The Union

by T. H. Hernandez

  Indifference and hatred are the two opposing views. My life raft of hope just took a major hit. I stare at the table, tracing the scratches in the worn wood with my finger before looking up at Lucien. “Then warning the citizens of the Union is the only way.”

  “I still don’t like it,” Draya says, glancing from me to Lucien. “But I’ll admit we don’t have anything better.”

  “I have a bit of an idea,” I say. “I was thinking of a grassroots movement, like the Underground Railroad that helped free slaves in the 1800s or the Peace Patrols that sprung up in the late 2000s to help broker a cease fire. We just need to figure out who we can trust.”

  “How do you do that?” Sonia asks.

  “I haven’t figured that part out yet, but I can start with my uncle.”

  “No way!” Draya jumps up from the table, her arms flying like crazed windmills. “He’s a government official.”

  “But I trust him.”

  She shakes her head with exaggerated force. “No. You…you just can’t.”

  Wild fear colors her blue eyes, and while I understand it, he’s my uncle and he’d never betray my confidence. “I’d never do anything to put you all in danger, you have to know that. Yes, my uncle is a governor, but he always puts family first.”

  Draya stares me down, and this time I’m the first one to look away. I don’t know what to say to make her understand. After everything I’ve learned out here, I don’t know if he’s really the man I believe him to be, but my gut tells me he is.

  I turn back to the others. “I’m going to tell you a story, and then if you still think I’m crazy to trust him, I won’t.”

  They exchange glances before Draya nods at me.

  “My uncle and I have always been close. Not long after he and his wife lost their infant daughter, they divorced and he moved in with us while he got his life back together. After my twin sisters were born, I spent a lot of time with him. He took me to school in the mornings and picked me up after to help my parents out.”

  My hands twist in my lap as I ready myself to share this next part. “When I was twelve, my life was turned upside down. It was nothing like what you all have gone through, but in my short pampered Union life…” I throw a smile at Draya and she gives me a small smile one return, “…it was the absolute worst thing that’d happened and I wasn’t equipped to deal with it.

  “My mom and stepdad told me a few days before the news became public that the biological father I always thought was dead was not only alive, but was Eddie McIntrye, lead singer of Epic Vinyl. I know that doesn’t mean anything to you, but he’s kind of a big deal in the Union. At the time, Eddie was at the top of his career and a pretty notorious bad-boy rocker.”

  Talking about this is more difficult than I expected, and I get up, walking over to lean against the back of the couch. “What made the story of Eddie having an illegitimate daughter even more salacious was the fact that he’d always known about me. It was a tabloid dream come true, the stories practically wrote themselves. And if that wasn’t bad enough, my Uncle David had just launched his campaign for Governor of the Eastern Province. What should have been just another juicy story became something with political implications.

  “I stopped going to school once the press got wind of it. They set up camp outside our apartment and I couldn’t leave without passing them. The night the story hit, my uncle stormed through our front door, slamming it against the roar of shouted questions behind him. I was curled up on the couch, trying to disappear into myself. I’ll never forget the look on his face. He was pissed as hell, but the moment his eyes met mine, all of that anger just sort of diffused and the sadness that replaced it told me he didn’t have any more of a clue than I did.

  “I’d never seen the two brothers fight, they barely even argued, but my uncle lit into my stepdad and I was scared he was going to punch him. Joe said, ‘I’m not proud of myself but it wasn’t my secret to tell. This is between Christine, Eddie and Evan.’ Then my uncle said, ‘Except Evan was never a part of it. You all made the decision for her.’ Joe accused him of putting politics ahead of my needs and that the only reason this story was so hot was because of his run for Governor. I was in the other room and I doubt they thought I could hear, but I’m pretty sure the whole neighborhood heard.”

  I know there’s a ‘poor little rich girl’ vibe to this story, but it’s not about me, it’s about my uncle. “Then my uncle said he was quitting the race. Even at that age, I knew that would only make it worse. Sure, Eddie’s secret daughter was big news, but the girl who undid a governor’s campaign? Yeah, that would’ve sucked about a hundred times more.

  “So, when my uncle went to leave, I told him he couldn’t quit. He sat next to me on the couch, put his arm around me, and said he couldn’t make things worse for me and that he’d run in another four years. We talked for a long time, and I finally convinced him to stay in the race. That night I realized he understood me better than anyone else in my life.”

  When my eyes meet Cyrus’s, I can’t read him. He knew some of this, but not the part with my uncle. I drop my gaze, take a deep breath, and continue. “He was willing to sacrifice a lot on my behalf. And I know that even if he’s knee-deep in stuff he shouldn’t be, if I go to him for help, he’ll do whatever he can for me.” I lift my head and glance at each of their faces, and can see I’m at least making them think.

  Draya collapses onto the bench, her arms drooping like a beaten scarecrow, shaking her head in defeat. “I don’t like it, but if you trust him that much, I’m willing to take a chance. But only because we’re out of other options.”

  My life has come full circle as Cyrus and I sort through stacks of clothes and supplies piled on my bed. Not long ago, I was packing to leave home in search of a purpose for my life. Now I’m packing to go back with the purpose I was seeking — to save the world. There’s some pressure for you.

  I toss the same pair of socks I keep moving from pile to pile into the corner. “Cyrus?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “Are you scared?”

  He stops and turns to face me, a canteen in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. “Some, but it’s gonna be okay.”

  “What if it’s not?”

  He sets both items down and reaches out to pull me against his chest. “You’re right, it might not, but sitting around doing nothing isn’t really a plan.”

  I was hoping for reassurance, and he’s giving me brutal honesty. He never bullshits me. That might be one of the biggest reasons I love him. I lean into him, letting his warmth comfort me. He smells so good I consider kissing the side of his neck and sliding my hands up his chest. I could use a distraction right now, a short escape from reality. But it’s just that, a distraction, so instead I burrow my face into his shirt. “I’m not sure I can do this.”

  He puts his hands on my shoulders and gently pushes me back. “Hey.” He lifts my chin, forcing my eyes to meet his. “Where’s the feisty redhead who threw me out of my own room the first time she met me?”

  A shaky laugh escapes my throat. “I don’t know.” I run my fingers through my now blond hair. “I think she’s gone.”

  He presses his lips to my forehead. “As soon as you say you can’t, you’ve already lost.”

  “I’m terrified of doing it all wrong and getting everyone killed. How can I live with myself if that happens?”

  “I don’t know, Ev, but the girl I had to hold back from running into an underground bunker is one I’ll follow anywhere.”

  33

  Doing It All Wrong

  The sun peeks over the horizon, striking the dew and making it sparkle. The crisp morning air holds the barest hint of the approaching end of summer.

  Lucien resets a snare for another catch while Cyrus stuffs a rabbit in his bag. The two of them banter, sending warm ribbons of happiness through me. I’ve never had a relationship with my siblings like they have, and I’d be jealous if I didn’t love them both so much. The early light glints
off the golden highlights in Cyrus’s hair as he says something to Lucien and they laugh.

  Cyrus is in an exceptionally good mood. On the way out here, he said he planned something special for dinner tonight, just the two of us. The sexy smile that graced his lips with the invitation sent shivers racing across my skin.

  “Hey, Evan,” Lucien calls out to me, with a broad grin.

  Cyrus shoots him a look.

  “Yeah…”

  “Cy says—”

  Cyrus grabs his brother around the waist and the two go down, Lucien laughing.

  A twig snaps behind me followed by a sharp metallic click. I turn and my breath catches. Hopp and Dantel are standing at the edge of the clearing, Hopp pointing a gun at Cyrus and Lucien.

  “We’ll take the girl,” Hopp says.

  Fear cuts straight through me like ice water flushing through my veins.

  “There’s no need for that.” Lucien stands slowly, his voice steady. “We’re taking her back ourselves. She’ll be in the Union in a few days.”

  “That’s not gonna work for us,” Hopp says.

  Dantel closes in on me and grabs my arm, pulling a large hunting knife out of his waistband. He buries his nose in my hair, inhaling. “I’ve always had a thing for blondes.”

  I try to jerk away as Cyrus takes a step toward us, but Hopp waves the gun at him, stopping Cyrus in his tracks.

  “My wife needs surgery,” Hopp says. “She gets the operation in exchange for returning the princess.”

  Dread coils inside me, and I make another attempt to get away from Dantel, but he yanks me closer, wrapping an arm around my waist. Revulsion scorches through me like acid.

  “Tell us what Evan needs to do so your wife can get her surgery.” Lucien says, freakishly calm.

  “I’m not taking any chances,” Hopp says. “I’ll personally deliver her.”

  “Then let Cyrus go with you. We need to make sure she’s safe and treated properly.”

  “Nah,” Dantel says with a tone that makes my stomach heave. “The princess and I have some unfinished business.”

  He tightens his hold on me and leans in to kiss me. I curl my lips back and scrunch my nose. At my reaction, he grabs my hair, yanking my head back before jamming his tongue in my mouth.

  I twist my head to break the kiss, but he only holds on tighter. My blood boils and anger rages through me. When he lets me go, I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and spit at him. He lifts a hand to slap me, and in that split second, Lucien tackles Hopp as Cyrus covers the distance between us, throwing Dantel to the dirt.

  “Evan, go,” Cyrus yells.

  I spin around to take off toward the house to get help, but halt mid-stride. The two of them are fighting for their lives. I turn back to see Cyrus dodging multiple knife strikes by Dantel, the last one only narrowly missing his side.

  Cyrus twists and connects his elbow with Dantel’s jaw. Dantel recovers and swings the knife at Cyrus again just as a loud grunt behind me tears my attention away. I swivel to see Hopp go down, doubled over, but still waving the gun at Lucien.

  Fear paralyzes me as Lucien dodges the path of the muzzle and kicks Hopp’s hand, knocking the gun to the side. They both dive for it, but Hopp is closer.

  Lucien tackles Hopp, throwing him to the ground.

  The two struggle before Hopp throws a punch that connects with Lucien’s face, snapping me out of my stupor. I have to get the gun before Hopp does.

  I only take two steps before Cyrus swears loudly before groaning. When I turn back to him, he’s holding his right biceps, blood pouring out between his fingers.

  “Evan get out of here,” he yells again, but I refuse to abandon them.

  Dantel takes advantage of Cyrus’s weakened state and swings the knife. I suck in my breath as the blade just misses his neck.

  My heart beats in my throat as the events unfold before me, feeling helpless to stop them, but I know I need to act now. A jolt of adrenaline propels me into action, and I make a move toward Dantel, hoping a surprise attack from behind will give Cyrus some momentum. He’s younger and in better shape, but his injured arm evened things up.

  A gunshot behind me stops me cold. I whirl around and see Lucien lying face down, Hopp next to him.

  Horror coats my insides, and I hear someone screaming before realizing it’s me. I launch myself at Lucien, my hands shaking as I flip him over. He’s still breathing.

  Hopp wraps his arm around my waist and lifts me up. “Dantel, let’s get outta here.”

  My heartbeat pummels my ribcage, but I can’t give up. I drive the heel of my boot into his shin, he swears, dropping me.

  I crawl over to Lucien. A dark red stain spreads across his mid-section. I lift the edge of his shirt and notice the gun wedged beneath him.

  There’s too much blood, I need to stop the bleeding. I turn back to Cyrus for help, but he’s lying on the ground, not moving.

  My heart trips in my chest as Dantel straddles Cyrus, bringing the knife up to plunge it into Cyrus.

  Everything happens so fast, yet seems to unfold in slow motion. Without thinking, I grab the gun, warm and sticky with Lucien’s blood, and point it at Dantel. My right hand shakes so much I have to support it with my left. I aim at Dantel and squeeze the trigger the way Cyrus taught me. The gun fires and recoils as two more shots follow in rapid succession. One of the bullets hits Dantel in the back and he falls forward onto Cyrus.

  I rush to Cyrus, where he lies unmoving. He lets out a faint grunt and it’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. Relief ebbs out some of the terror and I lie back for a few seconds to catch my breath before hurrying back to Lucien. It’s only now I realize Hopp is gone. My head swivels, looking for him, but he’s nowhere.

  Blood pools from Lucien’s wound and I drop to my knees, frantically searching for a way to stop it. Huge waves of panic rise up and crash into me. I need help, this is so far beyond what I know how to deal with.

  Cyrus throws Dantel’s body off him and scrambles to get up.

  “Go get Sonia,” I yell to him.

  He turns to me with grief-stricken eyes but doesn’t move.

  “Get Sonia,” I scream as hysteria fills me, overflows, and spills on the ground around me.

  Cyrus only stares at his feet as I yell at him over and over.

  “What the hell is wrong with you? We need help!” A sob chokes me before escaping my throat.

  He slowly approaches me, taking the gun from my trembling hand and dropping it to the ground. I stare at him trying to understand why he’s not doing anything. When I turn back to Lucien, he’s no longer breathing.

  My own breaths come rapid and shallow, and I try to remember the CPR steps, the ABCs. A is for airway. I tilt his head back. Blood pours from his mouth.

  I realize what Cyrus has known all along. It’s too late.

  Shouts behind us pull me from a blanket of darkness. I stand, wiping my bloody hands on my shorts, and move beside Cyrus, wrapping my arms around his waist. He drapes his good arm across my shoulder and I burrow into his chest, watching the others absorb the nightmare before them.

  Draya halts, letting out a guttural, animalistic wail and crumples. Marcus catches her before she hits the ground and holds her as she screams.

  Everyone processes the scene with varying levels of emotion, from screaming, to crying, to horrified silence. Ben drops Will’s hand when he sees me and launches himself into my waiting arms.

  Marcus releases Draya and she stumbles over to Lucien, dropping to her knees beside him, placing her hands on his chest. Her body wracks with silent sobs as grief overcomes her, and the remaining fragments of my already broken heart shatter completely for her.

  Cyrus fills them in on what happened. When he’s finished, Marcus turns and walks back toward the house. Draya stretches out beside Lucien, resting her head on his shoulder and hooks her leg over his. It looks as if they’re sleeping except for the giant red stain on his shirt that continues to bloom.

  S
onia, finally realizing Cyrus is hurt, comes over to check on him. “Take off your shirt, Cy.” She tears it into strips and binds the wound to stop the bleeding. “I’ll have to stitch this up when we get back to the house.”

  Marcus approaches with two wooden poles and a large blanket. He lifts Draya and guides her to Sonia, who pulls her in, wrapping her arms around her, holding her together.

  Will and Marcus construct a makeshift stretcher by tri-folding the blanket over the poles. They place Lucien on top, Will taking the front and Marcus the back. I rush to take one of the poles from Will, and Ally takes one from Marcus. The four of us walk Lucien’s body back to the house while the others.

  The only sounds are intermittent sniffles and an occasional hiccup to accompany our footfalls as we make our somber journey. It’s not a long walk, but the distance feels overwhelming.

  34

  Overwhelming

  We set the stretcher down behind the house, and Marcus heads off toward the barn. My knees buckle as I watch him go, realizing I’ll never work next to Lucien in there again, never talk to him, hug him. Lucien.

  Marcus returns with a shovel and begins digging. A grave. I hadn’t even thought about the customs here for burying loved ones. In the Union, everyone is cremated.

  Draya snaps out of her trance and the hatred she directs my way scrambles my insides. She closes the distance between us and slaps my face so hard my head jerks to the side. The sting radiates from my cheek into my jaw, bringing tears to my eyes. My mouth drops open and I stare at her.

  “This is your fault.” Her words drip with enough venom to stop my heart for a second. “I told Lucien you were trouble the minute we discovered you were a Uni.” She turns her anger on Cyrus. “I warned you letting her stay was a mistake, and now your brother is dead. I hope she’s worth it.”

  “Lucien loved you, Dray. More than anything,” Cyrus says with a calm that is almost as frightening as Draya’s anger. “But if you think he would have kicked Evan out or taken her back against her will, you didn’t know him at all.”