Metaltown (19 page)

Slick.
So slick it made Ty feel slimy. He wouldn't be offering unless it helped him somehow. Behind her, people had begun to murmur.

Colin contemplated this. “We'd get the same rights as the other factories? A doctor, and pay when we work overtime?”

“Of course,” said Jed, eyes gleaming. “I'd make sure you get everything you need.”

“And what do you get out of it?” he asked.

Jed's smile faded. “The satisfaction of helping the children, of course.”

“And our money,” said Ty. Jed barely glanced over.

“There would be a small fee,” he acknowledged. “Members pay dues.”

“Of course,” mumbled Ty.

“I got to
pay
you to watch my back?” shot Chip. Ty hadn't heard him approach. He stood on her bad side, where her head was still bandaged.

“Get out of here.” She pushed Chip behind her, willing Jed to forget his face. The streetlamps flickered on.

“I'll bring the paperwork tomorrow,” said Jed with finality. He turned.

“Wait,” said Colin. “You didn't answer the kid's question. Why should we pay you, when we can do the same thing ourselves?”

Jed turned slowly. “Because I talk to Hampton, and you do not. You need me.”

“No,” said Ty, feeling all eyes turn her way. There was no going back now. She took a bold step forward. “You need
him.
You need all of us. You wouldn't get paid otherwise.” It was all coming together, all making sense.

“If I recall, you were fired, weren't you? This doesn't affect you.”

Ty's face went red. She could still feel his disgust when he'd looked at her eye. She could still see it on his face. “Why now? You were doing fine without Small Parts. Why do you care now?”

Jed ran his tongue over his top lip. “Keep your dog on a leash, Mr. Walter.” He spoke in a low, threatening voice that only Colin and Ty could hear. “That's your second warning.”

Colin's chin lifted. “You haven't seen her off the leash, believe me.”

The smirk on Jed's face faded, and was replaced by the same darkness Ty remembered in his office. “Well, consider this. Her smart mouth just got your mother kicked out of the Brotherhood. Do you know what that means? No more protection. No more charity.”

Ty felt a shimmer of fear work through her. “You can't do that!” Beside her, Colin shifted, teeth grinding.

“Oh, believe me,” said Jed. “I can do anything I want.” He backed up, and looked slowly around the crowd of workers. “All right, let me try this again. Tomorrow, Small Parts will join the Brotherhood. You'll pay your dues, and if you don't, I'm sure they'll find a place for you in food testing.”

The anger was rolling through Ty, hot and heavy. Jed Schultz thought he could walk in here and flex his muscles after years of ignoring them. Thought that everyone would bend to his whim, just because he said so. Who did he think he was, a Hampton?

The other workers said nothing. How were they not furious? She couldn't tell if they were afraid of losing their jobs, or relieved by Jed's offer.

“What's wrong with you guys?” she said.

“Ty, shut up!” Martin hissed behind her. “We don't really want to press,” he added, loud enough for Jed to hear. Ty flinched.

“That's good to hear, son,” said Jed. “We're looking forward to tomorrow.” He turned, the others on his tail, and made for the front of the line, where a somber Hayak gave him his choice of anything on the rotisserie.

“That arrogant prick!” Ty growled. Martin glared at them before walking away.

“Shut up, Ty,” said Colin quietly.

“He just threatened your jobs!” He wouldn't look at her, and the sick feeling inside of her spilled over. Colin didn't have the money to buy the supplies Cherish needed. If he lost his job at Small Parts, she'd die even faster. Ty had done that to them. It was her fault.

“I'll get some green, don't worry. Cherish—she'll be okay.” Ty took a step forward. “I swear I'll help out. You believe me, right?”

“Back off,” he said. Her chest tightened, the muscles wrapping tighter and tighter around her ribs, making it difficult to breathe.

“Colin…”

But he had already turned, and was walking away.

 

18

LENA

Lena paced across the study, awaiting her father. She expected him home any minute, and she intended to intercept him before Otto did.

Her brother was the worst kind of bully. The way he'd treated Colin was intolerable. The sneer in his tone when he'd told him to bathe. The accusation that they'd been doing something inappropriate together. She'd covered for her brother enough. He'd gone too far, and it was time her father heard of it.

She smoothed down her sweater, hands pausing over her slim waist. As much as she hated Otto's methods, she found herself worried. Meeting with Colin alone had been a risk; she'd known that to begin with. She hadn't meant to confess the things she had, and she certainly hadn't expected him to speak so frankly now that he knew who she was. It should have been insulting—her family employed him. He was from Metaltown, and she was a Hampton.

Yet the only reason she'd gone to him in the first place was to prove to herself that she wasn't like the rest of her family.

She thought of his scarf, hidden in the adjacent bedroom beneath her mattress.

The front door opened. Lena's heels clacked against the hard wood as she jogged down the stairs toward the foyer. When she reached the bottom, her heart sank. There, beside her father, was her brother. Otto shrugged out of his jacket and placed it on the coatrack.

“Come to greet us at the door, Lena? How very sweet.”

She swallowed, ignoring him. “Father, I…”

“I'd like a drink,” he told the maid. He didn't look at Lena as he swept into the parlor.

“What did you say?” she hissed at Otto.

Her brother's eyes twinkled. “Who says I said anything?”

She tailed after Josef, Otto gloating at her heels.

In the parlor, the maid delivered a tumbler of corn whiskey to her employer, and then quietly took her leave. Otto collapsed on one of the leather couches lining the room. The light was low, but did not hide the hard lines etched around their father's eyes.

Josef tossed back the first drink, then went behind the bar to serve himself another.

“What were you doing in Metaltown today?” he asked without looking up.

She slowly filled her lungs, summoning control. “I went to speak to an employee regarding a girl I fired earlier in the week.”

“A girl you
what
?” Otto lurched up, shoes clapping against the tiled floor. “You fired someone without running it by me?”

“You didn't even notice,” said Lena.

“I'm not interested in that,” said her father. “I'm interested in why you were outside the factory, alone, with the help.”

She didn't like the way he said
help,
as if Colin was no different from their maids, or any of the other workers. “I wasn't alone. Aja was there.”

“And I've dealt with Aja.”

A beat passed, and Lena's mouth fell open. “You let him go.” Aja had been with the family for years.

“Could I have done any different?” Her father came around the bar, a hint of flush showing on his neck.

“Aja did nothing wrong. I told him to take me to Metaltown.”

“He works for me, not for you, Lena. Though, apparently you can be quite persuasive.”

Her chin pulled inward. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Her father came close, grabbing her chin harshly and lifting her face to his. Gone was the gentle reminiscence of the previous night when he'd talked about her as a baby. This was the man who'd held her bird—the only gift he'd given her—only to crush it in his fist.

“Father.” Otto had risen and was standing several feet away. The concern in his voice frightened her. Otto should have been enjoying himself.

“Stay out of this,” Josef said evenly. “If you had any self-respect you would have managed this yourself.”

“I didn't do anything.” The tears burned Lena's eyes, but she blinked them back. “I just went to speak to him.”

“Don't lie to me.” His level, emotionless tone made her insides tremble. “Do you know what it looks like? You, rolling around in the back of
my
car with one of them?”

She lifted her chin. Forced herself to be still. “It's not what you think. Otto, tell him.”

Otto said nothing.

A sharp pain lit up her jaw as her father squeezed harder. His eyes were black and bottomless. She became unable to remain a statue. Scratching at his hands, she tried to pull him off, but her satin gloves slipped.

An image of her nanny flashed through her mind. The only person in this cold house from whom she'd ever felt love. But looking into her father's stare, that love felt wrong, undeserved.

“He's a worker, Lena. Do you want to spend your days hunched over a sewing machine or stamping metal? You wouldn't last five minutes.” He breathed in slowly, then out, nostrils flaring.

“I think she understands,” said Otto weakly.

“I didn't do anything wrong.” Her voice cracked.

“You fraternized with an employee,” said Josef. “You told me you wanted to learn the business. You wanted to take on responsibility. But all you wanted to do was play in Metaltown. You
lied
to me, Lena. I trusted you, and you made a mockery of our family.”

A great rage rose within her, like a tidal wave blocking out everything behind it.

She shook herself free from his hold, his thumb and forefinger leaving aching points on either side of her jaw as her narrowed gaze burned up at him.

“
I
lied? I'm not the one selling weapons to the other side just to prolong this stupid war. I wonder how long ago the fighting might have stopped if not for your clever interference. A year ago? Longer? Tell me, Father, do you leave the crates of artillery unattended on the supply trains, or do you have them delivered all the way to General Akeelah's doorstep?”

His hand came down hard against the side of her face. So hard, she felt her brain rattle, and her joints and muscles temporarily give out. She hit the ground on her hip, tumbling on her side, vision wavering, static in her ears.

He'd hit her. He'd never hit her before.

The shock gave way to fear, and rage, and disgust, creating a potent, suffocating mix in her lungs. Small gasps were all she could afford, but she closed her lips. Her hot, burning skin became a mask to hide the horror beneath. She willed steadiness, calm. Maybe it was stubborn, or maybe it was just her Hampton blood. Either way, she kneeled, smoothed down her skirt, and rose on shaking legs.

Josef's head had fallen forward. His hands rested on his hips. He looked exhausted.

“This life you love so much has a cost,” he said, raising his chin. “This house. These things.” He held his arms wide, but they collapsed again at his sides. “Without the war, we have nothing.”

A weak laugh slipped from her throat. These fine things were theirs because they'd funded the enemy. This house was built on the backs of workers who weren't even paid half the time. If this was what this life cost, she wanted none of it.

“We already have nothing,” she said.

Without looking back, she walked from the room—slowly, as her legs were still unsteady. She climbed the stairs, entered her bedroom. With numb hands and a numb heart, she reached beneath her mattress for Colin's scarf, and within it, a doll, given to her long ago by the only person who'd ever really cared about her.

Her eyes landed on the birdcage before the window. Empty now, since the maid had removed Lena's only friend. She went to gather some things and reached for a silver-backed hairbrush on her dresser. How much had that cost? A day's wages at one of her father's factories? A week's? Enough to send the girl she'd fired to the doctor, at least. And yet, it wasn't even one of her most prized possessions. If she lost it, she'd just get another. She left it where it was.

She needed to get out. Out of this cold house. She'd crossed a line downstairs, told the truth, and been punished accordingly. This family didn't honor honesty. Northern Federation soldiers were dying at the hands of well-armed Advocates, just so she could wear nice clothes, and eat clean food. Everything she touched felt tainted. She'd never been less hungry. She wanted to give everything she owned away.

Her feet carried her down the stairs, to the door where her coat hung. She grabbed it and calmly walked outside into the freezing, black night. No one chased her, no one called for her. She didn't expect them to. She found the carriage house, and the car in the garage. The keys were hanging on a rack on the wall, and with shaking hands she took them and pressed the button to open the door.

She'd never driven before, but it couldn't be that difficult. She'd seen Aja do it enough. Scan the key, start the ignition. When the car began to roll back she tested her foot on the brake, yelping when the vehicle jolted to a stop. Setting her grip on the wheel, she eased off the pedal this time, backing down into the circle, and pressing the button that said DRIVE. The steering was sensitive and the car jerked each time she shivered.

Away,
she thought.
Anywhere but here.

Some of the streets were familiar, others not. Squinting into the black, she drove on, never slowing, never stopping. There were no cars on the road this late anyway.

Soon she recognized the beltway that led to Metaltown.
The factory,
she thought. She could go to the factory. It might be open. Panic chipped through the numb shell encasing her heart. If it wasn't open, she didn't know where she would go. She didn't even have her nanny's address anymore, not that it was right anyway.