The Lofties (The Echelon Book 2) by Ramona Finn (ebook reader play store .TXT) 📗

without trouble and helped me down after. His hand was warm in mine, his skin smooth and healthy. But Jasper had warned us he might not have long. His bots were untested, at least in humans. They might last for years or crap out in a month. If they failed again, somewhere in the desert—

“Stop worrying. I can feel you worrying.” Lock aimed a poke at my ribs. I dodged and poked him back.

“We should go,” I said. “Everyone’ll be waiting.”

We headed across the courtyard, toward the big house. Everyone had come down for this, leaders from far and wide, all descending on Stillwater to discuss our next move.

“You think they’ll take us along when they check out those new Domes?”

I shrugged. “If they want us, great. If they don’t, we’ll go anyway. What are they going to do? Tell us no?”

Lock chuckled. “Same old Myla.”

“I have to see for myself,” I said. “I have to know if it’s better out there, or if they’re all living their own nightmares. If every Sky has its Dirt, or if there’s some other way.”

Lock’s hand brushed mine as we made our way inside. “There will be,” he said. “I have to believe that.”

“Ah, Lock. Myla.” Jetha waved us in. “We’re just waiting for Starkey, and we’ll get started.” She herded us into an overflowing hall. Chairs had been pulled in, nine rows in all, guests packed elbow to elbow like sardines in a tin. More had gathered behind them and crowded along the walls. I knew a few faces from Ben’s old camp, but most of them were strangers, hard-faced men and women who’d been fighting all their lives.

“These are Myla and Lock,” said Jetha. “The ones who found the maps.”

A murmur went up, not entirely enthusiastic. I heard doubt, disapproval, a cautious curiosity. Lock pulled a face.

“Don’t all applaud at once.”

That got a laugh, and the tension seemed to ease.

“We should’ve done this outside,” said someone. “In the square, where there’s air.”

“Well, if Starkey’s not coming—”

“He’ll be here,” said Jetha. “He was coming on foot. He didn’t want to risk driving, leaving tracks for the Decemites.” She went to the window and rolled up the blinds. “Here he is now. What’d I tell you?”

Lock leaned in close to me. “I feel bad for that guy.”

“Who, Starkey?”

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “He’s kind of a jerk sometimes, but he’s got no one left. He’s up there with those families, all those grandparents and grandkids, and he’s by himself.”

I felt a twinge in my chest. “You’re thinking of your family.”

“Always. I—”

Starkey burst in, shedding dust as he came. His mask was still on, his hair standing on end. “Got a message from our informant,” he said. He was panting through his mask, huffing gretha like smoke. “Those weapons we trashed were the tip of the iceberg. Lazrad’s got plenty more, and it’s not just blasters. She’s got drones and tanks, and even long-range missiles. She’s building her army, and there’s not a thing we can do to stop her.”

Lock shouted beside me, a great, thwarted bellow. Jetha raised her hands for silence, but the hall erupted in chaos, voices rising in indignation. Fists punched the air, punctuating fury and loss. I stood numb and empty—all this for nothing? All Reyland’s effort, and Lock’s pain, and my heartbreak? Rob, Tam, and Victor, blown to bits fleeing the Dirt? All of it, all of it, and nothing had changed?

Lock grabbed my elbow and pulled me out into the hall. “We still have the maps,” he said. “Those Domes could have armies, weapons of their own. They could take us all in.”

“They couldn’t. Don’t you see?” I reeled, suddenly dizzy, and caught myself on the wall. “Lazrad had cameras there. That means she has spies. She knows what they’ve got, and she’s preparing accordingly. She’ll take them down one by one, and that’ll be that.”

“You don’t know that.” Lock held me steady. “We were spies too, remember? We didn’t find everything. For all we know—

“I need to get out of here.” I darted past him, unthinking, and I ran and ran. I pounded across the courtyard and straight out the gate, through the tall grass by the riverbed with the wind in my face. I ran till my lungs burned, then I flopped down on my back. The sun hung above me, high in the sky. Just this morning, I’d greeted it with joy. Just hours ago, there’d been hope, and now there was none. A laugh rattled out of me, discordant in the quiet. Tanks—she had tanks. Decemites, I could handle, but thirty tons of rolling iron...

I closed my eyes and saw red, sunlight filtering through my eyelids. Giving up wasn’t an option, but what was? Where, from here?

It was late when Ben found me, the western sky burning with sunset. He sat down next to me and stretched out in the grass.

“Heard the big summit went kablooey.”

“That’s one way of putting it.” I looked away, ashamed. “I feel bad, running off the way I did.”

“Don’t.” Ben reached for my knee, but checked himself, plucking a blade of grass instead.

“Was Jetha mad?”

“She was worried,” said Ben. “Everyone was. They know what you’ve been through. What you’ve given up.” He twirled the grass around his finger, untwirled it, and twirled it again. “Lock wanted to come after you, but my aunt kind of waylaid him. I thought you might need to talk, but… Should I not have come?”

“No. I’m glad you did.” That guilt bit me again, the same guilt I’d felt seeing him again, our first trip to Stillwater. “I’ve missed you,” I said. “I know I said that already, but—”

“I missed you too.” Ben dropped his blade of grass. “But Myla, I’ve got to ask. I know now’s not the time, but if you hold back for the right time, you wait and you wait, and before you know it, time’s up.” He sighed. “You and Lock. Are you courting?”

“No.” I bit my lip.