by Dawn Norwell
To both of our surprises, I began whistling Hush Little Baby as loudly as I could, taking one final shot at Thane. He bit the inside of his jaw, weighing the pros and cons of taking me out right here, right now. But he knew that the Syndicate wouldn’t be happy with him if he killed me this way, so he had no choice but to deal with my insolence.
After the longest march of my life, we reached the stairs that led to the Concord’s street level. Now that my time in confinement was officially at a close, adrenaline gave me some renewed energy, and with it came the nervousness I had been avoiding for so long. Now it was Thane’s turn to smirk as he sensed my qualms.
He pushed me forward again. As I mounted the steps, I was disoriented from the brightness of the sun. After weeks of living in the shadowy cell below ground, it almost hurt to see daylight.
Several yards away, I heard Rocell’s familiar voice echoing through the city. “Our final defendant is Kai Markavitch of 717 Amethyst Circle. Kai stands accused of espionage, treason, inciting a rebellion, and aiding an enemy. She was found outside the barrier, living amongst a group of exiled unsuits,” the announcer said in disgust.
Hearing my name read aloud made the moment all the more real. My legs began shaking again, but this time it was from fear. All I could think of was how much I hoped it wouldn’t hurt when I died.
Agitated shrieks and horrified gasps overlapped. A soda was thrown from the crowd and landed on my grimy, bare feet, covering them in the sticky liquid. Yells echoed through the square as I was brought onto the platform, standing powerlessly in front of my former cohabitants. People rushed forward in anger, besieging the stage in a riotous attempt to attack me.
Among the crowd, I noticed Cora, crying out for my execution. Her expression was full of anger and loathing as she screamed out in hatred. The years of walking to class together and visiting the flower shop each week were long forgotten. The way she looked at me told me that I was the enemy now.
Although I had never enjoyed the ceremony, many suits found it to be the highlight of their month. My long list of offenses and the corresponding punishment would be the cherry on top of their fun-filled night. I reflected on my times standing in the crowd, watching in submissive silence as another traitor was sentenced to death.
Looking back, I wished that I had stepped up sooner; done something, anything, that might have saved one of their lives, just as I longed for someone would do the same for me now. But I knew no one would come forward; it would be suicide to do so.
“What say you, tribunal?” the announcer asked.
I stared at the members of the Syndicate who would determine my fate with wide eyes, hoping beyond hope that they would have mercy. If only they would exile me, I could find my way back to Nova and Zander and continue the life I had worked so hard to build there. But they would never show me such sympathy.
I turned toward Thane, who was standing beside me, holding me in place. A large smile formed on his lips as he interpreted the panic in my face. He was arrogant now, knowing that he would be getting the final retaliation after all.
The seconds seemed like hours as the council deliberated, my heart thumping anxiously in my ears. As the Syndicate members narrowed their eyes at me, I could see that they hated me as much as I hated them. Any vestige of hope I had once held quickly vanished.
“We find the defendant, Kai Markavitch, guilty of all accused crimes. We sentence her to death, effective immediately,” the head panelist said.
The crowd erupted in applause. Though I had suspected as much, my heart still sank as the reality of the situation set in. In a matter of minutes, Kai Markavitch would be dead. She would be a memory, a thing of the past, someone who was no longer here to enjoy life. I was terrified of dying, but more than anything, I felt guilty for causing Zander to lose another person who he loved.
“Ms. Markavitch, you are permitted one final statement. Now is the time to make that statement, if you so choose,” the head panelist said.
I contemplated this for a moment. On the one hand, I didn’t want to say anything for fear that I would lose control of my emotions. I wasn’t sure if I could keep my voice steady enough to even speak. I didn’t want to give anyone, especially Thane, the satisfaction of seeing me like that during my final moments.
But at the same time, what if other suits had the same perspective that I did when I lived in Concord, feeling suffocated and overwhelmed, ready to escape the dome by any manner possible. If I could do something to help them know they weren’t alone or to give them hope, just as Leilani had done for me, then it was my obligation to do so. I owed it to them, and I owed it to Nova to raise as much awareness as I could.
I glanced sideways at the tribunal. They raised their eyebrows, a warning not to say too much, but what could they do to me that they hadn’t already done? They were already taking my life away as readily as if it were snuffing out a candle. If they were going to kill me anyway, I may as well go out with a bang.
I took a deep breath and turned toward the crowd, unsure what I was going to say. To everyone’s surprise, my own included, I giggled. Shock resonated through the town as the laughter continued until I was chortling uncontrollably, doubled over, gasping for breath.
“I can’t believe you think that this is a punishment,” I managed to say between chuckles. “Death isn’t a punishment. This,” I said, motioning to the crowd, “is the real punishment. You are prisoners in Concord, and you don’t even realize it.
“Being a suit is not freedom; it’s confinement. All of your choices are made for you, from your romantic relationships to the clothes you wear each day. True freedom is out there.” I pointed to the wastelands beyond the dome. “The unsuits aren’t disease-ridden monsters like you’ve been told. They are kind, compassionate, resourceful people who saved my life. Despite the odds, they survived and have created a city of their own. A city that the Syndicate,” I yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the panelists, “tried to destroy with nuclear warfare just a few months ago.”
The majority of the crowd heckled or brushed my statement off with a dismissing wave just as I knew they would, but I could see speculation and intrigue in some of their faces. The sight gave me hope. Even just a little doubt could go a long way in a rebellion. This could be just the spark needed to send the whole system up into flames.
“That’s enough, Ms. Markavitch,” the head panelist said, his eyes cautioning me to be quiet. But I refused to be silenced.
“The group is called Nova, and they are fighting against the Syndicate and their tyrannical methods,” I called over the shouts of the crowd. The head panelist gives Thane a nod, telling him to do whatever was necessary to shut me up. Thane grabbed me by the waist and dragged me, kicking and fighting, across the stage to the execution box, but even that wasn’t going to prevent me from saying what needed to be said.
“Imagine life without the Syndicate or TIMs breathing down your necks. That’s what you could have if you’re willing to fight for it! We may all die in the process, but at least we would be free of the Syndicate’s oppression!” I continued my speech, watching in delight at the panelists’ alarmed expressions.
Thane, being the loyal employee that he was, brought his fist to my nose to quiet me. Lights danced before my eyes as pain shot across my cheeks. Blood poured down my face, staining the tattered clothes I was wearing, and creating a puddle on the stage. I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn’t form words before Thane’s foot made contact with my ribs. I let out a groan and collapsed on stage.
For the first time in my life, the square fell completely silent as the suits watched me fall to my knees in a pool of scarlet. I climbed unsteadily to my feet, my eyes scanning the crowd as they stared at me in alarm. I could only imagine how terrifying I looked at that moment as blood continued pouring from my broken nose. The only sound was that of my labored breathing and the drip of my blood as it fell to the stage floor.
Abruptly, the crowd erupted again, but this time, their cr
ies of disgust were directed at Thane and his brutality. Unnecessary violence was against Concord law, even when aimed at prisoners. Even executions were said to be quick and painless. Witnessing Thane’s violence incensed them.
Thane took a step back, dumbstruck, as the people of Concord turned against him. Regardless of what the Syndicate ordered, he knew that he had messed up. It was one thing to abuse your power behind closed doors, but the entire city of Concord had just witnessed Thane breaking protocol. There was no justifying his actions now. In an attempt to prevent me from causing a revolt, he may have just triggered one himself.
How do you like it? I thought smugly.
Over the thunderous noise, I vaguely heard the panelists telling Thane to continue carrying out my sentence. With less vigor, Thane released me from my holographic handcuffs and forced me the rest of the way across the stage. I was almost shaking with fear when I was locked inside. The TIMs began surrounding me, their lasers pointing straight at my chest. Although my heart was hammering and a layer of nervous sweat had formed on my back, I was determined to follow Leilani’s example, and maintain my dignity, refusing to let Thane, or anyone else in Concord, see me falter.
As I reflected on my life during those final moments, I regretted nothing. Not my defiance against Concord, or fleeing the dome, for it showed me a new way of life. Leaving helped me see the error of our ways, helped me see beyond labels and, learn to accept others, despite our differences.
Though my choices would certainly lead to my demise, I would do it again tenfold, for I had found love, true, everlasting love, a thing of fairytales, the kind that you only get once in a lifetime. And for me, that made my impending death worth it. I took a deep breath, steadying myself, and closed my eyes.
Okay, I’m ready.
The whirl of the TIMs munitions echoed through the air as they accessed their deuterium fluoride stores, ready to shoot them through my heart, disintegrating my body like it was made of ash.
My body tensed as the noise intensified, getting louder and louder in my ears. I braced myself for the oncoming pain that was sure to follow. I waited, and waited, and waited, listening to myself scream in some faraway place. Still, I didn’t feel anything.
That’s when I realized that the shrieks I heard didn’t belong to me- they belonged to the bystanders in the crowd.
I opened my eyes to see complete pandemonium ensuing. The TIMs were no longer encasing the execution chamber but were preoccupied with shooting at a large, metallic object in the distance. People ran in every which direction in a panic, screaming as explosions detonated one after another throughout the square.
“Kai, is that you?” a familiar voice asked, unsure. “Kai!”
I pried my eyes away from the bloodbath to find Ximea standing on the other side of the stage. Bewilderment and uncertainty colored her face as she took in my crazed appearance. After a moment of scrutinizing, she accepted that it really was me, and ran toward the execution chamber. She began tinkering with the latch on the outside of the box in an attempt to break me free.
“Ximea?” I asked, stunned, as she opened the door. “What are you doing here?”
“We came to get you,” she said, pulling me into a welcoming embrace. “I’ll explain everything later. We’ve got to hurry and get you out of here while the Syndicate is distracted.”
She grabbed my hand and pulled me down the stairs two at a time. I stumbled often as we ran across the square, hunger and terror racking my body with tremors. I was slowing Ximea down, risking her life with each passing second, but she never let go of my hand.
We ran through the town, dodging eruptions as we went, and darted into a nearby alley. There, a small fighter aircraft was waiting, a bright orange Tiger Lily painted on its wings.
Nova, I breathed. They came all the way here for me, a suit? I could hardly believe it.
Ximea and I were only a few feet from the plane, so close that I could nearly reach out my hand to touch it, when an explosion resonated high above our heads, causing debris began to fall on us like rain. A piece of rock made contact with my forehead, causing the world around me to spin. I staggered, falling to the ground as the ringing in my ears intensified. Ximea tried to help me to my feet, but I was too dizzy to move.
I glanced around me in a daze. I spotted Thane across the square, his eyes searching, finding me hidden in the alley. With a rueful smile, he began running toward me, determination in his eyes.
No… please, I begged. I knew if Thane got his hands on me again, he would never let me go.
Again I tried to get to my feet, wobbling like a newborn deer attempting to stand for the first time, but it was no use. Between my new injuries and the weeks of malnutrition, I didn’t have the energy to stand, let alone run away. Thane had me cornered.
I watched in terror, helpless, as Thane closed the distance between us. He was almost to me when, suddenly, he fell to the ground with a loud thud, unconscious. I look up to see Zander standing over him, a taser at the ready.
Zander paused for a moment, looking deep into my eyes. I saw a combination of surprise and relief in his bright blues.
“Go, Ximea! Take Kai, and head back to Nova,” he called as Thane started to come to.
“What about you and Athena?” she asked.
“We’ll grab another aircraft. Don’t worry about us; we’ll be fine. Just get Kai out of here, or this whole operation will have been a waste!”
I was vaguely aware of Ximea grabbing me by the shoulders and hauling me through the rumble to the nearest plane. I wanted to argue with her, to pull away and refuse to go anywhere without Zander, but I couldn’t even if I tried. I was exhausted, weighed down by the burden of the past few weeks. Keeping my eyes open was a chore, and even that was becoming increasingly difficult. Finally, I felt myself slipping into the dark oblivion, my body forcing me to rest now, knowing that I was safe now.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: THE PRICE PAID
T he beeping of the all too familiar hospital machines woke me up.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Ximea said as I opened my eyes. I tried to sit up, but she pushed me gently back into the hospital bed. “Don’t move too much, or you’ll tear your stitches. Your body has been through a lot,” she said, her lips narrowing into angry slits.
I could tell. My mind was fuzzy, and my body was so lethargic, all I wanted to do was sleep. It took me a full minute to remember the attack on Concord. My heart rate quickened as I recalled my imprisonment, near execution, and last-minute rescue. What happened after we escaped?
“How did you know where to find me?” I asked, my voice cracking. None of the unsuits had been inside the dome; it was illogical that they would know the right place to be, and the right time to be there.
“Zander found the sketches you left behind. He was infuriated at first, thinking that you fled to Concord on your own in some martyr mission. It wasn’t until we saw the footage from the clinic surveillance that we realized what really happened. Zander is beyond pissed that a suit was able to breach our security and hide undercover for God only knows how long. Needless to say, someone will be losing their job.”
I pitied whoever had to endure Zander’s wrath. I knew he was upset, but it wasn’t anyone’s blunder that allowed Drayman to live incognito in Nova. He was smart, resourceful, and had an army of suits behind him. The Syndicate was never going to let me escape unscathed. One way or another, they were sending someone to get me, no matter what fortifications Nova had in place.
Ximea hung her head in disgust. “I should never have left you alone that night, Kai. That asshole would’ve never had the chance to snatch you if I had been here. I’ll never forgive myself for that,” she said. Her brown eyes were swollen and encased in a ring of red; she had been crying.
“Hey, it’s not your fault,” I said, grabbing her hand comfortingly, my body protesting the movement. “If anything, it’s mine. I should have been more perceptive, should have recognized him from my time living in Concord.
”
She shook her head. “You let your defenses down because you felt safe here, and rightfully so. None of us could have suspected that there would be a member of the Syndicate living among us. But Zander is taking over as the head of the Defense Department, and he’s going to make sure nothing like that happens again.”
I shivered at the notion, hoping Zander’s adjustments to our barricades would prevent a repeat incident. Coming so close to death had left a permanent scar on me, a fragment of my peace of mind that would never resurface. I didn’t want to endure that terror again.
“I just hate that you went through all of that, Kai,” Ximea continued. “I can tell just by looking at your scans that you endured a lot while you were imprisoned. That’s why I’m glad we got you to safety,” Ximea sighed. “But there were some… sacrifices… that had to be made in the process,” she said, discreetly wiping a tear from her cheek.
My mind immediately jumped to the worst-case scenario. “Zander…” I breathed. My mind recalled him staying behind in Concord, keeping Thane under control to ensure we got to safety. What if he wasn’t so fortunate?
“No, Zander is fine,” she said, and I let out an audible sigh. “He and the retrieval team were able to get out. Well, most of them.”
I sensed the implications in her words. “How many?” I asked, my heart faltering as I realized what she was insinuating.
“We lost four soldiers. Two died in action, and the others died after. None of them were captured, thank God. Zander made sure we all had a cyanide capsule to be safe. Who knows what they would have endured if they hadn’t had them,” she said. I cringed at what she was suggesting.
“But, you should know,” Ximea continued, taking a deep breath to steady herself, “that Athena went on the mission, despite Zander’s many attempts to keep her here. As we were leaving, she was gravely injured,” Ximea said, her voice small. “We did what we could to save her, but she was dead before the plane made it back to Nova.”