More Than Imagined

Chapter 22

Jazara took steady strides through the musky narrows of an alley in Site 5. With Rhoawyn following closely beside her, they stepped in time, their bodies hidden inside brawny shadows cast by the buildings surrounding them. Each of their hands held the end of an electromagnetic rope that curled around the body of a young Mare who trembled atop the wheeled slab they drag him on.

"How much farther?" Jazara asked, impatient as always. The geo-map in Rhoawyn's free hand was twisting her nerves so tightly they were sure to burst into an irritated rage if the wind so much as blew a strand of hair into her face.

"It says it's just up ahead."

Jazara huffed and pulled the rope in her grip tighter, throwing their captive off balance. The sound of Rhoawyn's voice set her off more than it should—her presence doing nothing more than stoking Jazara's foul mood.

"If only we lived in a world where I didn't have to be dragged around like cattle," the Mare sighed.

His name was Delta. At least, that's what he told them when Jazara was forcing his neck to the ground with the blunt end of her bat on their way out of the base. She already knew him. She identified him as one of the two Mares that they found feasting in that underground hideout. There was a bit of an upset about him still being alive. At least one Mare should have died that day, for Winfrey's sake. What was worse was Jazara hadn't ever been one for jokes, so Delta's attempt at sarcasm only egged her on. She hoisted her end of the rope higher up her shoulder. The binds around his hands and feet drew higher between his thighs. He grunted.

"I can't imagine you'd want me to pull this any tighter," Jazara said, giving the rope a slight tug. Delta tried to relax into the awkward position.

"Stop torturing him. It's just up ahead," Rhoawyn spoke up.

The pity lacing her voice made Jazara's skin crawl.

"So you're taking up for the enemy now? Maybe you should be the one tied up instead," Jazara spat.

Rhoawyn stopped in her tracks, dropping her end of the rope and turning to Jazara with a scowl.

"What's your problem?"

"What's my problem? What's MY problem? My problem is I'm stuck with some half-wit who sympathizes with creatures who would throw her under the bus or kill her in a less than a second. I've been carrying the weight of this entire mission by myself," Jazara yelled, yanking a scooting Delta back in place on the rolling slab as he tried to escape amid their argument.

Rhoawyn picked her end of the rope again, but didn't make a move to walk forward.

"Look, it's not my fault that I can't manifest as easily as everyone else. I'm sorry I couldn't control my zipper back there, but-"

"It is your fault! You're weak, and you get coddled every second by our lovesick captain, which makes you even weaker," Jazara fumed, her face reddening over in anger.

"Why are you so bent on treating me like crap? I've been nothing but nice to you since we joined this team, but all you do is attack me like I'm the bad guy."

"It doesn't matter how nice you are. I'll never respect someone as useless as you. If my time in The Apex taught me anything, it's to never end up being like you. I lost a lot more than my life to this place. All because I used to be weak, just like you. Willing to give the benefit of the doubt to anyone. To take crap from anyone because I was a Two."

"I didn't know you were a Two," Rhoawyn muttered.

"Why would I ever mention it, and to you of all people? So you could toss some pity my way?" Jazara's nostrils flared as her chest heaved from her outburst, but she slowly reigned her anger back in. "You know what? Just forget it. Let's get this stupid mission over with so I won't have to look at this place ever again." Jazara stomped down the path again, uncaring if she dragged both the Delta and Rhoawyn behind her.