The Neo-Spartans: Altered World by Raly Radouloff, Terence Winkless Read Free Book Online Page B

Slinking along, they ran down a gauntlet of condemned buildings. Taking the risk of something collapsing on them was a better choice than being cornered by the SD Forces. They sprinted through the abandoned alleys of the neighborhood, and through some gnarly underpasses that smelled of rot. They kept running until they were sure they’d put some distance between themselves and the cruisers they had spotted. When they reached the edge of the city, Quinn realized she was tight again, stretched like a rubber band, ready to snap. She stopped abruptly, grabbed Gabriel by the shoulders and gave him a hard shake.
                  “Damn it, Gabriel! Cops! You got the cops after you! This is all your fault!”
                  “Are you nuts? I’ve no idea why these cops were there…”
                  “Cause you’re all idiots. You do this reckless nonsense like it’s an innocent game. It’s illegal and punishable. You’re Neo-Spartans for Pete’s sake. You’re going to make all of us suffer for the kicks you get out of this. How selfish are you?!”
                  Gabriel rolled his eyes. He had heard the lecture many times. Before he could open his mouth, Quinn was all over him.
                  “Shut up. I don’t want to hear it. You almost killed yourself there. For what? Just to spite me? To show off to the rest of the idiots what a hero you are by running away from your sister? You think you can pull this kind of crap and get away with it forever? You think your boring sister will always show up and straighten things out, cover it up, take the blame for it? Just cause you are so darn special?!! Well, I’m sick of it, Gabriel. I don’t care about your gift; I don’t care if it gets lost. It’s a total waste anyway. All it does is give you license to constantly screw up. Well, guess what? Your screw-ups are putting everybody else in danger. If you have some kind of suicide itch go ahead, scratch it, just don’t pull everybody else into your mess.”
                  Gabriel just stared at her. Her face seemed strange to him, eyes darkened by ire, features twisted. It was a different Quinn. The annoyingly composed one was gone. Her words hurt him, but oddly enough, this change that took over her didn’t bother him. In fact, she was more accessible. He broke free from her grip and shoved her away.
                  “Get over it, Quinn, nobody asked you for any favors. You do it ’cause you like it. Good reliable Quinn, solid as a rock. She’s the real Declan offspring, not like her useless brat of a brother. You love hearing junk like this, don’t you? It’s music to your ears. So you breathe down my neck, annoy the living daylights out of me and make sure you’re there when I trip up. So what do you expect me to do? I have to provide my big sister with the opportunity to shine again. And I do. So, relax. I make you look good. You should thank me instead of going all hissy and mental on me.”
                  Quinn remained silent. Hmmph, thought Gabriel, he was right. Her furious outburst had made her more accessible. For the first time, what he said registered with her. He wasn’t just a static noise she ignored. She was shocked that her puny opponent had delivered a winning punch. It was just like regular fighting, Gabriel observed: she had left herself open and he had pummeled her with an effective blow. He made a mental note never to do this himself. It was ironic she had inadvertently taught him something.
                  Quinn couldn’t look at his face any longer; she turned her back on him and started walking. She couldn’t wait to get back to the Triffid Forest and be done with this assignment. Gabriel followed from behind. He watched his sister closely. The drive was there but the confidence was gone. It had switched sides. It was with him now. And for the first time he didn’t try to