Rite of Redemption (Acceptance Book 3)

by Sarah Negovetich

  “What does that mean?” John David looks at me with kind but exhausted eyes.

  “Well, so far the plan is just to ride around to all the villages we know about and ask them to join us. Once we’ve got large enough numbers, we’ll ambush the capital and capture the Cardinal.” The minute the words leave my mouth, I realize how ridiculous I sound. Our plan couldn’t even be considered half-cooked. But dumb or not, it’s what we’ve got, and it was way better than sitting around Allmore, waiting for the Cardinal to send more guards and finish the job of killing me.

  “How many villages do you have so far?”

  “Including you, one.”

  The looks of dumbfounded shock confirm that John David and Phillip think our plan is just as unrealistic as I do.

  “Phillip, why don’t you catch the kids up on what we’ve been discussing?”

  Daniel’s dad turns in his chair so the three of us can see him clearly. “Here’s what we know. The Cardinal is expanding the use of the Machine. It’s starting with the United European Union, but eventually it will expand to all over the world. The Cardinal is doing this now to gain favors, but his end game is taking control of these other countries, either by an outright coup or through manipulation of their leaders. He’s in talks with all the most powerful countries, except Mexico.”

  “That’s quite the snub. His choice or theirs?” Ethan asks the same question I’m wondering.

  “His. Mexico has a president that’s less willing to bend to the Cardinal’s whims. I’m not sure what you remember from history class, but Mexico now occupies some pretty large areas that used to be part of the former United States. When the people fled, many left the southwest portion of the country, leaving it open for Mexico’s expansion.”

  “So the Cardinal is mad because Mexico has some of the old land that no one was using?” It hardly makes sense that with everything else going on, the Cardinal is worried about a useless plot of land.

  “No,” John David interrupts, rapping his cane against the edge of his desk. “The Cardinal is mad because Mexico refuses to give that land back to the United Territories.”

  “What does any of this have to do with taking down the Cardinal?” Eric stands and looks between the two men for an answer.

  “Look, I think it’s great that you guys want to recruit Freemen to fight the Cardinal. And I think everyone who is able should be out there trying to defeat him.” The leader of Blue River closes his eyes for a heartbeat, and for a second I think he’s gone to sleep. “But there just aren’t enough warm bodies among the Freemen to make that count.”

  He opens his eyes and searches mine for some kind of understanding. I’m not sure what to think.

  “Right now, the Cardinal is our enemy, and besides us, the Cardinal only has one enemy.”

  Eric sits back in his chair. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

  “Exactly.” Phillip stands up and walks around to the front of the desk. “Our best bet is to head to Mexico and ask the president there to join us in fighting the Cardinal.”

  “I have so many questions.” I fight to keep my voice even despite the swirl of emotions pulsing through me. “If the president of Mexico wants the Machine so badly, and he has an army powerful enough to take down the Cardinal, why hasn’t he done it already? It’s not like he needs our permission.”

  “Good question,” Phillip says. “Obviously, we don’t have access to his strategies, but I have to imagine President Tiroso understands how disastrous that would be.”

  “Why?” Eric moves to the edge of his chair. “It’s not as if the Cardinal maintains a large army.”

  “No, you’re right about that. Mexico definitely has us outmanned.” Phillip shifts so he can look directly at Eric. “But the Cardinal has more friends. President Tiroso won’t risk an attack unless there’s backup.”

  I lean forward in my seat and stare directly at John David. “So why haven’t you already headed down there and convinced them to join us?”

  “We tried.” John David leans back so far, his chair could fall over with the slightest pressure. “I’m a nobody to them, and Phillip is a threat, no matter how many times he assures them he doesn’t work for the Cardinal anymore.”

  “Then it’s out. We can’t offer military support, and Tiroso won’t talk to us even if we could.” I have a hard time disguising the frustration in my voice. Why are we sitting here wasting time worrying about scenarios that have zero chance of success?

  “It was out. But we’re organizing the Freemen, and with our numbers, the Cardinal would be easily outmatched, even with help. And now we have someone they’ll be anxious to meet.”

  I stare at John David, an unsettling tingle traveling up my spine.

  “It’s you, of course.” Phillip sits on a tiny edge of the desk so he doesn’t disturb the nothing that rests on it. “Your face has been plastered all over the Territories, and the Cardinal has declared you the public enemy of the century. The Mexican president is just as determined to take the Cardinal down as we are. He’d never pass up the opportunity to meet with the girl who has managed to defy and avoid the Cardinal for so long.”

  “It’s genius.” Ethan stands and lifts up a hand to give Phillip a high-five.

  It takes a minute for Phillip to have any idea what Ethan is up to, but he eventually meets his hand in the air.

  “So, we want the Mexican army to fight with us?” I can’t believe I’m actually considering this ludicrous plan. Phillip is Daniel’s dad, but John David hasn’t earned my trust yet.

  “Essentially, yes.” John David grabs a sheet of crisp, white paper and a pen from his desk drawer and numbers the page for a list. “You three can travel with Phillip down to Mexico. Rebecca, you’ll request a meeting with their president. Of course, he’ll accept. You present the plan for an orchestrated invasion of the capital and the Cardinal take-down. I’ll get a detailed plan written up right away. We’ll need you to leave pretty soon. Tomorrow if possible.”

  “I’m anxious for action, but is there another reason for the speed?”

  Phillip stands back up. “The Cardinal is giving Mexico the cold shoulder right now, but unless his plans changed after I left, that won’t last forever. They have tech down there that the Cardinal is anxious to get his hands on. Eventually he’ll figure out a way to negotiate with them, and we’ll lose the juicy carrot you’re going to go down there and dangle.”

  “What’s the carrot?”

  “The Machine.”

  Thirteen

  “Are you insane?” I jump up from my chair and attempt to pace in the minuscule space on the floor. “We can’t give him the Machine. The whole point of this is to get rid of the Machine. I figured once the Cardinal was out of the way we could show everyone how it’s really being used, and then no one will want anything to do with it.”

  “Well, that’s a lovely idea.” John David twirls his finger in the air. I’m beginning to think his injured leg was the result of someone getting a good kick in on him. I’d love to have my chance.

  “I assume you think I’m nuts.”

  “I’m just saying that the people are accustomed to feeling safe. If you take the Machine away, you take away their sense of security. Rather than thank you, they’re likely to revolt and try to put the Cardinal back in power.”

  “So who will be in power?” I lean on the desk next to Phillip until I’m not more than an inch or two from John David. “You?”

  “Smarter people than me are already in the planning stages of what the new government will look like once we remove the Cardinal. My name has been mentioned, but nothing is set in stone.”

  “Why am I not surprised by that at all?”

  “Okay.” Phillip holds me by the shoulders and eases me back to our side of the desk. “I think we all need a break. There’s a lot to get together if we’re going to be ready for a trip to Mexico soon. Why don’t I get you three set up in the rider house?”

  I nod, but my eyes stay glued to
John David. His cocky confidence rubs me the wrong way. As if he’s some kind of genius and the rest of us are just lucky to be in his presence. He reminds me a bit too much of the Cardinal. I’m ticked that we’re in this position, but we need an ally, and Mexico seems like the best option we have. The only option we have.

  Phillip leads us back out of the room, past the other office doors, and out into the streets. “Well, that was tense.”

  “I don’t like it.” I wrap my arms around myself and follow the others down the cracked road.

  “Which part?” Phillip asks.

  “The part where it feels like everyone has their own agenda, and I’m not really sure they’re all achieving the same thing.” I stay quiet. I want to get Eric and Ethan’s take on the situation, but I want to wait until we’re alone. Phillip may be Daniel’s father, but he was on the Cardinal’s council, and he’s spent these last few months with John David. Who knows where his head is.

  “I don’t think I told you why I decided to leave the Territories.” Phillip’s voice cuts into the silence of our walk.

  “I just assumed it was because Patrice was Rejected.”

  “Oh, that was the final push that got me moving, but I’d been thinking about leaving for a while. Maybe since Daniel was Rejected.”

  I stop walking for a beat and have to take a double step to catch up. That’s not what I was expecting. “So what was it?”

  “A while back, the Cardinal asked for ideas on how to bring Mexico back under our control. It wasn’t enough for him to know that President Tiroso wanted access to the Machine. He wanted him to beg for it.”

  Eric takes a few steps ahead of us then turns around to walk backward so he can face Phillip for the conversation. “You came up with an idea, didn’t you?”

  “Forgive me, but I came up with a genius idea. I suggested that it wasn’t enough for President Tiroso to want the Machine. He needed to desperately need it if he was going to beg for it.” Phillip rubs his hands over his face. “I suggested we identify the worst criminals Rejected by the Machine and smuggle them into Mexico. Each one was implanted with a basic tracker so we could make sure they didn’t try to cross back over to the Territories. We told them they were free so long as they stayed in Mexico.”

  “That’s awful.” I cling to the straps of my bag. How could anyone know that a person was truly dangerous, but then give them access to another country without restriction?

  “Yes, it is. That was five years ago. Since then, reports are increasing with stories of violence running rampant in the major Mexican cities. Every night there are reports of rape and murder and so many other crimes. President Tiroso makes regular addresses to the Cardinal, pleading for help with a Machine. The Cardinal loves every minute of it.”

  “So that’s why you left?”

  “I couldn’t stay there. I felt the guilt of my actions every time President Tiroso made another report on growing violence. I really thought that once he lowered himself, the Cardinal would give him a Machine, but he told us right before the ceremony that he was never going to give him one. He loved the idea of sending the worst criminals to Mexico. It makes it easier on the guards who manage the PIT, and the Cardinal sees it as a punishment for refusing to give us back that land. If Mexico had a Machine, they’d figure it out eventually. When Patrice…”

  I step in front of him so he has to stop walking. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Everyone has an agenda, Rebecca. Even people who are fighting with the same hopes for the future.”

  I step aside, and we walk the rest of the way to the rider’s house in silence. This one is a little add-on building next to the stable. The floors are swept clean, and bright curtains hang at the two clear windows. It’s far better than the dirt and leaves we’ve been sleeping on since the vagrants stole all our blankets.

  “Listen.” Phillip leans against the door frame and stares into the room without really looking at anything. “I know you guys are probably tired of traveling, but I think you should meet someone. It might help put all of this into perspective. Are you up for a trip after dinner tonight?”

  I look to the guys and they both nod. “It’s better than sitting around here waiting.”

  “Okay. Why don’t you guys take a nap, and I’ll come get you for dinner.”

  Ethan holds out his hand. “Thanks for everything, Phillip.”

  I wish there was more we could do for him. Something to help him deal with losing his daughter. He walks out the door, but I shove my hand against the smooth wood before he can close it. “Wait.”

  I dig into my bag and grab my Noteboard. The comm feature is so new to me, I completely forgot we can use it. “I know someone who would love to talk to you.”

  I turn on the screen and call up Daniel.

  “Rebecca.”

  “Is that?” Phillip rushes over to where I’m standing and grabs the Noteboard from my hands.

  “Dad?” Daniel’s voice carries out of the screen. “How? I don’t…is it you?”

  Phillip wipes at tears in his eyes, opening and closing his mouth without saying a word.

  I lay a light hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t you take this somewhere private so the two of you can catch up?” I stand back and Phillip stares at me, a huge grin on his face that makes his relation to Daniel crystal clear.

  “Thank you.” His voice is little more than a hoarse whisper.

  Phillip walks out, and I close the door behind him. Ethan and Eric both sit on sparse beds, staring at me, waiting for me, looking for me to be the leader. The one thing I never wanted to be.

  Fourteen

  My head spins with the lingering groggy effects of getting too much sleep after days of not enough of it. The room is completely dark, but something pulled me out of my dream. The bottom of my bunk dips under a weight that isn’t mine, and I shoot up in the bed.

  “Hey, it’s okay. Just me.”

  “Daniel?”

  The overhead bulb flickers on, and I blink against the harsh light.

  “Rise and shine, princess.”

  My eyes adjust and the room falls into focus. Elizabeth stands by the door, her arms crossed and a smug smile stretched across her face. And there’s Daniel, sitting ramrod straight and perfectly still at the end of my bed.

  “What the…” Across the room, Eric sits up and then bolts to his sister, wrapping her in a huge hug.

  “I don’t understand.” I glance between Elizabeth and Daniel, unsure that I’m not still dreaming. “How did you get here?”

  “My dad.” Daniel’s voice breaks on the words. “While you guys were sleeping, he flew the transporter over to the village we were staying at to get me.”

  “And I said there was no way I was staying behind while my kid brother was out here having all the fun.” Elizabeth shoots me a smile and ruffles Eric’s already mussed blond hair.

  Ethan walks over with sleep-drooped eyes and shakes Daniel’s hand. “Glad to have you out here. Does John David know?”

  “Oh, he knows.” Elizabeth pushes away from the door to sit on the bunk next to mine. “And he’s all kinds of pissed about it. He laid into Mr. Whedon the second we got out of the transporter, yelling about putting the village at risk and jeopardizing the Mexico mission, whatever that is.”

  Ethan whistles and nods. “Sounds like the John David we met earlier. What did your dad do?”

  “Nothing really.” Daniel fights back a yawn. “Just let John David yell and then said he’d be happy to pack all of us up and move on to another village.”

  I reach out and squeeze Daniel’s hand. He squeezes back, but then extracts his fingers from mine, ripping out more of pieces of my heart. So much for the hope that being reunited with his dad would pull him out of this funk.

  Eric sits down next to Elizabeth. “So now what?”

  Elizabeth pulls a stack of black clothes out of her bag and points to a tray of sandwiches. “So now, you guys are going to eat a paltry dinner, change into these dark
clothes that Michael gave me, and meet Phillip and John David out by the paddock.”

  Right, the trip to meet someone who’s supposed to give me perspective. I resist the urge to reach out to Daniel again. “Aren’t you guys coming with us?”

  The room pauses a beat for Daniel to speak, but he keeps staring at the door in silence. It’s like I’m trying to breathe inside of a vacuum and the oxygen is sitting right beside me, but I can’t reach it.

  Elizabeth jumps in to answer. “No, Phillip said it would be too dangerous for Daniel where you’re going since he just got off the crutches, and I’m going to stay here and lay low for a bit until John David cools off.”

  “Maybe I should stay behind, too.”

  “Go.” Daniel turns to me, but focuses on a spot behind my ear instead of looking me in the eye. “This is what you’re here for.”

  I swallow back the tears that threaten to take me down into the wallowing mess I could so easily become. The man I’m supposed to love for the rest of my life sits two feet away from me, but I have no idea who he is anymore. I haven’t seen him smile in ages, and he acts like we’re strangers. My stomach churns. What if this is the only Daniel left?

  I brush at an unfallen tear and take a shirt and pants from the stack Elizabeth pulled out. Ethan and Eric follow suit, and within minutes we’re all changed and ready to go.

  Elizabeth sees us out, but Daniel is already curled up on a bunk, sleeping or pretending to sleep.

  The village is settling in for the night, but people are still out, hanging on to the last strips of light before they head off to bed in preparation for another day. We wind through the streets and come out at the little building at the edge of the paddock.

  My heart rate bumps up a few speeds, like my body senses that something big is about to happen. Phillip is there waiting for us, dressed in head-to-toe black. The sun gives off just enough light for us to see his approving nod toward our clothing.