After Dawn (Book 3 of the Into the Shadows Trilogy) (4 page)

The crowd around them turned and shuffled toward the barracks.

The world around Paivi grew fuzzy and gray. Her knees buckled and she sank toward the ground.

"Paivi!" Molly grabbed her arm and slowed her descent.

Another arm slid underneath her and hoisted her back to her feet. "Prop her up on the other side." Paivi tried to place the man's voice, but couldn't.

"There's a piece of bread in her pocket, pull it out and give her a bit," the man said quietly to Molly.

Molly pulled the lump of bread from Paivi’s pocket. Paivi swallowed the piece that she held to her lips.

"You gave me the bread." Paivi mumbled. "But why?"

"Does someone need a reason to help someone else? Come on, let's get you to some water." He pushed through the crowd and dragged Paivi and Molly along with. After they received their evening portion of soup and bottle of water, they wound through the barracks. The aisles between the barracks were filled with quiet groups resting and eating. A low murmur of voices reached Paivi's ears as she sank to the ground near the door.

Paivi eagerly sucked down the contents of the water bottle and then drank the small bowl of soup before speaking. Her tongue felt like it had finally come unglued.

"You could tell we were communicating." She turned her gaze to the man from the construction site.

He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "From what I gather after being in here for nine months, you two are the only ones that can do what you do."

Paivi traded a glance with Molly. It wasn't safe to exchange a message in front of him since he could understand.

It's okay. Your secret is safe with me.
His words floated into her mind. They were different than Molly's, edged with his personality.

"I'm Peter. Peter Farmington." He held out his hand for Paivi to shake.

"I thought you looked familiar! You used to run Vantage Tech." Paivi ripped a piece of bread from the roll and took a bite.

"My god, you were like, the world's richest man, weren't you?" Molly gasped. Her mouth hung open in awe.

"Yep. Funny how things change, huh?" He looked around at the barracks. "Never thought I would end up in a place like this. But then again, who did?"

"I might have. But I didn't believe it, that's for sure." Paivi shoved another piece of bread in her mouth. The fuzziness in her brain finally started to lift.

Can you promise me you will keep this between us?
His words floated in again.
Can your friend hear this?

No. She can only get messages from me if I push them into her mind,
Paivi responded.

I'm thinking of escaping. I've come up with a plan. I thought maybe you'd want in. I'm trying to gather a small group together.
His words popped into her mind.

Her eyes widened. Another escape plan. This could be bad for her. Very bad. But how much could she tell him? Was it safe?

On the other hand, Peter Farmington could be just what she needed.

Chapter 5

"Can I just say that you look like a bad-ass?  Just like one of those chicks in the movies that goes crazy and kills everyone in a bar for revenge. You need a leather suit to finish it off." Jason ran his hand over her short hair.

With such meager rations to eat and so little water, Paivi felt like a tree in a desert, conserving every ounce of energy. If she could, she would be happy to stay here in this room, his arms wrapped tightly around her. Moonlight pierced the gaps in the curtains. Visiting was getting harder and harder due to her lack of nourishment. Paivi worried she would fade quickly. She sat up on the couch, still clasping Jason's hand in hers. Until she did fade, she didn't dare let him go.

"So what should I do? Do I trust Peter Farmington or not?" Paivi had told Jason the story of her in-head conversation with Peter yesterday. "I just wish I could get a read on him." She had attempted to probe his mind, make sure he was in this for the right reasons and not some plant for Stevens or the ATC. She wanted so badly to trust him. He was a known genius. And an adult, who could help her carry some of the heavy responsibility that was surely going to be on her shoulders in the coming weeks. He was an ally she desperately needed.

Jason pressed a button on his phone, which instantly lit up. "Let's ask Sterling."

He put the phone on speaker and the ringing echoed through the room.

"What's up, dude?" Sterling's voice rang out, a welcome sound to Paivi's ears.

"I'm here, Sterling, but not for long. I'm fading faster these days. Any word on when we can move forward?" Paivi said into the phone. She fiddled with the hem of her tattered shirt, wishing that she could at least appear in something other than what she was wearing. She supposed it could have been worse. She could have been naked.

"It's going to be really soon," Sterling's voice was raspy. He yawned. "Your brother has made a ton of headway with his group and that finally put us all at the same level of readiness. I think the Mexicans are getting the final preparations in place. Jason will be getting the info very soon, so check back with him in five days. If we need you before then, we'll get to you."

"Sterling, I met someone at the camp, someone big. He’s planning something that could interfere with my, uh, project. I don't want to give any names, but he's like, a genius. Do I try to work with him?" Paivi flinched as her hand started to fade.

Jason sat up, his face melting into a frown.

"Can't you read his mind or something?" Sterling asked.

"Tried it, he's shut up like a clam. But he can do a few things I can." Her other hand got lighter, almost the color of the beige couch. "Hurry, Sterling.”

"Trust your gut on this one, I don't know what else to say." Sterling's voice was fading in her ears.

"Okay, dude, thanks." Jason clicked the phone off and pulled what remained of her body into a tight embrace.

"I hate it when you leave me like this. Someday I won't ever let you slip out of my arms again." He caressed her cheek with his hand and pressed his lips to hers as she faded like a ghost.

Paivi blinked her eyes, the bottom of the bunk above her coming into to focus. Her body ached, the fatigue bleeding through her. She sank into a dreamless sleep.

*

I've thought about your offer, Peter.
Paivi pushed the words into his mind while handing him a nail.

And?

I want to know more.
Paivi figured if she could get him to tell her his plan, she could gauge just how much he trusted her. Then she'd feel more comfortable returning the trust.

 
Tonight, after roll call. It's time to start getting the plans together
. He swung the hammer into the nail.

They sat on top of the structure that Paivi had been assigned to help with. The mountain soared over them and the sun beat down, relentless as ever. The buildings were nearly done. The large wooden shacks contained only two doors. One door faced the camp, and one faced the new gate in the fence in back. The crews of prisoners put the final touches on the new gate. The barbed wire at the top glinted in the sun. It was wide enough to drive a truck through. There was a clang as they attempted to close it for the first time and tested its movement.

Paivi searched some of the ATC guards' minds around her as she sat and handed Peter nail after nail. She wished Molly was there, because at least they could talk about whatever. But Molly had been stuck mixing concrete at the other identical structure just yards away. She wasn't quite comfortable mentally chit-chatting with Peter just yet. She had to find out more about this plan first.

A new agent watched over them today. He was muscular and sweating profusely in the blistering sun. His tan t-shirt was wet and clung to his chest, accentuating his rippling muscles. From the way he spit orders at the other ATC guards, she figured he was a little higher up on the food chain. He flipped through papers on a clipboard almost compulsively.

Absently, she handed Peter yet another nail. The air around her rang with hammering.

She looked carefully at the new agent, sending little wisps of her energy sailing across the yard. It might have been dangerous. She didn't know if Peter could tell what she was doing.

Inside the agent's brain, she didn't have to look for long. She could see the image of the building she sat on. A long rectangle with a flat roof. Paivi saw the entrance and the exit. She also saw the small doors; almost the size of cabinet doors placed every six feet around the building. They were crude, just a hinged flap of wood with a metal handle. A sign over the door read 'Showers'.

Why did they need more showers? There were already plenty in the camp, even if they were pretty desperate ones. And these were so far away from the barracks. It wouldn't be very convenient. She stifled a yawn and handed Peter another nail before focusing a little harder.

The muscle-bound agent was thinking hard about the building. Blood pounded in his head, making it difficult for her to focus. In his mind's eye, EOS prisoners entered the building. Agents dropped canisters through the small wooden doors. And out the back of the building, ATC guards dragged lifeless bodies to waiting trucks.

They weren't showers.

The ATC was going to exterminate them. She gasped and teetered on the edge of the roof and nearly lost her balance.

Peter dropped his hammer and grabbed her arm.

"Are you okay?" he asked aloud.

She met his eyes.

We're building our coffins, Peter.

Chapter 6

Wendell Stevens cowered in the corner of the President's bedroom. His bedroom. How could he just let her float in here? But he had no control. She came and went as she pleased. And this night she was particularly upset.

She had somehow discovered his plan.

"You! How dare you!" She roared at him from the ceiling, floating great and terrible in a cloud of blood-red light. Her eyes were no longer green but a raging fire that burned into him like an inferno. "These are human beings! With feelings and families and some tiny bit of life that they've managed to scrape together even though you tried to take it all away. And now you want to end it, to bury them forever?"

"You don't understand! They have to die! That's the only way this country will be safe." He whimpered as she blazed like the sun.

"They need to die to hide what you did. What you're doing." She pointed a long, bony finger at him, her eyes sinking into her face. "Murderer! You will carry the weight of thousands of souls on your own."

He hid his face in his hands. If only he could pinch himself and wake up to find her gone. But she wasn't leaving tonight.

"Can you handle the weight, Wendell? Can you handle being one of humanity's biggest murderers? Hitler. Stalin. Stevens. It's good company you keep." Her eyes bore into him. "I'll be here, watching, every night. I won't let you get away with this, President." She spat the last word from her mouth as if it were the most foul thing she'd ever tasted.

"You're a disgrace to humanity. Be careful what actions you take, Wendell Stevens. The universe has a funny way of getting even." She was enveloped in a cloud of molten sunlight and disappeared.

He was alone. For now. But she'd be back. He didn't doubt that.