Collector: City In Embers Part 8

NINE.

The tormented sounds of the war zone outside bled more and more into the background as the events of the day overtook my thoughts. Exhaustion, heartache, and being hit by a fae-induced storm curled my body against the side of the tub. My arms and b.u.t.t lost feeling hours ago. Horrific dreams layered the surface of my sleep, keeping me from truly falling under. Moments of bliss would seep into my mind, then a picture of Daniel or Lexie slammed into my head, popping my eyes open. A sharp sob would tear into my chest, bringing me back to reality.

The darkness hung around, suffocating, brewing an edgy and frightening chill into my bones. I hated the dark. Too many evils hid in the corners. The only light coming in was from the top bathroom window. We were away from downtown fires, and the spotlights from the helicopters were becoming less frequent.

I hunched my neck tighter against my shoulder.

"There you are," a squeaky voice muttered.

It jolted me; my wrists burned against the tug. "What the h.e.l.l?" I glanced around the dark, my heart skipping. Through the shadows I saw movement through the air/heater vent on the wall.

"I have been searching for you for hours," the thing grunted as it wiggled its body through the metal gaps.

My eyes narrowed. "Sprig?"

"How many monkey-sprites do you know?"

I cautiously glanced toward the closed bathroom door, straining to hear any movement from the next room. "What are you doing here?"

"Sprites take obligations very seriously. I cannot leave your side till my debt has been repaid." The creature jumped down from the duct and trotted on all fours across the linoleum flooring. The tiny body leaped on the side of the tub. His little primate toes curled tightly to keep from slipping. "Oh, did I interrupt something?" He tilted his head, looking down at the rope around my arms.

"Funny."

"Hey, no judgment here."

My brain was still having a hard time wrapping around a monkey-sprite talking to me.

"Actually, your debt could be repaid faster than you think." I kept my voice low, my attention constantly darting to the door. "Get me loose, and we'll call it even."

"You have no say in when the debt is repaid. It's the only one who knows." Sprig crept around to the faucet, his small but nimble fingers getting into the gaps of the intricate knot. I tried to keep still as he worked out the binding.

This was not my first time being tied up. One time was when I turned twelve. It was the house before Jo's. It was my foster parents' way of dealing with me. They left me in the closet all night to "contemplate" my actions. I ran away the next day. Three months later, they placed me with Jo. It was when my true fear of the dark set in. When it was pitch black, my mind took me back to being tied and locked in the closet. I couldn't say all my foster parents were awful, but those were the ones who stuck in your mind.

"Monkey's uncle. Who tied this knot? A pirate?"

I smirked. "He could be. He looks like one... a Viking pirate."

The creature froze. "This Viking pirate doesn't happen to have markings all over, white eyes, and goes by the name of Ryker?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Sprig jumped back from the rope. "Oh, you didn't tell me. Sorry, I can't help you."

"What?" I wailed a little too loud before continuing in a low, harsh whisper. "Why?"

"Ryker the Wanderer. Do you not know who he is?"

"Yeah. Ryker the Wanderer," I said with derision.

Sprig crossed his arms, the human gesture looking odd on a primate. "You have no idea who you are dealing with, do you? How did you get hooked up with him?"

"It wasn't by choice, as you can clearly see." I flapped my pinned hands. "And I would like to get away from him. Help me, please?"

Sprig shook his head.

"You don't remember seeing him pull me out of the other air vent?"

"I don't recall anything of the sort. And I think I would remember seeing the Wanderer." He clicked his tongue at me.

"What do you mean you don't recall?"

"When I fall asleep, I don't remember things." He shifted nervously. "In stressful situations, I go to sleep. That's a lie. I fall asleep in non-stressful situations, too." He continued to rattle on. "Actually, it's really whenever. But I lose memory around those times."

The door swung open and ricocheted off the wall. "If you touch those ropes, you'll find your intestines being used for rope." Ryker's face contorted with anger, his words meant for Sprig, but his scowl was on me.

Sprig squeaked and scrambled out of the tub, hopping onto the counter.

"How did you find us?" Ryker uttered through clenched teeth. I stared at him, waiting for his wrath. I could feel it bubbling under the surface, ready to boil over.

"I'm in her debt." Sprig folded his arms. A tiny light flickered on his wrist. "I'm connected to her until the obligation is repaid."

"What is this?" Ryker moved swiftly into the bathroom, pointing at the blinking bracelet wrapped around Sprig's little wrist.

Sprig looked down, confusion crossing his face. "I don't know. It's never flashed before."

"You stupid idiot!" Ryker's voice hollered. "It's a tracker! You are leading them right to us." Barely had Ryker uttered those words when a loud boom echoed through the bathroom.

The outside entry of the hotel room shuddered under a blow. I yelped in surprise as another bang vibrated the door, causing it to hit against the dresser.

Ryker's reaction was instant. He slammed the bathroom door, locking it. He quickly searched the s.p.a.ce for anything he could use to block it.

Another thwack sounded against the main entry.

"Dammit!" He sailed toward me. With one tug, he broke the faucet from the wall and then picked me up, throwing me over his back. "We have to get out of here."

"How?" I looked around wildly. "There's no way to escape."

The sounds of wood splintering crackled through the air, followed by sharp shouts from men.

Another guttural growl came from Ryker's chest, his markings sparking with tiny fuses. "Of course, when I need my powers the most..." He moved me onto the counter as another loud crash came through. The dresser toppled. They were in. The bathroom door was like paper. It wouldn't take them long to break this one.

"What do we do?" My heart pounded in my chest.

His focus skimmed the bathroom. "The window is the only way."

I looked up at the tiny opening and back at him. "And how are we going to do that? My a.s.s can't fit through there."

The door shuddered, and a hole was torn through the wood. "Come out. You have nowhere to go."

Ryker's frustration went from the men to me. "This would be a good time for those powers to kick in." He leaped onto the tub rim. Using the handle of his blade, he smashed out the window. There was no way I could fit through it, and I wasn't sure how he thought he could.

"Um? Maybe I can suggest another way out?" Four screws fell to the floor before the metal covering off the heater/air outlet tipped forward, crashing onto the linoleum. As soon as Sprig dropped the cover, the sound of gunshots echoed in the room. The men on the other side were shooting at the handle. It was only a matter of seconds now.

Ryker needed even less time. It wouldn't be long before the men would know what we were up to-if they didn't already. I was in his arms as he sprang for the opening. He shoved me into the s.p.a.ce before he joined me. The s.p.a.ce didn't hold his frame, so the metal and wall fractured under his weight. One perk about this cheap one-level motel was the air vents went straight outside. The pa.s.sage needed a little encouragement. Ryker's fist and leg smashed against the metal while I also kicked at it. The screen popped off under Ryker's strength like a Tupperware top. For as large as he was, he was nimble and swift. He scrambled out, grabbing the restraints still binding my hands, and tugged me to my feet. Tiny nails dug into my skin as Sprig vaulted onto my shoulder. His tail wrapped firmly around my neck, and his hands clung to my hair.

"No!" Ryker picked Sprig off my shoulder and flung him to the ground. "Your tracker put us in this danger."

Sprig looked down at the bracelet with a panicked expression. "You can't leave me here. You can't..." He tilted over, his body rolling into a ball on the concrete.

"d.a.m.n, that's weird." I gazed down at the snoring creature.

Ryker grabbed my rope and yanked me forward.

"We can't leave him."

"Then your humans will keep finding us," he spit out as we ran.

The Wanderer was right. Until Sprig got rid of the tracking device, he was a threat to us.

Ryker picked up his pace, dragging me while the water nozzle smacked against my elbows. Shouts and gunfire wailed behind us. The whizz of a bullet zipped by my ear and thudded into the tree beside me. The protruding cartridge stuck out from the trunk. It was a dart, a nerve paralyzing tranquilizer. We used them in collecting fae. We didn't want to hurt the specimen, so we'd knock it out to take it back to the lab. My head craned to take a quick view behind me. Eight men wearing tactical gear, guns, and bulletproof vests bearing the FBI insignia ran around the building toward us.

In one moment, my world shifted. They didn't want to kill me. This feeling had been stirring in me the instant I stepped back into HQ, but now I fully understood. I was no longer the collector. I was the collected, the hunted-a specimen to test.

Ryker did not slow, and eventually the constant tugging on my wrists annoyed him. He finally cut off the faucet dangling from my arms, but he didn't seem ready to free my wrists. "For the G.o.ds, human, hurry up."

My lungs ached as they tried to capture breath. The early morning air was saturated with soot and ash, aggravating my airway. The rise of the sun brought the harsh reality of the storm into full color. Throngs of deep gray smoke-filled clouds curled up from the ground like twisters in the sky, filtering the sun. Several times I had to stop in shock at the sight of the city. Most of the main downtown and the areas near the s.p.a.ce Needle were obliterated. Overnight fires had eaten their way through the collapsed buildings and started on the surrounding areas of Capitol Hill and Queen Anne.

Hundreds of people wandered in the streets, coated in blood and soot, not knowing where to go or what to do. Tears flowed more steadily than the broken water mains. Helplessness, fear, and devastation hung heavy in the atmosphere. Most survivors dug through the wreckage, hunting for people and lost items. Buildings that used to stand proudly in the sky were crumpled messes of rubble under their feet.

My mind had trouble wrapping around the picture in front of me. Less than twenty-four hours ago, I had been in a car with Daniel, where we almost kissed. Our future had been unsure, but it was moving forward. I felt so certain my life was proceeding in the right direction, and Daniel was a huge part of it. Only two hours before I had gotten Lexie from school, lecturing her to start on her homework before I had to set out on another "emergency meeting."

Blood and tears soaked the streets. So many lives had been lost and destroyed. In one strike of lightning-by one action from a fae-our world had been shattered.

The unbearable pain faltered my step, but I stuffed it back, pushing it under my thick facade. From a very young age, I had hidden my emotions. In my world, you could not show weakness. This was even truer for me because my face didn't fit the image of a street kid. My fight had been an uphill battle, trying to prove myself. So many girls didn't think I belonged, and so many guys thought they could take advantage of me. More times than not I had to prove I was capable of handling myself. The other times-let's say I had spent many nights in the ICU.

"Where are we going?" I asked for the umpteenth time.

"Between what is hunting you and what is hunting me, we are safer getting lost in the chaos and smells where there are more people." He didn't bother looking back at me.

I halted my feet, pressing them into the pavement, causing him to stumble back.

"What the f.u.c.k, human?" His unsettling eyes swung back at me with exasperation.

"Untie me." My body stiffened. "Now."

His lip curled and he stepped closer, his face only centimeters from mine. "No."

I wanted to retreat; the intensity of his nearness was disturbing. My education of fae schooled me to fear him, to hate his kind, but I was not the type of person to back down. I usually challenged. Daniel had loved this about me, even when my will overshot my skills by miles.

"I am not going to run. I've learned if you aren't the biggest or most feared kid on the playground, you befriend the person who is." My voice clipped every word harshly. "Plus, you dragging me through the streets with my arms tied is only going to cause unwanted attention."

"You think these people see beyond their own suffering right now?" He stepped back, opening his arms, motioning to the grief-ridden citizens.

True, they did not seem to be aware of us or anything else around them. But others might be. "Different groups are out watching for us. Don't you think someone who is on the lookout for a Viking doppelganger and brown-haired human with her arms shackled is going to notice we happen to fit the description?"

His lips pressed together. He stood for a long time looking around before he drew his knife. "If you even think about escaping..." He let the threat go unvoiced.

"You'll what? Kill me?" A smug grin drew up my mouth. "Won't your powers die?"

He watched me, then slowly sidled up to me, spreading his legs so wide we were around the same height. A garish smile adorned his mouth as his fingers came up, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear. "I won't kill you." Cold air caught in my lungs at his touch. His voice went low and harsh. "But the torture will be so horrific, so acute, you'll beg me to end your life."

He drew the knife between my wrists, and with one tug, the blade sliced through the rope like it was floss. The relief to my raw arms was instant.

My life had been threatened many times before. Men and women had waved their guns and knives in my face. Most of the time, it had been a front. Their own fears and insecurities were masked by the weapon in their hand. But nothing came close to this; he was different. An internal warning told me he would enjoy inflicting pain on me. Measured shallow breaths did little to hide the jolt of fear racing in my body.

He smirked and moved away from me. "We need to find supplies and a place to hole up for the night."

I rubbed the red, tender flesh on my wrists as I quickly followed him. He bounded across the obstacles while I stumbled and tripped over a refrigerator, an office desk, and other broken furniture. The knowledge there were dead bodies under my feet was not lost on me. It made me more appreciative I was alive. Although there were moments when my mind would wander to Daniel and Lexie, and I wanted to join them-to never feel again.

My foot slipped on a baby's stuffed animal, stabbing at my heart. Bending down, I gripped the plush toy. It was covered with ash. Did the child who owned this plaything make it out? I squeezed my lids together. I wanted to believe the family had been on vacation, visiting family somewhere, anywhere else but here. This baby is all right. It was a lie I needed to believe.

This city had lost so much. I had no clue who caused it or why. Did they know the level of damage they had done here? How many people they killed? Was this what they wanted? Why would anyone do this? What purpose did it serve?

My gaze landed on the set of wide shoulders moving ahead. Both the DMG and Ryker said the storm was caused by a fae. Faes hated humans. Was Rapava right? Was this their way of eliminating us? Was Seattle only the first city? Kate told Daniel and me something was happening. Was this it? Was war being declared on Earth? Instead of aliens in s.p.a.ceships coming to annihilate our planet, it was going to be fae with wings and swords enhanced with magic that could level this world.

Impulse stopped my feet from shadowing Ryker. He was the enemy, too. All he wanted was to get his powers and girlfriend back. He would kill me after I was no longer needed.

Awareness of my surroundings had me scouting for an escape plan. The little voice in my head said I was connected to him because of the powers I held, and I could not really get away. This opinion was lost in my itch to flee. Self-preservation was a hard thing to overrule. Even the notion of possible torture if I tried to run didn't break my determination. My attention landed on an alleyway only partially destroyed. A small hole between the blended buildings appeared to be enough room for me to get through. Not him.

With a fire lit under my a.s.s, I darted for the gap. A voice boomed behind me when I got to the opening. I scrambled in, the knees of my jeans shredding across the rough bricks. The tiny opening widened into a large alley, and I tore down the uneven pavement, dodging chunks of stone, crushed dumpsters, and squashed cars. Another backstreet cut off from the main one, and I curved my direction down the pa.s.sageway.

Then it hit me. I had no idea where I was going or any plan past getting away from Ryker. I was not impulsive, although I was not a thorough planner, either. I usually sat in the middle. My past was full of times I acted instantly and other times when I a.s.sessed a situation to see the best way out of it. It was the reason a lot of girls lost in fights to me. I wasn't the biggest or toughest fighter, or even the most skilled. But they usually acted out of pa.s.sion and didn't take a minute to learn my weaknesses. Combat training with Daniel instilled these natural instincts in me. With fae, you had to be on guard, ready to act at a moment's notice and alter your plan but also remain aware of your surroundings and opponents.

This time I reacted purely on fear. Okay, Zoey. Think.

Buildings blurred as I ran by, my energy draining. I couldn't stop, not till I was in a safe place. I couldn't go back to HQ; they were after me. But was it such a bad thing? They wouldn't hurt me. They were only curious. What if Ryker's powers could help people? Heal the wounded or end cancer? Wasn't that what I wanted? So why was it different now they were trying to collect and test me?

The insight stopped my legs. Why was it different? I should be stabbing those needles into my own veins, hitting the b.u.t.ton to scan my brain and insides. I needed to a.s.sist in taking samples from my tissues. I was still on their side. So why did I run from them?

Because it was me.

The collecting and testing of fae never registered on my sympathy radar. They were beasts. Creatures who fed on humans and wanted to destroy us. But when the dart came for me, something altered. To them, I was no more than one of those beings, to be hunted down like an animal. Fury spiked up the back of my neck. I was not one of them.

Part of me wanted to head toward the entrance of DMG to let them test me till they found cures. The other part wanted me to run in the opposite direction, telling me I wasn't safe with them. I was truly screwed-nowhere to go and no one to trust.