“Will you tell us where they once were?”
“No.”
Stimel nodded. “So much for my asking nicely, then.” He stepped back and motioned to the enforcer by the door. “Hadley, it seems he’d like to try things your way.”
Mason’s gaze locked with the enforcer’s. Hadley pushed off the door and walked toward him. Stopped in front of his chair. Mason glanced down at the man’s hands. No gloves.
The man lifted one hand to Mason’s face. Mason winced. The man scratched his cheek. Grinned. “You scared?” Hadley kicked the side of Mason’s foot.
“There’s certainly no joy in my anticipation,” Mason said.
Hadley swung his fist at Mason’s face.
Mason squeezed his eyes shut.
Nothing.
He looked up to see Hadley’s fist inches from his cheek. The man chuckled. Tapped Mason’s jaw.
“Enough,” Stimel said. “I have other things to do. In fact, there’s no reason for me to remain. You’ve been briefed on the questions. If he starts talking, tap me.” The man walked to the door, each step a thump that brought Mason closer to extreme pain.
The door swung open and closed. Stimel was gone, leaving a fading gust of chilled air behind him.
“Time to cry,” Hadley said. And this time, he landed his punch.
CHAPTER
29
When did you get this?” Levi asked.
“Saw enforcers put it in there this afternoon,” Zane said. “Sent Dusten to fetch it.”
“Could this have been doctored?” Levi asked.
“I’m sure it could have,” Zane said. “I don’t see why they’d need to bother, though.”
Sure. Why bother pretending to beat someone up when you could just do it?
“Need me to play it again?” Zane asked.
“No.” Seeing his brother beaten to unconsciousness once was enough for him. “What do you think?” Because at this point, Levi didn’t know what to do.
“That Renzor really wants the girl,” Zane said.
“But you agree that he wouldn’t really trade Jemma for her,” Levi asked.
“No way. Jemma and that baby are too important to the Safe Lands. Mason, on the other hand . . .”
“We still have the same problem,” Levi said. “We can’t trust her. Though she hasn’t done anything untrustworthy since she’s been here.”
“True,” Zane said.
“It’s too big a risk. We can’t risk all these people on our hunch that she might actually be trustworthy.”
“Maybe you should show her this. See how she reacts.”
“How would that help?”
“Well, she claims to love Mason, right? Let’s see what she does when she sees this.”
“Kind of cruel, isn’t it?” Levi asked.
“Kind of cruel to leave your brother to die.”
That was for sure. “Okay. You want me to bring her here?”
“Upstairs. I’ll put this on the Wyndo up there,” Zane said.
“All right. I’ll go get her.”
Levi went into the basements and got Jordan and Ciddah, and brought them both back up to Zane’s house.
“You’re not going to trade me for Jemma, are you?” Ciddah asked. “I’m willing, but I don’t believe for a second that Lawten means to give her to you.”
Now she was echoing what they’ve known all along. “This isn’t about Jemma,” Levi said. “There’s been a new development.” He nodded to the Wyndo wall screen. “Zane?”
“Wyndo: power. Play.”
The video came on then. Mason on the chair being pummeled by some General Otley minion.
Ciddah cried out and stood up, reached for the screen.
Every three or four punches the enforcer stopped hitting Mason long enough to ask a question. “Where is Omar Strong?” More punching. “Where are the rebels hiding?” More punching. “Where is Ciddah Rourke?”
Levi hadn’t wanted to watch it again, though this time he couldn’t help feel a surge of pride for how well Mason was holding up under such force. He’d have bet Mason would have given in long ago. He felt badly to have misjudged his brother’s strength.
“Turn it off,” Ciddah said. “I can’t watch it anymore.”
“It’s almost over, and you need to see the end,” Levi said.
One particularly loud punch knocked Mason off the chair. The camera zoomed in on his unconscious face, froze for a moment, then switched to Lawten Renzor, sitting at a fancy desk.
“Had it not been for the need to protect my unborn child, we would have taken this approach with Ms. Jemma Levi long before now. Since Mr. Elias does not suffer the complication of pregnancy, he’s a logical candidate for torture. But I assure you that what you have seen today is not torture. Mr. Elias will tell us what we want to know. Unless” — he smiled, which looked wrong somehow on his face — “you bring me Ciddah Rourke and Baby Promise. I will trade Mr. Elias for Ms. Rourke and the baby, no strings attached. You have twenty-four hours to reply.”
And the screen went black.
Ciddah whirled around to face Levi. Her flaking face was streaked with tears. “Trade me,” she said. “There’s nothing to think about.”
“There is, actually,” Levi said. “It’s the same problem we’ve had all along in deciding not to trade you for Jemma.”
“It’s not the same at all,” Ciddah said.
“How do you figure?” Levi asked.
“Don’t you see? He’s not hurting Jemma, and he won’t hurt her. But he’ll kill Mason if only to hurt me. You have to try to get Mason back. It’s the only chance he has. You’ll have more chances to free Jemma, for as long as she’s pregnant — but Mason is out of chances because Lawten is out of chances. He’s desperate. And if he sees he’s going to lose, he’ll kill Mason just to feel better.”
Levi had no reason not to believe her. And she certainly looked like she cared deeply for Mason.
“What do you mean that Renzor thinks he might lose?” Zane asked. “What do you know about his plans? What does he want so badly?”
“Me. He wants me.” She sighed then, wiped her eyes. “I don’t fully understand what he’s up against, but I have a theory. He’s nearing the liberation date. He turns forty on March twelve. He knows what liberation means, and he doesn’t want that for himself. Plus there are no openings on the Safe Lands Guild, and they haven’t given him another alternative. I think he plans to leave the Safe Lands. He’s traveled to Wyoming before on various political matters. He once said that Wyoming has strict immigration policies, that they only accept family units. I think he’s trying to create a family so that Wyoming will give him residence.”
“Don’t they have a policy against infectious diseases coming across their borders?” Zane asked.
“I don’t know,” Ciddah said. “It’s only a guess on my part.”
“If we return Elyot, he doesn’t need Jemma to leave,” Levi said.
“He’ll keep her close until he’s certain he has me back,” Ciddah said. “My guess is that she’s his backup ticket into Wyoming. That must be why he insisted on being the donor for her child.”
A comment that put fire in Levi’s veins.
“Trade them,” Ruston said. “If Ciddah is willing. I hate to subject little Elyot to such an environment again, but the child is Lawten’s flesh and blood. Of all the children we rescued, Elyot is the one that we truly don’t have a say over.”
“You would give a child to that man?” Levi asked.
“I wouldn’t,” Ruston said. “But the child is his.”
“He’s better off here,” Levi said.
“My point, son, is that a child belongs to his parents. Kendall is dead. Lawten is alive.”
“But what about what she knows?” Jordan asked, looking at Ciddah.
“What does she know?” Ruston asked. “She was brought here blindfolded. She knows we’re underground. They all know that much. She knows the entrance is through a house. Ther
e are a lot of houses in the Safe Lands. I’m not worried that they’d find us. But I’m even less worried that Ciddah will tell them anything.”
“You’re the boss,” Levi said. “If you’re certain.”
A knock at the front door.
A hush fell over those in the living room.
The knob shook. Another knock.
Zane got up and walked to the door, looked through the peephole. “Unbelievable!” He jerked open the door. “Maybe Fortune does exist. You seem to have nine lives.”
Omar slipped inside the room, pulling a second person with him, a person wearing a hood. “Maybe I’m just a cat.”
“Brother!” Levi had thought he’d lost Omar for good this time.
“Have you caught a mouse?” Zane asked.
Omar grinned. “Sort of.”
“Why do you insist on bringing people here without asking first?” Ruston asked.
“This is a special situation,” Omar said. “Anyone who doesn’t want to be seen should leave.”
“What does that mean?” Jordan asked.
Omar gestured to his hooded guest. “Just what I said.”
“I saw you captured,” Zane said. “I saw enforcers cuff you.”
“Not enforcers.” Omar looked around the room. “Everyone is staying? All right then.” He pulled off the hood.
Levi’s jaw dropped. “Luella Flynn? Are you mad?”
“We weren’t followed.” Luella’s gaze fell on Ciddah, and her eyes widened. “Oh, Ciddah Rourke. Hay-o, femmy. You are a rebel.”
“Luella,” Ciddah said in greeting.
“Who needs to follow you when they can just track her?” Zane said.
“I checked her for trackers, and I cut out her SimTag,” Omar said. “She’s clean.”
“Being a rebel is all very exciting,” Luella said.
Levi folded his arms. “You’re a rebel?”
“I’m a reporter. I bring truth to the people of this nation. And there are certain stories that have eluded me for far too long. Liberation, for example. And the Guild Intelligence League.”
“The what?” Levi asked.
“She caught me,” Omar said. “And when she told me her plan, I thought you all needed to hear it. She can help us. She is the lynchpin.”
“How can she be the lynchpin?” Levi asked. “We can’t trust her.”
“You’re wrong. She’s the lynchpin because everyone does trust her. The people, anyway. And she wants to show the people the truth.”
“I can help you,” Luella said. “And you don’t even have to tell me all of your plans. Just let me broadcast it.”
“How?” Zane asked.
“Think about our plans,” Omar said. “Zane can hack the ColorCast for thirty seconds tops. But Luella can show it for hours. She controls the ColorCast. So she’d show Operation Lynchpin to everyone, live. And everyone will know the truth as it happens.”
“I’m tired of the lies the Guild tells its people,” Luella said. “I’ve been a tool in Lawten Renzor’s drawer long enough. I want answers. I saw this man liberated.” She nodded to Omar. “I thought that meant death. But here he is. Back from . . . where? The people have a right to know.”
“We agree,” Omar said. “But this information is valuable. Lives are at stake. So I suggested that Luella hook me up with some of those special video recording contact lenses, then she can broadcast my trip back.”
He didn’t say where, but Levi knew he meant to the Lowlands.
“We won’t be able to show our attack on the dam,” Jordan said.
“Jordan!” Levi gestured at Luella. How was this keeping their plans secret?
Jordan looked at him. “What?”
“Don’t blow the dam,” Luella said. “That’s the only clean water source we have. And yes, clean water is still an issue for our nation. Wyoming hasn’t been willing to trade the secret of their purifier. They’ll sell us water, but at a very steep price. We want freedom for Safe Landers. Without the dam, we’ll only put ourselves in a position to be exploited.”
“But we need to take control away from the Guild,” Ruston said. “He who controls the resources controls the people.”
“In theory, yes,” Luella said. “But I control the majority of the people. Whether or not they should trust me, they do trust me. Forget the dam. Instead, we interrupt the Guild meeting. We demand the truth from the Guild. Then we call for new leadership.”
“Why would that work?” Levi asked.
“Because minutes before we interrupt the meeting, the Owl will reveal the truth about liberation on the air. Then we’ll enter the meeting demanding answers. Yes, there will be enforcers on hand, but most will be too shocked to follow orders. Omar said the truth about liberation is that shocking.”
“It is that,” Zane said.
“Won’t you tell me now?” Luella asked. “I promise I won’t ruin your plans.”
“No,” Omar said. “You’ve got to wait. Then you won’t have to pretend to be shocked when I show you the truth.”
Luella heaved a sigh, but her eyes were sparkling. “It’s going to be wonderful to do this through the eyes of the Owl. You’ll be the true hero of the Safe Lands. You’ll have made good on your promise. I think we should reveal your identity at the end of all this.”
“That’s not important,” Omar said. “At the end of Operation Lynchpin, I want three things to happen: I want the harem disbanded, I want the doors to the Lowlands and outside opened so that people can come and go as they please, and I want the task oath lifted so that doctors and scientists can start working together on a cure.”
“I think we have found a new leader, boys.” And Luella winked at Omar. “Don’t his words just send a shiver up your spine?”
Omar pointed at Luella. “We should also demand a new election for the Guild. Let the people elect the members.”
“The Guild is elected,” Luella said.
“It’s always a yes or no ballot,” Ruston said. “This time, run elections for what names go on the ballot, and don’t make it yes or no. Majority wins.”
Luella beamed. “Yes! Let the people choose. The same way they’ve been voting for the details of Lawten and Jemma’s Vow Exchange.”
“If that helps you,” Omar said.
“Okay, but let’s sit down and plan out exactly how we’re going to do this,” Levi said. “And trading Ciddah for Mason too. We need to make sure everything is just right.”
Because they wouldn’t get a second chance, Levi felt. This was it. Operation Lynchpin was about to commence.
CHAPTER
30
Shaylinn stood in the kitchen washing out baby diapers. Her twins ate nothing but milk, so she was surprised at how messy their diapers could be. They were still too little to breastfeed, which meant Shaylinn’s life now consisted of trying to extract enough milk so the babies could drink it through their feeding tubes. It didn’t sound like much, but it was exhausting.
“You really should let me do that for you,” Nell said.
“Thanks, but I’m tired of lying around all the time. I needed to get up and do something.” Even if it was washing out dirty diapers.
“Maybe we could walk to the park later?” Nell suggested. “Or you could go visit Nash.”
“I have no need to visit Nash, but a walk to the park sounds nice.”
“But he likes you. And I think . . .”
The sound of the door opening cut off Nell’s words. Shaylinn couldn’t see the door from the kitchen, so she didn’t know who’d arrived. Nell was staring, though, and looked embarrassed for some reason. Shaylinn hoped it wasn’t Nash and that he hadn’t overheard what Nell had said.
“Is Shaylinn in her room?”
The blood drained from Shaylinn’s face at the sound of Omar’s voice.
“She’s there.” Nell pointed at Shaylinn in the kitchen. “We thought you were dead for sure this time.”
“Turns out I’m not so easy to kill,” Omar said.
“Yeah, me too. Bye, Nell.”
The door clumped shut.
Something wet dripped on Shaylinn’s foot. She was clutching a baby diaper in her hands, and it was dripping water all over the floor. She tossed it back in the sink, dried her hands on a towel, all while watching the edge of the wall for his appearance.
Omar stepped into the kitchen. He looked okay. Really good, actually. He was wearing jeans and a green shirt. Emerald green, he’d probably call it.
“Hay-o, Shay.” His bluer-than-blue eyes locked onto hers.
“Hi.”
“I heard you had the babies.” He glanced at her belly and she blushed.
“It takes time to lose the weight.”
He took a step toward her. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”
“I thought they’d caught you.”
“Luella Flynn caught me. She didn’t turn me over to the enforcers. She was determined to learn the identity of the Owl.”
Oh no! “And she let you go?”
“Yeah.” Omar grinned and Shaylinn melted just a bit. “She’s going to help us get out of here. She’s the lynchpin.”
Shaylinn wasn’t sure what he meant by that. “So it’s not over?”
“No. Soon though. Tomorrow, actually.”
“You’re going back out?”
He winced and held up his hands. “I have to. This is our chance — to get our mothers back, to be free again. I’ve got to do my part.”
“Of course. I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Shay, could I see them?”
She stared at him a moment, wondering what he was talking about, then she gasped in a breath when it hit her. “The babies. Of course.” Duh, Shaylinn.
She walked slowly across the kitchen and living room to her bedroom door and opened it. The lights were off and she left them that way, but she flicked on the bedside lamp, then sat on the edge of the bed and motioned for Omar to sit beside her.
The lamp illuminated the incubator and the babies inside. They were dressed in little sack-like outfits that Shaylinn and Naomi had sewed out of some of the fabrics Omar had brought. The boy wore the red-and-brown stripes with white dog-bone shapes. He lay on his back, arms stretched above his head. The girl was dressed in the purple-and-yellow plaid with smiling duckies. She lay beside her brother on her belly and knees, her little rump up in the air.
Rebels Page 30