Part 25 (1/2)

”The Commander,” the head explained. It added, ”I knew him before all this. We were friends.”

Park whispered, ”Why did he do this to you?”

The head gave a sad, wry smile. ”I tried to free the prisoners,” it said.

Park slipped from the east wing without being noticed. Hours later one of the trucks returned. Park lurked in the corridor and watched as the Commander and Greavey strode back into the palace. The two men conferred, then the Commander headed off in the direction of his suite. Park tailed Greavey down a hallway.

After a minute, Greavey turned. ”Oh, it's you.”

Park sidled up. ”What's the situation?”

Greavey was grim. ”The living are inside the walls. They'll be here by nightfall. Tough b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. Militia types, called the Sons of Perdition.”

Park knew of them. They had a ghastly reputation.

Greavey said, ”The Commander's gone to issue new orders. Where the h.e.l.l have you been?”

Park nodded at some metal piping that ran up the wall from floor to ceiling, and said, ”Over there.” Greavey turned to look.

Park grabbed the man and ran him into the pipes. Greavey's skull-face rebounded with a crack, and he went down. Park straddled him, seized the man's left wrist and cuffed it, then slipped the cuffs around the pipes and bound Greavey's right wrist too.

Park dug through the man's pockets. A keyring. Park hoped the head on the wall-Jack-had been telling the truth.

As Park made his way to the south wing, the Commander's voice came over the loudspeakers: ”Fall back to the palace. Defend the palace at all costs. I repeat, defend the palace.”

Park spent maddening minutes navigating the unfamiliar corridors. Finally he clambered down a set of metal steps and emerged into a dim, grimy hallway lined with cells. He donned his mask and goggles, then moved from door to door. ”Mei?” he called out. ”Mei? Are you here?” Vague figures huddled in the darkness.

Then, from a cell he'd just pa.s.sed, a weak voice: ”h.e.l.lo?”

She was there, her tiny fingers wrapped around the bars. He ran to her. ”I'm getting you out,” he said, as he tried a key in the lock. It didn't fit.

”Park?” she said, unbelieving. ”I thought-”

She stiffened then, as she watched him. In a near-whisper she said, ”Take off your mask.”

He tried another key.

”Park,” she said, insistent.

He stopped. For a moment he just stood there. Then he carefully removed his mask and goggles, revealing his terrible skull-face for all to see.

Mei recoiled. ”But... you're one of them, one of his-”

”It was the only way,” Park said. He tried another key.

Beside her in the cell, a skinny white man with curly black hair said, ”I know you. You're the one who captured me, who brought me here.”

Mei said, ”Is that... true?”

”Yes,” Park said. He couldn't meet her gaze. He tried another key, which turned with a click, and he slid the door open.

The skinny man tried to rush out, but Park stiff-armed him back and said, ”Only her.”

”No,” Mei said. ”We can't-”

”Mei, come here,” he told her.

She shook her head, withdrawing. Park looked down and saw that she was pregnant. She asked, ”What's happened to you? You're-”

”I'm what I have to be!” he shouted. ”To save you. Now come on!”

For a moment he thought he had her. She took a tentative step forward.

Then he heard clanging footsteps on the stairs behind him, and knew it was over.

The Commander strode into the hall, his rifle raised. Behind him came the skull-faced girl and Greavey. The handcuffs dangled from Greavey's right wrist, and half his left hand was gone-he'd chewed it off to get free.

The Commander stared at Park with baleful eyes. There was a long silence. Then the Commander barked, ”Get away from there!”

Park took a few steps back.

”Keep going! Move!” The Commander advanced. When he was even with the cell, he glanced at its occupants. ”You brought us so many,” he said slowly, to himself. ”Why a change of heart?”

Park glared back, said nothing.

”No,” the Commander declared then, with sudden triumph. ”You're not the compa.s.sionate sort. You only care about... one.” He swung his rifle around so that it menaced the skinny man in the cell, and demanded, ”Who's he here for?”

The man shrank back, holding up his hands defensively. ”Her! The girl! Please.”

Park inched forward, but instantly the gun was back on him. The Commander said to Greavey, ”Get her.”

Greavey strode into the cell and with his good hand s.n.a.t.c.hed Mei by her long dark hair and dragged her stumbling into the corridor. He stood her there in the middle of the hall, then stepped aside. She trembled.

Behind the Commander, the skull-faced girl said softly, ”Dustin, she's pregnant.”

”Not for long.” He leveled his rifle at Mei's belly.

Park stared at Mei, his sister, as she stood there right in front of him after so long, and he knew there was nothing he could do to save her.

Then the skull-faced girl shoved the Commander as hard as she could.

His rifle discharged, spraying rounds into the cement as he sprawled. The gun flew from his grasp and skittered across the floor, coming to rest at Mei's feet. She spun and kicked it to Park, but not hard enough. The rifle slid to a stop near Greavey, who fell to his knees, grasping for it.

Park leapt forward and tackled him, and they went down together, grappling. Park wrapped both arms around Greavey's meaty right bicep, pinning it. The man's mutilated left hand brushed over the rifle's stock, but couldn't get a grip on it. The Commander scrambled to his feet.