Trixie took a step toward me, reaching her hand to me. I shook my head apologetically as I turned and ran back toward the cellar.
Was this some kind of trick?
It felt like my whole life was a lie. Nothing made sense. I didn’t know who I was.
When I got to the cellar, the wooden board was still to the side. I could hear familiar voices below.
I drew in a breath but I couldn’t step down into the cellar. My shoulders tensed as I tried to draw in a breath. I didn’t go down to join the others… I ran into the nearby trees and hid.
My knees felt shaky and I leaned back against a tree. I could see their camp from where I stood but at least I felt like I had space.
Even though I didn’t know the woman, she didn’t have a reason to lie to me. My father, on the other hand, was capable of what Lillian had accused him of doing. In fact, it was completely plausible.
He’d never been very close to either Ezra or me. It was never a secret that he wanted us to take over for him one day following in his footsteps.
I didn’t want to follow in his footsteps then and I definitely didn’t want to follow in them now. My father, or whatever he was, and I were oil and water. And he should pay for what he’s done to everyone in the city, my friends, and me.
It was just too bad that I wouldn’t ever be able to convince Ezra. Hell, even if I did, Ezra probably wouldn’t care. He had always wanted to be president one day and there was no doubt in my mind that he wouldn’t be any better than our father. Perhaps, even worse.
If what Lillian had told me was true, Edward Keane, my father wasn’t even really my father. He may have been the one to raise us but he was anything but a father.
I couldn’t blame Lillian. If my father wanted her gone, then there wouldn’t have been anything she could have done to stop him.
My stomach was twisted into a tight knot. I had no idea what I was going to do or what to say to Lillian. It wasn’t like I was going to live with the natives… or would I?
If Trixie was all that I had left, why would I leave? Where would I even have to go? Although Boone was still out there.
I pulled in a slow breath while my shaking fingers dug into my scalp. At some point, I was going to have to talk to Lillian and find Boone.
As I stood out there being consumed by everything it struck me like a bolt of lightning shaking the earth as it smacked into it… Wren was gone.
The leaves rustled overhead and the breeze that slipped over my skin was humid. There was a scent in the charged air and even though I’ve only experienced one since being outside of the wall, I knew a storm was coming.
Chapter Twelve
Between the weeds and leaves, I could see Trixie walking around the camp. Her head was moving side to side… she was looking for me.
I stepped out even though I wasn’t ready to go back to the camp. If my friends hadn’t been inside the camp, I’m not sure I would have gone back.
There was a massive black cloud rolling closer. With every passing second, the gusts of wind became stronger.
“Sadie!” Trixie shouted. The wind had carried her voice to my ears.
I didn’t want her to worry. I waved my arms. “Over here!”
She turned and spotted me just as the wind whipped my hair into my face so hard it felt like I was being sliced with a razor blade. I tucked my hair behind my ears and ran toward her.
When I got to her, she grabbed my shoulders and looked into my eyes. “We need to get into the cellar.”
It was only then I realized nearly the entire camp was empty. The only ones still out that I could see were her and Lillian.
“I found her,” Trixie shouted and Lillian brought her hand to her mouth as she sprinted toward us. “This is going to be a bad one. We’re usually underground by now.”
Parts of a few of the buildings were already peeling away or missing. The wind gusts were so strong it felt like they were going to pull me off of my feet.
“This way!” Trixie shouted. I could tell she was trying to be loud but her voice was just a tad louder than a whisper.
I looked over my shoulder at the swirling clouds. It felt like my insides were being sucked away into a giant vacuum.
I stumbled over my own feet when I saw the clouds twist together and spiral down toward the camp. My heart pounded along to the sounds of the chugging winds. Fast and hectic.
I managed to catch myself before falling but even if I would have, I would have rolled right down the stairs and into the cellar. Several men were standing at the top of the stairs waving at us to hurry.
The swirling winds pulled a tree, roots and all, right out of the ground. Trixie held me tightly but pushed me forward.
The second our heads were below ground the wooden board was pulled over the top. They secured the wooden board by tying thick ropes through loops that had been installed into the walls.
“We need to keep going,” Trixie said as the board shook. “That’s not all that secure.”
Lillian led the way. Trixie and I followed with the men behind us.
We walked down a rather long hallway. There were rooms both to the left and right all the way until the end of the hallway. The last third of the hallway had turned into cement. It was like they’d found the basement and decided to expand it toward their camp.
Lillian gestured for me to enter the door on the left. I was apprehensive until I saw Hayes inside.
I threw myself against his chest and he wrapped his arms around me. “Where were you?”
“Talking to Trixie,” I said my body still shaking both from the storm and from having learned that Lillian was quite possibly my mother. “Then, the storm came.”
“It’s okay,” Hayes said rubbing his hand up and down my back. “You had me pretty worried.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
Hayes squeezed me tighter and placed his mouth next to my ear. “Please, don’t leave me again.”
I wanted to tell him that I wouldn’t leave his side but I didn’t want to lie to him. I didn’t know what was going to happen.
Boone was still out there. I wanted to find him and it seemed as though Trixie could take me to him.
I stepped back but I didn’t let go of Hayes’s hand. My eyes shifted over to Lillian.
“She says she’s my mother,” I said blurting the words out quickly.
“What?” Hayes said practically gasping the word out.
Gina and Grayson both stared at the woman with confused expressions stretched across their faces. They probably never knew what had happened to my mother. It had always been something my father hadn’t wanted to talk about, not even to Ezra and me.
“I had two children with another man when I was married to Edward Keane,” Lillian said she was speaking much more calmly even though her fingers twisted together. “Twins. A girl I named Sadie and a boy Edward named Ezra.”
No one knew what to say. I couldn’t stop looking at the woman.
She was beautiful but she was also a frazzled mess. When I looked into her soft eyes, it felt like I was looking at into my own in a mirror.
“I wish there was a way to know for sure,” I said.
Lillian nodded. “I wouldn’t have known all that if what I was saying wasn’t true.”
She started spouting off all sorts of things. Describing my father’s house. Where my bedroom was inside the house. My father’s middle name. She mentioned the mole on his shoulder that no one would have known about unless they’d seen him without a shirt.
It seemed as though she wasn’t going to stop talking. She knew far too much about my father to not be telling the truth.
Lillian was my mother.
I swallowed hard. “I believe you. But what I want to know is… who is my father?”
Lillian shook her head and looked down. “I barely knew him. What I did, I did for your father. I was young, foolish, scared, and in love.”
“What happened to him?” I asked already knowing my mom’s f
ate.
“He was banished,” Lillian said. “Before you were born. His name was Harry Gentry and he was a very nice man. Attractive. And madly in love with me. He was a teacher.”
“Do you know if he survived?” I asked.
Lillian shook her head. “I have no idea. I wasn’t dragged through the tunnels until much later. What I do know is that he isn’t with the natives. My guess is he didn’t survive the storms or perhaps the dog-beasts that roam about.”
“Dog-beasts?” Gina asked.
“That’s what the natives call the large dog-like animals. They typically travel in packs and are nasty creatures. A single bite can cause you to go mad and eventually kills you.”
“I’ve seen them, I think,” Gina said.
I nodded. “We have too.”
In fact, we’d saved Gina from a pack of them but not the others that had been with her.
“They don’t bother us much,” Trixie said.
“Because they know what we’ll do to them,” Lillian added. “They’re smart but pure evil.”
“What are they going to do to us here? Will your leader let us go?” Gina asked.
Trixie smiled. “She’ll do anything to keep the natives safe. Once she realizes you’re not a threat, she’ll release you.”
“Do we want to be released?” Gina asked her eyes flicking toward me.
Hayes kept his eyes from mine. “You wanted to find your friends. Now you have.”
I shook my head. “There’s one more thing I have to do. I need to see Boone.” My eyes held Trixie’s gaze firmly. “Can you take me to him?”
Trixie looked around the room as if trying to find a reason not to. “I guess I could. But not everyone. It’ll just have to be the two of us.”
“No way,” Hayes said. “Not again.
“I’ll keep her safe,” Trixie said. “It’s not far.”
“Why can’t we all go?” Grayson asked.
Trixie’s head was moving quickly side to side. “He wouldn’t like that. His location is… secret. At least he believes it is.”
“I’ll be fine,” I said squeezing Hayes’s hand.
“I can get her there safely,” Trixie said cocking her head to the side as she stared at Hayes. “What’s going on with you two anyway? You’re the cook's son.”
Hayes looked stunned as he searched for words. I bit my lip before answering.
“We’re engaged,” I answered. “Or we were in the city. He’s my boyfriend.”
“What? How?” Trixie’s eyes were wide. “When?”
“It’s a long story,” I said even though it wasn’t that long of a story. But it was about the last thing I wanted to get into with everyone having their eyes on me. “How does your leader feel about the city?”
Trixie shrugged. She didn’t have to answer because Michelle came into the room with a guard on each side of her.
“How do I feel about the city?” Michelle asked with a smile on her face. “They’re all fine as long as they stay inside the wall.”
“Well,” I said drawing in a breath. “I’m going to go back.”
Hayes sucked in a breath as he shook his head. “We’re out here. Let’s just let it be. No one else gets hurt.”
“They sealed the tunnels,” Gina said.
“Where did they seal them?” I asked.
“They one you escaped from,” Gina said.
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. Mister Paul was still getting supplies into the city.
“There’s another way,” I said stiffening my spine. “And I’m going to find it and make my dad pay for everything he’s done. Who’s with me?”
“I am,” Gina said quickly.
Trixie shot her a look. “I’ll help if you need it.”
“Are you sure about that, Trixie? You’re with us now,” Michelle said. “It would be best to just leave it alone.”
“I’m in too,” Lillian said her eyes glued to me. She didn’t even look away when she addressed Michelle. “You’ve only been in charge of the natives for a few years now. Why not ask them what they want to do?”
Michelle's lips pressed together. “I will protect the natives. This may be our land but it is not our war.”
“Can I talk to you about this in private?” Hayes asked softly but it wasn’t quiet enough.
“Let’s give them a moment,” Michelle said stepping to the side. “Let’s all just take a moment to calm down. A lot of information has been shared today.”
Hayes nodded at Michelle as everyone filtered out of the room. When the door closed, he turned to me, his eyes wide and unblinking.
He opened his mouth but it took a few seconds for the words to find their way out. “We’re not going back.”
Chapter Thirteen
Frustration bubbled up inside of me. Hayes couldn’t possibly understand the storm that was raging inside of me. It was worse than the one ravaging the land above us.
From time to time, the ground would shake from the lighting that slammed into the earth. The thunder that followed would shake everything so violently that bits of dirt would fall from the walls. It was surprising the whole underground area didn’t crumble and bury us all alive.
The city wasn’t that far and I knew we could make it back in a few days. It wasn’t that I wanted revenge, I wanted to save everyone inside from my father and I was the only one that could do it.
“You’re right,” I said feeling the breath I inhaled dry my throat. “We’re not going back. You’re staying here. It’ll be safer. I’ll come back when it’s over.” I shook my head and avoided looking at him. “I don’t know what will happen once I get back inside.”
“You’ve misunderstood. What I meant is that none of us are going back and that includes you,” Hayes said pressing his fingertip into his palm.
“You’ve been talking about going back since we left!”
Hayes ran his fingers through his hair. “I never suggested we should go back to start a war.” He shook his head. “And it hadn’t sunk in until recently that going back just wasn’t an option.”
“That’s the thing, though. It is an option. Mister Paul told us their supplies are still going into the city which means there is still a way in. I bet that tunnel leads to other entrances. They weren’t all sealed only the one people found out about.”
I twisted my fingers together before balling them into tight fists. Hayes was staring at me with his mouth hanging open as he searched for words.
“I’ll find the way in or if I have to break through the wall. One way or another, I’m going back.”
“How would you do that?” Hayes asked narrowing his eyes. “The wall is far too thick just to break through. You wanted nothing but to get away, now you’re the one saying it’s time to go back.”
“I don’t know. I’ll find a way. All I know for sure is that I’m going back. The people of level one need to know the truth and that there is a whole world out here. They don’t need to be trapped inside under my father’s horrific rule. They deserve to have a choice… they can be free.”
Hayes shook his head as he paced the small room. “There are guards. A few of which are armed. You won’t make it far.”
“Only a few,” I reminded him. “I’m not worried. I know the city like the back of my hand.”
“Well, I’m worried and you should be too!”
“We aren’t going in blindly,” I said confidently.
Hayes exhaled noisily. “So, what’s your plan? It’s not going to be as simple as going inside and tell everyone they’re free.”
“I don’t know but I’ll figure it out when I find out how many are coming with me. So far, with just Gina and Trixie, things will be a bit more challenging.”
“Challenging? You mean impossible.”
I shook my head. “They can spread the word to level one while I go to face my father.”
“Alone? No way,” Hayes said throwing his hand into the air. “Just no.”
“I can get to him without any
one seeing me. Night or day.”
Hayes stared at me. “What are you going to do when you get to him? How will confronting him even help? He’ll just laugh at you and throw you in a cell.”
I looked away from Hayes before meeting his eyes again. My chest tightened at the thought racing through my mind.
There was only one thing I could do.
The muscles in my body tensed. “I’m going to kill him.”
Chapter Fourteen
Hayes didn’t blink. He was looking at me like he had no idea who I was.
“You’re serious,” Hayes said his arms hanging heavily at his sides.
“Is there another way?” I asked.
“Throw him into a cell,” Hayes said as if that had been the obvious answer.
“Maybe,” I said swallowing down the sourness at the back of my throat. “But I fear that wouldn’t be permanent. He has supporters. I think this is the only way. Besides, why should you care? Why should anyone care?”
Hayes grimaced. “I don’t care but he—”
“He tried to kill my friends, countless others, not to mention he sent the woman who’d given birth to me away.” I sneered. “He’s disgusting. Vile. Pure evil. And I’m going to put a stop to it once and for all.”
“Those people you’re trying to save are safe inside the wall. Maybe they don’t even want to come out here hiding from storms and fighting off the beasts.”
“They can stay inside. Someone else will be president.”
Hayes shook his head. “Ezra?”
“No, that won’t be any better,” I said. “Maybe, Gina. She’s smart and kind.”
“Who says she wants to be a president?” Hayes asked.
“Then the people can vote. Both level one and level two.” I crossed my arms. “It doesn’t matter who is in charge as long as it isn’t the man who pretended to be my father. Or Ezra.”
I placed my hand over my eyes as my shoulders rounded forward. My blood was slowing and I started to think that maybe Hayes was right. It was a foolish idea.
“It doesn’t matter right now,” I said closing my eyes as I rubbed my fingertips over my temples. “First, I need to see Boone. Maybe he’ll know what to do. He’d always wanted change in the city which is probably why he’s gone.”
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