"Out here, you have more to worry about than just the wardens, Allura. You need to understand that some humans are equally as evil as them. To a lot of people, escaped Nameless are weak and vulnerable, which makes them easy targets."
It feels like he's tiptoeing around telling me everything, but I'm too overwhelmed to ask for more details, fearful if I hear any more, I'll be too afraid to go inside.
He lets go of my wrist. "Are you ready for this?"
I don't think I am, but I nod, anyway.
It's either go down there with humans, some who might be untrustworthy, or stay up here and wait for either the Tracker to come back or a warden to find me and drag me back down to the channels. The first choice seems easier to handle. I just hope I'm not making a huge mistake.
Chapter Seven
The East City Post
After I tell Blaise I'm ready to go down there, he bends down and uses the handle as a knocker, tapping it once. Almost immediately, someone on the inside knocks back. Blaise raps the knocker against the door again, this time three times. The person inside mimics the knocks, but adds one more. Blaise does the same then sits back on his heels and waits.
I hear a series of locks being undone, and then the hinges whine as a door is lifted all the way open, hitting the ground with a thud. Dust flies everywhere, and I start to hack, fanning my hand in front of my face.
When the air clears, a guy with sandy brown hair and freckly skin pops his head out of the hole. His gaze flicks from me to Blaise, and a smile spans across his face.
"Well, well, well, look what the trouble dragged in. I thought I heard a storm blowing through. Should've known it was you."
"Tracker actually," Blaise says. "Blew through here about half an hour ago and tore up a couple of miles of line. Smashed the shit out of my car."
The guy's brows shoot up in surprise. "Really? What was it trackin'?"
Blaise shrugs. "Who knows? It took off west."
"There have been a lot of Trackers around here lately." The guy rests his arms on the dirt. "It's making everyone nervous."
Blaise rubs his hand across his scruffy jawline. "I wonder why. Usually, they stay farther away because of the fault line nearby."
"Zaire's looking into why," the guy says, sneaking a glance at me. "You can ask him about it if you want."
"I might track him down while we're here," Blaise says. "I have to ask him something, anyway."
"Check the bar. He's usually there." The guy glances in my direction again before looking back at Blaise. "So, who's the girl?"
Blaise blinks at me, almost like he forgot I was there. "Oh"--he motions at the guy--"Allura, this is Maxx." He points at me. "Maxx, meet Allura. She works at Leviter Station. Today was her first mission." He stands up and pats my good shoulder. "She got broken in pretty well. Even got her very first battle scar."
It's shocking how breezily he lies, and it makes me question whether he's lied to me about anything.
Maxx's attention travels to my exposed legs. "She looks pretty banged up."
I squirm from his attention but battle the impulse to hide behind Blaise.
"I know." Blaise gently squeezes my shoulder, giving me the smallest amount of comfort. "I was hoping she could clean up and get a change of clothes while we're here."
"Of course. That's what we're here for, right?" Maxx smiles at me, but unlike Ryder's smile, his makes an icky feeling twist inside my gut.
Grinning, Maxx climbs back down in the hole and waves for us to follow him. I chew on my bottom lip, nervously glancing up at Blaise. He motions for me to go while trying to offer me an encouraging smile. But I still feel unsettled as I step forward.
I don't get very far before Blaise snags my elbow and draws me to him. His lips brush my ear as he whispers, "Maxx is one of those people you have to be careful around."
My nervousness doubles as I nod, and then he lets me go.
I inch forward and peer inside the dark hole. Not too far down is a ladder leading to God knows where. Summoning a deep breath, I plant my butt on the ground and dip my legs into the hole. My feet touch the first bar of the ladder, and I lower myself in and start to climb down. The process of climbing feels so foreign that I have to move slowly at first. Eventually, I get the hang of it, though, and quicken the pace.
The ladder leads to a room not much bigger than my cell. The confined space makes my lungs long for fresh air, but what really puts me on edge is Maxx, who is leaning against a steel wall with a lazy grin on his face.
"You look worn out," he says. "I have a bed you can rest on if you want to."
I step off the ladder and shrug, unsure what else to say.
"Don't you know how to talk?" he asks with a smirk.
"Y-yes." I cringe at the stammer.
He cocks a brow. "You seem too nervous to be from the station."
I discreetly tug the sleeve of the jacket lower on my wrist, making sure my number is covered. "Well, I am." Thank God my voice comes out even.
"Leave her alone, Maxx. She's had a rough day." Blaise's clipped tone drifts from above us. He appears on the ladder and jumps down beside me, skipping the last few bars. "She doesn't need to be drilled with questions."
"I just asked her a couple," Maxx grumbles. "You don't need to bite my head off."
Blaise dusts his hands off with his eyes trained on Maxx. He doesn't say anything, just stares, but his authoritative look is enough to make Maxx turn away from us.
He approaches a door on the farthest back wall and knocks five times. "Open up."
"Prepare yourself," Blaise whispers in my ear as the wall rolls open. "It's about to get really noisy."
Right as he says it, chatter floats through the open wall. I lean toward Blaise, peer inside, and my lips part in shock.
On the other side is a ma
ssive room with a low, steel ceiling and shiny, steel floors. Wooden tables and chairs fill the front area where people are laughing, chatting, drinking, and eating. Along the back wall are several metal doors. Lanterns are hooked on the steel walls and ceiling to provide adequate lighting, and I wonder if I'll have to keep my sunglasses on down here.
Without saying anything to us, Maxx hurries inside and disappears into the crowd.
"How come most of them seem so ..." I struggle for the right word. "Happy?" I turn to Blaise and find him watching me. I instantly feel self-conscious for reasons that are unknown to me.
"It's the place." He tears his gaze off me. "The people who built the posts built them strong enough to endure pretty much anything the watchers can throw at us."
"But how did they build them without the watchers knowing?"
"They built them before the watchers existed."
"Why?"
He scratches at his brow. "From what I understand, the world was a dangerous place even before the watchers showed up."
I sift through what vague memories I have. "From what I remember, it didn't seem so bad. Well, that is, if I'm actually remembering something or just making it up. We haven't decided that yet, huh?"
"No, but we'll get to the bottom of it. We have a doctor at the station. She can run some tests and stuff." He steps toward the room, but I remain frozen where I am, replaying his words.
Tests? They want to run tests on me?
When Blaise realizes I'm not following him, he stops and looks at me. "I promise you'll be safe in here. Just stay by my side, okay? We can even get you some food and water and a shower."
"What's a shower?"
"It's like a bath; only, water comes out of--never mind. It'll be easier if I just show you." He moves forward again then heaves a heavy sigh when I remain where I am. "I know it seems like a lot, but like I said, just stick by me and you'll be fine."
"It's not that." I fiddle with the zipper of the jacket. "You said ... You said they were going to run tests on me when we get to the station. I don't ... it's just ..." I shut my eyes and listen to my heart thudding. "Visitors used to do that to me. So did the wardens. I don't think I can handle getting poked and prodded by anyone else."