"Runner Five, are you receiving this?"
"Loud and clear, sweetheart," I reply, turning up the volume of my headset. I resist the urge to smile when I see Phineas's nose scrunches up, having read my lips and hearing the pet name I just said. Being as young as he is, it doesn't surprise me that he doesn't like hearing about romantic affection. Although, to be honest, he rarely seems to like any affection at all. Very few people can get near him without him becoming defensive. I suppose that could be because of all that he's gone through, along with the years he spent with his mother and father hiding in a house, constantly being told there would be people after him.
"Get to the gate right now then." Sam pauses for a short second. "Bloody hell, it feels like a long time since I said that, doesn't it? I don't know, what with one thing and another. We've been running so many missions, but I don't know if we've actually... raised the gates lately. I miss that."
"I miss it too," I say quietly, before standing. I don't have to give Phineas any explanation. He already knows what I have to do. I told him before I started helping him with his math that I may have to go on a mission today, which is why I'm in my running uniform, and why I'm wearing my rubber band instead of my actual engagement ring.
'I'll be back later,' I sign to him, and he nods, quickly going back to his studying without so much as a goodbye.
It hurts just like it always does, but I push the pain away and head out for the gates. I hear Paula speak to me over the headset, already waiting for me.
"Ready to go, Five?"
"Always am."
"It's a dangerous mission," Sam starts, and I roll my eyes. Every mission is a dangerous mission. "The woman who ran that listening post in Worthington-on-Sea is on the run."
"Oh, yes," Paula says, smiling when I reach her. "Amelia told us her name. Sweetpea? She has pink and purple bunches, and likes mid-80's synth rock? My kind of woman."
"I picked up a message from her via Roufflenet. Secret channel. She has a message about Sigrid's work on Moonchild Syndrome. We can't risk her being picked up by a Ministry-loyal territory."
I perk up at that. She knows something about Moodchild Syndrome?
Does that mean she can help me?
"I heard yesterday that Kingsnorth had gone Ministry," I say, my bottom lip worried between my teeth as Sam hums in reply.
"Yep. Sigrid's passing her serum out like horrible baby-derived candy bars, so uh, you'll be catching the next train running along our border with Radial. Your contact will meet you there."
Paula raises a brow, her face knowing. "The contact's Lobatse, isn't it?"
"We can neither confirm nor deny that."
Paula and I both gasp at the new voice. "Steve!"
"It's been forever since I've heard your voice," I laugh, quickly composing myself. "How's your eye?"
"Oh, well, it was nothing. And then the second and third times, it was also nothing."
I don't believe that for a second, but I don't say anything.
"You've got to make that train," Sam says. "But wait for it... Raise the gates!" He sighs when the alarms sound, and the gates go up. "Oh my God, that felt good! Covering fire! Five, Twenty-three, get to that train. Run!"
And we do. I wear a smile as we do, hope blooming in my chest at the thought of there being more information on me, and what I have. It's clear that Sigrid wants people with Moonchild Syndrome. She wants me. She knows I have it. She wants to test on me like she did with those people in the jailhouse, like she's probably done with Andy...
Information on Sigrid and her plans for people with Moonchild Syndrome is a benefit for us. If we know what she's planning, then maybe we can find a way to cure me and others of this, if there is a cure. I know Moonchild has helped me through a lot. She was able to pull out answers from my own mind that I never would have. She knows how to pull out deep-rooted memories, see small signs, find hidden details. She has her own personality within me, but she's not good for me.
The dependent state we have for each other isn't healthy, and having her in my head only adds to the stress I face with visions and dreams and the accelerated healings. It's only a matter of time before people find out about my healing, and my visions. They all found out about Moonchild, so what's to say they won't find out about this?
I want to keep them from knowing this until I have no other choice but to reveal my secrets. It's hypocritcal, yes, especially with how I felt after learning who Peter was, but I don't want to be seen as more of a freak than I already am. If getting Moonchild out of my head can make me seem more human again, then I'll gladly do whatever it takes. It's even more of a bonus if doing this will destroy what Sigrid's been working on.
Paula and I reach the track, running along side it. We're just a few minutes away from the train station, where our train is waiting. We don't slow down. We cannot be seen entering while the train is still. There are guards watching, checking everyone to make sure they are who they say they are. The station is on Sigrid's side, meaning even though the train runs along our border, it is hers, and only her people are permitted to be on it.
"All aboard!"
The shout rings into the cool air, and the train whistle blows as the wheels begin to turn on the track. Paula and I both push ourselves to run faster, feet pounding into the hard ground.
"Alright, the train's starting off slow, and it'll stay slow as it goes around this bend. We have to hurry so we can jump onto the viewing platform at the back," Paula says, her breathing unsteady. "I love these old 1960s trains, don't you? I think Sigrid found them easy to convert to multiple fuel sources. They're just elegant."
Steve hums. "Yeah. I bet that baby has a sleeping car."
"I bet it had a smoking car."
"I bet it has a jellybean dispenser," Sam murmurs, going silent for a second while I suppress a giggle. "What? Right. Five and Twenty-three, run now and grab onto the back of that train."
Panting and sweating, I push myself just a bit more, my legs burning as I jump onto the viewing platform. I hold out my hand to Paula, and she jumps, grabbing onto my forearm that's slick with sweat. She's careful not the claw me, and I make sure not to nick her with my nails. She's still part zombie. Even with my immortality, we cannot be too careful.
"Great!" Sam praises. "Now there should be someone waiting for you in the last carriage."
We slide the door open, heading down to the last carriage as told. When we open the door, a familiar blonde turns toward us me smile smiles fondly. Her eyes have not lost any light, even after all these months.
"Dr. Cohen, Runner Five, it is so good to see your faces."
"Kefilwe," I sigh, grabbing her hand, still panting and not wanting to hug her because I know I probably already smell. "It's good to see you too. How are you? Keeping well?"
She shrugs. "Oh, as well as can be expected. I am here under false papers, and no one looks too closely at the papers of a doctor in a hospital anyway."
"Don't you want to get out?" I frown.
She shrugs again, her hand going to her earpiece. "These people need me. I'm tuning into your frequency now. Sam, do you read me?"
"Oh, it's so great to hear your voice, Kefilwe," Sam says cheerily, and she smiles, although there's a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
"Oh, is it just you today?"
"No. Um... I'm here too," Steve says awkwardly, and I don't miss how her eyes light up.
"Oh! Steven. Hello."
"Hello."
"Papers!" A voice from the hallway calls. I see him through the window's reflection; I recognize the tattoo on his face. "Everyone, papers, please!"
"We cannot afford for that guard to find you both here. Quickly, out onto the viewing platform." Kefilwe slides the door open, her expression serious. "We will climb up the ladder onto the roof. Then we must run along the train roof to be in position to jump to the next train."
"Uh, the next train?" Sam repeats, while I stiffen.
"I know," Steve sighs. "She's amazing."
"Five, Dr. Cohen, come on," She says, leading us outside, her steps quickening as we try to avoid being seen. Once outside she wastes no time climbing the ladder. The train is going much faster now, and my hair which is pinned up in a bun is quickly becoming loose from the wind. Still, I follow the doctor, with Paula following after me.
I've done this before, running along the top of a train. I did it with Sarah Smith. It was hard to see then, just as it is now. Thinking back makes my heart ache. That was such a long time ago. I saved Owen from that train... Owen's been dead for nearly ten months. Has it only been that long? How long has Sarah been dead? Three years? Three and a half? So much has happened in such a short amount of time. So many people have died since then. How many more will die?
"Runner Five, don't slow down," Paula says, and I blink, suddenly aware of my watering eyes and stinging skin. My hair has come loose as well. I use those things as a way to keep myself from thinking on the past. I dwell on it too much as it is. It's best if I don't do so on such a crucial mission.
Paula looks around, her dark brows furrowing at the sight of everything around her. "You can really see how divided the country's become from up here. Look at all these tiny little pocket states."
I look around, unsure how to feel, because she's right. Some of these pocket states are no bigger than a farm or two.
Kefilwe simply nods, not even looking out over the farms or villages. "Some of them owe fealty to Sigrid. Some side with the Exmoore Militia or the Psychoanalysts. Some have hired Pit Viper assassins to protect them. Some are run by militarized gangs or are playing different sides in the middle."
"That train is the only one that goes between several different pocket states," Steve tells us. "Anyone on it might be secret police. The only way to get those papers to Sweetpea is to make sure you've thrown off any pursuers."
I groan. "So, should we be worried that the guard asking for papers had a Pit Viper tattoo on his face?"
"Marbles. Kefilwe?" Steve says, and I blink in confusion. She simply nods.
"Marbles, Steven."
"As in, 'I'm losing my...'?" Sam guesses.
"No, No," Kefilwe says with a shake of her head. "But I'm about to lose mine. Five, Dr. Cohen, do you see our train coming from the other direction? The two trains will slow as the pass. We will jump from one to the other and run up to the engine, and I will empty this bag of marbles into the carriage below us to prevent persuit. Now, ready yourselves. Wait for it..."
"Wait for it..." Steve repeats, and I crouch, the muscles in my legs coiling and tensing.
"Now!" Kefilwe shouts. "Five, remember to keep moving when you land. Now jump!"
•
A low hiss leaves my mouth as we slow to a stop, safe for now. My knees and ankles ache from the impact of hitting the train roof, but we're close to the engine, exactly where we need to be, thankfully.
"Oh, that was very good," Kefilwe says cheerfully, her face red from exertion. I simply nod, now remembering why I didn't like this when I did this train running with Sarah Smith.
"You've got the papers for Sweetpea?" Steve asks, and a second later Kefilwe is pulling out a stack of folded papers from her pocket and handing them to me.
"Keep them safe," She says as I shove them into my backpack. "They have her name and photograph. They would not pass muster at one of Sigrid's checkpoints into Abel territory, but she can use them to cross into Devil Flesh, and then the Exmoore Militia will pick her up."
"You know, you could have left these papers in a safe place for us to pick up," I say, grabbing my backpack strap. "No need to risk your neck."
The older woman shrugs. "I wanted to see them safely into your hands. And besides-"
"You want to keep your hand in, don't you, babe?" Steve interrupts, and she grins even though he can't see it. "Get more experience in espionage. Learn the ropes."
"Yes, it is useful. And also... I think I like it.. It is extremely fun and exciting."
"Hey, if Janine hears you say that, when she's back, she'll have you signed up to MI6 faster than you can blink," Sam jokes.
"I will have to make sure she hears me then."
"That's the spirit," Steve says.
I feel the train start to slow. I share a look with Paula, and she nods. It's almost time. Everyone else seems to realize it's almost time for us to part ways too, because Steve says,
"We'll be in touch via the usual dead drop then, babe."
"We will, Steven," Kefilwe replies. "I cannot wait for your next coded message."
"Oh yeah. I'm ging to make it very hard to decode, if you know what I mean."
"We all know what you mean," Sam says, and I can picture him rolling his eyes at the two. Kefilwe smiles softly before looking at us.
"Five, Dr. Cohen, this is it. The train will stop at this red signal for just a few seconds. Climb onto the railway bridge and head along it to the far side. Be quick!"
I nod. "We will."
The train slows down even further, and both Paula and I tense, readying ourselves to climb onto bridge.
"Oh, and Five?"
I raise a brow at her in question.
"I do like that ring you have on. I was told it was one of two."
I give her a wide grin as the train stops completely, before climbing onto the railway bridge with Paula and heading on. Neither of us look back, but we don't have to. Kefilwe is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She has papers, and she'll stay on the train which will lead her back to safety without a worry. I say safety, but she'll never really be safe wile she continues to work in Sigrid's territory.
For now we just have to worry about finding Sweetpea and getting that information. Hopefully her hideout isn't too far from here.
The information she has could be a tipping point for us, a way to finally get a step ahead of Sigrid. We have the Edda-most of it, anyway-and we have the cup of blood that Veronica's been doing tests on, and we even got Abel back, but that never seems to be enough. Sigrid's always got a backup plan, a way out. This could be our chance to one-up her this time.
Our footsteps echo into the evening air, and I can see the sun starting to set, the sky changing from blue to a pinkish-orange. We'll need to hurry. Things can get bad at night. I know from experience. The faster we get what we need, the better.
Thankfully we don't have to waste time hiding. There's nothing here but old warehouses, most of them large, but none of them rusting. They're probably for the railroad, and I can only guess at how much stuff is in there useless for no one to use. The warehouses themselves are beautiful in an aging kind of way. They have brick and iron columns, and they'll will probably outlast the zombies along with the goods inside.
But there's nothing we can do about that. We can only get what we came for.
"Which warehouse do you think Sweetpea is in?" I ask. There's no other place she can be waiting expect for in one of these buildings.
"The first one," Sam replies. "The coded message said she would be waiting in the first one you see."
I nod, heading to the door with Paula behind me. It takes some grit to get the door to open, and my fingers feel stiff from having to take such a tight grip on the door handle, but it opens silently, unlike most doors these days.
I gape at the sight of rows upon rows of packing boxes. It's a wonder that this stuff has been here for so long and no on has bothered to loot it. Then again, these warehouses are nowhere near any kind of town or settlement, so maybe people just thought it wasn't worth it.
All of the rows are labeled with numbers and letters, which I relay to Sam. This will probably help us find Sweetpea's location since she's probably waiting for us somewhere specific.
"Ah. No, yeah, that makes sense," Sam says. "Sweetpea said she'd be waiting at A17."
I scowl at that, looking at where we are, which is Y349. I give nothing more than a small annoyed sigh before taking off, trying to keep my steps light so the noise doesn't accidently scare Sweetpea or make her think we're not her contact. That is the last thing we need.
I take a look at the boxes as we run. It's too much of a blur for me to read what might be in them, but that isn't what keeps my interest. Instead I find it interesting how some of the boxes are stacked neatly, almost perfectly, with the dust on it almost an inch thick, while other boxes have clearly been moved, some of them on the floor, the tape ripped or cut. From what I can see, the contents are still in the opened boxes. My lips pinch when I see a box of T-shirts cut open, the box on the floor, still full, but looking as if someone emptied the contents and then messily threw them back in the box.
I suddenly feel uneasy.
I raise my hand up to my mic. 'Sam, do you have cameras in here?'
"Uh, I have a few. Not many though. Why?" His voice wavers slightly, already sensing my worry. Paula casts me a side glance, both curious and concerned.
'I'm just a little worried. There are boxes opened, but none of the stuff has been taken. Something is not right about that.'
He lets out a small noise. "Yeah, I think I see a few boxes on my cams, but I don't see anyone in there with you, Sweetpea or other. I'll be on the lookout."
I don't say anything after that, instead keeping my eyes trained for any shadows, any movements, any sound of footsteps other than our own. Paula keeps an eye on the letters and numbers, making sure we're headed where we need to be. A part of me wonders if this could be a trap. I know Sweetpea is a contact of Amelia, and most people connected to Amelia aren't the most trustworthy. It wouldn't surprise me if she had sold us out.
But then again, Amelia seems to trust Sweetpea, which isn't something she does normally. And Amelia herself wouldn't have sold us out simply because the Minister hates her just as much as she hates all of us. Plus she's running New Canton now, so to try to do that would make her lose her position of power, and we all know how much Amelia loves to be in power.
So either this is a trap, which seems unlikely; These boxes are from someone who came by long before, which also seems unlikely; Or there's someone in here besides us and Sweetpea.
"A25, A23, A21, A19..." Paula mumbles under her breath. "Ah. Voila. A17."
We slow out pace as we walk down an alley between the packing crates. My hand flies to my backpack strap when a soft, rhythmic tapping of shoes again concrete reaches my hears.
"Do you hear that?" I whisper, cautiously taking a few more steps forward. "Sam, do you see anyone?"
"Uh..." He clicks his tongue. "Yeah! Oh, yeah. I see someone on cams a few rows over. Oh." He grimaces. "Someone with a Pit Viper tattoo."
I curse under my breath, and I curse again when I see something that looks like an arm wedged under a crate.
"You need to find Sweetpea and get out of there," Sam says, and by now I've reached the arm. I try to pull it-and what's attached to it-out of the tight space as best as I can, although the body is stuck fairly well. Still, I manage to see hair-pink and purple.
"Too late," I sigh, letting go of the girl's arm, which sadly still felt slightly warm. "She's dead, although she hasn't been dead for long."
"And that Pit Viper is still walking the aisles. Can't have heard you, or you'd be dead too. You both need to get out of there, now."
There's a sudden desperation in his voice, and I understand it. Pit Vipers are not people you want to mess with. He was obviously hired by Sigrid, but if he's still walking the aisles, then he must still be looking for the information Sweetpea had for us. That's probably why we saw all the boxes messily strewn about. He must've thought she hid it in one of them.
"Not yet," I whisper, hastily walking down the aisle. Paula opens her mouth to protest, but I don't give her the time to, my feet carrying me down the aisle in search for something out of place. Sweetpea probably wouldn't hide it in a box because it would be easy to spot if the tape had been pulled off and put back on, but this aisle contains large packing cases. It would be less noticeable if someone had tampered with this.
I can hear Sam protesting, and the sounds of footsteps are steadily growing louder, but I ignore all of that when I see something small edged into the corner of a packing case, just like I thought. I point it out to Paula, who takes it upon herself to reach to try to get it out. She grabs the crate, pulling on it, and a second later it breaks. A large cracking sound echoes throughout the warehouse, and the footsteps stop.
All is silent.
Paula grabs the item, which is a mini tape recorder. I grab it from her and shove it into my bag when the footsteps become loud and quick. The Pit Viper is coming for us now.
"Shit," I curse.
"He's definitely heard you," Sam says as I grab Paula and take off down the aisle, heading for the exit. "Runners, there's going to be a train passing through, headed towards Funder's Farm. They're neutral territory. You're got to run for it, now! Go!"
•
"Come on, Five! Take my hand!" I grasp onto Paula's outstretched hand, and she grunts as she pulls me up onto the viewing platform of the train before sighing with relief. "We made it. Sam, we made it."
Sam lets out a shaky breath, almost breathing as hard as the two of us. Looking around there's no sign of the Pit Viper, but we head inside, choosing a carriage to sit in just to be safe. It's a shelter from the cold and the carriage has light, unlike out here, where the sun is nearly gone and the moon is taking its place for the next few hours.
"Okay," He says. "Okay. It's alright. You can ride that thing all the way to Funder's Farm, and we'll pick you up from there."
We both nod, taking a seat. My legs are tired and aching, and I reach into my backpack to pull out the mini tape recorder to examine it. This little thing is what got Sweetpea killed. That Pit Viper would have killed us for it too if he would have caught us.
"Do you think we should listen to it?" I ask.
"Is there anyone around?"
"No. Our carriage is empty besides us, and I didn't see anyone in the other carriages we passed." I hit a button to start it.
"-and in the news today, the Minister has announced that the national coal lines are proving even more effective than previously expected."
"Hm? Well, this just sounds like a news report from a few days ago, when you were doing that mission with the mission with the Winchers, I think, Five," Sam says.
"It certainly doesn't sound secret or sensitive," Paula says with a frown.
"Crop yields are also expected to be considerably higher next year than this, due to the Minister's defensive agricultural policies." When the reporter says that, I feel a slight change, a slight shift in myself.
No, it's more than just slight.
I stand, leaving the recorder on the seat. I don't want to be anywhere near that thing. Something's wrong. Something's really wrong.
My ears are ringing.
"Five, are you alright?" Paula asks, but her voice sounds so far away. I can barely register the words. The reporter speaks again.
"The Minister is particularly interested in you. If you can hear this message, you have something she wants."
"Do you hear that?
"Do you hear that?
"Do you hear that, Five?" Moonchild asks. She looks sick. "I'm serious. Is it just me?"
The news is faintly playing. I can still hear it. That's what Sam and Paula hear. They don't know. I feel dizzy, and the ringing in my ears are getting louder. It's starting to hurt.
It really hurts.
I take a step away from the recorder. Paula reaches out to me, but her movements look slow. Is my vision blurrying?
"Five, you're looking really weird." She looks worried, tense. "It's just the news."
"Five?" Sam asks, his voice just as hazy and muffled as Paula's. "Callista, do you-can you...? Callista, are you alright?"
I begin to sway on my feet. I can't find my balanace. I can't think.
"If you can hear this message, you have Moonchild Syndrome," The reporter says. "And if you have Moonchild Syndrome, the Minister wants to talk to you. You will come when we call you. You will do what we tell you. You belong to us."
I can hear Sam still trying to get my attention. His voice sounds so off, so far away, underwater... I think he's screaming now, trying to get me to answer him, to just please say something because I'm really scaring him. Paula's grabbing my hand, trying to get me to focus on her face. I can't. I don't.
Neither does Moonchild.
"I feel strange... I feel really, really strange." A look of fear appears on her face. "Mercury rising, trouble ahead... She's looking for me. She's coming for me! What has she done to my people?!"
"We will find you."
There's a loud burst of static, sending pain to every corner of my mind.
"We will find you and make you ours."
I pass out.
A/N: Here you go, guys! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please be sure to vote and comment! Thank you and have a blessed day!