Orion and the Clockwork (The Carmsborough Vigilantes #2)

Chapter 13

It was a long and exhausting walk back to the abandoned mattress warehouse, and by the time he was at its doorstep, the sun was already beginning to paint the sky a variety of colors. He hadn't been bothered by anyone on his trip, aside from a few head turns, but if anyone had recognized him, they must not have done anything to alert Syndra.

The Clockwork was standing right at the door as he walked in. He hardly paid any mind to it as he went to the back offices, dusted off one of the desks, and set the radio and bread down. He cracked into a loaf, still soft on the inside, and turned on the radio.

The reception was fuzzy, whether it was because of being in the warehouse, the quality of the radio itself, or because of the area of the Industrial District he was in, but he eventually found a station with enough coverage for him to actually hear. All the chairs in the building had been taken out, so he stood at the desk as the radio played.

"Good evening, Carmsborough," the radio host said. "We are, of course, keeping you up-to-date on all the news around the city, following Syndra's takeover. Sounds like the old military general, McIntosh, has touched back down at his home base in the Engineering District, the Gearmaster's workshop, which hasn't been operational for a few years.

"And, of course, the hunt is still on for Orion Muldane, who has avoided their capture. Our earlier reports about him on the run in the Agricultural District seem to have been true, but his current whereabouts are completely unknown. Although, with that Clockwork following him around, it's just a matter of time before somebody gets a hold of him again. What's your opinion on all of this, Bob?"

"I think it's all a lot of fuss for just one kid who doesn't want to be involved anyway," a second host said. "I think Syndra's primary worry was that somehow, the kid was going to stop his takeover, but clearly, he has no interest in doing that."

That's not true anymore, Orion thought.

"No, it's more about the fact that he has the Clockwork to begin with. I think Syndra needs it for something. It's likely part of his big plan, whatever that might be."

Engineering District. That's where General William McIntosh was, and that's where Orion was headed.

The bread was nowhere near enough to fully sustain him, but at least it took some of the pang of hunger away. He moved to a different room, dust still on the desk, and began drawing up his plans for the night.

-◦=[ ]=◦-

After a quick pit stop at a pop-up government building for a map, he started on his way to the Gearmaster's old shop. He wasn't completely sure where in the Engineering District it was, but that was a problem for later Orion.

The Clockwork had once again been left behind at the warehouse. The things that the girl had said about treating steambots with respect were ringing in his ears, but for the moment, this had to be a covert mission. He couldn't afford to go barging in to hostile territory.

And so he walked alone, the spring air growing colder as the night progressed. He estimated about a forty-minute commute to the edge of the district, and from there, it was anyone's guess.

Leading up to the district line, which he figured would be as drastic as the line between the Housing and Industrial Districts, he was a lot less cautious. There weren't many people out and about on the road, and a lot less that seemed to be tied to Syndra, but he was still sure to retreat to the shadows when he needed to.

Otherwise, it was his worn shoes tapping against the worn streets. They were at least paved, unlike the cobblestone streets of the Housing District, but they'd certainly seen better days. Once he'd reached the dividing line, everything changed drastically.