Disobedience Read online

  Finn pulled away and turned to AJ.

  “There are at least ten soldiers in a control room monitoring video feeds of the arena at all times. There are another ten walking the perimeter, and dozens more in the Dome during the games.”

  The boy’s eyes widened as he let loose a low whistle.

  “I hope Shane knows what he’s doing,” he mused.

  I’ll second that, Finn thought darkly.

  “What are you two doing out here by yourselves?”

  Finn spun in place to face a dark-haired Reliance soldier. His handsome features were pinched in anger as he stormed over to where they stood and raised a hand covered in a stunner glove. As he neared, his other hand pulled a heavy reinforced staff from his belt.

  From the corner of her eye Finn saw AJ’s stance widen and he reached for one of the weapons strapped to his belly.

  “No weapons, AJ,” she ordered through her teeth as she forced a smile. She had faith in the boy’s ability to throw down and defend himself, but this was not the ideal scenario for a showdown. “You’ll draw dozens more if we’re not careful.”

  She released a deep breath when his body relaxed slightly and his hand fell to his side.

  How the hell were they going to talk their way out of this? She’d said no weapons, but they might not have a choice in the matter.

  Finn watched the soldier draw closer, closing the distance between them in record time, but before she could come up with a decent excuse, his body stopped abruptly. It was almost as though he’d walked into an invisible wall. The anger slowly erased itself from his expression, replaced by a look of pure awe.

  Finn followed his rapt gaze to AJ. The boy stood with his shoulders squared; his black eyes now swirled in a mix of greens, blues, and purples. On instinct her own eyes flew away from his and back to the soldier’s.

  “Shit,” she muttered. “AJ, what are you doing?”

  “Getting us out of here,” he answered shortly, keeping his focus on the soldier. “Keep a lookout.”

  Finn didn’t bother getting worked up over the boy’s bossiness. Instead, her head shot around in all directions, looking for more soldiers to come out of the woodwork.

  “We’re clear,” she told him. “Make it quick.”

  AJ didn’t hesitate. His voice deepened as he commanded, “You never saw us here. You’re going to go to your barracks and have a nice nap.”

  “Yes, I think I’ll have a nap,” the soldier droned flatly.

  Finn remembered what it felt like to be stuck in the boy’s hold and felt a slight twinge of pity for the man. Slowly, he turned on his heel and walked away with stilted, robotic movements. He set off in the opposite direction and never looked back.

  AJ’s eyes were back to their usual black when he turned to her and smiled.

  “That was close.”

  Despite her misgivings with his abilities, Finn couldn’t help but be impressed with the boy.

  “Quick thinking, kid.” His smile widened at her praise even as he rolled his eyes at being called “kid” yet again. “Now let’s get the hell out of here before we run into any more puppets for you to play with.”

  “What about the mission? Do we have enough intel for Shane?”

  Finn’s stomach tumbled uncomfortably; she grimaced.

  “We’ve got all we’re going to get.”

  She didn’t say what she was really thinking: Going into that Dome is a suicide mission.

  It was a good thing she specialized in suicide missions.

  As Finn and AJ made their way back to the pod, they kept wary eyes on their surroundings the entire way. When they reached the clearing where Nova had landed, they found the doxie waiting for them, leaning casually against the pod’s exterior. Oddly, she’d changed out of her borrowed clothes and back into her shorts and half-shirt, proudly displaying her scarred body for all to see. She greeted them with a cheeky wave and a smile.

  She was going to get them caught.

  Finn shook her head angrily and picked up her pace, closing the distance between them and escape. When only a few feet separated them, Finn tracked movement from behind the pod.

  As she watched, a large group of Reliance soldiers began to make their way around the back of the ship, lining up on either side of Nova. Rather than looking afraid as any fugitive doxie in her right mind would, Nova greeted the soldiers with an even wider smile before her calm gaze returned to Finn’s.

  “Nova, what are you doing,” Finn hissed.

  The girl ignored her, walking straight up to the highest-ranking Reliance soldier as he approached, extending a scarred hand.

  “Do you have my gold?” she asked him impatiently. “These are the half-breeds I promised back on Kreet, and I’ve already given you the coordinates to a ship full of them. That’s got to be worth my weight in coin.”

  She blinked coyly at the man and as her words sank in, Finn’s heart dropped in her chest. Everything around them seemed to move in slow motion as the pounding of it filled her ears.

  The coordinates of the ship? Oh Gods.

  “I guess now I know what you were really doing on Kreet,” Finn hissed at the doxie.

  “You traitor!” AJ yelled suddenly, attempting to shove past Finn.

  She stayed him with a hand on his shoulder as panic began to blur her vision. In his anger, AJ’s eyes started to swirl with color once again, and the surrounding soldiers began to yell over each other.

  “Don’t look into its eyes!”

  Nova had been thorough in her betrayal.

  One of the soldiers on the far side of the group sent a blast at AJ from the fist of his stunner glove and the boy hit the ground in a lifeless heap. Finn struggled to remain motionless, her mind swimming as her panic-stricken brain searched for an escape, or at the very least, a way to warn the crew of Independence.

  Carefully flicking the comm device on her wrist, Finn prayed to the Gods someone was listening. Nova looked in their direction, her pockmarked face devoid of any emotion save for the obvious relish at earning her weight in Reliance gold. How could Finn have been so stupid? So careless? Enyo had been right. She should have known not to trust the doxie’s loyalty.

  Now, not only was Finn about to pay for her own carelessness, but the entire crew of Independence would pay as well.

  Since Nova was looking away, she missed the soldier behind her as he unholstered his plasma gun. Before Finn could exhale, he pointed it at the back of the doxie’s head and pulled the trigger. The front of Nova’s head exploded in a macabre fountain of blood, smoking tissue, and bone. Her unseeing eyes went skyward as her body fell to the ground in a heap.

  “The Reliance thanks you for your service,” the soldier told Nova’s lifeless form.

  Finn used their moment of distraction to bring the comm to her lips, yelling, “They’re coming for Independence! Get out now!”

  The soldier’s eyes flicked over to Finn. “Take them,” he commanded.

  The remaining soldiers aimed their stunner gloves at where Finn stood frozen. Before she could move to flee, their fingers closed into fists and a barrage of blasts hit her from all sides.

  The world went dark and Finn collapsed next to AJ.

  TWENTY-NINE

  Finn came to with a horrific headache. Her mouth was uncomfortably parched, and a loud buzzing sounded in her ears. Remembering the soldiers and their stunner gloves, she sat up quickly and immediately grabbed her head in agony.

  Something hard and metallic slammed into her temples; a cry of pain escaped her dry lips. Finn pulled her hands back and examined them. They’d been covered with steel boxes that were locked at her wrists.

  Her clothes had been changed, and her possessions—including her knife and Conrad’s hair wax—had all been removed. She fought down nausea as she examined her new garb. An itchy pair of dark burgundy pants and a matching long-sleeved shirt covered her body and her feet were wrapped in dirty cotton socks . . . no shoes.

  Tiri? Finn called out to the gir
l in her mind. Tiri, can you hear me?

  She waited long minutes for a response but none came. Finn tried to tell herself the child was merely out of range, but dread sat heavy in the pit of her stomach.

  Her eyes struggled to take in her dark surroundings. She was underground, alone in what appeared to be a small glass cell with a tiled floor. One of the panes had a small, closed slot she assumed was used for food. More cells lined the floor as far as her eyes could see through the dimness. She could make out the blinking lights of cameras—all aimed at the glass cells—spread throughout the space.

  “AJ?” she called, trying to ignore the rising dread in her voice. “AJ?”

  “Finn?” She followed the boy’s voice to a cell several feet away. She could just barely make out his still form huddled in the corner and a large strip of silicone that had been wrapped and fastened around his head, covering his eyes. “Finn, I can’t see,” he yelled in panic.

  “Will you two shut up? I’m trying to sleep.” Finn flinched as an unfamiliar, mildly annoyed voice called out into the darkness.

  “Where are we?” Finn asked the voice, too frightened to be cautious.

  This time, a different voice answered her. It was deep with a slight rasp.

  “You’re in the Dome. Well, under it to be exact.”

  Finn’s head shot from left to right, searching for the source of the sound. It appeared to come from one of the cells to her immediate right, but the figure inside was shrouded in darkness.

  Finn’s heart fell, and she muttered a low expletive under her breath. She shifted awkwardly on the ground, struggling to move properly with her hands covered in the clunky boxes. Frustrated, she slammed her back against the cell wall and exhaled a puff of air.

  She fought to force her panic and all thoughts of Nova’s treachery and the fate of Independence to the back of her mind. It would do them no good. When her breathing had somewhat evened, she turned to call through the glass.

  “Everything is going to be okay, AJ. Just try to stay calm.”

  AJ’s voice echoed around her, breaking as he struggled to speak.

  “The soldiers know where the ship is. They’re going to kill them all, Finn.”

  Tears pricked the backs of her eyes and a lump formed in her throat. She fought it down and tried to answer as calmly as possible.

  “It’s going to be okay, AJ.” She strained to sound confident as she said, “It’s going take more than a few Reliance soldiers to get the best of your brothers.”

  “Somebody shut her up!” A gruff voice yelled out into the night and Finn flinched.

  “Get some sleep,” she whispered to AJ.

  Given what she’d already seen of the Dome, they would need all the rest they could get. She leaned back against the wall, the sounds of soft snoring and bodies shifting in the dirt filling her ears.

  Her mind raced in the darkness. Without her hands, she was at a significant disadvantage. There would be no escape tonight, but hopefully tomorrow they’d be leaving their cages, allowing for more possibility. She wasn’t sure how many hybrids surrounded her on all sides, but if she could convince enough of them to work together, they just might stand a chance.

  Finn closed her eyes and let her mind work on a plan. She relaxed her body as much as her constraints would allow and took a deep breath.

  Tomorrow.

  Tomorrow she would get them all out of here.

  How hard could it be to convince a handful of hybrids to work together?

  Finn stirred in the early morning as the sounds of movement, coughing, and the low buzz of artificial lights above her filled her ears. Now that the night had passed, she could finally make out her surroundings.

  The underground space was lined with twenty ten-by-fifteen-square-feet glass cages; ten on either side. Each cell had a toilet and small sink in the corner and a small, rectangular drawer that opened out from the other side.

  Her eyes sought out AJ and she found him a few cells away curled on his side on the floor. His deep, even breaths told her he had at least found sleep at some point during the night.

  Inside the cell next to his, a bald man sat awake in the corner with his elbows resting on his knees. His giant body was strung tight with hard muscle, but his casual pose gave him a deceptively calm appearance. He wore a jumpsuit in the same burgundy color as Finn’s shirt and pants.

  The parts of his skin it exposed were such a dark shade of black he almost looked blue. He watched her intently, the irises of his eyes shining a deep yellow ringed with red. Something about his stare unsettled her, and an involuntary shiver stole up her spine.

  “That’s the Solidarian,” a voice to Finn’s left declared. She turned and found a pale young woman resting casually against the wall of the cell next to hers. Unlike Finn, she appeared to be unrestrained; a deep-burgundy jumpsuit identical to the Solidarian’s covered her body. Her dark hair was matted and pulled into a snarly ponytail.

  She turned oval eyes to Finn and smiled.

  “You won’t get much conversation out of him. He’s been here fifteen cycles and word is he never says a peep. I wouldn’t either to be honest. I heard he took down a whole company of Reliance soldiers . . . burned their barracks to the ground. He’s been here ever since. Too dangerous to be sold, but too violent and entertaining to kill.” The young woman leaned up against the glass and whispered, “My advice? Steer clear of him in the Dome.”

  Fifteen cycles in a cage?

  The man must be certifiable at this point. Finn knew she would be. Could this Solidarian be the same one she’d heard whispered stories about on the Mud Pit? The one who was supposedly executed with steel boxes around his hands? The thought didn’t bear thinking about.

  “Who are you?” Finn asked the young woman.

  She shrugged her bony shoulders and stated, “In here, I’m Supersonic.”

  Supersonic?

  At Finn’s questioning gaze, the hybrid blew a fallen strand of dark hair from her face.

  “You’re wondering about the nickname,” she stated matter-of-factly. “No one lasts long in the Dome. It’s easier to remember nicknames. Plus, it helps me remember what everyone can do out there. So . . .” She eyed Finn. “What can you do?”

  “He doesn’t get one?” Finn ignored the question and motioned with her head in the direction of the Solidarian’s cage. Supersonic shuddered dramatically.

  “I’m not touching that with a ten-foot pole.”

  Finn scooted closer to their adjoining glass wall.

  “Have you tried to escape?”

  Supersonic tipped her head back and let out a ringing laugh that set Finn’s teeth on edge. She glared as the hybrid took a few moments to compose herself before shooting Finn an amused grin.

  “Outside of this place, I could run laps around the Dome and be back on my ass in this cell before you could blink. I’m half-Xandar, which means”—she leaned in close, her breath fogging the glass between them—“I’m fast . . . hence Supersonic.”

  Finn knew a little about the alien species from the planet Xandar. They had once lived on a high-gravity atmosphere within the Outer Rings. When the Reliance unionized the Inner and Outer Rings, the Xandar people found that the lower levels of gravity on their new homes gave them increased speed and endurance.

  “So, have you tried to escape then?”

  She looked at Finn like she might be missing half her brain and motioned toward a grouping of lasers mounted and spaced out around the ceiling of her cell.

  “Those things are motion sensitive. The Reliance rigged them to go off if they detect any movement faster than average walking speed. So, to answer your question, no. I haven’t tried to escape.” She took in Finn’s shocked if not defeated expression and continued matter-of-factly. “We all have them. The more dangerous the half-breed, the more intense the measures.” She nodded in the direction of the intimidating Solidarian. “His cell is heat sensitive. It’s rigged to rain freezing foam over the poor bastard if he even sweats
too much.”

  She supposed that explained why the space was free of Reliance guards. She hadn’t clocked any cameras in the underground space either. If the cells were so cleverly triggered, they wouldn’t need to worry about constant oversight.

  “And the others?” Finn asked quietly, her eyes scanning to the rest of the cells.

  Supersonic’s unblinking stare assessed her carefully.

  “Fine, I’ll give you a rundown, but don’t expect any more favors from me. It’s nothing personal, but once these cells open and they send us out to the Dome, it’s every half-breed for themselves.”

  Finn nodded in understanding, hoping that she could convince the cheeky hybrid otherwise before that happened. If the Gods favored them, it would be days before they had to face each other in the Dome. At her acquiescence, Supersonic pointed to the cell on the other side of Finn’s.

  “She’s new. Got here a few hours before you.”

  Finn followed until her eyes landed on a small girl, probably no older than eleven or twelve. She was huddled in her cell like a frightened animal, a cascade of yellow waves falling around her painfully young face. Like AJ, a band of silicone covered her eyes, and her hands were secured tightly behind her back.

  As Finn took in the terrified child’s form, she had to stifle a gasp. Running up the length of the girl’s neck and past the confines of her jumpsuit were runic markings identical to those of Conrad; their blue glow made even starker against the pale white of her skin.

  Forcing her tone to sound casual, she spoke to the child.

  “Hi. What’s your name?”

  Her little head turned left and right as if to find the source of Finn’s voice.

  “Carrow,” she finally whispered softly. “Micro,” Supersonic corrected. “I’m calling you Micro.” At Finn’s harsh glare, the dark-haired hybrid shrugged her shoulders innocently. “What? She’s tiny.”

  Finn shook her head and focused on the little girl in her cell.

  “Hi, Carrow. My name is Finn. I’m new here too. How old are you?”

  “Eleven,” she breathed.