Read Online Ember by James K. Decker - Free Book Online Page B

length of sharpened wire she held back through and slashing my face as she tried to come around for another swing.
    â€œIt’s okay,” I said, grabbing her wrist. The strength almost immediately went out of her. Her eyes were wild with fear, and I could see she thought I was one of the butchers and I’d come for her. With the little strength she’d stored used up, the wire, its tip bloody, fell from her fingers and landed on the floor next to her as tears welled in her eyes.
    â€œDon’t eat me,” she rasped.
    â€œI’m not one of them,” I told her. “It’s me, Dragan.”
    Confusion flickered in her eyes. I pointed to my name patch.
    â€œIt’s me.”
    â€œDragan,” she said. I could barely hear her.
    â€œYeah. Hold still.”
    Her eyes flashed again when I drew my field knife, but she didn’t have the energy to resist. I slipped it carefully into her collar and sliced through the material. I peeled it free, supporting her so that she didn’t fall over when the chain fell away.
    â€œYou’re okay,” I told her.
    â€œJesus,” Liao said from the top of the ramp.
    I unzipped my armored jacket and shrugged it off so I could unbutton my shirt. I removed it and helped Xiao-Xing into it. The sleeves hung past her hands as I buttoned it back up and pulled the tails down to cover her before scooping her up in my arms. She hardly weighed anything at all.
    â€œCan you call them in? Tell them it’s all clear and get the rest in here to help these people?”
    Liao nodded. “Yeah. Where are you going?”
    â€œShe needs help now.”
    He nodded again and tossed me his airbike key. I carried her up the ramp as Liao headed down to help the rest.
    â€œShao,” he called back, “what did you find? Any clue why they held us up?”
    I shook my head.
    â€œNo.”
    I carried her back the way I’d come. When we got to the door, I put my mask over her face and pushed open the door.
    Liao had parked the security airbike at the end of the row. I sat Xiao-Xing in front of me, keeping one arm around her for support as I started the engine. She flinched when we came up off the ground.
    â€œI’ve got you,” I told her, and launched us back up through the swirling fog.
    As we crossed back over the sea of gray, I wondered what would come of my actions. They might get rid of me, prosecute me, or they might cover their tracks and commend me. No matter what they did, though, they’d never tell me what happened. They’d never explain the presence of the haan. Maybe they didn’t know themselves, but I doubted that. They’d known she’d be there. They didn’t want us to see, and I had a feeling that when I checked into it later I would find no trace of those three kids in the records of Child Services. If I wanted answers, I’d have to find them myself.
    Xiao-Xing stirred in front of me, nestling her head against my chest and reaching to take the hand I held her with in her own bony one.
    â€œThank you,” she said. Her voice cracked, barely rising above the whine of the engine.
    I gave her hand a gentle squeeze as we crossed back over the wall toward the towers of Hangfei.

Read on for a special preview of
    The Burn Zone
,
    James Decker’s new novel.
    Available in February 2013 from Roc.

One
    30:12:04 BC
    The elevator rattled its way up toward my floor as I leaned back, eyes closed, only half-aware of the world around me. The bitter aftertaste of Zen oil lingered on my tongue, and while it still had me pleasantly disconnected my thoughts buzzed around in circles beneath the haze. I felt like I should be upset, or afraid . . . like I should be freaking out or something, but I wasn’t any of those things. I didn’t know how to feel anymore, about anything.
    â€œTo anyone receiving this transmission . . .”
    The voice, a foreign man speaking butchered Mandarin,