by Hannah Ross
"Oh, come on, Daniel. A wedding is once in a lifetime, you know."
"Hopefully," Ben said with a grin, as he held his dish out for an extra helping of meatloaf.
Rebecca pursed her lips as she filled his plate. "You men think it's all a joke, don't you? Well, don't worry, Kate. I am going to make sure this wedding goes off smoothly, even if I have to do everything myself."
* * *
Once Kate and Tony were left to themselves in the little barn, which at times served as a guest cabin, Kate couldn't help shaking her head with a good-natured laugh.
"Phew. That was intense. I hope you didn't find it too oppressive."
"Not at all. You know I've always liked your folks."
"Well, I want you to know that as far as I'm concerned, there's no problem with us staying at your apartment for a while longer. It's not that bad, you know, while there's just the two of us. And there's no chance I'm letting Mom run off with all sorts of crazy wedding plans. She can talk all she wants, but I know there's no way she and Dad can afford it."
"We can handle the wedding. And Kate, about the apartment. I actually think your Dad is right. It's time for us to move on to someplace decent. I've been thinking about this for a while now. Here, look." He fished a small, glossy pamphlet out of an inner pocket of his coat. "What do you think?"
"Country Zone A3!" Her eyebrows climbed a notch as she looked at a picture of a neat white little cottage. "A quarter acre, within the Boundary!" She looked at Tony with something that was half affection, half exasperation. "Tony, you can't be for real. I mean, if we tighten our belts for a couple of years we might be able to afford an apartment in the Urban Islands. Or we can take the plunge and move out here. But there's no way we can buy a house on a plot of land in the Boundary, not in a million years."
"Well," Tony said, his voice rising as he drew out the word. "As a matter of fact, I have some savings."
Kate gave him a look that bordered on pity. "I know you do. I have something in my bank account too, and your latest pay raise was very nice. But that's neither here nor there. Houses such as this one…" She waved the pamphlet. "…are way out of our league. Do you have any idea what a plot and house like this would cost?"
She was surprised to see Tony's smile. "Yes, actually I do, and I'm telling you I have the money."
Kate green eyes were narrowed with suspicion. "What do you mean, you have the money?"
"I made some investments. I was lucky and they paid off."
"Just like that?" Kate found it difficult to wrap her mind around the idea. "What kind of investments would give you so much money?"
"Stocks and such. Rather boring, really. I'll tell you all about it some other time, but right now I'm really wiped out. This has been a long day." He stretched and yawned, and gently touched her cheek. "Don't you worry about this. The details will all fall into place. You'll see."
The details will fall into place, Kate repeated to herself as she lay sleepless. What does that even mean? I should be thrilled about this. The man I love proposed, I have a stunning diamond on my finger, and he just told me we would be able to start our married life in one of the elite regions of the Boundary. It's a splendid prospect. So why is it bothering me so much? Why am I not happy? Because there's something in Tony's life I didn't know about, that's why. She listened to the crackling of the logs in the fireplace and to Tony's soft snores. I thought there were no secrets between us. Before today, Tony never spoke of stocks or investments or any business ventures at all. There's something very fishy about all this. She rolled over, turning her back to him. Maybe someone else could just let it pass and accept this mysterious good fortune, but for better or worse, I'm not her. I'm not going to be able to rest until I find out the truth.
20
________________________
Saturday, April 12
Jake Robertson strode down the main street of Resurrection Town, not bothering to hide his disdain as he looked at the shops' meager window displays. Man, this place is a dump. This was the first time he ventured beyond the Boundary. I didn't expect much of this half-regulated settlement but really, why on earth would anyone choose to live here? And more to the point, why would the president's daughter come here?
The investigation already determined this wasn't a kidnapping, but he absolutely could not imagine what might have induced the pampered little princess to suddenly take off to this godforsaken stretch of ruined country. Not that it was any of his business. His task was to find Priscilla Dahl as soon as humanly possible.
It was lunchtime, and his stomach began to rumble as he sensed the greasy aromas of French fries and burgers wafting out of Pat's Diner. Blending in with a throng of locals, he sauntered in and found a small empty table at the back. Hiding behind a cheap laminated menu, he surveyed the men stuffing their faces. Workers and farmers, by the look of them. Which of them might have caught a glimpse of her?
Not bothering to wait for service, he strode over to the counter and ordered sausages, French fries, and a large Coke. God, I hope the food here is safe. Why didn't I think about that before? I could have brought food with me. I guess there's no choice now except to starve until I find her or am sure she's not in the area.
He tapped his fingers on the counter. "This is taking kinda long," he called out to the proprietor, who was rummaging in the rusty fridge as if he had no care in the world.
"Your order's coming in a moment," the man said, placing the Coke in front of him. Jake flicked up the tab and took a long swig.
"Thanks, pal." He took out a photo and laid it on the counter between them. "By the way, have you seen this girl around?"
Pat leaned across to have a better look at the photo and pushed his thick glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Might be I have. A lot of people pass through here, you know. But her face looks kinda familiar. Hey there, Tim," he called out to a young man waiting for a refill of his beer-glass. "Come here and take a look at this photo. You ever seen this girl around?"
The young muscular man set his glass aside, wiped his hands on his paint-stained overalls, and stepped over. As soon as he stared at the photo, his eyes widened and he did a tiny double-take. A second later, he was shaking his head, but Jake wasn't fooled.
"You've seen her."
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. I can keep my mouth shut, can't I? Not against the law, is it?"
"I'm afraid it is," Jake said, reaching for his Top Investigation Office badge and flashing it at Pat and Tim. Pinpricks of nervous sweat instantly appeared on Pat's brow.
"You better speak if you know anything, Tim," Pat said in a low voice.
Jake stared into the young man's eyes. He looked like a decent type, if a bit gruff, and Jake decided to appeal to his better nature. "This girl is sixteen years old. She's run away from home and her family fears the worst. They've been living in a nightmare ever since she disappeared. If you know anything about her whereabouts, I urge you to speak now."
He could see Tim do some quick thinking. "That does sound pretty bad, but it's not any teen who'd get the TIO looking for them, you know. Is she someone important?"
"I'm afraid that's classified information."
He could almost hear the young man's internal debate as he waited, saying nothing, until finally, reluctantly, Tim said, "She didn't want to be found."
Jake wanted to punch the air in triumph. This guy has seen her! He kept his face impassive as he said, "I realize that. There must have been some friction at home, otherwise she wouldn't have run away. However, her parents are her legal guardians and have the right to know where she is. Have you seen her or not?"
Tim sighed. "I have."
"Well, where is she?"
"Not around here anymore. She passed through town recently, and we did talk once. She was impatient to get away, though. There was an expedition heading out to the ruins of Salt Lake City, and she joined them."
Jake's face fell. "Salt Lake City? Are you sure? Why would she do that?"
T
im shrugged. "Like I said, she wanted to get away. Are you going to follow her there?"
Jake nodded. "Alright then. Thanks." Shit. Salt Lake City. I can't go all that way on my own. I'll have to contact the office and tell them a team expedition is required. Which means I won't make it home anytime soon. It's a long way to Salt Lake. Still, there's no reason I should have to make that miserable journey with the team. I should stay right here. He nodded. Somebody ought to remain stationed in Resurrection Town and it might as well be me.
Just in case.
* * *
Tim's pickup stopped in the Hursts' driveway just as the family was sitting down to a mid-afternoon mug of hot cocoa.
"Looks like we have visitors," Rebecca said, glancing out of the window. "Oh, it's Tim." She went to the door and opened it before he had the chance to knock. "What a nice surprise! Come in. We're just having cocoa."
Tim walked in, greeting everybody and shaking hands with the men, but he looked troubled.
Daniel said, "We're having kind of a family celebration today, Tim. Kate and Tony are getting married! Some marshmallow with your cocoa?"
"Oh!" Tim's face brightened. "That's… Wow! Congratulations!" He beamed at Kate and Tony, then grew serious again and looked at Priscilla. "Actually, I'm here to see Nell."
"Is anything wrong?" Ben frowned, looking from Tim's troubled expression to Priscilla's pale face.
"I was in town today, and… well… there was someone looking for you, Nell. Someone from the Boundary."
"The police?" Rebecca asked.
"Worse. TIO."
"But that doesn't make sense," Ben said. "Why would TIO be looking for Nell? I mean, unless—"
"Unless you're somebody," Tim said, staring at Priscilla. She lowered her eyes. "Hey, this still isn't any of my business, you know. And I sent the TIO guy on a false trail. Gave him reason to think he ought to be looking for you in the Salt Lake City area. That ought to buy you some time if you really don't want to be found."
"Thanks, Tim," she said, her voice just above a murmur as she stared at the table.
"The TIO aren't stupid, though, you know. If you stay here, they're bound to find you sooner or later. So you had better either go into hiding or, you know, turn yourself in. I mean, whatever it is you might have done, I can't imagine it was anything bad enough to land you in real trouble… was it?"
She looked up and shook her head. "I'm not turning myself in."
"Fair enough. And I'm not gonna blab, you know. But we're your friends, Nell. You can tell us… whatever it is."
"Tim's right," Daniel said. "We haven't known you for a very long time, Nell, but we care about you. And on a basic level we trust you. We know you haven't done anything seriously wrong… have you?"
"No. I haven't."
"Then tell us what's going on, Nell," Kate said. "Maybe if we put our heads together we can come up with something better than what you might think of on your own."
Priscilla hesitated. Then she took a deep breath, as if preparing to dive in, and began to speak.
* * *
There was a long, stunned silence, finally broken by Kate saying in an awed whisper, "You must be kidding."
"I kind of wish I were," Priscilla said, looking down.
"But you don't look anything like Priscilla Dahl! I've seen pictures of her a couple of times, and she, I mean you, looked completely different." She stopped and shook her head, aware of the weakness of her argument. "But that Priscilla Dahl was a teenage girl in designer dresses and immaculate hairdos making spotlight appearances at public events. Nobody would think of seeking resemblance between her and a farmhand living on the fringes of civilization."
"And even if they did notice a resemblance," Tony said, "who would believe she really was the President's daughter?"
"Actually," Rebecca said with a note of hidden triumph, "I was expecting something like this. Not Priscilla Dahl, obviously, but I did think you must be somebody, dear. You were so very evasive about who you are."
"You all must think me such a sneak." Priscilla's head shook as she stole a furtive glance at Ben, who was frowning and looking aside. "But really, I felt I had no choice."
"But why?" Tim asked. "What would you do this for? Why run away?"
"It's…" Priscilla paused for a moment as she chose her words. "Growing up in Silver Oaks like my sister and I did, we had everything we could possibly want. Except, you know, some of the most important things. Like real friends. A real life. And a real father." She sounded as bitter as she felt.
"Being Alexander Dahl's daughter couldn't have been easy," Daniel said with cautious sympathy.
"My sister wouldn't agree. Stephanie found all of it the easiest and most natural thing in the world. From early on, she loved the luxury, the comfort, and the attention. I didn't. Whenever a photographer came by, Mom and Steph would put on this smiling flattering pose while I tried to skulk in the shadows. They always dragged me out, and as the years went by I got used to the attention somewhat, but it never came naturally. And then, when I was still a little kid, I started noticing things."
"What kind of things?" Rebecca asked, listening with rapt attention.
"Well, there was Tilly, our maid. She's been with the family forever. I can't even imagine the great house without her. She's the best cook I've ever known and she took care of all Mom's pool parties and cocktail parties and brunches. She practically raised Steph and me, too. It was a rare thing, but one day Tilly's daughter Louisa came by and I happened to be in the kitchen. Mom hated to have me hang out among the pots and pans, but I always found my way there. It was so warm and cozy and I always got to taste whatever Tilly was baking. I think it was apple pie that day. So Tilly and Louisa let me help roll out the dough and I felt all grown-up, enough to butt into their conversation. They were talking about Louisa taking on a waitressing job during the summer to save for college. I didn't really understand what 'save' meant, so I asked them to explain and gradually it dawned upon me that Tilly didn't have the money to just put Louisa through college outright. And when I probed a little further it turned out that Tilly never went to college herself!"
"That must have been a stunner," Daniel said.
"I guess it shouldn't have been that surprising, but for me it was like a small bomb dropping in the midst of my neat and cozy world. Like all kids, I was incredibly egocentric and could never imagine Tilly doing anything other than cooking our meals and ironing our clothes and cleaning our rooms, but suddenly it occurred to me that if only she had the opportunity, she might have chosen to do something else."
"Have you ever talked to her about it?" Kate asked.
"Yes, when I was a little older. She just smiled and patted me on the arm and said she had a really good place with us, that she was happy with it, and grateful for being able to put something little aside for Louisa. At the time, it sounded crazy, but later on I realized there are many people who are a lot worse off. And you know what? I was mad. Tilly did so much for us. Steph and I were more than a job to her. She put her heart and soul into us. My parents could easily have given her the college money for Louisa. It would have been like spare change to them. Even I had enough money to make that happen, but when I suggested it to Mom she only frowned and said it would be 'encouraging laziness' and 'raising unrealistic expectations'. She said everyone ought to know their proper place… and she sure knew what ours was. Far above everybody else."
"I applaud your being such a liberal thinker," Daniel said, "but running away is a drastic step."
Priscilla ignored him. "As I grew up, I began thinking more and more about these things. It became almost an obsession. I was obsessed with finding out things. I looked through newspapers from cover to cover, reading hints between the lines, and I more or less figured out the orphan policy all by myself, though I didn't know twelve-year-old kids were actually being sent out into the wilderness and expected to shift for themselves. And then there was my father. Once he became President he started spending al
most all of his time in the White Tower, but on weekends he'd be home and then Frederick Pearson, his assistant, would often come and they would be shut up for hours in Dad's office. I made a habit of standing outside the door and listening whenever I got the chance. Dad never noticed. He never noticed much about me, anyway."
Kate said, "Oh! So that's how you heard—"
"About the business with Professor Keller, yes. Just snatches here and there, obviously. I didn't know for sure if that thing about the NOAGE formula was really true, or if the people rioting out there were just deluding themselves. But now I tend to believe it was true, or at least that Dad thought it was, judging by how upset he was when the professor died and all his work was lost. I know he's trying to get other scientists to reconstruct the formula, though. I've heard him and Pearson talking about it. Other things, too. My father needs the democratic system to keep his seat in the Tower, but it's really nothing other than autocracy. He wants to rule, and he wants to rule exclusively. He isn't interested in competition."
"I don't think anyone here doubts that," Rebecca said.
"That was why I decided to run away." Priscilla's voice quivered. "I knew my father wouldn't dare to go public with this and get the whole country to search for me. Not until after the elections, anyway. It would mess up his campaign. But I also knew people would still notice and ask questions and he might not find himself as popular as he thinks." She paused, looked around the table, and said, "Don't you see? My disappearance gives us all a chance of a different government."
Daniel cleared his throat. "That's a noble sentiment, but all things considered, I think it would be best for you to go home now… Priscilla."
She shot him an indignant look. "Just go back like a good little girl and pose for my father's election photoshoot?"
"Well… Look at it this way. Alexander Dahl has the entire might of the White Tower, TIO, and all the government organizations behind him. You're just a teenager. You'll be found eventually, and the longer you keep this up, the deeper in trouble you'll be. And so will we, for having you stay with us."