Ash

by Shani Petroff

  “I know,” I replied. “But it sounds like she’s okay. You know she’ll have the best treatment they can provide.”

  He nodded slowly, hopefully. “How did you get involved in this. And how did she? It’s,” he paused, trying to find the right word. “It’s not like her.”

  So I gave him the short story of everything that had happened, ending with Madden. “I was desperate,” I explained, “so I asked her for help. I knew she cared about you. I took a gamble on how much. When she said yes… I guess, there’s a lot more to Madden than I realized.” Which was a colossal understatement if she’d been telling the truth in that last minute. “Our destinies switched,” she had said. They were the ravings of someone seriously injured. They had to be. Right?

  Before I could ask Link about it, a door on the far side of the subway car slid open. The two brothers I’d met at the rendezvous in the Ash zone walked in. This time they wore pure black, as did the four others—two men, two women—who followed them in. “Zane,” the larger of the two brother’s shouted. “Hail, captain,” the other hollered. This was followed by a lot of complicated handshaking and backslapping between the whole group.

  Oena walked over to us then. “Dax, I’ve got a team checking the route back to Yellow before we send you home. It shouldn’t be much longer. Your tracker is showing you on a run right now through Green. It will be a hard path to trace if there are patrols out looking for you. Just stick to what your map says if anyone asks and you should be fine.

  “Okay,” I said. “Will I still be able to talk to Link when I get back?”

  Oena paused, considering, then grabbed my wrist. She frowned as she tapped over it, then released my arm back to me. “I’ve added another channel in here to speak with Link. Don’t worry, it’s untraceable—all of our programs should be. We’ll set Link up with a modified tracker too.”

  She saw my look of happiness and held up one hand in caution. “For emergencies only. We can’t be too careful. Understood?”

  “Sure,” I agreed. “Thank you.”

  “Good. Now let me introduce you to the others.”

  For the next little while I actually found myself having fun. There was the residual exhilaration of having gotten away with breaking three people out of prison. And then there was the simple happiness of standing next to my brother. What I hadn’t counted on was what it would feel like to be surrounded by people who all wanted to talk to me. No wonder the Purples got to school early. More and more groups of people stopped in. Five here, ten there, until soon the space was packed. I noticed that all went to Zane first. Some were genuinely happy to see him. Others seemed more reserved, almost nervous. Their clothing varied. Most wore black, but there was still color in the mix from most of the rings. Whether their designations were true was another story. Despite Link’s initial unease, he was soon talking to various groups. The conversations ranged from radical changes to the system to smaller ideas that I knew could make a difference. No one here cared about the destinies they’d been born with. They spoke like people in control of their futures, with choices to make. I found myself thinking they were right.

  Soon enough I got the signal that it was time to go. I realized I had no idea when I would see Link again. “You’ll be okay?” I asked.

  He looked around at the people surrounding us, nodding. “Yeah, actually, I think I will,” he said. We walked off to the side of the crowd gathered. “I still can’t believe this is real. That Revenants actually exist. Or that Aldan was dating one.” His face still had the shell-shocked look whenever he said Aldan’s name. I recognized it from my own. “Maybe this is where I was meant to be. I might even be able to do some good here. I’ll miss you though. All of you.”

  “I’ll come down here when I can.”

  He shook his head. “You shouldn’t get mixed up with this group. After this, the PAE will be looking for a reason to get back at our family.”

  I didn’t want to argue, but I needed him to understand. “It’s my fight too,” I said. “You’re not the only one who gets to take a stand for what you believe in.”

  He was silent for a moment, considering. “I just worry about you.”

  “I know. I worry about you too. I wish I could tell Mom, Dad, and everyone that you’re okay.”

  “They’re better off not knowing,” he said. “I might not be able keep you out of this world, but we can keep them out of it. Okay?”

  “Okay,” I agreed.

  “And try to stay low for awhile,” he warned again. “As a Blank, you’re going to be a prime suspect.”

  “I know,” I said. “About that… Madden said something to me at the UV building.” Even thinking about saying the words aloud felt surreal, but I needed to tell someone. “She said my destiny and hers were switched at birth. She said I was supposed to be the minister.” I held up a hand, anticipating Link’s response. “I know it sounds impossible. Of course destinies can’t be switched, but, well, what do you think?”

  Link looked at me, doubtful. “I don’t know, Dax. She was hurt pretty badly. Chances are she was delirious.”

  “I know,” I said. “I thought that too, but Sol heard us talking. He wasn’t surprised. I could see it on his face. He believed what she told me. He thinks I’m the future minister, not Madden.”

  “Dax?” a voice interrupted. Zane stood there, an eyebrow raised. “The tunnel is clear. It’s time to go.”

  “I’ll be right there,” I said.

  “Meet me at the door when you’re ready. I’ll escort you myself.” He nodded to Link before walking back into the gathering.

  Link watched him walk away, his expression unreadable.

  “So what do you think?” I said.

  “I think you should be careful around that guy. Maybe we can have Oena or someone else take you.”

  “Stop, I’m not worried about Zane. Everyone here trusts him. I mean, he’s their leader, right? I’m probably safer with him than anyone else. But I was talking about what Madden said. What do you think?” I pressed.

  “Honestly, it sounds pretty looped out. I don’t know.” He looked lost in thought. “For now you just need to get home. Wait until Madden is better, then ask her. If it’s true, she’ll tell you.”

  Link reached out and crushed me into another hug, then held me out, both hands on my shoulders. “Be careful, Dax.” He glanced over to where Zane was waiting for me. “And let’s not trust these people completely. Not yet, okay?”

  Typical big brother, I thought. He’d still be trying to protect me when we were old. If we made it that long. “Sure,” I said. I gave him one last hug before I followed after Zane.

  I said quick goodbyes to the others before leaving the car, then Zane and I walked back out into the tombs, heading the opposite way we’d come from.

  We made our way in companionable silence. It didn’t take long before we stood under a short ladder. I zipped out of my worker’s uniform. Underneath I wore my typical t-shirt and pants. I handed the uniform back to him. Moonlight seeped in from a grate overhead casting long shadows over us both.

  “Thanks for the escort,” I said.

  “It’s you I should be thanking,” Zane replied. I’d seen him exuberant, obnoxious, crazy even. This was the first time he’d been serious. “You saved my life,” he continued. “I won’t forget that.”

  I shrugged, suddenly awkward. “You’re welcome. You should thank Oena, though. And Thom. They were the ones who organized everything.”

  “But you were the one who put the group together. Like calls to like. I recognize another leader when I meet one.” He tilted his head to one side, his expression curious. “Oena tells me you’re a Blank, like me.”

  I nodded.

  “We’re rare,” he said. “Luckier than most. Others use destiny as an excuse. You and I don’t have that problem. Nothing to drive us forward but ourselves.”

  “Oena mentioned something like that to me once before,” I replied. “I think I’m starting to see your poin
t.”

  He paused, studying me. “I have to admit that I overheard what you told your brother. About the switched destinies.”

  “Oh, that was—” I began.

  Zane held a hand up. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. But I did hear what you said.”

  “Then you know how unlikely it is. Madden was shot, she didn’t know what she was saying.”

  He nodded. “Perhaps, but if I believed in the system, I’d believe you could be a minister. You’d be well suited for it. Minister or Blank, I’m equally happy to have you on our side.”

  I kept the smile from my face, but Zane’s words warmed me. “Thanks,” I said. “I appreciate that.”

  He gave me a thoughtful look. “If you want, I can look into it for you. I’m good at finding out what I want to know. And information is more powerful when you can trust it.”

  I couldn’t see how Zane’s help would hurt anything. “Okay,” I agreed.

  “It’s settled then.” He climbed up the ladder, moving the grate to one side. He poked his head above ground before coming back down. “Your tracker data should keep your story straight, just stick to the facts—you were out for a long run that took you through most of the city zones. Contact us if you need anything. Anything at all,” he said.

  I waved goodbye as I exited the Tombs. After the dark mustiness of the underground, the world felt endless and I swallowed fresh air in gulps. However unlikely they were to be true, I played Madden’s words over and over in my mind. They kept me company as I sprinted through the empty streets toward home.

  I woke with a jolt, blinking open my eyes, straining to see past the fluorescent light overhead. For a brief second I wondered where I was, but then I saw them—the guards stationed outside of the door. I’d been captured, I was in the hospital. The PAE must have figured out I was part of the escape plan. The thought of what awaited forced me from my grogginess. I needed to be alert, I needed to think.

  I was in a hospital bed, that part was obvious. I moved to roll to one side and pain sliced through my abdomen. There were no restraints, but perhaps no one had thought I needed them. It was unlikely I’d make it too far on my own in this condition. That, paired with the two PAE officers less than twenty feet away, guaranteed I’d stay put. I tried to ease myself up, wincing before I leaned back. I didn’t have the strength. Just shifting caused a stabbing pain to sear through my body. So this is what being shot was like. I wondered how the others had fared.

  It was only a matter of time before the inquisition would start. Then it would be the cells, or the Ward, or worse—they’d remove me. Maybe the ministers would have mercy and let me say goodbye to my father and Nora first. I squeezed my eyes shut. It wouldn’t matter—my family wouldn’t want to see me once they discovered the truth about my destiny and my recent actions. The thought was almost as painful as the gunshot wound.

  Maybe I was better off pretending I was in a coma. It was probably a better fate than what I’d be facing. I quickly dismissed the idea—I’d been awake for a minute and was already antsy. There was no way I’d be able to stay like this much longer. Besides, the PAE weren’t the only ones who wanted answers. I needed to know if Sol and Link and the rest of them got away.

  I was no longer a future leader, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t behave like one. I pressed the call button next to me, and waited to face my punishment.

  In a matter of seconds, two people were standing over me. One furiously checking my vitals, the other scanning my body with her handheld MRI machine.

  “Get the minister in here,” the one looking over my data spoke into his wrist tracker. “He wanted to know as soon as she was up.”

  Normally, doctors and nurses doted over me when I went to see them. These two wouldn’t even look me in the eye. My drop in status was apparently already widespread. “How long have I been here?” I asked.

  The male doctor looked at me, opened his mouth, then shut it, instead turning away.

  “You can’t even answer me?” I yelled. “You’re my doctors. Didn’t you take some sort of oath? Or does that not matter in the face of the government.”

  The door swung open, and Minister Worthington walked in. His expression was neutral as he loomed over me, stroking his gray beard in consideration. “I told them not to speak with you. I wanted to be the first, to make sure the story doesn’t get tainted by outsiders.” He gestured toward the doctors. “You two can go.”

  They left. It was just me and the minister. A hospital was not where I wanted to be questioned. The country rarely saw crime—who knew how it would handle the situation? We no longer had a need for juries or judges. Would he go back to pre-destiny times when they tortured criminals for answers? He probably thought I deserved it. Not only did I keep my true destiny a secret, but I’d helped three criminals escape.

  Worthington angrily paced the room. “We lost three officers in the breakout,” he said.

  I closed my eyes letting the news sink in. I’d seen Zane shoot them, but everything had happened so fast that I’d still hoped that they’d pulled through. This so wasn’t what I had intended to happen. I just wanted to help Link. No one was supposed to get hurt. Tears sprung to my eyes. I knew, or at least had seen, most of the officers in the building. I’d been to graduation and promotion ceremonies. I shook hands with spouses, children, of so many of those who served, and now I was partially responsible for their deaths. I might not have pulled the trigger, but if not for me they would still be alive. “I’m so sorry,” I said.

  “Me too,” he said. “And then there was you…”

  This was it, it was over. I readied myself for my punishment. The cells, the Ward, removal.

  He took a few steps closer. “I thought they got you too.”

  What?

  “Seeing you wounded like that,” he continued. “I was afraid you wouldn’t pull through. I’m so happy to see you’re alright.”

  I sucked in a deep breath until my lungs felt like they would burst. He didn’t know. He didn’t know my secret or that I was a part of the escape.

  My relief mixed with my guilt. I was free, at least for now, but did I deserve it? Three guards were gone.

  “Madden, what I need to know from you, is how did that Ash fit into the escape?”

  “Who?” I asked, the tears warm against my cheeks.

  “The Josephson boy. We found him by your side,” the minister explained.

  I held back a scream. Why hadn’t Sol run? He was supposed to leave me there, he was supposed to save himself, but he had stayed.

  “He says the two of you were kidnapped by a group of intruders. Is he telling the truth, or was he one of them?”

  “No,” I said, my mind racing. Thank the rings. Sol had covered for me, now I just had to run with it. “He tried to save my life. These people dressed as maintenance workers, they called themselves Revenants, forced me to let them into the building. Sol was working late and saw them. He tried to help me, but then they caught him too. He tried to get word to the outside, that’s how the guards were alerted.” It was a lie, but the only people who knew that were either dead or in on the escape plan. “He’s a hero. If anything, he should have his ring status elevated.”

  Worthington nodded. “I’ll take that under advisement.”

  “What about the others?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “They escaped. But we’ll find them. They’re dangerous people who will be removed, as will anyone protecting them. There’s a manhunt in progress now. They won’t be able to run long.”

  Link was safe. At least for the moment. The Revenants had stayed hidden for years, they’d be able to continue their invisibility streak. But then an awful thought occurred to me. Worthington wasn’t shocked that the Revenants existed. He had known. But the cells were never full. Did that mean those with the highest military access—like he and my father—handled those cases quietly? Were they killing dissenters without giving them a chance to defend themselves or repent? Had the government waged w
ar on the Revenants? Was Dax right?

  I didn’t have a chance to ask any more questions. The door to my room flung open and my father raced in, Nora right on his heels.

  “You’re awake,” he said, wrapping his arms around me bringing his head down to mine. He was sobbing. The last time I’d seen my father cry was right after my mother died.

  “I’ll give you all some time alone.” Minister Worthington moved toward the door. “Madden,” he paused. “We’re asking that you not discuss the details of what happened with anyone. We don’t want to cause a public panic. You’ll be briefed on what you can and cannot say. I’m glad you’re okay. Vanders,” he nodded at my father before slipping out of the room.

  My dad didn’t even acknowledge the minister, he just held onto me tightly. Before I knew it I was crying too.

  “Okay, make room,” Nora said. “I need to get in there too.” My father didn’t even object to having a Yellow give him an order. He just moved so she could come in.

  Nora gave me a hug, careful to avoid my injured side. Then she put both hands on my face and looked me straight in the eyes. “Don’t you ever do that to us again, you hear me?”

  I nodded.

  “Good,” she said. “Now we packed up some things for you since the doctors say you’ll be here while you recover.”

  My father handed her the bag she’d placed on the ground when she came in. In it was my cube with the pictures of my mother, some sugar cookies, my favorite pillowcase (it was a dark purple silk that smelled of lavender vanilla), and a book—the one Laira had given me to sign. I had left it on my dresser. Nora must have thought it was important to me.

  Both she and my father were looking at me with such love on their faces. I shivered to think just how tentative that love might be. What would they do when they learned about my destiny? And what would Dax do now that she was armed with the truth?

  The doctors had to force Nora and my father to leave my hospital room so I could rest. My father even tried to use his rank to stay, but the doctors insisted. They gave me something to help me sleep, but it didn’t work—not with the way my mind was racing.