Ordinaries: Shifters Book II (Shifters series 2) (25 page)

Chapter 47

We Break a City

–TANNER
–

I knew Ryland would cry. I knew her body would shake, her breaths would heave, and her body would convulse. I knew her feelings for Clay ran deep into her core. I knew she needed this. A remembrance, an honor he deserved.

I didn’t know the pride she would show on her face and in her posture. I didn’t know the inspiration she would bring to the Ordinaries as they cried with her. I wasn’t prepared for the loss they had all suffered and how openly they would join us. The flags fly together around and within the crowd as they move in unison, like an ocean of flowing blue fabric.

The city rumbles as lightning races across the sky above the dome. A storm has settled directly over the city. The city is cast in a green glow. Light streams through the red dust.

Alice steps next to me, watching the crowd respond. I look at the huge screen panning across the crowd and resting on our faces. I press the button that cuts off the mic on my earpiece and whisper to Alice, “Are they in position?”

She looks around. She exchanges glances with one of the Enforcers at the perimeter. She gives me a nod.

I turn my mic back on. “We are here today to join together. We come to unite all to a common goal. We,” I motion to our Shifter Young, “are those that have been hidden among the lost and the lies. We are the Shifter Young.”

The crowd erupts in cheers, drowning out my voice.

I do my best to still the shaking in my knees. I hope nobody can tell how nervous I am. Seriously, public speaking is definitely not on my list of things I
ever
planned to do.

I lower my hands, and the crowd quiets. Wow! I kind of feel like a conductor leading a massive orchestra, lit by the periodic flash from the turbulent sky. Totally surreal.

“We don’t come alone,” I tell them. I motion toward the Tyros we brought. The Keeper Young that came with us, that trained with us, who left the only home they have ever known to join us in our mission.

I continue. “We bring those that thrived on the lost colony for thousands of years, that prospered without The Council.”

The crowd gasps and murmurs.

“We have seen a better way—a way without tyranny, without the oppression The Council brings.”

The crowd cheers, and I quiet them once more. My legs tremble, and I try to steady myself. Alice looks at me and steps up, holding my hand and calming me. I smile nervously.

“It’s time we come together as one. Young Shifters and the Ordinaries of all colonies, it is time we unite for our common goal. For peace. For happiness. For equality of all people.”

I survey the crowd. “Will you join us in our hope for a better future?”

The crowd erupts.

A few seconds later, I hear an amplified, slow clap and the crowd quiets.

“Well, well,” a voice rings out through the speakers.

I look up at the screen as it focuses on a face I despise. I hear gasps from the crowd as they recoil.

Lena steps onto a stage at the opposite side of the commons and says, “That was a very touching speech, Tanner. And I see you brought your little band of rebel children with you. And your little sister and her pretty little boyfriend. How very convenient for me.”

Kai shakes his head. Ryland looks like she’s about to explode. She looks at me, and I mouth, “No.” She scowls and sets her jaw. Kai grabs her hand, and thankfully she doesn’t follow through on what I know she is thinking.

I say calmly, “Welcome, Lena. I see you have come to join us in our peaceful demonstration.”

Lena laughs, reminding me of an old-time movie villain. “Your demonstration? Do you really think we would let you walk right in here without us knowing?”

I stand tall. “Look around you, Lena. You are outnumbered.”

Lena smiles, saying, “I can see you didn’t come alone.” She motions to someone behind her. “I assure you, I, too, have brought a guest.”

Two Enforcers in sleek black uniforms emerge and throw someone to the floor. I nearly fall to my knees at who I see. She is not clean and neat. She is not standing with confidence. She is not looking to Lena as her protector and leader. Devon is scared, beaten, and crying out to me.

“Devon!” I scream. “Don’t hurt her!”

Lena looks down at her, then back to me. “Young love,” she laughs. “So touching, so forgiving. Your little beauty is not my only surprise for you and your Ordinaries this morning. Look around.” She waves her hand out to the crowd like a game show model showing us the prize we just won.

Several Enforcers bring two people with hoods covering their heads to the center of the commons. They force the two to their knees and pull off the hoods. It’s Mel and E.

Mel’s face is covered in tears as she wails, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Piper.”

“What did you
do
to her?” Piper screams.

“What did
we
do?” Lena responds. “The better question is what did your sister do? You weren’t the only one hurt when she didn’t fulfill her part in the bombing. Go on E, tell your sister why you took this little one in.”

E screams at Lena, “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“What does she mean, Evelyn?” Piper asks.

E faces the ground, her chest heaving. “I’m so sorry, Mel. I’m sorry, Piper. I was too scared. I couldn’t do it. I caused everything. Their death. Mel’s parents. Your scar. I ran away when the guards showed up. I tried to warn you, I swear, but I was too late,” she cries, looking at Mel. “When they killed your brother, I knew I had to protect you,” she sobs uncontrollably and collapses.

“You mean this little guy?” Lena says.

The guards split again and one of them drags a young boy through the crowd.

“Henley?” E shouts. She looks with wide eyes at Mel. “Your brother’s alive?”

“They made me do it, E! I’m sorry,” Mel cries. “They hurt him when I didn’t tell. They made me!”

The guards force Mel’s little brother on the ground. He shrieks out in pain as he hits the hard, red dirt.

“It was you!” Piper screams, as she runs and grabs Mel’s arms, shaking her. “Do you know how many people died because of you?
Will
die because of you?”

“Stop it, Piper!” E shouts. “They made her! They had Henley!”

“And you!” Piper screams. “You let her hear all of our plans this whole time! If they don’t, I’ll kill you myself!”

“I’m sorry,” Mel cries softly. “You made me go to the dome. I didn’t want to. You made me.”

“Why didn’t you tell me, Mel? I would have found another way. You should have told me,” E sobs.

“They said they would kill Henley if I told anyone. I had to,” Mel replies.

–RYLAND–

I look around frantically, knowing that Devon is in danger, and Tanner’s distracted, and I notice Piper is grinning from ear to ear, like the Cheshire Cat or something. She could not be more pleased at this turn of events, and I don’t quite understand why. A moment ago, it seemed as though she would kill E and Mel. Now she’s acting like it was her plan all along.

I don’t have time to think about it. I try to run, but I can’t move. I’m being held back by Kai, who is gripping both of my arms. “What are you doing?” I hiss. “We have to do something!”

Kai shakes his head. “We have to get out of here.”

“What do you mean?” I cry out, almost screaming in the chaos. “We can’t just leave all these people here.” Even though at Lena’s appearance pretty much all the Ordinaries have backed up about fifty feet, jamming into the rest of us like sardines, leaving a horrible circle of Enforcers in the center of the dome, we can’t leave them here. Fifty feet is not far enough to escape that viper’s venom. Lena could strike at any moment.

“Piper is going to destroy the dome,” Kai says, his voice flat.

“She what?” I gasp. “There are thousands of innocent people here.”

Kai shakes his head. “She’s taking back this colony in the only way she knows.” He shrugs. I realize that, at some point, Piper told him about this plan. And if he never told us, he was going to go along with it.

“Kai, we aren’t terrorists! We can’t let her do this!” I say, ripping myself from his grasp.

“I wasn’t going to let her,” he snaps. “I was trying to swap out her explosives, but I only got to half of them.”

I feel a wave of relief that Kai hasn’t decided to become some crazy terrorist. “How much of the dome will it take out?” I ask as quickly as I can, turning toward the podium.

“We just need to get them out of there,” he says, nodding toward the center.

Before I can take a single step toward Lena, her cruel laughter makes the crowd quiet. In that moment, the whole world goes silent. In that moment, I wonder if death is a similar feeling, a sudden silence in the midst of fear and pain and chaos and noise.

“Don’t even try to think about fighting,” Lena says as though she has already won. “Our numbers cannot be matched, and as you can see, we have outplayed you at every turn.”

For a moment my mind wanders to the word “we,” as Lena is not the type to share credit. But she said we have outplayed you. We.

I refocus my attention to the task at hand. I have to stop Piper, save Devon, and kill Lena. Especially that last one. I
really
want to do that.

Piper starts to make a move. I see it coming. Tanner is right under the center of the dome, as are Lena, Devon, E, and Mel.

Before I can do anything, Kai wrenches me backward. Lena seems to find this entertaining. She laughs in her loud, brash way. “Lovers’ quarrel? He won’t let you fight?”

I don’t care anymore. “Tanner!” I scream. “Stop Piper!”

Her hand is already wrapped tightly around a small, black device that looks similar to a television remote. Lena’s head turns so quickly that it’s a wonder her neck doesn’t snap. Her eyes widen.

Piper presses down, and it’s as if the world explodes.

Before anyone can react, I shift. I propel myself forward with a force that may well have shattered the pavement behind me. I rush forward, looking toward the dome, which is slowly rippling apart from its peak, shattering into thousands of pieces that will rain down on the horde of innocents gathered below.

I notice Tanner, too, has shifted. He is moving faster than I am, gathering the huddled mess of Devon into his arms. “Run!” I scream at him, hoping he will make it far enough in time.

Then I notice Kai is sprinting just behind me, racing toward Piper. I gather Mel in my arms, and Kae grabs Alice. I feel the relief within me as I see Alice dragged to safety.

Around us, the Ordinaries’ faces are turning to horror and fear. Some are turning ever so slowly, trying to run from the destruction that will rain down on them. Thanks to Kai, most of them will make it. He has saved them from the fate of Pompeii. They will not be buried here, entombed within their city forever. They will survive.

What shocks me is Lena has not joined us in our shift. She stays, frozen in shock. She seems to be stuck, the look on her face changing to one of rage rather than fear.

Then, I notice the Shifter Enforcer with his arms encircling her. He is screaming into her ear, “It’s okay. I’ve got you!” He’s trapping her there.

When I reach the safety of the tunnel with which I have grown familiar, my shift breaks, and I’m forced to watch as the dome collapses. I am forced to watch as the center, a huge looming sheet of glass, falls where E and Lena were standing a moment ago. Only dust and chaos and screaming remain.

I don’t wait for the dust to settle. I don’t wait for the screams to quiet into moans of pain or tears of mourning. I don’t wait for the others.

I launch myself toward the center of the dome, flying over the crowd whose wide eyes watch me in sheer terror. I land precariously on a large sheet of a glasslike substance, which immediately starts to list to one side. I do a desperate dance to maintain my balance before frantically searching through the debris for any signs of life.

I see a small hand, clasping and unclasping at the empty air as it reaches out from the rubble. I slide down toward it and dig with all my strength, desperately clawing at the rocks and stones of the shattered floor, trying to free whoever this hand belongs to.

Then, a young girl’s face is there in front of me, blood staining the space above her right eye, where she’s been cut. Her eyes are wide with shock. Her mouth opens and closes like a fish that’s been dragged from the safety of the water and onto the boat of a fisherman.

I drag her from the debris, and a man tears her from my arms, crying, “Maya!”

I turn back, again searching for anyone left under the pile of glass, broken earth, and stone floor. Before I can make another move, one of the Enforcers regains his composure and aims his weapon at me. I look into his blue-green eyes and know that he is a Shifter. He is one of Lena’s men. I will not escape him.

His trained eyes watch me as though I’m dangerous prey he has long awaited mounting above his mantel. “Freeze!” he shouts. “You are under arrest for treason and terrorism by order of Rian.”

Then as if it hasn’t already happened, all hell truly breaks loose. Another Enforcer jams the butt of his weapon against the back of the Shifter Enforcer’s skull, shouting, “Death to oppression!”

Enforcers who have just shaken the dust off themselves turn on one another. There are more of Lena’s men than ours, but then the Ordinaries join in. They attack with stones, glass, or bare hands. They fight as though their very lives depend on it, which, I suppose, they do. They will be labeled traitors and executed if we lose.

A storm rages over the exposed dome. Lightning ominously crackling across the green sky illuminates Lena’s beaten and bloody body. I approach her slowly, the pale green light casting a sickly glow about her.

She’s still alive when I reach her, although her nose is broken and blood pours from her left ear. She smiles at me with a mouth full of broken teeth. “You haven’t won,” she spits, blood flowing from her mouth to my feet. “You can’t defeat him.”

I shake my head. “Rian isn’t invincible,” I say, feeling pity for her. She must have been a child once, a good one. She was someone’s daughter. How did she ever become this? “No one is,” I murmur softly over the crackle of the thunder and the chaos of battle.