If It Kills Me Read online

  Now the voice I was hearing no longer comes from in front, but below Christopher. It’s the same with the light. I can see that it isn’t just in front of him, but coming out of the floor where he is crawling. I do my best to look all around him, but it just doesn’t make sense. A tight space. Light and noises coming from below him. It’s almost as if he’s in an air duct.

  He pauses as the voice sounds out much more clearly.

  “We know you’re a Starborn,” the man says. “We know that you know where others are hiding. If you don’t tell us, we’re going to kill your brother.”

  “But I know you don’t have my brother.” The voice comes from a young girl.

  The man shakes his head at her. “We’ve got him in the other room. All I have to do is say the word and he can be free or he can die.”

  “You know he’s lying, Sadie, just hold out,” Christopher whispers to himself.

  I can feel a jolt of fear and dread hit my chest in the realization that Christopher can hear his little sister being interrogated. I had no idea Christopher had a sibling. Though that shouldn’t come as a surprise given that I’ve only held a twenty-second conversation with him.

  Christopher dares to crawl forward until he can finally see through the opening in the floor. With his movement I can see that he actually is in an air duct, but which building would he be in? Has he been there for the past several days? That is all I’ve seen since I’ve been trying to find out where he might be.

  Looking down through the vent cover, I see a young girl, maybe twelve or thirteen years old, crying as a large Screven guard stands over her.

  “I’m going to ask you one more time, girl,” the guard says. “Where are the Starborns?”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about!” she screams out.

  “We know you are one of them,” the guard says.

  The girl lets out silent tears as the guard continues to scream in her ear. “Your brother has already refused to talk to us, so only you can save him. Tell us now and we’ll let you both live.”

  Sadie says nothing as the guard looms over her. In these moments of awkward silence, I take a moment to look around the room. It’s stark white and a bed is set on the other side. It only takes a second to finally realize where Christopher is. The Vault.

  “Hey, you there,” a voice calls out.

  I try to see the source of the noise, but no one has moved their lips and the voice sounded nothing like Christopher.

  “I’m talking to you!” the voice says a little louder.

  This is when I realize that the voice is directed at me. Not the floating consciousness me, but the real physical me. My eyes snap open and I instantly see two Screven guards getting out of their vehicle in my direction.

  I wonder what I must have looked like standing next to the house with my eyes closed, no doubt reacting to what is going on inside the Vault. I imagine I looked crazy to them.

  As they begin their approach, I pull my hood tighter to me and start to walk away.

  “What are you doing near this house?” One of the guards asks me.

  “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again,” I say, trying to walk away briskly. The guards pick up their pace.

  “Come back here,” one of them yells out.

  I refuse to turn as I continue forward, but the guards are having none of it. One slaps a large hand onto my shoulder and swings me around to face him. Our eyes meet and he squints almost as if to figure out my face, but I don’t give him the chance. With barely a thought I throw him into the other guard behind him, knocking them both to the ground.

  I look around frantically to make sure no one saw what just happened. All clear. The two guards are dazed as I grab them both by the collar. With my mind, I have them hover just above the ground and I push them back into their vehicle. Finally, I walk up to them and call on more of my strength to smash the radios in the dashboard. I pick up the radio from the first guard and smash it into his head just to make sure he’s truly knocked out. I take the other’s radio and stick it in my back pocket next to the small cylinder.

  The first guard looks up at me, almost ready to take a swing. With barely a thought, his head slams into the dashboard and he’s knocked out cold. Looking at the gas and brake pedals, I snap them off so the vehicle can’t drive. I slam the door shut and place my concentration on the door locks and handles until they start to crumple together and cave in. That should buy me plenty of time.

  The Vault is on the other side of the Colony, but if I don’t face any more resistance, surely I can get there in enough time. Closing my eyes, I concentrate on Aaron who has come to a stop far from Connor’s shack. I have no idea what might have caused his delay, but I know that I can’t wait around to see what might be happening. Wearing the heat-trapping hooded shirt, I start a jog toward the Vault, coveting Heather’s ability to move with super speed.

  I’ve got no desire to go back into the Vault. The only memories I have from that place are dreadful. As I make my way there, I can’t help but think about what Aaron would say if he knew where I was going. He would condemn it no matter who was locked away in there. I still don’t have a plan, but right now I don’t feel like I need one. I feel the need to go in there with powers blazing so I can get Sadie and Christopher out.

  I wish I knew what her gift was. I wonder if it is the same as her brother’s. If Christopher is really thinking about breaking her out, he’s in a lot more danger than he realizes. That is, unless he hid another gift from me. All I know is that he can heal. Who knows if he can command fire, make the Earth shake, move things with his mind? But I doubt it. From what I’ve seen, Starborns don’t tend to have more than one special ability.

  Except me.

  I slow down when I reach streets full of people and do my best to keep my head low. Sweat trickles down my back and face. I’m miserable in this thick shirt, but it’s all that’s keeping me hidden from the colonists. I’m tempted to roll up my sleeves, but the lack of a wristband is a dead giveaway.

  Near the middle of the colony, I can see the broken pieces of the wall where Krindle had blown it to bits days before. The Screven guards have taped off the area and set up signs telling colonists to stay away from it. No doubt they are preparing to rebuild it. According to Aaron, that’s our escape route.

  Ahead of me, I see an old lady struggling to carry several baskets of vegetables to one of her stands. She seems so frail and weak. She catches me looking at her and her eyes beg for me to help. Then it’s her voice.

  “Won’t you be a dear and help me carry a couple of these baskets?”

  I don’t have time for this.

  I smile, but still try to keep my head low. “No problem,” I say.

  I bend down and pick up two of her baskets, stretching out both of my arms.

  “Thank you so much,” she says, “we’ll just set them down over there.”

  As we walk a few yards, the woman calls my attention to something in the distance.

  “Oh my,” she says. “Too hot of a day for engine troubles.”

  I look around to see what she might be referring to and what I see makes me gasp.

  Aaron’s standing next to the truck, front hood up, smoke wafting from the engine block. Staring at the scene, I don’t even realize that I’ve stopped walking. Several of the colonists go up to Aaron, trying to offer him assistance, but he just waves them off.

  I move my legs forward as I come back to my wits. Thankfully, the old woman didn’t notice my reaction. Her vegetable stand is very near the truck, and I can’t seem to peel my eyes away from the scene. Aaron must be terrified right now. I’m terrified right now. This is exactly the kind of attention we don’t need.

  I set the baskets on the table at her stand and she tells me thanks. I ignore her as I stare at Aaron, wondering what he’s planning to do.

  “What happened to it?” a man asks him.

  Aaron keeps his head low and facing the engine as to not show his face. “I don’t know,�
�� he says. “Just started smoking out of nowhere. I just started it a few minutes ago. It’s all right, I can fix it. It happens all the time.”

  I hope he’s right that he can fix it, because if he can’t, our only other ride is the truck we left outside the colony. I don’t suspect we’ll be able to get four people out there with a truckload of equipment. I could carry it all with my abilities, I’m sure, but then there would be no way for me to fight. We would die for sure.

  I’ve got to keep going. I try to keep my head low, but I can’t help but stare at Aaron as I pass. For a brief second, our eyes meet as he looks up from the engine. We say nothing, but our expressions are the same. We’re in trouble.

  I leave the truck and Aaron behind me as I walk down the road. I pass Evelyn’s shack, and then Connor’s. Part of me wishes I could go in to one of these places and hide until nightfall. I feel like we could at least escape without notice. We might be without the surveillance equipment, but we would have gained two more Starborns. At least, I hope we do. I can’t imagine Christopher will reject my plea for him to come with us since his sister’s life is in danger. We can guarantee them both safety.

  I snort at my own thoughts. We can’t guarantee anything. I know we have yet to experience everything Jeremiah is capable of throwing at us. I haven’t encountered one of his hunters either. In fact, now that I think about it, I’ve never had to fight another Starborn. The thought is unnerving. I’ve never thought about having to use my abilities against another with equal or even stronger abilities than my own. The thought makes me feel a lot less immortal.

  But I can’t help but think that Jeremiah is bluffing. He probably wants us to think he has these hunters, these other Starborns who are willing to take us down in his name. These hunters probably don’t exist. Either way, they are nothing that I have to worry about right now. My job is to get into the Vault without being noticed.

  I’m fast approaching the front of the colony where most of the Screven guards spend their time. Most of them hang around their vehicles; others stand around with their guns at hand, looking as if they are ready to shoot anything that moves. It almost looks like they are watching the people from the inside instead of watching the horizon for greyskins. But I suppose they don’t need to watch for greyskins. Jeremiah controls them, doesn’t he? I still don’t know how that could be possible. The man might have made them, but I can’t see how he could just control them.

  I step behind a shack and lean against the corner as I get a good look at the guards in front of me. There’s only one entrance to the Vault that I’m aware. I really don’t see how I’m supposed to get in there unnoticed.

  I focus on Christopher and he hasn’t moved. He stares down at his sister from the air duct, seemingly unsure of what he should do next. I can understand his hesitation. He has no way of knowing what will happen if he drops down to try and rescue his sister. He knows he will either be captured or killed.

  I assess the situation by looking at the Vault door. There is a guard there, but I have no way of knowing how many more may be inside.

  I reach into my back pocket and pull out the radio I took from the Screven guard earlier. Turning up the volume, I can hear a little bit of chatter, but nothing that sounds too interesting at first.

  “Command, this is 1145 checking in, Northern parameter is clear.”

  “Roger that, 1145.”

  “Command, this is 1136, checking in.”

  “Roger that, 1136.”

  I wish there was a way for me to radio the guard away from the door, but that would be suspicious and I don’t know his security number. Holding up a hand, I flick my wrist and the guard falls on his rear and to the ground.

  I duck back behind the shack, but I can still hear his curses as he tries to figure out what just happened to him. I peek around the corner to see him brushing the dirt from his pants.

  “Command, this is 2200, I’ve got two guards down next to the Mayor’s house. I repeat, two guards down near the Mayor’s house.”

  “This is Command. Are they dead?”

  “Can’t tell. They’re trapped inside the vehicle. Doors are crushed inward. Someone intended for them to stay in there.”

  “Roger that, 2200, we’re sending guards your way for assistance.”

  Immediately, I see a group of four guards leave the Vault and jump into a vehicle. They tear out of park, kicking up dust in every direction.

  Sure didn’t take them long to find the product of my work. Maybe this will at least buy Aaron more time.

  I take another look at the guard in front of the Vault door. He seemed like he wanted to go with the others, but had orders to stay behind. He’s still bewildered as to what might have tripped him up.

  He’s even more so the second time. As he falls to his rear, I use my mind to grab hold of his ankles and drag him toward me. He’s able to let out a few grunts and screams before he finally gets to me, and a swift punch to his nose silences him quickly. I’m not confident in my ability to knock him out cold, however, so I grab his hair and bash his head into the side of the shack.

  We don’t have much time. I sprint to the Vault entrance, praying no one sees me go in. So far I’m clear. First, to my right, are rows and rows of lockers. Two guards are walking my way, but before they even see me, I slam them both into the lockers, denting the metal inward. I bolt to the door on my left, knowing full well where they are keeping Sadie. There is no one down the long hallway — just a door to the room where I was once examined, where I later found two doctors dead and their assistant lay dying right in front of me. This is the same hallway where Bret was gunned down because his cylinder had shined red instead of green.

  I pull on the latch to open the door but it doesn’t budge. At first I’m frustrated, but then I see it as a good thing. I need to look ahead before I go charging into a room. What if there are guns trained on the door and I’m not ready for it?

  I close my eyes and think of Christopher.

  “Something’s happening,” Sadie says.

  “I know,” Christopher answers. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

  They are the only ones in the room, but that doesn’t mean others aren’t coming.

  “Command, this is 2200. We’ve got the vehicle open. They say it was a girl. Could be the one that left here the other day.”

  “Roger that 2200. We’ve gotten reports on other channels that a vehicle is stalled on the main road. Go check it out, see if it’s related. We’re sending guards to man the entrance.”

  “Copy that.”

  I don’t hesitate to crush the door underneath my invisible fury. It falls to the ground in a crumble and a startled Christopher and Sadie stare at me like I’m a ghost.

  “Mora?” Christopher asks.

  “It’s you!” Sadie says.

  “We’ve got to get out of here,” I tell them. “We’re out of time.”

  “How?”

  “Out of time,” I say. “Come on!”

  They follow me out of the room and down the hallway, but we’re stopped in our tracks by a group of armed guards blocking our way. At the front of the group is the interrogator who told Sadie he would kill Christopher. He stands tall, unarmed. He has a dark, thin beard that frames his face. His eyebrows are unusually sharp and turned downward. His mouth seems stuck in a perpetual scowl. More notably, there is a thin scar in his scalp leading to his right ear which is missing the top half.

  “It’s Commander Green,” Sadie whispers to me.

  “Mora,” Green says. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

  “I’m not afraid of your guns,” I tell him.

  “From what I hear, you have no reason to be,” he says. “You killed a colony’s worth of Screven Guards. Why should I think we could take you on in this little hallway?”

  “You know I didn’t kill those guards. Jeremiah ordered it.” Or maybe he doesn’t know. Perhaps he’s just been fed lies to help increase his desire to kill or capture me.

  �
��Commander,” I say, “it’s time you let me and my friends out of here.”

  Green smiles at my words as though I’m a child that just said something foolish. “You know I can’t stop you from going, but I want you to hear me out on one thing.”

  He’s stalling me, that’s all this is. It’s a way for the others to have time to get to Aaron. It’s dangerous, but as he talks, I close my eyes just briefly to see how Aaron is doing.

  He’s got a couple of colonists messing with the engine. He’s doing everything he can to get the engine to fire up. Behind him, maybe a few hundred feet away, Screven guards are speeding toward him, yelling out on their speakers to get away from the vehicle.

  Opening my eyes, I can hear Commander Green continuing to speak.

  “That’s all Jeremiah wants. Peace.”

  “Lies,” I say.

  Without a blink, I steal the guns from the guards standing behind Green. With the rifles floating in the air in front of them, I smash them into each of their heads, knocking them to the floor. Green ducks, but not in time to miss the butt end of one of the rifles hitting him in the temple. As we step over the groaning victims, Sadie and Christopher both pick up a rifle and begin to follow me.

  Outside of the Vault, Christopher takes down two guards with a shot to their chests, but that doesn’t stop a car full of guards speeding toward us. My first and only instinct is to flip the vehicle from the front end. With a swing of my arms, the vehicle lands on its topside. Christopher lets off a burst of bullets into its gas tank until the entire thing explodes. I feel the heat up and down my left side.

  We sprint up to the main road where more guards take aim at us. For a brief moment I close my eyes to find Aaron.

  The vehicle has started and he’s screaming down the street toward us with three Screven vehicles in tow. Each of them is spitting bullets at him and it looks like our chances of escape are nearly impossible. When I open my eyes, I can see him barreling down the hill.