Henry makes a face. “No offense, but those are plain creepy.”
“They were meant to hold babies.”
“That’s even creepier!”
“Any news?” I ask, eager to finish my round and go speak with Dino.
“News? You mean like how Caden lost his entire squad on a mission and no one knows what happened? Yeah, I’d call that news.”
I stand straighter, always amazed by how quickly rumors travel around the Hive. “What do people think happened?”
“Well, Raiders, obviously, but to lose an entire squad?Again. People wonder if there’s something more going on, andwhy Caden was the only one who got back, not to mention uninjured.”
My blood heats at the implication that this had something to do with Caden screwing up. “You tell those idiots that—”
“Anything else?” Timothy cuts me off.
“Nah, that’s all I’ve heard. Folks have been feeling for a while now that things are heating up with the Raiders, and nobody wants another Skyfall situation.”
“Of course. Finn, we should continue.”
I follow him outside, expecting to be reprimanded, but he doesn’t mention it. The two other informants tell us similar things, both mentioning the overall skepticism about Caden’s return as the only survivor.
We take the elevator to the Heights and walk to the assembly building in the Government District. On the third and final floor, we walk down the hallway until we enter a small and cozy lobby where Vivian, Dino’s secretary, sits.
“Good morning, gentlemen.” She frowns at me. “You look tired.”
“I’m fine. Can we go see Dino?”
“Sure you can. Go ahead.”
We knock and wait for Dino to invite us in. Despite the early hour, I’m sure he’s been working for a few hours now. He has an old computer, one of the few we still have working in the Hive.
“Good morning,” he says. “How was your conversation with Caden last night?”
I sit in front of his desk and update him. He’s aware of my prior relationship with Caden, but he’s always stayed out of it. “Do you know any more about Hector?” I ask.
“Not as much as I should know about the man who’s ruling Denver. He seems to have come out of nowhere, and that damn city has turned into even more of a mystery since then.”
“Timothy suggested we look through reports of Raiders’ attacks to check if he was mentioned. We know he has a tail.”
“That might not tell us much. We know they have a few mutants in their ranks. The man who helped Josh escape from Vegas was one of them.”
“Buck,” I say, still finding it hard to believe that Josh befriended that monster. “Why do you think Hector came so close to the Hive if he’s the ruler of Denver? It feels risky.”
Dino leans back in his chair, his eyes troubled. “That is strange, but he did let Caden go so he could convey a message, and that message is much more powerful now that we know the kind of mutants Hector can control. A man who managed to come out of nowhere and take over the most dangerous city in Colorado didn’t do that without a solid plan—hell, a brilliant plan.” He shakes his head. “If his goal is to keep us afraid behind our walls until he can attack when it suits him, we have to act before him.”
Unless he’s counting on us to do just that,I can’t help thinking.
“And will all the Free Cities stand with us?” Timothy asks.
“Most are in agreement. I spent last night updating my counterparts about Hector’s attack and his mutant soldiers. Colorado’s trade routes are our lifeline, and with those under attack, everyone will be affected.”
“How can I help?” I ask, even though I feel in my gut that we’re missing something.
“High Hope,” Dino says. “They’re far enough from Denver to not be bothered by Raiders’ attacks and high enough to be protected. They’re not in enough danger to join us, and by ’they,’ I meanhim, Roger Campbell the Third.”
I met the king once as part of my work, and I still can’t say with certainty what I think of him. “Are we going to travel to High Hope?” I ask.
