Page 16

16

TREY

Armed with my two new bodyguards, I cradle Arella and carry her down the hall. She’s struggling to keep her eyes open.

The smell of ripe vomit attacks my nostrils as we approach the cafeteria. When we turn the corner, countless bodies are draped over the floors. There’s puke everywhere.

“They’re not dead,” Ruby says. “At least not all of them.”

“Don’t feel too bad,” Pixie says. “Most of the dead ones are Royals. We think.”

“You think?” I say.

“Well, there ain’t no way to be sure, is there? We took guesses. Educated guesses. Sometimes you can tell just by lookin’ at ’em. Like that scrawny dude back there—totally not a Royal.

“Victor knew the other ZIRDA bases have been investigating him, so lately, he’s been bringing in real ZIRDA agents as a lame attempt to get people off his case. But he only keeps the weak and pathetic ones on base—like that Katie girl. The powerful ones, like us, he sends out on useless missions as field agents to keep us away from here.”

I adjust Arella in my arms as I continue following the women. “How did you guys know Victor’s a Royal?”

“We were transferred here from ZIRDA New York,” Ruby says. “We work closely with ZIRDA Toronto. They were the first to smell something fishy here.”

“Speaking of which,” Pixie says, “Victor disappeared tonight. When we heard the siren and your name over the intercom, we figured you was tryna save the Immune and got caught. The first thing we did was rush to find Victor. One of his guards told us he was off base.”

“Where is he?” I ask.

“We dunno,” Ruby says. “We didn’t get a chance to find out before his guards attacked us. They must have figured we were using the alert as our chance to kill Victor—which, I suppose they weren’t wrong.”

Pixie rubs the side of her head. “That one guard punched me so hard, I swear I saw stars like they do in the cartoons.”

“What happened after you guys got away from Victor’s guards?” I ask.

“We rushed down to help you, duh! On the way, we ran into a bunch of agents rushing down from all the other levels. Since we didn’t know which side people were on and we had already blown our cover, we screamed out, ‘Victor’s a Royal!’ Anyone who didn’t look surprised and tried to shut us up, we aimed to kill.”

My arms are getting achy from carrying Arella like this. She’s still slumped against me as we pass more bodies lying on the floor.

“This guy is dead. I made sure of it.” Pixie gestures toward a buff guy lying facedown in a pool of his own blood. I think his name was Derek. “I knew he was a Royal from the moment I met him. When I looked him up later, I found out he’s the guy who arranged that school shooting at a Zordi elementary school in Texas last year. Many agents’ kids went to that school. Not a single child came out alive.”

God, I fucking hate the Royals.

When we finally arrive at the elevators, Ruby presses the up button as Arella’s head droops backward. My heart collapses into my stomach. I can’t tell if she’s breathing. Oh, baby, please be breathing!

Pixie must read my mind, because she places two fingers against Arella’s neck. “She’s alive. Just knocked out.”

I let out a breath of relief.

Ding!

As we step into the elevator, I expand my empathy up and out. “There’s a group of people in the security room. I can’t fight them off with my arms full.”

“It’s the other ZIRDA agents,” Ruby says as the elevator closes then rises. “After the battle down here, we told the ones who were still alive to guard the entrance. Don’t let anyone in or out, and detain Victor on sight—those were their orders.”

The elevator reopens, and we’re greeted by three men armed with lightning balls. They close their hands the moment they see Pixie and Ruby.

“Is this the guy?” one of them asks.

“Yeah,” Pixie says, “and we’ve gotta help him protect this Ordinary at all costs.”

At an instant, the men surround me like they’re the Secret Service and I’m the president—or, more specifically, Arella is.

The women lead me into the security room, where a group of bloodied-up men and women are gathered around the monitors. Sadly, there’s no more than twenty of them. Is this really all who’s left?

Lifelessly leaning against the corner is that security guard with the eyebrow scar. He’s bleeding out from a deep wound in his chest.

Pixie hooks a thumb toward the guy. “Did y’all make sure he was a Royal before ya offed him?”

“He was definitely a Royal,” a familiar voice says from behind me. “He was one of the men who kidnapped the Ordinary and brought her here.”

I spin around to face Katie. She’s got a bright red mark on her cheek where I punched her. I still feel bad about that.

“What if the dude only kidnapped the Ordinary under Victor’s orders?” Pixie asks. “Victor could have fed him some bullshit to get him to do it.”

Katie arches a brow at her. “If anyone from ZIRDA gave you orders to drug and kidnap an innocent Ordinary to bring here, would you have done it?”

“Hmm. Point made. Now what about this guy?” Pixie points at the other security guard duct-taped to a chair. It’s Carlos—with some duct tape around his mouth too.

“We weren’t sure about him,” Katie says. “That’s why we detained him instead.”

The gray-haired man shakes his head and mumbles something under the tape. His emotions tell me he’s scared shitless. Is he scared because we suspect he’s a Royal and might kill him, or is he scared because he is a Royal and we’ll kill him? Hard to tell.

“Listen up, guys!” Pixie shouts. “We’ve gotta help Trey get this Ordinary outta here. Ruby and I will leave with him to help keep her safe. We could use at least two more while the rest of you stay here and guard the base. Who’s got the best gifts to come with us?”

A slender Black man in the back raises his hand. “I have enhanced speed.”

Pixie flashes him a thumbs-up. “Thanks, Dash. Anyone else?”

“I want to come,” Katie says. “I have the power to?—”

Errr! Errr! Errr! A high-pitched alarm goes off.

“Incoming!” a blonde woman shouts with her attention on the monitors. “Looks like ten. Maybe fifteen. They’re being ported in next to the waterfall.”

The group shouts over each other at the same time.

“They’re running through the cavern!”

“What do we do?”

“What if they’re on our side?”

“They’re not! Victor’s with them!”

I catch a glimpse of Victor on a screen, barking orders to people. I hug Arella tighter against me. Is that why Victor left the base? He went to recruit more of his fellow Royal buddies? Fucking traitor.

“Secure the entrance!” someone shouts.

The blonde searches around, then slams her hand against a red button labeled emergency lockdown.

Ruby turns to Pixie. “How are we gonna get this Ordinary out now?”

Pixie’s voice booms over everyone else’s. “Does anyone know another way outta here?”

“There are secret passageways,” I say, “but I don’t know where they are.”

Ruby scoffs. “Well, that’s helpful.”

From his chair, Carlos mumbles and wiggles his body.

Pixie rips the tape off his mouth so fast, it looks painful. “Here’s your chance to prove you’re one of us, old man. Do you know another way out?”

“There’s a tunnel,” Carlos says, “in the Artificial Sunlight room.”

“Where in that room?”

“Untie me, and I’ll show you.”

Pixie glances up at Ruby. “Think we can trust him?”

Ruby shrugs. “Do we have a choice?”

“Tell ’em, Trey,” Carlos says. “You’ve known me since you were a kid. I let you play all those damn tricks on me over the years, and I never once ratted you out to Victor. You know I’m good!”

The women turn their attention to me, waiting for an answer. I wish I could say for certain that we can trust Carlos, but I can’t. How can I know what side anyone’s on, when my own uncle has been on the dark side this whole time?

“I don’t know if I can vouch for him,” I say and sense Carlos’s stomach drop.

“Whatever you’re gonna do,” the blonde says, “do it fast! They’re trying to blast through this door with their powers!”

Pixie slides the knife out of her back pocket and uses it to cut apart the duct tape restraining Carlos to the chair. “Try anything funny and I’ll blow those little ears off your head. Got it?”

Carlos nods, then hops to his feet. “Follow me!”

With Arella still in my arms, I trail Carlos to the elevators with Pixie, Ruby, Katie, and the Speeder at my side. Together, we climb into the machine as Ruby stabs the close doors button repeatedly until the doors shut.

Katie turns to Carlos. “How do you know about this tunnel?”

“I used to patrol before I got assigned to entrance duty. When you patrol for almost twenty years, you tend to know things.”

“What if he’s leading us straight into a trap?” the Speeder asks.

Pixie pats his shoulder. “Good thing you’re here, Dash. Once we get to the tunnel, you can run through it first to make sure it’s good before we all go.”

The Speeder nods. “Sounds like a plan.”

“If it counts for anything,” Carlos says, “I was with ZIRDA for many years before Victor took over.”

I wish that counted for something, but if the Royals can turn Victor, they can probably turn anyone.

Ding!

“Let me go first,” Pixie says.

Without anyone having to say it, they all shift to stand in front of me as the elevator opens. Ruby even prepares her hands with fireballs. I appreciate the effort, but I already know we’re good. I don’t sense anyone on the other side.

Pixie steps out and peeks around the corners before calling out, “Clear!” Only then do the rest of the group step off the elevator and Ruby’s hands smoke out.

Carlos leads us to the Artificial Sunlight room, where he holds the door open for everyone else. I step inside with Pixie and Ruby protecting my front while Katie and the Speeder guard my back. I stare at Arella’s chest to make sure it’s still rising and falling. Slowly and slightly, it is.

Carlos shuts the door behind him. “Follow me.”

A fake sky stretches above us with an artificial sun so bright, it stings my eyes. I wait a second for my vision to adjust and return to normal. Blazing heat attacks my skin. On cue, my body’s natural equilibrium kicks in.

Since Victor made up a rule that this room was for agents only, I’ve never been in here. Seeing it for the first time makes me feel like I’ve been transported onto a deserted island. A sandy beach covers the floor as far as I can see. Glistening blue water sweeps over the shoreline in calm waves. Some blue tables are stationed around the beach with padded lounge chairs under giant white umbrellas. If someone showed me a picture of this room, I wouldn’t think it was indoors.

Carlos points toward the rocky, tree-covered cliffs in the distance. “The tunnel is just on the other side of that.”

As we hike across the beach, Pixie presses her fingers against Arella’s neck again. “She’s good.”

“Thanks for checking.”

“Aren’t your arms tired, bro? She’s, like, all deadweight.”

I let out an exhausted grunt. “My arms are so numb that I can’t feel them anymore.”

“How about one of us carry her for a bit?”

I’m about to accept her offer until I realize it means I’d have to let Arella go. It’s not that I don’t trust them to keep her safe. Pixie, Ruby, and Katie have more than proven that they’re willing to take risks to help save Arella. Carlos and this Dash guy are still in yellow status, but for now, I’m choosing to allow them near my girl. Either way, none of these people will protect Arella to the extent that I will. If it comes down to it, I’ll take a fireball for her. I’m not sure if any of them would do the same. For that reason, she’s staying as close to me as possible, even if it makes my arms fall off.

“Never mind,” Pixie says. “That was a stupid question.”

“I’m sorry,” I say. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s?—”

She puts a hand up. “Say no more. If it was my baby sister, I wouldn’t give her to someone else to carry even if my arms were broken.”

I’m glad she understands.

A sudden burst of panic rushes through my head as double the emotions invade my mind. It’s all coming from the sixth floor above us. “Fuck.”

Everyone turns to me. “What?”

“I think the Royals just got through the main entrance.”

“Shit,” Ruby says. “Maybe we should have secured the door to this room in case they?—”

Dash disappears with a whoosh! and a gust of air that blows Ruby’s curls into her face. The ground rumbles for a moment, then a few seconds later, Dash returns with another whoosh! “We’re good now.”

“What did you do?” I ask.

He smirks and nods his head toward the door. “Take a peek.”

We all turn.

Katie gasps with a hand to her mouth. “I can’t even see the door anymore.”

I can’t see the beach behind us either. A forest of dark green trees now stands between us and the door.

“I’ll keep working my Earth powers,” Dash says. “Just keep going.”

As we close the distance between us and the other side of the cliff, Dash remains a few steps behind. The ground rumbles with each tree that pops out of the sand. From the branches, he grows thick thorny vines, making it almost impossible to see through his forest.

When we finally make it to the other side of the cliff, Carlos stops to examine a large crack running up the rocky wall.

“There’s a hidden keypad here somewhere.” Carlos sticks his hand between the crack and feels up and down. We all wait a moment before he sighs. “I—I can’t find it. Maybe I’m looking in the wrong crack.”

Pixie whips the knife out of her back pocket and points it at the old man’s face. “Or maybe you’re just purposely wasting our goddamn time. Is there even a tunnel here?”

Carlos throws his arms up in surrender. “I swear there is!”

“Point to where the entrance is,” Katie says. “I’ll get it open.”

With Pixie still pointing her knife at him, Carlos gestures toward a part of the cliff that looks the same as all the other parts of the cliff. “It’s around there.”

“How big is it?” Katie asks.

“I dunno. Maybe big enough for a small car to fit through?”

“Okay. Everyone, stand back.”

I take about three steps backward. So does everyone else.

Katie shakes her head at us. “Um, no. You’re gonna want to have a lot more space than that, I promise you.”

Without a word, everyone takes another ten big steps back until our feet almost touch the waterline. It must be far enough because Katie twists around to aim her stare at the cliff.

Suddenly, a square part of the cliff glows red, then BOOM! Debris fireworks through the air. Rocks the size of watermelons land in the sand with hard thuds. A cloud of dirt and sand makes me cough. In the corner of my eye, I see Carlos lift his hand and circle it above his head. A gust of wind blows the debris away. Once the air clears, it reveals a dark tunnel and a grinning Katie.

Carlos lowers his arm, then the wind stops. “Told ya there’s a tunnel.”

Pixie shoves her knife back into her pocket, then pats Carlos on the shoulder. “You did good, old man.”

“Where does this tunnel let out?” Ruby asks.

“The forest, I assume,” Carlos says. “I haven’t actually walked through it. I just knew it was here.”

“Dash?”

“On it.” With a whoosh! the Speeder disappears.

This time, he’s gone for almost ten seconds. The whole time, I expand my powers upward to sense how things are going upstairs. From what I can tell, a lot of people have died. The number of people I can sense has almost halved. Thankfully, I don’t sense anyone on their way down here—yet.

Whoosh! “The tunnel is about a half mile long. It lets out into the forest. I even surveyed the area up top. It’s clear.”

Ruby lights up her palms with fireballs, then throws them into the tunnel to light the way. “All righty, peeps. Let’s get this Ordinary outta here.”

I’m so overwhelmed with gratitude, I’m speechless. This is the ZIRDA I know: a team who works together to do good things, to save Ordinaries, and to keep the Royals from causing harm. This is what I thought I was working for this whole time. This is what I’ve wanted to be a part of my entire life.