“But what about Quorian?” I ask.
“What about him? He couldn’t do anything. In fact he had to pretend he had nothing to do with me just to keep himself from getting into trouble. Lucky for me he’s still crazy about me, even if he doesn’t trust me anymore.” Respa stares into the mirror, combing her hands through her hair.
“Respa, I never meant…” I start, but she puts her hand up to stop me.
“It’s not your fault. I chose to help you guys. I’m just as guilty as you. But when they brought you back, they took me to a room and, well, did this.” Respa lifts her arm to reveal a deep scarlet circle in her armpit. “They said if anyone saw me with you, they wouldn’t put me in the hole again. They’d burn me again. Pollen it hurt so bad. I can’t go back there.”
“I understand,” I say gazing at the floor. I can’t let my guilt of what happened to Respa cloud my mind. I have to remain focused. “Where’s Marcus?”
“I heard he’s in the north wing. They want to keep you guys separated so you don’t try to escape or cause an uprising or anything. Pollen, things are different now. We’re no longer free to roam the premises. Each wing is guarded and requires an escort to leave,” says Respa. I absorb that information for a moment. Marcus is here. So close yet light years away. I will find a way to reach him.
“And Lynx?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen her or Clover since you guys left,” she says.
I tell Respa about everything that happened after the escape, including Clover’s death. She looks down, dejected.
“I should go,” she says quietly, still looking at the floor. I move away from the door and unlatch it.
“Respa,” I say just as she is opening the door. She looks back at me and I can see the pain in her eyes. The tough girl she used to be is still in there somewhere, but now all I see is a vulnerable child. I can’t bear to tell her about the COPS and what they imputed. And I can’t bring myself to ask her about Gate 23. She’s been through enough for now. Besides, I’d never convince her to escape with us after what happened to her. But I resolve to repay her for what she’s done for us if I can.
I shake my head. “Never mind.”
I wait a few minutes after Respa leaves so I don’t raise any suspicions. Now that I know where Marcus is, the only thing on my mind besides escape, is finding him.
The following morning, I waste no time. I approach the gate at the entrance to the east wing, which is where I am staying.
“I’d like to visit the north wing,” I state. The female Enforcer holds up a scanning device to my temple where the infinity fly is tattooed. She reads a screen on the back of the device and says, “McRae, Pollen. Age twenty. Your access to the north wing is denied.”
I shrug my shoulders and say, “Okay.” I try to appear indifferent as I am walking away, but deep down inside I am furious. There is a spark igniting in my soul, just waiting for the right moment to explode.
Later that morning I return from breakfast to find a note sticking out from under my pillow. Maybe it’s from Respa, I think. I don’t know anybody else in this wing so it would have to be from her. I slide it out and unfold it.
Dear Pollen,
I have to see you. Meet me in the laundry room at 7 p.m. Love always.
The note is unsigned with only a heart shape at the bottom, like the note Marcus left me at home. Maybe Marcus figured out a way we could meet. Maybe even escape. Excitement rushes through me and my heart sends out shockwaves as I envision being in his arms again.
The rest of the day goes by slow as a turtle trudging through molasses. For the first time since I’ve been back, my mind is not taking in my surroundings or running through escape plans, but idly fantasizing about meeting Marcus tonight like a lovesick schoolgirl.
I stop by the shower room to check myself in the mirror. I don’t think I’ve ever been this self conscious around Marcus before. This is really the first time I’ve accepted my feelings for him and it’d be too difficult and painful to bottle them back up at this point. My hair looks a little stringy, so I do a quick, loose braid down my right shoulder. There are bags under my eyes from lack of sleep, but there’s nothing I can do about that. My scar has healed nicely, leaving only a pale pink line in its wake. I splash some hot water on my face to bring out the color before I make my way to the laundry room with my armful of crumpled up clothes.
I have to be escorted, of course, since the laundry room is outside the realm of my wing. I wait at the doorway while the Enforcer checks the room to make sure nobody is in there. Then he steps outside and waits by the door while I proceed.
The first thing I notice is the air vent. It has been covered by a steel contraption that even a super hero would have trouble removing. Not that I had any plans of repeating our first escape attempt, but it really confirms my observations that security has been severely tightened as a result of that event. I begin to load clothes into the washer, since I have to keep up appearances. I wait about ten minutes and begin to wonder if he is coming. Maybe they won’t let him in because I am in here. Or maybe he had forgotten or had the time wrong. I glance back up at the air vent, thinking maybe he’s figured out a way…no. That’s impossible. Pieces of my heart begin to chip away every minute he’s late.
Voices in the corridor interrupt my thoughts and through the small window on the door I see my escort move aside. The door opens and a lump grows in my throat when I see who enters. As he approaches me it takes every bit of restraint to hold myself back from ripping his face off.
“Pollen, we need to talk,” says Glenn tacitly. My fists curl so tightly my unkempt nails dig into my palms, but it’s all I can do to control my outrage. I can’t lose it now or we’ll never get out of here alive. There’s too much at stake. I have to hold it together for Evie.
“There’s nothing to talk about, Glenn,” I say through gritted teeth. He keeps his distance from me this time, which helps me repress my ire. If he even tried to touch me I’m not sure I wouldn’t scratch his eyes out.
“Pollen, this isn’t about us,” says Glenn in a hushed tone. His green-flecked copper eyes stare me down and I can’t bring myself to return his gaze. “There’s so much going on here, so much more than you realize.” I think back to what Myra said in the van that day. About the virus, the imprisonment of the population, conspiracy theories. I’m also reminded of Evie’s excessive blood drawing. I really don’t know what is going on. But if Glenn does, maybe I should pay him a little more attention. I turn to meet his eyes. There is no scowl anymore, just distress. He genuinely looks concerned.
“I’m going to tell you something.” Glenn walks back to the door, peering out the window to make sure nobody is around. The Enforcer who escorted me must have returned to his post when Glenn arrived. “The virus wasn’t part of the war. It wasn’t developed in the south. It was developed and released right here, by the people who run this country.”
“Are you saying that our own government released this virus that killed billions of people?”
“The government is nothing more than a front, Pollen. This is way beyond politicians.”
“But, why?” I ask. That doesn’t make any sense. Why would our own country commit suicide in the wake of a war with Deimos?
“There are powerful people. People with more money than they could ever need in ten lifetimes. So much money that the only thing they can’t buy is unbridled power. Well, they figured out how to buy that by releasing that virus,” says Glenn.
“But, wouldn’t they die, too? How would they know if they were immune?” I ask.
“I don’t know. I’m not even supposed to know what I do now. I think the virus got out of control, mutated or something. Word is, they’re hiding out in their bunkers until a vaccine and cure can be developed. They released the virus on Liberation Day. That way, they’d know everybody was out of the Web, and vulnerable to the bug.”
“Who is doing this? Whose in charge?” I ask, recalling the video they played when
I was first brought to Crimson.
“They’re called the Trinity. The three most powerful moguls in the world. Edgar Wisecraft, king of the oil industry. Marge Rosenfritz, of the biotech industry, and Frasier Trident, head of the largest weapons manufacturing firm.”
“The Trinity,” I whisper to myself. Myra was right.
As the words sink in to my mind, I think back to all the people I’ve lost, all the headstrong young men who enlisted in the military to defend our country, all the innocents who have died for the selfish agenda of those inhuman beasts. Then I think about Evie.
“They keep taking blood from Evie. Why?” I demand.
“Apparently, Evie’s genotype has some unique properties. I don’t know exactly what they are, but the scientists are very intent on extracting some portion of her DNA,” says Glenn. Now I’m even more determined to get Evie out of here. Maybe I can convince Glenn to help me this time.
“What is Gate 23?” I ask.
“Pollen, I know you are determined to leave. You’re probably planning something as I speak,” says Glenn.
“Gate 23,” I interrupt. “Where does it lead?”
“Gate 23 is a dead gate right now. They’re not letting anyone through. Not even Enforcers. Don’t even try it. You’ll –“ but I won’t allow him to finish.
“Where!” I demand.
“It’s down a hallway in the atrium. It’s one of the exits that leads to the docks.” I can’t believe I had forgotten about that. One side of Crimson has access to a canal that leads to the East Venusian River. Glenn continues, “Even if you were to get through Gate 23, there’s still one more gate with scanning devices. You’d never get through. If you tried the alarm system would go off and you will be captured.”
But the wheels have already started turning in my head. There’s still hope. Glenn can see it burning in my eyes.
“Pollen, please listen to me. I know I have hurt you beyond words. Nothing can make up for what I’ve put you through. But whatever has happened between us, I still care about you and I don’t want you to get hurt. If you do escape again they will hunt you down. And next time they won’t put you in the hole. They’ll execute you. They’ll make an example of you.”
Those words ring out in my head. “Execute me? Just for trying to escape? Isn’t that a little overkill?”
“It’s not about you escaping, Pollen. It’s about control. And fear. They’ll execute you to scare everyone else into submission. To tell them that this is what happens to people who defy them. I know I can convince them you’ve changed if you let me. I can get you on the guard. That’s the only way you’ll be safe.”
“And what about Evie? What will happen to her?” I ask, unable to look him in the eye. Glenn remains silent.
“That’s what I thought,” I say. “We’re done here.” I turn away from him to lean on the washer.
“Please, Polly,” he says as he walks toward the door. “Just think about it.” I nod so that he will leave. For a brief moment I entertained the thought of joining the Enforcers. I’d have easier access to the world outside of Crimson. But I couldn’t allow them to put that thing on my eye. They probably have some sort of tracking device implanted in there as well; otherwise they wouldn’t be able to keep them all here. No. I have no intention of joining them. I’ve already got my plan in place. And tomorrow Evie, Marcus and I will be free.
Chapter 20
Today is the day. I haven’t slept a wink all night with all my crazy thoughts running a triathlon through my head. I think about what Glenn told me, “Even if you do escape again they will hunt you down. And next time they won’t put you in the hole. They’ll execute you.” But I’m suffocating in this place and I have to get out, even if it kills me. Death would be a welcome release to living the rest of my life like this. I’ve managed to come up with a plan to get us out again. It’s not foolproof, but to me it’s worth the risk. And the sooner I put it into motion, the better for all of us.
When the Enforcer comes in with Evie I’m going to take her out. She’s a big woman, but I’ll catch her off-guard, and in doing so I’ll disarm her. My escort, Dana 421, will hear the ruckus and come in to see what’s going on and that’s when I’ll take her out as well. I’ll change into her uniform and remove the Hulky’s uniform for Marcus. While in disguise, I will escort Evie to Marcus’s wing and give him the uniform to change into. I will leave first, making my way to Gate 23 where I will take over duty from one of the Enforcers and knock out the other. Marcus will escort Evie to join me and, if we need to, we will use the comatose Enforcer’s eye and hand to get through the second gate. I don’t think the canal gets much use anymore so hopefully we’ll be able to get out and swim our way to safety before we get caught. I know this will work. It’s our only chance.
I eat lunch by myself as usual. Good thing it’s burger and fries day, so I take a couple extra packets of ketchup and mustard, along with some packets of pepper. They are small enough for me to slip into my pockets with nobody noticing. I also ball up the plastic wrap that covered my salad and shove it into my other pocket.
When I get back to my cell, I produce a small tube of toothpaste I snagged from the shower room and arrange my ketchup and mustard packets on the bed. I’m glad to be at the end of the cellblock with no roomies and no intrusive eyes spying on me. I cup my hand and use it to mix the toothpaste, mustard and ketchup into a pale flesh colored paste. Using the inside of my arm to test the color, I adjust it to match my skin tone by adding more ketchup or mustard. In the time since I was recaptured, my lightly tanned skin has faded from the lack of sunlight. For once I’m glad my skin is pale. Once I’ve finally got the color matched as closely as possible, I scoop a dollop of the mixture onto the sheet of plastic, roll it up and slip it inside my bra. I won’t need much. I slip the packets of pepper into the other side and wait for the Enforcer to escort me to the room for my weekly visit with Evie.
She shuts the door and I nervously sit down on the chair. While I wait for Evie to be escorted here, I tear open the packets of pepper and sprinkle them into my hand. I realize this is the last moment that I will be safe, in some sense of the word. If I go through with this and don’t succeed, I will be executed, or at least that’s what Glenn said. I still don’t know if I can believe him. He could have been trying to scare me into joining him for all I know. But the idea still holds on in my mind. Part of me is holding back, letting the fear take over. I struggle to push the fear down and bury it, complete with a granite tombstone, knowing that this is the only way I’ll ever be truly free.
The door handle turns and my heart beats with the force of a hundred galloping horses. I try to remain calm and put on a smiling face for Evie. This is the moment, my last chance to turn back. I have to move forward.
Evie walks into the room, looking pale and weak as ever. I’ve never seen her this sleepy in the middle of the day. She’s been through too much. Any second thoughts I had have been tossed out to sea with the receding tide. I need to get her out now. I approach Evie and wrap my arms around her while the husky female Enforcer shuts the door.
I whisper in her ear, “Evie, I need you to trust me and do everything I say, do you understand?” She nods.
In an instant I push her behind me, stand up and throw the pepper, which has been cupped safely inside my fist, into the eyes of the Enforcer. She gasps, drops her baton and claws at her eyelids. I grab the baton and begin pummeling her in the head before she has a chance to reach for her firearm. I keep giving blow after blow until she is knocked out, lying face down on the floor.
“Everything okay in there?” the Enforcer asks from outside the door. I instruct Evie to stay where she is while I hide behind the door. She steps inside the room and as she discovers her cohort’s body lying on the floor I slam the door shut and swing the baton down on the back of her head, striking her just in the right spot to bring her down in one blow.
I strip the blue jumpsuit from Dana 421 and put it on over my clothes. Evie is st
anding in the corner, wide-eyed and much more alert at this point. “Don’t be scared, Evie,” I say, zipping up the suit. “We’re getting out of here this time. And I’m not leaving without you. Come here, I need your help with something.” I sit at the table and pull out the plastic containing the flesh-colored concoction. Evie stands next to me.
“Evie, I need you use this to cover up my tattoo,” I say sliding the mixture to her. She dips her finger in it and rubs it between her forefinger and thumb, playing with the squishy texture. The pungent odor of vinegar and peppermint diffuses into the air.
“It smells weird.”
“It’s okay, just put it on,” I command.
Evie reaches up with her other hand, pulls my hair to the side, and gently dabs the mixture onto my temple. I expect it to be cold, but it’s comfortably warm after being next to my chest. When she finishes I ask, “Is it completely covered?” Evie nods.
“How do I look?”
“You almost look like one of them,” she says.
“Almost?” I raise my eyebrow.
“You don’t have that picture in your eye,” says Evie. That’s right. I had completely forgotten about that. I guess I’ve just gotten so accustomed to seeing it that it didn’t even occur to me.
I search the women on the floor. Neither is carrying a pen, but I remember there is one attached to the clipboard outside the room. I crack the door a bit and see an Enforcer marching in my direction. After he safely passes I reach out and grab the clipboard. The pen is attached to it with a thin chain. I rip the pen off and bring it back to the table, tear off a tiny piece of plastic wrap, and draw the triangular design on it, placing the pen in my pocket when I’m finished. I flatten it out as much as possible and very carefully place it in my eye as if it were a contact lens. It stings at first and it’s hard to stop blinking because it feels like I have a million eyelashes in my eye, but I force myself to keep it open so it won’t bunch up. Then I ball up my hair and place the cap atop my head.
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