Rebel (The Alliance Chronicles Book 4)

by SF Benson

  In a perfect world.

  I admit the two of us have always had a love-hate friendship. We’ve always butted heads over her desire to lead. It’s been an all-consuming hunger in Ko’s life. Personally, I don’t know why she strives for it so much. Maybe it’s a part of who she is, like creativity is for me. I do grasp the fact, however, her need has jeopardized other relationships in the past. It’s probably why Asher started pushing her away. Unless it, too, was an act.

  Recruits into RMA—the Riza Military Academy—earn huge benefits when they graduate. Her parents would have gained new housing, more income, and rations reserved for Riza and their families. I used to think that was the driving force behind Ko’s aspiration. Her passion for leadership, however, seems to run deeper than any Riza reward. I have to wonder if Taa dangled the proverbial carrot in front of Ko? Seduced her with sovereignty? Would ambition trump friendship?

  The door creaks open, and Zared walks in wearing his jacket.

  “Where have you been?” I ask. My feet finally purchase a spot and stay in place.

  “Down the hall,” he says quietly and shrugs off the outerwear.

  “You stopped Ko?”

  He sits on the side of the bed, purses his lips, and stares at the floor. “For now. She won’t be going anywhere unless she’s leaving her coat and belongings behind.”

  I grimace. It shouldn’t surprise me to hear Ko planned on leaving. Her modus operandi has always been either intimidate those she disagrees with or flee. Naturally, Ko’s method is at odds with being a leader. There’s no victory in running nor in reigning your superiority over others. She lacks perseverance, and nobody wants to follow a leader who can’t close the deal.

  “She was leaving for good?” I ask.

  Why do you care?

  “Yeah.”

  “I need to talk to her,” I head for the door.

  Zared grasps my elbow. “Not a good idea.”

  My gaze darts down to his hand. “Why not?”

  “I’ve asked her to keep her distance.” He lets go. “We can’t trust her, babe. I’ve no idea who she’s working for, but Ko’s not on our side.”

  My breathing picks up speed and grows shallow. This isn’t a panic attack. It’s fear, pure and simple, of my nightmare becoming reality. “What makes you say that?”

  Zared tugs me onto his lap. “Ko wasn’t drugged. She knew Asher took the card. They were discussing it while we slept.”

  My worst suspicions have been confirmed. Ko has been against us this whole time. My body tenses, and I struggle to get up. Zared won’t let me.

  “Wait, Tru.” His grip tightens. “For your safety, I locked her in her room. I need you to stay away from her.”

  “A locked room isn’t going to keep her from leaving,” I snap.

  He rubs my arms. “I realize that. That’s why I took her belongings outside.”

  I shake my head. “Ko is smart. She’ll find a way out.”

  “Maybe not. I have an answer.” He takes a padlock latch and a lock from his jacket. “I found these in a shed along with a power tool. I’m gonna fix the door. Unless Ko has super powers, she won’t be leaving easily.”

  I think back to the RMA dormitory. We made our escape out a window. Locking Ko’s bedroom door is just a start. “You better do it now. You should also seal her window, or tie her up. She has no problem scaling a building.”

  Zared’s eyes widen. Slowly, he nods his head.

  “Oh, and Zared?”

  “Yeah, babe?”

  I slide off his lap, and Zared stands. “When you’re done, we need to talk about some real plans.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Get me Ko’s phone. I want to see what messages are on it. Might shine some light on what we’re facing.”

  “Good thinking,” he says and leaves the room.

  Combative strategy is of essential relevance to the New Order. It is indispensable, a path either to the success of the Alliance or its failure. Therefore, it requires close examination.

  —from “An Introspective on Combative Strategies” by Dawa Zhu

  Zared

  I think the best option is restraining Ko, not something I planned for. In my back pocket are some zip-ties I found in the shed that should do the trick. First, collect Ko’s phone, and then I’ll tie her up.

  Frankly, I don’t see why getting her device will do us any good. The girl is too smart to leave her text messages unencrypted. Any phone calls could have been made to burner devices. But I couldn’t tell these things to Tru without an argument. And it’s the last thing I want—fucking with a pregnant woman. She doesn’t need the stress. Hell, I’d tell her I could harness the moon if it would make her happy and keep our child safe.

  I forgo common courtesy and throw open the door to Ko’s room. She’s lying on the bed, scrolling through her phone as if she’s just chilling out at home.

  “What do you want, Zared?” Ko asks, her words tipped in ice, without looking up.

  I stop in the middle of the floor and fold my arms across my chest. “I need your phone.”

  “I don’t think so.” She taps the screen and sits up. “You’re not entitled to my private phone.”

  “Traitors don’t get privacy.” I bite back, move closer to the bed, and reach for the device.

  Ko wheels around, and leaps off the far side of the bed. “If you think you’re taking it from me, think again.”

  I scrub a hand over my face. She knows I’d never intentionally strike a woman without provocation. Unless Ko attacks me, she’s safe. For now.

  “Ko, be reasonable,” I plead. “I’d prefer not taking it away from you.”

  An ugly, twisted laugh erupts from her throat.

  “What’s so damned funny?” This girl is trying my patience.

  She sneers. “Mark said you didn’t have the balls to take me on.”

  Fuck him and my principles!

  I rush forward. Ko tries to run from behind the bed. I cut off her escape. One hand goes for her arm. My other reaches for the phone. Before I can make another move, sharp pain hits my groin and I’m blindsided. My hands go straight to my crotch, my vision blurs, and I can barely stand.

  “Fuck!” I shout as I drop to my knees.

  Ko runs past me. I push through the pain and grab her ankle. She stumbles and hits the floor, face first. Ko twists her body to the side. A well-aimed, unexpected kick comes to my head. The impact rocks my brain. I shake it off and reach for her leg again. The sharp click of a gun, however, forces my eyes off Ko.

  On the other side of the gun is a man I hoped never to see again. His icy-blue eyes immobilize me and numbs the ache in my body. I’m a little shocked to see him dressed in head-to-toe Riza gear.

  Ko rises to her feet.

  “Aoki,” Malcolm growls and aims his gun in my direction. “That’s right where I need ya. Where’s that pretty little girl of yours?”

  “Right behind you.” Tru stands in back of Malcolm. She holds a gun on him. “Drop the weapon, Malcolm.”

  “Don’t think so. Even if ya shoot, I’ll still squeeze off a bullet. Question is, will it be yo’ friend or yo’ boyfriend who dies. Here’s some food for thought, sweet thang, I’m a sharpshooter.”

  Fuck! He’s Riza!

  Tru glances at me. Her forehead wrinkles as her eyes drift over to Ko.

  “Babe, don’t do it.” As much as I hate giving in to Malcolm, I want to see the birth of my child more. Thing is, Malcolm can’t know about the baby. He’ll turn it against us. This asshole would take a perverse pleasure in seeing me bleed out on the floor. “Please, put the gun down. For all our sakes.”

  Tru gives me a small nod, a little recognition she understood me. But her voice shakes when she asks, “What guarantee do I have, you won’t kill us anyway?”

  “None at all.” Malcolm doesn’t take his eyes off me as he tells Tru, “I’m only saying it one time. Put yo’ damn gun down.”

  My girl hesitates for a moment,
sighs, and crouches low. Tru places the gun on the floor and kicks it toward Malcolm.

  As soon as she stands, he grasps her arm and yanks her forward. “Now, we’re gonna have a little chat. Where the fuck is the card?”

  I stand up and exhale through the residual pain. “Take your hands off her, Malcolm.”

  “Or ya gonna do what?” His icy stare lands on me. “Sit yo’ narrow punk ass down.”

  He shoves Tru into the room. I catch her before she hits the ground. Her eyes sweep over my body.

  “You’re hurt,” she says.

  “I’m fine.”

  She touches my head, and I flinch. “What happened?”

  “I kicked his ass,” Ko says with a smirk on her face.

  Tru lunges forward, and I grab her in the nick of time.

  Ko stares back like she’s urging Tru to try something. When nothing happens, Ko huffs and moves toward Malcolm with her palms out. “We don’t have it, Malcolm. And they don’t know who has it.”

  He scowls, lets out a loud breath, and says sharply, “Who has it, Ko?”

  I don’t like the familiarity between these two. Yeah, at one time, the three of us claimed to work for the Alliance. Something tells me these two have a different agenda. One that doesn’t line up with the rest of the organization—returning the country to a democracy and restoring freedom for all.

  Malcolm being a soldier explains how he got into the house. Riza move with the shadows, slipping into the cracks and crevices of life. They only make their presence known when they’re ready. By the time you discover Riza, it’s too late. Like now.

  “How’d you know where to find us?” I ask Malcolm.

  “Got a tip from a knowledgeable source.” He lifts an eyebrow and glances over at Ko.

  No. She didn’t tip him off. I’m sure of that. Besides, it wouldn’t make sense. I may not have stayed in the Corps long enough to be military trained, but I trust my gut. Malcolm’s tip came from someone outside the safe house.

  Unfortunately, Tru catches the look between Ko and Malcolm. I know my girl. Her mind is jumping to the wrong conclusion, but I can’t tell her she’s wrong. If I do, I’ll tip Malcolm off. He’ll realize I’m on to him. Street rules. Don’t engage the enemy. All I can do is watch.

  Tru’s head swivels toward her friend. Her fists clench. “You? You told him we were here?”

  Ko rolls her eyes. “Of course, I didn’t! Why would I tell him to come here when we don’t have the card? Stop being so damned stupid. Try using a few brain cells for a change. Who else knows where this house is?”

  Tru’s muscles tense. I tighten my grip on her. Letting Tru go would be like unleashing a rabid dog. Ko won’t survive.

  Tru speaks through her teeth. “Asher and Mark.”

  It’s not a question. I let her lock on the possibility. My mind, however, goes to the one person who stands to gain from our discovery. There’s only one person who would send someone else to do her dirty work. My heart sinks. No matter how hard I try to believe in her innocence, she proves me wrong time and time again.

  “So, what happens next, Malcolm?” I step in front of Tru in case the former rapper has an itchy trigger finger. I’ll gladly take a bullet if it means my girl and my child get to live. “We don’t have the card. According to your co-conspirator, Asher Jones took the card. I don’t know where he went, or who he’s giving it to.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I have my orders.” He taps the in-ear device and delivers his instructions. “Come on in. Top floor.”

  Within seconds, Riza soldiers storm the house. Heavy footsteps pound the stairs and soldiers gather in the hall behind Malcolm. He steps to the side. Rough hands land on me, pulling me away from the one I love. Another soldier grabs Tru. But no one touches Ko. The girl’s a fucking Teflon princess. Unfortunately, I know who afforded her the status.

  Malcolm hands over Tru’s weapon to Ko. “Ya might need this.”

  “Thanks.” She glares at me before speaking to a soldier. “Get these traitors out of here.”

  A soldier, a blonde, shoves me forward. I recognize this Riza lackey. Sarah Miller. She was in the room with us back at North Woods. I guess the wound wasn’t too bad since she’s here.

  As we walk out, I feel like I’m watching life in slow motion. Sluggishly, my head moves until I’m looking at Tru. Her jaw is tight. Her mouth bears an ugly twist like she’s eaten something foul. But it’s the coldness in her beautiful brown eyes as she looks at Ko that snags my heart. The level of hatred residing in them freezes me.

  I hate to say it but I feel sorry for the moment Tru and Ko are alone together. Their friendship has set sail, and there’s no preserver that can restore it.

  The best achievement is when the opponent gives up on its own without any aggression. Win without a battle.

  —from “An Introspective on Combative Strategies” by Dawa Zhu

  Tru

  Riza soldiers march us down the dark stairs and into the living room. It’s night now. I wonder how long they plan to hold us. Will Malcolm have us executed?

  Harsh hands shove me onto the sofa. I rub my throbbing arm as Zared drops beside me. My eyes dart around the room. Naturally, Ko isn’t joining the party. She’s busy strutting around and barking out orders.

  Arrogant bitch.

  First chance I get, I’m going to show her just how many brain cells it takes to beat the shit out of her. Same goes for Asher Jones and Mark Carter if we ever see them again.

  Stupid? I’ll show them stupid.

  Malcolm enters the room refocusing my thoughts. I didn’t like this man the first time we met. I’ve never been a fan of the pretentious rapper-turned activist. When I said I wouldn’t play his games, Malcolm took liberty and kissed me. He even had the audacity to warn me about my impertinence.

  “What are you planning on doing with us?” I ask him. It’s a question to kill the silence. I’m not waiting to find out Malcolm’s plans. Instead, I’m doing the math and determining our best exit strategy.

  “I’m to hold ya here until Aoki’s mama arrives.” He sucks his teeth and lowers himself onto the chair near the window. “Might as well make yo’selves comfortable. Ain’t nobody going anywhere.”

  I’ll let him believe that one. The odds of our escape seem much better than whatever Taa Aoki might have in mind.

  Zared moves closer to me. I squeeze his hand. I’m worried about him. Seeing his mother under these circumstances is going to suck. Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do to lessen the blow.

  “I’m hungry,” I say to Malcolm. “Can I get my own food, or will one of your flunkies get it?”

  Malcolm waves his gun at Ko. “Go with her.”

  Ko shakes her head vigorously, backs away, and shouts, “No way. Miller can do it.”

  I narrow my eyes. “That’s probably for the best. I might have to kick your ass this time.”

  Malcolm laughs to himself. “That might be some shit worth seeing. Hell, I’ll even bet on that damned fight. All my money’s on sweet thang, though.”

  Ko’s eyes rock over to him. She sucks in a quick breath.

  “Sorry, Ko.” He relaxes his posture. Malcolm still holds onto his weapon, but he places it sideways against his thigh. “I can see ya girl’s gotta mean streak a mile long. She don’t take shit from nobody.”

  Glad he recognizes that, but a girl fight isn’t my goal. I simply need to keep Ko out of the kitchen long enough to distract the blonde chihuahua holding court out there. I stand up. “Malcolm, as long as we have some sort of understanding I need something from you.”

  “Got somebody else you want me to kill?” He grins, but it doesn’t reach his icy orbs.

  A chill winds down my back. That was a low blow. It feels like a lifetime has gone by since I asked him to annihilate my sister-in-law. To make matters worse, it was a deal Zared didn’t want me to make with Malcolm. I did it anyway.

  “Not hardly.” I swallow hard. “I simply want Zared to join me in the kitchen so I
don’t have to eat alone. Keep your pigeon out here.”

  “Ya think I’m a damned fool?” he snaps. “Miller will stay there with ya. She can keep ya company. Aoki stays out here with me.”

  I gaze at Zared. He needs some sort of signal from me. Something to let him know what I’m up to. If I knew hand signals, it would help. But Malcolm would probably figure them out, too.

  Zared clears his throat. “Look, Malcolm, you’ve got us. What more do you want? It’s too damned cold for us to walk up out of here. Besides, you’ve probably got the place surrounded with Riza.”

  Malcolm rubs his forehead. He waves his free hand in the air. “Go on. But if any funky shit goes down…”

  “If anything funky goes down,” I interject and jerk my head toward Ko, “you have my permission to shoot her. You’ll be doing me a big favor.”

  I grab Zared’s hand and walk out the room with Malcolm’s boisterous laughter following us.

  In the kitchen, Sarah Miller takes up a position by the patio door. I notice two more soldiers on the back deck. Getting past them will be difficult, but not impossible.

  Zared opens the fridge and sticks his head inside.

  I walk up beside him, speaking close to his ear. “Two soldiers on the deck. I can take out Miller.”

  “How?” he whispers.

  “I have my trusted friend in my boot,” I mutter. I raise my voice and say, “I’m not sure if I want a sandwich or just soup.”

  “Why not have both?” Zared says loudly. He lowers his voice. “The two on the deck might be a problem. I need a weapon though.”

  “You’ll use Miller’s. We have to move fast. It won’t take Malcolm long to come in here.”

  “Better plan.” Zared removes a jar of mayo and another of mustard. “Let’s fix the Ice Pimp a little snack. He’ll take it from you. I’ve got something for him.”

  “What?”

  Zared pats his jeans pocket. “I found Asher’s stash of sleeping pills. Once Malcolm is out, we move.”

  “What if your mother comes first?”

  He grabs the loaf of bread. “Doesn’t make a difference.”