more what I would call creative walking than running. I didn’t see the point of running if someone wasn’t chasing me.
The hall ended at a small closet. I didn’t want them to get suspicious, so I took them there. It contained assorted blankets, linens, and towels—all made from a variety of the plastic fibers that everything else in our world was made of. If the inventor of heat-resistant thermoplastics had survived, they’d be a bazillionaire. “Extra bedding if you need it. Nothing exciting.”
They couldn’t see the small lock on the back wall of the closet. It opened up into a large room. “The room of lethal weapons” as I called it. I shut the closet door and turned to the group. “And this concludes our guided tour for today. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get some sleep.”
I started to move down the hallway when Markus cleared his throat. “Seriously, Tora, I’d like to keep youcompany. You must be lonely having spent all this time without people around.”
He sounded shockingly sincere. I didn’t respond to him or even acknowledge him as I headed to my room. When safely inside, I pressed my thumb against the square to lock the door and exhaled, my head leaning against the door. I climbed onto my sleep pad and curled up. Markus was right, in a way. But it wasn’t about being lonely. Despite being surrounded by more people than I’d seen in years, I’d never felt more alone.
Chapter EIGHT
A WHIRRING SOUND INTERRUPTED MY DREAMS AND I SAT UP with a start, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Although there were no windows, I knew it was night without even glancing at the clock. No one had knocked on my door. Maybe they left to retrieve their water without me. Maybe they decided to try their luck and run for it, see if their ship could outrun the government ones. I jumped down, powered up my gun, then pressed my ear to the door but heard nothing except the faint noise.
I tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear and pushed my thumb to the lock. The soft click sounded loud to me, but after a minute, I moved into the hallway. Kale snored loudly from the couch, but the front room was otherwise empty and so was the bathroom. As I moved slowly downthe hallway, the whirring sound grew louder. Turning to my left, I noticed the empty study. Had James changed his mind about needing space?
As I got closer, I recognized the sound. The motion machine. So that’s what it sounded like when someone actually ran on it. Someone had decided that extra exercise was more fun than sleeping. I knew these burners were crazy. To my right, I heard someone grunting in their sleep. Markus. The room looked dark underneath the door. At least one of them was sleeping. I reached the half-closed door to the recreation room.
I peered through the small opening in the door and saw James. James with his shirt off, running as if an army of rabid soldiers was chasing him. His body was solid muscle. Sweat dripped down his face, his chest, his arms … he wasn’t just sort of cute, he was hot. My gun bumped against the door and it swung open. James’ head jerked toward the door, where I leaned in an obvious spy pose. Blood rushed to my face.
He pressed a button, turning off the power to the machine. “Sorry, I thought I’d get a run in before tonight. Did you want to use it?” Although he looked like he’d been running for hours, he barely sounded winded.
I stood up, trying to regain my composure. “No thanks. Holding on to rocks in gale force winds is enough exercise for the day in my book.”
A hint of a smile crossed his face, which caused that strange fluttering sensation again in my stomach. Ignoringit, I pressed him. “Didn’t you sleep at all? Aren’t you tired?”
“Nah, I don’t get tired. And yes, I did sleep … a little.” Sweat continued to run down his body, a body I was trying very hard not to look at. He grabbed a towel he must’ve found in the linen closet, and rubbed the sweat from his face and
The hall ended at a small closet. I didn’t want them to get suspicious, so I took them there. It contained assorted blankets, linens, and towels—all made from a variety of the plastic fibers that everything else in our world was made of. If the inventor of heat-resistant thermoplastics had survived, they’d be a bazillionaire. “Extra bedding if you need it. Nothing exciting.”
They couldn’t see the small lock on the back wall of the closet. It opened up into a large room. “The room of lethal weapons” as I called it. I shut the closet door and turned to the group. “And this concludes our guided tour for today. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get some sleep.”
I started to move down the hallway when Markus cleared his throat. “Seriously, Tora, I’d like to keep youcompany. You must be lonely having spent all this time without people around.”
He sounded shockingly sincere. I didn’t respond to him or even acknowledge him as I headed to my room. When safely inside, I pressed my thumb against the square to lock the door and exhaled, my head leaning against the door. I climbed onto my sleep pad and curled up. Markus was right, in a way. But it wasn’t about being lonely. Despite being surrounded by more people than I’d seen in years, I’d never felt more alone.
Chapter EIGHT
A WHIRRING SOUND INTERRUPTED MY DREAMS AND I SAT UP with a start, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Although there were no windows, I knew it was night without even glancing at the clock. No one had knocked on my door. Maybe they left to retrieve their water without me. Maybe they decided to try their luck and run for it, see if their ship could outrun the government ones. I jumped down, powered up my gun, then pressed my ear to the door but heard nothing except the faint noise.
I tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear and pushed my thumb to the lock. The soft click sounded loud to me, but after a minute, I moved into the hallway. Kale snored loudly from the couch, but the front room was otherwise empty and so was the bathroom. As I moved slowly downthe hallway, the whirring sound grew louder. Turning to my left, I noticed the empty study. Had James changed his mind about needing space?
As I got closer, I recognized the sound. The motion machine. So that’s what it sounded like when someone actually ran on it. Someone had decided that extra exercise was more fun than sleeping. I knew these burners were crazy. To my right, I heard someone grunting in their sleep. Markus. The room looked dark underneath the door. At least one of them was sleeping. I reached the half-closed door to the recreation room.
I peered through the small opening in the door and saw James. James with his shirt off, running as if an army of rabid soldiers was chasing him. His body was solid muscle. Sweat dripped down his face, his chest, his arms … he wasn’t just sort of cute, he was hot. My gun bumped against the door and it swung open. James’ head jerked toward the door, where I leaned in an obvious spy pose. Blood rushed to my face.
He pressed a button, turning off the power to the machine. “Sorry, I thought I’d get a run in before tonight. Did you want to use it?” Although he looked like he’d been running for hours, he barely sounded winded.
I stood up, trying to regain my composure. “No thanks. Holding on to rocks in gale force winds is enough exercise for the day in my book.”
A hint of a smile crossed his face, which caused that strange fluttering sensation again in my stomach. Ignoringit, I pressed him. “Didn’t you sleep at all? Aren’t you tired?”
“Nah, I don’t get tired. And yes, I did sleep … a little.” Sweat continued to run down his body, a body I was trying very hard not to look at. He grabbed a towel he must’ve found in the linen closet, and rubbed the sweat from his face and
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