Talker 25 by McCune Joshua

Author:McCune, Joshua
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Greenwillow Books

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins Publishers

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22

There’s somebody in one of the cages. Cap pulled low, jacket zipped to his chin. James. Hugging himself, he bounces from foot to foot.

“What are you doing to him? Stop it!”

“Control yourself, Twenty-Five, unless you wish to join him.” Lester drags me into a Humvee.

“Let me talk to him. Please! I can make him cooperate!”

“Sure you can.”

“Please. A couple minutes. Give me a chance.”

He rolls his eyes, sighs, speaks into his helmet’s mouthpiece. “Radio go. . . . HQ, Twenty-Five wants to talk with Twenty-Six, who is currently in a Smurf pen. She believes she can persuade him to behave.” A brief response from the other end. Lester nods to me. “You have five minutes.”

I realize why they call it the Smurf pen as I get up close. James’s cheeks and nose are tinged blue. He squints my direction but looks confused. I call his name three times before his eyes find focus on mine. I reach between the bars and press my gloved palm to his face.

He flinches, loses his balance for a moment. “It burns . . . burns. How . . . can burn . . . and be . . . so cold?”

I unwrap the Kit Kat, press it into his hand.

“This is what they give you when you’re good,” I say as he struggles to chew and I struggle to keep it together. “Doesn’t seem quite fair, does it?”

He tries to smile, but it must hurt too much.

I bite my lip hard. “Just do what they want, James. Please.” “They . . . will . . . have . . . kill . . . me first,” he stutters through chattering teeth.

“They won’t do that. They’ll recondition you.”

“Maybe . . . that’s . . . better.”

Despite my best efforts, I start crying.

“Don’t.” He takes my hand between his. “What . . . was . . . phrase . . . you . . . told me . . . about . . . the spirit one?”

“Baekjul boolgool,” I whisper. “Please, James.”

“It’s time to go, Twenty-Five,” Lester says from behind me.

“I’m . . . sorry.” James releases my hand and turns away.

“James, don’t.”

He ignores me.

Lester grabs me by the arm.

“Please. Just a few more minutes.”

“Don’t make this difficult, Twenty-Five.” He pushes me into the Humvee. “You should forget about him.”

“Stop telling me that.”

“Just trying to help.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“You need all the help you can get out here, Twenty-Five. Actions, consequences, it all boils down to this, the most helpful piece of advice anybody will give you: don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re brave.” He points a thumb over his shoulder toward the Smurf pens, grimaces. “It won’t end well.”

We drive to the building where the bus dropped off Twenty-One and Pam. At the door, I hear a boy’s muffled cries from inside. “I’m scared, I’m scared. Please, I need your help. The invisible men are after me.”

“Join us or die!” somebody else shouts.

“Burn, burn, burn!!!”

“What’s going on?” I ask as Lester types in the passcode to the door.

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