Page 23 of Blood We Steal

It was a group. More of those things, I thought at first, but then I realized they were moving stealthily.

“Damian and the others?” I risked whispering.

He shook his head. “No.”

I studied the group and realized that they were also wearing uniforms. And there was a woman with them. I thought I recognized her, but could barely catch a glimpse. The group appeared to be in a hurry, and at the shambling steps behind them, I figured out why.

“Yeah, definitely not a way out,” Rubin muttered.

We waited until all of the figures had left the hallway, glad that we hadn’t been spotted, and then went back to the warden’s office. I looked at the body on the ground.

“Is that bothering you?” Rubin said.

“Would it matter if it was?” I responded, unable to tear my eyes away from the mangled figure.

“No, it wouldn’t. You have to get used to this stuff now,” he said. But in the next breath, he grabbed the flag that had been on the post and spread it on the ground, kicked the corpse onto it, and then dragged it out into the hallway.

When he came back, I couldn’t resist asking. “Why did you take it out? I thought you didn’t mind it.”

“I don’t mind it. That doesn’t mean I want to see it.”

He looked at me for a long moment, and I thought he might say something, but instead he went to the bathroom. I heard water running, and I decided to take that as a good sign.

When he came out, he was shirtless, which I tried to pretend not to notice. And his hands were clean.

I looked away from him and out the window.

I shouldn’t have.

Because I didn’t see the city I’d grown up in.

I saw fire.

Death.

The end of the world.

Something caught my eye and I focused on what I realized were two people running. I didn’t know the man, but I recognized the woman with hints of purple and blue in her braids. I’d seen her before when I’d testified against Rubin. She’d been sitting in the gallery, but unlike the others, who’d gawked at me, she’d been quietly reading, giving the circus no attention. I’d found out Rubin had tried to hire her, and she’d turned him down.

Good for her.

I hoped she made it.

“This is really happening.”

I hadn’t realized I spoke until I heard Rubin. “Yes, it is.”

Then there was a sound in the distance, a scream or a shot, I wasn’t quite sure. I started to move toward it, then thought better of it and stepped back. Then froze altogether, the weight of everything hitting me at once. Rubin looked at me, a question in his eyes. I looked back at him, wanting to be silent, but unable to keep the words to myself. I looked at the spot where the corpse had been, looked back at Rubin.

“I’m gonna die here,” I said.

Rubin glared at me, his face twisted in disgust. Then he walked toward me and grabbed my arms. He looked so angry I would have stepped back if it had been physically possible. But I couldn’t. I just had to stand there.

Rubin’s hands gripping my upper arms, the rage on his face was enough to bring me to the verge of tears.

“You’ll die here if I say you do. Not until then.”

“You don’t know that,” I said.