Unplugged: The Beautiful World (#3, Unplugged Trilogy)

Chapter Fourteen

All at once, an eruption of sound blasts forcefully against my eardrums, momentarily overwhelming me. My eyes slowly adjust to the enormous space that opens up in front of us: people dart this way and that, items are spiritedly tossed through the air... Matthew places his hands around my waist and securely holds me against him. I can feel his quick breaths against my neck.
"Never thought we'd actually find you... Damn." The boy who led us through the streets suddenly materializes from a sea of sleeping blankets and supply crates. His eyes gleam playfully, but something about the way he cracks his knuckles causes my pulse to sky-rocket. I regard him warily, wondering if he's a friend or an enemy.
"If you're going to hurt us, do it already," Gale spits, nervous tension trembling in her voice. "I can't take the suspense." The boy shoves his hands into his pockets and rocks back on his feet. People in ratty clothes stop in the middle of their paths to stare at us. Some of them whisper to each other, casting furtive glances towards us. I feel like I can hear my name repeated several times amongst the muttering.
"I'm not going to hurt you..." He smiles, revealing gleaming white teeth. "Well, not now, anyways." I take another moment to observe the large, warehouse-like building that engulfs us. The room is rectangular, and, by the look of it, spans the space of an entire block of buildings. I guess the building facades on the outside are just that: facades. In one large corner, children run around and scream gleefully, playing some sort of outdated game. In another corner, metal poles and rods hold up curtains of fabric to form individual cubicles, and people in doctor's masks and rubber gloves rush around. That must be the medical section of the warehouse. In another corner, the one we're nearest to, people cook food over small stoves and open fires, unpacking reserves from wooden crates. They look suspiciously like the ones from the Depot. In the final corner, a large, makeshift room created by stacked, mismatching pieces of debris takes up a huge amount of space. Dirty-faced people casually guard the entrance, small knives clutched in their hands. The entire room smells of rusted metal, smoke, and canned beef.
"What are they guarding?" I ask, nodding towards the people in front of the awkward structure. I try to walk towards the boy, but Matthew's iron grip prevents me from doing so.
"That's for me to know and you to find out," the boy mutters, tossing his head. He starts to walk away, and we slowly follow him. He leads us over to a splintered, wooden bench set near the towering brick wall.
"Sit," he says. None of us do. "Tense, are we?" He asks quietly, eyes gleaming.
"Look, we just want to know what the heck is going on." Matthew takes a step forward, and the boy's eyes scan over him, measuring the potential of his strength. The stranger clicks his tongue and folds his arms over his chest casually. Matthew takes another step forward and I swallow, totally exhausted and unprepared for any kind of confrontation. I pointedly take a seat on the bench. Victoria, Gale, and finally Matthew follow my lead.
"My name is Daniel Mark, leader of the New Resistance." He waves two presentational hands at the organized chaos taking place behind him and smiles. Charming dimples appear at the corners of his lips. "But everyone calls me Danny." It strikes me that Danny seems very accommodating and unstable at the same time. We should be careful around him.
"The New Resistance? What does that mean?" Gale asks, eyes wide.
"Do you see that?" Danny says, pointing skywards. A skinny, translucent, rectangular skylight allows little light into the warehouse. Through it, I can see black unmarked helicopters hovering in the dusty sky, dropping small packages beneath them. Explosives. He motions towards me. "Ever since this little darling abandoned us, we've been bombed non-stop. In the morning, the afternoon, the evening, at night..."
"Enna didn't abandon anyone." Matthew spits. He opens his mouth as if to say more, and I grab his wrist, squeezing gently. He needs to learn to keep his anger under control. Danny eyes the exchange with interest, then sighs and starts to cross back and forth in front of our bench.
"Anyways... People panicked and tried to find a sustainable environment. The Depot was infiltrated, the rest of the city got destroyed... This was the only place left."
"The Depot?" I choke. Danny nods soberly, scratching his nose. I notice the red wristband hanging from his wrist in more detail: it is engraved with a wavy line, interrupted by small circles.
"See those supplies?" He asks, not bothering to turn around. My eyes scan over the piles and piles of crates and burlap sacks scattered around the warehouse. "Recognize them?"
"Did you steal them?" I ask, voice low. Danny's eyes narrow and he points at me.
"Hey, it isn't stealing if it was yours to begin with."
"I'm sorry... I think I'm lost," Victoria mutters, glancing back and forth at us furtively. "What's stolen?"
"Nothing's stolen!" Danny insists, voice growing louder. A few people, young and old, glance at us curiously and Danny shakes his head. "The Feds took over the Depot. They look control of our supplies. Every now and then I've sent a crew to pilfer some of what's rightfully ours. We take such a small amount at a time that the Feds hardly notice. At least, not to our knowledge. No spite: just justice."
"No one's been caught?" Gale asks, eyes faraway. It must be strange for her to hear about her old home in such a present tense. I've been gone for so long that it seems as if any memories I may have had of the Depot were stolen and kept away. I know it's strange for me. Maybe it is for Matthew and Victoria, too.
"We only allow former members of the Depot to do the... reclaiming." Former members of the Depot. Suddenly, I can feel my heartbeat everywhere. I stand abruptly and the wooden bench screeches across the concrete floor.
"Are you saying that some people from the Depot survived the bombings?" Danny smiles a little, and his teeth catch the light again.
"Of course."
"Where are they?" I demand, voice trembling. "I want to see them for myself."
"You will soon enough," he says, holding his hands up defensively. "They're on a mission at the moment. But that's beside the point. I need to ask you all some questions."
My legs refuse to move, and it takes a small touch from Matthew to help me reclaim my senses. The bench remains steady as it takes the burden of my weight.
"What do you want to know?" Matthew asks. Danny stops pacing and stares at us intently.
"When did you arrive in the city?"
"Just today," Victoria replies, brushing off her pants and gathering her hair. "Not too long ago."
"I don't get it... Everything else is destroyed, except this building?" I interrupt. Danny grins again and looks fondly at the walls around us.
"Used to be a factory. Walls surround a bullet proof, sound proof, explosion proof metal. The Feds built some of their top-secret technology here, and I bet you can guess what that technology was." His eyes scan over Matthew's temples so quickly that I may have imagined the gesture. But I understand what he means all too well.
"RScreens," I mutter, the word bitter on my tongue. Danny nods and a thrill of anger slashes through my chest. The air suddenly turns colder, stinging my warm skin.
"But once again, we've diverted from the point. I need you to tell me where you've been for the past three months." Three months! Has it really been that long? Matthew stiffens beside me.
"Why?" He asks.
"I'll be asking the questions around here, thank you very much," Danny spits. His fist clenches suddenly around something in his jacket pocket. A knife? A breath catches in my throat. Can we really trust this guy with the truth? What if he's lying about everything? I decide to play it safe.
"We've been in the West," I mutter, voice wavering. "Hiding out."
"Bull." He doesn't miss a beat. His eyes narrow dangerously and I feel a cold sweat break out along my spine. "No one survives out West. It's rampant with disease."
"Or so you've thought," Gale says conspiratorially. His gaze leaves me to focus on her, and I feel a cold weight lift from my shoulders. "We've discovered the exact opposite." Now it's Danny's turn to look uncomfortable. He lessens his grip on the weapon in his pocket and licks his lips.
"Opposite? What are you talking about?" Gale slowly recalls our entire story, beginning with the takeover of the Depot and ending with my evil twin. She mercifully leaves out the most painful parts to recall, sticking with the necessary details. When she finishes, Danny utters a low, disbelieving laugh. I watch him carefully, and after a moment he starts towards Victoria. She regards his instability with collected calm. I admire her stillness.
"And what about you, sweetheart? Got any inside secrets you'd like to share?" Victoria clenches her jaw and keeps staring straight ahead. Matthew jumps to his feet and shoves Danny in the chest: he staggers back several steps, away from Victoria. With a growl, Danny pulls out a bronze knife from his pocket and flips it open, rushing towards Matthew until the point is positioned just in front of his throat. I gasp and hold a hand to my mouth.
"Leave her alone," Matthew hisses dangerously. "She's told us everything she knows. There's nothing to hide."
"Matthew, stop!" Victoria demands, eyes flaming. He glares at Danny, breathing heavily but not moving otherwise. I know that he's older than Danny, but he has a major disadvantage without a knife. "Honestly, let's everyone calm down!" After several tense moments Matthew turns away and stalks off into the crowds of refugees. I watch him leave, speechless but too weary to go after him. I'll find him later. Danny mutters a curse word under his breath, flipping the knife shut and stuffing it back into his pocket.
"Are you just going to bully us or are you going to help?" Gale says, her voice low. He glances swiftly at Victoria before taking a calming breath.
"I apologize. Things have been extremely tense lately." Danny sighs and sinks to the ground, resting his arms on his knees. I realize how tired he looks. His eyes belong to someone older. "It's been eight hours since the last group left for the Depot and they still haven't come back. Usual missions should take about two." My stomach sinks as I realize that Danny keeps glancing back at the warehouse's entrance discreetly, hopefully. I find myself picking up the habit on accident.
"Don't worry. I'm sure they're just waiting out the bombs. Playing it safe." Gale takes Danny's hand and smiles sympathetically. "There is a break in the attacks, I assume?"
"Every three hours the bombings cease for ten minutes." Danny's spirits rise when he starts to explain the logistics of the attacks. It strikes me that he is handsome beneath his mask of toughness. Fluid and emotional. As Gale and Victoria listen to him, my eyes scan over the sprawling room. The edges of the four quadrants blend together into a mass of people, but each area's purpose remains clear. Where'd Matthew run off to? There's no telling, with this many people.
"Enna, what do you think?" Victoria asks, snapping me back into reality.
"What?" She rolls her eyes.
"We were offered protection here for a few weeks."
"Under one condition," Danny adds, keeping his gaze trained on my face. I blush despite myself.
"What condition?"
"You and your friends join our missions. Join the New Resistance."