by Judd Vowell
“Maybe,” Jacob answered.
“I know the feeling,” she said.
He didn’t know why, but he felt compelled to sit down next to her. He threw his packed bag off his shoulder and sat on the top step. “What are you doing out here?”
“I like sunrises. Reminds me that the world is still turning, no matter what.”
“Perspective,” Jacob said. “That’s one of the best things to have in life.”
“I guess,” Jessica said. “So, where you going?”
“I don’t know. Been thinking that maybe things would be better for everybody if I just vanished.”
“That’s interesting, considering.” She spoke more like an adult than a fifteen-year-old girl. “Considering what?” he asked.
“Considering you saved me and Anna. That was kinda important to the people around here.”
“Says someone who’s been confined to her room ever since we arrived.” He raised an eyebrow in sarcasm, but quickly realized that she probably couldn’t see his subtle facial cues in the darkness.
“I get it,” she said. “Nobody likes you around here because you were the enemy. But that’ll change. Just give everybody some time. Look at me...I barely know you, but I like you.”
A round edge of red light had just appeared on the eastern horizon as she was finishing her sentence. They sat together and watched the sun rise without talking anymore. When it was a complete circle in the bluing sky, Jessica stood up, and Jacob could see her clearly in the light of dawn.
“Give it a few more days, Marsh,” she said, calling him by his last name just like Archer and Laz did. “I’ll be your friend. You can stick with me.”
He stood and picked up his bag. Then he looked toward the rising sun, away from the hotel. He turned back to Jessica after a moment of consideration. “Three days. But after that, if nothing’s changed, I’m gone.”
The two new friends walked back into the hotel’s lobby together, where Leftys were beginning the day’s work toward rebellion.
14.
S imone felt a renewed sense of purpose after meeting Quinn Connors. She could have been angry with Salvador’s concealment, but she decided she wouldn’t be. Quinn had been kept from her and the other ANTI- leaders out of design, not deceit. The Omega XT needed to be anonymous to be effective, and so did their creator. She moved past Salvador’s deception because she trusted him inherently, and she knew without question that what ANTI- was doing was necessary, no matter the means. It didn’t hurt that Quinn was one of the most charming men she had ever met. And that he could pave her way to Jessica.
Two days after their initial meeting, Salvador had Quinn’s drone pilots show him the rebel bases they had discovered so far. He and Simone met with Quinn at the Sector 3 utilities building, where they could view the flights on giant monitors in the building’s control room. Salvador and Simone soon learned that Camp Overlord was only a small part of a rebel network that had formed across the United States sometime in the last few months.
“Let’s start with the northeast, shall we?” Quinn said. The main screen in the control room came to life, displaying the moving images of a passing terrain beneath a drone’s camera. “What we’ve found is that the rebellion’s camps are positioned purposefully, in close proximity to our electrified grids. Much like Overlord was. The first one we’ll see is approximately thirty miles outside Philadelphia.”
“Our de facto capital,” Salvador said. “That’s audacious.”
“Oh, I think you’ll find these rebels to be just that,” Quinn said.
The terrain on the monitor’s screen changed from dense woods to a more open area with clumps of trees growing throughout. The drone slowed to a near-stop over the area, and the camera showed movement on the ground below.
“This is Brandywine,” Quinn said. “Site of the battle of the same name during the American Revolution. This was a state park before the darkness. Historic buildings, campgrounds, acres of undisturbed space surrounded by woods and creeks.” He indicated sections of the camp his men had identified with the red dot of a laser pointer. Rebels were in motion all over the screen. “The rebels here are using the park’s natural resources for protection and cover.”
“So what are they doing?” Simone asked.
“Training,” Quinn answered. “Not much more than that, as far as we can tell. You have to remember, these people aren’t soldiers. We took care of that right from the start.”
“Training,” Salvador said cautiously. “For what, exactly?”
“Besides some misguided and hopeless war, we don’t know for sure. Specifics are going to be difficult for my men. Keep in mind that we can only see the outdoor activities. We don’t know what’s happening behind closed doors.”
“Which means we don’t know how much they know about us.”
“That’s correct,” Quinn said.
Salvador nodded. “Continue.”
Quinn directed his pilots in their correlating military bases across the country to show them the other rebel camps. There was one in Texas, on the southern end of the interstate bypass that looped around Sector 5’s San Antonio grid. The rebels had transformed a centuries-old Spanish mission there into a camp of hundreds. On the west coast, there was a camp outside San Francisco, where Salvador had designated his Sector 9 grid out of affection for his second-home city. This camp was twenty miles south of the grid there, along scenic Highway 1, in one of the small bungalow towns that sat beside a wild and expansive California park. And finally, there was the headquarters camp near Kansas City but far from any ANTI- grid.
“And this is the biggest one,” Quinn said as the drone flew over Camp Forager’s two stadiums. “Possibly a thousand rebels living here now. And you can see their training grounds here.” He positioned the laser pointer over the former football field. There were groups of rebels scattered throughout the field’s makeshift buildings and room replicas. “This is by far the most advanced rebel facility we’ve seen. They appear quite organized. And you’ll notice they’re stockpiling transportation.” The red dot of the laser pointer moved to the parking lot that was filled with vehicles of varying use and design.
“Preparing for attack,” Salvador said.
“Appears that way,” Quinn replied. “But I have to say, in my personal opinion, that they are still a long way from being ready. Without knowing their plans, we have to assume that attack is not imminent.”
“Sounds to me like a perfect time to strike then,” Simone said. “Catch ‘em before they have time to get ready. Take ‘em down without a fight.”
“Strike?” Quinn asked. “Like you did at Overlord?”
“That was a fluke, and you know it,” Simone snapped. “We were winning that battle. Handily.”
“Until something that you didn’t see coming changed everything, and killed how many of my irreplaceable soldiers again?” Quinn snapped back.
“Break it up, you two,” Salvador said. “What’s done is done. Now we need to focus on learning from it. You’re both right, and you’re both wrong. We are not going to tread into anything too quickly. This has been a good eye-opener, Quinn. But that’s all it needs to be for now. We all need to consider what we’ve seen today. Then we can formulate a strategy.”
Quinn felt a rush of relief at Salvador’s deliberateness. He was still struggling with how he might handle the sudden presence of Jessica. And how he might save her, if he could.
“Can I ask one more thing?” Simone said.
“Of course,” Salvador said. Quinn nodded.
“Did you find them yet?”
Quinn understood her question without explanation. He tried not to betray what he had learned on his secret flyover of Forager a day earlier as he answered with a simple, “No.”
“Bigger picture, Simone,” Salvador said. “Don’t forget the bigger picture.”
Simone turned and left the control room without another word.
“Don’t worry,” Quinn said to Salvador as she
left. “I’ll have my men look for them – to keep her pacified.”
“It’s not her I’m worried about, Quinn,” Salvador said. Then he pointed to the screen that showed rebels running and leaping and firing guns at targets. “It’s the people trying to ruin everything I’ve worked for. And what we’re going to have to do to stop them.”
15.
J essica continued to explore Camp Forager as she strengthened, joined by Jacob after their front-step conversation. The two of them bonded quickly, both feeling a bit like outsiders who didn’t choose the rebellion for themselves. They watched training exercises in the stadium together, and they studied the camp’s vehicle collection. They took long walks along the perimeter of the camp, where a barb-topped fence stood and watchtowers climbed into the air every few hundred yards. Jacob showed her how the Effort’s computer systems worked on such limited power and accessibility, even though no one had shown him. They were fast friends, and Jacob felt a slight happiness return to his life.
They learned about each other’s pasts and about how they ended up in the Sector 3 grid where both their lives changed. While walking a western stretch of fence one afternoon, Jacob asked Jessica what she remembered about the day she was shot.
“Everything,” she answered. “Up to the first sound of gunfire coming from Simone’s pistol. One loud bang. Then everything goes black. I know there were more shots, but that first sound is all I remember.”
“Were you and your brother together?”
“Not at that moment. I left him when I heard the jeep coming.”
“You were a distraction,” Jacob said, realizing her sacrifice.
“I don’t know. I was just doing what my gut told me to do. Instinct, I guess. I was always protecting Henry. Just part of our relationship.”
“I hope I’m not bringing up a painful thought,” Jacob said. “But what do you think happened to Henry? After you were shot?”
She stopped walking at his question, and he stopped with her. She considered her answer before she spoke. “I’d like to think he got away. That somehow he made it out of there and back to my mom. He knew we were close to the river. That was our getaway plan – to ride the river out of that mess. I believe he made it. I have to.”
“I believe it, too,” Jacob said, without hesitation.
“What do you mean?”
“I believe Henry was the one who blew that bridge to hell, Jess. And I believe he did it for you.”
The revelation took her back to the sensation she had felt when they first arrived at Forager, when the others had talked about the bombing. It made sense somehow. Henry was heading to the river anyway. Maybe he had seen an opportunity to do some good once he got there. He would have done it, without doubt. Henry was that way.
On impulse, Jessica grabbed Jacob in a giant hug and began to cry.
“It’s just a theory, Jess,” Jacob said with strain as she squeezed him deeply.
“No, it’s not,” Jessica said. “It’s what happened that day. My brother became my hero.”
ΔΔΔ
The Leftys at Camp Forager began to treat Jacob differently when he was with Jessica. They all knew who she was, and they held her in high esteem because of her proven bravery. Jacob was happy to ride in the wake of her popularity if it meant he could gain even a little respect by doing so. He could finally see acknowledgement from the other campers, unlike before. And for the time being, that was enough to keep him from leaving the camp.
Anna was not immune to Jacob’s growing likeability either. Jessica showed a fondness to him that made him finally seem less dangerous to Anna, and the emotional guard she had built against him and his past began to dissipate. The three talked earnestly about ANTI- and what chance Lefty may have in fighting back, with discussions that lasted well into late nights in their hotel rooms. One night, Anna pushed Jacob in a way that she had not before, while Jessica watched his reactions closely.
“You have to be a part of our strategy commission,” she said. “You know everything about ANTI‑. You know what makes Salvador tick.”
“Are you kidding? Do you really think Daniel wants me involved in your strategy?” Jacob asked. “He pulled everything that he wanted from me when I first got here. And he did it with force. I’ll be damned if I help him anymore than that.”
“But what if I can convince him otherwise? You have to understand, Daniel only knows you from the past year of his life. Just like the rest of us. You’re the reason our families are dead. You’re the reason our world has been turned upside-down. To him, and to most of us, you are the darkness, Jacob.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Jacob asked.
“I don’t think you care,” Anna said.
They sat in silence until Jessica spoke. “I got it,” she said. “I think there’s a way to change all of that, if you want to, Marsh.”
“Of course I want to, Jess.”
Jessica looked at him with a sly smile on her face. “Good,” she said. “Then that leaves only one question – how’s your public speaking?”
ΔΔΔ
Jessica’s idea for a rebel rally would accomplish two things. First, it would allow Jacob to publicly apologize to the Effort and its leadership. Second, Jessica could do just what Anna had asked her to do: she could inspire the Leftys. They could broadcast the rally across the crude Lefty radio network, reaching every camp in the rebellion. Jessica was beginning to see her purpose, and it excited her.
She and Anna went to McKay and Daniel the morning after their conversation with Jacob. They were sure that the two men would approve the rally with no qualms, but convincing them that Jacob should be a part of it would be difficult. Anna spoke first.
“We need to do something, for the camp, and for the entire Effort. Jessica has an idea, a way to keep our men and women invigorated. She wants to hold a rally, and she wants to speak.”
“I like it,” McKay said in his expressionless military tone. “She’s got one helluva story. I think she should tell it. Could get our people fired up.”
“Just what we were thinking,” Anna said. “Right, Jess?”
“That’s right. And we want someone else to speak. Someone else who has a story to tell.”
“Who’s that?” McKay asked.
“I know who,” Daniel said before Jessica could answer. “And I don’t think so. Jacob Marsh is lucky to even be here alive. I’m not about to let him have a platform in front of anybody.”
“Just why do you refuse to give him a chance, Daniel?” Anna asked. “You know Jess and I wouldn’t be here without him. He put his life on the line to save us. Now I must admit, it took some time for me to warm up to him. But now I can tell you, he’s a changed man. He genuinely wants to help.”
Daniel had known Anna since the early days of the Effort, and he trusted her. But the sight of Jacob at Camp Forager had kept him agitated and angry. He couldn’t imagine anyone forgiving Jacob or forgetting what he had done to the world, especially Anna.
“I don’t get it, Anna,” he pleaded to her. “You know what this man did. How can you let that go?”
“I’ll never let it go,” Anna said. “And neither will he. That’s why he’s important. He knows everything about ANTI‑, so much more than he told you when you questioned him. Just give him a chance.”
“I’ll give him one chance,” Daniel said. “One meeting to convince me like he’s so obviously done with you. Dammit, Anna, I don’t know what happened to you inside that grid, but you were never this soft.”
“I’m not being soft, Daniel. I’m just trying to give this rebellion an advantage. God knows we need it.”
Daniel stared at her for a moment. “Tell him to come see me this afternoon. But he’s gonna have to give me something.”
“This afternoon it is,” Anna said. “And Daniel – thank you.”
ΔΔΔ
Jacob found Daniel instructing two Lefty soldiers in one of the hotel’s conference rooms later that day. Daniel motioned f
or Jacob to come inside while he finished with the two men. He was discussing computer security with the soldiers, telling them how important it was to maintain protected transmissions between the Effort’s camps. That ANTI- would be watching. Jacob considered just how right Daniel was as he overheard the conversation. After Daniel dismissed the two men, he walked to where Jacob stood and crossed his arms.
“So you wanna help, is that right?” he asked.
“I’m offering you what I know. And what I know will definitely help.”
“Ok,” Daniel said. “But first, I need to know something. I need to know why you betrayed Salvador.”
Jacob thought before he answered. “Maybe ANTI- didn’t quite turn out to be what I thought it was.”
“Bullshit,” Daniel said. “You’re telling me you didn’t know what Salvador Sebastian was planning for all those years? I don’t believe it.”
“You’re right, I knew what was happening. What I didn’t understand was the reason. I thought I did. Salvador sold me on an idea, a philosophy. And it all made sense. A world falling apart before our eyes and he was the only one willing to save it. But that wasn’t reality. The truth is that he used me, just like the rest of the ANTs.”
“He did it for the power,” Daniel said.
“He did it to see if he could,” Jacob countered. “And now that he’s in control, he’ll do anything to hold on to it. That’s why you need my help.”
Daniel sat at one of the room’s desks. “Sit down,” he said. “Let’s talk.”
Jacob slowly sat across from Daniel, who had become much more relaxed.
“You know what?” Daniel asked. “I’m willing to give you an opportunity to prove yourself. Because of Anna. You saved her, even though I’m still wondering why. But here’s the deal – you’ve got to give me something that I don’t already know. And I know a lot. We’re not as blind around here as Salvador may think.”
“I realize that,” Jacob said. “But so does he, after his investigation of Overlord. No matter the damage there, they will have seen your capabilities by now. My guess? He’s trying to tap into your network as we speak. Just like you were telling those soldiers when I got here.” Jacob’s charm was malleable, depending on who he was working. “But there’s another way he’s gathering information on your Effort.”