rooms here, the others were all wearing coats.
I recognized many of them from school. Some I knew had been robots—Joel was there—but others I had no idea about. Walnut and Jelly stood next to each other. Had they been robots, or had they come here through detention?
“Quiet!”
It was Iceman, though I couldn’t see him.
“Two students entered the town this morning,” he said, his voice unnaturally loud. “They received help. Someone cut off these tracking chips. They were probably also looking for supplies, possibly first aid.”
No one spoke or moved.
“The first person to give me information about these students will be rewarded.”
Still nothing.
“Extra food supplies. New clothes. Heavier coats.”
The faces in the crowd were looking down, or up, or anywhere but at Iceman. He seemed content to wait.
There was movement somewhere below, something I couldn’t see and could barely hear. I glanced back at Becky. She was sitting up now. Even in the darkness of our hidden room, I could see the red splotches of fever on her cheeks.
“No one came,” a voice said—it sounded like Birdman.
Iceman’s reply was sharp and immediate. “The tracking chips were found in the barn.”
“Then they went to the barn,” Birdman said. “They probably found tools there, cut them off, and kept running.”
Someone screamed, and almost everyone in the crowd flinched. A moment later I saw Iceman marching through the center of the crowd, dragging Mouse by the arm. She was fighting him, trying to pry his hand loose while scrambling to keep her footing in the wet snow, but he pulled her along as effortlessly as if she were a child.
He was moving toward Jane. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, and my fingers curled into a fist.
Iceman threw Mouse down, and she smashed into the stone well where Jane sat. I could hear him plainly, even from the far side of the courtyard.
“Don’t play games. We know you two were at the barn at the same time they were.”
Mouse said something, and Iceman reached down and slapped her before she could finish.
Jane didn’t respond. Everyone else was moving away, creating a wide circle around them. Mouse was facedown in the snow, breathing heavily.
I felt Becky touch my arm, but I didn’t take my eyes off the courtyard.
Jane finally spoke. I couldn’t hear. No one moved.
Everyone was looking at Iceman, waiting for a response.
I reached for Becky, and she took my hand in hers. Her skin felt burning hot—either her fever was raging, or my hand was bloodless and icy. Or both.
Iceman bent down and grabbed Jane by the coat, and with inhuman strength threw her twenty feet into the snow.
Birdman finally rushed forward.
“Leave her alone!”
Iceman turned. Lily was at Jane’s side now, bent over her, but keeping an eye on Iceman.
He spoke. “I don’t need to remind you that you’re at our mercy. You have two responsibilities here: to live and to not interfere with us. When you stop doing either, you will be of no further use to us.”
Out in the courtyard, Jane was shaking. Her nose was bleeding, and she was holding her left wrist in her right hand.
Mouse was sitting up now, motionless, with her back against the well.
Becky’s shoulder bumped mine, and I moved to let her look.
“Now,” Iceman said, straightening his jacket and adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves. “Two final bits of business. We have left the first of several loads of lumber by the commissary. You’ll need to build two more dormitories like the others. Hopefully, you’ll do a better job with these than your predecessors did with yours. Remember—you’re the ones who have to live in them. And the faster you build them, the sooner you won’t be sharing rooms and beds with the new kids.”
Birdman spoke. “More people are coming?”
Iceman ignored him. “The second item of business …” He scanned the faces in the crowd, looking for someone.
He found who he wanted, and pointed.
Dylan. I
I recognized many of them from school. Some I knew had been robots—Joel was there—but others I had no idea about. Walnut and Jelly stood next to each other. Had they been robots, or had they come here through detention?
“Quiet!”
It was Iceman, though I couldn’t see him.
“Two students entered the town this morning,” he said, his voice unnaturally loud. “They received help. Someone cut off these tracking chips. They were probably also looking for supplies, possibly first aid.”
No one spoke or moved.
“The first person to give me information about these students will be rewarded.”
Still nothing.
“Extra food supplies. New clothes. Heavier coats.”
The faces in the crowd were looking down, or up, or anywhere but at Iceman. He seemed content to wait.
There was movement somewhere below, something I couldn’t see and could barely hear. I glanced back at Becky. She was sitting up now. Even in the darkness of our hidden room, I could see the red splotches of fever on her cheeks.
“No one came,” a voice said—it sounded like Birdman.
Iceman’s reply was sharp and immediate. “The tracking chips were found in the barn.”
“Then they went to the barn,” Birdman said. “They probably found tools there, cut them off, and kept running.”
Someone screamed, and almost everyone in the crowd flinched. A moment later I saw Iceman marching through the center of the crowd, dragging Mouse by the arm. She was fighting him, trying to pry his hand loose while scrambling to keep her footing in the wet snow, but he pulled her along as effortlessly as if she were a child.
He was moving toward Jane. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, and my fingers curled into a fist.
Iceman threw Mouse down, and she smashed into the stone well where Jane sat. I could hear him plainly, even from the far side of the courtyard.
“Don’t play games. We know you two were at the barn at the same time they were.”
Mouse said something, and Iceman reached down and slapped her before she could finish.
Jane didn’t respond. Everyone else was moving away, creating a wide circle around them. Mouse was facedown in the snow, breathing heavily.
I felt Becky touch my arm, but I didn’t take my eyes off the courtyard.
Jane finally spoke. I couldn’t hear. No one moved.
Everyone was looking at Iceman, waiting for a response.
I reached for Becky, and she took my hand in hers. Her skin felt burning hot—either her fever was raging, or my hand was bloodless and icy. Or both.
Iceman bent down and grabbed Jane by the coat, and with inhuman strength threw her twenty feet into the snow.
Birdman finally rushed forward.
“Leave her alone!”
Iceman turned. Lily was at Jane’s side now, bent over her, but keeping an eye on Iceman.
He spoke. “I don’t need to remind you that you’re at our mercy. You have two responsibilities here: to live and to not interfere with us. When you stop doing either, you will be of no further use to us.”
Out in the courtyard, Jane was shaking. Her nose was bleeding, and she was holding her left wrist in her right hand.
Mouse was sitting up now, motionless, with her back against the well.
Becky’s shoulder bumped mine, and I moved to let her look.
“Now,” Iceman said, straightening his jacket and adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves. “Two final bits of business. We have left the first of several loads of lumber by the commissary. You’ll need to build two more dormitories like the others. Hopefully, you’ll do a better job with these than your predecessors did with yours. Remember—you’re the ones who have to live in them. And the faster you build them, the sooner you won’t be sharing rooms and beds with the new kids.”
Birdman spoke. “More people are coming?”
Iceman ignored him. “The second item of business …” He scanned the faces in the crowd, looking for someone.
He found who he wanted, and pointed.
Dylan. I
Similar Books
Kamouraska
Anne Hébert
The Cavanaugh Quest
Thomas Gifford
Modus Operandi
Mauro V Corvasce
Reunion in Death
J. D. Robb
Graduation Day
Joelle Charbonneau
Her Mediterranean Playboy
Melanie Milburne
The Only Road
Alexandra Diaz
Ti Amo
Sienna Mynx
The Love Letter
Fiona Walker