“Goldie,” said Kade, returning the revolver to the drawer.
“Goldie! You’re a big old Goldie, that’s what you are!” Callie crouched and treated Goldstein to a barrage of affectionate thumps and pats. He gave a joyful whine and placed a paw on her shoulder.
“I suppose you can guess why we’re here,” said Riva.
“Yes, I can,” said Kade. “Though I expected Lexi rather than you.”
“I’m her stunt double, remember?”
Callie looked up, giving Goldie an opening to lick her cheek. “We want to see Min. Can you get us into the University again?”
“It’s easy enough under normal circumstances,” Kade said. “But the codes will have changed, and they may have agents watching the entrances. We have to assume Lachlan has anticipated this.”
“So you won’t help us?”
“Just the opposite. You need my help more than ever. So let’s figure out a way to proceed.” Kade frowned at Riva. Even with her Mohawk down, she looked an unlikely infiltrator. He’d need to find a way to discourage her before matters became too serious. “This is very dangerous, comrade, and I doubt you have much field experience.”
“Don’t you start,” said Callie. “Riva’s already proved she’s plenty tough.”
For now, it was easier to play along. “Then let’s discuss logistics. It’s exam time, so Mineko won’t have classes. The first place to look is her room, but realistically, she could be anywhere on campus. ”
“Can I use my disguise from last time? It suited me.”
“I have a superstition about wearing the same disguise twice. You two could pass for students. Being a little older, I’d be better off as a lecturer.”
Kade opened the cupboard that contained the Gazette’s collection of stolen uniforms. He passed the women a pair of dark blue overalls before taking a teal-colored lecturer’s uniform for himself. “Just put them on over your clothes. They’re very loose-fitting.”
Riva knelt to unzip her boots. Goldie trotted over and stuck his nose in her ear. She giggled. “Callie, call him off.”
“Goldie!” Callie clapped her hands, and Goldie dropped to his haunches and gazed at her in adoration. “That’s a good boy.”
“I’m surprised you don’t keep a dog,” said Kade. “Something to guard your salvage.”
“Dogs don’t live long out my way. Either they get injured and die, or something wild takes them. And plenty of wild things walk on two legs.”
“Port Venn might be different,” said Riva. “You could get a puppy there.”
“Maybe. I’d love to have my own little pup.” Callie kicked off her left boot, and Goldie sniffed it. “You are coming with us, right?”
“Um.” Riva began to remove her facial piercings. “As much as I might like to, I’m not sure Lexi would want me along.”
“Who cares? I want you to come, isn’t that enough? You’d always have a place with me.”
Riva gave her a stern look. “You shouldn’t make promises to people you barely know.”
“I know you well enough.” Callie wrestled her way into the student uniform. “Anyway, I think Lexi would let you follow her anywhere. What do you think, Kade?”
The question set Kade itching for a beer, but he managed to resist the call of the fridge. “Where you go in this world shouldn’t be decided on the basis of how she feels. I learned that lesson many years ago.”
“It’s hard to have found her, only to lose her,” Riva said. “But it’ll hurt so much more to follow her and then be pushed away.”
“Don’t take her attitude too seriously. She’s not as superior as she wants you to think, but she’s a better person than she’d like you to believe.”
Riva grimaced as she buttoned up her stolen uniform. “It’s ironic. We spend our whole lives trying to find an authentic way to live, yet we always seem to be forced into some new disguise or other.”
Words that could have easily been his own, spoken with a measure of despair he understood too well. If only Kade dared to tell her the truth, so she could understand that nobody was brave enough to walk through this world entirely naked of deceptions.
Not even Lexi Vale.
* * *
Parked in an alley offering a view of the University’s eastern wall, they sat in the back of the van while passing a printed schematic between them.
Riva inspected the page before handing it to Callie, who subjected it to much closer scrutiny. “I count eleven entry points,” she said. “How many do you think he’ll have covered?”
“Agents work in squads of three,” said Kade. “Lachlan wouldn’t involve more than two squads, for fear of drawing rebuke from his boss, so let’s assume he has about six agents on the inside.”
“Okay. And he’s not going to have them all stand at doorways, because that’d be dumb. He’d put some in central areas.” Callie prodded the blueprint. “Like this open section.”
“The campus lawn. It offers line of sight to all three major school buildings.”
“Science, Medicine, and Politics.”
“Right. By the way, if anyone asks, you study Mechanical Engineering. Riva, you’re doing a major in Family Ethics.”
Riva stuck out her tongue. “Nasty.”
“And I’m a lecturer in Environmental Politics. Don’t be afraid to bullshit. Remember, Codists are deferential by nature. They’re taught that people outside the wall are primitive, savage simpletons, so they’ll never believe for a moment you might be an outsider.”
Callie held the blueprint to the light. “Some of these entry points are too convenient. These two near Min’s dorm, for example. There’s no way Reed will leave those unguarded. And this one here opens into the back streets, which would make it perfect for a getaway. He’ll cover it for sure.”
“I’m suppose you’re right.”
“You know I am. Now, clear something up for me. You said you don’t wear the same uniform twice.”
“Not if I can help it.”
“I bet you have a similar superstition about breaking in through the same door twice.”
Kade nodded. “Got me there.”
“You seem to know Reed inside and out. My hunch is, he feels the same way about you. Probably prides himself on it. And he’ll tell himself, ‘I can’t know exactly how Kade will get in, but I do know one thing for sure. He never uses the same door twice.’”
Callie circled an entrance point with her finger. “The door we entered by last time. He won’t put a guard there.”
It was remarkable to see Callie in her element—confident, mature, and completely focused on her task. “Maybe,” he said.
“Count on it.” Callie tapped the thick black line that demarcated the enclave wall. “Why aren’t there security cameras on the perimeter?”
“The Code forbids the use of security cameras within enclaves.”
“Really?” said Riva. “I thought they were a surveillance society.”
“In a sense. But Codists can’t spy on other Codists without it seeming grossly hypocritical. Their doctrine champions blind trust.”
Callie frowned. “But what does Min’s dad do if not spy on people?”
“Code Intel collects data and monitors suspicious behavior. But camera networks are both indiscriminate and indiscreet. Even if you automate them, many kinds of middlemen are involved—architects, electricians, maintenance people. You can’t necessarily control who has access to footage or who gets watched. That’s why Code Intel relies on human agents as its eyes and ears.”
“How do you know all this stuff?”
Kade gave a rueful smile. “Traitor or not, Lachlan told me things about the Codists I would never have learned anywhere else. He once admitted that there’s almost nothing to stop the enclaves being raided. These walls are potent symbols of impenetrability, but there are plenty of explosives capable of breaching them. He was immensely curious why Nikolas and the others had never tried it.”
“The Codist military,” said Riva. “They nu
mber in the thousands.”
“Sure. But they’re stationed on the outskirts, ready to stop Foundation from being invaded by the coastal republics or the Port Venn junta. It’d be simple for a lone revolutionary to assassinate one or more members of the Committee before being stopped. Lachlan once said that we ought to arm Amity to the teeth and send her in. I thought it was funny at the time. Now I’m not sure he wasn’t trying to drop a hint on me.”
Callie held out a battered backpack. “Is it okay if I wear this?
“That’s fine. It looks a little rougher than the nice satchels the students have, but you’re an engineering major, after all. There is something I’m worried about, however. Riva, I think you already know what it is.”
Her guilty look was confirmation. “My hair,” she said.
Callie stared at Riva’s head of pink hair. The fallen Mohawk concealed some of her shave, but she was still visibly clipped almost to the scalp. Certainly not a style in vogue among Codists.
“She can wear a cap,” Callie said. “I wore mine last time.”
“A cap’s not going to cover that,” Kade said.
Riva took a deep breath. “I could shave it all off.”
“Hell no,” said Callie. “You’re not giving up your gorgeous ’hawk on my watch. Lexi would kill me.” She dragged a plastic box from the surrounding clutter. “I’m a smuggler, remember? I carry disguises.”
Well, shit. Kade tried not to look dismayed as Callie held up a shoulder-length black wig. “I’m not sure that would be convincing,” he said.
“It’s a good wig, and you yourself said that shut-ins are mostly dumb.”
Riva gathered up a handful of the hanging tresses. “This is funny. I swore I’d never wear one of these.”
“You swore never to wear a wig? Why?”
“Reasons.” Riva flashed a cryptic smile. “Just promise not to laugh at me.”
“Funny you say that. My ex was the last person to wear this wig. The girl the Viper was talking about.” Callie turned the hairpiece in her hands, smoothing the glossy strands. “She put it on as a joke, and I giggled until my chest hurt. It didn’t even look strange or anything. It was just the way she did it. She always knew how to make me laugh.”
This conversation didn’t seem intended for Kade. He set the blueprint on his knees and feigned studying it.
“I’m sorry you had to listen to that Viper asshole,” Riva said. “He really was a disgusting person.”
“Not so long ago, his words would have hurt. But things have changed.” Callie wound the wig’s black hairs around her finger. “When my ex broke my heart, I figured I’d let it stay broken. If someone that kind and funny could hurt me so bad, then anyone could, right? But then I stumbled into a girl so sweet, generous, and beautiful, I’m starting to think I could risk anything for her.”
Riva smiled. “We’ll get Min out of there. Don’t worry.”
“Sure. Right.” Callie blushed and glanced at Kade, who quickly looked away. “Let’s get this wig on you…”
* * *
The University’s wall dwarfed every other structure in the district, and the trio walked in silence beneath its shadow. After a few minutes, they arrived at the maintenance entrance, a nondescript steel door within a shallow alcove.
Callie pointed to a steel box inside the alcove. “So the keypad is under that hinged cover?”
“That’s right. It’s not locked, though. You can just flip it up.”
“Forget that.” Callie dug into her satchel and emerged with a pair of thick gloves and a standard screwdriver. “I’m going to take the whole thing to pieces. Better safe than sorry.”
“You’re certain you won’t break it?”
Callie gave Kade a long, level look. “Please.”
She jammed the screwdriver into the gap between the box and the wall. “Just gotta pry this off, and… See, there’s the screws, hidden behind this strip of metal. If there’s a monitoring circuit, I’ll bypass it. Then I’ll overload the security circuit and the door will pop open. All shut-in doors default to open when a security circuit is jammed.”
With fascinated eyes, Riva watched over Callie’s shoulder. She looked conventionally beautiful now, with her piercings removed and her features softened by straight black bangs and luxurious locks that seemed a natural complement to her olive-brown skin.
“Somebody should watch our backs,” said Callie. “Would you mind, chickadee?”
“No problem.” Riva walked some distance from the alcove and stood looking up and down the street. In her uniform and wig, she appeared every bit a Codist. Lexi would have been heartbroken to see it.
“Come over here.” Callie beckoned to Kade, and he moved deeper into the alcove, wedging himself between the control panel and the door. “You’re a prick, you know that? There’s no way in hell you didn’t think of her hair when we were back at the Gazette.”
Damn it. He’d thought he’d gotten away with it. “Callie, I—”
“You kept quiet because you wanted to spring the problem on her late. Scare her into changing her mind at the last minute. Admit it.”
“It’s true, yes, but you can’t blame me for trying. Lexi told me to look out for her. Letting her go into an enclave is in direct contradiction to that promise.”
“You’re all so stupid.” Callie eased the box from the wall, exposing a panel covered in electronics. “Everyone treats her like she’s made of glass, and it pisses her off. She’ll never say so, but it does.”
“How did you get so good at reading people?”
“I don’t understand all people, Kade. Just the ones who are like me.” Callie chipped away at a soldered board. “Staying strong means taking chances. Otherwise we forget what we’re capable of. When I’m on a bike, I don’t ride fast because I want to die. I do it to prove to myself that if I ever need to fly, nobody will be able to stop me.”
“Do you have any idea how unique you are?”
“Unique is just another word for lonely, isn’t it? Now stand back. I’m going to connect this battery to the terminals.”
The circuit sparked beneath Callie’s gloved fingers. An acrid smell choked the alcove, accompanied by gouts of smoke. A second later, the door hissed into the wall, moving smoothly along a narrow track carved through the brick. Behind was a short tunnel.
“Safety regulations,” said Kade. “Proof the Codists aren’t all bad.”
“Riva!” Callie waved, and Riva rejoined them. “Check it out.”
“You’re so clever.” Riva admired the blackened circuits. “Where would we be without you?”
Callie dimpled. “Stuck waiting for a ride, that’s where.” Shouldering the satchel, she set off down the tunnel.
It was cool inside the hollowed brick. Dust coated the floor, a fine layer marked with footprints and trails indicating where items had been dragged or wheeled. The overhead bulbs were dim. If not for the wedge of sunlight behind them, it would have been hard not to feel entombed.
Steel steps rose to a tarnished metal door. Callie opened it with a nudge of her boot. A fragrant rush of air carried the sound of conversation and laughter. “Oh my God,” said Riva. “It’s beautiful.”
From this elevated section of campus, almost everything in the enclave was visible—trees clustered around dormitories, the high white towers of the Politics building, the golden dome atop Medicine, glimpses of lakes and fountains joined by intricate pathways, blue-uniformed students strolling through the scenic landscape…
“Those are the three school buildings.” Kade indicated Politics, Medicine, and Science one after another. “That’s the elite dorm over there, in that clearing.” He gestured to a four-story building that rose above an encircling barrier of white-blossomed trees.
Riva shaded her eyes as she looked down the hill toward a group of students playing football. “Do they know how lucky they are?”
“They’re taught from an early age that they’re lucky, but they don’t understand what that
truly means. Privilege is just a word to them.”
“And you think Min is willing to leave all this behind?”
“Sure,” said Callie. “What’s the point of a beautiful world if you can’t ever be happy in it?”
“How perverse. A paradise built for a society forbidden to enjoy it.”
Kade hadn’t yet stepped from the shadow of the wall. It was hard not to feel exposed here, even though none of the students below seemed to be paying any attention.
“Let’s go join our fellow utopians,” he said. “Just keep an eye open for anyone in black.”
* * *
They didn’t make it far.
Two agents cut across a lawn with a determined stride. It soon became apparent that neither was interested in Riva, who continued to walk down the path unimpeded.
Callie wasn’t so fortunate.
“Student, please stop for a moment.” The agent was young, maybe early twenties, but his pale face was stern. “May I see inside your satchel?”
“My satchel?” Callie looked convincingly puzzled. “Why?”
“A precaution.”
“Excuse me,” said Kade. “What’s going on here?”
The other agent, a dark-complexioned girl with iridescent green eyes, glared at him. “Don’t get involved, please.”
“This student is attending my next exam preparation seminar. You’ll be delaying everyone.”
“We won’t take long. Student, the satchel.”
Callie shrugged off the backpack. The first agent took it from her and glanced inside. His forehead furrowed.
“What’s this?” He flourished a battered yellow device trailing two leads.
“Multimeter,” said Callie.
Kade slipped his hand inside his pocket. The revolver was concealed within its baggy depths, safety engaged but fully loaded. “This seems a waste of your valuable time, agents.”
“We’ll be the judge of that,” said the green-eyed young agent. As she spoke, she studied Kade closely.
The man took a set of tools from Callie’s backpack. “Explain this, please.”
“I study mechanical engineering.”
“These look like lockpicks. Why would you need lockpicks?”
“To open locks.”
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