an air of impatience. He was rolling two small black devices in his palm, pausing to check the watch adorning his wrist. I opened my mouth to speak, but quickly shut it. As if he had deemed it so, the door swung inward, revealing the raven-haired man who resembled Doc Porters.

“You’re cutting it a little close,” the man said, stepping aside to let us in. He quickly closed the door behind us.

“We had one minute, thirty-five seconds to spare.” Ryker shrugged, obviously not sharing in his friend’s concern. “Phoenix, this is Thaddeus.”

I nodded curtly at the man standing before me. We had met before, but were never formally introduced. He was at the meeting I had attended, and I vaguely remembered seeing his face through a haze at dinner the first night I arrived. It was hard to take my eyes from him. His similarities to my acquaintance—friend, I guess was an equally true term—were uncanny. His brow crinkled the same way Porters’ had when pondering something. He had the same thin jaw line and angular nose. Even his voice sounded similar. He was taller though, about even with Ryker’s stature.

As if reading my mind he spoke. “It’s a pleasure to formally meet you. I believe you know my brother from outside of The Wall. You cannot know how overjoyed I was to hear of his survival.”

Thaddeus’s smile was warm and genuine.

“Doc Porters is a
good
man.” I said, watching him carefully for a response. He seemed to understand my meaning.

“I am not a healer like my brother, but I too seek to help others in the best way I can.” Thaddeus stood a little taller as if trying to emphasize his point.

I nodded at him. While I felt no true connection with this man, there was something comforting about his presence. Another rare trait he shared with his brother.

“Petra is upstairs waiting for us, it will take about a minute to calibrate the shields.” Thaddeus held out his hand and Ryker placed the small black devices into his open palm. He immediately began tinkering with the devices as he led the way upstairs.

“Thad here is The Sanctuary’s leading expert in holographic projections.” Ryker said as we followed Thaddeus up a narrow staircase.

“Like your rooftop.” I noted, thinking about the barrier that had kept me well hidden frequently over the last week.

“Yes, that is one of my earlier works. Not half bad.” Thaddeus muttered over his shoulder. His focus was still on the devices in his hand. We emerged into a house that looked identical to Ryker’s. It was eerie how much they were alike. Thaddeus paused to gesture at the world around him in general. “Too bad I’m not as good with force fields.”

Ryker clapped him on the shoulder. “You can’t be the best at everything, Thad.”

Thaddeus grumbled something unintelligible that made Ryker smile. It sounded like “especially not combat.”

“Don’t mind my husband, Ryker. He is still a little sore that I bested him in training the other night.” A woman I had not seen before walked in from the kitchen. It was hard to notice anything else at first other than her radiant smile. Her entire face seemed to glow with it. Even in her plain clothing she seemed to emit exquisiteness. I felt stunned by her beauty and sincerity. Her skin was a warm, rich sienna tone that made her green eyes pop with intensity. Her nose was delicately defined, matching her heart-shaped face and full lips. Like most of the women here, her long black hair was pulled up into a neat plaited bun at the crown of her head. She was nearly my height.

Thaddeus lit up at her appearance. Promptly, he wrapped his free arm around her waist to pull her in for a kiss. She giggled in response.

“A love marriage, I assume.” I said rather boldly.

The woman pulled away from Thaddeus, but her smile remained. “On the contrary, we were married out of genetic prosperity.” She turned back to her husband. “Maybe I only love you for your brain.”

He grinned back at her, “And my good hair line.”

“That too.” She laughed as she disengaged herself from his arms and strode up to me. “You must be the girl I am lending my face to. I’m Petra. It is nice to finally meet the young lady everyone is talking about.”

She extended her hand.

I soured a little at the mention of everyone talking about me, but took her hand. Startling me, she yanked me into a hug. I froze as her arms wrapped around me in an embrace. She only laughed in my ear and patted my shoulder as she let go.

“What exactly do you mean ‘lending my face to’?” I stepped back from Petra, giving myself a little more space. I turned to Ryker, as Thaddeus motioned for Petra to take something from him. They placed the black devices over their left ears and suddenly it was as if their heads had disappeared. A finely translucent shield had appeared over their faces, blurring them from view. The screen was pulsing with a rhythmic energy.

I watched in fascination as Ryker spoke. “The Minister has increased security tenfold since your escape. More cameras have been installed and patrols have been expanded. Before, we might have been able to conceal you with just a uniform, but that’s not a possibility any longer. Faces are being watched—scanned—so to ensure your absolute concealment, it is better that we use faces that are already on record.”

The screen concealing Thaddeus and Petra’s faces had receded back into the earpiece. Thad handed his to Ryker and Petra stepped forward, offering hers to me. I took it, careful not to touch her skin. I looked at the small plastic clip with suspicion.

“These devices can scan and replicate a person’s face. Once activated, no one will see anything other than Petra’s face.” Thaddeus pulled his wife close to him, kissing the top of her neck. “As long as no one touches your head, the second you walk out that door, you will be assuming my wife’s identity.”

There was a slight edge to his tone, a tiny impulse of fear.

I glanced between the two of them, understanding. If I messed up, if I behaved strangely in any way, or shot someone, it would be
their
lives The Minister came for. Not mine. Even if we were discovered as our true selves,
they
would have questions to answer too. One misstep on our part and these two people would pay the consequences.

As if to emphasize this, Ryker placed his device over his left ear and activated it. His face wavered for a moment like a flickering light, then vanished. I blinked. Two identical Thaddeuses stared back at me. Every detail, every line of his face was perfection. As Ryker’s head twisted and tilted so did the holographic version of Thaddeus’s. If his mouth opened, so did the hologram’s. With the matching uniforms and similar statures, the only difference between the two men was maybe an inch in height. They were twins.

“Why would you volunteer for this?” I asked, questioning their sanity.

Petra placed her hand over mine, enclosing the device between our palms.

“Because there are things you need to see. To
understand
here. And we trust you to keep our lives safe while they are in your hands.” Her bright eyes bore into mine.

Triven’s gun felt heavier in my pocket. Pulling my hand away, I clipped the earpiece over my ear and pressed the small button at the back. My vision blinked out for a moment. When it came back it was like looking through a slightly shaded window. But other than that, everything looked as it had moments ago. I had been expecting to feel like I was looking out through a mask, but this was nothing like that. If I hadn’t caught the reflection of myself in the small mirror by the door, I would have thought nothing changed. But there were now two perfect sets of the pair whose house we had just entered.

Despite his new face, Ryker’s voice was still his when he spoke. “How long do we have?”

The real Thaddeus responded. “The devices can hold a charge for only an hour and a half. You will need to be back here before then. After that your faces may get patchy. I am still working on their longevity. Petra and I will be in the training room to keep out of sight. You can find us when you’re back.”

Ryker set his watch. I stared at Petra and Thaddeus again. How strange it must be for them to watch us leave with their faces.

Petra tossed me a set of white gloves. I pulled them on to cover my skin. Mutely I nodded to them both, unable to find words, and followed Ryker out the door. I could not decide if they were kind people or if they just had a death wish.

Ryker pulled up his hood. I followed suit, careful not to bump my head and interrupt the hologram. We were barely down the steps when he spoke.

“You know the culture. Nod. Smile when smiled at and keep your head up. No one is going to recognize you.” Ryker said out of the corner of his mouth.

I glowered at him from behind my animated mask. That was easier said than done. When someone stared at me for just a little too long, I was quick to forget that they saw Petra’s face and not my own.

Ryker kept our pace steady, but managed to keep it casual. Once we were on the street with other civilians, he refrained from checking his watch but I could see his wrist twitch with the desire to do so. Wherever we were headed, it was obvious we were on a schedule. It was strange walking down the sidewalk next to Ryker now. While his voice was the same, it felt like walking next to a stranger.  Every time I glimpsed him, it was shocking to see Thaddeus’s face.

The streets were busy tonight. One mother in particular caught my eye. She was about a block ahead of us. She had two sons with her, one fifteen, and the other maybe five. They were carrying bundles of clothing and food rations. When the little one struggled under the weight of his load, the elder brother relieved his sibling of the burden, smiling fondly at the boy. The mother touched her sons’ cheeks in affection before continuing on their way. I stared at the strange family moment. My eyes lingered as they disappeared around the corner in front of us.

Many others were still out as well, arriving home from work or out enjoying the last few hours before curfew. There was also a significant amount of silver scattered among the sea of white and primary jumpsuits. Their uniforms seemed to gleam like beacons in the dimming daylight. I could feel my panic intensifying. There were fifteen silver uniforms on the streets around us. They were in small casual groupings of two to three, but it made my instincts prickle. It still felt wrong to be out in the open, in the daylight. I slipped my hand into my pocket, letting it rest on the gun. A blonde man in a blue jumpsuit turned the corner ahead of us. A memory flashed in my mind—Brant being shot dead in the street. Giving us away.

I quickly pulled my hand from my pocket and balled it in into a fist.

“How much further do we have to go?” I asked through my teeth.

Ryker steered me around the bend where the family had disappeared. He turned his head as if to speak, but I never got to hear his answer. We took three steps down the street and all of my hair stood on end.

We had walked into a sea of silver.