Conspired: A Young Adult Dystopian Romance (The State Series Book 6)

by M. J. Kaestli

  Chapter 20

  Chastity

  Victor looked up from his tablet the moment she stepped into his office. “Ah, Chastity, please take a seat.”

  For some unknown reason Victor was acting as though he summoned her, not as though she walked in to perform her regular duties. With a stiff back, she took a seat across from him.

  “Chastity, I remember a conversation we had. You offered to assist in Freya’s mission in any way you could.”

  She swallowed a hot, dry gulp of air. “Yes?”

  “I’ve decided to take you up on that offer. It’s time to extract Freya from her mission and I feel it would be best if she had a familiar face there to greet her.”

  Chastity’s hand reflexively flung to cover her mouth, gulping back a sob. Freya’s return came with its own set of grievances. Either Freya was returning a failure, or Ursa, her sister, was about to die.

  “Of course.” She blinked rapidly, fighting back the tears that threatened to emerge. “I think Freya would value a friendly face greeting her.”

  Victor nodded gravely. “I know. I’ve missed her too.”

  Chastity half laughed, half choked and wiped a few escaped tears from her cheeks. “She’s been gone for so long; I wondered if she would ever return.”

  Victor nodded thoughtfully. “That decision has yet to be made. We need to review her case before we decide. I simply ask that you assist in her extraction, bring her back here for debriefing. You know as well as I do that Freya is a delicate, emotional creature. She will be drugged and disoriented. I feel it will be easier on her to make the long journey home with you, as opposed to military personnel she’s never met.”

  She gripped her thighs, trying to hold her nervous energy in. “Thank you, Victor. I look forward to seeing her, even if it’s a short-term escort back to this area.”

  “Perfect.” His eyes lit up as he smiled. “I will send a map to your tablet. I believe you know the underground quite well and will easily locate the correct stairwell.”

  Victor picked up his tablet and typed in a few commands and Chastity heard the uncommon ring on her tablet, signifying he was using a secure line, something Security didn’t monitor. She gazed over the map quickly before she looked back up at Victor.

  “You need to walk to a bunkhouse halfway. I would recommend taking a rest there, as it will be late at night when she is extracted. Bring her back to the bunkhouse and let her rest until morning.”

  “Wow, this is clear on the other side of the dome.”

  “Yes,” Victor laughed. “Unfortunately for you, the military personnel are accustomed to running in the underground instead of taking the train. I’m afraid this won’t be a fast errand, and I will have to manage without you.”

  She took a deep breath. “Very well then. I’ll leave now.”

  She stood from the seat and walked to what was once Freya’s apartment, over the military underground access. She sat on the sofa and looked through the map once again to identify both the bunkhouse and the stairwell. After double-checking the time of the expected drop-off, she turned off her tablet. Chastity took a few deep breaths to stabilize herself, to find her strength as she began this horrific journey.

  As she set out in the military underground, the dank, narrow halls retrieved the memory of getting lost in the labyrinth and inadvertently eavesdropping on Victor conspiring with Dr. Rhetta. She leaned against the wall and pressed her eyelids shut to force the rising bile to subside. She had to be strong. Freya, Ursa, her mother, and the entire rebellion needed her to be strong and play her part.

  Heavy footfalls forced her eyes open. Her head snapped to the side, and she saw someone rapidly approaching in the distance. Victor had said the military personnel were accustomed to running the length of these halls. She just hadn’t expected to have one pass her by.

  She hugged the wall to ensure she stayed clear of them, but soon found it difficult to maintain her rigid stance. The man was pushing a wheelchair with its unconscious captive strapped securely in place as he ran. As the man passed her, she fought to keep from crying out as recognition settled in. Ursa was the one strapped to the wheelchair, being rapidly wheeled to her death.

  Chastity stood with her back against the wall until the man turned a corner, then she checked the length of the hallway before she doubled-back to follow him. She peered around the corner to see him meet with another military personnel. A meeting room door had been left ajar, and so she sprinted over to the open space in hopes to hear something explaining Ursa’s fate.

  “Passing the baton?”

  Breathlessly, the man pushing the wheelchair replied. “Haha, yes, passing the baton. Lucky for you, you get the short portion of the race.”

  The newcomer took hold of the wheelchair’s grips. “I have to lift her out of the chair and hang her up. I’d rather go for a run.”

  Ursa moaned.

  “Better get her hung up with the others before she’s totally awake.”

  “Let me go,” she slurred.

  The men parted ways, and Chastity counted to 10 before she stepped out of the meeting room and followed at a casual pace.

  The newcomer pushing Ursa’s body didn’t seem to be in as much of a rush as the previous one. He walked naturally until he reached his destination. Chastity made a mental note of the door and retreated to the meeting room. She paced the compact space until she saw the man pass by with an empty wheelchair in tow.

  Without a single thought, she headed to the room where Ursa was taken, only hesitating when she got to the door. She pressed her ear against it, listening for any yells, cries, screams, or even voices, but there was nothing, only silence. She placed her hand on the doorknob and questioned how she would explain her presence. If she timidly opened the door and peeked inside, it would be obvious she knew she wasn’t supposed to be there. The best thing she could do was to walk in confidently and then feign surprise and embarrassment if she were discovered.

  She took a deep breath and pushed the door open and stepped inside. Ursa was crudely suspended with chains in a large shower stall with two men slung up beside her. There was no one on guard, so she quickly checked the bathroom and the spare room off to the side. It was all clear.

  This was it, the only chance she would ever have. She walked straight to Ursa, who lifted her head slowly.

  “Chastity?”

  Chastity couldn’t contain her emotions any longer. She burst into tears as she spoke one simple word. “Ursa.”

  “Chastity, we don’t have much time.” Ursa’s head fell backward, and Chastity reached out with both hands to secure her. “Freya is delicate. I don’t know if I had enough time with her to make her the leader we need her to be. She still has loyalty toward the State. Don’t let her go on another mission with Lewis. She needs to return to the State House as a gardener and live in independent living. You have to ensure this is what she chooses to do.”

  Chastity shook her head. “How am I supposed to do that?”

  The gentleman directly beside her spoke. “Freya thinks I’m dead. The State told her and Ursa that I had a heart attack weeks ago. I’m certain they lied about Ursa’s death also. Bring her here. Bring her to this very room and let her see for herself the lies of the State.”

  Ursa nodded, her head still contained in Chastity’s hands. “He’s right. Let her see the State’s lies for herself. It’s the only way.”

  Chastity looked between the pair of them, her mind spinning.

  “Chastity, this is my partner Rowen. Rowen, this is my sister, Chastity. I hate this is how it had to happen, but it warms my heart that the two of you finally get to meet, even though it came in our final hour.”

  Panic clenched in her chest. “No, I have to get you out of here. I can figure something out.”

  “No! Chastity, you have to be careful. You have your cover to protect. You can’t get caught too. That’s why I never told her. I never told Freya about you or your mother. She doesn’t know.”

 
“Oh.” Chastity tried to gain control of her tears. She hadn’t been thinking about her own safety, but she could just as easily end up like Ursa.

  “I had to lie to her, Chastity. I couldn’t let her know about you because she’s not strong enough yet. I was afraid she would expose you if I was unsuccessful. I need you to live. I need you to take care of her and ensure she becomes the next Head of State, when our people will have a chance to overtake the colony world.”

  Chastity looked around panic-stricken, trying to figure out how to lower Ursa from where she was suspended. It wasn’t too late. She could get Ursa free and then they could part ways. “Let’s just get you out of here and get you to an access point to the outside. You can run to the village.”

  “Absolutely not!” Rowen cut in. “We chose to die to elevate Freya’s position. We have to confess to the story she will deliver and have our stories match. This is the only way the State will believe her mission was successful. If she can’t produce a successful mission, she will never become the Head of State.”

  “Rowen is right. Chastity, we’re already dead. This has to happen. If I know we have you here, safe, I will die knowing that the world will be a better place for my son, my Colin.”

  Chastity felt nauseous, but she heard the wisdom in their words. This wasn’t about them, it was about all of humanity. They each had to play their parts, and make their sacrifices, even when they sacrificed themselves.

  “I love you Chastity, but I have to ask one more thing of you. Please, if you ever meet my son, please tell him how much we love him, and please help him. Help him lead the battle against the State once we are gone.”

  Chastity nodded, brushing tears from her cheeks. “I will. I promise. I will do everything I can to ensure Freya becomes the Head of State, I will guide her and help her become the leader she needs to be, and I will somehow find your son. I will find him and help him also.”

  Chastity knew she couldn’t stay there. She wanted to stay with Ursa longer, but she had already been lucky with not getting caught this far. She turned and slipped out the door, and scurried down the hall, still wiping tears from her eyes. She needed to stay on track; she needed to focus. Freya needed her, and she had some rather large promises to keep.

  Chapter 21

  Lewis

  The sharp scent of bleach filled his nostrils as he dabbed at his brow with a stiff, white towel. He picked up a glass filled with metallic-tasting water and took a few hard pulls, wishing it could quench his thirst.

  This is taking too long.

  After a few more sips of the acrid water, he knew what he had to do. Something wasn’t adding up, and he knew it was time to request further instruction.

  His fingers danced across his tablet and sent the message on the secure line.

  Are you sure they are hiding anything? They aren’t breaking. I’ve been at this for hours. I bet Rowen will actually die of a heart attack before I learn anything.

  When Freya had told him that Ursa’s rebellion wanted to peacefully enlighten their society, he thought it was the biggest load of crap he’d ever heard. Now, he wasn’t so sure.

  Nobody can hold out for this long. Maybe the State was wrong.

  As he became conscious of the thought, he gave his head a shake as though to wake himself from a dream.

  The State always knows best.

  They were ringleaders. They had to be. Freya had been coupled with Colin before he was sent away just so the State could send her on this mission. Too many resources went into this mission to execute a group of pacifists.

  Then why weren’t they arrested before? Why bother with all the theatrics over Freya and Colin leaving on the spacecraft?

  The tablet chimed.

  Yes. We expected them to be difficult. Shoot them. Start with Pollux to see if that makes one of them crack.

  Lewis nearly lost his footing, falling back against the wall. Stars danced in front of his eyes. He longed for a hot shower and several hours in a warm bed. But those weren’t his orders. He was emotionally and physically depleted, and it was now time for him to take his first life.

  Guns were so messy. He hadn’t witnessed it up close, but he’d heard from those who had. With a close range shot to the head, blood and brain tissue would splatter all around. On the wall, on the others, on him.

  It was remarkable. He had never had so many thoughts collide in his mind, all while feeling numb. What if he recommended letting them hang longer before hand? Maybe if he could just get a couple hours’ rest, he could perform his duty with clarity.

  Should he admit his exhaustion and recommend someone else step in? They might get different results. Would that make him appear weak? Or would they respect him for putting the mission above his own personal glory?

  Can I really do this?

  He had always seen the world in black and white, and now he discovered varying shades of gray. He knew the rebellion needed to be defeated. He knew that acts of treason couldn’t go unpunished. But somehow, he knew deep in his core that following these orders could be his undoing.

  Maybe this is what it always felt like at the top. What if the ability to perform in an elevated position meant he had to see the gray, yet make the right choices anyway? Seeing the world one-dimensionally may have been what was holding him back, until now.

  Lewis retrieved his tablet again, staring down at the blurred screen.

  Requesting further information. What if killing the two men doesn’t make Ursa talk? Do I request another interrogator to step in? Or would it be more effective if I left her with the bodies for several hours?

  He flopped down into the chair. Regardless of the reply, he could walk into that room knowing he had done everything to ensure the right actions were taken. If that meant passing his duty or even his promotion onto someone else, then so be it. All that mattered to him was that the rebellion be neutralized.

  If Ursa doesn’t break, kill her also. I doubt more time, or a replacement will be more impactful than you. Some people don’t break.

  He blinked rapidly.

  Everyone breaks, eventually.

  Pressure radiated at the base of his skull, building into a pulsating throb behind his eyes. How could they put Colin on that spacecraft to arrest his parents, then not care about what information they passed?

  His mind shut down. No more spinning, no more processing, only a dark void.

  Dr Rhetta said there was more at play. The State always knows best.

  Lewis forced one foot in front of another until he returned to their location. He unceremoniously ripped off Ursa’s hood, leaving the others covered. It was time to finish this.

  Slowly, he reached into his holster and retrieved his handgun. A metallic click reverberated off the concrete walls as he released the safety.

  Ursa hung from her wrists, too weak to support herself any longer, yet her gaze never lowered from his.

  “Have you thought of anything you’d like to share with me?”

  Ursa’s eyes narrowed, her lips curled as though in invitation for him to end her life.

  Lewis pointed the gun to Pollux’s head and cocked the trigger. “How about now?”

  Her eyes remained locked on him, but her lips remained sealed.

  Lewis stepped forward, pushing the barrel into Pollux’s forehead. Pollux wheezed under his hood, but he didn’t flinch.

  As he squeezed the trigger, Lewis reflexively closed his eyes. Hot liquid squirted on his face. He tasted acid in the back of this throat as his stomach churned.

  He had really done it. He had taken his first life, with a gun, and it was just as vile as he had heard. Even though Pollux was wearing a hood, blood had sprayed toward Lewis, onto Rowen, and spackled the wall behind.

  A foul stench filled Lewis’s nostrils; the smell of death. His hands trembled as he stepped back, his firearm still drawn, hoping that Ursa would see that he was serious and start talking.

  As he looked back to her, he realized that she had never taken her eyes
off of him. It was odd. He expected her to be emotional; instead, there was a glimmer in her eyes, as if she found this situation comical.

  “Do you,” his voice cracked. He cleared his throat and started again at a louder volume. “Do you have any final words for your partner?”

  Ursa didn’t move.

  Lewis stepped in closer and gripped the electrical rod, thrusting it in Rowen’s center. “You know, it would be a shame if you didn’t say something. After all these years, do you really want to lose both your partner and your son without saying goodbye?”

  Ursa’s eyes flickered. “And what would you know about it? You’ve never had anyone in your life to say goodbye to.”