Michelle Maddox - Countdown

Rogan's hand closed around my upper arm and he pulled me along with him out of the kitchen. Then I heard banging on the front door. Someone, or a lot of someones, was trying to get in. They were from The Countdown. They were trying to get in and to get me and Rogan and take us back or kill us or-

"Kira, come on," Rogan urged, and I shook my head, trying to clear it enough to put one foot in front of the other. We slipped out the back door just as I heard the splintering of the red door behind us. The back of the safe house looked out on a backyard. Beyond a small fence was a set of train tracks.

A train was stopped there, and my heart lurched at the sight of it.

'That's the shuttle," Rogan shouted. "Come on: we have to hurry."

Why was it early? Maybe they changed their schedules at their whim. How did they even know where to stop? At first glance it didn't look any different from a normal train on the line that crossed the country, but it was different. It was here just for us.

A white-haired man reached out to me from the side of the shuttle. "Do you have a ticket?"

I nodded and showed him the ticket Jonathan gave me, then wiped at my tearstained cheeks with the back of my hand. He eyed the ticket, then eyed me. If he saw anything strange or suspicious, either he didn't show it or he didn't care.

"Welcome aboard," he said.

I climbed up on the shuttle and turned around to look at Rogan.

"Ticket?" the man asked Rogan.

Rogan was looking back at the house.

"Rogan!" I tried to get his attention. He turned slowly to look up at me, and I reached my hand out to him. "Come on, there isn't any time. They're coming."

He rubbed his lips together. "I know."

The man frowned down at him. 'The shuttle's leaving, sir. On or off?"

Rogan didn't tear his gaze from mine. "I'm sorry, Kira. I can't go with you. Now that Jonathan's gone I have to stay. My … my brother. I can't just leave him behind, knowing what I now know."

I felt panic clawing at my chest. "What? No, you have to get on this shuttle right now. We can think about what to do later, when we're somewhere safe. Those men-"

"Those men are being controlled by something evil that needs to be stopped." His expression was strained. "I'm sorry, Kira. I want to come with you, but I can't leave. I have to stop him."

The shuttle let out a sharp whistle. I felt frantic. No. We were on the shuttle. It was here. It was about to leave to take us somewhere we'd be safe. My dream come true of starting a fresh new life, finally, after all these years.

But of course he was right.

"I need to go now," Rogan said, still staring into my eyes. "Please don't be mad."

"Mad?" I managed. "Mad doesn't even begin to cover it, Rogan Ellis."

I jumped off the shuttle. God help me.

"I can't wait any longer, miss," the man said.

I turned to look at him grimly. "I understand."

He nodded and blew a whistle. The shuttle began pulling away from where we stood.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" Rogan growled. "You were on the shuttle. You were leaving."

"I know. And now I'm off the shuttle and I'm staying." I clenched my jaw. "Now, are you going to stare at me all day, or are we going to get the hell out of here before those white-coat-wearing freaks figure out where the back door is?"

He chanced a glance back at the safe house and then looked at the departing shuttle.

"That was a stupid decision, Kira." His voice caught on my name. "Dammit."

I sighed. "You're probably very right."

'There's no guarantee you'll be able to find another shuttle."

"Well, that's just the chance I'm going to have to take." I glared at him. "What, do you need a literal countdown all the time to get your ass in gear, or what? Let's go!"

His arms were crossed in front of him, his gun tucked into the waist of his new jeans, and he started walking along the outer line of the fence. We didn't say another word until we found an opening and were able to dart through a neighboring yard and then along a side street that took us back out onto Paragon Avenue. A cool wind had picked up, and it blew my dark hair around my shoulders as we emerged on the populated street.

"They're going to be looking for us," Rogan said.

"Obviously. So what's the plan?"

"The plan is to get you somewhere safe, and then I'm going to the location on the business card Jonathan gave me to see if it gives me any answers. Shit, I just wish Jonathan had told me more. Stubborn bastard." His expression was shadowed with anger and grief.

"You want me to go somewhere safe?" I repeated.

"That's right."

'Think again. I got off that shuttle for one reason and one reason only, and that's to help you stop the virus and save Gareth."

He laughed at that.

I narrowed my eyes. "What's so damn funny?"

"Save him?" he repeated. "Actually, my plan is to kill him."

"What?"

"You heard me. Jonathan said it himself. Gareth begged for Jonathan to kill him when he had the chance. It's the only way to put him out of his misery and to get rid of the virus once and for all before it goes through with its plans to take The Countdown even wider than it already is." His throat worked as he swallowed. "It's the only way."

I shook my head. "There has to be another way."

His gaze tracked sideways to me as we hurried along the crowded sidewalk. We walked past the homeless man, and I noticed there were a few coins in front of him now.

"Oh? And please tell me, being as you're so technically savvy."

I gave him a look. "Sarcasm is not terribly appreciated right now. I don't know anything about computers or viruses or anything, but I can't believe the only option is to kill him."

He hissed a breath out between his teeth. "Don't make this more difficult than it has to be."

"You're not a murderer."

"I killed two men in prison."

"Only because you had to. But this is your own brother."

He glared at me again, and his eyes were shiny with emotion. 'This is difficult, Kira. Don't think it isn't. Why didn't you stay on that shuttle? Then at least I'd know you were safe. Dammit. Why did you have to jump off?"

Because I love you.

But I was too much of a wimp to say that out loud. "Because you need my help. I'm in this just as much as you are, you know. And just because I make it to Offworld doesn't mean that Gareth's men will stop looking for me. After all, I know all about the real motive behind his little game. Can you promise me that they won't look for me? That they won't try to kill me no matter where I am?"

He didn't reply.

I crossed my arms and kept walking. "No, I didn't think so."

My now implant-free brain was working overtime. Computers. Viruses. Artificial intelligence. Stuff that could have been out of my parent's sci-fi DVD collection of old movies. I'd seen things while playing The Countdown that I'd never seen before in my life-things I hadn't even thought existed. Holoscreens, cranium implants, a freaking talking evil robot that shot me in the damn leg.

It was all way, way out of my league. I could pick a pocket or con somebody into buying me lunch on a good day, but that was about where my talents ended.

"Wait," I said after another moment, looking around the street. This area seemed extremely familiar to me suddenly. "Where are we going?"

He handed me the business card. I studied the logo that looked like an H again. I knew I'd seen it somewhere before, but I couldn't place it.

"Somebody there knows something," he said. "But I don't know who or what."

My eyes widened. "I think I know who. Well, I'm sure it's not exactly who Jonathan was dealing with, but I know this place. I know somebody who goes there all the time."