Fif15teen

  Chapter 8

  Law 73

  Angels Rule

  They walked in silence through endless rows of corn for what seemed like hours. The pink-haired girl maneuvered her way around booby traps as if she had placed them all herself. Quinn hobbled behind, wincing with every step. Blood trickled down her leg in drips, but she ignored it and pushed on. She stumbled but was relieved to find the girl there, holding her up. She grinned gratefully and continued on. She didn’t think she could take another step when they finally broke through the corn onto the bank of a river. She looked across the dark water in awe.

  “I’ve died and gone to Hogwarts,” Quinn said, breaking their long silence.

  “Where?” the girl asked curiously.

  Quinn looked at her shocked. “Come on, you can’t be serious. Don’t tell me you’ve never seen the movies.” The girl shook her head then helped Quinn down to the sparse grass that lined the river. “I’m Quinn.”

  “Jara,” the pink-haired girl said before she blew a three-part whistle. When there was no response, she whistled again. Finally an enormous girl in a small boat rowed toward them.

  “Where are we?” Quinn asked.

  “Castle Haven,” Jara stated.

  “No, I mean where? This definitely isn’t Queens.”

  “You’re in Fifteen.”

  “Fifteen? Where the heck is that?” Quinn asked.

  “I have no idea,” Jara said. Before Quinn could ask another question, the boat ran ashore inches from them.

  “Hi, Moani,” Jara said. The girl merely grunted in response. Moani was the largest girl Quinn had ever seen in her life. She had such an abundance of flapping skin and voluminous rolls that Quinn wondered if the boat would stay afloat with the three of them inside, but she was smart enough not mention her concerns. Jara climbed gracefully into the boat and sat down opposite Moani. Quinn clambered in after and nearly capsized them all. She flopped forward, putting too much weight on her bad leg. She howled with pain, stumbled, and stomped unintentionally on Moani’s bare foot. A meaty palm plowed into her chest, and before she knew it, she had landed with a splash in the river. She came up sputtering and splashing to the sound of Jara’s urgent screech.

  “Get out! Get out now!” Jara screamed. Quinn stood up and splashed onto the shore. Jara had jumped out of the boat, grabbed her, and pulled at her shirt.

  “What are you doing?” Quinn screamed.

  “Take your clothes off. Hurry!” Jara screamed frantically.

  “What? No!” Even as Quinn protested, Jara yanked her black T-shirt over her head.

  “Let her be eaten, Jara,” said Moani as if she were bored.

  “Eaten?” Quinn asked.

  “The river is full of acari. They burrow into your skin and feed on your organs. You’ll be dead in minutes, if we don’t get to them first!” Jara shouted. Quinn screamed and squirmed. She ripped at her bra and kicked off her boots. Her clothes went flying in every direction. She was rolling her wet, naked body in the sand in hopes that somehow it would get rid of the creatures when Jara and Moani began to laugh. Moani’s immense belly wobbled and rolled, rocking the boat from side to side.

  “Help me!” Quinn screeched, beating at her skin. The girls howled louder. Quinn finally stopped and stared at them angrily.

  “Just kidding,” Moani said sweetly then roared with laughter.

  “Very freakin’ funny!” Quinn snapped as she hobbled around while frantically putting her wet clothes back on. Once there was no fear of dying, the pain in her leg came back with a vengeance. She got into the boat carefully and sat reluctantly between the two giggling girls. “Why do I get the feeling this isn’t the first time you’ve done this?”

  “We do it every chance we get,” Jara chuckled jovially.

  “So there are no organ eaters in the river?” Quinn asked as they pushed off shore and glided across the river.

  “Oh, acari are real, but there are none in the river now. We breed them in the hatchery. Tricky job too. Pray you don’t have to work there,” Moani said as she began to row.

  “We only put the mites in the river when we suspect a raid. Those little suckers love the taste of boy meat. When there are no boys, they turn on one another. It takes about a week before they’re killed off,” Jara said.

  “The little critters are almost as stupid as boys…almost.” Moani giggled.

  They landed on the far side of the river and climbed a flight of stone steps, then followed a path through the corn that led to a broad set of iron doors.

  “Shouldn’t there be a drawbridge or a moat or maybe some knights in full armor guarding the place?” Quinn asked sarcastically. Instead of answering, Jara banged a huge iron knocker against the door, and then tapped her foot impatiently. A peephole covered in iron grating opened and a bright blue eye gazed at each of them before the hole closed again. The sound of bolts and knobs turning preceded the doors slowly creaking open.

  Moani veered off to the left without saying a word. She lumbered toward one of the many doors leading off the great hall, parting the throng of girls like a shark through water.

  “Where’s she going?” Quinn asked.

  “Probably to the kitchens. Cooking is another of her jobs,” Jara said before leading Quinn up the giant staircase. The stairs seemed to go on forever. At the second landing, Quinn had to stop and rest. Her wound had begun to bleed again, and her muscles ached from climbing.

  “Come on, we’re almost there! Let’s get it over with,” Jara urged. Quinn forced herself up. They passed three more landings and a multitude of corridors and doors. They climbed until there were no more stairs to climb and emerged into the sun, in front of a small stone building that stood in the center of an expansive roof. Quinn shielded her eyes and stared behind them at the acres of corn that stretched as far as the eye could see. Akeem was somewhere out there. She swallowed a lump that formed in her throat and continued to survey her surroundings. She needed to know exactly where she was if she was going to get out of here and search for Akeem.

  “Piper!” Jara hollered. A girl emerged rubbing her eyes.

  “Jara, if you disturb my sleep again, I’ll…,” the girl stopped when she noticed Quinn. “New arrivals? How many have come?” the girl asked excitedly.

  “Only her, but she brought a Dog with her,” Jara said.

  “Akeem is not a dog!” Quinn snapped angrily. Piper looked at her and then back at Jara. There was something unsaid going on between the two of them that made Quinn uneasy.

  “Piper, this is Quinn.”

  “Please tell me you know something about water filtration systems? Anything?” Piper asked, gripping Quinn’s shoulders. Quinn shook her head angrily. “Well, what do you know?”

  “I know I don’t like to be touched,” Quinn growled. Although Piper lowered her hands, she was in no way intimidated. Instead she folded her arms across her chest and stared inquisitively at Quinn.

  “When are you from?” Piper asked.

  “Queens, Forest Hills.”

  “I didn’t say where, I said when. What year?” Piper asked. Quinn looked at the girl as if she had spoken a different language. Without warning the girl snatched the cell phone from Quinn’s front pocket with such speed it startled her. “Looks like the early twenty-first century.” Piper examined the cell phone. “New York? Is that how they wear their boots in your time?” Piper asked, making Jara snort.

  “Booby trap,” Quinn responded.

  “Maru,” Piper replied knowingly.

  “He’s dead now. Nishi got him,” Jara added.

  Piper sighed. “Well, that’s good news.”

  “Where am I?” Quinn demanded wearily, but her question went unanswered.

  “Jara, I’ve got something to finish up here. Can you take her to Geneva to have that leg looked at, and then bring her back here. We should talk before Pox gets ahold of her.”

  “Come on, let’s get you fixed up.” Jara nudged a confused Quinn out the door.

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