by Karin Dahan
We walk in silent to the meeting room, both too lost in our own thoughts to talk about yesterday. Ryker grazes his fingers over my hand before he pushes the door open. I give him a small smile.
The large room that meets us must be a former library of some sort. Shelves of books line two walls. A large fireplace is nestled amongst the shelves on one of the walls. My eyes wander along the book covers, too occupied by the pull from all this unread information to even notice the people waiting for us to enter. I don’t know if it’s real or if I imagine that my fingers twitch from the excitement of unread pages.
A discreet cough makes me turn my attention to the room full of strangers that are sitting by a large oak table in the middle of the room, all dressed in the same military uniform Augustus had on yesterday. The Admiral is the only one standing, his arms clasped behind his back
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as he patiently waits for us to join them. Something familiar in the corner of my eye catches my attention. Something that doesn’t look like it belongs here in a room full of high-ranking officers of the Rebellion.
His worn-out vest with the familiar pattern is like a bright flower amongst the green grass. Edward is here.
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Chapter 23
“Edward …” I can’t hide the shock from my voice. I can’t believe he’s sitting here, right in front of me. He stands up and gives me a nod. He was never the one to show much emotion. I, on the other hand, can’t hide my joy as I run up to give him a hug.
“I thought you were dead … that Morrick got to you.” I pull away and study his face, almost expecting it to have some sort of bruise.
“I’m fine.” He clears his throat and then looks at Augustus. “Can I have a moment alone with my niece?”
I can tell Augustus wants to say ‘no’ but then he decides against it, knowing how much my information is worth. “Let’s give them the room ladies and gentlemen.” He walks pasts us on his way out. “You have five minutes.”
Edward nods his head and then waits until the room is empty before he faces me again. “Why did you not obey my orders?” My smile disappears when I hear the anger in his voice.
“I waited just like you told me, but I didn’t hear from you … I thought something must have happened, that Tenebris had extra eyes on you or something. This information is too valuable to just get lost.”
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Edward throws up his hands. “You are an adolescent. By definition you should respect that your elders have more knowledge than you.”
I take a step backwards. I can’t remember ever seeing Edward this angry before. “Calm down … There’s no harm done. We’re both alive and well, and we’ll be able to give the recipe to the Rebellion. I know that they will send it out. I know we can trust them.”
“You know nothing.” His voice is so loud I suspect that the people outside can hear him. A knock on the door confirms it. Ryker opens without waiting for an answer, his eyes full of concern as he peeks his head in. “Everything okay in here?” He looks from me to Edward, neither one of us answering. Ryker marches in to stand next to me.
“We can call the others in. We’re done here,” I say with a shaky voice.
Edward doesn’t even meet my eyes. Instead, he sits down; the worn leather chair gives off a small whining noise as he rolls it closer to the table. I can tell he’s still angry with me and I can’t for the life of me figure out why. Is he hurt that I didn’t trust his advice?
Ryker calls for the Admiral and the room fills again, with
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everyone taking their seats. I’m in between Ryker and Edward. I inch closer to the one that will give me courage during this meeting, Ryker.
“Let’s get started, shall we?” Augustus voice fills the room.
“It all began when I found the recipe my mother left for Edward in his house - “
The Admiral interrupts me. “We all know how it started. The Commander filled us in when he was at the cliff,” he says as he leans back in his chair at the edge off the table. “This meeting is not intending for the full de-briefing. We just need you to give us the recipe.”
I clear my throat. “And you will radio this recipe out to the public?”
“Correct. We will do so immediately. In addition, we have a scientist on his way. He used to work with your parents. He will work on solving the missing piece.” Augustus waives his hand and another man walks up to me with paper and a pen.
I close my eyes and I see the formulas float in place, exactly as the paper that was burnt. Just as I’m about to write the first word, Edward slams his palm down on the white sheet. I jump from the surprise of the hasty movement.
“This is a liability. We should hold off until tomorrow. For
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safety reasons, I suggest that I and your individual from the laboratory examine this one more time before you radio it out to every corner of the world. Who knows what could happen if people mix with these things … too many parameters to consider.”
“Edward, what are you talking about. You already saw the recipe!” I try to move his hand, but he holds it down. I’m too shocked to do anything but stare at my uncle. He seems like a different person from the kind and collected man I used to know.
He waives his hand as to dismiss me. “I couldn’t possibly focus on that. I was too distraught over hearing what had happened to you. These things need to be tested. I know for certain some of these formulas are ingredients to explosives. Maybe Tenebris even switched the recipe before Clare got to it.”
“Oh my God. What are you talking about?” Anger flares up in me. Why is Edward lying?
Augustus holds up his hand, gesturing to me to be quiet. “If you can’t control you temper young girl, you will be asked to leave. Your uncle is an expert in the field. Surely he knows more about science than you.”
I sit back in my chair as rage fills me. Getting talked to as a
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child infuriates me, but what makes me even more angry is that I have nothing to say in return that would make a difference now. Anything I say will just get dismissed as childish.
Edward looks at me before he continues. “Don’t be so hard on my niece. Her heart is in the right place. I suggest we wait until tomorrow. Eddie can write down the formula and I will work on it tonight, get a second opinion tomorrow. Then, if we find nothing suspicious, we can radio it out.”
Augustus and the other generals all nod their heads, clearly agreeing with Edward.
“Twenty-four hours will not make much of a difference. We have waited two years for this,” Augustus says. I see Edward smile for the first time since we met today. He removes his hand from the paper, leaving wrinkles from his palm on the sheet.
“Meeting adjourned,” Augustus says. Everyone except Edward and I stand.
“Commander, I will need your de-briefing on the last few days.” Augustus nods his head to Ryker who follows him out the door.
The room grows quiet as everyone filters out, leaving me alone with Edward again. He stands up and walks over to the side table that
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holds a water container, he pours himself a big glass, “Eddie, I apologize for my outburst. It’s been a stressful few day.” He takes a sip and looks at me. “I promise it will all be over by this time tomorrow. All you need to do now is write the formula.” He offers me a smile that I don’t return.
Edward’s family and no matter what I’ll always love him. But right now, I don’t like him. I lift the pen again, this time it feels heavier than before. I guess I have to do it their way.
It takes me twenty minutes to get all the details down. Edward stands behind me, watching as the blank paper gets filled with the black ink. “Any ideas of the missing ingredient?” he asks.
“Why would I know that?” I notice that I must sound like an annoyed teenager right now, but I don’t care.
Edward knows the question is rhetorical, so he doesn’t bother answering.
“There, finishe
d.” I hold up the paper and Edward takes it from my hands without wasting time. “I should start on this. I will be in my room.” He walks out without giving me a second glance.
I feel empty inside as I walk to my bedroom, exhausted from the stress
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and anxiety I have had in my body since I read that recipe. Now, my job is done. I feel like I could sleep for days.
The house is full of people, strategizing behind closed doors or on their way to the training hall in the basement. But I don’t see their faces. All I have in my mind right now is the longing for a comfortable bed.
I don’t know how long I sleep. I don’t wake up when Adira walks into the room or when Ryker knocks on the door to check on me. It’s like I’m in a coma, unable to move or wake up from the darkness.
The sun has set outside, and the house has grown quiet when we are suddenly woken by an alarm that sounds throughout the whole building. A blinking red lamp lights up the room as both Adira and I jump from our beds. “What’s going on?!” I yell over the loud alarm.
“I don’t know…” Adira responds as she quickly collects herself and gets dressed. She’s acting like it’s a regular morning, while I’m fumbling with trying to push my foot through my jeans. It’s like my clothes have shrunk overnight because I can’t seem to get dressed. Our door opens without a knock and Ryker sprints in. “Are you guys okay?”
I’m pulling my t-shirt on and Adira answers calmly. “Yes … I can see what’s going on if you stay here with Eddie,” she says as she
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grabs her Bo stick from the side of her bed.
“No, I’ll go. You two stay here until I get back.” With that, Ryker is back out the door.
“We have to get to Edward, make sure he’s okay.” I stammer as the adrenaline rushed through my body.
Adira just nods her head slightly. I’m guessing she knows it’s not worth trying to talk me out of it. “We will get him and bring him here. Ryker wanted us to wait.”
“Yes, yes, but he’s my uncle.” I sprint through the door and the busy corridors. Everyone is awake and running to their posts with a mission. Each person here knows how to act in a situation like this. They have been trained for it.
I push through the crowd, eager to get to Edward’s room on the second floor. I need to make sure he’s okay. I have to have him close to me. We can’t get separated again. The reasons why the alarms are going off and what this means for the Rebellion linger in my mind as I finally get to Edward’s room, Adira right behind me.
I don’t bother knocking. Instead, I push the oak door open and step inside where I find Edward busy packing a suitcase. His room is twice the size of ours and not at all as moderately furnished. The alarm
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is not as loud in here and there are no blinking red lights in his room. Instead, the overhead chandelier is lit, and Edward is calm and methodical in folding his shirts. It’s like I have entered a second universe.
“Edward, what are you doing? The alarm is going off. Something must be wrong. We have to get out.” I walk up to stand next to him, putting my hand on his back to get his attention. He must be in shock or something. That’s why he’s acting so strange.
“I just can’t stand that appalling racketing,” he says as he walks past me and Adira and closes the door behind us. The outside noise gets muffled. I hear gunshots in the distance. This can’t be good.
I give Adira a look and she raise her shoulders in return. Clearly, we’re both unsure of Edward’s behavior. “Edward, did you not hear me? We need to go …You need to come with us.”
I have a tough time standing still as the adrenaline wants me to run or fight, to act. I prance around the room contemplating if we should just lift Edward and take him with us. Is he too heavy for us to lift? We don’t have time to waste here.
The thought that we must radio out the recipe bubbles up in me. This could be our last chance. If it’s Tenebris’ army outside the gates,
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we don’t have time on our side. We need to get to the communications room, radio it out and then get to the crew. I know there are more branches of the Rebellion around the world. They will be able to continue the work.
Edward shuts his worn suitcase and turns to look at me. “You know your Mother loved cats. She would beg our parents when we were little to get one. I never cared for them. I’m a dog person. Cats just act as if they own the place. But your Mother, being so persistent, finally convinced our Father, your Grandfather, to get us Felix. Felix was a crappy cat. He scratched me when I was little. He broke things and hissed at me all the time. But your mother, oh Claire, she adored it. One day, the back door was left open accidentally. Felix was nowhere to be found. Your Mother was torn to bits. It broke her heart. Her precious cat was gone forever. Now, you see, a dog, a dog would come home. A dog is loyal, and most importantly, it obeys. It knows its place and it listens to orders. Cats just go off into the wild acting like they can take on the world.”
“Are you okay? Have you hit your head or something?” I ask. I have no idea why he’s rambling about nonsense right now.
But he just continues, ignoring my questions. “Why couldn’t
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you be a dog?! You should have listened and obeyed.”
“What are you talking about.”
“You should have listened to me when I told you to wait for me at Adira’s. It was the perfect place to keep you isolated and alive. I knew Adira was broken after her son died. She was like a walking ghost.” He waives his finger like he’s giving us a lesson. “I don’t know how you managed to put the fight back in her.”
“There isn’t time for lectures now Edward. I know you wanted me to stay at Adira’s, but you have to get over it! You have to come with us now.” I take a step towards him, but Adira grabs my arm pulling me closer to her. I can see she’s holding on tight to her Bo with her other hand.
“What have you done Edward?” Adira asks cautiously.
I look from Edward to Adira, trying to figure out what piece I’m missing.
“Adira … always the one to be two steps ahead of everyone else. I must say your mind has grown rusty.” His tone is calm, a contrast to the shouting from outside. “I never understood your passive ways. Wars can never be won without battles.”
“You sold us out …” Adira whispers as she takes a step towards
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Edward.
Edward adjust his glasses and moves towards his desk, his eyes never wavering from Adira. “I only did what I had to … this world is not built for people like you. One must evolve and adjust to the new environment to stay alive. That’s pure biology.”
I look from one person to the other, trying to figure out what’s going on. What’s Edward talking about? What has changed about him? I knew from the first time I saw him in his apartment weeks ago that something was fundamentally different, changed. But I thought it was just his shock over seeing me alive, or the grief off my mother’s death.
An explosion outside rocks the whole building and I forget everything that’s going on as I run to the window. Edward’s room faces the front gates and I see military lining the road outside, rows of massive trucks waiting to enter the area. The Rebels have brought out their own machines and are working on holding the front gate intact.
“We have to go … We have to send out the recipe …” I turn the same time I hear the loud bang, my ears ring from the gunshot fired so close to me. In disbelief, I follow the silver pistol Edward is holding in his hand toward the person he aimed it at, Adira.
“NOOO!!!” I run to her side, catching her as she stumbles on
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her feet. We both slide down on the floor and I see the red pool of blood growing on the oriental rug. I put my hands on her belly, trying to stop it. I have to save her; I can’t lose her. “Adira, hang in there. I’ll go for help,” I say, desperate to ignore what my mind is telling me. I have read about gun shots. I know what a bul
let to this area means.
I scramble to get to my feet, but Adira won’t let go of my arm. “No … Eddie, stay.” Her words are so low I can barely hear them.
“HELP!” I yell, hoping someone outside can hear us. “HELP!!! IN HERE!”
“No one will come for you. Everyone is outside fighting off the army.” Edward leans casually on the desk. His arms crossed over his chest and his gun still in his hand.
“What have you done? …” my voice shakes. My mind can’t process what has just happened. That my uncle owns a gun is foreign to me, that he has now shot my best friend is incomprehensible. I’m struggling to keep my hands in place on the gunshot wound where I’m trying to stop the bleeding. Too much blood is making it slippery.
“Adira …stay with me…I won’t allow you to leave me now. I can’t do this without you,” I plead with her. I can’t lose her. She can’t die on me.
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Adira raises her hand to brush away a tear on my cheek that I didn’t know had fallen. “You have grown so much since I met you. Your parents would be so proud,” she says, her voice labored and tiny speckles of blood color her lips when she coughs. “You will complete this mission; I know you will. You are so brave. Just remember what I taught you.”