Chapter 4 - Running

Fade fell to the ground in disbelief. They weren’t there. Just like that, her parents were gone. Tears started to well in her eyes. What the hell had just happened? Parents aren’t supposed to just disappear like that. It’s against the rules of something. Children are supposed to have a home to go to. A safe place to land. No matter how many guards she encountered, creepy teachers she had to tolerate, home was supposed to be a constant; a safeguard. That fence was just torn down and she had never felt so vulnerable.

“Fade?” Terra said far far off in the distance. “Fade please! We have to go!”

Tears of sorrow turned into anger. Her breathing quickened. Getting back up on one knee, she turned to face Terra. “Go? We have to go? This is your fault!” Fade yelled back. “Get away from me!”

Taking a step forward, Terra offered a hand. She whispered, “I know you must-“

“No you fucking don’t,” Fade cut her off. “You do not get to sympathize with me.” Before she knew what she was doing, Fade slapped Terra’s hand away. “If you hadn’t come along, none of this would have happened! Get out of my life.”

Looking more than a little hurt, Terra took a few steps back out of the house. “I’m sorry,” she whispered before running across the street and up the wall of the neighboring house.

All that was left was Fade’s staggered breath echoing off the walls of what looked like an abandoned house. She couldn’t stop her heavy breathing. It was all just too much. Staggering to her parent’s room, Fade pulled up the tossed aside mattress back onto her parents’ bed and slept away the pain.

When morning seeped through the windows it almost seemed like nothing had happened. Staring at the ceiling, Fade wanted to believe if she looked over to one side that her parents would be by her side still asleep. Instead, the horror of the house greeted her, this time with an all knew clarity. Walls were dented, floorboards scuffed to all hell, and furniture strewn around. These guards weren’t searching for something, they just wanted an excuse to hurt someone.

Despite the horrific scene, Fade couldn’t help but succumb to her rumbling stomach and scavenged the kitchen for food. Broken glass was scattered all along the floors and counters, making it much harder to move around. Somehow, their jar of peanuts and raisins still remained intact and were now in her hand as she surveyed the damage. Pretty much everything was trashed. As much as she wanted to stay and have the same safe feeling she had only one night ago, it was time to leave. She wasn’t stupid, the guards were probably going to come back around sooner rather than later.

Grabbing Nini’s backpack, Fade gathered any supplies she thought she might need. Twine, spare clothes, her mother’s cloak, a few kitchen knives, and of course lots of food. By the time she was done gathering everything the backpack was practically bursting at the seams.

Stepping outside, Fade turned around to what she assumed would be one last look at her house. In the morning light her home almost looked like it hadn’t been ransacked. All of this was so unfair! Manipulators had messed up her life and she didn’t even have a good reason of why.

Snapping Fade out of deep thought, footsteps marched down the street. They were all in unison. Even through she couldn’t see who was walking just around the bend, it was safe to assume: more guards. What could the Public Security Infantry possible want with an empty house? Not waiting to find out, Fade scrambled onto the roof.

“You there! Stop!” a guard’s voice sounded off from below. Great, Fade thought. It would have been too easy to simply slip away. Going into a full spring she started jumping from building to building. A flurry of footsteps followed her from far down below as she slowly climbed from one tall building too the next. Roofs were definitely the safest place and the easiest way to cut off line of sight. All she needed to do was take an unexpected route. The last time she was running away from guards she was only caught because they had figured out she was running to her next class. Right now, she had no other destination then away from them.

Right as she was jumping from one four story building to the next a bullet ricocheted off the ledge of the next building into an exposed vent duct. They had rifles? That meant the Public Security Infantry Counterforce had come in. Completely shocked, Fade twisted her ankle and tripped causing her backpack to fly off her. Crying out in pain she tried to fall into the elevated lip of the roof rather than over it. Pain shot through her back as she slid and slammed into unforgiving brick. Her vision started fade with black static as she re-centered herself.

“Did you get her?” a guard asked from far below.

Assholes. Carefully lifting herself up, more pain shot through her back. Nothing was broken, but she knew she’d have one hell of a bruise later in the day. Looking down at her ankle, it also appeared to be bending correctly. She definitely pulled a muscle, but it didn’t look too bad. She quickly snatched her backup from the ground slinging it back on one shoulder. One leg following the other Fade got back up looked across the Fifth Division for an exit. The street she was following twisted and turned in so many directions it practically surrounded her. She really only had one option to run without getting shot at. Whatever Terra had done must have really pissed off some high official, as Fade had never seen this type of force used. The PSI weren’t allowed guns unless in situations where the target was deemed a “dangerous threat,” which apparently she was.

Behind her, a brick fell from the building and smashed into the street below. “Whoops…” a guard whispered to themselves.

That voice was too close. They must be trying to climb the building! Not wasting any time, Fade started climbing down the opposite side. Pain kept shooting through the left side of her back and her right ankle. This wasn’t good. Even if the guards sucked at rooftop chases, she couldn’t outpace them enough to cut off line of sight. Unfortunately, she really needed to cut off line of sight. When she finally reached the roof of a first story building, Fade started to run from building to building scouting for any open windows.

“There she is!” shouted a guard from above. A slow trickle of bullets started to surround Fade.

Their guns weren’t very accurate which would buy her time, but only so much. Citizens on the street started to look up at the scene and immediately dodged for cover. Many went into their homes and closed their doors. No one was going to want to have an open window with bullets flying around.

“Fade!” someone shouted. Unsure of where the voice came from, she took cover behind a rooftop entrance. Immediately bullets started hitting the other side. She could feel the thud of bullets hitting brick. “Fade, over here!” the man’s voice shouted again. Surely enough, right across an adjacent alley professor Fog was sticking his head out a window. “Quickly!” he whispered. “Before they see you.”

This was a bad idea. Going into a creepy teachers apartment was never the ideal choice. More bullet pounded against the wall behind her. It wasn’t going to be possible to keep this pace up forever. Her legs and arms were already screaming and her back really wanted to give up. Against her better judgement, Fade leaned herself down the side of the roof and jumped towards her teachers window. Grabbing her arms, Fog lifted her into his apartment, slammed the window shut, and took ahold of her wrist leading her towards another room.

“Get your hands off me!” Fade yelled. He didn’t respond as they walked into another tiny bedroom. Pulling the lever hidden as an ancient wall fixture, a bookcase right next to the lever made an unlatching noise. Sliding the bookcase over (while keeping an unusually strong grip on Fade’s arm) he threw Fade into the small hidden crawlspace. Yet again she hit the ground hard making her wince as she was shoved further in.

Crouching down Fog whispered to her, “do not make a sound until I say it is okay to do so.” Sliding the bookcase back to its original position, he locked it into place. She was now in complete and utter darkness. Everything went eerily still. There wasn’t enough room to take off her backpack which was cutting into her shoulders. Sticking her arm out, it almost immediately hit the bookcase. “Shhh!” Fog whispered.

Overwhelmed, Fade started to cry as silently as she could possibly will herself to be. This was worse than being taken by the guards. How long was this perv planning to hold her here? She was trapped and she couldn’t get out. It was dark and she couldn’t get out. Her parents were gone and she couldn’t get out. Gasping for air Fade started to push against the bookcase.

“Shit,” Fog’s voice came in muffled from another room. Suddenly a sizzling sound started, then music. He was trying to drown her out.

Just as Fade was about to start shouting a mass of footsteps reverberated through the building. PSIC were here. It was either stay quiet or be shot, and she was not entertaining the idea of being shot. She wanted to live.

Three loud bangs sounded from the floor below. Then another three bangs. Muffled voices and shouting filled the walls. Screams and thuds came and went. Dishes sounded like they were being thrown. Furniture was being beaten. They were not going to stop until they found her. Fade started to hyperventilate as she pushed on the bookcase. She needed to get out of this building. They were going to find her. Despite her best efforts pushing through screaming pain shooting throughout her body, she couldn’t move the damn bookcase. Tired and closing her eyes, she fell in and out of consciousness.

More loud bangs. Fists hit skin. A bullet ricocheted again. Glass broke. People screamed. Then, as suddenly as it came it stopped. Everything was quiet.

A “ker-chunk” sounded as the bookcase was pushed to the side. Fade barely stirred. Her whole body felt hot and her nose was not happy about the stuffy nook she was crammed into. She didn’t realize that her left side was caked in a little blood.

“Oh dear you are really not in good shape,” Fog observed as he dragged her from out of the nook. Barely able to open her eyes, she caught a glimpse of her teacher. He had a black eye, a torn sleeve, and a nasty burn. Fade giggled a little. Looks like the bastard had got his comeuppance. “Glad too see you still have a sense of humor,” he chuckled. Idiot didn’t realize she wasn’t laughing with him. As he placed her down on a bed she blacked out.

When Fade’s eyes shot back open it was the dead of night and someone was knocking on the door of the small bedroom. She tried to get up but was immediately protested by a massive amount of pain in her back and legs. “Ow,” she whimpered. Looking down at herself, she was not wearing the same clothes she was when she was last awake. What had this man done to her?

“Coming in,” Fog whispered as he entered the door with a steaming hot mug of something and an oil lantern. It was hard to tell from the smell what the concoction was.

Reflexively, Fade pushed herself back as far as her body would let her. “Get away from me!” she hissed.

Slowly placing the mug and latern down on a dresser, he raised his hands. “I’m not here to hurt you Fade.”

“Is that a threat? If I refuse then you’ll hurt me?”

His face scrunched up. “What? No, I just told you I’m not here to hurt you.”

“Keep telling yourself that perv!” Fade spat out as she started to get out of bed. Her hand immediately shot to her aching side.

Sudden realization shot through his face. “Wait, you think I’m-“

Fade laughed as she grabbed at her dress. “Do you take the clothes off all your students while they’re sleeping or am I just that special?”

“Wait wait wait!” Fog started to stumble over his words. “Fade I”m not-that’s not what is going on here. You just-how do I?” he trailed off.

With one arm Fade started to open the window. “I’d rather die than be stuck in your creepy little dungeon.”

“AH!” Fog shouted as he pushed Fade back and closed the window. Taking a few deep breaths he continued. “Don’t throw your life away Fade! We’re working right now to get Vious and Obli out of The Hold.”

Everything stood still as the flickering light of the lantern cast dancing shadows on the walls. He knew where her parents were. He knew her parents were captured. “What are you not telling me?”

“Can you step away from the window and we’ll talk?” he requested. Fade didn’t even realize she had inched her way back to the window sill. Taking a deep breath she sat back on the bed. “Yes, I know your parents were captured last night. I also know your house was ransacked. Terra told us as soon as she reached The Center.”

“The center of what?” Fade asked.

“No, The Center. Each division has one. A space in between the top of a plate and the bottom.” Fog sighed and peered out the window looking for something. “We all feel terrible, your parents weren’t supposed to be dragged into this.”

We? Her parents? Was she supposed to be dragged into this? “What is going on? You’re not making any sense!”

“I know, there’s too much to explain and quite frankly I don’t have the time to explain it. Guards will be back any moment. I need you to drink that concoction and we need to get out of here now.” He moved back towards the mug which wasn’t steaming anymore and handed it to Fade.

“You said we’d talk. I’m not moving until you explain.” She smelled the odd aroma coming from the mug. It was not pleasant. “Also what is this?”

“Herbs mostly. All the ingredients to get you to recover faster. You don’t have to drink it if you don’t want to, but there’s only so much I can do if you lag behind.” Sighing he laid back against the door. The room was quite small and he didn’t have anywhere to sit besides the bed, so he stood. “The short and sweet version is that I am a Manipulator. So is Terra. That means we’re part of an underground network determined to keep the divisions from falling.”

Fade almost choked on her concoction. “Excuse me, what do you mean ‘from falling’?”

“The city of Steel is not as foundationally sound as you think Fade. Every day some of us are fighting to keep these divisions from literally falling out of the sky. A couple of days ago I was trying to query you to see if you knew any of this, but apparently you didn’t.” He dropped his gaze to the floor. “I was trying to convince Terra that this was a bad idea and now I know I was right.”

The words struck Fade. The plates could literally fall out of the sky? That was never a thought that had crossed her mind. No one thinks that the ground beneath them could fall away suddenly. It seemed impossible.

“Anyways, when Terra did that rather irresponsible act of running into you and your folks she tried to get you help before the guards showed. Unfortunately we were too late. And you were nowhere to be found.”

Nowhere to be found? Fade tilted her head. “What do you mean nowhere to be found?”

Fog’s gaze snapped back to her. “We sent manipulators to search your house right after they ransacked it. No one found you.”

She shook her head. “That’s not what happened. Terra had me come out of the house and held me back when the guards took my parents.” Fog’s face went pale white. “I slept in that house after Terra left.” She would have felt bad for not mentioning that she yelled at Terra if the maniac didn’t ruin her life.

“No no no,” he muttered. “That can’t be right. Why would Terra lie?”

As much as Fade wanted to watch the man have an existential crisis, she needed to find her family. Finishing up her drink, she slung the backpack on one arm and started to open up the window once again.

“Woah, where are you going?” he moved to close the window.

She braced her arm against the window to stop it from closing. “You said my parents are at The Hold, right? I’m going to get them out.”

“That’s suicide-“

“No,” she cut him off. “It’s suicide to stay here where I’ll be shoved back in your nook.”

“You realize no one gets out of that prison easily or alive, don’t you? I can help you. Also for the record, I put you in there so the guards didn’t execute you. I would have been nicer and asked you to get in there but I was afraid they’d be knocking at my door at any moment.”

“That’s your justification?”

“Yes! Yes it is! And you were in rough shape when I found you. I think one of those bullets had grazed your back. You needed medical attention which yes, did require me to take a look.” He pointed at her clothes sitting on a drying rack with the jacket showing a brand new whole in the middle of it. “I know you’re mad but we need to work together if we’re both going to get out of this situation.”

Biting her lip, Fade took it all in. She didn’t want to admit she was wrong but everything he said checked out. “I don’t trust you, but I will take your help.”

He sighed with relief. “Good to hear. Don’t forget your clothes. Clean up and get ready, we need to start running.”