Chapter 25

A low whistle brushes past my ears. It comes again, carrying the rustling of deft movements. I shiver. Instinctively, my fingers coil around the hilt of my knife, and I press my ears to the dusty concrete pillar. My bleary eyes struggle to focus under the faint moonlight. Someone saunters along the broken path, deftly avoiding the nearby cracks and glass fragments from a fallen building. As soon as I see him, he disappears into the night again. It's another one of Proxy's men.

We won't be sleeping any time soon.

I hug my legs even closer as if that'll ease the hard throbbing in my chest. Never have I seen Jax like this. His expression is unfocused, and his hair sticks out in all directions like he had been pulling at them. Pausing, he sucks in a deep breath. "I think I've got a new mutation."

Mateo nods mutely and scoots closer, still cocking his head at the window and listening for movement. "When I touch things," Jax says, reaching out to run his fingers over the old drawer next to me, "I see memories, and I relive them in a trance."

"When did this start?"

"A few days ago, but I didn't understand what was happening until now. I don't even know what caused it," he sighs, leaning back against the wall.

Raising a skeptical brow, Mateo looks away from Jax's face and stares at the moon. The celestial being hasn't moved an inch, but his expression brightens up anyway. "Wait. The Trials are based on finding the radiation core. Maybe, this means that we're getting close to the end. Higher radiation levels could lead to more mutations."

"I've only seen some brief memory flashes so far, so it's not all that great," Jax says dryly.

"Still, I think it's about time we had some answers anyway," I huff.

"What do you—"

"Hear me out. We need to know the Outsiders' next plans. For now, all we can do is try to predict Scipio's next move based on what Matt knows. So, we could get some information from an Outsider. Your new mutation might help with that. Since you can't use your mutation much yet, save it for when they're weak. It could be easier that way."

Mateo narrows his eyes. While Jax doesn't react, I can see the hesitation in his guarded expression and quivering lip. Finally, Matt speaks up. "Aria, you've got no idea what you're asking for. That gives Scipio a reason to make your life a living hell, and remember that you're putting us on the line too."

"Does she have the time to pick on one small fry? I bet she's got better things to do."

"No, you don't get it. That woman holds grudges like nobody's business and remembers every Outsider by name. I don't know how that's possible, and I don't care. I know you're dead once you mess with one of them. Gone. Done for. Understand?"

I nod mutely, deciding to choose my next words carefully. "Well, what happens if we framed Proxy instead? So if anything happens to an Outsider, there's no way she can ever trace it back to us." Holding up my palm to both of them, I shift it under Eorius's light. "We've got no fingerprints. At least, not until we're registered at the Gene Bank, so we'll use that to our advantage."

Jax's lip quirks up. "What's the plan?"

I lean over the window, smirking as I watch the Proxy workers hauling the bodies on their trucks. "Ambush one of them and take their weapons, and Jax will read their memories. See if he can find anything about where the Outsiders might be. If we can, then we'll go there and lure them out. After that, we'll have to kill them the same way Proxy did."

Mateo and Jax listen to the wild idea, nodding in silent agreement. Soon, we slink away into the night with our first victim in sight.

The Proxy workers are still scouring the ground. They've only got the last few people left. We lie in wait among the bushes, crouching among the swaying plants, so our movements are barely unnoticeable. I camp near a paralyzed immune and wait for a worker to draw near enough. As she reaches for the body, I press a hand over her mouth and twist her arm behind her back. She almost screams, but I silence her with a knock on her temple. Her eyes roll into the back of her head, and she grows limp under my grip. Jax slowly lowers her body to the ground.

For a low-level employee, she sure has a decent number of weapons. We stow away what we can, but I keep her knife with me. It's the one that bears the government's insignia, a crested eagle engraved on the metal.

The others don't take long to notice her absence. Soon, they're spreading out and scouring the area for her. Quickly, Jax presses his hand to the woman's forehead, straining to listen or see her memories. He gives us a curt nod when he's done, and Mateo leads us. We retreat to the shadows, moving furtively and blending into the swaying plants until we're a decent distance away. Between ragged breaths, Jax says, "East, North, Center, and East. ENCE. That's the direction this patrol takes. When we take one of the Outsiders, make sure you leave the body along this route."

"I know where that is. I've memorized the layout of this place, but the nearest Outsider camp is some distance away," Mateo says.

"Take our chances then. It's still nighttime, and we've got the advantage of extra cover." That's about the most reckless thing I've ever said, but I don't regret a single word. It's all or nothing.

ENCE stands for East, North, Center, and East. I repeat the words in my mind after Jax. We move through the forest purposefully, following Mateo's lead. I don't think about how my muscles ache or the sweat making my clothes increasingly uncomfortable. We must've been walking for half an hour, but I'm hoping it'll be worth it.

Eventually, the sparks of a small fire pierce the increasingly sparse foliage. The subtle cackle of the flames is the only indication we need. There's no one tending to it. Some of the Outsiders are settled in tents, while the others guard the perimeter.

"We'll need to find one dumb enough to take the bait," I say, keeping my eyes trained on one of the patrols—anyone who lets their guard down, even for a second. Mateo looks like he wants to say something, but I shake my head. I've made up my mind. Since the Outsiders are looking for real immunes, I could show myself here.

Jax's jaw tightens, and his lips press into a thin line. "Aria, what if they—"

"They won't. I'll make sure of it." I rest a hand on Jax's chest, feeling his restless, fluttering heartbeats. He lowers his face to my neck and laces my fingers with him before letting me go. "Sometimes, I wish you weren't so stubborn."

Wordlessly, he retreats to the edges of the forest with Matt until they blend in with the trees. Then, we wait.

A beam of light searches the forest floor. I'm lying among the undergrowth. Jax and Mateo create the distraction with low grunts. The Outsiders fidget, growing restless as the noises intensify to an inhuman screeching. Squeezing my eyes shut, I slice across my stomach, hoping the healing doesn't kick in too soon. I chew on my lip until the taste of copper fills my mouth. Blood starts to seep into my clothes and spread over the ground.

One of them emerges from the bushes; gun pointed at me. I loll my head to the side and groan. He moves like he's afraid I'd jump up and bite him. Pressing his cold, thin fingers to my neck, he frowns and looks straight at me. A grisly smile spreads across his lips. "Double payday."

Jax appears behind him and wrestles him to the ground. The Outsider kicks, but Mateo instantly lands a punch that knocks him out. He yanks off the Outsider's tracking bracelet and throws it into the lake. Voices from behind us grow louder, along with the frantic footsteps and the crunching of leaves. Jax carries the unconscious boy over his shoulder.

I can't believe we just did that. Forcing down the brief moment of euphoria, I focus on the road ahead as we take a detour from the path we came from. Darkness consumes us, but I feel my shoulder grazing the side of the building. We pass through an abandoned structure hollowed out like a rotting log. Faint, whirring noises crawl along its walls. Its skittish rhythm resembles insects that seem to worm beneath my skin, making me break out in a cold sweat. The risk of getting caught is too great. Shivering at the feeling, I feel my way through the concrete jungle.

The wind picks up, nips at my heels, and grazes my clammy skin. We enter a fenced-up area at some point, but I can't tell what it's used for. We follow the curves and bends of the barbed wire, walking past some low-rise buildings that glimmer with a silver sheen. The scythed moon illuminates the forest beyond, casting an ethereal glow on the trees. Brilliant rays skim the leaves' waxy surface and cascade into the grassy hills, vanishing into the horizon.

Soon, the Outsider wakes up, wiping the bleariness from his eyes and surveying his surroundings. Somehow, he frees himself from Jax's hold and puts some distance between us. Jax launches a knife at him. Though it misses his head by a hair's breadth, it's enough to make the boy flinch.

"Go to hell," the Outsider rasps. I hear the rapid movement of his knife cutting through the air. The razor-sharp metal grazes my chin. Next to me, Jax's breathing is becoming heavier. Our prisoner chuckles, and the blade comes at me again, brushing past my hair. Feeling the area around me, I know he's dangerously close to where I am.

Jax and Mateo are gone now, probably getting into better positions.

Now, I focus on the rustling of leaves and an Outsider's slow, deliberate movements. A cold and sharp weapon grazes my arm, but I don't flinch even as the air stings the cut. I'm guessing that the Outsider can't see very well, and he paces back and forth, cocking his ears for the slightest rustle of the leaves or the soft crunch of footsteps. But he doesn't see me.

This time, I study his movements and see that he favors his right side. That's where I throw my knife at the same time he does. There's a soft hiss of surprise, and the Outsider stares at the stab wound on his shoulder. Jax strikes next, tackling him to the ground, and Mateo joins him. The Outsider is pinned down by the cloak, but he slips free and heads for the uneasy embrace of the forest.

I curse under my breath. A thin blade skims my throat, and my breath catches.

"Are you afraid?" His voice drips with mockery as he presses harder. I punch him. He staggers backward and slumps to the ground with a thud, and there's no movement.

Mateo is suddenly next to me.

A snapping sound shatters through my ribs as the Outsider strikes my side. I hear a scuffle. My head pounds, and my arm aches; this time, there's no movement or breathing anymore. It's just me and here, and there's no sign of him. Then, I feel a knife on my back. I twist and grab the blade until the sharp edge digs into my palm. A familiar warmth rushes over my skin. He hesitates. I thrust the weapon back, catching him off guard.

The Outsider grunts and limps to the trees, but Mateo cuts him off with a quick movement of his weapon. Squinting my eyes, I see Jax inspecting the wound on my arm. A cut on his forehead extends to the side of his cheek. His face scrunches up as he moves to sit next to me. The Outsider throws his head back and shifts his gaze to mine. I stiffened, trying not to let the discomfort show on my face. Though I made sure not to cut my stomach too deep, the wound is taking forever to heal. It should've scabbed over by now.

He rubs the growing crease between his brows and sighs. "What do you want?"

"Cade...I remember you now. You're Scipio's shining new toy," Mateo says.

Cade's face drains of color, and his jaw goes slack. He gulps, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. Still, he clamps his mouth shut. I hold a knife against his face, tracing a crimson path from his cheek to his chin. "You'll need to give us more than that."

He shivers with every swirl of the blade on his skin, his gaze following the flow of vermilion. "On every patrol, we have scouts looking for the other subjects. Then, we will take you guys to the depot. We'll keep you there until Proxy gives us what we want." He directs his gaze to Mateo. "I think you should know what I'm talking about."

The weapon continues its exploration down his neck to his collarbone, making him flinch and back away into the wall of bushes. "Tell me about the depot."

Cade stiffens, swallowing the lump in his throat. With his eyes still trained on the knife, I press it deeper into his skin. It makes him squirm. "It's near the Northern side of Proxy's patrol route," he rasps. I pull the knife out and drive it deep into Cade's thigh. His cries are muffled beneath my hand. Crimson spills from the gaping wound, staining his navy slacks a deep shade of burgundy. I've hit an artery. "You talked about a payday just now."

He scoffs but winces as I increase the pressure of my knife. "For every immune we take, we're rewarded with either food, necessities, or money. That's my pay. I gotta survive somehow."

Jax knocks the boy back, pressing a hand to the Outsider's forehead. He turns to us and nods. "He's telling the truth."

Studying Cade's bruised face, a growing ache surges through my veins. My fingers grow hot with a sudden desire to inflict pain. Instead, I dig my nails into the ground. Willing my hands to stop shaking, my teeth grind the inside of my cheeks. I can't take it anymore. I press my hand on his injured leg, the visions start flooding back, and all I see is a beast clawing at Cade, reducing him to ribbons of flesh. The boy screams into the dying night as the vision and agony seep into his consciousness.

Mateo moves to stand in front of the cowering Outsider. "I've got one last question."

"W-What is it?"

Driving Proxy's knife into the boy's neck, Mateo twists until it's buried to the hilt. "But you won't get to hear it."

He doesn't bat an eye at Cade's limp form.