Turncoat: Turncoat Trilogy Book 1

Chapter 22.4

It turns out that if you are using the convent for refuge from war, you have to attend their sermons. So, after sitting through a long church sermon, during which my back stiffened and everything hurt when I stood to shuffle out alongside Vicki and Nick, I was sitting in the small sitting room with the still mute girl in the chains when Addison walked in with several duffles hanging from her grasp.

"You, girl, are never allowed to hide anything again," she said with a huff, dropping the bags on the table. "Oh, and I found these in the woods."

She handed me my dogtags.

"Thank you, Addison," I said. I dug around in the duffles searching for mine. When I opened it, I found the belt and all of my tools resting on top waiting for me. I grabbed the plasma cutting pen and the spark gloves. I motioned the girl over.

"Can you sit down for me?" I asked.

She sat.

"Here, put these gloves on," I handed them to her. "Tuck the cuffs under the manacles."

I set to assembling the pen nib to fit in the crack between the halves of the cuffs. Once I had the proper tip on it, I grabbed the proper connector tip and flicked the ignitor. Sparks flew up and I set it on the table and dug my goggles out of the bag. I put them on.

"Hold your hand out for me," I said. She did so and I slipped the tips of the pen and connector into the slit. It took three flicks of the ignitor to get the plasma arc started and the acrid smell of burning metal filled the air. I could feel the heat of the plasma on my unprotected hands, threatening to burn me to the bone if I wasn't careful. I'd seen mechanics who subjected their gloves to plasma for too long and burned a hole through their hand in an instant. I sliced carefully, eating away at the bolts, hearing the metal pop and crack.

As soon as I saw the glow of the plasma after the second bolt, I flipped the pen off and set them down. I gently tapped the manacle and it fell away, red hot metal on the inside tumbling through the air. The girl jumped back, her eyes wide with fear.

"May I cut your other hand free?" I asked.

She eagerly held her hand out, not cringing as much this time as I picked up the pen and connector. Cutting through the bolts went much easier this time and when the shackle fell away, dangling from the belt, she smiled. I used the gloves to protect the top of her feet as I cut quickly, the skin on my hands already red.

I undid the clasp on the belt, the restraints landing on the floor in an unceremonious heap. The girl smiled and threw her arms around me. I tensed and she let go. Her hands moved rapidly in quick movements that made no sense to me.

"Are you deaf?" I asked.

She made a lot of rapid hand movements again and I held my hands out.

"Woah, I don't understand, nod or shake your head, are you deaf?" I asked.

She shook her head and motioned to her mouth, making a motion over her lips like closing a zipper.

"Mute?" I asked.

She nodded.

"How did that happen?"

Her face turned confused and she began to make rapid hand motions. I sighed and looked around. Addison shrugged. "I don't know sign language, and there's no guarantee that's in the correct language."

"She understands us, doesn't she? Well, at least we know why she won't talk to anyone," I said. "Do you have any family?"

She nodded. "Who?"

She scrunched her nose up for a moment and pursed her lips. Nick walked into the room and she pointed at him.

"Nick? Nick's your family?" I asked.

Nick's eyes went wide for a moment and he shook his head. "I've never seen that girl in my life," he said.

The girl pouted and shook her head before pointing to Nick again.

"Brother?" Addison tried.

The girl shook her head again.

"Father?" I asked.

She nodded and smiled.

"Oh, Tawny, speaking of fathers, yours wants to get going back to camp as soon as possible. There's a lot to be done with moving and we can't afford to be away too much longer," Addison said. "That and every second Vince is out here, he risks a camp."

"Alright," I nodded. "You should take her with you. She might prove useful, depending on who her father is."

Addison nodded. "We're leaving in the morning, so you might want to spend time with him now, if you're feeling up to it."

"Thank you, Addison," I said. A thought crossed my mind and I looked up at her. "I've been told you're an exceptionally good kisser."

"Damn right I am," she said. No modesty there. "Honey, do you want something to eat or drink?"

The girl nodded and she went with Addison, leaving me alone in the sitting area. I fished my mother's ring out of my pocket and turned it over in my fingers. I slipped the chain of my tags through the ring and slipped it over my head. The comforting weight hit my chest again and for a moment, things felt a little normal.

My father left in the morning with Vince, Addison and the girl. He visited and said goodbye, kissed me on the cheek and apologized for being a horrible father once more. I let him, no point arguing with him. We stayed at the convent for another week until I could walk without assistance and then we left, taking the road and our supplies. Nick and I flipped hoods up as we entered the small town down the road from the convent and entered the train station. Vicki purchased three tickets with some of my cash and we took our seats. Nick lowered me into the seat gently and looked around.

"We shouldn't draw attention to her," he hissed. "If anyone finds out...."

"We'll lay low. She's your sister, injured during the war, returning home from a deployment in the south," Vicki whispered.

I nodded, committing the story to memory and leaning my head against the window, drifting to sleep.