Reckoning (New Haven Book 2)

by Sara Jo Cluff

  Derek just sat there, smiling. I looked past him at Naomi for support, but she ignored us. I stood up straight, folding my arms. “What do you want?”

  He leaned back, clasping his hands behind his head. “I want you to tell me how awesome I am.”

  It took every ounce of strength I had to not roll my eyes. “We both know it would be a lie. You were there during my test.”

  “I asked if you thought I was cool. Being awesome is different than being cool.”

  “Well, I’d still be lying.”

  “What I’m about to tell you could change everything.” He moved his hands dramatically as he spoke. “Lives could be altered. Trust could be broken. Hearts could be shattered.”

  I thought I heard a small laugh from Naomi. Derek must have noticed too, because his smirk left for a second and he looked at me, his eyes asking if I’d heard it too. I nodded. His smirk was back. He mouthed, “She wants me,” making me roll my eyes.

  “So, all I have to do is tell you that you’re awesome and then you’ll tell me what you’re keeping from me?”

  Derek sat forward, pointing his finger at me. “But you have to say it like you mean it.”

  I closed my eyes, mustering up the courage to say it. Taking a deep breath, I let the words leave my mouth, trying not to think about the consequences that would come from it. “Derek, I think you’re awesome.”

  He smiled and pressed a button on the computer next to him. My voice rang out from an overhead speaker, repeating the words I had just said.

  “You recorded it?” I shouldn’t have been surprised.

  “Of course, Emmie.” He intertwined his fingers, pushing them forward until they cracked. “I need everyone to know that one of the revolutionaries thinks I’m awesome.”

  “Think,” I said. “They’ll think that. Not know it, because it’s not true.”

  Derek shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. So, you want to hear the juicy gossip?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “Well, as we’ve already confirmed, thanks to the way cool lie detector test your other brother brought with him, everyone passed.”

  “Just tell her,” Naomi said. So, she was paying attention.

  “That is, everyone that took the test.” Derek's eyes bore into mine, waiting for my reaction.

  I didn’t give him the reaction he wanted when I just shrugged. “This was voluntary. We assumed some wouldn’t take it.”

  “Well, what if I told you it was just one person who didn’t take it?”

  His statement surprised me. “Only one person didn’t want to take it?” I smiled. “That’s good, isn’t it?”

  He sighed and shook his head. This wasn’t going the way he’d hoped it would. “They didn’t just say no. They refused.”

  That caught my interest. “Someone refused?”

  “Yes, dear half-sister of mine,” he said, moving his fingers along the controls on the desk. “He refused. Very adamantly, too, I might add.”

  “Who was it?” I hated that he was dragging this out. He loved it, though.

  “You’d like to know that, wouldn’t you?” he asked, crossing his feet at his ankles.

  I gave him the nicest smile I could. “Yes, Captain Awesome, I would.”

  Derek’s eyes lit up. “Love it. Changing my name. I’m Captain Awesome from here on out.”

  I shook my head, mad at myself for the monster I’d just created. I took a deep breath. “Well then, Captain Awesome, would you please tell me?”

  “Why, I would love to tell you, Ms. Illegitimate.”

  “No,” I said, wagging my finger at him. “Not happening.”

  Derek threw his hands into the air. “Fine. I was just trying to give you a cool nickname, too, but whatever.” He scanned some files on his computer. “I need to find something. Like a sound of some sort for my big reveal.”

  I looked at Naomi. “Please, just tell me. I’m begging you.”

  “I’m not getting involved this time,” Naomi said.

  She eyed a cup of coffee on the table, and then glanced at Derek. So, my idea had worked. I knew being nice to Derek that one time was going to come back and haunt me.

  “I think I’ve got it,” Derek said. “I found this earlier and I think it’s brilliant. It’s called a drum roll.” He looked at me. “Ready for this?” He pressed the button dramatically and flicked his wrists along with the beat.

  I stared at him, waiting for the name. How long could the drum roll possibly go on for? Well, at least two minutes because that’s how long it was until Derek told me.

  “Steven.” He turned off the drum roll, stood and bowed. “Captain Awesome has done it once again.”

  I wasn’t really surprised that it was Steven. I had been wary of him being in New Haven. A part of me wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he’d worked with President Randall before at being a spy. Maybe he still worked as one.

  Ignoring the shouts from Derek demanding praise for his awesomeness, I ran out of the security room. When I went out to the training area where Steven should have been, I couldn’t find him. I searched every single training group, but he wasn’t there. If it had been any other resident who refused, I probably wouldn’t have cared so much.

  But it was Steven.

  My adrenaline raged at that point, so I sprinted to the home he’d been sharing with a couple of other guys. I stopped at the entrance, pounding on the door with my fist. A small noise came from inside the house, but no one opened the door.

  I pounded so hard, the side of my fist burned. “Steven, open the door.” More noises came from inside. I tried the knob, but it was locked. “Steven, open the door!”

  The sound of a zipper and then shuffling of feet sounded on the other side of the door. A slight twinge ran through my arm when I rammed my shoulder into the door. My shove had done nothing more than make the door rattle. A window opened, catching my attention, so I walked around to the side of the house.

  Steven had thrown a duffel bag out his window and was now awkwardly trying to get his lanky body out of the window, too.

  I stepped forward, drawing my gun from its holster. Holding it up, I pointed it directly at his chest. “Steven.”

  He fell to the ground, stumbling to grab his bag and stand. He stared at me, his eyes terrified.

  I took a couple of steps forward, keeping my gun steady. “Steven, put down the bag and slowly lower yourself to the ground.” He looked behind him and then back at me. I shook my head. “Please don’t try anything stupid. We don’t need this to be harder than it has to be.”

  He rubbed his head with his free hand. “I’m sorry, Emmie. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.” He turned and ran.

  Lowering my gun, I ran after him, my adrenaline giving me the fuel I needed to pump my legs as fast as they would go. Steven was a lot taller than me, making his strides long. I wasn’t sure what was in his bag, but the weight of it seemed to be slowing him down.

  We weaved back and forth between houses, our pace not slowing. The streets were quiet since most of the residents were training. Most of the moms and children not training were in their homes, putting together food and supplies that would be needed after the battle.

  A part of me wanted to raise my gun and just shoot him to stop the pursuit, but I didn’t want the sound of my gun to alarm anyone.

  Plus, I wasn’t certain Steven was a traitor. The whole situation made it seem like he was, but I still had no evidence and he hadn’t confessed to anything.

  A little boy ran out from his house just a few yards ahead of Steven. I shouted as loud as I could. “Get back in your house!”

  The boy stopped and looked at Steven and then at me. He stood there in confusion, not knowing what to do. His mom stepped out and saw me holding my gun as I ran, her eyes lighting up in fear. She sprang forward, picked up her son and ran back into their home, slamming the door.

  I ignored the protests from my legs, demanding me to slow down. As we continued to run, Steven hea
ded for the canyon on the west end of New Haven. The one that would take him back to River Springs.

  Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my communicator. I tried to be as clear as I could, but it was hard with my heavy panting. “In pursuit of Steven. Headed into the west canyon.”

  A few seconds later, Dante’s voice rang through. “What’s going on? Why do you sound like you’re out of breath?”

  I rolled my eyes. I didn’t have enough oxygen to engage in a conversation right then. “He’s trying to escape!”

  “Why?” Dante asked.

  “I don’t know!” I yelled. “I. Just. Need …” My lungs were burning, shouting at me to stop. “HELP!”

  I shoved the communicator back into my pocket, paying no attention to whatever Dante said. I put my gun back in my holster so I could pump both of my arms faster.

  We ran out of New Haven and into the canyon. A little way in, Steven tripped over a rock, slowing him down. I mustered all the strength I had, begging my legs to go as fast as they could.

  Steven was only a few yards ahead of me. A large boulder was ahead, just to the right of the path we were on. Right as he passed it, I sprinted toward it, ran up, and threw myself off the boulder, my body hitting Steven in the back, sending us both to the ground. We rolled a few times, his bag hitting me in the head twice.

  Steven tried to get up, but I took hold of his bag, pulling tightly on it so the strap choked his neck. He stumbled back, giving me a chance to jump on top of him. I took two swings at his face before he twisted to the side, causing me to fall off him. He swung his leg at me, his foot hitting me full force in the stomach.

  He stood and took off, kicking up some dirt. I debated for just a moment, but my tired legs and my orneriness of everything that had happened the past few weeks made my decision for me. I couldn’t let him get away. But I couldn’t catch up with him and his long legs again.

  I reached for my holster, pulled out my gun, took aim, and shot his right leg. Thank the revolutionaries, my aim held true. Steven screamed out in pain as he fell forward. He landed on top of his bag and reached forward to grab his leg. I slowly stood, keeping my gun aimed at Steven.

  When he saw me coming, he scooted away, his jaw clamped together. He tried to stand, but he stumbled backward, landing on his butt. He threw his hands into the air. “Please don’t shoot me!”

  “Stop moving and I won’t.”

  When I walked up to him, he turned his head away from me, shielding his face with his arms. Grabbing the strap on his bag, I yanked it off him. I set it on the ground, knelt, and unzipped it.

  On top, there were just clothes and some food items. I threw them out and continued to rifle through the bag. Inside were a flashlight, a knife, and a handgun in the bottom of the bag. A side pocket revealed a small communication device, like the one Steven and Jen, my dorm leader, used during Recruitment.

  Pointing my gun at Steven’s head, I put the device in front of his mouth. “When I press the button, you’re going to say hello and that’s it. If you say anything more than that, I’ll shoot you.”

  Steven stared at me for a moment, his eyes wide with panic. Sweat dripped down his face, his breathing ragged and shallow. I pushed the barrel of my gun into his forehead.

  Once Steven nodded, I pressed the button. “Hello.” He kept his mouth open like he was going to say something else, but I pushed my gun harder against his forehead, making him close his mouth.

  I pulled the device toward my ear, waiting for a response. A few moments passed until I heard the shrill voice. “Hey, baby! What took you so long? You were supposed to contact me an hour ago. Daddy isn’t going to be happy.” Amber.

  I put the device back in front of Steven. “If you want to live, you better make this convincing.”

  Steven nodded, his motion causing some sweat to fly off his face. I pressed the button again. “Sorry, things have been a little crazy here.”

  Amber giggled. “Oh, I’ve missed your voice! I mean, I know it’s only been a few hours, but still.”

  “I’ve missed yours, too,” Steven said, his eyes locked with mine. “Listen, I don’t have time to talk right now. I just wanted to touch base.”

  “That’s okay, sweetie,” Amber said, her voice high-pitched and baby-like. “With all that training going on, I understand.” My head shook in fury. How much had he told her? “I don’t know why they even bother trying. It’s not like they’re going to win. Just make sure you get out in time, okay? I’m going to see if daddy will let me meet you halfway.”

  “That sounds good,” Steven said. “Have you told him yet?”

  “No, not yet. They’re going to be so happy, though, to finally find out where New Haven is. What a stupid name, anyway.” She giggled, the sound crawling over my skin. “I think they’re going to be mad, though, that they aren’t the ones who are going to destroy Emmie’s stupid town. But hey, less work for us, right? Now we can concentrate on destroying the other three cities and forget about that dinky little town. Oh, and don’t forget our deal.”

  Steven looked at me. “I won’t. I have to go.”

  “Okay, but don’t wait long to contact me again.” The tone of her voice switched to a lower, more seductive one. “Oh, I can’t wait to see you again. I have a big present for you. I think I’m ready to … you know.” Steven’s eyes widened as I tried to keep the bile from coming up my throat. I really didn’t need to know that.

  Steven cleared his throat, his cheeks red from more than just exertion. “I can’t wait. Bye babe.”

  “Bye! Love you!”

  “Love you, too,” Steven said.

  Sighing, I pulled the device away from him. So, he was the traitor.

  A few moments passed before I tried to say anything, but her voice rang out from the device again, catching my attention. I had closed my hand around it, but it was still close enough to hear what she said. “Seriously, though, remember I want Emmie alive. She’s mine.”

  Every part of my body wanted to destroy the device in my hand, snapping it into tiny pieces, but I did my best to control myself. We could need it in the future.

  I looked at Steven, sitting on the ground, holding his wounded leg. His pants were soaked through and a pool of blood filled the ground beneath him. Standing up, I ran my free hand through my hair. I kept my gun aimed at Steven, just in case he tried anything stupid.

  “So, you’ve been working with them this whole time?” My voice was shakier than I’d wanted. I swore, kicking a rock on the ground. “Why, Steven? Why did you do this?”

  He shook his head. “I’ve only been talking with Amber, I swear. Her dad just barely found out, and that’s because he walked into her room when we were having a conversation.”

  I picked up a rock from the ground, turning it over in my hand. “But you were going to tell them where New Haven is.”

  “After the battle, Emmie.” He looked at the ground. “You must know we can’t win this battle with Juniper. New Haven will no longer exist in less than twenty-four hours.”

  “You told her you’d bring me to her.” Clenching my jaw, I threw the rock at his head, hitting him in the eye. Even with my left hand, I was surprised how well I threw it. “You were going to hand me over to that horrible excuse of a person. That beast.”

  His face turned red. “Don’t talk about her like that!” His left eye watered from where I hit it. He rubbed his eye with his hand. “Don’t ever talk about her like that! I love her!”

  My laugh came out a little wild and panicked. “How can you love her? She’s a horrible person! A psychopath. The things she’s capable of …”

  “You don’t know her like I do!” He yelled loudly, the veins popping out from his forehead.

  I resisted the urge to hit him. “She’s evil, Steven! I know her well enough.” I shook my head, running my fingers through my hair again. “But now that I know what you’re truly capable of, you two were made for each other.” I bent down, leaning my face in close to his. “Too bad
you’ll never see her again.” I held my gun up to him, my finger on the trigger.

  He closed his eyes. “It was worth it. She’s worth it.”

  I took a deep breath, my finger itching to pull the trigger. He was a traitor. He was going to reveal New Haven's location. He’d been working with Amber. He was going to take me prisoner and hand me over to her. He also let her know we were coming, which lead to Eric being captured. I took another breath, pressing the barrel into his forehead.

  “Emmie, don’t!” Dante’s voice sounded behind me, but I ignored it, keeping my gun where it was. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dante come up next to me. He gently placed his hand on my arm. “Emmie, don’t do this. This isn’t you.”

  Choking back on my tears, I licked my lips. “He’s a traitor, Dante. He’s been working with Amber.”

  “That doesn’t matter,” Dante said, his voice soft. “This isn’t how we operate in New Haven. You know that. We’re better than them.”

  “He was going to take me to her,” I said, my voice barely a whisper.

  Dante’s voice pleaded with me. “Emmie, please, put the gun down. We’ll deal with this the right way. He’ll get his reckoning, I promise. But you can’t just execute him like this.”

  The word execute bounced around in my head. I closed my eyes, thinking of Vice President Oliver and how he’d been executed right before my eyes. I shook my head. I couldn’t do this. I wasn’t President Randall. I would never be him.

  Lowering my gun, I thrust it back into my holster and looked at Dante. “You’ll have to take him from here. I need to get away from him.”

  He nodded in understanding.

  I turned and walked away, not daring myself to look back.

  They’d taken Steven to the infirmary to get his wound treated. President Brown made sure that he was handcuffed to the bed so he wouldn’t attempt another escape.

  Marie let me know that she’d been less than gentle when she bandaged him. She took my hand, the remnants of the bullet landing softly in my palm. “It got lodged in his bone. It took forever to get all of it out; I’m not even sure if I did. There could still be some pieces of the bullet in there.”