Rayal ordered the robots and guards to secure the Golden Elite’s path through the apartment building.
Kailynn looked around quickly, watching the guards disperse and move across the street. She darted down to the parking garage for the convention center and ran across the empty lanes of the underground highway. She was sure that the Syndicate had purposely closed off the area to contain the danger. Because of that, she was able to run across and find the garage elevator for the apartments across the highway. When she could not access the elevator, she found the emergency stairs and began climbing them two at a time.
Now that she knew Isa was alright, her thoughts turned to her brother.
She did not know if he was alive or dead. She did not even know if he was there or if he had sent others of the gang to shoot the Golden Elite. She had no idea what their punishment would be or if Isa would find out Kailynn’s connection to the group that tried to kill her.
Kailynn poked her head out every door she came across, listening for the sounds of orders being barked.
She felt as though she had been searching the doors for hours when she finally heard voices in the hallway. She quickly got out of the stairwell and went toward the noises only to press herself to the wall when she saw the number of guards around the corner, standing post around an open door.
Kailynn listened, every muscle in her body tense.
“Four dead, seven injured,” Remus’s voice said. “All Trids.”
“Fuck off, Elite scum!” Theo’s voice bellowed. Kailynn closed her eyes and felt her stomach flip.
“What were you trying to accomplish by killing me?” Isa’s calm voice asked.
“You could never understand the pain we feel! You kill us without reason! You force us to live in filth, hungry and dying. We can never climb out of Trid because you won’t ever let us!” Sonya’s voice screeched.
“See?” Theo growled. “You can’t even deny it. You know it’s true.”
Kailynn took a deep breath and turned the corner, fully expecting another commotion when the guards and robots spotted her. Once she stepped into view, the guns in the hall pointed at her, but, to her fortune, Rayal was also looking in her direction. He quickly lifted his wrist to his mouth.
“Stand down,” he ordered quietly.
The guns lowered and Kailynn started forward.
“I wish you had thought more carefully about your actions,” Isa’s voice said in the apartment that the Heart of Trid gang had broken into for the assassination attempt. “It is true, Anon does not allow for Trids to climb out of poverty. However, you ruined your own chances of changing that by trying to take my life. Now, Venus will be more convinced that the Trids are too dangerous to be assimilated into Anon society. There will be nothing I can do to change her opinion.”
“Liar!” Theo bellowed. “Venus does not even exist! We tried to shut her down! There was nothing in the warehouse!”
Isa sighed heavily.
“That is because you had the wrong location,” she said simply. “I knew there was a Trid gang that wanted to shut down Venus, so I set a trap. And you played into it. Just as you played into this trap. We knew you would try to kill me today.”
“How?” another member demanded.
Isa did not respond. Kailynn started forward when the silence became too heavy, worried. However, Rayal held out his hand and shook his head, telling her to stay back. She stared at his hand and then at him, not sure how to respond.
“Miss?” one of the Officials that had helped the Silver Elite storm the apartment asked. “What do you want to do with them?”
“You know the punishment,” Remus said darkly. “Execution.”
The Official raised his gun, along with three of his comrades, and pointed it at the remaining members of the Heart of Trid gang.
“Wait!” Kailynn cried. Before she had a chance to think of her actions, she pushed past Rayal and ran forward, standing between the guns and the kneeling, bound Trids on the floor of the ransacked living room. Kailynn spread her arms in a sad attempt to shield the Trids and her eyes frantically met with Isa’s. “Don’t kill them!”
“Kailynn?” Isa hissed, blinking in surprise.
“What is she doing here?” Remus asked coldly.
“Miss?” the Official asked, turning to Isa.
“Kailynn?” the disbelieving voice said behind her. Kailynn chose to ignore it and looked at Isa seriously.
“Isa, please, I’m begging you.”
“Who do you think you are?” Remus growled, stalking forward. “This does not concern you!”
“Isa! Please! Don’t have them killed!” Kailynn cried, backing away from Remus as he approached. “Please!”
“Kailynn, what the hell are you doing?!” Theo snapped behind her.
“You will not interfere in this,” Remus growled, seizing Kailynn’s arm in a surprising grip and yanking her away from the group of Trids.
“Let go!” Kailynn barked, trying to rip free, the nails of her other hand scraping at him.
“Enough!” Isa ordered, motioning for the Officials to lower their guns. “Remus, release her.” Remus hesitated only a split second before letting Kailynn go. Isa turned back to the younger woman. “You want me to spare their lives?”
“Please, Isa…I-I know what they did…” Kailynn said, her voice choked. “But…please, don’t kill them…”
The two shared an intense, silent conversation before it was broken by Theo.
“Are you fucking for real?” he sneered, glaring. “All the time we spent tearing Trid apart looking for you, and you were kissing up to the fuckin’ Elites?!”
“Theo, please, not now.”
“Yes! Fucking now!”
“You’re a damn traitor!”
“We don’t need your help!”
“Killing us won’t do anything!” Sonya bellowed, spitting at Isa. “We’ve got power in Trid you could never imagine. Soon, we’ll drink and dance on your corpses! We’ll overthrow you! You have no power over us!”
“Officers,” Isa said coldly. The Officials pulled out their guns and pointed them at the prisoners once more.
“Isa!” Kailynn cried.
“Kailynn, come here,” Isa said, extending her hand. Kailynn hesitated, but started toward the Golden Elite, her step slow and weak. She stood next to Isa as the Golden Elite turned to the silent, concerned Trids.
“Cease.”
The Officers did not hesitate in lowering their weapons again.
“Remus.”
The Silver Elite pulled out his own gun, pointing it at the Trids, forcing them to tense in apprehension again. They remembered when the formidable Elite barged into the room and immediately killed two of the gang, including Austin, the twitchy trigger-finger that had fired the first bullet.
“I have the power here,” Isa said. “You will do well to remember. Cross me, and it takes only one word to end your lives.”
“We’ll never bow to you!!” Theo bellowed.
“I don’t need you to bow,” Isa told him. “You’re already kneeling.” She looked at the Officials. “Take them into custody but do not harm or kill them. Instructions will be sent when I better know the situation.” Isa turned to Kailynn. The younger woman looked at the ground quickly, trying not to notice the wound on the Golden Elite’s shoulder or the concerned look in Isa’s eyes.
As the Trids began spitting insults and hateful words, Remus turned to Isa seriously.
“Isa, this is a very bad idea,” he whispered.
“I have had them before,” Isa said simply.
“You cannot start to go soft because your new toy is concerned for them.”
Isa rounded on Remus.
“Call her that again, and you will regret it instantly.” Isa turned back to Kailynn and motioned her hand toward the door. Not sure what else to do, Kailynn walked with the Golden Elite and the silent Silver Elite out of the room. Rayal fell into step behind all of them as the robots and guards surrounded the
leader of the planet. Kailynn spared a glance back at her struggling brother and the others of the Heart of Trid gang as they were pushed out of the room and down the other hallway, away from the Elites, to be taken to prison.
Kailynn swallowed back tears, closing her eyes briefly.
Rayal reached forward and gently touched Kailynn’s shoulder, offering a comforting squeeze and a soft smile.
“The press is outside, I’m sure,” Remus said as the elevator doors opened and the guards stepped back to allow Isa and the others inside. “We better go underground to get to the cars. The roads should still be blocked.”
“That sounds best,” Isa agreed, sighing heavily. “Let the rumors fly as they will. We will formally address the issue at a later date.”
“Venus will want an explanation,” Remus murmured.
“I’ll give her one.”
It was a silent walk through the garage and pedestrian tunnels until they reached the garage of the Convention Center once more. Isa had to call her car back down, as it was still sitting outside the front door of the Convention Center.
“Don’t come to work tomorrow,” Remus said. “It will be best to remain quiet until you can make an official statement. I’ll call Dr. Busen and set up an appointment around your schedule. Tarah can probably treat that at home for now.”
“Thank you, Remus.”
Remus turned to Kailynn, who unwillingly flinched from the glare. The vehicle appeared before them and Isa climbed in, motioning Kailynn to join her. Kailynn spared one final glance at Remus and Rayal and then got in the car with Isa.
Despite all the confused thoughts in Kailynn’s head, she could not form any sentences to speak to Isa as they went to Anon Tower.
They were both silent.
However, Isa turned to her. Kailynn could not look back.
Isa reached over and wrapped her fingers around Kailynn’s, squeezing them gently.
Tarah was ready to treat the Golden Elite the moment she walked in the door. She greeted Kailynn as well, but she was far more concerned with Isa’s wounded shoulder. The graze from the bullet was minimal. Isa sat patiently while Tarah treated and wrapped the wound. Kailynn paced slowly near the couch where the Elite sat, biting her nails and feeling exhaustion seep into her bones.
The silence in the house was deafening.
When Tarah was finished, Isa smiled.
“Thank you, Tarah,” she said. “Some privacy, please.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Tarah obediently went into the kitchen as Isa stood, walking to Kailynn and gently taking her shoulders.
Kailynn’s eyes raised to Isa’s face, watching the Elite’s expression as Isa pulled her hand from her mouth, squeezing the Significant’s fingers tenderly.
She brought Kailynn to the couch and sat her down, sitting on the coffee table in front of her, holding Kailynn’s hand as her other hand went forward and brushed her cheek.
“I’m sorry…” Kailynn choked.
“No need to apologize.”
Kailynn pressed a hand to her face, bending her head forward.
“You already knew?” she asked, her voice choked.
“Yes.”
“How?”
Isa was still for a moment before she took Kailynn’s hand away from her face again.
“You worried me,” she said. “When you called and asked me not to leave Anon Tower, I knew something was wrong. Rayal did the rest of the investigation and figured out when an assassination attempt was most likely. We were prepared.” Isa leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Kailynn’s forehead. “How did you find out about it?”
The tears came on so suddenly that they knocked the breath out of the younger woman. Her face creased in pain and she bent forward again, sobbing quietly.
Isa moved to her knees and wrapped her arms around Kailynn’s shoulders, pulling her into a hug as Kailynn pressed her forehead to Isa’s shoulder. The Elite rubbed her back, holding her as Kailynn’s tears overwhelmed her.
When she finally regained her tongue, she let out a shuddered breath.
“I’m so confused…” she choked.
“Help me understand,” Isa whispered, leaning her head against Kailynn’s. “I want to help.”
Kailynn pulled away from the hug, looking over Isa’s worried face. She took the Elite’s face in both hands and pulled her into a tender kiss. When their lips parted, she still held Isa’s face, looking at her through tear-filled eyes.
“I don’t understand anything anymore,” Kailynn breathed. “I don’t understand what you’ve done to me.” She dropped her head, sobs beginning to wrack her body once more. “I betrayed…I betrayed my family for you…” She lifted her head. “Only a few months ago, I would have celebrated their plan…but now…”
Isa thumbed away the tears on the Significant’s face.
Kailynn closed her eyes and leaned into the touch.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you,” she whispered. “I want to keep you safe.” She opened her eyes once more. “I saw you almost die once.” She shook her head and swallowed hard. “I couldn’t bear seeing it again.”
“I’m safe, Kailynn,” Isa said gently, her thumb still stroking the Significant’s cheek. “As are you.”
Kailynn closed her eyes tight.
“Everything is so fucked up…” Kailynn whimpered.
Isa took a deep breath, slowly letting it out before she asked her question.
“Who were they to you?” she murmured. “How were they your family?”
“My brother was the leader of that gang,” she said quietly. “He’s the only family I have left. My mother was killed when I was only four. My father was killed a few years after that. Then I was sent to a Keeper because my brother did not want me around while he fenced drugs.” She sniffed, her face creasing with pain once more. “I became a Significant to get him out of Uren after you caught him. All the money went to him. I couldn’t bear the thought of him being executed.” Her eyes went back to Isa. “But then you…” She trailed off, looking into the clear, stunning blue of Isa’s eyes. “I met you…and now I don’t understand myself anymore. The thought of you being killed…it was worse than the thought of my brother dying…”
She choked on the words, her hands dropping from Isa’s shoulders, where they had been resting. She cradled her face in her hands, the tears coming once more.
“Isa…please…I’m begging you. Don’t have them killed.”
Isa leaned forward once more and pressed her lips to the top of Kailynn’s head. Kailynn could feel the apology in the action.
She looked up quickly, forcing her tears back as her expression became frantic.
“Please, Isa.”
“I’m afraid…” Isa trailed off, looking to the ground and letting out a heavy sigh. “I’m afraid that the decision is currently out of my hands.”
Kailynn let the words bounce around her mind, her eyes searching Isa’s face for an answer.
“What do you mean?”
“Venus will make the decision. This was a public spectacle. There were cameras around. I’m sure that most of the planet knows by now that there was an attempt on my life. To deter others from trying the same, Venus will want to make an example of them.”
“You’re just going to prove the Trids right,” Kailynn said quickly. “You’re going to prove that you are the enemy.”
“There are limited actions available to me,” Isa tried to explain. “I certainly can’t let them go. That would prove weakness, and with the Alliance in the state it is in, I cannot afford to appear weak. If they are not punished, then that won’t send a message to Trid, nor to anyone else, that we do not tolerate this behavior.”
“Killing them won’t stop more from trying, though!” Kailynn gasped. “More Trids will want revenge for the death of a gang that tried to help Trid.”
“But they are harming Trid by doing things like what happened tonight,” Isa said, her voice remaining calm. “I cannot argue for Trid
if they are undermining my work with Venus. If she sees Trid as a threat, there is nothing I can do to change her mind.”
“No, you have to convince her,” Kailynn said. “You have to tell her that they cannot be killed.”
“I cannot simply tell Venus what to do,” Isa said. “It doesn’t work like that. She tells me what to do.”
“You have to do something. They can’t die.”
“Kailynn, do you understand my position here? Venus will not accept it if I tell her that I do not want them killed. They made an attempt on my life. She’ll want them executed. The decision is in her hands.”
“They wouldn’t have done that if they had any other options!” Kailynn barked. “What else are they supposed to do? They’re Trids! I was beyond fucking lucky. And it was all because of you! Why can’t you do something to help the district of Trid?”
“It’s very complicated, Kailynn.”
“How complicated can it be?”
“Trid is essential to Tiao,” Isa said.
“Essential?” Kailynn said in disbelief. “I thought it was the black spot on Tiao.”
“It is,” Isa admitted. “And that is why it is essential. The only way to govern people is by proving that you have power over them, and the way you do that is through fear, even if it is surreptitious. Trid instills fear in the classes about what could become of them if they do not do their part in society. Trid gives the others in Anon, and on all of Tiao, something to fear.”
Kailynn stared at Isa in disbelief, the words cutting her deeply.
“You won’t do anything to help the Trids because you’re trying to control everyone? You’re trying to scare them?”
“Humans need a form of governing,” Isa said strongly. “Otherwise, what is to stop anyone from doing harm to others?”
“Why would they want to do harm to others if they have access to everything they need?” Kailynn challenged.
“When it comes to the average person, you’re right,” Isa agreed. “Most humans would not wish harm on others. Many would do anything to help one another. That is the way human beings are made as a species. But not all humans are like that. And when a human manipulates, they gain power over others and then that breeds discontent in other humans. That is why there needs to be a structure to keep everything in line.”
The Significant Page 27