The Forsaken

Sinxen start moving ominously toward David as he begins getting to his feet. Rika just looks shocked, like me. Markus’s hands are balling into fists.
    David holds up a hand, coughing. “Wait— I know what you think about me. You have every right.”
    “Damn straight we do,” Markus says. “You’re the reason all those prisoners got burned! You’re a high-level drone. A spy full of lies.”
    Gadya looms over David. “You’re here to help the Monk.”
    “No—wait! Alenna, make them understand!”
    Gadya spins toward me, eyes narrowing. “What does Alenna have to do with this?”
    “I talked to her—” David stutters. “After I got out of the kennels—”
    “He burst out of the forest the night before we left,” I interrupt, because now everyone is eyeing me suspiciously. “He babbled some crazy stuff about setting up his own colony somewhere, not part of either group. He wanted me to join him. I didn’t tell anyone because I knew I’d probably get interrogated.” Everyone keeps staring at me. “That’s the truth! I don’t know any more than that.”
    Markus looks at David hard. “So why are you here now?”
    “Because I want to come with you guys. I know where you’re headed. Into the gray zone to find the aircrafts. I want to get off Island Alpha, and I’m sure you can use an extra body to help.” His dark eyes fix onto mine. “I’m not a spy. I’m just trying to unravel the mysteries and save myself.”
    “You’re playing both sides, David,” Gadya accuses. “I haven’t figured out your angle yet, but I will. And I already know I’m not gonna like what I find.”
    “Let’s just make a new hole in the barrier and send him back,” Sinxen proposes.
    “Yeah, dead or alive,” Markus adds.
    The Monk waves his hand in annoyance at our debate. “It doesn’t matter. If he wishes to come, then so be it.”
    Gadya speaks directly to the Monk. “Of course you want him with you. He’s one of your kind. But you realize we outnumber you now? Even with David tagging along?”
    “Yes.”
    “You aren’t afraid we’ll kill all three of you? Hurt you?”
    “You can’t hurt me as much as the wheel already has.” The Monk raises a ragged arm as if to prove his point. “I could have brought fifty drones with me. A hundred. A thousand.” He pauses. “I didn’t want to. Inevitably, they would go wild and make noise. I control their minds. Not their bodies. Sometimes a body is stronger than a mind.” He makes a sound close to a sigh. “Besides, the truth is, I have tired of them. They worship me only because they have nothing better to do. They are weak-minded. . . . Unstable.” He raises a shaky hand again. “They are a burden. I’ve been waiting for a group like you. Kids who can think for themselves.”
    “So you’re trusting us because we’re better, smarter fighters? Is that what you’re saying?” Gadya asks. “And because we know the way to where you want to go? You don’t even believe in your own cult anymore?”
    I know that if Gadya had a weapon on her, she might use it. Her voice is low and cold. If she ever blamed me for my role in Liam’s death, she must blame the Monk a million times more. He can’t know this, yet he senses her raw hatred.
    “No, I still believe in the power of my cult. Their faith kept me alive all these long years. But their devotion sickens and wearies me. I lost my freedom to their numbers. Their love became my shackles, and I became a prisoner of their worship.” He looks around. “Now, for the first time, I feel free again.” He coughs. “Remember, I am not a villain. I shared my knowledge about the barrier with you. I didn’t have to.”
    “Only because you needed our help,” I point out.
    “Friendship is always a case of mutual exploitation.” His drone lovingly brushes back a tuft of the Monk’s hair, which is sticking out behind his mask. It’s like the drone didn’t even hear what the crazy Monk said about being sick of his own followers.
    David takes that moment to rip off his robe, throw it onto the ground, and stamp on it. Underneath he’s wearing normal street clothes and a winter jacket. He also has a homemade splint around his ankle to support his foot. “Look! See! I’m not a drone. I’m one of you.”
    “You’ll never be one of us,” Gadya snaps at him. “And whether you’re a drone or not, out here you’re just a liability. You’re weak. You’re not prepared for this journey.”
    Markus jabs