by AR Colbert
“And you chose Raf? You know he could be killed for this, right?”
Raf picked up where Rider left off. “I’m fine, Claren. Anyway, Joy showed Emmaline a secret room, and we dragged him down there and locked him up. He won’t be going anywhere.” He exchanged a look with the other guys, and they all became more solemn. Something had happened that they weren’t telling me.
“And Emmaline?” I asked. “Where is she?”
“She’s downstairs trying to get some information out of him.”
“Well come on. Let’s get you out of here before she comes back up.”
“Claren, I’m not in danger,” Raf insisted.
I was already standing. “You’ve got to be kidding me! Do you know who she is? Emmaline Frasier—the woman who shot Sam at my test. The woman who stormed an Embers meeting with a gun and arrested Frank. The woman who weaseled information out of my best friend so she could kill the man helping my brother. Cato might still be alive if—” my voice cracked, and the guys all focused their attention at a point over my shoulder.
“If it weren’t for me?” Emmaline’s tired voice whispered softly behind me.
I spun around to face her and took a ragged breath. “Yes.”
Her eyes were round and glossy. Sorrowful. “I’m sorry about your brother. I never intended for him to get hurt.”
She stepped toward me, and I instinctively moved back, almost bumping into Joy who had just returned with my tea. Again, she seemed so earnest in her apology. I wanted to believe her, but our history was deep with betrayal. Emmaline was not someone I could trust, despite what my heart was pushing me to do. Logic had to win out over emotion.
“Well, you can make it up to me by staying out of my business. Do what you need to do with Everett, but leave me and my friends out of this. We don’t want to get tangled up in whatever scheme you have going on now.” I turned back to the others. “Come on. We have some work to do.” I didn’t wait for their response before pushing past Emmaline back into the hall and up to my room.
A short while later, I sat squeezed next to Raf in the tight back seat of a Louisburg work truck. Asher and Rider rode up front. I was still angry with Raf for revealing his presence to Emmaline, but he insisted she wasn’t going to harm him. He really believed she was on our side. He said he could just “feel it.” But he didn’t know her like I did. He’d never seen her manipulate the emotions of others, or—whatever she did to Everett the night before. I didn’t even know what to call that, but I knew she was dangerous.
Raf’s arm stretched along the back of our seats, his hand draped casually over my shoulder. Every once in a while, his long fingers would graze lightly across the tops of my arms, sending a wave of delight coursing over my skin that reminded me I was alive. He may have acted foolishly with Emmaline, but I was still glad to have him around. Raf made me feel safe. Secure. Adored.
I just wished he was as wildly protective over his own life as he was over mine.
There wasn’t much chatter on our drive Outside, but I’d been mulling over the recap the guys gave me that morning, and finally, I had to ask about Everett. I leaned in closer to Raf, ignoring the fresh, clean smell that my heart recognized and loved so well. Keeping my voice low so the guys up front wouldn’t hear, I nudged him gently with my elbow. “So the secret room... it’s through Everett’s office, isn’t it?”
Raf’s eyes doubled in size and he grabbed my shoulders to face him. “How do you know about that place? Did he take you down there?” Smoke was practically billowing out of his ears. He went from calm and thoughtful to fully enraged in about half a second flat.
From up front, Rider’s eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, and I gave his reflection a slight shake of my head. We were good back here.
“No,” I answered. “He mentioned it, but I never went. What’s down there, anyway?”
Raf’s teeth ground together, his eyes burning with intensity. “I’ll kill him.”
“Raf.” I put my hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat wildly under my fingertips. “What is it? What’s he hiding in there?”
“Nothing you’ll ever have to see. Thankfully. It’s awful, Claren. Promise me you’ll stay out of there.” He placed his hand over mine, pushing them both into his chest.
“I—” I couldn’t promise. I knew I should listen to him. I didn’t have much use for Everett anymore, but my curiosity would kill me. I wanted to know what he was hiding. And as much as I hated to admit it, a sick part of me kind of wanted to see him tied up and trapped in his own secrets.
“Promise me,” Raf urged again.
I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I wouldn’t lie to him, so I did the only thing I could think of to distract him. In a move that surprised even me, my fingers gripped the shirt on his chest as I leaned forward and planted my lips on his.
He was startled and stiff at first—his concern and anger surrounding Everett’s room still coming between us. But it didn’t take long for his mouth to soften around mine. His hand moved to cup my face as his defenses melted away. When we kissed, it was like nothing else in the world mattered. We were invincible—just us against everyone else.
The moment was such a surprise, so tender and sweet that I’d nearly forgotten about his demand for a promise. Our feelings had a way of building upon each other like that, igniting like a spark that quickly built into a roaring flame. His fingers slid into my hair and he gently rubbed my cheek with his thumb, just like Felix had the night before.
I pulled back with a sharp breath caught in my throat.
“What’s wrong?” Raf’s brows pulled together.
I didn’t know why or how Felix crept into my mind, but I couldn’t ignore the pang of guilt that resulted from it. I brought my fingers to the spot Raf—and Felix—had touched on my cheek. “Nothing’s wrong,” I lied through a fake smile. Raf wasn’t buying it, but it didn’t matter. We’d just reached the airstrip.
Dusty emerged from the hangar with a wave of his hand. “Back it up over here!”
The timing couldn’t have been better. Toying with my lip between my teeth, I leaned my forehead against the cool glass of my window and watched as Asher maneuvered the truck so the bed was facing an overhead door in the side of the hangar. Dusty flashed him a thumbs up and we all hopped out to greet him.
Raf watched me closely as we made our way into the hangar, but I couldn’t make eye contact with him. Not until I figured out why my body had responded so forcefully to the memory of Felix.
The men each took one corner of the crate Felix had sent over on the plane, and on the count of three they heaved it up into the bed of the truck.
“Wooo, boy! That thing is heavy!” Asher huffed and wiped sweat droplets from his brow.
Raf jumped into the back of the truck and tugged at the corner of the lid. It was nailed tightly to the top of the crate, so Rider joined him to help. While they were checking on the contents, Dusty approached me with a heavy expression. “Ms. Greenwood, can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure, Dusty. What’s up?”
He shifted nervously on his feet, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his canvas pants. “I’m not sure the best way to say this, so I’m just gonna spit it out. I was wondering if I could come with you.”
“Come with me where?”
“Wherever it is you’re going. Me and Charles were glad to see Everett finally put into his place last night, but it’s not enough. Things have got to change. I hate being on call to fly Leaders around on secret trips at all hours of the night. And something tells me you might be a part of the change we’ve all been waiting for.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because, we’ve seen the way the other Leaders look at you. Some hate you, some love you, and that’s normal. But last night, the way Director Frasier looked at you with so much respect—I’ve never seen her look at anyone that way before. And if she thinks you’re the real deal, then so do I. Charles, too. But he’s got kids to
account for. I don’t, and I’m ready to help you change the world.”
“Dusty, that’s very sweet of you, but I have no idea where you’re getting this idea. I’m just a girl trying to do my job.”
“No.” He shook his head. “You’re more than that. And forgive me for being blunt, but I’m no fool. You knocked out Everett, teamed up with one of the scariest Leaders I’ve ever met—Emmaline Frasier—and now you’re carrying some ridiculously heavy crate to some super secret Outside location. I can put two and two together. You’re working against the other Leaders. Let me help. Please.”
I looked back over my shoulder and caught Raf’s eye. He was still watching me, confused no doubt, but persistent. I jerked my chin for him to come over.
“Dusty wants to join us.”
Raf raised his brows and opened his mouth before shutting it again. He looked at me. “What do you think?”
I appraised Dusty. He was young, broad shouldered, and eager. He’d been kind in our few interactions on the plane. But most importantly, he was sincere. “Won’t Charles miss you?”
Dusty’s grin stretched wide across his face. “Hey Charlie,” he called over his shoulder. “Will you miss me if I leave to go fight the establishment?”
Charles popped his head out of the cluttered office at the other end of the hangar. “Are you gonna win?”
“Yessir!”
“Then do me proud, kid. Set us all free.” Charles looked at me when he spoke the last words. His eyes crinkled in the corners, and I returned his smile, thankful for the small amount of courage our silent exchange had given me.
I was nobody. The thought of leading a rebellion against the Leadership was almost laughable. But if these men were putting their faith in me, I wouldn’t let them down. We’d get the Outsiders to join us. We’d find Frank. And together, the Embers would find a way to flip the system on its head. In the wise words of Raf, I could just feel it.
“Come on, guys. Let’s go pass out some weapons.”
CHAPTER 30
Raf rode in the back of the truck with Dusty on our way to the Outside camp. There wasn’t much room in the cab, and he said he wanted to fill Dusty in on the basics of life Outside. I suspected it had more to do with me, however. I’d definitely made things awkward after our kiss. But that wasn’t important now. Raf could wait.
I leaned forward from the back seat, propping my elbows on the center console between Asher and Rider. The road ahead was familiar. Asher swerved around a couple of potholes, and before I knew it we were looking at the fence surrounding the Outsiders’ camp.
Like last time, several men stood in front of the gate holding sticks and other primitive weapons. Boy, were they going to get an upgrade today.
Unlike last time, I was more excited than afraid. This was the moment I’d been working for. It was time for us to earn their trust.
“Stay here,” I said to the guys. “I’ll let you know when it’s safe to join me.” I took one of the weapons Rider had removed from the crate and wrapped it in an old towel we found in the truck. Then I set off toward the gate.
“My name is Claren Greenwood. I’m here to talk to Seth.” I spoke loud and clear, striding toward them with confidence, but not too much bravado. I wanted them to take me seriously without thinking I was a threat. It was a fine line with this group.
The men conferred with each other before one of them turned and retreated through the gate. A minute later, Seth emerged. He sauntered over, an amused smirk breaking through the dirt on his face.
“I didn’t think you were coming back.”
“I told you I would. And I brought you some goodies today.”
His eyes flashed over to the truck, his smirk fading as he took in Raf and Dusty near the crate. “Tell them to back it up over here by the gate.”
I held out the wrapped weapon in my hand for him to examine while his men directed Asher to the gate. He eyed me suspiciously before accepting it.
“This is what you’ll find in the crate. I’ve got a guy making them back in Classen City. He said there would be about twenty of them in there, but my guys said it looks like there are more—maybe even twice as many.”
“This isn’t a real gun.”
“It’s a stun gun, refurbished from old parts. But it’s just as effective as before, if not more so.” I wasn’t ready to tell him about the increased amps or the power dial. Not until I knew for sure that he wouldn’t use it against us.
Seth turned the gun over in his hands to examine it, and on the bottom of the handle a sticker caught my eye. He stuck the gun in his waistband before I could get a good look at it, but it looked awfully familiar. Felix didn’t mention tracking the weapons, but if my hunch was correct, someone back in Classen City could monitor the weapon’s whereabouts at all times with that sticker. The question was, what did they want with that information?
Raf, Rider, Asher, and Dusty each took one side of the crate and carefully dropped it to the ground in front of the gate. It hit the dirt with a thud, sending out a cloud of dust. I had just stepped toward the box when four of Seth’s men moved forward and seized my guys, pinning their arms behind their backs.
“What are you doing?!” I yelled.
“Easy!” Rider called out.
Raf took a more direct approach. He whipped his leg around behind him, swiping the Outsider’s feet and knocking him off balance. Raf twisted out of his arms as the Outsider struggled to regain balance, and he had his knife pulled and at the ready before the other man knew what was coming.
Unfortunately, Seth was just as fast. A horrified yelp escaped my mouth as I watched Raf’s body hit the ground. It’s just a stun. It’s just a stun. I repeated the words over and over in my mind as I rushed over to his body on the ground.
He was motionless, but breathing. I stood to see the faces of our other guys, expressions ranging from confusion on Dusty’s face to rage on Rider’s. I was definitely in Rider’s camp. I spun around and shouted at Seth. “What did you do that for?”
“I had to see if the weapons really worked.”
I wanted to slap the smirk right off of his filthy face. “Let my men go. We brought you what you wanted.” I was stomping toward him, a whirl of fury and fire burning in my chest. This wasn’t part of the deal. He had no reason to hurt Raf.
“No.” He spun the weapon around in his hand. “I need to make sure this isn’t a trap.”
“You just saw for yourself! The weapons work fine. Now please, let us tend to him. Release my other men!”
“Not until we open the crate. You said last time that the attacks were stealthy and advanced. You might have dropped a bomb into my lap for all I know. We’ll keep your men here until we open the crate and I can be sure you’re true to your word. Then we can talk about an alliance.”
“I’m not sure I want an alliance with you anymore. Trust goes both ways, and you just shot my friend!”
“He’s only stunned, Claren. He’ll be fine.” Rider tried to calm me, but it wasn’t working. I was tired of people taking advantage of me.
A few of Seth’s men moved in to lift the lid of the box. They began pulling out the weapons and passing them around. Each one looked almost exactly like the one I’d handed Seth earlier. There were a few variations in the parts, based on what Emilio had laying around if I had to guess, but they all had one thing in common—tracking stickers on the bottoms of the handles. Confirming my earlier suspicion did nothing to help my mood. Felix would hear it from me later.
We all watched in silence as weapon after weapon emerged from the box. I lost count after forty-five. There were many, many more than I’d originally thought. I didn’t know how Felix and Emilio had managed such an impressive amount of guns.
Finally, the crate was empty. After every one of Seth’s men had a weapon of his own, they began loading them into wagons. In the end, three wagons plus one wheelbarrow were filled to the brim.
“Satisfied?”
Seth swaggered over to me. “I
t’s a start. Now tell me more about the people who will be attacking.”
I glanced over at Raf’s body on the ground. “First, can we get him somewhere more comfortable until he wakes up? And maybe some water for the rest of us?”
The sun was high over our heads now, its spring rays shining down hard through the cloudless sky. Our faces were all shiny with sweat, and we had a couple of hours to go in the truck before we made it back to Louisburg.
Seth looked me over, checked back over his shoulder at his men carrying the weapons inside, and then sighed. “You’re right. Trust should go both ways. Follow me, but if any of you try anything we’ll kill you on the spot.”
He wasn’t exaggerating. Asher and Rider moved immediately to pick up Raf’s body, but Dusty hesitated. I hung back to join him.
“You okay?” I asked him quietly.
He nodded. “I think so. This just isn’t what I expected.”
“It gets pretty rough. I understand if you want to go back to the airstrip. I won’t criticize your decision, and I’ll never mention it to another soul.”
“No. I’m never going back. But it makes better sense now, why everyone respects you so much.”
“Ha. I wish that were true.”
“It is. You put everyone else’s well being in front of your own. You’re fearless, and you stand up for what’s right. I just want you to know that you have my support no matter what. I’ll follow you anywhere and do anything necessary to fix this country.”
“Dusty, I’m not leading the charge here. I’m just one player in the game. The Embers—those looking to make the change—they go way deeper than what you see here. I don’t even understand all the ins and outs of their plans. I’m just doing my part.”
“If you say so.” We began walking in line behind the others. “But I’m going to follow you anyway.”
We’d finally reached the gate. Seth turned around to face us before we entered. “We’ll lay him on a couch in my office. You can all wait there. Do not speak to anyone we pass on the way. Don’t ask questions. Don’t wander off. And again—don’t do anything stupid.”