Read Online Exodia by Debra Chapoton - Free Book Online Page B

I
assure him that nothing could be further from the truth. Such
technology has lapsed and besides, there was never any chance for
anyone to plant anything on me.
    Suddenly I remember my solar phone and
pull it out of my belt sack. Dead. Totally dead until it catches
the light and begins to power up. I turn it off, remove the solar
cells, and crush the phone against a rock.
    My eyes stay down. My guilt triples as
I realize I’m to blame for two more deaths, maybe three if anything
happens to Vinn.
    “ You take him back,” I say
to Carter. “Just point me in the right direction. I can find my
way.” Carter frowns.
    Vinn cries out in pain, shakes his head
and curses himself again, this time for mishandling his home-made
explosives. “Just go with him, Carter,” he manages to
gasp.
    Carter is squatting next to Vinn,
pressing green leaves against his chest. He looks up at me and
points. His simple gesture says much more than his usual rambling
banter.
    I wordlessly offer Carter some of my
coins, but I’m insulting him; he waves me off. He gets Vinn back
onto his feet, shoulders one of their bags, and puts his other arm
around Vinn’s waist. The two of them trudge off without
me.
    Vinn will hobble on thinking I am
trailing behind against his wishes. But I’m not. I empty out both
of my backpacks. I rummage through Vinn’s forgotten bag and repack
only the food and items I want into my two bags, splitting the
money among my belt sacks, pockets, and the bags. With the food,
weapons, and coins balanced evenly on my back I trudge off
alone.

 

     

 
     
    Chapter 6 Death March
     
    From the first page of the
Ledger:
    He will rescue the poor Reds
from oppression and violence. He will rise up against the usurper,
f or he is noble.
     
    LYDIA AND BARRETT made the return trip
in less time, unburdened by backpacks. Lydia seemed distracted,
barely talkative, and Barrett sensed a change in their
relationship. He slowed his pace to stay even with her, stole
glances at her face, and tried to imagine what he had done to
disturb her.
    He’d been living in her house for a
couple of months now, ever since his father parked him there and
promised to return soon. A hunting trip? A job? A secret mission?
Who knew where he and Lydia’s stepfather and another man had gone.
The third man had left his two young kids as well and Barrett,
after a few days, unwillingly appointed himself as man of the
house, though Lydia’s mother tried her best to keep an eye on all
of them in addition to working a night shift. For Barrett, working
odd jobs, spying, and stealing from the Blues all fell into place
and, most importantly, living in the old house put him near Lydia
every single day.
    “ Do you think Dalton’s going
to make a difference?” he asked Lydia. He looked down, afraid his
tone was too accusing. He was already apprehensive about how she
felt, but something made him ask anyway.
    “ Of course.” Lydia kept her
eyes forward. She hadn’t looked at Barrett since leaving Dalton
with Vinn and Carter. Barrett had watched Lydia and Dalton shake
hands goodbye. He had to turn and walk away when he saw how she
looked at Dalton. Anger had enveloped him and he didn’t like the
feeling. The emotions that warred in his belly had him totally
confused. He chewed at his lip.
    Lydia spoke with conviction, “I
absolutely believe that Dalton Battista will, you know, change
things. Make the Reds equal to the Blues. Maybe even do away with
all the segregation stuff. Change the laws of the
Ninety.”
    Barrett stole another
glance.
    “ What do we do in the
meantime?” he asked.
    Lydia didn’t even hesitate. “We keep
spreading the word.”
    They reached the outskirts of the
slums, picked their way around heaps of garbage, and ambled down
the center of what once served as a busy boulevard. There was no
homecoming comfort in seeing the Exodia sign.
    Suddenly Barrett thrust his left arm
out halting Lydia in line with his own abrupt stop. He stayed