Feb 2018 v01 online

“Yes. You’re unregistered, so no one will miss
you. I do wonder…”
Dave flinched as she picked him up in her
arms.
“Don’t be afraid,” she said, “Just sleep.”
Closing his eyes, Dave sunk into the strange
blue warmth of the sky.
* * *
Dave didn’t open his eyes immediately. His
abdomen still throbbed with the pain of the old
wound, the same pain he felt for years without
need of a machine.
“So you do resent me after all.” Jane’s soft
footsteps paced the room. Her voice seemed to
crackle with something tense.
“I don’t.”
Dave opened his eyes to Jane gesturing at the
machine.
“You clearly regret the day I saved you.”
“I do. But only because from today on, I’ll
have to stand opposite the person who gave me
hope to stand up in the first place.”
Jane scoffed. “I don’t believe in cheap
kindness. Don’t forget, we’re all weapons of the
ministry. Would you call that a kinder fate?”
“Maybe not,” said Dave slowly, “But you
could have left me. If you wanted to stop me
from rallying, you had more than enough time
to put a bullet through my head. Why all this?”
For a moment, Jane became very still. Then
she came closer.
Dave saw her fists clenched. He swallowed.
Reaching down, she undid the straps around
his wrists, then stooped to pick up the machine.
“Believe what you want,” she said, “But if you
show up tomorrow, we will stand against each
other. Do you understand?”
Without another word, she turned and left.
Dave waited until he heard the front door slam
before slumping back against his seat. Every
inch of his skin felt feverish and heavy.
He sat there for the rest of the night, watching
the sky turn pink.
* * *
“What the hell happened to you?”
Dave winced as Clint’s loud voice burst
against his ear.
“I’m fine,” he said.
“You’re still showing?”
“I am.” Dave rubbed his face to make sure he
could stay awake.
“You sound tired.”
“I didn’t want to dream.”
“Been having nightmares again?” Clint’s voice
finally softened a little.
“You could say that.”
“Just be alert. Today’s the day.”
Dave heard the excitement in Clint’s voice, in
the small, sharp breaths he took with each
phrase. He recalled how his hands felt around
his friend’s throat.
“Yeah. I’ll see you there.”