Red Skies (The Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters) (8 page)

“We’re here,” Mari translated, then hopped out of the cab.

Max hesitated for a moment. He reached down and patted the paper he knew was in his pocket, then he climbed out after her. For a second, he wished he’d have brought his camera. But he knew whatever he found would stay burned into his heart forever—with or without the memory of a photo.

Chapter Seven

A
n Ni was wide awake and aware that the big kids were up to something. Xiao Mei was still sleeping, huddled against her back. An Ni was grateful for the girl’s warmth, though the icy cold of the concrete they lay on still penetrated through her clothes and the coat that Tianbing had grudgingly gave her, making her legs stiff, as if they contained clay instead of blood. She’d been awake for hours, wishing for the sun to come up and warm them, if even only a little.

She felt something crawling in her hair and reached up and scratched. She knew what it was—lice. They all had it, and even the cold temperatures couldn’t kill the relentless creatures. More than any other part of her life on the streets, An Ni hated the lice and the anguish and embarrassment the tiny bugs caused her.

From the doorway near theirs, she heard Li Xi mumbling to one of the other boys and the sounds of cards slapping the pavement. They’d been playing poker for hours. An Ni didn’t see how they went day after day with barely any sleep, but she knew they did it to stay warm. Sleeping was hard enough on concrete, but when you threw in plunging temperatures, it was agony.

She heard someone stand, then footsteps came closer until Li Xi was standing over them. She knew it was him—she could feel it—but An Ni kept her eyes closed, hoping he’d go away if he thought them sleeping.

A kick found its way straight into her ribs, and she gasped, her eyes flying open.

“Stop pretending, Snake,” he snarled.

An Ni sat up, holding her side. She looked up at him, trying to see his face through the shadows. “What?”

“Get up. We’re going.”

She shook her head. If they weren’t there when Tianbing returned, they’d be in a lot of trouble. Li Xi was bad enough, but a few kicks to the gut were nothing compared to the punishments their boss would heap on them for stepping out of line. “I’m not going anywhere, and neither is Xiao Mei. We aren’t getting in trouble.”

Li Xi used his foot again, this time to rouse Xiao Mei. For her, he was gentler, An Ni noticed. “Tianbing didn’t come back and I know he won’t be rolling in until the afternoon tomorrow. He’s somewhere warm and safe—and left us cold and hungry. We’re going to fix that, but this time, you have to help.”

An Ni could tell he wasn’t going to leave her alone. She and Xiao Mei sat up at the same time. The little girl used her fists to rub at her tired eyes. It reminded An Ni that she was no longer the youngest, since Xiao Mei was at least four years younger than her own eleven years. She felt sorry for the girl and had since the day Tianbing had led her into their group, wide-eyed and terrified, still crying for her mother.

“I want to go home,” she whined, and An Ni put an arm around her.

Xiao Mei was so new to street life, snatched from right under her family’s nose only weeks before, then brought to the streets of Beijing where she’d be like a needle in a haystack to find. But still, An Ni knew Xiao Mei still hoped someone would lead her home. An Ni didn’t want to tell her that soon her memories would fade and she’d remember nothing but her new, harsh life on the streets. Eventually, fear and hunger would replace everything else and consume her thoughts, crowding out any memories of her life before.

“This
is
home,” Li Xi snarled. “Get used to it. You two have three minutes to get up and be ready to go.” He stomped around to the other doorway, and An Ni heard him giving orders to the two boys there.

“But where?” An Ni asked.

Li Xi poked his head around their doorway again. “Night train. And this time you’re getting on too. You’re going to start earning your keep—more than just a few coins. Tianbing’s been too soft on you. If we have to do it, then you should too.”

An Ni stood paralyzed with fear. It wouldn’t do any good to tell him that she didn’t want to mess with any trains—that they scared her with their loud noises, smoke, and speed. He’d just laugh and make it worse. When Tianbing was gone, it was easier just to do what Li Xi told them to do. And he’d make sure they were back in their places before Tianbing returned. He always did. He was just as scared of the man as they were—maybe even more so, considering the long red scar that ran down his face was from their leader’s own hand.

They walked until they were about a mile from the station. The night was quiet, everyone else in her part of the world was asleep, and the moon shone, surrounded by at least a million stars. As they hiked, An Ni stared up until she got dizzy, but even then she didn’t want to look away. The stars had always made her happy, for they were a reminder that the world was huge and that, though her place in it for now was small, there was much more to see and explore one day. It was simple—the brilliance of a million twinkling stars gave her hope.

When she stumbled over a bump in the sidewalk, she tore her eyes away from the sky above her. Walking warmed An Ni, but she hoped that by some miracle, there’d be no trains tonight. She and Xiao Mei followed the boys, listening to their chatter as they bragged about past train adventures. An Ni was sure that Li Xi had snuck into many, but she thought the other boys were probably exaggerating.

“My legs are tired, An Ni,” Xiao Mei whined as An Ni pulled her along.

“Come on, run! I hear it coming!” Li Xi took off running, and the boys followed.

An Ni looked around and saw a grove of trees a few yards from the road. She gave Xiao Mei a push toward them. “Xiao Mei, I don’t want you near the train. Go to those trees and wait there until I come back for you.”

Xiao Mei began to cry and held onto An Ni with all her might. “No, don’t leave me, An Ni, please.”

Li Xi called out for her again, and An Ni knew if she disobeyed, she and Xiao Mei would suffer later. She’d have to be mean, but it was for Xiao Mei’s own good. “I have to go, but I promise I’ll be back for you. Now go on.” She was firmer this time, and she peeled Xiao Mei’s fingers from around her and gently pushed her. The girl stumbled and fell, falling onto the ground and looking up at An Ni as if she were suddenly the enemy.

An Ni felt a rush of guilt for being too rough as she ran to help her up.

Xiao Mei slapped her hands away. “Why are you being so mean, An Ni? I don’t want to go over there by myself, it’s too dark.” She held her palms out, and An Ni could see that they were speckled with gravel, and probably stinging.

Li Xi yelled again, and both she and Xiao Mei jumped. He had stopped to wait for them, and he was angry.

“Xiao Mei, listen to me. If you don’t go hide over there, Li Xi is going to make you jump onto a moving train. What if you fall? We have to hurry, but please—go there and wait for me. I’ll be back, and when I do, I’ll have some food for you. I promise.” An Ni hoped the mention of food would convince her, and it did.

Xiao Mei ran to the grove of trees, and An Ni took off to catch up with Li Xi. Jumping on a moving train was the last thing she wanted to do, but the alternative was to take a beating first from the boy, then probably again later from Tianbing when Li Xi told on her for being disobedient. Maybe a train was the lesser evil after all.

The closer she got, the louder the train became. Even though they were running, she could feel her legs getting weaker and trembling. She’d never even been close to a train, much less climbed one that was moving!

It finally came around the bend, chugging as it moved toward them. Li Xi was the first to it, and he pointed out what he thought was the dining car. When he got close, he leaped between two train cars and disappeared for a moment, then poked his head out and waved the boys closer. He looked proud as he balanced on the metal piece that connected the two cars.

An Ni’s side ached where Li Xi had kicked her earlier, but she kept running. She still had a ways to go to catch up to them, but as the train was moving toward her, it wouldn’t take long. As she ran, she saw the two boys jump, one by one, onto the narrow platform Li Xi stood on.

Finally she was near enough to see the expressions on their faces, and though one of the boys looked scared, the others were smiling—happy they’d made it and high from the rush of the danger. The car they clung to came closer, and Li Xi held his hand out.

“Grab my arm and I’ll pull you up!” he called to her.

Once again An Ni wondered why she had to do this with them—the boys could’ve done it and been back before morning. Why take along two girls? She gasped for breath as his brown hand came closer. She resisted her urge to jump back from the train and, instead, grabbed hold of Li Xi’s fingers and was yanked into the air. She jerked her legs up—afraid they’d be eaten by the zooming track below—as she scrambled to find her footing. The other boys laughed.

Li Xi held his hand up for them to be still. “I don’t know why you sent the little one away, but I don’t have time to deal with it. We have only another few miles before the train picks up speed. We gotta hurry. Follow me.”

Now An Ni was trembling so hard she could barely function. She looked at the scenery flying by, knowing it was taking her further from Xiao Mei, and she’d have to walk back a long way.