Savage Run (8 page)

Mai reaches her arms out to greet me and
pulls my ear to her lips. “My, don’t you look like you need some
happy pills...” she whispers. “Cheer up; this event is for
champions and you certainly don’t look it.” She places me at the
end of the line, next to the tallest, most muscular guy here, and
gives me a stern look. I pull my shoulders back and try to fit
in.

Nicholas steps up to the stand, and the
gathering—and even the protesters—calm into a low simmer. “Welcome,
citizens of Culmination to the very first Savage Run,” he says.
“I’d like to share with you a silly story, if you would be so kind
to indulge me. As many of you know, I spent a few summers on a
ranch right outside of Culmination. My favorite thing to do was to
play outside—to swim in the lake beside our home and play in the
woods, chasing after squirrels and torturing hedgehogs.”

The gathering laughs.

He continues. “But my favorite memory from
there happened one spring morning when I was ten. My father had
sold the ranch and it was the last day before we moved to Asolo.
Before my father could tell me no, I headed to the lake to
swim.”

I smile a little.

“
There was a chickadee that
lived in the oak tree right outside of our door. She was constantly
feeding her youngsters, their hungry beaks opening and closing,
accepting the nourishment from their mother. That day, one of her
chicks had fallen out of the nest. I saw the poor little creature
abandoned on the ground, chirping, and left to die from starvation
or to be eaten alive by a predator, anticipating life to end in the
most excruciating way. Not thinking much of it, I helped the poor,
helpless bird back into its nest. Later that day, I saw the bird I
had helped fly away.” He pauses and grips the side of the podium.
“That’s what these young men must feel like now—like that little
bird must have felt. Waiting. Waiting for someone to help them. For
someone…to pick them up and give them wings to fly.”

The gathering cheers.

“
As you know, this Master
class recruitment program is closed to the media and the public.
However, I will personally inform you of the results after each of
the three phases directly following the completion of each phase.
Now without further delay, we must bring these savages to Volkov
Village. Thank you.”

The gathering claps, and Nicholas steps away
from the podium.

One by one the participants climb the
stairway that leads up to the aircraft. Nicholas stands at the
bottom of the stairs, waiting for me, the last contender to board.
Just as my foot touches the first step, I hear someone yell my
name.

“
Heidi!”

My heart plummets into my stomach when I
recognize my father’s voice. My hand twitches and almost reaches
for my locket. But I’m on my own now.

“
Heidi! Don’t do this!” he
yells.

I’ve never heard him this desperate. A lump
forms in my throat. I shouldn’t turn around, but since everyone
else is doing it, so they probably won’t suspect that I’m the one
he’s calling for. My father is tripping over his legs to get to me
and some of the people in the crowd shove him and laugh as he
stumbles to the ground.

“
Heidi! Don’t leave! I’m
sorry I messed up!” He climbs back onto his feet, his gray hair
sticking to his sweaty forehead.

Seeing what’s happening, Nicholas sends a
couple of Unifers in my father’s direction. Once they arrive, they
pull their clubs out and beat my father against his head and
abdomen until he collapses to the ground. With every blow, I feel
the pain deep in my stomach. My father covers his head to protect
himself from the assaults. I want to yell out for the Unifers not
to hurt him, but I hold back, too afraid it will give me away.
Maybe more afraid my father might think I care.

“
Do you know that guy?” Mai
asks me.

My eyes are glued on my father, and pity
overwhelms me when I see blood coming from his nose. To me, he
seemed to be the strongest man alive. Now, with the Unifers
pounding down on him, he appears weak and helpless, not even a man.
“No, I don’t know him.” One last time, I look back at the person I
have called father my entire life and feel like I’m betraying him
by pretending he’s a stranger. But he has betrayed me countless
times by treating me the way he has. I owe him nothing.

I turn my back to him. Each step toward the
plane is another step away from my former life and the former me.
Trying to fit into his mold never worked. And it never will. I
clutch onto the handrail and run up the stairs.

Chapter 6

The cabin hostess waits by the open door and
smiles at me as if I’m the most important person in the world.
Entering the aircraft, I see the other participants pausing to size
me up. Some of them laugh. A few nods greet me with sincere
expressions, but most frown and scoff, rolling their eyes as I
squeeze by them.

“
Welcome aboard, young man.
Let me show you to your seat.” The cabin hostess beams and guides
me to one of four, black, inward facing, leather chairs. Mai is
already sitting in one of them, holding a small mirror, and
applying red lipstick. Next to her sits a black-haired muscle head.
He stares at me as I sit down. Each seat has its own set of buttons
to select movies or listen to music, and the cabin hostess proceeds
to show me which button to push to make the chair open up into a
full-length bed. “And if you need anything at all, press this
button.” She gestures to a red knob above my seat.

I thank her, and she walks to the back of
the aircraft.

“
Just get me out of this
godforsaken place,” Mai grumbles to herself more than to
us.

I’m about to ask her why she would call
Culmination a godforsaken place, but the guy sitting across from me
says, “Couldn’t get a job shoveling manure?”

I squint my eyes. “What?”

“
You think you have a
chance against all of us out there?” He pops a grape into his
mouth, the juice squirting out as he bites down on it.

Mai rolls her eyes, but remains silent.

“
No, I just…”

“
Good, then we agree.” He
pops another grape in and chomps on it with his mouth open, the
smacking sound unbearably irritating.

Nicholas takes the seat next to mine and
nods to the grape guy. “Johnny, this is Joseph. Joseph, Johnny. I
trust we’ll be able to have a pleasant flight together?” His
eyebrows rise.

“
Doubtful,” Johnny says at
exactly the same time I say, “Of course.” I sink in my
seat.

“
The flight to Volkov
Village is just over two hours. Let’s make it a pleasant one.”
Nicholas straps himself in, and seeing that I have problems
figuring out how to fasten my seatbelt, he reaches across my lap
and secures the buckle. His forearm brushes mine, and his skin is
surprisingly warm. The captain announces that we’ll be taking off
shortly, and before I know it, the aircraft speeds down the runway.
I dig my nails into the armrests, my stomach tightening as we lift
off the ground. I feel dizzy. As the bumpy ascent calms, my grip
loosens a little.

“
The numbers are in, and
there are two thousand and thirty-nine contenders in the Savage
Run,” Mai says, reading a report on an electronic device. She
glances at me, I think with pity. “Well, I’m exhausted.” She puts a
cheetah-print sleeping mask on and pulls a blanket up to her
shoulders. Johnny extends his seat into a bed and shuts his
eyes.

I rest my forehead against the window and
look outside. I can’t see anything at all, only bright whiteness. I
wonder what happened to my father, if the Unifiers imprisoned him
or let him go. I don’t really know why he came after me; I was
always in the way—eating too much or not doing enough. Lazy.
Ungrateful. But, he wasn’t all bad. Once in a while he would
compliment me about how well I was doing my job or tell me I had
exceeded his expectations. I savored those words because pleasing
him used to be everything. Although, in time, I came to learn that
whenever he was friendly, he wanted me to do something for him—give
him a back rub, or fetch him something across town, or deliver a
message to one of the people he counseled. It was never just given.
There was always a long string attached.

Nicholas nudges me with his knee. “You
should get some sleep, too.”

I’m tired, but I don’t think it will be
possible for me to sleep—too many memories are creeping to the
surface. I sit in silence for a while, but what I really need is
something to distract myself from my thoughts. I try to think of
something to ask Nicholas. I don’t want to give the impression that
I want special treatment, so I stick to safe personal questions.
“So, does anyone ever call you Nick?”

“
No.”

What a conversationalist he is. “So…have you
ever participated in an obstacle course?”

He glares at me for a moment. “I’m sorry,
but I’m not here to be your friend.”

I feel a flush of blood rise to my
cheeks.

“
Besides, you
really
should get some
rest. There won’t be much time for that once the obstacles have
begun.” His lips squeeze into a thin smile.

“
Fine.” I nod as I turn
toward the window, hoping he won’t notice my red face. But then I
catch myself. I’m just acting as my old Laborer self: a mindless,
obedient sheep. I sit up straight, search through the side pocket
of my seat and find a magazine, leafing through it without really
paying attention.

After a minute, Nicholas looks over at me.
“What in the world are you doing?”

“
Reading.” I keep turning
the pages.

He puffs. “Let me clarify. Why aren’t you
sleeping? You really should be...”

I interrupt him. “I can’t, so instead, I’m
distracting myself while reading about…” I hold up the page that I
landed on and see the red lingerie on the model, pouting her glossy
red lips, standing in a very uncomfortable pose.

Nicholas’s eyes widen for a split second,
but then a hearty laugh escapes his lips. “Joseph, I didn’t know
you liked that kind of girl.”

I quickly close the
magazine and return it to its holder, my face hot. “Not really, but
I hear that you do.” I say accusingly, as a desperate attempt to
have
something
to
say. Stupid.

“
Yeah, that’s what most
people believe.” The playfulness in his eyes turns
solemn.

“
I’ve seen you in the
papers, you know.” I need to stop talking now.

“
Oh you have, have you?”
His eyes stare me down, but they’re not angry, only
confrontational.

“
Yes, with different
girls…”

“
And…your point is?” His
voice is flat and stern, but he smiles like he doesn’t care. “Not
many people know me, and since I’m the president’s son, everyone
has their own opinion of me. You included, it would
seem.”

I hate to be lumped together with everyone
else.

“
I’m going to take a nap
now,” he leans in closer and whispers, “Heidi.” Sitting up straight
again, he says, “And if you’d like, you can do the same. Or not.
It’s completely up to you.” He presses the button on the armrest,
transforming his seat to a bed.

I pull the blanket close up to my head. I
don’t want anyone to notice how flushed my face has become.

* * *

It takes me some time, but I’m finally able
to relax. Somewhere between sleep and consciousness, I hear the
captain announce that we’re on our final descent into Volkov
Village. I bring my seat back up and stretch my arms above my head,
yawning.

“
Good nap?” Nicholas asks,
already awake.

I force a smile, not quite sure how to act
toward him after I offended him.

Mai pulls out her toiletries and freshens up
her make-up again.

“
Why didn’t you just stay
home, Imp?” Johnny stares at me from his seat.

“
Imp?”

“
Yeah, you’re imp…eding us
from focusing on what’s really important about the program,” he
snarls, and then proceeds to snort a laugh.

“
And what is that,
exactly?” I ask.

Johnny scoffs. “Honor and might—the motto of
the Savage Run.” He rolls his eyes.

“
I’m curious to know, how
is he impeding that?” Nicholas asks.

“
Thanks to him, the program
has become about something else entirely: giving allowances to the
weak. Problem is, Petunia, who will they love once you’ve died
three minutes into the first obstacle? The answer is someone who is
strong and exemplifies what the Savage Run
and
the Master class are all about.
Someone who entered for honorable reasons.” Johnny picks his teeth
with a toothpick.

“
And what honorable reasons
are those?” Mai asks, powdering her forehead.

“
Well, I don’t know why
anyone else entered, but I entered so that I could support my
sickly grandmother—provide her with a better life these last few
years she’s alive” Johnny says.

“
Honorable indeed, but
everyone is an equal participant with equal rights.” Mai’s voice is
monotone.

Johnny huffs. “That’s not true. He’s
detracting from the integrity of the event.”

“
What is your problem,
exactly?” Mai snaps.

“
My problem?” He unbuckles
his seatbelt, stands up and yells, “Am I the only one who takes
this seriously? Am I the only one who sees how this cream puff is
making Savage Run into a gag show?” Johnny points at me.