To Be A Champion

Chapter 42: Soft Target

"Thank you for joining me," I say as we run. "I didn't want to talk to her alone, just in case-"

"I know," Tom interrupts. "But you don't have to thank me. I've been thinking of the same thing."

I nod. He's right. Over the past three days, in between helping the others look for the Edda, which has proven to be fruitless, Tom and I have been going over the plan to find and question Shona. Of course, we're not going to make it clear to her that questioning her is why we asked her out on this run, and I feel bad for tricking her like this, but it has to be done. There's no way the skincoats will have hidden the Edda anywhere that we could find. We need to ask questions if we hope to find it and see what can stop the red fungus.

Seeing that the silvery mud has some effect, we think the Edda will tell us how to use it. It's what's keeping Tom and Janine's infection at a lesser level than almost everyone else. Funny how the thing that's saving them from the red fungus is killing them.

No. No, it's not funny at all.

"Amelia's reported the fungus on the mainland has died back completely," Tom states before shaking his head. "Doesn't help us any. Everyone on Mor is still infected, and Janie's very sick."

"And how are you holding up?" I ask. "You... feeling okay to be running today?"

He grins. "Weren't you the one who had to keep telling me not to worry about you?"

"You were worried about me because I became mortal and could die. I'm worried about you because you are dying."

"We all are, Callista." His smile softens. "I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine... Janie's doing much worse than me. We think she has less than a week. Still, she's considering ordering a frontal assault on the laird. We're all thinking he's the skincoat's leader."

I nod silently, and he continues.

"You know, Five, when Janie and I were young, after our parents died, we were sent to stay with a man named General Bakari." He laughs. "I think he tried to kill you once. He was a big believer in serving one's government. I suppose it made sense he'd side with the Ministry."

"Hold on," I say, biting my lip in thought. "Sorry. So many people have tried to kill me. It's hard to remember who—oh!" It hits me. "Him. Yeah. After we figured out Sigrid was evil, Janine sent me to him. He chased me on a motorbike, and I used a tree branch to knock him down. Bike crushed his leg, and then I stole it. I think... Sigrid told me she'd killed him when she captured me months later. Or she implied it, at least." I wince. "I'm sorry."

He shrugs. "You didn't kill him. Sigrid told you that to intimidate you, most likely, to let you know what she did to people that failed her. But Bakari could be a, uh, sharp man. We played board games. He was better with children when there were rules. Jane didn't take to him at first. She always made a point of winning. Monopoly, Scrabble." He lets out a laugh. "Everything. He told us if we could excel, then excelling was our duty. He pushed us to be better, stronger, faster. To be thorough, avoid mistakes."

A shadow passes over his face. "I've made a lot of mistakes. I hurt people when I came back from Algeria. I was so broken then, and I barely realized it. Negative operational condition. And now the dreams every night." He sighs. "I've started to see things in the daytime too. Apparitions out of the corner of my eye. Sometimes I don't know if I can... trust myself." He grits his teeth. "And I hate that because it reminds me of what I was before, what I was like two years ago when you'd finally captured me after I tried to steal Sara."

I realize what he doesn't say. What he was like before he got help and treatment. Janine had him sleep tied up for months in Noah Base.

"Tom-" I start. He doesn't let me.