by Barb Han
They move straight to us and crouch on the other side of Caius. We form a circle around him as he searches for my hand. I breathe easier when our fingers are entwined.
“He’s waking up,” I say to Annora. I’m rewarded with the first small smile that I see out of her.
“Welcome back,” she says as he sits up and rubs his eyes. “Are you thirsty?”
“Yes,” he responds, and his voice smooths over me. It has the same effect as the first time, and goose bumps ripple over my arms.
“Try this.” I hand him my cup of tea.
He takes a sip and makes a face. “How long have I been out?”
“Most of the day.”
“Are you hungry?” Annora asks.
“Not really.” He repositions and then stretches out his long legs.
“Think you can stand?” Annora asks.
He nods.
Pace and Keir help him to his feet. Seeing Caius up and around fills me with hope. I was so scared that I’d lose him, that he wouldn’t wake up.
He takes a lap around the room, stopping long enough to stretch out what must be stiff muscles before returning to me. He stands behind me and wraps his arms around me. I finally feel safe again. It’s fragile at best.
“What did you learn today?” Annora asks Pace and Keir after sitting down and taking up her teacup again.
The guys followed suit and so does Caius, tugging me down in front of him. I lean back against his chest as his arms wrap around me, and I can almost feel the crisp breeze on my skin like on the hill.
“News about her is out,” Pace says with an apologetic glance toward me.
“How?” Annora asks.
“We think it’s the Bilker family,” he continues.
“Rhys,” Caius says, and I can feel his warm breath in my hair.
“His family has been strong opponents of the Sponsored program,” Annora informs. “Your brother found out what they wanted out, and he started making too much noise. It became unsafe for him and your mother. That’s when they disappeared.”
“What about the family he supposedly killed?”
“He was on his way to find you when the story broke. Mireille was a step ahead. She must’ve realized no one would take his word over hers.”
I can feel Caius’s arms tighten around me.
The soft glow of the light makes shadows dance across Annora’s face as she speaks. “This is all Mireille’s—” She glances at me when I shoot a confused look. “Snyder’s brainchild. She’s on her way to becoming one of the most powerful women in our country.” Annora pauses, giving me time to digest her words. She stares at a spot on the floor and then her gaze lifts to mine. “You have all the qualities that many of our country’s wealthy want in a child.”
Bile rises in the back of my throat, and I think I’ll be sick.
“The better you perform, the higher the price they can get.”
I’m so horrified that it takes a minute for me to gather my thoughts enough to speak. “I can’t believe anyone would think it’s okay to do…this…to another human being.”
She doesn’t have to answer that question. Legacies don’t view us as humans. We’re poor, expendable. We serve them in their houses. We’re nothing more than a commodity.
“To be completely fair, most people don’t realize what’s happening. I found out about it early because of my job in the school. A group was already forming against the new style of government and this…program…can be a symbol of the injustice.”
The fog lifts, and I’m crystal clear on how devious Mireille Snyder has become.
I have to find a way to stop her before she kills me.
Chapter Twenty
The lab rat comes to mind. The threat Snyder made that day is so clear to me now.
“Word is out that I’m gone from Easton?” I ask Pace.
He nods.
“They’ll find a way to spin this so they come out smelling like roses,” Annora warns.
“How can I find my family?” I have to force my focus forward and not dwell on the horrible reality I’d been facing.
“That’s the question of the day. Locations of these groups are kept a secret in order to protect the members. They move around often, never staying in one place for very long, so they’re harder to track down. They don’t communicate with anyone outside of the group.”
I sit there for a long moment, absorbing everything she’s said.
“Other than to help your son, why do you care so much about what happens to people society is ready to throw away?” I have to ask.
“My mother used to be on the council.” Her face radiates such warmth as she speaks about her mother.
“I remembered. What happened?”
“I owe my love of history to her. She had this quote in her office taken from a speech from a Vice President that read, ‘The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life; the sick, the needy, and the handicapped.’ She believed every word of that right up until she took her last breath.”
“But you always talk about how our government failed in your lectures. How polarized we became because of the two-party system. Why would you live by a quote from a period that you said was the worst time in our history?”
“Government didn’t fail, people did.” She paused. “As for promoting the idea, I intended to keep a close eye on Mirielle”—she glances from me to Caius—“my mother was her mentor before she died under suspicious circumstances.”
I gasp when I catch the implication. “And you believe she killed her.”
“Her death was officially ruled a suicide.” Her voice catches. “Mireille stepped into my mother’s role on the council.”
“And now your son is underground,” I say in almost a whisper.
“If Mireille found out, she would’ve destroyed me. It’s why I tore up the picture.”
“I’m the poster child for her pet program, and I’ve gone rogue. She’ll destroy the rest of the failed experiments,” I state. “We have to do something to help them.”
“You can’t do anything,” Annora warns.
My heart pounds so hard in my chest, I think it might explode.
“I don’t have a choice.” I’m desperate. I don’t care who knows. I also have to find my family, but this has to come first.
“I’m sorry, Tori. It’s not safe. They know you, and they’ll be able to make predictions based on your personality. They’ve been studying your habits and your patterns for a very long time. We can’t let you help make the plans.” This all sounds logical, but I’m not yet ready to concede.
“Well, I can’t sit around and do nothing,” I say, and Caius twists our fingers together, his warm hands over mine. I lean back against his chest, taking in his warmth.
“I’ll help. No one at Easton knows me like they do Tori,” he says quietly.
“What am I supposed to do, then?”
“Survive,” he says quietly. He shifts my hair to one side, and I can feel his breath on my neck.
“I, for one, am glad we have another person in the mix,” Pace says, and he’s obviously referring to my boyfriend.
Keir, who has been quiet up until now, finally speaks. “We recently talked to someone who thinks he has a location on your brother and Cyprion.”
Annora shoots him a warning look. “Even if that’s true, and I’m not convinced it is, we can’t risk walking her straight into the fire. Everyone’s looking for them, and for her.”
I tap my toe on the floor. It feels as if there’s an obvious answer and I’m overlooking it.
And then it dawns on me…
“I think I know where my brother would take people.”
“Where?” Ann
ora asks. Her eyes are bright despite the dark circles underneath them.
“Georgia. Where my grandma’s dance studio used to be.”
Annora is clearly startled at my suggestion. “The borders are too tight. He’d never get through. He would know that.” She shakes her head, giving it thought. “My guess is that they’re seeking refuge in the Hundred-Mile Wilderness.”
“Because it’s the toughest terrain to navigate on the Appalachian Trail?”
“Exactly,” she agrees.
“I don’t think so. I mean, isn’t that too obvious a choice?” Plankton occurs to me. My face lights up. “My brother said plankton. We used to always say that if we could go anywhere, we’d go to Atlanta because they have whale fish in their aquarium—”
“And whale fish eat plankton,” Annora finishes for me.
“It’s the perfect place.” Caius’s steady breathing, the feel of his strong heartbeat against my back, keeps me calm.
“There’s only one way to find out if you’re right,” Keir says with a boyish grin. He looks ready for the next adventure.
“How soon can we leave?” I ask.
“Caius will need another day before he’s fully recov—”
“I feel fine,” he argues. “I’m good to go whenever.”
“Absolutely not. We’re not talking about one border here. There are nine countries between Maine and Georgia. Massachusetts is the only guaranteed friendly border, and no one there can risk taking us in. There will be roadblocks at every one of the others.” Annora pushes to standing. “We’ll talk more about this at first light. For now, food and sleep are our new best friends.”
There’s something else on her mind, but I can’t quite read her emotions. Is she worried about her son? That seems a given. I’m going out of my mind trying to think of a place Trevor would hide. I miss my twin, and I’m more than grateful that I still know who he is on the inside. He’s doing exactly what I would if the situation were reversed. If I knew that he was in trouble, nothing would stop me from getting to him. I’m relieved that my family hasn’t changed since I’ve been gone. The whole world might’ve altered, but they haven’t. I can almost hear Mom’s snort-laugh and taste her cooking.
Pace moves into the kitchen and returns with a few protein bars. He passes them out, throwing Keir’s at his chest. Keir gets dramatic about it, and we all laugh, even Annora. Mine’s green this time and tastes like I imagine tree bark might. I’m hungry, though, so I’m not picky.
We clean up and then bunk down for the night. All I can think about are the other kids, the ones who have been Selected. And Lillian. They have no idea what’s coming.
How am I supposed to leave the country when I know what’s going to happen to them? If none of them have family, who will even know they’re gone?
Caius refuses to let me sleep on the pillows next to him on the floor. He pulls me against his warm body, and we both barely fit on the cot. Like this, I don’t even need a blanket. His body heat keeps me warm.
It’s hard to lie here and pretend that kids aren’t about to die. I wouldn’t say I was friendly with them at school, but I didn’t dislike them. Our relationships were mostly mutual respect for each other’s circumstances. Under normal conditions, maybe we might have been friends. Many of us have similar interests. We’re all smart.
I lie there for hours going over everything in my mind.
Caius moves. He’s awake.
“Have you slept?” I whisper, glancing around, half expecting one of the others to stir, but no one does.
“No,” he says so quietly against my ear that I can barely hear him. “My mind is churning.”
“I can’t let them all die. Not when I might have a chance to save them,” I say.
“Neither can I,” he responds.
I roll around to face him, and those same thousand butterflies release in my stomach like the first time we touched. Our bodies are pressed together on the small cot. I touch his face, tracing the curve of his jawline. He tunnels his arms around me and pulls me even closer. And then he kisses me, long and slow at first, but then it builds until we’re both breathing hard.
“I wish I would’ve…we would’ve.” Our foreheads touch, and his lips move against mine when he speaks. “I wish I hadn’t stopped you the last time.”
He doesn’t think we’ll survive if we return.
“We’re going to be fine,” I say, but my words are hollow. I can’t promise that and mean it any more than I can change my mind about doing the right thing. It’s just the kind of thing people say to convince themselves of something unlikely to be true, and Caius doesn’t say anything in return.
…
By the time the sun rises the next morning, I think I’ve slept all of an hour. Keir is the first one awake. He sits up and looks around, and we make eye contact. I smile.
“How are you?” He rubs his eyes with the heels of his hands.
“Honestly?”
He shoots me a look.
“I’m not able to sleep,” I respond.
“It gets easier,” he says sympathetically. “Being on the run.”
“That’s not the hard part for me.” I bite back a yawn.
He cocks his head sideways and gives me a look like I’m speaking German.
“This is the most freedom I’ve felt since…I can’t remember,” I admit. “It’s the others. They don’t deserve what’s happening to them any more than I did. They don’t even know what’s coming.”
“Ah.” He pushes up to his feet. “A bleeding heart.”
I’m taken back by the jab. “Maybe. If caring for others makes me weak, then I accept the criticism.”
“Take it easy, sport.” He stretches, and there are ripples of muscle on his chest. “It wasn’t an insult.”
“It sure wasn’t a compliment,” I shoot back.
“Actually, it was.” In one effortless motion, he swoops down and picks up his T-shirt. His green cargo pants are slung low on his hips. He moves toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
“I need fresh air.” He motions outside. “You’re welcome to come with.”
I untangle my legs from Caius’s and roll onto all fours before popping up. Lack of sleep is fogging my brain, and my muscles are stiff from the cot.
The sun is bright outside, and I put my arm up to shield my eyes while they adjust to the light. Meanwhile, Keir drops to the ground and starts doing push-ups.
I squat next to him and hug my knees. “Where’s your family?”
“I imagine they’re still living in Camden, comfortable on their estate,” he says.
“You’re Legacy?” I don’t mask my utter shock.
“Don’t sound so surprised,” he shoots back and then grunts as he pushes up.
“I never saw you at school.”
“Nope.” His arm muscles cord and release as he continues his work out, and he glances pointedly toward the green grass next to him. “Exercise keeps the body fit and the mind sharp.”
“Right.” I stretch out my legs and do my best to match his rhythm. “What are you doing here?”
“Working for the good guys,” he says through another grunt. “This is where I’m needed.”
“Have you…” I stop mid-sentence. I can’t bring myself to ask if he knows my brother, but I don’t have to. He follows my thought.
“Met Trevor? No. Heard of him? Everyone has,” he says.
I stop exercising. Everyone knows about Trevor?
“Keep going,” he encourages.
Right. I resume, but my face is hot and my arms are already burning. As a dancer, most of my strength comes from my legs.
“I believe in helping others,” Keir answers my earlier question. “That’s why I’m here.”
There’s more to the story, I’m sure, but I don’t push.
Everyone has their own reasons for doing things. He’ll tell me when he’s ready.
“She won’t leave them, you know.” He nods toward the old house. “She’s probably already thought up a few ideas on how to break the others out.”
“That’s good to hear,” I respond.
“But that doesn’t mean she’ll tell you her plan.”
“Why not?”
“Because if one of us gets caught, she doesn’t want all of our secrets to get out,” he says. “For one, she wants to protect us. The more they think we know, the more they’ll torture us. And then there’s the obvious reason—protecting the secret itself.”
“That makes a lot of sense actually.” I can’t keep going, so I drop onto the ground as the door opens.
Pace joins us. He doesn’t say much, just gets right to his workout routine.
It isn’t long before Caius comes out, too. He walks over and kisses me. Warmth spreads through my body when he smiles.
He takes his shirt off, tosses it next to me, and then joins the others.
I sit there with them, churning over my own ideas for how to liberate Easton.
Chapter Twenty-One
By the time the food runs out, I’ve thought of and dismissed a dozen plans for how to free the other Selected kids. One problem keeps coming up—they may not want to be freed. They were promised a future so much better than their past that vruoluntarily leaving is never going to happen for most of them.
I’m certain everyone believes I washed out of the program. Most will be overjoyed I’m gone. Or maybe ‘overjoyed’ isn’t the right word. Relieved, rather. With me out of the program, the others automatically rise up. Without me around to break the curves, everyone will do better. In their minds, their futures have never looked brighter. They have no idea of the situation they’re in, and we won’t have time to explain what’s going on, either. Unless…
“If I can find my AllinOne, I can blast a message to the Selected students,” I say at breakfast on the fourth morning. “They deserve to know what’s going to happen. We can organize them from there.”
“Too risky,” Annora says. “Mireille can intercept the message and possibly use it to track us. Plus, there’s no way they’ll believe you.”