want?” This time it’s Isabel. Her voice commands respect, and her chin juts out in defiance.
“Fresh fruits and vegetables. Every time we start to grow anything, the guards cut it down.”
“What do you mean? How do you grow anything down here?” Their words make no sense to me.
“Not down here. On the outside. Outside the fences. We can hunt and gather rain water, but we have to get our fruits and vegetables from the city. You can do the leg work for us.”
“How would you know we’d come back?” I ask.
Now he grins. His eyes flash in a menacing dance, and I step closer to Fischer.
“One of you will stay behind for collateral,” he says.
“I’ll stay,” Isabel says immediately.
But the guy shakes his head. “We want her.”
There is no way in all of Middle City 1 I am staying in this tunnel with these rats. Fischer obviously agrees.
“Out of the question. We’ll take our chances up there.” He nods to the ladder Isabel had so recently been ready to climb.
The rat scowls and steps closer to us. “What are you doing down here, anyway? I heard something about Frost Moon and a war. What kind of information do you have?”
Great. So he was sent to follow us.
“Nothing you need to concern yourself with.” Fischer turns from them and pulls me with him, but the rat isn’t letting us go so easily.
“It’s already my concern. Why do you think we’re down here? It was either that or be sent away to rot in Lesser 4. When one hears rumors of wars and begins questioning it? Yeah, the Greaters don’t like that so much.”
Fischer, Isabel, and I glance at each other. Isabel’s nostrils flare and she steps forward. “Maybe we could work together. You help us out, we get you what you want, and we all leave together.”
“Stop the bickering, Les.”
The voice isn’t one we’ve heard before, and neither of the two silent rats spoke it. A fourth man steps from the tunnel, and the first rat—Les—quickly backs away.
“We’re all going to have to leave, thanks to the geniuses who turned on these lights.” The man’s piercing eyes pin us to the wall behind us. “I guess that would be you? They’re going to come looking for the source using up all the power, and that’s going to lead them here. So now we all go.”
“We know things,” Fischer says.
My gaze flies to him. What is he doing?
“If you’re working against them, we can definitely work together. Join us.” His words are sure and firm. Confident.
Again I’m surprised at who Fischer is. Maybe I never knew him as well as I’d thought, or maybe what he’s been through changed him this much. Either way, I’m not sure why he’s so quick to change his mind.
“I know a place,” Les says. “The buildings on the north side of the city.”
“Outside the wall?” the leader asks.
“That’s right.” Les looks to us. “There are old skyscrapers. They’re outside the fence, but they’re easy to get in and out of. We can take you there.”
“And we can still get into the city from these skyscrapers?” I ask. Seeing Keegan is all that matters at this point. Is he still here? Is he OK?
The leader nods. “Not an issue.” He walks back the way he came, and Les nods at us to follow.
Glancing at Fischer one last time, we follow the rats deeper into the tunnel.
“So what’s this about your rebellion?” The leader of their small group is short but muscular. He holds himself erect, the way Guard Nev always did, and he walks with a surety and purpose. He must have come from the guard.
He glances over his shoulder and speaks again. “Is it the three of you against the world?”
“Something like that.” I don’t know if I trust him yet. He hasn’t even given us a name. “Why are you helping us?”
“We can’t go into the city very often. Getting supplies is becoming harder and harder. They know us. They watch for us. You, however, should be able to move through the city with ease.”
“How do you know they
“Fresh fruits and vegetables. Every time we start to grow anything, the guards cut it down.”
“What do you mean? How do you grow anything down here?” Their words make no sense to me.
“Not down here. On the outside. Outside the fences. We can hunt and gather rain water, but we have to get our fruits and vegetables from the city. You can do the leg work for us.”
“How would you know we’d come back?” I ask.
Now he grins. His eyes flash in a menacing dance, and I step closer to Fischer.
“One of you will stay behind for collateral,” he says.
“I’ll stay,” Isabel says immediately.
But the guy shakes his head. “We want her.”
There is no way in all of Middle City 1 I am staying in this tunnel with these rats. Fischer obviously agrees.
“Out of the question. We’ll take our chances up there.” He nods to the ladder Isabel had so recently been ready to climb.
The rat scowls and steps closer to us. “What are you doing down here, anyway? I heard something about Frost Moon and a war. What kind of information do you have?”
Great. So he was sent to follow us.
“Nothing you need to concern yourself with.” Fischer turns from them and pulls me with him, but the rat isn’t letting us go so easily.
“It’s already my concern. Why do you think we’re down here? It was either that or be sent away to rot in Lesser 4. When one hears rumors of wars and begins questioning it? Yeah, the Greaters don’t like that so much.”
Fischer, Isabel, and I glance at each other. Isabel’s nostrils flare and she steps forward. “Maybe we could work together. You help us out, we get you what you want, and we all leave together.”
“Stop the bickering, Les.”
The voice isn’t one we’ve heard before, and neither of the two silent rats spoke it. A fourth man steps from the tunnel, and the first rat—Les—quickly backs away.
“We’re all going to have to leave, thanks to the geniuses who turned on these lights.” The man’s piercing eyes pin us to the wall behind us. “I guess that would be you? They’re going to come looking for the source using up all the power, and that’s going to lead them here. So now we all go.”
“We know things,” Fischer says.
My gaze flies to him. What is he doing?
“If you’re working against them, we can definitely work together. Join us.” His words are sure and firm. Confident.
Again I’m surprised at who Fischer is. Maybe I never knew him as well as I’d thought, or maybe what he’s been through changed him this much. Either way, I’m not sure why he’s so quick to change his mind.
“I know a place,” Les says. “The buildings on the north side of the city.”
“Outside the wall?” the leader asks.
“That’s right.” Les looks to us. “There are old skyscrapers. They’re outside the fence, but they’re easy to get in and out of. We can take you there.”
“And we can still get into the city from these skyscrapers?” I ask. Seeing Keegan is all that matters at this point. Is he still here? Is he OK?
The leader nods. “Not an issue.” He walks back the way he came, and Les nods at us to follow.
Glancing at Fischer one last time, we follow the rats deeper into the tunnel.
“So what’s this about your rebellion?” The leader of their small group is short but muscular. He holds himself erect, the way Guard Nev always did, and he walks with a surety and purpose. He must have come from the guard.
He glances over his shoulder and speaks again. “Is it the three of you against the world?”
“Something like that.” I don’t know if I trust him yet. He hasn’t even given us a name. “Why are you helping us?”
“We can’t go into the city very often. Getting supplies is becoming harder and harder. They know us. They watch for us. You, however, should be able to move through the city with ease.”
“How do you know they
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