 
Rat City

Book 1

Tyffani Clark Kemp

~~~

Smashwords Edition

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Published by

Tyffani Clark Kemp

Copyright 2018 Tyffani Clark Kemp

SideStreet Cookie Publishing, LLC

www.sidestreetcookiepublishing.com

All rights reserved.

Cover design by SideStreet Cookie Designs

DEDICATION

For my readers; everyone still with me and everyone to come.

I write for you as much as I write for myself.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-seven

Chapter Twenty-eight

Chapter Twenty-nine

About the Author

Other Books by Tyffani Clark Kemp

Other Books from SideStreet Cookie Publishing
Chapter One

My dilapidated boots pounded the rubble-strewn ground. Gravel scattered in every direction as I scrambled in fear for my life. The soles of my shoes were so thin. Rocks and debris dug at my feet as if I was barefoot, but I couldn't stop, despite the pain. I had been running my entire life; from responsibility, from assassins, from nightmares. Tonight was no exception.

Visibility was nothing more than dancing shadows cast by the flames still flickering where I'd left them behind me. The moon was in its recycle stage, and the farther I ran from Curr's city center the heavier the dark pressed in. My pursuers were counting on it.

They had night vision goggles.

I did not.

I knew what was left of this city well in the daytime. After dark it was a hazard at best. Tonight, it just might kill me.

A large slab of concrete loomed in my path, outlined momentarily by a flare of flame. I picked up my pace, ran up the side of the slab, and vaulted into the air. My arms flailed to keep me from tipping and my feet kept running despite the lack of traction. I landed and my thin soles skidded and burst on the loose gravel. Something pierced the sole of my foot and I cried out, but I kept going. My feet pounded packed dirt and my heart pounded in my chest.

I wouldn't get caught.

I couldn't get caught.

Not after everything I'd done to survive this long. My day would eventually come, but it could not be this day. I had a job to finish and I wouldn't sully the memory of my parents by failing this soon.

My fingers touched something cool and metal. A fire pit gone cold. Without thinking I grabbed it and threw it behind me out of my way. It hit the ground with a loud clang, too late to stop it from giving away my location. I heard them laugh, heard them say something that chilled me to the bone and pushed my exhausted legs faster.

"Get her to the maze," a deep, gravely voice shouted. "We can cut her off there."

It was said that there was a maze of sewage tunnels under the decimated city. People had used them to escape the bombs that fell in an attempt to quell the uprising at the change of the government, but I'd lived here in Curr most of my life and I'd never seen the maze. I had known of people who went to check them out and never come back. The maze was supposed to be nothing more than a myth. I couldn't hang my salvation on something that wasn't actually there. My lungs and legs burned. Four day's worth of hunger gnawed at my stomach, but I couldn't stop running. I would probably never be able to stop running.

I had a plan.

On the southern most edge of what was left of the city were the skeletal remains of large buildings, remnants of what had once been tall buildings where men and women made more money than they knew how to spend. Now, from what I'd heard because I did most of my business on the northern and central-northern side of Curr, they were home to tent cities full of people needing shelter. They would make for some sort of cover. If I could get there I might be able to hide long enough to find a way out of this.

Of course, it was a three-mile run from the center of town to the outer edge and I wasn't even halfway there. I didn't have any energy left to give, but I kept running while my body begged to stop and my brain screamed to keep going.

One foot in front of the other.

Don't stop for fear of being caught.

Run!

I stumbled at the sound of the voice screaming in my head. Waking or sleeping, I heard the screams. They spurred me to keep going. There was death on my conscience and I wouldn't let it be in vain.

So caught up in my memories, I didn't realize I'd reached the shantytown that the locals called Edge City until I ran into a hanging tarp.

My first thought was that I'd been caught. Somehow they'd circled around and beat me. But as I struggled free and realized my mistake, I looked back. There was enough light from the Edge City fires that I saw my pursuers. They were close, too close for me to really have outrun them. They were playing with me.

Their mistake.

To hell with them.

"Runners!" I screamed so the people would know. Someone was coming and they needed to get out of the way before they got trampled and killed.

But the runners weren't stupid. Not by a long shot. They knew where we were, likely knew these people. I'd assumed this would be my salvation, but I'd played right into their hands.

No matter. I wasn't stupid either. I hadn't survived this long just to die tonight. I should have been more careful, should have checked my sources. Should have known that this deal was a setup from the beginning. Part of me did know, but I'd ignored it. I'd been wrong before. I should have trusted my instincts.

I knew I was in trouble when the sound of pursuing feet stopped. They were going around to get in front of me. To try and cut me off. I could turn back and take my chances or make my way through and hope I outsmarted them. Likely, they'd planned for both, but I wouldn't be able to keep going like this much longer. I was thin, but underfed. I was quick, but only for short spurts and I'd already exceeded my limit a couple times tonight. I was flagging and I need to catch my breath.

There was a trench to my right if I was in the right place. It was used to evade the police when they came through once or twice a month on their rampages. No one who wasn't familiar with Edge City would know about it. I'd had to use it once or twice myself, so the trench and I had an intimate relationship. I ducked under a tarp and into a hovel. It was dark and didn't bear the distinct stench of waning life when a hovel was occupied, the smell of rotting food, refuse, and despair. Some would say despair didn't have a smell, but I knew differently. It clung to the air, thick and cloying like old oil.

I pressed my body to the cool ground and waited the space of three breaths. I heard nothing, not from the people who lived here and not from those who pursued me. For the moment, I was alone.

I crawled slowly across the dirt. The ground dipped and I rolled under the tarp and down into the trench. I landed on something stiff and fleshy, and I knew immediately that it wasn't a living body. It had probably recently been dumped here. It hadn't started to smell yet. Quickly, I moved away out of reverence and respect for the recently dead, and forced myself to take deep, calm breaths. I was no stranger to death, but that didn't mean I wanted it pressed beneath my nose.

My feet pulsed with pain, and my legs felt like rubber. I didn't know how I would keep running, but I did know that this wasn't going to end without death.

I waited for what seemed like hours, even though it couldn't have been. I waited just a little longer than I should have, enjoying the ability to breathe without feeling like I was going to die.

I waited too long.

Strong, rough hands wrapped around my upper arms and pulled me up from the ground in one smooth move. A scream bubbled up from my chest, but I cut it off quickly. I expected to be overpowered by the scent of death and dying that hung around the people who lived in this city. Instead, I was greeted with the pleasant smell of soap and man musk.

"I've got the runner," the same deep, gravelly, bloodthirsty voice said. It sent a shiver down my spine. I whimpered involuntarily while my feet dangled above the ground and fingers dug bruises into my thin skin.

There wasn't enough meat on my bones.

There was never enough meat on my bones.

I said a quick prayer of apology to my parents. Their fight would die with me because I had failed them completely.

"It's too bad you stopped," he said. "I was about to get tired of chasing you."

Of course he was. Just my luck.

"You could just put me down and pretend like you didn't find me." I couldn't see anything, but I knew he could see me just fine with his goggles. He knew just how terrified I was.

"Nah. I think I'll just-"

His words were cut off with a cry of pain as light flared around us, bright and blinding. It hurt my eyes, but it would burn his with those damned goggles. Served him right. His body jerked in on itself for protection and he dropped me. I didn't stop to look or think. I was running as hard and as fast as I could before my feet even touched the ground, ignoring the pain in my legs and the way the stones and glass cut through my pointless shoes. I didn't pray often, but I sent one more prayer heavenward in thanks this time.

I was hungry, my mouth was dry from thirst, and my lungs and legs were ready to give up. Still, I pushed myself as hard as I could.

The only indication that I'd entered a building was the thump of my one boot echoing off of the concrete and the slight reprieve for my poor feet.

The culling had begun eight years ago. That was when I'd lost my family to the government-ordained burning of the people of Cur. To them his city was a blight on the map. The people here were just as guilty of treason as they had been so many years ago. With the culling came those who thought flocking together would save them. Living in squalor wasn't enough; they had to live in squalor together. What they didn't realize, what only I seemed to realize, was that large communities of people made bigger, easier targets. No one was allowed to leave the city. There were safeguards against it so revolutionaries couldn't intermingle with the obedient. It didn't matter that everyone here was malnourished and dying already. There was no fight in them.

I was the only one fighting.

I fought for them.

I ran through the abandoned building. Where were all of the people? Where were the tents and boxes and lean-tos?

Laughter surrounded me and echoed off of the concrete, pushing me faster if that was even possible. My lungs burned. My throat was so dry that it kept sticking together and no amount of saliva was going to save me. Several times I stumbled over nothing. My legs no longer obeyed my commands, but I had to keep running. I couldn't allow them to kill me. Once the sun came up I'd have a few moments to find a neutral zone. Those were the rules of the game. Hopefully, I'd be close to one.

When the cardboard homes finally came into view I almost uttered a cry of relief. Unfortunately, my body was not going to let me make it to sunrise. I was unaware of the exhaustion building in me until I fell face first to the ground, surrounded by cardboard boxes, a tattered tarp, and the dirt on the concrete floor. It floated up my nose and filled my mouth, mingling with the coppery blood I tasted on my tongue. My last meal. It wouldn't be satisfying.

My legs might have been unresponsive, but I could still fight. I rolled onto my back and waited for the distant shadows to approach. They swam through my vision. I must have hit my head harder than I thought when I fell.

Please let me stay conscious long enough to take at least one of them with me, I prayed. My mother had taught me the importance of prayer, but lately, I didn't hear many replies to my beseeching.

"It's a girl," one of my pursuers mumble as if stunned. They hadn't even known I was a girl? In the darkness, it wasn't hard to believe, but it still made me want spit blood and dirt in their faces. When he leaned close enough, I did just that. He pulled back, crying out in disgust.

One had known.

He'd known too much.

"What's wrong?" another runner spoke.

"She spit in my eye!"

There was a chuckle behind me. They were all around me.

"Who's there?" someone said.

I froze and barely dared to breathe. Would there be a fight over me? I'd heard of it happening. Two groups sent to cull could fight over the right to kill. This was the world I lived in.

"I've been tracking this one for the last hour," a deep, resonant voice said. It echoed off of the concrete and bounced off of the ceiling feet above. There was so much bass in his voice that he would never need to project. Anyone anywhere listening would hear him just fine.

"What are you doing here?" It was the gravel-voiced man who'd caught me. The disappointment in his voice told me that these men were happy to kill me. Excited, even. No matter what happened, I was not to give in to whatever any of them said.

Something rough was shoved into my hand and I gripped the wrapped handle of a small handmade knife. So I was to fight my way out. I could do that. I tested the edge to be sure it was sharp and positioned it in my hand the way it was most comfortable, ready to swing.

"You're supposed to herd them to the city, not scare them to death." There wasn't much confidence in his deep, deep voice. He knew they were trying to kill me. Were they not supposed to?

No, it didn't matter. I had to get away from here. If I could just make an opening I could run back out the way I'd come. I just wanted to get to a neutral zone and find something to eat. I felt the empty pit of my stomach, sharp-edged like the knife in my hand.

"She's the one that ran," that unconvincing voice spoke.

"Bullshit," my deep-voiced savior said. I wasn't the only one who wasn't convinced by the other man's words.

Hands wrapped around my waist. Now was my chance. The only one I might get. I twisted and struck out with the knife, slicing through tender flesh. He released a satisfying grunt and I broke away. Or I thought I'd broken away. I took two steps and my knees gave out. My body collided with something solid and warm and I melted instantly. I hadn't known I was so devoid of human contact, but my traitorous body didn't seem to care that we were being fought over like long anticipated steak. All it wanted was some kind of contact before we met our demise.

"Stop that," he growled. Pain was but a hint at the edge of his voice. "Or I'll take it away from you."

His voice was a whisper, his breath fanned across my neck. I shivered, but obeyed. No more attempts to kill him if he'd keep breathing on me like that.

"I'm taking her down," he said. His deep voice rumbled in his chest. I felt it against my back and through to my own chest. I swallowed hard. "She's with me now. Touch her and I'll kill you."

I didn't get a chance to thank him before he shoved me forward. I stumbled, my legs refusing to bear my weight.

"Do I need to carry you?" he asked softly in my ear.

I shook my head emphatically. His one arm was still wrapped around my waist and it was all I could do to focus on anything else. What was wrong with me? I didn't even know what he looked like or if he was going to let me live. For all I knew he was taking me somewhere to make me fight to the death. I hoped they didn't have a bear.

I twisted out of his grasp, though he kept a tight grip on my wrist so I couldn't get away from him. It didn't help to instill faith and trust in my soul, but we walked that way, wending our way through tent homes though no fires were lit. I smelled the heavy smoke of fires doused when I announced the runners. There was still no light in the sky and I now knew that I wouldn't make it to sunrise. The others followed behind us at a distance. I heard them whispering, but couldn't make out anything they said.

My savior captor pulled a door open that I couldn't even see. He must have been wearing night-vision goggles too. Just great. I was the only one at a disadvantage here. Of course, I did still have my little knife and at least I knew it was sharp. I pressed it against his thigh where I hoped it made his special member retract and felt his silent chuckle.

"Stairs," he said in my ear just before I stumbled down two of them and twisted my already aching ankle.

"Thanks," I said sarcastically. "I didn't see that there."

He chuckled again. "Sorry. We'll go slow."

"What a gentleman."

"Probably the only one left, actually," he said.

"That's a lot of adverbs in that sentence."

"Adverbs?" He laughed once, more a surprised expulsion of air. "Wow. Adverbs, she says." I felt, rather than heard him shake his head. "Twelve steps and then a landing. Got it?"

I nodded. True to his word, we took the stairs slow so I could feel my way down, but that was where the talking stopped. I didn't even try to push conversation because I didn't want to like a man who was probably going to kill me soon.

I counted stairs, stumbling after the first set when I forgot I'd fallen down the first two. There were six sets of them. By the time we were finished we were deep underground.

Our descent came to an abrupt halt when he jerked me to a stop.

"There's a door there."

"Well, I'm glad you can see it. Mind getting it for me, if you're truly the last gentleman left on the face of the planet?"

"It would be my pleasure, Adverb."

I froze. Nicknames? Nicknames meant he wanted to take me home and keep me. Give me food and water and take me for walks. Not kill me. At the thought of food, my stomach growled out a sound like monsters crashing through a hole in the heavens.

"Hungry?" he asked, his breath light and warm against my ear again. I guessed he didn't want his friends to think we were close.

"Starving. I eat like six men who haven't eaten in a week. Fair warning."

"Consider me advised."

"Are you going to open the door?" Unconvincing asked from behind. He was far too close for comfort. "Or do we have to wait for you to get done flirting?"

My savior cleared his throat. He let me go and did something with his goggles before he pulled the door open. Light and warmth flooded the space and blinded me momentarily. My retinas burned and I blinked away tears. As my eyes adjusted to the light, my ears adjusted to the sudden flux of noise where there had been nothing but the sound of our feet before. It was the sound of voices and movement, of happiness and excitement and anger. It was the sound of haggling and triumph; all things that I hadn't heard in too long.

It was the sound of life.

My eyes adjusted slowly. My savior captor waited for me to accept what I was seeing. People below us bustled about buying, selling. and trading. Color filled the space below us, colors I hadn't seen in years. Red and golden yellow like lemons, green and purple and pink. It was a market, and I smelled the beautiful scent of food cooking somewhere. I took a deep breath of it, forgetting about the men who now pushed past me down another set of metal rung stairs.

"Welcome to the Rat's Maze," said the deep voice beside me. Finally, my curiosity ready to be assuaged, I looked up. Steel grey eyes blinked at me. His hair was silver white, bleached by the desert sun and much shorter than my own chopped locks. Thick perfect eyebrows rose in amusement while I surveyed his strong, chiseled jaw and straight nose. And I still couldn't look away.

"It's not what I expected," I mumbled, meaning him as much as I meant the market below me.

He winked. "That's what they all say." I didn't know if he meant his deep voice didn't match the kindness in his eyes or the market didn't look like a maze at all. "Come on. You'll see why we call it the rat's maze soon enough."

He motioned me down the stairs. His hand wrapped around mine and I realized I still had a death grip on the knife.

"That's mine now. You gave it to me."

"Fair enough, Adverb. But you won't need it here. Welcome to the biggest neutral zone in the city."
Chapter Two

The smell of cooking food perfumed the air. The scent of it grew stronger the closer we got to the stalls of wares. My grey-eyed savior led me through the market past the sizzle of cooking food. The sound alone made my stomach roll with hunger. When was the last time I ate? Food was easier for me to come by than most everyone else, but that didn't look like it was a concern here. If someone went hungry down here, it wasn't because there wasn't enough to go around.

Fresh meat hung from the eves of one stall while handspun carpets and blankets hung from the next. Next to that were clothes, rough and simple but new. I tried to see if I could spy a pair of shoes, even though I had nothing to barter with. Another stall boasted handmade earthenware and another had reeking fish. I would have eaten it raw. My stomach and my head ached with hunger now, and my tired body was ready for sleep.

My savior watched me with sharp eyes, but he said nothing. I stayed close by his side and followed him to a round opening in the wall. It was at least eight feet high and lit by evenly placed bulbs that hung from the ceiling. On the left was an even larger round opening. People came and went through it, smiling and laughing.

Happy.

People moved aside for us when we entered the hall and I wondered just how high up in rank my savior was. The runners had done what he asked without question, something I hadn't noticed in the confusion and panic of the moment. I met curious glances with a steady gaze and a polite smile. A few looked at me in muted horror. My face must have been pretty busted up. Now that I thought about it, my lip did burn.

We entered a side room that smelled of bleach and body odor with none of the warmth and chatter of the market. It was quiet in here. The room was occupied by a single man sitting at the end of a long table, his large dark hands braced on the table while he looked over some papers. Harsh lights swung above, washing out his dark brown skin to sickly green. When he looked up his dark eyes narrowed on me, seeing much more than I was comfortable with. He stood with the slow care given to an aching body, though he didn't look too much older than my savior. He did look fierce, though, clad in leather and furs from shoulders to waist. It wasn't that cool down here, but the way he wore them was like a sign of rank. They made him look massive and brutal. I'd been brought to the leader of the Rat's Maze for investigation.

Welcome to Rat City.

"Solomon," my savior said as we entered the room.

"Who is this?" Solomon asked. His deep voice bounced off of the concrete walls, and while it was stern, it rang with kindness. Maybe my face was really messed up.

"She's the one they chased." My savior spoke before the others could say anything. "They would have killed her if I hadn't stepped in." In the harsh lighting his eyes were more like silver than grey.

"Savior of women now, are you?" Solomon asked. His lips twitched with amusement, but the look he gave the men behind him was anything but funny.

My savior shrugged, dismissing the question, and stepped a little closer to my back to shield me from the others. It was cool in the room, but heat rolled off of him. Or maybe it was just proximity to an attractive man. It had been a while since I'd been this near to anyone who didn't smell of death and rotting teeth.

"I cut him," I said, needing something to say to get my mind off of the way his shoulders squared and his body shielded mine. "It was a fair fight." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him grin.

Solomon blinked at my savior and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He was actually very attractive.

"She got the drop on you?"

My savior turned to look at me with puppy eyes and a rueful smile. "I gave her the knife. I didn't expect her to turn on me. How far did they chase you anyway?"

"I thought you'd been tracking me for an hour," I said. He just shrugged again. It was so carefree and meaningless. I envied him that luxury. "Center of town," I answered. "From the fires." I swallowed hard and tried not to remember the screams and the smell of burning flesh.

I felt his gaze, heavy and pointed. I hadn't realized I'd closed my eyes. It was worse when I closed my eyes. When I opened them he was staring at me wide-eyed. I turned to face him fully.

"You ran that far?"

I nodded. "Never underestimate a woman's will to live."

"And what do you have to live for?"

His question was unexpected and so outrageously out of place that I just stared for a moment. What did I have to live for? My parents were gone. I had no place to call home, no family. I had no one, so I said the first thing that came to mind and refused to hate myself for it.

"You, of course."

He took a half step back as if I'd slapped him and not just told him he was the reason for my universe, or something else equally as stupid. The other men snorted. I smiled at my savior's surprise.

"Were you going to kill this woman?" Solomon asked. He stared pointedly at one man and I turned to see who it was. He was tall, taller than my savior, with short black hair and dark eyebrows over dark eyes set back in his face so there was always a shadow over them. Immediately, I did not trust him. He eyed me with blood in his eyes and I knew.

He wasn't done with me.

He still planned to kill me.

"Answer me!" Solomon barked and I jumped. My savior stepped closer, closing the space he'd vacated earlier.

"Yes, sir!" It was the man with the unconvincing voice.

I stared at the leader of the men who'd chased me across the city and he looked at me. In his dark eyes was undisguised murder and loathing and something else. Something that set me on edge. He killed for sport, for fun.

How many people had he been meant to save?

How many had made it?

Exhaustion settled over me, and the ache in my head graduated to a sharp throb.

"I'm going to kill you one day," I told him with the last bit of strength I had. "I promise."

My knees buckled. I tried to catch myself by stumbling backward, but my body refused to be saved. I reached out for anything to keep from hitting my head again, anything to keep from hitting the floor like a sack of potatoes. Strong, warm arms wrapped around me and I stared up into my savior's silver-grey eyes.

"You're going to have to tell me your name soon so I can thank you properly." I could only hope that the words had actually come out, because they felt thick and sticky in my mouth.

He smiled and it chased me into oblivion.

I awoke to the soft tapping of a shoe against the floor and blinked into bright lights above me. Pain exploded through my head.

"You really banged up your face," my deep-voiced savior said from my left. I tried to turn my head, but the pulsing headache behind my eyes increased with each attempt until I gave up.

"Am I all pretty shades of purple?" I groaned.

"Not yet, but you will be. You have a concussion so I'm going to keep you under observation for the next few days, which works out fine. There isn't any space for you right now so you're going to stay with me."

I tried to make sense of what he was saying, but between the hunger in my stomach, the pain in my face, and the concussion I wasn't sure I'd heard him right. "Can I see what my face looks like?"

"Sure." He walked away. When he came back he held a piece of mirror with the edges filed down so they wouldn't cut the skin.

I didn't give myself a chance to worry over it. I held the mirror up quick. My forehead was scraped up and I wondered why I hadn't noticed just how much damage I'd done. Maybe I'd been that distracted by his beautiful voice. My nose was scratched up too, but the really pretty part was my upper lip. It was swollen to at least three times the normal size and turning purple. It was raw and still a little bloody, but also glossy like he'd put ointment on it.

"Oh, that's attractive."

He handed me a cloth with some ice inside. "This may help it feel a little better." His thumb brushed across my forehead. It stung a little and shot butterflies through my stomach at the same time. "This is what I'm worried about." His voice was soft and tender.

"My face?" I asked, sounding too hopeful.

He half-smiled. "Your head. Your concussion isn't bad, but it worries me anyway."

I blinked. "You're worried about me?" It was a stupid question and I felt stupid once I'd said it.

The corner of his mouth softened. "I am. If you're feeling up to it, it's dinner time."

I nodded slowly when I wanted to shout for joy. I was ninety-nine percent sure he'd thought I was joking when I said I ate like six starving men, but I was about to show him how true it was.

He offered his hand to me and helped me off of the bed. I was more damaged than I'd thought. My legs were tired, but the promise of food propelled me forward.

"Ready to see the maze?" he asked.

I didn't answer, but then I didn't have to. I was going to see the maze whether I wanted to or not. He led me out of what turned out to be a side room off of the market. The food smelled delicious and I wanted nothing more than to find out where each smell was coming from and what it tasted like, but my beautiful savior had other plans.

We skirted the market and marched through the wide opening I'd noticed earlier, which I assumed to be the main entrance into the maze. True to the stories, the Rat's Maze was a set of old sewage tunnels that twisted and turned and wrapped around one another until I was sure we were lost or just going in circles. We went up a set of stairs into another hallway that looked like all the others.

"How do you know where you're going?" I asked.

"There's a reason they call us rats," he said, his voice completely serious. "You develop a sense of direction down here. You can almost sense it in the hairs along your skin like a rat does with its whiskers."

"And how long does that take?" I grumbled. I'd never really been good with directions.

"Don't worry, Adverb. You'll get the hang of it. You'll be a rat in no time."

The humor in his voice did nothing to make the butterflies in my stomach dissipate.

I heard the staccato footsteps before I saw the woman come around the corner and nearly collide with my savior. Her long blond hair was pulled away from her face into a fall of dreadlocks down her back. High, tan cheekbones and a thin nose with a scoop at the end gave her a severe, almost rat-like appearance. She pursed her rosebud lips tight so tight that it leached the color out of them. Her thin eyebrows pinched together over piercing blue eyes that looked me up and down. Her body pressed as close to my savior's as it could without touching. My protective instincts rose up, but I managed to tamp them back down before I scratched her eyes out. I'd never seen her before, but there was something familiar in the set of her jaw and the authoritative way she held herself. She reminded me of the highborn the way she stuck her nose up in the air. I thought maybe I should know her name, but I couldn't place her, so I let it go.

"Burke," she snapped, her voice even and cultured. "I heard you brought a woman in." Her eyes flicked to me once again before they dismissed me and returned to Burke with just a hint of admiration. "Is this her?"

The way she talked reminded me of government officials, not rebels living underground. She'd been taught, like Burke and I had been taught, how to speak properly and how to use the right the right words. But she'd been taught how to put a curl on her r's and how to hold out certain letters so they sounded better. The typical highborn show. I had lived here for so long I'd forgotten all about it.

"She's under my observation for the next few days," Burke said. I expected him to sound sheepish, but he spoke with as much authority as she did. "We're on our way to dinner. I don't know the last time she ate, but when her stomach rumbles it sounds like the maze is caving in. You're welcome to join us."

Actually, she wasn't, but I should have known that my beautiful savior would have a girlfriend equally as lovely. So much for unattached. He sure was handsy for a man with a girlfriend, though. Or maybe what I'd taken for attraction was just him being attentive.

She didn't like his answer. She turned on her heel and marched back the way she'd come. We followed, though we didn't match her pace.

"Well, she's pleasant." I touched a finger to my upper lip, feeling self-conscious about it finally. What if it didn't go back to normal? What if I couldn't eat? The horror.

"That's just Rosa. She's always sort of sour. You get used to it."

"Your name is Burke?"

"William Burke. Everyone just calls me Burke." He stopped walking and looked at me. His grey eyes stared into mine and I forgot how to breathe for a moment. "Your name?"

"Uhm..." I paused. He had me so flustered I couldn't even think of my own name. Why did this man whom I'd only just met have such an impact on me? "Dalia," I finally said. "But it's kind of girly, so Adverb works just fine."

In truth, I just liked the way his tongue curled over the 'r' in the word. I had a couple things he could curl his tongue around.

A grin spread across his face, showing a set of white, slightly crooked teeth.

"Adverb it is, then. Let's get something to eat."

The mess hall was a mishmash of ragtag people. Some sat at long tables with benches on either side. Some stood around the edges of the room or in the open spaces carrying on. Carefree. Everyone was eating, talking, laughing. I felt a little out of place, an outsider in this community of people.

The sounds of human life assaulted me once again, almost overwhelming to the point of tears. It was such a change from my current life. Above ground you didn't make friends. Anyone could turn on you at the promise of food or protection or a shiny bit of something to barter with. Down here it was different. I found I missed the camaraderie of people. It made the empty place my parents used to occupy even more cavernous.

Rosa marched over to Burke out of a crowd of people, caught him by the arm, and dragged him away. I didn't even have a chance to follow him, swallowed by people before I knew what was happening. I stared around at the full room just enjoying the interaction of people. If I wanted to live here I was going to have to learn to trust them, Rosa and Unconvincing not included of course.

The hair on my arms stood on end and I looked up to find Unconvincing staring me down from across the room. His shadowed eyes were imperceptible, but I felt them sizing me up.

"What did you do to get him on your bad side?" asked a voice to my left. I looked over to find a short girl standing next to me, her eyes on my new nemesis.

"I might have threatened to kill him, but he was trying to kill me first."

At first glance she looked young, but there was something in her eyes that told me she was older than she looked. She was shorter than me by half a foot at least. Dark brown hair hung about her face.

"Oh, so you're the one they just brought in. I thought so, but I never assume. Or I try not to. You can come sit with me if you want. You get food over there." She pointed. "I'll show you."

I followed her to the counter where people pushed trays along to have them filled with steaming food. It didn't smell like the food from the market, but I was so hungry I just didn't care.

"Comin' down!" she cried before sliding an empty tray down the counter. As it slid, people on the other side tossed food onto it, never wasting a morsel. These were my kind of people if they knew the sanctity of food. When the tray reached the end, my new friend skipped to the end.

"Hey, Hamster! You already had your serving!" someone shouted.

"It's not for me," she answered. "It's for the new girl." She handed me the tray. "That's how you do it. This way." She reached up and tied her hair up into a messy bun with a bit of string as we walked. I followed her, dodging people as we went.

I looked up just in time to catch Burke's gaze following me as I walked. I ran my fingers through the uneven ends of my short hair and hoped I didn't lose my balance and trip. I couldn't be so lucky for him to be there to save me a third time. Rosa reached across and snatched his chin around so he was looking at her. He glared, storm clouds coming in over his steely eyes. I turned away.

"Why do they call you Hamster?" I sat next to my new friend on a rough bench at a rough table and almost giggled. I hadn't eaten at a table in ages.

"Because I'm one of the smallest people here," she answered. "Everyone mistakes me for a kid. My real name is Hannah. You can call which ever you like. What do they call you?"

I chuckled. "They call me Adverb."

Hamster frowned. "I don't get it."

"That's okay."

"She likes adverbs," said a deep voice over my shoulder. I shuddered. He was so close. When had he gotten there?

"You're going to have to stop sneaking up on me. Remember the last time you did that," I said.

"I have yet to forget the sting of the knife where you cut me. When you're done, come to my table. I'll show you where you're staying."

I nodded and couldn't help watching him walk away. If I hadn't known him – and I really didn't – I would have been afraid of him. He walked like he was going to battle, like nothing scared him. Maybe it didn't.

"Now that is a man," Hamster said. "And how, pray tell, did you get him to look at you like that?"

"I have a concussion?"

Hamster giggled, giving the impression that she was even younger than she looked. "I'll have to try that."

I grinned and shoveled food into my mouth. It was bland and grainy and the most amazing thing I'd ever tasted in my life. Or maybe I was just half starved. The pants that had fit me a month ago hung off of my frame and I had to tie them on with rope. My tattered shirt was no better. I used to have a chest to fill it out, but now it hung off of my shoulders.

"So." Hamster took a bite of bread. "You were being culled?"

"Apparently, though I seemed to have missed the memo."

Hamster snorted. "Isn't that always the way? I missed the memo too. Rosa was the one who chased me to the maze. Who chased you?"

"You saw him. The one staring at me like he was trying to make my head explode with his mind."

"Steve?" Hamster's eyes widened.

"What? No fancy nickname like Killer or Death Threat?" I shoveled some more food into my mouth.

"I'll tell you what they call him behind his back later."

I tried to savor the first food I'd had in days, but I was too hungry. Before I realized it, my plate was empty. I was tempted to lick it clean.

"Just a little advice, Burke never eats all of his food. If you're still hungry." Hamster winked at me. "I'll take your tray for you."

"Thanks. It was nice to meet you. I'm sure we'll run into each other again soon."

She smiled back and I walked away. Burke sat across from Rosa who looked up and saw me as I approached. Her eyes narrowed and filled with distaste. I smiled and slid onto the bench next to Burke.

"You going to eat that?" I asked of the loaf of bread sitting on his plate.

"For someone who points out my adverb usage, you sure do have poor sentence structure." He pushed the plate toward me and I scooped up the bread before anyone else could.

"Maybe that's why I like adverbs so much," I said around a mouthful. "I'm so hungry," I sighed. "I could eat for days."

Burke chuckled. "You're not allowed to leave the mess hall with that, so hurry up so I can show you to your room."

I nodded. The bread was gone in three more bites.

"So, where did you come from?" Rosa asked, showing something that couldn't be called interest.

"Mid city," I answered and tried to swallow, but I'd taken too big a bite of the dry bread. Burke pushed his cup toward me.

"Don't choke," he said.

I tipped the cup up, hoping for something strong like tea or liquor. Instead, I got water that tasted like metal and silt. I drank it all.

"Well, that was gross."

"You get used to it," he offered.

I doubted I would.

"Do I know you?" I looked up at Rosa. "Have I seen you around? Above ground."

Rosa's eyes sparked. "No."

That was the reaction of a woman afraid, but I let it go for the moment. I nodded toward Steve at the end of the table. He was still glaring at me. "He chased me from the fires mid city across to the bombed-out buildings. That's where Burke found me."

"Mr. Burke," Rosa corrected.

"He didn't tell me I had to say that." I wondered who he was that made him so special.

"Well, I did."

"And who are you?" I snapped. The food had helped take the edge off of my headache, but her attitude was going to make it come back.

"She's the matriarch down here," Burke said. "The people voted for her." The way he said it made it sound like he hadn't.

"Oh, well, yes, mum." She sneered at me, but didn't say anything else.

"Mr. Burke," I said sweetly, "my head is killing me. Would you be so kind as to show me to my room?"

Burke nodded once and stood. He helped me to my feet and we left the mess hall without another word to Rosa.

"Do I really have to call you Mr. Burke?" I asked.

"No," he said sternly. "She's just being a bitch, as per usual."

We wound through the maze in silence once again. I kept my eyes on the back of Burke's head, but it was getting harder to focus as the pain started again.

"Should I be worried about this headache?" I asked as we rounded the corner into a hall with round vault doors on each side.

"I'd be surprised if there wasn't pain," he offered, "but I'll check you out again when we get inside." We walked to the end of the hall. The door at the end was a little bigger than the rest.

"Are you the hall monitor or something?"

"Or something." Burke spun the latch in the center of the door and pulled it open with the hiss of air escaping. "Home sweet home."

I stepped carefully over the threshold, trying not to look so much like I was barely surviving, and stumbled on the step down. I caught myself on the door as Burke caught me around the waist once again. He righted me and pulled the door shut, stepping past me into the living space. I looked around and found myself pleasantly surprised.

"A lot of pain?" he asked.

I nodded. It was one round room with no other doors. I hadn't expected it to be so warm and inviting. In front of me, the bed was little more than a pallet covered in pillows and blankets. There was a desk on the right and in the corner on the left was what I guessed passed for a sofa. It was just another pile of pillows.

"You did hit your head pretty hard."

I nodded again. "This is where you live?" I turned to face him.

Burke grinned. "Not what you expected?"

"Nothing about you is what I expected. Thank you for saving me twice today. I should have told you that sooner."

"You've had an eventful day."

"Sorry I cut you."

"Flesh wound." He shrugged and motioned me down the metal rung stairs. I held on tight to the railing and fought for my wobbling legs to stay steady. As I reached the floor, Burke took my hand. He sat me on the edge of the bed and flashed a small light in my eyes. "You should lay down," he said. "I'll wake you in a couple of hours to check you out again. I know you're tired."

Exhausted was a better word. "You can check me out now," I said and blinked spots from my vision. Obviously, I was delirious.

"You can take the bed," Burke offered, but he sounded humored. I hoped I didn't remember this later.

"Where will you sleep?" I asked.

He motioned to the sofa. "I'm stepping out for a minute. I have a meeting, but I'll be back."

I nodded. Burke stared after me for a long moment before he turned and left the room. Settling back against the pillows, I wished I could have taken a shower before I fell asleep in his bed. But the moment my eyes were closed, I forgot about it. I'd been asleep on my feet the whole time.
Chapter Three

Something shoved my arm and jarred my whole body. Pain started in my shoulder, shooting little tendrils through me. The thing shoved me again. I struck out with my fist on impulse, but I only hit air. When I jerked it back to try again, someone caught it and squeezed so I couldn't pull away.

Suddenly, I was wide awake. Despite the pain in my body and what radiated through my head when I jumped out of the bed and landed on my bare feet, I was fully on my guard. The metal slats of the floor pressed into my feet to bring me fully awake. There was no part of me that didn't ache in some way. I struggled to make sense of where I was.

How had I gotten here?

"You're alright," a deep, soothing voice said. I stared into his grey eyes and knew I should know him. "Calm down, Adverb. You're safe. I promise."

"Adverb?" I pressed the heel of my free hand to my throbbing right eye. "Where am I?"

"Rat City. In the rat's maze. Do you remember?" He shined a light in my eyes and I flinched away.

"I do now. Geez. What the hell, Burke?"

"Is disorientation normal when you wake up?"

"I always wake up in a different place, so yeah. It takes me a few minutes to figure out where I am."

"I'll remember that for next time." He dropped my wrist, now that the threat of being punched was over, and crossed his arms. "I need you to stand still so I can check you out."

I struck a pose, popping my hip out to one side, and rejoiced inwardly when his beautiful mouth twitched. "Shouldn't the doctor be doing this?"

"I am the doctor."

"Oh." Yet another unexpected thing about him. "I guess that makes sense for a life saver such as yourself."

He finally did smile. It softened the spaces around his mouth. "Come sit on the edge of the bed for me and I'll let you lay back down."

I did as he said and stared off into the distance when he shined his damned light in my eyes once again. When he was done, I scooted back on the bed with my legs crossed.

"You haven't slept yet?" I asked.

Burke shook his head. His hair was ruffled. Where it had been neatly smoothed back in an low pompadour it was now a bit unruly and damp.

"I just got back from my meeting. It ran a little longer than expected." Burke turned his back to me and shuffled through some things on his desk against the wall. He stood there silently for a moment, his back rigid, and I wasn't sure if he was going to turn around a suddenly be the living dead or not. When he did turn around, there was a crease between his brows. "You should know the meeting was about whether to let you stay here or not. We're working to clear out a new wing, but we've been taking in a lot of refugees lately and there's just not enough room."

"Is that what you call us?" I asked softly. "People from the top. Refugees?"

Burke nodded.

I sighed. "It's fine. Whenever you deem me fit to be on my own, I'll go. I never meant to stay anyway. I was just trying to get away from Steve." His name left my lips with a combination of disdain and humor. "Hamster was saying that there's a name people call him behind his back. You wouldn't happen to know would you?"

Burke's lips twitched. "No," he said, but he was lying. His eyes were too shiny.

"I have to go to the bathroom," I said, feeling strangely embarrassed.

"Downstairs."

I frowned. Burke pushed away from the desk and lifted a hatch in the floor that revealed more stairs.

I grinned. "It's bigger on the inside." I started down the stairs, but Burke caught my wrist and pulled me around to look at him.

"You should know I told them that you'll be staying with me until you're ready to leave. Not when I'm ready for you to leave."

My lips twitched and I let them slip into a teasing smile. "Why would I want to stay if you don't want me anymore?" Burke smiled back and dropped my wrist. "I don't supposed there's a shower or anything down here is there?"

He nodded once. "Take your time." He reached back at his desk and tossed something at me. I caught it and looked it over. It was a prepackaged sandwich of some kind. "From the canteen," he said. "I thought you might be hungry."

"You said we couldn't bring food out of the mess hall."

Burke spread his hands in a sort of shrug. "Hall monitor. Get your shower, Adverb. I'll be here when you're done."

I wasn't sure why his waiting for me sent a shiver down my spine, but I liked the sound of it. He didn't have to wait if he didn't want to. I slipped down the stairs almost literally.

The bathroom was behind a heavy curtain. I relieved myself and turned on the water. It took a minute for it to get warm, but when it did it was the most heavenly thing I'd ever known. My tired, tattered body relaxed and I felt myself slipping away, giving in to exhaustion.

"Adverb." Someone was shaking me again. "Adverb wake up."

I blinked my eyes open. "Burke?" His face was creased with worry. He looked so much older than he had earlier. "What's wrong? What happened? Are they kicking me out?"

"You fell asleep in the shower and hit your head again." He pulled his fingers away from the back of my head. They were wet with blood and water. "You're not to be alone for a single moment from now on. Do you understand?"

I nodded. "It doesn't hurt."

"Would you feel it if it did?" I think he was trying to be funny, but there was too much worry in his voice for it to be convincing. "How many of me do you see?"

"Just one. Don't need any more than that." I smiled and I knew it was sappy because answering his smile was adorably amused. "Am I naked?"

"I put a towel over you. If you think you can stand, I'll step out so you can get dressed."

I nodded. Burke left and closed the curtain. Standing was a chore. I leaned heavily on the wall to pull myself up.

"Here's a shirt." Burke shoved a plain t-shirt around the curtain.

"Thanks." Leaning against the wall, I pulled it over my head. It was so big it almost hit my knees.

"I'll get you some clean clothes in the morning."

"Burke?"

"Yes."

"I don't think I can climb the stairs."

He pushed the curtain aside and assessed me quickly, scooped me into his arms, and pressed me into his chest. There was nothing astounding about his scent except that it was his. He smelled like a man who'd just taken a shower, like flesh and homemade soap.

"I'm going to put a bandage on your head so you don't bleed on my bed," he said. "And I'm going to wake you up again in an hour."

"I might as well not sleep," I complained. "I need at least six uninterrupted hours of sleep to be able to function and eight to be at my best. Ten to twelve if you want to see me transcend."

Burke chuckled. "What does that mean? Transcend?"

"I don't know. It's never happened before."

His laughter, real laughter, made my chest swell. "Well, it's not going to happen now either."

He set me on the edge of the bed once again. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep before he had a chance to bandage my head.
Chapter Four

"Wake up, Adverb," echoed in my ears for the hundredth time that night and I swatted it away, half hoping that he would say it again, half hoping he would crawl into bed with me and let me sleep.

"It's morning," he said instead. "Time to get up and work."

I groaned. "I guess there's no chance of finding out what it looks like when I transcend."

"Maybe tomorrow." Burke's voice was heavy with amusement. "If you don't get up now, we're going to miss breakfast."

I opened my eyes and sat up. Burke held my shoes by two fingers, blinking at them in disbelief. The busted sole hung open and I could see straight through them to his shocked face. I stared, trying to reconcile my flight last night with those useless shoes. It was a wonder I was still alive.

"Are these what you've been wearing?" Burke's eyes met mine and I nodded.

"Impressive that I ran across the city in those, isn't it?"

He shook his head. "I'm surprised you didn't impale your foot on something. We need to get you some new ones. And you need some new clothes too."

"That's very kind of you, but I don't have anything to buy, barter, or trade for new clothes. I'm doing pretty well to have clothes on my back, I think."

Burke's demeanor changed and pain ran behind his eyes. "I didn't mean it...like that. Forgive me. Let me try again. You can't walk around Rat City smelling like you ran for your life, despite the fact that you did. We have hygiene rules here since we coexist in such close quarters. I'm taking you to get new clothes. I have to go on an overnight anyway, and since you're not to leave my sight you're coming with me."

"Oh, well, in that case, what exactly do you want me to wear?"

Burke tossed me a pair of pants that were going to be too big, a belt that wouldn't fit, and a tank top that had seen better days. They were all in better condition than what I'd been wearing.

"This will have to due for now. I guess you'll have to go topside barefoot. Just be careful. I don't want to have to bandage your feet too. Get dressed. I'll wait outside for you."

I saluted him and waited for him to leave before I lifted his shirt over my head. His scent, from his shirt and his bed, wafted around me and I breathed him in. He smelled like warmth and home.

Tossing the shirt on the floor, I shook my head and stared at it. I didn't even know this man. I refused to believe that I was so in need of human contact, intimate contact that I'd latched onto him just because he'd saved me. Yet, stranger things had happened. I dressed quickly and joined Burke in the hallway. He still had my shoes in his hand.

"What are you going to do with those?" I asked.

"Take them to the incinerator. Ready?"

"Always ready for food."

I rubbed my bare arms. It was cool down here, and though it was a nice improvement from the stifling mid-summer heat on the surface, I wished I had something to cover my arms. Burke had already done so much for me that I didn't feel right asking.

"Hey, guys!"

I turned as Hamster skipped up to us and walked on my other side.

"Hey," I said with a smile for my new friend.

"You look cold," she said. She took her jacket off and handed it to me.

"I can't take that," I said. "You'll be cold."

"I'll just get my other one if I need it. I'm fine. Really." She shoved the thin jacket into my hands and I put it on gratefully. "I'll see you guys at breakfast." Hamster trotted off.

"You can ask me for anything," Burke said. "If you're cold, you should tell me."

"Could it be a side effect of the concussion?"

"Could be."

"You're so full of it."

Burke chuckled. I liked the happy, humored sound of his laughter's deep rumble and the way his face softened and his eyes tightened in the corners when he smiled. His silver hair was back where it belonged, smoothed neatly over the top of his head. The sides were smoothed down tight to his scalp while the top did a fancy little swoop, making him even taller.

"I just want to know if you need anything," he said.

Warmth flushed my skin at his words. "I don't want to be a bother asking you for things all the time. I'm used to providing for myself." Actually, that wasn't quite right. "I'm used to taking care of other people," I tried again.

Burke nodded.

We came to the mess hall. It wasn't as full as it had been last night, but Burke put a hand on the small of my back to guide me toward the front. I got the impression that he wasn't going to let me be separated from him like we'd been the night before. He handed me a tray and walked the line politely, holding it out for the servers to put food on it.

"That's not how Hamster does it," I said.

"Hamster's teaching you bad manners."

"I get the feeling they like her more than they like you."

Burke looked at me and sneered. I laughed. Once he was out of the way, I set my tray on the counter and shouted, "Coming down!" My tray was filled as it slid down the counter. I skipped to the end to get it and grinned at Burke. "That's more fun anyway. But you go ahead and be mannerly."

He shook his head and leaned in close. "I am anything but mannerly," he said, his tone taking on a growl that shot straight to my toes.

Burke walked away, his back straight, head high, and I scrabbled after him, sitting across from him at the closest table so I'd have a reason to look at him. I hadn't had a chance to really study him. Now, I looked him over without hesitation, taking in his clean-shaven face and the way his jaw worked when he chewed. Everything in me wanted to reach out and touch his hair. Instead, I shoveled grey mush into my mouth.

"What are you staring at?" he asked without looking up.

"Your nose," I answered honestly.

"What about it?"

"It's crooked." There was a hitch in the center, like someone had tried to fix a broken bone and hadn't gotten it quite as straight as before.

Burke reached up and rubbed the spot I was looking at. "That happened when I was ten. A boy and I fought over some bread and he punched me. My sister reset it for me."

"Ah. Well, she did a good job. I like it. It gives your face character." I hadn't seen or heard mention of a sister before now. Maybe she lived on his hall.

Burke scoffed. "A face needs character?"

"Some do. Like yours. You look all scary, especially with that deep voice of yours. A crooked nose means you've lost fights. You're human."

"Who said I lost the fight?" One eyebrow went up in question.

"Should I see the other guy?"

Burke opened his mouth to respond, but he was beat to the punch line when Steve sat next to him and said, "I was the other guy." He turned his head so I could see a scar running down the side of his face from his hairline to his ear.

"You cut him?" I asked, eyes wide.

Burke shrugged. "He broke my nose."

"Over bread."

"I was hungry," the two men said in unison.

I shook my head. "At least fight over something important like a girl or who gets the top bunk."

Burke grinned. "Eat your food. It's getting cold."

I shrugged. "I'll eat it anyway." I put a spoonful of the mush in my mouth and swallowed.

"We'll leave when you're done."

"Headed out?" Steve asked and Burke nodded, but whatever we were headed to do neither one of them spoke of it.

It was strange to see Steve in the light of a new day looking mostly like a normal human being. The bloodlust from last night was gone from his eyes and so was the hatred, but where it no longer resided there was tension in the broad set of his shoulders. He didn't look at me. I doubted he was ashamed. He didn't seem like the type of man to feel shame.

When Burke had eaten all he wanted, he pushed his tray across the table. I scraped mine clean then did the same with his. By the time I got to it, the mush had grown cold and solid like porridge. I chopped it into bits with my spoon and ate them one by one. The two men stared at me.

"That's disgusting," Steve said and stood.

"What did I do?" I asked Burke as I watched Steve dump his dishes and leave.

"Nothing. Ready?"

I nodded. "Ready if you are."

We dumped our trays in the bin for the dirty dishes and I followed Burke through the maze to the wide open room where I'd come in the night before. The market was still set up, but there weren't nearly as many people as there had been the day before.

There were three levels of metal rung walkways all the way around the room. That was how tall it was. At the back was the set of stairs that had brought us down here. To the left at the top ran a set of oblong spaces that looked like windows with sunlight, but they were too small to see through and I knew it couldn't be real sunlight. We were too far below ground. Below that was the side room I'd woken up in after passing out.

"How long has Rat City been here?" I asked. "I mean, like this."

"Forty years ago, someone decided to take advantage of the rumors about this place and colonized it. It started as a military outpost during the wars, but then they started taking in refugees. And when the fighting stopped, people stayed and started bringing in more and more."

"It's amazing," I said. "I've lived in Curr since I was sixteen and I never knew it was real."

"Then we're doing our jobs right."

Burke motioned me to the stairs and I went up first. I guess he didn't trust me to navigate them by myself. He would have been right. I wasn't halfway up before I stumbled. He grabbed my arm and pulled me back against him before I could fall. My breath caught at the slide of my body against his. Maybe I just needed to get laid.

"Careful, Adverb," he said softly.

"I'm doing my best," I breathed.

He let me go and I continued up the stairs trying to figure out why he made me so shaky after less than twenty-four hours. Was it more than just his good looks?

At the top, Burke pulled the door open for me and closed us into darkness. His fingers wrapped around my small hand, even in the pitch-blackness, and we ascended the stairs.

"No goggles this time?" I asked quietly. Every sound echoed around us, bouncing off of walls I couldn't see.

"I don't really need them unless I'm in a hurry."

"How long have you lived down here?"

We stopped climbing. I felt something touch my lips; his finger was rough and as gentle as a kiss and smelled of soap. I bit my lips together, a little disturbed at the way that simple touch made my body shiver.

Be quiet.

Point taken.

What lived here in the darkness, I wondered?

Maybe it was the bear.

I didn't know where I'd gotten the bear from in the first place.

We climbed in silence; the only sound was his shoes on the metal stairs. My feet made hardly any noise, though by the time we finally burst through the door at the top my damaged feet hurt. I was disappointed to see that a thick layer of clouds hid the sun. I hadn't realized I'd missed it.

We climbed over and around several large slabs of concrete that had fallen from the ceiling. "I've lived in Rat City for twelve years," Burke said, finally answering the question I didn't think he would. "My sister and I stumbled across it one day when we were hiding from some droids."

"Where is your sister now?" I asked.

"She passed away."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"It's been a while."

"That doesn't make it any easier." If he heard the pain in my voice he didn't acknowledge it and I was grateful that I didn't have to tell him. Not yet.

Burke climbed onto a pile of rubble and reached down for me. I took his hand and he pulled me up. Loose stones slid beneath my bare feet and I lost my balance, arms flailing to try and regain it. He caught my wrist and wrapped his arms around my waist, crushing my body to his once again. He gazed down into my eyes. What exactly did he see there? Something softened in him.

"No, it doesn't," he said.

"What?" My synapses were firing, but they were telling me how much I wanted to kiss his exquisite mouth, not helping me understand what he meant.

"Time doesn't really make it much easier. It just takes the edge off when you aren't thinking about it."

I nodded, because I didn't trust my voice to work or my brain to make words that weren't, "Kiss me now."

"Alright?" The muscles in his jaw flexed and I almost died right there in his arms.

I nodded again. He released me like he wanted to make sure I was steady on my feet before letting go completely, and jumped down off of the pile. Burke reached up for me and lifted me down.

"Careful where you step," he said.

I nodded. It truly was a wonder I hadn't impaled my foot on anything last night.

Tarp-tent homes dotted the otherwise empty expanse of concrete floor like little hives of humanity. Burke wound through them with ease and familiarity. Occasionally, people poked their heads out to see who was coming. When they saw him they smiled and waved and disappeared.

"Why do they live here instead of in the maze?" I asked quietly.

"They're scouts. Something like decoys."

"So, you use them as an alarm?" I sounded as appalled as I felt.

"No. They choose to be an alarm. Before they move in here they're made aware of what their responsibilities are."

"I guess that's okay, then."

"They're our first line of defense. Coincidentally, thank you for making them aware of the runners last night."

I shrugged. "They were your own people."

"But you didn't know that."

We picked our way over rubble and refuse and around the hive homes of Edge City. It was bigger than I'd realized, spanning what looked like had once been three buildings lined up. I had little business on this side of Curr and now I knew why. My job made it extra risky for me to be here.

On the other end at the edge of the desert was a different sort of compound. The sand lapped at the edges, eager to reclaim what had once belonged to it. A single concrete wall stood, all that remained of what this place used to be. It was painted in a swath of bright colors and rebar poked out of each side and the top. Burke and I gave it a wide berth. On the other side, a woman with dark skin and hair in thick twists that hung past her shoulders moved from a pot on a stove to a sink with running water. The sink was held up by nothing but a couple of pipes that jutted into the ground and a short concrete wall that held little purpose. When she saw us, she stopped bustling and her colorful skirts swirled around her ankles. She was beautifully out of place in this grim world. I found myself smiling at her.

"It has been a while, William," she said. Her voice was rich and beautiful. "Who is this?"

Her eyes settled on me. They were sharp and assessing and held mild disdain. They made me uncomfortable, like a child caught by their mother.

"Our newest," Burke said.

"You're the one who crashed into the homes last night?"

I nodded slowly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"That doesn't fix the ruined homes, does it?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, unsure of what to say.

"We need some new clothes for her," Burke said. "On my credit. She definitely needs new shoes."

I flashed him a look that said I was tired of him talking about my shoes while the woman took in my bare feet.

"Very well. Come this way, child."

I didn't think I was young enough to be called a child, but I went with her.

"Thank you, Alaiala," Burke said.

"Anything for you, William. You know that."

I looked back to catch his smile. My chest fluttered.

Alaiala led me to a tarp hung to hide a bed and some other furniture that looked like it needed to be burned; a bed with a thin and dirty mattress, a sofa and matching chair with holes and stuffing peeking out, and on the far side, a tattered and battered leather chest that she went straight to. Alaiala rummaged around inside it and pulled out a pair of pants that she held up to see if they would fit. After deciding they weren't for me, she tossed them back into the chest and rummaged some more. This went on for quite a long time with pants and shirts and shoes until she had a full outfit.

"Here's a bra too. Men forget about that," she said

"Or just don't care," I muttered. Not that I had anything to put in a bra anymore. Maybe with a steady diet I could get some of my shape back.

Alaiala snorted and I was pretty sure it was supposed to be laughter. "Get dressed. Bring me your clothes when you're done."

"Alaiala," I called as she ducked under the tarp. "That's a pretty name."

She smiled at me. "Thank you. It has been in my family for twelve generations."

"It's incredible that you know that." Most family records were lost with dying generations. "Are you going to pass it down?"

Alaiala grew sad and shook her head. "No. My daughter has already passed away."

I bit my lip. "I'm sorry."

"Get dressed," she said gruffly and disappeared.

I stripped down and put on the clothes she'd given me. The shirt was a bit low cut, but it was so long that I had to scrunch it up around my waist to get the pants on. They were surprisingly snug, almost like a second skin. There was even a jacket made of some kind of heavy material. I put it on despite the heat and shoved the sleeves up to my elbows. There was a mirror coated in grime and dirt blown in from the prairie. I wiped it away with my hand and looked myself over. At least I looked like a girl. I tried to push my boobs up, but there was nothing to even get hold of anymore.

I gathered up my discarded clothing and went back out to meet Burke and Alaiala. Burke was rummaging through another trunk. This one was full of weapons. When he looked up and saw me, his hands stilled and his eyes raked over me from head to toe.

"They're just clothes, Burke," I said with a crooked smile. "You want to put your eyes back in your head?"

His jaw flexed and he turned back to what he was doing, but not before he shot a look at Alaiala who was grinning.

"I'm coming back for those clothes," he said. Then he looked at me again. "Come here."

When he looked at me like he'd never seen someone so physically pleasing in his life how could I resist? I went to him. His arms went around me unexpectedly.

"Uhm..."

When he pulled back he was grinning. He fastened a gun belt around my hips. Even on the tightest notch it was too big.

"Now who needs to put their eyes back in their head?"

Sexy.

Confident.

Can I lick him please?

"Since we're going into the city, we're going to need protection," he said, all teasing gone. Burke reached back into the chest and pulled out a gun. "Keep the safety on when you're not using it. It's loaded. There's a bullet in the chamber." He demonstrated how to turn off the safety. "Point and aim."

"I know how to use a gun. Thanks." I took it from him, checked the safety and the chamber, and holstered it, resisting the urge to spin it around my finger for show. I'd probably drop it anyway and accidentally shoot him. Burke's eyes widened before he turned away and chose his own weapons.

"We'll be back in the morning. I'm coming back for those clothes," he said once again.

"Yes, you said." Alaiala sounded amused. I doubted much escaped her keen eye and Burke was definitely flustered.

"You've been known to give my stuff away," he said.

"Only to those who needed it more. Be careful."

Burke nodded once and I followed him out of the building, but not before Alaiala caught my wrist.

"He likes women with guns." She nodded in his direction. "I trust, should I need help you will come? As repayment for the homes you destroyed."

I almost made a sarcastic remark about Steve, but decided better of it. I didn't think Alaiala was above cutting me and I was sure Steve wouldn't be bothered to help her out. So I nodded. "Just let me know."

She released me to trot after Burke's steadily shrinking backside.

It was a nice backside.
Chapter Five

In the light of day, gloomy as it was, the west side of Curr was not what I expected. What I had thought were the remaining shells of buildings were really rubble stacked and positioned to create shelters. It was a wonder that I'd made it through in the dark without slamming face-first into one. Sticking close to Burke, I looked around for where I'd come through, but I didn't see anything that looked familiar.

It was already late morning by the time we got started. I endured a hard, steady trek of climbing and sliding to avoid areas Burke pointed out as dangerous for one reason or another. It was nothing I wasn't used to, but having to wake up every few hours all night long had sapped what little strength I had and the hike didn't help.

The rain began midday. What started as a light drizzle that made hiking treacherous became a sudden downpour and forced us to find shelter. Burke grumbled softly for a full hour before we found a cement overhang in a dark corner. Space was tight and it forced us to sit close enough that his body heat and the jacket had me very warm.

"How are you feeling?" he asked once we were settled. His voice echoed off of the concrete. "Any headaches or fatigue?"

"Well, I'm tired, but I don't think it has anything to do with the concussion. More like having to wake up every hour or so. How is a girl supposed to get any rest like that?" I was very unnerved being so close to him, all hard muscle and smooth skin, and I hoped it didn't show in my voice.

"I just want to make sure you don't die in your sleep."

His eyes were sincere and a little bit worried which worried me. "Well, I appreciate the concern."

The patter of rain echoed in our little nook, made louder by the concrete around us. We sat there and listened for a long time with nothing but our breath and the occasional cough or sniff to break up the cadenced silence.

"When the rain stops we'll head out," Burke said. It was almost as if he was trying to fill the void with something, like he was uncomfortable too.

He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to me; prepackaged crackers and jerky. Travel food. I tore it open with gusto and stuck a piece of jerky in my mouth, offering the other piece to him. Burke shook his head.

"I know how you like to eat, so I brought that along for you in case we got waylaid."

"I guess rainstorms count. Thank you."

I munched away happily. When the jerky was gone, I ate the crackers and wished I had more. My stomach was always the worst part of being homeless. I got hungry faster than most others and instead of eventually being able to ignore the gnawing hunger, it just grew worse. My mother always said I had a high metabolism, but I was pretty sure I'd picked up a worm somewhere during our filth-ridden existence.

"So, you've lived in Rat City for twelve years?" I asked. "I take it you like it there. But the fight with Steve was before you moved there, right?"

Burke nodded. "We knew each other from the streets when we were kids; Steve, Sarah, and I. Steve moved into the maze two years ago. He didn't recognize me right away, but I knew who he was immediately. He doesn't look any different. When I was elected as Solomon's second in command, Steve was elected as Rosa's second."

"Strange. The hierarchy, I mean. So, Solomon and Rosa run things separately?"

"No. Rosa is part of the decision making process, but Solomon has the final say."

"And if something were to happen to Solomon? You would take his place?"

"I would."

"And what about Rosa?"

"Steve would take her place, but we only hold those positions until the next elections are held. We could be voted in permanently or voted out."

"It's interesting that he's allowed to stay there, given his penchant for...you know."

Killing things.

Murdering helpless people.

I'd hoped Burke would say something, but he stared out at nothing, a small crease between his eyes. The rain had turned into a fine mist, annoying but easy enough to travel in. Burke didn't seem to be in the mood to go out in it, though. So we waited.

"You don't like the rain," I said.

Burke shook his head. "I don't feel any certain way about it. It just makes traveling through this city difficult. Everything is slick and hazardous and I honestly don't know if you could survive banging your head again, so we're going to wait." His tone had become somewhat icy.

"Wow. Where's the animosity coming from? Is it because of the rain or what I said about Steve?"

Burke turned to look at me, his eyes devoid of emotion. It was a scary image that I now had in my head. I didn't like that look on him. I wanted the smile back, the teasing and the sexual tension that still didn't make any sense.

"Steve is my friend."

I didn't believe that anymore than he did.

"Right. Got it. Changing the subject. You don't have any more jerky on you, do you?"

Burked rolled his eyes and reached into his pocket. I caught the package when he tossed it to me and ripped it open.

"You want to see something cool?" Burke asked.

The attitude was gone. Whatever had caused it I didn't believe it was because of what I'd said. There was something else, something going on in his mind that had triggered it, because there was a glimmer in his eye. Like an unspoken apology.

"Sure." I shoved the last piece of jerky in my mouth, put the crackers in my pocket, and followed him out into the rain, grateful for the new jacket.

It was still only misting, but Burke was careful anyway as we climbed a concrete slab up the side of one of the only building shells left in this part of the city. Rebar stuck out at jaunty angles and it held our weight easily. What made me nervous was the way the rebar stuck out where it had split from the original structure. I was terrified that I was going to impale and hand or a foot, but I had new shoes that had traction against the metal.

Burke climbed over the top of the wall and helped me up the rest of the way. Any time he touched me it lit through my entire body, awaking already too-aware nerve endings.

We stood on top of a flat slab of concrete that seemed stable. It was high enough that we could see the buildings that still stood in Edge City and out over the vast undeveloped desert prairie that surrounded Curr. Dark clouds hung over the sands and in the distance. I watched the rainstorm that had passed over us move across and farther out into the horizon.

As we stood there, a few rays of sun filtered through the dense clouds. I tipped my face up to catch them.

"Do you miss it?" I asked as the sun warmed my face. "The sun?

"Yeah." Burke took my hand. "We need to hurry. We're behind schedule. We can make up the distance up here though with fewer obstacles."

When he started walking and didn't drop my hand I just followed. He had no idea how fast he made my heart race and I had no idea why I reacted to him this way. I hadn't even known him a full day yet and I wondered what those hands would feel like on my body; wherever he decided to put them was fine with me.

The closer we got to the center of town, the fewer standing bits of building there were and the more people we saw. This part of town was where the homeless chose to gather, looking for scraps of food or clothing, anything left behind by those who'd succumbed to the heat or hunger or simply been killed for what few possessions they had. I gripped Burke's hand tighter, not from fear but for strength, grateful for his unintentional comfort. I'd always been lucky when it came to having food to eat and clothes to wear, though I was never really full, given my appetite.

"Okay?" Burke asked, keen eyes darting around to check for trouble.

"Yes. I just wish I could help, you know? Some of these people have been my friends at one point in time or another."

"You live here then?"

"I live all around. I like to keep moving. Old habit."

Too much information. Too close to home.

Please, don't let go of my hand.

"No wonder you eat so much."

I'd expected him to say, 'No wonder your shoes are so warn.' When he didn't, I laughed. "Yeah, I guess. How much farther is this place?"

"We have to get to the other side of town. There's a neutral zone where we're meeting someone. It'll be nightfall by the time we make it."

"Because we're running late. We'll miss dinner, won't we?"

Burke chuckled. "They know we're coming."

"Oh good. I'm a mean person when I'm hungry."

We eventually came to a place where the 'rooftops' we'd been walking sloped to the ground. We would have to maneuver our way through the debris and people in the middle of the city. Their hovels were little more than tarps and sheets or blankets thrown over posts driven into the ground. We wound through the 'streets', if they could even be called that, always wary that someone could jump out and shiv us for our clothes, our shoes, our weapons, or whatever they hoped was in our pockets. I stuck close to Burke. Even though I was familiar with this place there was safety in numbers and wisdom in not getting too comfortable.

"You have it so much better than these people," I muttered.

Burke looked back at me, but I could decipher his look.

"Are you trying to make me feel bad?"

"No. Sorry. I was talking about me. Reminding myself to be humble. Reminding myself that I could end up here at any moment. Or worse."

Burke stopped dead in his tracks and pulled me to a stop behind him.

"What is it?" I asked, my voice soft.

Burke ducked to the side behind a tarp. It stained his hair and bathed his face in cool, unforgiving blue reflected by his grey eyes until they glowed. "We're going to have to run."

"Hey!" someone shouted behind us.

Burke put a finger to his lips and silenced the man, whose kitchen we stood in the middle of, with nothing but a look. "Cops."

The ragged man nodded, his matted hair so stiff with dirt and filth that it didn't even move. He gathered a few belongings onto a dirty piece of cloth on the ground, tied the ends together so nothing fell out, and ducked out of the back of the tarp. A second later, his head poked back through and he motioned to us to follow as the shadow of a cop darkened the front of the tarp. Burke and I moved to the back of the hovel and ducked under it just before the front of the tarp was shoved roughly aside.

The old man motioned animatedly to us to follow back the way we'd come. Burke shook his head and pointed the other way. The old man's head shook from side to side and he pointed the other way so hard I thought I heard his bones clack together.

Burke gave in and followed the old man with my hand still clasped in his. Maybe he thought I couldn't walk on my own, but I wasn't going to complain. We followed the old man down past three hovels and turned right, weaving our way between the tarps and sheets. Finally, we turned back in the direction we needed to go. The ground started to slope downward. I did more sliding than walking and Burke wasn't in much better shape. The old man, however, navigated the loose stones and dirt expertly with his bare feet.

Finally, we broke into an open space.

"Cops don't come back here," he said, his voice gruff from lack of use. "Cross here and stay to the shadows. They should leave you alone."

"Thank you," Burke said. He reached into his pocket and took out a pack of jerky and crackers. "It's all I have with me right now."

The old man took the package gratefully. "Thank you," he said on the verge of tears. I wondered, when was the last time he'd been given anything other than a bad attitude or had his foot stomped so he'd drop his things to be stolen?

"I only have crackers," I said and handed him what I had in my pocket. He didn't care. He took them like they were gold and hugged us both. Teetering off on his bare feet, he disappeared back into the maze of hovels.

I glanced at Burke. He looked as shaken as I felt. I gripped his hand in mine so he would look at me.

"That's probably more food than he's had in months. Maybe even longer. Can't imagine it, can you?"

"How do you survive out here with your appetite?"

Trust was not something I gave easily, but Burke had saved my life and he was caring for me without asking for anything in return. I owed him something.

"Information. People trade me food for whatever they need to know. You see why it was such a shock to me that I didn't know about the maze."

Burke nodded, eyes guarded. "And what will you do with that information?"

"Nothing. I know how to keep a secret. I don't always give the information I find if I think it's best kept secret."

"How very shrewd of you."

"We should get out of here before the cops come back through. I have a feeling they're looking for someone and we don't want to get caught up in that."

I dropped Burke's hand. I was starting to feel self-conscious about holding onto it for so long. He reached toward me for just a second, his fingers twitching as if they were searching for something, but dropped his hand down at his side. I smiled as we ran across the clearing and ducked behind some rubble. Maybe we'd only just met, but he'd felt the same thing I had when I let go of his hand.

Loneliness.
Chapter Six

It was well after dark when we made it to the other side of the city. The shack was a neutral zone that I knew well. Cops often came for food, liquor, and anything else they decided they wanted. It was the perfect place for me to sit with a beer and listen. Words flowed where the alcohol did and it suited my purposes.

Warm light filtered through dirty windows. Cracks between the shipboard walls let out the noise from inside. Burke pulled the door open and we both walked in.

"A lot of cops tonight," I said for only him to hear.

Burke nodded. "Hopefully that won't be a problem, but with the presence we've seen today, I don't think we'll be able to escape it."

We walked to the back of the small, dilapidating building where a man shrouded in shadows waited for us in the back corner of the room. When we approached, he looked up and pushed his hood back. His dark hair just brushed his shoulders, and his eyes were black as night.

"Darlow," Burke said and took a seat. "This is...Adverb." His lips twitched. "She's a patient of mine. Can't be left alone."

"A danger?" Darlow asked.

"Only to herself. She's not very well balanced."

"That's enough, now," I snapped, but with humor. "I've gotten along just fine without you all these twenty-eight years."

"It's a wonder how." Burke hunched his shoulders. Muscles clenched and released under his thin shirt. He folded his hands on the rickety table and looked at me.

"Maybe because you weren't there to make me feel unsteady." I winced as the words slipped out and my face went hot. "Would a concussion give me diarrhea of the mouth?"

Burke's body shook with silent laughter.

"I'm going to get a drink," I groused. "Anyone else?" They both shook their heads. "I'm going to need a coin or something," I said.

Burke reached into his pocket and brought out two coins with the symbol of the twelve seats of government stamped on both sides. It was nothing but a circle around the number twelve. Simple, elegant, lethal.

"Thanks," I mumbled and slipped off to purchase something I probably wouldn't drink. I fanned my face still unable to believe what I'd said to Burke out loud and groaned audibly. I stepped up to the rough wooden counter made from discarded wood found around the city just like the rest of the building.

"Just one," I said and laid the coins on the counter. A hand swiped them away, but they didn't move. I looked up and recognized the face of the woman staring back at me. "Wiley." A smile made its way across my face.

"Hey yourself. I thought you were done for. Got word this morning you'd been chased across the city by six runners."

I inclined my head in Burke's direction. "I was saved."

Her eyebrow went up and she slipped around to peer out the door. When she came back her eyes were wide. "Nice."

"This isn't a social gathering, ladies," said a gruff voice from high above my head. I didn't even turn around.

"Actually, it is. And I run this place," Wiley said. "I'll talk to whoever I like."

"Listen here, lady. I want a drink!"

I mouthed, Cop? Wiley shook her head and her dark hair moved about her bare shoulders.

"Pay first. Then you get your drink. You know how this works."

"I don't think I should have to pay since I waited so long," the man growled, his voice rising. The din of voices dropped away and I felt eyes watching us.

"No money, no drink." Wiley shrugged and turned her attention back to me.

He shoved me, crushing me into the counter and the force knocked the wind out of me. The sharp edge cut into my ribs. Pain exploded through my body, and I gasped for air. He kept pushing, putting all of his weight against me. I coughed a ragged breath into my lungs and pushed back, using my arms for leverage. He was heavy, but I managed to turn my body so he lost his leverage, and I reach behind me for my knife. It released before he threw his whole body into me and slammed back into the counter. I could hear the shame in Burke's voice as he admonished me for breaking my ribs in a bar fight.

I slid the small, sharp blade into the man's armpit against the artery there and got a good look at him. He was huge. Not just tall, but built big with broad shoulders and arms and legs as thick as tree trunks. I applied a little more pressure and his eyes widened. Recognition filled them.

"Do not say my name," I warned him.

He nodded.

This was a safe zone, so weapons weren't technically allowed. Of course, everyone was always armed, but they knew on pain of death that if they used them here they would suffer the consequences. He saw no fear in me, I had none. I kept the blade hidden in my hand, but maintained the pressure until someone broke through the crowd. Burke emerged in my periphery and his sharp eyes took in the scene. From his vantage he would see a very large man gripping my wrist and pressing me painfully into the counter.

"Can you let my mental little patient go?" Burke's voice was low and gentle with an edge of malice. Not for the first time, his sharp edges showed, but I realized just how frightening he could be if pushed.

One by one, the man's fingers unwrapped from around my wrist and released me. He lifted his weight off of me and I took a deep breath without really meaning to. I shook out my wrist and discretely slid my knife into the pocket of my jacket. When I turned back to Burke, his acute doctor's eye ran up and down my body looking for damage.

"I appreciate it. Come on, Adverb."

Wiley handed me my drink. "Adverb?" she mouthed.

I shrugged, drank my drink, and put the empty mug on the counter.

Burke was waiting for me just off to the side to herd me with a hand at my back, his body bent protectively over me.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "What happened?"

"He didn't want to wait in line." I knew that wasn't what he meant. The fight had stopped more abruptly than it had begun, but he nodded anyway. "I might need some more doctoring later. I think my ribs are bruised."

"Nothing I can do for ribs except maybe a hug. I might have a flower bandage if that would make you feel better. But later, little mental patient."

I preferred Adverb.

I frowned and sat heavily at the table. The whole thing shifted under my weight.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"She seems to get into trouble wherever she goes, so you see why I had to bring her with me." Burke shook his head. "I thought maybe if you were with me you wouldn't get hurt."

"Don't kid yourself," I said a little more forcefully than I meant to. Adrenaline still pumped through me. "You just want to spend more time alone with me."

I meant it to be a joke, but my cheeks flushed involuntarily. Darlow noticed. His flat eyes lingered on me just a little longer than necessary. His lips were a concerned thin line. He didn't like me. I thought he seemed a little edgy. Maybe he really thought I was crazy.

"How is the clearing coming?" Burke asked, moving the conversation to what I assumed we were here for.

"Slow," Darlow replied. "We don't have many people who want to do the work and there are always cops on this side of the city. It slows things down."

Burke nodded, his face a study in contemplation. The way his forehead creased as he thought reminded me of my father when he was working on some kind of technical problem.

Before all of this.

"If the tunnels weren't so unstable we would have started this from our end. I'm going to talk to Solomon when I get back. This just isn't working. We could empty this city inside of a month if we just had the space."

"You're clearing tunnels," I said to myself. They could save everyone in the city.

Burke said they didn't have enough room for me, but what I hadn't understood was that they just didn't have enough room. Rat City ran through one portion of an entire city. What if they were able to clear the tunnels and expand it all the way across? They could save everyone. Everyone would disappear and there would be no more culling. No more need. The city would be empty.

My heart lurched.

Burke nodded and regarded me. I knew he was a little untrusting of me, especially after admitting to him what I did in Curr. I tried to let him know that I wasn't here to hurt anyone. He could trust me.

"There are..." I looked around. "On this end?"

"They run under the city from one end to the other. There's debris and collapsed tunnels on both ends. If we'd started from the inside we'd have more room. You wouldn't have to stay with me once your concussion is gone."

"I don't mind staying with you." I opened my mouth in shock, as if the words might fly back in and unsay themselves. Burke's eyes danced. I didn't dare look at Darlow. Living alone, I tended to talk to myself when I had something I wanted to say. Apparently, that wasn't any easy habit to break.

"I might be able to help," I said.

Burke glared at me. His liquid silver eyes burned through to my very soul. I couldn't look away. I didn't want to. He could light me on fire and I would burn for him.

Gladly.

"What do you mean?" Burke's warning tone reminded me that he was a leader. He had people to protect, a secret to keep hidden, and I was the unknown variable. I was the threat.

"I know people who know people. If you need men or supplies or want the cops pulled out for a few days I can get word to a friend of mine and see what they can do."

Burke turned to face me. This was the moment that I would prove to him whether or not I could be trusted. I refused to look away, even when I was certain I would combust from the heat of his gaze.

Darlow wiped at sweat on his brow and gripped the edge of the wooden table like it was the only thing keeping him from making a run for it. I ignored him. Burke was my main focus. If he trusted me then Darlow would too.

"How do you know this person?" Burke growled. His voice was little more than smoke breathed into the room, heavy and dark. He gripped my upper arm and when I didn't reply right away, he shook me gently.

"You're hurting me, Burke." He relaxed his grip, but he didn't let go. "I told you, I deal in information. High-end information, if you get me. I have contacts. They were my father's. I don't do anything illegal and nothing can be traced back to me. Anyone who matters doesn't even know I exist. Get me a list and I'll pass it on. That's all I do. Send and receive."

Burke released my arm, but he didn't look away from me. My heart was in my throat, choking me. I didn't want to know what it meant to be Burke's enemy. He no longer trusted me like he had this morning. Whatever rapport we might have built was stripped away and I felt it like a punch to the stomach. His eyes raked over my features, looking for a reason to trust me again.

"I'm not going to get anyone hurt," I promised. "I'm trying to help. I told you the truth so you would know you could trust me." I swallowed and rubbed my arm. It didn't really hurt, not too much.

What else could he do with those hands?

I really just needed to get laid and get it over with.

Burke scrubbed his hand down his face and the fury that was there a moment ago turned to regret.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." He reached out, but stopped, not sure if he would be accepted. I held my breath, hoping he would touch me again. Instead, he dropped his hand back down, and his fingers grazed my knee as he did.

"It's fine. I've had worse from a slip in the shower." I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth to keep from giggling.

His lips curled for just a second and settled back into a straight line. I saw the moment he chose to trust me and knew it wasn't an easy thing for him to do. I wanted to know who'd broken his trust so deeply. Who would hurt this man who did nothing but care?

I would.

The words were unwanted and I pushed them away in denial. I would not.

"We'll get you a list," Burke said. "What will you need?"

"I'll need you not to be anywhere near me for at least half an hour when I meet my contact. You'll have to trust me that much."

Can you do that? I asked him with my eyes. Burke stared hard at me and nodded. Not quite a challenge, not quite non-threatening.

"When do you need to go?"

"I'll need to get word to my network tonight. I can meet my contact in the morning, but it has to be before the mist lifts. That's important."

"Fine. Darlow, make her a list of what you need, how many, so on."

"Make sure you write work permit on there. That will give you any permissions you need should cops accidentally discover what you're doing. Just a precaution."

"How will you get word to your network?" Burke wanted to know, suspicion still clear in his voice.

"That's the easy part," I said with a wink. When he pressed his lips together like that all I wanted to do was kiss them to make him relax.

I started to stand. Wiley could get word to my network. She was well apprized of what went on in this city. Running the shack put her in the middle of the best place to get information.

The door blew open, letting in a rush of cool, damp night air and three cops in full gear. Their sleek helmet visors were pulled down over their eyes and the pristine body armor told me they hadn't been on the ground long.

The whole room went silent as one and the fearful tension was like a wetland eel slithering among us. Burke gripped my arm and pulled me closer to him. With my body pressed to his all I could feel was heat between us. If he'd put his arm around me and held me there I might have been satisfied, but he didn't. Burke lifted me like a child and settled me on his lap.

Our eyes locked and my breath caught in my throat. My body hunched, leaning into him on instinct. Liquid silver was all I knew. Desire mingled with fear. Fear for me.

He didn't want them to take me.

It was a very real possibility. If the cops thought I was for sale they wouldn't stop until they got what they wanted. Or until I gutted them, whichever happened first. If they thought I was occupied the chances of being taken slimmed.

I looped my arms around Burke's shoulders and leaned my body deeper into his. His hand snaked around to grip my hip and I was drowning; in his touch, in his scent. I liked that he didn't smell like cologne or anything manufactured. He just smelled like him and that was enough.

"I can get word to my network without leaving here," I said quietly with my lips near his ear.

Burke's hand shifted on my hip. The other one settled on my thigh just above my knee.

"I just need to talk to Wiley." My voice came out breathy and I swallowed hard.

Do not kiss him.

Do not lick him.

Do not molest him in any way.

Apparently, my hands weren't listening. I looked into Burke's wide eyes and realized that I had, indeed, slid my hand under the hem of his shirt. Only my thumb touched the smooth, warm skin at his waistband, but electricity zipped up my wayward digit, setting my entire body on fire.

"You'd better go," Burke said, his voice husky.

Yes, because if I didn't I didn't know what my traitorous hands might do.

I unwrapped myself from him.

"Take the gun belt," I said.

Burke's deft fingers undid the belt as I slid away from him and he tucked it into his lap the same moment that I stood. My steps were a little unsteady so I walked slow, trying to look casual and not drunk. I didn't think I succeeded. I made it to the counter only to be greeted by Wiley's shit-eating grin.

"Impressive show," she said, keeping her voice low. "He's a pretty one."

I shrugged. "Hadn't noticed."

We both knew I was lying.

"I need to speak with the governor," I said.

Wiley nodded and picked up a glass to polish so it would look like we were busy. Her eyes shot over my shoulder to let me know someone was coming and I wasn't going to like it.

"When did you want to get together?" she asked.

"Breakfast."

Wiley turned away as a heavy hand fell on my shoulder. I turned around to find the three cops standing behind me. They'd removed their helmets and their breastplates, so it looked like their heads were too small for their bodies.

"I remember you," I said to the one glaring down at me. I crossed my arms and relaxed against the bar so Burke would know I was okay. I didn't need him getting involved.

"That'll save us time," the cop said in the smooth, cultured accent of the capital city all the way across the desert. "I want to know why you denied my trade."

I smirked. "Because you're not really a cop." He startled, proving my point. "You keep your armor clean, I'll give you that, but you have no authority. I'll bet a week's rations your guns don't even work."

Blood rushed to his face, but he couldn't deny it. His friends looked especially shamed.

"Well, shit," Wiley said from behind me. "I could get a pretty penny for turning you two in. If I ever see your lying, cheating faces again I'll do just that. Coming in here dressed like that to get free drinks." She shook her head.

"You can't get me what I need," I said. "Not legally. And I could get in trouble for doing business with you, especially the kind of business I do. If I ever see you in here again I will do much worse than turn you over to the real cops."

Wiley set a drink on the counter and I chugged it in front of them. The whole conversation had been so quiet no one would suspect that we'd discussed anything more than arrangements for the night. The three not-cops snarled, but they walked away. I nodded my thanks to Wiley and went back to join Burke and Darlow.

"Dare I ask?" Burke said. He reached for me and settled me back across his lap, though we didn't huddle as close as we had before.

I shook my head. "They aren't going to be happy though. What did you discuss while I was gone?"

I winked and Burke shook his head. His grip was tight on my hip and his eyes darted around.

Always wary.

Always cautious.

"We should get going," he breathed into my ear.

I nodded my agreement. He stood with me still in his lap and swung me over the bench before putting me down on the floor. His body pressed so close to mine that there was no space between us.

"Don't be mad at me," he said.

I couldn't imagine why I would be.

Even though the tunnels on this side of the city weren't habitable, there was a level well below ground where everyone lived. It was more like a bunker than sewage tunnels. Darlow led us through the narrow opening and down to the living quarters.

Burke was jittery, but I attributed it to the fact that we could have been followed. Without a word, Darlow motioned us to a door. Burke pulled it open and ushered me into the room with a hand on my back.

I winced and jumped away from him. Burke closed the door and locked it before he turned to me.

"Lift your shirt and turn around," he commanded.

I did as I was told. Burke ran his thumb over the place where my back had hit the bar counter and up and down my spine. His nimble fingers traveled up my sides, testing my ribs. I shivered and tried to pretend he wouldn't notice. When he tugged my shirt back down I turned to look at him.

"It looks fine. It will bruise, but I don't think anything is broken. How are your ribs?" He pointed to my front side. "Should I check them too?"

I shook my head. I really couldn't handle his hands on me anymore.

"Why do you do that?" I said to myself.

"Do what? Take care of you?"

"Why do you make me so unsteady? I don't even know you."

The corners of his mouth softened. "Sometimes we can't help who we respond to. You're used to being alone and you've built a shell around yourself. Maybe you're ready to come out of it."

I hated how deeply he could see through to me, but he wasn't wrong.

"In any case, I suppose it's about to get worse."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Burke nodded over my shoulder. I looked It took me a second to realize that he was nodding to the bed.

The bed.

The very small bed built for one.

"So, we're to stay here together then?"

"I told you not to be mad." He didn't sound the least bit concerned.

"When people say that, it's usually a portent of bad things to come. And a request. Not a demand. And I'm not mad. I'm just trying to figure out how we're going to fit."

Burke grunted. "There are a couple options. We both lay on our sides, backs to each other. Or one of us lays on their side and one on their back. Or...I could just hold you. Or something."

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who was unsteady.

"Yep. All of those would work. Turn around."

"What?"

"I'm going to get undressed. Turn around."

Burke turned his back to me and I wiggled out of my pants. I pulled my shirt down until it was a couple inches above my knees. It was multi-purpose. I dropped my pants and jacket in a pile on the floor and climbed under the covers.

"Your turn," I said.

Before I had a chance to turn away, Burke pulled his shirt over his head. I stared at the muscled expanse of his back, and my mouth went dry. But then he turned, and I thought my body would explode. His chest and stomach were chiseled perfection, all lines and curves of hard muscle and smooth tan skin. I'd never seen a man so perfectly assembled. Even the scar that ran down his shoulder and his left bicep looked like it belonged.

I sat up, the blankets clutched in my hands in hopes that they would keep me from leaping across to rub my hands all over him.

"What happened?" I almost needed to know.

"Knife fight," Burke said. "With Steve." He rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"Him again. What was it over this time? Jerky? I'd cut someone over jerky."

"A girl."

My eyebrows went up.

"Weren't you supposed to turn around or something?" He changed the subject and I saw what it meant to him, that girl. The look he got was the same pain-filled expression he got when he talked about his sister.

I smiled slowly and pulled the covers over my head. Burke moved around, making small nighttime noises; cloth moving, hair being touched, skin against skin. I wanted to peek at his bedtime routine. Instead, I stayed under the covers and listened and imagined. How was I going to sleep in the same bed with him if I couldn't even keep my eyes to myself?

"You can come out now."

I slowly lowered the blankets. Burke stood with his back to me. I was pretty sure he'd put the same shirt back on, but he was wearing softer pants that would be more comfortable for sleeping. Darlow had probably left them for him since he was expecting Burke and not me.

Burke crawled into bed from the end, prowling toward me. The look in his eyes pinned me where I was and I wouldn't have tried to escape if I'd wanted to. I swallowed around the lump in my throat as he swiveled his legs under the covers and lay back on the pillow.

"So how are we going to do this?" he asked.

I thought about it for a moment, and turned over on my side with my back to him. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to visualize the look in his eyes when he crawled at me like a predator.

"You're going to fall on the floor doing that. And before you protest, we both know you'll hit your head if you do, so just give up and come here."

With some reluctance, I turned over and settled against his chest with my head on his shoulder. My body melted into him as if I'd known him my whole life and a bodily sigh escaped us both. He wrapped an arm around me and I closed my eyes. Even though I was exhausted I knew I wouldn't get much sleep.

Chapter Seven

I couldn't figure out why I was so warm or why my dreams weren't plagued by my usual nightmares. I wouldn't complain about a peaceful night's sleep, though. I snuggled deeper into the warmth and sighed.

"We have to get up if you're going to make it to your contact before the mist lifts."

Burke's deep, gentle voice jarred me out of my cocooned thoughts. Slowly, my sleep-muddled senses began to register things; the rise and fall of his chest and his somewhat erratic heartbeat beneath my hand, his thumb rubbing gentle circles on my bare thigh and my leg hitched over his, the way his hips tilted away from me and the way I'd rolled half on top of him to compensate. My eyes popped open so wide it hurt. Even in the dim light I could make out the line of muscle beneath his shirt.

Gods, he smelled so good.

"Oh."

My logical brain told me to move slowly, don't call attention to it. Pretend like this happened all the time. My female brain decided I needed to leap across the room as if I'd tried to pet a porcupine that had just shot its quills in my face, so that was what I did. I backed against the wall, trying to get as far away from him as possible, all the while hoping he didn't think I was trying something last night.

Burke sat up, but his eyes weren't on me. They were on my legs. I looked down to find my shirt hitched up over my hips, panties and hipbones on full display.

"Shit." I jerked the shirt down and the stitches tore.

Burke cleared his throat and turned so he was sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to me.

"Sorry," I muttered.

What should have been the simple task of getting dressed became a logic puzzle. I had both legs in my jeans before I realized they were backwards and I had to start all over. Glad I'd decided to sleep in my bra, I jerked the jacket on.

"Okay." Burke didn't move. "I'm dressed," I tried again. Then I remembered the way he'd tilted his hips away from me. I flushed all over again. "I'll just...I'm gonna...I'll wait outside."

I scuttled around the bed and out the door. Not until it was closed behind me did I breathe. I leaned my head against the wall and let myself be humiliated. It was one thing for embarrassing things to slip out of my mouth on accident. It was another entirely for me to smother him in his sleep with my half-naked body. I covered my face with my hands and pouted.

"What the hell is wrong with me?"

The door opened and I dropped my hands low enough to see Burke's face over them. His shrewd eyes narrowed, but there was a distinct bit of color high on his cheeks. He wasn't innocent in this, I remembered. He hadn't exactly disliked what had happened. I dropped my hands and narrowed my eyes right back at him.

"What?" I pressed.

He looked me up and down and a foxy grin curled slowly over his face like paper set alight.

"Nice legs, Verb." He turned his back on my mortification and walked away.

I stared at him open-mouthed and willed something scathing to come out.

"Verb?" I asked.

Spot on.

He looked at me over his shoulder. "You don't like it? I thought I'd try it out. See how it sounded."

We were now shortening my pet nickname to make it even nicknamier? What exactly had happened last night?

I was pretty sure he could call me anything he wanted, as long as he was calling me. Sweet mother, I'd verb the predicate off of his pronoun if he didn't stop grinning at me like that. Didn't he know my hormones were too awake for it?

I shook my head to clear away thoughts of going back into that room, stripping naked, and crawling right back into bed with him. He assumed I didn't like his new pet name for me and shrugged.

"Alright then, Adverb. Ready to do your thing?"

"Where's the list?" I trotted after him.

He held up a folded piece of paper between his index and middle finger, but didn't stop walking and didn't bother to look at me. I took it from him and scanned it. There were a lot of tools on it; twenty-six pick axes, nineteen hammers and chisels. Stuff like that. There were also things like support beams, cement mix, buckets, and water. The work permit I'd suggested was at the bottom.

I reached behind me and liberated the knife at my spine. I pricked my finger and squeezed out a drop of blood.

Burke chose that moment to turn.

"What are you doing?" he asked, appalled.

"I have to sign it to give it priority," I told him. Using the tip, I drew my symbol, a stylized dahlia flower, at the bottom.

Burke tried to snatch the knife from me. I pulled it away, so he took my bleeding finger instead. After inspecting the damage he stuck it in his mouth before I could protest. His tongue was wet and warm and it moved over the pad of my finger, sending little shafts of need to places that I suddenly wished would just calm the fuck down. I snatched my finger back and stuck it in my jacket pocket.

"I could have done that." My voice was shaky.

"I'm the doctor. Put that away and let's go."

I put the knife back where I kept it and blew on the paper to dry my signature. I couldn't tell if he was mad at me or not, but he definitely looked...perturbed.

Darlow stood at the metal ladder that led to the surface, waiting for us to get our shit together. He shifted back and forth from one foot to the other. People hurried back and forth, some with tools and some with buckets of rubble to be removed. The atmosphere here was the opposite of Rat City. Everyone was tense and annoyed. I stayed as close to Burke as I could without touching him, trying to keep out of everyone's way. I didn't think they would bother to ask me to move. They'd just run me over.

"Are these tunnels in worse shape that ours? Yours?" I added the last bit quickly. Burke looked at me sideways anyway, but nodded.

"These tunnels took the brunt of the blast when the city was bombed. There are a number of them beyond repair. You see the ones that are roped off there. We won't use those. We've lost too many people trying to clear them. We need to go."

Burke was a master at avoiding subjects he didn't want to talk about. His grey eyes went steely, he dropped some base in his voice, and he changed the subject fast enough to give someone whiplash. I obliged him. There was no way for me to know how many friends or relatives of his had been lost. He barely spoke of his sister. What had happened to his parents?

I stared at Burke's backside as we climbed. The metal ladder ascended through a concrete pipe lit sparsely with tiny lights until we were about fifty feet from the surface. Escape tunnels provided shelter and were even fewer and farther between than the lights.

I didn't even realize we'd broken the surface until Burke disappeared. It was still dark. The rubble that camouflaged the hatch was nothing but shadows.

"This is where you need Alaiala," I joked and stretched. My back popped several times.

Burke chuckled. "She could sit on the hatch. No one would touch her."

"She could just build around it. She seems resourceful."

"That she is."

The mist was heavy. A layer so thick you couldn't see your hand in front of your face hung low to the ground.

"Thirty minutes," I said. "I'll be back."

I started into the thick fog, but Burke stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. It wasn't gentle, but he didn't hurt me either. I felt his hair brush my ear before his breath blew it away.

"I don't care how much I like being tangled together in bed with you. If you betray me or my city I won't hesitate to kill you." He looked down and back up. "Nice legs or not."

I shivered at the malice in his tone. His hand softened on my shoulder and ran down my arm. His tone didn't change with his next words.

"And if you get hurt, I won't be happy. So be careful."

I nodded. Understood. I truly believed he would kill me, but I had no plans to betray anyone. I hoped this would be a simple handoff, but even the simplest of tasks could turn into something more. Just like the night that had driven me almost literally into his arms.

"Oh," I said. "Did you get what I asked for?"

Burke reached into his pack and handed me a long grey cloth. I wrapped it around my shoulders so it covered my upper body and looped it over my head to cover most of my face. Only my eyes showed.

"I'll be back soon." I set off into the mist with the list and a plan. Burke and Darlow, no one in Rat City for that matter, had ever asked the government for anything in their lives. It was important to know the balance here, I reminded myself. One could only get by for so long without some kind of help from the ones who kept us oppressed. It was a sick, twisted cycle of holding out our hands and asking secretly for what we couldn't provide for ourselves.

I kept my eyes open for anything lurking in the mist, but anyone lurking would easily get the drop on me in this dangerous stuff. That was part of why it was so important. Both sides of this could hide people if they wanted to. I never brought anyone with me. I should have learned my lesson the other night. Just call me hardheaded. I kept my ears open too and let my body tell me when it thought we were in danger.

I made it to the drop spot without mishap and sat down on a concrete slab to wait. I wasn't too deep into my introspective on why I'd attacked Burke in my sleep when my contact showed up. She was an older woman, I could tell by her voice, but she kept her face hidden in shadow.

"Dalia, I didn't expect to see you again."

"So I've heard." I stood and walked toward her. "I need you to get something to the governor for me."

She nodded. "What is it?"

I handed her the note. She scanned it as she always did. "The work permit isn't going to be easy. There's a shortage of ink."

"What? How is that possible?"

"I mean, he's having trouble procuring it. He has to make his own and it's not as good. He might have enough left for an official document like a work permit, and he might like you enough to use it, but it will take some convincing."

"Well, tell him I don't have time. Or tell your people to tell him, or whatever. This needs to happen now."

She frowned at me. I didn't know her name, she refused to give it, but I knew that when she was angry, things didn't make it to the governor.

"What's the hurry?"

"People's lives. Just make sure that gets to him and make sure he gives it the right attention. Please."

"I'll do my best. Be careful." She disappeared into the mist without another word.

I could do nothing else but sigh and hope the governor, the man who got me everything I needed when I asked, would be in a good enough mood to do his best for me.

I turned back, ready to head back to Burke when I caught the sound of rocks scuffling under foot. I didn't move, waiting to hear the sound again. It could have been anyone, really. Cops didn't sneak around. They shot first and assessed the situation as they watched you bleed to death.

"Burke, so help me, if that's you we're going to fight." For a moment, nothing happened. Then a dark shape stepped out and walked toward me. It wasn't Burke. He wasn't tall enough and his shoulders were too narrow. "Darlow? What are you doing here?"

"Yes, what is he doing here?" My contact stepped out of the shadows once again.

"I don't know," I answered. "I told him I had to come alone." My heart raced. This woman would kill us if she thought we were double crossing her and all I had was my little knife. "He's never done this –"

"I know Darlow," she said slowly.

I looked from her to Darlow and back again. "What are you talking about?"

"I know Darlow and what he does," she replied.

"Then why am I here?" If she knew about Darlow and the Rat City tunnels then he could have done this himself. And if he could have done this himself... "Darlow, you're an idiot."

The double cross from the night before could very well have been connected to the one I was standing in the middle of now. Maybe Darlow had gotten me to Rat City so I could be here and maybe it had all worked out by chance. If that were the case, it would have been Burke standing here in the middle of this.

Darlow broke down into sobs. Even through the mist I knew that his emotional state was a wreck. All of the shifting eyes and the nervous looks last night had been about this moment, and maybe a little relief that he wouldn't have to send his friend into whatever was about to happen.

"I don't want to be a rat anymore," he said so softly that I barely caught it. "I've watched them die. All of them. I thought it was safe, but they all died." His voice broke and I knew we were in trouble.

"Run," I said to the woman next to me.

A single shot rang out, silent but for the sound of it striking flesh. When I felt no pain I turned and watched my contact crumple to the ground dead. I dropped to the rocky ground and crawled over to her. No one could intercept that note or we would all be screwed. I searched her quickly. She still had it in her hand. I shoved it in my mouth and chewed, but my mouth was suddenly dry.

Darlow stood with his hands in the air as dark, helmeted shapes approached us. I had to get out of here. I had to get back to Burke. I couldn't fight three cops by myself with nothing but a three-inch knife.

I chewed faster and finally swallowed. The thick paper stuck in my throat and tried to swallow again while I pushed myself up from the ground. I closed the space between me and Darlow and caught him by the shoulders, shoving him between me and the cops. His body jerked as I let him take the bullets meant for me.

And then I ran.

I ran as hard and as fast I could back the way I'd come, back to Burke, heedless of whatever might be in my way. Where was he? What had Darlow done to distract him? If he was hurt...

Darlow was already dead, so I let the thought drop. I ran as hard as I had the night before, not because Burke could stop these men from killing me, but I had to make sure Darlow hadn't done anything to him. I did not relish the thought of telling him that his friend had betrayed him or that he'd been shot and killed.

I made it back to Burke with too much adrenaline running through me and not enough oxygen.

"We have to go," I said, barely coming to a stop in front of him before I was pulling him with me.

"Why? What's happened?"

"They're coming. We have to go now."

Burke stubbornly pulled away from me and crossed his arms over his chest. A frown creased his brow. I stamped my foot. I couldn't believe he was doing this now when we were in danger.

"Who is coming? What have you done?"

"It wasn't me. It was your friend Darlow. He betrayed you. He's dead, my contact is dead, all because of him. We need to go now and we need to warn the others in the tunnels so they can get out."

"There is no other way out," he informed me. "They haven't made an escape hatch yet."

"Something tells me Darlow wanted that to happen."

"How can you say that?" Burke snarled.

"Because he orchestrated this whole thing. If you don't move now, we're both going to die. Do you understand me? We're the ones being hunted now. The cops are coming. I'm going to count to three in my head and if you haven't moved by the time I get there, I'm leaving you here."

Burke moved without another word and we raced to the opening of the tunnel. It was closed and half-covered with rocks and dirt and looked unused. But I wasn't fooled. Darlow was sure to have told them exactly what was happening down there and where to find it. What I didn't know was if he'd told them about the west side tunnels. I should have left him alive, but it was too late for regret now.

"We have to cover it," Burke said.

"But I thought-"

"They have enough food and water for three days. They know the protocol. We'll send someone to get them out in three days. Help me cover this."

Burke eyed a thick slab of concrete nearby and headed straight for it.

"There's no way we can move that, even with your muscles."

Burke winked at me, actually winked, and scrounged around in the dirt until he found a rope. "Help me."

I did. I helped him tug the rope and the slab moved easily as if on wheels. We pulled it over the hatch and I heard the clang of metal as it locked into place.

"They won't be able to move it now. Only we will. Let's go."

We went.

Hard and fast.

The cops would be looking for us on the south end, not cutting across toward the east. We stopped sporadically for water, but there was no time for food. My stomach protested loudly, but there was nothing I could do for it.

We reached Rat City by late noon since we'd had such an early start. Burke cut through Alaiala's home. She stopped knitting to blink at us.

"Put out the scouts," he said. "Just in case. I need to talk to Solomon." To me he said, "Don't think about leaving my side."

"I wasn't."

I wouldn't.

I stayed right behind him all the way down into the city. We marched across the market into the same room I'd met Solomon in before.

Burke slammed the door and locked it. I didn't even get a chance to see if we were alone. He whirled on me, caught the flaps of my jacket in his fists and shoved me into the wall. It was such a brutal contrast from the way we'd woken up that morning, but the feelings that rose inside me were utterly the same. I didn't blame him for being angry, as long as he was objective enough to hear the truth.

"What did I tell you?" he growled in my face. "What did I say? If you betrayed me I'd kill you."

"You said that, yes." I tried not to look afraid. "But I didn't."

"Darlow wouldn't –"

"He said he didn't want to be a rat anymore." Burke stilled at my words. "He said they were all dead."

Burke's fury stayed steady on me, but he was listening.

"He knew my contact, Burke. If that was the case, he could have just asked her for what he needed. He didn't need me to do it. The cops were already there waiting. They shot my friend. I promise. I didn't betray you. I wouldn't."

"Put her down." Solomon's authoritative voice echoed through the room.

Burke seemed to realize he had me on my tiptoes and set me down. He took a step back, the muscles in his jaw working like they were all that was keeping him from shouting at me some more.

The room wasn't empty. Steve and Rosa sat on either side of Solomon at the long table. There were a few others that I recognized from dinner the night before.

"Where is Darlow now?" Solomon asked me.

"He took a couple bullets for me so I could escape. His final act of bravery. I don't appreciate being double crossed either."

"And the list?" Burke wanted to know.

"I ate it."

"What?"

"When they shot my contact I took it from her and I ate it so they wouldn't be able to find it and trace it back. I don't know what they already know about this place, but I have a feeling they'll be looking for it soon." I shot Burke a glare. "Anything else? Because I'm hungry and I'm pissed off enough to cut you again."

To my surprise, the corner of his mouth twisted into a half smile. "Wait outside. I'll take you to get something to eat in a minute."

I unlocked the door and slipped out of the room. The hall was empty. No one would have heard what happened in there. I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes.

What a mess.
Chapter Eight

Heat like the scorching sun burned my face. I tried to turn away from it, but no matter which way I turned it was there. I opened my eyes to find out where it came from.

I was surrounded by fire. Tendrils snaked out to wrap around my ankles and pain lanced through me. Bodies of my loved ones writhed among the flame, hands reached for me, begging me to help them, but their voices screamed for me to run.

So I did.

I turned and ran and slammed into a hard body. Burke's grey eyes, golden in the firelight, glared at me.

"Run, Dalia!" he cried before the flames engulfed him too.

I jerked away as my head lolled to the side and I looked around. Hamster sat across the hall from me, concern written on her face.

"You were moaning in your sleep. I didn't know if I should bother you..."

I swallowed hard, pushing the fear, the sadness, and the memories away, and tried to smile at her.

"It has been a long day," I told her.

"You look exhausted. And you're covered in dirt." She frowned. "Is that blood?"

I looked down at myself. There were brown splatters on my new shirt. I nodded. "Yeah. Long story."

Hamster shook her head. "You're going to tell me later, but first, do you want to grab lunch?"

I glanced at the closed door. I did, but Burke was pretty angry and he'd told me to wait. However, he knew how I felt about food and I had saved his life that morning. But I'd also gotten his friend killed.

"Better wait," I heard myself say to Hamster.

She nodded and came over to sit next to me. Hamster pulled her long, dark hair over her shoulder in a glossy cascade. She looked more her age when she wore it down.

"So, what's going on?" Hamster nodded to the closed door.

"I got someone killed," I admitted. Shifting on the concrete floor to find some semblance of comfort, I turned to look her in the face. She looked back at me, eyes wide.

"It was an accident, though, right?"

I shook my head slowly. No, it had been anything but an accident. Someone was meant to be killed this morning. If I hadn't been there to take the fall it might have been Burke.

"Self defense?" she asked.

I paused. "Yes. Of a sort."

"Do you regret it?"

Again, I shook my head. "If I hadn't done it this whole place would be at risk. Everyone would be in danger."

Hamster nodded one decisive nod. "Then I trust your judgment."

"Why?"

"You don't even really know us, but you were willing to kill to protect us? I have to trust your judgment. Only you know what was right in that situation."

"I wish Burke could see it that way. He's very mad at me."

"Does he know you didn't have a choice?"

"I had a choice," I said. "I chose to kill the man to protect Burke and Rat City. He thinks I made the wrong decision."

The door opened and Rosa stepped out into the hall. Her blonde dreadlocks were bound together and hung over her shoulder. Her outfit was surprisingly revealing. I didn't think it had anything to do with status and more to do with vanity. Her top was made of leather thongs going in both directions. It tied around her neck and covered most of her front. That was it. Her dark pants clung to her and her boots were heavy. She looked us over disdainfully, her blue eyes lingering on the blood on my shirt.

"Solomon wants to see you," she said and disappeared back inside the room.

"They'll probably kick me out," I said to Hamster.

She frowned. "Isn't there something I can do?"

I shook my head. "I'll take my punishment." I smiled at her and tried to be reassuring. "Thank you. For everything."

I walked into the room with my head high. I wished I'd been able to decipher Darlow's intentions before I offered to help. In hindsight, I should have known something was up. I should have said something to Burke that night, but I'd been so distracted by him.

I scanned the faces in the room and was shocked to find that Burke's wasn't among them. Maybe he'd left the room while I was sleeping in the hall, but I doubted he'd have passed up a chance to shine his little light in my eyes.

Unless, of course, he no longer cared if I died or not.

"What is your name?" Solomon asked.

"Dalia," I said. He didn't ask for a last name. Most people didn't have one anymore.

Steve's eyes were narrowed at me. Rosa looked smug. The two of them stood next to each other a little too close to just be friends. As if they sensed what I was thinking they both shifted just a little in opposite directions.

The door opened and closed.

"What do you want, Hannah?" Solomon asked. "This is a private meeting."

"I don't think it's fair to kick her out."

I turned to look at Hamster, to tell her she didn't need to fight for me. I could take the consequences of my actions. The look she gave me was one of warning. For the first time since I'd met her I saw just how fiesty she could be. I bit my tongue and let her have her say.

"She did what she did to protect us. Adverb had to make a judgment call in a bad situation and she chose us over herself. I don't think you should make her leave for that."

"Thank you, Hannah," Solomon said. "Lucky for you I have no intention of making her leave."

I stared at Solomon. So did Rosa and Steve, but they didn't look shocked, they looked angry.

"However," Solomon said, "you got one of our own killed. I can't let that go unpunished. You're on work detail through tomorrow."

A rush of emotion welled in my eyes. Where it came from I couldn't be sure, but I smiled around the tears and refused to let them fall.

"Thank you," I said, truly grateful.

Solomon brushed it off with a wave of his hand. "What kind of person would I be if I punished you for protecting us?" He smiled like a father would to his child. "Go get lunch before it's over. Someone will come get your for your work detail."

Hamster grabbed my hand and dragged me from the room before Rosa and Steve could start their protests.

"Now," Hamster said, her voice dancing with glee, "tell me all about your overnight trip with Burke. Don't you dare spare the details. Do you know how long it's been since something juicy happened down here?"

I shook my head. "No, I don't."

Hamster grunted. "You'd think there would be more drama down here, but there's not. So, please tell me something sexy happened with you and Burke."

I wanted to tell her everything. I breathed out a long stream of air. What the hell? I needed some girl talk. It had been years since I'd laid my eyes on a man worth looking at, let alone fantasizing about.

"We had to sleep in the same bed last night." I poked my lips out as the memory of it rose to the surface. I'd reacted like an inexperienced teenager when I woke up this morning, but that was what Burke made me feel like.

Hamster grabbed my arm and pulled me to a stop. Her eyes were wide, her smile full of excitement and shock. "Oh, my gods! Really? What happened?"

"Nothing. The bed was small so we had to..." I swallowed hard, remembering the way I'd woken with my legs wrapped around him. "We had to cuddle."

Hamster squealed, drawing the attention of those around us. When they saw that it was her they shook their heads and went on about their business.

Spurred on by her excitement, I continued. "I only had these clothes, so I had to sleep in this shirt. When I woke up, it was..." I motioned to show her how high it had hiked up in my sleep. Hamster's jaw dropped. "His hand was on my thigh." I shook my head. Why was I so embarrassed? I'd been caught in worse situations. What happened this morning was honest and probably meaningless. "He had his hips tilted." I chuckled and winked. "Food time."

Full of energy and excitement, she bounced beside me, all the way to the mess hall. She grabbed her tray and cried, "Coming down!"

I grinned. "Burke says you're teaching me bad manners."

Hamster laughed. "I prefer to think of myself as a trendsetter. Only a few others do it this way. And now you do too. All by my influence, of course."

There were carrots with the grey slop tonight. Hamster and I sat at the same table from before and I dug in like I hadn't eaten in days.

"So," she said, "what else happened? We don't get to leave the city without permission. I haven't seen the sky in at least a year."

My heart lurched. "I think I would die. I couldn't go that long without seeing the sun."

"Well, if you live here you'll have to go without it, unless you join the guard, which I doubt will happen. Especially since you and Steve don't get along."

"Right. I take it he leads the guard."

She nodded. "Rosa doesn't seem to like you much either."

I snorted. "Imagine if she knew about last night."

Hamster giggled, but quickly sobered. She pulled her lip between her teeth. "Are we in trouble? "

I couldn't lie to her. She trusted me. Despite what I'd grown accustomed to, I trusted her too. "I don't know. It depends on how much he told them."

Hamster looked up. Her eyes widened and she slid down as Burke rounded the table and sat next to her. His gaze was heavy and uncomfortable, but not in the sexy way. He stared for a long time before he finally spoke.

"I told you to wait for me." His voice was deeper than possible and so gruff I knew he was pissed.

I shrugged. "You weren't there when they called me in. I assumed you weren't speaking to me. Plus, I was hungry." I took a big bite of my slop to emphasize my point.

His jaw worked like he was chewing wood. "You let my friend get shot."

"I made sure he got shot," I corrected.

His nostrils flared. "Why?"

"I wasn't going to die for him!" A few people looked our way and I made a note to lower my voice.

"Why?" Burke asked with more emphasis.

I hesitated a moment before I gave in and told him, "He betrayed you. He deserved it."

"You get to make that decision?"

"They were going to kill him anyway." Hamster sat tense across from me, staring down at her plate. "After they tortured him for information about Rat City and he gave it to them, if he hadn't already, they would have made an example of him. I did him and you and everyone else here a favor. You're welcome. Can I get back to my food now please?"

Burke stood, his eyes everywhere but on me. "Don't leave the mess hall when you're done."

"Sir, yes sir," I said sarcastically.

Burke bent and glared into my eyes. He was so close I could smell his soapy scent. "While you're being sarcastic, keep in mind that I'm the reason you're still here and still alive."

"I've made it just fine on my own without you. I'm sure I'll be fine when I leave."

He pulled back suddenly as if slapped, then shrugged like he didn't care. "I mean it. Don't leave the mess hall."

I turned and watched him walk away. I thought he was going to leave, but he leaned against the wall next to the door, crossed his arms, and glared in my direction.

"Oh, my god." Hamster slid back down to take her seat. "He is so mad at you."

"Yeah, well, I'm mad at him."

"I've never seen him like this, unless he's fighting with Steve."

"Are you comparing me to that..." I couldn't think of an adjective fitting of Steve.

"No. Steve is his friend, however strange their friendship is. I've heard, though I didn't know her, that he got this way with his sister too. I'm saying he obviously cares about you." She smiled. "Are you really leaving?"

I snorted. "No. I just wanted to see how mad he was. He's not happy with me, but I understand why." I sighed. "How do I make this up to him?"

"Have his baby?"

Hamster timed her reply perfectly as I was taking a drink. It came back out of my mouth and sprayed all over her surprised face.

"I think it got in my mouth," she said.

"It's like we're kissing."

Hamster giggled.

A towel dropped on the table and I looked up into Burke's amused face. When our eyes met, he wiped the look away as if it had never been there and went back to standing sentry at the door.

What did I expect?

I'd killed his friend.

Even if he was a two-timing rat, I shouldn't have done it. Living alone, protecting myself and trying to stay alive, I had to be harder and stronger than anyone else. I had to be willing to do things that others weren't in order to protect people who couldn't protect themselves. Here, I didn't have to be the hardest, the fastest, or the strongest. Here, I could be someone else. Someone better. I would have to find some way to make this up to Burke.

"I guess this is where I leave you," Hamster said. "Unless you want me to stay."

I shook my head. "I'll take whatever punishment they hand me. You go do whatever it is that you do."

She smiled and carried both of our trays to the front. When she was gone, I studied my nails while I waited. They were cracked and dirty and my hands weren't in much better shape. There wasn't a whole lot that was feminine about me except those bits I was born with and even those were desperately lacking lately.

And my legs, according to Burke.

I looked up when Hamster sat back down across from me. "So, I'm to stay too."

I raised an eyebrow. "What did you do to piss him off?"

"Apparently, because I spoke up for you I am now your manager." She lifted her chin. "I've never felt so important before."

I laughed. It was good to have friends.

A friend. Burke hated me.

Slowly, the mess hall emptied. Once everyone was gone, Burke closed the door and said, "Come on," in his deep, angry way.

Hamster and I stood like we were heading to the chopping block and followed Burke around behind the kitchen counter. A woman waited for us with one hand on her hip. Her head was shaved completely bald and she wore a triangular bit of cloth tied around it.

"Kel, this is Adverb, and you know Hannah."

Kel narrowed her eyes by way of greeting. Her bare arms were covered in thick black tattoos. I'd never seen any like them before.

"Kel used to work in the galley of a pirate ship," Burke said. "Adverb and Hannah will be working with you this afternoon. Adverb is on punishment. Hannah is just here to keep an eye on her for me. She's under my care currently."

Kel nodded. "Right. Hamster, I want you on dishes. You, whatever your name is, you're going to scrub the floor."

She was an actual pirate!

I turned to Burke. "This is the best you've got?"

"The day isn't over and you're still on work detail. Get an apron and get to work." Burke nodded to Kel and walked away.

"There are two rules in this kitchen," Kel barked. "You do it the first time I say. If you don't, you get punched in the face."

"Is that effective?" I asked.

"I only ever have to punch anyone once."

"Since I have two concussions, I doubt Burke will appreciate that, but bring it on. The sicker I am, the longer I get to stay 'under his care'."

Hamster snorted. "Is that code for something?"

I started to reply, but I caught Kel's scowl and decided it was best not to continue. Hamster plunged her hands into the soapy steaming water and started washing the dishes. I was directed to a bucket and a mop.

"You're not using that," Kel said and handed me a brush about six inches long with stiff bristles. "You're going to scrub the floor with this."

"Boy am I glad I ate lunch already."

I spent the next hour scrubbing the dirty concrete floor. Several times, Kel stopped to watch me and I wondered what exactly I was doing wrong to cause that scowl. I didn't stop though, and I did the best job I knew how to do.

"You alright?" Hamster asked as I was finishing up.

"My knees hate Burke." I looked up at the back of Kel's head and narrowed my eyes. "And my hands hate her, but I'm fine otherwise."

"Good." Hamster handed me a mop. "She wants you to mop it now."

I took a deep breath and let it out slow. "I hope this is the cleanest floor she's ever seen."

I mopped it quickly to get up the excess water and soap while Hamster was handed a cloth and told to wipe the counters.

"Now," Kel said when I was done. "Hamster made the floor dirty again. So, I guess you're going to have to start all over." She handed the brush to me.

I bit my lips together to keep from saying something cruel that would certainly earn me another 'reward', and snatched the brush from her hand.

"I hope everyone appreciates my clean floor," I muttered to myself.
Chapter Nine

Hamster walked me back to Burke's room later. It was all I could do to pick up one foot and put it in front of the other. There was no way I'd be able to find my way back by myself, even if I knew the way.

"Are you alright?" she asked. "You look dead on your feet."

"I'm fine. Just tired and hungry."

"Are you ever not hungry?"

I thought about that for a second. "I don't think so."

Hamster giggled. "Here we are."

I hadn't realized we'd made it all the way back. I looked down to the end of the hall where Burke's door stood closed.

"Get a shower," she said. "I'll meet you here to walk you back for dinner."

I checked the room to see if Burke was there before I went in, but it was empty. There was a clean set of clothes on the bed, a pair of jeans and a shirt, but no note or anything. I took them down to the shower with me.

The moment the hot water touched my skin I was ready for sleep. I used a clean cloth and a bar of soap to clean off the day, then dried off and dressed. I laid my head down for a few moments.

I woke to banging on the door and someone shouting my name. There was one of those wrapped bun things that Burke had given me before and a note.

"Hannah couldn't get you up for dinner so I told her to let you sleep. She will be back for breakfast. When you're done eating wait for me in the mess hall."

I sneered at the letter as the pounding stopped. I went to the heavy door and pulled it open as Hamster was nearing the end of the hall.

"Hamster." She turned and gave me a relieved smile. I beckoned her down and let her in before I closed the door.

"I was worried about you," she said. "Burke said he couldn't get you up last night either." She looked me over and a grin tugged at her lips. "Are you wearing his shirt?"

I nodded and shrugged. "I don't have anything else to sleep in. Let me get dressed and we can go eat."

My stomach grumbled in agreement. I threw on the clothes Burke had left for me the night before and noticed that he'd had my other clothes cleaned. The blood was miraculously gone.

Burke was already in the mess hall at his table with Steve and Rosa. He looked up when I entered, but looked away quickly. Annoyance boiled in my veins.

"Go ahead and get your food," I told Hamster. "I'll be there in a minute."

I marched over and sat down, making sure to rattle the bench as I did.

"Morning," I said and tried to look wide awake. "I missed you last night."

Burke looked at me, his face empty, even bored. "Oh?"

"Well, not you really. Your flashlight and I have come to know each other intimately."

Burke looked away and took a deep drink of his water. "I left before you woke up."

"Nice to know you still care. What's my punishment for today? More floor scrubbing?"

Burke looked across the table at Rosa and Steve, then at me. "You seem to like scrubbing floors."

I gave him a crooked grin. "You seem to like pushing me until I snap." His lips twitched. "Bring it on, pretty boy."

I was tempted to lick his face just to see how he would react. Instead, I tipped his cup up and drank what was left in it. He never looked away and neither did I.

Satisfied with the challenge I'd placed before him, I stood and went to sit with Hamster. It wasn't until I saw she'd gotten me food that I realized I'd forgotten to get my own.

I smiled at her expectant look. "He's going to kill me," I said. "I just know it."

"What did you say?"

By the time we were done with our food the mess hall was full. I was about to dump my tray when a heavy hand fell on my shoulder. I jumped and looked up into Steve's dark eyes.

"You're with me. Adverb," he added and chuckled as he walked away."

"Oh," Hamster said. She stared after Steve, then frowned. "Burke isn't usually so...sadistic."

"Well, that's good to know. I guess I'll see you later. Unless he kills me."

As I followed Steve from the mess hall I wiped my sweating palms on my jeans. I didn't look around to find Burke. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he had me unnerved. But the longer I followed Steve the more nervous I became.

He led me through tunnels and halls I hadn't seen yet. Not all of them were as well lit as the main halls I was used to. Some of them sloped up, some of them had stairs. A few had strange raised spots on the floors that I assumed were supposed to be stairs since we were still climbing up, but they didn't look right.

"What are these?" I asked.

"The bodies of the people who betrayed us."

"Oh, well, I'm safe then."

I was ninety-seven percent sure he was trying to be funny.

"If you think so."

Maybe ninety percent.

"Why were you trying to kill me?" I asked him. There was no one else around, no side tunnels for anyone to be lurking. Sound could carry in these halls, so I kept my voice down. There was no reason for him not to answer me.

"I didn't have a reason." Steve didn't turn to look at me.

I didn't know which scared me more, that he would have a reason or that he just wanted to kill someone and he chose me.

"Why do they let you stay down here if you're so...bloodthirsty?"

"I promised Burke I wouldn't harm anyone in the city. Here or when they went topside. Making you a part of the city, taking a special interest in you was his way of keeping you safe from me."

So Burke had no real interest in me. That was what Steve was trying to say. In a sense, Burke had put his mark on me to keep me safe.

"Good to know, but I don't need Burke to protect me from you."

Stevve stopped suddenly and turned around, crowding me into a wall. He was so close I could have cut his throat.

"Burke and I have known each other since we were children. Despite the fight over bread we have always looked out for each other. What do you know about his sister?"

"Only that she's dead."

"I'm the one who found her for him. When his responsibilities to this city kept him from being able to search her out I did it for him. I found her and I told him she was dead."

I swallowed hard. "That must have been hard."

Steve sneered. "Don't try to empathize with me."

I wasn't, really. The flames from my nightmares sometimes seeped into my waking moments. I saw them now, engulfing those screaming bodies. I heared their cries to run and my body itched to do as I was told. Something wasn't right about Steve. Yes, he liked to kill, but there was something more than that. There was a restraint in him that frightened me. I knew what to expect from someone who liked to kill and couldn't control themselves. I knew to always be on my guard and defend myself. But from a man who could chase me across a city with my blood on his mind, then turn around three days later and treat my like an equal, I didn't know what to expect.

"What is my punishment today?" I asked, trying to pretend he hadn't seen my fear.

Steve leaned away from me and turned. "You'll see."

The entrance into the room where the guard trained and spent all of their free time was at the far end of a long narrow room. I noticed the oblong openings around the bottom of the wall near the floor first.

"I saw those from the market," I said.

Steve looked at the floor where I was looking. "Good eye," was all he said.

"Where is the light coming from?" I looked up, half expecting there to be a sky above me. This room was as bright as day and uncomfortably warm.

Instead of a hole in the ceiling there were a bunch of jagged mirror pieces tilted and tipped to catch light coming in from somewhere in the ceiling.

"That's clever."

It said a lot that I noticed those two things before I noticed a dozen men bare to the waist and sparing on thin, dirty mats. I watched the closest pair. They were locked together, arms around each other, trying to force the other off of the mat. I watched, transfixed by the way their muscles chorded and tensed beneath their skin.

Steve snapped his fingers in front of my face and I glared at him.

"What am I doing here?" I asked.

"That's a good question."

I turned as Burke and Rosa entered together. She had more clothes on today which I thought was amusing. It was warm enough here with Burke scowling like that. I wanted to take some of my clothes off.

"I said put her to work, not let her sit around and play."

Steve shrugged. "The floors haven't been cleaned in months and there are mats that need repairing. Hamster is already overwhelmed with clothes to stitch."

Burke finally shrugged.

And so, I was given a broom with half its bristles missing and a mop and bucket and sent to scrub the floors. Again. Determined to do as good a job as in the kitchen, I set to work, only to find that sweaty men didn't care as much as a galley cook if you did a good job or not.

When I'd determined I had done a good enough job, I went in search of the mats that needed to be repaired. They were really nothing more than burlap and thick stuffing that had probably been bought at a very high price. Most of it was worn down now, though.

I sat on the floor with a needle and thread and watched them train. It was easy to tell which men were Steve's and which ones belonged to Rat City. Any time Burke or Rosa gave an order, Steve's men deferred to him before they complied. Burke handled the disrespect with patience, but Rosa grew angrier with each insolent sneer.

Of course, I couldn't keep my mouth shut. All morning I made comments about their fighting abilities.

It was right before lunch was supposed to be called when the tension in the room reached its boiling point.

Rosa stepped in to show someone how something was done, but she chose one of Steve's men to teach the lesson to. Instead of letting her teach him, he flipped her and pinned her to the mat.

"I saw that coming," I said.

Rosa snarled and rolled, marching at me like I was the one who had flipped her.

"You think you can do better?"

I knew better than to open my mouth. I knew it would do nothing but cause trouble if I said what I wanted to say, but I said it anyway.

"Not with him, no."

This was going to be a disaster and I was going to enjoy every minute of it. My lips twitched at the hard-set challenge in Rosa's eyes.

"Come on then." She balanced her weight between her feet and bounced a little on loose knees.

Rosa might have been trained to survive, but I had been bred for it. People had been trying to kill me ever since I could remember. I set down the mat that I had been mending and stood, kicking off my shoes to join her on the mat. It was thinner than I expected. The concrete floors were hard beneath it.

"It's time for you to earn your place here," Rosa said.

I snorted. "I haven't exactly been lounging about."

Rosa struck with a solid fist that whistled past my right ear only because I dodged it. It was a cheap shot, but I hadn't really expected her to play fair. Not really. I'd been watching her, observing her fighting technique. She moved around a lot to make it hard to know where her punches were coming from. I sank into loose knees, moving with her, tracking her with my eyes. When she struck again, same side, same strike, I stepped out of the way. In her frustration she struck again, other hand, same strike.

Predictable.

I knocked her hand out of the way and sent a warning shot to her midsection. She stepped back, shocked, but when she realized what I'd done, fury twisted her face. Rosa came at me with a flurry of shots. A couple of them landed; an uppercut to my stomach, a knee to my thigh, a couple of badly aimed punches.

I connected too; an elbow to the ribs, a knee to her solar plexus, a surprisingly pretty shot to her knee that staggered her nicely. Each time she connected and I didn't go down, each hit that I landed that she wasn't expecting sent rage through her that made her fighting sloppier and sloppier. When I knew I had the upper hand, I prepared for the takedown.

I had every intention of knocking Rosa on her ass. A quick swipe with one leg and she'd go down, but I made the mistake of looking up. It was an automatic response. To keep from getting jumped in the middle of a fight I'd learned to take in my surroundings. So I looked up and I caught the hard set of Burke's jaw and the way Steve all but danced in place with excitement, and I knew I couldn't take her down in front of these men. I hesitated and that was all the space she needed.

Rosa turned my move around on me. She swiped at my legs and I fell backward at a strange angle. I landed on my lower back and tipped so that I hit my head on a thin spot in the mat. One word echoed through my mind as my head made contact.

A name.

LeinReich.

That was why Rosa looked so familiar. She bore the sharp, hawkish features of the LeinReich family, the thin, graceful build. I'd seen pictures many many years ago, almost another lifetime. I'd always thought they were beautiful with their light coloring, yet frightening. I couldn't remember ever seeing one of them smile. They were all dead before I was born.

Supposed to be dead.

"What did you just say?" Rosa snarled in my face.

Her hand clamped down on my throat. I tried to push her away, but she was stronger than her skinny arms looked. Someone hauled her away from me and I looked into Burke's angry grey eyes. His hair was slicked back and wet. Sweat dripped off of his chin. Even angry he made my body react.

"If you just hit your head again I'm going to let her finish the job."

I smiled. "So you do still care. Or is it just because you're a doctor and you can't help yourself?"

His frown was almost imperceptible. I stood up and knocked his hand away when he offered to help.

"I'm fine. Go doctor someone else."

Rosa glared at me, but she was wary. I hadn't realized I'd said the name out loud, but I didn't think anyone but she had heard. Burke looked between the two of us.

"Go to lunch," Burke growled. "Both of you. And no fighting in the halls."

I wanted to snap at him that I wasn't two years old, but he was already mad and I didn't want to make it worse. Food was good. Food meant I could escape and talk to Hamster.

"Thank you, oh master of misery." I bowed dramatically and ran from the gym before he could change his mind.

Hamster was waiting for me with a tray already. I sat down across from her and dug in.

"Where did they have you working today?" she asked.

"Cleaning the gym. It's gross. Don't go there."

She made a face. "No thanks."

A shadow fell over us and I looked up in time for Burke to lean on the table and growl, "Don't run off before I get a chance to talk to you."

"I don't think we have anything to say to each other," I snapped.

His eyebrow went up. "You heard me."

Burke stalked away.

"Gods. What happened?"

I told Hamster about what had happened with Rosa, leaving out the part about her possibly being a LeinReich and Rosa trying to kill me. Then I told her what Steve had said about Burke only protecting me from him.

Hamster shook her head. "I've never seen him this angry. I think there's more to it than that. What are you going to do?"

"When we're done we run."

Hamster nodded. We ate quickly and dumped our trays. I didn't think Burke saw me, but we barely made it halfway to Hamster's room.

"Adverb."

Burke's deep voice resonated in the hall. Everyone around us stopped to look and give me side eye. I sighed and cussed Burke in my head before I turned around and gave him a pleasant smile.

"Burke." His hair was mussed and he looked tired, but otherwise extremely sexy. Hannah caught the way my lips parted and she hid a giggle behind her hand. Burke didn't seem to notice.

"I asked you to wait," he said.

"No. You commanded that I wait, but I'm not a child, Burke."

Hi stormy eyes held my gaze. I didn't understand what was going on. He could be mad at me about Darlow if he wanted, but the way he was treating me didn't make sense. Finally, he looked at Hamster.

"You can go, Hannah."

She looked at me and I nodded.

"See you later." She hurried away.

"Come with me, please," Burke said once she was gone.

I followed him in silence. He led me to a room without a door, but a wall obscured what was inside.

"What is this?" I asked.

"It's the bathroom."

"I don't need to go, but thanks for offering." I couldn't keep the bitterness out of my voice.

"I should have clarified. It's the men's bathroom. You're going to clean it."

"I am, huh?" He nodded. "How long is this punishment supposed to last?"

"Until I feel like it."

"Oh. So this is personal. I thought it might be. I'm sorry about your friend, Burke. I'm sorry that my first reaction was to kill him, but I didn't know what else to do." I shrugged. There was nothing else to say.

As if he hadn't heard me, Burke said, "Everything you need is inside already."

"How am I supposed to get back to the room?" I shouted as he walked away.

"I'll be back later."

And he was gone. The bathroom smelled like no one had cleaned it in a while and I resolved to be as thorough as possible. This bathroom would be as clean as Kel's kitchen floor when I was done with it.

Providing I could get it done.

Burke had been kind enough to provide me with a bucket, clean water, and what looked like the same brush I'd used in the kitchen. But every time I got started someone needed to use the restroom. And every time a man had to pee I had to stop and step outside. Not because I was shy, but because they were. There was a steady parade of them for half an hour before I realized something was up. Finally, I stopped a man about to come in.

"You can't come in here," I said.

He frowned at me. "But I have to go to the bathroom."

"I don't care. Find another one. If I have to leave for you to unzip then you can't come in here. Sorry."

"This is the men's bathroom."

I scowled and snarled, "Get the fuck out."

He scurried away faster than a mouse with cheese.

"Spread the word," I called after him, and got back to work.

I had about ten minutes of uninterrupted floor scrubbing done when a man came in and I heard him unzip.

"You're not a shy one, are you," I said.

"Doesn't bother me."

I froze at the sound of Steve's voice. I'd know it anywhere.

"Of course. It would be you. I'd rather leave so you don't cry sexual harassment." I kept my eyes cast down. I had no desire to see whatever he was working with, but I hoped it was tiny and embarrassing. At least then there would be a reason for his sickening attitude.

"Not my style."

Raucous laughter preceded two more of Steve's men. They paused when they saw they weren't alone, but they didn't hesitate to unzip and join Steve's steady stream.

"So, they're giving you the initiation, huh?"

I froze. "What did you just say?"

There was an edge to my tone that I hadn't intended. No one answered me right away, so brush still in hand, I turned, making sure to keep my eyes up. All three men were looking at me. Steve had the grace to look...well, he looked like he wasn't supposed to tell me.

"Are you telling me that I've been scrubbing floors for two days because I felt bad about getting Burke's friend killed and it's all been some stupid initiation?"

Steve's men looked at each other then back at me.

"Well, yeah."

"Darlow betrayed us," Steve said quickly. "Rat City may go easier on criminals than I'd like, but even here betrayal is met with swift punishment."

I blinked as I processed the information and slammed the brush on the floor. It snapped in half, the two pieces bouncing. One of the men moved to dodge it and peed on the floor.

"I'm going to kill him. You three, zip it up and get out."

I didn't even care that they all had their dicks out anymore. One man had the gall to leer at me.

"That doesn't look healthy," I said, my tone flat. "You might better get Burke to check that out. Sooner rather than later. And you'd better not any of you say anything to him about me knowing this is an initiation. We will have that talk alone."

They left.

The three of them actually scurried, but whether it was to keep from laughing or because they was scared of me I couldn't tell.

I finished the bathroom, made sure it sparkled, and found someone to show me the way back to Burke's hall. I showered and scrubbed the day's filth from my body and went to bed, leaving my clothes in a pile on the floor with a note for Burke that said he could get them washed for me.
Chapter Ten

Thick black smoke and heavy heat burned my lungs. All I could do was cough. I was suffocating on fire and the ash of burning human bodies and there was nothing I could do about it.

A hand reached through the blackness, through the darkness, and I grasped it.

"Wake up, Adverb."

Something cool touched my forehead and I blinked my eyes open expecting darkness. Burke's face was the first thing I saw. He held on to my hand in a tight, comforting grip and I realized I was the one clinging to him.

"You're crying," he said. "What's wrong?"

"I was dreaming about them..."

The concern in his eyes was in such deep contrast to the last few days that I dropped his hand and pushed him away.

"I don't need your help," I said.

Yes. Yes, I did. When he slept next to me the nightmares couldn't find me, but right now I was too angry.

"That's fine." His voice cooled. "I still want to make sure-"

"I don't care what you want, Burke. Just piss off."

I was drenched in sweat. The sheets stuck to my skin, but at least I was covered. Keeping the sheet wrapped around me, I stood. When Burke saw that I meant to go downstairs he opened the hatch for me.

"You're mad about the bathroom?" he asked.

His tone had done a complete flip from what it had been the last two days. I didn't answer him and he didn't follow.

I turned on the shower and stepped under the water. It was like heaven on my overheated skin and I stayed under the spray a little longer than I'd intended. When I finally shut the water off, I peeked out the door. My clothes had been cleaned and were neatly folded on the bottom step. Burke rifled around upstairs.

I threw on my clothes and went back up to face him.

"Are you going to talk to me?" he asked. He crossed his arms and perched his body on the edge of his desk like he had all the time in the world.

"Don't you have responsibilities? Other people to take care of?"

"You mean like Joe and his penis?"

I pursed my lips together and nodded.

"He'll be fine. It's just a rash from jacking off too much."

I laughed out loud before I could stop myself. Burke waited patiently. Apparently, he didn't have any responsibilities.

"Even so. I hope you washed your hands. Just in case."

"I was very thorough."

"I bet you were." I took a deep breath and acquiesced. "You slammed me against a wall, Burke, but I ignored that. I thought, 'He's emotional. I just killed his friend. He gets a free pass this once.' I even accepted my punishment for it when you had me scrub the kitchen floor on my hands and knees. Twice. After I'd almost been shot and ran across Curr. Again."

"Only twice?" Burke asked. "She must be going soft."

"I'm not done. So shut up. I scrubbed the gym floor, poked myself in all of my fingers with a needle, beat the shit out of Rosa then let her win. After all of that I was shoved into the men's bathroom and made to scrub that too! And I did a damn good job."

"Yes, you did."

"Shut up."

Burke bit his lips together.

"Do you know why I put up with all of that?" He shook his head. "Because I felt bad. I felt guilty. I got your two-timing, double crossing rat of a friend killed so you wouldn't have to worry about cops coming to wipe this place out just in case he'd given away any of your secrets. But then, and this is my favorite part, our good friend Steve and his merry men informed me that, oh no. No one really seems to like Darlow. This was all an initiation."

"Anything else?"

"You didn't come home last night," I said and wished I hadn't when his eyebrows shot up to kiss his hairline. "And you were really mean."

Burke finally broke from his stoicism and leaned away from the desk. When he was standing in front of me, arms still crossed, an apologetic smile graced his face.

"I'm sorry if I made you worry when I didn't...come home last night, but I did check on you. I thought you might appreciate not having the flashlight in your face."

"I did," I said grudgingly. I sounded like a pouting child.

"And I'm sorry I was mean. Because I brought you in and lobbied for you to be initiated it was up to me to enforce it. I was mean so I wouldn't crack and tell you the truth. We were going to surprise you at dinner tonight."

"Oh."

Well, alright then.

"And I'm sorry I threw you into the wall," he said. "It was a little over the top, I guess."

"You guess? You're an idiot. You're supposed to be the last remaining gentleman in the world."

"Rosa cussed me out for it, if that makes you feel any better."

"My heroine."

Burke sighed. "Did I hurt you too bad?"

I chewed on my lip. I wanted him to suffer a little longer, but he really hadn't hurt me. The ache in my muscles was from all of the scrubbing.

I shook my head. "Only a little. On my shoulder."

"Would you like me to rub it out for you?"

"No."

Yes. Absolutely yes if it meant he would put his hands on me, but I didn't want to look needy or desperate.

"Sit down," he said.

I did, but slowly. My knees were stiff from all of the floor scrubbing. Burke sat next to me and turned my back to him. His large warm hands settled on my right shoulder and I almost melted right then and there.

"I am sorry," he said in my ear. His breath was like a kiss down the back of my neck and I shivered. "I wasn't trying to hurt you. I thought you'd be heavier."

I frowned. "Are you saying you think I'm fat?"

"I'm saying you eat more than I do, but I forgot that you'd only been here a few days. It seems longer."

It did. It felt like I'd known him for weeks by the way my body reacted when he was so close. His thumbs kneaded my aching muscles and I moaned involuntarily.

His hands froze.

I froze.

"I'm just sore," I said by way of explanation. "Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for." His hands continued to work some kind of magic on me. I melted into his touch, into the relief I felt from my aching body.

"I am sorry about Darlow," I said. "Whether anyone liked him or not, you were right. I don't get to decide who lives or who dies. Death is such a permanent fix that sometimes it's the only choice, and I couldn't stomach the idea of anything happening to... this place. To Rat City."

"Thank you for protecting us. You didn't have to. I'm not glad Darlow is dead, but honestly, no one really liked him. Me maybe least of all."

"Why?"

"His wife and I dated, if you can call it that, before they got together. I liked her quite a bit, actually. I was pretty upset when she died."

"What happened? Between you and her?"

"Darlow stole her from me."

"No way. I find it hard to believe anyone would choose someone over you."

There went my mouth again. Burke chuckled.

"I know. It's strange."

"Cheeky."

"You're welcome leave, of course. If you want to. You don't have to stay here with...us."

I shook my head. "I've been initiated. I think I should at least stay a couple months since I was made to scrub nasty man toilets."

Burke chuckled. His hand moved across so he was massaging both shoulders.

"We need to go to the mess hall," he said after a while.

"Is it dinner time already?"

"Mm hm. How does your shoulder feel?"

"Better."

Burke slid his hands down my arms leaving goose bumps in his wake. He stood and pulled me to my feet.

"Hannah is mad at me," he said. "Maybe you could explain to her that I wasn't really mad."

"Of course. I think she has a crush on you."

If I thought the man had no shame, I was wrong. His cheeks flushed light pink and he grinned.

We walked side-by-side to the mess hall. I hoped it looked like I knew where I was going and not just following him. The room was full and I stood in line for a long time before I got to the counter. Because there were so many people, and Burke was right behind me, I behaved and got my food the socially acceptable way. It wasn't until I got to the end and spotted Hamster sitting at a mostly full table that I realized something was going on.

Everyone was staring at me.

Everyone.

I looked down to make sure I'd gotten dressed.

"Yep," I said. "Fully clothed. Why are they all looking at me?" I asked Burke.

His grin was vile.

"Adverb is officially our newest rat," Burke shouted into the room.

Everyone exploded in cheers and applause.

"Well, shit." I smiled. "Thanks, guys!"

No sooner had I sat down next to Hamster than a shrill alarm ripped through the air. What had been pleasantly loud conversation became cries of shock and alarm. Everyone jumped up and went for the door in nice, calm single file.

"What the hell?" I shrieked and jumped up. "What is that? A raid?"

Hamster shook her head and stood with me. "A drill."

"Just in case cops come," Burke said in my ear so I could hear him. "It's a couple months early, thanks to Darlow."

"Right."

"Since this is your first drill, you can stay with me," he said. "But pay attention. The next one you'll have to do on your own."

I followed Burke into the hall. Hamster grabbed my hand and skipped a little to keep stride with us. Her eyes danced with mirth.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

Hamster giggled. "I take it you two made up?"

I shrugged. "If you want to call it that. Sure."

Burke glanced at us over his shoulder. "We're not friends again?"

I didn't know what we were, but 'friend' was not the word I'd use.

"Stop eavesdropping," I reprimanded.

"You're not supposed to be talking anyway."

I should have noticed sooner that no one else was talking. Perhaps I had, because I'd lowered my voice without meaning to. I had to be better than this. I couldn't drop my guard just because I was no longer living on the surface. People here wanted to kill me too.

As if my thoughts had conjured him, I looked up to catch Steve staring. He looked between the three of us. His gaze stopped on Burke. Whatever look Burke gave him was enough that Steve turned and walked away.

I looked at Hamster. She'd noticed too.

When we came to the Market everyone filed out to the middle of the empty room to line up in near perfect lines. Burke glanced at us.

"With me," he said, as if we needed reminding.

We circled around the outside of the room and met up with Rosa, Steve, and Solomon. Of the three, Solomon was the only one who, so far, didn't have a reason to at least want to punch me. Between Rosa's fury and Steve's indifferent sadism, I would be lucky to make it to the end of the week.

"What are they doing here?" Steve asked when Hamster and I stopped beside him.

I debated sticking out my tongue, but Burke gave me a warning look like he knew and I settled on a polite smile.

"They're with me," Burke said. Not even I would have bothered to argue with his tone.

Too much.

"And the hamster?" Rosa asked. "Is she with you too?"

I glanced at Hamster and caught her blush. She tried to pull away, but I kept hold of her hand.

"Don't take your anger with me out on her," I said.

Rosa's eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to say something, but one look from Solomon made her shut her mouth so hard her teeth clacked together.

"Hannah has been through this a few times. She knows what to do."

I tried not to beam at Burke.

My hero.

Again.

"As a unit!" Burke shouted, his deep voice booming. I jumped and let off a little squeak. Hamster snorted. Burke cast his eyes down, his eyebrow raised in question. I shook my head.

"As a unit," he repeated. "Where do we go during a raid?"

As one, the assembled answered, "Through the back to the decoy tunnels."

"What do we do in the decoy tunnels?" Burke shouted.

"Turn them around until they find themselves on the prairie," came the reply.

I looked up. The balcony above was two deep in people. "How many people are there?" I said absently, not really expecting a reply.

"Two thousand and seventeen," Hamster said proudly. "Eighteen," she amended and elbowed me.

I gawked. "And they're all in here?"

"Most of them. There are a few who are injured who are allowed to skip a drill or two."

"When they're on the prairie, what is your job?" Burke said.

"Make sure they never come back."

The reply hung in the air for just a moment. Hamster tugged my arm and I leaned in to hear her whisper.

"Active drills are when we're called as units to run the decoy tunnels so we know which way to go. Those will probably be tomorrow and the next couple of days. They'll put everyone in their units now."

The drill lasted another twenty minutes as the four leaders of Rat City called out names and put everyone in their units.

"Hannah, you'll run with the children. Adverb."

"I'm with you?" I asked hopefully.

He cocked an eyebrow and a hint of a smile graced his lips. "Yeah."

"Oh," Hamster said. "Alone time in the dark." She waggled her eyebrows.

"So, literally, just like at night."

She giggled.

"He doesn't call you Hamster," I pointed out.

"No, he never has," she teased. "I don't think he likes me much."

"He is kind of moody."

Burke looked down at me, rolled his eyes, and looked away.

"When can I go back to sleep?" I asked and yawned.

"You need to reorder you priorities," he said. "Back to your rooms!" Burke boomed.

Just like that, the drill was over.

I followed Burke back to his room, realizing the importance of figuring out my way around. If there were a raid I'd need to figure out how to get to the decoy tunnels and get out. I couldn't expect Burke to stick around and wait for me to find my way. These people relied on him and I couldn't be that selfish.

"We'll run the tunnels together tomorrow so you can get the hang of it," Burke said as we neared his hall.

"Okay."

He pulled his door open and I stepped inside. Something shifted in those moments. Memories of earlier, when he rubbed my sore shoulder, reminded me just how small the room was with the two of us closed inside.

Alone.

Together.

"So, it's probably best if you stay on the sofa," I said awkwardly. I couldn't tell why that was so important all of a sudden.

"I had planned to."

"Oh, good." I mentally slapped myself. "Not that, you know, sleeping with you is uncomfortable. I mean sleeping in the same bed. With you." This was not getting any better.

"You really are rattled around me." The smile in his voice was taunting. He turned his back to me and pulled his shirt off over his head. Once again, I was graced with a perfect view of his perfect back.

"Are you trying to kill me by way of exploding ovaries, or what's the deal?"

Burke turned. "Can ovaries explode?"

"You're the doctor."

He grinned a cat-like grin and asked, "Do I make your ovaries explode?"

"I think you're trying to do it on purpose. I think," I tapped my bottom lip with my finger, "that you're mocking my reaction to you the other morning when my reaction was simply because I was mostly naked."

Burke prowled across the room until he was so close he was looking down at me. I craned my neck back to look up into his perfect face. His lips were a whisper away and I didn't think I'd ever wanted anyone to kiss me so bad.

Once. Once I had.

"When I woke up the other morning our legs were tangled together." He searched my eyes for permission to keep going and found it. "I had my hands in your hair and your mouth was tipped up almost begging me to kiss you. It's a wonder you didn't wake up when I realized what was happening between us." He looked down. I followed his gaze. He twitched behind his zipper. When I looked back up there was a crooked smile on his face. "And you're worried about your reaction."

I watched his lips move and shook my head. "What did you just say?"

Burke raised an eyebrow. "I said do you want me to get you a clean shirt to sleep in?" He held up the one I'd been wearing. "This one's dirty."

"I only wore it once I think?"

"Do you want a clean one?"

Did I want one that smelled even more like him?

"Uh, sure." He walked away and I closed my eyes. He was sex in cargo pants and I could only wish to be his zipper.

"Here." I opened my eyes to find the t-shirt hanging from his finger.

"Thanks." He turned his back. I changed into the shirt and slipped under the covers. It took me forever to fall asleep. Memories of his hands on my skin kept me awake until I thought I would die from lack of sleep or the need of his touch.

Or both.
Chapter Eleven

Burke's flashlight was brighter than usual the next morning. The nightmares were getting worse and I deeply regretted my decision to tell Burke to sleep on the sofa, if for no other reason than the nightmares didn't happen when he was next to me. A headache throbbed behind my eyes, but it was dull and easy enough to ignore.

"Why do you need to check me now if you haven't since the overnight?" I asked.

Burke tapped my chin and put his flashlight away.

"I haven't died in my sleep yet. Don't you think I'm okay by now?"

Burke shook his head. "You're healing, but you've been under a lot of stress lately. Some of it is my fault, I will admit." He rocked back onto his heels and stood.

I sighed. "What kind of work detail do you have for me today?"

"You're back in the kitchen." I groaned, but he shook his head again. "Kel was impressed with how well you scrubbed the floor without complaining or making excuses. And she thinks you're funny. She asked that I send you back. No floors this time. I told her you were under strict orders until I said you were okay. So, you'll be doing dishes."

"All day?"

"Half of it. When I'm ready for you, I'll come get you to take you on an active drill. Can you make it to the mess hall on your own?"

I shook my head.

Burke gave me a disapproving look. "You need to be paying better attention. I'll go with you, but you should try to figure it out."

"Okay."

He didn't give me directions. Once I was dressed we walked to the end of the hallway and I was forced to pick which direction we were to go. The first three guesses were wrong. The fourth was right because there were only four choices.

It was a good thing Burke knew where we were going. He let me get well and truly lost before he pointed in the direction we needed to go.

"You've got to do better," he said.

"I know. I've been trying," I argued, thoroughly shamed. "I've never had a good sense of direction. I just need a map."

"There are no maps of Rat City."

Determined to get us back where we were supposed to be, I walked ahead of Burke. After a couple more wrong turns and a few right ones, we ended up in front of the mess hall. I grinned at Burke and was rewarded with a very impressed, very pleased smile.

"You know more than you think you do."

We were late. I was allowed to eat very quickly and shoved into the kitchen to start washing the breakfast dishes. I didn't even get to see Hamster.

The soapy water was near scalding, but I shoved my hands down to the bottom and brought up a dish to start washing while Burke talked to Kel about whatever it was they had in common.

Certainly, not their hair.

I looked up, hoping to catch a chance to glimpse of him before he left, but he was already looking at me.

Specifically, my backside.

Burke looked up, eyes burning, and winked. The bowl in my hand slipped. It hit the edge of the sink and clattered to the floor where it broke into three pieces. I didn't dare look at Burke as I bent to pick it up.

"Shit," I muttered to myself.

"Sorry," Burke said. "I have that effect on her."

"Jackass," I mumbled

"Leave her alone," Kel said. "Get out of my kitchen if all you're going to do is distract her. She has work to do."

She shoved Burke out. He came around and leaned on the counter. "I'll be back for you later for your drill. Try not to make her force you down the gangplank."

My eyes widened. "What? What they hell is the gangplank?"

"You don't want to know." Kel scowled at Burke. "Get out."

He saluted her and disappeared. When he was gone, Kel broke into a grin.

"He sure is a pretty one. Get to work," she ordered.

I didn't dare argue.

I broke three more dishes before Burke came back to get me. Kel was so glad to be rid of me that she swore when she saw him come in and shoved me out of the kitchen.

"Take her and don't bring her back unless she's scrubbing floors," Kel said. "Take her now. I don't even want to see her face."

I followed Burke, ducking a couple of towels thrown in my direction.

"What did you do to her?" he asked.

"I killed some of her babies." He scowled. "I broke dishes. She hates me now for sure."

"Hamster got hurt doing her drill today," Burke said.

"What? Is she okay?" My heart leapt. "I should go check on her."

"She's fine. She's resting."

"But-"

"I'm a doctor, remember? She's fine. If she wasn't I would say. Promise. I'll take you to her when we're done, but we need to do this. Just in case."

"Making promises now are we?"

Burke nodded once and pointed me forward. I skipped ahead and turned around to make sure I was going the right way.

"So, was it just you and your sister?" I asked. I hoped the question wouldn't shut him down, but he answered without hesitation.

"For the most part." Burke greeted the few people we passed and I smiled to be polite.

"What made you want to be a doctor?"

A hint of a smile touched his lips and he touched the bridge of his nose as if he was touching his sister's face. "It was the day she fixed my nose. I just kept thinking, 'What if it had been her? Could I do it? Could I fix her?' So, one day –"

A woman approached us and slowed as we neared. She was thin and pretty with dainty features and big brown eyes that darted nervously to me. When she looked at Burke, her cheeks flushed. I looked to see that he had his gentle doctor's smile on.

"Mr. Burke." She ducked her head in greeting.

"Hello, Lea," he said. He didn't even hesitate on her name. "How are you feeling? You were supposed to come see me last week."

She nodded. "Yes. That's why I came to find you. I'm sorry I didn't come by. I just... Well, what would the protocol be if I thought I was pregnant?"

"Oh," he said. "That's a tricky one."

Worry and acceptance filled her eyes.

"We'd have to take you topside," he said. "To see Alaiala. You'll need new clothes eventually and I'm sure some of the ladies would want to throw you a shower."

Lea's face sagged in relief. Tears filled her eyes.

"Come see me soon so we can make sure," Burke said. "And I'll put in with Kel to make sure you get enough food. Congratulations, Lea."

"Congratulations," I said and meant it. Out on the surface a baby might mean a death sentence for any number of reasons, but down here, with Burke to take care of the mother and the baby, I couldn't imagine how happy they probably were.

Burke hugged her and Lea went on her way, walking a little lighter, I thought, than she had before. I'd seen the look in her eyes before, the look of fear and disappointment and utter lack of hope. My chest clenched.

"She was afraid," I said softly.

"Hm?"

"She was afraid to tell you, afraid you would make her leave. Is she new?"

"She's been here a little more than six months, I think. Why?"

"I've seen that look before," I answered. "On women who've just learned they were having a baby and knew they wouldn't be able to keep it. There's not enough food on the surface. There aren't any doctors. Only untrained midwives. It's good she lives here and not up there."

"It's bad up there," Burke mused as we walked. "Where you come from."

"It's where we all come from. The ones born down here are lucky. When I go back...if I go back, can I bring them here? The women who are pregnant and afraid? Can I bring them here for you to take care of?"

I stared up at him and tears pricked behind my eyes. My heart had turned to stone a long time ago. For a long time I'd been struggling with who I was becoming. Especially after what had happened with Darlow, I thought I'd hardened so much that I didn't care. Maybe this place was softening me again. Having friends like Burke and Hamster wasn't a bad thing, but if I wasn't careful they would tear down all of my carefully built walls. I didn't know if that was good or bad.

"Yes." Burke's eyes scanned my face and I wondered what I looked like to him. "Solomon approved the excavation of the inner tunnels yesterday. So, we'll have the room in a couple of months."

I smiled. "That's good."

Burke motioned with his head and we started walking again. There was silence between us. I wondered how many women and unborn children could have been saved if they'd known about this place. How many women up there needed to be saved now? There were fewer and fewer people above ground roaming the city and I hadn't bumped into a single person I knew here. They were dying, whether from exposure or the culling or something else. They weren't making it down here.

"You need to hurry," I said. My voice shook and I couldn't tell if it was from anger or something else.

Burke stopped walking again to look at me. "What do you mean?"

"They're dying, Burke. They're all dying and you don't have room to save them."

He touched my cheek and his finger glistened with my tears when he pulled them away. Burke wiped it away with his thumb. His eyes softened.

"We'll make room for them if they all have to stay in my room." He winked.

I smiled. I couldn't help it. He did things to me that I'd never felt before.

"We need to hurry and get this over with," he said, his voice soft.

I nodded. "Sorry."

We stopped at a grate in the wall and Burke lifted it down.

"We're going in there?" I asked.

He nodded. "The grate isn't heavy. Are you claustrophobic?"

I shook my head. "Not usually."

Not unless it was just the two of us.

I braced my hands on the edge of the hole in the wall and pushed myself up until I was half in. I was aware that he was probably staring at my backside again as I wiggled into the tiny opening.

"It's small," I said.

"It'll open up a little farther down. We created this entrance to the decoy tunnels so we wouldn't have to drag cops through the main room."

I guess I was taking too long because a large, warm hand cupped my ass and Burke shoved me inside. I crawled forward and felt, rather than saw the tunnel widen.

"Normally, would we do this with night vision goggles?"

"No. You'll have to learn these tunnels by feel. The thing about them is, no matter how lost you get, you will eventually find a tunnel that will lead you outside. They're designed that way."

"To get the cops turned around and out fast." Our voices echoed and mingled inside the tunnel.

"We encourage people to talk as much as possible. When the sound starts to bounce around down here it's hard to get your bearings."

"Smart. You were saying earlier about becoming a doctor." I scooted farther into the tunnel

"Oh. Well, I met this man. He was going around helping people. My sister Sarah thought he was some kind of murderer. That he was giving medicine to people that would kill them. But one day we watched him save the life of this boy."

Burke stopped talking and I waited. When he didn't continue, I pressed, "What happened to him?"

Burke cleared his throat. When he spoke, his voice was tight. "He'd been mauled by a dog. It had ripped his stomach open..." His voice cracked. "I'd never seen anything like that before. The doctor replaced all of the boys internal organs and sewed him back up."

"And the boy lived?" I asked, disbelieving.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Steve."

"It was Steve?" I squeaked. "It's always Steve. I don't believe you."

Burke chuckled. It bounced off the walls and echoed down the tunnel.

So eerie.

So beautiful.

"I'll have him show you later. Believe it or not, we were good friends when we were children. We looked out for each other. He helped me take care of Sarah. He wasn't always this..."

"Murderous? You do know that he was trying to kill me, don't you? For fun?"

"I know." Burke's hand caressed my calf. "Keep going."

"Am I going the right way?"

"Yes. These tunnels are easy to get lost in, but they're also easy to get out of. The longest anyone has been lost in here was a little over an hour."

I shuddered. "That's encouraging. What if I'm lost longer than that?"

Burke chuckled. "Then I'll come find you."

I scuttled through the tunnels on my hands and bruised knees. They were tall enough that, if I bent at the waist I could probably stand up and run, but for now, crawling was best.

"So, what happened with Doctor Miracle?" I asked.

"I apprenticed under him. He traveled all over, but he gave Sarah and me shelter, three meals a day even if they were meager, and protection from the cops. And I learned a trade that has saved my life and the lives of others countless times. By the time I was fifteen I was performing surgeries and fixing broken limbs. When I was twenty-four, we moved down here."

"But not Steve."

"Steve was with us at first, but he started running around with mercenaries and I lost track of him. I don't know what happened to him exactly, but he'd changed when he came back."

"Aren't you afraid of him?"

"I'm afraid of what he can do. I wasn't lying when I said I'd been tracking you for an hour. I'd been tracking him. He'd been watching you for some time before he started chasing you."

"Thank you," I said. "For saving my life."

"You're safe here. He wouldn't hunt one of our own and I've made it clear that you are a rat from here on out."

I laughed, but it soon died in my throat. Burke's solid, muscled body pressed against mine and I swallowed hard.

"What about you?" he asked softly. "Any family?"

"Nope. It's been just me for a long time now." I swallowed against the memories that threatened to break loose. "I was stupid," I whispered. "I knew they were culling that night, but I was out in the open anyway. I caught the flames and I went to see what was happening. It was a trick to draw people out. I should have known better. That's how Steve found me."

Burke's fingers brushed at my hair like he could see just a little too well. I reached up and touched his face and found his night vision goggles firmly in place.

"You ass," I said.

He chuckled. "I said you couldn't have any. I didn't say I wasn't going to wear them. Why do you keep your hair so short?"

"I like the way it looks. You'd be surprised how often men want to talk hair."

"Hm." He fingered the ends of my hair and tingles broke out across my scalp. "We haven't talked about my hair."

"I know. It makes me jealous."

"You want to go grey early?"

"Not the color. Every time you touch it, I wish it was my fingers in your hair." I sucked in a breath

Yeah, I had definitely just said that.

"Who said it can't be?"

I heard the goggles come off and land on the floor of the tunnel. In the dark I heard a lot of things – the erratic beat of my heart, the way he breathed in and out, the slide of his hand down my arm. He picked up my hand like we were about to dance and placed my hand on his shoulder. I felt my way up his neck to his jaw and over his ear where he flinched and blew out a soft laugh. I paused, then continued up over the side where his hair was slicked down. My fingers mingled on the edge of the pompadour, and then I tangled them in his hair, feeling the soft locks against my palm, between my fingers. I raked it back and he pressed into my hand. My fingers twitched and I fought the overwhelming need to grasp his hair and tug him in for a kiss.

"Better?" he asked, his voice gruff.

No, it was worse.

Much worse, because now that I knew what his hair felt like, I didn't want to let go.

His breath blew across my lips as he leaned closer. "I asked you a question. Is that better?"

"Mm." It sounded too much like yes.

He leaned away and his hair pulled out of my fingers, leaving me empty and bereft.

"That's too bad," he said. "Come on. We still have a ways to go."

He crawled away, but I was rooted in place. What the hell had just happened? If I'd said no, would I be kissing him right now? Would he have had me here in this tunnel where no one else could see us? My heart was still racing. My mind was a blur until I realized.

He wasn't waiting.

He'd gone on without me

"Burke?" I called softly and started crawling. He didn't answer, though I was sure he could hear me. "Burke?" I said a little louder. Still no answer.

I followed the tunnels, unaware if I was crawling around in circles, unable to tell how much time had passed. I gave up on calling Burke's name. He wasn't going to answer and the longer I crawled around alone in the dark the more afraid I became. I didn't care if someone I'd never met had crawled this in just over an hour. I was sure I would be the one who got lost and died in here.

I just knew I was as good as dead when I bumped into someone's leg. "Burke?" I asked. My voice trembled.

"Congratulations," he said. "You made it in just under half an hour."

I thought I was going to puke. My heart beat out of my chest from terror and there he sat, cool as a prairie night. Understanding dawned. The whole incident with his hair was to throw me off. He wasn't going to kiss me. We wouldn't have lost ourselves in wild abandon. He was testing me. Tricking me and testing me because he knew all he had to do was look at me and I was instantly unsteady.

"What now?" My voice was flat.

"You've passed. Now I'll take you to Hannah."
Chapter Twelve

Since I didn't know where Hamster's room was yet, Burke didn't make too big of a deal about walking me there. I didn't have much to say. A couple of times he opened his mouth like he noticed and wanted to comment, but he never did.

The hall Hamster lived on was identical to Burke's. I tried to orient myself, find some kind of identifier that would help me remember where I was, but there was nothing.

"We aren't far from the room," Burke said. "Just a few halls down."

I nodded.

"Is everything okay?" he asked. "With you, I mean. You've been quiet."

Burke shoved his hands in his pockets. He looked uncomfortable and I wondered if maybe he felt uneasy about what had happened in the decoy tunnels. I smiled to reassure him.

"Just thinking. Which one?"

He pointed to a door. I pounded on it with the heel of my hand. It took a minute, but the door swung open. Hamster smiled, but it slipped when she saw my face.

"She's here for the rest of her work detail," Burke said. His voice was a little too gruff. What kind of face had I been making? "Have fun."

He hesitated a moment before he walked away.

"So, something happened and I'm assuming it wasn't good." Hamster pulled me into her room and closed the door. "What happened?"

"I'm not entirely sure," I said. "I think he was going to kiss me? But then he ran away."

Was that what happened? Had he run from me?

"Burke? Burke ran away? Burke doesn't run from anything."

"Did you know he dated Darlow's wife? Before they were together, I mean."

Hamster shook her head. "That was before my time here."

The room was near identical to Burke's, except that where he had a hatch to go down to the shower Hamster just had a concrete floor.

"Where do you shower?" I asked her.

"Community showers," she said. "You lucked out with Burke. Only he and Solomon have in-room showers." She waggled her eyebrows. "That's what you need to do! Sneak in when he's in the shower. He'll have to kiss you then. You'll both be naked."

I grinned. "Somehow, I don't think it will be that easy with him. I mean, we were alone. It was dark. I had my hands in his hair."

"Wait, what? Maybe he did run. What an ass. At least the rest of our work detail is easy. We're just mending torn clothing, so we can sit and chat in private. Girl time," she grinned.

"I can't remember the last time I had girl time," I said, taking a seat on the floor. Hamster tossed me a pillow to sit on and a couple of shirts.

"Then you're long over due. If you ask me, and I know you didn't, I think Burke really likes you. Maybe he was trying to throw you off, but he doesn't let just anyone into his personal space. Not even Rosa and she's been trying since before I got here."

I sniffed. "Maybe. I just don't think it's fair for him to play on my emotions like that. Especially since he knows how unsteady he makes me."

"By your own admission," she reminded me.

"I was tired," I countered.

"I'm sure you were." Hamster handed me a needle and thread. She didn't believe that anymore than I did.

We worked in silence for a long time. I'd done some mending of my own clothes before, but my fingers were sore and my stitches weren't perfectly even like Hamsters. I tried to copy her, but I was slower and not as experienced.

"Just take your time," she admonished when I had to pull out am entire seam. "You'll get the hang of it. This is my favorite job to do. I get to do it alone in my own home. Want to hear a secret?"

"Of course."

"One time, this woman had been really nasty to me. She heard I was mending so she brought me an armful of her clothes."

"What did you do?"

Hamster grinned. "I mended them."

"And?"

"And I rubbed them all over the bathroom floor."

"That's so gross!" I loved Hamster for being able to make me laugh so hard my sides hurt.

"Have you always lived up there?" Hamster asked. She played it off with nonchalance, but I saw through her.

"No. Not always, but long enough that I call it home."

She didn't press for more and I didn't offer it. A lesser person would have been suspicious, but then, Hamster hadn't really offered up any information about herself either. I realized I knew nothing about where she came from or what had brought her here, but it didn't matter. She was the best friend I'd had in a long time.

We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying each other's company. By the time we finished and headed down to dinner, I knew who to go to if I needed anything from up above, when the traders and trappers came to bring their goods, and intimate details about resident rats that I didn't know if I wanted to know or not.

We were laughing about Joe and his rash when we entered the mess hall. Burke was already there with Steve and Rosa and he must have been looking for me. He caught my attention and motioned me over the moment I walked through the door.

"I'll get your tray," Hamster said.

"What's up?" I asked as I approached Burke. "Just to make sure we're in the clear, if anyone complains that their armhole is sewn shut it's not my fault."

He smirked. "I just wanted to show you something."

Steve stood and started to lift his shirt. I turned my head away and held up my hand to block his bare chest.

"Why is he taking his clothes off?" I said a little too loud.

"Remember that story I told you in the tunnels?" Burke asked.

Rosa's face soured.

I peeked one eye open and moved my hand. A ragged, raised pink scar marred the tanned landscape of Steve's stomach from his sternum to his belly button. All around it were smaller, stretched looking scars, probably from the dog's teeth and claws. I stared, unable to tear my eyes away.

"Didn't I tell you I wouldn't lie to you?"

My stomach flipped. I felt Burke's eye on me but couldn't seem to meet them, not because I was ashamed, but because I'd just remembered how mad I was.

I turned away from Burke's imploring eyes and grinned at Steve. "Nice scar. I hope I can give you another one to match." I dragged my thumb across my throat and walked away.

"I don't think she likes you," I heard Rosa say.

"So what was that about?" Hamster wanted to know.

"Comparing scars," I said.

"You want to go back to your room?" Hamster asked later as we dropped our dishes in the bin. "Or do you want to have some fun?"

Kel glared at me as I walked by. I smiled and waved and she nodded her head in greeting, but she didn't stop glaring.

"Fun, please."

"Fun it is."

Hamster skipped ahead and I followed, nodding greetings to anyone who waved hello. They were far friendlier now that I was officially a rat. It had been so long since I was part of a community and not its protector that I wasn't entirely sure how to act. I liked being apart of these people. I liked being someone who belonged.

"What are we going to do here?" I asked. The market was set up again. The heavenly smell of food filled the air and I wondered why they had Kel cook her galley kitchen food when someone somewhere actually knew how to use spices.

"We're going to talk to people and see if we can't barter our way into some free stuff." She winked.

"I knew we were friends for a reason."

There was so much color and life. Person after person greeted me and told me how happy they were to have me as part of their community. Several thanked me for protecting their secret little world. No one seemed to know or care that just as quick as I was to protect them, I would easily kill someone for threatening something that I saw as sacred. More than once, tears came to my eyes and I had to walk away quickly before anyone noticed.

If Hamster saw how overwhelmed I was, she didn't acknowledge it. She spoke to everyone and everyone knew her as Hamster. She was outgoing, funny, and kind, everything that the people on the surface were not. She knew what ailments everyone had, what injuries were on the mend, who was having trouble with their children and who just needed to see the sun. I didn't think it was coincidence that she was the first person to greet me when I got here.

"Good evening," Hamster said to a male vendor with grey hair and a thick mustache. He was older and his eyes were hard, but kind. "Have you met my friend Adverb? She's new here."

He frowned. "Adverb? Strange name." He turned around and handed me a bowl of something that made my full belly growl in appreciation. "All newly initiated rats are welcome to a bowl of my special porridge. On the house." He leaned in and whispered, "It's better than what they serve in the mess hall."

I grinned. "I believe you."

I shoveled a spoonful into my mouth, uncaring of how it burned my tongue. "Oh man," I groaned. "This is the best thing I've eaten in years."

The old man beamed. "I'm glad you like it. Take it with you. Just bring the bowl back."

I ate as we walked and talked to people. They didn't seem to mind that I talked with my mouthful or that they didn't know who I was. They all seemed genuinely happy to meet me.

I ended up with two new shirts and a new pair of heavy boots that would make Burke proud. I was on my way back to give the porridge man his bowl back when a body stepped into my path.

"Gathering the spoils of being new?" Burke's delicious voice asked.

"It was Hamster's idea. Plus, I got more food out of it." I pushed past him. He followed.

"Are you having fun?" He seemed at a lost for what to say.

"Yes."

"Are you mad?"

"About what?"

I found the old man and set the empty bowl on his counter. "Thank you," I told him. "If there's anything I can ever do for you, just ask."

He smiled. "Thank you, Miss Adverb."

I almost laughed because the name was so ridiculous, but it was me, it was who I was here. I liked it. I didn't have to be anything or anyone that I wasn't here.

"Come with me." Burke took my wrist and dragged me away. I clutched my new shirts and my boots to my chest, because I had no choice but to follow. He pulled me into an empty hallway and crowded my space, pressing me into the wall. With one arm leaned on the wall above my head and the other braced beside me so I couldn't escape, he leaned in. Almost as close as we were in the decoy tunnels.

"Are you mad at me again?" I nodded, against my better judgment. "What did I do now?" His voice was soft, like he actually cared.

"You're not fair," I blurted. "It's not fair."

"What's not fair? What have I done? Tell me, please?"

He sounded so diplomatic that it hurt.

"I didn't mean to tell you," I said. "That you make me unsteady. Even so, it's not fair that you use it against me to make your point."

"What point do you think I was trying to make?"

I couldn't answer. Embarrassment tightened my throat and heated my cheeks. All I could do was reach up and touch the wayward ends of his beautiful hair.

"You mean that. I wasn't trying to make a point." He swallowed and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. "You can touch my hair whenever you want."

I looked up into his eyes. If he didn't walk away now I was going to grab him and –

"Burke."

I rolled my eyes at Rosa's unwelcome intrusion. Burke's eyes closed and he turned his head to look at her.

"What?"

"Looks like you're busy." She didn't sound like she cared. "It doesn't matter."

Burke sighed. "I should probably see what she wants."

I nodded and pressed the heel of my hand into my eye. The headache that had been a dull annoyance all day had decided to throb behind my eyes.

"What's wrong?" Burke had that stupid flashlight out before I could blink.

"My head hurts." I moved my head out of the line of his light and he turned it off. "Where do you get the batteries for that stupid thing?"

"Alaiala. How long has it hurt?"

"All day," I answered honestly.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just thought I was hungry."

"You've eaten." He moved my hand out of the way and made me look up while he inspected my eyes. "You look fine." He looked around. "Come on."

Burke scooped me up in his arms and carried me away. When he set me down again it was on his bed.

"I just need to sleep," I said, curling into the blankets.

"You need to stay awake."

But I didn't want to.

The next time I opened my eyes, the only light in the room came from the bathroom below us. Burke knelt by the bed perched on his elbows on the mattress. His brow was creased with worry. I reached up to try and smooth it out.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I haven't been able to wake you for the last six hours."

"You haven't slept?"

He shook his head. "I was too worried."

"Sometimes I get headaches. I sleep and they're gone."

"You should have told me."

"It didn't seem like a big deal. I've had them since I was a kid. I deal with it."

His voice was a whisper when he said, "I wish you'd told me."

"Do you want to lay down?"

He hesitated only a second before he climbed into the bed next to me. He'd changed clothes at some point, probably trying to keep himself busy so he didn't worry. I settled my cheek against his chest.

"What time is it?"

"Midnight."

"Oh good. Maybe you'll get to see me transcend in the morning."

He sighed. "I just want to stop worrying about you."

"Then stop." I let the beat of his heart lull me into a near sleep.

"I have to leave in the morning. We have to open the hatch to the other side."

He swallowed and it was loud in the silent room.

"You don't want to leave me here alone?"

"I've already arranged for Hannah to come stay with you. You aren't required to be on work detail until I come back and make sure you're up to it."

"I don't need a babysitter."

"And I don't need to worry about you while I'm gone. If you're with her then you'll be fine."

"Why do you worry about me so much?"

He didn't answer right away. "I don't know. You don't take care of yourself."

"I was on my own before I met you."

Burke huffed. "And Steve would have killed you if I hadn't shown up. So, the way I see it, it's my job to take care of you. Go to sleep. I'm tired."

I listened to his heartbeat the rest of the night.
Chapter Thirteen

Polite knocking almost passed me by as I snuggled deeper into the crook of Burke's body.

"Are you going to freak out on me again?" he asked.

My leg was not wrapped around him this time, but his thumb rubbed the same teasing circles over my arm. I opened my eyes and looked up into his comically worried face.

"I don't guess there's any reason to. Do you have to open the door?"

"I have breakfast," Hamster called.

I sat up. Burke chuckled and sat up next to me, running his hand through his hair

"It's open," he called.

The latch on the door wiggled and Hamster came in with a tray laden with little boxes. I didn't think it had come from Kel's kitchen. She looked up and took in the two of us on the bed together. Burke's knee was bent behind me so it looked like I was sitting in his lap. Hamster's gaze locked with mine and a grin spread across her face. Burke stood and took the tray from her, missing her grin entirely.

"Morning," Hamster said.

Burke set the tray on the desk and stretched his arms up over his head. His shirt rode up, showing just how low his pants hung on his hips and giving us both a wonderful view of his bare stomach.

I stared.

Hamster stared.

Burke raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Hamster and I said at the same time. She looked at me and her eyes went wide.

Without a word, Burke opened the hatch in the floor and went down to the bathroom.

"Wow, so, this is cozy." Hamster sat on the edge of the bed.

"Shut up," I said and groaned as I stretched. She grinned.

"I was going to ask what happened last night when you both disappeared, but by the frustration on your face, I think it's safe to say that nothing exciting went on here."

I threw a pillow at her. Hamster dodged out of the way and giggled.

"Rosa is fit to be tied. I thought I should warn you. She's convinced you're already pregnant with Burke's lovechild."

"Wonderful. As if the two of us didn't dislike each other enough already."

I hadn't told Hamster about my suspicions that Rosa was a LeinReich. Not just because I didn't have proof other than her nose. I would have to explain how I knew, and I just wasn't ready for that admission yet.

I grabbed one of the boxes off of the tray and opened it. Inside was steaming hot bread. I took it out and bit into it. The most amazing mixture of fruit and cheese exploded into my mouth and I groaned.

"Right?" Hamster took one for herself. "These things last really well on long trips, just in case you ever need to know. They also make them with meat and veggies and stuff. We only get them when they're sending people out, though."

Burke came back up and frowned. "Haven't you eaten, Hannah?"

She shrugged. "I got one for myself."

He opened one of the boxes and bit into a bun. His eyes rolled back into his head and he sighed.

"Wow," I said. Burke grinned around a mouthful and winked at me.

"Gods," Hamster said. "I've never seen him look so..."

"Human," I offered.

"I was going to say seductive."

I snorted.

Burke eyed me. "I'll be gone most of the day," he said. He didn't sound like he wanted to go.

I didn't want him to go. Without his constant presence popping up when I least expected it this place already felt empty and he wasn't even gone yet. He watched me expectantly, but I didn't know what to say. I studied the food in my hand, trying to think of something, anything to say.

"Be careful," Hamster finally said in my stead.

Yeah, that was a good thing to say. I should have thought of it.

I heard Burke leave. He didn't even say goodbye

"That was awkward."

"I need you to cover for me," I said and looked Hamster in the eye.

"Are you going somewhere?" she asked.

I nodded. "I need to take care of something topside."

Her face fell. "Are you coming back?"

I smiled to reassure her. "Of course. He hasn't even kissed me yet. I'll be back by noon."

She smiled, but it didn't hide the worry in her eyes. I dressed quickly and found a small pack for the leftover food. With a little direction from Hamster, I made it to the decoy tunnels without running into too many people. No one even questioned me about my pack.

True to Burke's word, I wasn't in the tunnels for long, maybe just as long as the day before. There was a lock on the hatch that I flipped open and the door pushed out.

The hatch opened onto the prairie at the backside of the building shell that housed Edge City. It was shrouded by rocks and rubble and as I stood there, the prairie winds swept sand over it, covering it almost in entirety in a matter of minutes. I doubled around the building and came face to face with Alaiala.

She stood in my path, hands on her hips, and deep frown on her severe face.

"Going somewhere?" she asked, but I heard the true meaning in her words. She wanted to make sure I wasn't going to betray them.

"I know you're going to tell Burke," I said. "Can you just give me a head start?" I held up the pack. "I'm stealing food."

Alaiala nodded. "I will tell William." Her clear eyes assessed me. "Wait here a moment."

Alaiala disappeared and I waited. I didn't know if she was going to tell Burke right then or give me the head start I'd asked for. When she returned, she held a blue knitted blanket. I smiled.

"Tell her who it's from." There was a hint of a smile in her voice.

"I will. Thank you."

I put the blanket into the pack and hurried away. Ever since my conversation with Burke the day before, one person had been on my mind. Her hovel wasn't far from the city and it wasn't hard to find if you knew where to look. She'd sequestered herself beneath some mostly buried ruins. I'd made sure it was sound before I let her move into it and tried to check in on her as often as I could. Word had probably made it to her about my flight a few nights ago.

"Alaine," I called as I approached.

"Dalia?"

Her voice was weak and I kicked myself for not coming to see her sooner. I ducked into the tiny hovel. There was hardly enough room for two adults inside, let alone one who was as pregnant as she was. I situated myself beside her and started unpacking the few things I'd brought for her.

"I've been hearing both that you were dead and that you were alive. I didn't know what to believe. No one has seen you for days," Alaine said

I smiled. "I know. I'm sorry. I brought you some stuff."

I handed one of the boxes to her. Alaine's large, dull green eyes widened when she saw the bun.

"Where did you get this? There's so much of it!"

There really wasn't. What I considered breakfast, she would have to make last for a couple of days. But Alaine looked up at me with grateful, tear-filled eyes and smiled.

"How am I ever going to repay you for this?"

I shook my head. "You don't owe me a thing. This is from Alaiala." I handed her the blanket.

"It's beautiful."

"You deserve it," I said.

"For what? Having a baby?"

I nodded. "Yes. Because colder weather will be here about the same time he will."

She smiled and ducked her head. "You don't know it will be a boy."

"I'm hoping." I smiled. So was she.

"Dalia." She paused. "I thought I'd never see you again. I thought you were..."

"I know. But I'm fine. And I've found a doctor who can help you when the baby comes."

"How? I don't have anything to pay a doctor."

"You don't have to worry about that. I'm going to take care of it, okay?" Even if I had to do extra work detail or offer up a body part, I was going to make sure that Alaine and her baby were taken care of.

I spent the morning with her telling her everything I could. I told her about Burke and his weird moods and about Hamster, my new friend. And I told her about Steve and how Burke had saved me from him. As the sun climbed into the sky, I became more and more anxious to get back to Rat City. I'd put Hamster in a situation that I never should have. Slowly, Rat City was eating away at my lack of remorse.

"I'll come back to see you before the baby is born," I promised. "I'll have someone keep an eye on you and come get me when you go into labor."

I hugged her.

"Oh, this is for you." Alaine reached into a hole beside her and pulled out a leather necklace with a silver disc hanging from it. I dusted off the sand and held it up. A four-petal flower, known as the sunfire flower, was etched into the metal. I slipped it into my pocket. "A girl dropped it off a few days ago. She said she owed you for something."

As I crawled out of her poor excuse for a home, I wiped a tear from my cheek. I didn't like leaving her here alone knowing I would probably never see her again. Knowing that, if her baby made it to term I probably wouldn't make it in time to save either of them once she went into labor.

I barely noticed the shadow move across the sun, I was so lost in my own darkness. When I looked up, a man stood in front of me. The sun was behind him, but I knew Burke now with my eyes closed. Again, I found myself at a loss to explain to him what I was thinking and feeling.

Apparently, he didn't need me to. Burke brushed away a tear from my cheek. I shook my head. He should have been mad for so many reasons and he was comforting me.

"How far along is she?" His voice was tender, and yet, in its depths I heard angry little nuances.

"Six and a half months. How did you know?" I sniffed.

"Alaiala told me, but I already had an idea after yesterday. You should have told me." He put his hands on my shoulders and turned us so I wouldn't be squinting into the sun.

"There are enough people who don't like me and you already said that there wasn't enough room."

"Rat City is about saving people," Burke said, his voice growing stern.

"There are too many people and not enough room, Burke. What about the woman with three children who aren't even hers? Or the man with no legs? What about them?"

"One at a time, Adverb." He smoothed my hair down. "One at a time. Starting here."

"Are you okay?" Alaine asked.

I turned to see her head poking out of the entrance to her little home. When she saw Burke she shrank back and I saw it in her eyes. She was going to protect me because she thought I was in trouble.

I nodded and held out my hand to her. "Yeah. This is Burke. The one I was telling you about."

"The doctor?"

Alaine scrambled out of the hole and brushed herself off like she was meeting a king. She teetered as she found her balance and squinted in the bright light. She was so small now that I could see her clearly. Too small. By the scowl on Burke's face he noticed too. He quickly wiped the scowl away and grinned the grin that made ladies weak in the knees.

"I'm Burke," he said, offering his hand. "I think there's a place that can help you if you want to come with me."

Alaine looked to me for approval. I nodded.

"Thank you," she said.

"I'll get your stuff," I said when she turned to go back inside.

She didn't have much. With the exception of her new blanket there were a few trinkets and a pair of shoes that didn't fit her. I put it all into the pack and climbed out.

Burke helped Alaine through the rubble back to Edge City where Alaiala waited for us. I watched her, but she didn't make any move to act like she was innocent or guilty.

"The next part is a little tricky," Burke said as we neared the door, "So, I'm going to carry you down. Do you trust me?"

The corner of his mouth turned up in a flirtatious grin. Little flutters of jealousy churned around in my stomach.

"If Dalia trusts you, then I trust you." She smiled at me and I smiled back.

Burke opened the door and scooped Alaine into his arms. He disappeared into the darkness, and I closed the door. I wanted to ask why he was back so soon and alone, but I'd have to save the questions for later.

Everyone stared when we came out of the dark. Some leaned in to whisper to each other and point. Burke ignored them.

"We'll take her to my room," he said to me. There was a look in his eyes that made my insides twist.

"Your room is going to be full of women," I mumbled.

He smiled. "We can keep her away from gawkers there."

That sounded good to me.

"How about a bath?" Burke asked as we started down the stairs.

Alaine looked up at him with tearful eyes. "Why are you being so kind to me?"

My heart shattered. Kindness didn't come cheap topside. Sometimes the price was too steep to pay. I took Alaine's hand in mine. Her fingers were skin and bone and I began to understand the look Burke had given me

"I've done everything I can for you," I said. "Burke is a good person who has made it his life's goal to save lives. It's just who he is. Let him help you."

"Thank you, Dalia," she said.

Burke frowned. Maybe he'd forgotten that I had a real name. I felt my cheeks flush.

"Down here they call me Adverb."

"Oh." Alaine nodded. "Alright then, Adverb."

Alaine turned her face into Burke's shoulder. Everyone was staring at her, at how pregnant she was and how thin she was. I stared them each down in turn until we were out of the main room and headed to Burke's. I went ahead, not even thinking until we were at his door. I pulled it open and Hamster leaned out.

"Oh, thank the gods. I was so worried..." Her eyes widened when she saw Burke carrying Alaine. "Who is that? Did you get caught?"

"Yes."

Hamster scooted out of the way and Burke ducked into the room. I followed him and hurried over to open the hatch so he could carry Alaine downstairs.

Hamster clutched my hand and I squeezed back. "Who is that?" she whispered.

"My friend Alaine."

"God."

"Can you manage on your own?" I heard Burke say.. "Do you need help? I can send Adverb or Hannah down."

"I'll be fine," Alaine said sweetly. "Thank you."

Through the metal rungs I watched her kiss him on the cheek. Burke went pink and he came back up to join us.

"She so small," he said, his voice low so only we would hear. "I don't know if either of them will make it."

"You have to do everything you can," I sobbed. "She's my friend."

Burke pulled me into a tight, quick hug and let me go.

"I'll do everything I can," he promised. "We need to discuss what you did today, though. I don't expect you to conform to all of the rules within a couple of days. No one does, but you broke a big one today. No one goes to the surface without permission. On top of that, you put Hannah in a bad spot."

I nodded. "I know. I'm sorry. I didn't think about it until it was too late."

I'd put everyone at risk and that was the last thing I wanted to do. Maybe being here wasn't such a good idea, but I didn't want to leave.

"From now on, I will follow all of the rules. I promise."

"Maybe not all of them," Burke said and smiled. "You should have told me about Alaine sooner."

"I should have, but I didn't know how to ask you for another favor. You've done so much for me already."

"Your pride gets in the way," Hamster said.

"On the surface our pride is all we have. It's all I've had my entire life. I'm supposed to forget all of that because I've met you?"

"I just thought you trusted me more than that," Burke said.

"It's not you that I don't trust. Who makes the decision to let people stay?" Burke tensed and pressed his lips together. "Exactly. They wanted to kick me out and I'm perfectly healthy. She's going to require so much more care and attention than shining flashlights in her eyes every few hours. And where will she stay?"

"With me, of course."

I started at Hamster's voice. I'd forgotten she was standing there. She was so quiet, Burke and I had had our little argument and I forgot she was even there.

"First of all, I'm not mad at you for leaving me here. I'll cover for you anytime and I don't want you to let Mr. Follow The Rules make you think you did anything wrong today." She gave Burke a defiant look and he had the grace to look abashed. "Your friend is going to stay with me." Hamster gave me the same look and in her eyes I saw the horrors she'd seen, the betrayals she'd suffered. She looked her age for once.

I nodded. "If they let her."

"They won't have a choice," she said. "She's going to stay with me. Right Burke?"

He nodded. "I'll make sure of it."

"I'm going to get her some clothes. Bring me what she had on and I'll take care of it."

Before she could leave, I threw my arms around Hamster and hugged her tight.

"You're the best friend I've ever had, Hannah," I said.

"I know." She smiled and pulled away. "I'll be back."

I turned back to Burke. "You didn't help free the others?"

"Alaiala caught me before I left and told me where you'd gone. She said she was sick, but she hadn't told me just how sick."

"It's bad isn't it?"

"Malnutrition, plus whatever's going around up there. Yeah, it's not pretty."

"Thank you for helping," I told him.

"You don't have to ever thank me for being a human being."

"But there are so few left."

"Don't be so sure. I think you misjudge yourself. While you may be quick to take a life you think deserves it, you're even quicker to help people. By the way, I'm proud of you going through the decoy tunnels on your own and making it back to the room without my help."

"If there's ever a raid, I'm good to go."

"I don't want you to go," he said, his eyes haunted.

"Okay."

He frowned, coming back from wherever he'd gone, and for a moment I thought he would kiss me. We watched each other, not thinking or talking, just looking.

"The refugees are coming," he said to break the silence. "I need to make an announcement."

"Okay. I'm going to stay here and wait for Alaine to finish. She enjoyed your breakfast, by the way."

"Someone needed to." His eyes lingered on me. "I'll be back to give her a better examination in a little bit."

Chapter Fourteen

Alaine came up from the shower wrapped in a towel. Her hair dripped little rivers down her shoulders and there was a smile on her face brighter than I'd ever seen. I didn't think I'd ever seen her clean either.

"I like your friends," she said. "The little one. Hannah? She's very energetic. And Burke is gorgeous."

I smiled. "Yeah, he is."

"You like him."

"I would like to kiss him, yes."

Alaine laughed. "He cares about you very much. I can tell."

"Oh, yeah? How's that?"

The door opened and Hamster came in.

"I have clean clothes for you," Hamster said. "I'm Hannah, but everyone calls me Hamster because I'm small. Due to a lack of room, you're going to be staying with me."

"I'm not going to stay here with Dalia? Adverb?" Alaine asked.

"This isn't my room," I said. "It's Burke's room. They didn't have space to give me so he's sharing with me, and you're sharing with Hamster."

"I'm just a few halls away," Hamster said. "So if you need her or Burke for any reason they'll be close by. Here are your new clothes," Hamster handed them over. "If they don't fit I can take them in."

"Thank you."

Alaine took the clothes and turned her back. All I could do was stare when the towel fell. Her shoulder blades protruded from her back like razors. Her hips and ribs were so pronounced that there were bruises all over them. Hamster grabbed my hand. How had Alaine survived this long? How had I not known she was in such bad shape?

It all came back down to pride. Alaine never asked anyone for help. She barely accepted what I offered her. I wiped a tear away from my cheek so she wouldn't see me crying and be embarrassed. When she was dressed, she turned and smiled at us both. I'd never seen her so happy.

"Thank you," she said, her voice watery with tears. "No one has ever taken care of me before. But now I know my baby is going to be okay."

Before I'd made the decision to do it, I was hugging her. "I'm going to make sure your baby is taken care of. You don't have to worry about anything any more."

There was a knock on the door. "It's Burke," he called.

"You can come in," I said.

Burke stepped into the room with that damned flashlight in his hand and I rolled my eyes.

"Alaine, I'd like to give you a quick exam if you don't mind. Just to make sure you and the baby are alright."

"Okay."

Burke motioned me away from the bed and had Alaine sit. His face remained stoic as he checked her eyes, her ears, her throat. Then he pulled out a stethoscope and hooked it into his ears.

"This is a stethoscope," he said. "I'm going to listen to your heart, okay?" He pressed the flat end of it to her chest. And listened. "You want to hear?"

Alaine nodded, her eyes wide with wonder, and Burke hooked it into her ears. She listened intently for a second and smiled.

"That's my heart?" she asked. "It's so loud."

Burke smiled and hooked it around his neck. "The stethoscope magnifies it so we can hear it better. All done." He looked at me quickly. "I need your help with something."

I followed Burke into the hall. He closed the door and leaned his hand on it.

"How bad is it?" I asked.

"Her heartbeat is irregular and she's severely malnourished. She hasn't been eating enough, so the baby is feeding off of her body. It's the worst case I've ever seen."

"I don't want to know anymore," I said. "I can't hear it."

My stomach churned and I wretched, but nothing came up. Burke pushed me down gently as far as I could go and put my hands on my knees.

"Breathe. I'm sorry." He rubbed soothing circles on my back while I tried to catch my breath.

"You should have seen her when she was changing, Burke."

"I felt her bones through her clothes when I carried her in. I can't imagine what the would look like."

"Horrible."

When my head no longer spun, I stood up and put my hands in my pockets. My knuckles bumped the metal disc of the necklace Alaine had given me. I pulled it out and held it up to the light.

"What's that?" Burke fingered the disk and ran the pad of his thumb over the four pointed petals of the flower etched on its face. "A sun flower?"

"An offering from a girl who couldn't pay me and I helped her anyway." The disc spun gently, catching the light. I held it out to him. "Only seems fitting to pass it on to the one who saved my life and is taking care of my friend."

Burke took the necklace from me reverently. "You want me to have this?"

"Well, yeah. You don't want it?"

"I will gladly accept this gift from you." Burke took it from me and tied it around his own neck. It rested at the apex of his throat, like it was always meant to be there.

"It suits you," I said with a weak smile. "Burke, I'm so tired."

His eyes softened and he tugged me into a hug before he stepped back.

"Go spend some time with your friends. Have some fun. Take Alaine down to the market and I'll see you tonight."

I almost kissed him. I rose up on my toes to kiss him and he leaned in. At the last moment I wrapped my arms around his neck and hurried away.

Because the refugees were coming they called for the market to be cleared out, then offered dinner early. If Burke thought I was happy when I had food then he should have seen the look on Alaine's face when she realized she was going to get to eat twice in one day.

To say that the usual dinner banter between Hamster and me was subdued would be an understatement. Neither one of us seemed able to find words while we watched Alaine eat like she'd never seen food before. She shoveled the gruel into her mouth and washed it down with water and went back for more.

When the announcement was made that the refugees were there, the three of us went to one of the upper levels where we would be out of the way and stood at the railing to watch the refugee workers come in. I expected injuries, even though I'd been there and I knew that no one had been hurt. We'd just locked them in until things were safe.

There were more than I expected. I hadn't seen this many people when Burke and I were there. We didn't stay long enough and we didn't do anything but go to bed. Some of them were whole families, men, women, and children. We'd locked them all in there. My stomach churned, even though I reminded myself that we'd done it to save their lives.

I spotted Burke coming out of the little hospital room on the other side of the Market. He looked up and right at me like he knew where I was. His face was pinched with grim determination and he made right for me with urgent steps. When he was close enough, his hard gaze told me something bad had happened even before he spoke.

"There's something you need to know," he said. His deep voice, though normally familiar and soothing, was industrial and cold.

I looked over his shoulder. Two men carried someone in on a makeshift stretcher made of bits of cloth and poles they'd probably found lying around. The person's wounds were wrapped, but they'd bled through. I couldn't see the face, but the wisps of long dark hair told me who he was.

Burke turned to follow my gaze. They carried the body into the hospital and disappeared from sight.

"Darlow isn't dead."

I looked up at Burke's words and felt a mixture of horror and relief. A strangled sound escaped my throat, and whatever was on my face made Burke squeeze my hand to comfort me.

The only way Darlow could have survived was if someone had treated his wounds. And the only people who were capable of treating wounds like he'd suffered and keep him alive were the same people who had done this unspeakable thing to him. The same people I'd been trying to keep him from talking to.

I gasped but couldn't catch my breath. I couldn't figure out if I was supposed to feel bad or glad. I felt both and neither. I felt empty, like there was a place in my chest that I had long ago carved out and I needed it to deal with what I'd caused. The room swam before me and I grabbed the closest thing I could to steady myself I got a handful of Burke's shirt, but it didn't keep my knees from buckling. He caught me and steadied me.

"Breathe," he instructed. "Slowly."

I tried, but the air felt thin and as empty as I felt. "I can't," I gasped.

Burke pressed me into his chest. His warmth and the beat of his heart were the closest I'd ever felt to home. My heart began to settle and as I breathed in his scent – soap and flesh, clean and real – it was like breathing in new life. It filled my lungs and cleared my head. In every way, Burke had become my savior. I was attached to him.

And with that knowledge my heart was struck with fear. I was attached to him, which meant eventually I would lose him and it would hurt. It was the nature of our miserable lives to lose whatever we cared about before we truly had a chance to appreciate it. I pushed away from Burke, my hands on his solid chest.

"Alright?" he asked.

I nodded even though it was the farthest thing from the truth. "Have you been able to determine what he told them when they...tortured him?"

Burke shook his head. "He's barely conscious. I need to go see what I can do for him."

"I'll come with you," I said without thinking. I didn't want to see what was left of him, but it was the least I could do for leaving him there.

"Do you need anything, Burke?" Hamster asked.

"Yeah. I'll need you."

"I can find my way back," Alaine said.

"You can?" I asked.

She nodded. "I don't know where Hannah's room is, but I can get back to Burke's."

"I'll walk with you," Hamster said. "Just in case. This one time. I'll be right back."

Burke and I climbed down to the main floor. I didn't know how many people knew what I'd done to Darlow or if they understood that what had happened to him was my fault, but everyone gave us a wide berth.

It was cool in the hospital, though that was a generous word for it. Of the three beds only one was full. There were three men there whom I did not know, but when they saw Burke they cleared out.

"Get me a bottle of antiseptic," Burke said and pointed to a shelf. "With your love of adverbs, I assume you can read."

It was meant to be a joke, but I found it abrasive. It wasn't hard to find the bottle. It was almost full. Burke poured it into an earthenware bowl identical to the ones we ate from everyday. From a tray at the foot of the bed, Burke picked up a small knife and cut Darlow's bandages away.

I was not prepared for what we found beneath those bandages. His body was covered in burns. The cauterized wounds had been reopened with something sharp, and some of them looked like they'd been burned more than once.

"God," I breathed.

It wasn't the horror of it that got to me. The horror of life topside, of the death and decay that permeated every aspect of life until it was hard to tell the living from they dying was a constant part of my existence. I did what I could to slow it down, but I wasn't blameless. What got to me was the guilt that ate away at my soul.

"If you're going to be sick, go over there in the corner. If you're going to pass out, lay down." He'd become someone cold and hard. The person I truly deserved.

Burke soaked a cloth in antiseptic and pressed it to the first of Darlow's open wounds. Darlow's scream killed every bit of restraint I had. Tears welled in my eyes. Burke looked at me for a second.

"If you need to go, go."

I shook my head. I was a woman and I could handle this. I had caused this. It was my fault, and I wouldn't be the coward who couldn't bear the consequences of my actions. Mercifully, after a moment of screaming, Darlow passed out again. Burke checked to see that he still had a pulse and continued to clean his wounds.

"I don't know what they did here," he said, "but I'm going to have to..."

Hamster hurried into the room and stopped short. She took in the scene, my tears, Burke laser focused on the job before him, and a change came over her. Just like Burke, she became a different person. Her face hardened, her spine steeled, and she went to Burke's side.

"Good. Adverb, get out. Hannah, come over here. I'm going to have to cut this out. There's something buried beneath his skin."

Burke must have known I wouldn't leave without an order. I ran from the room. I heard the faint sound of something metal hitting metal and the soft voices of Burke and Hamster, but thankfully no more screaming.

It felt like hours later when Burke found me sitting on the floor outside the hospital. That was as far as I made it. My back and hips ached from sitting on the concrete, but who was I to complain about discomfort when there was a man in there dying because of me?

"We're going to have to set up a watch for him through the night," Burke said. He wiped his hands on a dirty cloth. I tried not to see the red stains. "He's strong, though. He'll live."

"I made the wrong choice," I said softly. Tears streamed down my cheeks.

Burke sat down next to me. His body slumped, weary and exhausted. "You made the best choice you knew."

I scoffed. "And what kind of person does it make me that the best choice I knew was to let a man take three bullets for me and leave him for dead?"

Burke took in a slow, deep breath and let it out. "I think you were looking out for yourself and you were looking out for us. I don't think you were being malicious."

"But I was. Don't you understand? If I hadn't tried to get him killed, if I hadn't left him for dead he wouldn't be in there fighting for his life. I made the wrong choice."

"Maybe." Burke shrugged. "Maybe you did. I don't know. How do we even know what's right and wrong anymore? You did the best you could in the moment. He got your friend killed because he couldn't be honest. He should have told one of us that he didn't want to do this anymore. He could have come back. He would have been welcome."

"He would have been shamed."

Burke looked at me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw his quizzical face.

"Remember what I told you about pride. He lost his family and his pride, what was left of it, was the only thing he had left." I stood and ran my hands through my hair. "I'll watch him. You need to shower and rest. You've had a long day."

"So have you."

"Well, this is my mess, isn't it? It only stands to reason that I take the first watch." I walked away from him before he could try to make me change my mind.

Hamster was sitting by the bed, her head bowed. She looked up when I walked in.

"I'm taking the first watch," I said. "Go get some rest."

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you? We can do it in two's. I personally think we should do it in two's."

"I really just want to be alone for a little while."

"If you change your mind come get me, okay?"

"I promise."

Hamster went up on her toes so she could wrap her arms around my neck. She hugged me so hard and tight, the kind of hug my mother used to give me. And then she stepped back, nodded, and walked away.

As she left, Burke rounded the corner into the room and gave me a parental glare.

"If you think I'm going to leave you alone like this, you're crazy," he said. Burke laid back on one of the empty beds. He tucked his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. "I'll wake up if anything happens."

Just his presence settled my rising anxiety, though it did nothing for the guilt. I could add Darlow to the list of people I'd failed, and it was a long list. I settled onto the third bed and watched Darlow's chest rise and fall with his steady breaths. What did Darlow have to live for? What was keeping him here?

I didn't sleep at all that night. It was mostly still. Occasionally, Darlow whimpered in his sleep. I'd cast a look at Burke, but if he didn't stir I waited. Every time, Darlow settled back down and I resumed my silent watch.

When Hamster and Rosa came to take our place, I was relieved and exhausted. Darlow still hadn't woken up. I hoped because Burke had given him something for the pain.

Hamster stopped at Burke's side first. "Mr. Burke," she whispered.

"Hello, Hannah," he said. His voice was deep but with no hint of sleep.

"Oh. You're awake."

"I am." His lips twitched.

"We're here so you can go rest."

Burke sat up and turned on the edge of the bed to face me. His eyes asked if I was alright. I nodded.

"Someone will bring breakfast to you," Rosa said.

We left without another word and went silently to Burke's room. Burke took the sofa. After a night like last night I wished he'd lay in the bed with me, but maybe I deserved to be alone. When I finally closed my eyes, all I could see was Darlow's wide, pain-filled eyes as he screamed. I heard him in my dreams along with the others screaming, burning, dying. Sleep was not going to be my friend.

Burke got up when the knocking was clearly not going to stop, and pulled the door open.

"What?" he growled.

I didn't feel like I'd slept more than an hour or two and Burke looked and sounded like it might have been even less than that.

"Sorry," said a meek male voice. "It's Darlow."

My heart spiked and I was on my feet.

"He's awake and he's asking for you and your pretty girlfriend."

I was throwing on my clothes before Burke had the door shut. The lucky boy on the other side got an eyeful before Burke closed the door and waited for me to get dressed. I ignored the part about being Burke's girlfriend. I was sure it looked like I might be, but the truth was often less sensational than gossip.

"Did you sleep at all?" I asked and pulled my boots on. I didn't bother to tie them.

Burke grunted his answer.

"You look like shit."

When I looked at him his eyebrow was arched. "You don't look all that well rested yourself."

I shook my head. "Nightmares."

He nodded. "I know. You whimper in your sleep. Ready?"

I swallowed hard and nodded and we went down together.

Darlow was in pain, that was to be expected, but despite attempts to get him to calm down, he thrashed around in the bed and cussed at anyone who came near. Hamster was off to the side looking furious and Rosa looked like she as ready to cut someone.

"I'm not going to die!" Darlow screamed. "They wouldn't let me die after what they did. Where is he? Where's Burke? Where's that girl?"

I stood in shock in the doorway. How was he even functioning? By all accounts, he should have been dead, but here he was acting like a cantankerous old man. I stepped closer. Maybe I was dreaming. Maybe this was a new addition to my endless nightmares.

Burke stepped in front of me and made me look at him. "Are you alright?"

"Physically or emotionally, because I have two different answers for that. What I want to know is how is he alive?"

Burke shook his head. "I don't know, but he's a tough man. Maybe he's just not ready to go."

Darlow chose that moment to start screaming.

"We're here," Burke said, hurrying to his side. "Calm down, Darlow. We're here."

Darlow stopped screaming and looked up at Burke. "You should have killed me. She almost did. I should have died, but they wouldn't let me. They kept telling me that I deserved this for defying the government. They're going to kill us all. They're coming and they made me stay alive so I could watch it happen."

"Why?" I asked. I stood just inside the door, unable to make myself get any closer to this man that I'd almost killed. I wrapped my arms around myself to ward off the chill of his words. "Why would they leave you alive if they're just going to kill us all?"

"Because I wouldn't tell them. They know about Rat City, but they can't find it. I wouldn't tell them where it was. They said they didn't need me. Not really. They have informants inside and they'll get us all."

Informants inside. Even a place like Rat City wasn't safe from betrayal. Who here was so ungrateful that they would give everyone up to die?

"Who?" I asked.

Darlow shook his head. "I don't know. But you... It's not you. I know you."

I frowned. "How do you know me?"

"People in the city talk about you. They like you because you help them. Not like me. Not like me."

Darlow stilled. His face twisted in pain, then everything went limp. His eyes fluttered shut and I was sure he was dead.

Burke reached for his neck to check his pulse. "He's just passed out. Hannah, get me some morphine. He's in a lot of pain."

After Darlow was sedated we all left the hospital. Rosa chose to stay and keep an eye on him.

"I'm going to check on Alaine," I told Burke. I needed to forget about this for a while. I needed to be around my friends and make sure they were taken care of.

He nodded. "I need to talk to Solomon."

Hamster took my hand and squeezed. "At least he's not dead," she said with a smile.

"Why is that a good thing, considering what he's been through?"

"Because you didn't kill him. This isn't your fault. This is a corrupt government. You can't blame yourself for this."

But I could.

And I did.
Chapter Fifteen

Burke and Rosa left Hamster and me to look after Darlow while they went to have a meeting with Solomon and Steve. We sat on one of the beds and watched Darlow breathe.

"You should get some rest," Hamster said. "You just came off of a watch. Get some sleep and I'll wake you if anything exciting happens."

"I don't know that I want anything exciting to happen," I joked.

Hamster shrugged. "You know what I mean."

I laid back on the bed, fully intending to stay awake, but when I opened my eyes again, Hamster had been replaced by Burke.

"Is it morning?" I asked and stretched.

Burke nodded. "I want you to go on work detail with Hamster today," he said, "and before you try to argue, I'm not going to change my mind. Rosa, Solomon, and I will be leaving later this evening. Thanks to Darlow, we don't know if we're safe or not."

I chewed my lip. "Is that sort of like, thanks to Dalia for not actually killing him?"

Burke shook his head and finally looked at me. "No one blames you for this, but I need to get you setup on a regular work detail so that while I'm gone, if this takes longer than it should or if something happens..."

I frowned. "When are you supposed to be back?"

I didn't want to think about being here without him. If something did happen while he was gone... Well, I didn't want to think about that either.

"Hopefully tomorrow evening. And no, you're not coming with me. I need you to keep an eye on Darlow and Alaine."

"Oh man," I groaned and sat up. I gave him a rueful grin. "You sure know how to put a woman in her place. I get it. Who's supposed to be in charge while you're gone?"

Burke looked down at his hands in his lap and then at me.

"Oh, great. You're leaving Steve here to rule over us."

"It's just for a day," Burke said. "Hopefully. And he wouldn't do anything to anyone here. He gave me his word."

"And you trust his word?" I asked.

There was hesitation. Little butterflies of worry fluttered in my stomach. Finally, Burke looked at me and his eyes were firm.

"On this, yes. It's part of his agreement to be able to stay here. On this he wouldn't lie."

I nodded. "If you say so, but I don't like it."

"It's not ideal, but the job does fall to him. Darlow should be okay. You won't need to sit with him all day or anything. Just keep an eye on him. Hamster will be here if he needs anything."

"What will I be doing today?" I asked. "Kel isn't going to let me back in her kitchen."

He smiled. "You and Hamster are sorting laundry."

"Ew."

Burke snorted. "I'm just glad I don't have to do it. I don't want you doing too much since I won't be here to keep an eye on you. You haven't had anymore headaches?"

"No."

"Good. If you take it easy in the laundry today I have a surprise for you later."

"A surprise?" I was almost afraid to ask.

"Yeah. I'll walk you up to the laundry. Hannah should already be there."

He slid off of the bed and took my hand to help me down. I didn't really need the help, but I found that I relished any sort of physical contact that I could get from him.

"Why don't you call Hannah by her nickname?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I don't like hamsters. I don't like rats, not real ones. They're filthy little scavengers that will eat anything they can find, whether it be human flesh or leftover food."

I tried not to giggle. "Hamsters aren't that gross, though."

"They will eat their young if they think it has been touched by a human or if they think it's trying to wiggle its way into their nest."

"Well, yeah, but humans can pretty awful too."

Burke laughed without humor. "Oh, I'm aware."

We climbed a set of stairs at the back of the market and Burke held a door open for me. This hall was located directly above the furnace and it was hot. Steam and the weighty stench of body odor filled the air.

"You said yourself that there was a woman topside who took care of children that weren't hers. Humans can be awful, but we're also capable of rational thinking. Children left to us need to be cared for."

"Not all would do it."

"No, but many would. There are children here who are adopted. Children we found without parents who were taken in by others."

I chewed my lip.

"Were you adopted?"

For the most part, Burke and I avoided asking too personal questions. There were horrors in our pasts, that much was clear. I had to believe it was more than just whimpering in my sleep that clued Burke in on my nightmares. I could tell when he wasn't sleeping well, so I knew he could tell that I barely ever got any rest.

Unless he was with me.

Burke shook his head. "No. There was no one to save me except for Sarah."

He pushed a door open. The room was full of people sitting at small tables with hampers of dirty clothes next to them. The noxious combination of sweat and detergent was overpowering.

"If you get a headache or you feel nauseous at all you come straight to me. Understand?"

I didn't bother to tell him that I was already nauseous, but it didn't have anything to do with a concussion. I nodded.

"Excuse me." Burke got the head launder's attention, but I couldn't tell if they were a man or a woman. "Keep an eye on this one. She's under my care. I mean it." The launder glowered at him. "If something happens to her it's on your head."

I wouldn't have argued with the look on his face even if I had a death wish. As he left, Hamster waved at me from the other side of the room. I went over to her and sat down.

"This should be exciting," I mumbled.

"Hey!" The launder's voice was low and rasping. I jumped and turned and stared straight into their frowning eyes. "Stay out of trouble, will ya?"

"I'll do my best."

Hamster showed me how they sorted the laundry and we made quick work of our basket. She went up to get another one and I tried not to breathe through my nose. The smell of the detergent, something stringent and bitter, made my head hurt and the heat and the mingling smells made my stomach churn.

"How do you do this?" I asked.

"It's only once a week," Hamster replied.

"That's even worse. You can't get used to it."

I tried to ignore how sick the room made me feel, but there was nothing I could do. I hadn't eaten anything, so when I wretched nothing came up. I tried to hide it, but the launder had a keen eye.

"That's enough of you." The launder marched over and caught me up by the arm. They dragged me from the room faster than my feet could keep up and I scrambled to get them under me. They took me down to the meeting room where Burke and the others were and tossed me in.

"No more with her." The door slammed.

"Well, that was exciting," I said to the room of people staring at me. There were six other men and women besides the four leaders of Rat City. Burke came over to me.

"What happened?" he asked. "You were barely there for half an hour."

He caught my chin in one hand and flashed the light in my eyes with the other. I jerked my face out of his grip. Burke's eyes widened. The light clicked and he put it in his pocket. His face was carefully empty. I'd hurt his feelings.

"It didn't have anything to do with the concussion," I said softly.

"What was it?" His voice was carefully guarded.

"It just smelled bad." I bit the inside of my cheek. "Don't laugh."

He grinned. "Wimp."

"Now you're flinging nouns at me. Not polite."

"Does she need a babysitter or can we get back to this?" Rosa asked.

"She's going to stay here with me," Burke said.

"I'm really fine. All I needed was fresh air. I'll just go find something useful to do. I'll go sit with Alaine or find some food somewhere."

"Alaine is with Lea," Burke said. "Lunch isn't for a couple more hours."

I shrugged. "Maybe Kel will let me scrub the floor for something extra."

"Just let her go," Rosa snapped. "She's a big girl."

"Rosa," Solomon's warning tone rang through the room. "We do need to get back to work if we're going to leave tonight, Burke."

"I'll be fine," I said, waving him off and backed to the door. "I'm starting to learn my way around. I'll see you later."

Burke swallowed and the little medallion I'd given him bobbed at his throat. I smiled. Finally, he nodded.

I turned my back on him and opened the door.

"Left," Burke said when I didn't leave right away.

"I knew that." I heard Rosa snicker behind my back.

I didn't go to the mess hall. I wandered, because I wasn't sure exactly what to do with myself. I hated to admit that without Burke or Hamster I didn't have anything to do. I hadn't yet found my place here and until I did I would wander about aimlessly.

When I finally looked up, I had no idea where I was. Nothing was familiar, yet everything looked the same. I didn't know how to get back the way I'd come, so I kept going. Eventually I had to run into someone who would give me directions, or inadvertently find my way to a place I already knew. They were great ideas in theory, but the more I wandered, the more lost I became until I came to a dead end of concrete.

"Well, damn."

I turned around, but I'd definitely never been here before. I listened for signs of life, but there was little to hear. Occasionally I heard the sound of footsteps echoing up from somewhere, but I'd inadvertently ended up in an area where people didn't seem to come. My only choice was to turn around and try to find someone, anyone who would help a lost newcomer. It was fortunate that the people here were so kind.

I just had to find one.

Anyone.

I was ready to give up when I finally found myself staring down a hall that looked just like Burke's.

"Please let this be the right place," I said to myself and walked to the end and lifted my hand to knock on the door.

"What are you doing?" a voice said from behind.

I turned to find Steve glaring at me, half his face hidden in shadow.

"Is this not Burke's hallway?"

"No. It's mine."

"Oh. They all look alike." He didn't move and I didn't either. "Your meeting is done?"

Steve nodded. "Turn left. Walk to the end. Go straight."

I nodded my thanks and hurried away. Five minutes later I found myself looking out over the market. It was only half setup. The other half had been turned into temporary beds for the refugees. I breathed in the vibrant life and the delicious smells for a moment, wanting nothing more than to belong here.

"You got lost," Burke said from behind and I jumped.

"Shut up," I grumbled. "I wasn't really trying."

"Oh, I'm sure that would have made it worse. Remember that surprise I promised?"

I nodded.

Burke motioned me to follow.

I followed him down and through the tunnel that led back toward the living quarters. Instead of continuing, we went through a door I'd never seen before and down steep stone steps. The farther down we went the darker it became. The air was damp and the steps became slick. I heard rushing water somewhere farther below.

"Careful here," Burke said. He took out his little flashlight. It didn't do much for the darkness. "It's slippery."

"I noticed. Did you want to hold my hand?"

Burke chuckled. "I probably need to carry you down here, but I'll let you have a little independence."

"I appreciate it."

I kept a hand on the wall and picked my way carefully down behind Burke. The sound of water grew louder and louder. Without warning, we emerged from the stairway into a cavern of rushing water.

"Our water supply," Burke said. "Water is the one thing we have an abundance of down here."

"This is cool," I said. "Why are we here?"

"You don't like it?"

I looked up at him and caught a teasing glint in his eyes.

"No, it's great. Are you going to push me in and get rid of me?"

He shook his head, suddenly serious. "I don't want to get rid of you. As amazing as this is, it's not what I wanted to show you. We have to go farther down for that. It's a bit of a climb, so to keep from losing you I am going to help you."

"As long as it means you're going to put your hands on me."

Burke's eyes widened. "Wow. Yeah, okay."

If I wasn't so used to shooting my mouth off to him I'd have died of embarrassment right then and there, but it was almost expected that I say inappropriate things to him. And I really did want his hands on me any way I could get them.

When Burke said climb he meant rappel.

Without a rope.

Or any kind of gear whatsoever.

Several yards down along the side of the rushing river a hole had been excavated in the stone. There were footholds and handholds, but it was several feet down and to fall was to get seriously injured.

Burke went first. When he was far enough down that I could heave my body over the side, I followed rather reluctantly.

"I hope your surprise is worth it," I said, even though he probably wouldn't be able to hear me over the rushing water.

We made it to the bottom without mishap. Burke made sure I was steady on the slick ground. The water rushed past, spraying us.

He took my hand and leaned in to whisper in my ear.

"It's worth it."

He led me through another hole in the wall, into a dark tunnel.

"No flashlight?" I asked.

"Not this time. It's not a long walk."

"Did you bring Darlow's wife down here?" I grumbled.

"I didn't even try. She wouldn't have come."

We rounded the corner into a room illuminated softly by blue light. Swirling lines etched in the four walls and the ceiling glowed with enough soft blue light to see by. The room, though small, was bathed in the light. At the back of the room was a small pedestal on which sat a bowl. Shimmering water dripped from the ceiling into the bowl.

"What is this?" I asked.

"Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful."

"There's a legend about the old gods. They lived in palaces in the sky and ruled us with benevolence, but we got jealous. We wanted them to rule us from our level, from the earth. So they brought their palaces down and they became the five lands. For hundreds of years we lived together in five cities that surrounded the great desert. But our jealousy turned to greed. We demanded that we be allowed to rule ourselves and when they refused, we rose up against them. We killed them and took their cities for our own."

I blinked at Burke. He hadn't struck me as religious or superstitious. He told the story like he was telling children. The glowing light danced in his silver eyes.

"Why are we here, Burke?"

"The legend says that we killed the gods."

"But if they were gods we couldn't kill them."

Burke smiled. "No, we couldn't. They didn't die, they left. Most of them, anyway. A few stayed behind to keep watch over us."

"Is that what this place is? One of the gods' hidey holes?"

Burke nodded and looked around at the glowing blue veins etched in the walls. They pulsed softly as if they knew we were there.

"It's one of them. Curr is said to be one of the god cities."

I frowned. "Really? How?"

"A city of water in the desert," he said. "A miracle."

"And Phila?"

"A city of beauty in the sand."

"Another miracle?" I asked. Burke nodded. "And Lens?"

"A city of technology in an empty land."

I smiled. "That's only three cities. What were the other two?"

"The Wastelands."

"The wastes?" I asked. "Are you serious?"

"You asked," he said. "The Wastelands, a city of darkness in the light. And the Living Forest, a city of trees in the desolation."

Maybe it was the light, the hidden magic of this place that made Burke seem so much lighter. Maybe it was the secrecy of a place no one else knew and no one else would find. I looked into his face and saw a brand new man, someone I hadn't seen before.

"I was wrong," I whispered. "Rat City is amazing, but it's not you. You're so much more. You're too big for it."

His eyes filled with fear.

"What are you waiting for?"

Burke shook his head and turned away, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the walls. He followed the lines with his eyes and I followed him with mine.

"Sarah found this place. Not me. She brought me down here. Only a few of the children came down here, but Sarah loved to disappear for hours."

"Is that what you're waiting for? For Sarah?"

Burke turned back to me. "She's dead. She's not coming back but this is the last place I had her. I miss her."

I took his hand. "We've all lost people, Burke. I can't tell you what to do, but...be happy."

"I think I am."

In his eyes were unsaid words. Words that hinted that maybe I was the reason he was happy. But there was also hesitation. He still didn't trust me fully.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised. "And you'll be safe here. Watch Darlow and Alaine and I'll be back before you know it."

I grinned. "You're going to miss me."

Burke shrugged. "Maybe. A little."

"You'll miss shining that light in my eyes."

"I have to get going. I have a lot of prep to do before we leave. Just in case we're gone longer than we intend to be."

"I'll help you pack."
Chapter Sixteen

The sendoff was uneventful. There were very few people who knew what was going on. Burke didn't make a big deal about leaving and neither did anyone else. He and I had already said our goodbyes anyway.

I kept my distance, choosing to stay near the hospital when they left. Burke threw me a glance and a wink before he disappeared through the door.

"You look worried," Hamster said. She brushed past me into the hospital to check on Darlow. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head. "I don't. I don't think anything is wrong per say."

"It's the first time he's been out of your sight since you got here."

I tried to frown at her, but I smiled instead. "Shut up."

She grinned.

I was about to turn away when the door opened again. I took a step forward. For some reason I was ready to jump into action, but it wasn't Burke who came through. No, he would have been long gone by now. It was a band of men and women I'd never seen before. With many large, stuffed packs.

Steve pushed through the suddenly animated and growing crowd and greeted the one in front with a handshake.

"What's going on?" I asked Hamster.

She peeked out and grinned. "Oh. It's canteen. That means meat and sweets."

I practically drooled at the thought of meat and sweets. I didn't even care what kind of meat it was. Hamster gripped my arm and grinned up at me.

"Come on. Let's go see what they have."

The market filled with people as word of the traders made its way around the city. The majority of the food went to those designated to cook, like Kel and the people who cooked for the market. Lea and Alaine found us. Alaine stared at the giant slabs of meat as they were unwrapped and inspected.

"I never knew so much food was possible," she said.

I hugged her, careful not to bruise her thin skin.

"Believe it or not, there are places where this much food and more is wasted and thrown away daily." I spoke with such force that Hamster eyed me with suspicion.

"You know this firsthand, do you?

I nodded. "Yes."

A long piece of rough brown cloth was rolled out across the market floor and the traders laid out all manner of things. Soaps and candles, snacks, treats, and little pots of colored powder. There were also clothes of fine cloth and bright colors, needles and thread which Hamster went straight to and picked through, shoes, guns, bullets, knives. They laid out anything anyone could dream of needing. I meandered through to see what was there. Hamster found me a few minutes later with her arms full.

"I get an allowance for the things I need to repair clothing," she said and nodded to Steve. He, of course, picked through the weapons and checked them thoroughly.

I picked up a bar of soap to see what it smelled like.

"Oh," I said and pressed it to my nose again. "That smells like Burke."

Hamster grinned.

"What'll you give me for it?" a brusque man asked.

I shook my head and put it back down. "I don't have anything to trade. Sorry."

He nodded to Alaine. "She pregnant?"

I nodded and rolled my eyes. "How could you tell?"

Hamster jabbed me with her elbow. "She gets an allowance too," she said quietly. "Pregnant women get three things and Solomon, Rat City, pays for it."

Alaine's eyes widened and filled with tears. "Oh, but I don't need anything."

"That's okay. Find something you want. There are some pretty dresses over there." Hamster nudged Alaine down to the finer clothing.

Alaine stared, overwhelmed. She'd never had anything in her life and faced with the prospect of choosing something she didn't need her brain just couldn't function.

"You don't have to pick now," Hamster said. "They'll be here until morning. You get something too," Hamster told me. "One thing. Because you're new."

I shook my head. "No, I don't need anything. Give it to Alaine."

Hamster smiled. "Alright. Just don't overwhelm her too much. Maybe you should pick it and give it to her later."

I wandered back over to the pile.

"Maybe this." I turned to find Lea looking at me and holding a little shirt for a baby. "She was telling me earlier that she needs something for the baby to wear. I overheard you talking to Hamster." Lea gave me an apologetic smile.

"Thank you," I said. "This will be perfect."

She started to walk away.

"Lea," I called. She stopped and turned. "Thank you for being her friend. I don't think she's ever had anyone other than me."

She smiled. "Then she's been well taken care of."

I needed some space. I needed to be alone. I showed the shirt to Hamster and motioned to let her know I was going to my room. How I found it I'll never know, but I pushed the door to Burke's room open and collapsed in a heap of sobs on the bed. My heart ached for Alaine, for all of these people. How many of them had come from the same conditions? How many of them had been run from their homes, their families killed and their lives destroyed? How many of them had never had homes to begin with?

I clutched the little shirt to my chest and cried.

"Wake up." I jerked awake at Steve's barked order.

"How did you get in here?"

He squatted down next to me and sneered. "Funny thing about door locks. You have to actually lock them for them to be effective. You have work detail, but I don't know where to put you. Kel won't take you and neither will the launder. I have a feeling you'll try to kill me if I put you on toilet duty again."

I shrugged. "Let me go with Hamster."

Steve shook his head. "She's on teaching rotation this month."

I frowned. A teacher? She hadn't told me that. Then again, there were a lot of things about myself that I hadn't told her.

"Take me with you."

Steve's face crumpled and he laughed. "I'm with the guard today."

"That's perfect. You saw how I fight. And I need to stay sharp. Plus, we can keep an eye on each other."

His hooded eyes filled with amusement. "Is there a reason I need to keep an eye on you?"

"You mean you haven't been?"

We both knew he had, and we both knew the reason I hadn't been keeping an eye on him was because I didn't know my way around just yet.

Steve sighed. "Fine. Why not? Though...tell me you didn't let Rosa win."

"Alright. I didn't let Rosa win."

He scowled. "Why?"

"I saw the way your men refuse to respect her. If I'd won it would have made it worse. At least by letting her win it shows that I respect her enough to let it look like she's in control."

"Even though you don't like her?"

I shrugged. "Rosa is the one who doesn't like me. I just react. Now, can you go away so I can get dressed. Have I missed breakfast?"

Steve shook his head. "I could have killed you in your sleep."

"Not a chance."

He clomped out of the room and closed the door with a bang.

It was true. He could have killed me in my sleep. I felt safe here to my own detriment. Topside my body would have warned me that someone was close who shouldn't have been, but I hadn't known Steve was there until he woke me up.

I showered and dressed and ran to the mess hall. Again, I found it without trouble. Maybe getting lost the afternoon before had reoriented me somehow. Hamster was finishing up when I sat down.

"Morning," she said. "I'm running late today. Sorry I can't stick around."

"It's fine. Steve said you were on teaching rotation."

Hamster perked up. "I am. I forgot I hadn't told you. I teach every third month. Then the next month I apprentice with Burke and the next month I do the mending and laundry and the everyday stuff."

"You are invaluable."

And I was still expendable.

"Oh, I don't know about all that. Oh, here. I got you something."

Hamster handed me something wrapped in a piece of cloth. I smelled what it was before I unwrapped it to find a bar of soap.

"I know you don't want to admit anything yet, and I don't really blame you, but I know you miss Burke and I know you're going to be anxious until he gets back. So, at least you can smell him."

I snorted and she giggled.

"I'll just keep this in my pocket." I took a couple of hurried bites. "Do you think it's weird? I mean, I've had boyfriends and such before, but I never..." I waved my hand about trying to find the right words.

"Fell head over heels?" she asked. I nodded. "I think that if you were going to fall for anyone, Burke is the perfect person. And no. The moment I laid eyes on him I knew I'd give a kidney for the chance to take him to bed. Alas, I'll have to live vicariously through you. So hurry up and get some juicy gossip for me."

I laughed. "There's no one else who could give you that?"

Hamster shook her head. "Not that I've found since I've been here. If they are, they're not talking. I have to run. The children need me. Where are you today?"

I grinned. "Training with the guard."

Hamster blinked at me. "Have fun with that."

"I fully intend to."

"Come by my room later," she insisted. "I must know what happens up there."

I promised I would and she hurried off. I scarfed down the rest of my food and went in search of Steve. I knew I wouldn't be able to make it to the guard on my own, but I wanted to check on Darlow first, so I ran down to the hospital.

Chapter Seventeen

I woke up early the next morning even though I'd barely slept, and looked to the sofa in the corner. Burke wasn't there. At first I wasn't sure if this was another one of my nightmares. In the last two nights he had become a permanent fixture in them. As a matter of fact, he was the main player. I wasn't sure if it was a welcome reprieve from the fire and burning flesh that I normally saw when I closed my eyes or if it was just another horror to add to the list.

In the mess hall, no one seemed concerned, but there was tension in the air, like no one wanted to acknowledge that the city's leaders were gone, but they couldn't but feel their absence. Hamster wasn't there yet so I grabbed my tray and sat down to eat. She arrived as I was finishing.

"You're early," Hamster said and sat. "I guess you know they aren't back. I checked with Steve. He says there's nothing to be worried about yet. They could have just gone farther out than planned."

I chewed my lip. "When do we know if something is wrong?"

"Steve said if they aren't back by morning the day after tomorrow then he and his men are supposed to go after them."

"Two more days," I said to myself. If they didn't return on their own I'd have to wait two more days to know if they were okay. I didn't know if my nightmares could hold out.

"Are you okay?" Hamster asked.

I nodded. "Where's Alaine?"

"With Lea. She's eating and she's already starting to look better, Adverb."

I nodded. "Good. I guess I'll go beat some more men up and hope the day goes quickly."

Apparently, one day was all the time the men on the guard needed to figure out my fighting style and kick my ass. By the time we left the gym I was covered in bruises, but so were they. Two day's worth. It was the only consolation I had for the day.

"You're distracted," Steve said as we left.

"I'm fine." There was a sore spot on my arm that was already starting to purple.

"I didn't say you weren't. I said you were distracted."

I scowled. "You think you know me so well?"

Steve shrugged, unperturbed by my harsh response. "You lived alone topside so I know you're strong and smart. And I chased you so I know you're fast. I think it takes a lot to distract you."

I scowled at him. "What are we friends now?"

He gnawed a hangnail. "Perhaps I'm sizing up my opponent."

"That sounds more like you. What did you do to Burke?"

"How do you mean?"

"He doesn't trust you, but he's quick to call you friend. I don't get it. He knows what a horrible person you are."

"I'm not trying to be your enemy, Dalia."

I stopped and turned to look at him. "Why did you call me that?"

"It's your name, isn't it?"

"No one calls me that here."

"I knew a Dalia once. It's not a common name."

Fear fluttered in my chest, but then I laughed. "I would remember you. Even if you looked different, I doubt I'd forget knowing or meeting someone like you, Steve."

His mouth twitched, but from humor or arrogance I couldn't tell. His dark eyes were shadowed in the dim hallway, but it was impossible not to see the malice that lurked just barely veiled beneath the surface.

"Likewise," he said. "But the years can change people."

"You think we would have been friends?"

He didn't believe that any more than I did.

Steve shook his head slowly, and I saw it then, the whole point of this conversation. He knew who I was, even though I'd never met him before the night he chased me down here. He'd been working it out this whole time and he knew.

"I won't be coming to the guard tomorrow," I said. It was hasty and it was obvious, but I was safe here. Burke had promised.

"You have to do something if you're going to stay."

"I owe Alaiala," I said before I'd even thought about it. "I promised I'd help with repairs."

Steve nodded. "Fine."

"I'll take Alaine with me so she'll be out of the way."

He shrugged and walked away. I followed close enough to be sure when he disappeared, sure that he wasn't hanging back to keep an eye on me. There was still time before dinner. I cut across the market and ducked into the hospital.

Darlow was awake. I wasn't in the mood for the guilt that washed over me when I realized I'd have to talk to him. When he saw me his eyes widened.

"Are you in much pain?" I asked.

"Yes, but I can manage it. Where's Burke and the Hamster?"

"Hamster's teaching. Burke, Solomon, and Rosa have gone topside to make sure you haven't brought trouble down on this place."

"I didn't tell them anything!" Darlow insisted.

"We'll know that soon enough. I just came to make sure you weren't dead." And to get away from Steve's watchful eye.

Darlow grunted and shifted, wincing with pain. "I didn't think you'd care."

"I think Burke might be suspicious if he came back to find you dead. I'm not a murderer, despite how it may look to you."

"I don't think you're a murderer. But why did you do it? Why try to kill me?"

I sat on the other bed. "You betrayed Burke and Rat City. Betrayal is the one thing I don't forgive. I can't and I won't."

Darlow closed his eyes. "You don't even know why I did it."

"Does it matter?"

"I just wanted them to take me. Get me out of this city, out of this place of suffering or kill me. I had a plan and then you showed up and it all went to hell. Burke couldn't have gotten me what I needed."

"He would have tried."

"And it would have brought him to you." Darlow opened his eyes and looked right at me. "They want you. They don't know who you are, but they don't like the good you're doing here."

I'd suspected as much. I knew they wanted me. I had a position of power up there, however tenuous. I undermined everything they stood for, everything they were trying to do, even though I had yet to figure it out.

"Were you helping Steve?" I asked. If he was, I'd kill him. He probably knew that.

"No. There was a bounty on your head. That's all I wanted. The money and a new life. They would have had what they wanted and they would have left this place alone. Lucky for you they think you're dead now."

A bounty was trouble, but it was the first I'd heard of it. I had enough friends that if that were true I would have known.

"If Steve knows there's a bounty on my head he'll find a way to turn me over. Fuck."

Darlow shook his head. "Steve is too smart for that. He'll wait until it benefits him the most. To turn you over now would be to call suspicion to himself and lose the only sanctuary he has."

"That's not as comforting as you think it is."

Steve didn't need sanctuary. There was something here that he wanted, or something that he gained from being here. Steve had power here and he had numbers. He was dangerous. I didn't care what kind of promises he'd made to Burke. Steve wasn't the promise-keeping type.

Darlow chuckled. "When Steve first came back and asked for a place to stay Burke said no. Burke has never chosen to override an order from Solomon, but he did that day. Steve begged him. He got down on his hands and knees and begged in front of everyone. I was there that day and when I say that I trust Burke, I mean it. He knows what that man is capable of and Steve promised that he would hurt no one here. So, as long as you are a part of this city you're safe."

I sat on the bed across from Darlow and studied my hands. "Why did you steal your wife from Burke?"

Darlow's eyes widened, but then he chuckled. "It figures that that's how he would see it."

"Is there another way to look at it?"

"She wouldn't have been happy with him," he said. "Not that Burke wouldn't have done everything in his power to make her happy, but in the end they would have both been miserable. She wanted more than Burke could give her. Being with me gave her a chance to get out of here and try to be someone she wasn't meant to be."

"So, you think you did him a favor."

"Maybe I did, maybe not. Who can tell anymore? I never meant to hurt him. It's just the nature of the beast, I suppose."

"What beast is that?"

"Love. Affairs of the heart." Darlow shifted and winced as he tried to get comfortable. I didn't offer to help and he didn't ask. "Do you love him?"

I scoffed. "I barely know him. He has a pretty face and I want to rub my body on him. That's about as far as I'm willing to admit."

"But you would kill for him." There was a look in his eyes that made me nervous.

I thought about what he'd said before I answered. "I would kill for anyone who deserved to live, and Burke absolutely deserves to live."

Darlow nodded. "Yes. Probably more than anyone else in this room."

He gave me a pointed look and I laughed. He wasn't wrong.

Hamster and Alaine were waiting for me when I made it to dinner. The moment I sat down Alaine reached her tiny, boney fist out to me. I held out my hand and she dropped something into my palm. It was a dainty bracelet woven of soft golden fibers, simple and elegant and more than she could ever afford.

"This is beautiful."

"I wanted to thank you," Alaine said, "for everything you've done for me. There aren't enough words to express what I truly feel and I would never be able to afford anything like this. So when I saw them in the canteen..."

I blinked at her. "You got this for me? You were supposed to get something for yourself."

Alaine shrugged. "I don't need anything."

I didn't know what to say to my beautiful, selfless friend so I put the bracelet on and tried to hide my tears.

"I got one too," Hamster said softly and held her arm out so I could see the pretty gold bracelet on her wrist.

"I got one for Burke," Alaine said and picked at a thread in her shirt. "I don't know if he'll want it."

"He'll love it," I assured her. And I knew that he would graciously accept anything she gave him. He, like me, would understand what it meant for her to have something to give and to give something so valuable without hesitation.

He would love it.

I went to bed alone and I woke up alone. It wasn't hard to figure out that Burke and the others hadn't returned and the knot in my stomach twisted tighter. Something just wasn't right. I couldn't believe it was protocol to wait three days before checking on them, but to undermine Steve right now would be more of a problem than I had the resources to handle. So, I went to breakfast with Hamster and Alaine, and after a quick check-in with Steve, Hamster went to teach and Alaine and I climbed up to Edge City to help Alaiala.

She was waiting for us.

When Alaiala saw Alaine she smiled and hugged her.

"Look at you," she said, looking almost motherly. "They're feeding you well."

It had only been a few days, but Alaine was already starting to fill out. The sharp press of bone against her skin, though still painfully evident, was starting to soften ever so slightly.

Alaine nodded. "Dalia and her friends are taking such good care of me."

Alaiala looked at me and smiled a toothy smile. It looked foreign on her face and frightened me a little.

"Any word from Burke?" I asked.

Part of the reason for coming up here, aside from trying to get away from Steve, was to ask about Burke and keep an eye out for him. I had hoped she'd heard something. She would be the first person to know if there was any news. I didn't care how obvious it was. I was starting to worry.

But Alaiala shook her head. I studied her face, but if she was worried she gave nothing away. She was used to being the strong one, the brave one. She wouldn't give me more reason to worry.

"No, but I do have mouths to feed and homes to repair. If I hear anything, I'll let someone know."

Not me, but someone.

She didn't trust me either. That was fine. I didn't need to be trusted.

Alaiala had me do a lot of the labor that most of the people weren't strong enough to do; heavy lifting and repairing and anything that required stamina. Alaine sat with her and helped with food and sorting clothes. By the time we went back down I was exhausted and all I wanted was a shower. I hurried through dinner. I didn't even have the energy to spend time with Hamster and Alaine or to check on Darlow. If they weren't back by morning I was going to look for them.

Chapter Eighteen

I didn't sleep at all that night. I watched the door, but it didn't move. Every sound, real or imaginary, made my skin tingle with anticipation of Burke's return. By morning I was a wreck. I scarfed down breakfast and went in search of Steve. After some direction, I found him and his men in the armory surrounded by guns. Guns hanging on the walls, guns splayed on tables, guns strapped to each of the men.

There were half a dozen men, including Steve. He sat apart from the others cleaning a handgun with meticulous care. He looked up when I entered, shadowed eyes appraising.

"No training today," he said and went back to his gun.

"I want to go with you," I said. "I owe him. For saving me."

He scoffed. "You're fast and you can fight, but do you even know which way to point a gun?"

I picked up a handgun from one of the tables and weighed it in my palm. The room stilled, all eyes on me. I did the same check that I'd done the other day with Burke. For some reason this impressed men. It was fully loaded, no bullet in the chamber. I remedied that problem and pointed the loaded gun at Steve's head. The men tensed, but no one moved.

"Any more questions?"

Steve shrugged and stood, holstering his gun. He looked like he was ready to take out a small town. "Girl's coming with us. Every man for himself."

I knew what that meant. It was practically the law of the land. No one was to treat me special because I was a woman, but I never expected special treatment. I looped a gun belt around my hips and holstered two handguns and back up ammunition. A third gun I strapped to my thigh. The knife Burke had given me still rested comfortably at my spine.

"Let's move out," Steve barked.

The men ran past me and out the door. I fell into step at the end of the line. I hadn't slept and I'd eaten breakfast so fast that my stomach hurt, but taking action was better than staying here and waiting for something bad to happen. I owed Burke my life a couple times over.

Steve probably hoped I'd get myself shot so he'd be rid of me, but I was a survivor. It would take more than a strenuous run to get to me.

People moved out of our way as we came through. I wasn't oblivious to the looks I received as I ran with these men. I knew we lived in a world that no longer valued returning debts, but I hoped these people were different, that they would at least understand.

I was glad of the night vision goggles as we ran up the stairs to the surface.

I felt Steve behind me just before he poked me in the ribs. "Keep up," he growled.

I bit back a nasty reply and stepped up my speed, mostly to stay away from him, and climbed harder. When we broke through, it was mid-morning. The sun was bright and I pulled off the goggles with a cry.

"Should'a told you to do that sooner," Steve said without remorse. "Whoops."

"Asshat," I mumbled. Either he didn't hear me or he was very good at ignoring.

We dodged concrete slabs and cardboard communities as we ran. I wondered for a moment if we even knew where we were going when we filed into the open air of the prairie. There were a couple hundred miles of desert prairie land between Curr and the Living Forest. I'd never ventured that way. There were reports of cannibals and people who lived in trees who would snatch people off of the ground, never to be heard of again. Better to stay away.

We ran for half an hour, never slowing, never stopping to catch our breath. The only difference from the night they'd chased me was the steady pace and the fact that I wasn't running for my life. I wondered which of these men had been with Steve that night. I hadn't gotten a good look at any of them.

Train tracks in the sand came into view. The men stopped running and dropped to one knee, their heads bowed, bodies heaving as they took a moment to catch their breaths. I came to a stop with my hands on my hips, panting hard. I could hear the train coming, feel its vibrations in the ground.

"Down." Steve gripped my shoulder and shoved me to my knees hard enough to jar my teeth so they clacked together. "Rest."

He wasn't being nice. There was a reason they took to the ground, but I didn't know what it was. My shoulder hurt where he'd squeezed. I'd have another lovely bruise to add to the growing list of injuries. Burke would have a field day.

If he was still alive.

He had to still be alive.

"Are we going to hop it?" I mumbled to myself as the train rumbled closer. No one answered. When it came into sight in the distance, the men stretched out, pressing their bodies to the dirt. For the first time, I noticed their light colored clothes. They blended in with the sand, their heads covered with thin hoods. I stood out like someone trying to get killed.

The train rumbled by. It kicked up dirt and the metal wheels on the track filled my nose with the burnt etheric scent of metal. The men pushed their bodies up, one foot cocked forward like a runner and I copied them. Steve was definitely trying to get me killed by bringing me along without telling me all of this. I watched as, one by one, the men leapt and grabbed hold of the train.

"I'm going to die," I whispered.

Steve chuckled. "Let's hope."

Maybe he didn't know that he only strengthened my resolve to survive and kill him when he said things like that. I saw an opening coming and readied to leap. There were only a few men left and no one took it. I felt their eyes on me, judging me, testing. When the opening came, I launched my body at the spot, hands outstretched to grab hold.

I missed. My body slammed against the side of the moving train and slid. I scrabbling to gain purchase. Someone slammed into me, their weight pinning me to the side of the train. I opened my eyes to find Steve leering at me, his body crushed to mine.

"Not bad for your first time without training." He shook his head and I sensed awe in his voice.

"Don't go soft on me now," I said.

"Not a chance. I've just never seen a girl jump a train like that. Usually, they run along side until they're helped up."

"Not my style."

He grinned. "Clearly."

"Is my arm broken?" I asked as the adrenaline faded and pain settled in.

"Doubt it. You can have your boyfriend check it out when we get home." Steve's voice dripped with disgust.

"He's not my boyfriend. He sleeps on the sofa." Most of the time. "You think he's alive?"

"I know he is. You don't think so?" He sounded offended.

"Of course I do. You know him better than I do, is all."

The train rushed through the desert, hot air and sand whipping against my exposed skin. Steve's men had their faces covered. They hadn't warned me. Another reason to hate Steve.

Except it was hard to hate him when the exhilaration of flying across the desert so completely free and unrestrained sent my stomach into my throat. I'd never felt so perfectly free before.

One minute I was flying, the next I was falling, my body hurtling toward the ground. Had Steve let go? How stupid was I to let him so close? I hit the ground and rolled over someone. Dust and sand got in my nose and eyes and mouth and I coughed.

"What the hell?" I gasped.

"It was time to get off," Steve said. He'd landed on top of me and his body crushed mine to the ground.

"Some warning would have been nice."

"Time to get off the train."

I snorted sand out of my nose and spit it out. "Thanks a lot."

Steve rolled away from me. I got up and dusted myself off, trying to avoid making eye contact with any of the other men. I wouldn't be surprised if there were rumors about me and both Burke and Steve now. Gross.

I was prepared for more running before I looked up and saw a burned out building in the distance. Shiny black Government scan droids surrounded it, hovering over the ground. I counted three lying on the ground, unmoving.

"What were they doing out here?" I asked.

"They send droids our way often," Steve answered. "They probably found them and drew them off. If the droids make it to the maze they'll be able to sense the body signatures of the workers clearing the new tunnels."

"And if they scanned the tunnels they could make a map," I said, understanding.

"Exactly. If we're going to be found it's better for humans to find us in the maze. Droids explain why it took them so long to get back."

Yes, but it didn't explain why we hadn't come to find them before now. Steve should have known, would have known that this was why they were three days late. Had they been holding them off this long?

Droids were non-aggressive in that they would stand there and guard this spot for years if no one made a move toward them. They weren't even equipped with guns. They used electrocution to stop their quarries.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked, trying to hide my suspicions and my fury.

Steven shook his head. "I hadn't planned on this many droids." He scrubbed a hand down his face. He was all tactics and concern right now, but was it real? "I'll have to think of something since we can't shoot our way out of this."

"Why not?" I asked.

Steve looked at me quizzically and I grinned. I took a gun in each hand and walked around the dune we hid behind.

"I'll draw them away so you can get in and rescue them. Nothing like a little droid murder on your birthday."

I checked each clip and made sure the safeties were off. Before anyone could stop me, I slipped out into the open. I wasn't careful and I wasn't quiet. I wanted the droids to see me and they did. I heard their metallic beeping as they sensed my movement and began their flight toward me. I let off a shot and then a second. Both hit the same droid in the center of its rounded face. It fell to the ground with a sizzle and spark. Did Steve not know that the droids could be incapacitated with bullets? Or was it just that I knew the sweet spot?

Three more droids were coming my way. I dropped two of them at the same time, then the third. With four down, they sensed that I was the immediate threat and charged, reading my heat signature and broadcasting it among themselves. I took out two at a time as fast as I could, but there were so many. I just needed to draw enough of them away that Steve and his men could get in and get the others out.

The droids surrounded me. One let off an electric shock that caught me in the shoulder. I jerked and stumbled to my knees. My left arm fell useless at my side for the time being, but I continued to fire with my right. Two shots to each helmet; the first to break through and the second to incapacitate. And when I thought I was completely screwed, the last droid fell and I stood in the center of them like a bomb exploding, taking them with me. I leapt over the fallen metal bodies and ran for the shelter.

I ran for Burke.

My body throbbed with adrenaline and need. I needed him to be okay. I needed him to be alive.

Burke, Rosa, and Solomon lay on the ground in a trench they had probably dug. Steve tended to the patriarch, but Rosa looked like she might already be dead. I leaped into the pit next to Burke and looked down into his surprised grey eyes. Definitely still alive. I smiled. His hair was matted with dirt and sweat and his right leg was tied off so the bullet wound through his thigh wouldn't bleed out. Despite that and looking like he'd slept in a ditch for three days, he was beautiful

"Adverb? What are you doing here?"

"I came to save you," I grinned. "It's a good thing you didn't die before I could get here. I owe you one or two...or three. I've lost count."

Burke tried to laugh and winced when it jostled his leg.

"What do I need to do? Is Rosa..."

"Unconscious. I've been checking her every ten minutes or so. She needs water and food."

I nodded. "And you?" Steve tossed me a canteen of water. I moved over to Rosa and propped her head up so I could pour some water in her mouth.

"I'll be fine once they're out of here. I don't know if Solomon is going to make it."

I nodded. From the looks of the wounds Steve was trying to clean, they'd encountered more than scan droids, but now was not the time to ask. Now was the time to act.

"What happened to your shoulder?" Burke asked. "Your shirt is burned."

I shrugged. "Droid got me. I'm fine. I'll get feeling back soon. No worries." Rosa's lips moved and she swallowed the little bit of water I gave her, but she didn't wake up.

"You get Burke," Steve said. "I've got Solomon and the men will get Rosa."

I nodded and helped Burke to his feet, but he had to lean heavily on my shoulders for support. When Steve tried to move the patriarch, he began to scream.

"We're not going to be able to move him," Burke said, sounding defeated.

"We can't stay here," I countered. "I don't know if any of those droids sent off a signal before I destroyed them. None of their data is viable, but you've been here for three days. There's no telling what they know about you by now."

"There's a neutral zone not far from here," Steve said. "A mile or so southeast."

"I don't know if he'll make it," Burke said.

"We can try." I nodded, trying to give him some hope. His eyes were so defeated that I couldn't imagine what he must be thinking. "He'll be fine."

Burke gripped my shoulder and I bit back a cry of pain. First Steve, then the droid, now Burke. My shoulder would never be the same again.
Chapter Nineteen

Solomon didn't stop making pained sounds as we walked and Rosa didn't wake up. I kept an eye on the two men carrying her while I supported most of Burke's weight. Together, seven of us made the trek to the neutral zone away from Rat City. There was no way we were going to get Solomon or Rosa on that train and the distance was too much to walk with so many injured. Burke sent two of Steve's men back to Rat City to let everyone know what was going on and to prepare. He didn't say it, but he knew Solomon wouldn't be making the trip back with us alive.

"Do you think it hit the bone?" I asked Burke as we hobbled forward through the dust and sand in the hot air.

"No," he said. "Just the muscle. "It'll heal in no time."

He was trying to put on a brave face for me, but I knew he was in pain.

"I'm glad you're not dead."

Lame.

"I'm glad you came to save my life. Are we even now?"

I shook my head and stepped over a large rock in the way. "No. I still owe you another life or two."

"Well, don't give them up too soon. I'd like to keep you around a little longer."

I smiled.

"Did someone say it was your birthday?" he asked.

"Oh, that. Yeah, I guess."

"Congratulations for making it to another year."

I snickered. "Thank you."

We walked in silence the rest of the day. When Burke needed to stop for water we watered everyone. By the time the sun began to sink below the horizon, Burke was exhausted and so was I. My shoulder throbbed and my head hurt and my stomach kept telling me that the little bits of jerky and crackers I'd eaten throughout the day weren't cutting it.

"How much farther?" I called to Steve at the front of our caravan. "I don't think Burke is going to make it much farther."

"Speak for yourself, Adverb," he grunted. As if his body was rebelling against him, he stumbled. I lost my grip on his arm and he fell to his knees. The pained cry that escaped his lips tore a hole in my chest.

"I'm sorry," I said and reached for him. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm fine."

I didn't believe him. I knelt next to him and slung his arm over my shoulders. Using all the strength I had left in me, I hefted him to his feet.

"Hey." He pulled away from me and took my hand in his, forcing me to look at him. "I'm fine."

"You are the antithesis of fine. You're bleeding again."

Burke looked down at his bleeding thigh and swore. "Tighten this." He tugged at the makeshift tourniquet.

I knelt in front of him. "I thought he said it was a mile or so. I'm pretty sure we've walked more than a mile." I untied the bit of ripped shirt and pulled it as tight as I could.

"Steve has a bad sense of distance." Burke grunted and took the shirt from me, pulling it even tighter.

"It would have been better to actually know how long it took. Is this safe? I don't want your leg to fall off."

Burke pulled me up from my feet and leaned heavily on me, but he didn't answer.

"How did you know how to take out those droids?" Burke asked.

"I've dealt with them before," I answered. "It's no big deal. I swear, when we get there, I'm going to sleep for three days."

Burke chuckled. "Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing you transcend."

"Me too. That would be a sight wouldn't it?" Dark shapes rose in the distance. I squinted against the falling sun. "Is that it?"

"That looks like it."

"It's bigger than I thought."

He chuckled. "I get that a lot." I would have punched him if he wasn't already injured. "It's a neutral zone because it's a small hospital. I wouldn't have what I needed to treat Rosa and Solomon in the maze."

"Well, let's hurry and get there so we can get everyone treated."

We made the homestretch by the time night was complete. Stars and a sliver of moon hung low over us, lighting the way. Steve pounded on the front door of the hospital, and it was opened by a young woman in a white gown, her hair covered with a habit.

"It's a nunnery," I said softly.

"Yeah." Burke grunted. Pain laced his words.

"Hang in there. We're here. Don't pass out on me now."

He tried to chuckle, but all I heard was the hiss of air pushed painfully through his teeth.

The nun, not as surprised as she should have been at so many weary, injured, half-dead travelers at her door, hurried us inside. There were four doctors standing in the entrance. One took Solomon, who no longer made any noises and I wasn't sure he was still alive. When they took Rosa she muttered something that sounded like, "Dad."

"I've got him," a nurse said to me. I looked into her eyes and nodded. She and a doctor took Burke away from me. The moment his weight left my shoulders, anxiety twisted my nerves into a ball.

"They'll take good care of me, Adverb," Burke promised with a wink over his shoulder.

I smiled in spite of myself and watched them carry him away. I was left there with Steve and his two men looking around at each other like they weren't sure what to do in a place where they couldn't get naked and scratch.

"Excuse me, Miss?" A nun got my attention. "Is your shoulder hurt?"

I started to tell her no, but caught Steve staring out of the corner of my eye.

"Yeah, it could probably do to be looked at."

She nodded at me and motioned me away. "The rest of you can follow this hall." She indicated the opposite direction. "It leads to the dining room. Once you've eaten you'll be shown to rooms where you can rest."

They needed no other urging, hurrying away with laughter and the sound of their retreating steps.

"This way, Miss."

I followed the nun down the hall to an empty exam room. She was young and pretty with a kind face.

"Are you a nurse too?" I asked.

"Oh, no. I would like to be, though. I'll start training soon. If you'll wait here a doctor will be in to see you soon."

I lay back on the exam table and tried to keep my eyes open while I waited for the doctor, but exhaustion overtook me.

I awoke with a start from a dream of being chased across the prairie by Steve and his gang of rabid sheep. Where the sheep had come from I had no idea, but they were terrifying with their sharp teeth and bloody whool.

The doctor knocked on the door and peeked his head around the corner. He was older with salt and pepper hair and fading blue eyes. "You're still awake," he said with a pleasant smile.

"Barely. Do you know how Burke is doing? He was shot in the leg."

He nodded. "He'll be fine. He did a wonderful job of patching everyone else up. Don't you want to know how they're doing?"

I nodded, ashamed. "Sorry."

"No reason to be. Can you remove your shirt for me?"

If it was any other doctor, I might have had trepidations about being half naked in front of him. Burke excluded, of course. I pulled my filthy shirt over my head and saw what my shoulder looked like for the first time. The skin was burned, red, and inflamed, bubbled skin.

"Is this from a droid?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I'm going to give you an anti-inflammatory, a sling, and some topical treatment. You need to rest this joint for a few days. Your two other friends aren't doing well. They will need to stay until they're well enough to leave. You can put your shirt back on."

"Can I go find Burke now?"

He nodded. "I'll have your pills taken to your room. He's down the hall."

I smiled my thanks and slipped off of the table. My nap had done little to rejuvenate me, but I felt a bit better. At least enough to check on Burke.

He wasn't in the room where he was supposed to be, so I walked down the hall. There was a large window at the end looking out over the prairie. It reached up three stories and came to a point like a cathedral. I stared out at the night, feeling somehow that I was part of it. I barely fit in with the people of Rat City and I certainly didn't fit into a hospital run by nuns and priests. I didn't even pray anymore, unsure if I believed in absentee gods.

"Adverb. I've been looking for you."

I turned with a smile on my lips that only grew as I watched Burke approach me on crutches.

"How long do you have the equipment?" I asked.

"Until I'm ready to get rid of it." He came up to me and held a single cupcake up in front of my face. "I lucked out. They celebrated a birthday just the other day and I was able to swipe one for you. Happy birthday, Adverb."

I grinned. "Why is the icing grey?"

"Probably because the water here is a little grey."

I laughed and took the cupcake from him, peeling the paper away to reveal cake, real cake. "You want half?"

He shook his head. "It's yours."

"Cake is no good if there's no one to share it with." I broke it in half and handed him a piece. "I'm so hungry." I shoved my piece in my mouth and chewed slowly. "When was the last time I had cake?" I groaned.

"No idea." Burke followed my lead, eating the whole piece of cake at one time. "But that is damn good."

"Do I get a birthday kiss now?"

Burke stopped chewing and stared at me. Silence followed and I waited, though my heart hammered in my chest. He swallowed hard and coughed.

"Is that what you want?" he asked, his voice husky.

"I just thought I should make my intentions clear." Now that the words were out, I wanted to redo the last twenty-seconds.

"And what are your intentions?"

I shrugged like it didn't really matter, while inside I thought I would die slowly from the agony of embarrassment. "To let you make the first move, but make obvious hints about what I want."

Burke grinned, his grey eyes piercing. It was all I could do to keep from melting into a puddle at his feet.

"Point well taken."

"Is Rosa your ex or something?" I needed to know.

"No." He shook his head and his eyes never left mine. "She wishes. I've never been with her."

I nodded, not sure what to say next. He hadn't kissed me and he hadn't said he wasn't going to kiss me. The first move was his. I'd put the ball completely in his court and he hadn't tossed it back. So I waited to see what to do next.

"Have dinner with me?" Burke offered.

I grinned. "You sure know the way to this girl's heart."

He laughed out loud. The sound was raucous and filled with glee and set the butterflies in my chest into a frenzy. "I'm hungry too."

"Aw, I thought you were asking me on a date."

"A date in a nunnery? What kind of man do you think I am?"

My heart did a little flip. "The kind who doesn't care what people think?"

"I do care what people think. What did the doctor say about your shoulder?"

"I need a sling and anti-inflammatories. I'll be good to go in a few days. He also said we would have to stay here at least that long for Solomon and Rosa to recover."

"Yeah," he sighed, sounding tired all of a sudden. "He told me the same thing. He also said that if Solomon didn't wake up soon we would have to take him to another hospital."

Not a good sign. "He wouldn't survive another trip like that. Why can't they treat him here?"

"They don't have the medication he may need. Hopefully it won't come to that. Let's just get something to eat, sleep, and see how things are in the morning."

"There you go tossing around adverbs." I smiled.

"I do it just for you."

"I like it when you talk adverbs to me."

Steve and his men were still in the dining hall. I must not have been asleep long, because they hadn't eaten all of their food yet. When we walked in stood and cheered. I hung back and let Burke take his praise.

We sat at the table with the other men and were brought steaming bowls of soup and fresh bread. I started eating almost before the bowl was set on the table. I used the bread to soak up the broth and ate it in three bites. Burke slid his across the table to me.

"I've never met a woman who eats so much," he said.

I shrugged. "I love food. I've only ever come across one dish in my entire life that was inedible and that was because it was made of worms. I'll eat almost anything."

"This little thing here," one of the men clapped me on the back, thankfully not on my bad shoulder. "She's a fighter. I thought for sure the droids were going to take her out."

"I grew up in the city," I said and ducked my head at the half truth. "You learn fast how to get rid of the droids before they broadcast your location." I shoveled food into my mouth and followed it with a large bite of Burke's bread.

I spent the rest of dinner trying to eat as fast as I could and keep food in my mouth so I wouldn't have to answer any more questions. When I stood, Burke stood with me.

"I'll walk you to your room."

"You should rest," I said. "Besides, we're in a nunnery. What could possibly happen?"

"I'll walk you to your room," he repeated and gave me the look that meant it was no use arguing.

My room wasn't far. We took it slow because I didn't want him to hurry. I stopped at my door and turned to him. He leaned in to invade my personal space, all of his weight on his good leg. He braced one hand on the doorframe and stared into my eyes.

"Tell me something about you." His voice was soft and kind and curious.

I realized I'd been living with this man and we knew nothing about each other. The first thought that came to mind was his sister, and then my parents. I closed my eyes, but a tear slipped free despite my attempt to catch it. Images flashed behind my eyelids, the same images that always greeted me when I slept. I'd learned to live with them just like one learns to live with a disease. They might kill me one day, eat away at my soul until there was nothing left, but I kept them at bay for now.

Burke's thumb brushed against my cheek and wiped the tear away, but his gentle caress only made more fall.

"My nightmares," I started. "I watched my parents burn. I couldn't stop it. By the time I realized what was happening the fires had already been set. They were the first ones to be burned at that stake."

Burke cupped my cheek and I opened my eyes to find his full of pain and regret. He wiped away more tears. "I'm sorry."

I tried to smile. "Promise me you'll come get me if something happens."

Burke leaned forward and closed the distance between us so his lips brushed mine. They were soft and gentle and restrained. My chest constricted and I bit back a sob. I hadn't thought he would kiss me and now I was crying all over again. This time from happiness.

"Promise you'll come get me if you can't sleep," he whispered against my lips.

"I promise," I answered.

"Get some rest for now."

When I nodded our lips brushed against each other. Little spears of desire shot through me and I curled my toes at the end of my shoes. We both breathed quiet moans of need.

Burke pushed himself away from me. The sexual tension between us was stretched taut and if he didn't walk away then we might kill each other with our need.

"I'll see you in the morning, Adverb."
Chapter Twenty

Despite exhaustion from marching across the prairie supporting Burke's weight all day, I didn't fall asleep right away. My body sagged and my shoulder ached, but my belly was full and I was wide-awake. Maybe it had something to do with Burke's chaste kiss, or maybe I'd just caught a second wind. Whatever the reason, the longer I tried to sleep the more restless I grew.

I got out of bed and paced the room, hoping that would help make me sleepy, but all it did was make me jittery. I peeked into the hall to see if anyone was out there, but it was empty and dim. The air was dry and clean here.

I made my way down the hall to the window at the end. The stars in the black sky were as quiet and still as the night the covered the nunnery. I felt detached from the world outside. I didn't hear the nun when she came up behind me and tapped me on my good shoulder. I jumped and spun, ready to fight.

"I'm sorry," she said with a sweet smile. "I didn't mean to frighten you. Having trouble sleeping?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She pointed up the wooden stairs to my left. They looked raw and unfinished, but beautiful. "The chapel is on the third floor if you'd like to pray." She said nothing else and walked away.

Unsure if I wanted to go to the chapel or not, I climbed the stairs slowly, but it didn't seem that I had much of a choice. My legs carried me up the stairs and stopped at the ornately carved door. I recognized the swirls and lines from the shrine below Rat City. I held my breath, something I'd done since I was a child, and walked through the doors into the chapel.

Candlelight danced across the wooden rafters and beams, casting them in golden light. Rows of pews lined both sides. At the front there was a kneeling bench and more candles. I walked to the front with leaden feet. This place plagued me with fear for reasons I couldn't share with anyone.

Taking a seat on the first row, I stared into the dancing candlelight. No words came to me, even as I pictured Solomon and Rosa surrounded by scan droids and dying in the dust of the prairie. I thought about Burke and his leg and all he'd lost and how much the Rat City people adored him. I thought about the way he'd kissed me like he wanted more but couldn't bring himself to give it. And I thought about how long it had been since I uttered a real prayer to the God of my mother and hoped He would somehow forgive me for not praying tonight when so many people needed it. I'd watched my parents die and I wasn't ready to forgive the ones who'd allowed it. Not even Him.

It was morning by the time someone came for me. All of the candles had burned away by midnight and I'd been sitting in the dark for hours when the doors burst open. I jumped to my feet and lifted an arm to shield my eyes from the bright light.

"Come now," Burke said. I couldn't see his face, but his footsteps were loud as he hurry away.

I ran after him and watched him hobble down the stairs. He stumbled on the last one but caught himself. He needed his crutches like I needed my sling.

Two peas in a pod, we were.

Burke disappeared into a room and I followed. Everyone was already there – two doctors, a nurse, Steve and his men, and Rosa sitting by the bed with tears streaming down her face. She looked hollow and slight, nothing like the woman I'd fought a few days ago.

"Daddy," she sobbed.

"Daddy?" I said out loud, drawing every eye to me. Except from Rosa. She never looked away from Solomon's face.

"Solomon is Rosa's father," Burke said. "She was adopted."

I scowled. He talked like I should have known that, but how would I? Rosa was blonde and slim and bitter. Solomon was dark and broad and kind-hearted.

"He's not doing well?" I tried to keep my voice soft.

Burke shook his head. "We're going to need that other medicine, but at this point they aren't even sure it will work."

His voice was thick with emotion and I studied his face. He stood at the foot of the bed with his hands in fists at his sides. His brows were pulled together and the muscles in his jaw clenched like he was trying to hold back his tears. I wanted to go to him, to put my arms around him and show him comfort, but I suddenly felt like an outsider. I didn't know these people. I hadn't even known that Solomon was Rosa's father. Wasn't that something I should have picked up on or heard? So, instead of resting my head on his shoulder like I wanted to, I stood still just inside the door and watched as they stared down at the man dying in the bed before us.

"The supply truck doesn't run for three more days," one of the doctors spoke. He was the same one who had tended to me.

"We'll go," Steve spoke up. "We can run and be there by noon. Be back by the end of the day. Possibly even before dark if we leave now." His men grunted agreement.

"Go," Burke said, his voice tight. He didn't even hesitate. With Solomon out of commission the decisions came from him.

Steve needed no other urging. A smile spread across his face and it sent a chill across the room. The nurse gasped and stared at him in complete horror. Even Burke tensed, but he said nothing. Solomon's wellbeing was more important to him than anything else.

I stared after Steve as he left the room and when he was gone, I turned to Burke. "I'm going."

"They can do this alone," he said.

"I'll be damned if I let him shoot up a hospital for a vial of medicine. You saw the look in his eye. I felt you tense. I'm going with him and you can't stop me."

Fury rolled across his face, clouding his grey eyes. He wasn't seeing me in that moment. I didn't know who or what he was seeing, but it wasn't me.

"Fine. Just be careful," he snapped and turned away from me.

"You too," I said softly and left the room in a rush.

I didn't intend to let anything happen to me or anyone in that hospital. We'd get the medicine Solomon needed and we'd get him back home where he belonged with his faithful rats. And Steve and his men were just going to have to accept that they weren't going to get to kill anyone this trip.

I didn't bother to stop by my room to take anything with me. I found Steve and his men heading to the front door and I joined them.

"I'm coming," I said. "Get me the hell out of here." I put enough disgust in my voice that no one would dare question me.

Steve grinned. "Sick of this place already?"

I waited until the doors were shut before I lied, "Nuns give me the creeps.
Chapter Twenty-one

We ran harder than we'd run the morning before. Perhaps because we knew what was at stake this time, or maybe it was Steve's bloodlust pushing us. Whichever it happened to be, I kept my mouth shut and ran. Each of the men was strapped with all of their weapons. I should have stopped to get my guns.

I should have stayed with Burke.

Once again, I hadn't slept or eaten, but this time my body was sore and tired. I barely kept up and no one stopped to see if I was still with them. They just assumed I would be. Shoving aside reminders that we still had to run back, I forced myself to keep pace.

We made it to the hospital by noon as Steve predicted. We didn't stop once for water or food, but we settled behind a rock outcropping bordering the hospital and the men took out canteens of water. I didn't have one.

The hospital had seen better days. My heart sank into my stomach as I took in the yellowed walls that had once been white. This place was no more inviting than it had been all those years ago when my parents and I sought refuge here, but to me it was a safe place. I couldn't let these men ruin that.

"Chances are they won't give us what we need," Steve said.

I watched him slug water from his canteen and tried not to cry when it ran down his chin and into his shirt. He caught me staring and wipe his mouth on the back of his hand. I was genuinely surprised when he handed it to me.

I didn't even care.

I chugged.

"You're right," I said. "They probably won't give you anything you ask for, but they will give it to me."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Let me go in."

"Alone?"

I nodded. "This is a hospital, Steve. Are you so bloodthirsty that you have to kill helpless people?"

He grinned. "I don't have to do anything. Alright. You go in and get it if you can, but if you can't we do it my way."

"Fair enough," I said with conviction. "Let me borrow a gun."

Steven handed one over. I checked it and darted out of our hiding place. Rocks crunched beneath my feet. The sound was familiar, bringing back memories of the night we'd come here for sanctuary. I approached the front doors and knocked. I don't have to wait long. An older woman answered. She blinked at me in surprise and a smile split her face in two.

"Dalia? Is that really you? Look how you've grown!"

Her eyes flicked down to the gun in my hand and the smile slipped a little.

"Miss Carr?"

Shit.

"Listen. I'm with some rough men. I have no intention of using this gun," I twitched my arm a little, "but I have to make it look convincing."

The smile slipped completely and she nodded. Miss Carr backed away from me into the hospital and I followed her in. When the doors were shut I grinned.

"I can't believe you're still here."

Miss Carr threw her arms around my neck and pulled me into a fierce hug and I melted into her familiarity. When she pulled away her smile as sad.

"We heard about your parents a few weeks after it happened. They said you died with them in the fire."

I nodded. "That was the intention."

Miss Carr's face sagged to show years of sadness. She took me in and her eyes landed on my shoulder. "Are you hurt?"

I shook my head. "I've already been treated. I'm staying at the nunnery. A friend of mine is very sick." I handed her a handwritten piece of paper with the list of what we needed.

"Oh, dear. Well, come in. I'll make sure you get exactly what you need. You remember Colleen?" Miss Carr asked.

I nodded even though she couldn't see me. We stopped outside a room with a curtain for a door.

"Why don't you say hello while I fill this. I'll be right back."

I swallowed hard around the stone in my throat and pushed the curtain back. The last time I'd seen Colleen I was about to turn eight. I remembered her wide, terrified eyes and the way she'd screamed when they came for us.

"Is it time for lunch already?" asked a sweet voice.

I watched her push herself up in the bed. She fussed with the tangled tubes and wires around her for a moment and finally looked up. She froze when she saw me, her face going pale as if she'd seen a ghost.

"Dalia?" she whispered. "I thought you were dead."

"Don't cry," I said around my own tears. "You won't be able to breathe." I stepped closer to the bed. "I thought you were too, but look at you!"

Colleen shook her short strawberry blonde hair. A single tear rolled down her cheek. She didn't bother to wipe it away. "They took you away."

"No. We ran. Miss Carr hid us and helped us out. It's just me now though." I blinked to clear my eyes. "Why are you still here? You should have gone years ago."

"My condition got worse before it got better," she said and tossed the sheets back.

I stared down at her thin, useless legs and a sob escaped without permission. "What happened?" I couldn't even speak around the tightness in my chest.

"I collapsed one day. Unfortunately, I was on the back stairs. I lost the use of my legs completely and we weren't able to afford the rehabilitation so I'm stuck here. My parents are gone too, Dalia."

I took her outstretched hand in mine and stared at my best friend from years ago. We used to run these halls and get into so much trouble.

"Dolly and Colly together again," Miss Carr said, sweeping into the room like she always used to. She handed me a cooler box that was heavier than it should have been. "Dalia needs to go now. She has a life to save."

I smiled. "I'll come back when I can."

"Just be safe," Colleen insisted.

I nodded. "Of course. As safe as a hand grenade."

At the front door, I paused to collect myself. The last thing I needed was Steve knowing I'd been crying.

He was waiting outside the doors for me anyway; his shoulder leaned against the wall and a thin knife in his hands that he used to pick his fingernails.

"Classy," I said.

"Why did that woman smile at you like that? You know her?"

I sucked my teeth. "I've been here before. You know, it is a hospital. We should go if we're going to make it back by nightfall."

I ran, setting the pace for the others, and stayed at the front of the pack until Steve took over to make sure we were going the right way. I ran to clear my mind and in the hopes that maybe tonight I might be able to sleep. I'd been awake for two full days and it felt like eight.

The sun was just starting to set when we made it back to the nunnery. Without a word to anyone, I took the pack back to Solomon's room. Burke and Rosa were there, curled up in a chair together asleep. Rosa's hand was splayed across Burke's chest, her head on his shoulder and his cheek pressed to the top of her head. They looked so beautiful together like that. I wanted to scream. I knew that they were both emotional and afraid, and yet, all I wanted to do was scream.

Someone cleared their throat behind me and they both woke up. Burke stretched and looked at us. When he saw me he actually flushed and cast his eyes to the floor unable to look at me. Without a word, I set the pack on the bed at Solomon's feet and left, pushing past Steve who stood in my way. My head was spinning and my body was suddenly weak. My knees gave out and I crashed to the floor just outside the room. I heard Burke call my name, felt someone lift me, but I couldn't respond.

A tear rolled from my eye down the side of my head and into my hair. Why I was crying, I couldn't be sure. There were so many reasons to be sad, but I did know that whatever the reason, it wasn't because I was afraid Solomon wouldn't make it, because I was selfish.

I was fully aware when they carried me to bed and I felt the prick of the needle in my arm as the doctor explained I was dehydrated and probably starved. I heard Burke say something, but I couldn't make out what it was. Angry and hurt and tired, I let my body drift to sleep, even as people bustled around me.

"Stupid, good-for-nothing girl," Steve growled outside my room when I finally woke up. "Why do I have to watch her?"

I kept my eyes shut so they would think I was sleeping if they looked into the room.

"Because I can't. I need to make sure Rosa is alright."

Rosa? Not Solomon? That didn't sound like a good thing.

"You just don't want to have to face her after how she found you earlier." Steve sighed in defeat. "Fine. You owe me one."

"I don't owe you anything. I give you an order and you follow it." Burke growled in a commanding tone I'd never heard him take before.

Steve growled in reply, a declaration of his intent to fight, but Burke's footsteps tapped gently across the wooden floor away from him. Steve came into the room and sat down in a huff.

"I know you're awake," he said.

"I didn't want him to know," I said without opening my eyes. I wished I was asleep.

Steve grunted.

"You hate Rat City," I said. "Why do you stay?"

"Because I owe a debt. That's all you need to know. Now, are you going to tell me how you know that woman at the hospital?"

"I told you. I've been there before. She knew my parents."

He grunted again.

"I'm going back to sleep." I tried to ignore him and keep my ears open for him at the same time. I listened to the tick tick as he picked his nails with his knife again. I wasn't sure if he was really psychotic or if it was an intimidation tactic. Either way, it worked. I didn't go back to sleep, no matter how tired I was.

Chapter Twenty-two

I woke up the next morning hooked up to an IV. It was a very rudimentary and outdated system, but I felt much better. As soon as I woke up, Steve went to find a doctor. Within the hour I was unhooked from the IV and released to find Burke. Somehow I knew he'd be in the chapel when I didn't find him in his room.

I ignored the stretching in my legs as I climbed the stairs. And I ignored myself as I pushed through the doors into the chapel. Burke sat on the front pew staring into the flicker of candle flames. They cast his face in dancing shadows, showing a harder man than I knew. I sat next to him, unsure of how to comfort him, and waited.

"Solomon didn't make it," he said after a torturous silence stretched between us. "He was just too far gone for the medicine to work. Maybe we should have gone sooner."

The pain in his voice made my heart ache. Almost without thinking, I reached out and took his hand in mine. Burke looked down at our hands, not really seeing them and squeezed. One tear fell and landed on our hands. His pain hurt me more than coming back to find him with Rosa.

"What happens to Rat City now that their leader is gone?" I asked.

"I'll take his place. I was elected as his successor in case something happened. There will be a swearing in when we get home and in a few months there will be a vote."

"Which you'll win," I said.

Burke shook his head. "I don't know that."

"I'm pretty confident. I'd vote for you." I bit my fingernail. "How's Rosa doing?"

"As well as can be expected. She's crying a lot. I've never seen her cry so much." Burke looked up at me, as if remembering something. "How are you? You're lucky you didn't hit your head again when you passed out. It's not smart to let yourself get so exhausted. You need to take better care of yourself."

"Considering that my exhaustion was on your behalf, I think you owe me a little more than admonishment." My tone was terse when I hadn't expected it to be.

Burke swallowed hard. "I was worried about you last night."

"You should have come to see me, then. Not have Steve do it."

"I did. You were sleeping."

I smiled. "I did a lot of running. You don't have your crutches."

He shrugged. "I'm fine."

"If you say so. I'm going to find some breakfast. You're welcome to join me."

"I think I'm going to stay here for a little while."

I left him alone in the chapel and stiffly made my way to the dining hall where I piled a plate high and sat down alone in a corner to eat. There was no one else in the room so I didn't bother with table manners. I shoveled the food into my mouth like I hadn't eaten in weeks.

Steve knew something was up since the trip to the hospital. I had no doubt he'd watched me all night long. He trusted me even less than he had two days ago and I was pretty sure that, even with Burke running Rat City now, I was in danger.

As if on cue, Steve and his men came into the dining hall as I finished my breakfast. I got up to dump my dishes in the bin and left.

"Now that Solomon's gone, all we have to do is keep Burke from being elected to take his place."

I ducked behind the wall and listened.

"It's too late for that," Steve said. "He's already been elected and the people love him. He'll be sworn in until the next election."

"Looks like your plan backfired," one of the men said. "He wasn't supposed to come back from this trip. None of them were."

"I'll take care of it," Steve said. "We're not going to talk about it anymore here."

I hurried away before one of the nuns caught me and gave me away. If Steve found out I knew what he was doing I'd be dead before I could blink. I needed to warn Burke. I turned down the hall toward the chapel and stopped.

Burke and Rosa stood in the middle of the hall. He held her to his chest like lover as she cried silent tears into his shirt. I stepped back into the shadows and hid behind the wall. It shouldn't have made me so jealous to see them together. Rosa was hurting. I knew what it felt like to watch your parents die and not be able to do anything to stop it.

I turned around and went back to my room. I'd talk to him later about what I'd overheard. As far as I could tell, he'd be safe for a while. I stopped by the dining room. Steve and his men were still there, so I stopped to listen to see if I could hear anything else important.

"We won't make a move until we're back at the Maze," Steve growled. "I'm not going to risk him getting outside help. Besides, I'm not even stupid enough to spill blood in a nunnery. Now, end the conversation."

I hurried to my room, but I left the door open. Burke called us all to his room later that afternoon. The last one to arrive, I hid along the wall next to the door behind Steve's men in case I needed a quick getaway. If Burke was worried about where I was, he didn't say anything.

"The service truck comes tomorrow morning," Burke said. "It'll take us as far as the train tracks. We'll take Solomon back with us for the funeral. Be ready to go by sun up."

He didn't say anything else, so I left quietly and slipped back to my room before I was seen. I knew no one would question it if I chose to lie in bed all day. I was supposed to be recovering and resting, so I lay facing the door, feigning sleep.

"Adverb, you in here?" Burke asked, opening the door. "Are you awake?"

I rolled over to look at him. He stared at me, his grey eyes asking a question I couldn't answer.

"Are you angry with me?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No. Just resting up for the trip home. To the maze," I added quickly.

"You heard then."

I nodded again. I shouldn't have been so hurt that he hadn't seen me, but my chest tightened and I wanted to cry.

"Good." He stood in the door, waiting for something. I didn't know what. "I'll see you in the morning then...I guess."

He begged with his eyes for me to tell him what was wrong, but I couldn't. It wasn't safe to talk here. Anyone could hear. And who was I that he would believe me over his best friend?

"Get some rest," he said and left.

I buried my face in the pillow and bit back the frustrated scream that bubbled up in my chest.
Chapter Twenty-three

I stood in the rain while they loaded Solomon into the back of the tan and green service truck. His body was wrapped in sheets and tied with cloths so they wouldn't come loose. I watched from a distance while we waited and let Burke and Rosa mourn. Steve tried to look like he was sad, but I saw through his lie. What could Steve possibly do with Rat City when Burke was out of the way? Despite his unending shortcomings, I didn't see him as the kind of man who craved power. He liked to kill. That was his thing. So what did he want? Surely he didn't plan to kill everyone in the maze.

"Ready?"

I blinked up at Burke through the rain and nodded. Everyone else was already in the back of the truck, so I had the pleasure of being seated next to my new best friend.

"Morning, Adverb," Steve said and flashed a wide grin, showing off a broken front tooth.

"That new?" I asked and pointed to my own tooth.

"Did it last night. I could give you one to match."

"No thanks. I'm painfully attached to my teeth."

Burke climbed in and took a seat next to Rosa. The truck's engine rumbled to life as the back doors slammed shut. Once we were moving it was too loud to talk, but Burke and Rosa stayed with their heads bent together, talking about something that wasn't anyone else's business. I turned away and studied my hands so I wouldn't say or do anything that might cause trouble.

The longer we drove the warmer the back of the truck became. The air was thick and humid and smelled of unwashed bodies. There were no windows to open, only the doors at the back, so I slowly suffocated.

About the time I was ready jump out of the back of the truck rather than spend another moment half dying, we came to a stop so sudden that I was thrown into Steve. His arms went around me on reflex and I was pressed to his sweating, smelly body. I pushed myself away as fast as I could and tried not to gag visibly.

"What's wrong?" Burke asked, suddenly alert and wary.

"You all smell. I can't breathe."

"I wasn't going to say anything," Rosa chimed in.

"If we smell, you smell," Steve spoke up.

"Woman stench isn't as bad as man stench," Rosa said.

I tried not to laugh, but failed.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Burke said. He smiled at her and the knife twisted in my chest. I hung my head so I wouldn't have to see. Steve grunted next to me and I couldn't tell if he was disgusted or amused.

The back door flung open and my head snapped up. Three police in their white body armor stood outside the doors. Their visors were pulled down so we couldn't see their faces. They saw Steve and his men and their guns and they threw up their own weapons.

"Out of the car! Now!"

They repeated those five words, even as we all jumped out of the back of the truck. One caught me roughly by my bad arm and threw me to my knees. My shoulder throbbed and I tried not to sob.

"What is this?" one of the men shouted and pulled Solomon's bound body out of the truck and onto the ground.

"It's my father!" Rosa screamed. Her voice was raw with grief and pain and I didn't think anyone dared not to believe her. One of the men kicked the body with the toe of his boot. Rosa lurched, clawed hands outstretched and ready to claw the man, but they were faster. The butt of a gun slammed into her ribs and knocked her to the side.

When Rosa did nothing but whimper into the sand, he turned away and began to question us as his comrades relieved Steve and his men of their guns.

"Where are you headed with a dead body?"

"We're taking him home to put him to rest," Rosa sobbed. Her tears ran freely without any shame. There was no one to comfort her.

"Why do you need so many guns if all you're doing is laying your father to rest?"

"No one travels out here without guns," Burke said.

There were only three of them. My mind worked quick as I tried to figure out how to get rid of them.

I clutched at my stomach and crawled forward, trying to get as close to the nearest cop as possible.

"What are you doing?" he shouted.

"I'm going to be sick."

I hunched over his shoes and acted like I was going to throw up. He jogged backward amid much cursing and I reached out, snatching his legs out from beneath him. He fell on his back, hard enough to knock the wind out of him. The other cops turned, guns drawn, ready to shoot. Steve's men jumped into action. I snatched the gun from the man on the ground and turned it on him.

"What's your call?" Steve asked. I almost expected him to stick a sarcastic "boss" on the end.

"Kill them," Burke said without hesitation. "Leave their guns next to their bodies."

"We can use the guns," Steve said, appalled.

"I said leave the guns." Burke's eyes flashed with authority. He put a hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to-"

I pulled the trigger. Burke snatched his hand away and when I looked up he was staring at me, eyes wide, but I'd only done what he said to do. One day I would ask forgiveness for the lives I'd taken in revenge for my parents, but today was not going to be that day. I dropped the gun in the dirt and looked up to find Steve looking at me, a new perverted sort of respect in his eyes. "Just remember what I promised you."

For the first time, I saw something akin to fear in his eyes. Maybe it wasn't fear, but acceptance that I could be the one who took his life from him.

We got back in the truck. This time, Burke put me at the back on one side of him and Rosa on the other. Steve stayed next to the door.

"Why were the patrols this far out in the middle of nowhere?" I said just before the truck rumbled to life. No one answered.

The rest of the drive was uneventful, though the tension in the back of that truck was a physical being. It danced along my arms like electricity that made my hairs stand on end. When we finally made it to the train tracks, everyone spilled from the truck.

Burke strapped himself into a harness. Steve pulled Solomon's body out of the back of the truck and slipped him into the straps at Burke's back. Burke stared straight ahead. His jaw tensed and his throat bobbed up and down. I couldn't begin to imagine the emotional toll it would take on him to carry a dead man on his back all the way back to the city, but as the new patriarch, it seemed it was his duty.

Steve motioned to the truck drivers and the truck sped away.

We lowered ourselves to the ground like we'd done before. I still stood out, but with my dirty clothes, it wasn't as bad as before. When the train came, no one jumped. I waited while wondering what they were waiting for.

Burke was the first to leap. With the extra weight on his back, his arch was sluggish and shallow and I worried he wouldn't make it. He hung in the air for too long and began to descend too soon. With a thud, his body made contact with the side of the train. His hands scrambled, but he caught hold at the last moment. His legs swung in the air, and then he pulled himself up and latched on.

Once their leader was safe, the other men made the jump. I watched Rosa's graceful glide and hoped I didn't look too much like an oaf. When I found an opening, I launched myself onto the train. I didn't want Steve to attach me this time, so I tried to be as accurate as possible. I still banged my entire side against the train, but I caught the handhold and settled my feet. A body attached right behind me. Steve leaned in, his body hunched over mine.

"You got the hang of that quickly."

"Or maybe I just don't want to have to smell you again," I shouted over the roar of the train flying down the tracks. I closed my eyes and felt the wind tear at my body. I could ride this train until it crumbled and I didn't think I'd ever get enough of the feeling of freedom.

All too soon, Burke jumped from the train and we all followed suit. I tucked my body into a ball, but it did nothing to shield me from the impact of hitting the ground. My body would never be without pain if I continued to live with the rats of Rat City.

"Alright?" I was asked as I picked my body up off the ground and tried to dust myself off. I looked down at Burke's prone body and laughed.

"Are you stuck?"

"Yeah."

I reached for his hand. "How do you want to do this?"

"I just need some leverage so I can get to my feet."

I let him pull against me as he struggled to get his legs under him with the added weight. It was so morbidly funny. I bit into my lip to keep from laughing, but when he finally had his feet, he took one look at my face and knew.

"I'm sorry. It's not funny." I blinked away tears of laughter. "I'm not sure why I'm laughing."

Burke didn't reply and I hated myself, but I hadn't seen him struggle for anything since I met him. He was always in control and in charge.

"How are you going to run?" I asked softly.

"The others will run ahead. A couple will stay with me."

"Can I stay with you?" He blinked at me. "I just don't think I can run that fast."

Burke nodded. "Adverb, Rosa, and Steve are with me. The rest go ahead."

I wanted to protest Steve coming, but it wouldn't make a difference. I wanted a chance to tell him what I'd overheard, and what better place than the middle of the prairie? But the others were Steve's men. They knew about the plot and if I brought it up in front of them, I didn't have a gun to protect myself. So it would have to wait until we got back to the city and I had a chance to talk to him alone in our room.

Steve's men took off. Burke set an easy pace for us and we started the last leg of the trip home.

I was truly starting to see Rat City as the home I'd never truly had. The few places I'd called home had all been forcibly taken away from me. I didn't want that to happen his time.
Chapter Twenty-four

We arrived at the door to the Rat's Maze exhausted and panting. Burke put on a brave face, but his legs wobbled even though he tried to hide it. I'd never seen him so defeated. He had to be starving. I knew I was. Except for our early breakfast and a couple of stops for jerky and crackers, we hadn't eaten much all day.

"You'll like dinner tonight," Burke said, as if hearing my thoughts. He turned to me and flashed a crooked grin. Even sweating, panting, and carrying a dead man on his back, he was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen.

Though I could do without the dead man.

"I've been listening to your stomach for the last hour." Burke pushed his hair back, smoothing it once again into a rendition of his pompadour.

I smiled and shook my head. "I can't help it."

Burke opened the door and we descended into quiet darkness. Each time I did this the descent got quicker. I kept an eye on Burke. My legs were tired and unsteady and I worried that he might fall. He kept a tight hold on the railing. I needn't have worried.

We soon reached the inner door, and when Burke pulled it open, I expected to be flooded with light and color and life. Instead, a dim glow and the sweet, overpowering scent of incense greeted us. I coughed.

"You'll be thankful for the incense soon enough."

I followed Burke through the doors.

Candles haphazardly littered the main floor of the market, and the dancing flames cast a warm glow. The people stood around the edges of the room. When we entered, they turned to look at us, but there wasn't a sound. Down the center they made a path free of flames.

I stayed at the top of the stairs and watched Burke, Rosa, and Steve descend. This was a moment they needed to do among themselves. Whatever was about to happen, I didn't belong to it. I watched from above as they walked the narrow path to the far wall. There was a grate in the wall and beyond it the roar of flames. Steve helped Burked unhook Solomon's wrapped body from his back. He sagged visibly once the weight of the body was gone, but I was too far away to know if it was from relief or exhaustion. Probably equal amounts of both.

A gentle hand touched my shoulder and I turned to find Hamster behind me.

"Hannah," I gasped and wrapped my arms around her slight frame. "I'm so glad to see you."

"I was worried about you," she said and handed me a canteen. I took it from her and drank most of the water before I came up for air.

"I have to talk to you," I said with my voice low, "but it's going to have to wait until we're alone."

"That won't be for a while. It's going to be a long night and you need to rest."

She had no idea.

Burke balanced Solomon's body on the edge of the open hole in the wall. He said something I couldn't hear and the body slid into the flames. I understood now the need for so much incense.

"This is how we honor our dead," Hamster told me. "We can't risk burying them so we burn them in the incinerator where we burn our trash. It's not symbolic. It's just the best we can do. We feel this way their bodies are put to rest and they won't be tampered with after death."

Firelight danced in her eyes when she smiled at me, a mixture of sadness and happiness.

"Don't worry. We don't stay sad long here. In twenty minutes, this place will be transformed and there will be no trace of a funeral."

I looked to where Rosa wept on Burke's shoulder and thought she was probably wrong.

Hamster took my hand. "Come on."

She led me down the stairs, her bare feet silent. My boots clomped down the metal steps, but it seemed that no one even noticed. At the bottom of the stairs was a row of earthen bowls filled with colored powder that shimmered softly in the flickering candlelight. Hamster took a handful of one that looked like pink and motioned for me to do the same. I chose purple.

With her free hand, she dragged me out to the middle of the cleared path.

"Peace to the dead!" she shouted.

I jumped, but when everyone echoed the shout at the top of their lungs, my heart nearly stopped.

"Life to the living!" Hamster let out a trill and tossed her powder in the air. It fell around her, covering her in color. When it reached the tiny flames it exploded in little pops of color and light that sizzled and fell dormant on the ground. I laughed and tossed mine. As it exploded around me, I new deep in my heart that if my parents had been here they would have been happy. So I tossed my powder in the air and wished them peace in death.

Someone let out a howl of mixed pain and elation. I looked up to see Rosa with her head thrown back, her dreadlocks dangling dangerously close to the flames. All around, color exploded and people shouted as the powder coated them.

Drums started all around us on the upper ledge. Hamster began to weave around the lit candles with surprising dexterity and she pulled me with her. My boots trampled several of the candles before I finally kicked them off. We danced around the floor, heedless of anyone watching. I didn't care what I looked like as the powder paint fell in my hair and on my clothes. They would probably never be clean again, but what did it didn't matter. A life was gone. The room spun around me. For this one moment, I could let myself believe that I belonged here with these people, mourning and dancing.

Someone shoved a drink into my hands and I took a long drought before I realized it was alcohol. I sputtered and coughed and waited for my throat to open back up. It was snatched from my hand by a man who tipped it up and guzzled the rest of it. Then he tossed the empty cup aside and scooped me into his arms. He pressed me so close that I felt his familiar heartbeat against my own chest.

"Having fun?" Burke's deep voice by my ear resonated inside me. He spun me around and I clung to him, loving the way he so effortlessly handled me.

"I am now," I said.

We danced to the beat of the drums. His arms stayed around me for so long I allowed myself to believe he was enjoying it as much as I was. We spun and jumped and danced and laughed when I stumbled or he stumbled. The liquor warmed me from head to toe and I continued to dance like it was the last night of my life. We passed another dancing couple and I realized that it was Steve with a woman in his arms. He was smiling and he looked happy.

"That's the weirdest thing I've ever seen," I said.

Burke followed my gaze. "Well, he is human and most women here find him attractive. They never approach him unless he's drunk though. He's nicer."

"I would assume the opposite."

"One would." Burke's thumb grazed my cheek. "Did you try to get as much paint on you as possible?"

I laughed. "It's pretty."

"Ah, and the girl finally comes out! I was starting to wonder if there was anything girly about you at all."

I punched him gently in the ribs. "I am a girl."

"Yes, I know. I saw."

I stopped dancing and stared at him. "When did you saw? See."

Burke grinned. "When you fell asleep in the shower."

I'd forgotten about the shower that first night. I was glad for the darkness so he wouldn't see me blushing.

"I liked what I saw, if that makes it any better."

"Not even remotely."

"You and your adverbs." Burke pulled me into his arms again. Pressed against the length of his body, I was cocooned in warmth and safety.

"I need to talk to you," I muttered.

"What about?" He stared down at me. In the candlelight his eyes were molten gold. I could have sworn they were glowing. I couldn't think with him looking at me like that.

"It can wait."

Steve wouldn't dare do anything tonight. I reached up and scrubbed my hand through Burke's perfect hair. Powered paint fell to our feet and popped around us.

Burke chuckled. He reached into his pocket and tossed powder into the air. It fell around us, blue and white, and exploded around out feet. He spun me in a circle throw the exploding little stars and set me down as they settled to the floor.

A man approached Burke and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned with me still in his arms, so I was close enough to hear when the man said, "Rosa has gone to her room. They say she was sobbing and stumbling. Very drunk."

Burke nodded and turned subdued eyes to me. He was the leader now. As much as I wanted him to stay and dance with me, this was something he had to take care of.

"You should have fun."

It took me a moment to realize he was talking to me. "What?"

"I have to go check on Rosa, but you should have fun."

I nodded. "Okay."

Burke thumbed my cheek again. "You know what she's going through. Save some paint for me, okay?"

I tried to say I would, but the words stuck in my throat. When I didn't reply he walked away and I was swept up in another bout of dancing, thanks to Hamster.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Rosa."

Hamster mouthed, "Oh."

We danced all night. Despite being so tired, I wasn't ready to stop, but eventually, the dancing died down as everyone became too drunk to stay awake. Hamster helped me back to my room.

"In the morning, come find me and we'll talk. Walk out of this hallway, turn right. Three halls down, third door on the left."

I hugged her, no longer caring whether we transferred paint to each other, and hurried into Burke's room. I made myself shower before I crawled back into his bed naked and told myself he would be there when I woke up in the morning.

Burke was not there. There was, however, the taste of armpit on my tongue, and my poor body ached when I moved.

"No more running," I told myself. "From now on, you're a woman who doesn't run." I groaned and rolled off of the bed onto my bare feet. I threw on some clean clothes and looked around for my boots before I remembered chucking them at the dance party last night. I looked around for a spare pair of Burke's, then decided I could go to Hamster's barefooted. It wasn't like there were any rules against it here. I wouldn't dare walk barefoot above ground, even though so many people had to.

I left the room, found the third tunnel, and knocked on the third door on the left. There was no answer. I waited a couple minutes before I knocked again. Still, no one answered.

"Come on, Hamster," I said. "Don't tell me you're one of those heavy sleepers."

A door down the way popped open. I tried not to look, but couldn't resist looking out of the corner of my eye. Burke emerged from the room at the end of the hall looking unkempt and rumpled like he'd just rolled out of bed, but he was clean. There was no paint in sight.

My heart lurched into my throat and I couldn't breathe. I begged my eyes to be playing tricks on me, but his gaze fell on me. All of the blood rush from my head to my toes and I swayed. Burke stiffened. His eyes widened and I knew what was about to happen before it did.

Rosa stepped out of the room in nothing but a large shirt much like the one I usually slept in at night. One of Burke's. She rose up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek and disappeared back into her hidey-hole.

Burke turned to me. I slammed my hand against Hamster's door, silently begging her to wake up and open the door before Burke got to me and tried to explain away what I'd just seen. My heart hammered in my chest and tears pricked behind my eyes.

"Screw it." I spun the door handle and pulled the door open. I was inside with the door shut just as Burke made it to me and I dropped the latch so he couldn't follow me in, spinning the handle on the inside for good measure.

"Dalia?" a sleepy Hamster called and her tousled hair appeared before she did. Alaine popped up a second later.

I sank to the floor as the tears fell. Stupid. I was stupid. I wanted to sink through the metal rungs into nothingness.

"What happened?" Hamster asked. A comforting hand fell on my back and she hugged me.

"He spent the night with her." I sobbed uncontrollably. When did I become so hormonal?

Hamster sighed. "What an ass. I saw him dancing with you last night. Maybe it's a misunderstanding?"

"You should have seen his face. You'd have thought I caught him with his pants down."

Hamster tightened her arms around me. "You can stay here today if you don't want to face him yet. I'll bring you something to eat."

I didn't want Hamster to get in trouble for bringing me food, but at the moment, the pain in my chest decided to explode and I fell into a fit of sobbing and snotting that really should have never happened. Burke and Hamster were the only things keeping me here. Without one, the other didn't quite have the hold it needed. Alaine would be safe and well-cared for here. I should probably move on soon.
Chapter Twenty-five

I spent the rest of the day at Hamster's. Even Alaine left and did some light work, but I hid in Hamster's room, unable to face them. I'd made the mistake of thinking that after a few days I would mean something to Burke, to this city. I knew better than to believe that I had a place in this world.

When Hamster brought me dinner, she sat on the floor next to me.

"Burke keeps asking me about you. I told him you weren't feeling well and he helped me sneak food out of the mess hall. Are you sure you saw...what you saw?"

I glared at her. "He stared right at me, Hamster. Wide-eyed and embarrassed like he knew what I was thinking. I'm pretty sure I know what happened."

"Okay. I'm just saying that misunderstandings happen. Rosa just lost her father."

"And I'm sure he spent the night comforting her." I rubbed my forehead where a headache was starting. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"He wanted me to tell you that he's moving into Solomon's room, so you can go back to his if you want. It's yours now."

There wasn't enough room here for me to stay indefinitely since Hamster and Alaine used all of the space available. Staying in Burke's room without him and knowing he was sleeping with Rosa just didn't feel right, but there was nowhere else for me to sleep. It was definitely time to leave.

I didn't want to go back to Burke's room until I had to, so I wandered the halls until I came to the Market. I climbed up to the second level so I could look out over the room. The mess from the night before had been cleaned up, but there were still traces of the paint powder on the floors and walls. I would miss this place when I left. I'd never felt like I belonged anywhere before. Even if the feeling wasn't real, I liked to believe that in another life I might have belonged here.

Thinking about leaving made me sad, and I didn't want to be around people. I ducked into the tunnels and made my way to the training room. It was blessedly empty. Maybe they were all still recovering from the running and the partying.

I'd put my money on the partying.

Even though my body was stiff and sore, I spent an hour working with a punching bag. It helped to relieve some of my pent up aggression toward Rosa and helped me clear my mind enough to think. I could leave in the morning. Rest and eat and pack and leave before anyone even knew I was gone. I didn't want to have to explain anything to Burke, so that was probably the best option.

I was sweating and exhausted by the time I decided to leave. I wanted to eat, but I didn't want to see Burke and listen to him try to explain away what he's done. I would likely believe anything he said and I needed my space. Voices in the hall stopped me in my tracks.

"He wants her out." I didn't know the deep male voice that spoke. "He doesn't care what we have to do to get rid of her."

Where they talking about me? My heart kicked into overdrive, but then I remembered that Steve wanted to get rid of Rosa too. They could have been talking about either one of us.

"But what has she done?" another voice asked.

"Does she have to do anything?" the first man said. "If he wants her out, he wants her out. It's not our job to ask questions."

I backed away from the door, but there was no way out and nowhere to hide. Four men came around the corner one by one. Their eyes fell on me and filled with a mix of disgust and fury. I wasn't worried about them. It was Steve who scared me the most. Predatory hunger filled his eyes and my heart struck up its own chorus of fear against my ribs. Murder swam in that man's eyes and his lip pulled back in a sneer.

Even though I knew there was nowhere to go, I took a step back, then another, and turned to run. Steve snarled. My head snapped back as he grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled me backward off balance. I scrambled for purchase with my bare feet but only succeeded in bloodying my heels and breaking one of my toenails when it struck against the concrete. I screamed and hoped someone would stop to help, but no one came. I clawed at Steve's wrist, but he ignored me.

With no other option, I reached for the knife at my spine. After a moment of fumbling, I freed it and slashed at Steve's arm. I felt the blade dig deep into his flesh. Steve howled in pain. Warm blood dripped over my hand and into my hair and he finally let me go. Scrambling, I tried to run. I didn't care where as long as I got away from him.

But Steve had been biding his time, letting me think I was safe, lulling me into a comfortable space. He wanted me to believe that I had nothing to fear from him here, but I knew now that he was going to kill me. Steve caught me around the waist and lifted me off of my feet. With his free hand he wrenched the little knife from my grasp. I kicked and screamed and punched until I managed to wriggle my way out of his grasp and I ran.

The other men moved out of the way when I pushed past them into the hall, but Steve was faster than me this time. He caught me by the hair again and jerked me around to look at him.

"What do you know?" he growled in my face. "I don't care. You won't be around here much longer for it to matter if I have to kill you myself."

Blood dripped from his arm and down my face, but he paid it no attention. Why should he? This was the man who'd had his intestines rearranged and his stomach sewn back together and lived. Who knew what other unspeakable horrors he'd survived.

Steve jerked me off of my feet and dragged me through the halls, down to the market, and into the meeting room. He tossed me across the floor where I sprawled on my face, my arms and hands rubbed raw on the floor. The little knife hit the floor next to me and I snatched it up. I got to my feet with my center of gravity low and ready to strike. Steve squared off with me, puffing his body out so he looked bigger, more menacing.

Knife in hand with the point out, I lunged for his throat. He dodged and I missed, but just barely. The tip of the blade caught him along the collarbone, opening a small wound that bled into his shirt. He laughed like it tickled. That was fine. I'd tickle him to death if that was what it took. Even a man of his size could only lose so much blood.

"What is this about?" Burke's voice rang calm and cold and stopped me in my tracks. "Where did all of this blood come from?"

"Very little of it is mine," I said, my voice as cold as his.

"That's good to know. I think. Now, someone tell me what this is about before I lock you both up."

I glared at Steve. Before I could say anything, he said, "I caught her eavesdropping on a private military conversation."

"We don't have a military, Steve." Burke sounded tired.

"She was listening in on my men!"

"They're plotting to kill someone. A woman. My first guess would be Rosa." My first guess was myself, but I would have thought that was obvious.

"She's lying. She's a lying piece of shit. What do I have against Rosa?"

I glanced in Rosa's direction. Everyone did. Her eyes were angry slits and narrowed on me.

"He's trying to kill you too," I spat at Burke. "I heard them talking when we were at the nunnery. He'd planned to have you, Rosa, and Solomon killed, but I ruined his plan. He probably thought the droids would kill me."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Burke asked.

"When have I had time?" I stared at him and saw the disbelief in his eyes. It hurt to think he didn't trust me, more than it hurt catching him with Rosa. Steve had done what he wanted. He'd cast the doubt away from himself and onto me. It was better than killing me. If Burke didn't trust me then no one would and that was better than killing me. He'd probably talk Burke into doing it himself anyway.

"You know you sound like you're lying, don't you?"

"When have I ever been anything but truthful with you? When have I ever kept anything about myself from you?"

"I don't even know who you are," Burke shot back. His eyes were full of mistrust. "You gave me your first name and you told me your parents were killed in the first culling."

Steve stiffened in my periphery. No one saw it but me. I was the focus of everyone's attention. I felt Steve's eyes on me, felt the wheels in his head spin as things clicked into place. I needed to get out before something bad happened.

To me.

Just because.

"I don't suppose I'll be allowed to leave," I asked. "For good."

Burke blinked and shook his head. "No."

"Am I a prisoner then? I'm sure that would make Steve happy."

Burke frowned. "You've never been a prisoner here."

"And what if I no longer feel safe?"

Burke turned to Steve, his eyes as cold as his tone. "If anything happens to her I will assume it was you or one of your men and I will have you all removed from the city and turned over to the cops. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Steve said. It sounded like it hurt. I hoped he choked on it.

"The same goes for you." He turned eyes the color of the prairie sky before a storm on me and I knew that whatever trust he might have had in me was gone. "If anything happens to Steve-"

"I made him a promise," I said. "I always keep my promises."

"This is one you'll have to break. Do it for me."

The bastard. After everything he was still using my feelings against me.

"What makes you think you mean anything to me?" I asked and poured my pain into my words until they lashed at him like whips against his skin. "Why should I do anything for you?"

His forehead creased like my words had actually hurt him and a dark part of me – the same part that was okay with letting a man take bullets meant for me – delighted in his pain. He leaned back in his seat as if too tired to hold himself up any longer.

"Then it's an order." His voice was deep and as dark as the black of a starless night.

"Am I free to go?"

"You are."

I turned to face the door, but I wasn't done. I twisted in Steve's direction and brought the heel of my hand around with as much force as I could muster. It caught him off guard, because who would have the gall to attack him after being warned to leave him alone?

I would, obviously.

I slammed my hand into his ribs and felt at least one crack. His cry of pain harmonized with my cry of war.

I still wasn't done. He crumpled to his knees, gasping for breath, and I took a handful of his hair in my hand. I slammed his face into my knee. His nose cracked and blood poured over the floor.

"That," I panted, "is for dragging me through the hall by my fucking hair!"

I pushed him over with my bare foot and turned to Burke, eyes cold as the devil. "He's going to need a doctor."

I made my exit, not caring that I looked like I'd just bathed in blood. To my surprise, a few moments later I found myself staring at the door to Burke's room without knowing how I'd gotten there. I pulled it open and locked it behind me. I threw off my clothes and let them fall in the floor. I needed a shower.

The hot water stung my arms and scraped knees and feet. I let the tears flow, convincing myself that they were because I was in pain and tried to ignore the ache in my chest where my heart had once been. How quickly Burke had turned against me at the word of his friend. I'd meant nothing to him, less than a plaything. How could I have ever imagined that in the few days we'd known each other he might see me as someone he could trust? I was just some novelty, something shiny and new and I'd lost that allure.

I collapsed on the floor of the shower and let the water wash my tears away. Why couldn't water cleanse a broken heart and wash the bitterness away too? I was pitiful.

When I could, I dragged myself out of the shower and dressed. I needed something strong to clean my wounds and probably some bandages until the bleeding stopped.

Hamster waited outside when I opened the door. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, restless.

"There you are," she gasped. "Everyone's saying you were running around covered in blood." She looked me over from head to toe. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened."

"That's not what I heard."

"You believe everything you hear too?"

I walked away from her, too angry to have whatever conversation she wanted to have, and found my way down to the hospital room. I stopped in the doorway. Burke was there tending to Steve's wounds. I grinned.

"Looks like you won," Hamster said, her voice cold. It must have been going around today.

"If you'll wait, I'll clean those up for you," Burke said.

"I don't need your help," I snapped. I rummaged through his medical things until I found antiseptic and some gauze to wrap my arms in while I slept so I wouldn't make them worse.

"I'll help you," Hamster said softly.

Burke touched antiseptic to Steve's nose, and he wasn't gentle. Steve sucked in air through his teeth and growled.

Hamster poured antiseptic on a cloth and pressed it to my arm. Tears pricked the back of my eyes uncalled, but I refused to show any weakness. I glared at Steve and let him see.

I was stronger.

I was better.

I would survive.

I'd made him a promise and I had no intention of breaking it, Burke be damned.

"I'm fine, Hannah," I said when I couldn't stand to be in the same room with them any longer. I took the gauze and stood. "I can do it on my own."

I turned to leave, wishing I could go running or punch something. I would have to settle for going to my room to scream.

"Adverb." Burke caught my wrist as I made my escape.

"Don't touch me!" I jerked away from him, but I needn't have bothered. My outburst so stunned him that he stepped back and dropped his hands away.

"You disgust me," I snarled. "I am disgusted by you. Just stay away from me." I started to walk away, but turned back to deliver one final blow. "I thought this place was different, but it turns out the people who run it are lower than the people who live on the surface. At least with them a person knows where they stand. You pretend like you're better, William Burke, like this place is so much better, but I would rather live with real rats than down here with you."

Hamster pulled me away and I let her. I was fresh out of tears, but what I had in abundance was anger and I liked that a hell of a lot better.
Chapter Twenty-six

True to his word, Burke did not allow me to leave. One day passed, then two, then a week. A week turned into a month. One month slowly, painfully became two. Without Burke, Rat City had lost some of its novelty, or maybe that was my broken heart and the complete and utter disappointment of learning that he was no different than anyone else.

I went to whatever work detail they had for me every morning after breakfast. In the evenings I spent an hour or two with Hamster and Alaine before I went to my room and locked myself in until morning. I avoided Burke and Rosa like the plague, but they didn't have anything to say to me anyway.

No one did.

Not even Steve.

Despite Burke's declaration, I did not feel safe. I felt Steve's eyes on me even when he wasn't there. He lurked around corners, bumping into me at least three times a day and always, always with that same disgusting smirk on his face. He was biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, but I was always ready.

Burke hadn't insisted that my knife be taken away. I kept it hidden in my shoe just in case they'd discovered the hiding place along my spine. If Steve ever came for me, I was ready.

About a week after the bloody fight, excavation on the new tunnels began and the semi-peaceful Rat City quickly became a construction zone. Once a week I was required to help, but I didn't really mind. Even though I'd decided that Rat City was no longer for me, it still could be a haven for the people on the surface. So many lives could be saved, so I did my part to make sure they had a place to come. Slowly, progress was made until one day two months later I walked down empty corridors where rooms were being prepared.

"Adverb!" someone screamed my name.

I turned in alarm. I recognized the person running toward me, but I didn't know their name.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Hamster sent me. Alaine is having her baby."

I ran. I didn't stop until I made it to Hamster's and I didn't wait to be let in. I opened the door and was greeted by Alaine's pained cries and Hamster's soothing voice trying to calm her.

"That's it," Hamster said. "Breathe." She looked up when I entered. "Thank the gods. I need help and Burke is in a meeting right now. I need you to hold her steady and keep her calm."

I nodded and moved behind Alaine so she could lean on me. "Shouldn't we go down to the hospital or something?"

"No time. The baby is coming too fast. He's ready to get out here and meet us. Alaine I need you to push, now, honey."

Alaine pushed.

I saw on Hamster's face the moment it went wrong. She paused for just a moment, and the smile on her face locked in place.

"Adverb, I was wrong. I need you here."

I propped Alaine on some pillows and knelt beside Hamster. Horror froze me in place. I couldn't reconcile the woman, my friend who had gained weight and opened up to these new people with what I was seeing.

There was blood.

Too much blood.

Hamster and I looked at each other and she said in a soft, controlled voice, "Go get Burke."

I took off down the hall screaming Burke's name. No one got in my way, and those who did moved quickly. I didn't care that he hated me or that he'd been spending so much time with Rosa. All I knew was that I needed him.

I ran to the meeting room. If he wasn't helping clear the tunnels and avoiding me he was in the meeting room avoiding me. I threw the door open only to be caught in strong arms and shoved back into the hall. Somehow, a rumor had been going around that I might hurt him. Steve had probably started that.

"I need to see Burke!" I screamed. "Let me talk to him!" I struggled against their hold, but I made no progress. "Alaine is in labor and she's bleeding to death!"

Maybe it was the mention of blood and death, maybe it was the tears and the despair in my voice. The men holding me stopped trying to drag me away.

Burke appeared in the doorway and I gasped. I hadn't had a good look at him since that day two months ago. His face was gaunt and he'd lost some weight, but he was still the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

"Let her go," he commanded.

I was released. I didn't even bother to straighten my wayward clothes.

"Come with me."

I raced behind him to Hamster's room. I was not prepared for what bleeding to death looked like for a mother giving birth. Alaine was pale, her face covered in a sheen of sweat. Hamsters arms were soaked in blood up to her elbows, but she did an amazing job of keeping them out of Alaine's sight. All I could do was stand in the doorway and stare.

"Get in here and close the door," Burke ordered. "I'm going to need your help."

I did as he said. The door closed with a clang, but I didn't know what to do with myself.

Burke exuded calm. From where I stood I watched him smile at Alaine, and she, despite a lot of pain and being very weak, smiled back.

"Alaine, how are you doing?" Burke asked.

I admired her ability to smile even under such horrible circumstances. She knew she was dying, she'd known she would die the moment she learned she was pregnant, yet she carried the baby in a world where giving birth was a death sentence. I'd hoped she'd get better. I wanted her to be okay. Burke had done everything he could for her, but in the end I guess I always knew it was going to be this way.

"Hey, Dalia," Alaine said. Her voice was so weak, just like her grip on my hand. "You're a good friend. You need to know that."

"No. You're a good person so you think I'm better than I am."

Alaine shook her head. "Don't let anything happen to my baby."

"I won't. And as soon as you're better, you can make sure nothing happens to him." I sobbed, even though I tried to be strong.

She winced. "I don't think I'll be around long enough to do that."

"Don't be ridiculous." I tried to put a smile on my face. "Burke is going to make sure you both live to be very old. So stop talking like that."

"Alaine, you're doing great." Burke looked up at her and smiled. She smiled back, but she couldn't see what I saw. Burke's arms were stained with blood past his wrists. My throat tightened and I couldn't breathe.

"Hannah," he said, "I need you to run get my kit and I need you to hurry."

I dropped to my knees and uttered a little cry of pain. Burke turned long enough to look at me. His eyes softened.

"Leave if you need to," he said softly. "Hannah and I can handle this."

I stared, unable to process. Unable to see past the blood on his hands and the flames of my nightmares. There was a hole in my chest and it hurt.

"Adverb," he said softly.

I looked at him, nodded, and left. I made sure the door was closed and sat in the hall, waiting.

At some point, someone sat next to me.

"I should be helping," I said.

"Then why aren't you?" Rosa asked.

"I can't watch another person I love die. I just can't do it."

"You don't have to."

We sat in silence for what felt like a long time. Finally, the door opened and we stood. Burke came into the hall. Blood covered his arms and his shirt and stained the knees of his pants. His eyes were bleak, his lips a thin line. Rosa dipped her head and walked away.

I stared up at Burke with tears in my eyes and begged him to tell me what had happened.

"She didn't make it."

His words staggered me. My heart felt like it was dying, like I was dying. "I knew she wouldn't. I never expected her to last this long. It was too much to hope that she and the baby would make it."

Burke caught my chin between his bloodstained fingers. "The baby is alive, Adverb."

Alive.

The baby was alive.

Something inside me woke up, something that had been asleep for the months since he'd turned on me. "What do you mean? How?"

"He's a few weeks early, but he's alive and he's going to be okay."

"It's a boy," I whispered. "I told her it would be a boy. Can I see him?"

"Hannah," Burke called.

Hamster stepped out holding a bundle. The smile on her face was one I had never seen before.

"What was she going to name him?" Hamster asked. She tucked a thin blanket away from his cherubic face. His tiny lips turned down in a pout.

"Eli," I whispered.

"Well, little Eli," Hamster cooed. "You're going to be well taken care of here. Between me and Aunty Adverb you're going to be one well-fed little man." She looked up at me with tears of her own. "Do you want to hold him?"

I reached out. I ached to hold him, to see his little face. My hands trembled and she put him in my arms. The tiny little face that looked up at me was so peaceful. I needed him. After everything I'd been through and everything I'd lost, he was the hope that I needed in my life. I couldn't stop smiling even though tears rolled down my cheeks.

And so, my second funeral in Rat City was for Alaine who'd died giving birth to a beautiful boy named Eli. I stood at the edge of the furnace holding tight to Hamster's hand. We cried together and we danced together. It was bittersweet. When the night stretched on and I could take no more, I slipped away to my room, but I was followed.

"Are you alright?" Burke asked as I opened the door to my room.

"I just want to be alone."

"You shouldn't be. Not right now."

"I don't need you, Burke."

"You need someone." He crossed his arms and stood in the door so I couldn't close it.

"Are you here to save me again?" I asked. I tasted the bitterness in my voice. "Are you going to pretend to be my friend again because Alaine is dead? What a gallant man."

"Would you just talk to me?"

"About what? About how you let Steve drag me around by my hair and toss me around like a bag of shit? Did you even say anything to him? Or did you just give him a slap on the wrist? No, I'm sure your childhood friend didn't even get that. Or maybe we can talk about how you slept with Rosa. I probably shouldn't even be so upset about that. But I'd hoped that after you kissed me it meant that you felt something for me."

"What are you talking about?" Burke asked. "I never slept with Rosa. That kiss-"

"Was a birthday kiss because I asked for it. I know, Burke. I get it."

Burke grabbed my shoulders and made me look at him. "You are psychotic."

"Because I dared to think you might have feelings for me? You're right. I knew from the beginning that you were just using my emotions to get to me. Stringing me along. Messing me around."

"Dalia!"

I frowned.

"What did you just call me?"

"I called you by your name, Dalia."

My name on his lips was probably the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard. I wanted to hear him say it again and again with every inflection. I wanted to hear what it sounded like in the throws of passion.

"You've never said my name before."

"Then I guess it's time. I never slept with Rosa. After her father's funeral I went to her room and held her while she cried. She cried in her sleep all night long. I couldn't just leave her. As for Steve, he has been punished for his treatment of you. And it wasn't a slap on the wrist. Just because you don't see what happens behind closed doors doesn't mean it doesn't happen."

"If you act like an asshole in the open for everyone to see, what do you expect them to think of you? You believed Steve, but you don't believe me."

"Would you believe you? Were you eavesdropping?"

"I was in the training room working out and they were in the hall talking about some woman who needed to die."

"And what about the other accusation? Was that true?"

I nodded. "I heard them talking in the dining hall at the nunnery. All three of you were supposed to die out there. Not just Solomon."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I was going to, but it was after Solomon died. You were comforting Rosa and I thought I would have a chance on the way home. Then we had the funeral, then I caught you leaving Rosa's room."

Burke dropped his arms to his sides and frowned at me.

"Do I really disgust you?" His voice was soft, hurt, sad. "Dalia."

"Say it again."

His lips twitched.

"Dalia."

"If you don't kiss me right this minute, I'll cut your beautiful face."

He didn't even hesitate this time. One hand cupped the back of my head while the other pressed against the small of my back, pulling me against him. His lips touched mine and the floor dropped out from beneath my feet. Pain rose up in my chest and threatened to choke me while elation made my body soar. Tears rolled down my cheeks and still he kissed me. My body was his, my mouth, my tears. He took them all and left me full.

"Why are you crying?" he said against my mouth.

"I don't know." I wrapped my arms around his neck and silenced him with my tongue. Burke groaned into my mouth and I devoured the sound.

"God, Dalia. I've wanted to kiss you since the first time you back talked me."

I chuckled. "Shut up."

"Yes, ma'am."

Burke lifted me and we crashed to the bed together.

My body on top of his molded to chiseled muscle. His arms wrapped around my hips, pressing me closer and I breathed him in. The rough stubble along his chin abraded my cheek and his tongue searched for mine. I met him there. He tasted of liquor and, somehow, chocolate. I hadn't tasted chocolate in years.

I pulled away, just far enough that I could see into his eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" I needed to know. "I don't want your pity if that's what this is. I... Don't use my emotions against me. I'll leave and you won't be able to stop me."

"Dalia, I would never use your emotions against you. That day in the tunnel I wanted you, but there would have been a group after us if we weren't done soon. You deserve better than a quick shag in a dark tunnel where I can't even see what I do to you."

I ran my fingers through his hair, remembering that day and how betrayed I'd felt.

"You asked me not to hurt Steve. For you."

"Because I know how much you hate him. I thought if you were doing it for me it would make it easier to follow my rules. If you left... I wouldn't be able to get over you."

"You don't even know me." And that was the problem, wasn't it? He didn't know me, and he didn't really trust me.

"Then show me." His hands gripped my waist under my shirt. The feel of him on my skin was more than I could bear. I twisted my hands into his soft, thick hair and pressed my tongue against his. We both moaned.

Burke's fingers dug into my back, his thumbs pressed to my ribs. I ground my hips against his, unable to restrain myself. His hand moved down, cupping my bottom. Our lips never parted.

If I left I didn't think I'd get over him either.

A siren ripped through the air. I leapt off of Burke and landed on my feet on the floor.

"What the hell is that?" I shouted over the screeching. This was different than the one for escape drills.

Burke was on his feet and headed to the door. "Cave in."

I didn't hear the words. I read them on his lips and my body ran cold. Burke held his hand out to me and we ran.
Chapter Twenty-seven

We were the first ones to the collapsed tunnel. It was one of the newer excavations that hadn't been secured and cleaned out yet. Dust floated in the air and settled on Burke's hair and shoulders. I covered my mouth and nose with my hand to minimize the dust I breathed in. The sirens shut off and everything fell eerily quiet. We waited and listened. Could anyone have survived?

Someone coughed. It echoed up from the dark tunnel. Burke and I heard it at the same time. Half of his body disappeared into the tunnel before I could comprehend what was happening.

"Burke!" I cried when he disappeared.

"Stay there," he shouted back. "I'll need your help when I come back."

I stayed put. Anxiety burned like fire in my chest and I clenched my fists at my sides to try and relieve it. It was only a few moments, but they were as long and tense as the few I'd stood there and watched my parents burn. This time I did not run.

A dark shape lumbered toward me and I reached out my arms, not really sure what I was going to do to help. Burke had a man supported on his shoulders, limping along. Blood dripped down his leg, but he otherwise looked intact.

"I was on the outside of the collapse," the man said and coughed. He was covered in the fine, grey concrete dust from head to toe. "It's bad, Burke. Oh, god."

Burke turned to me, his face grave. "Get Hannah and Rosa. Tell them it's an order from me. We need to clear the main room and cover the floor."

"I want to help you."

"Dalia," he sighed. "I want nothing more than for you to help me, but I need you to do this for me. I have to get these people out. This will help me more right now than anything else. Please."

I nodded, but before I left, I rose up on my toes and kissed him. Maybe it was selfish, but I needed one last kiss before I let him go back in there.

"Please, be careful."

"I can't make any promises."

I understood, but even a promise he might break would have been better.

I ran as hard and as fast as I could, back through the halls sitting empty waiting for new Rats and into the inhabited areas. I found Rosa in the hall, coming our way.

"How bad is it?" she asked, but she must have known by the look on my face.

"He sent me to get you and Hamster. He wants the main room emptied and the floors covered."

Rosa nodded. There was no room for our feud here, no place for our rivalry. The people were more important.

I left her to find Hamster in her room with Eli. Somewhere she'd found some milk for him. His little eyes were closed in contentment as he ate. He hadn't even been alive for twenty-four hours and already his life was marked by death.

"What's going on?" Hamster asked.

"The new tunnels caved in." I tore my gaze away from the baby and looked into Hamster's terrified eyes. "Burke needs us in the main room."

Her face turned ashen, but she nodded.

"I'll get someone to watch Eli."

One of Hamster's neighbors offered once they heard what had happened.

Hamster and I ran to the market. There weren't any stalls set up, but the floor was covered in powder paint from the night before and unconscious bodies lay strewn about. Rosa was there dragging the inebriated bodies to the sides of the room. Hamster and I jumped in to help.

Having to carry the dead-weight bodies took more time than I would have liked. There weren't many, but it seemed like the more we had to move the more there were. Their paint-covered bodies had to be moved before we could get the candles and sweep up. As we worked, people noticed our urgency, and started to help.

Someone passed by me with a broom, sweeping away the evidence of last night's bittersweet party. I ached for it. I wanted it to last just a little longer, for Alaine's memory to hang in the air just one day more, but my needs were eclipsed by the needs of those who were dying and might still live.

An old woman who sold rugs approached me and began to speak in another language.

"She says we can use her rugs if we need them," Hamster translated. "She wants to do anything she can to help."

I hugged the old woman. "Thank you," I told her softly in her language. Only she heard me. When she pulled away, she smiled at me and hurried off to get her rugs.

A man crossed my path with blankets in his arms. I didn't know where to get the stuff to cover the floor, but I knew there were blankets in Burke's room.

I didn't make it that far. The first survivors came around the corner coughing so hard they could hardly walk. They had their arms slung around each other, helping the other walk. I didn't see any blood.

"Hamster," I shouted, "we're going to need water."

As I spoke, Burke came around the corner. The man in his arms wasn't as lucky as the other two had been. I wasn't even sure if he was alive. He looked over the bare floors just being covered.

"Why don't you have this ready yet?" he asked.

I ignored him. "I'll take him into the hospital room. Go help."

"Can you handle this?" Burke asked.

"It's not blood that bothers me," I told him. As he transferred the man into my arms, I was surprised at how light he was. And how limp.

"He's alive," Burke confirmed my unasked question. "Take him into the hospital and use a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. I'll be back soon, once the men get to the cave in. Steve!" he barked over my head. "Where is he?"

I shook my head. "I haven't seen him."

"There's no time to look for him. Rosa!"

I carried the man away. In the hospital, I found strips of cloth on one of the shelves and tied it around his leg as tightly as I could to staunch the blood flow. I looked up and out the door. More people were coming in. Some were walking, but most were not, and there were a few who were so mangled that if they weren't dead yet they soon would be. I stared at the horror and felt a part of me retreat. For a moment I was afraid. There was no way these people would survive. Even with Burke taking care of them, there was no way. I stared and was overwhelmed.

The next moment, I saw Burke coming across the main room at a jog and something clicked inside me. We would save as many as we could and mourn the ones we lost. But in this moment, we had to work.

"Did you do what I said?" Burke asked. I nodded. "Good. Get me..."

He listed of a bunch of tools and I got them for him. That was how the next hours went. People were brought in, he told me what he needed, I got it for him, and he did the best he could. When he ran out of sutures, which was almost immediately, Hamster brought him all the thread she could find. When he ran out of cloth to use for tourniquets, I gathered all the sheets we weren't using in the main room and cut them into strips. We made do with what we could.

There was so much blood, but it wasn't the blood that bothered me, it was the loss of light and hope I saw in their eyes. This place was supposed to be their refuge and for some of them it had become a tomb.

When there was a lull in broken bodies brought to us, I stopped long enough to look at Burke.

He looked haggard and exhausted. His jaw was shadowed with two days worth of growth, his hair slicked back with sweat, dust, and probably blood too. He looked at me and gave me a weak but heartfelt smile. He was so tired and downtrodden and he was encouraging me. It should have been the other way around.

"You did good." He sounded so tired.

"Any idea what time it is?"

"Noon, I think."

"That's..." I hunted for the right word. "Exhausting."

Burke made a sound that was supposed to be a laugh. "We are out of sutures, thread, tourniquets, bandages, antiseptic... I think the only thing I still have is water."

I raised an eyebrow. "And me." He smiled. "What do we do?"

"We're going to have to get supplies. I'll have to send someone."

"Do you know how many we lost?" I hated to ask the question, hated to remind him that he couldn't save them. But I had to know.

"Thirty-seven," he answered.

I stepped back to catch myself. Burke was there before I could fall with his hand around my waist. "Are you okay?"

"That's a lot."

"It is a lot. But it's still less than I expected."

"That's good then I guess."

"You need to rest," he said. "I want you to go to my room and sleep. I'll come find you soon."

"I want to stay with you."

"I want you to stay with me too, but you'll be no good to me if you pass out from exhaustion, which you're prone to do."

I rolled my eyes. I didn't like feeling like a little kid being sent to their room. "Ten more minutes," I said, but the playfulness ended there.

If I'd thought the main room looked full with two thousand plus people standing in line, this made it claustrophobic. Seventy-four injured and dead lay stretched out on the floor by fours with room between to walk. My breath caught in my throat and whatever had allowed me to help Burke stitch flesh together was quickly gone.

"What is going to happen to these people?" I asked. "How many will recover?"

"My hope is anyone still alive. We'll see, though. Go to my room. I'll come check on you in a minute. Matter of fact." Burke made a shrill whistle and motioned to someone.

Hamster hurried over.

"Take her to your room and make her lie down. She's done all she can right now."

He surprised me by pulling me into him and pressing his lips to mine. I knew everyone saw and I knew they felt the passion that I felt when he kissed me.

"Now sleep."

They were screaming in the dark. Everyone I loved, I knew them by their screams and there was nothing I could do for them. So I sat in the dark and I listened to them scream until no one was left.

Burke did not come to check on me. When I opened my eyes, expecting darkness I was greeted by light and the face of a man I did not know.

"You need to come quick," he said.

I shuffled my feet into my shoes, glad that I'd been too tired to undress.

"What's wrong?" I stepped into the hallway.

"Burke's been caught in a second cave in."

"Where?"

"The new tunnels. He went in to check-"

I didn't hear anything else. I took off at a run, angry and afraid and confused. Why had he gone in and had he gone in alone? I thought they'd gotten everyone out.

When I got there, several people were crowded around the entrance.

"Who's gone in?" I asked, my voice more authoritative than I'd expected with my fear. They stared at me. "No one?" I started to climb in.

"It's not safe," Rosa said.

"I don't care. I'm not going to leave him in there. You don't have to help." I dove into the tunnel with no idea where I was going, only that I needed to find Burke. The dust was thick and I used my arm to cover my nose and mouth, but it did little good.

"Burke!" My voice echoed off of the walls. Dust fell on top of my head and I coughed when I breathed it in. "Burke, say something so I can find you!"

It was dark and I wished I'd thought to grab night vision goggles. I heard a faint cough and blindly went that way.

"Burke?"

"Yeah," came the soft reply. He was deeper in the tunnel than I'd thought. I squeezed past rubble and fallen sections of ceiling that others might not have fit around. My mind ran through all of the possibilities of what I might find when I got to him. Every injury we'd seen that day ran through my head as a possibility.

"I should throttle you for coming in here," I grumbled.

I was on top of Burke before I found him.

"Don't move," he said, his voice thick with pain. "You're on my arm."

"I'm on a rock."

"Yeah."

"Shit."

I did exactly what he told me not to do. I moved. He screamed and I screamed and I backed away until I knew I wasn't hurting anymore.

"I'm sorry. What do I do?"

"I can't get it off myself. I had kind of hoped Steve would be the one to come in."

"No one was going to come in," I said, and wished I hadn't. "They were afraid."

It didn't help to soften the truth, but at least it wasn't a lie.

"I don't blame them."

"After everything you've done today and they won't even come in here to help you?"

"We might both die in here, Dalia. This tunnel isn't stable."

"Then tell me what to do to get this off of you so we can get out of here alive."

"Lift it?" He said it like a question. If we hadn't been in such a terrifying situation I would have punched him.

"Why did you come in here anyway?" I asked.

"Someone said there was someone missing. And I wanted to find out why the ceiling collapsed in the first place."

"Did you?"

"Yeah."

I wedged my hands under the side of the stone slab where his arm was trapped and braced my feet on the floor. I pushed and pulled with all my strength, but it didn't move.

"This is heavy," I grunted as I tried again.

"Yes."

"Maybe if I push it."

The tunnel shook. Dust fell in my eyes and my mouth. I coughed and spat.

"You need to get out of here," Burke said.

"I'm not leaving you here alone. I'm not running from this!" I bit my lip, glad he couldn't see my face. "Let me put on my man muscles and try again."

I put as much of my weight under the slab as I could and got vocal with it. I couldn't help it. I let out a cry of determination and it worked. The slab finally started to move, not much, but enough for Burke to roll out from underneath. I dropped it and the tunnel shook again.

"Go. Now. Get out," he cried through pain and fear.

I scrambled forward and felt Burke close behind me. Something crashed. Dust blew against me, abrading my skin and stinging my eyes.

"Go! Go!" Burke's shouts sent me into a frenzy. As long as he was okay, even if I couldn't see I would go.

I fell out of the tunnel and landed on my back and gasped when Burke fell on top of me.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Open your eyes. Look at me."

"I can't. There's stuff in them."

"Get me water!" he yelled, almost frantic.

"I'm fine." I coughed and then couldn't seem to stop. Fingers pried my eyes open and water filled them. I sputtered and twisted, but Burke's weight held me in place.

"I can see!" I finally shouted to get him off of me. "I'm going to drown if you don't stop."

Burke crawled off of me. Someone handed me a cloth and I wiped my face. I blinked into the light to dislodge the remaining grit.

I shouldn't have been in such a hurry.

I smiled up at Burke, but the smile disappeared as fast as it had come. He held his arm cradled against his chest.

It didn't look like an arm anymore.
Chapter Twenty-eight

"Burke."

My voice was a ragged whisper as I stared at the mangled mess of his arm. White bone showed through torn, bloody flesh.

And I stared.

"It's fine."

"Don't!" I snapped, coming to my senses. "It's not fine."

Burke shook his head. "No, it's not."

"What do we do? How do we fix this? Tell me what to do!"

"Calm down!"

"Don't tell me to calm down! Are you looking at the same thing I'm looking at?" I was hyperventilating, panicking. My mind was spinning. There was no saving his arm and his large, beautiful hand. I hadn't even had a chance to take full advantage of those hands yet.

"Dalia, breathe. It'll be fine."

"Doesn't it hurt?" There were tears in my eyes, tears in my voice, and pain in my chest.

Burke shrugged. "Probably."

"Tell me what to do," I begged.

Burke started walking and I followed him. He didn't speak to anyone, but everyone we saw wanted to stop and stare. I guided him to the hospital where Hamster was doing some cleanup. When she saw us her eyes widened.

"He says it doesn't hurt," I told her.

Hamster guided Burke to a chair. "He's in shock. I don't have a bed for him. Burke, can you tell me what happened?"

Hamster dug in Burke's pocket and pulled out the tiny flashlight he'd tortured me with for days. She flashed it in his eyes.

"Someone said we were missing people so I went in to find them. There was no one there. There was another cave in and my arm was trapped under a slab of concrete."

Hamster nodded as he spoke.

"How's your breathing?" she asked.

"Fine."

I stared at him, so stoic and bland. Not the man I'd come to know. Hamster took out a facemask with a hand pump and hooked it around his head.

"Slow and steady," she told me. "I'll do what I can for his arm, but he's likely to pass out once I start messing with it. We're out of anesthetic."

I gave Burke oxygen while Hamster cleaned his arm. She plucked bits of concrete and stone out of his arm and tiny pieces of shattered bone. Burke barely made a noise except to grunt with pain. I cried for him.

When Hamster was done and she had it wrapped, she stood back and gave me a grim look.

"That's the best I can do for now. I don't know how to set a bone. We need help, Adverb."

I bit my lips together.

"I can go get help. I know where to find nurses and doctors. They helped us before. I might be able to bring one or two back."

Hamster swallowed and nodded. "You need to rest. I'll find Rosa and see if she'll let you go."

"You're amazing," I told her.

She shook her head. "No. Burke is amazing. I'm just training."

"He'll be proud of you. When he wakes up."

Hamster pointed to a pile of blankets in the corner. "Help me get Burke settled, then you lay down."

We had to cut his shirt off. It was drenched in blood. There was nothing to give him for the pain, so we were as careful as we could be. I lay down next to him, careful not to touch him. If something happened I wanted to be close by.

For the second time that day I woke to the feeling of someone watching me. I opened my eyes slowly. It felt like I might have slept a few minutes, but definitely not enough to feel rested. Rosa squatted at our feet, staring hard with her face marred by a frown.

"What do you want?" I croaked.

"If you're going to go get help, you need to go now." She stood and walked out of the hospital.

I checked on Burke. He was still breathing, but he looked like he might be asleep. I hoped he wasn't in too much pain.

I followed Rosa outside the hospital where she waited with her arms folded over her chest.

"You came for us when we were missing," she said without preamble. "I'm not stupid. I know you came for Burke, but you helped me and Solomon too, so I'm doing this to make sure there are no favors between us."

I raised an eyebrow. "You're sending me to get medical supplies for your people as a favor to me? I don't understand."

"No. I'm sending you to get the medical supplies because we need them and you offered to go. I'm telling you that Steve is gone as a favor. He's not coming back. Burke knows, he made sure Burke knew, and Steve knows he's not welcome here anymore."

"Okay." I was still confused. "I don't understand how that's a favor if Burke already knows."

"He's going to the hospital."

My blood ran cold. I turned to run, but Rosa caught my wrist and twisted, pulling me back around and wrenching my shoulder. She held up a pack of food and my boots.

"You were right," she said, "about who I am. About my name. You didn't tell anyone, so I owe you for that too. In return, I won't tell anyone your secret."

Her eyes flicked to the room where Burke lay and I nodded.

"But Steve will. Kill him and set us all free. If you ride the train to the first depot you should make it before nightfall."

I nodded and slipped my feet into my shoes. I took the pack from her.

"Tell Hamster I'll be back."

Rosa nodded.

I ran.

I took the metal steps to the door two at a time and flung it open. I didn't even have goggles. I just ran. Burke and his people were depending on me. Colleen and Miss Carr needed me to make sure Steve didn't get to them.

And I needed to do this. I needed to help because all I ever did was run and it solved nothing.

I made it through the tunnels faster than I expected. When I opened the door to the surface, the sun was going down, casting pink and orange streaks across the sky. Still, it burned my eyes after months of being below ground.

I looked at the sky. If Rosa was right, there was still plenty of time to catch the train.

The first train stop was a fuel depot where they picked up fuel for government vehicles and shipped it to the main cities. But there were bullet holes and spent casings everywhere and evidence that cars had been stolen and a small bomb might have gone off.

The depot was crawling with the white suited cops and the black armored droids. I crept behind large barrels of petroleum. There were four white suits on the ground, splattered with blood, but there were many more droids lying about with double shots through their helmets. Steve hadn't been subtle, and if he'd stolen a car there was no way I'd be able to catch him before he did whatever he planned to do.

As quietly as I could, I sneaked back out and around the train, and I took off at a dead run across the prairie.

The hospital was closer than I remembered, but then I was running harder than we had before. The sun seemed to hang in the sky longer than normal, but the last pop of light disappeared beneath the horizon behind me as I came to the outcropping of rock that obscured my view of the door. But I didn't need to see the door to get the message.

Whatever carnage I'd prevented Steve from creating in the last months he had more than happily made up for today. I couldn't even tell that the body tied to the rocks was human, and yet I knew it was. And somehow, I knew that it was Miss Carr. She would have gone down fighting for this place, for her home and for everyone here. What was left of her after the vultures had picked her clean dredged up the deepest, darkest images from my nightmares.

I stumbled to the hospital, unseeing of what was in front of me until the smell of blood became so heavy that I couldn't breathe. A sob escaped my throat because I knew what I would find.

Steve's carnage hadn't stopped with Miss Carr. I stepped over the hospital threshold and into a nightmare of blood and gore and death. I didn't even see the bodies, but I would see them in my nightmares. I would imagine their screams and the way they begged for their lives.

Muffled screaming came from my left and I prepared myself for what I was sure would be mutilation.

I threw back the curtain.

Colleen lay bound to her bed and gagged, even though she couldn't walk, even though she wouldn't go for help. Next to her, sat a man covered in blood from head to toe. His head hung against his chest, but when I entered the room he looked up. The whites of his eyes and the shine of his teeth stood out against all that darkened blood. How long had he been sitting there like that?

The horror in Colleen's eyes, the tear stains on her cheeks. I could handle the blood, but I couldn't handle her fear.

"I knew you'd come," Steve said. "How's Burke?"

"Alive," I answered, my voice broken.

Steve nodded. "Good. I really didn't want to kill him. I just needed him out of the way. And I needed you to come to me."

"I think this violates your terms of existence in Rat City," I said.

Steve barked a short laugh that made Colleen jump and scream. Even muffled by the gag it was loud.

"I'm going to let her go," he said, pointing to Colleen with a bloodied knife. "And I'm going to let you go. I'm going to let you get all the way back to the maze because I know you'd rather save them than worry about me right now. I look forward to the day you come find me."

"Why not just kill me now?"

Steve stood and came over to me. "Because Burke isn't the only one who wants you back alive, Dalia, dear."

He walked past me.

He put his back to me.

He made a mistake.

I caught his wrist and twisted, throwing my body weight into it. The blood on his skin was dry and it flaked away into my hand and onto the floor. I hooked my foot behind his knee and drove him to the ground with a surprised cry, forcing his hand, the one with the knife, back and up into the air. Putting pressure on his wrist made him drop the knife and I kicked it across the floor.

But he knew how I fought and I'd just exhausted the little bit of surprise I had over him. Steve spun on his knee and punched me in the middle of my back with his free hand. My body bowed backward and I dropped his arm. He delivered another powerful blow to my chest that knocked the wind out of me and flattened me on the floor, sprawled on my back in sticky, drying blood.

"I said they wanted you alive. I didn't say they wouldn't take you dead." He covered my mouth with his hand.

Colleen screamed. Tears of hatred filled my eyes and I struggled to drag in a breath through my nose.

Steve leaned over me and whispered in my ear.

"One day the two of us will fight to the death. I wonder if either one of us will make it out alive."

He let me go and stood.

I could have gone after him. I could have chased him down and we could have had it out right there, but Colleen kept screaming and I had to get back to Rat City before anyone else died.

I pushed myself up, supporting myself on the end of the bed. Colleen stared at me with wide, frightened eyes.

"It's not my blood," I promised her. "I'm fine."

I picked up Steve's knife and cut Colleen free, but the gag I untied so I wouldn't have to put that bloody thing near her face. I pressed her face to my chest.

"We're okay, Colly. I'm taking you to Rat City. You'll be safe there. I promise. But first, I need to get supplies."

"Don't leave me!" Colleen screamed when I started to pull away.

I held her head in my hands and I made her look at me.

"They won't be back, Colleen. You're safe with me. Steve left you and me alive for a reason. They won't be coming back. These people are dead and there's nothing we can do for them and I'm sorry. I didn't know or I'd have been here sooner. But there are people who are dying that we can help. I hate to be this person, but right now, for the next few moments, we need to be stronger. Got it?"

Colleen stared at me, here frightened eyes boring into me, her body shaking.

"Colleen, we have to be stronger until we get through this. Then we can break. Okay?"

Finally, she nodded. By morning we would be broken. I didn't know if there would be anything left to put back together, but I had Burke and Hamster and Eli. And Colleen had me.

It took me twenty minutes to clean the hospital out. I shoved every single supply I could find into bags and when I ran out I used garbage bags. I packed up sheets and towels and gowns and what little bit of food I thought might make it back safely and I packed it all into the service truck out back and pulled it to the front of the hospital.

I went back to get Colleen. I scooped her into my arms. "Close your eyes, Colly. You don't need to see what they did."

She buried her face in my shoulder. I maneuvered the hallway and went out the front door. I didn't want to see any more of what Steve's men had done and I didn't want Colleen to live with the horrors I lived with on a daily basis. I buckled Colleen into the passenger's side and slid behind the steering wheel.

"Do you remember when Miss Carr taught us how to drive?" I asked.

Colleen's smile was watery. I wiped away my own tears and floored the gas.

The drive to the nunnery was three times faster than running. It was calm when we pulled up. No dead bodies to tell us that Steve and his men had been here, but they had no reason to come here. This place held no significance for me. Still, I didn't trust them.

"I'm going to make sure."

Colleen nodded.

I parked the truck and went up to the door. I had to knock three times before someone answered. A nun came to the door and I sagged with relief that she was okay.

"I remember you," she said with a smile, but then she saw the blood on my clothes and it melted away. "Are you alright?"

I shook my head. "One of the men I was with last time, Steve, killed everyone at the hospital except for me and Colleen." I pointed to the truck. "I've taken every supply I could find and I'm driving back to Curr because there are people there who need help. I need doctors to come with me, because the doctor there is hurt. His arm has been crushed. I need help."

My voice cracked and I covered my mouth to stifle the sob.

"Colleen can't walk," I said. "They had her tied..."

The nun put her hand on my shoulder. When I looked up, there were tears in her eyes.

"Go be with your friend," she said. "I'll be right back."

I went back to sit with Colleen in the truck.

"You can break now," I told her. I took her hand in mine and squeezed. "You don't have to be strong anymore."

Her sobs broke me. We only sat there for a few minutes, but I cried a lifetime of tears.

One doctor and one nurse came out and got into the truck.

"We're all they can spare for now," the doctor told me.

"I'll take what I can get."

I never looked back.
Chapter Twenty-nine

I parked the truck outside Alaiala's compound and got out. She came out of the building with her gun pointed at me, her eyes blazing.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Cops in the decoy tunnels. Where have you been?"

Her voice was cold and bitter.

"I went to get doctors to help Burke and supplies. And to stop Steve, but I didn't make it in time. Colleen is the only one they left alive."

The nurse got out of the car with Colleen in her arms. Alaiala put the gun down, but she didn't stop glaring. The sky was still dark.

"Are they cops or droids?" I asked.

"Droids I think," Alaiala said. "Burke has already been informed."

She went back inside and I followed. Alaiala stood hunkered over her crate of guns. I found two nice sized guns, loaded them, and shoved extra amo into my pockets. I didn't know how many cops were here, but I wasn't going to run out of bullets until they were gone.

The doctor pulled a very big automatic weapon out of the crate and started to load it. I stared.

"We live in a world of violence," he said. "It's all some people respond to.

A heavy hand fell on my shoulder. I spun, gun pointed to take their face off. Burke threw up his hand in surrender. The other one was cradled against his chest in a haphazard sling made from a ripped t-shirt. The creases in his face were etched deep and I knew he was in pain, but he looked happy to see me.

"Cops in the decoy tunnels," I said. "Alaiala is sounding the alarm."

Burke removed his own gun from its holster on his hip and nodded. Even with one arm in a sling he looked as capable as ever.

He wasn't the one I was worried about.

"Rosa said you went after help."

"Is that all she said?"

"Not all, but she was pretty vague."

Well, that figured. "Burke, we need to talk – "

A cop came around the corner, clad in white armor and his opaque visor pulled down to protect his face. He saw us and pointed his gun.

"Stop!" it cried.

Sometimes I wondered if they were even people or if they were just robots like the scan droids. I sent two bullets through its helmet and it went down. There had been so much killing today, what was one more body?

Unfortunately, those two bullets brought more cops running. I took out two more before I realized that they weren't just in the decoy tunnels.

"Burke, they're in the cardboard communities."

We ran. There were eight of them there. They had people on their knees ready to fire. I put a bullet through one and Burke sent another one down.

"We have to take care of them all," he said. "None of them can get information back about where we are."

"I doubt that will help," I said to myself. They already knew.

Despite having one arm, Burke was a wild man. He took out three more cops before he had to reload. More arrived and we took them out one by one, but there were so many, too many. We were going to lose the battle if help didn't show up.

I didn't see the one that came up behind me and knocked the gun from my hand. The second one was knocked away too.

"Dalia!" Burke tossed me his gun. I caught it and aimed at the closest cop.

"Dalia Cascade," the cop said in his robot-like helmet voice and my heart stopped in my chest. It knew my name. It knew who I was.

"Heir to the High Seat. You will come with me."

I put two bullets through its helmet and it dropped.

"I'm not going anywhere."

I looked up at Burke. His eyes were wide and betrayed. There was nothing I could say. I sent a single bullet through the last three helmets and watched the cops drop to the ground, one by one.

"What did it just call you?" Burke hopped over a fallen body and took me by the arm. "Who did it say you are?"

His face was red with anger and pain, his eyes full of molten fury.

I sniffed. "Dalia Cascade. Heir to the High Seat."

"The High Seat. The government seat! Heir to the twelfth seat?"

I nodded and his face drained of all color.

"And who are you really?" he begged. He wanted me to be someone else. I wanted to be someone else, but I wasn't going to lie to him.

"Dalia Cascade," I answered, my throat tight. "Heir to the High Seat."

Burke dropped my arm as if he'd been burned and took two heavy steps away from me. "You brought them here."

"No." I shook my head. I hadn't.

"They came here looking for you!"

"They couldn't have!" There was no way they even knew I was alive. I had burned with my parents.

"They know who you are!"

There was nothing I could say. I was a threat to the whole of Rat City because of whom I'd been born as. No one should have known I was alive, but here they were.

"Dalia Cascade," Burke's voice trembled with anger. "From this moment on you are exiled from this city. If you ever come back, if I ever see you again, I will kill you."

"Then kill me." I stood with my arms at my sides and waited.

"No," he said.

"You think you're being merciful?" I scoffed. "You couldn't kill me if you wanted to. Here's your chance. It's the only one you'll get."

But he never made a move.

"That's what I thought. I'll go, but not because you exiled me. I didn't bring them here and I never once intended for this to happen. This came from inside your camp."

I tossed the empty gun at his feet. It slid across the floor and stopped when it hit his shoes. Then I turned my back on him so he wouldn't see my tears.

Alaiala stopped me as I tried to leave. She pressed a gun into my hand, but I pushed it back. "I don't want that." I looked her in her eyes and said, "I didn't do this."

"I believe you." I felt the weight of the truth in her words.

"The truck has all of the medical supplies Burke could ever need. As for Colleen, let them take her to the city."

"Let the cops take her?" Alaiala looked at me with wide eyes.

"She'll be safe there. It's where she's from."

I walked away from Rat City, from Burke and Hamster and Eli. I walked away from the only place I'd ever really felt at home and into the burning sun of the prairie. Cool weather was on its way, but it would never compare to the ice growing on my heart.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tyffani Clark Kemp is a multi-genre author and owner of SideStreet Cookie Publishing LLC and its paranormal romance imprint Moon Rose Books. She writes everything from urban fantasy to erotic romance to dystopian.

OTHER BOOKS BY TYFFANI CLARK KEMP

**Without Rules Series**

The Man Without Rules

The Red Wife

The Power couple

The Beasty Series

Beast Within

Beast Anew

LeKrista Scott, Vampire Hunted

Scorned

Hunted

Conquered

Vyberdex Chronicles

Blood and Shattered Glass

Lies and Snow-clad Graves

The Kaveesh Series

Bittersweet

For Christmas' Sake: Nice Edition

For Christmas' Sake: Naughty Edition

Rehab is for Witches (Anthology with other authors)

BOOKS BY OTHER SIDESTREET AUTHORS

Tara S Wood

Lucius; The Fallen

Jude; The Fallen

Rehab is for Witches (Anthology with other authors)

Linda Jackson

Twisted Bloodlines

Curses and Deception

Conceived from Evil

Temptations from the Past

The Beasts Unveiled

Kayley J. Higgins

This Reckless and Unreasonable Love

J.A. Howell

Possess series

Possess

The Untimely Death of Brody Walsh

Possess My Heart

To Have and to Haunt

Possess My Soul

Love&Ink series

Marks on My Skin

Scratches Down my Back

Exposing the Flesh

An Ache in my Veins

Rehab is for Witches (Anthology with other authors)
