Free Extraction by Stephanie Diaz

unsure what he’s doing.
    Slowly, his finger moves downward, gentle on my skin, and traces my collarbone. Eyes locked on mine, he takes one more step closer. My stomach drops and flutters in the same motion.
    Feet crunch on dirt.
    Logan’s head snaps in the direction of the sound, to my left, back down the alleyway. We hear more crunches over the soft patter of rain; someone is coming. My body tenses. Inside I want to scream. Why is there always something?
    A figure steps around the corner, followed by three others. Three boys and a girl with black hair, short and jagged.
    One of the boys, I’ve known forever. Or I thought I knew him. Now I’m not so sure.
    “Grady?” Logan says his name first.

 
    7
    Grady clutches a fragment of steel that might’ve come from a train track. His hands shake. An odd, mad look flickers across his face.
    Nellie takes a step toward us, twirling her own weapon. Her lips curl into a smile.
    One of these four must’ve seen me in the crowd. They saw us slip into this alleyway, and followed.
    “Did you change your mind, Clementine?” Nellie asks. “Did you realize you don’t deserve to be an Extraction?”
    I press my lips together. She doesn’t deserve an answer.
    “What are you doing here?” Logan asks.
    “We’re here for her,” Carter says. “Step aside, and we won’t hurt you.”
    “I was asking Grady,” Logan says.
    “What do you think?” Grady’s voice is hoarse. His raw, red eyes find mine. “The backup plan. Remember?”
    My eyes cling to the steel weapon in his hand: a piece of the train track Nellie said they planned to use against the adults and the officials if they weren’t picked for Extraction. But there are no adults here. There are no officials or cam-bots in this alleyway.
    There’s only me and Logan.
    I clench my hands into fists so they won’t tremble. I can tell by the look in Grady’s eyes and the scowls on Carter’s and Larry’s faces that they blame me for stealing one of the spots. Even though they should blame the Developers.
    “You think killing me will save you?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady. “Because it won’t.”
    “You don’t deserve what you won more than any of us,” Larry spits. “Why should we let you leave?”
    “Grady, why are you with them?” Logan asks angrily.
    Grady’s bottom lip trembles, but he doesn’t answer.
    Nellie speaks for him. “He’s never fit in with you, that’s what he told me. He said you two are one thing and he’s always separate, so why should he care what happens to her? She doesn’t even care that he didn’t get picked.” She shakes her head at me.
    My mouth has fallen open. “Of course I care—”
    “Then why didn’t you say something?” Grady cries. Tears spill from his eyes, and he’s shaking so badly the weapon looks like it’ll slip from his hand any second now. “You didn’t even look for me earlier. I called your name in the processing building, and you didn’t answer.”
    “What?” I ask. “I didn’t hear you, Grady. I didn’t—I didn’t mean…”
    But he’s right. I was so worried about myself and about Logan, I didn’t spare even a second to worry about him. Not even after the brain scans. But I shake my head, as if that will make it less true.
    “Besides,” Grady says, his voice growing steadier, “if you’re gone, that’ll open a spot. That’ll open a spot for someone like me.”
    “No, it won’t.” I choke on the words, shaking my head fast. “They’ll whip you for killing me. They’ll send you to quarantine.”
    But would they? Would the Developers really care if they lost me? There are plenty of others who must’ve been almost as Promising. They could easily replace me.
    “You won’t kill her. I won’t let you,” Logan says, moving so he’s a foot in front of me. I grab hold of his arm, afraid he might do something stupid.
    “We’ll blame him.” Carter jabs a finger in Logan’s direction.
    “Notice how no one’s here