The Gemini Age: Book One

[16-1] Through the Crossfire - Part One

    "For my wife Aemilia, my daughter Penelope, and of course all the people of Edinburgh, I shall strive to rid our city of this plague and build back stronger than ever. You have my word, and Philemon Locke always keeps his word! Thank you."

    "Unless it suits him to break it, that is." Penelope groaned in frustration and slunk down the side of the Daedalus, landing on the pavement with a thud. "I can't believe he'd dare to drag Mother into this..."

    Beside her, Lloyd tapped his thumbs together. Not only did every well-honed syllable from Locke's crystalline voice fill him with uncertainty, but all Lloyd found as he sought any distraction at all from the lord's speech was further evidence of everything Locke said. Ambulances revolved on a carousel as they delivered more and more wounded, off-duty personnel arrived in private cars scarred with burns and gashed metal, and the smoke over the city marched closer to the hospital building with every passing breeze.

    A nurse emerged through the hospital's doors, her teeth clenched. Her eyes found Karim picking at his sweat-stained shirt by Wilfred's side, then flicked to the older man's face. "Councillor Wanyama, right? I see you finally got the office's messages."

    Wilfred raised an eyebrow. "Messages? I haven't received any messages. Oh, then again, I suppose I...haven't had my phone to hand." He fidgeted under the nurse's withering look, ushering Karim to act as a barrier between the woman's eyes and his own sheepish expression. "I came because this boy needs medical attention immediately."

    "Yeah, well, join the queue. As you can see, we're bursting at the seams as is." Though her tone was prickly, the nurse checked Karim over, unfazed by the way the boy recoiled with nerves. "We've been trying to get in touch with you for a bit now. You're listed as the emergency contact for a patient here, the name's...Fiona Sinclair?"

    The combined force of Wilfred, Lloyd, and Penelope's eyes darting to her face almost knocked the nurse off-balance. Stuttering, Wilfred approached the nurse with a paling face. "Fi's here? Where? Why? Is she hurt?"

    "You'd best come with me. She might be conscious by now."

    Wilfred started to follow the nurse, then caught himself. He turned to the car. "Find Jade and Marcus, then get yourselves somewhere safe. It's too dangerous for you to be out on the streets!"

    "No kidding! You bet we'll stay put." Lloyd tried to smile, but his nerves tensed too many of his facial muscles for him to change his expression from the mask of worry he had worn since Locke's speech began. As soon as Wilfred entered the building, Lloyd slumped next to Penelope with his head in his hands. "Oh boy. Jade and Marcus won't let us stay put, will they?"

    Penelope flicked her mother's ID card between her fingers, eyes misty at the small thumbnail photo staring back at her. "Neither will I, I'm afraid," she answered, clearing her throat as she did so.

    A siren wailed back out onto the main road as quickly as it had arrived. Lloyd tore his hands from his face, his mouth agape. "Really? You too?"

    "I won't let my father disgrace Mother's memory like this. Not without looking into his eyes and asking him why. Why did any of this have to happen?" She tapped the card with her fingernails before flicking her eyes to Lloyd's face. "I know it's selfish of me to think about this when so much else is at stake, but I can't let it go. You don't have to come if you don't want to."

    "No, no! I want to! Me? I'm fine with running right into the huge fire and massive earthquakes and scary living weapons! I'm so fine with all of it!" Lloyd pulled at his hair as he fell back against the car. "Okay, maybe I'm not fine with it. I'm not brave like Jade or Marcus. I can't just go like they do."