Chapter 68

Several blocks later, and the Merlian sun was blaring down in the escapees.  The weight of Lillian was increasing and Katherine urged them to stop.  She’d requested to stop several other times, but the sounds of the approaching military had spurred them on.  But they had to stop.  The princess would not last the distance Drex said they still needed to cover without a break, and what good would be to present the Coellum, their princess, as a sickly, possibly dying, wet noodle?

“She’s not making it.  We need to find a cool place for her to rest.”

Katherine wasn’t wrong and it was obvious to the world.  Lillian had left the safehouse with a bit of color in her cheeks and now her skin was waxy and drenched in sweat.  Evan gave a curt nod to Drex.  “Any suggestions?”

Drex’s eyes scanned the area before pointing at a diner across the street.  While walks outside the high-rises were mostly still, this little eatery showed signs of life.  When she saw it, Katherine could almost feel the cooler air and refreshing drinks.  Evan nodded in agreement, and the quartet made their way across the street.

Inside reminded Katherine of a cartoon she once saw as a little girl at the Bijou.  It was a futuristic diner with robotic cooks and floating waitresses, and booths and counter stools were sleek with interesting shapes.  This place looked just like that, except for the real people working there and the many years of wear that took the shine off the upholstery.  Still, there was the lingering hint of its former glory that caused a small grin to Katherine’s face as she followed Evan and Drex inside, struggling to hold Lillian upright and not cause suspicion.  This would be even harder since they were the only customers there.

They slid into a booth, the men sitting across from the women and Katherine putting Lillian between herself and the outside window.  She hoped this would help Lillian sit up straighter instead of slumping down.  Katherine checked her work.  Lillian’s eyes were closed and her mouth open.  Beads of sweat decorated her forehead and upper lip.  What Lillian needed was to get back in a bed, but this would have to do given the circumstances.

The waitress approached the table.  “Is she okay?” she said, pointing to Lillian.

“No,” Evan said and Katherine’s heart dropped.  This was not a time for honesty.  “Too much sun.”

Katherine’s eyes darted to the waitress.  They needed to be forgettable if soldiers asked about them later.  This was not helping that cause.

“Tell me about it,” the waitress said.  “I have a relative, reminds me of your friend there, star as hot as it is today, wouldn’t make it very long outside.  I’ll bring some water and take your order in a minute.  Poor thing.”

Katherine blew out her cheeks.  Evan pressed his foot on hers under the table.  “Just keep cool.  If we don’t act jumpy, we won’t raise eyebrows.”  Katherine pressed her lips together and nodded.  Lillian let out a whimper.

“How much farther?” Evan eyed Drex.

“We’re halfway.  Too bad about taking this route.  We’d have been there already otherwise.”

“Beggers can’t be choosers,” Evan said.  “We just keep going as we’ve been.  Keep our heads down.  Slow and steady.  Slow and steady and hope that the princess here can hold out.”

Katherine took Lillian’s hand in hers.  It was clammy.  Hopefully, the reprieve from the sun would revive her a little.  The waitress returned with four sweating glasses of water.  If she had brought a pile of diamonds, Katherine couldn’t have been more excited.  She reached out and the icy jolt to her skin brought instant brightness to her spirit.  She took a sip and felt the water’s coolness spread like life through her chest.  Katherine wrapped her arm around Lillian’s shoulder, propped her up a little, and held the glass to her mouth.

“Come on, drink just a little,” she said.

“Poor thing,” the waitress said again.  “Say, did you hear the explosion earlier?  Normally, this place is filled with customers this time of day.  Ever since those Coellum invaded, people have been on edge.” Everyone nodded.  If anyone had been on edge, they must have been at the top of the list.  

“Do you know who’s blowing up buildings?” Drex asked.  The waitress shook her head.

“With all the soldiers I’ve seen moving up and down the streets, from both sides, I couldn’t hope to say.”  She leaned in and dropped her voice as if she was about to bring them into her deepest confidence.  “I tell you, this would all go away if Dol would just show his face, the coward.”  A look of shocked regret flashed on her face.  “I shouldn’t have said that.  I don’t know who you are.  You’d likely turn me in as not.”

Evan said, “We’re in no position to turn anyone in.”

“Still.  Please forget I said anything.  Okay?”  The group nodded.  “What would you like to eat?”

The waitress took their order and sheepishly escaped their table.  Katherine turned her attention to Lillian and gave her a few more sips of water.  Then, she wiped the sweat from the glass onto her hand before wiping her hand on Lillian’s forehead.  The faint hint of a smile showed on her face, and Lillian whispered her thanks.

 After a while, the food arrived, and the waitress placed her hands on her hips.  “She looks in a bad way,” she said, nodding at Lillian.

“Yes,” Katherine said.  “We hope she’s only dehydrated.”

“Mmm,” the waitress responded.

Evan picked up on the cue and said, “We were taking her to a medical facility.  We heard there was one near the plaza.”

The waitress bunched up her face as she considered this.  “There might be one that way,” she said, “though you wouldn’t catch me dead down there.  Way too many Coellum.  You know, there is one, one of ours, just up that way.”  The waitress pointed back in the direction they had just come.  “Military, I think.  They might not take you if you’re not a soldier, but if you look desperate enough, they might take a look at her.”He dire

Katherine turned her head to look in the direction the waitress had pointed.  As she did, she saw the front line of a troop of soldiers turn a corner and start to make their way up the street.  Katherine pointed in the same direction.  “You mean this way?  How many blocks?”  Her hope was that Evan and Drex would look and see the soldiers working.

“Four or five,” the waitress replied.  “Oh, great,” she huffed, “more soldiers.  They make my feet hurt with all their walking.”

Evan pressed again on Katherine’s foot.  His look reminded her to keep her cool.  Katherine wasn’t sure she could do that, but she tried to gain confidence from his, and attempted to steady her breathing.

“Anyway,” the waitress said before leaving the table, “I hope your friend perks up.  Let me know if you need anything else.”

Just then, two soldiers came jogging up to the diner’s doors and entered.  They demanded water be brought to the soldiers outside.  Katherine looked out her window and saw the column of soldiers, armed and focused, lined up outside.

“I’m glad to find you open,” a soldier called out to the employees who were hustling to fulfill the order.  “Though you shouldn’t be for long.  We think rebels are in the area and we’re trying to flush them out.  Likely not best for you to be outside your homes.”  That’s when the soldier noticed the four strangers in the booth.  “That goes for you, too.”  He began his approach to the table.  “Your friend doesn’t look too good.”

“Just needs some food,” Drex said.  “She hasn’t been out much and supplies are her place were low.”

“Understood,” the soldier clipped.  “Still, you shouldn’t stay here long.  I can’t guarantee your safety.  By the way, it’s unlikely, but have you seen anyone suspicious around here?”

The quartet check each other’s eyes before shaking their heads and Drex saying, “No, but we just got here.”

The soldier relaxed a little.  “We were back up that way a bit ago.  Found a rebel hideout.  No rebels though.  Don’t know if they knew we were coming or had abandoned the place a while back.  Either way, they won’t be coming back.”

“Was that the explosion?” Katherine asked before feeling Evan’s foot increase its pressure.

“Back there?” the soldier asked and pointed in the safe house’s direction.  “That was us.  We are skilled in demolition.  If the rebels were hiding in the building, they are done for now.  My guess is they’ve been gone for days.  Still, we need to do our diligence.”  He winced when he looked at Lillian again.  “From me to you, your friend needs immediate medical care.  I’ve seen that look on too many of my men out there.  A few sips of water and bites of food aren’t going to cut it.  You’d do well to go to the facility just up that way.”  He pointed in the same direction as the waitress.

“Here you go,” the waitress said, displaying at least twenty water vessels for the soldiers.  The soldier nodded his thanks before nodding his partner to help him take the drinks away.  Then, a squawk came over their communicators.  “Got it,” the soldier replied into his device.  He turned to the room.  “Looks like we need to take all of you with us.  This building is going to be searched, and we don’t want you all caught up in it.”

Evan mildly protested, “We’d like to stay here if we-” he was cut off.

“No bodies were found in the rubble back there.  We are about to take things up a notch to catch them.  If you want to live, you’ll come with us.  We can care for your friend better than you can, but you can stay with her.”

Katherine saw their options draining like water through a sieve.  Were they being protected as the man said, or being captured like animals for the slaughter?  They were in no position to protest without raising real suspicions.  So, they each grabbed up their food. The soldier took Lillian under his arm, and all of them, soldiers, employees, and escapees, left the diner and joined the ranks of the Merlain military.

The lead soldier took Lillian to a convoy transport and invited the others to join with her.  Katherine sat next to her and held her hand.  Evan sat next to his wife, and she took his hand as well.  The transport lurched forward as Katherine sat between her two protectors, feeling exposed trying to keep the imagined variations of her future demise out of her mind.