Inner Circle

by Y A Marks

  Jonas leaned back on his arms. His face angled toward the setting sun. “Dalton wants you dead. No doubt he’s paid off several circles to do the job. The fact that Vogel from the Rattlers wanted you let me know that he’s on the take.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “The Originals want anybody who has any kind of moxie, but the Rattlers usually take the Originals’ leftovers. People who for whatever reason had been kicked out of the Originals. The Rattlers will go after a new recruit, but they do it grudgingly. When Vogel, that’s the name of the old man who requested you, then I understood they had to be in on it.”

  “Is that why it took so long for you to claim me?”

  “Yep. We needed to know who was in and who was out. The Circle of Life generally tries not to participate in the Death Days, saying that if God wants to protect them He will, if not they’re okay with dying. I’ve seen them fight before. I won’t put it past them, but they don’t have the high-ranking criminals in their midst. And believe it or not, many of the people in here are worried about where they will spend eternity. Killing off the only group who lives below their means, prays every day, and even aids those who have been abandoned, is hard to do.”

  Jonas ran his fingers across his lips. “The Capones tend not to like the police and in the past have been just as quick to stab the police in the back as they are to join them. The same goes for the Originals, so that leaves only the Razorbacks. I know the Rattlers want you dead, and I’m betting the Razorbacks want the same, but I can’t be sure.”

  I considered Jonas’s words. He didn’t sugarcoat my situation. As far as he was concerned, there were more people in here against me than for me.

  I glanced off into the distance before returning my gaze to him. “Then, I’m going to assume they all want me dead.”

  Jonas stifled a laugh. “Now, that would be wise.”

  CHAPTER 10

  The sun set and small fires flowered around the camp casting the surrounding buildings in a bright, orange glow. The temperature cooled, which was normal for this time in March, but it was crisper than what I was used to.

  I was given a coat made from old jumpsuits and burlap bags. It had been dyed black and for the first time I fit in with the rest of Escerica or Nobodys, or whatever they decided they were called for the time being. I sat on a log that had been cut from the forest to be used for a bench. Around me, the members of the Nobodys ate, prepared, and most importantly huddled together. Couples were everywhere, holding each other, kissing, and running their fingers through the other’s hair. At first, it was a bit disturbing. However, the more I watched, the more I recognized they were all saying their goodbyes. No one knew who would make it through the next forty-eight hours. It was best to say all that could be said, to steal a kiss before it was too late, and to make sure the person they loved knew it.

  My heart bled.

  While I wasn't in love with Rylan, watching everyone else did make me miss him. In the few days we spent together, I became connected to him. The more I fought against the feelings growing within me, the more I longed to see his face. It was no wonder that a small touch from him could make me melt into a puddle of emotional goo.

  I prayed that he was okay. He was mobile during the raid, and Jonas seemed to think Rylan was alive. All I could do was hold on to that hope and continue to believe. I didn’t know if I’d ever see him again, but honestly, I wouldn’t want him to be in here. He should be free and safe.

  It must have been really hard for Jonas to be in jail while his son was out in the world, growing up without him. That must have been hard on Rylan, too. Jonas said that he was in jail for at least five years, which means Rylan was without his dad at least since he was twelve or thirteen. I had been without my mom since I was nine. I understood the longing, the angst, and the desire to blame anyone so that some of the hurt would go away.

  An older lady brought me some food inside a circular cake pan. After thanking her, I glanced down at the healthy portion of baked potatoes, steamed spinach, and a roasted chicken thigh. After a few bites, I couldn’t believe the food was as tasty as it was.

  Jonas strode across the camp and sat down next to me, his expression tight. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, I guess so.” I fought off the flurry of questions and half-understood ideas in my head. Despite all my logic and contemplation, I still had a few of the concerns from two days ago. In fact, they were worsening. A deeper loneliness was filling me from the loss of Dhyla. As much as I tried to fight the feeling, it bit at my soul, corroding what was left of my heart. I didn’t get the time to grieve, and my emotions welled up inside of me, ready to burst at any moment.

  My gaze slid over the camp before returning to him. “Do you miss Rylan?”

  He took a sip of something in a metal cup, licked his lips, and rolled his tongue around in his mouth. “Yes.”

  Silence stretched between us. The one tiny statement made me feel more alone, not comforted. It was a simple word, but there was a cracking in his voice that let me know that a heavy weight, one that I wasn't strong enough to bear, was pressing on Jonas.

  The same weight was there over my heart for Mari and Miko. I worried about their safety and wished that they were okay.

  “There's not a moment,” he started, “that I don't think about him, wonder about him, pray for him.”

  “It's been five years, right?”

  “Closer to six.” He cleared his throat. “I didn't go down without a fight, Paeton. It took the government a while before they caught me. In those days, I couldn't carry along a wife and two children.”

  “Rylan told me that his mom—your wife, that she didn’t…”

  He glanced away from me as I studied his profile. His cheeks tightened just a bit to let me know that the five years wasn’t enough time for him to get over losing someone.

  He exhaled. “We all lose someone we love sooner or later. My daughter made it; my wife didn’t.”

  “I'm sorry...” I didn't know what else to say.

  “It's okay. She died during the Five-Day R. I was already in prison. She got the kids out, and that's what's important.”

  “Where's your daughter?”

  “That I don't know. She was angry with me for being captured. She believed, like my wife, that politics were the way to peace. Rebellions lead to anger and death. It didn’t help when her mother died, and she had to find a way to care for her younger brother. I got a few messages to her, but it’s difficult when you’re in here. And what could I do anyway?”

  He paused and took a sip from his cup. “After a few months, she stopped responding.”

  “How old is she?”

  “Noriah is a little over six years older than Rylan. She should be turning twenty-three this year,” he said. “You remind me a lot of her. She has a bit of fire in her, a lot like you do. She doesn't trust just anybody either. That may have been what Rylan initially saw in you.”

  My first meeting with Rylan at Perimeter Market flashed in the front of my mind. When I held my ground, Rylan wasn't upset. He smiled. Maybe, he hadn't seen many girls act that way.

  Jonas continued, “Rylan has a softer heart than his sister. He takes after his mother, I think. Noriah, unfortunately, takes after me, which is why she's so damn stubborn.”

  “But you don't seem like that at all,” I joked.

  He looked at me and smiled. “Years of life behind bars can make you reevaluate what is important. What's the point of anything if you have to spend life alone?”

  Life alone—it was my biggest fear, beyond even androids. It was hard for me to be alone for so long. In the Stadium, I leaned on Ms. Cooper, who could barely keep up with all of the kids under her protection. She had done her best, but I never felt like I belonged so I drifted away.

  Jonas glanced over the grounds toward the two girls in his group. He thinned his eyes for a moment and his lips tightened. A thought passed through his mind, but I didn’t know what it was. After a moment his eyes
shifted away.

  We sat in silence for a few seconds watching the flames bounce out of dirt pits. Jonas’s words weren't a revelation. I had discovered the family he spoke of when I found Dhyla. She filled a void in me that had existed since my mother had died. She put so much love and hope inside of me that when Mari and Miko's aunt disappeared, I was able to pass some of those feelings onto them.

  As I gazed around the camp at parents holding their children, husbands embracing their wives, and young lovers stealing kisses, my heart crumpled. I would be in this place for the rest of my life with everything I loved far away from me.

  Jonas left after he finished eating. He seemed to meld into the shadows as he walked away. My eyes searched the darkness. Most of the faces I didn’t know. My gaze settled on Raj and his wife Asha. Both of them were in a far corner of the camp. Raj leaned against a wall with Asha in front of him. She guided his hands over her large belly, seeking out a heartbeat or maybe the baby’s kick.

  I wondered if I would ever have that—if I could one day give in and have a swollen stomach of my own filled with a tiny child. I couldn’t see it. I couldn’t see finding anyone who I could trust that much.

  Someone dashed over to Raj. I couldn’t tell exactly who the stranger was, but I didn’t know anyone anyway. Raj and the stranger left Asha and went over to the side of one of the buildings to have a private conversation. After a few minutes of conversation, the stranger left. Raj went to Asha and let her know something. She seemed slightly upset, but she nodded as though she was giving in.

  My guess was that they were preparing the last few moments. The stranger must have been some kind of messenger, but for what I didn’t know. I could only imagine that Vogel was making his move, and they had discovered something that may help them.

  Raj left Asha and dashed over to me. “Have you seen Jonas?”

  “A few minutes ago, why?”

  “Just have some minor details to go over with him.”

  “Is it about tonight? Are there people coming for me?” For the first time in the last twenty-four hours, a snap of fear bit my neck. I rolled my shoulders back as soon as the words escaped me. I sought my anger against Clarisse and tried to magnify it.

  Raj narrowed his eyes and patted my shoulder. “I’m not going to sugarcoat the obvious. No one wants you alive. You represent what Dalton and Norwood don’t want, an innocent face at the forefront of a rebellion.”

  My emotions wrestled under my skin. “So, they are coming for me?”

  “We seem to think so.” He rubbed his hands together. “But no worries, you seem to find a way to keep on living. It’s what you do. Focus on that.”

  He patted my shoulder again and walked into the center of the camp. After circling a few times looking for Jonas, he returned to his home.

  I didn’t know what to make of his words, or Jonas’s for that matter. The next forty-eight hours would be an uphill battle, and I wasn’t sure I could make it.

  The night’s crisp wind stole away the onlookers. Loose dirt snuffed out the fires. While all of this was going on, I sat still, not knowing where to go or what I could do. Darkness engulfed me. The friendly expressions of an hour ago were replaced with ones of anticipation and fear. Clean faces were dirtied with camouflage. Hands, which moments ago held food and loved ones, were filled with weapons.

  The whole metamorphosis was creepy. All the trepidation I had been storing inside was washing over me. I could handle what was coming. I had to. Like Jonas, I had to live, not for Escerica, but for the promises I had made to Mari and Miko, and to Dhyla.

  Jonas stood in the light of one of the buildings. He waved at me for me to join him next to the small building. I stood, dusted myself off, and jogged over.

  “You alright?” he asked.

  “Yeah.” I rubbed a hand across my eye, making sure no dried tears were settled there. Old Paeton couldn’t be seen anymore by anyone.

  He held back a tarp so I could enter the house. I ducked and walked inside. Four people sat on folded chairs. I immediately recognized them from the group around Circle One when I entered the prison. They were the archers who threatened the Vogel guy and the seven-foot Rattler champion.

  I took a side step and leaned against the wall. I still wasn’t used to making friends. The four people appeared to be just a few years older than me, although there was one girl who looked like she was my age. My stomach flipped around as I longed to turn my body away from their peering eyes. My skin itched and wished that I had my hoodie to cover my head.

  Jonas entered. The tarp fell back into place creating a thick clunking sound, making the silence even more awkward. He stood next to me for a moment and held out his left hand toward me. “Everyone, you know Paeton.”

  There were a few nods, murmurs, and yeses as Jonas walked over to the tiny kitchen and poured himself a cup of water. After he took a few sips, he glanced over the five of us.

  “Paeton, you’re in the company of four of my most trusted and most kick-ass friends.”

  “Got that right, the kick ass part that is,” a burly, white guy I recognized from before said. He sat at the far end of the room.

  Jonas toyed with the cup in his hand. “Now, we get to names. The gentleman that just spoke is Travis. The other guy you see is Devin. The two ladies are Shannon and Pyra.” He pointed to each to be certain I understood what name went with what face.

  “So, are we on babysitting duty?” Pyra whined, rolling her eyes first at Jonas, then at me. “I’m really hoping not. Babysitters are the ones who die first.”

  I stared at her. She flipped her brown hair which was cropped right at her chin. Her eyes were pale blue surrounded by black marker, and her long limbs let me know she was probably on the tall side when she stood.

  “I don’t… I don’t need anyone to babysit me if that’s what you’re getting at,” I snapped.

  She glanced back at me, her eyes rolling up and down as she sized me up. She sighed and turned her attention back to Jonas as though I wasn’t worth a response.

  “We’re not babysitting anyone. This year Raj believes it’ll be better if we all just lay low. We already have six of the twelve of twelve about a mile north,” Jonas said.

  My hand rose like a child in school. My mind was still confused over the whole twelve of twelve thing.

  “Only six?” Devin said.

  “Yes.”

  “You sure that’s enough?”

  “Raj’s strategy, not mine.” Jonas glanced around the room. His gaze finally landed on me. All the other faces turned in my direction. I balled my fist and lowered my hand while my neck tightened from the awkwardness. “Yeah, Paeton what’s up?”

  “Um, what’s a twelve of twelve?” I asked.

  Even though she was the older of the girls, at least twenty, Pyra whined and rolled her eyes again. The nickname “Whiny” slid into my head. I didn’t understand why she was so upset over my question. I didn’t have a language translator app in my brain.

  Jonas glared at the Pyra girl for a moment. She shrugged and huffed like she was barely older than twelve. He shook his head at her then turned to me. “We have twelve groups of people who are like our guards. Each of the twelve groups has twelve members, therefore you have twelve of twelve.”

  “Are those the only fighters?” I asked.

  “You see us, right?” Pyra blurted.

  “Everyone fights,” Jonas said. “It’s just that they are our first and last defense.”

  He took another sip and walked around the half-wall made of concrete that was between the kitchen and the living area.

  “Raj has three of the T.O.T. That’s twelve of twelve again, Paeton.”

  My cheeks burned. I wasn’t an idiot. He was just trying to make sure I understood their acronym, but I was still a bit on edge especially because of the Whiny girl, ugh, the Pyra girl.

  “Three of the T.O.T. will be protecting the camp and the few kids that we have here. Two of them will be patrolling, and the final se
t will be right outside of Raj’s home to make sure he can use them as messengers if needed.”

  “Seems funny that he has a whole, mini platoon ready at his disposal,” Devin said.

  “Meaning?” Jonas glanced down over his nose.

  “I don’t know. I thought you were our leader.”

  “Jonas doesn’t need protection outside of us.” Shannon lifted her bow and smiled.

  “Just seems weird,” Devin said.

  Jonas shrugged. “Thanks for your concern. But Shannon’s right. We do fine, and besides, I like a smaller group. It makes finding gifts for you guys at Christmas a little bit easier.”

  He smiled the same grin that Rylan does and laughed.

  “Well, this year I want a model train set!” Travis yelled.

  All of a sudden they started naming impossible gifts for Jonas to find. “I want a Hidden Hills Poppy doll!” “Can I get a military action figure? No, wait, two action figures.” “I want a princess dress and a pony.”

  I couldn’t believe this—again with the silliness. Was I the only person who wasn’t born with a funny bone? Guilt swished inside of me as I wondered if I could ever take life so lightly. On the streets, I kept my head down and my mouth shut. Why were none of the people I ran into acting the same way?

  I fought off my growing frustration. Everything I had heard about prison was the opposite. I had to make alliances to survive. I needed to figure out what to do to make these people want to help me for the next two days.

  “Can I uh, have an Ally Riley Cookie Maker?” I asked, trying to join in their joke. Allison Riley was my world, even her kids line of toys, the Ally Riley items.

  Pyra turned toward me and rolled her eyes again. Shannon smiled, and Devin shrugged.

  I felt weird and embarrassed, but I was trying. I had to act a little quicker than with AJ and Josalyn because they had vested interest in me. These people didn’t.

  “So, what’s the plan?” Devin asked.