Free Outer Bounds: Fortune's Rising by Sara King

appealing as a plague rat.”
    Even as Magali’s jaw was falling
open and her face was reddening under Joel’s amused look, Anna continued. 
“Besides, if he says she’s got the Wide, they’ll have to test her.  If you say she’s got it, they’ll just let it slide, her being friends with the
Director and all.  Then they’d throw her back in with the eggers and she’ll
just start a Shriek somewhere else.”
    “How old are you?” Joel asked.
    “Nine,” Anna said.
    “Huh.”  He glanced at Magali. 
“Your sister’s a smart kid.  Only problem is—”
    “You’re a wanted criminal those
government boobs don’t realize they’ve got trapped right under their noses?”
Anna asked.
    He blinked down at Anna again,
looking startled.  “Yeah.”
    Anna shrugged.  “They’re gonna
figure it out sooner or later.  At least this way, you’ll do something nice for
somebody before your whole pathetic, wasted life falls out with your entrails
when they draw and quarter you like you deserve.  Besides, you don’t do
it and they’re gonna find out a lot sooner than later.”
    “Anna!” Magali snapped.
    Joel chuckled.  “Your sister’s a
brat.”
    “Ignore her,” Magali said.  “I’ll
take care of Gayle.  A couple days in the stocks isn’t gonna hurt me.”
    “Nah,” Joel said, “I’ll get away
with it.  I always do.”  He bent down, grabbed Gayle by the shirt, and threw her
over his shoulder.  Then he winked at Anna.  “Nice meeting you.”
    “Whatever,” Anna said.   She
folded her arms and looked away with a bored expression.  “You’re just trying
to make me like you so I don’t report your ass.”
    Grinning, Joel leaned down into
Anna’s face and said, “Then maybe you should be doing the same thing.”
    “Huh?” Anna asked.
    “Because I wonder what those
soldiers would think if I told them they’ve got such a smart little runt on
their hands.  Yolk-baby, if I’m not mistaken?”  He grinned at the sudden
flicker of recognition in Anna’s face.  “They take kids like you for the Nephyrs.”
    “I could fake it,” Anna said,
looking thoroughly unconcerned.  Magali knew her sister’s posture too well,
however.  Anna was scared.
    Apparently, Joel saw it, too,
because his face melted.  He straightened and ruffled Anna’s hair.  “See you
two later.”  He departed, Gayle’s unconscious body draped over his shoulder.
    Anna gawked after him.
    Magali stared at her sister.  She
hadn’t seen Anna get that look in ages, since before their mother had died. 
She found herself smiling, despite the fact that Joel had just threatened to
turn Anna in. 
    Anna saw her look and gave Magali
a bitter sneer.  “I suppose you think that was funny?”
    “It was refreshing,” Magali replied,
shrugging.  “Not many people pull one over on you.”  She grinned wider.  “He
even called you ‘runt.’”
    The shift whistle interrupted
Anna’s retort, which was a relief to Magali.  Considering the malicious look in
her sister’s eyes, it would have hurt.  A lot. 
    She turned and left before Anna
could repeat herself.

Chapter
4
    A
Smuggler’s Story
     
    Joel felt like an idiot.
    He’d spent the last three years
avoiding the soldiers and the Camp Director like a Shriek, taking up foreman
only to have access to the breakroom to escape the constant mental buzz of the
Shriekers when it started to overwhelm him.
    Now here he was, sitting across
from the Camp Director, handcuffed to a metal desk.  Her gold-filigreed face
was contorted in fury.  She tapped the desk with a finger that sounded like it
was made of solid lead— Thunk .  Thunk .  Thunk —glaring at
him.  She hadn’t spoken for almost ten minutes.  Joel’s spine began to itch and
he twisted his wrists in the shackles uncomfortably.
    “So I take it the last fifty
lashes didn’t do ya, eh, Joel?” she said finally.
    He winced.  He’d been hoping she
hadn’t recognized him.
    “So let me get this