Freeborn

Chapter Three

The coordinator stared at me with furrowed stark white brows. “What is this?” He pointed down at Onyx.

A lump formed in my throat. “A dog…”

“No shit, kid,” he snarled back. “Animals are an endangerment to fellow migrators. He’s gonna hafta’ to stay behind.”

Lucy stared down at the dog’s amber eyes. He lay down at her feet and licked the shoelaces on her boots. “He was a gift, though.”

“Does it look like I give a damn?” He nodded to a couple of Lawless standing down wind. “Take this mutt, do whateva’ you gotta’ do with it. Just get rid of the beast!”

Beth and Annie stormed forward, wrapping their arms around Onyx. Lucy pulled both of them back by their scrawny arms, and shook her head at them. Two of the Lawless grabbed Onyx by the collar, but he growled and nipped at their hands. The crowd backs away, leaving an open space for the men to wrestle around with the fighting dog.

Lucy charged forward. “Stop, you’re both hurting him!” She yanked at one of the men’s arms. He jerked at her touch, slamming his armored arm into her sunglasses. The left lens cracked diagonally. Falling backward on the ground, her sisters ran to her aide.

When the coordinator stepped forward, he looked down at all three of them with a smirk. “Do you wish to leave Coda?”

Beth and Annie nodded obediently. Lucy glared up at him, blood trickling down her brow.  

“I’d suggest yah stop with all this fussin’ and get up!” His pale pockmarked face turned a shade of pink.

Lucy held back tears for Onyx as they secured his jaw close and dragged him away. He was their protection, he’d become a companion that was loyal to a fault. One minute there, and the next he was gone.

“They will kill him, won’t they?” Annie asked, crying on Lucy’s shoulder. “It isn’t fair!”

Standing, Lucy helped her sisters to their feet and led them away from the crowd. “We have no choice! Both of you need to suck it up –” She started to choke on her words. “Just suck it up, okay? He’s gone.”

Annie wiped away the tear from Lucy’s cheek that had escaped from behind her sunglass lens.

“Thanks,” said Lucy, hugging her sister. “You’re a great kid.”

Beth stood nearby with her arms crossed. “When do we get our mother?”

Lucy sighed inwardly. That would be a whole other struggle, getting her mother slipped into the group of migrators on the way out of Coda. If she hadn’t asked Cole to wait for them to pass through where he said he would wait with their mother in an alleyway, then none of them would be leaving the city…ever.

“Cole is waiting for us with her,” said Lucy. “The Lawless can’t know she’s crazy…”

Annie tilted her head with confusion written all over her face. “But how will we keep her quiet?”

“Mild sedatives I found a few months ago.”

Beth slapped her hand over her mouth.

“You’re going to drug her?” Annie shouted too loudly. Lucy pinched her arm to shut her up. “Sorry! But, you’re seriously gonna give her drugs. Will she be able to walk?”

Lucy nodded. “Of course she will walk, you silly head. How would we get anywhere if she couldn’t?”

Annie shook her head. “No clue. What if we’re caught?”

“We’ll be fine. All you have to do is listen to me and we’ll get to Grandeur.”

Beth slipped her hand into Lucy’s, squeezing it gently. “I will help as much as I can with our mother.”

“Thanks, Bethy,” said Lucy, kissing the mess of ebony curls on top of her sister’s head.

The coordinator shuffled the migrators forward in one big mass. “Move, move, move along!” he said. “Alright, yah folks! Safe travels…if you’re all that lucky.” He chuckled and walked back into the RMS building.

One of the Lawless stepped forward, only a couple feet from Lucy. “That stupid mangy dog bit me.” Grumbling, he raised his hand into the air. “You’ll pay for this later, girl.”

He shoved passed Lucy to take lead in front of the group. Inhaling a deep breath, she put on her backpack and followed behind the walking migrators, becoming another person who would attempt a better life out west. Death rate traveling was high, whether it was from murder, disease, or starvation. The risk was manageable, because the outcome was necessary.