“He’s right,” Phoenix said.
“Oh my God, hell has frozen over,” Seamus said.
“Either that, or when we get outside there will be pigs up there instead of stars,” Garrett added.
“Really? Is this any time to be joking around?” Trent gritted.
“I’m not joking,” Seamus said seriously. “I never thought I’d live to see the day she says you’re right about anything. I feel like I could die happy right now.”
“That could definitely be arranged,” Ludwig said.
All their voices joined in as one simultaneously, “shut up.”
“Everyone head over to the front doors, but stay close together,” Pete ordered.
“What about him?” Vi asked, nodding at Roman.
Pete looked back at Charlotte in question. “I’m not really his favourite person, I don’t think,” he said.
“Really? I thought the two of you were getting to be best buds at the end there,” she replied dryly.
“Oh no, that was me,” Seamus said darkly. “I have no problem dealing with him.”
As much as Charlotte was still furious at Roman for what he’d done, it didn’t mean she wanted to see him hurt. She immediately shook her head. “I’ll deal with him. The rest of you go toward my sister.”
“I’m not just going to leave you to approach him on your own,” Pete argued. “How do I know he won’t take you as hostage in return?”
“Because he could have already done that with Bridgette, if he really wanted to.”
“She has a point,” Sam said.
Pete’s jaw flexed as he ground his teeth together.
“This is ridiculous,” Charlotte said in exasperation. “We’ve been standing here for ten minutes, surrounded by armed guards, while the rest of the bloody city watches on. I feel like I’m in some sort of bad school play.”
“Am I the lead?” Ludwig asked.
“Shut up!” they all said again.
“Seriously, Pete,” Charlotte continued. “This isn’t the time to have some sort of inner battle. Let’s get a move on.”
“Fine. But if he touches you, I’ll kill him. I swear.”
“Or I will,” Seamus added. He shrugged when she looked at him. “Maybe will anyway, just for shits and giggles. You never know.”
Phoenix growled. “That’s enough. Everyone, to the front doors. Let’s get what we came for, and get the hell out, before this one gives the okay to shoot holes in us, or the other crazed leader shows up with a whole other world of trouble. Seriously, I can’t handle the both of them in one night. I’m likely to just start shooting everyone out of the sheer frustration of being surrounded by insane, authoritarian assholes.”
“I can definitely forgo the family reunion,” Charlotte agreed. “We need to be far away from here before my father shows up.”
“Too late,” came the one voice she really, really didn’t want to hear right at that moment.
“Oh goodie,” Ludwig said from behind her. “Now the real fun can begin.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
To say all hell broke loose would have been an understatement. Roman looked back at Bridgette to see her standing there, face pale, a gun held to her by her own father. He barely had time to register the scene before shots began to ring out. The New World soldiers opened fire as rebels under the General’s command appeared around the perimeter of the room as if materializing out of thin air. Roman briefly wondered how long they’d been there, waiting for the right opportunity to show themselves before now. He was starting to think perhaps he and Ludwig had fiercely underestimated Douglas Hatcher.
Roman turned away from Bridgette, probably the hardest thing he had to do, and looked for Ludwig. He prayed Douglas wouldn’t do anything rash to his daughter while Roman secured the New World leader. Even though every bone in his body wanted to run to Bridgette, his sense of duty had him turning the opposite way.
Charlotte and the other rebels who were with her were now hiding behind overturned tables. The Upper civilians were screaming and running around like chickens with their heads cut off. He had no doubt some of them would die that evening from sheer stupidity alone. Ludwig had been able to get away from the rebel that had been holding him, and was already heading toward Roman.
“We need to get you out of here,” Roman yelled, just as a bullet narrowly missed Ludwig’s left shoulder.
“You think?” Ludwig replied, running toward the front door while Roman tried his best to cover his back. “I was thinking I’d just sit around and watch how this all plays out.”
“Your sarcasm is unwelcome right now,” Roman gritted.
“Don’t be silly,” he scoffed. “My sarcasm is what makes things so interesting all the time.”
“Only to you,” Roman replied. They made it to the front door. Soldiers quickly blocked them off, their eyes never straying from the massive shoot out taking place.
A soldier named Drake came up to him, his face flushed with adrenaline. “What do we do with the civilians, sir?”
“If those bloody idiots can’t manage to get out themselves, they deserve to die,” Ludwig answered.
Roman took a deep, calming breath. “Open the side doors and try your best to get them out without injury.”
The soldier nodded.
“Just do the best you can,” he said as Drake turned to leave. “Let’s go.” He pulled Ludwig around the side of the building, five soldiers following close behind to ensure no one followed. His blood was pounding loudly in his ears as his eyes continued to scan for Bridgette.
When they had reached the front doors, both she and Douglas were already gone. He had one girl missing and another inside stuck in the middle of an all-out gun war. Never in his life had he felt so anxious and conflicted. If he could just get Ludwig safely away, he could go back and get both girls out of there as well. He hoped.
Ludwig’s black SUV was parked where he’d seen it when they arrived. Another five soldiers were already waiting there, but not the way Roman would have expected. Their weapons lying on the ground away from them, all five were on their knees, hands on their heads as rebel soldiers held guns to them. Douglas and Bridgette stood just in front of them, calmly waiting. Well, Douglas was, Bridgette looked terrified. It was like a punch to his gut.
“How long have you known?” Ludwig said low enough for only Roman to hear.
“Not long,” Roman answered honestly.
“Were you planning on telling me?”
They looked at each other silently as they walked. Roman had never kept anything from Ludwig. The two of them were as close as brothers. Roman owed his life to the man beside him. But Ludwig knew his answer when their eyes met. It was all there for him to see. Although Roman didn’t say the words out loud, they both knew Roman had no intention of telling his leader about the ruse. At least, not until he knew she was safely away from him. Both Bridgette and Charlotte.
“Is love really worth it?”
Roman took a deep breath. “I’m not really sure.”
Ludwig grunted as they walked toward the rebel leader. Neither of them showed any surprise or fear when they stopped some feet away from where Douglas stood.
“Good of you to join us,” the rebel General said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“I do believe that’s my line,” Ludwig replied lightly. “I was afraid your invitation wouldn’t make it in the mail, but I’m glad to see it did. It has been ages, hasn’t it, Douglas?”
“Not long enough, Ludwig.”
“Ah, well I see absence doesn’t, in fact, make the heart grow fonder. Or perhaps it’s a matter of you not having a heart.”
Douglas laughed humourlessly. Roman kept his eyes on Bridgette, silently pleading with her to remain calm, while at the same time trying his best to exude some sort of reassurance that he’d get her out of this situation. Not that he had any idea how he was going to do so, but he was more than willing to die trying.
“Funny coming
from you, Ludwig – a man who has killed millions standing there and talking about having a heart.”
“Indeed. The same man who spent the last half a decade taking care of your child,” Ludwig said with a tilt of his head. “And apparently I’ve been watching over the other one as well, although for how long I’m not sure.” His eyes went to Bridgette, who met his with a wide stare. Roman didn’t get the sense that Ludwig meant her any harm, regardless of the deception. He seemed just as anxious about her being in Douglas’s hands as Roman was. Every line in Ludwig’s body stiffened when he saw Bridgette’s fear. “That’s a lot more than you can say, isn’t it? Even when you were looking after them, you weren’t really, were you?”
Roman saw Douglas narrow his eyes at Ludwig, his mouth pressed in a firm line. Roman knew exactly what Ludwig was talking about, something that made him hate the rebel leader even more than he had before. But Bridgette had no idea, and he wanted it to stay that way. He wanted to protect her from anything and everything that would cause her pain.
“What’s he talking about?” came a voice that was an instant relief to Roman. He turned to see Charlotte walking out from the shadows, her slight body blending in with the night. The rebels with her had guns pointed at everyone, their eyes alert to both parties before them. From the other side came more, and suddenly Roman found himself surrounded by even more enemies. Ludwig wanted to draw out the rebels, and it looked like he had won the lottery. He just wasn’t sure who was going to come out on top at the end of it all.
Charlotte was being pulled back before she’d even registered what was happening. The room had exploded into gunfire in a matter of seconds after her father made his presence known. By the time she realized what had happened, she was already tucked behind a table, squished between the underside and Pete’s body.
Everything was in utter chaos. Phoenix and the girls were behind another table, along with Trent, all of them shooting back. Charlotte had tried her best to push Pete off her, but he wouldn’t move until Seamus had finally led them toward the open doorway at the side of the building. Thankfully most of her father’s soldiers and the New World ones were too focused on each other to notice the lot of them escaping.
It hadn’t taken them long to hear the voices of her father and Ludwig just a ways down from where they’d exited. Charlotte had watched the interaction in stunned silence, confused by the familiarity between her father and Ludwig. As far as she’d known, neither man really knew the other, aside from things they’d heard through the soldiers. But she wasn’t fooled, as she stood there in the shadows offered by the building behind her. She could tell that there was a history between them that she’d been unaware of, and finally curiosity got the better of her.
She stood now, facing her father, who had Bridgette at gun point still. Her blood boiled just seeing it, but she fought back the desire to rush him and risk her sister’s safety.
“Tell your men to put their weapons down, Charlotte,” he father commanded in his bored voice. It was the same one he’d use with her as a child whenever he thought she was doing something stupid. She hated that tone. If he didn’t have her sister she would have told him to sod off right then.
Tyler stood across from her, his eyes hard. She watched him hesitate for a moment before dropping his weapon along with the others. Roman and Ludwig stood silently to the side, seemingly unarmed as well. Her father appeared to have the upper hand right then and it was scaring the crap out of her.
“And women,” Sam said, dropping her gun.
Douglas turned to look at her with the coldest stare, one that often made Charlotte sweat a little, but Sam seemed completely unaffected. Her opinion of the other girl was raised a little right then.
“Answer my question,” Charlotte said, refocusing.
“It’s nothing,” her father said, brushing her off. “Ludwig is just trying to play the mind games he’s so good at.”
Ludwig laughed. For some reason Charlotte seemed more inclined to believe the words coming out of the New World leader’s mouth than she did her own father. “I’m not playing any mind games, Douglas, and you know it.”
“I’m confused,” Charlotte admitted. “Do you two know each other?”
She watched as they looked at one another. Ludwig had a small, smug grin on his face, while her father looked about ready to shoot him right then and there. Their silence was only pissing her off more.
“Father used to work for him,” Bridgette offered. Charlotte looked to her sister, even more confused than before. Her sister shrugged, or tried to in their father’s grasp. “That’s as much as I know.”
“He certainly did,” Ludwig said, his smile growing. “He was one of my most brilliant and promising scientists.”
Charlotte looked to her father, stunned. “Scientists?” Since when was her father a scientist? He was…she stopped. What was he? Now that she thought about it, she wasn’t sure what her father had done before the rebellion happened.
“He’d been working on a very special project for me when he decided to steal it and disappear. How else do you think I knew which house was his?” Ludwig was looking at her when she turned back to him. His eyes told her he was telling the truth. It wasn’t often that the New World leader would lie to her, at least she hadn’t thought so until now. Obviously there was a lot he’d never told her.
“What kind of special project?” she asked, her voice just barely above a whisper, caught in the emotion now clogging her throat. A loud click had her head snapping toward her father who was now pointing the gun at Ludwig.
“I’m done with this,” he stated. “You’re done, Tennebris. Your reign over this city is over.”
Ludwig laughed, despite the firearm aimed in his direction. “And what, you’re going to be the one to free the people?” He laughed harder. “Don’t be obtuse, Hatcher. We both know you’re no more the hero than I am. The only reason you want me gone is so you can have my supremacy.” His eyes looked at Charlotte then slowly over to her sister. “I think we both know how obsessed you are with obtaining power.”
Charlotte glanced at Roman and stopped when she saw he was staring back at her. His eyes looked sad or guilty, she wasn’t sure which. She had the distinct impression that Roman knew what was not being said between her father and Ludwig. Then something glimmered there in his look, his eyes flashing as if he were silently trying to communicate with her. Subtly, he nodded his head toward Ludwig, giving her a pointed look. She understood immediately.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
They continued to spar verbally with one another, while everyone seemed content to just stand around and witness it. Charlotte closed her eyes and senses to it all, focusing inward.
It didn’t take much energy to open her mind since she’d been keeping it partially open the entire time they’d been inside the party, worried that someone might notice her or the others. She’d been listening in on private thoughts, however nothing useful had come from it. On the contrary, the Uppers seemed ridiculously self-centred and oblivious.
Now she forced her mental hands outward toward Ludwig, something she’d never done before. Truthfully, it had never even crossed her mind to search the New World leader. From what she knew from the outside, she could only imagine the horrors that would be found within. Horrors she was more than willing to avoid by keeping as far away from his inner thoughts as possible. But now things were different. They were keeping something from her, and Charlotte wanted to know what. Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be hard to find since they’d just been talking about it. Ludwig’s thoughts and memories of his past dealings with her father would be in the forefront, a walk in the park for Charlotte.
She pushed forward, ignoring his internal calculations of how to defuse the situation, although taking note of the fact that he was waiting on a troop of men who were, even now, climbing to the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. Say what you wanted of the New World army, but no one could deny they were well trained. Charlotte had no doubt that
they took notice of Ludwig’s absence only shortly after he’d arrived here, meaning they’d been calling for reinforcements immediately. If her father didn’t make a move, or if they didn’t for that matter, they were all likely to either be shot or arrested in mere moments.
Moving around these thoughts, she looked for the ones she wanted finding them easily. There it was, the explanation as to how he knew her father. He did, in fact, work for him. Ludwig hadn’t been lying about that. Not that she’d thought he had, but it was nice to know for sure. It was what her father did for him that had the blood draining from her face, a cold, sickening feeling washing over her. It couldn’t be true. She dug deeper, finding the evidence there, knowing that it couldn’t be denied. Her father’s betrayal so deep and hurtful, she knew there would be no coming back from it.
Charlotte’s eyes popped open, going straight to her father who was in the middle of some rant that she couldn’t hear over the rushing sound in her ears. She could feel Roman watching her closely. He must have known she knew now. She could practically taste his sympathy in the air. A hand gripped her waist, a familiar voice calling her name softly in her ear. Pete. His voice was questioning and urgent, trying to get her attention.
But she couldn’t look away from the man who had help to bring her into this world. The man who seemed more dedicated to his own aspirations in life than he was in his own flesh and blood. She hated him, more than ever.
“How could you?” she said. It wasn’t loud, but he heard her, his words stopping midsentence as he looked over to meet her gaze. She saw the realization in his eyes that she knew. There would be no denying it now. “We’re your daughters.”
“All the more reason to make you more.”
“More?” she asked, even more disgust filling her, causing her chest to ache. Was there no end to this man’s madness?
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