“I think we’re losing,” Sparks said.
“Maybe,” Candle replied. “But we haven’t lost.”
“You sure about that?”
“We’re still alive, aren’t we?” Candle picked up a blood-covered axe and a long, serrated blade from the ground before disappearing around a corner.
This time, Sparks hesitated. The memory of nearly being killed, just minutes ago, held him back. Before this the idea of dying in a fight didn’t seem possible. Now it felt all too real. He wanted to follow Candle, but was he prepared to die in his fight?
It doesn’t matter, he reminded himself. I don’t run from a fight. Or, at least, I never will again. Sparks set off in pursuit of Candle, determined.
He heard a scream ahead, then a gunshot, then more screaming. Following the noise, Sparks leapt over a pile of rusted steel beams. He raced around the next corner just in time to watch Candle crush a militia’s head against a wall. There were already half a dozen corpses on the ground. Sparks stopped mid-step. He noticed one of the bodies belonged to an Adrenalite. Face down, the bullet had passed straight through her skull, leaving the back of her head as a gory mess.
Candle rolled the girl onto her back. Sparks flinched at seeing the damage the bullet had done to her face. “Her name was Hunter,” Candle said. “Remember it, because no one but us is going to.”
Sparks frowned. “And who’s going to remember us if we die?”
“We’re not going to die… or, at least, I’m not,” Candle corrected himself with a hint of a grin.
“What makes you so sure?”
“Because I still have a promise to keep.”
Sparks cocked his head, curious. “What promise?”
“Juliette has five of my friends captive. I told them I would come back for them.”
“So that’s what this is about.”
“Did you expect something different?”
Sparks thought about that. What did he expect from Candle? Not this, for sure. In some ways, Candle was just like Sparks had imagined him — strong and determined. But in other ways, he was the opposite. Sparks shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “As long as there’s a decent fight to have, I’m in.”
Candle scowled. “That’s all you care about?”
“It’s what I do.”
“You’re naive, kid. Maybe, if you really are the best fighter in Legacy, you’ll live long enough to fix that.”
“Well I am, so why are we still talking about this? Let’s go.”
Sparks began to move, but Candle held up a hand for him to stop. “If we really are losing,” he said, “then I’ve got to get Ashton out of here. He’ll be their main target. And I won’t let them take him. I owe him that.”
Ashton Spencer was here? Obviously, Candle had succeeded in rescuing him from Gavin. “Fine,” Sparks said. “Let’s go get him.”
“You’re not coming.”
“Why not?” Sparks frowned. “I can help, I… wait, you still don’t trust me?”
Candle shook his head. “No.”
“You just saw me kill militia, how is that not enough proof that I’m on your side?”
“Juliette wouldn’t care about their lives, but she does care about Ashton’s. She needs him.”
Sparks sighed, frustrated. “I’m not working for her, okay?”
“Most likely not. But that doesn’t change my decision. I don’t mind risking my life by trusting you, but I won’t risk Ashton’s.”
“Fine. Go.” Sparks waved Candle away. “I’ll kill them all myself. I’ll—” he paused, then grinned. “I’ll find Juliette, and I’ll tear her head off. Will that be enough for you?”
“As long as you don’t let her die too quickly.”
“Of course not.”
Candle turned and jumped onto the nearest building, disappearing from sight. Sparks hesitated, which way should he go now? He closed his eyes and listened — someone was yelling to his right. That seemed as good a direction as any. He dashed forward, taking the next corner that way.
Two corners later he suddenly stopped. His heart skipped a beat when he recognized the three men in front of him.
Caleb, Tan, and Roman.
30
Roman skidded to a halt, stunned. What the hell was Sparks doing here?
They stared at each other for a long moment, neither of them moving. Roman’s mind raced. Sparks hadn’t killed him last time, but seeing Sparks again, activated and covered head to toe in blood, Roman wasn’t sure the boy would be so merciful a second time.
Roman’s gun felt heavy in his hand. He didn’t have time to deal with Sparks, and he still had one bullet left. But he had made a promise to Caleb – and Roman wasn’t one to break his word. He kept his gun aimed at the ground.
Caleb stepped forward, stretching his arms in a neutral gesture. “We don’t want to fight,” he called to Sparks.
Roman snorted. It always comes down to a fight. But Sparks took a step back, his expression unreadable.
Caleb looked back at Roman. “Go. You get Spencer, I’ll deal with the boy.”
“You sure about this?”
“No. But out of the three of us, I reckon I’m the one he’s least likely to kill.”
Roman nodded, then reluctantly turned around and backtracked their path. Tan followed. “You okay with this, Boss?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t use the term okay. But we don’t have time for this right now. Come on.”
They turned a corner, trying to find a new path to led them to the centre of the station. The screams and gunshots were getting less frequent now; the battle was turning into small skirmishes between the few fighters still alive. Roman broke into a sprint, Tan right behind him. Whichever side won, Roman didn’t want to stick around long enough to meet the victors.
They passed the mangled corpses of a trio of militia. Roman felt sick as he dodged around the pools of blood. Tan stopped and picked up a crossbow from beside one of the bodies.
They continued on. Each time the sounds of fighting got too close they would change the route to avoid it. It meant they had to stop and retrace their steps half a dozen times, slowing their progress. Roman hated the delays, his frustration quickly growing, but they were lucky to survive their first fight with an Adrenalite, their best chance now was to hide as much as possible.
“You think Caleb’s okay?” Tan asked as they ran. “I mean, he’s a big dude. You reckon he has a chance against the kid?”
“You’ve seen the boy fight. If it ends in violence, then Caleb is fucked.”
“Well let’s hope they settle for a relaxing picnic.”
“Here’s to hope, then.” Roman raised an imaginary glass in an imaginary toast. “Because it’s never, ever, let us down before.”
“Did I ever tell you that you’re kind of a dick when you’re sarcastic?”
“That’s why I’m never, ever, sarcastic.”
Tan chuckled. “Fair call, Boss. You win this round.”
“No. I don’t,” Roman said as they headed deeper in the station, the sound of fighting coming from all around them. “Today, I don’t think anybody wins.”
“Stay away,” Sparks said, fists raised defensively as he slowly retreated. “I don’t want to kill you.”
“Listen, Sparks,” Caleb took a step forward. “I don’t want to hurt you either. I really don’t.”