Between Burning Worlds (System Divine #2) - Jessica Brody Page 0,142

up the squadron of guards who were shooting at them.

“Blinding gas,” Dr. Collins explained as he sealed the window and revved the engine. The vehicle tore out of the complex.

Marcellus glanced back to see the smoke billowing behind them, obscuring the whole view of the tech labs. But even through the thick green fog, another round of gunfire rang out and Marcellus scrabbled down onto the floor. Something struck the side of the aerocab, leaving a large gaping hole in the metal that seemed to spread and blacken with each passing second, like it was alive.

Gabriel yelped. “What the fric kind of ammo are they firing?”

“Cluster bullets,” Dr. Collins replied as he yanked on the contrôleur and pitched the aerocab into a steep upward climb. “A nasty Albion invention that you do not want to be on the receiving end of.”

“No kidding,” Gabriel muttered, still gaping, horrified, at the yawning puncture in the wall.

The aerocab juddered again but then evened out, and soon they were soaring across the sky, picking up speed. The sound of gunfire retreated into the distance, and Marcellus peeked out the window again to see the spires of the tech labs complex fading behind them.

“You’re safe to get up now,” Dr. Collins said without tearing his gaze from the front window.

Slowly, the four of them pushed themselves up from the floor and climbed onto the leather-covered benches. Marcellus shared an uneasy glance with Alouette, like they were deciding who would be the first to ask the question that was surely on all their minds.

But it was Cerise who blurted it out. “Why are you helping us?”

The aerocab lurched into a new gear, throwing everyone back against their seats.

“Why do you think?” the silver-haired scientist replied.

“I don’t know,” Cerise said impatiently. “That’s why I’m asking!”

Dr. Collins glanced at Marcellus. “I assume all that gunfire means you’re not, in fact, associated with General Bonnefaçon, as you claimed.”

“He is my grandfather,” Marcellus said with a grimace. “But no, I’m not associated with him. Not anymore, anyway.”

“Then why are you here?” Dr. Collins asked.

“We’re trying to stop him,” said Marcellus.

Dr. Collins cocked a silver eyebrow and shot a look at Cerise. “As am I.”

“What?” Cerise spat. “If you’re trying to stop him, then why are you working with him?”

“Because he’s the source,” Alouette said softly, speaking for the first time since they’d scrambled into the aerocab.

Marcellus stared incredulously between Alouette and Dr. Collins. “You’re the source?”

Dr. Collins darted a look back at Alouette. “What source?”

“You’re the one who’s been communicating with Denise,” she said. It wasn’t a question or an accusation. It was just a fact. And Marcellus was impressed that she’d been able to figure it out so quickly.

“How do you know Denise?” Dr. Collins asked.

“How do you know Denise?” Cerise fired back.

But Alouette answered first. “She … She sort of raised me. Or at least, she was one of the women who raised me.”

“You’re the Lark?” Dr. Collins asked in amazement.

Marcellus felt Alouette stiffen beside him. “Yes,” she whispered.

“Did Denise send you here?” Dr. Collins steered the aerocab gently to the left.

“Not exactly,” Alouette replied. “We intercepted your message for her. Denise taught me the code you’ve been using when I was little. That last transmission you received was from us. We pretended to be her so you would meet with us and hopefully tell us how to stop the general from using that awful”—she shuddered—“thing.”

“Yeah, what exactly was that thing?” Gabriel asked.

“So, if you intercepted that transmission,” Dr. Collins said, ignoring Gabriel’s question. “Then where is Denise?”

Alouette stared down at her hands, her lips trembling. “She’s …”

“My grandfather has her,” Marcellus cut in, the familiar anger sharpening his tone. “He’s taken her to a secret detention facility somewhere. We don’t know where.”

The aerocab fell very silent. Dr. Collins eased the contrôleur to the right and then down. The small craft ascended toward what looked like a very small town. Marcellus could make out a few neat rows of houses with gentle sloping roofs and square patches of grass behind them.

“Wait a minute,” Cerise said, staring at the coordinates flashing across the console. “Isn’t this the location where we were supposed to meet you?”

“It’s a safe house,” Dr. Collins said, “that the Ministry of Defence doesn’t know about.”

He silently steered the aerocab down a dark and quiet lane before pulling into a small docking shelter attached to one of the houses.

For a long moment, they all just sat there in the darkness. No one knew quite what to