Dan Wells - Partials series 1-3 (Partials; Fragments; Ruins)

Jayden sketched out a quick map of the city, marking the smoke and any other landmarks he could find. The trip back down the stairs was tense, but nothing happened. Haru explained the plan to Gabe, and they set off through the city, climbing frequently on top of cars to get a clear view over the saplings that filled the street. Kira noted key buildings as they passed them, and stopped in surprise when she saw a lean black horse nibbling grass from a gutter. The horse looked back at her, whickered primly, and turned and trotted away down a side street. Yoon watched it go with almost wistful appreciation.

“You like horses?” asked Kira.

Yoon nodded. “Horses, dogs, cats, you name it. I had a pet penguin for years before I joined the Defense Grid.”

“Why’d you join?” Kira asked. “Why not become a vet or a rancher or whatever?”

“Because my mom was a soldier,” said Yoon, shrugging. “At least I’m pretty sure she was. I remember she had a uniform—navy, I think. It was blue. I have a picture somewhere.” She paused a moment, then leaned in closely and whispered, “Keep your eyes open. We all knew Haru was a blowhole, but I never thought he’d challenge Jayden like that. And Nick and Steve are his guys, not ours.”

“What about when we split up?” Kira whispered. “That will change the power structure.”

“Nick and Steve are a lot more dangerous when you can’t see them,” said Yoon. “Them leaving isn’t going to set my mind at ease.”

Kira watched Haru like a hawk all afternoon, but nothing happened. They reached the three apartment buildings—actually five, now that they had a better angle to see them—and Skinny and Scruffy split off on their flanking missions. Haru led the others to the northern building, and they picked their way carefully through the lobby and up the stairs. The building smelled strongly of rot, both plant and animal, and Kira pulled on her face mask to blot out the stench. They reached the top floor and quietly popped the lock on an apartment door. The family was still inside, leathery skin stretched tightly over old, dry skeletons. A swarm of rats scurried back into the walls, leaving a dead sparrow half-eaten on the floor. Jayden kicked it away and crept to the window.

The smoke was clearer now, a mere half mile away, rising up in a single windless pillar from a chimney in a small brick house. Jayden and Haru and Yoon all pulled out binoculars, and Gabe set up a watch in the hall behind them. Kira looked out the window—hundreds of houses and buildings, thousands of tiny black windows staring back like blind eyes. One of those eyes was looking for them—had it already seen them? Would they see it first? Which group of soldiers with binoculars would find the other, and what would happen then?

They watched and waited. A pair of rats crept out from the wall and pulled their sparrow under the couch. Kira grew restless and explored the apartment: one skeleton on the living room couch, one on the kitchen floor, two in the back bedroom. Their arms were draped over each other in a final embrace. Kira closed the door gently and walked back to the living room.

A radio crackled quietly. “Timmy calling Jimmy.” The voice was distorted enough by static that Kira couldn’t tell if it was Skinny or Scruffy.

Haru put his radio to his mouth. “This is Jimmy. Sitrep.”

“I’ve got eyes on Holly, and I don’t see anything. You want me to get closer?”

“Negative, Timmy. Maintain your position.”

“Copy,” said the voice on the radio. “No sign of Fred or Ethel, but Holly does appear to be inhabited: paths to the doorway, that kind of thing. Whoever’s there has been there for a while.”

“Copy, Timmy. Let me know if anything changes.” Haru set down the radio and rubbed his eyes. “We’d better see something soon. I really don’t want to sleep in this apartment.”

Kira opened the cupboards, looking for canned food. She’d worked enough salvage runs that the habit was ingrained. “Jimmy and Timmy, huh? You guys have the manliest call signs ever.”

“That’s nothing,” said Haru. “The other one is Kimmy.”

As if on cue, the radio crackled softly. Kira pulled a trio of canned vegetables down from a cupboard over the fridge, and Haru picked up the phone.

“Kimmy calling Jimmy.”

“This is Jimmy. Sitrep.”

“The report from Timmy was false, repeat false. Fred is at Holly, I have them in my sights right now. Timmy is compromised.”

“Radio silence,” said Haru immediately, and set down the radio. “Bloody hell.”

Jayden turned from the window, his brow furrowed in sudden worry. “That’s not good.”

Haru hit the table. “We do not have time for this!” He hit the table again.

Kira frowned. “They got . . . Timmy? Which one is he?”

“Steve,” said Yoon.

“Skinny or Scruffy?”

Yoon hesitated a moment. “Skinny.”

Kira swore. “You think he’s dead?”

“We don’t know that it’s him,” said Jayden. “The second call might have been a warning that the first was fake, but it’s just as likely that the second was fake, trying to confuse us.”

“If the second was fake,” said Kira, “wouldn’t the first have called us back to let us know?”

“I turned it off,” said Haru. “If one of the scouts is compromised, they’ve already got the drop on us. The only reason to give up that info is to figure out where we are. They might have already traced the signal—I don’t know what kind of tech they have.”

“But both messages knew our code words,” said Kira. “There’s got to be some way that both scouts are still safe. Maybe they just didn’t see the same thing—maybe they were looking at two different buildings.”

“No.” Haru shook his head. “They’ve worked together too long—they wouldn’t accuse each other that plainly if they weren’t completely sure. If the first call was real, the second can’t be, and if the second call was real, obviously we have to believe that the first was lying.”

“They couldn’t have tortured anyone that fast,” said Jayden, standing slowly. “There’s no way they could have gotten the code words unless . . .” He paused. “What about . . . It couldn’t be, that’s insane.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Haru.

“It’s nothing,” said Jayden. “I’m just being paranoid.”

“That’s a pretty healthy thing to be right now,” said Kira.

Jayden swallowed, glanced at Haru, then looked back at Kira. “What if one of the scouts is a Partial?”

“That’s not even—” said Kira, but stopped midsentence. She was about to say it wasn’t possible, but what if it was?

“That’s ridiculous,” said Haru. “I’ve known both Nick and Steve for years.”

“Since before the Break?” asked Jayden.

“Well, no,” said Haru, “but still. There’s no way.”

“They look exactly like us,” said Jayden. “Who’s to say some of them haven’t been living among us this whole time?”

Kira leaned back against the wall, her legs weak, feeling the sudden need for support. The ramifications were terrifying, but the logic . . . didn’t hold up. “Why now?” she asked. “If they wanted us dead, they could have done it at any time—what do they gain by betraying us here, in the middle of nowhere?”

“I don’t know,” said Jayden harshly. “I’m just thinking out loud.”

“Everybody calm down,” said Haru. “They’re not Partials.”

“Voice, then,” said Jayden. “They could be using a traitor in our own ranks to sabotage the mission.”

“I vouched for both of them!” whispered Haru.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” said Jayden, and Kira saw that his hand was creeping near his pistol. She pressed herself back against the counter, caught between the two soldiers. Out in the hallway, Gabe turned to watch the exchange with a look of angry shock.