17

Bad decisions build character.

Makes you feel better, doesn’t it?

Khalani barely slept that night. In her long-standing nightmares, the Governor wrapped his hand around her neck and squeezed with all his might, grinning sadistically.

But then, his face began to morph until it was Takeshi who held her down. Takeshi’s beautiful black eyes flared with delight as the life slowly drained out of her.

“You made the wrong choice,” he whispered.

She jolted awake with a gasp, her entire body trembling. Khalani rubbed her eyes, trying to calm her ragged breathing. She slipped out of the bedroom in the blue sweatshirt and T-shirt she’d found in the dresser, her bare feet softly padding against the black tile.

In the main area, she found Winnie sitting with her legs crossed at a desk, her monocle perched on her nose, wearing a burgundy dress that spilled over the wooden stool. She labored over a journal, writing furiously.

“Hey, Winnie,” she greeted softly, though the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Winnie jerked up, her cheeks lifting. “Khalani, dear! What are you doing up so early?”

“It’s early?” Khalani’s brows raised as she glanced around the windowless room. “Hard to tell.”

“Ah, you need to grab yourself one of these.” Winnie flipped her wrist and showed her a circadian watch.

Khalani had only seen a few in person.

Circadian watches were quite rare and cost what the average citizen would make after working twenty years in Apollo.

Instead of numbers, the watches displayed symbols for the sun, moon, and food, helping keep track of time and the best hours to eat underground.

“Winnie found it in the nightstand. She’ll make sure to find one for you too,” Winnie said proudly, patting the seat next to her. “Come sit, dear. You look too pale.”

Khalani obliged and sat down with a huff, stretching her legs out and rubbing a hand between her tired eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Winnie. Just bad dreams.”

“What terrifies us in the real world manifests in our sleep, so it might then escape. Don’t let that happen,” Winnie implored with a serious look.

Khalani tilted her head back, her gaze fixed on the grey ceiling. She traded one underground city for another, and her anxiety continued to persist like ghosts that refused to end their torment.

She bit her lip and turned to Winnie. “Do you think there are more like him?”

“Like who, dear?”

Khalani hesitated, not wanting to voice her thoughts, but despite her best efforts, she was unable to let him…it…go. “The Governor. Do you think there are more machines like him?”

“There almost certainly are.”

“But where did they come from?” Khalani pressed.

“Winnie doesn’t know.” She squeezed her pencil harder. “Winnie doesn’t recall any records in the Archives mentioning the Governor being anything other than human. But someone had to create the machine and place it in a position of power over an entire city. Winnie suspects the maker is still out there.”

“Here?” She tensed. “In Hermes?”

“Possibly. We must keep our wits about us. The key to finding Prometheus and Project Helix may lie in this very city.”

The path to Project Helix starts at Prometheus.

Those were the words written by Timothy Talbot.

To uncover the truth behind Project Helix—something powerful enough to save humanity—they needed to leave Apollo and find Prometheus. The problem was that they were no closer to understanding what Prometheus was than they’d been when they left Apollo.

They might never discover the truth.

But Winnie still held onto hope. And hope was a stubborn, fickle beast.

“What do you know about Hermes?” Khalani probed, leaning forward. “Why is it so different from Apollo?”

Winnie looked up, pondering the question. “Did Winnie end up reading that book? Let me think… Ah, yes! She did.” Winnie’s face brightened and she clapped her hands together.

“There was a book about Hermes that a Death-Zoner brought back a long time ago. It was written by one of their scholars. Initially, when citizens first descended into Hermes, it was quite similar to Apollo. Dark, dreary, and depressing. However, a wealthy individual who owned casinos before the Great Collapse saw the opportunity for greater riches and built the first casino here.

“It was immensely popular, and it didn’t take much time for the Hermes Council to seize control of the wealth and power the casino generated. The difference in Hermes is that the people here didn’t mind the government taking more control. And the kind of authority that comes from the will of the people is the hardest to dismantle.”

“And the casino?”

“The casino continued to grow, bringing with it all manner of greed and crime. We best hope not to cross paths with one of the deadly gangs in this city.”

Khalani gulped, and Winnie placed a gentle hand on her knee.

“Don’t you worry, Khalani dear. Winnie likes Spade. He’ll take care of us.”

“How can you be so sure, Winnie? We just met him.”

“So? Winnie’s a great judge of character.” She tapped her temple with a sneaky grin, coaxing a faint smile from Khalani.

“What are you writing?” she gestured to the notebook on Winnie’s lap, needing a distraction.

“Oh.” Winnie’s cheeks flushed pink. “Winnie knew she couldn’t bring the typewriter, but she still needs to record our journey somehow. She’s been using this notebook instead.” Winnie smoothed her hands over the cover, and Khalani glanced at the last sentence she’d written.

“And they will venture into the jaws of a casino tomorrow, and Winnie prays they will emerge victorious,” Khalani read aloud.

“It’s not done yet. Winnie will wordsmith to make it better,” Winnie added, suddenly shy.

“I think it sounds great,” Khalani smiled, but she jumped when loud footsteps descended the stairs, only minutely relaxing when Spade appeared, wearing black slacks and a white button-down shirt.

“Good. The two of you are already up,” he noted, staring at them. “I need you to wake the others and come upstairs.”

“Why?” She frowned.

“There are a few people you need to meet.” Without another word, Spade marched back up the stairs, disappearing from view.

Winnie and Khalani exchanged nervous glances before setting about waking the others. It took several attempts to rouse Serene, but Takeshi was already awake. Khalani noted the dark circles under his eyes, wondering if he’d slept at all.

His face was cold as he bounded up the steps, taking them two at a time.

As Khalani climbed up behind him, she formulated a new plan to deal with Takeshi and her complex emotions.

It was brilliant.

It was called the “Keep Your Distance Plan.”

Based on her calculations, it yielded a one hundred percent effectiveness rate, if she followed the protocol.

Keno, the barman in the backroom, stood silently as they emerged, signaling for them to enter the larger bar area. The patrons from the night before had vanished. Spade gestured to a long table that hadn’t been there the previous night.

At the table sat four men in slick suits.

Three of them wore grim and unwelcoming expressions, their shoulders held rigid as Khalani and the others took their seats. The man directly across from her looked younger and had a black bandanna covering the lower half of his face—the only person wearing one—while his brown eyes landed directly on her. She couldn’t help but stiffen under his disarming gaze.

Keno entered the door, rolling his white sleeves to his elbows and sitting down at the end of the table. His expression was displeased as his gaze flittered to the four men, lingering on the masked individual across from her.

Spade sat at the opposite end of the table, folding his hands. “Now that we’re all here, we can begin.”

Begin what?

“We can first start with what the hell you were thinking by bringing foreigners into our city, Spade? And into the Black Heart, no less,” one of the men with thick arms and an oversized belly that touched the wooden table spat.

“Mind your tongue. I’m no foreigner,” Brock hissed, leaning forward like he was about to slice the man open with a butter knife.

“Yes, you are, Death-Zoner. You were a part of our group, but you haven’t been seen or heard from in months. How do we know you haven’t divulged our secrets to Apollo, and you aren’t here to steal everything out from under our feet?!” the man roared, while a couple others nodded in agreement.

The masked man remained silent, lounging back in his seat, like he was bored.

Brock tensed, moving to stand, but Spade placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

“That’s enough, Zenith,” Spade snapped at the old man. “Brock was captured in Apollo, and his loyalty to us remains true. He holds my full trust. A word against him is a word against me. Do you still have a problem?”

Zenith swallowed at the unspoken threat.

Even though his eyes burned with unsheathed hostility, his protests ended.

“Good,” Spade continued. “Now we can finally get to the reason why we’re here. First, we need to understand what’s happening in Apollo. You mentioned crop failure and the Apollo government killing your people. Tell us everything.”

Adan was the one to lean forward and share what Derek had told them about his findings while working in the Research and Resource labs in Apollo. He spoke of the virus discovered in the crops, which was slowly destroying the entire food supply, the negligence of their leaders, and the mass murder of Apollo’s citizens.

When he reached the part about their escape from prison and the Governor’s inhuman revelations, an oppressive silence fell over their group.

But the men across the table erupted in disbelief and outrage.

“What do you mean he was a robot?”

“That’s impossible,” another shouted

“Are you hearing this, Spade?” The third man threw up his hands. “I’ve never heard such an elaborate lie in my life.”

The three men shouted obscenities while the masked man, Keno, and Spade remained conspicuously quiet. The cacophony of voices turned into a dull roar in her head. A faint, high-pitched ring became audible.

Khalani shifted in her chair.

The fluorescent lights appeared too bright. The clothes on her back aggravated her skin. Her breaths shortened as a pair of pale blue eyes appeared in front of her.

“Are you sure you’re asking the right questions?”

“Stop!”

Everyone turned to her in shock as she slammed her palms on the table. Even the masked man in front of her looked up in interest.

“You don’t have to believe us,” she said. “I might not have believed it myself if I didn’t see it with my own eyes. But what Adan said is true. Both our cities have been lying to us about the radiation. Who knows what other secrets they’re hiding—”

“Radiation?” the masked man straightened in his chair, talking for the first time. “Explain.”

“That’s why I was imprisoned,” Brock interjected, glaring at Zenith before continuing. “On my way back to Apollo, I was attacked by people on the surface who weren’t wearing radiation suits. They didn’t look sick at all. When I reported what I saw to the Governor, I was thrown into prison. We traveled to Hermes without protection because the surface is no longer contaminated with radiation. Another government lie.”

Zenith’s jaw was on the floor at this point. The masked man tapped his finger on the table, looking deep in thought.

“It’s true,” Spade chimed in. “When I met them at the Gateway Arch, they weren’t wearing radiation equipment.”

“The poison may not have taken effect yet,” one of the tall, lanky men said.

Khalani clenched her fists, feeling like they were repeatedly slamming against a brick wall.

“But if they’re right,” Keno interrupted for the first time, leaning forward intently, “if their Governor admitted to poisoning the crops and killing innocent civilians, whether he was real or not, it stands to reason that the same could happen here.”

“It already is happening here,” Spade snapped, his hands clasped tightly. “You know they’ve been rounding up our people and putting them in hidden work camps. It must be where they have Jack.”

At the mention of Jack, all the men at the other side of the table went rigid, even the quiet masked man. The temperature seemed to drop, and Serene frowned. “Who’s Jack?”

At first, no one answered.

She noticed Keno subtly shake his head at Spade, but he ignored him. “Jack is our leader. He was taken by the Dealers a month ago. No one has seen or heard from him since. He was the first of our rebel group, and the one who united us all. He was crucial in negotiating peace between the leading gangs in Hermes.” Spade’s eyes landed on the masked man, who tilted his head in acknowledgment.

“Who are the Dealers?”

“They’re an elite branch of our military. Nasty fuckers who do the dirty jobs the government doesn’t want its citizens knowing about. We’ve heard rumors of a weapon they’re building in these hidden camps, but no one who’s been there has ever escaped. That’s where you come in.”

They pulled back, instantly wary.

“What do you mean?”

Spade leaned forward, his expression hardening. “If you plan to return to Apollo and rescue your people from the underground, you’ll need manpower and firearms. We can provide that. But first, we need your help rescuing Jack.”

Her blood pressure plummeted, not liking the direction this was heading.

“How?” Takeshi’s deep voice filtered throughout the room.

“Raziel.” Spade inclined his head toward the masked man. “He’s the Enforcer of the Aces and can get you in.”

Raziel, the masked man, regarded Spade with a contemplative look before shifting his attention to them. “One of the Dealer’s owes the Aces a favor. He’s informed us that their next target for the camps is a married couple. Mr. and Mrs. Davenhue. The capture is scheduled for tonight. We need two of you, one man and one woman, to pose as the Davenhues and meet the Dealer at the casino. He’s agreed to take our doubles to the camp instead. We’ll equip you with a special device to track your location. Once inside, you’ll locate Jack, and in one week, we’ll raid the camp and extract you.”

The room fell into silence as they wrapped their heads around the insane plan.

“We just got out of prison.” Adan glared accusingly. “And you want two of us to go back in?”

Raziel nodded, his impassive expression not giving anything away.

“Why will it take a week?” she asked.

“We need that time to assemble the necessary firepower. Overrunning the camp won’t be easy, but we’ll have explosives ready.”

“Why can’t two of your members do it?” Serene demanded.

“It needs to be someone the Dealers don’t recognize. They’ve increased efforts in identifying members of our alliance and the risk is too high if they realize who they captured isn’t in fact the Davenhues. You are our best option.”

Khalani swallowed, struggling to push past the colossal knot in her throat.

“No,” Adan growled. “My sister, Khalani, and Winnie are not bait and are definitely not going to this camp.”

“Then you get zero help from us, boy,” Zenith hissed. “Nothing comes for free in Hermes. Everything’s a gamble. Either accept that or leave here empty-handed.”

Raziel nodded. “You must decide now so we can prepare the IDs with your pictures by tonight. Who will it be?”

Serene placed a hand on Khalani’s leg, squeezing.

Khalani blanched, understanding, the silent message.

Serene was going to do it. She’d sacrifice herself so Khalani wouldn’t have to.

More unholy images raged in her mind.

Her parents lying on a cold table. Douglas looking back at her before closing the door.

The walls began to cave in, sliding faster and faster.

“I’ll do it,” Khalani blurted out.

Everyone whipped their heads to her, and she sensed the tendrils of icy anger pouring from Takeshi at the end of the table.

“Khalani.” Serene gripped her arm, pulling her attention. “It doesn’t have to be you.”

“Yes, it does,” she said, ignoring the pang in her chest. If anyone was going to put themselves in danger, it needed to be her. “You know how to steal, but I know how to fight. I have the best shot of getting out of there alive. And I won’t let you put yourself in danger over me.”

Serene’s chin wobbled, tears pricking the corners of her eyes as she shook her head in denial.

Raziel cleared his throat, reminding them that time was of the essence. “And which of the men will it be?”

“Me.”

Khalani closed her eyes, elated and terrified by the person who spoke. There wasn’t even a split second of hesitation from the end of the table. Takeshi’s voice bounded across the room like thunder, not offering room for someone to argue against him.

Brock frowned, his gaze flickering to Serene, but he remained irately silent.

“Alright.” Raziel stood, fastening his suit jacket. “I’ll prepare everything for the drop. Have them ready to go by eight p.m. sharp, Spade.” Raziel bounded out the door without another word, slamming it with a thud.

The silence was deafening.

She felt the blood rush of out her face, only beginning to realize what she’d just signed up for.

“Khalani,” Serene turned to her once more, pleading. “You’ve been through so much. You don’t have to do this. I can go.”

“Or Winnie can.” Winnie grabbed Khalani’s hand. “Winnie would rather something happen to her than to you.”

“No,” she snapped, her voice rising. Khalani drew back slightly when Winnie and Serene flinched, taking a breath to calm herself.

“I will do it. I’ll be fine,” she said with a confidence she didn’t feel.

Khalani had been the one to push for going to the surface, convincing everyone to join her.

It was her time to face the consequences of those actions.

Wanting to be alone, she excused herself to the restroom. Her shoulders slumped against the tile wall as the weight of what she’d just agreed to hit her like a ton of bricks.

She was willingly going back into chains. Heading back to prison with the one man she needed to avoid the most.

They’d escaped once before.

But she couldn’t shake the terrible feeling that this time, they wouldn’t make it out alive.