by Alice Rachel
The sounds...the sounds we heard when we were at the Arch. Those sounds came from him. They came from William spying on us.
What is he going to do to me? He looks at me and leans toward my ear again, still holding on to my throat, choking me.
“I saw the way you were looking at him at the gala, Thia. What kind of a fool do you take me for? I followed you that day you met him at the Arch. I saw you walk past the train station, and I knew something was up. I couldn’t believe it. You betrayed me. I could make you pay for that. I don't like to share, Thia. You are mine, do you understand? Mine!"
Chills run down my spine. I can hardly breathe. I’m petrified. I can’t move. I want to push him away and run, but I’m frozen on the spot with fear like ice in my veins. William presses his lips to mine again and kisses me hard. I try not to think about his mouth forcing mine open. He tears at my dress, pulling it down my shoulders, ripping it off. There’s no tenderness in his movements, no feelings. And right then, I know he won't make this pleasant for me at all. William is going to rape me. The terror inside me grows, overpowering me. I can't move. I can't breathe. I'm a prey in a predator’s lair, with no way out.
I regain my senses and try to push him away, but his body is heavy against mine, pinning me in place. My fists hit his chest. He grabs my wrists to keep me still, and his eyes fill with irritation because I'm resisting him. Just then, something bangs against the door, startling him, and I use that moment to push him back. I stumble to my feet. But he reaches out and grabs me by the throat to shove me against the wall. My head hits it hard and black spots fill my vision. My nails find his cheek and I scratch hard, but he doesn't let go. I can't breathe.
“Thia?” The voice comes from outside the room and my heart quickens. Fear and relief flood my heart at once.
“Thia?” Chi’s voice grows louder and more insistent. Another blow shakes the door, and a hard kick makes it quake against its frame.
“What the hell!” William drops his hold on me.
He strides toward the entrance elegantly, recovering his composure as though nothing is wrong. Chi kicks the door so hard it gives way. He enters the room, his teeth clenched with a mixture of grief and anxiety. His eyes turn to William briefly and then to me. Chi catches a glimpse of my bare shoulders and my dress undone at the seams before his gaze shifts back to William. The look on his face, filled with hatred and rage, chills me to the bone. Chi is on the ledge of a precipice—a simple push needed to tip him over and break him apart.
“Come, Thia! I’m taking you out of here,” he says, his eyes never leaving William.
“No, you’re not!” There’s such indignation in William's voice it would be humorous were the situation any different. A couple of steps and Chi is standing next to me, extending his hand toward mine. I take it and pull on my dress at the same time, in a failed attempt at regaining my modesty.
“Don’t you dare touch her! She’s mine!” William shouts with outrage and irritation.
Chi curses, drops my hand, and takes a few strides toward William, fast. He shoves him against the wall violently and presses his forearm against his throat.
“Watch your mouth or I won’t be responsible for my actions!” He hisses the words with venom, spit coming out with fury while his chest heaves and he breathes heavily, his body shaking with frenzy.
He lets go of William and turns back to me. “Thia, we’re leaving. Now! We don’t have much time.” He grabs my hand and pulls the dress up over my shoulder; it had fallen down again. His expression is sullen, his upset clearly coming through. The hurt and rage in his eyes pierce my heart like arrows.
We head toward the door, but William reaches for my arm. He grasps at my wrist with so much insistence it hurts.
“She’s mine. I don’t know who the hell you think you are! You want a girl? Get one of your own. Unless your position isn’t good enough for that!”
Chi turns to him, his eyes blazing with wrath. When his fist meets William’s chin, he hits him so hard that William stumbles backward and has to reach for the wall for support. William massages his jaw with his fingers, in shock that Chi even dared touch him. He recovers quickly though and comes for Chi, but Chi is too fast for him. He takes William by surprise and pins him hard against the wall. Chi is beside himself with rage, holding William by the throat, his fist raised, ready to lash out at William, but I pull on his arm from behind and plead with him to stop.
Chi looks back at me before throwing William a glare filled with such loathing that William shudders and recoils. Chi drops his grip on William and turns to me. He strokes my cheek with his thumb, just once.
"Let's go," he tells me. His eyes fall on the strangulation marks around my neck. Chi turns to William and takes one step forward, just enough to make William flinch. "Touch her like that again and I'll cut your damn throat! I swear I'll fucking kill you!"
Chi doesn't wait for William to respond; he grabs my hand and pulls me after him. We exit the room and he leads me down the emergency staircase all the way into the street. We run a few blocks before he drags me into a dark alley. There he pulls me to him and looks into my eyes. “Are you all right?”
I nod though I feel anything but fine right now. Something’s been taken from me against my will, something precious. But I can’t tell him that. The pain in his eyes makes me want to lie. I should spare him my misery, my shame. The tears reach my eyes and I blink them back inside. I suppress the sob rising in my throat, but not fast enough. Chi pulls me hard against his chest, the wounds inside him reopening slowly under the salt of the tears I can no longer suppress.
“It’s okay. It’ll be okay, Thia,” he says and kisses my hair while holding me tight.
I want to believe him. I can’t find the strength in my heart to disagree with him. My sanity is slipping away, so I choose to trust him and ignore the little voice inside my head whispering maliciously that nothing’s going to be fine ever again.
Chi cups my face with his hands and kisses me with all the despair he has felt tonight. I abandon myself to him, letting him take me to a place of comfort as he wraps his arms around me, protecting me from the ugliness of tonight's events. He kisses my tears away gently and brushes both my cheeks in turn with his lips before wiping them off with his thumbs. His compassion and the tenderness of his touch clash with William's previous callousness.
When Chi pulls away, a sudden flash of reality awakens me. “They’ll be coming for us," I say. "They'll be coming for you."
"We need to leave. I know a place we can stay for now while we make plans for later.”
He moves his head around the corner, to sweep the alley with his eyes quickly before pulling me behind him in a hurry to escape. We start running, one street after another. Passers-by look at us strangely. It’s not common for proper girls to tear through the streets. The last thing we need is to draw attention to ourselves, so we slow down and walk at a normal pace. Chi takes my hand. His eyes are still shifting from side to side, like a prey being chased.
“William must’ve called the authorities by now and reported you missing,” he says, taking another look behind us. “He’ll tell them who I am, and when the portrait gets out, we’ll need to be far from here.”
We keep on walking.
“We can’t go to the Wilcoxes’ house; it's too dangerous. William knows me, and the authorities will make it there in no time. We’ll go to another friend’s place. He’s part of the Underground. He lives in the slums outside Eboracum City. Everyone goes to him when they need a place to crash. That’s his job, to rescue people who need help and shelter.”
Chi and I walk for at least a couple of hours, taking nothing but dark alleys, hiding in the shadows when we hear cars go by. It’s completely dark outside. The night is like a cloak around us when we finally reach our destination.
Chapter 23
The houses here are made of concrete. They are all falling apart with cracks showing through the walls. I’ve never been to this part of the met
ropolis before, but I've seen places like this during my train rides. Everyone in this neighborhood is probably sleeping after a long day spent at work tending to the rich. Guilt seizes me as I look around. I didn’t choose where I was born or what class I came from, but I still feel responsible for the way these people are living. Crushed by the wealthy and persecuted like parasites, the poor’s access to water and resources has been reduced to the bare minimum needed to survive. These houses they live in belong to the authorities; they are just rented to the poor. Any rebellion can lead to the poor losing lodging and access to food. I clench my teeth and follow Chi through the streets.
When he finds the house we've been looking for, he follows the instructions and code he was given by the Underground. He knocks a few times using the required pattern. An older gentleman opens the door almost immediately, as if he were waiting for us. He's excessively skinny and a bit disheveled. His skin is ivory white and wrinkled. He glances into the street behind us before letting us in.
The house is decrepit, and the furniture is old and worn-out. But the place feels cozy and welcoming, like an old antique shop. The kitchen opens to the living room and dining room area. Oliver leads us to some wooden chairs and invites us to sit down.
Chi explains the precariousness of our situation. “We need a place to stay tonight, Oliver. I’m sorry for dragging you into all this.”
“Well, that’s why I’m here, aren't I? You guys can stay here for a few days. We’ll contact Taylor in the morning and see what he advises us to do.”
Oliver looks at me and takes my hands in both of his, holding them tightly in a gesture of comfort. “It’s a pleasure having you among us, Thia. Recruits are always welcome and it was courageous of you to run away. Chi told us all about you. We knew it'd only be a matter of time before this happened.”
His welcoming warmth dissipates my original fear of being blamed for all this trouble.
“You can stay in the guest room. There are two cots there. They're not comfortable, but it’s better than sleeping on the streets.”
Chi and Oliver talk for a while longer. It sounds like they haven’t seen each other for quite some time.
“Taylor said things are on the move and the attack’s going to happen soon. We’re still working on getting more man power and weapons.”
I'm not sure what attack he's talking about, and Chi doesn't fill me in. Oliver stands up and we follow him to a small bedroom. It's not luxurious, but it has a quaint, homey feel to it. I couldn't care less about opulence right now. I am free for the first time in my life; it's exhilarating.
***
It’s strange for me to sleep in the same room as Chi, but his presence comforts me. He fell asleep after just a few minutes, and I've spent the last hour watching him. He’s lying on his stomach, with his arms around his head. His mouth is open, but he doesn’t snore. He looks so innocent in this position, with his messy hair spread over his forehead and his eyelids closed to bring him peace. I try to stay awake and drink him in for as long as I can, but eventually, slumber takes over and darkness wraps its coat around me.
At some point during the night, Chi comes to lie down on my cot. He pulls the cover back over me; it had fallen to my feet as I was fighting my way through a vivid nightmare. Chi pulls me to him and wraps his arms around my stomach as he spoons me close against him. His lips brush against my hairline and his sweet words pour into my ear. "Shhh, you're safe now, Thia. Go back to sleep."
I nestle against his body, snuggle in his warmth, and sleep soundly for the rest of the night. I only open my eyes when the sunlight comes streaming through the window. Chi is gone. I get up and put on my clothing from last night. I step out of the bedroom. Chi and Oliver are standing around the kitchen counter, along with a tall, handsome man. His features are highly defined and his skin dark brown. His head is shaved, his nose is long and straight, and his plump lips are set in a stern line. His appearance radiates physical strength, and his expression is closed and uninviting.
He looks up at me as I walk in. His eyes pin on mine, observing me with slight suspicion. This man's intensity makes me uncomfortable, and I don’t dare move closer.
“I’m guessing you’re Thia,” he finally says, without introducing himself.
I nod shyly.
“This is Taylor,” Chi says, beckoning for me to join them.
Taylor holds out his hand to me. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Thia.”
Not once do his sharp eyes leave my face. I walk to him and grab his hand. His grasp is straightforward.
“Taylor is one of the leaders of the Underground," Chi explains. "He’s in charge of our state with four other leaders. He’s also a journalist and a liaison inside the authorities.”
I look at Taylor again. His eyes shift between Chi and me. “The news on TV is all about you two and the authorities are on the look-out. We need to be careful. I have a meeting to hold. I didn’t want everyone to come here and raise suspicion among the neighbors, so I’m taking you to my house.”
“Is it safe to go places if they’re looking for us?” I ask.
“We’ll ride in my car,” Taylor replies.
“You have a car?” I ask, stunned.
“Yes, I’m a journalist, so it’s pretty much as if I work for the authorities. They keep a strong grip on the news. So yes, I have good resources and a car—all perks coming with my glorifying job," he says with a hint of sarcasm.
“So, what are we meeting about?” Oliver asks.
“I want to see how we are faring so far, with the weaponry and all that. Let’s go. We’ll talk at my place.”
We head out. Taylor has parked his car in the back of the house. After locking the door, Oliver goes to sit in the front seat, Chi and I in the back.
“There’s a comforter in the back seat. When we are downtown, you guys will have to hide under it.”
“Nice memories,” Chi says.
“Sorry, man. That’s the way it is.”
Chi rolls his eyes.
After riding for a while, Chi turns to me. "I haven't told you about the attack yet."
Taylor sends me a look through the rearview mirror before shifting his gaze to Chi. When their eyes meet, Taylor acquiesces with a motion of his head. Chi clears his throat while rubbing his neck.
"You remember how I told you my parents were taken away, right?" he asks, as if I could ever forget something like that. I nod.
"The Underground has been working on locating various camps in the state," he continues.
"And you're going to attack those camps," I simply state.
He pauses for a second. "Yes. Our group will target Camp 19. That's the camp where my parents are held. It's the closest camp to us, located between Eboracum City and the Catskills."
I don't like hearing that there is a camp so close to here. Tremors shoot down my back and I bite my lower lip.
"I'm coming," I say.
"What?" Chi's eyes narrow slightly.
"I'm coming with you to get your parents," I explain.
"It'll be dangerous, Thia," he protests.
I shake my head. "I'm not going to stay behind without moving a finger while your parents and all those other people are imprisoned to work in a camp. If you're going, I'm going too."
Chi casts a glance at Taylor through the rearview mirror, his eyes pleading with Taylor to agree with him on this one. But Taylor's lips are now curled up into a grin, his eyebrow raised at Chi mockingly.
"I like her," he says. "You'd better keep her."
When we arrive close to downtown Eboracum City, Chi and I lie on the backseat. Taylor lives in the suburbs, on the other side of town. After twenty more minutes, we reach his house and he backs his car into the garage. Then he closes the metallic door so we can finally get out. I have cramps from the uncomfortable ride and I'm sweaty from the warmth of the cover. Chi stretches his legs and runs his hand through his messy hair.
We follow Taylor into his house. His job does give him acces
s to nice possessions indeed. His spacious home and the luxurious items here equal those of people with the best status in society. That’s how the authorities keep leashes on their journalists and control over the media, by offering them resources they wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. Belongings can become addictive. Some people would do just about anything—dreadful things—to live in a house like this.
We enter the living room, where a few people have gathered already—most of them women. They are of all ages, and based on their outfits, from all levels of society.
“All right, we’re back, everyone,” Taylor calls out to them. “I invited a bunch of you over to discuss the progress in the camps and get your reports back.”
Everyone turns toward us. Their eyes shift to me right away; some of them observe me with curiosity and some others with doubt. Chi wraps his arm around my neck protectively, resting it on my shoulders.
“I'm sure a lot of you saw the news already. Our Chi here is quite popular with the media right now, though not in a good way. Just to make it clear, he obviously did not kidnap Thia as the media is claiming. Thia was attacked by her promised fiancé during her pre-nuptial night, and she joined our group willingly. I don’t need to explain to you ladies what that’s like. But that’s not why we’re here today. So, let’s all welcome our new member Thia and move on.”
Everyone is still looking at me, but then someone moves forward, taking the attention away. He's a strong man, with full blond hair on top, completely shaved on the sides.
“Liam says everything’s going well in Camp 19. I've met him a few times in the past couple of weeks,” the person says. “He hasn’t heard anything suspicious. He's rallied a few guards to our cause, and he’s trying to figure out how to access the central security system to turn it off when we arrive. He’s already managed to free a few prisoners each day. He'll keep on doing that until we arrive.”
“Thanks, James,” Taylor replies.