Fallen

Chapter Six

We exited the building on the opposite side from where we entered. More people stood beside fire barrels trying to gather all the warmth they could. Several steps before us was Thomas. He limped down the street. No one looked in his direction or ours.

Thomas slipped down an alleyway. Alec and I walked toward it unhurried. The firelight faded while we walked away from the Neighborhood. Without the fire barrels, the skeleton city grew eerily dark and quiet around us. The only light was from the moon that filtered through beams of the buildings but even that light wasn't a lot.

The alleyway was dark. Thomas low grunts and swearing could be heard when he tripped over building rubble echoed between the buildings. Alec silently offered me to go first with a gesture of his hand.

My eyebrow rose and I stepped into the alley. Why and how Alec had changed bothered me. It had bothered me since seeing him yesterday at the meeting with his hair black. Old Alec would have gone first or would have sabotaged the mission somehow to spite me.

Yes, he had changed a few months ago after the mountain simulation when I saved him in the river. When we protected Audrey he was civil, pleasant even. I thought his behavior was due to saving each other but with how he was now, I didn't think that was the case.

My feet and legs felt the obstacles in the alleyway since my eyes were useless in the near darkness. Unlike Thomas, we were near silent in the alleyway. Mostly because we had avoided injuring ourselves. My leg grazed a pipe that was sticking out, I was about to warn Alec but there was a sharp intake of breath from behind me when he drove his knee into the pipe.

Slow and steady was key and when we reached the other side it was a blessing to see Thomas strolling down a clear street.

The darkness covered us like a blanket. On the sides of the streets were large chunks of cement and material that once belonged to the surrounding buildings. We kept to the pieces while following Thomas.

For his part, Thomas was easy to track. He did not look behind to see if he was followed. Either he didn't care or he hurt too much to remember to check what lurked behind.

Several more streets we trailed him. The nearer he got to his destination, the quicker he walked. As we neared, there was a sound of water. Thomas turned down another street and we jogged lightly to the corner.

At the end of the street was the bay. A small, makeshift dock was built with a small boat tied to large pieces of pipe that were part of the dock. From the different pipes and wood the dock was made from, it was built recently or sometime after the war.

The boat bobbed in the water from the gentle waves. Two men leaned against two of the sturdier piping that anchored the dock in the water below. A lantern sat at their feet to illuminate the spot with light.

"I thought you never gonna show up," one of the men called to Thomas.

Thomas entered the circle of lantern light. Alec and I moved closer, using the shadows and the debris on the street to hide us.

"God damn man, what happened to your face?" the other one asked.

Thomas grunted, "Roger was in a ripe mood."

The older stranger had short silver hair and a fit body. He stepped toward Thomas, holding the younger man's chin and examined cuts and bruises on his face. Thomas swatted the hand away.

The younger blond haired stranger looked beyond Thomas to the shadows of the street where we lurked. His eyes narrowed as if trying to see better in the dark. "I never liked Roger," he said.

"You like no one," the older man snapped. "Come on, we need to get back to the Island. You have a meeting with Chris tonight."

Chris. Wait what? The Chris we knew or a totally different Chris?

I looked up at Alec who hovered above me, leaning against the building. The name had not affected him like it did with me.

Thomas and the older man stepped onto the boat. It roared to life and backed away from the dock after the younger stranger undid the ropes and kicked off.

"Ben do we know where Chris is?" I asked. The boat turned in the water and headed away from us. I stood from my spot and headed back the way we came. Alec fell into step beside me.

"Chris? Leader of the Rebels Chris?" Ben asked.

I rolled my eyes. "What other Chris do we know?"

"There's Chris from the kitchen who gave me these snacks. What Ben? I told you I would bring snacks," Blair said. In my mind, I picture Ben glaring at her like how he glared at me when I was sarcastic.

"I don't know but we can figure it out," Ben said. "Why what happened? We don't have eyes or ears where you are."

Alec watched the silent city while I told Ben what we heard. "What do they mean island? Back in the storage building, Roger had said he hasn't seen us on the island. Staten Island? I thought that place was abandoned."

"It is," Martin said, "Scouts go through there to do surveys a few times a year."

"We will brainstorm on the matter when you guys get back," Ben said.

"Or could pick us up."

"Lazy ass, you can walk."

"Fine, see you in an hour then," I playfully snapped.

Alec and I walked side by side in the shadows of the buildings. Glancing over at him, I found he was searching the surrounding areas. I was taught to do the same. To sweep eyes over the area and try not to focus on a singular thing, for a better peripheral vision. I wasn't totally sold that it worked but I did it anyway.

As far as I could tell, there was no one around. I pulled out my earpiece, nudged Alec in the arm to draw his attention to it. Alec looked down at the earpiece and he too took his out.

"What?" Alec said. He didn't say it in a nasty way like how he might have had.

"I wanted to talk without them in our ear."

Alec went back to scanning the area. "Do you think we should talk right now?"

"Okay, number one," I held up one finger, "We are in York. Maybe not the best side but we aren't in a lot of danger." I held up a second finger, "If anyone saw us, we could play it off as people traveling to a Neighborhood because people do that."

Alec thought it over and nodded.

"So, how's it going with the Rangers?"

"Good."

"What sort of training do the Rangers do? I am sure it is more in-depth spy work than what Alliance is. People think Alliance are the spies. Which we are but we do a lot more than that. Like we are analyze and whatnot. You guys are the true, unknown spies."

"Then you should know I can't share my training with you."

Okay. Point taken. He didn't really want to talk.

We walked a full minute before I spoke again. "How are you doing?"

"What is this sudden profound interest in my well-being?" Alec shot. That was more like old Alec. But I didn't want him to turn into old Alec, I wanted to know what was going on with new Alec.

"No need to be snotty. I was wondering how you were doing is all." And why did you dye your hair and why are you suddenly nice? "It's been a while since we last saw each other."

"I am well," Alec said after a moment. "How was the Wasteland?"

"Oh you know, it was hot, dusty, and uneventful."

"Not from what I heard." Alec paused in his scanning the streets to look down at me. "Everyone over here kept up with what you and Ben were doing. You had some sketchy times over there."

"Yeah Ben and I were in a pickle a time or two," I said, "Perhaps you will have a mission in the Wasteland someday."

"I am sure it will be sooner rather than later."

The conversation dried up after his last statement. Whatever that had made Alec change, it would come up eventually. I didn't know why it bothered me so much to know what the transformation was.

We put our earpieces in again and trekked back to the van.