The Renegade

Chapter 20

 Darkness blankets Domus as we slip past the guards, drugged by a special concoction Elz created earlier today. They couldn't resist her innocent smile when she offered them fresh biscuits, which did their job and left the men leaning against the wall of the barracks with their heads tilted to one side. Spit drips from one of the men's mouths. Elz and Hayl stand in the doorway, watching us go with drawn faces. I wanted Orrick to stay behind as well just in case we're captured, but we need him too much for our mission.

The weapon.

Luk and I spent half of the day trying to imagine what weapon Father Paul has that could be capable of destroying the entire Civilization, but we have no ideas, so we're going to find out.

The night air is muggy and I rely on my shortened crutch. Orrick tried to convince me to stay behind since I'm a liability, but Luk fashioned the crutch so I could come. I have to know the truth for myself and even though Luk got me out of the barracks, I need to get out of my head.

"Any patrols?" Ryke asks, in his element for the first time since we got to Domus. His gold flecked eyes scan the perimeter.

"Just at the Head and around the outside of the dome," Luk murmurs, taking the lead as we cut through the inky darkness. "But we're not going there."

With Ryke at the back of the group and Luk at the head, Tali stays with Ryke and Orrick walks beside me, casting concerned glances at every stumble. He offers his arm, but I glare at him.

"I have to do this myself," I groan between clenched teeth. "I won't get any stronger if you guys keep helping me."

Orrick raises his eyebrows but leaves me be. I need to regain my strength if I want to stop Domus--I'm the weakest link in our chain, but I need to be the strongest.

"So what's the plan here?" Orrick murmurs.

"Ior is going to get us into the tech center, and you're going to work your magic and figure out what weapon Father Paul is planning to use."

I have my hesitations about bringing Ior into our plan, but Luk insists repeatedly that we can trust Ior. Besides, he hasn't seemed overly fond of Domus in our brief interactions. Maybe we can trust him, but I've been betrayed too many times. Then again, Ryke is somehow here despite his horrible betrayal.

"Ren, I don't know their system! How am I supposed to figure out how to find some weapon I know nothing about?" Orrick throws his arms in the air, face ple in the dark.

I smile grimly and touch his shoulder. "I don't know, but if anyone can figure it out, you can. Besides, I don't think Domus's technology is as sophisticated as ours--I mean, the Civilization's."

"Yeah, but they still managed to invent geodesic domes that make this place a strafing greenhouse," Orrick mumbles under his breath, shaking his head.

I have no idea if Orrick will be able to find this mysterious weapon, but he has to try. Father Paul hasn't given Luk any hints about his plan for revenge on the Civilization--he hasn't even told him about the weapon--so we have to take things into our own hands.

"There's Ior," Luk murmurs. The muscles in his shoulders tighten, visible beneath the thin material of his black t-shirt, and he clenches his fists.

Ior raises a hand towards us and the moon glints off the metal stock of a pistol. A battery of guns and weapons hang from his shoulders, mostly handguns that can be hidden beneath a waistband or t-shirt. When he passes me the smallest of the guns, I smile at the familiar curve of the grip. I am not so powerless anymore.

"Blitz, this feels good," Ryke murmurs as he accepts his handgun, turning it over in his palm with a half smile on his face.

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to trust Ryke with a gun. He's part of the reason this whole war started in the first place. Still, I'd rather trust a known threat like Ryke than someone unknown like Ior.