something like that because you’re afraid someone
might
attack. They knew.”
At the far side of the room, Caroline Wagner cleared herthroat and said, “I think we’re avoiding something here. Why did you go all that way to destroy food supplies?”
Impervia glared at the younger woman. “We didn’t. We thought we were going after a weapons cache.”
“Either you’re lying or you were wrong. If you were wrong, then what else have you been wrong about? And if you’re lying—”
“All right, that’ll do!” General Piers said. “I’ve had the secretary of defense on the phone three times already, and our press office has been bombarded with calls from every media source on the planet. I’m putting a hiatus on everything but the Paragon project until we find out who set us up. Maybe it was the Trutopians themselves, maybe it was a foreign power. God knows there are more than a few nations jealous that we have superhumans.” He turned his attention to the computer in front of him. “Meeting’s over.”
As they filed out of the room, Renata and Butler caught up with Danny and Razor.
“I’m really getting sick of this place!” Renata said. “
They’re
the ones who messed up, but we get treated like it’s our fault.”
“Right,” Razor said, “and we don’t even get paid. I work at least fourteen hours a day, seven days a week, and in return all I get is food and a bed. I got better food and a better bed in Florida, and all I had to do was take out the trash in the mornings.”
A voice said, “And if you want to
return
to that life, that can be arranged.”
They turned to see Impervia standing behind them. “Razor, back to the machine room. The rest of you…Go to your rooms and get some rest. I want to see you in my office in one hour.”
• • •
In the small town of Moate, Indiana, two teenage girls kept their eyes fixed straight ahead as they approached a large abandoned factory.
Erica van Piet and Karen Zemsty passed the factory every morning on their way to school, and they knew better than to even glance at it. The cluster of half-demolished, graffiti-covered buildings was well-known as a haven for local drug addicts and gang members. This wasn’t the worst part of town—there were places where even the police didn’t dare go alone—but it was bad enough that the girls knew better than to pass through on their own. There was some safety in numbers.
Erica was tall, slim and dark-skinned, while Karen was shorter and pale-skinned with long red hair. The day they met, Karen had told Erica, “The gangs’ll mostly leave you alone, ’less you draw attention to yourself. Never make eye contact. Never carry more than a coupla bucks. You don’t want them to think you’re worth mugging.”
Erica and Karen crossed the barely used, pothole-riddled street and quietly and quickly walked past the gaps in the rusted chain-link fence.
Only a few more minutes…
Erica thought. Her backpack was slung over her left shoulder, and she kept a loose grip on it.
She sensed Karen stiffen as something moved inside the complex—the faint scrape of metal on stone—and they increased their speed.
Someone should
do
something about that place. About this whole stupid town. I wish we’d never come here. I wish—
From behind, a rough, sneering voice called, “Hey, honeys! Hey, I jus’ wanna aks you somethin’!”
“Oh God,” Karen muttered.
“Just keep walking,” Erica whispered. She glanced around to see a teenage boy striding quickly toward them. He had a red bandanna tied around his head, and something sharp and metallic half-hidden in his hand. “Sorry,” she said. “Can’t stop. Late for school.”
I know
I
can outrun him, but Karen can’t.
Red-bandanna had almost reached them. “Didn’t you hear me?”
Erica took a deep breath and clenched her fists.
Then there was another noise behind them, a brief scuffle of footsteps, a muttered swearword from Red-bandanna. Erica
might
attack. They knew.”
At the far side of the room, Caroline Wagner cleared herthroat and said, “I think we’re avoiding something here. Why did you go all that way to destroy food supplies?”
Impervia glared at the younger woman. “We didn’t. We thought we were going after a weapons cache.”
“Either you’re lying or you were wrong. If you were wrong, then what else have you been wrong about? And if you’re lying—”
“All right, that’ll do!” General Piers said. “I’ve had the secretary of defense on the phone three times already, and our press office has been bombarded with calls from every media source on the planet. I’m putting a hiatus on everything but the Paragon project until we find out who set us up. Maybe it was the Trutopians themselves, maybe it was a foreign power. God knows there are more than a few nations jealous that we have superhumans.” He turned his attention to the computer in front of him. “Meeting’s over.”
As they filed out of the room, Renata and Butler caught up with Danny and Razor.
“I’m really getting sick of this place!” Renata said. “
They’re
the ones who messed up, but we get treated like it’s our fault.”
“Right,” Razor said, “and we don’t even get paid. I work at least fourteen hours a day, seven days a week, and in return all I get is food and a bed. I got better food and a better bed in Florida, and all I had to do was take out the trash in the mornings.”
A voice said, “And if you want to
return
to that life, that can be arranged.”
They turned to see Impervia standing behind them. “Razor, back to the machine room. The rest of you…Go to your rooms and get some rest. I want to see you in my office in one hour.”
• • •
In the small town of Moate, Indiana, two teenage girls kept their eyes fixed straight ahead as they approached a large abandoned factory.
Erica van Piet and Karen Zemsty passed the factory every morning on their way to school, and they knew better than to even glance at it. The cluster of half-demolished, graffiti-covered buildings was well-known as a haven for local drug addicts and gang members. This wasn’t the worst part of town—there were places where even the police didn’t dare go alone—but it was bad enough that the girls knew better than to pass through on their own. There was some safety in numbers.
Erica was tall, slim and dark-skinned, while Karen was shorter and pale-skinned with long red hair. The day they met, Karen had told Erica, “The gangs’ll mostly leave you alone, ’less you draw attention to yourself. Never make eye contact. Never carry more than a coupla bucks. You don’t want them to think you’re worth mugging.”
Erica and Karen crossed the barely used, pothole-riddled street and quietly and quickly walked past the gaps in the rusted chain-link fence.
Only a few more minutes…
Erica thought. Her backpack was slung over her left shoulder, and she kept a loose grip on it.
She sensed Karen stiffen as something moved inside the complex—the faint scrape of metal on stone—and they increased their speed.
Someone should
do
something about that place. About this whole stupid town. I wish we’d never come here. I wish—
From behind, a rough, sneering voice called, “Hey, honeys! Hey, I jus’ wanna aks you somethin’!”
“Oh God,” Karen muttered.
“Just keep walking,” Erica whispered. She glanced around to see a teenage boy striding quickly toward them. He had a red bandanna tied around his head, and something sharp and metallic half-hidden in his hand. “Sorry,” she said. “Can’t stop. Late for school.”
I know
I
can outrun him, but Karen can’t.
Red-bandanna had almost reached them. “Didn’t you hear me?”
Erica took a deep breath and clenched her fists.
Then there was another noise behind them, a brief scuffle of footsteps, a muttered swearword from Red-bandanna. Erica
Similar Books
