I turn in the opposite direction and see a door with a scanner. I want to try my new access. I place my hand on the scanner like I saw Farouk do and say my name. After a few seconds, the latch clicks, and I push through the metal door.
The sun blinds me for a moment, but when my eyes adjust, I'm greeted with the field of tall plants. I didn't realize how close this area was to where Paz and Pocket are staying. I walk around the tall plants to the door I had walked through with Farouk the day before.
I place my hand on the scanner and repeat my name. The door unlocks, and I step through. In front of the morning's low sun is the hill Farouk and I sat on. As much as I'd love to sit and look at the Nile River again, I need to go to the city and find Petros. The Nile can wait.
I walk along the side of the compound, close enough to the wall that any drone that might be on patrol would have to lean over to see me. When I reach the corner, I time my sprint to when the drone guarding this area has looked away.
My legs carry me as fast as they can to a pile of debris a hundred or so feet away. I catch my breath when I duck behind it and listen for any sign that drones may have spotted me. After a couple of moments of silence from the compound, I realize that they did not see me, so I stand and walk toward the closest building—or at least what's left of it.
I lean against the battered wall and work my way toward the corner to look around and get a sense of the city's layout. When I had run in here with Atom, I didn't bother to learn the geography, so I need to take each step with caution as I look for Petros.
My head leans to peer around the corner, and my forehead is met with the barrel of a riffle. I stand straight to see an outsider on the other end, ready to pull the trigger, and I immediately regret coming out here unarmed. As I'm about to swipe the gun away from my face and overpower the outsider to take away the rifle, a second gun jabs my back.
“Any ill-advised moves, and I will shoot you,” the raspy voice behind me threatens.
CHAPTER XVI
“We should kill him,” the outsider in front of me suggests. He's much smaller than I am, and I can tell by how shaky his hands are that he isn't used to holding a weapon.
The outsider behind me grabs my shoulder and pushes me against the wall of the dilapidated building. He's older with wrinkles on top of wrinkles and skin darker than night. “Hang on a minute. This one's different.”
“I'm here to see Petros,” I say before the younger has time to convince the older one to get rid of me.
“How do you know who Petros is?” the older one snaps back.
“And what happened to your eye?” the younger outsider's trembling voice adds.
“I'm not like the other drones. Brianna sent me.”
The older man stares at me for what seems like ages. He studies my body, and when he tries to lift my patch, I pull my head back.
“Should we take him to Petros?” the younger one asks.
“He's going to want to hear what I have to tell him. We are on the same side.” I make one last-ditch effort to convince the two outsiders of my value.
The older one looks me up and down once more and then pushes me forward. “You try anything funny, and I will shoot you.”
“Understood,” I reply. I keep a watchful eye on my surroundings as we walk. A few other outsiders take note of me, and some come up to join the other two as security detail.
Up ahead, I spot the top of the pyramid keeping a watchful eye on me. It looks more ominous than I remember—a building that has stood the test of time. We make a right turn, and I notice an area that looks familiar. This is where I had seen Atom struggling against the outsiders when I had returned from grabbing those pieces of chicken. I'm pretty sure the building to my right is the one we sped up to escape death.
The outsiders guide me to the building opposite that one. It's one of the few buildings that still looks well put together. We enter through an opening that used to hold a double door, and head to the back where wooden tables are organized in rows and paper, actual paper, is scattered on top of each one. I am so mesmerized by all of the natural and decomposable material that I almost miss the giant of a man looking over a large chunk of paper stuck to that back wall.
“Petros!” the older outsider shouts. He and the other outsiders seem content to stay where they are.
When Petros turns, I understand why they all fear him. His mass makes Farouk look like a child. Muscles ripple beneath his entire body, and scars cover each inch of his skin. He looks as though he fought every building in this city and won.
“What?” His deep voice echoes. He disregards me as an inconvenience. “Kill him.”
“Brianna sent me,” I speak up.
This piques his interest, and he pushes multiple wooden tables out of his way to walk straight at me. He takes his right hand and wraps it around my neck. His hand is as large as my head. His grip tightens, and I know, without a doubt in my mind, that I would lose any attempt to free myself.
“Why would she send you?” He lifts me to take a better look.
My toes are the only things holding on to the ground. Oxygen struggles to reach my lungs, so I pick my
