Chapter 42
Marcus
I throw myself at Briar, shielding her body with mine.
Her chest moves up and down against mine, her breathing fast. The rock wall protects her back. I want to turn and see if it’s safe to run, but I’m immobilized.
Thick ropes quickly wrap themselves around our waists, lifting our feet from the ground. Briar lets out a little cry of alarm as we whoosh through thick, humid air. A man screams below.
“Holy shit, the vines,” I say.
We’re both entrapped, our arms pinned at our sides. Still midair and at least forty feet above the ground, a new set of vines wraps itself around us, just tight enough to hold us securely. My adrenaline is pumping so hard I think I might pass out.
“We’re okay,” she says softly.
We’re being passed from one set of vines to another. It’s wild, our lives depending on sentient vines coordinating our rescue.
They’re fast. It only takes them about five minutes to pass us off several times and gently deposit us on the ground outside the cave. One of the vines caresses Briar’s shoulder with its ragged tip.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
“Thank you,” I echo.
This whole place is a mindfuck, but it still feels unhinged to be talking to a plant.
“What the hell?”
Amira is gaping at us, a canteen in hand. “Did you guys just get a ride here from vines?”
“Long story,” Briar says. Her expression is unreadable as she looks at me. “Let’s talk.”
“It might not be safe,” I say, looking around as I fall into step beside her. “Ingrid’s probably got guys with guns scouring this jungle for us.”
“Won’t take long.”
Fuck. She’s pissed. I knew she would be, but I still dread her telling me what a selfish piece of shit I am. The truth hurts more when it comes from someone who means everything to you.
We’re almost to the small waterfall where we fill our canteens when she spins around to face me.
“Did anyone else speak up for my mom that day?”
Shame engulfs me as I shake my head, Lucy’s resigned expression permanently etched into my mind.
“So there were twenty-six of you, and no one said anything?”
“Not everyone was there that day, but no one who was there said anything.”
She nods slightly. “Was Ellison there?”
I hate to throw Ellison under the bus, but I’m done keeping things from Briar.
“Yeah.”
“Who else?”
I think back. “Dr. P., Dr. Kennedy, Yeva. And McClain, by FaceTime.”
“So you were one of the youngest? The most inexperienced?”
“Yeah, but I was in med school. I wasn’t a kid. I knew she was right.”
Her eyes soften. “Thank you for owning it. What they did to my parents”—she swallows, tears pooling in her eyes—“it hurts and it always will. But it’s not your fault.”
I’m confused. She’s pissed, but not at me?
“My mom would say the senior scientists had more responsibility than a medical student to speak up. But even then, I get why they didn’t. They were probably scared. Look what happened to my mom.”
I look away, sighing heavily. “Look what that fear led to, though. If we had all tried to stop it—”
She puts a palm on my chest and meets my eyes. “Marcus. The two most futile words in the English language are what if. People what if their way into madness. Is there anything else—anything—about yourself you haven’t told me that I need to know?”
“No.”
“Good. I’m done hanging out here while Chance and the others are being tortured. I’m done getting shot at like prey. I’m done with Ingrid taking over our camp.”
“Okay. You know I’ll back you. But we need to be smart about it.”
She goes back in the direction of the cave entrance without another word. I follow.
When I make my way through the vines over the entrance, she’s already making her case to the others.
“If he hadn’t moved, he’d be dead. And if my vines hadn’t come, we’d both be dead.
Time is power for Ingrid. Time to get more weapons and soldiers.
Time to hunt us like animals. I can’t do it anymore.
I’m going after Ingrid. I think if I cut off the head of this snake, her soldiers will retreat. They don’t want to be here.”
Two torches Pax lashed onto rocks give off just enough light to see everyone’s expressions. None of them looks eager to pack up and run right this second.
“I thought we were doing more surveillance,” Nova says.
Briar shrugs. “Why? We know enough.”
Unexpectedly, Pax is the voice of reason. “Do we know how many men she’s got there? Where everyone’s sleeping? What the security setup is? When they change shifts?”
“No,” Briar admits. “But you guys, I can’t just sit here.”
A wrinkle forms between Amira’s brows. “We can’t help anyone if we don’t know what we’re going into, though.”
“They’re torturing our friends.” Briar’s plea is impassioned. “Ingrid said they’re close to breaking Chance.”
“Oh, hell no,” Amira says. “I’m with you.”
Nova’s wearing the stony expression I know well. She’s fucking pissed.
“Let’s game-plan and go,” she says. “I’m not sitting on my ass while they torture our people.”
“Hey.” Everyone turns to Olin, who’s standing off to the side. “Don’t put me in time-out this time. I want to help.”
“Me too,” Ellison says. “We can’t do what Briar and Marcus and Pax can do, but we’re not useless.”
Ingrid’s command to 6A5—never apologize—still rings in my ears.
“You’re not useless,” I say. “I’m sorry I made you both feel that way.”
I don’t want my friends to think I don’t believe they’re good enough to stand beside me. We all have different strengths, but what gives us an edge over Ingrid is that we’ll fight for each other. Her men are just following orders and pulling paychecks for it.
“I think we should pack up and all relocate closer to camp,” Briar says. “We can continue with surveillance for now, but if something happens and we need to go in quickly, we’ll be able to.”
“I agree,” I say.
“Yeah, me too,” Pax agrees.
We pack up our few supplies; everyone quiet. I can’t help sneaking a peek at Amira’s bag. She keeps it close all the time.
I hate leaving Briar and Pax to do all the heavy lifting. They’re both powerful, but not invincible. And my stubborn male pride makes me want to be the one beside Briar when the time comes, not standing back watching him.
“Ready?” Briar asks me.
“Yeah.”
Together, we leave the cave and head toward our camp.
We’re not doing surveillance from a tree that may have snakes that kill more creatively than a horror movie. It’s dark, so Briar and I are behind some bushes, taking our turn listening in on camp.
The sun is setting, but camp is still alive with activity. Ingrid has everyone wearing green New America uniforms—even the kids.
This is when our camp was winding down for the day. After sunset, we had bonfires and people congregated in the Hub. There was popcorn. Music. Dancing. Kids running around playing games.
There’s none of that here tonight. Everyone is training or working. We’re only getting bits and pieces of conversations, but from what we’ve heard already, it’s good we came when we did.
Ingrid plans to ship our people to Island Three in groups for training. She thinks her displays of power and control will impress Whitman.
Over my dead body will she remove even one of my people from this island. Olin’s message to Tyrone started a chain reaction, and once we deal with Ingrid and her men, it will end up being a good thing.
I wouldn’t have Gussie waiting in the grotto if not for that message. Once our camp is secured, Briar and I are taking the sub to the mainland, where I’ll ask the ILF to send more boats to evacuate anyone else who wants to leave.
“... the supply room last night. He said he was inside me, but I couldn’t feel anything. I think maybe he thought he was inside me, but it was like, my inner thighs?”
I cringe, shifting the amplifier away from that conversation. Briar smiles.
There’s guilt from spying on people, but it’s something we need to do. I don’t even want to know which man in camp doesn’t know the difference between a woman’s legs and her pussy.
“...do it, Niran. This is the only way. He’s not himself anymore, and even if he’s just pretending, he’ll never trust you, but I do. He calls you his brother but treats you like a child.”
My blood runs cold. I know that voice. I stand up, Briar trying to pull me back down behind the bushes.
I shake her off because I need to see this with my own eyes. I keep my earpiece on, quietly moving closer to camp and scanning it.
“You’ll never believe in me!” Niran’s voice swells with emotion. “You trust Briar, but how long have you known her? I’m tired of being your fucking dog.”
I’m not being careful enough, but I can’t help myself. I’m racing through the jungle, desperately trying to find them.
Briar’s behind me. She’s listening to all of this, too.
“Do it,” she urges. “We’re dead if she catches us. We have to get rid of him and take out the robo kids before she moves them. Then we get her and turn the shield back on. This is our camp. We need to lead it. Just do it, he knows it’s coming. Make it quick.”
Finally, I find them. Stella and Niran are behind a big storage shed in the garden. I hear someone coming, and when I turn, it’s not just Briar. Amira’s with her, a bow in her hand and a quiver of arrows on her back. I put a finger to my lips.
Clone 6A5’s back is against the shed’s back wall, a gag over his mouth. His hands are tied behind his back and his ankles are bound with wire.
Niran has a knife to his throat. I can make out the naked terror on the clone’s face even from far away.
“I would’ve done anything for you.” I’ve never heard such fury in Niran’s voice. “You’ll never think I’m good enough, will you?”
Briar’s fingers grasp mine, my breath still in my chest as I hold the amplifier, waiting for Niran to kill the man he thinks is me. If I wasn’t watching this with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it was real.
Niran steps back, opening his hand. The knife falls to the ground. “I can’t.”
“Pussy,” Stella mutters.
She picks up the knife and buries it in the clone’s gut, dragging the blade down several inches.
His insides spill out. Briar turns away.
I can’t look away, though. Niran’s on his knees, his face buried in his hands. Stella wipes the knife blade on the ground, then puts it back into the holster on her hip.
“Come on. We need to get to the kids before the boat leaves.”