A Hero in the Dark: 2nd Edition

Chapter 20: The Traitor

Marina informs us that Five stopped on the Macrocosm early the next morning. His dot is paused in Arkansas and hasn't moved for the past half hour.

Henri loads his shotgun with plenty of ammunition in the trunk of one of the many getaway vehicles Sandor has in the parking garage; it's just a rustic looking four-seater. It doesn't look like much. "Good luck Emily," Eight says, holding an arm around Marina's waist, as if she'll fall with the crushing weight of Adelina and Héctor's deaths. "Be careful."

"I will."

Nine, welcoming himself into our conversation, smacks me on the back. "You're good, Em," he says. "Better than I could ever be. Wait. No. Not really. But you still gotta watch your back. I don't care if you have faith in that idiot or not; don't get gushy on him."

"I won't," I assure him.

Surreptitiously, Nine reaches behind him and pulls out a pistol. I freeze even though it's not pointed at me. He hands it to me by the barrel. "You know how to use it?" he asks.

I look to the weapon with unease and shake my head. I've never held a weapon before. To me, they only ever existed in movies and books. I know dad would never allow me to be anywhere near one. If he found out I was here now, well, he'd take me home without a doubt.

Nine pulls back on the reload mechanism, showing me how to reload it. "Safety on, safety off. Aim. Fire. It's straightforward stuff. Listen to your instincts. Here." I take it with reluctance and strap it to my waist, but through every nanosecond that passes, I'm hoping I won't have to use it.

***

It takes up to twelve hours to reach the state of Arkansas, stopping only for traffic, fuel, and bathroom breaks. Henri spends the entire day driving, and I wonder how he's even still alive, but it occurs to me that he's probably done this his whole time on Earth trying to keep John safe.

I spend most of my time going over the conversation I'll have with Five in my head.

It's 9:14 p.m. when we stop at a rundown supermarket. Monster Mart—how ironic. A statue of the Loch Ness Monster isn't too far away, as is the boy sitting at the base of the thing eating a hotdog. Pixie and I get out of the car, and she runs to him. I hope she'll be careful. I want to believe that Five won't hurt her without a cause, but I'm not exactly sure.

"You know what to do, right?" John mutters in my ear for the dozenth time, our biceps brushing.

"Confront him and convince him that he isn't doing the right thing."

Six is invisible as soon as we make our approach, and like she said on the commute, I know she's flanking him. The sky's already turning dark, darker than night, and I know Six is preparing in case this is a trap; I guess that's why Henri wanted her to come along. She's quick and decisive. She knows how to handle herself in situations like these.

"Uh, can I help you?" the boy asks, trying to edge away from the bunny pawing at his ankles.

"Yes," I answer, making sure my voice is clear, not wavery. "You're Number Five, right?"

He looks surprised and sits motionless, then smiles. "Does this answer your question?" He lifts his pant leg to reveal three circular scars around his right ankle; they match John's.

Henri and John say nothing. They agreed to let me do most of the talking—this was my idea after all. "Hi. I'm Emily. This is John and Henri. Pixie—the bunny—is my... um, pet."

"Cool," he says, flat, looking at me and only me. "What number are you?"

"I don't have a number," I say at first, pausing to find my words. "Um, listen: We know you work with the Mogadorians, but can I ask why?"