Monument 14: Savage Drift (Monument 14 Series) (12 page)

Another guy drove a jeep up into the belly of the plane. The jeep was fitted with a big, strange contraption. Two huge tanks were hooked up to some kind of compressor. Hoses and cables were wrapped in loops, hanging off the side. Most of them led to a giant funnel that sat on top of the machine.

What the heck was it?

“You all head to the nose. There’s a gangplank there. My copilot will help you up. It’s a lady copilot. Leslie Fox. She’s nice.”

Roufa headed off toward the crew with our money.

We climbed out of the jeep and went over to the gangplank.

Captain Fox, a thin, pretty blond woman in her late thirties, maybe, got us seated in the cargo area. She seemed okay. Hardly said a word to us, just showed us into the cargo area from the open cockpit door.

There were four more of those jeeps inside the body of the plane. That’s how big it was.

There were jump seats on either wall of the plane. Most were folded up, but Fox folded them down.

The only thing Fox said was to Astrid.

“You need a special seat belt,” and she switched out a part of the harness on Astrid’s belt for one that wouldn’t cut across her belly.

“Try to get some sleep,” she told Astrid. Then she handed us all noise-blocking earphones.

And somehow, we did manage to sleep. At least I did.

*   *   *

“We’re here,” Roufa shouted over the engine’s thrum. He nudged us awake with his boot. “Landing soon, sleepyheads.”

I had drool on my shoulder. A big wet spot. I wiped it off.

Of course Jake saw me.

“Nice,” he mouthed.

I mouthed back a popular two-word curse phrase.

The landing was bumpy. Not like flying in a jet airliner at all.

The jeeps bounced on their shocks, jostling the strange contraptions they carried.

“When we land, I want you four to just get out and walk directly into the brush. You’ll see what I mean. Walk straight and you’ll come out on a street near government housing. Take your suits off then. Keep walking and you’ll find yourself in town.”

He turned to go back into the cockpit.

“Mr.… Captain Roufa!” I yelled.

He turned.

“Thanks! Thanks for taking us.”

My friends added their own words of thanks and he nodded.

“Keep those suits handy,” he told us sarcastically. “There’s rumors of drifts.”

*   *   *

Fox opened the door and let down the folding ladder that served as the gangplank.

The sky was light gray, shot through with thin, wafting peachy-colored clouds.

The plane was still far out on the tarmac, engines running. I saw Roufa meant to proceed taxiing down the runway to the base. He was letting us off so we could disappear into the brush.

I took Astrid’s hand.

Niko went first, then Jake, then us.

We went down the ladder and darted across the tarmac into the tall weeds at the edge of the runway.

Fox pulled up on the folding stepway and it disappeared into the plane. She gave us a wave. The door shut and the plane moved slowly toward Lackland AFB.

Our feet crunched over grass and twigs, branches grabbing at our safety suits. The weeds were gold colored, all dried up, and there were larger bushes, too, also desiccated.

Around us the plumage of the grasses started glowing as the sunrise spread up, filling the sky, and I realized that the feeling in my heart was joy. Joy at being free and living in the beautiful, wild world.

*   *   *

We went through a mile or so of grass.

“I can’t believe it,” Astrid said, squeezing my hand. “We did it.”

I was worried about her keeping up, but she seemed fine. She was smiling and much happier than she’d been in a long time.

“Captain Roufa was something, wasn’t he?” Jake said.

“Roufa-man!” Niko exclaimed, repeating McKinley’s nickname.

Niko was grinning.

Niko wasn’t a smiley guy, per se. But even back at the Greenway, he’d had moments of relaxing and hanging out with us.

I remembered once he’d made up a story about a girlfriend he had. An older girl who went to college.

He had dropped her—I’d never heard him mention her again. But he sure wasn’t that way with Josie. It was clear to me that he loved her. He was devoted to her, no question. Here he was risking his life to rescue her.

“Is anyone hungry?” Astrid asked. “I’m starving.”

“Mommy Junior needs some chow, people!” Jake announced. “Lord, do you think diners are running like normal? What I’d give for a short stack and a side of bacon extra crispy!”

“Mmmmmm,” Astrid moaned.

“Make mine a Belgian waffle with strawberries—fresh strawberries and real maple syrup!” Niko said.

“You know what I’d like,” I added. “A Spanish omelet!”

“Spanish omelet,” Jake mocked me. “You can have anything in the world and you want a Spanish omelet?”

“Obviously you’ve never had a Spanish omelet,” I answered.

“Please nobody say Spanish omelet again,” Astrid said. “The idea of eggs makes me want to hurl.”

We could see cars zipping by on the road.

“Can we take our suits off already?” Jake asked.

“Yeah,” Niko said. “I mean, you should. I might just keep mine on. Just in case.”

This was telling. Niko believed the drifts might be out there and was willing to keep the blousy safety suit on just in case. I didn’t blame him—if he was exposed to the compounds for more than a few seconds, he’d blister up. If he was exposed for more than a minute, he’d be dead meat.

We changed quickly. The suits being so big actually helped getting in and out of them quickly. Once I took it off my shoulders, I just kind of stood there and the whole thing ballooned down, settling around my feet.

The suits did not take up much room in our packs, thankfully. I packed Astrid’s and mine into my backpack, setting the masks, which were the most bulky parts, right on top. They were right there, if we needed them.

*   *   *

We reached the road. There was a Denny’s sitting down a ways.

“Denny’s!” Jake yelled. He whooped. “We made it back to the real world!”

We ambled toward the cheery signage and bright, squat building.

“God,” I said. “What’s it gonna be like?”

“What do you mean?” Astrid asked. She slipped her hand in mine. I shrugged.

“Denny’s after the fall.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

JOSIE

DAY 33

In the morning Mario is all over me about the letter.

“Imagine when those reporters find out you’re in here,” Mario tells me. For the first time since we had arrived, his eyes are twinkling again.

It reminds me of the long days we spent in his bomb shelter. He’d talk and plan and rub his hands together, so happy was he in anticipating Niko’s face when we were reunited. Or how good it was going to be for me when we tracked down my parents.

Sometimes it seems like my future is the only thing keeping Mario Scietto going.

Now he has that same fire back. He wants to get the attention of the reporters.

“We’ll hail them down and you start talking. You should say, ‘I’m Josie Miller, from this article here about the Monument Fourteen!’ just as loud as you can. Once they find out you’re in here, they’ll get you out. Special-interest story—absolutely. The power of the press! You’re presumed dead! They love that stuff.”

The kids are listening to us. Freddy bouncing on the bed he and Aidan share. Lori braiding Heather’s hair.

My body feels like it has been backed over by a delivery truck. Everywhere aches. My knees are skinned raw. I feel them sticking to my jeans. My knuckles are a mess, already festering around the edges.

“And don’t mind what happens to me,” Mario continues. “I’m going to keep Venger off you until you catch the ear of one of those reporters.”

“You can’t,” I say.

“Hell yes, I can!” he continues. “Maybe me and the kids can make a distraction.”

“Yeah, yeah!” they agree.

“Maybe I could fall and trip someone and then I’ll be like, ‘I’m hurt! Somebody help me!’” Aidan suggests.

“No, no, I have it!” Freddy interrupts. “Can anyone vomit on demand?”

“Shut up!” I shout. “No one is helping me do anything.”

Mario raises his hands to argue me down. He knows I will protest.

“It’s not because I don’t want help or I’m being tough,” I say, cutting him off. “Look, last night Venger threatened me.”

Just saying his name tightens my empty stomach into a knot of dread.

“He said if I step out of line he will send me away for some kind of medical testing. I don’t know why he has it in for me, but he does.”

Mario looks at me, his mouth set into a grim line.

“And if you guys help me, he could do it to you. He could send you away. No,” I continue. “What we’re going to do is lie low. Just like you say, Mario, ‘Look down. Look dumb.’ I’m going to play it really safe. I’m not going to provoke Venger. And we’ll get through this together. If,
if
I can get a completely safe chance to talk to someone, I will. Okay, you guys?”

I look to Mario.

He is studying me, trying to figure me out.

I am faking an interest in the group. Faking a new desire to protect the kids. Faking. No way am I going to let Mario get himself killed trying to talk to reporters on my behalf.

“You know,” Mario says, scratching his head. “A better thing to do might be to try to talk to one of the cafeteria ladies. They like me.”

“Maybe they would smuggle a note out!” Lori says.

“Yeah!” Freddy shouts.

Fine, let him sweet talk the lunch ladies.

Maybe it would work.

*   *   *

On the way to breakfast we have to pass through the Men’s hall and I nearly bolt.

The men are already out, but still, my heart races to be there.

Lori takes my hand.

I don’t want to hold her cold-fish hand, but I do.

We see Venger, too, out in the courtyard, talking with some guards.

I keep my head down. Don’t make eye contact.

He can think me cowed.

That is just fine. Lori squeezes my hand.

I try to walk like I’m not falling apart at the joints.

*   *   *

As we enter Plaza 900, Brett sidles up alongside me.

My Gram used to call kids like him gankly—gangly and lanky. Awkward for sure.

And the ratty little mustache isn’t helping his look.

“Hey,” he says.

“Hey,” I make myself say back.

“Can I talk to you a minute?”

Mario looks over, a question mark in his eyes.

I shrug.

“I’ll catch up,” I tell Mario.

My guard is up. He is going to make some demand. What does Carlo want?

Brett motions me off to the side, near the restrooms, where we can talk.

“You really know how to handle yourself,” he says, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he gulps. Is he nervous, somehow? “I thought you were a goner last night.”

I shrug.

“What do you want?” I ask. My mouth is dry.

“Look, this is a weird way to say it, but you should get with me. Like, be my girlfriend.”

I must have shot him a shocked look, because he gets red in the face.

“I can protect you. Me and the Union Men. It’s not such a stupid idea.”

“No, no. It’s not that,” I stammer, stalling while my brain catches up with this bizarre situation.

What is bizarre is that the kid seems sincere. He is stroking his pathetic mustache.

“It’s just—have you looked at me?” I ask him. “I look like the walking dead.”

He smiles.

“You look pretty good to me.”

He puts his hand on my shoulder and pulls me into his body.

I can’t help it—I push him away. Elbow his ribs and pushing myself off him. My heart is pounding.

“Don’t be like that,” he says.

“Sorry,” I mumble. “It’s just—I’m not—”

And then I hear the other Union Men come into the entranceway.

“Watch yourself, Brett. She bites.” Carlo laughs.

“She’ll eat you for lunch, man,” another one jokes.

Brett’s face goes all red.

The moment slows down and with my eyes I try to say, I’m sorry. Wait. Of course I can’t “be with him.” But maybe …

Maybe we can be allies? Friends? Is that insane?

But the light in his eyes goes out. They turn flat and hard.

“Your loss, rabbit,” he says.

I sag against the wall and he rejoins his gang.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

DEAN

DAY 33

In the entry foyer there was one of those black dry-erase boards that you write on with neon markers.

It said in bubble writing:

Welcome to Denny’s!

We have no vegetables or fruits

except canned!

No decaf
No sodas! But we got milk!

And we’ll do our best to make it a great day!

“They sure do like exclamation marks,” Astrid said wryly. There was an edge of nervousness in her voice.

“We’re cool,” I said. “No one would have any reason to question us being here.”

“It is a little early for us to be out, don’t you think?” she replied.

“We’ve been out all night partyin’,” Jake said, throwing his arm around her.