Clone One by Patti Larsen

Author:Patti Larsen [Patti Larsen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Children's Books, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction, Genetic Engineering, Post-Apocalyptic, Children's eBooks, Science Fiction; Fantasy & Scary Stories, Dystopian
ISBN: 9781927464281
Amazon: B009L7I0AK
Barnesnoble: B009L7I0AK
Publisher: Patti Larsen Books
Published: 2012-10-02T04:00:00+00:00

***

Chapter Twenty One

Poppy and the puppies are waiting for me when I slide through the boarded-up window and into the darkened interior of an abandoned building. She doesn't make a sound, just runs to me and hugs me around my neck, face pressed into my hair as she clings as if she'll never let me go.

The dog bounds forward, butts his head against my thigh. Our second reunion goes about the same as the first with him glued to me from that moment on.

Oh how I've missed him.

The puppies lick my fingers as I collapse at last, body aching suddenly. I've healed, that much is certain, but I can only guess from the way my muscles hurt from the damage Solo had actually done to me that I still feel it without showing outward sign of harm.

“How long?” I welcome Beckett's closeness as he sinks down next to me, the dog with his head and shoulders at an uncomfortable angle over my crossed legs, Poppy clinging to my other side while the puppies snuggle in as close as they can. I look around as Beckett answers me, seeing faces I know.

“Three days.” Beckett hands me a can of food and I gulp it gratefully while Socrates and Vander join us. A few of Chime's kids are there too, but there's no sign of her or Ande and I feel concern rise for the little engineer. “We followed them, saw where they took you, but couldn't find a way in.”

“No in,” Duet grunts over her own can of beans. “Out.”

“Yes, exactly.” I sigh a deep and relieved breath of air. I might not be fulfilling my task just yet, but at least now I have a chance.

A slim chance.

I fill Beckett and the others in on Solo, on Dauphine and how my sister is looking for Poppy.

The girl shivers while Beckett scowls.

“Why does she want Poppy?”

He's right. Why does she want the girl? I smile a little at my friend and she smiles a little back.

“I don't know,” I say, “unless she's aware how much I care about you and wants to use you against me.”

“Never,” Poppy says. “Not ever.”

“Not Poppy,” Duet says, rocking now, back and forth, hugging herself again as though fearful she might fly apart at any moment. “Mother.”

I shake my head. “Duet, what?”

Duet turns away from me, leans forward, rests her head on Poppy's lap. The girl strokes Duet's cheek while my sister hums herself into deeper retreat.

“Now you.” I toss the can aside, feeling better for the food in my stomach. I'm pretty sure I haven't eaten anything aside from the one small bite of pie in all this time. “Tell me what's happened.”

“This place,” Beckett shakes his head. “It's nothing like anywhere else.”

Socrates taps his fingers on the knees of his jeans, a familiar motion I'm used to. “It's full of Crawlers,” the boy says. “Full. And not our kind of Crawlers. Bigger. Better equipped.”

Vander nods, his soft glow visible in the low light of the darkened building.

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