by SF Benson
I fidget with the edge of my shirt. I’m afraid. I’ll admit it. Not much in my life has scared me. Running into Zared changed that. A lot of things have scared me. Snap out of it. It’s just a girl, nothing else is in there.
“I don’t have all morning,” he snaps.
“I’m sorry. I can’t do this if you’re going in there.”
Holden bares his teeth. I’m pushing his buttons. Be careful.
He turns to the soldier on guard. “Go in there with her. I’ll wait out here.”
Thank God!
The soldier holds the door open for me. Holden grabs my shoulder and whispers in my ear, “Be smart. Don’t construe my generosity as stupidity.”
My throat tightens and I step into the room.
The redhead sits in a corner at a distance from the pallet. Smart girl. It isn’t the cleanest spot to rest in. She hides behind her waist-length hair.
I edge closer to her. “Hey, can we talk for a moment?”
The girl lifts her head and asks, “Why are you here?”
She’s the girl on the streaming video Dr. Aoki showed me. “I just want to talk.”
She squints. “Do I know you?”
I glance over my shoulder. The soldier seems uninterested. I sit across from her. “The café back in Windsor. I gave you something to keep. A guy I know might have come—”
“He did.” Recognition crosses her face. “He’s looking for you.”
My breath hitches. “How do you—”
She leans forward. “He’s with my brother. They’re coming for you.”
I didn’t expect a rescue effort. Maybe this nightmare will end soon. “What about the thing I asked you to keep?”
“Your friend has it.” She traces a groove in the floor with her fingertip. “Your little action has had some serious repercussions.”
“How so?” I ask.
“The New Order has been busy with a propaganda campaign. People are protesting. What you did was effective.”
Who would have thought my actions would have caused people to rise up and question things? I guess I did something right.
“I never got your name.”
“Gliese.”
I glimpse at the alarm clock I left behind. Two minutes left. Holden will come in soon.
“Gliese, don’t tell anyone anything.”
Her glassy eyes meet mine. “Not a problem.”
The door opens behind me. My stomach flutters. Holden needs to believe I was successful.
“Thanks,” I say. “It was nice talking to you.”
Gliese remains quiet.
I stumble to my feet. Holden raises an eyebrow and escorts me from the room.
“Dr. Aoki wants to see you,” he announces.
“It wasn’t her,” I say.
He eyes me for a beat and then escorts me back to his room.
La Mohína waits for me in Holden’s room dressed impeccably—royal blue shift dress, matching heels, and lab coat. Does the woman ever have a bad day when it comes to her appearance?
She crosses her shapely legs. “Did you want to finish our discussion?”
“Yes.”
“There’s really nothing left to tell you,” she announces flatly.
I fold my arms over my stomach. “I’m not buying it. I’ll trade you. More info about Zared in exchange for more info about my mother.”
La Mohína taps her fingers on the chair arm. “You forget who’s in control here.”
I settle back on the sofa putting my feet up on the glass coffee table. “This isn’t about control. It’s an info exchange. A talk between two people with shared interests. Nothing more.”
She gives a curt nod.
“What can I tell you?” I hope she hears the sincerity in my voice.
“Do you love my son?” Her voice is soothing.
“Yes.” Knowing he’s alive made it easier to admit it, but it doesn’t erase the pain of not seeing him. “I miss him terribly.”
“Are you—”
“That’s another question. You have to answer one of mine.” My stomach tenses. What questions burn in my mind? Which ones keep me awake at night?
“You and my mom worked with the same organization. Was it the Alliance?”
“Why is this important to you?”
“I’m trying to understand my mother. She died before she could answer my questions. Tell me what I’ve gotten myself into.”
“You should have asked that before you got involved,” she admonishes.
“We can’t recapture the past.” Parenting is the last thing I need. “Just answer my question.”
La Mohína squirms in her seat. “Tell me what you know about the Alliance.”
“Hey, you didn’t answer—”
“Game over. Tell me what you know.” The compassionate woman vanishes leaving behind the impassive, surly version.
This is not part of the deal. But what if it is the only way to get information? “Fine. There’s not a lot I can tell you. It’s run by the former rapper Ice Pimp. He wanted the SIM card to expose the government.”
She lets out a harsh breath. “Malcolm. He’s bad news.”
“You know him?” I figured he couldn’t be trusted when I met him. I still don’t trust him.
“Unfortunately. Malcolm is not the leader of the Alliance. He couldn’t lead mice around a mouse trap.”
“How would you know that?” A knot settles in my stomach.
She crosses her arms and huffs. “I know those things because I’m the leader.”
“Looks like someone’s doing your thinking for you. Support the Alliance. Don’t let the New Order control your thoughts. Closed minds are effortlessly killed.”
—From The Alliance Manifesto
Zared
As soon as the car comes to a stop, I awaken. I’m guessing I slept through the night. Asher never woke me up. I’m not surprised, though. We haven’t spoken since my outburst.
A lone sign rising from the curb proclaims we’re in downtown Barrie. The lack of cars on the desolate yet clean street surprises and deflates me. All the businesses appear abandoned except one, a quaint red-brick café with large windows. It’s a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting, harkening back to a time when the AR had small, populated towns.
“What’s up, Ash?” My voice sounds gravelly.
“Thought we should stop for a bite to eat.” A distant look is on his face.”
“About earlier…”
He faces me. “I get it. Okay? Should have given you a heads up I was contacting Mark.”
Damn straight. Mark Carter and I were never friends. Never would be. He was a bigger asshat than Griffin.
I glance into the backseat. Ko is sound asleep. “Is she all right?”
Asher shrugs. “Doctor said she needs rest. Once she rehabs…”
“She shouldn’t be here,” I assess.
“Not your call.”
Someone pounds on the door. We both jump. Crimson hair, wild blue eyes. Recognition comes slow. Griffin. Shit! It’s Griffin.
“What the fuck?” Asher exclaims, reaching for the Glock strapped to his calf.
I pull out the Ruger and raise it, making sure Griffin sees it. “Lower the window, Ash.”
“Not cool, Zared,” Griffin spits. “Whatcha run off for? Scared?”
“Smart. I’ll handle my own rescue effort.” I look past him and notice a silver Honda Ridgeline across the street. Leon’s sitting behind the wheel of the antique truck.
Asher says, “Step off, Griffin.”
“Ah, if it isn’t Sergeant Jones? Taking a break from duty?” Griffin leans against the car.
“What’s going on?” It’s Ko.
“How ‘bout I take her off your hands? It’ll be easier getting to North Woods without the babe.”
Asher cocks his gun. “I’m giving you till three to get the fuck away from my car. One…”
The temperamental redhead holds his hands up. “No need to get bent… sorry, wrong c
hoice of words.”
Asher’s face reddens. “Two…”
“Fine.” Griffin backs up. “Zared, this isn’t over. You have something I need. See you real soon, pal.”
Griffin jogs over to the truck. Asher places his gun in the door pocket. He puts the car in gear and speeds off down the road.
I return my gun to the backpack and turn to check on Ko. A black and white squad car pulls away from the curb and follows behind us.
“Ash, check your speed,” I say, keeping an eye on the cop.
“I’m doing the limit. Why?” He looks in the rearview mirror. “Now what?”
I rationalize that if I keep Asher talking, we might avoid being pulled over. “What’s your history with Griffin?”
“I told you. We served together. End of story.” His jaw clenches.
Neither of us are innocents. We’ve had our share of trouble in our short lives. I never asked Asher about his life before Riza. I knew he lost his brother during the Street Wars. He had some issues after that, but we didn’t trade stories.
“You okay, Ko?” I ask. The cop continues following us.
“I’m fine,” she replies. “What happened with that guy?”
I glance at Asher. “The guy had info on where Tru is being held. I thought he could help me. Turns out he was in it for the SIM card and the reward.”
Ko exhales. “That’s not good. Asher, you know how to get to Tru?”
He runs a hand across his face. “I don’t, but Mark does.”
“Asher, please tell me you didn’t call Mark Carter,” she whines.
My friend, ignoring Ko, grips the steering wheel until his knuckles turn white. He drives another few miles. Once we cross the interstate into the next town, the cruiser stops. He turns his vehicle and goes back toward downtown Barrie.
I draw in a long breath and exhale. Something tells me this venture won’t end well. Griffin is unstable, but Asher has his own closet of skeletons. Neither of them is a recipe for success.
“Listen. We’re about three hours from Sudbury. Ko’s on meds. I need to make sure she gets a meal, but I’m not stopping anywhere we might run into Griffin again.”
I slam my fist on the dashboard. “Fuck! We need to—”
Laughter breaks through Asher’s lips and he says, “Never lost that temper I see. I know a place. We’ll be there in an hour. I’ll call Mark when we get there.”
“Boys and girls, you can help the New Order restore our country. Report on Inoculation Day.”
—An announcement from the Centers for Human Advancement
Tru
I gasp. Did I hear Doctor Aoki right? She can’t possibly be the actual leader of the Alliance. I’ve never been guilty of sexism. Ever. But this is one time when I just won’t believe a woman forged a movement against the government. I guess my mother was her right-hand man… I mean woman. Sure, a woman could plan something on a grand scale, but overthrowing a government? Why would we want the headache?
“You’re kidding me, right?” I say.
With Zared, I could guess what he thought, but not with this woman. Her deadpan voice and expressionless face give nothing away.
She says calmly, “I don’t kid.”
Nervous prickles run up my spine while my thoughts try to make sense of it all. “Why did Malcolm claim to be the leader?”
She strides to the fireplace. “Long story short, we set him up. We had an anonymous tip about a double agent in the ranks.”
Double agent? Mom once told me, “There are those who serve two masters. Not everyone can be trusted.” Coincidence or did she know about Malcolm?
I interrupt. “Who knew?”
“Names don’t matter right now,” she mutters. “In order to flush him out, we faked my death.”
“Who helped you?” I push.
La Mohína doesn’t answer me. I’m weary of this game. Ever since I agreed to help her son, I’ve received ambiguous answers or people ignore my questions. Maybe she’ll answer less personal ones.
“Double agent? For whom?” I ask.
“The New Order,” she states flatly.
Well, I wouldn’t have guessed he worked with the government. “Do you think Zared knew?”
She whirls around. “Why would my son know?”
“H-he worked as an operative,” I stammer. Stupid! Why did I volunteer the information? It’s too late to take it back.
La Mohína paces the floor, clasping her hands behind her back. She cuts her eyes to me. “You said you loved my son. Why would you let him get involved with the Alliance?”
“He joined before we met up.” My posture stiffens. Zared made his own choices. So why blame me for something that happened without my knowledge? “I had no idea he was an operative until after we’d been arrested by the CHA.”
She stops mid-stride. Her face is pinched. “My son was arrested? Why? What did you have him do?”
I jump to my feet and rail, “Why do you assume I made him do anything?” I suck in my breath, wishing I could forget this conversation. “He asked for my help.”
She dismisses my words with a wave of her hand. Her eyes tighten. “Tell me what happened.”
“Eden,” I mumble. Rehashing that night’s events is pointless, but maybe… I clear my voice. “My sister-in-law caught us breaking into the Riza Military Academy. We were looking for proof of your husband’s experiments.”
“What did you find?” She stares into the fireplace.
“Culled data about the candidates. We lost it when Eden arrested us.”
“Did you learn anything about Operation Restore?”
“Not at RMA, but my mom hinted about it. Is the info on the card?”
La Mohína shoves her hair away from her face. “Yes. We have to find the card. If the New Order gets it first, it’ll be disastrous.”
“How so?” I ask cautiously.
She looks at me, her brow furrowed, and says hoarsely, “The info on it will lead authorities here. If they storm this facility, they’ll discover I’m not dead. They’ll put the puzzle together and kill everyone, including you and Zared.”
I do a double take. “Whose side are you on? One minute, you talk as if you’re working with Holden, and the next—”
“Pratt thinks I’m working with him,” she interjects. “He doesn’t know I’m with the Alliance. He’s been on our radar for years. I sought him out. We became friends.”
I fold my arms over my stomach. “Not buying it. You said you faked your death. How?”
“I told Holden someone tried to kill me because of my husband. He knew what Katsuo worked on. He agreed I needed to go into hiding.”
“In exchange for?” I lead.
“Knowledge. I knew about my husband’s experiments and could be invaluable in helping Holden perfect his own little pursuits here.”
“What’s Holden up to?”
She ignores my question. Another cover up? I don’t know if I can take any more, but I need to trust someone. Will La Mohína prove to be an ally? Lord knows I need one to flee this place.
“So now what?”
We sit on the sofa. La Mohína takes my hand. “We find the card.”
I pull my hand away. This is not a mother-daughter moment. “I left it at the café with the manager.”
“The girl that we arrested?” she questions.
“Yes. She kept it and gave it to Zared. I figured he’d come looking for me.”
“You were right about that,” she says. “He’s still looking for you.”
Uneasiness begins to stir in my stomach. “What makes you think that?”
“An educated guess, my dear. He’s like Kat. That man never gives up. It’ll be his ultimate downfall one of these days. And Zared will keep searching for you until he either finds you”—her voice cracks—“or dies trying.”
“Dr.—”
“Call me Taa,” she offers.
“Taa, how long am I going to stay here?”
“Once my people can find
the card, we’ll both leave this place.”
“Your people?”
Before she answers, the door opens and Holden strolls into the room. Taa stands.
“Young lady, it’s in your best interest to tell us about the card.” She walks up to Holden. “She’s not talking. I’m going to see our newest resident.”
He holds up a small tablet. Taa freezes. “No need. My bride-to-be doesn’t believe I’m serious. I thought I’d bring her something for her entertainment, a little streaming video.”
Holden shoves the device into my hands. A guy resembling Gliese jumps in a silver truck. On the other side of the street, a black Mustang speeds off. The driver looks like Asher and the passenger could be Zared. As the vehicle speeds off, a police car pulls away from the curb and follows the Mustang.
“The AR has a peaceful accord with Canada. One phone call about fugitives is all it’ll take to turn that innocuous act into a major incident.” He smirks. “The officer will pull the vehicle over, or we could have a nice chase scene ending with a shootout.”
Taa glances over at me.
My clammy hands shake and I nearly drop the tablet. I mutter, “Please… Don’t hurt them.”
Holden takes the tablet. “You need to understand this isn’t a game.”
I gulp. “I get it.”
“Good. I think the officer will just follow them for a few miles. Make sure they leave town.”
Taa’s face is pale. Her eyes lock onto mine. The message is clear—protect Zared. She leaves the room with her appeal in the air.
“Don’t be a murderer. Get inoculated today.”
—An announcement from the Centers for Human Advancement
Tru
Holden sits beside me, squaring an ankle over one knee and leaning back into the cushion. He bobs his head to the hauntingly hypnotic sounds of Ludovico Einaudi’s “Run” playing in the background. One hand keeps time with the prominent violin while the other holds a tumbler of vodka and ice.
I close my eyes, retreating into the landscape of my mind, painting vivid pictures to go along with the hiss of the violin. No solitude can be found, however. The images from the streaming video plague my mind.