One Last Evolution

Chapter Four (Riley)

    I scrape the toe of my boot against the edge of the curb and look idly around the square. Across from me is a small produce stand, ordinary except for the small fox head scratched into the underside of the counter.

   I've been waiting for about an hour when the comms screens flicker on and an alarm goes off, warning the shoppers of a mandatory public broadcast.

   The screens show a small Cybio girl, five at the oldest, with long, light brown hair streaked with green, freckles, and a shy expression.

"Reine Alstaeter has been reported missing. Repeat, Reine Alstaeter is missing. Any information on her disappearance will be amply rewarded. Last seen at 1900 yesterday evening. Patrols will begin searching homes at 0900. Please be in your residence and prepared to show your papers. Rest assured that her abductors will be punished."

   The comms screen repeats this announcement twice, and on the third time I glance around at the crowd and spot Maren, Ciana, and Teagan. There's another, younger girl with them. I slip through the gathered people until I'm directly behind them, close enough to hear Ciana whisper:

"Match.There goes our supply run for today. If they're sending everyone home then we need to get out of here."

  'It's not just that." Maren's face is very pale. "She's Councilman Alstaeter's daughter. Whoever took her isn't likely to hide her in someone's house or in the inner city. They'll come looking in the outskirts. The councilmen wanting to put all resources into burning the unevolved out of the suburbs will have the perfect excuse. They might even get full approval."

She turns to lead them out of the square, and bumps into me.

"Sorry," she says, without looking up.

I grab her arm, and she twists out of my grasp faster than I can blink, snapping her head up.

"Whoa, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"Riley." she says flatly. Any progress I made towards trust yesterday seems to have vanished. "What are you --"

"You didn't tell me when I was supposed to meet you." I try a teasing grin.

   She's not amused. "You can't help us, Riley. Four is already a large group if we're going for unnoticeable."

"We could split into groups, and I could take one of the --" I stop, knowing from the look on Maren's face that that's never going to happen. She's completely shut me out. For now.

I sigh. "Fine. Could you tell me again where the Stoats are? You said they were looking for members?"

"They're in an old warehouse on the outskirts of Sector Four."

"Where's that? And how do I find it?"

"Mare," Ciana hisses. "You can't just send him in to Sector Four, they'll kill him."

"They won't kill him if he's careful and makes sure they know I sent him."

"That was last month, before the Asps started burning out other houses. Everybody's on edge right now."

"Could you just take me there? You need to get out of the city proper anyway, since all of the lawful residents are heading for home," I say.

   Maren looks around. The crowds are already thinning out, and people are completing transactions without pausing to speak. She bites her lip.

"I guess so," she says at last. "Ciana and Teagan, go on back to the house. I'll take July and we'll run across to Sector Four and find the Stoats."

Teagan frowns. "How are you going to get all the way to Sector Four and back before 0900?"