“Evelyn is the best chance you have…,” she argued.
“I am the best chance the revolution has!” he cut her short. He palmed his face and then added softly. “Let’s leave the sisters out of this, okay?”
She reached out for his hand and clasped it gently. “You did well to keep Ellie away from this mess. I know it must hurt and I am terribly sorry about it, Jared.”
“Me too, Tara,” he mumbled, his gaze lowered sadly as he patted her hand. “Me too.”
CHAPTER 17
The vehicle came to a halt at the Saunders’ driveway. Jared hopped out.
“Thanks for the trip. I enjoyed it,” he said, poking his head through the window.
“Thanks for coming along, Jared,” Kayla smiled.
“We’ll see you soon again, though, right?” Evelyn looked up at him anxiously.
He smiled. “Of course. Liam?”
“Yeah, man,” Liam gave him a small wave. “Later.”
Jared straightened up, watching Tara get out of Edmund’s SUV. He saw Ellie through the windscreen of the vehicle. She had turned towards Tara, most likely to avoid catching his gaze, just as she had been doing all morning.
He knew he should walk away. It would be easier on them both. But his body refused to fall into obedience with his mind. He strode towards the vehicle. He had to see her at least, even if she wouldn’t say a word. He couldn’t leave without taking one last glance at her. He knew he was being selfish- no cruel and selfish. But for now, he didn’t care. This may perhaps be the last time he’d ever come as close to her. His last opportunity to have her within his reach and he was darned if he’d leave without seeing her.
He ran a shaky hand over his hair and then dropped down at her window. Immediately, he captured a whiff of her scent. A rush of blood surged to his head. His eyes dropped to her lips. Two nights ago he had possessed them- made them his own. She was his drug, each time growing weaker as he came into contact with her. He steadied himself.
“Ell-” he started to say but she shifted at her seat, moving away from him. She lowered her gaze, but all he could see was the beautiful profile of her face, his eyes busily burning her features into his memory.
He forcibly looked past her and onto Edmund. “See you later then, Edmund,” he managed to utter.
“No problem, Jared,” he replied and put out his hand to shake his.
Jared glanced at Ellie. He was tempted to brush her face and catch an imprint of the feel of her skin in his mind. The thought of never having the opportunity to hold her again like he did at the house, scared him to his core.
He put out his hand to shake Edmund’s hand and gave him a small smile. He straightened up and turned away from the vehicle. With a steady, heavy pace, he marched into the house. He had grasped Edmund’s palm without touching her. His one chance and he had let it go. He threw his bags onto the floor.
“Wolf!” he shouted.
The husky delightfully ran up to him but he was in no mood for cuddles. He raced out the backdoor and towards the woods with his dog obediently chasing after him.
Ellie dropped down onto her bed. She was back in her room- her normality. She should be glad she could now leave Jared in her past and continue as if he had never been in it.
But her body told her differently each time he had come close to her. She remembered how her heart had drummed rapidly as he had started walking up to Edmund’s car. Her hands were clasped tightly together when he had stood by her window. And when he shook hands with Edmund, she had held her breath in the fear he would touch her. She was in no strength to touch him and she knew she would have fallen apart in plain view of Edmund if he had.
Instead, she had closed her eyes in an utter state of trepidation when they joined hands together- the man she was bound to marry and the man she loved.
She pulled in a deep breath. She was a drastic mess. It wasn’t how she intended to live her life. She was not the sort of woman to cry over a man who played with her heart and tossed it aside for the next thrill.
She pulled herself out of bed and gathered her hair into a knot as she rifled through some papers on her desk. If she had to be Mrs Edmund Farriss, a future First Lady of Sector 8, she was going to make damned certain she was going to be a fine one. There would be no time for silly sobs over a man who made her weak at the knees and stopped her heart every time he met her glance. If that was how it was going to be, then she intended to do her best to never set eyes on him again at all.
*****
They sat in the library in brief silence.
“I’m not going to use Evelyn to get what we want in this revolution,” Jared said, his arms folded across his chest as he leant onto the study desk. He glanced up at James who sat in his favorite couch, relaxed and leant back with his legs crossed over, one on top another.
“So how do you propose we get to the country’s parliament?” he asked.
“I’ll find a way,” Jared replied awkwardly. He fiddled with a glass paperweight on the table. “You should have told me about the protests in Central.”
“It could have waited,” James replied.
“I didn’t appreciate it,” Jared looked up at him. “As your son, I felt like a fool before Liam and Edmund that I hadn’t the slightest clue what they were talking about.”
James nodded in understanding. “Is there anything else?”
“I’d like to meet the rest of the revolutionaries.”
James raised an eyebrow.
Jared sighed, “The Vice-President’s going to make a visit to Sector 8 in two weeks. The Governor will be throwing a sector dinner. I will need some help from your revolutionary friends.”
“What are you intending to do?” James straightened out of his chair.
Jared smiled. He had finally won James’ attention. Perhaps now, he would have some faith in him.
*****
They journeyed through the forest quietly, barely uttering a word. It was surprising to see the usually polished gentleman make his way swiftly through the dense trees without as much as a scratch or a stumble. Wolf joyfully pranced alongside them silently with his tongue wagging out of his mouth.
“You sure have trained your dog well enough,” James muttered, breaking their long silence.
“It wasn’t hard to do, come to think of it now that he was indeed part wolf,” Jared grinned.
“I can see you’re settling well with your chimera traits, too.”
“I suppose I’m emerging out of my denial.”
James smiled and nodded. Thankfully, he didn’t snub an “I told you so” in his face. He hated it when people did that.
They arrived at a small clearing revealing a moss ridden railway track. They skidded down the sides. Jared thought he saw a rabbit skip into the bushes to escape from them. It probably hadn’t seen a soul in ages by the likes of the abandoned railway. The well-lit clearing exposed its debilitated state. Metal fragments lay about them covered in weed tangles. A faded sign on the side stating “Beware of Trains” was barely readable. The weather had not been its only adversary. Wild vines wielded its way about it and overhanging branches roughened it from decades of chafing by the wind.
“Don’t worry. The railway’s long and forgotten,” James said as he led Jared through the tunnel. “It’s disconnected and does not go anywhere. This is the only remains of the line. It was most probably destroyed in the Great War and the forest has made a good effort in keeping it well hidden from the rest of the world.”
“How did you come to know about it?”
“I used to play in the forest as a kid and I happened to stumble upon it. I don’t understand why I had always kept it a secret but I was thankful that I had. It’s become our headquarters so to speak,” he explained.
He pushed open a door in the wall and Jared realized that it was once an exit door. The first thing though that hit him other than the pitch darkness, was its musty smell. But it seemed that James was hardly affected by it as he turned on his flash
light and kept on moving, guiding Jared through the dark passageway.
“You will have to get used to working your way through the dark,” said James. “But once you learn it, it’s not that hard. Some members are able to find their way into the Grand Room with even dimmer light than these torches. There is a connecting passage from the tunnel to the house but I thought I’d show you this one myself.” He turned to him and almost stumbled back from Jared’s luminescent green eyes. He chuckled. “But that doesn’t apply to you, obviously. Damn, your eyes are creeping me out in the dark.”
As they continued to worm their way through the passages, Jared heard the echoes of chattering voices pass through them.
“Don’t let the echoes fool you,” James warned. “One wrong move and you’d be lost in these passages in an instant.”
He took another turn and Jared noticed that there were lights shining in the distance, brightening the end of the passageway. They had arrived at what was once a platform. The tracks running the side of it were still in bearable condition albeit a little rusty. The electric lights were back on and in use again.
Jared scoured the room quietly with his eyes. There were all in all about twelve men seated randomly in it. They dropped their voices to a low whisper as he and James approached them.
James greeted a few of them before turning to one particular young man seated at the long table in the centre of the room. “Get me a glass of brandy, Mattie,” he directed. “I’m a little parched.”
The young man immediately strode off to the cupboard in the corner. James fidgeted with his coat, taking it off and hanging it neatly from a rusted bolt jutting out of the wall. The man brought him his drink and James eagerly clasped it.
Jared realized that it was his introduction and not the walk that seemed to have unnerved James.
The men quieted, waiting for James to speak. They were clearly as much curious about Jared as he was of them.
“We try not to assemble as often as possible,” James started. “But today, I’ve requested your presence to introduce to you a new member to our cause- our fight for our civil liberties.” He put an arm around Jared, silently urging him to walk forward. “My son, Jared Ryder,” he said, catching Jared completely by surprise.
One of the men laughed, infecting a slow roll of laughter. “Well, they sure do grow fast. Not five months ago, you were childless.”
“Where’d you grow him?” chided another. “In a test-tube?”
“Dr. Langford,” joked yet another man.
“Well, yes,” James said slowly. “Almost thirty years ago.”
The laughter died, turning into a rumble of whisperings.
“Oh come on, Chief,” argued a tall, sturdy fellow. “That’s Jared Ryder. Stella and Michael Ryder’s son. We all know him- him and that dog he calls Wolf,” he nodded at it.
James nodded and sipped at his brandy. “Stella and I are married now, so it’s officially Stella Saunders,” he corrected.
The surprising news seeped slowly into their understanding, resulting gradually into another load of laughter and taunts.
“Congratulations then!” shouted the heavy set man called Frank.
“Cheers!” they all roared back and took a gulp of their drinks.
“Jared, you up-scaled yourself!” teased one, leading an on-set of cheeky taunts.
“No more roadside kills!”
“Jared, you’re an inspiration to rest of us!”
Jared threw off his coat and then bulked his form. His wings extended out of him, his eyes turned luminescent green. By the time he withdrew his arrow out of his quiver and nocked it to his bow, he had already garnered the sole attention of every man in the room. He aimed at the dart board on the dark end of the wall. His fingers gave way and the arrow was released into the air, zipping past them, piercing into the dart board’s inner bullseye.
“What- are- you?” gulped one man in terror.
“My son first,” James replied sternly. “And don’t any of you forget that. Secondly, a chimera.”
Eric Stark stepped forward. “Is he the infiltrator you promised us?”
“Yes, we’ll talk about that later. First there is a dinner we have to catch.”
*****
She turned right into a broken cobbled driveway. Looming ahead of her was the school Ellie had been looking for. It was a miserable sight assembled together with broken bricks, timber and corrugated iron. Where possible, its roof had been mended with thatched reeds
She stopped by its door. A lanky clean-shaven man emerged from it and leant against its door frame as he watched her.
“Hello,” she said as she stepped out of her car.
“Have you lost your way?” the man asked curiously.
“Who… who is in charge of the school?” she stammered.
“I am,” the man answered, folding his arms across his chest. “What is this about?”
She smiled and walked towards him, keenly stretching out her hand for a friendly shake. “Hi, I’m Ellie Callum.”
The man frowned on hearing her name. “Governor Callum’s daughter? What is this about?”
Ellie looked down at her out-stretched hand, feeling rather awkward. It was obvious that the man didn’t trust her nor did he welcome her presence.
“I was wondering if I could volunteer teaching at your school. I’m a New America University graduate with majors in social sciences and psychology.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Callum, but there is no one here in need for counseling or psychiatric therapy. If you try the local clinic, however, they might be interested in opening a special department for such a need,” he replied tersely before turning away from her.
“Please, there must be something I could help with.”
He turned back slightly towards her. “If you are bored, Miss Callum, I suggest you revert to whatever hobbies you elites usually resort to in your luxurious, gated suburbs. There is nothing here that could possibly hold your interest for very long.”
She quickly ruffled through her bag and pulled out a card. “Would you please reconsider?” she asked, handing it out to him.
He looked down at the card severely and then muttered, “Goodbye, Miss Callum.”
She stared after him, that awkwardness at the base of her throat again. “I’m leaving the card in your letterbox,” she shouted. She closed her eyes, biting her lips in helplessness.
She leant against her car tiredly. No one took her seriously. Not her fiancé, her father. Her mother thought she was a freaking joke. And the man she loved- he certainly made one out of her. She was torn between two classes and neither accepted her. It wasn’t her fault if she was born into an affluent family. Why didn’t anyone see she was only trying to pay it forward to those who weren’t as lucky as she was? Why did she meet so much opposition and suspicion from either side?
She sat heavily back into her car. There was nothing more she could do if these people didn’t want her help.
“Where were you?” her mother screamed as soon as she entered the foyer.
She didn’t answer but headed straight for the stairs leading to her bedroom.
“Answer me, Ellie!” Myra Callum shouted again. “You were at that dreaded town again, weren’t you?!”
Ellie darted up the stairs quickly before she could catch any more of her mother’s wrath.
“How am I ever going to train you to be a proper First Lady if you keep being so disgustingly… charitable?” she heard her spit out. “You know, it’s not winning you any votes! There are other ways of showing your benevolence then spending time with those filthy mutts at Central.”
Ellie closed her eyes with relief as she reached the top landing of the stairs, and walked hurriedly on to her room.
“Does this girl ever listen?! Oh, I’m getting a headache,” her mother groaned. “Nessie! Now, where is that stupid girl? Nessie, get me a migraine pill.” Her heels clicked away into the distance. “Aaron! Oh, Aaron,” she heard her cry.
El
lie closed the door behind her and slumped into a chair by the window. She pulled her knees up to her chest, wondering what she should do. She covered her face, feeling more hopeless than ever. Her mind reeled through the lists of everyone she knew. Yet, she couldn’t think of one who would support her without some self-benefitting agenda. And in Sector 8 Central, what self-benefit could anyone get? She tightened her lips in deep thought and then pulled out her phone.
She scrolled for Tara’s number, and then looked at it as if she was entranced by it. She shouldn’t go anywhere near the Ryders. Any incidental meeting with Jared would simply rupture her healing wounds. She clutched the sides of her head and rocked with the pain cramping her insides. She didn’t understand where the hurt came from. She didn’t even know if there was even a pill for such pain. Tears streamed down her face and she stifled her sniffles into her arm in case they were heard by anyone.
A long while later, she wiped her face and straightened herself. No man deserved to be wept over like this. Especially not for a heartless, scheming bastard like Jared Ryder. She picked up her phone determinedly and then dialed her number.
She bit her lips as she waited for Tara to answer it.
“Hello?” Tara answered after a little while.
“Tara?”
“Ellie?”
“Tara, there is… something,” Ellie hesitated, biting her lips. “Can I talk to you?”
“Ellie, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing… I just need to talk…”
“Of course…”
“But not here… not now. Can we meet?”
CHAPTER 18
The beautiful sweet aroma of coffee. That always did calm her nerves no matter how tensed she was.
The barista behind her whisked another serving. Ellie glanced around at the customers lazing through Bergstrom Mall. They chatted busily amongst each other as they browsed through the stores. Their smiles lightened up their faces and it was not hard to imagine that they didn’t face the inner conflicts she had impressed upon herself. If they knew, they would probably laugh at her. “Why?” they’d ask her. Did she enjoy self-affliction? She should just enjoy the riches and luxuries she was born into, they would advise her. As for those unfortunate souls she was tormenting herself for, they would most likely have given her the same advice.
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