REND

“Carefully… Don’t make noise,” I whispered as I helped Reo get on the cart while still on his knees and holding out his arms. Not a comfortable task in this cramped space.

“I didn’t know there was a cart in this room,” said Reo.

“They probably use it to move these boxes containing whatever.” I couldn’t help but widely grin when Reo bumped his knees on the side of the cart. He had his eyes closed anyway. This is fucking dumb.

I glanced at the two bodies stacked against the closed door. This is super-duper, ultimate, tyrannosaurus rex dumb.

The man crumpled on the floor wearing all black was a guard—the huge sci-fi gun and walkie-talkie thingy strapped to his hip confirmed it. I had given his radio a good squeeze to destroy it. Too many movies warned me about the dangers of radios suddenly buzzing on at inopportune times.

He was patrolling the hallway in the last moments of his life. Not just the routine kind of patrol; it was as if he was looking for something. I decided to go out because I heard the door of the next room open and close. And I think this guy also searched the room before that. I didn’t know then he was a guard; I just thought someone was looking for a mop.

I felt some pushback when I rotated his head to see if he could mimic an owl. Could be an Adumbrae. Fortunately, his powers didn’t involve being an owl or becoming rubber, so he died when he got internally decapitated.

The other guy stacked on top of the guard was an employee wearing overalls. I got the cart from him. He passed by when I was killing the security guard. Wrong place, wrong time. Technically, with me around, everyone on this ship is at the wrong place and wrong time. Same as the guard, I also broke the neck of Overalls Man the Second before he could react. No blood.

I opened the door. Then I coughed and cleared my throat to disguise the sound of the bodies getting shoved out into the hallway. With enough space, I pushed the cart out, adjusting Reo’s position so his arms wouldn’t get snagged on the doorway.

“This isn’t a good idea, Erind,” he said. “Either we stay put or I stop the summon and we ditch this place. I’m not comfortable—erm, I mean it’s not good to move around while I’m—”

“You’re already on the cart, so let’s do this,” I said. “We’re escaping while you continue investigating. Once you’re done, we’ll already be on the elevator. Trust me.”

“No offense, but I’m not sure about the “trusting you” part. Are you sure you can push me?”

“I can,” I said as I bent down to grab the collars of the guard and Overalls Man the Second. Then I pushed the cart with one hand while pulling my corpse baggage with the other. “We’re moving, see? Wheels are a force multiplier. Simple machines are a grade school science lesson.”

“What’s that dragging sound?” Reo asked, turning his head around though his eyes were still closed. “Is that the wheels or what?”

“The wheels, yeah. You’d think they’d have money for maintenance. Anyway, where’s Sneak now?”

“We left the monster pen and I’m not sure where—we entered a room with lots of people. Some kind of party going on here. I’m not sure if we should continue talking while walking. Someone might hear us.”

“Just talk in a low voice. Whether you keep silent or talk, or even if you’re walking normally, if we run into anyone, they’ll be suspicious of us. You said it yourself. I’m interested in what Sneak sees so I’ll know if we’ve got enough.”

Not only was it for distraction, but the conversation also partially covered whatever weird sounds pulling the two corpses would make. I could carry the bodies on my back, but I didn’t want them dirtying me. What if they drooled or blood dripped out of their noses and ears? Worse, what if they voided their nasty insides? I knew from watching true crime documentaries that muscles loosened upon death—the bladder and bowels were muscles, I think. No, thank you to shit and piss on me.

“Wow, you’re the one to decide if our mission is complete?” said Reo. “Boss girl now, are you? I must say, you being more assertive is kinda hot.”

“Reo!” I furiously whispered, rattling the cart’s handle a bit.

“Okay, okay. Sneak’s in a room with a lot of shit going on. Two bouncer-type muscle dudes decked in all black by the door. One guy has aug-arms. The other got… horns? The hell? Must be an Adumbrae. Both of them probably.”

I looked over my shoulder to check the dead guard I was pulling. I wasn’t imagining that he was a bit hard to kill.

“More people in that uniform we saw earlier,” continued Reo. “People in lab gowns. Scientists, I’m guessing. This is where the Adumbrae shit is happening. Sneak’s ride talking to one of the lab gown dudes.”

I frowned as I continued to trudge pushing a kneeling weirdo and dragging two corpses. Was I meant to pass that place to get to the three small ships? Did Big Marcy direct me there? I’d end up killing everyone in that room! That’d ruin my chances of getting to Red Island and could escalate to the entire cruise ship getting sunk—Big Marcy wouldn’t want that.

“Did Sneak pass an intersection after the place with the mutants?” I asked, trying to recall the pictures and maps Big Marcy sent me.

“I think so, yeah.”

“Could you investigate that other way?”

“How am I supposed to do that? This guy is already sitting down, reporting for work or something. He’s not going anywhere. I think we’ve got enough. We should—why are we stopping?”

Slight sounds of footsteps ahead. A shadow followed, peaking at the bend. I stopped pushing the cart and laid the corpses on the ground without making a sound. “Going to check the path ahead quick to make sure we’re safe,” I said. “Don’t break your summon, okay?” Before Reo could respond, I stomped onward to meet the next lucky winner of the grand prize of death.

The incoming person wouldn’t think someone noisily walking was an intruder. He or she wouldn’t think much of me and Reo’s conversation, if they overheard it. Also, I’d mask any noise they’d make if I messed up offing them.

I reached the corner at the same time as… Overalls Man the First?

His eyes widened when he saw me. Recognition. His hand flew to his jacket to get his radio. I caught his wrist and pulled him down, and then grabbed his throat, crushing his windpipe before he could make a sound.

He wasn’t dead yet. I went back to Reo, the throat of Overalls Man the First in my grasp. I slowly tightened my grip so there’d be no distinct crack of bone as I snapped his neck. Did he remember us when he woke up? That might explain the guard checking the rooms. So much for Reo’s plan.

“Nothing there,” I said. “I think we’re clear on the way to the elevator.”

“Can I break the summon now, pretty please, boss Erind?”

“Denied,” I curtly said, thinking I should play along with his kink or whatever. “Complete your mission and fully scout the other path.” I looked at my increased baggage. I couldn’t carry three of them by the collar with one hand because they’d crowd each other. Seeing no other choice, put the first Overalls Man on my shoulder—please, don’t void your bowels—and went back to my earlier setup.

And we were on our way again. I took care that I wouldn’t step that heavily. Superstrength made the weight trivial. It was the cumbersomeness of it that annoyed me. 

“How do you expect Sneak to get to that other place?” Reo asked in an exasperated tone. “If he flies off, he’ll get seen, remember? Hang on, another guy is leaving. I think I can… there we go. Sneak has a new ride.”

“Good work, Reo. Let’s hope that guy is going the other path, and not back here.”

“Fingers crossed, Erind-o, my friend-o.”

“I thought I’m your boss?” I said, chuckling all cutesy. Deen would elbow me if she heard it. “Our path to the elevator is clear. You’re not going to lose contact with Sneak, are you? Like, I remember you talking about a certain distance your fairies can fly away from you.”

“We’re good, Boss Erind-o,” Reo replied. He explained that the range of Sneak was the longest among all his fairies at a hundred and fifty meters.

“Why meters? The fairy kingdom signed the Metre Convention or something?”

“A hundred and fifty meters or four hundred and ninety-two feet… I guess the fairy kingdom uses metrics.”

“I read in a brochure that this ship is three football fields long. One field is like three sixty feet. We’re in the forwardmost fifth of the ship’s length. Plenty of range for Sneak.”

Reo sighed. “I never thought this was going to happen. You, pushing me. Us talking about football fields…”

Me, carrying a dead guy on my back and pulling two more dead guys, I added in my head. This was going to get super wrong if my plan wouldn’t work. I might have to kill Reo. How the fuck would I explain that to the others?

We passed a security camera. I stared intently at it, trying to send a message with my thoughts, you better come since this was your plan.

“We make a good team, you and I,” said Reo. “I’m glad we partnered up. I didn’t think much of you before—uh, I mean Sneak’s new ride turned to that other path. We’re going to finally know what’s down there.”

“And we’re on the elevator. I’m pushing you in now. We’re going to finish this mission with a ribbon on top.”

I pushed Reo into the carriage and carefully deposited the three bodies so they wouldn’t thump on the floor. I pushed the button for the lobby floor. For a moment, I thought we needed to press some code to make it go up. But it began to move up, causing Reo to celebrate.

“We made it!” he exclaimed.

“Finish your mission,” I sternly told him.

There was another security camera here. I looked up and wagged my finger at it. Come on! I know you’re watching. Send someone to—I hadn’t finished my thought when the elevator stopped probably just a couple of floors up. The doors opened. Big Marcy and two bodyguards, slightly smaller than him, stood outside, blocking the whole exit like a wall of muscles.

My eyes widened. I didn’t expect him to come personally.

As if reading my mind, Big Marcy bowed as if to say, at your service. Then he cocked his head at Reo. Good thing Big Marcy didn’t speak a word. He quickly analyzed the situation and knew something not normal—if anything here could be considered normal—was going on. Likewise, lucky Ramon wasn’t here. That guy would immediately talk to me and ruin everything.

I put a finger to my lips. Big Marcy tilted his head. I supposed he was trying to say, I know.

Help me out, I asked him with my eyes. I gestured at the dead guys.

It was Big Marcy’s plan to send me here with maps that bordered a puzzle. He should know there was a chance I’d kill a few people along the way. My hunch was that the bioscanners were set to allow Adumbrae to pass, otherwise, it’d be a dead end for me. Or they could be set to human, and Big Marcy was testing my capabilities. Never know with this guy.

Knowing his part, Big Marcy pointed at the corpses. His bodyguards took them out of the elevator as silently as possible.

“Am I crazy or are we stopping?” Reo asked. “Why are we—? I found the small ships! You’re freaking right, Erind. They’re hiding here—the way to Red Island.” Reo had said enough that Big Marcy should know what I was up to here.

Big Marcy raised a brow. I nodded. He waved goodbye as the doors were closing.

I tapped my wrist, asking for the time the ships would depart. He shrugged. Was he saying he didn’t know? Mark probably wouldn’t tell him, or the schedule just keeps changing. He twirled his hands, probably telling me more information was to follow, and the doors shut between us. We were moving again.

“Sorry, Reo. Pressed the wrong button. You can open your eyes now. Mission completed.”

“Woohoo! We’re alive!” Reo jumped off the cart and hugged me. I flinched and clenched my fists. He let go and backed away. “Okay, I didn’t mean to do that.”

This low-life cockroach dared to touch me!  I glared at him. We were home free and this guy wanted to waste all of our effort by dying? He was lucky I didn’t slap him—that’d be a normal reaction for a girl like me. Too bad for Reo, a serious slap from me would remove his head.

That was going to happen someday. I was filing this offense in my memory.

“Uh, I’m sorry, Erind.” He looked away, scratching his head. “I was just excited we’re alive.”

I turned to face the doors. The next several seconds of the ride was deafening silence.

“Leave that cart somewhere,” were my only words before I exited the elevator and returned to my room to rest. Dramatic bitch, signing off.

I ordered room service because I wanted to pig out on pastries to wash away the disgusting memories of someone hugging me.

---

 

It was nearly two in the afternoon, and we were outside, having a meeting under the umbrellas near the rails of the ship. We got our food from the bar beside the pool. The lunchtime crowd was clearing out, so there was less chance of getting overheard. Dario chose our spot downwind so the sound of our voices would be dampened. Before, I thought that the wind only affected smell, like the lions in Animal Channel hunting from downwind to hide their scent from getting detected by prey.

Turned out, the wind also carried sound. Huh, the more you know.  

Reo sent everyone a sketch map of the secret area Sneak investigated through our phones. He surprisingly had a very good memory. I didn’t look his way or talk to him. I was no longer pissed off—holding strong emotions was tiring—but I enjoyed acting bitchy, so, there we go.

“Is this okay, Reo?” Myra asked. “You sending this to us? What if someone searches our phone?”

“What’s your suggestion, chief spy?” sarcastically retorted Reo. “Write on paper using invisible ink? Or do you want to memorize the sketch and then burn it?”

“Something like that,” said Mrya. “Secrecy and shit.”

“You don’t understand, Myra. If someone’s checking your phone—”

I cut in, “They’re already suspicious of you anyway, so it wouldn’t matter hiding it.” That was Reo’s logic in punching Overalls Man the First. May his overalls rest in peace with the fishes.

Reo looked my way. I decided to meet his gaze, and then quickly averted my eyes, playing coy. That should signal I forgave him… which was a lie. His usefulness was running out after delivering the information about the ships to Red Island to the group, and he may soon find himself with Overalls Man the First and the Second.

Reo smiled. And with that, we grew closer. In his mind. I’d squeeze out some final use for him, maybe treating him as a meat shield during the inevitable Red Island fight.

“Our next concern is getting all of us to those ships,” Dario said.

“Even those without powers?” asked Deen, testing how Dario would answer.

“If they want to, then yes,” he said. A good response, passing the choice to us. “They can only come along if it’s safe. We will formulate a plan that will make it safe for all of us.”

Taking all his words together, he basically answered ‘yes’. He must’ve trained at the politician school for evasive answering. By wanting me to join them, he confirmed his obvious plans to use me. Otherwise, he’d prefer if I was as far from their mission.

“But they’re just normal humans,” said Deen. “What can they do to help us over there?”

“We’ll put that on the back burner for now.” Dario turned to me, definitely sending a message. “Take time to think about it while we plan how to get on the ship,” he said, knowing full well I aimed to join them. “Before that, we have the problem of when the ship is going to leave.”

“It sure as hell won’t during the day,” said Myra.

“Yes, it could only depart at night,” said Johann, “likely after the concert by the pool ends around ten. The window is from that time until sunrise. What are we going to do? Shifts?”

“I volunteer Reo and Erind to be one shift,” Everett said with a snort. “He seemed to enjoy partnering with her.”

“What? So you and Deen can go together?” snapped Reo.

“Yes, we’ll organize shifts to watch the ship’s bow,” said Dario. “But it’s not enough. By the time we see the ship going out, it’s already zooming away.”

“We can swim after it,” suggested Jubjub. We didn’t know if she was joking or not.

“Is that possible?” Deen wondered.  

“Two plans,” said Dario. “We’ll have shifts watching the bow. And we’ll have shifts trailing people we’re certain are going on those small ships. We have the McHunters and Bianca. Erind can’t meet with Bianca, so how about you go try with the daughter McHunter? Jubjub will pair with you.”