Botanicaust by Tam Linsey Page B

marked the passage of time by the arrival of his food canisters. The supply so far had barely been enough to keep away his hunger, but now his stomach growled in full complaint. The usual feeding time came and went, and still no Tula. The horrible man who ’ d confiscated his gamma pad had not reappeared, either, and Levi ’ s concern for Tula grew.
    With no gamma pad, no food, and nothing to do but pace, he curled up on the too-small cot and closed his eyes.
    He woke from a dream of chewing sweet blades of spring hay while basking in the sunlight with Tula. At the foot of his cot, she sat with her hands in her lap and her head bowed.
    “ Tula! ” All escape plans forgotten, he lurched upright and threw his arms around her in a relieved hug.
    Her arms slid around him in return. The warm scent of her hair, the silky texture of her skin beneath his fingers stirred him as if he were still dreaming. Her shuddering breaths against his bared shoulder smelled lightly like evergreen, reminding him who and what she was.
    Jerking away, he adjusted the blanket to hide the obvious rise in his lap. Self-disgust overrode his concern for her. He was afraid to touch her. To go through with his plan. You have to do it.
    She didn ’ t move from her spot. Her shoulders sagged as if in defeat, and again his compassion threatened his resolve.
    He counted his breathing. In. Out. In. Think of Josef . His courage strengthened. But not enough to act.
    “ Where is your gamma pad, Levi? ” Tula looked around the cell, her eyes listless.
    His head nodded toward the stairway. “ Man. ”
    She frowned. A sad frown. “ Vitus. ” Looking at her hands folded in her lap, she fell silent.
    Why are you hesitating? Now was the perfect time to act. Josef needed him. But Tula already looked wounded. Betraying her now might break his heart.
    He cleared his throat. “ Vitus? Cannibal? ” He didn ’ t know the word for bad.
    Tula barked a laugh. The sound drummed against his heart, weakening his growing determination. “ Yes. Bad. ” She reached over and covered Levi ’ s hands with hers, her eyes sincere.
    His entire body tightened for action, but he couldn ’ t move.
    She tightened her fingers around his. “ Vitus wants Levi … ”
    The rest of the words were foreign, but her face gave away her meaning. The green man intended to harm him. But he ’ d already figured that. All the Blattvolk wanted to harm him.
    With that thought, he twisted his hand to grasp both of hers in a vice and yanked her close, his other arm around her throat. She choked off a gasp. For a split second he loosened a bit, worried he was hurting her. Then his resolve tightened along with his arm. “ Let me free, ” he growled in her ear.
    Rising, he pulled her length against him. Her toes skittered across the cement floor as he all but carried her to the door. With his arm still wrapped around Tula ’ s neck, he released her left hand and pushed the right through the bars toward the locking pad. Her free hand scrabbled against his bicep as she struggled. “ Levi, no. Levi — ” she gasped, then went limp. He pressed her hand to the pad and heard the familiar click of the lock releasing.
    In awe of his own force, he stood motionless a few heartbeats, her hand hovering over the lock, palm open. His fingers almost completely covered the pink mark on her forearm. The bones beneath his fingertips were fragile in his grasp. Trembling so hard his legs barely supported him, he could barely support her weight sagging against him.
    Lowering Tula until her feet connected with the floor, he let her arm go and jerked the cell door open.
    With both hands free, she didn ’ t fight back. She stood and sobbed convulsively. Her head fell back against his chest, soft hair catching in the stubble on his chin. “ Stop crying. ” His voice was a raw, low growl in his throat.
    Why did this feel all wrong? He should be striding up the stairs, right now. But his feet remained frozen in