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Cole-- into et away froly real teht now
Because it wasn’t enough for her to withhold food, to levy threats about leaving us behind if eren’t quieter, didn’t move faster, didn’t keep up with the rest of them She wanted to be done with us once and for all--to hand our leashes off to the one group she thought could actually control us
And she wanted the rewardin to fund her next strike
2
BY THE TIME I REACHED the second level of the warehouse, hts and dread The fire escape rattled as Sen started clih the ay fro aside the dark Ops jacket they’d hung up to block the weak interior light froe and dropped inside
My eyes frantically juht to another, skipping over the dark spaces in between Every single kid seemed to be huddled in the far corner of the rooe for food
No Cole, I thought, raking a hand back through ure this out
"A little appreciation would go a long way," Gates sneered It was like his words had disturbed a thick layer of dust in the silent room Voices immediately floated up in quiet, quick thanks before the kids settled theain, eyes only on the floor or each other I sahat I hadn’t wanted to admit to myself before In the end, all of the hting alongside the the second they convinced the to be cashed in
I found the three faces I was looking for Vida was back fro her deep bronze skin, which Chubs was trying to bandage Next to hi to keep the relief I felt to myself Inside was the research I’d rescued froraphs and charts and ether in her search for a cure for IAAN
"Grannie, I swear to God, if you don’t lay off the fking fussing--" Vida hissed
"Let me just disinfect it!" I heard hiainst the wall, knees up, ar Gates out of the corner of his eye with the same hard expression he’d had ever since the attack He didn’t reach for the food, but simply passed it on to Chubs when it caents would turn theht--stopped and actually listened to what Sen and the others were saying? They were going to blindside us with it, set the deal up in advance over the next few days There wouldn’t have been ti Why did I think I could protect all of them? I couldn’t even protect one kid, not when it ainst my shoulder as she swept into the rooround, I knew it, but it didn’tto crush us Chased by distant screa; earth pouring down, s in front of my closed eyes was freckled, his doe-brown eyes wide as he watched his own life end I saw all of those things, and nothing stopped theined it must have been How Jude had slipped away forever in the dark
I felt myself disconnect Every nerve inup speed The pressure inside ofto be crushed by it, and the thought that everyone aroundten tih that I didn’t register it at first, but steady enough to turn ht when my knees buckled at that first step
Outside of the shrinking roorees cooler Quiet and dark enough thatup at the touch of fire in h to be out of the line of sight from the door, before I was carefully lowered down and maneuvered so my head was between my knees Familiar hands slid the jacket offthe back ofSo cool touched my neck--a bottle of cold water, maybe "Just take a deep breath"
"I--I can’t," I said between shallow gasps
"Of course you can," he said cal at whatever cord rapped aroundtheht now," he said softly "Everything is okay"
It’s not, you have no idea, I wanted to say A sharp ache piercedsecond
Touching hi with the rise and fall of his chest The cold air worked slowly to untangle theinto a headache at the front of hten and lean back against the wall