I shake my head in frustration. "I bet the dissident levels have dropped since they started medicating everyone."
"Yeah, dissidents are nonexistent now."
"Speaking of dissidents, I've been wondering since I escaped... What happened to Andric?"
Maxine swirls her ginger ale around the ice cubes in her glass. "He was medicated with the original concoction, but it did no good. He'd been in trouble a lot the last couple of years. They—took him to the final doctor."
"So he really is dead." I feel the pain of seeing him taken away all over again. "What does the final doctor do to kill them?"
Maxine clears her throat. "He gives them a lethal injection, and they don't wake up. They are buried on the hill without a headstone."
I set my glass down on the coffee table with a loud thump. "Mom, are you hearing this? What can we do?" Mom looks to Maxine for help.
Maxine sighs. "I don't know how, but if I could, I would get all residents out of the complex in the next couple years. Those ten-year-olds aren't going to make it to thirty in my opinion. We've lost five of them already to the machines."
I gasp in surprise. "Maxine, children are dying trying to do adult work."
She nods. "They aren't mentally or physically ready; it's outrageous."
I imagine this basement filled with my friends from the complex. "Even if we did get everyone out, how can we hide that many people with deformities?"
My mother joins in, "We can't hide that many. We have to change the government's policies so they can go home to their parents. Not all, but, most parents will want them back, I think."
I like the sound of that but... "How can we do that, Mom?"
Mother taps a finger on her chin as she thinks. "Maxine, do you think you could hide a little camera on you somewhere when you are in the complex, and record what they are doing to those people?"
"I am with the five-year-olds now. I can record them pretty easily, but the worst things to see are happening with the ten-year-olds and up."
Mother taps her fingers together. "Could you switch shifts with someone in the older groups for a day?"
"Now that you mention it, I actually did arrange to cover a shift for Roberta on National Purification Day before the escape happened."
I cringe as I think of Mentor Roberta. I have no idea what National Purification Day is, but it sounds like something I probably wouldn't like. "Perfect."
Mother claps her hands. "We will get as much video footage as we can. I know someone who works at the national news station. I can convince him to put it on air without telling his boss."
"Who do you know, Mom?"
"Greggory just got a job there."
I laugh out loud until I see my mom frowning at me. "Are you sure he'll do it?"
"He'll do anything for a bribe."
I'm not so sure my selfish, lazy brother will do anything for me or anyone else. I'm actually surprised to hear he has a job. "Did you get him that job?"
Mother looks at me with reproach. "No, he actually applied for it all on his own."
"Huh. That's surprising."
"It really is, but I think we should use this opportunity while we have it."
Maxine takes a long drink of ginger ale. "That will get people stirred up and talking for sure, but I think we will need a politician on our side to actually get the law changed."
Mother smiles. "I know someone in politics who might just help us."
Chapter 16
My brothers are on my mind this morning. They seemed like self-serving jerks when I met them. We could really use their help, but I'm not sure they have the best interest of myself and others like me at heart. My mom is sure they will help. Well, we're about to find out. They are coming here for a meeting tonight.
I tell my friends about Maxine's visit and my mother's plan over lunch. Rocky and Garth are completely for it. Avra and Scott say they'll do whatever the rest of us decide. Jefrey won't look me in the eye. He's been like this since I kissed Garth in front of him. He looks at me long enough to say, "It won't work. The people are happy without people like us out here."
I glower at him. "Where is your evidence for that? We don't talk to enough people to know how they feel."
"My dad had two kids taken to the complex and he still thinks it's the best thing for the country."
I huff. "He listens to the wrong people. The video of the complex with their medicated food, interrogations, and death doctor will change his mind. I know this is a good plan."
Jefrey mutters under his breath as he leaves the table, "You wouldn't know a good thing if you saw it." I'm angry more than sad as I watch him walk away.
Garth brings me back to the issue at hand. "The truth is, people don't know what goes on in there. Some of them may have agreed with the complex life that we had, but what they are doing now is totally different. It's inhuman."
Rocky looks at me before speaking. "Your brothers have never had to suffer. If you bring the suffering and injustice that Shasta and Bryon are living to light, they'll feel something. They'll want to help us."
"I hope so, Rocky."
•
I make sure I'm dressed like a strong independent woman before I walk upstairs for the meeting with my brothers. I don't cover my raccoon eye with makeup. I want my brothers to see the brain behind the blemish. When Brock and Greggory's skeptical stares hit me, I have to think of Shasta and everyone else in the complex mindlessly working like zombies.
"Are you going to be up there all night?" Garth asks from behind me as he sees me hesitating at the bottom of the stairs.
I don't turn around. I just look up the stairs. "Probably." I let out a long breath. "My brothers don't believe in our cause, but I need to convert them to it. I just don't think they respect me enough to care what I say."
Garth wraps his arms around me from behind. I let myself sink into him. He whispers in my ear, "Just be yourself. They will want to join your cause, just like I did in the complex."
How does he know what I need to hear? I turn around to say, "Thank you, Gar—" He stops my mouth with a kiss. I hear a door slam in the hall. I guess Jefrey saw that.
"A-hem. It's time to meet your brothers in the dining room, sweetheart." Mother doesn't look at Garth as she links arms with me and takes me upstairs. We walk in silence for a minute.
"Mom, do you like Garth?"
"Yes."
"Are you upset that he kissed me?"
"Mmm. Well, I think you are entitled to kiss a boy at your age, but you are both very young and you live in the same house. Please don't try to grow up too fast."
"I won't, Mom."
Greggory arrives first. He has shaved since the last time we met, and his clothes are clean. It suits him. He sits down at the dining room table and looks at Mother contemptuously. "If you want me to help thousands of deformed people that I don't know, the least you can do is let me meet the deformed people living in my parents' basement. I say we have this meeting downstairs."
Mother looks at me questioningly. I raise my eyebrows at her. I actually like that idea. It kind of feels like we have an upstairs company versus downstairs company unspoken rule going on. I know we're in hiding, but those who know our secret should learn to mingle with us. "Okay, Greggory. Let's move this meeting downstairs. I'm sure my friends won't mind."
Greggory nods his approval but lets me lead the way down the stairs. He cautiously walks behind me into our safe house. He pauses at the bottom of the stairs and looks around. His eyes linger on my friends sitting around the chess board. I sit down at the table and smile at him as I pat the seat next to me. Mother appears a minute later and squeezes past Greggory to place some delicious-looking cookies and pastries on the table. They are probably to butter my bro
thers up.
Greggory walks toward me, but is intercepted by Rocky, who takes my brother's hand and shakes it. "You must be Greggory. I am Rocky. Elira has told me all about you. She is a strong leader and so are your parents. I appreciate how much they've done for my mother and for me. Thank you for caring about the friends we left behind." Greggory's eyes don't leave the side of Rocky's face with the missing ear.
All of my friends have been informed how important it is to get my brothers on our side. I'm grateful for their help. Garth rushes over to shake Greggory's hand next. "Greggory, it's nice to meet you. Any relative of Elira's will always be respected by me. She is—the most amazing person I have ever met. I truly appreciate you being brave enough to stand up for people who can't stand up for themselves." Greggory nods at Garth wordlessly.
Jefrey sulks into the room and watches what is going on from the computer desk. Scott and Avra slowly walk over and introduce themselves. "Hello, I'm Scott. Thank you for helping us."
Greggory finally finds his voice. "I haven't exactly agr..."
"Hi, I'm Avra. Your sister's best friend. She saved my life and I would do anything for her. I hope you know how lucky you are to have a sister like her."
Greggory seems perplexed that he is getting so much attention. "I guess she's..." Avra is having a bad health day, and her knees give out after she shakes Greggory's hand. Scott has one arm supporting her but Greggory gets behind Avra and lets her fall into him as she sinks to the floor.
Greggory looks stunned to be sitting on the floor with Avra on his lap. She turns her head around so their faces are super close. "I'm so sorry. Thank you for breaking my fall."
Greggory looks at her intently but doesn't say anything until he and Scott get Avra to her feet. "Are—are you okay, Avra?"
Avra wipes her tousled hair out of her face. "Yeah, this happens at least once a month. I just hope I didn't hurt you."
"Oh, no. No harm done." He continues to look concerned as he helps Scott move her to the sofa. He lets go of her hand much slower than I would expect him to. Greggory then sits next to me at the table and stuffs a cherry turnover in his mouth.
Between bites he whispers to me, "I have never seen someone do that before."
I whisper back, "She has good days and bad days. Today is a bad day."
Greggory looks at the back of Avra's head on the sofa and stuffs a cookie in his mouth. "I feel so bad for her, which is weird for me." Greggory stuffs a third treat in his mouth. "Maybe shutting all the sick people away keeps our hearts from feeling the way they should."
"Maybe," I whisper back.
Rocky approaches the table like he wants to join our conversation, but I shake my head at him. I want to talk to my brother alone for a few minutes. Greggory's green eyes look down at Rocky's retreating back and then at me as he says, "I wanted to tell you thank you for giving my flask back the other day. Mom and Dad wouldn't have done that."
I nod in agreement. Dad especially would be furious if he knew I'd given it back. "I know, but you are old enough to make your own choices, good or bad."
Greggory sits a little taller. "Yeah, I am." His eyes meet mine. "You are old enough to make tough choices too. I haven't been able to get your story about breaking your toes to escape out of my head." I look down at my mostly-healed toes, grateful the story he's thinking about is in the past. He looks at my toes too and says, "I realized that you have made an impact on people's lives already at your young age, and I really haven't done anything except piss my family off my whole life."
"I'm sure you've done more than that."
Greggory pauses to think for a few seconds. "No, not really."
I try to hide my smile. "I hear you have a job now."
"Yep, I received my first paycheck for my own work yesterday." He pulls a check out of his pocket and unfolds it for me to see. His finger traces his name on the check.
"That's great, Greggory. How do you feel? Proud?"
He nods as he looks at the check. "I haven't cashed it yet, because I love seeing my name on it, and knowing it's money that wasn't just given to me. I earned this."
"What's the difference?"
Greggory pauses again. "It's completely different."
"I thought money was money."
"Mom and Dad didn't hand me this check or get me this job. I decided to turn in the application. I did the interview, and somehow my boss likes me." Greggory shakes his head as if he can't believe it. "I've only been there three weeks and Mr. Fronze already trusts me with the key to the vault."
That surprises me. "Wow, should he? Are you tempted to steal from him?"
Greggory's eyes sweep around the room to see if anyone is close enough to hear us. "I was at first, but the way he looks at me made me change my mind."
"The way he looks at you?"
"Yeah. When Dad looks at me, I see skepticism, disappointment, and distrust in his eyes. When Mr. Fronze looks at me, I see respect and trust."
I can't believe Mr. Fronze is taking this leap of faith with my brother, but I'm grateful. His respect is changing Greggory.
Brock's entrance interrupts us as he is escorted down the stairs by my father. He gets a royal welcome from my friends too. Greggory slips the check back in his pocket before anyone else can ask about it.
I observe Brock's reaction to my friends, who go out of their way to thank Brock for helping them. He seems mildly touched, but still wary about this whole thing.
When everyone except Avra is sitting around the table, my father stands up to speak to us. "Welcome to our first ever complex revolution meeting. The first thing I would like to do, is congratulate Brock and his wife Chantilly on the exciting news that they will be having a little boy in a few months!" We all clap and congratulate Brock, who seems moderately happy for the attention, but also seems bothered about something.
"Father, you know that I am just here to hear what you have to say. I am in no way pledging my allegiance to a cause that will ruin my political career."
"I understand, son, but I think in time, you'll see that at least half of the population is against the complex system."
"Why aren't they vocal about it, then?"
"Who wants to be charged as a disturber of the peace?"
Ernestine raises her hand in the air. "I've been charged for disturbing the peace ten times. It's not so bad. It's just a week of your life in a cell each time."
Brock is not impressed. "What will keep me from being charged for disturbing the peace, Father?"
Father claps Brock on the shoulder. "You can't say anything publicly until you win the senator seat."
"There is no guarantee that I will win."
"You have 50% of the popular vote, I hear."
Brock puffs out his chest with pride. "Yes, I do, supposedly. Anyway, continue explaining your plan."
Mother jumps in. "We have a mentor on the inside of the complex who has been against the system from the start. She has spent her life trying to help those inside have a better life. She helped Elira and her friends escape. Her name is Maxine."
My friends all nod at me.
"She paid us a visit the other day, and told us that since the escape, they are heavily medicating all residents 10 years of age and up to have no hormonal urges and to obey commands without question. They work with no pay until they die. Maxine says that before the resident improvements that started 30 years ago, the average life span of a complex dweller who started working at age 10 was 32 years."
Everyone leans back in shock, muttering to each other. "After the resident improvements happened residents didn't start working until age 18. Their life spans were much longer, more like 60 years."
Greggory shakes his head. "That is still disgraceful."
Father pipes in, "I ha
ve a friend on the burying committee, and he says that the people he buries are usually young children, under age five."
Brock looks down at his hands. "Why are most of them so young?"
Father squeezes Brock on the shoulder gently. "The severely disabled usually die within the first three years of complex life. My friend thinks they are poisoned because they will never be able to work, so why waste time and resources on them?"
Greggory looks like he has something bitter in his mouth. "Government sanctioned murder?"
Mother huffs, "Why not? It's government sanctioned kidnapping in the first place."
Brock rolls his eyes. "It's a law to protect the people, Mother, not kidnapping."
I can't imagine how they worded this law so people didn't know they were voting for kidnapping. "Do you have a copy of the complex law, Brock? I would like to read each word for myself."
Brock picks up his briefcase and pops it open. "Yes, actually. I have a copy of every law in here." He hands me several pieces of paper, and I immediately start reading.
Avra speaks up from the sofa. "They were going to send me to the death doctor in less than a month from our escape. I didn't seem strong enough for a job, so they were going to get rid of me. That's why Elira hurried the escape along." Scott grabs a box of tissues off the kitchen counter and joins Avra, who is getting emotional, on the couch.
I am shocked at what the ripple effect of the Complex Law is as I read it. "It says here that citizens are not able to leave the country unless they have a document signed and sealed by a mayor or higher government official."
My father nods. "Yeah. The healthy elderly and families of the deformed would flee the country otherwise."
I scratch my head trying to understand. "What keeps people from fleeing in the night?"
The Complex Law: Young Adult Dystopian Page-Turner (The Complex Trilogy Book 2) Page 12
