Antitype by M. D. Waters

take it in a better direction.”
    He’s silent for a moment. “I might have some thoughts.”
    Warmth unfurls across my chest. I knew he could do this. “I’m so damn proud of you, little brother. You’re capable of some really great things.”
    â€œYou think so?”
    His voice sounds small, and we’re suddenly six and four again. He’s at the top of a hill with his hover trike, tears brimming, doubting he can make it to the bottom in one piece. “
You can do it,
” I told him. “
You’re the bravest kid I know.
” And because I said it, he believed it. Believed, and succeeded.
    â€œI know it,” I tell him. “Do what Dad can’t. Or won’t.”
    He sighs. “You aren’t really disappearing, though, are you?”
    â€œNo,” I tell him, though I have yet to figure out how to make this true. But damn it, I
will
figure it out. I can’t just let all that money sit in my account. “Just for the time being. I’ll check in. Promise.”
    Â â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢Â 
    The raid begins an hour past full dark. Hundreds of men, and the occasional woman, stand some distance away from the WTC, hidden in shadow, quietly waiting for the word to proceed.
    My team stands in the back.
My
team. That still sounds strange. Updike promoted me within a day of my moving into the hub. I don’t quite understand what I did to move so quickly through the ranks in the two years I’ve spent straddling a wall of indecision, but he seems confident in my ability to lead. I just hope I don’t let him down.
    Aircraft, which come from the west, soar in, and moments later, explosions erupt a safe distance away from the compound. The barrier opens, allowing us to pour in with plasma rifles. Our face masks are down to protect our identities. Some choose to go without, not caring to hide who they are from the cameras.
    The teams break up by group and set out on their individual missions. Mine leads us to the back of the building. Updike assigned us to the dormitory housing the youngest girls so I can personally see to it that Violet and Andrea get out. Paige is in another area with the teens, but I have to trust that my comrades will keep her safe.
    This isn’t my first raid, but they never get any easier. Taking lives, even from those who would take mine, stains my soul a little more every time. It doesn’t matter what the result is. I wasn’t brought up to do this. Dad raised me to sit in cozy offices and run meetings and make as much money as I could for our company. I wear a tailored suit better than I do this uniform. But I’m as apt at firing a weapon and hand-to-hand combat as I am at negotiating impossible deals.
    I lose men on the way around, but I’ve seen worse, and our numbers are more than adequate when taking the rear entrance. We go in expecting more of a fight than we get, and it soon becomes obvious why. The older girls have banded together, something I’ve never seen before. They carry rifles taken from guards and lead the young children to safety. I stop in the hallway and motion for everyone to take the route we just cleared. Every tenth girl takes one of my men as an escort.
    I see Andrea first. She almost runs right by me, but I lift my mask and call out to her. She spins and runs into my arms.
    â€œWhere’s your sister?” I ask.
    â€œIn the back. They wouldn’t let me wait for her,” she says with a nod toward a teenager passing by.
    â€œOkay. Follow the men. They’ll get you somewhere safe.”
    She smiles and her eyes glitter in the shadowed hallway. “You’re one of them?”
    â€œI am.”
    â€œYou’re a hero.”
    I laugh. “Go on. I’ll see you soon.”
    She runs off, ponytail swinging.
    The line of girls begins to thin, and I still haven’t seen Violet. I move deeper into the building. The gunfire has tapered off, and