Outcasts (42 page)

“Two getting off the elevators now. You’re going to have to stun them to get out.”

“We’ve got two enforcers coming.” Omar shushed Carrie again. “Can you guys stun them?” He changed the tone of his voice, trying to sound soothing. “It’s okay, Carrie.” The other babies had quieted, but Carrie’s cry was going to give them away.

Tupi drew his gun. Mukwiv already had his in hand. “Should we wait for them to come in?”

“No,” Zane said. “Those doors have an alcove that will be good cover. Go, go.”

Omar relayed Zane’s message. Tupi held the door for Mukwiv, and the two men slipped out. The door started to close, and Omar caught it with his foot. He heard a man yell, shoes squeak on tile. He heaved Carrie up on his hip and crept forward.

“They’ve got them down,” Zane said. “Get out of there. To the stairwell.”

Omar pushed all the way out the double doors and into the hallway. Tupi and Mukwiv were waiting. “To the stairs.” He tried to run, but the kids bounced so much that Ben’s head smacked into his chin, and the boy started to cry. Great, now two were crying. At least Hazel was happy on Omar’s back.

“Hold him while you run,” Mukwiv said.

Omar pulled his arms tight around Ben and Carrie and jogged toward the stairwell. Awkward, but much better. Ben instantly quieted.

“You’ve got two more coming up the stairs,” Zane said.

Omar warned Mukwiv, who took the lead into the stairwell. “Be careful to keep out of their line of sight,” Omar said. “The babies have SimTags and could get stunned.”

But Mukwiv and Tupi had the advantage of height as they came down and easily stunned the ascending enforcers. They made it down the stairs. Omar paused at the door to the back parking lot. “Zane? Can we come out?”

“Yeah, yeah. More enforcers are coming in the front, but the back is clear. They still don’t know I’ve hacked the grid and taken over their cameras. Dim shells, anyway.”

Omar pushed out the door and walked across the empty, dark parking lot. Carrie had mostly quieted and hopefully would stay that way until they were safely in the truck. In the distance, headlights flashed twice, and Omar changed direction, headed for Dayle’s truck.

Just before they reached the vehicle, the back doors opened and Mason looked out. He took Carrie from Omar and set her inside, then pulled Omar up into the back. “You did it, brother.”

“Yeah.” But not without loss. Another person dead. Omar’s fault. Omar’s gun. And nothing but bad news about Mason’s medic. He dug
in his pocket for Skottie’s PV, and once he had it in hand, he fell on his knees on a pile of blankets that covered the floor of the truck and took a long drag.

“Where’s Kendall?” Mason inched over to help Omar remove Hazel from the back harness and laid her on a pile of blankets.

“May.” Hazel crawled over Carrie’s body back toward Mason.

“Hey, Hazel.” Mason swept her up in a hug and touched her nose. “How are you?”

“Wuv May.”

“I love you too,” Mason said, setting her back on the blankets. “Though you won’t like me very much in a minute.” He looked around the interior of the truck. “I thought Kendall went with you. And where’d you get that PV? I thought yours was gone.” He moved over and started to unhook the baby from Tupi’s back harness.

Omar leaned back against the wall of the truck, keeping one hand on Ben’s back. He held the vapor in his chest, shaking, wishing it were brown sugar. Some of the kids were crying and he shut his eyes, wanting this to be over, fighting back tears of his own.

Once everyone was in and the truck was moving, Mukwiv answered Mason’s question. “The one called Kendall was killed.”

“Killed? How?”

“It’s my fault.” Omar opened his eyes and met his brother’s. “Shay gave me Jordan’s gun. We weren’t supposed to take anything more than the stunners, but she was worried and …” Omar squeezed Ben and rocked back and forth, more comfort for him than for the little boy. “One of the caretakers said Kendall’s baby is with Renzor.”

“Talk about this later,” Zane said in Omar’s ear. “Get the SimTags out.”

Never a moment to rest. “Zane says we have to get out the SimTags.”

“Right.” Mason shook the shock from his face and picked up a black backpack. “I’m going to need some help holding the kids.”

“I’ll help.” Glad for something to do, Omar scooted across the back of the truck until he was beside Mason.

“It would be best if you held her.” Mason picked up Hazel and handed her to Omar, but the little girl clung to Mason’s neck.

“May. Wuv May.”

Mason had to pry her hands free. “I’m not looking forward to this. It’s pretty rough.”

“How many you do tonight?” Omar asked, suddenly realizing he hadn’t even asked how things had gone at the boarding school. “Did you get the others out?”

“We did.” Mason pulled a backpack onto his lap and removed a bottle of rubbing alcohol. “Thirty-four. The kids brought friends, and we only lost one, a Safe Lander. He got stunned, not killed.” Mason swabbed Hazel’s hand with the alcohol. “Hazel, I have to make an owie on your hand, okay? Omar is going to give you hugs.”

Easier said than done.

Mason used his scalpel to slice the side of Hazel’s hand. She shrieked, a high-pitched sound louder than any siren. And her tears were contagious. Carrie and one of the Jack’s Peak kids started to cry too.

The next fifteen minutes were horrible. Babies screaming, tongues curled, faces red, blood and more blood. But Mason worked quickly and kept calm and soon had a collection of seven SimTags in a little plastic container.

“Knock on the wall, will you?” Mason asked Mukwiv, who was closest to the inner cab wall.

He did and the truck slowed to a stop.

“I’m just going to toss this,” Mason said, “then we’ll be good to go.”

Mason slipped outside and returned in seconds. He closed the door, motioned to Mukwiv to pound on the wall again, and the truck sped away.

“What did you do with it?” Omar asked.

“Threw it in a dumpster.”

Omar did his best to hold Carrie and Ben on his lap as Dayle drove toward the storm drain. The kids were still whimpering. At least they
didn’t have much farther to travel. It was dark enough in the back that Omar let himself cry for Kendall.

Once Dayle stopped, Mason helped Omar get the kids back in the harnesses. Then they carefully descended into a storm drain that would take them to the Midlands.

They had to go very slowly so they wouldn’t slip and hurt the kids, whose cries were so loud Omar was certain they’d be caught any minute. He almost didn’t care. What was the point, really? Death would win in the end. It would take them all.

Zane had left a truck for them in the Midlands, and once everyone was loaded up, Omar drove it to the cabin. He came upon the building slowly, making sure there were no other vehicles out front. The place looked deserted. He checked his SimTag detector just to be sure, then turned the truck around and backed up to the porch. Then he shut off the truck and got out to open the back doors. By the time he reached them, Mason was already out and knocking on the front door of the cabin, Hazel and Ben in his arms.

Aunt Chipeta opened the door. “They’re here! Oh, Hazel, my sweet baby!” She took her child and started bawling.

Mary pushed out onto the porch, her girth filling the doorway. “Any word from Levi?” Mary’s kids were older, and she was the only mother here without a child to hold.

“When we were in the tunnels, Zane told me they were back,” Omar said. “Hailey and Meghan are fine.”

Mary hugged Aunt Chipeta and squealed. Eliza came running next and claimed Ben. Mukwiv and Tupi carried the Jack’s Peak children into the cabin, and Mason went back to the truck to pick up Carrie, whose mother had been liberated with the other women over forty a few months ago. He handed her to Mary. Omar shut the truck doors.

“Mason.” Aunt Chipeta waved him inside while still holding Hazel. “Come and check on Naomi. She had her baby. It’s a boy!”

Another baby. Mason hurried inside, and the women followed, leaving Omar alone outside. He could hear the tearful reunion from where he stood outside by the truck. He imagined the mothers
embracing their children, crying but happy. Such a scene would make a nice painting. He should go and watch. After all, he had helped bring about this great reunion. See? Not everything he did turned into a disaster.

But Kendall was dead. So he stayed outside, vaping and wishing he hadn’t taken Jordan’s gun. He should go inside, find Shay, apologize. And he needed to tell Mason what Kendall had said about the medic woman, but he was tired of doing hard things. For now, he just wanted to stand here in peace and grieve and —

The door flung open and Jemma ran out. “Omar!” She ran down the porch steps. At first he thought she must be glad to see him, but then he noticed her bloodshot eyes. “Rewl took Shaylinn.”

Icy fear dripped through Omar. “Took her where?” How did he even know about the cabin? And what did that mean for the rest of them? Were they safe here?

“He stunned Eliza, then threatened to shoot Aunt Mary and Chipeta if Shaylinn didn’t go with him.”

This was very bad. What did Rewl want with Shay? Or had he done this for Bender? “Did he say where they were going?”

“No. He made her get into the trunk of his car. It was a big black car.”

The ice in Omar’s chest melted into heat. “When was this?”

“About an hour ago.”

Omar needed help and fast. “SimTalk: Zane.”

“Hay-o, peer,” Zane said. “Make it to the cabin yet?”

Omar relayed what Jemma had said about Rewl kidnapping Shay. “Can you track his car?”

“Give me a minute,” Zane said, then he mumbled to someone. “First let me do this for — “ A sigh. “Fine. Omar, Levi wants you to drive the women and kids to my place. He’s very … concerned about everyone’s safety in the cabin. Now let me check on the car. I’ll tap you back.” And the implant went silent.

Move everyone right now? Omar took a deep breath and glanced at Jemma, who had tears in her eyes. “Zane’s trying to track Rewl’s car.”
Jemma blurred before him, and Omar realized tears had filled his eyes as well. Would the madness never end?

Jemma’s lips pursed into a scowl, and she slapped the side of his head.

“Ow! What was that for?” Did mothers teach that to their daughters? Because that was exactly how his mother always struck him, right down to the stinging ear.

“For kissing Kendall. What’s the matter with you?”

Oh. “I …” What was the point of trying to explain? “Kendall’s dead.”

Jemma’s anger melded into shock. “What do you … why would you say that?”

“Because it’s true. Because she got shot with Jordan’s gun that Shaylinn took from under his bed to give me so I’d be safe in case enforcers showed up with real guns.” He screamed into his hands then. “It’s my fault. So stupid.”

Tears rolled down Jemma’s cheeks. “I didn’t even realize she hadn’t come back with you. Where’s her baby?”

“He wasn’t there. I have to find him, though. I promised.”

The door opened and Aunt Chipeta stood there wearing Hazel on her back. She must have taken one of the harnesses from Mukwiv or Tupi. “Omar, Jem, would you like something to eat? I’m warming up a casserole.”

And so they went inside, silent, both of them dazed. Omar nearly stepped on Carrie, who was toddling around the kitchen with her thumb in her mouth. Eliza and Mary and several of the babies were missing, likely in one of the rooms. No sign of Mason either, so he must still be talking with Naomi. The Jack’s Peak men were sitting in the living room, Mukwiv on Jordan’s chair, Tupi on the couch, still holding his son. Omar sat beside him. This was where he and Shay had talked together. Where Shay had kissed his cheek when he’d given her the painting.

Where Kendall had kissed him.

Mason walked into the kitchen then, and Jemma greeted him.
Omar should tell him about the medic and Renzor, but his SimTalk implant spoke first. “You. Have a. SimTalk tap. From … Zane.”

“Answer.”

“Omar,” Zane said. “I found Rewl’s car. But, peer, he’s parked at Renzor’s place. Champion House.”

Why had he taken her there? Omar cursed. How could they possibly —

“Omar, language!” Aunt Chipeta crouched to cover Carrie’s ears. They were all staring at him: Mason, Jemma, Mukwiv, Tupi …

“Rewl took Shay to Champion House,” Omar said.

“What’s that?” Jemma asked.

“Then let’s go,” Mason said, hands on his hips like this was nothing more difficult than sweeping the carpet. “He’s got Kendall’s baby, and Ciddah’s there too.”

“Wait. What’s that mean?” Jemma asked.

Ciddah the medic. His brother might not be so eager to rescue the woman if he knew she didn’t want to be rescued. “It’s not that easy, Mase. Zane said that place is a fortress.”

“There must be a way,” Mason said.

“Yeah, you’re going to have to give me some time on that,” Zane said in Omar’s ear. “You’d have to be invisible to break into there.”

Omar thought on that word:
invisible.
“I could create a SimArt design,” he said. “I’d have to get body implants for it to work, but I could make my skin all black or something. Sneak inside. Hide in the shadows?”

“Walls, that’s clever, peer,” Zane said. “I don’t think we have time for you to get that made. But let me check a few things. I’ll also see if I can pick up any enforcer chatter for that location. Maybe I can find out if something is going on there.”

“Get back to me as soon as you can.” And the connection died. Omar let his head fall back against the couch.

Jemma walked over to where he sat and looked down on him. “What is Champion House? Where’s my sister?”

“It’s where Lawten Renzor lives,” Omar said. “It has very high security.”

This set off Jemma’s tears again, and she walked over and hugged Mason.

“Could we not save this rescue until after we free our women from the harem?” Mukwiv said. “That would give you all more time to make a plan.”

“The harem women are safe for now,” Mason said. “We don’t know what Rewl wants with Shaylinn or what Renzor wants with Ciddah or Kendall’s baby.”

“Why would he have Kendall’s baby there?” Jemma asked, then turned to Omar. “And why would he take Shaylinn?”