The Child Thief 6: Zero Hour

by Forrest, Bella

  Nathan stared at Luka briefly before sighing. “I have recently been reminded how divisive rampant suspicion can be. I don’t want to operate like a divided organization anymore,” he said. “But at the same time, there is very likely a mole here at this base, and, for safety’s sake, I do have to keep some of the details under wraps until it’s imperative that they are shared.”

  Luka nodded respectfully, and I understood as well. As long as Nathan was mostly back to his former self, I was happy enough.

  “You’re getting pretty close to the mission, though,” Arlo said. “At what point will it be considered imperative?”

  “After we embark tomorrow, I’ll explain,” Nathan replied. “For now, I just wanted to discuss an overview of the mission plan and make the appointments.”

  “Appointments to the mission?” Bridge asked. “Aren’t we all going?”

  “We need four on the ground and two in the airship,” Nathan said. “Everyone else will be on watch and escape ship duties.”

  “Who will be on the teams?” I asked. I was still feeling torn about the scenario. I wanted to go and help bring Aurora back, but I was also afraid of losing my chance to reclaim Hope and live out my days with my family.

  Then again, if we didn’t keep fighting the regime and trying to correct the injustice of child redistribution, I might never get Hope back anyway.

  “Well, since you’ve all volunteered, we’ll have to make appointments,” he replied. “And Robin, since you asked, I’d like to invite you to the ground team.”

  My heart fluttered. I had a feeling it would happen, and I wasn’t going to decline it. I nodded in agreement.

  Nathan turned to my side to look at Jace. “Jace, I’ve heard great things about your piloting skills. I want you on my airship team,” he said.

  I quickly looked over at Jace. His face looked strained and confused, but he nodded anyway. I knew what he was thinking, because I was thinking the same thing. Why couldn’t we be on the same team?

  “Who is the other pilot?’ Sy asked.

  “She’s not here, but I’m choosing Alexy from Edgewood. She may not be a team lead, but she’s one of the best pilots I’ve ever seen. I’ll speak to her after this and brief her on the situation,” Nathan said.

  “Who else is on the ground team?” I asked.

  “We’ll have Luka, Zion, and Bridge on the ground with you,” Nathan replied. “They all offer different skills and strengths that we’ll need on this mission. And I’ll have Sy with me on the escape ship.”

  I looked around at Luka, Zion, and Bridge in turn. It seemed like a good team, but we would need to be better than good if we were going to succeed.

  “That’s all for now,” Nathan said. “We’ll meet again tomorrow morning.”

  And then, as we began to stand to leave, Nathan offered a final sentiment.

  “And tomorrow evening, we will walk together into the lion’s den.”

  20

  “Nathan?” I asked as the team members began to file out of the room.

  Nathan turned around to receive me with a warm smile. “Robin,” he began. “I trust you know that I have work to attend to.”

  “I know,” I replied. “I was just hoping to ask you a quick question.”

  He looked at me and then to Jace and nodded for me to continue.

  “Nathan, how did you do it?” I asked. “How did you do all of that work so quickly?”

  The question had been nagging at me. Why was Nathan just now choosing to use such impressive technologies if we’d had access to them all along?

  Evers, Liza, and Arlo looked at Nathan briefly and then left through the parlor door, leaving Jace and me alone with Nathan and Corona.

  “I take it that you’re talking about the broadcast?” Nathan clarified.

  I nodded. “But not just the broadcast. The infiltration of all of the news sites and the use of the federal alerts system,” I replied. “How? Did we always have that capability?”

  And if so, could we have used it before? Was there a chance that Kory’s life could’ve been spared if Nathan had taken advantage of these technologies earlier?

  Nathan smiled. “These things are more on a need-to-know basis, Robin.”

  I stared back at him. I’d had a feeling he would say that. That was why he hadn’t explained any of this in the Chanley planning meeting just now. There was still a mole within Little John, so I couldn’t blame Nathan for keeping some details to himself.

  I nodded and began to turn to leave. But to my surprise, Nathan continued to speak.

  “Do you know why I was so worried about the mole in Edgewood, Robin?” Nathan asked.

  I turned back to Nathan in confusion. Of course I knew why he was upset about the mole. We had been betrayed. Lives had been lost. And we still didn’t know who the traitor was or when they would strike again.

  Nathan stared at me as I tried to think of a way to phrase that.

  “I wasn’t just worried about the single instance of damage that the mole had inflicted on one of my beloved bases. And I wasn’t just grieving for my friends and team members,” he said, his tone darkening. “I was also grieving the unexpected and degenerative diagnosis we had received.”

  I furrowed my brow. “Diagnosis?” I asked. “What do you mean?”

  “Betrayal is a cancer,” Nathan went on. “It grows. One traitor in an organization can quickly multiply. They can begin to recruit others. When a traitor burrows their way into the body of an organization, they slowly tear that thing apart.”

  “But what does that have to do with the broadcast?” I asked.

  Nathan had acted like he couldn’t answer the question after I asked it originally, but why else would he have kept us here? Jace was standing still beside me, listening as intently as I was.

  Corona walked up behind Nathan. “A mole is only a cancer when it is working against you,” Corona said. “When the mole is on your side, it is a garden that can grow. We planted seeds in Smally, Robin. Those seeds are germinating.”

  A lightbulb flashed in my head.

  “The team of executives?” I asked. “Did they help us get access to these systems?”

  Corona nodded.

  “But they work in a holding center,” I said, shaking my head in confusion. “How were they able to access the alerts system or the news sites?”

  “You’re right, they’re not in charge of broadcasting or alerts, but they are executives. They make appointments just like we did here today. They hire people themselves, and they also whisper into the ears of other executives who hire. They can have people fired and replaced. They can refer their friends for other executive or clerical roles. They can influence the regime,” Nathan said, a smile forming on his lips. “The cancer has spread.”

  “Cancer to the government,” Corona clarified. “But a garden of roses to us. The roses are spreading and blooming and slowly choking out the weeds.”

  I smiled as I remembered the team of executives Little John had planted in Smally. I had almost forgotten about them. I had thought that by getting them into Smally, we had just given Little John some extra ears and eyes in a building in one branch of the government. But if they were making hiring decisions and rubbing elbows with people across the regime, maybe they were doing more than I thought. If they had been “influencing” well enough to allow Nathan to do the type of work that he had done already, then perhaps they were going to be a big help moving forward. And not just for Aurora’s rescue mission, but for the war against the regime that was to come.

  Maybe we weren’t up against an unbeatable foe after all.

  “But when they took Aurora, some of those roses grew thorns. She was their friend. A regime can’t keep killing indiscriminately forever. Eventually the people will rise up,” Nathan said, his smile fading and his eyes intense. “We never meant for Aurora to be found out, but her capture and the cruelty the regime has displayed in dealing with her has galvanized some internal changes, according to our plan
ts.”

  I held my breath. Nathan had been doing this for decades, but only in the past few days had I been hearing him make allusions to the start of some kind of end battle. I trusted Nathan, and I believed that he knew what he was talking about. And that made me nervous.

  “I tell you this because I trust you, Robin. But also because you deserve to know,” Nathan said. “You’ve risked your life for me before. You, too, Jace. And I’m honored that you two were willing to do it again on this rescue mission.”

  Jace and I nodded in unison.

  “Now go. We’ll be meeting again in the morning. You’ll know more then,” Nathan finished. He turned with Corona to head through the parlor door while Jace and I left through the office door that led to the stairs.

  When we got to the porch, Jace turned to me.

  “Guess that explains how Nathan was able to do everything so quickly,” he said.

  “Do you really think he has that many people in the government now?” I asked in response. “Enough to override entire systems like that?”

  Jace shrugged. “You know firsthand how charismatic and convincing he can be. Maybe he had already started this expansion before Edgewood was even attacked.”

  I was quiet for a while as we went on, considering just how little we actually knew when it came to Little John’s executive decisions.

  “It would’ve been nice if he had actually picked a pilot,” Jace said, changing the subject as we walked back to camp. “So that I could be with you on the ground team.”

  “But he did pick a pilot,” I said, nudging Jace. “He said it himself before. You’re a natural.”

  “I’m a rookie,” Jace replied. “Combat and groundwork, those are my strengths. And besides, I wanted to be with you. To protect you.”

  I turned to look at him. “I appreciate that, but I don’t need protection.” Or rather, I did. But I didn’t want it to come at the expense of Jace’s safety.

  “You’re right,” Jace said. “Maybe I’m the one who needs protecting. If you got hurt, I’d be lost. I need protection from that.”

  I leaned my head against his shoulder as we walked, and he wrapped his arm around my waist from the side. But something about his body language had changed after his last, ominous statement. Maybe he was realizing again just how much danger we were about to volunteer for.

  “Robin, I’ve been meaning to ask you something for a while,” he said, somewhat timidly.

  I stopped. With the tonal shift Jace displayed, I knew he was about to say something very serious. I wanted my full attention on him.

  He turned to face me. “I can ask while we’re walking,” he said. But he seemed nervous and uncertain.

  “No, ask me now,” I said. I wasn’t budging on this. The shift in Jace’s demeanor was making me anxious and concerned. I wanted to hear what he was so worried about.

  “Well,” he began, looking over my head and running one of his hands through his hair, “I was wondering what you thought about . . . marriage.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “Marriage?” I repeated.

  Jace nodded solemnly.

  “I guess I’m not totally sure,” I replied. Honestly, I had thought about it a few times, and with Jace in particular. I had pictured myself marrying Jace and bringing Hope home to create our own little family. But something about what Juno had said previously really stuck with me. “Why give the government another way to track and classify you?”

  “Well, there are other ways to marry. You don’t have to use a stamped piece of paper or an electronic record to do it. Like back home, we had a special ceremony to bind two people. The government can’t track that,” Jace said.

  I looked at him and began to feel myself blushing and getting weak in the knees.

  “Is this,” I asked slowly, “a proposal?”

  Jace chuckled, still visibly nervous. “It’s a proposal proposal,” he said. “To see how you feel about it in general.”

  I stepped closer to him, enjoying his sweet display of vulnerability. When I was almost pressed against him, I reached my hands up and pulled his face down to meet mine. Then I planted my lips against his in a lingering kiss. For years, since losing my adoptive parents and siblings and then having my child ripped away, I had been searching for a real family. And it felt like I was finally getting close to that beautiful dream.

  Jace’s face was flushed when I pulled away.

  “I’m already bound to you, as far as I’m concerned,” I whispered. “But I do love a good ceremony.”

  Jace smiled and then pulled me in close again.

  * * *

  Smoke billowed from the coals of the fire after Jackie poured a pitcher of water over the flames, extinguishing them. The night suddenly grew much darker.

  “I wasn’t finished with that!” Abe protested. “It’s too early for bed.”

  “We’re keeping Robin and Jace up. Don’t you think they have a big day tomorrow?” Jackie shot back. “They need their rest.”

  We had spent the rest of the day with our team members, enjoying good food and good company. I always kept Nathan’s words of wisdom in mind the night before a big mission. You never know which day will be your last, so enjoy it while you can.

  The team knew that we had a meeting planned for the morning, but I had kept Nathan’s word and his confidence in all other matters. I didn’t want to betray his trust now and risk losing our position on the leadership team.

  So instead we just focused on being together.

  “Have you guys ever thought about what we’ll do when this is all over?” Jackie asked.

  “You mean when Little John’s missions are complete?” Ant clarified.

  Jackie nodded. “I mean, I hadn’t even thought we’d ever see that day until recently. But with everything that Nathan is doing, maybe we will actually see a light at the end of the tunnel.”

  “And go back to our old lives?” Abe asked. “Sounds terrible. I’d rather be here.”

  “Well, if Little John succeeds, then maybe we’ll have new lives to return to,” Nelson added. “Maybe everyone will have new opportunities.”

  I smiled as I considered that type of future. It was a beautiful thought.

  “What about . . . us?” Gabby asked. “Will we still be friends?”

  “As long as we still have family to find, I’ll be here to help,” I replied. “And then after that I’ll still want all of you guys in my life.”

  Gabby smiled.

  “Once Team Hood, always Team Hood,” Jace added.

  After the fire died down and the conversation grew quieter, Jace and I said our goodnights and then made for our tent together.

  “This is the hardest part,” I said to Jace as I slipped my boots off.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “Trying to sleep before a mission day,” I replied. “It’s almost impossible.”

  “Well, really we’re sleeping before a meeting day,” Jace replied. “Since Nathan said we aren’t leaving until tomorrow afternoon. Try to see it that way.”

  I smiled at him as we slipped into our sleeping bags. He did have a knack for helping me relax when I got wound up with anxiety and stress.

  A good quality to have in a husband, I thought. And I turned to my side and drifted off to sleep on that positive note.

  * * *

  Like it did so often, the buzzing of my phone served as an alarm clock.

  Jace was already awake and dressing. “I already read the message,” he said. “It’s time for the final planning meeting.”

  We walked through the tents, our boots collecting the early morning dew from the grass. It was a somber journey. I looked over all of the tents and families and teams and wondered if it would be the last time Jace and I would ever see these people. Several Team Hood members were already standing in line to get breakfast. As Nelson waved at us, I tried to stay positive. We had promised to help each other find our daughters. But what if we never got that chance?

  My though
ts were interrupted as soon as we reached the main brick road of Brightbirch.

  “Ready for today?” Zion asked as he joined us. Alexy was beside him.

  “As ready as we’ve ever been,” Jace replied.

  Zion turned to look at me as we walked. “Glad to have you on my team again, Robin,” he said. “Hopefully we can trust these two to maneuver that airship.”

  “I taught Jace everything he knows,” Alexy interrupted with a smile. “He won’t let us down. And if he does, I hear the federal prison in Chanley is one of the nicest in the whole nation.”

  I shot her a look. I couldn’t even entertain the notion of losing a team member on this mission, much less the man I loved.

  “You know I’m kidding!” Alexy replied. “They wouldn’t arrest us anyway. They’d kill us on the spot.”

  “Maybe we could keep the jokes to a minimum this morning?” Jace suggested.

  “Who’s joking?” Alexy replied.

  We made it to the administrative building just in time to see Nathan, Bridge, Luka, and Sy walking out together. I was confused that they weren’t in Fiora’s office for the mission talks, as it was where I was expecting to meet.

  “Fashionably late?” Sy teased.

  “We came as soon as we got the message,” Zion replied. “Where are you guys going?”

  “To the tarmac,” Nathan replied. “It’s time to go to Chanley.”

  My heart stopped. Already? Had they planned without us this morning?

  “I thought we weren’t leaving until the afternoon,” Jace said.

  “Yes, and if the mole was in the room, now he or she thinks that, too,” Nathan replied with a smile. “So if they were planning on messing things up for us here on base or in Chanley, I’ve now thrown a wrench into their plans.”

  I blinked dumbly at Nathan in my shock.

  “Sorry for the ruse,” he continued. “But it’s good to be kept on your toes every once in a while. Trains you to think quickly.”

  “Wait, are we really leaving now?” I asked. I hadn’t said goodbye to the team. I had been planning to visit Juno before we left, too.