Half Lives by Sara Grant

Author:Sara Grant [Grant, Sara]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Speculative Fiction
ISBN: 9780316194938
Publisher: Orion
Published: 2013-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

Tom is guarding Beckett. He is pacing back and forth across the entrance of the cave. Beckett is slouched at the back of the cave. His hands and feet are bound. His eyes are closed but his lips are moving. He’s Saying. Of course he’s Saying, and this time I am the answer, Harper thinks. Her heart breaks at what she’s done. He will never look at her in the same way. They will always have this scar of betrayal between them.

‘Finch asked me to relieve you,’ Harper lies to Tom. He squints and studies her. Years of distrust can’t be overcome by one Terrorist sighting. Harper has been ‘other’ too long for him to trust her easily. ‘Finch thought you might like to say goodbye to Atti.’ Wait. That’s not what will convince Tom, Harper realizes. ‘Oh, and Finch is making plans for the attack and he wants the best Cheerleaders to help with the planning,’ Harper explains.

Tom dashes off without a word. Like so many of the Cheerleaders, he is now anxious to do battle.

When Tom is out of sight, Harper unties Beckett, but she can’t meet his gaze. ‘We’ve got to get out of here.’

He rubs the red, raw patches on his wrists and ankles where the ropes have dug into his skin. She helps him stand. He’s trying to look her in the eyes and they do this strange dance as she looks anywhere but at him. ‘What is Finch planning?’ he asks.

She hesitates. If she tells him, he will try to stop Finch. Harper doesn’t know what Finch might do if Beckett interferes. Suddenly she doesn’t care so much about the girl and her people. All she wants is for Beckett to be safe. For their relationship to go back the way it was. ‘Let’s go away, just for a little while.’

‘Harper.’ Even her name sounds different, like an accusation.

He places his hand on her shoulder and she melts.

‘Finch plans to attack the Man-Made Mountains at sunset tomorrow,’ Harper blurts. She walks to the cave’s entrance and checks around. Forreal is empty, but soon everyone will return. ‘We need to go.’

‘I forgive you,’ Beckett says. He’s right beside her. And for a moment, she is home once again in his presence.

Then the image of him kissing that girl flashes into her mind and she moves away. She’s that five-year-old wandering in the desert. How can he forgive when he doesn’t even understand?

‘I saw you kiss her.’ She looks him in the eye.

‘Her name’s Greta.’

That’s what those boys called her. ‘I remember now, Beckett. I know what happened to me before I came to your Mountain, and it was people like her who killed my family. Don’t you see? There are no beasties. We destroy each other. We are all Terrorists.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

Harper shakes her head. ‘I overheard some of her people talking. They want to take over our Mountain.’ That’s not exactly what they said, but she’s got to make Beckett listen. ‘Greta’s a spy. She’s using you.

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