The Pursuit of Zillow Stone by Brindi Quinn

Author:Brindi Quinn [Quinn, Brindi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Never and Ever Publishing
Published: 2017-06-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 2

Sheltering

“It is going to rain,” Crash observed. “We’ll never make it to Waystation Pnumra before it does. Not at this pace.” He peered through his contacts at a far-off marker he’d previously placed. I didn’t ask how he knew Pnumra’s location, but it coincided with what Theo had marked on my map. The nearest of the waystations, we’d set it as our next destination, fully aware that doing so was a dangerous decision. Traveling to one of the game’s designated safehouses would be risking apprehension by the drones and their commander.

But we didn’t have much of a choice.

“By the way,” I said, eyes on the darkening sky, “what happens if the drones catch us? Do you know?”

True, the entire point of the marking was to outrun or outfight one’s Marker, but in training, we’d never covered any sort of consequences for defying the structure of the game. Violation. That’s what the helmeted woman had called it. Violation of the marking. What penalty was there for violating the Eastern and Western Directors’ rules and cooperating with a Marker? What fate had befallen Theo and Chloe? If caught, would our punishment be the same as theirs?

No… theirs was a crime far worse. They were fond of each other.

It is important to think about your Marker.

It is important to think about your Marker.

It is important to think about your Marker.

“NO it’s not!” I threw my hands over my ears to drown out the thought that was becoming louder and more obtrusive every time it forced its way into my head.

Crash raised an eyebrow at me… and my outburst. Apparently he’d just been in the middle of saying that those apprehended by the drones neither returned home nor were ever seen again in the wasteland.

“I-I see.” I compartmentalized my embarrassment. “How do you know that?”

“I’ve… heard rumors.”

He’d heard a lot of rumors for being exposed to the wilderness only a short while longer than I.

“Now,” he said, eyes again to the horizon, “we will not make it to Pnumra. Time for a new plan, kitten.”

I scowled but didn’t protest. His thinking was justified. Though the rain was nonacidic, we couldn’t afford to get caught in it. We were at a disadvantage as it was, and it was only a matter of time before the drones and their master came for us again.

I studied my map. There was a waterwheel much closer than Waystation Pnumra. But… Crash, a Marker, wouldn’t be welcome.

Then again, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. If a wounded prag showed up with a Marker, any other prags would be quickly on the defensive. They might even charge first and ask questions later. If they came at Crash, it would give me the upper-hand and a chance to defeat him, once and for all.

Not that I wanted to win that way, especially now that he’d shouldered my weight for the last several hours.

I sighed.

The other issue was a matter of loyalty. Showing a waterwheel to an unholy one was something like

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