Twisted World: A Broken World Novel (30 page)

“I’m glad,” I said, trying to keep a straight face. Either way, the good news was that she seemed even more with it today than she had the other night. “I missed you.”

Mom smiled and opened her arms, and I found myself falling against her. She wrapped me in a bony hug that was comforting despite the slight unfamiliarity of it.

“I’m going to change out all the filters on the sinks tomorrow,” Mom said against my head. “But just in case, we should boil the water.”

“I think that’s a good idea.” I buried my face against her chest as tears came to my eyes. There was a part of me that wanted to tell her everything. To let it all spill out so she could help shoulder the burden, and so she’d know that she wasn’t alone in all this.

I didn’t, though. Not yet. First I needed to talk to Parv and Al, and tell everyone to be careful. Then I’d find out what they thought about bringing Mom into the loop.

I
t was
another day too scorching to be picking up trash, and my aching body wasn’t making it any better. The scrapes and cuts covering my legs from last night’s attack weren’t bad, but the back of my head was still tender and my lip was throbbing and swollen. The eyes of every person I passed swam with questions, but they didn’t ask. They probably just assumed that I’d mouthed off to a boyfriend or something like that.

Luckily, we weren’t shoveling up trash today. We’d reached a nicer part of the city where people had kindly taken the time to bag their garbage, and unlike the shantytown from the past couple days, the buildings in this section were tall, former offices and apartments that had long ago been renovated to fit the needs of New Atlanta. They cast shadows across the road, helping shade us from the sun while we worked. Another blessing. There were no good days on garbage detail, but some were worse than others. Shantytown was as bad as it got.

The good news: Mom left the apartment at the same time that I did this morning. If she could get her old position back, it might be possible for me to quit this stinking job.

“Holy shit!” someone to my right called out.

I dropped the fifty-pound bag of trash I’d been dragging toward the truck and looked up to find a little guy who couldn’t be older than sixteen staring into an alley only ten feet away from me. My sweaty hair got plastered across my eyes, and I batted it away as best as I could, trying not to get garbage all over my face. Again. The guy’s expression was a little green.

“What’s wrong?” the crew leader called, his voice slightly muffled from his mask.

“Body.” The kid turned away, and the little bit of his face that was visible was scrunched up in disgust. “Looks pretty fresh.”

“Shit.” The crew leader dropped his bag of trash as he turned on his heel, heading over to where the boy stood. He peered down the alley, annoyance flashing in his eyes as he shook his head. “I’ll have to call it in. Everybody keep working! No reason to gawk at the poor bastard.”

He took off for the truck, which was parked a block down, ripping his gloves off in the process and swearing up a storm as he went. I took a few deep breaths before lifting the bag I had just dropped. The muscles in my arms throbbed.

All around me, people did exactly what the crew leader had said
not
to do: hurried over to get a glimpse of the body. I ignored them and headed for the truck, sweating like crazy and praying Mom could get her job back so I didn’t have to do this again tomorrow.

“We have a body out here,” the crew leader was saying into the radio as I approached the truck. “South Peachtree Street.”

Static broke through just as I tossed my bag in the back, but I didn’t wait for the response before heading back to get more.

“Did you see that guy?” a girl about ten years older than me asked as she passed me. The load slung over her shoulder was so small a toddler could have carried it. “Gross.”

“No,” I gasped.

A crowd was still gathered around the alley, and since I honestly wasn’t interested in seeing a dead person—Didn’t I see them every night at Dragon’s?—I tried to move past. But just as I was stepping around the people crowded near the body, a girl squealed and jumped back.

“Don’t poke it!”

I spun toward the group, all ready to tell them to have a little respect, but the words died on my lips when I caught a glimpse of pale, blond hair.

“No.”

I was moving before I could think better of it, pushing people out of my way so I could get a better look. Knowing before I even saw his face that it was Jimmy and he was here not only because of me, but as a warning
to
me.

Someone swore when I shoved them aside, but I didn’t care. My eyes were glued to the blond head just barely sticking out from the pile of black bags. When I stepped closer, shockingly blue eyes stared up at me from a baby face and my stomach convulsed.

“No,” I said again, this time backing away.

“You okay?”

“Did you know him?”

“Who is it?”

Questions were thrown at me, but I didn’t stay long enough to answer. I turned and ran, ripping my mask off and tossing it aside, then my gloves. My jumpsuit was unzipped before I’d made it to the end of the street. The crew leader called after me, but I didn’t stop or look back or even think about pausing. I ran, shoving the jumpsuit down as I went, almost tripping over the fabric when it bunched around my ankles. Somehow, I managed to kick it free without falling on my face. I didn’t care that I was only in a pair of skimpy shorts and tank top after that, because all I could think about was finding Ticker.

I was gasping for breath by the time I made it to shantytown, and I could barely focus enough to remember where I’d seen him. I passed shack after shack, squeezing between metal and wood siding as I called his name, barely able to breathe let alone think. My leg caught on something, but I barely felt the sharp prick of the cut when it sliced across my skin.

“Ticker!” I stopped and called his name as loud as I could, spinning in a circle.

Until now, I hadn’t realized how many shacks had sprung up. Blocks and blocks of them were lined up in front of me, shoved so close together that there was barely any room between them. It was unreal.

The hacking sound of illness was rampant. Echoing off the walls of the buildings. Even worse was the smell. We’d picked up the garbage in this area already, so I knew for sure the faint stench of decay had nothing to do with trash. Death had fallen across the city.

“The flu,” I said, almost to myself because I had a feeling there weren’t many people around to hear it. Right now they were either at work or too sick to understand me, or they’d already passed over to the other side.

Based on the way they were living, maybe it was better. Maybe we all would have been better off if the virus that had swept the country twenty years ago had destroyed the human population. We sure hadn’t done a better job the second time around.

“Meg?”

I turned at the sound of Ticker’s voice and found him standing two streets over, just visible through a break in the houses. His beady eyes were bright and alert as they scanned the area, and the second he was sure I’d seen him, he ducked down so he was out of sight. I squeezed between two houses, then down another alley, and finally Ticker was in front of me. Kneeling in the dirt.

“What are you doing?” he whispered, his gaze moved across my face, over the cuts and bruises.

“I was attacked last night,” I said as I crouched down in front of him, panting. “And Jimmy... They found his body today. I was picking up garbage and he was there. They put him there so I’d see. So I’d know he was dead!”

Ticker’s shoulder jerked. “He’s dead.”

“He’s dead.”

“Can’t find Matt. He’s still missing. Ticker’s not going to bite it, though. Ticker’s getting out.”

“Getting out? How?” Anyone who left the city had to go through the main gate, and I could pretty much guarantee that they had someone keeping an eye out for Ticker. Probably for me, too.

“Zombie slayer. Ticker has credits saved. You want out of the city, all you need are credits.”

“When are you going?” I asked as his eyes flew back and forth like crazy, bouncing past me and down the street like he was sure he would get jumped at any moment.

“Tomorrow. Ticker’s had enough of this city. Ticker’s done.”

I didn’t blame him. If my Dad weren’t trapped in the CDC, I’d be out of here too.

I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Be careful. Okay, Ticker?”

“You be careful.” He raised himself up just enough so he could get a good look around. “Watch your back. Ticker thinks you should get a gun. If you can find one.”

“Thanks. That’s a good idea.”

He nodded once, his beady eyes barely stopping on me before he took off. Seconds later, he darted down an alley and disappeared from sight.

I stayed where I was, kneeling in the middle of shantytown with the sun beating down on me. Flies buzzed overhead, occasionally landing on me, but mostly just trying to get into the surrounding houses. Every time a breeze swept down the street, it brought the stink of death with it, and it was foreboding enough to send a shiver shooting through me.

Ticker was right. I needed a gun.

T
he lifeless eyes
of the younger guard stared up at me. It was different than looking at a zombie, though. The walking dead had a strange spark in their milky eyes that made them seem alive, even if their heart was no longer beating. The guard’s, however, were blank. Empty. Like whoever used to be in there had been drained out.

On the other side of the room, the older guard wheezed. Every breath out of his mouth seemed to take more effort than the last, and with each inhale his chest rattled even more. He was losing his fight with this flu and we all knew it. Even worse, at this point, I was pretty sure he was praying for the end.

“I’ll wait until he’s gone to have the other body removed,” Dragon said, nodding to the older guard who was barely hanging on. “No reason to have the undertakers here more than they need to be.”

Even though the idea of leaving the dead guy here made me cringe, I had to agree with Dragon. This flu had swept through the city, and I was sure the people in charge of removing bodies were having trouble keeping up.

“Any signs of it slowing?” I asked as I followed Dragon into the other room.

He shook his head as he ducked behind the bar. “Not that I can see, but if this one follows the same pattern as the last few, we should be nearing the end.”

“There’s a pattern?” I asked, sliding onto a stool while the other man filled shot glasses.

We’d fallen into what could almost be called a friendship over the last couple days. Dragon had proven himself to be reliable, even if I still suspected that he was slightly unhinged, and I had proven that I could keep my mouth shut when he helped me. With my guards dying, I didn’t know when I’d be leaving, and despite all the close calls since I’d been here, it was the best place I could imagine getting stuck.

“There’s a pattern to everything if you look for it.” Dragon’s brown eyes held mine as he slid a glass across the counter. “But this especially.”

He didn’t look away until he’d thrown the shot back, and then it was only so he could refill his glass. “They aren’t timed any certain way, which is why a lot of people probably don’t notice the pattern. The last flu was five years ago, and the one before that seven. The first one was only three years after the walls were built. But see, the number of years isn’t what we should be looking at, it’s the population.”

I watched Dragon closely for any sign that he was testing me, but there wasn’t any. He believed every word, and so did I. His theory pretty much confirmed what I’d heard at the Regulator’s house.

“You think the government released this flu so they could downsize the population?”

“A lower population is easier to control. People who are grieving over lost loved ones even more so.” He leaned forward, his gaze holding mine. “I know you’ve seen it too.”

“Yeah.” I threw the shot back and took a deep breath. “Yesterday you said our time was coming. What did you mean?”

After the conversation I’d overheard the other morning, I knew Dragon was involved in something, but how deep he was in was the question I hadn’t dared ask.

Dragon’s sharp gaze sliced through me. “Those in charge aren’t looking out for us. The opposite, really. They use the people they need, then toss them aside like they’re nothing. They leave widows and orphans to live in filth, not caring that they can make the world better. And they can. We can’t let it go on.”

I shook my head, not sure what to say or what to ask. “What about Meg? Does this have something to do with her or her family?”

Dragon leaned back, not taking his eyes off me for even a second. “What do you think?”

“I think that almost everything I’ve seen or heard since getting here has something to do with her family, and it’s damn suspicious. Too suspicious to ignore.” I threw my shot back, letting it hit my stomach and ease the tension there before saying, “And I think you know more than you’re letting on.”

Dragon opened his mouth and I braced myself for the truth, but before he could say anything, the front door was thrown open. We both turned at the sound, my body already tense and my brain ready to get yet another surprise from the government. The guards standing there weren’t a shock, but the person with them was. No zombies this time. Just Jackson Star.

“Sorry to interrupt. But we just got some unfortunate news from Dayton.” The prick gave me a condescendingly sympathetic smile as he crossed the room toward me. “I thought it should come straight from me.”

Dread squeezed my insides and I braced myself for what I knew was coming. The look on Jackson’s face said it all, and after my win last night there was no doubt in my mind that this asshole wanted to destroy me. Slowly if possible, but above all else, he wanted to inflict pain on me.

“Say it,” I growled.

“Your sister was killed sometime last night. Someone broke into her apartment, and she had no one to protect her.” Jackson shook his head as his mouth morphed into a parody of a frown. “A tragedy. She was so young. Had so much ahead of her. The Judicial Officer in Dayton called me personally to let me know. If only you had been there to save her the way you saved Meg. Not that you can save Meg from
everything
.”

The flash of triumph in his eyes made me jump to my feet. My shoulders were heaving, and I was ready to explode. Red covered my vision, and I knew that at any second I was going to charge this asshole. Beat him to death and then die happy.

Dragon grabbed my arm. “Thank you for letting us know.”

I clenched my hands into fists, ready to punch him too.
Us?
How the hell was he involved in any of this? He didn’t know Patty. He hadn’t been the one to hold her when Mom died or to feed her when Kurt checked out. Dragon hadn’t seen the bruises on her face and arms and legs after that asshole had his way with her. No, that had been me. I was the one who should have been there to take care of her. To keep her safe. But I failed. Not only did I get my ass sent to DC, but I got mixed up in something that found her all the way back home in Dayton.

Jackson didn’t move for what felt like hours. Dragon’s grip on my arm tightened, and behind the Regulator’s son, the enforcers who had come with him shifted awkwardly. The asshole actually grinned when I didn’t move, and I knew he was daring me. Daring me to screw up again so those pricks behind him could shoot me in the head. They’d be justified and everyone in this room knew it.

I let out a deep breath, working to blow all the pain out of my body, and then sank back onto the stool. Dragon let me go and a second later, footsteps shuffled out the door. My head was down, so I didn’t see the expression on Jackson’s face when he left, but I could picture the one from last night perfectly. He had a backup plan and I knew it. He’d be disappointed, but that evil smile of his would be there to light up his face and tell me that he had more than one trick up his sleeve.

“I’m sorry,” Dragon said when we were alone.

“I should have been there for her.”

“There isn’t much in this life that we have control over. Not anymore.”

“I had control over this.”

“No. You didn’t.” I looked up to find Dragon shaking his head. “I read your file and I know what you were in for. That’s the only reason I agreed to this exchange program.” He flashed a toothless grin my way. “Well, that and the credits I knew it would bring in. But that’s not the point.”

“What’s the point?” The ache that had started in my gut had now moved to my chest, and I was pretty sure I was on the verge of a heart attack. All I could picture was Patty the way she’d looked after the first time she was attacked. Split lip and bruised body. Crying. That was probably how she’d looked when she’d died too.

“The point is, we need people like you if we want to start over for real.”

“We can’t start over for real.” I shook my head. “Star’s in control.”

“We can. Just not here.”

I narrowed my eyes on Dragon. “You suggesting we leave? Start an unsanctioned town?”

“No. I’m suggesting we join one. One that’s already established and growing stronger. One that wants to work toward a better future and maybe, one day, defeat Star.”

It seemed ironic coming from the guy who was running this dive, but there was a lot about Dragon I didn’t understand. The first time I’d set foot in his basement I knew that.

“Who are you?”

Dragon grinned. “I’m the black dragon, and I’m about to rain fire down on all of Atlanta.”

“You’re nuts.” I got to my feet and headed to the back so I could grieve by myself. One of my guards was dead and the other was on the verge, but I’d rather cry in front of them than in front of Dragon.

He didn’t try to stop me. Not that he could have.