If they had broken City law, could that mean they had to give Lily back?
She was tired, and hungry, a headache growing stronger probably for both reasons. Katlena had told her to take anything she wanted, but somehow Ami couldn’t bring herself to go through her fridge or cabinets. She’d always assumed that most people despised cyphers based on the more subtle reactions she’d gotten, but the open disgust she’d been shown lately had shocked her. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to keep challenging Katlena, because as for now, she seemed to be the only one who didn’t think Ami should be living out on the streets.
Ami leaned her head forward against the soft cushion of the couch and cried. She couldn’t hold herself up anymore. She couldn’t believe how naïve she’d been, thinking of her long uneventful days at ShelTech as a rather hard life. Hard was now when she was faced with so many decisions it was making her head spin, and each of them would have a great impact on her future, and Lily’s.
If Drago managed to strike back, to run would be the only chance left. If they somehow managed to turn things around like Katlena hoped, Ami would owe her $20,000. It was a vicious cycle, all potential ways out cut off long ago. The shadows grew longer around her, but she couldn’t find the energy to get up and turn on a light. Ami couldn’t shake the image of Drago, towering over her in the archives. Maybe she was just feeling too sick to eat.
She hadn’t turned in a report in days. Paul Trenton might be busy otherwise at the moment, but at some point, Ami would have to explain herself. There was nowhere to go. Maybe, when Katlena returned that night, she should tell her about that last little secret.
When the doorbell rang, she jumped, the papers of the file still on her lap spilling all over the floor. Whoever was on the other side of that door, she’d better not open it. Katlena had a key. Everyone else was probably out there to create more problems. Ami wiped her face and put the sheets back into the folder when it rang a second time, followed by insistent knocking. She stood, waiting, unsure what to do. There was no way she could reach Katlena. If she snuck out through the fire escape door…
Ami tiptoed into the hallway, trying to put on her shoes and coat as silently as possible.
“Ami, come on, open the door,” an impatient voice said. “We know you’re in there.”
Ami’s boot dropped to the floor. It couldn’t be.
“Don’t worry,” Cara said. “It’s safe.”
* * * *
“Your reports have been very favorable.” Paul Trenton was a soft-spoken man. His words were without scorn. “What I need to know is that she is not going to side with Drago at the last moment.”
Ami looked from him to Cara, still overwhelmed by what she’d learned in the past few minutes. Nothing was for certain anymore. No one was who they seemed to be. She struggled to maintain a sense of belief in her own perception, and who she could trust. Katlena. Cara. Trenton. Maybe.
“I didn’t want to cause her trouble. Anyone,” she admitted. “Katlena has helped me a great deal.”
“Is she going to defend the IdA?” Cara asked.
“She wants to reform it,” Ami said, and Cara snorted.
“High hopes. What we need to know is which side she’ll be on. There’s trouble brewing. Where we come from, the people don’t want a war, but a peaceful agreement. The problem is that there has been a separate group emerging.”
“The ones who set the bomb earlier this week,” Ami concluded.
“Yes. They aren’t the original rebels though. Their contacts include high-ranking IdA officials who pay for their weapons and promise them wealth in return for supporting their idea of a revolution. When the shit hits the fan, we need to know if Cervantes is one of them.”
“No way.” Ami shook her head vehemently. “She wants peaceful reforms, not to murder people.”
“Can you say that with absolute certainty?”
Ami wanted to say absolute certainty had gone out of the window long ago, but instead, she nodded.
“Good,” Paul Trenton said. “Rumor has it they are planning something big that, as usual, they want to blame the rebels for. The IdA, in its original form, will have no choice but to execute retribution. You can imagine what will happen next.”
Ami felt sick. “War,” she whispered. Her hopes of ever finding Lily would completely diminish. She thought of something else. “Katlena wants someone undercover at the rebels. That person would be in a lot of danger.”
“Who?” Trenton frowned and gave Cara a quick sideways look. They obviously hadn’t expected that. Ami wondered if she’d just made things worse.
“I don’t know for sure, it’s still in the planning phase.”
“You need to come with us, Ami,” he said. “We can keep you safe, but only if you trust us.”
“It’s not just about me, and you know that. I can’t.”
“There is a way out. We will try to find your daughter too.”
“What about Katlena?” Ami asked.
“That will depend on your judgment,” Cara said. “You could come with us right now, and we show you the tunnels. Have her come later, if you really think she’s worth it.”
“Can’t you give me one more day?”
Ami could tell from Cara’s expression that she didn’t like the idea. Trenton didn’t answer.
“Please. Everything has been crumbling around me the past few days. I haven’t even been in my apartment.”
“The IdA has your laptop,” Cara said. “Is there really anything else you want? The clothes that the government gave you saying you’re 51308?”
“I need to talk to Katlena,” Ami insisted. “I can’t run out on her like this.”
“Just as well. We’ll be in touch.” Cara embraced Ami, then gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry I had to play the part. Just as you did, writing all those well-meaning reports about me. If it hadn’t been Paul to sign them off, you’d be in even more trouble.”
Trenton gave her a card. “Memorize this number and destroy the card. Only for emergencies. We’ll contact you tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. sharp.”
Ami found it hard to get the words out, but eventually she did.
“I’ll be ready.”
* * * *
Brad Jenkins had not shown, neither had anyone else. Katlena assumed they had been tipped off, or maybe he had smelled plain clothes IdA officers in front of his house. How foolish of her to hope for an easy break when, in all likelihood, a lawyered up Drago would try to take back his job tomorrow.
Katlena calculated her chances. Noelle had come far in her planning of the undercover operation. Every employee she’d talked to today seemed benevolent, with the exception of Insa. There was still Hale to consider, but she’d begun a subtle change of structure, exerting leadership. The officer for whom she’d taken over was very much relieved, and Katlena thought she had alleviated the Internal Affairs officers’ fears of Drago. Everybody had to step up. The question was, would they still be behind her once Drago started throwing around what was left of his power?
Paul Trenton was still unavailable, and neither his wife nor his secretary would tell her anything.
She wearily climbed the stairs to her apartment, only to find Amy sleeping on the couch of her cold and dark living room. She hadn’t turned on the heat. Probably she hadn’t eaten either. Katlena glanced at her watch. At nearly 2:00 a.m., it was closer to another breakfast. She should try to sleep for a bit, but she needed some time to wind down.
She went to the bathroom to get a couple of painkillers, then back into the kitchen where she opened a can of tomato soup. There was still some toast, and a few slices of cheese. Comfort food seemed like a good idea. Maybe a beer. Katlena laughed bitterly. The IdA should try to limit the alcohol consumption of their own employees. It seemed they needed it more.
“It’s 2:00 a.m.”
Ami stood in the doorway, her black-and-white attire wrinkled. She looked pale, like her sleep hadn’t been a restful one.
“Well, yeah. I�
��m hungry.”
She definitely was, but Ami seemed to be close to fainting from the smell of food.
“You could have had a sandwich,” Katlena admonished her. “Or a tea and a cookie at least.”
Ami didn’t comment, but she came closer. “Did you find the guy?”
Katlena shook her head. She didn’t want to think about her failure, or what it could mean tomorrow. Turning from the stove, she pulled Ami close to her, holding on, the sizzling of the bread in the pan the only sound. It wasn’t fair. All those responsibilities, secrets and lies between them. Her position in the IdA, even more so from today, presented her with a lot of obligations towards many people. Much as she wanted to at this moment, she couldn’t run from them. Somebody had to step up, and who else would that be? Noelle had pledged her loyalty. While she was good at her job, she had no interest in a leading position. Hale would, but then…God help us all.
“I wish I could go somewhere…with you. Although meanwhile, dinner is burning, and you and I need to eat.”
That was just like her, soften the truth with a joke when it was too much. Dimly, Katlena remembered she had promised Ami to go out for dinner sometime soon, even imagined buying her new clothes. That wouldn’t happen anytime soon, the way things were going.
She busied herself finishing their late dinner, wondering how Ami had spent the time. The copy Katlena had made of her file earlier still lay on the coffee table, not a pleasant reading. She was silent when they sat in the dining room to eat, hungry or completely overwhelmed by the complexity of their situation.
“I’ll go by the bank tomorrow before we start work,” Katlena said.
Ami looked up, startled. “Is she going to give my name back?”
“No. Somewhere in between revolutions, we’ll find the forms to buy you one. I know it’s not the best solution, but we need to be prepared. You heard what she said. A new name comes with a clean record, and if you can prove you obtained it under current IdA laws, no one can deny you your child.”
Amy stared at her, haunted. “How will they know she is mine when I show someone else’s ID?”
“A DNA test will take care of that.”
“What about the other person, the one whose identity we’re buying? I’d put someone else in the same situation. No one told us about the three-year-clause. She wouldn’t know either.”
“Chances are she won’t find out until we have a chance to reverse all those cases. In the meantime, we need to get you some papers that say something other than 51308.”
“You’re going to lose $20,000 either way,” Ami concluded.
“I don’t care!”
Katlena watched as the shock registered on Ami’s face. She regarded her, wondering about the irony of her affection for this young woman who was putting at risk everything she’d worked for in the past few years. She couldn’t let her go. Of course, the same money she was so casually throwing around meant a whole different life for Ami.
“Don’t worry about the money,” she said, getting up abruptly. “Once we have Lily back, and Drago’s convicted, there’ll be a lot to worry about, so let’s save some energy for that.” She cleared the bottles and dishes off the table.
“I can’t believe you sat in here so long without heat. Would you like a hot bath?”
Ami’s expression said enough. Katlena didn’t wait for her answer, but started running the water.
When Ami, who hadn’t protested at all, sank back in the hot water with a grateful sigh, Katlena took the time to quickly take a shower herself. She went back into the kitchen while Ami was still enjoying the unusual luxury, her eyes closed in bliss.
The dishes could wait until tomorrow. There’d be time after defeating Drago.
She found a bar of chocolate in the pantry, bought maybe a couple of weeks ago in an attempt to treat herself, and then forgotten. Katlena didn’t even like chocolate that much. Maybe she didn’t know how to treat herself, but she definitely liked the simple pleasures she could create for Ami. It wasn’t about power play. It was about forgetting that come tomorrow, it could all fall apart.
Chapter Thirteen
They turned in soon after Ami had finished her bath, holding each other close in the darkness. This was so different from the movies, Katlena reflected, where people had desperate sex or alcohol binges the night before the world—or maybe just their world—was about to end. She was barely getting off the pain pills, and Ami…Her hand tightened into a fist when she remembered Drago’s cocky attitude earlier. After he’d assaulted her in the archives, Ami wasn’t much in the mood for that kind of distraction either. Someday soon, they would leave all of this behind them.
“If there was a way to get out of the City, would you come with me?” Ami’s question didn’t come entirely unexpected.
“It seems like a good idea. I might be unemployed tomorrow.”
There was a small pause in which Katlena irrationally hoped she might have fallen asleep and dreamed this conversation, or that Ami was talking about a vague theory. She knew the question was too specific.
“I mean it.”
“Yes, I know. Are you sure it’s a good idea to tell me?”
“No,” Ami admitted, “but you’re about to lend me $20,000 and I’m falling in love with you, so I think I should do it anyway. Cara—Caroline Rivera—came to see me, here in your apartment. With Paul Trenton.”
“I’ve been trying to reach him all day. Damn it, I have to talk to him.” She wanted to be angry, but she didn’t have enough energy for the sentiment. That didn’t bode well for sparring with Drago a few hours from now. “Maybe you shouldn’t have told me.”
“There’s more.”
“Ami.”
“There’s a reason why I had the laptop, and the files…”
“Ami, please, don’t.” Katlena didn’t mention that she didn’t ask Ami for mere altruistic reasons. If this went wrong, she could soon be interrogated by Drago’s goons. In that case, it would be better not to know anything about Ami’s plans.
Ami was crying. “I can’t take that money from you when I might be gone tomorrow night and you…I met Trenton before. There’s a separate group that’s conducting surveillances, sometimes cyphers, but I was told—”
“To spy on me,” Katlena finished for her. “Wow. You were good.” Or maybe, she thought, Drago had assessed her correctly, everybody had. She hadn’t acted rationally where Ami was concerned. The outcome might be worse than she could have ever imagined.
“Didn’t you hear what I said?” Ami asked, sounding desperate to make Katlena understand.
“Sure. You’re having second thoughts about the money.”
“Katlena, please. I was approached years ago. I didn’t know them from the IdA, but they said they would help me get Lily back.”
“Figures,” Katlena said. “Everybody lies.” She turned away, unwilling to continue the conversation. She couldn’t be distracted when so much depended on her. Tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow they’d be able to sort out all the threads of this web of lies, hers, Ami’s, Trenton’s and Drago’s.
“They aren’t the evil ones,” Ami insisted. “They could help you find out who planted the bomb. They want Drago gone just as much as we do.”
“That’s a good thing, I guess. If they can get you out, you should take the chance. Let’s not talk about this anymore.”
“What about you?” Ami asked, all her fears revealed in that question.
“I can’t. Not yet.”
“Why not? Why does it have to be you?”
It was a valid question, because it implied there was still something to save of her career, of her life, with or without Ami Moore, 51308. It wasn’t that Katlena was that brave, not in her opinion. The IdA had given her a framework, if not always perfect, but mostly reliable. In the span of heartbeats, the house of cards was tumbling down. Ami. Drago. That mysterious organization operating in the shadows of the IdA.
In fact, maybe she was too afraid to leave that framework, ev
en if it had drastically changed.
“I can’t,” she choked out. She’d known right away their chances weren’t good, but reality was even more sobering. Not only would she go into a difficult, potentially dangerous situation tomorrow. She might be doing it alone. “When are they coming to get you?”
“Tomorrow night.”
“Will you be with me during the day?”
“I promise,” Ami said, and then she leaned forward to kiss her. For Katlena, it felt like a kiss goodbye.
* * * *
In the morning, even after too little sleep, Katlena was much calmer than she had thought. There were many things to consider—the investigation, her takeover, all the promises she’d made to Ami and still intended to keep.
She had decided it would be petty to deny a person her identity, because Katlena’s feelings were hurt.
There was no time for breakfast. They got a coffee and a bagel on the way to the bank. Ami stared in disbelief when Katlena went straight to the ATM machine. The counters weren’t open yet.
“You can’t get that kind of money from the ATM!”
“I’m an employee of the IdA. I can empty my account any time I want to.”
“Wow.” Ami seemed baffled for a moment. “I mean, no. Katlena. You can’t do this. I still don’t know what to do, and I can’t make you—”
“You already did. No, don’t take that the wrong way. My fault for caring about you.”
“Katlena.”
“No!” She was aware of the higher pitch to her voice and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I’ve made up my mind. You deserve this, Ami. If you want to work with Rivera and Trenton, be the voice of the revolution, I’m not going to stop you. I want to stay and change things from the inside, you know? I need to start right now, so can we do this?”
“How much will you have left?”
Katlena shrugged. “Enough. Once I bring home Drago’s salary, it will be fine. If today doesn’t work out, let’s say if I go to prison for treason, my retirement fund will be the least of my problems.”
CYPHER: A Dystopian Novel Page 13