Chapter 26
Twenty-Six
Ru
My head pounds. Or maybe that’s the door. Fuck if I know.
My whole body is sluggish and achy. My throat is dry. My thoughts are fuzzy. My bed is both too cold and too warm at once. Sweat coats the back of my neck.
“Ru?” Zoe’s voice. From the hallway.
“Yeah?” I croak, my voice full of gravel.
“You decent? I’m coming in.”
I’m decidedly not decent. I’m buck-naked, unshowered, and the inside of my mouth tastes like an old gym sock. But I’m securely beneath the covers, so when she opens the door I have a moment to be thankful the goods weren’t on total display.
“Oh my god, you look like hell.”
“Thank you?” I feel like hell so her assessment is probably accurate. My lips are so chapped they sting. “Can you get me some water?”
“On it.” She heads to the bathroom.
I flop over and attempt to stretch my back just to notice the other side of the bed is empty. My brain snaps back into alignment. “Wait, where’s Sully? And what are you doing here? Not that it isn’t great to see you, but— Where’s Sully?”
She hands me the water.
I gulp it down like my throat is the Sahara.
“Sully is out being a reckless idiot. He said he left a note for you, so get up. Let’s go read it.”
My nerves fizzle below my skin. “Being a reckless idiot doing what?”
“I don’t know for sure, but it involves Voijin,” she says from the floor near my duffel bag. When she stands, she tosses an armful of clothes at me. “That’s why we need to read the letter. Hurry up.”
Fuck.
I scramble to get dressed as she leaves the room, then hurry after her. In the kitchen, a folded letter lays on the counter. My stomach drops. Why does a folded piece of paper look so ominous?
“I’ll cook, you read,” she says.
I squint. “Cook?”
“Yes. He took too much blood from you. You need to eat.”
My hand flies to my neck. “How do you know that?”
“He texted me, and Google, in that order.”
Double fuck. I grab the letter and head to the table. I have a sinking feeling that I’m going to need to be sitting down when I read whatever he wrote.
Dear Ru,
I’ve been keeping an open secret, if such a thing exists. I did tell you, but I don’t blame you for not believing it.
It’s past time I get the extent of it off my chest, only I can’t bring myself to admit as much out loud. So please forgive my cowardice in writing this to you in a letter instead.
A dark streak lies within me. A need to see the wrongs against me righted by my own hand. To rise up against those who bred me, tested on me, and jailed me my entire life. To prevent them from further harming anyone else, and to burn their facility to the ground.
I’ve felt this way since before we met. Since before I escaped. And since long before I fell in love with you.
That I love you only makes my mission more important.
You don’t deserve to be haunted by a company whose ethics you never stood behind. It’s not fair for you to have to uproot your life, your home, and every memory your parents left for you in order to escape them.
It’s my fault you’re in this situation, so trust me to get us out of it.
I cannot bear to run away from this any more than you can bear to stay and fight. Know that I understand. I would have you safe, either at Zoe’s or even farther if you wish it. Board that train, go to Canada. You have my blessing.
I will see justice done.
And when that’s accomplished, if you still want me, I’ll follow you anywhere you want to go.
Or…
We could move back into your home, safe and sound, never to be bothered by II Tech again. We can read all your books, take our time cataloguing each one, dust off every treasure your parents ever collected on their journeys… There is so much we could do together.
I’ll be done soon, my dark streak vanquished, and my heart ready to beat only for you.
Please don’t worry about me. I have help. Trust me to take care of it, and keep yourself safe while I work.
Yours,
Sully
P.S. Please take care of the animals for me until I get back. Twenty-Four will be worried.
My chest clenches painfully, and my thoughts are racing. Sully gone to fight II Tech. Sully in danger. Sully risking everything.
“We have to go after him.”
“I don’t disagree.” Pans clatter as she puts something on the stove to heat. “But what’s in that letter?”
“Read it.” I hand it over. Easier for her to read for herself than for me to try and summarize, or to say any of that out loud. No wonder Sully couldn’t. It’s too much.
She scans it, all the while in and out of the fridge for ingredients. Steaks, spinach, oranges.
“What the fuck, Zo? We’re not hanging around to eat. We have to get on the road. He has a head start on us.”
“Oh, you’re eating this.” She plops an orange in front of me. “Start peeling, and hang on, I’m not done reading yet.”
I pace the living room as oil starts to sizzle and my feet itch to race to II Tech to prevent the worst from happening. But I do peel the damn orange. Because the queasy feeling in my stomach demands it.
“Fuck,” she says.
“Ditto. All the fucks. Now can we get on the road?”
“No. You need a meal before you can do any rescuing. I fucking insist. You need iron and vitamin C to replenish your red blood cells. And drink more water while we wait.” She sets a glass on the counter next. “I swear if your boyfriend makes it through this alive I’m going to kill him myself.”
“You’ll have to get in line.” I gulp the second glass of water.
She’s right. I feel off. Weak. A bit dizzy. Eating will help, but I can’t bear to wait through an entire meal. “Okay. How’s this plan? You drive. We’ll take my car. I’ll eat in the passenger seat, and we go the second that meat is cooked through enough not to give me salmonella. Deal?”
“Deal, except we take my car.”
“Why?”
“Sully took yours.”
“That bastard.”
“You’ve always known how to pick ’em.” Zoe flips the steak. “Round up the cat and the rat. They’re coming with us. As per your boyfriend’s letter.”
“Pretty sure that’s not what he meant, but okay.” I head down the hall to crate Socks. She’s going to be so pissed. I put Twenty-Four on my shoulder in the same spot he favors on Sully. “Sorry, buddy. You’re stuck with me.”
Damned if Sully wasn’t right. The rat looks worried. I whisper, “I’m worried about him too.”
This would be ridiculous if I wasn’t so damned scared right now. I might even laugh. Angry cat in a box, sullen rat on my shoulder, best friend cooking me emergency steak, and a plan to barge into II Tech and do what?
Panic and wheeze at them?
Threaten to use my rescue inhaler?
Fuck.