A Sea of Purple Ink (9 page)

PRIVATE

via Burner 6

City to Reader Division

Call Arrow off of watching the tavern and send someone else out there at once. Tell the others to keep combing the streets. Tell them if the underground finds Nile first, he’s dead, and so are we. If we get lucky, they really will kill him and we’ll have someone to blame. Or my precautions might go into effect. Time will tell. The doctors say I can go. Nobody touches the prisoners until I talk with them.

- S.

13

As they worked their way deeper into the nearly abandoned southside, Reese found her thoughts turning more and more toward Nero’s tavern.
What am I going to do after I get there?
She wanted to believe that some of her crew had escaped, but she knew better.
And if they’re gone…
There wasn’t much she could do. In all the years of the resistance, no one had successfully freed outlaws after they went to prison. And she should know. She had tried.

Reese clenched her jaw. She knew she would have to make a choice. To risk a rescue, or to leave her followers to their fate.
I can try to save my crew, or save those who aren’t free yet.

“Tyrone said you and he were sort of related.”

The sudden statement caught Reese off guard. She glanced at the man walking beside her. She was so used to picturing him half-bored, in royal clothes and a crown, but here he seemed alive. Even with a stubble beard and the worn, brown coat and a healing bruise on his forehead. Reese looked back at the road ahead. “We’re not related the way most people would be related,” she said, giving it as final an air as possible.
I suppose the next best step would—

Joplin jogged a few steps past her, then turned and walked backwards. “Oh?” His blue eyes met hers.

He’s not going to leave it alone.
Reese sighed in frustration. “When my mother left my father, she married into Tyrone’s family.”

Understanding swept across the king’s face. “Oh.” He dropped back to walking beside her. “I’m sorry to bring it up, then.” They turned another corner in silence.

Reese watched a thin wisp of amethyst-tinted cloud on the distant horizon.
He wants to talk. I’d better give him something else to talk about, or he’ll—

“How long ago was that?” Joplin asked.

Too late now.
“The night the law was passed.” She stole a look at the king’s profile. “The one prohibiting having an ability.” She paused to let the words sink in. “My father and I belonged in that group. Mother didn’t.”

A frown settled on the king’s face, as if he were wrestling with an unpleasant thought.

As they reached the back of the empty warehouse, buried thought trails rose to the surface of Reese’s mind.
What am I going to do with him?
she wondered.
I suppose I could just leave him with Tyrone…
Farther down the street, a dark shape disappeared through the broken outer wall.

Reese hesitated.
Was that a policeman?
She eyed the gap in the wall.
It didn’t move like a policeman.
She moved forward slowly, listening for any sounds from the other side. “Who’s your contact for this drop?” she whispered.
It might be an outlaw in hiding.

“There isn’t a contact,” Joplin whispered back. “He said to lower them down a storm drain.”

Really? Unusual.
Reese scanned the long street and located the gap in the curb. “It’s right over there,” she said, pointing. “Move fast, and I’ll keep an eye out for anyone coming.” She caught a glimpse of the shadowy figure hiding in the warehouse yard.
Not police. But are they one of us or just hiding?
She eased after Joplin, keeping an eye on the street and checking every hiding place.
If he’s one of us, I might be able to talk to him.
In the face of losing her crew, she needed all the help she could find.

Something moved in a corner of the yard and disappeared behind the remains of a wall. Reese frowned.
It’s too hard to tell from a distance. Someday, maybe I can get a reader to join my group.
The luxury of having someone to identify those with abilities was almost too much to hope for.
If I could get the others to accept him, the benefits might outweigh the dangers of him turning against us.
She tried to catch sight of the man again, but he had disappeared. Regretfully, Reese hurried to join Joplin at the gutter drain.

“Joplin,” she said, as he crouched by the opening. “Did Tyrone say who purchased these?”
Why would someone from the canals want…
Pieces clicked into place.

The king pulled a gun from one of the hidden pockets and slipped it into the hole. “No, he didn’t. Why?” He pushed a couple more into the darkness.

Tyrone’s at it again.
Reese listened to the scratching of metal on stone, then heard a clink as the guns landed in a waiting basket.
He’s trying to get the canal men to carry out his revolution.
She frowned.
Maybe we’ll have to have that talk all over again.
The thought felt like salt in an old wound.

Joplin dropped two more of the handguns.

And the king is delivering guns for the revolt. This is ridiculous. If he’s faking a memory lapse, why would he do this?

As the king lowered a box of ammunition, Reese’s mind whirred into higher gear.
If I keep him with me, I put myself in danger. If I send him back, we’ll be in greater danger. There’s no way out.

I could kill him.

Reese recoiled from the thought. A dull heat rose in her face. She could feel her heart thumping as the data trails replayed themselves, proving their method.
He couldn’t betray us, and he’d leave a wide opening for a quiet shift of power.

Joplin muttered a soft curse as his finger caught between a gun and the pavement. He crouched with his back to her. An easy target.

Reese shivered.
No.
She clenched her fists.
It would be in cold blood, simply because there’s no other place to put him.
A foul taste rose in her mouth.
I’m not killing a defenseless person. Even if he is the king.

The factors began again. They tapped against her consciousness. No. Reese turned her back on the king and fought to keep herself calm.
I said no. I am a leader. Not an assassin, like some others I could mention. That might be one logical outcome, but I’m not following it.
The tapping grew in intensity. She folded her arms.
I won’t.
She tried to dismiss the conclusion, the thoughts, the very idea, but the result kept coming.

Reese hugged herself and shook her head. A new line of worry popped up.
What if I can’t stop thinking about it until I do it? I won’t be able to compute anything else—
She stiffened. Something just moved. At the far end of the street, someone was coming. Reese threw herself into the new line of computations. “Save a few of those guns for us,” she whispered. “We might need them later.”

Joplin paused. “Really? Why?”

The distant figure slowed its pace.

“Stand up,” Reese ordered.
That doesn’t look like a passerby.
“Make it look like you were just adjusting your boot.”

Joplin’s eyebrows rose, but he did as she said. “What’s going on?” he asked.

We can’t hide inside the warehouse without giving that other person away.
Reese feigned a smile at her companion and started towards the nearest alleyway. “Someone’s watching us.” She saw the intention on Joplin’s face before he could carry it out. “Don’t turn around!”

The vague shape started towards them. Morning sun glinted off the buttons on his uniform.

Blast.
Reese increased her pace. “Follow me, now.” They moved into the alley at a fast walk. As soon as they were out of sight of the street, Reese halted.
Only one quick way out.
“How good a flyer are you?” she asked.

Joplin stared at her. “I don’t know, why do you ask?”

“Turn around,” Reese ordered. “We’re going to have to find out.” She steadied herself and gripped the sides of his coat.
Here goes nothing.
“Take us up and over that building.”

“But why?”

Reese heard a footstep on the road outside. “Just do it! Now!” She braced for a bumpy take-off.

With one smooth leap, Joplin sailed into the air. The speed astonished Reese. She hung on, feet dangling, as they skimmed over the roof of the factory and descended to the cobblestones. They reached the ground in a matter of moments.

Reese let go and faced the newborn flyer. “That…” She sorted through the mountains of calculations for the right word. “That was impressive.”
Too impressive. How did he become a flyer? It’s impossible.

The king smiled. “Thank you.” Then his smile twisted. “But why did we have to run?”

“Police.” Reese backed farther down the street. “In fact, he’ll probably be coming out of that alley, so we need to double back.”

Joplin raised an eyebrow without offering to move. “You’re wanted by the police?”

I’m one of Tyrone’s friends. What do you expect?
Reese motioned for him to follow. “Come on.” She started forward at a jog.

The king fell into step beside her. “Wouldn’t it be easier to—”

“No,” Reese retorted.
I am not going to fly with you again if I can help it.

Joplin struggled to keep up. “What are you, some kind of mind reader?”

They swung down another road. Reese focused on running.
We’re getting closer to the tavern and…
She couldn’t help it. “I’m not,” she retorted.
Why does everyone think I can read their mind?
“It’s just the way I work.” She slowed her pace and turned right. “I can detect and process almost anything at very high speeds,” she said. “For instance, I can tell by your face that you want to ask me another question.” She registered his look of surprise. “We call it mastermind.”

She folded her arms and found herself stroking her shoulder.
Why am I even arguing?
Every muscle in her body felt tense.
Stay calm. Stay focused.
Something was going wrong with her calculations, and she didn’t want to think about it.

The king walked beside her, waiting for her to speak.

Reese cleared her throat. “We don’t have time to discuss it. Right now I have to go see if my friends are still alive.” A tremor crept into her voice. “If you come with me, you’ll have to keep quiet. Understood?”

A look of shocked concern rippled across Joplin’s face. “You’re going to that tavern? Are you sure you want to?” He took a half step forward.

The worried look on his face told Reese more than she wanted to know. For a split second, her resolve melted, then a rush of anger welled up. “I have to,” she said, squaring her shoulders. “It’s part of being a leader.”

Joplin met her hostile stare. “All right then,” he said, gently. His voice had slipped to a deeper, softer level.

He’s trying to protect me.
The twisted reality of the situation threw Reese into a flurry of unwanted calculations.
The king is trying to protect me from the truth.
She turned on her heel and strode down the street, clenching and unclenching her hands.
First Keller’s death, then the betrayal and possible deaths of my friends, and now the king himself. I can’t do this.

She passed the abandoned school. In the whir and hum of factors, a single thought slipped through.
The last time I was here, it was with Niela. And Keller.
Grief began to well up inside her.
I have to do this.

Reese forced herself farther down the street. A vague outline of the tavern grew in the distance.
Keep walking,
Reese ordered.
It’s just a building. I’ll only be looking to see what happened to the tavern.
She knew without thinking that her mind wouldn’t let the building stay as a building. It would dredge up every possibility for how that ruin became a ruin. How each stone fell and landed. Who hit where. The maker of the bullets.

Blood throbbed in Reese’s ears and her body began shaking. She set her gaze straight forward and walked as fast as she could. She hadn’t had this much trouble controlling her mind since she was a child. Horrifying possibilities flicked past behind her eyes, each more fantastic than the last. The pressure built.

The tavern drew nearer. She could see fallen stones lying spilled across the street.

A dry sob rose in her chest. Then another and another. She couldn’t see. She couldn’t hear. With tears falling, she crumpled to the ground and sat, curled into a tight ball.
They’re gone.
She hugged her knees and buried her face in her arms.
And I have to keep going?

A hand brushed her arm. Reese tensed.
Joplin’s.
The realization brought on a fresh wave of tears. She was sobbing now. Sobbing and couldn’t stop.

Warm fabric wrapped around her, folding her in a comforting dark. She knew from the smell that it was Tyrone’s coat, but she didn’t care. She pulled it closer and cried.

Her head felt about to burst. She sat there, rocking back and forth, while the sobs slowed down.

Joplin’s soft voice came from above. “If I had a handkerchief I’d give it to you.”

Reese managed a wet hiccup and blew out a long, slow breath.
I’ve got to get back under control now.
She wiped at her face with her shirt sleeve, trying to slow her breathing. She felt exhausted.

“Reese,” Joplin hissed, “I think someone’s watching.”

That’s not good.
Instinct took over. Reese swallowed hard and pushed herself to her feet. “Here,” she said, removing the coat from around her shoulders. She held it out and casually scanned the storefronts. “Where are they?”

Joplin took the coat without looking. “Farther down the street. Back the way we came.”

“All right.” Reese wiped her face with the back of one hand and quelled another hiccup. “Turn slowly, and we’ll keep walking.” She took a few experimental steps.

The king fell in beside her. “Won’t it attract too much attention, going to the tavern?”

Reese shook her head. “No. We have every right to be curious.” She focused her attention backwards, straining to pick up any sound that might supply information on their follower. They reached the outskirts of the rubble. Reese slowed her pace, picking her way carefully through shattered bricks on the street. “Pretend to look up at what’s left of the roof,” she whispered. “Then take a quick glance to see where he went.”