by Dylan Steel
An uneasy feeling stirred deep in Sage’s belly. “What makes you say that?” she asked cautiously.
“He’ll be able to hold out for at least a little while. They won’t be sending anyone after us just yet,” Martha said, righting a lamp.
“I figured that much.” A stab of pain shot through her heart at the thought of what Weston would endure to protect them. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Martha close the drawers to one of the dressers. “What aren’t you saying?”
Martha froze at the sharpness of Sage’s tone. She turned around, reluctantly meeting her gaze. “My dear, the leader of the Lawless can’t afford to be caught, much less questioned. He’s taken… precautions.” She wet her lips, focusing her attention on a spot on the floor. “He won’t allow himself to betray the Lawless. Especially not when we’re this close.”
“No.” The room began swimming in front of Sage as Martha’s meaning came crashing down on her.
Martha’s shoulders drooped. “I don’t like it any more than you do. But he insisted he should have a way out—just in case something like this happened. He knew if he was ever caught, they’d kill him anyway, but if he could control when it happened, he could stop himself from saying too—”
“No!” Sage seethed through her teeth.
“I’m sorry, dear. I know you care for him.”
Sage shook her head. Weston was not going to kill himself to protect their secrets. She couldn’t let that happen. “How do we stop it?”
Pity shone in her eyes as Martha looked at her. “I’m not sure that we can.”
“There has to be a way.”
“There may not be enough time. I doubt Mr. Gaztok will risk keeping him alive for long.”
“There has to be enough time. Weston was already planning a way in.”
Martha’s brow furrowed. “Mr. Bennick was planning for a coup, not a rescue.”
“Coup, rescue—either way, we have to get past Eprah’s defenses. It’ll have to be close enough.” Sage’s fingers curled into fists, determination blazing across her face. “We’ll just need to make a few adjustments, and I think I know where to start.”
She disappeared behind the painting again, retrieving the databook she’d left behind.
“The new laws are too strict—they’re going to get a ton of people killed once they finish reprogramming the bracelets. Weston wanted me to write a virus to mess up the new program, and I’d nearly finished it before…” She bit the inside of her lip, refusing to let herself be overcome by emotion. “It won’t stop what Mr. Gaztok’s doing, but it might save some lives and slow him down enough to be a distraction—even delay the interrogation with any luck. Weston said he had a contact who could get this into the city and upload it. Do you know who that was?”
Martha raised an eyebrow. “Yes. And I believe you know her too. Clarette.”
Sage’s shoulders slumped. Clarette was the one who’d snuck them out of the city after the Hospitality Suite was attacked. But she was already in the city. Sage would have to find a way inside the gates to hand off the virus—and convince her she was working for the good of the Lawless. Given how standoffish she’d been in their previous interactions, that might be easier said than done.
“Will she even listen to me if I see her without Weston?”
“I can get word to her.” Martha nodded, almost to herself. “She’d meet you. But it would be safer to send someone else. You’re supposed to be dead, remember?”
“Right.” Sage frowned. “But can we spare someone right now?”
Martha’s lips thinned. “If it helps Mr. Bennick, I can’t think of a better use of anyone’s time right now.”
“Good.” She clutched the tablet to her chest and hurried to the door. “Set it up. I need another couple hours, but it should be done soon.”
“And then what?” Martha called after her.
Sage paused, a steely resolve in her eyes. “Then we get him out of there.”
***
End of preview.
Continue reading The Lawless: Sacrisvita Book XIV.
READ MORE BY DYLAN STEEL
Sacrisvita
THE PRODIGY: A Sacrisvita Prequel
(FREE and only available HERE.)
THE INSTITUTION: Sacrisvita Book I
THE ARCHIVES: Sacrisvita Book II
THE RELIC: Sacrisvita Book III
THE ESTATE: Sacrisvita Book IV
THE VANISHED: Sacrisvita Book V
THE CAPTIVE: Sacrisvita Book VI
THE OUTCAST: Sacrisvita Book VII
THE TRIALS: Sacrisvita Book VIII
THE ROGUE: Sacrisvita Book IX
THE CITIZEN: Sacrisvita Book X
THE SURVIVOR: Sacrisvita Book XI
THE BENEFACTOR: Sacrisvita Book XII
THE FOUNDERS: Sacrisvita Book XIII
THE LAWLESS: Sacrisvita Book XIV
***
Third Earth
SLEEPER: A Third Earth Prequel
(FREE and only available HERE.)
ALONE: Third Earth Volume One
***
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