Rise (New Haven Book 3)

by Sara Jo Cluff

  “Emmie!”

  “This isn’t open for debate. It’s your choice, Mom. Give us full access to your side of the city and we’ll end Austin’s reign of power. We’ll make River Springs a safe place to live. We’ll give everyone the right to choose their happy ending, just like you wanted all along. You have twenty-four hours to think it over. Make the right choice, Mom. If you love me like you say you do, prove it. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  Turning off the communication device, I slammed it down on the bed.

  “Emmie!” I waited for her voice to come back through, but it didn’t. I slammed the communication device down on my desk, letting out a frustrated groan in the process. Placing the palms of my hands on the desk, I lowered my head and took long, even breaths to control my temper.

  I wasn’t expecting my daughter to demand control of the city. There was no way I could just hand it over to her. It would be a sign of weakness and defeat.

  Sitting down in my chair, I let out an exasperated sigh. I needed her help. We couldn’t beat Austin without New Haven. But Emmie was so young. She may have considered nineteen to be old enough, but I didn’t. And I’d never met her ‘fellow revolutionaries.’ I knew nothing about them or their way of living. How could I trust complete strangers? Especially when they were only nineteen themselves.

  Whit would never have received help from anyone. He would have figured it out on his own. Sitting back in my chair, I rubbed my temples. As much as it pained me to admit it, not all of Whit’s choices were right.

  My Grandma Mae had always told me to never be afraid to ask for help. I was stubborn as a child and wanted to do everything on my own. Of course, I’d end up failing or messing up some of the time. I sighed. Most of the time.

  She told me that was why we had families, friends, and neighbors. They were there when we couldn’t do things ourselves. She also told me not to let my pride get in the way of doing what was right.

  Was putting Emmie in charge the right thing to do, though? Her intentions were good, yes, but that didn’t mean they would be right or work out for the best. The structure we used to have was necessary at the time. The rules needed to be enforced. They needed drastic measures to fix the world. But maybe over time, the rules needed to be altered to support the change in society.

  I picked up the communication device and stared at it. My thumb ran along the button that would connect me to my daughter. My baby girl who wasn’t a baby anymore. She was strong, focused, and had the drive to get her far in life. She was just like me and her biological father. She had a good mix of the two of us. Both Whit and I had wonderful qualities, but we also had our fair share of faults. I think our Emmie took only the wonderful qualities and left the faults behind.

  I was about to press down on the button when someone knocked on the door. I put the communication device in the front drawer of my desk. “Come in.”

  Amy and Tami walked through the door, along with Nick and Sean. They were the two men who I’d appointed to lead our security detail. They were both tall and strong and had no problems being forceful when needed. I made them dress in nice suits. They probably weren't the most efficient for their job, but I liked the way it looked. Suits reminded me of Whit.

  I had recently found out that Nick and his wife had taken Eric into their home after his father had disappeared.

  “What brings you all here?” I asked.

  Amy was about to speak, but Nick came up to me and cut her off. He and Sean hated Amy and Tami as I did.

  Nick stood before me, his shoulders square. “We spotted some people walking into Austin’s side of the city.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “How many?”

  Sean shook his head as he came to stand next to Nick. “We didn’t get a full count. Twenty to thirty, by the looks of it.”

  “Do you know who they were?” I asked.

  “No,” Nick said. “We’ve never seen them before. I don’t think they’re from our city.”

  Was Austin working with New Haven? I didn’t think that could be possible. “Are you sure they aren’t from River Springs?”

  Sean nodded. “They were dark-skinned, had a different kind of weaponry and their clothing was nothing like what Infinity Corp issues.”

  Tami hurried to my desk and folded her arms. She didn’t like how the two guys always acted like her and her mother weren’t in the room. “Maybe they’ve come to destroy Austin and then we won’t have to worry about it.”

  “Not possible.” Nick kept his gaze on me, not giving any indication that Tami was the one who’d spoken. “They just walked in. The guards were expecting them. Austin has some allies from another city. Important ones, too.”

  I furrowed my eyebrows together. “How do you know they’re important?”

  “You could tell by the way they carried themselves,” Nick said. “And there were a few who seemed to be guarding one man in particular. It was obvious by his stature that he was the leader.”

  That probably meant they weren’t from New Haven. I knew they had a woman president, and the vice president was originally from River Springs. Plus, Emmie and her revolutionaries were young. I looked between Nick and Sean. “But twenty to thirty people doesn’t add that much to their numbers.”

  “There could be more on their way,” Sean said. “Maybe that was just the beginning.”

  I didn’t like the thought of another city joining up with Austin. If it wasn’t New Haven, that only left Kingsland. I’d heard Juniper had been destroyed and Scorpion had joined forces with New Haven.

  “I need some fresh air.” After I locked my drawer, I stood and went around the table, tucking my key into my skirt pocket. “Nick and Sean, I’d like you to join me.” I snagged my coat hanging behind the door and pulled it on.

  “What about us?” Amy asked.

  “You’re not needed.” I left the room without looking back.

  I moved down the hall, passing the security detail that guarded my door. Once I was to the stairwell at the end of the hall, I started down the stairs, hoping that Nick and Sean followed me like I had ordered. From the distinctive footsteps right behind me, it was them and only them.

  When I got to the first floor, I pushed open the door leading outside, stepping out into the cold. I zipped up my coat and headed down the street. It was mostly deserted, just a few security guards scattered about.

  Even with everything that had happened, I had made sure we kept our precincts clean. The streets were perfectly cleared of debris and all the lines had been freshly painted. The trees stood bare from winter, but the branches were neatly trimmed.

  There was a sharp, bitter-cold breeze in the air. The sky was perfectly blue with some scattered white clouds, making the cold bearable. I walked for about a mile in perfect silence. I never looked back, but I could hear two sets of footsteps behind me.

  When we arrived at the lake, I stepped onto the pebbled shore and stopped near the water’s edge. Heels and pebbles didn't mix well. The two men stepped up on either side of me, Nick on my left, Sean on my right.

  I could see my breath as I spoke. “I need your advice.”

  “What’s on your mind, Janice?” Nick asked.

  “It’s been too quiet in Austin’s territory,” I said. “I know he likes to take time to plan his attacks perfectly, but it’s been a year. Now with people from another city showing up, that means he’s probably spent this past year gaining allies.”

  “I was thinking that same thing,” Sean said.

  I rubbed my arms for warmth. “I’m pretty sure those were Kingsland residents who showed up. They have a big city. If they’ve teamed up with Austin, we’re in trouble.”

  Sean took off his jacket and placed it around my shoulders. I put my arms in the sleeves, thankful for the added warmth. I smiled at him before I turned my attention back to the crystallized lake before me.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Nick look at Sean’s jacket around me. He cleared his throat. “What have you heard fro
m Jen? Has she talked with Emmie?”

  Nick and Sean were the only ones I had told about my plans to have Jen talk Emmie into joining us. They were the only people I could trust.

  I put my hands in the pockets of Sean’s jacket, wishing I had remembered to grab my gloves on the way out. “I had just finished talking with Emmie before you walked into my office.”

  “What did she say?” Sean asked. “Did she agree?”

  “That’s why I need your advice.” I kicked a little at the pebbles on the ground. I had thought I’d decided what to do but realized I couldn’t make this decision on my own. My choice would end up affecting thousands of people. “She agreed, but only on one term.”

  Nick sighed. “Why don’t I like the sound of that?”

  “She wants total control of our territory,” I said.

  Both Sean and Nick swore at the same time.

  Sean spoke up first. “No. No way.”

  “We can’t hand over complete control,” Nick said. “That would be reckless.”

  “Not to mention we’ve worked so hard to get this far,” Sean said.

  “And she’s young,” Nick put in.

  “And so is everyone else with her.” Sean had scooted so our arms were touching.

  Taking my hand out of my pocket, I rubbed my forehead. “I’ve had those same thoughts. But we need help. We can’t do this on our own and it looks like Austin has partnered with Kingsland, so that only leaves New Haven.”

  “Can we trust New Haven?” Nick asked.

  “We have to.” I lowered my hand to my side, brushing it against Sean’s hand. He tried to take hold of my hand, but I put it in my pocket before he could.

  “I don’t like the thought of leaving the lives of our citizens in their hands,” Nick said.

  Sean took a step away from me. “Can we make it look like we’re giving them control, but still keep the power ourselves?”

  “I’ve thought of that, but I don’t know how that would be possible.” I scooted a little closer to Sean. “I don’t like the thought of putting our citizen’s lives in their hands, either, but New Haven has been in a battle before. The odds were stacked against them, they were extremely outnumbered, yet they won.”

  “They did, but another city showed up to help them,” Nick said.

  “All the more reason to trust them,” I said. “They took the help of another city and they ended up winning. From what I’ve heard, Scorpion handed over leadership to New Haven and both areas have been getting along nicely. The people are happy and safe.”

  Sean scooted closer to me, so our arms were touching again. “I don’t know if I agree with the way they run their city.”

  I thought about Emmie and everything she had said to me. “I didn’t think I agreed, either, but the more I think about it, the more I’m open to the change. They still have laws. They still govern their people, but they aren’t as strict. Maybe letting our citizens have some say in their lives isn’t a bad thing. You’ve met our residents. They’re smart, capable people. I think they can handle New Haven’s way of life.”

  I wasn’t looking at Nick, but I could hear the smile in his voice. “It sounds like you’ve already made up your mind.”

  “I want to do what’s best for our residents,” I said. “I want to keep them alive. I think the only way to do that right now is to work with New Haven.”

  “Can we set some terms?” Sean asked.

  “Like what?” asked Nick.

  “We hand over control to them and let them plan the strategy,” Sean said. “But only if they let the three of us work with them and get a say in what they do.”

  Nick sighed. “I’m not entirely happy with this, but I think you’re right, Janice. It’s the only way to save River Springs.”

  I turned to Sean. “I like your terms. I’ll contact Emmie and let them know.”

  “I really hope this works,” Sean said.

  “Me too.” I looked over at Nick. “On a side note, I have some good news from Emmie.”

  Nick turned toward me. “What is it?”

  “Eric and Emmie are engaged.” I wasn’t sure what his reaction would be. Eric had only lived with Nick, his wife, and his daughter for a little over two years. But Nick thought highly of him and came to love him as a son.

  Nick smiled, the sincerity showing in his eyes. “That’s wonderful. Carla and Courtney will be so happy to hear that.”

  Sean stepped forward and reached his hand out to Nick. “Congratulations.”

  Nick shook his hand. “Thank you.”

  “Maybe this will be a good thing, teaming up with New Haven,” I said. “That way, you can see them get married.”

  A few tears escaped Nick’s eyes. “I’d like that. The girls would like that.”

  Sean was still standing in front of me. He looked down into my eyes. “You can be there, too.”

  I wiped away a few of my own tears. “If she’ll let me. She’s pretty pissed at me and for good reasons, too.”

  Sean put his hand on my arm. “Give her some time. She’ll come around.”

  “Janice,” Nick said. “Would you mind if I took leave for a half-hour so I can run home and tell the girls in person?”

  “Of course.” I reached over and hugged. “I don’t know much about Eric, but from what I’ve heard from you, it sounds like my Emmie made a good choice.”

  “She did,” Nick said, squeezing me. He pulled back. “He’s an amazing young man. Just like his father, Alexander. I’ve had nothing but respect for their family. I’ll be back soon.”

  He turned and left me and Sean alone. I looked up at him and he was staring at me so intensely. I could tell he wanted to hug or kiss me. I wasn’t sure which one.

  Two years ago, Sean had lost his wife to the same disease I had lost my mom to. From what Nick had told me, it sounded like the same disease Eric’s mom died from as well. I heard some New Haven residents had caught it and it was spreading like a wildfire in Kingsland.

  Sean finally pried his eyes away from mine and stood next to me again. I debated for a moment, but I took hold of his hand, intertwining our fingers. We had grown close over the past year, leaning on each other for support. I was trying to get over Whit and he was trying to get over his wife. We had both been so deeply in love with our companions.

  When the city first split after Whit’s death, I had a hard time sleeping. I would find myself going on walks at night. Sean would do the same thing. We crossed paths a lot and started talking. Soon, we were taking our walks together. Whenever I was having a rough day, I would find myself seeking him out. He was so kind and listened to every word that came out of my mouth. He understood me. He made me feel safe and comfortable.

  We hadn’t done anything more than hold hands a few times and hugged now and then. Some nights we would sit down on a bench near the lake and I’d end up crying. He would just hold me in his arms until I stopped.

  I could tell he wanted more and deep inside I wanted more, too. I just wasn’t sure I was ready.

  I was so deep in thought, I hadn’t heard Eric come into the room. He was suddenly sitting in the chair next to me, holding my hand.

  “Emmie? Are you okay?” Eric asked.

  The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I had been so upset with my mom that I had bit down on my lip so hard, it had split open.

  Panic sat in Eric's eyes.

  I gently placed my hand on his cheek. “I’m so glad to see you.”

  Taking hand from his cheek, he kissed my palm. “What’s going on? What did Jen say to you?” I instinctively looked down at the communicator. Eric followed my eyes. “Who did you talk to?”

  “My mom.” I forced the words out. Taking the device, I shoved it in my pocket. Eric sat down on the bed next to me, pulling me into his arms. I sighed into his chest. “I didn’t know how hard it would be to talk to her.”

  He kissed the top of my head. “What did you talk about?”

  “Everything.” Fresh tears fell from my
eyes and onto Eric’s shirt. He rubbed my back as I spoke. “She apologized for not being there for me. She admitted she loved Whit and had wanted to be with him, not my dad. She wanted the three of us to live together; me, Whit and her, like one happy family.”

  “What about Derek?” Eric asked.

  “That’s what I asked.” I sniffed and wiped away a few tears. “She never actually answered that question, so I don’t know.” The next words came out in a whisper. “She told me she loved me.”

  “Do you think she meant it?”

  “I think so. It sounded sincere enough. But she wants something from me, so I don’t know. Hanging around Whit all those years had to have taught her a thing or two about manipulating people.”

  “What does she want from you?”

  I pulled back and looked up at him, our faces close together. “She wants New Haven to help her defeat Austin.”

  Surprise flashed on his face. “What did you say?”

  “That we would under one condition.”

  His eyebrows rose. “What’s the condition?”

  “That she hands full control of her part of the city over to us.”

  Eric smiled and kissed my forehead. “Smart thinking, Em. What did she say to that?”

  I started to laugh. “Oh, she wasn’t happy. She didn’t want to do it. I told her she had twenty-four hours to make up her mind if she wanted our help.”

  “Well, you need to rest during those twenty-four hours.” He stroked my cheek with his hand. “I need you fully recovered before the wedding.”

  I ran my fingers through his hair. “I will be, don’t worry.” He pulled me close and kissed me on the lips. He held me softly as we kissed, careful of my injury.

  Two minutes later the door opened, and a bunch of people poured into my room. I pulled back from Eric and saw Dante, Santiago, Maya, Will, Dee, Tina, Luke, Jen, Derek, and Joshua.