Branded

  Bruno storms into my room, practically sending me into cardiac arrest. “He’s gone. You’re coming with me.”

  “Wh…what?” I blink, feeling the pain shoot across my jaw from where Wilson pistol-whipped me. My hand runs over my cheek, feeling the swelling get worse by the minute.

  “Screw the lockdown. We’re going to Sutton—now!” Bruno starts throwing his stuff into his bag and pulling on his boots.

  “No! He could kill you.” I stand up, teetering against the wall.

  “Lexi, stand up and start walking—now!” He opens my door to the dark hallway and gestures me to follow him.

  “What about the checkpoint?” I ask.

  “Shh.” He whispers, “We’re not going out that way. Try to keep up.”

  I stumble along behind him as he leads me in another direction, past an empty guard station, and down a pitch-black staircase. At the bottom, he checks both ways before leading me along the back of the building.

  I never noticed the shantytown behind it before. Thousands of tarps hang in a subdued array of colors, along with hundreds of tin shacks, forming a poverty-ridden community. It’s no wonder the car bombings have been staged out of here. It’s too hard to pinpoint from whom or where they came when surveying the possible hiding places.

  Bruno whistles, low and slow, to get my attention. My head snaps forward, creeping behind him through some of the flimsy houses with corrugated metal roofs. It brings back memories of learning about third-world countries in school, except even they had it good compared to the desecration in the Hole.

  The thick smell of fetid garbage and hollow, angry glares greet me as we pass through four to five huts. I can’t breathe. Their skeletal appearances shock me into silence and I put my right hand on Bruno for support.

  After we pass through, we make our way back into the streets. My head injury begins to weigh on me, making me feel dizzy in the blistering heat. The sun beats down overhead and the slight breeze kicks dirt into our eyes.

  Bruno slows for a moment and glances back at me. “You never saw those people before, have you?”

  I shake my head. “No.”

  “That’s where sinners go when they don’t have a job. All of them are starving to death.”

  “I…I thought everyone had a job.”

  “Nope. Once you outlive your usefulness, they find another body to take your place,” he whispers over his shoulder, keeping an eye out for danger.

  The image of their emaciated bodies repulses me. How can anyone be so cruel? It just becomes one more thing to fuel my anger. With each step, I feel more and more determined to survive and maybe even conquer. The reminder of Wilson’s hands, his words, his cocky behavior… I won’t let him get the best of me. Then I stumble and fall to my hands and knees.

  Bruno gently picks me up and throws me over his shoulder. He jogs to the hospital, doing his best to stay out of sight. When we arrive, he takes me in a side entrance, forcing me to walk on my own two heavy feet. No one even bothers looking at me because of how insanely busy it is.

  He takes out a key and opens a window along the base of the building. He picks me up by my waist and I climb inside, dropping to the floor and almost crashing into an old rickety chair below. Bruno climbs in right after me. When my eyes adjust, I realize where I am. The basement.

  I can’t move. “Bruno… I—can’t.”

  “It’s the only way we can get in without being noticed. Don’t worry. I’ll be with you the whole time. I won’t leave your side.”

  With resignation and fear, I step into the darkness. And then I freeze in panic.

  He picks me up and carries me through the crowded basement and up eight floors while I keep my eyes closed. Bruno barely huffs as he steadies himself on the concrete steps. At the final door, he uses his key and unlocks it. I made it.

  The light blinds us as the door swings open, and I squint at the massacre that’s become Sutton’s usually well-organized floor. Bodies lay everywhere, some alive and some dead. Nurses sprint from room to room with bloodied scrubs. I don’t think anyone even notices us as we wait outside Sutton’s door.

  “What happened to her? Are you all right?” Sutton’s voice sounds concerned, yet frightened.

  “She’s fine—needs some care, but overall okay. We need to talk,” Bruno says.

  “Hurry, come in.” Sutton opens the door to his office and locks it behind him. He doesn’t even bother sitting as he smears his gory hands on his jacket and attempts to clean his glasses.

  As Bruno explains what happened, Sutton doesn’t react. His face remains stoic. As he listens, I notice how exhausted he looks. His hair looks a shade whiter than it used to and his hands shake while holding his glasses. He examines the cut on my cheek, swabs it, and hands me a bottle of water to hold against it.

  “I knew it would come to this,” he says. He steps away from me, looking pensive and edgy. Then he picks up the phone and next thing I know, Cole stands outside the door.

  I brace myself for his reaction.

  When Sutton lets him in, I can see pure rage on his face. He immediately wraps me into his arms as Bruno and Sutton watch. My lungs feel crushed and my heart rips apart with fear for him.

  “Did he touch you?” Cole demands.

  I can’t bear to look him in the eyes as he grimaces. He puts his hands on my shoulders and insists. “I swear to God if he hurt you—I’ll kill him!”

  When I look into his face, he knows immediately that Wilson didn’t just hit me. He launches his fist into the wall, forcing a hole through it, and starts yelling.

  I begin to cry. “Cole, I’m okay, really.”

  “No, you’re not okay! Don’t lie to me! I know you—you’re not okay!” Cole’s face looks like it’s going to explode with fury. The vein in his forehead pulses and his fiery eyes look possessed. He paces around when Sutton stops him.

  “That’s it. I’ve had enough,” Sutton says. All traces of compassion leave his expression. “It’s apparent you two have failed to listen to me. Now, I have no choice.” He motions to me. “Too many people’s lives are at stake here and the two of you are going to get us all killed. I have no other choice until things settle down. Lexi, you’re going to your brother.”

  “The hell she is!” Cole says.

  “This isn’t your call and you know it! I’m doing what needs to be done here. You couldn’t stop whatever it is you two have going on—so I am! It’s over and she’s going to Keegan. I don’t want to hear another word about it.”

  I give him a questioning look. “You know where he is?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t understand. Why would you know where—?”

  “There’s no time to explain. I’m calling for transport now.” Sutton mashes a button on his phone. “Cole, Bruno, please make sure she gets there safely.” He squints as he reads something on his phone. “Oh, good. There’s a black van waiting for you outside the side entrance.” He pulls a drawer open and reaches out his hand toward me. I take the book. “I saved this for you. Thought you might like to have it.”

  “Thank you,” I say.

  I take the book from him and press it against my chest. The Last Silk Dress, the book that Alyssa loved so dearly and wanted me to read to her every night. My heart crumbles thinking about her. “See you soon… I hope.”

  Sutton nods as he opens his door and sends us away without a good-bye. “Hurry!” At that, he briskly walks away and I meet the eyes of Amber, standing, staring at all of us in the hall.

  Her murderous glare gives me goose bumps, and immediately I know we need to move or she’ll be the one to report us.

  Bruno, Cole, Zeus, and I hop into the rusted black van idling outside the side entrance. There’s no joking around as we drive, just anxious glances through the filthy tinted windows. Zeus whines so I pull his head into my lap.

  I rub my watering eyes and see a dead body lying alongside a building. It’s a younger man. Even through the heavily tinted windows, I can make
out the vivid colors of death. His long blond hair partially covers his face, and his clothes are a dusty, faded blue color. Blood pools around his midsection, seeping from gunshot wounds. I turn away, feeling sick.

  I feel suffocated. The world is crashing around me, taking everything away that I ever cared about. Now I’m going to lose the only person I want more than anything—the man I love.

  My chest tightens with fear of the unknown. I twist my ring around on my left finger while waiting. It’s a turbulent ride. The lack of a seatbelt makes it hard to sit in one spot, and I keep sliding into Cole. He finally wraps his arm around me to console me, but I can see in his eyes that he’s afraid too.

  Suddenly, the sound of bullets tinging off metal rings my ears. Cole pulls me onto the floor as the van swerves left and right. All of our bodies lie jumbled in the middle, and we cover our heads with our arms, as if that’ll help.

  “Stay down. Stay down!” The driver shouts from the front seat.

  Cole puts his arm over me and I begin screaming with fright. I just can’t handle any more in one day. I can’t breathe, think, or begin to digest what’s happening. I peek over and Bruno lies against Cole. His eyes meet mine for a second and he smiles. Zeus huddles against me, barking and whining.

  The van hits a ditch and the driver begins cussing furiously. Cole crawls to the front and checks on him as blood pours from his arm.

  “Let me drive,” Cole yells.

  We hit another pothole and lurch into the air, slamming back down. My brain collides with my skull, rattling my senses, and darkening my vision momentarily.

  “It’s just my one arm. I can still drive,” the driver yells.

  Cole hunkers back down, startled each time the bullets pierce the body of the van.

  My screaming turns to whimpering as my face throbs. I check Alyssa’s book under my stomach to make sure I didn’t damage it and groan with each bump. The shooting gradually fades into the distance and Bruno sits up with Cole. They count fifty bullet holes, which miraculously didn’t kill any of us.

  Finally, some freaking luck in this forsaken place.

  Cole grabs my arm and gently pulls me against him. I collapse in his arms, feeling fragile and emotionally exhausted. He brushes my matted hair away from my eyes and grips my arm tightly. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him. Or Zeus. Or Bruno. Even he’s become part of our inner circle.

  But there’s no rest, even for the very, very weary.

  The driver hits the brakes and I slam into Cole with enough force that he stumbles onto the floor. Tires squeal, smelling of burned rubber, while male voices scream all sorts of profanity outside. Cole’s arm wraps around my waist, pulling me back to my seat, and Zeus starts barking wildly.

  “Your stop’s here. Keep low to the ground. Head five blocks east and they’ll find you.”

  I want to ask what he means, but next thing I know, the sunlight blinds me and we step into the unfamiliar street.

  CHAPTER 16

  The landscape looks like a concrete jungle with tin shacks shoved between large buildings. The contrast of the gray dust and the faded red of a nearby tarp draw my attention. It captivates me for no other reason than the fact that it looks like art. We had all kinds of paintings and photos hanging on the walls in our High Society condo. They were all names of famous artists that I can’t recollect, but I know beauty when I see it, even if it is in the slums.

  Overhead, clouds roll in like waves and cover the sun’s brilliant rays. Not a soul occupies these streets, but we move carefully to avoid the cameras.

  I spy a bouncy ball and know somewhere there’s a child missing it. The thought makes me ache inside. Another child whose life is riddled with violence. I can’t change what happened to me at my stepfather’s hands, but maybe—just maybe—if I ever escape from the Hole, I can make a positive difference for the sake of another child.

  The intensity on Cole’s face keeps me from speaking. I can tell the surrounding area has him and Bruno on eggshells as they check each corner, alley, and street that we pass. Their hands tightly wind around their weapons and their eyes widen, surveying the area for any suspicious movements. First Bruno moves and then motions us with his hands to follow. The dull thud of our footsteps echoes through an otherwise ominously quiet block.

  One block down. We follow Bruno into a narrow alley and stop to gather our thoughts for a minute before moving on. “Hey.” Bruno motions from the front and Cole comes around me with his gun cocked and ready. “We’ve got four blocks to go. You want me to stay point?”

  “Yeah, Zeus and I don’t mind bringing up the rear,” Cole whispers.

  Bruno nods, then squats down as a troop of guards runs past the entrance to the alley. We all hold our breath and pray. Cole pulls Zeus close to his body to keep him from sounding the alarm. I squeeze my eyes closed and hear the blood rushing through my ears. My heart pounds with adrenaline.

  The guards seem too involved in whatever they’re doing to notice us hiding between the buildings. Thank God, I think. That counts as two strokes of luck today. But as soon as we leave the alley, I hear the sound of boots following us. First slow and then quicker, as if they’re sharks catching the scent of blood.

  “Stop!” A voice cuts through the air.

  But of course we don’t. Bruno sprints, looking for cover, as we tag along behind him. My breath comes in short, ragged bursts and I feel like my lungs will explode before we find somewhere to go.

  “By order of the commander, halt!” the voice yells again.

  I know it’s only a matter of seconds before they open fire because we have no intentions of stopping—for anyone. Come on, Bruno. Come on! My insides scream in desperation thinking about Cole behind me and our lives hanging in the balance. I lick my cracked lips, imagining how good water would taste as I puff along with them. Zeus’s tongue hangs out as he runs without effort. I know he could outsprint us all if he wanted, but he’s loyal and won’t leave us.

  Seeing nowhere else to go, Bruno kicks in the door of a small house and weaves through it. Just as Cole enters, I hear the automatic rat, tat, tatting of guns open up outside. Dirt spits off the ground where bullets hit. A lone man sits at his table about to eat when we startle him. He jumps under the table with wide eyes and his dentures clatter to the floor as he yells for us to leave.

  “Sorry, sir!” Cole apologizes as he runs through the kitchen. “Just passing through. Oh Lord, Zeus, put those down!” Cole yells and it’s not hard for me to guess what Zeus picked up.

  We crash through the only other room of the house and barge through the back door into another shanty. Where are we going? The muscles in my legs burn from trying to keep up with Bruno, who’s a physical machine. Sweat drips down my face and stings my eyes, forcing me to wipe them with my dirty hands.

  “We have to move faster. Try to pick up your pace,” Cole says behind me.

  I can’t stop to check him, and as long as he talks, I know he’s there. I don’t want to lose him. I don’t want to die yet… I’m not ready. Not when I’m this close to being safe and seeing my brother for the first time in years. I don’t want this all to be for nothing.

  We stumble through three, four, five more shanty houses before spilling into another street adjacent to the one before.

  “Oh, this is great! Now where the hell are we?” Cole says under his breath.

  My heart’s in my throat and I gasp for air as my chest heaves up and down. I look down and one of my slippers is missing. No time to stop though.

  Bruno hooks a left and moves along the buildings. As I follow, my fingers touch the buildings for support, feeling the difference in texture between the brick and cement. Hoping against all odds we survive or can at least find a place to hide.

  Cole’s hands grip his pistol, following along and checking to make sure the guards didn’t catch up.

  Only two more blocks to go. But two blocks seem like an eternity when fighting for your life. Every breath, every stride, and every sound is
magnified in my mind. The colors are more vivid, the feeling of suffocation more powerful than ever.

  A loud crash lets us know we haven’t escaped them. They come thundering after us, firing nonstop. I don’t have time to scream or cry, just sprint with all my might after Bruno, hoping Cole follows with Zeus. The guards outnumber us as they pin us in another alley.

  There’s nowhere left to go. We don’t have the manpower or firepower to take them head-on. Bruno and Cole take turns shooting back at them, but we know it’s only a matter of time before the guards figure out we’re at their mercy.

  “Maybe I should have a gun,” I say.

  Cole glances at me. “Have you ever shot one?”

  “No. But it’s not hard to figure out.”

  He thinks for a second. “Here goes nothing.” He places his other black pistol in my right hand. “It’s already loaded. Just aim and pull the trigger.”

  Bruno empties a full magazine, hits the slide, and then slams in his spare. Then I shoot Cole’s other gun and empty it. It’s the first time I’ve ever touched one, and it feels good to fight back, although I’m sure my shots are nothing more than a deterrent.

  The spray of bullets answering us forces us to shoot blind. Zeus barks ferociously while standing in front and Cole reins him in by pulling his collar. Dirt, dust, and pieces of debris shower us, leaving flakes of blood behind, but we rotate shooting until the ammunition is spent. After the last shot, Bruno and Cole lock eyes knowingly. They press against the wall and communicate with hand motions. I squeeze my eyes closed, trying to block out the sounds of hell being unleashed around us. Then we wait for the inevitable onslaught of violence from the guards. Cole pushes me behind him to protect me, and Zeus growls low and deep in his belly in front of us.

  By now, we’ve sweated through every layer of clothing possible. The acrid smell of hot lead bores through my senses. I swear I feel a raindrop on my cheek as we wait and wait for the guards to kill us.

  The gunfire continues but fades, confusing all of us. Male voices, some yelling and some moaning, creep across the street like ghosts. I want to look around the corner and find out what’s happening, but I know Cole would never allow it.