Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,140

himself. Lets me keep my men hidden so I don't scare pretty little Walkers wandering alone outside," Cavil said. I stiffened.

“What makes you think I’m a Walker?” I asked.

“Aside from the hole in your ear?”

My left hand shot up, grabbing my exposed ear, a subconscious knee-jerk reaction to his obvious prejudice. I once again moved closer to the window, praying Tallis saw my distress.

“Let me teach you a little lesson,” Cavil said with a manic grin. “If you want to survive in this world, you must learn to exploit the weaknesses of everyone you meet. I saw your timid, jaded eyes before you knew I was even standing here, Walker.”

“I’m liberated,” I explained hurriedly. I felt like I was shouting out my truth. “I’m free in Dormas.” I wasn’t sure why I felt compelled to correct the man with an army at his disposal, but I couldn’t help it. My time in Dormas made me brave.

“There's no such thing as a liberated Walker. If you’re born to a parent who can’t afford the vaccine, no matter how you get out of the Zone or how you obtain the cure, you’re still a Walker. There’s a certain pedigree to survival, I think.” Cavil spit out the word ‘Walker’ like it was too filthy for his mouth .

I dug my toes into the soles of my boots, curling them and flexing to combat the terror I felt. The movement seemed to ground me back into my purpose. “Jules isn’t here,” I said through my gritted teeth. I didn't bother forcing myself to be pleasant.

"Well look at that,” Cavil said with a smile. “A brave Walker. What a pleasant surprise. Usually I find that people of your breeding lack a backbone. I think you're brave. Brave enough to lie to me about whether or not Jules Black is in this house." Cavil nodded towards the run down safe house with a smile. I saw a flash of white hair behind him, and relaxed when I realized Tallis was coming to the rescue.

"Can't blame me," I replied with a half smile, full of relief. "It’s hard to know who to trust these days." Tallis put a finger up to his lips as he crept closer. I made sure to direct my eyes back to Cavil so he didn't notice that my attention was elsewhere.

"Trust can't be built when you lie in the first five minutes of a friendship, ahh...what’s your name again?"

"I didn’t tell you, and is that what we are, Commodore? Friends?" I asked. I was stalling, and prayed he didn't notice.

"Well, I don’t usually make it a habit of befriending Walkers, but there are always exceptions!" Cavil exclaimed with a laugh. "I have been very close to some of the Walkers in my employment.” The way his voice danced over that insinuation made shivers shoot like rockets up and down my spine. Hunger flickered in his eyes for a brief moment that felt like hours. “Tell your friend that’s trying to sneak up on me that I'd like to meet you all in an hour at my camp. I have a proposition for Mistress Black."

"What kind of proposition?" I asked.

"The kind that involves me saving your people in exchange for you saving mine." The lines of his face deepened, and I recognized the steadfast resolve in his expression. “When I learned of the vaccine rejection, I immediately realized that we would need a team of scientists to solve this problem.”

Commodore Cavil was a man on a mission. I considered what we could possibly offer him when the realization dawned on me .

"You want Maverick," I stated before biting my lip. There was no use asking. Mav was the only one capable of curing this mutation, and by putting the word out, we unintentionally made him a target. Although Maverick would be more than willing to share his research, the leaders of this empire were fickle. It wasn't just a cure they wanted. It was power and recognition, too. Emperor Lackley rose to power because he cured a disease that he created. It was only a matter of time before others saw this as an opportunity to rise up the ranks. My heart raced as I worried about what that meant for Maverick’s safety.

"I want to survive, yes. I have a lab comparable to Emperor Lackley’s, as well as a beautiful guest house." Cavil kissed his fingers before continuing. "You should see it! Water fountains, tile imported from Lutheras, and a state of