Numbers Ignite (4 page)

“Coltrane,” a woman’s voice said from outside in a warning tone. “Don’t mislead the girl.”

He sighed. “Fine. Mom helped me carry you once we reached the tunnels, so not technically I didn’t carry you
all
the way here. She’s a physician, and she says you’ll be fine.”

“Once you stop your yammering and get her some food and water,” the woman said, pushing aside a cloth that hung from the doorway and stepping inside. Her dress was a deep, brownish red, although her skin was the same light brown color as her son’s. Her long black hair hung to her waist in a single braid.

“Yes, ma’am.” Coltrane immediately stood.

She stepped aside to let him pass, then approached the bed. I caught a glimpse of silver roots in her dark hair. She smiled, but it never reached her eyes. “I’m Lillibeth. I have to apologize for my son. He doesn’t get much practice talking to girls.”

The inner panic went down a notch. These people thought they were helping a simple desert wanderer. I lay back down again, then winced when my ankle moved slightly. “The snakebite?”

She sighed. “You were lucky. You’ll keep your leg, although I’m sure there was some tissue damage. We won’t know the extent of it for a while. The swelling should go down in a few days. I’ll keep you on healing stimulants and see how we do. Has your painkiller worn off?”

I started to nod, then winced again.

“I’ll give you another injection after you’ve eaten.”

Coltrane emerged, holding a plate with a lump of something soft and yellow. It jiggled when he handed it to me across the bed.

I took the plate, unsure how to proceed. “Thanks.”

“What in the dying stars were you doing out there all by yourself?” Coltrane asked as his mother stood. “No gear, no food, and that ridiculous number on your head.”

“Hold your questions, Coltrane,” the woman said quickly, taking the plate from my shaking hands. She scooped a metal tool into it and held it to my mouth. “It doesn’t matter now. This will have you feeling much better.”

I stared at the food for several seconds. “Um, that’s okay. I’ll do it.” I took the tool from her hand. Nice or not, this woman would not be feeding me like an infant. I took a tiny taste. It was overwhelming, like an explosion of flavor in my mouth. It took everything I had to swallow.

“A little strong?” Lillibeth asked. I could swear she hid a smile. “Well, I know just what you need. I’ll be right back.”

After she left, Coltrane took her chair and leaned toward me, hands clasped together. “I know where you come from. I’ve heard about that big competition they have in the cities. Yours is the highest number I’ve ever seen. What’s your name?”

I set the plate aside, suddenly feeling nauseated. No matter their intentions, these people couldn’t know who I was. “Um, you can call me Amy.”

He sat back with a satisfied smile. “There, now. Was that so hard?”

“Coltrane,” Lillibeth said, walking back in. She nodded toward the doorway. They engaged in silent battle for a moment, but Lillibeth’s stern expression won out. With one last glance, Coltrane slunk out and dropped the curtain behind him.

As Lillibeth twisted the lid off a tube she held in her hand, it made a familiar click. I squinted at the bottle. She shook it and a pill fell into her palm. A nutrition pill. I’d know them anywhere.

“Just one for now,” she said, handing me the pill and a glass of water. “You can take another in a couple of hours if your stomach adjusts. Figure it’s what your body’s used to, anyway.”

I didn’t ask her how she’d gotten it. The water was silty and metallic, but it was the most wonderful thing I’d ever tasted. I drank every drop before handing her the glass. “Thank you.”

Lillibeth set the glass down and slid the tube of pills into her pocket. The container was full. There had to be an entire week’s worth of pills in there. That single container could get me the rest of the way to Vance.

The woman retrieved a syringe from her pocket, then twisted open a small tube. “While I inject your medication, I don’t suppose you want to tell me who you really are?”

Panic welled up again. It must have shown on my face because she chuckled and shook her head, filling the syringe and then replacing the lid. “Well, that answers that. Nobody is forcing you to talk. I just want to make sure you aren’t a danger to our community. Our generosity extends only as far as our self-preservation allows, especially with NORA so close.” I felt a prick as she plunged the needle into my thigh. Within seconds the fire in my ankle receded.

I felt my shoulders relax. “That’s amazing. I barely feel anything.”

“Our medications are far superior to those in NORA,” she said, withdrawing the needle. “Your government refuses to allow outside technology. They’re significantly behind the rest of the world.”

As the pain faded, I let myself sink into the blanket again. What had I told Coltrane again? “I’m Amy.”

“And where are you headed, Amy? It doesn’t look like you have any supplies.”

“My stuff was stolen.”

She waited for me to continue, but when I didn’t, she nodded again. “Very well. We’ve had a couple of NORA refugees stop by on their way to the mountains. I’m going to assume you’re among the group recently released and headed back to their clans?”

“Of course.” It was mostly true, but I felt guilty for implying even that much. I put my palm against the hard dirt wall beside me. It was smooth, and a faint powder coated my fingers when I pulled them away. “What is this place?”

Lillibeth took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and let it out. “You’re safe. That’s all you need to know right now. Our community accepts all wanderers, including the injured and worn of spirit, no matter their past, as they will you. Assuming you’re peaceable, of course.” A glint of anger appeared in her eyes, and then it was gone.

You’ve killed us all.
The voices from my nightmares echoed in my mind, and I pushed it away. “No question of that.”

“If you’re going to stay here, however, you’ll need to agree to the pact.” She pasted a sweet smile on her face. “Now, hold still so I can check your bandages.” She bent over my leg and pulled the corner up.

“What is the pact?” I prompted, wincing at the pressure on my swollen ankle.

Satisfied, she lowered the bandage. “You must agree to leave your past at the door. Peace is our first and only law. Weapons are outlawed. Those who resort to violence to solve their problems are disciplined and released into the wild to live like the animals they have become.”

I must have looked horrified because she met my stare with one of her own. I swallowed and tried to control my expression. “Even children?”

“The laws apply after puberty. For most of us, that occurs by age fifteen.”

“Interesting.” I wondered what Vance would have thought of this law. I could almost see the amused grin on his face.

“You don’t agree with our laws,” Lillibeth noted. “That’s a result of your background. But if you want to remain here while your leg heals, those are the conditions. Is there any reason why you can’t fulfill them?”

I stared at her, wondering what experiences this woman had had to make her think NORA citizens were violent. She was certainly insistent. “I can agree to that,” I said. “I promise to follow your pact of peace.”

She nodded, satisfied. “We have thrived for nearly five decades underground. Unfortunately, as you can imagine, not much grows down here. We have to trade for most of what we need. Which brings me to an uncomfortable subject.”

Underground
. How deep I couldn’t tell. The air stirred around me, which had to mean a ventilation system somewhere. The technology they must have had to carve out an underground home and keep it secret for decades was overwhelming.

Then I realized that Lillibeth was watching me expectantly. I squirmed. “Sorry. I’m listening.”

“You used the last of our rattlesnake antivenom,” she said. “Extremely expensive. We get it from a goat farmer a hundred kilometers east, and he doesn’t come out for two more months. If someone else gets bitten before then, we’ll be in big trouble.” Lillibeth pulled a piece of paper and started scribbling something on it.

“Oh. Sorry,” I said, unsure what to say.

She looked up from her notes and gave a wry smile. “Well, it’s not like you meant for it to happen. All I’m saying is that everyone contributes here. As you’ve dipped into the community’s resources, you’ll need to stay long enough to pay the debt. Since it will take awhile for your leg to heal anyway, surely that won’t be a problem.”

My body sagged, and I leaned back against the pillow. Great. First the snakebite, and now this. “How long are we talking? Days? Weeks?”

She hesitated. “Antivenom is very expensive. If your contribution is highly skilled, you could possibly pay it off by the time your leg heals. It’s hard to say when that will be. The healing stimulants I’ve injected are working well so far, but, like I said, there was probably tissue damage. We won’t know the extent of it for a few days.”

“So it could be weeks, at least.”

“It’s hard to say at this point.” She shoved the paper deep into her pocket and stood. “Why the concern? You were wandering in the desert, you’ll recall. Surely you’re grateful to have a home.”

I took a beat too long to answer. “I am. Thank you.”

“You’re most welcome. Go ahead and rest. I’ll keep Coltrane from bothering you as long as I can.” She flashed a practiced smile and left. The curtain divider fell closed behind her.

I tried to sleep, but the moment I relaxed and allowed my mind to slip into unconsciousness, the voices awaited me. Their accusations grabbed at me like clawed fingers and sharp knives. After the third time, I forced my eyes open and stared at the smooth dirt ceiling, my body rigid.

These people absolutely could
not
find out who I was or what I had done. If they were kind, they’d throw me and my injured leg to the buzzards. If not, they’d turn me over to NORA. My hand instinctively dug into my pockets to grab my stone, but it wasn’t there. Alarmed, I felt all around the bed and in the blankets, thinking maybe it had fallen out. Nothing. The last reminder I had of home, and now it was gone.

At one point Lillibeth slipped in again and grabbed the bag that seemed to be the source of the room’s light. She paused in the doorway for a long time. I feigned sleep, trying to keep my breathing deep and regular.

Finally, she left. The room plunged into darkness, and then I was left alone in the blackness with only my thoughts for company.

The next morning my first visitor walked up to the jail entrance. I sat forward, listening intently as the voices floated in from outside.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” the guard said.

“Of course I am,” a feminine voice said. It sounded vaguely familiar. “Mills sent me.”

“I’ve received no such orders.”

“Now, come on. I appreciate the concern for my safety, but the prisoner is behind bars. Or can he transfer evil with a single look?”

“Young lady, if Mills sent you, you’d have written authorization. Come back when you have it.”

There was a pause. I thought for a moment that the girl had left, but she spoke again, softer. “What is that you’re drinking there? Because it sure doesn’t look like water, Alan.”

Silence.

“I thought you’d given that stuff up. I think I recall your wife saying so when I ran into her at the grain mill the other day.”

There was grumbling I couldn’t understand, and then the guard said, “Make it quick.”

“You’re a dear.”

The door opened, and in walked the last person I’d ever expected to see. I sat up straighter as she approached. “Edyn?”

“Vance.” She stopped in front of my cell, one hand on her hip, head tilted to the side. “You haven’t changed much, except for that awful beard. Still getting into trouble, I see.”

“No other way to live.” I tried to look unaffected. The last time I’d seen this girl, she had been eating dinner at my family’s table the night of the attack on my clan two years ago. Her father, Rutner, had been my father’s assistant and friend. She’d been a little awkward back then, with stringy hair and a love for pranks. Now her blonde hair—the perfect NORA shade, ironically—fell in soft waves over her shoulders. She wore a red shirt and trousers that were tight in all the right places.