Vita Aeterna by Jay Allan Storey

Author:Jay Allan Storey [Storey, Jay Allan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Non Sequitur Publishing
Published: 2018-01-01T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 23

A Run

After the story he’d told me about the Dead Shift, I wasn’t sure I believed Travis’ claim that he was doing his best to locate Uncle Zack. I had nobody else to turn to, and I figured I was safer with the Rebels than being alone, so I stuck around. But once or twice I caught a couple of the other leaders eyeing me, especially Rolf, Travis’ second in command. I still had a few days to decide whether to meet with Zack, but the deadline was coming up fast.

One day, Travis announced that we were going to conduct a raid the next morning on a SecureCorp outpost on the very edge of the Quarters, one of the closest to the Dregs. He’d gotten reports that a lot of the soldiers had been called away on a prolonged mission to deal with riots nearby (a Rebel diversion?), and that the place was only thinly defended. The Rebels were looking for weapons. I was bored, so I said I wanted to go. Travis said it was too dangerous, and insisted that I stay behind.

That night I heard him arguing with some of the other leaders in one of the offices. I tried to sneak closer to hear what they were saying, but there was a guard posted outside the door. The argument was pretty intense. There were lots of shouts and what sounded like fists pounding on tables. I managed to get close enough to see who came out when the meeting was over. There was Travis, Rolf, and a couple of the other guys who’d been glaring at me. None of them looked very happy.

Early the next morning Travis changed his mind and said I could come with them. I snuck away, grabbed the crypted phone, and stuffed it in my pocket, just in case something happened and I couldn’t make it back. I was waiting in one of the empty rooms for the group to get organized, when Laura came to see me.

Every nerve in my body lit up as she took my hand. Again I was swamped with a confusing mix of guilt and excitement.

“Don’t go,” she said.

“It’s just a raid,” I answered, smiling, trying to sound braver than I felt. “It’s no big deal. I’ll be back this afternoon.”

She looked up at me. “I’ve got a bad feeling about it. Something’s going to happen─”

“I gotta pull my weight around here,” I said. “I already said I’d go. I’m not going to back out now. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

She removed a small brass medallion hanging on a string around her neck.

“At least take this,” she said. “It’ll bring you luck.”

She reached up and hung the charm around my own neck. Then she grabbed it, pulled me close, and kissed me, full on the lips. I thought I was going to explode.

We heard footsteps approaching, and she broke away.

“Be careful,” she said.

One of the fighters came through the door. He nodded at me. “Time to go.

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