Revolt

by Tracy Lawson

  Atari wrapped his arms around his torso and rocked, eyes closed. His pulse throbbed in his stomach. He concentrated on breathing normally until his heart rate slowed and the tremor in his hands was almost imperceptible. “I’m still the smartest person in this fight. I can handle it.”

  He looked at his surroundings. Command Central was in a state of disarray, but such menial tasks as cleaning were beneath him and only to be done when the situation became intolerable. Hiring a maid, though preferred, was impossible. He fetched a cloth out of the closet, set to work, and soon the row of chess club trophies and action figures on the shelf above his desk was shiny again, each item spaced exactly two inches apart. He hauled out the vacuum, used the brush attachment to clean his keyboards and his Rubik’s Cube, and then sucked up all the dust bunnies from under the desk. He lobbed several empty energy drink cans toward the trashcan and then retrieved the ones that had missed. The now-tidy surroundings did nothing to solve his real problems, and he cursed aloud as he settled in his chair.

  Piercing the Shield that blocked the free flow of information in and out of the country was his real mission. Activating the Link was merely a means to that end, as it was necessary to take down the Shield to run the surveillance programs required for the Link. Without the Link as a distraction, he feared his efforts would be shut down before people had a chance to experience the freedom he alone could give them.

  Mitch had insisted that the Link not be operational. In his eyes, it was nothing more than a boondoggle to further ruin Madalyn’s credibility. But Atari’s desire to test his skills had resulted in a prototype that actually worked. Had he intended to use it? No way. Not until now.

  But as the accelerated timetable for the Link brought him closer to having to activate it, he’d realized that the accomplishment of which he’d been so proud had taken on a life of its own, and, like Frankenstein’s monster, it threatened to surpass his ability to control it.

  Chapter 10

  9:45 PM

  As their movie marathon continued, Careen refused Tommy’s suggestion that she eat something besides the popcorn. He’d hoped the fresh fruit would tempt her, but she shook her head when he offered her a juicy section of an orange. She’d also refused to eat at Resistance headquarters when she’d been stressed and upset, and Tommy knew she’d make herself ill if he didn’t press her. Her attention remained fixed on the story, but an hour and a half into the fourth film, gnawing hunger had overruled his own interest. When he excused himself to replenish their stores of food, she didn’t react.

  He put the orange peels, empty bottles, and the wrappers from other things he’d eaten into the bowl that had held the popcorn and carried it back to the kitchen. He thought about how to help Careen change the way she perceived her time as Madalyn’s captive as he piled protein bars, bottled water, and a couple of hastily-made sandwiches on a tray. Trina wasn’t a psychiatrist, but she was a doctor, and she’d done what she could to address both his mom’s and Careen’s mental health concerns while they were at Resistance headquarters. Trina knew more about how to help Careen than anyone he could think of. Maybe he could convince Atari to try to contact her now.

  He heard Atari talking to someone as he approached Command Central, and paused just out of sight, craning his neck to see into the room.

  “Of course, Madam Director. As you wish. I’ll get on it right away.” Atari slammed down the phone, grabbed the Rubik’s Cube off his desk, and threw it across the room so hard it cracked one of the television screens.

  Tommy, mesmerized by Atari’s violent reaction, accidentally let a water bottle topple off the tray. When it hit the floor, Atari jumped like he’d heard a gunshot. He turned and caught sight of Tommy stooping to retrieve it.

  He took a menacing step. “What are you doing listening in? Was I unclear when I told you I don’t want you in my personal space?”

  “Is everything all right?”

  “Oh, just peachy. Never better.”

  Tommy could see Atari’s chest heaving. “Can I help?”

  “What makes you think there’s anything you could do to help, Brainless?”

  Tommy stood up and fiddled with the contents of the tray. “Umm … okay then. I guess not. Look, I really need to talk to Trina. Could you get in touch with Mitch and set it up?”

  “No.” Atari slammed the door.

  Tommy hurried back to his room. Seeking help for Careen was of paramount importance. How could it wait until Atari was in a better mood?

  He balanced the tray while he opened the door, and as it swung open, he nearly dropped everything. Careen lay slumped across the mattress, mahogany-colored hair spilling off the side of the bed.

  He forgot all about Atari as he set the tray on the desk with a crash and knelt, pushing her hair out of her face. Strands clung to her wet cheeks, and she drew a shuddering breath.

  “What happened? What’s the matter?”

  She wailed something incoherent and burst into sobs that shook the bed. He sat beside her and gathered her into his arms until the storm of tears subsided.

  At length, she wiped her eyes and hiccupped. “He never knows who he can trust.”

  “What?”

  “Harry. Every t-time, someone he trusts betrays him.”

  “I know. But he can count on his friends. Just like you can count on me.”

  Her temper flared and she pushed him away. “Bullshit! How can you say that? Wes died in the explosion. You left me behind. You didn’t care if we were alive or dead.”

  His insides turned cold at her accusation. “I didn’t even know you were in the building with Wes until it was too late. After the bomb went off, there were too many people around for me to go poking through the rubble.” A lump formed in his throat. “You don’t know how many times I’ve wished it had been me instead of you. Everything that happened—and everything they did to you—was my fault. I never should have gone along with Wes in the first place.”

  “Don’t use your guilty feelings as an excuse to avoid what has to be done. Prolonging the inevitable makes things harder for both of us. If you ever cared about me, stop torturing me. Turn me over to Madalyn. Get it over with. Please.”

  “Not going to happen.” He stormed out of the room and slammed the door. He’d make Atari get ahold of Trina, no matter what.

  He opened the door and walked into Command Central without knocking. Atari, his back to the door, was wearing headphones that kept Tommy from knowing at whom he was shouting.

  “Okay, just shut up, shut up, shut up! There isn’t enough time. I’ve got eight million things on my to-do list…. Oh, really? I’m busy liaising with that she-wolf, and contrary to what you seem to think, she’s easier to deal with than you are. Yeah, I heard what she’s been saying on the news…. Your sabotage was a huge help. Not. I’m not going to have time to complete what you want me to do before the big showdown unless you send the rest of the video to me right away…. Yeah, well, you expect too much. Do you think I just whip up those videos in an afternoon? I haven’t slept in two days. I never would’ve agreed to extract Careen if I’d known how it would affect the situation. To top it off, I’m stuck babysitting the teen edition of America’s Most Wanted.” He made a gagging sound. “From now on, I’m doing things my way…. Oh, yeah? I know about your agoraphobia. You don’t have the guts to come up here and make me.” Atari threw the headset across the room. Tommy backed away and eased the door closed.

  He ran down the hall, burst back into his room, and locked the door. Careen shrank away from him as he grabbed the remote off the bed and turned up the sound on the television. He took her by the arm and hissed, “Listen. Something’s wrong.”

  She tried to pull away. “Stop trying to scare me.”

  “I’m not kidding. Atari was having some kind of meltdown, yelling at someone on the phone. I think it was Mitch, but I didn’t understand half of what he was talking about. It sounded like he’s not happy about going along with the Resistance’s plan anymore. I�
�m afraid you might be right about him—at least partly. I wish we had all the time in the world for you to be the injured party and to heal and all that, but we don’t. I can’t do this alone. I need your help.”

  She looked frightened, but she didn’t refuse, so Tommy laid out his plan, half making it up as he went along. “Atari likes to be in control and believe he’s the smartest one in the room. If we put him on the spot or see him freaking out, he’ll get defensive and shut down. But if we let him come to us, he may tell us more than we want to know. So will you go out with me tomorrow night?”

  “You mean out of this room?”

  “Yeah, but also out, like, on an old-fashioned date. We can go spend time in the common area and act like everything is great between us. He’ll get jealous if we’re totally wrapped up in each other, because he needs to be the center of attention.”

  “I don’t want him anywhere near me.”

  “I don’t want him anywhere near you either. But since you flirted with him, he might try to impress you.”

  She sighed. “I don’t know.”

  “He thinks we’ve been in here doing it nonstop since you arrived.”

  She curled her lip. “Eww. What makes you think that?”

  “Umm, he’s mentioned it a few times.”

  “Okay, but I’m only going along with this to prove I was right. What time are you picking me up?”

  “Umm, how about seven? I need some prep time.”

  Chapter 11

  5:09 PM

  Saturday, December 23, 2034

  Quadrant OP-439

  Jaycee found a can of powdered cleanser in one of the kitchen cabinets, sprinkled it liberally, and then set to work on the soap scum in Eduardo’s dingy stainless steel sink.

  Lara came into the room. “You’re not the maid, sweetie. You don’t have to clean.” She put the kettle on the stove and rummaged in the cabinet for teabags.

  “It’s all right. Gives me something to do.” She applied herself to a stubborn spot. “Besides, Eduardo doesn’t seem to have anyone but us to look out for him.” Her own network of people was nearly as limited, and she meant to do something about that.

  Soon the sink was sparkling clean, and she rinsed her hands and retrieved the clumsily wrapped gift from her messenger bag. “Here. I found this at the market and thought you might like it.”

  “For me? Thank you, sweetheart.” Lara unfolded the paper and lifted out the plate. “It’s in perfect condition!” Then she laughed. “I tell you what—we’ll take turns eating off it, all right?” She set the plate on the counter, Jaycee still hovering at her elbow.

  “Lara?”

  “Yes, sweetie?”

  “I asked you once before, and, well, I just wondered if you thought more about helping me find my mama?”

  Lara bit her lip as she pondered the question. She knew how Mitch felt about Jaycee’s mother. She’d promised him she’d look after the girl and protect her. But maybe giving Jaycee some options—and some perspective—wasn’t the worst thing in the world. She picked up her cup of tea and motioned for Jaycee to follow her into the living room.

  Lara settled on the sofa next to Jaycee and studied the girl for a moment before she spoke. “I just want to make sure you know you have … choices. Do you understand? We tend to go through life thinking and believing one way. It’s okay to take a hard look at your life and realize you can make changes.

  “You don’t have to be part of the Resistance if you don’t want to. It’s good and healthy to reexamine our priorities and goals every so often. You’re in a new place, and you’re seeing the world differently.”

  “Oh, I want to be part of the Resistance. But I’d like to at least have the chance to know something about my mother.”

  “Do you really want the whole story?”

  Jaycee’s eyes lit up. “Yes!”

  “Do you remember anything about her?”

  “No. Daddy said the whole Resistance thing was too much for her, and she just took off one day. I was too young to remember her, and he wouldn’t tell me anything more. I’ve never even seen a picture of her. I’m so tired of secrets.”

  Lara sighed. “No more secrets? That’s easier said than done. Some of my own are so deeply woven into my life that it’s almost impossible to talk about my past without dredging up a few. Can I count on you not to mention the things you hear today—at least not without asking me first?”

  The girl nodded.

  “When I was younger, my best friend and I shared all our secrets. She knew things I couldn’t even tell Tom.

  “One of those secrets was what I did at my job. When Tom and I started seeing each other, I told him I was a paper pusher at a boring administrative job, and because of the confidential nature of the material, I couldn’t talk about it outside of the office, you know? But I was really one of the first generation of professional Watchers, back in the days before the OCSD took power. And I was assigned to watch Tom Bailey.”

  Jaycee gasped. “Really?”

  Lara laughed and crossed her heart. “Scout’s honor. He was my first assignment when I was promoted to field agent. I soon concluded that he was no terrorist. I found that I admired his convictions and his views on how to make the world a better place. He was smart, and funny, and attractive. Tommy looks like his father did when he was younger.”

  Jaycee nodded.

  “We fell in love and got married. I was his wife, but I was also the one who knew how to keep his secrets safe. Tom was a law professor at the university, and when I became pregnant, he was earning enough that he encouraged me to quit my job, at least for a while. I wanted to stay home with our baby, but I knew that by quitting, I wouldn’t be able to protect Tom as effectively as I had in the past.

  “After I left my job, there was a huge reorganization in the security and surveillance departments. Not long after Tommy was born, I was surfing online one day while he napped—”

  “How do you surf on a line?”

  “I believe I saw a set of encyclopedias at the boardinghouse?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, it’s like browsing through one of those, looking for information, except on the computer. We used to be able to have access to almost anything under the sun on the Internet. I stopped by the login page for my old job, typed in my password just for nostalgia’s sake, and discovered that somehow, my clearance had never been revoked. I logged in, but logged back out right away, terrified that my office would contact me and ask what in the world I was doing. But they never did. Before long, I couldn’t resist the temptation, and I logged in again.

  “I used that administrative error to check every so often, to make sure Tom wasn’t in danger of being arrested. He tended to speak his mind then, just as he does now, and many of his opinions weren’t popular with the people in power in the government.

  “I missed living in an adult world. Sometimes I found it hard to stay at home with a small child. Tom was a wonderful father, but he was also gone a lot. Tommy was a high-energy toddler, and when Tom noticed I was feeling particularly worn-out, he suggested a girls’ weekend with my friend. Nothing fancy, just a road trip for a couple of days.

  “Of course I was pleased that Tom had noticed I needed a break. My friend and I packed our bags and drove south, to what used to be known as Kentucky, and rented a cabin at a resort with a lake. Maybe you can guess the one I’m talking about?”

  Jaycee nodded vigorously, her curls tumbling into her face.

  “While we were there, we met a nice-looking young guy who worked at the resort. Even though he was a few years younger than we were, he started hanging out with us. I’m afraid I wasn’t all that entertaining to be around. I was so tired, and I preferred to read a book on the dock and catch up on my sleep. By the time our stay was up, I felt rejuvenated, and my friend and that young man had become inseparable.

  “What might have been nothing more than a weekend fling had lasting repercussions. A few months later, my friend told me her
biggest secret. She was going to have a baby.”

  Jaycee twisted her fingers and bounced up and down on her seat.

  “They got married right away. He had a big family who welcomed her wholeheartedly. Her family, on the other hand, didn’t know what to make of her choice, and it wasn’t long before she became estranged from them. After a while she stopped communicating with me, as well. I never opposed her marriage, and it hurt when she shut me out of her life.

  “About a year later, she showed up alone. No phone call, no advance warning. I was delighted to see her, but she cried and cried and wouldn’t tell me what had happened, just that it was over. She was sure she’d never be able to see her daughter again.”

  “What did you do?”

  “Well, I couldn’t get any more details out of her, so I dug around a little on my own. Mind you, I still don’t know the whole story, just what I read in the official reports. A few years later, your dad contacted me. I thought he was ready to get back in touch with your mom and make amends, but instead, he wanted me to do some investigative work for him. He knew everything I’d shared with her about myself and about Tom.

  “I agreed to help him, figuring it would keep my professional skills sharp and also keep the door open, just in case your dad really wanted your mother back but was too proud to say so. I never thought that what he knew about Tom and me could come back to haunt us someday.”

  Jaycee’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Do you know where she is now?”

  “Oh, yes. After some time had passed and it was clear your dad wasn’t interested in reconciliation, Tom and I introduced her to a friend, and after a while they got married. She never had any other children. She lives about half a mile from here.”