Page 130 of Conform
Hal released a shuttering breath as he began to pace restlessly.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine.”
“Fine isn’t a feeling,” I said, drifting into his line of pacing. Hal halted, blowing out another breath. His hand intertwined with the bottom of my shirt, pulling me closer to him as he leaned against the wall.
“Fair enough,” he exhaled. “I should be out there with them.”
“But you’re stuck here with me instead.”
“I don’t mean it like that. I was going to get you down here one way or another. I wouldn’t have been able to focus knowing you were above. I have never sat out a mission with them.”
A loud whining sound echoed above us. An endless groan.
“What’s that?” I asked as the sound droned on until there was a loud thud and then utter silence.
Hal released my shirt, grabbing my left wrist. He pulled up my sleeve. My wrist wasn’t glowing. I gaped, looking between my wrist and Hal.
“It worked,” Hal marveled, turning my wrist over. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” Hal said with a smile.
“How’d they do it?”
“Gerald would have to break it down for you. Even if he did, it’s complicated.”
“Why now?”
“Because the chase was successful the other night, and the Minors have been drugged long enough.”
“Are they going to harm the Elite?” I asked as I thought of Gregory and Nora.
“Only the ones who get in the way,” Hal told me. I came to a halt. “Why, do you have Elites you care about above?”
“If I do?” I challenged.
“I’d be relieved they haven’t destroyed your humanity yet. Even if none of the Elite deserve your concern.”
“I disagree,” I told him as we followed the way Bri had gone. “So why aren’t you with them?” I asked as we wound our way through the network of tunnels.
“Thea claims that while I feel better, my internal injuries aren’t healed enough for combat. Everyone else felt inclined to agree.” Hal snorted.
“Are you still in pain?”
“Not like I was,” Hal confessed, raking his hand through his hair.
Music pounded ahead. “Are people dancing while this is going on?” I asked in disbelief.
“Of course,” Hal said as we came to a room. It was the same room from my first trip down.
“Aren’t they worried?”
“Probably.”
“Shouldn’t they be helping?”
“Doesn’t work that way down here. They have a choice.”
“I don’t understand,” I said, captivated by the moving bodies, the beat of the music thumping against my skin.
