Ordinary (Exceptional Book 3) (11 page)

[ marnie ]

Marnie was dying to talk more with Ally. She didn’t make it out to the courtyard until afternoon and Ally and her friends weren’t even there anymore. Evan hadn’t been to see her since she got back to her room yesterday, so she walked by herself over to Kemp and leaned against the wall. She had seen him from her window, leaning against the wall and counting his fingers all morning and into the afternoon. It gave Marnie a place to think, and to not feel alone at the same time.

After awhile, Evan appeared in the courtyard and came over to stand next to her.

“Having fun?” he asked.

She shrugged. She had been picking up small rocks and seeing how far she could throw them. So far no one had stopped her but she had gotten a nasty look from a female Ordinary that she had accidentally hit with one.

“I’m imagining that I’m throwing these at the General, not open air,” she responded. She gathered a new handful and began throwing them one by one.

“I was starting to get the feeling that you two were becoming friends.”

Marnie laughed. “I don’t think I can ever be friends with the man holding me prisoner.”

Evan was silent and she looked over at him.

“You know that’s what I am, right? I may have my own room and a courtyard to walk around in, but I would never be allowed to just walk out the main gate. I may never be allowed to. I might die within these walls.”

“Marnie,” Evan said.

“No, don’t pretend like you’re my friend either,” she said. She wasn’t sure where all of this anger was suddenly coming from. She wanted to blame the newcomers. She had finally come to terms with the idea that this was what life had to be like for her, but they proved her wrong. There was so much more out there for her, a whole other city as large as Zone D even.

Evan stepped away from the wall, his hands held out in front of her. His mouth opened to say something but the door to the courtyard opened and the General stepped outside. Evan stiffened and saluted the General.

“Marnie. Sergeant Nickols.” He nodded his head to both of them.

Marnie had never seen the General in the courtyard before.

“You are being given new orders,” the General said. “Effective immediately.”

A cold feeling crawled up Marnie’s spine. He didn’t say he was sending her home, he just said she was receiving new orders. Evan was still as a statue beside her.

“Sergeant Nickols will escort you to living quarters 2235B where you will be briefed on your new assignment.”

He was acting strangely formal. Marnie chewed on her lip.

“Gather any belongings you wish to take with you.” The General turned and headed back inside, as quickly as he had come.

Marnie looked at Evan and then back at the door.

She followed Evan inside and back to her room. He waited outside while she went inside to gather her “belongings.”

Belongings
.

Marnie didn’t have any belongings here. What little personal items she did own were all back home. She walked over to the bed and grabbed a deck of cards, the same one she had been using since she had first asked for them. She held them tightly in her hands and stepped back into the hall.

“This way,” Evan said with a tight smile. Even he seemed uneasy about Marnie having a new assignment.

“Maybe I’m getting a bigger room with a better view,” Marnie suggested as she followed him into the hall. “Possibly some pants with pockets.” She was still clutching the deck of cards in her hands.

Evan gave her a glance out of the corner of his eyes and started to pick up speed, but Marnie thought for sure she caught a hint of a real smile on his lips. She had already forgotten that she was upset with him.

It took ten minutes for them to reach the living quarters. Exceptionals and Ordinarys alike wandered about the hall, some carrying bags of food or piles of clothes. She was sure some of these people were being held by the General. Maybe this was the next step for her. The General now trusted her enough to have a larger living space and more freedom to move around.

Evan knocked on a door labeled 2235B.

When the door finally opened, both Evan and Marnie startled slightly.

“Ally?” Marnie squeaked out. “Ally..” she said again. “Is it weird that I know your name?”

She hadn’t spent any time with the Ordinary standing in the doorway, but after listening to her talk in the interrogation room, she felt connected to her in a way she felt with few others.

Ally laughed, pushing her long, brown hair behind her shoulders.

“No,” she responded. “Come in.”

She and Evan stepped slowly into the room. Marnie instantly felt jealous of what she’d been missing out on. The living space was as large as her home outside Zone D. There was a large living room with lots of seating space in front of a picture screen. There was a full kitchen, accompanied by a large table to eat at. A hallway led off to the left, and she imagined there were bedrooms and bathrooms behind the closed doors.

Despite all of the space, the room felt crowded when Marnie noticed all of the people watching her. Luke and Max, who she remembered from interrogation, were leaning against the counter in the kitchen, eyeing her carefully. Luke reminded her of a mixture between the boys back home, and the General. He had all of the hard lines and the exotic looks of an Exceptional, but with the added gruffness of a leader.

Max was unusual to look at. Marnie had never seen an Ordinary that had so recently turned into an Exceptional. He had the violet eyes and the sharp facial features, but he had a softness to him. He hadn’t grown up in the hardness of a city with a dictatorship, whether Exceptionals or Ordinarys were at the top. She suddenly wanted to know more about his story.

And now she was staring.

Sitting on the couch was a girl that Marnie didn’t recognize. She had red hair that fell unevenly around her shoulders, as though she had taken a knife to it herself. There were dark circles under her eyes and Marnie noticed a bruise on her right cheek. It was clear she was someone who had traveled through the wilderness with the others, maybe weathering the travel worse than her counterparts.

“Sabine,” the girl said, noticing Marnie’s staring. She had to stop doing that.

“Marnie,” she responded. She looked to her right. “This is Evan.”

He raised one eyebrow, as though he had expected to stay invisible.

“Great, now that we all know each other, let’s get down to business.” Max stepped away from the counter and motioned for Marnie to have a seat.

She sat on an unoccupied sofa and Evan followed her lead. One by one the others sat in various seats around the room, until they formed something that resembled a circle.

“The General told me that I’ve been given a new assignment.” Marnie started the conversation off at that point. She didn’t want to sit around and wait for someone to give her instructions.

Ally nodded and offered up a kind smile. “You’ve officially been released from the General’s direct command. As of right now you are, well, free.”

Marnie’s mouth hung open slightly. “
Free?
As in, I can go home?”

“If you want,” Ally responded.

Luke fidgeted nervously to Ally’s left. He seemed upset by her choice of words.

“But the new assignment?”

“It’s voluntary,” Ally said. “We don’t want to force you to help us in any way.”

Marnie crossed and then uncrossed her legs. She was having trouble sitting still. “What’s the assignment?”

Ally looked at Luke. He leaned forward and clasped his hands together. “There is a group, maybe an army, currently moving toward our City from the west. We need to take a small group to assess the situation and decide what sort of threat they are.”

Ally cleared her throat.

“If any,” Luke added with an eye roll.

Sabine smiled from the couch.

“And you want my help?” Marnie asked.

“We’d appreciate the help,” Ally said. “We could use the extra numbers, and the extra abilities.”

Marnie felt as though she was being used for her abilities, all over again. They didn’t pick her because she was the first Exceptional they met in Zone D. They picked her because of her skill. It was just what the General had done. He had dragged her out of her life back home because she had a convenient ability.

“Look, I know this seems like an odd request,” Max said from her right. He leaned toward her, his violet eyes not quite as shocking as a full fledged Exceptional. “We wouldn’t be asking if we didn’t truly need your help. We all heard what you said back in the interrogation room. We know that you share the same beliefs as us. You want to see a change in the relationships between Ordinarys and Exceptionals. You want to see equality and fairness. This is what we are trying to accomplish. Understanding this large group moving toward the northern City is the first step. If we don’t make an effort to make peaceful relations with the towns and groups we run across, we’ll constantly be dodging obstacles rather than reaching our goal. You can help us with this Marnie.
Will
you help us?”

Five pairs of eyes were on her, but she could only look at Max.

“Yes,” she said. “I’ll help you.”

[ ally ]

Ally paced the room. Luke and Max had just left to gather supplies. The General had promised them use of the store room to put together a large travel pack each, plus a few extra for the Exceptionals they would be taking with them. So far they had Marnie, and now they needed her help to choose two more.

“You’re making a permanent path in the carpet, Ally,” Sabine said from the couch. “What’s wrong?”

Ally stopped and looked up at her briefly before resuming her pacing. Carpet was a luxury back in the settlement. Her house had wood floors that had an ever present layer of dirt. The carpet in Luke’s house had been plush and luxurious, and somehow they had it here in the southern City. She pulled herself back to the present.

She was mentally making decisions, a few of which would really upset the others in her group. Marnie was at the table in the kitchen, shuffling a stack of paper over and over again. She had never seen such small pieces of paper all the cut so similarly. They each had different numbers and colors on them as well. Ally spied the cuffs still on Marnie’s wrists, which meant even she didn’t know what Ally was thinking up.

Sabine tossed a pillow off her lap and stood.

“You’re going to do something stupid, aren’t you?”

“Maybe,” Ally responded.

“Does it involve running off?”

Ally pursed her lips and then blurted, “Maybe!” out.

Sabine groaned. “Seriously, Ally?”

“Hear me out.”

Sabine shook her head. “No. We’ll
all
hear you out when the boys get back. And when your brother returns tonight. It’s time we really start making decisions as a group. We’ve been following your lead for awhile, and it isn’t fair for you to just run off because you think it’s the right thing to do. In fact, I can’t even think of a
good
reason for you to run off.”

“It isn’t like that,” Ally said with a sigh. “I promise. But okay, we’ll wait for the others.”

She took a seat on the couch and watched Marnie shuffle the paper in her hands over and over. They made a mesmerizing sound as they slapped together on the table. She focused on it and closed her eyes, leaning her head back against a pillow.

Luke, Max, and Evan returned an hour later with packs and boxes of supplies. They took time to pack each one as evenly as possible, attaching weapons to the sides of each. Ally took great care in her work, trying not to look at either Luke or Max. They would immediately know something was up.

An hour after that, two soldiers escorted Stosh into the room.

“Stosh!” Sabine jumped up first and ran into his arms, careful that her lower body did not bump into his injury. He hesitated and then pulled her closer, burying his face momentarily in her shoulder.

Ally stood and hurried to give her brother a hug. He seemed weak still, but he looked much better than he had when they first arrived in Zone D.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

Stosh placed a steady hand on her shoulder. “Better now. Being isolated in the Med-ward was torture but they were kind and took good care of me.” He looked around the room. “I have a feeling there is a lot to catch up on.”

Ally nodded and both she and Sabine led him toward the couches so he could take a seat. Marnie had been at the kitchen table for most of the afternoon, but now came over to sit with the others, taking her spot next to Evan. He had been silent since arriving with Marnie.

“So, is someone going to tell us what’s going on?” Max asked, looking back and forth between Ally and Sabine.

Sabine raised an eyebrow at Ally, as if to say
go on
.

Ally sat down next to Stosh.

“I’m not going with you.”

Everyone had their own expression of disbelief or confusion, but Luke was the first to speak.

“What do you
mean
you aren’t going with us?” He walked across the room and stopped in front of her. “You changed your mind about leaving?”

“Not exactly,” Ally responded. Luke’s body blocked most of the room and it felt awkward to look up at him, so she stood and started to pace, resuming the same path she had made across the carpet earlier. “I’m going to be leaving the City, just not with you.”

Luke took the seat where Ally had just been and put his head in his hands. “Just spill it Ally. What’s your plan?”

“The more I think about it, the more I think that we don’t all need to travel up north. A larger group is more likely to be spotted, and I don’t think I’m going to be the most useful person once you arrive. I think it’d be wiser if I started into my own cause. Now that Marnie is coming with us, I think we can split up.”

“And this super special cause is what?” Max asked. He was perched on the arm of an unoccupied chair.

Ally gave him a look of disdain. “Seriously?”

Max smirked. “I am just trying to imagine what you think you are going to accomplish out there on your own. Are you going to traipse across the country alone, finding people to join your cause? Are you expecting to meet friendly faces wherever you go and no opposition? What happens when you run into another group of people like New Eden?”

“I won’t be alone. Sabine and Stosh will be with me,” Ally said.

They both grew wide eyed at the mention of their names. Ally figured it had less to do with being surprised about going with her, and more because it made them look like accomplices to her plan.

“Two Ordinary girls and a boy recovering from a serious infection. Smart,” Max said with a snort.

Ally scoffed at him. “I think I’ve more than proven that I am capable of taking care of myself. Besides, we’ll have a transport, weapons, and supplies from the General.”

Max stifled a laugh. “So basically what we left Champaign with, and look how we arrived.”

Luke’s face was unreadable, but Ally could see him clenching his fists when she dared take a glance at him.

“Max could go with you,” he said.

Max stood. “Wait, you aren’t going to argue with her silly plan? You are just going to volunteer people to watch over her?”

Luke glared at Max. “I think we both know how stubborn she is.”

Ally stopped pacing. She never thought of herself as stubborn, just… driven to do what she needed to. “Max should go with you. You are probably going to need to stop in Champaign before you do anything, and Max will be your best asset for dealing with Heath.”

“He will probably kill me on sight,” Max retorted.

“Or he’ll kill me for turning you,” Luke pointed out.

Max nodded. “At least then I’ll have time to run.”

Ally shook her head. “Doubtful. I still think it is best if it is Luke, Marnie, and Max that make the trip north. I’ll have Stosh, Sabine, and two other Exceptionals that Marnie will chose.”

“Huh?” Marnie looked up from her knees, as if she just realized they were having an important conversation.

“The General gave us permission to take two more Exceptionals with us, voluntarily of course. We were hoping you could convince some of your friends to come along,” Ally explained.

Marnie’s mouth hung slightly open. “But what about Evan?”

It took Ally a moment to realize she was talking about the Ordinary that was assigned to her, either as protection or as a guard, she wasn’t completely sure. Her eyes scanned to the soldier sitting next to Marnie. “He wasn’t a part of the deal.”

“I think you should make him a part of the deal,” Marnie said. “He would be much more useful than any of my friends. They’ve been kept from their abilities for most of their life, and many have no idea how to use them.” She held up her cuffs to make a point. “Evan has military training.”

She had a very valid point, but Ally didn’t think the General would be willing to part with one of his soldiers. To him, only Exceptionals were expendable. Ally had hoped they would be able to train them to use their abilities better on the trip up north, even if it meant camping out for a week or two in the woods before moving on. It would be better than nothing.

“I’ll have to talk to the General,” she told Marnie.

Marnie just nodded. Evan remained still, a skill in which Ally figured he was well trained.

She was feeling off balance without a response from Luke. She had expected him to disagree immediately and rant and rave about how dumb she was being. To be truthful, she was a little hurt he didn’t seem to care more.

“Evan, could you take me to see the General. I need to finalize plans for our departure tomorrow and confirm supplies. Also, it looks like I need to negotiate the addition of you to our travel group.” Ally gave him a kind smile, hoping it would ease the tension he was emanating. It didn’t. “If that is okay with you, of course.”

He stood quickly and at attention, gazing down at Marnie for a moment. “I think that would be okay.”

No one else made a move to join them. Everyone seemed to be lost in their own thoughts and processing the changes in their travels tomorrow. She just hoped they would use this time to accept it, rather that come up with arguments for why she was wrong. Because right about now, based on the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, she was having trouble accepting it herself.

“Sergeant Nickols was never a part of the deal,” the General said from his desk.

They had had to go through four clearance zones and wait twenty minutes in a warm interrogation room before they were let in to see the General.

“I know, but Marnie is adamant that we bring him along. She made some valid points about his usefulness as well,” Ally said.

Evan was standing by the door, looking extremely uncomfortable that he was the topic of conversation. Ally didn’t want to discuss him as though he was an object to be acquired, but he didn’t seem interested in speaking for himself.

“Which is why I need him here,” the General retorted.

“Yes, but hadn’t you planned to keep him on duty with Marnie during her stay here. A stay which is now being cut considerably short since she will be coming north with us.” Ally crossed her arms over her chest.

The General sighed and used his right hand to rub his forehead. “Very well. Now what else did you want to discuss with me?”

“I just wanted to confirm the use of two small transports for tomorrow, plus supplies for our trip.”

The General rifled through some paperwork on his desk. It was messier than she had expected it to be.

“I have the orders right here. My soldiers will escort you to the Outer Zone tomorrow morning where you will meet up with the people of Marnie’s sector. After your choices are made, the soldiers will take you to the north road where you will part ways.”

Ally nodded. “Marnie seemed reluctant about bringing Exceptionals from her sector because of their lack of training in their abilities. I’m confident that we can help them learn to harness their powers, but I’d like some preparation.”

The General nodded and pressed a button on his desk.

“Sir,” a female said over a speaker in the room.

“Please print out a list of the Exceptionals living in Outer Zone, Sector 4 along with their ages and abilities. Our guest will be picking it up once she leaves my office.”

“Yes Sir,” the voice crackled.

Ally fidgeted in her seat. “If you don’t mind me asking,
why
have you been so accommodating? Especially to a group mixed with Exceptionals, whom you seem to distrust completely.”

The General leaned on his desk, clasping his hands together. “Things weren’t always this way in Zone D. After the wars and looting and riots, our first leader tried hard to have everyone live in peace in the City. Job distribution was equal among Ordinarys and Exceptionals, and living arrangements as well. We were working hard to rebuild a better city, the city you see here today. But history likes to repeat itself, Ally. Eventually gangs popped up and violence was widespread. The majority of the trouble was coming from Exceptionals. They were starting to realize that they had the tools to overthrow the leaders. Why do with less when they didn’t have to?

The leaders before me tried hard to reason with the Exceptionals. They started by imprisoning the ones that caused trouble, just as Ordinarys would have been imprisoned for crimes in the Old World. But new problems kept popping up. The leaders knew that if they didn’t do something drastic, immediately, there would be no turning back. An Exceptional that was on the board of leaders at the time, had the ability to take the abilities of another Exceptional completely, stalling them for a short period of time. He could also project abilities on other people. He was very attuned to how Exceptional abilities worked and the ways that they could be kept at bay. He worked with a technical team to develop a device that would lessen an Exceptional’s abilities for as long as he or she was wearing the device. The first prototype was rough, but eventually it evolved into the cuffs that we use today.

I wish the problems stopped there, but the Exceptionals replaced their abilities with violence and we were forced to separate them from the Ordinarys. That is how we ended up with the system we have today. My beliefs still lie with those of the men before me, Ally. If there were a way for me to integrate all Exceptionals back into Zone D without issue, I would do it, but all attempts so far have proved in vain. I don’t often put my faith in a kid, no offense, but I am open to trying anything. And I think your story and the trials you’ve faced in the past several months give you credibility. I mean, at this point, what do we have to lose?”

Ally sat back in her chair, letting his words work through her mind and settle in. They weren’t exactly comforting, but at least he wasn’t denying her requests and telling her he didn’t believe she could make a difference.

“Honestly General, I have no idea if my plans will work or how much I will accomplish, but I have to try. If I don’t try, I’ll never know if I could have made a difference. I just know that I am not okay with the way things are right now, with the threats and the dangers and the chaos. If I have any chances of making a small difference... I have to take it.”

The General nodded. “I think you’ll find that a lot of the towns out there are open to change, with some persuading, but no one has had the time or willingness to try. You though? You just might be crazy enough to accomplish something. I wish you luck.”