Escape from Harrizel (14 page)

“For one thing, it takes the danger out,”
Reid slows, circling, locking eyes with me, “it’s dangerous to be a
Client. People see you talking to the Scouts, they know you’re
working for the Clans… know you might be willing to sell them out.
Sell out enough people,” he shrugs slightly, “not looking so
good.”

“And the Kisses?”

“Work directly
with
the Clans,” Clark
jumps in, his glaring eyes still set on Raj. “They’re anonymous,
unlike the Scouts. Need to find out something
really
important? No need to send a Scout and rely on a poor Client when
someone cuts through all that.”

“So…” I think of the word best to describe
it, “the elite?”

“
Exactly
,” Clark gripes. “And the
Clans aren’t going to ship off their gold in any old plastic
container. They want that shit air tight and locked. Wouldn’t want
to ‘chance the mission.’”

Reid shoots him a look.

“So the Kisses risk nothing?” I ask.

“
Pride
,” Clark mumbles somewhere in
the background.

“And knowledge,” Reid is circling Raj again.
“See, Clients aren’t sure who they’re buying from—the Rogues or the
Kings, it makes no difference—just that they get the token they
want. A Kiss
knows
where her payments are coming from,” he
slows, centering in on Raj’s face. He’s trying to get her to look
him in the eye but her head remains down, her sights plastered
below. “And I
know
the Rogues haven’t bothered with any of
you for a while. Which only means…”

“I’m a Kiss,” Raj cries, her eyes tearing at
the confession, “but I don’t know
anything
about the
Snatchings—I swear!”

“Sure,” Clark nods along, “and I’m here on
vacation.”

“What’s in it for you?” Reid stops, studying
her face. He’s trying to read it, whatever it is lurking behind
those glassy eyes, whatever is making the fear tick. He only needs
to hear her say it.

“Immunity,” it comes out a whisper.

“From?”

“
Everything,
” she gazes up at him,
her nose swelling red, “and everyone.”

“Don’t be so sure.”

“But… but…”

“They’re using you like they do everyone,”
Reid meanders back to my side, “once you’re no longer of
value…”

“So I
have
to stay valuable,” she
steps toward us, tears streaming freely now, “they took him, they
took Marshall. I can’t go like him…”

So much has been said, so much revealed in
only the last few minutes. I want to review it all immediately,
running over the last exchanges to make sure nothing’s slipped by.
To make sure I haven’t missed anything. But I can do all of that
tomorrow, play rewind when there’s time to do it, time to dive back
into this scene and replay it until I know each question and
comment by heart. But now, before all that, I need one thing
answered.

“Were you setting me up to be snatched?”

She lifts her face, wiping her wet nose and
shaking her head. “No.”

A long moment passes before anyone speaks
again. It’s Reid and he’s changed his tone. It’s inquisitive now,
less accusing. “What was your assignment?”

Raj inhales deeply, stifling her cry, which
tries to burst up in little bubbled whimpers, “I’m-I’m to find out
whatever I can about Fallon and report back to Perry. As a training
exercise… t-to make sure I can handle it. They never asked for
anything specific, just that they know anything of
importance
.”

“And?” Reid urges. “Anything else?”

Holding her breath briefly, Raj goes on. “I…
Perry told me I’m now supposed to push Walker on her. But I don’t
know why! That’s all I know—I
promise
!”

Reid’s face hardens at the comment, the room
silencing as Raj’s last word dies out. With his chin in his hand,
he nods, as if reassuring himself of a difficult decision.
“Alright, here’s what’s happening. You’re working for me now.”

“What?” her head snaps up.

“You’ll act like you’re still working for
Perry…” he circles again, stroking his chin and working out the
plan as he goes along, “…tell her all the little gossip she wants
to hear. Make up stuff—nothing important,” he points, Raj tensing
at the abrupt command. Slowly, he resumes his circling, “But
whatever gets her off your back. Make her know you’re working for
her… but work for me instead.”

“How?”

“You’ll run assignments.”

Raj sniffles slightly, “Like a Scout?”

“Mostly. Except you’ll be working for me,
not the Rogues.”

“I thought you…” I start and Reid looks at
me in that way he does, choking up the words that were so easy to
say a moment ago. I’ve got his attention and suddenly, I’m unsure I
want it.

“Were a Rogue? No,” he shakes his head with
a wide, humorless grin, “not anymore. Alright,” he rubs his hands
together, glancing from Pratt, to Vix, Clark, Sampson and then Raj.
He wants to change the subject, and quick. “I think it’s time.”

“For?” Clark gripes from his corner.

“The stowaways to think on all they’ve
heard… back at the Castle,” Reid casts a contemplative frown over
me. Without breaking our stare, he speaks over his shoulder.
“Pratt, go with them.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ve finally made
it out here,” I gesture to the exit, “and you want me to go back?
After everything you’ve just told me?”

“What do you expect to do?” Reid motions to
the same exit, “live in the jungle?”

“Yeah—if that’s what it takes.”

“So you’re going to leave everyone?” Reid
raises a brow. “Just desert them back there?”

He’s waiting for me to argue but I don’t
know what to say to that. Maybe he’s right. It’d be selfish to save
ourselves when there’s a whole Castle of innocent people. It
wouldn’t be right to abandon them, not to the unclear fate the
Dofinikes have in store for us.

Nodding, I finally acquiesce. “I can figure
out my way back.”

“Doubtful. Pratt,” he motions to Raj and I.
She jumps to her feet, hanging between us and the little wooden
door behind her.

“It’s incredible, really,” Sampson redirects
my attention with his smooth, calming voice, “that you were able to
navigate your way down here. With all the tunnels…”

“How many are there?”

“Oh…” he smiles rather mischievously, “there
are
several
.”

“Like this one?” Raj glances about the
wooden room. She’s stopped crying but peers around with swollen red
glass spheres.

Sampson nods, “So it’s probably best to heed
Reid’s suggestion and let Pratt assist you. Can get rather…
confusing down here.”

I don’t want to give in—how hard can it be
to find my way back?—but with Sampson’s urging and Reid’s
unyielding stare, there’s nothing to be done. “Fine.”

“Remember,” he approaches, my chest drumming
at his proximity, “not a word. Camp is our only advantage. If it
gets out, we’ll have nothing. And I mean
nothing
. Not even
food.” He’s looking for some sort of response, some sort of
confirmation to know that this secret will still be safe
tomorrow.

“Not a word,” I agree.

He nods, backing up, but before Pratt’s able
to dart into the tunnel outside, Reid points at Raj. “And this
thing with Walker stops now.”

She nods fervently, confirming his meaning
completely. She casts a second’s glance my way before scrambling
behind Pratt, who is already climbing out the door. I’m just behind
them, casting one last look at the four but they’re already engaged
in their own discussion.

I emerge into the black tunnel after the
girls, Pratt leading us away as she holds her own Callix ahead of
her. We walk in silence for a bit, Pratt repeatedly glancing at
Raj, who keeps up only enough to not get left behind. A million
questions buzz in my head, a million explanations needing to come
out. But I ask none of them, carrying on in silence until Raj’s
voice breaks the silence.

“I’m so sorry, Fallon.”

I don’t respond at first, listening instead
to the sound of my slippers pounding the compact dirt. What am I
supposed to say—it’s all right? Has she been reporting on me since
the first day? And for what exactly? That’s still unclear. Without
a response, she goes on.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“Sure you did. Otherwise you wouldn’t have
accepted.” The words sting as I say them but with everything that’s
happened tonight, it’s best that that’s all she’s getting from
me.

“But it didn’t start out like this. I just
wanted…” she struggles, looking for an explanation I could
understand, “…to be
in
it rather than watch helplessly from
the side. Wondering if it’d be
me
they took next…”

“Because of Marshall?” Pratt chimes in,
veering us left.

Raj only nods. She might not owe Pratt
anything but I decide it’s well within my right, so I ask. “Who’s
Marshall?”

“He…” she takes a moment, “…he was the one
who gave me the Callix. He…”

A long silent minute passes before Pratt
asks, “When did you find out?”

“Right after they took him. We were supposed
to meet at Leisure Time but he never showed. I saw him talking with
a Scout earlier—he’d done it a hundred times before—but…”

“Do you know which Scout?” I’m not sure why
but I want to know.

“One of the Kings. I don’t know who,” she
shakes her head, “I would’ve suggested one of Rox’s… but I didn’t
know much back then.”

“He would’ve helped you,” Pratt nods along,
“any of the Rogues would’ve.”

“But again, what did I know? What do
any
of us know? It’s so hush, hush. You don’t know if you’re
working for the good guys or the bad.”

“So what happened?” I ask.

“I guess he ran too many errands for them.
He first started bringing me Gupples. Then Rublies and then other
kinds of food. Fresh, bizarre kinds,” she stops to think about it,
“and then the Callix… but too many people caught on and he became
invaluable. They wouldn’t trust him and then, he already knew too
much.”

“Did he ever tell you what he was doing?” I
ask.

“No, that was the one rule.
Never
ask. Sure I noticed the disappearances but how could I bring it up
when he’s bringing me Gupples every day?” She sniffles, “It’s too
late now.”

“And you figured the Kisses could help
you?”

“I figured it was a shield. They’d get the
assignments and then Perry would just tell me what to do. I’d get
food regularly, the kind of food I’d grown used to, and I wouldn’t
be on the outside anymore.”

“And me…”

“You were my shot. The newest arrival I
could practice on. If you were doing anything—meeting with a Scout,
with anyone important—I had to let them know first. If I didn’t and
they found out through somebody else, I’d be out.”

“So the Clans never sent you?”

“No, Perry did. As a trial,” she sniffles
again, “I’m
so
sorry, Fallon.”

Again, what’s there to say? There’s still so
much I want to know. So much to be answered. I offer her a slight
shrug.

“Well, you’re working for Reid now,” I offer
as the shining light to a storm I still don’t fully understand. But
then I turn to Pratt with a suddenly burning question. “Why isn’t
he with the Rogues anymore?”

“
His
choice. Tucker won’t stop trying
to get him back in but…” and at this she tosses a glance in Raj’s
direction, who mirrors the same uneasy frown, before returning it
to me, “…something happened. A long story. I’ll tell you about it
sometime.”

I take it as the final word on the matter
and we move along in silence again. A few minutes pass before Raj’s
fragile voice breaks through again, “So, what’s going to happen
now?”

“With what?”

“All this. What the Dofinikes are
planning.”

“Is there much we
can
do?” I trudge
on, deeper into the tunnel’s black mouth, “except push when they
give us an inch.”

“How?” Raj and Pratt both ask at once.

When I figure it out, I’ll let them
know.

“A few Gupples, some Marowines,” Pratt
places an odd assortment of fruit on my food dispenser, returning
to hand me a strand of tiny red beads, “and this one’s a Rublie.
Reid thought you might like it. Here.”

Every night, Pratt has been stopping by long
after Leisure Time and dropping off a few pieces of food. She never
stays more than a couple minutes, just long enough to deliver the
gatherings for the night and comment on at least one menu choice,
always careful to make note that
Reid
selected it or
Reid
found it or
Reid
thought I might like it, as if
I might forget who he was.

“Go on, try it,” she insists, watching as I
bring the food to my nose to investigate. “They’re high on demand
in the Market.”

Biting into the red bead, the flavor sings
on my tongue. Mostly sweet but a pinch of tartness makes it a
delectable combination and just the right amount in that one
serving. This is…
delicious
.

“Wonderful,” I say before diving into the
next bead, mentally declaring this my new favorite food.

“I know...” Pratt grins coyly. “That’s why
Reid wanted you to have it.”

Warmth spreads through me, igniting the
small fireball inside. “Tell him…uh… thank you, for me. Will
you?”

“Definitely!” she jumps for the door,
excited to deliver the message when I call her name. “Yeah?”

“Um…” I gulp, trying to remain as impassive
as possible. But every day he stays away, making it hard to thank
him myself. “I’ve tried talking to him, you know, at like, Leisure
Time and he never…”

“He’s busy,” Pratt cuts me off, a flicker of
hesitation crossing her face. And then, as if knowing I expect a
bit more of a reason, “There’ve been more Snatchings lately. Rogues
need his help stopping them.”