by AR Colbert
“Alright, I’ll try and talk to them again first. You guys wait here.”
“Raf.” I tilted my head in his direction. It was a nice try, but he was a fool to think we’d come all the way out here just to watch him get beat up again. “We talked about this.”
He opened his mouth to object, but thought better of it. Shaking his head, he said, “Fine, but I’m coming out there with you.”
Several Outsiders had already gathered at the entrance, watching us with large sticks at the ready. They were trying to intimidate us, and it was working.
“You can come, but I’ll do the talking. They’ll recognize this as a city vehicle, and they’ll know a Leader must be inside it. I’m the only one who stands a shot at convincing them we’re serious.” I raised my brows for emphasis. I wasn’t budging on this.
Rider nodded and shot a hard look at Raf, who finally sighed, resigned to let me have it my way. “Well let’s get going, then.”
I turned to hop out after Rider and noticed Jeremy was climbing out as well. “Where do you think you’re going?” I was still a little grumpy about the tone he took to me the other day.
“I’m coming, too.”
“Uhh, no you’re not.” Rider crossed his arms over his chest.
“Why not?”
“Because we’re here to handle business.”
Raf frowned and gestured for Jeremy to step off to the side with him. He lowered his voice, but I overheard his earnest words, even with my back turned to give them privacy. “If your wife is here, today isn’t the day to talk to her. Let us become allies first. We’ll build some trust; then you can go and find her.”
My chest felt tight as Jeremy let Raf’s words sink in. Raf was right of course, but Jeremy was hurting. He may or may not have had a chance to get her back, but either way, he had to be patient.
He must’ve agreed, because Raf joined Rider and me a moment later while Jeremy climbed back into the car.
“I’ll be here if you need me,” Asher said through an open window. “The car will be running in case we need to get out of here quickly.”
I looked back toward the Outsiders positioned menacingly against the fence around their camp. Hopefully, we wouldn’t need a quick escape, but their formidable stares didn’t provide much confidence.
More men spilled out of their entrance as we approached. “Was it like this last time you came?” My voice quivered with nerves.
“Not at all,” Raf answered. “It’s like they were expecting us today.”
“Or maybe they’re just tired of seeing your ugly mug.” Rider’s weak laugh was a poor attempt to hide his own nerves. With a straight face, he pulled a gun from the back of his waistband and set it gently on the ground. Then he raised both hands in the air. “We’d like to talk. May we approach?”
The Outsiders glanced back and forth amongst themselves. After a moment, they parted to reveal a middle-aged man walking toward us. His muddy brown hair hung nearly to his shoulders, tousled and wet-looking. His face was unshaven, his skin leathery from the sun, and his gait uneven. His swagger exuded more bravado than Everett, but that wasn’t the most intimidating thing about him. Unlike the other Outsiders watching us, this man carried a gun.
“No,” he said gruffly. “You may not approach.”
Raf tensed beside me. I watched his hand twitch from the corner of my eye, and I knew he was fighting the urge to reach for his knife. Don’t do it, Raf. This guy isn’t bluffing.
He cut his eyes over to me, full of pain, and I understood. Raf had been subjected to the Outsiders’ abuse before. He knew what was going to happen. He just didn’t care. He would do whatever it took to prevent me from suffering the same pain.
He blinked and turned back to the man who was just a few yards away now and raised both hands in front of him, mirroring Rider. I did the same.
“My name is Claren,” I started. I swallowed down my fear, stuffing it deep in my gut. My voice rang out clear and loud.
“I don’t care who you are.” The man spat in the grass and continued forward. His gun swayed slightly with each step, and his lack of control over the weapon did nothing to soothe my nerves. “You’re not welcome here.”
“Please.” My ribs were squeezing in tight around my lungs. Fear was fighting to take a hold of me again. The man was close enough now for me to see the wild flare in his eyes and the rust-colored dirt under his nails. Or was that dried blood? “I don’t want to come in. I only want to talk. I’ll be brief. Five minutes—that’s all I ask.”
Raf and Rider were tightly wound balls of energy on either side of me. The adrenaline pulsing through their veins burned, begging for release.
“What’s in it for me?” The man lowered his wily brows, appraising me.
“Freedom.”
His chest rose and fell three times before he released his intense stare. “Five minutes.” He walked over to Rider’s dropped weapon and tucked it into his waistband. Rider’s jaw clenched, but he made no move to stop the man. None of us knew what we might be dealing with here.
“Mikey! Hal!” Two other Outsiders came trotting over with the man’s call. “Keep an eye on these two while I have a chat with the lady. Especially that one. Looks like he doesn’t know how to follow instructions.” He gestured to Raf with the gun in his hand. The faded brown and yellow bruises around Raf’s eyes stood out like a billboard advertising his previous encounter with these men.
Rider looked as though he might object, but again—he held his tongue. I nodded to let him know I was okay. The Outsider was intimidating for sure, but something had shifted when I mentioned freedom. His initial aggression had been replaced with curiosity. He wouldn’t hurt me now unless provoked. I hoped.
We walked several yards off to the side, just far enough to speak privately while still remaining within sight of the others. He didn’t want to get detached from his men any more than I did mine.
“I’m a Leader in Louisburg.”
“Obviously.” He scowled.
I swallowed. This was going to be a major risk for me and the Embers, but it was the only way I could get through to him. I continued, “but my heart is Outside of the city. I don’t agree with the way things are run, and I want things to change in a major way.”
“Good luck. The last Leader who tried to change the system didn’t wake up a few weeks ago.” His expression soured, and I wondered if he knew Director Yoder personally.
“I know. And I don’t think it was an accident. I think she was murdered.”
He narrowed his eyes again, trying to determine my motives. I seemed to be hitting on a nerve, but his skepticism was thick. There was no trust between us yet.
“The thing is—there are many corrupt Leaders. Most of them probably are. But there are a few of us who recognize what’s right. We’ve teamed up with the Outsiders near Classen City, and we’d like to work with you, too. The more of us there are working together, the sooner we can make real changes. The sooner we can all be free again.”
He shook his head. “Nope. We’re already free. We don’t need you, and I’m not gonna let you use my people to further some self-righteous cause.” He turned to walk away, but I reached out, causing him to bristle at my touch.
Instinctively, I took a step back. My contact reignited the feral look in his eye, sending my heart racing again. With my hands back in the air, I whispered, “there’s more.”
He looked over his shoulder back toward the men he had guarding Raf and Rider, then crossed his arms over his chest. “Hurry up, I’ve got work to do and my patience is running low.”
“I think the Leadership is up to something, and you may be in danger. Our people near Classen were just attacked in two separate camps. The technology used to hurt them could have only come from the government. And I’m not talking about local Leaders, I’m talking about the Supreme Leadership. It was advanced and deadly. Your camp here is an enormous target. I’m worried you could be next.”
“And why should
I believe you?”
“Because I don’t have anything to gain by telling you this. And if the Leadership found out I came out here to talk to you, I could be executed. I wouldn’t do it if it weren’t the truth.”
“That’s what you would say if they put you up to this, too. How do I know you’re not just trying to weaken our defenses before your big attack? I have no reason to trust you.”
“What can I do then? To earn your trust?” My voice raised half an octave and my palms turned up to the sky. I needed him to believe me. We needed him on our side.
He pulled Rider’s gun from his waistband. With a weapon in each hand, he looked back and forth from hand to hand, examining them before raising each one to point at my chest.
“Weapons.” He slowly lowered his arms back to his sides. “Instead of bringing weapons out here to use against us, equip us with some of our own. If you’re not setting us up to attack us, then you shouldn’t have any problem giving us what we need to defend ourselves.”
“Weapons like this won’t protect you from the attacks that are coming. They won’t work against the technology they’re using.”
He scoffed and turned to walk away again. “I knew it. This is a waste of my time.”
“It’s not.” I hurried to catch up with him. “I’m telling you the truth. I can see about getting you weapons, but I can’t promise anything.”
“When is the attack supposed to happen?”
“I don’t know. I don’t even know for sure that they’re planning it. I just want you to be prepared. If we work together, maybe we can prevent them from hurting anyone else. Maybe we can put an end to this.”
The man stopped abruptly. “Give us weapons. Give us intelligence. Tell us when they’re coming. Provide us with anything useful, and I’ll consider it. Until then, good luck. It sounds like we’re better off on our own.” He turned back to his other men. “Come on boys, we’re done here.”
“Wait,” I called out. “I’ll be back. I’ll get you something. Who do I ask for next time I come?”
“My name is Seth. But don’t come back just to waste my time again. Bring me something good or don’t come back at all.”
He swaggered back to the entrance of the Outsider camp, his men trailing quickly behind him. They never so much as looked back over their shoulders at us.
I couldn’t get them what he asked for. I didn’t have access to weapons, myself. Conrad was gone, and my only other connection to the Supreme Leadership was Everett. I could possibly lure some information out of him with enough whiskey and stroking of his ego, but it may not prove to be useful. And even then, the cost could be great. But if I could save even one life, I had to try.
It was time to go shopping for a new red dress.
CHAPTER 21
“Ouch!” I shook my hand to relieve the burn from the tea that splashed onto my fingers.
“I’m sorry, Claren. Did I make it too hot?” Joy patted at my hand with a clean towel, concern tugging at her brows.
“No, it’s perfect. I just can’t sit still enough to drink it without spilling.”
Joy stood tall, folding the damp towel in her hands. “He’ll show up. I’m sure of it. His attendant understood how important my message was.”
I glanced at the communicator laying beside me on the bed. I’d turned it on two hours before only to find a dark screen. Raf and Rider agreed that I shouldn’t wait for my regularly scheduled Monday night meeting with Felix to tell him about the Outsiders. I had Joy call over to Felix’s house the moment we returned home. His attendant said he was out, but he’d have Felix return my call as soon as he came home. I’d been sitting and staring at the blank screen ever since.
She bowed her head and silently left me alone again with my tea. I picked up the device and turned it over in my hand. Other than a tiny yellow light in the upper right-hand corner, there was no sign of it working at all. Maybe if I turned it off and back on again...
Right as my finger moved over the button on the back, the light turned green and the screen flashed to life. Felix’s handsome face stared back at me. He tried to smile, but it didn’t reach his sad eyes.
“Felix! Hi. You got my message.”
He nodded. “I did. What’s wrong?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing. You look exhausted. Is everything okay over there?”
“Yeah, everything is okay here.” He inhaled deeply. “It’s just been a weird day, and a long week. But it’s all good now that I get to talk to you.” This time his smile did reach his eyes.
“I bet it has been hard trying to get to the bottom of those attacks. Have you had to spend a lot of time with Justice Hines?”
“Not until today, really.” He scratched at the back of his head. “But we weren’t discussing the attacks.”
I leaned in. He wasn’t giving me the full story. “Care to elaborate?”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “It’s not important. She had an idea about something, but it’s not going to work out. Now—tell me what’s going on over there. Why the urgent call?”
“I made contact with the Outsiders here.”
Felix’s eyes widened and he glanced over his shoulder to make sure the door to his study was closed. “And they didn’t hurt you?”
“No, but they didn’t agree to help me either.” The last time we’d spoken, I updated Felix about Raf’s initial encounter with the Outsiders. He didn’t want me going around them any more than Raf did.
“I told them about the Embers.”
His eyes grew even wider, but he didn’t interrupt or criticize my decision.
“I warned that they may be attacked the same way, and I asked for their help. Unless you’ve heard from Conrad again, I think uniting with this group may be the only way we can prevent more attacks. They’re an easy target with the size of their camp. I’m certain they’re on his radar. If he doesn’t attack them next, it surely won’t be long before he does.”
“And you’re sure Conrad is behind this? I still can’t find a motive for him to attack like that.”
I nodded. “I just can’t shake the feeling he gave me. I knew he was up to no good before I left Classen. And after talking with Justice Hines last night, I think you’re right. She doesn’t seem to be connected. No one else would be capable of something like that.”
He winced at Justice Hines’ name. “Okay, so let’s say he does attack again. Those camps were blindsided last time. They never saw him coming. How is this new group supposed to defend any better?”
“I’m working on getting more information about the Supreme Leadership. I may be able to find out when they will be in the area next.”
“And how are you going to do that?”
The truth was I’d have to flirt with his drunken father. But obviously that answer wouldn’t cut it. “I’ve got some connections here.”
He studied me for a beat. Now there were two of us not revealing the whole story. Sometimes that’s what it took to get a happy ending. Or that’s how I justified it to myself, anyway.
A sinking feeling settled deep in my chest. I suddenly felt very exposed. Perhaps it was the guilt of not being completely forthcoming with Felix. Or perhaps it was my body’s reaction to the absurdity of my plan.
Felix’s expression was tight, and it struck me how alone he was. He’d always been alone. But now, with the added responsibilities of being the Senator, Felix was shouldering all of the stress and tragedy of the last week by himself. I wanted to smooth the tension in his temples away with my thumbs. I wanted to pull him close and tell him everything would be okay, in the way no one ever had. We were in this together. And we still needed each other’s help.
“If I can provide some details about the attacks, the Outsiders here would be willing to talk. But until I can prove that I’m on their side, they’re not open to anything.”
“Let’s hope your connections are willing to talk, then.” Doubt clouded his features, but his tone was not unkind. Just a littl
e hopeless.
“There is one other thing that may help with a future alliance, but it’s probably not possible.”
“What is it?” Maybe there was a spark of hope left in him, after all.
“Weapons. They have none. Their leader suggested that providing them weapons of defense would add to my argument that I’m not involved in the attack. But I don’t have access to anything like that.”
Felix nodded. “It makes sense. Let me talk to Emilio. Missing weapons would cause a lot of alarm around here. But if he was somehow able to create something new from spare parts, we might be able to make it work. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you.” I swallowed the lump growing in my throat. “I know you need to rest, but have you heard any word about Frank? Any idea where he might be or if...” My voice trailed off, unable to finish the question.
“No,” Felix frowned. “But they haven’t found his body, which gives me hope that he’s still alive.”
Alive, maybe. But probably wishing he was dead. If Conrad held him captive, he was either a prisoner, or more likely, being tortured and interrogated. The more I thought about it, the more I realized Conrad and the Supreme Leadership must have discovered Frank’s plan to “educate” the cities. It’s the only reason I could think for them to attack.
But Frank was harmless. The Embers weren’t violent criminals. They only wanted to see change—change the Supreme Leadership was obviously unwilling to accept. Were they trying to get him to reveal the locations of other camps? Trying to tear down the Ember leadership?
Surely Frank would keep quiet. He wouldn’t put the other camps in danger. I had to believe that he would stay strong, no matter what kind of tactics they may use to try to get him to talk. My dad was still out there. I needed Frank to stay strong for him and everyone else who depended on him.
As soon as I finished my call with Felix it was time to put things into motion. Shoulders back, chin held high, I marched down the stairs to Everett’s office, talking myself up the whole way. Everett wasn’t so scary, I just had to get him in his element. A fancy party. Alcohol flowing freely. A snug-fitting dress in his favorite shade of red. A flirty giggle and a soft touch. I could do this. I could get him to talk.
