Chapter Three
"No, Kin. What kind of 'suspicion'?"
I took a step towards him. "Listen to me, Duo Maxwell. If you think you're some kind of big brother figure to me, you can sit down and think again. I'm not telling you anything I don't want to tell you." I poked him in the chest a few times for good measure. "Understand?"
His face was a mixture of amazement and disgust. "No, I don't understand. What's gotten into you lately?"
I turned away from him. "Nothing's 'gotten into me'. I've just had to learn a little about myself since I got here."
"Look, guys…" I felt sorry for Quatre. He seemed like a really nice guy. In the middle of a Fotheringay-Maxwell argument. "Will you two stop it? You haven't seen each other for a while. Did you argue before?"
"No, but she didn't keep me in the dark like this before."
I spun back round to face him. "Keep you in the dark about exactly what? What do you think you know?"
"I thought I knew something about you."
I looked up towards the soldier fearfully. He'd simply trashed the dormitory and while all the others had made it to the door, I'd been forced into a corner only finding a broken chair to hide behind. He stepped towards me and grabbed the collar of my nightgown, hoisting my ten-year-old body off the ground. "Who's been talking about escape girlie?"
"I… I don't know what you're talking about," I stuttered, sick to my stomach that he was going to do to me what he'd done to the rest of the room.
He threw me against the wall and I slid down it painfully, barely conscious. "Are you lying to me? I'll bet you are!" My head throbbed so much that his words were almost drowned out. "Aren't you!" He yelled again.
"I don't know!" I screamed, "I swear it!"
He watched me shift painfully, little ragged savage with the long auburn hair. "If I find out you're lying," he whispered, drawing close so I could hear him, "I'll beat your brains out with that bloody chair leg!" I cowered further away from him.
After a few seconds he got up and turned to leave, laughing. He didn't even look at me again, as though I was a dream he would forget the second he stepped out the door.
"I did it," I whispered as he left, "I'm going to escape."
"Kin? Are you even listening to me?"
I turned back to him, trying to force the image out of my head. "Quite frankly Duo, no, I'm not. Do you care to insult my honesty any more tonight? Or am I free to leave?"
"Leave if you want, just don't expect any favours."
I turned to leave angrily. "I won't."
I set off towards the sea. I'd always been happiest near water. Who did he think he was? Duo Maxwell? Amazing wonder pilot of the universe? Nah.
I stepped onto the quay watching the light play off the water. I sat on the edge and let the sound of water wash over me. Then a thought struck me. Why had the militaries left New York? There was nothing there a little demolition couldn't handle. Everyone to their own, I guess. I couldn't get the events of last night out of my head. Five hundred people. Oh, God. What had I done?
I could feel the tears on the edges of my eyelids, but they went no further. I'd already cried for them. If any of their relatives caught up with me, then I would offer them retribution, but until then I would just have to handle it myself.
"We can't do it," cried Nikki, as a searchlight grazed her ankles.
"I never asked you to come. If you want to leave, then do it now before things get really sticky." She didn't understand, couldn't know, how important it was for me to get out of there. I'd been here too long. I had things that had to be done, and I didn't know if there was anybody else out there to do them for me.
I turned and grabbed her shoulders. "Turn around and go back. They won't execute you. You didn't go through with it. You'll be safe. You'll live."
"To do what? Enter forced labour when I'm sixteen? Next year? You want me to do that? I'd rather die than leave this life the same way my parents did, under the whips of the Alliance."
I sighed. "If you're sure."
"I'm sure," she nodded decisively. "We're going to get over that fence or die trying."
I looked down for a moment, trying to think over the blaring sirens and the escapee warnings. Then I looked up – and smiled. "Then let's hurry up and get out of here."
I shivered at the memory of that night, three nights ago. Nikki hadn't made it. She died on the fence with a bullet through her back. She'd paid the ultimate price, but with grim satisfaction. That girl had died with a smile on her lips, and I intended to do the same. Just – not yet.
