Divided Worlds Trilogy 01 - Disconnect by Imran Siddiq Read Free Book Online

wave into the distance. Turning on the spot, he considered her comment. The second step he intended to make vanished as a powerful hand pushed him against a hut.
    “Hey,” cried Zachary, trying to unbolt the forearm rammed under his chin.
    The woman patted the large man’s grip off him. “What do you know?” she said. Up close, the same height as him, her lips appeared smooth.
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re not from here, are you?” replied Zachary.
    “Has anybody down here come across an android covered in synthetic tissue?” continued the woman.
    “Androids have rubber, if that’s what you mean?” replied Zachary. Did Biro’s android belong to them? Were they from Overworld? “Are you collectors?”
    The man placed his hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Leave it. He doesn’t know anything. He’s just a boy.”
    With that, both figures darted into the crowd. Zachary wondered if they were from a rival stall, but still, they didn’t appear to be residents of District Two. Maybe they’d found a part of the android and were trying to make a worthwhile deal from it.
    Shrugging, Zachary ran to Biro’s stall.
    Inside the room lit by a single candle, Shekhar stood leaning on a pedestal. He stopped writing on a register and looked over his cracked spectacles.
    “You’re late. By a full hour and thirty-three minutes.”
    “My dad –”
    Shekhar interrupted. “Does your dad work for us? No – he doesn’t, so I don’t care how he made you late. Make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
    Was that it? A warning? Zachary expected more. He turned, fists clenched in hope he could catch any hidden thugs awaiting the command to jump on him.
    Shekhar’s skeletal, scowling voice rattled out. “You impressed Master with yesterday’s bracelet. He’s taken a liking to you.”
    “I’ll find something better.” The Intercom could wait.
    “Wait,” called Shekhar. “Step forward.”
    Inhaling, Zachary did as ordered.
    An unknown boy moved out of the darkness ahead of him. Taller by a few inches, with short-as-grain hair, the boy hunched, keeping his shoulders low. Confidence lacked in his stagger around the pedestal.
    Shekhar motioned with an uninterested tone. “Diego, Zachary. Zachary, Diego. Zachary will introduce you to the Wastelands.”
    “ What? ” cried Zachary.
    “And the drops. Teach him well. He’s new to this.”
    “That’s not my problem. I hunt on my own.”
    Zachary glared at the boy’s ankle-length coat, and ripped trainers. He’d never seen a more ill-equipped scavenger. Wherever the boy had come from, he showed a lack of knowledge about running through toxic swamps. And he must be nineteen or twenty; way too old. Scavenging was taught young, and improved with experience.
    “Can’t someone else teach him?”
    “No.” Shekhar studied the register.
    Zachary rubbed his hand down the outside of his coat. Slamming the Intercom onto the pedestal might be his only chance of forfeiting the punishment.
    “Has he got any tools?”
    “He’ll have to find his own like you did. Get going. Time is tick-tock-ticking.”
    There was little point in arguing with the secretary. Zachary moved to the exit, feeling the warm closeness of the new recruit’s breath on him.
    The crowd ahead was perfect to lose Diego in. “Keep up.”
    “So, your dad made you late?” asked the recruit.
    Zachary threw him a gritted-teeth look. “None of your business, Deego.”
    “It’s Diego. Dee-A-Go. Diego Reyes. I’m from District Four.”
    “I don’t care.” Zachary ignored the blunt finger-nailed hand that was thrust out. “Do you know anything about scavenging?”
    “Some. Not much.” Diego’s words dragged out in a husky sigh. “The Deluge, as we call it, is thin on the border of our town. It’s not worth going into.”
    “That’s great, but a simple no would’ve been enough.” Zachary pointed to the ridge ahead. “We’ll climb down to the Wastelands. I’ll show you the bits