Artifice - Man x Man - Book Six

Chapter 7

The sky is a dull haze as we step out of the compound onto the dusty terrain. The wind whips, kicking up dusty tornadoes that whirl around and catch on my clothes. I encourage myself not to think about it, not to think about our circumstances, and focus on the task at hand just as Penelope did with me. 

I'm taken aback by the vacant land that surrounded the hidden entrance to our new home, dirt and skeletal weeds are all there are for miles. I try and breathe in the air but it almost chokes me, Marcello reaches over to lift my breathing apparatus, a slender dark mask that goes over the lower half of my face. 

"It'll help with the transition. We need you to be strong." Once more, I'm the untested youth. Tonic and Reid know of my ability but the remainder of the group had yet to see me do anything remarkable, save for boss around an angry Alpha male. 

With a resounding thunk, the doors slam behind us and I tug at my lycra bodysuit and its various shades of gray. I feel as though I've been crammed into it and it doesn't leave much for the imagination though I find the funniest part of it, truthfully, is the belt and makeshift vest that go along with it. 

A hilarious bastardized version of our clothes if I had to imagine, providing plenty of room for movement while still protecting us from the elements. I fiddle with the tab on a small circular object only to have the dark hand cover my own. 

"Them apples make a pretty big boom." He comments, raising a brow suspiciously. I quickly retract my hand and Tonic reminds me that it's called a grenade. I'm afraid I paid little attention in my briefing, how could I when I was so consumed with the thought of going outside for the first time in weeks? "What's this?"

I'm yanked out of my musings. "Erm- a flashlight."

"This is your flashlight." He points to a long stick, pressing the button that blinds me with a beam as bright as a morning star. I shield my eyes as he turns it off. 

"To blind my enemies," I grumble.

"No. To light your path. Just pisses people off if you flash that in their faces, go for the grenade if that's the case. Actually.. give me that." he yanks it off my belt, attaching it to his. "I don't want to die because of your fiddling." 

I almost take offense but I find that I'm smiling, smiling because it's witty banter like this that reminds me so much of the family that I left behind. "Probably a good idea, don't want to blow us up on the first day."

"I could put you back together," Tonya says casually, flipping her hand across a scanner she's clutching as if it were our very lifeblood. "so you said we need water?"

I nod. "There's nothing here to conjure from, it's too dry. Even the air is dry." 

"Well not much for water out here, unfortunately. Might need to transfer to the city limits." A low snarl makes my skin crawl and my eyes rapidly search for its source. It's as if no one else hears it, they carry on about their day as I wheel around like a madman searching for the thing that's about to attack us. 

A massive, metal carriage appears under its own power from the depths of a crevice and I note that Marcello opens the door. The creature, only it appears to not be a creature at all, growls ideally as our small group beings to climb inside. "Come along, then, Nic." She motions to me, her eyes avoiding my hesitation as if an acknowledgment of my fear would only validate it. I steal a glance back toward the doors. "We are better off without him. You know that."

Did I? Making the conscious decision to head for the vehicle, I climb in and shut the heavy door with a jarring slam. The hum of the motor feels as though it wishes to make my teeth chatter and we're whisked off at an alarming speed as the jungle cat vehicle obediently heads toward the coordinates Tonya inputted.