I knock on Evan’s front door and almost leave when I hear his voice quietly say, “Come in.” Inside, he’s sitting at the table fidgeting with a photo. He looks up, and I can see surprise spread across his face.
“What are you doing here?”
“Do you want me to leave?”
“No, I thought you were Nico,” he says, putting the photo in a notebook on the table in front of him. “I didn’t expect to see you. I thought you were mad at me.”
“I was. Well, I still am. Nico came to see me and explained everything. I don’t know why you wouldn’t share your plans with me. When were you going to tell me?”
“The timing just hasn’t been right,” Evan says. “We’ve barely been together since we got here. I didn’t want to freak you out with anything that far in the future. I always planned to take you back and let you say goodbye to your grandfather.”
Grandfather? Where was he in the scheme of things? Last time I saw him he was holed up at the Health Center. Did he get better? Is he okay? I should have asked Xara.
“Look at this place.” Evan waves his hand in the air. “I needed you to see how bad things were here before you could understand why we needed to go somewhere and start over.”
“There never will be a right time,” I say. “You should have told me. I thought you were going to leave me.”
“I would never leave you,” Evan says, standing up from his chair and coming over to me. “If you want to stay in your dome, we’ll stay there. If you want to go somewhere new, we’ll go there. It was just a plan I had with my friends before I met you. Everything’s changed now.”
“But what if you come with me and you’re not happy?” I ask, looking down at my hands. “You’ve known them forever. You just met me.”
“Of course, I won’t be happy all the time,” he says, lifting my chin up with his finger. “You’re so stubborn, and half the time I can’t tell what you’re thinking. It drives me crazy being around you, but I feel even worse when I’m not. There’s no way I could ever be somewhere without you.”
“But what if—”
“No more what-ifs,” Evan says. “There’s one for everything. What if we don’t try? I’d rather never know that answer.”
I take a deep breath. Somehow, Evan manages to melt all my frustration with him away. What if we don’t try? I can’t imagine that either.
“When you ran off I thought we were over,” he says. “I thought you hated me.”
“I could never hate you,” I whisper, looking up into his eyes.
That’s when I see it; there’s a fear in his eyes that wasn’t there before. His lips have a slight quiver to them. He’s unsure about himself. He’s unsure about us. What terrible things did his mother do to him after his father died? Why doesn’t he believe in unconditional love anymore?
I reach up and take his face in my hands, pulling it toward mine. I kiss him gently at first. This time he pushes back, starving for affection and intimacy to fill the void inside. I wrap my hands around his head, running my fingers through his hair. He puts his arms around me and in one swoop, scoops me up off the ground. I squeal in surprise.
“I love it when you make that sound,” he says, kissing my forehead and spinning me around, before setting me back down.
“Are we okay?”
“Always,” Evan whispers in my ear. His breath electrifies my skin. “If it’s all right with you, I’d rather just hold you tonight.”
I lean over and give him a long kiss, soft and gentle, and this time he’s the one who moans.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” he says.
“Always,” I tease.
***
“You’re really going to stay the night?” Evan asks. There’s a plea to his voice hidden in his pillow.
“Yes,” I say, lying in his arms in his bed. “Until Alec gets back. Then we can save those kids, get Quinn, and get out of here.”
“Alec and I got into a fight when we got back with Xara and Cardinal,” Evan says.
“What? He never said anything to me.”
“I told him it’s time we leave,” Evan says. “But Alec wants me to wait. He said he’s onto something and just needs a little more time before we go anywhere.”
“Did you tell him about the kids?” I ask, propping myself up on an elbow.
“I did but he said there are more important things at stake here,” Evan says. I scrunch up my face in disapproval. “Don’t think badly of him. He’s seen a lot these last nine years. He’ll always pick the greater cause.”
“Yeah, well they’re just kids,” I say. “They need help.”
“That’s why I love you,” Evan says, kissing my nose. “You care about everyone. Now let’s get some sleep,” he says.
My dreams haunt me with images of Dome 569 overrun by the infected while Jak’s army storms through the barricades. He keeps screaming “Find the traitor!” while people carry posters with my face on them. Then Quinn finds me and wants to play hide and seek on B3 amidst handguns, grenades, and ammunition.
I wake up in the morning alone in Evan’s room and feeling highly unrested. I can hear someone out in the hallway so I climb out of bed and put on one of his shirts before opening the door. Instead of Evan’s chiseled chest, I come face to face with Caroline in a housecoat.
Her mouth drops open, but nothing comes out. She’s as surprised to see me as I am her. Dammit, Evan, where are you!
“Good morning.” I fuss with my hair and remember I don’t have any pants on.
“Natalia.” Caroline regains her composure and looks me up and down. “I hope you slept well?”
My cheeks flush. “Yes, thank you.”
“I’m only home to freshen up,” she says. “I figured Evan would be hiding out at your place, but I guess I was wrong.” She enters the bathroom then pops her head back out. “I trust you’ll be gone when I get out.”
“Of course,” I mumble, ducking back into Evan’s room and closing his door. I quickly get dressed and write him a note to come find me at home. Where is he? I scurry out of his room down the hallway and hear the shower running in the bathroom.
I pause at the end of the hallway. This is my chance to get Caroline’s key. We can slip back to the Axis, get the kids, and be gone before she catches us.
I tiptoe into her bedroom. The cot doesn’t look slept in. She didn’t lie; she must have come straight from the Axis. I walk over to her desk and look hastily through her things for the key. I can’t find it, so I try to put everything back where I found it. Then I see the key, hanging on her closet door from the hanger with her clothes. I take it off the hanger and stare at it in my hands. I can’t believe I got it.
“Ahem,” Caroline’s voice comes from the doorway of her room. I spin around instantly, keeping my hands behind my back. My eyes are wide and I can hear my heart beat in my ears.
“What are you doing in here?” she asks, her lips pursed together, hardly moving as she speaks.
“I was just looking for some clean clothes,” I blurt out. It’s not the biggest lie. I was in here the day before doing just that.
Caroline’s eyes seek my face for truths. I stare back at her, unmoving. Her gaze stops at my arms. “Why are your hands behind your back?” I instantly drop the key into the laundry basket behind me. “Show me your hands.”
I display my hands out in front of me, watching as they shake. “See, nothing!” I say. But even I can hear the defiance in my voice. I’m not convincing. Caroline takes a step toward me and then turns, as we are interrupted.
“Hello, Caroline,” Ali says, entering the room. “Oh, Nat, you’re here too?” Ali’s gaze jumps between us. “Is something wrong?”
We both stare at Ali in silence, and she drops her head as she quickly enters. “I’m just here for your laundry bag,” she says quietly.
“Here,” I say. “Let me help you.” I turn and grab the bag, pulling it out of its place and
swiftly tie it shut as Ali puts a new bag in.
“Thanks, Nat,” Ali says uncomfortably. Caroline stares at us suspiciously.
“Let me carry it out for you,” I offer.
I walk past Caroline, not making eye contact. It won’t be long before she realizes her key is missing and then she’ll be looking for me. I need to tell Evan and get this key back as fast as I can.
Outside I toss the bag on Ali’s wagon. She climbs on her bicycle and turns to me. “Thanks for the help, Nat.”
I lean my arms on Ali’s handles to stop her from leaving. “I need a favor. I dropped my key in Caroline’s laundry basket.” I look back at the house and see Caroline watching us through the window. “When you sort it can you grab it for me?”
“I can get it out now,” Ali says, fumbling with the bag.
“No,” I say quickly. I look back at the house, but the window is empty. “Let’s meet later. We never did get around to a coffee date.”
Her eyes brighten at the mention of a visit, but then quickly return to their regular dimness. “I could get in trouble,” she says. “A lot of trouble. Caroline’s things get direct attention. If someone saw me, they’d think I was stealing, and you know what happens to thieves. I’ll return it in the morning and then you can get it back from her.”
“No, Ali,” I say, staring at her seriously. “Tomorrow morning is too late. I need it tonight and Caroline can’t know about it.” A flicker of understanding crosses the girl’s eyes.
“I will do anything for that key,” I whisper, leaning in close.
Ali grabs my wrist. “Get me out of here,” she whispers. “If you can do that, then meet me in the laundry sector after lunch.” Her brows are knitted together and her eyes stare down at me. I nod. Maybe I can sneak her out to where Alec took Xara and Cardinal. They could watch Ali until we can all get away.
As Ali rides away, I leave in search of Evan. My travels take me past the Court and I can see that a huge crowd has gathered there. I’m confused at first and then I remember: today is the day the children go to trial. I push my way through the crowd, making it up to the front. Caroline arrives at the same time. No wonder she wanted to freshen up—she needs to look her best for the theatrics.
“Today we hold a trial for theft,” she calls out. The crowd cheers. “Here are the suspects.”
Members of the New Order file the children out in a line. The crowd gasps. Some of the children are as young as Quinn. They expected to see thieves and troublemakers. Instead, they see innocent young children, all under the age of twelve, who look very afraid. A silence falls over the crowd.
“These children were found with the personal belongings of members of the New Order,” Caroline calls out to the crowd. The crowd stays silent. Caroline looks back to Mason and he shrugs.
“Children,” Mason cries, “did you steal from the New Order?”
The children remain silent. A little girl bursts into tears—it’s Molly.
“I will repeat my question,” Mason says. “Did you steal from the New Order?”
“Yes, sir,” Molly sobs. “Sometimes we have to steal to eat. But we never stole things we didn’t need.” The crowd begins to murmur.
“How many times have you stolen?” Mason asks.
I realize what he is trying to do. He’s trying to refocus the attention on the crimes, not the suspects.
“Many times, sir,” Molly sobs. “Many, many times.”
“Are you all in agreement?” Mason asks the group. All the children hold hands and begin to nod.
“Then tomorrow we return for sentencing,” Caroline says. The crowd is still murmuring. No one cheers. Caroline’s eyes meet mine. She’s angry that people aren’t reacting—but what does she expect? It’s one thing to let an adult punish a single child for stealing, but to threaten capital punishment—it’s unthinkable. Caroline glances at my chest and then looks back at my face. The key! Does she know it’s missing? I duck and disappear into the crowd.
As I run from the square I bump into Evan. “There you are!” he says. “Are you okay?”
“Your mother looks ready to kill someone.”
“Don’t worry,” he says. “She’d never hurt innocent kids. I went to check in on Quinn, but they aren’t letting me back in the Axis.”
“I’ve got your mother’s key,” I whisper, grabbing his arms.
“You did it!” Evan whispers back. “Where is it?”
“Ali has it,” I say. “It’s in your mother’s laundry bag. We’re meeting later.”
“We can get the kids out tonight,” Evan says, “and Quinn.”
A rush of excitement fills me. This might just work out after all. “Let’s go tell the others.”
“Of course,” he says, putting his arms around me and leaning in for a kiss.
As our lips touch, there’s a loud eruption.
The ground shakes.
A section of the dome shatters.
I start screaming.
“Nat! Are you okay?”
It takes me a moment to realize Evan is shaking my shoulders and calling my name. People run past us, away from the dome. Some are crying, and all look terrified. Smoke rises in the sky from the northwest corner of the dome. Evan pulls me to him, shielding me from the direction of the blast, but I push him back, stumbling in the process.
My legs want to give out from under me, but I need to get away.
Visions of Tassie’s eyes flash in front of me.
Tassie. Did she wake up? Dammit. Why didn’t I ask Xara?
“Nat!” Evan yells. “Snap out of it.”
I shake my head. “What happened?”
“I have no idea,” he says. “Are you okay?” I nod. “Stay close to me.”
We run toward the gates at the western quarter through the swarms of people running to take shelter. Evan holds my hand tightly as we push our way through the crowd.
“Evan!” I cry out as I’m pushed backward. I can feel his hand tear away from mine.
“Nat?” Evan calls, but his words muffle into nothing as I trip and fall backward into the crowd. I struggle against the trampling feet, trying to shield myself from getting hurt. Suddenly two arms lift me up. I look up and see Evan’s worried eyes looking down at me.
He pulls me close. “Let’s go this way,” he says, leading me into an alley.
We wind our way through the back streets, avoiding the chaos on the main drag. People are still yelling and children are crying. The south quarter has suddenly turned as chaotic as its northern counterpart was the other night.
“We’re here,” Evan says. The alleyway opens to a large chain link fence. Beyond its web of twisted metal cords, I can see several factories. The one closest to the dome is spewing black smoke from its roof. Next to it, many sections of the dome are shattered. We push against the group and make our way toward the fiery building.
“What is that building?”
“That’s where the water filtration systems are being developed.”
When we get closer, I see a frantic Minton running around outside. “Nat!” she calls out when she sees me, and I run over to her. Her hair is sticking out wildly, and her eyes are wide.
“Are you okay?” I ask. “Was anyone injured?”
“Everyone’s okay,” she says. “Someone’s tried to blow my plant to pieces!”
“How bad is the damage?” Evan asks.
“It’s only affected the pre-production area, so far,” Minton says. “Thankfully most of the staff had gone to the square to watch the trial.”
“Who could have done this?”
Evan speaks up. “Since the raid on the north quarter, people have been a little restless.”
“And just look at the dome,” Minton says, shaking her head. “Who knows when that will get fixed? First priority is the factory. Thankfully, the trucks weren’t affected. These are ready for your home, and those over there are for the south quarter.”
&nb
sp; I look to where Minton is pointing and see two large trucks filled with boxes. The boxes in one truck are marked with the same symbol as the ones I saw in the north quarter: a red water drop. The other truck contains boxes stamped blue.
“Don’t worry, dear,” Minton says. “You’ll be home before you know it.”
Evan and I share a glance before he begins talking to Minton about her shipments. What would she do if she knew that my dome was on its way here? They aren’t going to be swayed by water filtration systems.
No. They’re only going to be pacified by a trade. An eye for an eye. Maybe Dome 569 will give Evan and me up, but I don’t see them bowing down to anyone. No. This might be Caroline’s chance to go after my dome.
I continue to watch Evan as he talks to Minton about the shipment. It reminds me of back home, when he helped Samson make plans for the development of the outer colony. He is resourceful and can handle the worst of situations. Maybe Alec will find a way to save us all.
The factory is surprisingly unharmed, most of its damage superficial. As Minton and I begin to clean up the debris in the pre-production area, where they assemble the filters for the systems, I notice that we’re short on the gray filters, the important ones that add the serum back into the water supply.
“Minton,” I call. She comes running over to me. “It looks like your bomber might have targeted the filters. You’re missing a bunch of gray ones.”
“Really?” she asks, grabbing a clipboard off the wall. “That’s odd; none of the filter boxes were blown up.
I look back at my stacks, confused.
“This is weird,” she says, looking up at me. “Pre-production only requested half the filters. I need to look into this. But first I’ll need to wrangle up my team.”
“I need to get going,” I apologize, looking around at the mess. I want to continue to help Minton clean up, but it’s more important I get to see Ali, and soon. I can’t be late; I need that key. “I’m sorry. I can come back later.”
“Go on, dearie,” she says. “Evan’s outside cleaning up. Can you let him know to look over the south quarter shipments before they leave?” I nod and head out.
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