Betrayed: Book Five of the State Series

by M. J. Kaestli

  “But things are changing. I don’t suppose your mother has ever told you what she was doing at the mountain.”

  Chastity looked up at her, startled. “Of course not. Her work was top-secret.” Chastity's face fell as she realized her mom had divulged all her secrets to Ursa instead of to her. Hope had been the kind of mother Ursa needed, and Ursa had been the kind of daughter Hope deserved.

  “She was protecting you, Chastity, please don’t think less of her for not telling you. I met with your mother as an adult and started our conversation with accusations of her bedtime story. When I had Colin and took my own parental training, I figured out why she told that story and exactly why my mother was angry.”

  “I’m still trying to process that the story is true, and she lived under the weight of that information.” Chastity shook her head. “Did she tell anyone else? How would she even know who to trust? And to lead a group back there, she obviously wants to damage the State.”

  Ursa nodded. “It was me. She told me the information and I did the rest. At first, she wanted nothing to do with this, but I think all the secrets had been taking their toll on her. Once she knew she could trust me and I had connections to make things happen, she told me everything she knew. She was trying to start a war when she lived out there. Then she saw a baby die that would have lived if the mother was inside the dome. As she was pregnant with you, she panicked and ran back to ensure a safe delivery. Your mother wanted to tell you everything, but it was more important to her to keep you safe.”

  “My mom wanted to start a war?”

  “She still does. That’s why I hope with everything in me she makes it to the village safely.”

  “What do we do? Or I guess I should ask what should I do? You’re leaving. You’re going to join her out there. I feel like I have to do something, knowing what I know.”

  Ursa stroked her hand. “It’s simple, really. You have two choices. You can be part of another group and be with your parents, or you stay here, and fight from the inside.”

  Chastity gave a half laugh, shaking her head. “I have to stay here, I know I do. I’m too high profile to escape to the outside. I would draw too much attention to your operation. Now that I live in the State House, I feel like I can’t even come here without a full investigation.”

  Ursa nodded, looking down. “I promised your mother I would do what I can to convince you to go. She says she won’t ever give up hope on you joining her. But I agree. If you disappeared, the surveillance would be extensively combed until they linked every person you’d ever spoken to.”

  “Which is just you.”

  “Yes, but they will track all the people I’ve met with as well.”

  Chastity shook her head. “I will put your operation in jeopardy, if my mother hasn’t already.”

  “Your mother is older than the average civilian; they may think she’s dead. But you, they will investigate.” Ursa squeezed her hand. “I must admit, I’m grateful you are staying—and there are many ways you can fight from the inside. If you will stay, then I will too. I will stay here with you, with my sister.”

  “But even if you stay, I can’t see you or speak to you again. The State will watch you closer just for speaking to me.”

  Ursa nodded and a few tears escaped her eyes. “I’m afraid this is the last time. Although I will stay true to my word, and I will not leave you.”

  “What do I do?”

  “You wait. You keep doing exactly what you’re doing, and you wait. The State trusts you; you will be in a good position when the time is right to act.” Ursa leaned in closer. “The State is planning to colonize a new planet. We need someone in place to help us because we plan to take the colony world from them.”

  Chastity’s mind spun in circles. “I can’t believe it.”

  Ursa nodded. “I know. But there is a device which is going to allow us to travel between the two worlds—the project your mother was brought to the mountain to work on. We just need a clear shot at it, a chance to run through, then we destroy it on the other side. We will all become liberated from the State. That is what we need, someone who can ensure we have access to the device.”

  “I don’t know what I can do about it; I’m just an administrator.”

  “But maybe you could be more. You have a firearm, obviously you are in the inner circle. Maybe someday you could become the Head of State, or one of these High Council members you spoke of.”

  Chastity flinched, followed quickly by shaking her head. “No, the State knows my father wasn’t the man my mother was coupled with. It’s the reason I wasn’t chosen for reproduction. They will never let me climb any higher than I already am.”

  Ursa thought carefully before responding. “Then you must be there to help the person who can help us—without exposing yourself. You help them to take down the State, and then you join us on the colony world.”

  Chastity nodded, a heat filling her chest, her veins pumping lava. She was not some weak, pathetic girl. The State was going to pay for what they did to her, her family, to everyone. This she would make sure of. Somehow, someday, she was going to be more than just an administrator, and they would never see it coming.

  “I don’t want to leave you, but I’m afraid this is goodbye.” Chastity’s voice broke.

  Ursa pulled her closer, planting a warm kiss on her forehead. “I love you dearly. Be strong.”

  Chastity stood, looking down at her. “Same to you. I can be both patient and brave, if I know you are out there, fighting on the same side.”

  With one last squeeze of her hand, she left the common room, and Ursa’s life, forever.

  As she walked back to the State House, she knew it was the end, but in a way, if felt like it was really a new beginning, with her sister. Separated by duty, always together in spirit.

  Chapter 40

  Hope

  They climbed the hill above the river and, in an instant, the world became oddly familiar. Hope could see the clearing where she used to do the State’s field testing in the distance. She looked over at the spot where Josh found her. Her eyes filled with tears at the memory of his love, and her deception.

  Once they were down the hill, she knew they were safe from the State’s discovery. Whether they survived outside the dome was still a mystery, but it would not be the State which brought on their destruction.

  They walked further towards the village, every step containing some sense of déjà vu. She came to a halt as she saw the mound: her former home, with Joshua.

  “What is it?” One of her party asked.

  Hope blinked rapidly, attempting to contain the tears. “I used to live here. This was once my home.”

  The group looked around, dumbfounded.

  She nodded knowingly. “The houses here are built underground to hide from the State. You see that mound over there.” She pointed. “That’s the entryway. The homes in this town are all built like this. Just mounds sporadically scattered across an open field.”

  “They don’t have any buildings above ground?”

  Hope gave a half smile. There is one erected building, their biggest risk of discovery, the focal point of their community, and their lives. “Just one; I’m going to take you there.”

  They approached the church, the town coming into view, and Hope was nearly dumbfounded as she took in the sights. Off in the distance, there was a row of buildings above ground. She gasped and stifled a sob, cupping her hand over her mouth.

  The town had taken precautions as they did with the church, but it appeared they took the camouflage a step further. The new buildings were a hybrid between underground homes, and Rubens old welding shop. Earth was packed around the building, concealing it from satellite monitoring and invisible from a distance yet it had a full door frame above ground. This was a new technique—an advancement.

  The sight filled her with so much hope. Maybe they would accept these people. It also meant that there was a chance she had done some good in this community, instead of
only heartbreak and destruction.

  As they approached the church, she could see the door to Ruben’s shop sitting ajar. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, wishing desperately to find that she still had a friend inside.

  “Wait here. Don’t move.”

  She stepped towards his shop, her heart beating in her throat as she saw him hunched over, working with his mask down, sparks flying. As he saw her approach. He turned off his blowtorch and lifted his helmet. She flinched as she saw his face, realizing that it was not Ruben.

  “Can I help you, ma’am?”

  Hope blinked rapidly and took a deep breath. “I was hoping to have a word with Ruben. Is he your father?”

  His face fell. “Yes, he was. I’m sorry, ma’am. He passed last season.”

  Tears instantly sprung in her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I guess I didn’t get here in time.” She didn’t know what to do, what she could do. Ruben had been her only ally. If he wasn’t here to stand up for her, she didn’t think anyone else would.

  She turned to walk back to her group, the people she had probably just condemned to their deaths.

  “Ma’am, can I ask your name?”

  Her entire body froze. Surely, he would’ve heard of her. The moment she exposed herself, the alarm bells would sound. But if she didn’t tell him, there was no hope for her peers who risked their lives to aid the war efforts.

  “I once lived in this village and I worked with your father on a project. I really hoped he would be here, that he could help me and my friends.”

  His eyes brightened. “You’re not Hope, are you?”

  She couldn’t bring herself to speak, simply nodding in response.

  His face broke into a broad, toothy grin. He put down his blowtorch, stepping forward.

  “It’s an honor to meet you, ma’am.” He took her hand and shook it eagerly. “I’ll go fetch the Reverend. He’ll want to know immediately that you’re here.”

  As he stepped out of his workshop and into the open, he saw her group gathered beside the church. He spun around and looked at Hope. “Are they with you? You brought all them with you?”

  Hope nodded and cleared her throat. “Yes. I’ve brought them here, hoping that this community will look after them.”

  He nodded, still smiling and walked into the church. He came back only moments later. Hope hardly had time to make it back to her party, let alone to say anything, when the door to the church flung open. She looked down at the ground, afraid of what the Reverend would have heard about her unforgivable acts. She was the woman who betrayed her husband and deceived the entire community.

  “Hope. You came back. I’ve prayed every day that you would.”

  Her head snapped up at the familiarity of his voice; her jaw hung slack, hardly able to comprehend what her eyes were seeing. The man standing in front of her with the white-collar wasn’t the man who baptized her or performed her wedding ceremony, but her husband, Joshua.

  She stood frozen in shock, unknowing what she should do next. He stepped closer to her, and then lifted his arms as an invitation to her. She took one hesitant step forward, and he quickly closed the gap between them, pulling her into a tight embrace. She burst into tears, and he simply held onto her, rocking back and forth.

  “I’m sorry,” she whimpered into his shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

  He pulled away from her, looking deeply into her eyes. “I forgave you a long time ago. Just like I hope you being here means you forgave me for not listening to you when you told me you needed to leave.” He looked over at the group, his body stiffening. “Is one of them ours?”

  Her heart felt as though it tore in half merely at his simple question. “I’m so sorry Josh; I couldn’t bring her with me. I couldn’t get her out.”

  His eyes welled up with tears. “We had a girl?”

  Hope wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Yes, Chastity. And she has your eyes, and she is beautiful. I’m so sorry you never got to meet her.”

  He held her again for what felt like an eternity before he took a small step towards her party. “Then, who do we have here?”

  Hope’s voice cracked. “This is the first ever group to escape the dome. I led them here, hoping this community would care for them while I head to Idaho to help with the war efforts.”

  Joshua spun around and looked at her. “You can’t leave me again, Hope, this is your home.”

  She looked off to the side, her jaw trembling. “I didn’t think I’d be welcome back here, not after what I did.”

  He reached for her once again, but this time he planted a kiss firmly on her lips, while pulling her into a tight embrace. His kiss communicated all the words he didn’t say. It displayed his forgiveness and how he still loved her, desired her. He would stand by her side, no matter what others thought of her.

  She melted into his kiss, knowing that what he said was true: this was her home.

  Chapter 41

  5 years later

  Victor

  He sat at the table in the military underground. It had been precisely five years since a group of civilians vanished into the night—Chastity’s mother being one of them. Since then, a trend had started. Each spring, two or three groups of people would disappear from the dome and never return.

  An investigation would need to remain secret—military personnel only. As not a single culprit had been caught, it seemed the group became more courageous, growing in size. They had to find this group defying the State, but their resources for an investigation were limited. The State had no way to tell where they were going or if they had survived on the outside. The fact this group could do this right under the State’s careful watch was disturbing, yet the numbers were too few to warrant the resources to properly investigate—not with colonization just around the corner.

  If they were building an army to launch an attack, the dome was indestructible.

  “Thank you for meeting with me today, I have exciting news to share with you.” Dr. Retta’s eyes lit up as she waltzed into the room, taking a seat across from Victor.

  “Wonderful, I look forward to hearing some good news.”

  “I have previously shared with you our plans to make the rebellion believe we are colonizing. We expect them to try to take the colony world as their own, then we will defeat them. I have told you we will go as far as to let them think that one of their own is the Head of State, leading them to their victory on this colony world. It is time to start executing this plan as I believe I have found our rebellion leader.”

  She picked up her tablet and typed in a few commands, Victor’s tablet chimed as he received the information she pushed through, his eyes quickly scanned over the profile. He skimmed it again, and again, but he didn’t know what to think.

  “She’s a 13-year-old girl.”

  Dr. Retta nodded. “Yes, it will take many years for her to be groomed and placed in the right position to become this rebel leader.”

  He quickly scanned over her profile again. “But she’s so… compliant.”

  He saw a twinkle in Dr. Rhetta’s eyes and a near smile crept on her face. “Exactly. We need the rebellion to believe that they turned her. My recommendation is that we bring her in as a laborer to the State House, and later onto the Council. Ursa, the woman we believe to be behind these disappearing groups, has a son that’s close to her age. He was selected for Security, making him an appropriate match for a State House worker. I recommend we couple them as a way to introduce her to the rebellion.”

  Victor shook his head. “That seems like a bit of a stretch. You think because we couple her with someone in the rebellion, she will become a part of it? It says on her profile, she should be selected for independent living. I just, I think something is missing here.”

  “There is nothing missing from her file, Victor. You just need to see what is there. Her behavior is highly compliant, but not everyone is compliant for the same reasons. You see, Freya is unique. She is guided by a strong moral compass. She is
compliant because her compass points towards the State. She believes that the State is right and just. She believes in acting for the greater good of humanity. She does fear the State, yes, but she also loves order and structure, which the State provides. If we can shift her moral compass to point against us, she will stop at nothing until she sees our destruction.”

  “And you feel confident that even with her compliant nature, she will be better suited to the role than Chastity was?”

  Dr. Rhetta nodded. “She has the heart, the fire, that Chastity lacked, yet isn’t quite as bright or high profile. The rebellion will see her as nothing more than a worker, like them, who wants what they want.”