Текст книги "Broken Skies"

Автор книги: Theresa Kay

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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

ELEVEN

The next three days pass in much the same way. Easy conversation during the day when I can laugh and joke and then my slowly escalating nightly freak out once the sky darkens. The shifts have become more rapid and unpredictable and the back and forth is exhausting for me. I can’t even imagine how it must make Lir feel. He doesn’t complain and he doesn’t push me though, so our friendship continues on, a careful balance of acceptance and shared experiences. There have been no repeats of…whatever almost happened between us the night he touched my hair.

The nightmares still come every night, not that I expected them to stop. But they’re shorter and, more often than not, the truly scary parts get run out of my head by other things. For some reason, there’s a lot of me in my dreams. It’s odd really. Of course, I’ve always been in my dreams, but from a first person perspective. Now I’m like an observer. And from the outside looking in I hardly recognize myself. I stand tall and my hazel eyes aren’t quite as haunted. The sunlight brings out shades of burnished copper in my hair. I smile and laugh and talk with my hands. If only I could be that version of me…

Dinner last night was less than meager. I haven’t caught any fresh meat for the past two days. I’ve been pushing the pace and we just haven’t remained in one place long enough for snares to be truly effective. We saved the last rabbit from a few nights ago for breakfast this morning and after that… I’m not sure what we’ll do for protein.

My mouth tastes horrible and it’s been two days since the last time we found a small creek to get cleaned up in. I’ve already cycled through the clothes I’ve packed and what I’m wearing is stiff with dirt and sweat. I feel gross. What I wouldn’t give for a stream, a lake, some water I can swim in and dip my head under. Exhaustion and hunger are just beginning to take their toll on both of us, forming a sea of tension that is slowly rising to a boil.

I push my sleeping bag down and crawl out. Lir’s stuff is already packed up and he’s not here. Since the morning he woke to find me studying his skin, he’s started getting up early. I’ve gotten used to his early rising and morning walks, so I don’t worry anymore. He’s also better about not getting lost now.

I leave most of my stuff where it is, taking only the satchel with me, and walk into the trees. After taking care of other needs, I wrap my legs around the trunk of a tall tree and climb up until I can see the path ahead of us. This has been my routine since the third day when we spent hours going around a ravine that we could have avoided if I’d scouted our route better. There’s nothing I can see that will require a change of course today. I pull the map out and try to work out where we are. We’re heading North now and it looks like we should soon run into the secondary road that can take us over the mountain and toward the city.

Rustling noises come from the campsite as I return. “It looks like we might hit the road today, means easier walking at least. I hope—” I stop, my feet skidding across the ground. It’s not Lir moving around the campsite. A large black bear has ripped open Lir’s pack, strewing items everywhere. It’s already been through my things. Open mouthed, I take in the destroyed backpacks, ripped clothing and shredded sleeping bags.

For a moment, I’m frozen, not able to do anything but watch the big, hairy brute rummage around with its snout. What are you supposed to do when you run into a bear? I back away slowly, pulling my knife from my boot as I go. At least I’ll be ready if it decides to come after me. Not that my small knife, sharp as it is, will have this huge effect on it, but at least it makes me feel a little more in control.

Once the bear is out of sight, I circle around the campsite, hoping to catch Lir before he stumbles upon the thing. He really wouldn’t know what to do. I take sideways half steps, crouching slightly and keeping the knife in front of me. A loud noise brings me spinning around, blade at the ready.

Lir steps out from behind a tree with his hands up, eyes wide and on the knife. “What’s going on? You know I was not going anywhere. I was—” Ripping fabric and a sound somewhere between a snort and a growl, silences him.

“Bear,” I say. “We need to go, now.” I don’t even wait for him to follow before I start hiking through the woods, quickly but quietly, away from the campsite.

“But what about our supplies?”

I look back over my shoulder. “Would you like to fight the bear for them?” His eyebrow is just itching to creep up. “It’s all ruined anyway.”

“Oh.” With a furtive glance toward the campsite, he follows.

Twenty tense minutes later, I stop and sit on a rock, my head in my hands. Our difficult situation just got worse. The only weapon I have is this one knife. No sleeping bags. No clean clothes. No food. And dammit even our canteens are gone. My heart beats against my chest and my breath comes quickly. Heat starts at my toes and flows up my body until a frustrated scream flies out of my mouth. I’m up and slamming my fist into the nearest tree before I can stop myself.

Well, that was a brilliant idea. Now I’m angry, frustrated, and in pain. I wiggle my fingers and shake my hand in the air, blinking back tears.

“Feel better?” he asks. The eyebrow is up in full force and a smirk is twisting his lips.

“No!” I can’t help the volume and he flinches. “No,” I say again, quietly. “My hand hurts.”

“Let me see.” Lir reaches out and takes hold of my throbbing fingers. He pauses when my body stiffens, but then I relax and he pulls my hand closer, examining my battered knuckles. “I think it will be okay. You did not break the skin at least.”

Did I step forward or did he? His gaze moves from my hand to my face and he smiles. An entirely different kind of heat travels from my fingers to the rest of me, rising to my face. The green of his eyes draws me closer and I lean forward. The satchel swings forward across my body and clanks against Lir’s legs.

The satchel? I’ve still got it! I jump back and grab the sides of it holding it up. “We’ve still got this. We’ve still got the map.”

Lir clears his throat and takes a step back, rubbing his hand over the back of his head. “That’s great, Jax.”

I fumble with the buckle and pull up the flap, suddenly desperate to have the map in my hands, a physical reminder that we haven’t lost everything. “At least we know where we’re going and…” My searching fingers find the small metal orb from Dane’s office, another thing we still have though I have no idea if it’s even useful. I pull it out triumphantly. “And then there’s …” My voice falters as I take in his expression.

Lir’s face goes pale and a choked noise escapes his throat. Tension vibrates the air around him as he stares at the object in my hand. When he finally brings his eyes up to me, my stomach drops. The light in his gaze is gone, his eyes cold, hard and empty. There’s no smile, no smirk, nothing even remotely friendly on his face. Instead, there’s an emotion twisting his features that I’ve never seen on him before: fury.

“What are you doing with that?” His hands are fisted at his sides, knuckles white. “Was this all some sort of trick? Let you into the city so you can destroy us like you destroyed yourselves?” His eyes bore into me and I step back.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I found it… It was—”

“You are lying!” One hand shoots out and grabs my wrist. “Why else would you have hidden it from me?”

My pulse starts to race. “I didn’t!”

He steps closer, backing me up to a tree. Too close. Friend or not friend? Anger or fear? Indecision freezes me and I’m stuck there with him leaned into me, a subtle tremble starting in my fingertips. I squeeze my eyes shut and count my breaths. One. Two. Breathe… It’s not helping, so I open my eyes, hoping he can see that I’m telling the truth.

“How many others have fallen for this? What happened to the supply ship? Where are the rest? How was it done?” I frantically shake my head, but he just keeps going, question after question. The movement wiggles my hair loose from my braid and it falls down around my face. It catches Lir’s attention and understanding breaks across his face.

He drops my wrist and takes a step back. “It was not you.” A soft shake of his head. “Blazes. I cannot believe I did not figure it out before. It was your brother. The hair… it’s why they took him.”

“What?”

“Your brother is a thief and a murderer.”

* * * * * * *

There’s a new suspicion in Lir’s eyes as he stoically recites the story. About six months ago an E’rikon supply ship vanished without a trace somewhere in the vicinity of Bridgelake. The last communication from the crew showed a red-haired human standing over a fallen alien, his face splashed with green blood. And it wasn’t the first of their ships to disappear. The details are vague and he’s holding back. He won’t tell me what the cargo was, just that they’ve been trying to retrieve it. Obviously the metal object I pulled from Dane’s desk was part of it, but there’s something bigger going on too. Something he doesn’t want me to know about. Just like that, he doesn’t trust me anymore.

It explains a lot, why the aliens were there, why they landed and even why they took Jace. But rather than being relieved at finally having some answers, I’m all the more terrified for my brother. It was one thing to think they took him mistakenly or just because, it’s completely different now that I know their real purpose– interrogation.

Lir claims they would have never taken him if they weren’t sure of his identity, but it just doesn’t sound like my brother. Could he really have done it? How would he have become a killer without me noticing? I can’t just accept it, not until I hear it from Jace. I let Lir examine the object and explain where and when I found it, but I keep the kitu I found to myself. If he can have secrets, then so can I.

The camaraderie we have developed over the past few days disappears. I don’t like him assuming the worst of my brother and Lir… he just retreats into himself. No words, no jokes, just hiking in silence with rumbling stomachs. In the beginning, I would have welcomed this quiet and near solitude, but I’ve gotten used to the easy conversation calming me. With nothing else to distract me, my worries play over and over in my head with every step.

Night comes and there’s nothing to cook over the fire, only some blackberries I scrounged up. It’s hard and cold on the ground and the descent of darkness only amps up my anxiety. I rock back and forth and close my eyes, but it doesn’t help and there’s silence on the other side of the fire. Even when I get up and start pacing, there’s no reassurance from Lir. Not a word. He just rolls over and goes to sleep.

The nightmares don’t let me sleep. Every time I close my eyes all I see is red and hands and pain.

I’m up before the sun, scavenging around the campsite and plotting our route for the day. I use the knife to scrape off some pine bark to take the edge off our hunger and we start walking.

Today’s no better than yesterday. Hungry, dirty and stiff we trek along without speaking. I refuse to believe the worst of my brother and Lir won’t talk about it. He won’t listen to my pleas for more information and he snaps at me when I ask him to explain how they know for sure it was my brother. Either way, I’m not Jace and had nothing to do with it. The alien shouldn’t be taking it out on me.

Finally, after another cold night on the rocky ground spent battling with my dreams, I can’t take it anymore. “It wasn’t me,” I say.

“What are you talking about?”

“I didn’t do it.” I stop walking and wait for Lir to catch up to me.

“I am aware of that.” He sighs and pushes ahead of me without stopping.

And that’s our conversation for the day. I fight against tears and a hurt I don’t quite understand.

Up in a tree the next morning, I see the first town we have to pass through. It’s deserted like most of them nowadays, but I’d much rather stick to the woods. The forest only gets sparser on this leg of the journey though. At least there might be food somewhere in there. Cans keep for a while and before the Collapse there were lots of other things with shelf lives longer than I’ve been alive.

Even better, there might be a camping store or something. I’m sick and tired of sleeping on the ground.

“We’re headed into what used to be civilization today,” I say. He just looks at me and nods. “Might find some food. Sleeping bags. A soft place to sleep.” Still just nodding. “If we spend some extra time there we could probably find enough supplies to last us.”

“Whatever you think is best.”

How can I possibly decide what is best? The words bubble up past my lips before I can stop them. “Is it just going to continue this way? I don’t know what you want me to say and it’s exhausting.”

“I want you to believe me.”

“I do believe you.” I throw my hands up and pace in front of him. “Someone stole your ship and—”

“Not someone,” says Lir. “Your brother. And it’s not the ship I’m angry about. A good friend of mine was on that crew.”

“I’m sorry about your friend, but you’ve got to understand I can’t just accept that my brother…”

“It was him.”

“You won’t even explain to me how you know this. You don’t explain anything to me.” My steps falter and I cross my arms over my chest.

“I don’t have to explain anything to you. I only have to get you to the city. That’s what I’m going to do.” He brings his eyes up to meet mine, the stupid, emotionless tone of his voice ringing in my ears. “And nothing more.”

Tears burn at the back of my eyes. I’m torn apart with worry for Jace. I have to leave the safety of the forest. I’m hungry. I’m dirty. I haven’t had a good night’s rest in three or four days. Not only is my hopelessness coming to a head, it has been joined by loneliness. My only ally has turned his back on me and, as much as I hate to admit it, I miss him. Well, at least the boy that was my friend. This snappy, uncaring, and downright cold boy before me is nothing like the one I got to know before. I even miss that frustrating eyebrow.

I take a deep breath and open my mouth, but it’s useless to argue. Instead of the angry words festering in my throat, I simply say, “Fine.” I keep my eyes on the ground. “I think it’s best if you wait here and I go into the town. I’ll find some supplies and we’ll just spend another night here.” I don’t wait for him to respond before storming off. Maybe I just need some time alone, when the weight of my brother’s crimes doesn’t hang between us.

TWELVE

I work my way through a subdivision and head in the general direction of the big building I saw from above. The Collapse happened quickly enough, wiped enough people out, that looting wasn’t really a huge problem. Yes, a few cars litter the street and there’s some destruction, but mostly the town is quiet. Nature is creeping her way back in with overgrown yards, roots pushing up sidewalks and branches growing through power lines. I have to change directions and back track a few times, but eventually I reach what looks like a grocery store. It’s a lot bigger than I thought, but definitely a good find. I just hope it has what I need.

It’s a strain to force the doors open. Their tracks are rusted and the grating sound they make when I am able to get them to move is loud. At least it seems like no one else has been in here recently. I slip through the opening I create, just barely squeezing through. Windowless, the store is nearly pitch black, the only light coming in through the dingy glass of the doors. I flick the lighter and cup the flame with my hand to prevent it from going out. First thing to do is find a better source of light.

Alone time hasn’t really helped as much as I’d hoped. My eyes aren’t threatening tears anymore, but the back of my throat burns from holding them back. Why do I even care what he thinks of Jace? Because I care what he thinks of me. Even more aggravating. I’m not some delicate girl that needs people’s approval to function, in fact, I’d much rather not worry about other people at all. Yet, here I am worried that my alien friend is mad at me, that he won’t forgive me for something my brother did. And just a little part of me that had butterflies when Lir gave me his undivided attention is crushed.

Whatever. Once I get Jace back, I’ll never see Lir again anyway. My stomach twists at the thought, but I press on. There are much more important things for me to worry about, like food and supplies.

It’s not just a grocery store. Clothes racks line the front and there are many other sections. As much as I’d love some clean clothes, the metal edge of the lighter is starting to burn my hand, so I make my way to the back corner.

Automotive stuff. Not very helpful either right now. I turn and walk down the back of the store. Toys. Electronics. Sports. Camping Equipment. Now that’s what I need.

The first camping aisle I go down has seen better days. Hasn’t everything though? Cookware, camp stoves and a variety of utensils. The items are out of order and scattered on the shelves. At some point, they were picked through, but carefully by someone who knew what they wanted. Strange.

Further down, I find lanterns and flashlights. Batteries will be hit or miss. It’s been too long since the Collapse to rely on them even if the packages are still sealed. But butane should work just fine. I spot a butane lantern, grab it off the shelf and scan the row of fuel canisters for one that will fit. The second canister fits and I fiddle with the settings until a bright light fills the area.

Even though I picked one of the smaller ones, the lantern is still heavy and awkward. I take it to the next row over and leave it sitting on the floor. It puts off just enough light that I can see either end of the aisle. Backpacks and sleeping bags! I grin and start shuffling through the packs. Once I’ve selected two, I do the same to the sleeping bags. This town must have really been out of the way for all this stuff to be here. I know Dane sends out people to gather supplies. Even Jace and I raided a few nearby towns when we lived on our own, but we often didn’t find anything useful. This is great!

I shove a few more fuel canisters and two candle lanterns into one pack and then take the other in search of food. Anything even remotely cooler looking, I avoid. There won’t be anything useful in there, but there are at least five aisles lined with plastic packages and cans.

I pull a can of beans off the shelf in front of me. The can isn’t dented and it hasn’t expanded. Probably safe. Thank goodness it has a pull tab, because my stomach practically twists into a knot at the thought of some real food.

My fingers dig into the can and I get one bite carefully into my mouth before I give up on manners and just start shoving it all in. I don’t stop until the can is empty. A smile on my face, I slide to the floor and laugh. Who knew beans could taste so good.

For the first time in days, I relax. I’m still filthy, but at least I’m not really hungry. There’s more than enough stuff in this store to get us the rest of the way to the city and even farther if need be. Who cares if Lir is mad at me?

I’ll get my brother and then I’ll never see the alien again. Not if I can help it. All I need is my brother. Hell, I wanted an excuse to get out of Bridgelake anyway. Now, I don’t even have to worry about telling Jace I want to leave. We never have to go back again.

But I promised Emily. But Jace won’t leave Flint behind.

But I do care what Lir thinks of Jace, because I care what he thinks about me.…. And what if it’s true? My brother has always been there, protecting me, teasing me, supporting me. What if I don’t know him at all?

Six months ago I hadn’t even been able to leave the house and it’s not like he would have said, “Oh by the way, Sis, I killed a few erks today.” As far as I know he’s never thought one way or another about the E’rikon, but even Flint was calling Lir names and it only makes sense that Jace would share his friend’s mindset. And Dane? Always sending my brother off on one important errand or another… maybe one of them was the retrieval of whatever it is that has brought the E’rikon out of their city and landed my brother in their hands.

What did you do Jace? As the truth of Lir’s accusations sink in, tears form wet tracks down my cheeks and drip off my chin. I don’t even bother to wipe them away.

He’s next to me before I can even rise to my feet. He puts his hand out and pulls me to my feet, pulls me into his arms. I bury my face in his chest, sobs shaking my shoulders and wetting his shirt.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Over and over again. They’re the only words I can find.

“Me too.” Lir holds me steady and rubs one hand over my back. “Me too.”

We both tense at the sound of a gun cocking. I pull my head up and I can just see them over Lir’s shoulder. Three men, two of them with guns pointed directly at us.

Lir leans forward and whispers into my ear. “Stay calm. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He pulls away from me and turns toward the men as he steps in front of me. “We mean you no harm.”

The man in front, the one without a gun pointed at us snickers. “You wouldn’t get a chance to. Stu there is a crack shot.” He jerks his head toward the man on the right. “And Dale’s not half bad either.”

“I would appreciate it if you’d lower your guns. We’re unarmed.” Lir holds his hands in front of him to demonstrate.

“I’m sure you would boy. Why don’t you bring that girl out front here?”

Lir’s throat bobs as he swallows. He keeps his hand out, but motions me forward with one of them. “Come on around, Jax.”

My hands shake, but I do as he asks, stepping forward with short slow steps until I’m beside him. I take deep breaths through my mouth and fight the urge to wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans, the beat of my heart like a drum in my ears.

“Pretty little thing isn’t she,” says Stu. He steps closer to me and I get a whiff of unwashed male and smoke. My throat closes. “You got any weapons, girl?”

“No.” I’m lying. My knife is in my boot, but I’m not telling him that.

“I told you we are unarmed.” Lir’s voice loosens my limbs slightly, his presence the only thing keeping me from losing it completely.

“You been stealing from us. How you gonna pay for all that?” asks the apparent leader of the bunch.

“I wasn’t aware this store belonged to anyone.” Lir pulls me closer until I’m pressed up against his side. He steps back. “We’ll just leave you to it and be going.”

“Nah.” He shakes his head. “I think that breeder camp north of here would pay pretty good for a pretty young thing like that. We’ll be keeping her. So you’ve got a decision to make, would you like to live or die today, Boy?”

Breeder camp? I can’t keep my eyes open anymore. Words and images bounce around my head. In. Out. I can’t breathe. The trembling starts at my toes and travels up my body until I have to clench my teeth to keep them from chattering.

Lir’s hand gently squeezes my arm. “She’s leaving with me.” He takes another step backwards, pulling me along with him. Another slow step back and I can open my eyes again.

The men still haven’t moved forward, but their guns are still pointed at us. Mostly at Lir actually. I’d left the lantern at the end of the aisle and each step takes us closer to its light. It can’t be this easy, of course not.

We’re so close the lantern is heating my back when there’s a sharp inhale from one of the men.

“Once the guns are off you, I want you to run,” says Lir. Off me? Where’s he going?

“Good Lord. It’s one of them.” The leader’s shout echoes through the store. The lantern just illuminated Lir.

Both men turn their guns to face Lir and he pushes me away from his side. “Go, Jax!”

Go? I can’t leave him behind and it’s not going to happen anyway. I’m frozen in place, my body too tense and on edge to take me anywhere. The leader darts forward and grabs my wrist, pulling me along with him. Once we’re halfway down the aisle, the other two men start backing away slowly, their guns still trained on Lir.

Now’s his chance, the men are distracted, he could make his escape. There’s no point in us both getting caught up in this. It won’t be so bad…I will just… just breathe in and out…block it out. Like before. I don’t have to be here. I can–

“Let go of her!” Lir’s words can only be described as a snarl. He ignores the guns pointed at him and moves forward, only to freeze when my captor caresses my cheek with a third gun he pulled from his waistband.

The cold metal glides through my tears. “One more step and her pretty little brains will be all over the floor.”

Take the step. I’d rather be dead. Eyes close.

“Take me,” says Lir. “I have to be worth more. Just leave her be. She’s been through enough.”

No. No. No. That’s not the way to do it. One of us has to get out of here.

“Oh, we’ll be taking you anyway. I was just getting the merchandise out of the way ‘cause Zach back there isn’t a very good shot.” Hot breath carries the words past my ear. Too close!

A rapid pant is the best my lungs can manage to squeeze past my constricted throat. In. Out. In. Out. In. In. No. That’s wrong.

A crackle. Lir cries out and my eyes fly open. He falls to his knees then slumps to the floor, a fourth man standing behind him with a gun.

“No!” My voice shatters the air. I pull away, fly forward, and fall to my knees beside him. He’s breathing. No blood.

My eyes latch on the man, the one that shot my friend with the jolt gun in his hands. Only a jolt gun.

Boot. Knife. Hand. I creep forward. Yelling behind me, nothing important. His hands shake. Mine do not. The first shot misses me entirely, but the second sends fire into my thigh. The fire flows up into my hands and down into my feet. I clench my fingers to keep my knife, but it’s too much. The jolt sends my fingers outward and me to the ground where I shake for a while before welcoming the darkness that overtakes me.