Splintered

Chapter Forty-Eight: What Fiend Doth Tread Behind

"Any reason a grandfather from Nine is mixed up in this mess?" Leo asked, heaving Cress into the train. The older man answered with an unintelligible curse about the general lack of IQ among peacekeepers.

Snapping out of her shock, she reached out, aiding Cress to his feet inside the locomotive. The elderly man was wholly out of place in the ongoing skirmish, but it was no accident that he was present. Despite his age, his eyes were razor-sharp, brimming with intelligence, cunning, and a deceptively youthful defiance.

"He's an engineer." He had to be the one who disrupted the power and communications. Meeting Cress's stare, she uttered, "It's a shame when one's technology works against them."

Cress's eyes danced. "Good to know you were listening."

Leo pulled himself up into the train, withdrawing the blockage and barring the doors before collaring his new prisoner.

"Let's go see Bellona."

"My room," Hazel answered, collecting the weighty duffel.

Leo propelled Cress an arm's length ahead, "You're coming with me."

Once inside Hazel's quarters, Cress was shoved into a chair, and his hands were secured to a table leg.

Hazel rifled through the materials, while Leo approached his sister, surveying her lavender-toned face. Stretching out a hand, he brushed his fingertips against her temple.

"Shame your little girlfriend was caught up in all this," Cress blinked with recognition at Bellona's horizontal figure.

"Shut your mouth," Leo growled, whirling back to the rebel.

Hazel stepped between them, holding up a tightly packaged intravenous insertion kit. "She needs fluids. Can you start an IV?"

Leo refocused on Hazel and the plastic in her grip.

Tugging it from her, he mumbled, "Ok."

Once Leo had settled into his task, Hazel poured the duffel's contents onto the table, spreading out the supplies over its surface.

"His sister," Hazel whispered as she took stock of every item before her, "And my friend."

The edge of Cress's lip twitched, and he leaned back into the fine seat.

Plucking one of the golden, pillowy bags, she asked, "How do we get the power back on?"

"You don't." Cress studied the woodgrain.

Leo scoffed, still hunched over Bellona's uninjured bicep. "It's pointless, Marlowe, head as hard as bricks this one."

Cress didn't even flinch at the insult.

"Why are you here?" Hazel asked, unsheathing the fluids from their plastic. "We both know it's not for the money."

"It's complicated," He replied without moving his attention.

"After what Grace sacrificed..." she trailed off.

Cress glanced up then, furry white brows creasing.

"Got it." Leo sighed as he sank the needle into a vein in Bellona's midarm. A flash of red confirmed his success.

Hazel connected and primed a snaking set of plastic tubing to the bag of fluid before handing it over to Leo. He linked the solution to the newly placed port. Raising the IV bag over his head, the golden liquids trickled into Bellona's system.

Cress studied them both as he answered the questionless accusation.

"I've no one left. Figured it would be better to die punishing those who took her from me."