When the carnival stopped in Wyoming Zane didn't move from his trailer. He pulled the same trick with Washington D.C., claiming that his seizures were just too bad for him to perform. Manticore had been in Wyoming and there was no way that by performing he would let himself get sent home. Home was where the hate was. Home also meant pain and the nomies. Zane was happy where he was now and was just not willing to take that chance. With all the post-pulse chaos Washington was crawling with soldiers. Performing there was a liability Zane couldn't afford to take either. That meant four weeks back to back where he refused to do anything. By the time the carnival had reached Reno he was almost jumping out of his skin. Sam was still out of commission so 'The Flying Infantry' had not put on a single show during the time of Zane's absence. Counting that time Zane was actually part of the act for four months now.
He though the first time he preformed In Reno with his dog shows that one of the X-5's was in the audience. That night by the time 'The Flying Infantry' went on he was sure of it. He could feel the familiar gaze fall on him and it sent shivers through his body. He wanted to get to know his siblings. He wanted to know that they were okay. He knew Zack was all right and Zack had assured him that the others were as well. Still it would be nice to see the truth for himself. He could tell by the strength (or lack there of) of the gaze that is definitely was not Zack. Try as he might as he flew through the air he just could not pick the soldier out from the rest of the crowd.
He spotted her during his final bow just before his hair fell down into his face. She was strategically seated in the top row or the stadium seats with her back against the wall extremely close to the nearest exit. When he stood up and his eyes focused on the spot again she was gone and Zane convinced himself that it must have been his imagination. The eyes, wide, deep brown, full of the weight of the world, fear and paranoia, he couldn't have been mistaken. It made him think rapid images of the past flashing through his head. Max. Jondy. Syl. Tinga. Brin. Kat. Eva. As well as three others. They were his little sisters, all except Tinga and Brin who were a year and a half-older then he was. Natalie and Kelly bumped into him as the turned to run off into the wings, momentarily jarring him from his daze. He turned again searching the crowd one last time his eyes zooming in on each individual face but not landing on even one that looked familiar. Zane was mad he'd missed his one and only chance at first contact with another X-5 without Zack's interference. It had been a little over three years since the escape and to hell with Zack's orders, they didn't live by orders anymore and Zane wanted more then anything to get to know his siblings. He wanted to hear the hushed sound of synchronized breathing that only their trained ears could hear, the familiar sound of a known heart beat, the tingle that went through his body when they'd brush too close to each other in drills, anything would have been enough for him. Zane had let his guard down as his eyes combed the crowd.
She saw her chance then, perched high above the exit to the wings on the ledge below the stands. She dropped from her post landing soundlessly in a crouched position behind him. She didn't know who he was, his barcode was covered up by makeup. She just knew watching him fly through the air that he was one of them. One of the others, another X-5. As she watched him gracefully tumble through the air she just knew in her bones he was one of them. As she watched him flip through the air she saw herself and the others flipping through the window the night of the escape. She even heard the crash of breaking glass as she saw herself going through the window hand in hand with her sister and she knew she just had to talk to him. She had only had contact with Zack a few times after he had given the order to split up. She knew through him that some of the others had made it out and were out in the world somewhere. She had to know for herself that they were infact okay. She needed to know that Krit and Max and everyone were infact okay. She didn't think this flashy 'dare devil' was Krit, it just wasn't his style. Then again freed from the captivity of Manticore she didn't know what anyone's style had become except Zack, he never seemed to change. All she knew for certain was that for the moment she had the upper hand on him.
It was the familiar swoosh of someone jumping from someplace high and the sound he'd been longing to hear of a familiar heart beat which made the hair on the back of his neck over his barcode stand on end. He wasn't frightened or paranoid or even really taken by surprise he was excited. There was electricity in the air as he turned to face her. Even if he had not caught that fleeting glimpse of her in the crowd he would have been able to tell his assailant was female from the smell she gave off. This was the moment he was sure she was one of his siblings, all the Manticore girls smelled the same, distinctly different from normal females, it was in their genes. Seeing the position her black clad body was in, Zane dropped into a defensive crouch as well. The two circled each other in perfect formation never allowing the other to get close enough to reach out and strike or even glimpse the barcode of the other. Zane was lost for a moment seeing barefoot shaved head, kids, soldiers circling each other on the mats. Twenty soldiers in perfect formation, holding out, the order had been not to let the other come into contact range. She circled him, keeping in that formation the look on her face telling him she recalled the same exercise. She was too small to be Brin or Tinga. Too short to be Eva either, but he wouldn't let himself be tricked into thinking she was still alive, they'd all seen her go down and come to a permanent stop. 'The Flying Infantry' hung in the wings watching the two, neither of whom seemed to notice or care.
She could only be Max, Syl, Jondy or Kat. Katrina had been the shortest of all the X-5's even though she had been Zane's age, it must have been a genetic defect. He continued to circle her, it was like they were dancing. She spun always keeping him directly in front of her but in reality she was after the back of his neck. Who was he? Certainly not Zack, she knew that for a fact. Too tall to be Krit, she squinted at the skin beneath the long hair, damn that makeup! He could only be Ben or Zane, or she saw scaring the hell out of some acrobat, but she didn't think she was wrong about this.
"Identify yourself, soldier." Two harsh identical whispered orders were uttered as the two came to a simultaneous halt. They squared off trying to stare the other down. Cold, restrained and excited pools of green confronting wary, wide and apprehensive deep pools of brown. Who would break first? He moved first pulling his hair back into a ponytail and smirking softly when she flinched. He reached out and handed her a camouflage a part of his costume that he used to keep his hair held back. He turned his back on her then, at the same time checking to make sure the tent was empty of any threat and giving her permission to remove the makeup which hid his Identity. He scanned the rows of seats glad the audience had cleared out. He gave her the hand signal for 'all clear'. The feather light touch at the back of his neck startled him somewhat, a gentle X-5? Maybe she was loosing her touch. Apparently they were all performers of some sort filling self-imposed rolls as to never get caught, to simply fit in and stay out of the line of fire.
"Zane?" Her voice quivered a little but there was a smile on her face when he turned to look at her letting his hair down again.
He nodded softly noting the tears that brimmed in her eyes. "Yes, it's me. Now it's your turn little sister."
She spun around and flipped the hair off of her neck to allow him to glimpse her barcode, but not allowing enough time that anyone watching would have time to even realize the barcode was there. Twelve numbers registered in Zane's head translated from the little black lines he saw on her neck. He quickly put one of their childhood names to the number he knew all too well.
"Jondy?"
She nodded and flew into his arms wrapping her own tightly around him. Zane stood stiff for a moment and then gradually melted into the hug letting the strength of his arms comfort her. Were those tears? Yes, she was crying in his arms. Zane had seen Jondy cry on very few occasions once was when she thought she'd lost Max to the nomies. Jondy was very much like Max in almost every way, but she was emotionally stronger then Max. Zane had seen her cry again on the nights when Jack and Ash died, silently after she thought everyone except Max had gone to sleep. Zane was sure she'd cried her eyes out on the night of the escape, for Eva, for Max, for Zack, for Tinga, for everyone they knew they'd lost and everyone they'd left behind. So why was she crying now? The strong arms of the fourteen year old held the sniveling twelve year old close for a while before he thought of something fitting to say.
"It's all right little sister. Everything is okay."
Suddenly and a bit weakly she laughed, a sound that Zane had not heard in a very long time, it sounded almost foreign. "Nice leotard, soldier."
Zane couldn't help himself and started to laugh too, the sound of their laughter mixing in the air. "I know. The camouflage is a little over the top, don't you think?"
She stepped back slowly and looked him up and down before her eyes came to rest, looking up at his face with a faint smile. "Nah, I think it suites you."
"Oh, really?" Zane quirked and eyebrow and laughed faintly.
"Sure," She nodded a big grin on her face before it turned serious again. "It's good to see you haven't lost your shooting skills, Zack would be impressed."
If Zane wasn't so used to wearing that mask he would have blushed at the compliment, instead a look of pride crossed his features briefly. "Oh, you saw me huh?"
"I don't miss much." Jondy winked at him. She'd always had the best hearing of all the X-5's and quite possibly the third best eyesight.
Zane shook his head. "No, you never did. That's actually how I got my job here. Zack and Max saw how good I was and asked if I wanted to work at the riffle booth."
"They're here? Max is here?" Jondy's eyes grew wider and she grinned, extremely jubilant as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
Zane hated to crush her happiness. "No, not them. Max owns the carnival and Zack runs the riffle booth, he's the one who took me in. They're both really good guys."
"Oh." He shoulders slumped and she turned on Zane an angry, disapproving sneer on her face. "You're good, I hope you enjoy it while it lasts. He is not going to approve of this. You're lucky you haven't run across him yet."
"Zack?" Zane was momentarily thrown by her sudden change of emotions, but then he realized he'd hit a nerve. None of them know what happened to Max the night of the escape except for Zack. Jondy probably felt guilty about it since they had been paired up that night, so he let her tone of voice slide.
"Who else?"
"I know. I've been with them for a little over a year now. It's the best thing I've ever done."
"You really like it?"
Zane nodded. "Wouldn't you?"
"I guess," Jondy smiled. "I wait tables at a dinner back home and live in an apartment with the owner above it."
"This is more fun."
"You're lucky."
"There's no such thing."
Jondy's head snapped up. Zane had sounded exactly like Zack for that moment and it startled them both.
"Hey Zane." Chris came running over with Kelly, Natalie, and Mike in tow. "Who's your friend?" The gleam in his eyes told Zane that Chris thought Jondy was cute and that she was his girlfriend.
"This is my sister." Zane looked over at Jondy; this was her cue if she wanted to give them and alias. Zane gave her the hand signal for trust, telling Jondy that he trusted these people with his life.
"Jondy." She nodded shaking hands with the three as Zane made the introductions.
Zane was in his glory Jondy agreed to stay with him for the remainder of the week. Zane got Zack's permission for Jondy to stay in the trailer with them. On the first full day that Jondy spent with him Zane gave her a tour of the fair grounds. Zane dragged Jondy on each ride the carnival had at least twice. He'd do anything to see her smile. She had such a beautiful smile; it matched her wide dove eyes very nicely. Zane even went so far as to win her a large stuffed black and whit stripped tiger. Granted his carnie friends had let them on all of the rides for free, but Zane won the tiger legitimately from one of the many games of skill the carnival had. Zane had mastered all of the games, he could win any of them, and it was all just a matter of simple calculation and skill. Jondy could have won the tiger on her own, but it was the look in her eyes as she spotted it as they passed the booth that made Zane want to win it for her. The same look was in her eyes when he handed her the big stuffed toy, and it was there again when she hugged him afterwards.
They wandered the fairway all-day and well into the night. Zane came to a screeching halt and Jondy started to laugh, the stuffed tiger tucked safely under her right arm as she walked on his right side.
"What, did you notice that we were walking in step too?"
Zane simply shook his head no in answer to Jondy question.
"Zane what is it?" Jondy followed his gaze up to the near by banner fro the sideshow.
"We have to turn around now." Zane said it softly but it still sounded somewhat like an order.
"Nomalies?" Jondy blanched slightly pronouncing the word exactly as Ben used to when he told his stories.
"Nearest as I can tell." Zane nodded.
Jondy took Zane's hand and pulled him into and about face hurrying in the other direction. Then she stopped and dropped his hand. She squared her shoulders, clenched her fists by her sides, took a deep breath and turned back around.
"Don't you want to know?" Jondy asked true fear in her eyes and curiosity playing across her face.
Zane didn't answer her.
"Well I need to know. I need to see them. I need to be sure. How could you have never checked and feel completely safe here? I couldn't and I'm going in, with or without you." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and scowled up at him.
Zane was struck by her courage. He didn't want to go in there but he wasn't about to let his little sister go in there by herself. "Fine, let's go." He sounded dejected and a little beat down.
Jondy grabbed Zane's hand and started off with a purposeful stride towards the tent. Zane allowed himself to be dragged along to what he felt certain was a bad thing. Not quite as bad as the bad place or the basement cells at Manticore, but bad in it's own way. Jondy introduced herself to all the nomies, who really weren't and came up with a good reason for each to turn around. She'd said something about looking for birthmarks, which wasn't far from the truth. Barcodes were issued and in place even before and X series soldier was born. Most of them already knew Zane from his shows or at least knew of him so the introductions went well. Zane was sweating bullets but Jondy seemed oddly calm. Each of them still made a confused face when Jondy asked to see the back of their necks but they obligingly turned and showed them the back of their necks. There was not a barcode in the bunch and both Zane and Jondy were extremely relieved by the time they left the tent. Jondy even sighed and gave Zane's hand a light squeeze.
"Do you feel better now?" Zane asked when he finally found his voice. He hadn't said a word while they were inside the tent.
"Yes, and you should too. Zack would have killed you if he'd shown up and you hadn't checked that out. That really was a big danger for you, I couldn't have stayed here if I didn't see it. I just can't believe that you let it slip for a whole year."
"Would you have wanted to do it alone?" Zane was revealing a weakness just by asking the question. But this was Jondy his sister so it really wasn't that bad. He'd never have asked Zack such a question.
"No." Jondy shook her head answering him honestly. "I wouldn't have been able to do it."
Zane wasn't so sure of that. Jondy seemed much surer of herself then she had been at Manticore. She was definitely emotionally stronger. But she'd always been. Zane was almost positive she'd have done it and done fine on her own. Hell she'd been here a day and had worked up the nerve to do what Zane hadn't in almost a year.
"Together I think we could have taken them if they really were Nomalies," Jondy continued a smile on her face. "In a way we did."
Zane was excited, elated and felt more free. It was like the feeling a young child gets when they finally confront the monster in their closet only to find out that he never really was there.
Jondy turned to him. "You look tired."
It was a simple observation but Zane took it like a personal attack and responded like a stubborn child. The fact that Jondy and Max hardly ever needed to sleep and Zane was a wreck if he didn't get at least five hours of sleep a night made Zane painfully aware of another weakness in himself.
"I am not." He grabbed her hand and dragged her back up the fairway. "I want to show you something."
Zane ran across the fairway and Jondy kept up with him perfectly. "This is it!" Zane stood in front of the feris wheel.
Jondy shook her head. "Zane we went on that three times already, plus aren't all the rides shut down now?"
Zane nodded at Jondy a funny look in his eye. "Exactly." He dropped her hand. "It's better when everyone is asleep." Zane looked over at the nomie tent, which really wasn't, watching as it cleared out. He also watched the trailers as the lights went out. "It's almost time."
"Time for what Zane?" Jondy said hand on her hips. "You have ride keys?"
"Nope," Zane grinned and shook his head his mane of hair flying, "Where we're going we don't need any keys."
Jondy's eyes twinkled she was always a sucker for a good surprise. Zane watched the group of ticket collectors over by Max's trailer. He also watched the side show people slowly make their way back to their own trailers. He needed to stall for some time still. He turned to Jondy and smiled as she took the cue and sat down next to him on the steps that led up to the ramp that led up to the ferris wheel.
"So are you going to name your tiger?" Zane asked her quietly.
Jondy grinned. "Sure I am."
"Got any ideas?"
"Um," Jondy bit her bottom lip. "Maybe 24-5."
Zane smiled and shook his head. You could take the soldier out of Manticore but maybe they were all doomed to be like Zack and never rid themselves of Manticore. "You're going to call your tiger X-5?"
Jondy shrugged. "Unless you'd rather me call it X5-339472411217?"
Zane shook his head. "Don't name it after me."
"Why not? You did win it for me . . . and Zane the tiger really sounds a little silly."
Zane let out a fierce growl only jokingly. "Yeah, I'm no tiger."
"No, you're more of a pussycat." Jondy winked at him.
"I'm no pussycat." Zane punched Jondy playfully in the arm. "Well only partially in my DNA, but . . ."
Jondy laughed interrupting him. "Zane you're a nut."
Zane shook his head feigning seriousness. "No, I'm sure they didn't use any Peanut DNA in me. On the other hand they might have used some in you, Max, Krit, Syl and Kat. It would explain why you were all so small."
Jondy socked him in the arm and this time it actually stung Zane.
"Zane don't be mean."
"I'm not, peanut." Zane ruffled Jondy's hair as he watched the lights in the trailers across the midway going out. "We should be good soon."
"Good little toy soldiers." Jondy scoffed. "Riight. We've never been good. We enjoy breaking orders. We're good at it." She broke into a happy grin.
Nothing could have been truer. Zane nodded softly and then just for the hell of it he leaned over and meowed right in Jondy's ear. His action elicited the exact response that Zane was looking for. Jondy broke into a fit of laughter. Finally after about an half an hour of the two joking around Zane stood up and motioned for Jondy to follow his lead. Zane walked over to stand underneath the Ferris wheel and before he laid a hand on it he turned to Jondy giving her a reassuring grin. Though the words that flew out of his mouth next didn't exactly have the same effect.
"It'll be just like climbing the fence the night of the escape, I know you can do it. This has been my new special spot since we left the vantage point where we could reach the Blue Lady's altar."
Jondy nodded and grinned back at Zane deep inside she understood, there were just some things you couldn't walk away from no matter how hard you tried. "There's a water tower back home that I climb when I'm feeling in need of some guidance and alone time. Alone with your thoughts is when she really listens, or at least it feels like she does."
Zane nodded, he knew she'd understand. "You ready peanut?"
Jondy nodded socked him in the stomach glanced back up the midway and then gave him the go signal. Zane laughed and then began his climb apparently she wasn't too found of the new nickname he had come up with for her. They headed for the top car of the ferris-wheel, hand over hand, foot over foot, the two made the climb with little effort. Zane looked back every step of the way to make sure Jondy was alright. Of course she was. They had been trained for this sort of thing since the time when they had learned to walk, but Zane worried none the less. Just a little, after all what were big brothers for? He had not just gotten Jondy back to see her slip and hurt herself. When they reached the top car Jondy gasped before she settled down into the car next to Zane.
"It's beautiful." She could see the entire midway all dark and mysterious, all the stars in the sky and on the horizon the twinkling lights of the nearest city miles away. It really was like the view from the top of the barracks back in Wyoming compound. Jondy was suddenly struck with and odd sense of a type of homesickness. She was also bombarded with images and words all over lapping of the many nights she and Max had spent on that roof. Jondy snuggled close to Zane. She just felt safer that way as the two talked away the night.
Zane opened his eyes to find Jondy looking up at him her head nustled in his lap and a quirky little smile on her lips.
"G'morning Zane. Enjoy your nap?"
Zane rubbed the sleep from his eyes both fists working at individual eyes looking very much like a sleepy child.
"Sure did peanut. How lon-"
This time Jondy didn't let him finish. "You've got to stop that."
"Why? Little sister doesn't like being my little peanut too?"
"No," Jondy blushed. "It's just annoying."
"You know you like it peanut, it's like you're getting a name all over again."
"Whatever."
Zane grinned. "I can't hear you peanut."
Jondy growled and jumped up to her feet ready to spar with Zane.
Zane jumped to his feet too only not to spar. The entire car jolted and tilted with Jondy's sudden movement and he reached out to steady her. "We can't spar here peanut."
Jondy growled. "You're impossible Zane I give up."
"I knew you would. Besides it's cuter then 24-5."He grinned down at Jondy.
She laughed. "Don't pick on a tiger Zane."
Zane looked around. "How long was I asleep?" He questioned Jondy through a yawn pulling her back down to sit on the bench.
"Only a couple of hours." Jondy shrugged offhandedly.
Jondy was lying or maybe Zane had just lost track of time but the sun was just making its way over the horizon. They'd stayed up there much longer then Zane had wanted to. He was afraid that they'd get caught and questioned about how they made it up there. Zane swore and jumped back up to his feet.
"You should have woke me up Jondy we've been up here way too long."
"It isn't a problem." Jondy shrugged. "I don't mind watching you sleep I'm used to watching people sleep."
Zane laughed. "I know that. It's not that. If we're seen coming down from here it could lead to all sorts of problems."
"So then do you want to wait until the ride starts up and just ride it down and hop out when the car stops?"
"No I think that would lead to more questions . . . lets just get down quickly. We should be fine."
Zane pulled Jondy up to her feet. They both stretched out a little and then they started to make their way back down to the ground. They made it down in half the time it took them to originally get up there because they were both rushing. Jondy dropped to a crouch next to Zane just in time to see Max run up to him.
"Zane what the hell were you doing?"
Zane froze. They'd been caught. Carnie code or not if Max was mad he might ask the sort of questions an X-5 on the run would not want to answer. Max must have known there was something different about the two siblings now.
"Stupid kids." Max was really upset his face was red with rage his eyes conveying some deep seeded worry. He grabbed Zane by the collar of his shirt and took him by surprise, which was the only reason he was able to lift the young boy off of his feet.
"What the hell do you think you were doing?" Max shook Zane when he got no answer from the boy. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? And to take your sister up there with you. Don't you have any regard for her life? Any regard for her safety? How could you be so careless? If I ever catch you doing anything like that again I'll throw you out of the company so quickly you'll be lucky of you catch some of the dust we kick off as we leave to choke on. Do you understand me?"
Zane blinked. "Sir yes, sir." It was the normal response to any question yelled at you coming from a persona in the position of authority.
"Good. I seriously hope you do." Max dropped Zane to the ground though the boy landed in a crouch instead of falling on his rear. Max didn't seem to notice that as he turned and stormed away muttering words he should have been embarrassed to utter around a normal girl of Jondy's age. Though he had no way of knowing that the kids could hear him at long range.
"What was his problem?" Jondy asked when she'd finally found her voice. The cross man who had her sisters name had reminded her of Lydecker when he was yelling.
"I don't know." Zane shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. Then he reached down and took a hold of Jondy's hand dragging her in to the trailer to have some breakfast with Zack. Over the course of the meal Zane explained their early morning encounter with Max to Zack. Zack made a face then swore and then offered up some kind of explanation.
"Why do you do it? I assume this isn't the first time you've done it."
Zane shook his head. "Nope."
"Well don't stop doing it if it makes you happy Zane, or if it helps you forget about your problems or whatever. Just don't under any circumstances let Max catch you climbing on there anymore."
"Why not?" It was Jondy who asked the obvious question. "Being up high always made us feel safe."
"Well being the owner Max is always afraid of the liability involved in someone getting hurt here because it would all be on his shoulders, but he has a special aversion to the ferris wheel." Zack took a sip of his coffee.
Zane asked the question that was hanging in the air. "But why Zack?"
Zack bowed his head for a moment before he answered. "Max's son was dared by a few of his friends to climb to the top of the ferris wheel. He almost made it to the top before he slipped and fell. He hit the ground and never made it back up. He would have been about your age now Zane. After that his wife left him and the carnival and the company is all he's got now. He's kind of over protective.
A silence hung in the still air of the trailer.
Jondy was always better with dealing with situations in outside world simulations at Manticore. She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. We didn't know."
Zack shook his head. "How could you kids have known? Just don't let him catch you up there anymore."
"We won't." Zane assured him.
And they didn't. From that night on when Zane made his special visits to his new high place he always made the trip alone and always made sure that he was back on the ground and inside the trailer he shared with Zack long before sunrise. Jondy and 24-5 the tiger left Zane alone with the promise to keep in touch a mere four days later. Those remaining five days were the best and most important that the two X-5's had experienced since the escape. They knew they really weren't alone and that knowledge made them extremely happy. The carnival moved on just as it always had. Only this time Zane was more confident knowing that at least two of his siblings were okay and holding their own against the world outside the fence.