Remainder (18 page)

We stand completely still against the wall as we seek temporary refuge. Alec has his gun raised and leans around the corner and shoots. The knife comes around the corner and slams into the wall, barely missing Alec’s head. Emory’s gun wielding hand swings around and Alec knocks it out of his hand. As Emory withdraws the knife from the wall, Alec grabs his arms and swings. A blur of bodies entwined scuffles pass me. Emory knocks the gun out of Alec’s hand as he overpowers Alec, forcing him down to the ground. Emory sits on top of Alec, holding the knife above him. Alec punches him in the ribs, causing the knife to drop to the ground. Emory places his hands around Alec’s throat and begins to squeeze. Alec follows suit and wraps his hands around Emory’s neck. I look around for Alec’s gun, but it is nowhere to be found. I see the knife and lunge for it. I plunge it into Emory’s back. He releases Alec as he screams out in pain. Emory stumbles up and grabs me by the throat.

“You’re going to pay for that.” He squeezes my throat, causing me to choke and lose my breath. I try my best to fight him off, kicking and hitting him to no avail. As it is no use, I stop fighting and stare into his eyes. They are dark pools that contain none of the softness I have seen in Alec’s eyes. A look passes over his face that I think might be hesitation as he squeezes the life out of me. However, it disappears as quickly as it came and is replaced with rage. In that moment, I believe it is over and I’m going to die. After all that has been done to me by pure bloods and that I have seen done to other clones, I am going to die by the hands of a fellow clone.

A single gunshot rings through the air and brings Emory down. My lungs, once again, fill with air. Alec pulls me into an embrace. I feel the rapid rhythm of his heartbeat and the quickening of his breathing, or maybe it is my own. For a moment, it feels as though we are one.

“Are you okay?” he asks through staggered breaths.

“I’m fine. Let’s just get out of here.” As we walk out the door, I turn back and glance in Emory’s direction. His lifeless body is sprawled out on the floor and a pool of fresh dark red blood surrounds his head. His lifeless eyes are open and stare into mine. A chill rushes through me, causing me to shudder as I walk out the door.

Outside, Milo and Alden wave to us from Killian’s MR2 with wide smiles. When they smile, the resemblance is so uncanny that is almost seems like they are twins.

“What do you think of our ride? Where’s Emory?” asks Milo.

“He didn’t make it,” Alec responds, trying to mask the anger that threatens to take over his face.

“If we are going to be fugitives, then we are going to be fugitives with style,” Alden chimes.

“There’s just one little problem,” Alec points out. “The MR2s have a set speed. They can’t go fast.”

“Actually, I have hacked into the control panel to override the automated settings and put this baby on manual,” Alden says, his pride exuding as he speaks. “So, we can go as fast as we want.”

“You’re a genius, Alden,” Alec acknowledges.

“Oh, please. It’s a piece of cake. Anyone with any basic knowledge of computers can do it.” Alec, Milo, and I stare blankly at Alden. One of Alden’s virtues is that he doesn’t know how smart he is, so he is not cocky. Milo jumps in the seat at the control panel.

“Are we going back to the Research Center?” I ask, thinking of Rhydia and the others.

“No. We are leaving. We have to get you out of here,” Alec states.

“We have to warn Rhydia. We can’t leave them to get slaughtered,” I argue. Alec places his hands on my shoulders.

“We have to get out of here. Rhydia said there are people outside of the Grid that can help. She wants us to bring back reinforcements. We are not helping them if we sacrifice ourselves trying to save them.”

“Who are these people?” I ask. “And how do we know we can trust them?”

“They are Rhydia’s contacts outside of the Grid,” Alec informs.

“You’ve met them?” I interrogate, while crossing my arms over my chest.

“No, but I trust Rhydia, Remy. And right now, it is the best option we have. If we stay here, we will die. Then no one will be able to help Rhydia and the others of the Resistance.”

Although he has a point and we have a mission, I still feel uneasy about leaving Rhydia and the others. We should be fighting right along with them, not running away.

“Alright, are y’all ready to take this baby for a spin?” Milo asks as he gets comfortable. “You might want to sit down and hang on.” We all do as he says and hold onto the nearby furniture that is secured to the floor. We are jerked back as Milo accelerates the MR2. He lets out a squeal of excitement as he whips it around the house. The glass silver ball speeds through the Enforcer sector, heading towards the outskirts of Avalon. We pass other MR2s that are leisurely making their way to their destinations, filled with Avalon citizens who have no idea of the war brewing in their city. The lights from the bubbles illuminate the dark night and resemble balls of fire floating in the sky.

It feels good to sit down and catch my breath. I feel like the past few days have been nothing but constant turmoil. As I settle into my seat, the exhaustion I have been keeping at bay begins to surface.

I think about Zareh and how she had betrayed not just me, but all of us in the Resistance. She had been on Killian’s side the whole time and we were none the wiser. I feel so stupid to have trusted her. I think about Killian’s promise, or threat, to find me and drain me of my blood. I believe every word he said. He will not rest until I am dead. He said that I am the cure to the disease that plagues the pure bloods. Their salvation is in my body. I look at Milo, Alden, and Alec and wonder if I really have the cure to help them, to save them. What’s more, if what Killian said is true and I am the cure, I wonder if I have the strength to sacrifice myself to save the people I care about.

“Uh-oh,” Alden says bringing me back to reality. “Looks like we have company.” I look to the back of the MR2 and see two other spheres coming towards us at a speed to match our own.

“Looks like you are not the only one who knows how to override the controls,” Alec says to Alden.

“I told you it was easy,” responds Alden. Our MR2 shakes as bullets bounce off the structure. Instinctively, we all crouch down and cover our heads.

“Who is shooting at us?” I ask. As if our pursuer could hear us, an eerily familiar voice comes over the intercom of the MR2.

“Here little clone,” Roderick taunts, in a sing-song voice. “Give it up, Alec. You have nowhere to go.”

“Is this glass bulletproof?” I yell above the noise of the ricocheting bullets. .

“No. It’s difficult to penetrate, but not impossible,” Alec responds. “Alden, take over flying. Milo, I need your help.”

Alden takes over the controls while Milo and Alec push open the doors of the MR2. Hanging on to the interior, Alec hangs out of our moving ball while he shoots at the spheres following us. Milo follows suit on the other side. Roderick and his gang of Enforcers put more bullets into our MR2, temporarily knocking us off balance, causing Alden to lose control. We dip to one side quickly. I grab on to the closest thing mounted down and hang on while Alden corrects the MR2. Luckily no one is thrown from our mode of transportation Alec and Milo open fire again at the two spheres behind us, followed by more gunshots at us.

“We’re almost there,” Alden yells. “Milo, you need to take over. I have to work on the Grid.” Milo holsters his gun and takes over the controls for Alden. Taking out his computer from the black book bag Alden always wears, he sits on the floor beside me and peers at the screen, a look of concentration covering his young face. I hear the cracking of glass and look behind me at the back of the MR2. The structure now sports zigzag cracks, threatening to break.

“We need to hurry,” shouts Alec over the noise of the bullets. “It can’t sustain any more bullets. If we don’t get out of here soon, the glass sphere is going to shatter all around us.” Up ahead, I see a large red fence that looks as if it is made of lasers. It goes up as high as I can see and spans the perimeter of Avalon.

“What is that?” I shout, pointing at the weird looking fence.

“It’s the Grid,” Alden states, never taking his eyes off his work. “It’s made of lasers and ran by a computer.”

“Why is it here? Who are they trying to keep out?” I ask.

“I always thought they wanted to keep people in,” Alden responds. There is a lot of truth to Alden’s words. With the way the clones are treated by the pure bloods and even the Laborers, it makes sense that they wouldn’t want anyone leaving.

“Are we just going to drive through it?” This makes Alden chuckle.

“Not unless you want to be in a million pieces. That thing will slice anything and it’s always changing.” The closer we got to the Grid, the more of it I can see. He is right, the pattern is constantly changing. Squares, circles, Aztec patterns, it is never the same. There is no way to predict what pattern it would choose next.

“How are we going to get through it?”

“I am going to take it down,” Alden states decisively, all humor leaving his voice. For the first time since he has opened his computer, he looks me in the eye.  Averting his eyes back to the screen, he adds, “We will only have thirty seconds before the defense system goes on alert and regenerates it again.”

“Alden, we are getting close,” Alec reminds. “When are you going to get it down?”

“I’m in the system. Any minute now. Hang on, guys,” Alden shouts.

“I don’t think she can take anymore,” Milo shouts. “We’re going to have to land.”

“Get us as close to the Grid as possible,” Alec instructs and blasts more bullets at Roderick.

“Alden….” Alec yells.

“Almost,” he yells back. “Come on, baby,” Alden whispers to his computer.

“It’s going to be a hard landing,” Milo informs us.

“Got it!” Alden shouts. “She’s coming down.” Alden stows his laptop back in his bag. We all look ahead in the direction of the Grid. The red lasers are in the shape of thousands of tiny squares, keeping out intruders and holding us in as prisoners. Right before our eyes, one by one, the squares begin to disappear. Alec lets out a laugh. “You did it, Alden,” he exclaims. “Milo, land this thing.”

Alec comes towards me and we crouch down. Alec throws himself around me, creating a shield. The landing in the grass is rough. The MR2 bounces on the ground, the glass cracking with every contact. A shrieking sound fills the air as our ball slides, losing speed. I want to cover my ears, but can’t move with Alec’s weight pinning me down for safety. The MR2 slows the further it travels on the glass before sliding to a complete.

Quickly, we all exit just before the sphere breaks into thousands of pieces. Alec takes my hand and begins to run, pulling me behind him. We run to the woods where the spheres cannot follow. Even though I know I shouldn’t, I look back and what I see causes me to gasp. Roderick and his Enforcers are pursuing us on foot, their bullets flying past us. However, the more frightening sight are the mutant Killians running alongside the Enforcers, gaining on us.

“Alec,” I shout. He looks behind me and when he looks back, his expression is grave.

He picks up speed and I do my best to match his pace. Although I am thin and petite, I am also out of shape. I run so fast that my legs feel as though they will buckle from overuse. Alden stumbles and falls. I notice he has his backpack strapped to his front, weighing him down. Alec quickly helps him up and doges the bullets that are coming closer.

I smile to myself as the woods get closer. We are almost there. We are going to make it. We get to the invisible line between Avalon and the outside world and cross over the threshold. I look back and see that Roderick has stopped, his arm raised with his gun pointed and he releases a single shot. The mutant Killians still pursue us, their red eyes blazing. One of them closes in on Milo and brings him down to the ground.

“Milo,” I shout and start to run to him. Arms grab my waist from behind, holding me still.

“No, Remy,” Alec whispers.

Struggling, Milo breaks free and runs towards us as the red lasers reassemble. There is no mistaken the fear in his eyes as the lasers come back together. We watch as his body is shredded into pieces of squared shape flesh, the regeneration of the Grid complete. I stifle a sob in my throat and Alden falls to his knees.

Alec turns me around in his arms and I bury my face in his chest, my tears making his black shirt wet. “We can’t help him,” Alec whispers in my hair, as he holds me close. “We have to go.” Reluctantly, I allow him to lead me away from the remains of Milo.

The sound of bullets bouncing off the Grid fills the air. We run further away from the Grid and the only place we have ever known as home. We may be out of Avalon, but we are not safe yet. Once the Grid is out of sight and we are sure Enforcers are not pursuing us, we stop to catch our breath and rest a little. I sink down to the ground and throw my head back against a tree, closing my eyes. I hear a thud beside me and open my eyes. The sight has me bolting from my position, my heart pounding, and my vision clouding with tears. Alec lays on the ground pale faced as blood flows out of his side. Roderick’s single shot was a success.