“Well, I have a mission for you.” Folding my arms, I looked him up and down. “If you’re brave enough to accept it.”
Bruce scoffed. “Of course, I am.” He came up next to me, keeping his voice low. “What’s the mission, boss?”
“I need you to snoop around this house and see if you can find anything that can incriminate the president.” I kept my voice low, also, just to appease him.
“Like what?”
“Anything. Documents, photos, objects, anything that seems suspicious or off.” I put my hand on his shoulder. “You need to be quick.”
Squaring his shoulders, Bruce saluted me. “You can count on me, dearest Emmie.”
“Good.” I saluted him in return. His eyes lit up for a moment before he turned back to business. He marched out of the room, his arms swinging wildly.
As I waited for everyone to return, I paced the room, glancing over at Michael now and then to make sure he hadn’t awakened.
I wasn’t sure if Bruce would find anything, but I crossed my fingers he would. Otherwise, I had to hope my words would convince enough Kingsland citizens to trust me and turn on their president.
I could say I had the cure, but would they even believe me? Would I believe some person I’d never met before when they said they found the cure? I was a random stranger showing up on their screens, who could be lying.
Maybe I could talk Zoe into talking, too. If the citizens saw she agreed with me and trusted me, they might as well. Unless they thought I forced her to say all those things. Rubbing my temples, I wished away the stress headache pounding its way in.
“You about ready?” Tina asked from the doorway.
I sighed and sat down in a chair. “I hope so. This has to work.”
“It will,” Tina said, walking over to me. She squatted down in front of me. “I’m sending you positive vibes.”
“Thanks,” I said, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. I reached out and pulled her into a hug. “I just want Eric, Dante, Dee, and the others back.”
“I know,” Tina said as she rubbed my back. “We all do. Just be honest and open. They’ll see the sincerity in your eyes.”
“I hope so,” I said.
Someone clapped their hands near the door. “Cute love fest, but let’s get this party started.” Joshua stood there with excited eyes. “I’m tired, I’m hungry, and I want to sleep in my own bed in the near future. So, end the hug and my wonderful sister can get talking so my wishes may come true.”
Pulling away from Tina, I turned to Joshua. “I’m glad to know that out of everything that can come from my announcement, the one thing you’re hoping for is the comfort of your bed.”
Joshua shrugged. “Fine. I also hope for you to have the comfort of your bed.” He smiled at Tina. “And your bed, too.”
“What are you saying about my girlfriend’s bed?” Luke asked as he came up next to Joshua.
Joshua’s face turned red. “Nothing. I just want her to be comfortable and to get some sleep.” Luke raised his eyebrows, so Joshua continued. “I won’t be anywhere near her bed, I promise. You can be there if you’d like, but I will be far away in my own bed, by myself. No Tina anywhere near me.”
“Please stop talking,” I said. Luke and Tina nodded in agreement. Joshua put his head down, muttering something under his breath. “Is everything set?”
Maya came into the room, pushing past the boys. “Yes, we’re good. Luke, Joshua, and I will stand at the top of the stairs, weapons ready for when they breach the front door. Tina will stand guard at this door, being your last line of defense.” She looked over at Michael. “Where’s Bruce?”
“I sent him on a mini-mission to get me information,” I said. “Maybe he’ll find some evidence we can use against the president.”
“Sounds good,” Tina said. “Everyone ready?”
“Where’s Zoe?” I asked.
“With her mom,” Luke said. “It looks like everything’s under control in there for now. We just need to get started.”
Spotting some dirt on my pants, I brushed them off with my hands. “How do I look?”
Tina came over and smoothed out some of my braid, pulling out a leaf I’d overlooked. “With the war paint gone, you look like a regular person, which is what you want.”
“Regular people don’t wear bulletproof vests,” Luke commented.
Smiling, Tina helped me take it off. “True.” She set it down on the chair and looked me over. “A lot less intimidating.”
I turned and stared at the screen where Eric, Dante, and the others were. “Once I press enter, this goes live.” I glanced around the room. “Our position will be revealed. Once they break through the doors—and they will—it’s only a matter of time before we’re all captured.”
Maya nodded. “We know, but we have to take this risk. There’s no other option now. We’re too far in this.”
“She’s right,” Luke said.
“Alright.” Shaking my hands out, I took some deep breaths, preparing myself for my speech. “Everyone, get into position.”
Luke, Maya, and Joshua left the room. I stared over at Tina, who stood in the doorway.
She smiled at me. “You can do this, Emmie. Just be honest and be yourself.” She readied her bow and arrow.
I fingered my knife I had tucked in my pants at my back. I didn’t want any weapons to show while I broadcasted over Kingsland, but I didn’t want to be completely defenseless once security broke in. Stepping toward the computer, I hovered my finger over the enter key. I took a deep breath and, giving one last glance at Tina, I looked directly into the camera and pressed enter.
Each screen went to static for half a second and then my face filled every single one of them.
I put on the most genuine smile I could muster. “Hello, Kingsland citizens. My name is Emmie Woodard and I am a resident of the city of New Haven.”
I paused for a moment to take a deep breath. My voice bellowed from outside the president’s home. I tried my best not to think about the fact that thousands of people were seeing my face and hearing my voice.
“I’m sure most of you are wondering who I am and why I’m here. Some of my fellow New Haven residents have joined me in coming here to rescue your city members who have been taken captive by your president. Your fellow residents who are hardworking people, trustful, honest, and kind. Members who have been faithful citizens their whole lives. People who have lived up to their potential and then beyond. Like all of you, they have only wanted the best for their families.”
I twisted my ring on my finger, taking my time with each word that came out of my mouth. I didn’t want to rush. “President Coleman has not been honest with all of you. He has deceived you and doesn’t deserve your support. Your neighbors deserve your support. They have done nothing wrong, yet President Coleman has been holding them against their will. Instead of letting them leave, he has kept them under his control, even hurting and killing some who didn’t agree with him.”
Closing my eyes for a moment, I thought of Dante and his bruised and beaten body. “Dante Brown and his family left this city for a reason. Their lives were in danger. They only wanted to protect those around them and stand up for the greater good. I’m not sure what lies your president has told you about the Brown family, but I’ve had the privilege to get to know them this past year. They are decent people with amazing hearts. They have put their lives on the line to protect our citizens and to fight for their freedom.”
The image of President Brown’s death came into my mind. He was blown to pieces right before my eyes by a traitor, Steven, from my old city.
I shook the thought from my mind. “They are selfless, and they proved it yet again by coming here. They wanted to rescue those who’d been taken prisoner. They risked their lives in the hope of setting you free. They want everyone here to be happy. To be able to stand on your own two feet and make your own decisions without interference from the government.
“Obviously, we still nee
d structure, and New Haven can offer that to you. We let our citizens choose their life choices. How many children they want. When and if they want to get married. What career they would like. Where they live and what they eat. But we also have laws that protect you and your property. We listen to our citizens and let them vote on leaders and laws.”
The pounding on the front doors began. “I need your help. Dante, Vivica, and eight other New Haven citizens are being detained by President Coleman right now. We need to free them. We need to show your president that he can’t do this to people. You need to stand up for what’s right. Come out of your homes. Stand together, united as a city, and storm Headquarters. Take back what’s yours. Take back your freedom.”
Maya shouted orders from the hallway. Security must have been almost through the front door. I kept my voice calm as I continued. “In return, I offer you protection. New Haven is open to any Kingsland citizens that want to live there. You’ll be able to have a say in your life. You’ll be listened to and given opportunities to expand your knowledge.”
“Fire!” Maya’s command echoed in my ears. Security was in the home.
“I’ve heard some of your citizens are sick.” I stared at the camera, trying to keep my eyes soft and inviting. “New Haven has a cure. Fight for us and you’ll get that cure. Come together right now, outside, tell President Coleman you’ve had enough, and the cure will be put in your hands. You can save all your loved ones who are sick.”
Commotion by the door tore my gaze from the camera. Joshua, Luke, Maya, and Tina were all at the doorway, firing off arrows. An arrow was lodged Joshua’s arm, but he ignored it and kept firing.
I turned back to the camera. “I know I’m asking a lot. I know you don’t know me and I’m sure you’re asking yourself why you should trust me. But you can trust me. Everything I’m telling you is the truth. I promise you. Fight with us. Save Kingsland from total demise and evil. Save everyone who is sick.”
The door slammed shut. Joshua, Maya, Tina, and Luke all stood inside, holding the door closed. Joshua yanked the arrow out of his arm and tossed it on the ground.
Security banged on the door, pushing in with all their might. The door heaved in and out with each shove.
“Open the door!” The voice was muffled, but I could hear the security guard clear enough.
“Let us in and we won’t harm you!” the guard shouted. I highly doubted that. We’d be lucky if they didn’t kill us.
I looked desperately at the camera. “Please, come out of your homes. Save the Brown family and their legacy. I know they’ve worked hard for years to protect this city and only have your best interest at heart.”
A rattling noise came from the ceiling. I looked up to see a vent cover being pulled away. Before I could react, a body jumped down into the room. The person stood up and approached me, a huge smile plastered onto their face.
He held up a document. “Look what I found.” Bruce peered behind the paper, watching intently at my reaction.
I took the paper from his grip and glanced over it. For a moment, I’d forgotten that there was a camera on me. “What is this?”
Bruce flattened out his hair as he looked at the camera. He wiggled his eyebrows and winked.
I smacked him on the arm to catch his attention. “What is this, Bruce?”
“Read it.” He smiled at the camera. “I’m Bruce. I’m a hero and a fighter. But I’m also an excellent hugger and listener.”
The sound of wood splintering came from the door. They were almost in.
“Hurry up!” Luke shouted.
I read over the paper, not sure if what I was reading was correct. I went back over it again and again. I looked at Bruce. “Is this what I think it is?”
Bruce shrugged. “It depends on what you think it is. If you think it’s a delicious lasagna recipe, you’re sadly mistaken. But if you think it’s a cure for the disease that has been taking over Kingsland, then you’re right.”
Shaking my head, I continued to read. “They have the cure?”
“Yes.” Bruce flexed as he looked at the camera. “Apparently, President Coleman has had the cure for a while. He has a secret stash of papers in his office. It took me forever to find the safe it was in. He put it behind a picture. How lame is that?” He winked at the camera again and ran his fingers through his hair. “Then I had to find the key, which was in a secret compartment in his desk.”
The door broke open and some security guards jumped onto Maya, Luke, Tina, and Joshua, taking away their weapons as they held them down. Bruce came and stood in front of me, putting himself between me and the guards.
I stared at the paper in disbelief. “If he’s had the cure, why is he hiding it? It doesn’t make sense. He could’ve cured all those residents of Kingsland.” I put my hand on my head. “Why did he let them die?”
Bruce kicked at a security guard who tried to grab him. “You said yourself that President Coleman was a bad dude. Hi-yah!” He kicked the guard right in the face, breaking his nose. “This just proves it. He has the cure and has been hiding it in his office. From the looks of it, there were a lot of other things he was hiding.”
He took his knife and thrust it at another guard. “What’s even worse? He had the cure when Whitney was still alive. Instead of healing her, he ended her life. I mean, he didn’t wait until she died on her own. He took it upon himself to decide it was time for her to go and had the doctor ‘terminate the subject’.” He kicked the guard and threw his arm around, slashing the guard’s arm. Bruce turned at looked at me. “Those were the exact words he used. The guy is a total creep.”
The guard seized Bruce and pinned him down on the ground. Bruce let out a yelp as the guard took away his weapons.
Zoe screamed out in the hall. She shoved her way into the room and jumped on a guard that was about to grab me. I was too preoccupied with the document in my hand and everything that Bruce had just told me.
“Leave them alone!” Zoe yelled. “They don’t mean any harm! They’re just trying to help!”
“Jordan, get Zoe under control!” A guard near the door had yelled that out to the man that Zoe was attacking.
Zoe kept hitting Jordan on the head over and over again. “Don’t do this! My dad is the monster, not them!”
I looked up as Jordan twisted his body so he could get a good grip on Zoe. He took her firmly in his grasp and held her arms behind her back. She continued to squirm in his arms.
Another guard came at me. I turned the paper in my hand, so it faced the camera. “President Coleman has the cure. He’s been hiding it from you. Come and get it.”
I kept my gaze firmly on the camera, even as a guard threw me on the ground. I didn’t fight back as he bound me up. I just stared at the camera hoping that was enough to fuel Kingsland citizens.
The guard picked me up off the ground, forcing me to walk on my own and out the door. My hands were bound tightly behind my back. They marched all of us outside and threw us in a van. Joshua was right next to me, pain filling his eyes. The broadhead was still lodged in his arm.
“How bad is the pain?” I asked him.
Sweat slid down Joshua’s pale cheeks. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
We rode in silence the rest of the way. When we stopped and they opened the back door, Headquarters stood before us. The front doors were open, waiting for us to enter. The guard who pulled me out of the van was nowhere near gentle with me. He shoved me so hard, I fell, my face scraping against the pavement. The sting on my cheek made my eyes water as he picked me up and thrust me forward again. That time, I didn’t fall.
Once inside Headquarters, we were forced down a bunch of halls until they finally started throwing us in a room. Before I got to the door, my guard pinned me up against the wall, putting his face just inches from mine.
His breath warmed my skin. “I hope you realize what a horrible mistake you’ve made. You just cost the lives of each one of your friends.” He wrapped his large, callused hand around my t
hroat, squeezing tight. “You will be last, of course, and I will make sure to take my precious time with you.”
I struggled for air as he squeezed harder, his thumbnail digging into my skin.
He pressed his mouth against my ear. “You’re awfully pretty, too. I’m sure the president will let me have some alone time with you before the torture begins.” His slid his mouth along my cheek until his lips were at mine. Closing my eyes, I tucked my lips in as he talked. “I’m going to take you apart, limb by limb. I promise you will feel every ounce of pain.” I breathed furiously through my nose as he continued to choke me. He put his lips back at my ear. “No one can save you now.”
The guard pulled away and let go of my throat. Holding the knife he’d taken from me, he twirled it in his hand as he glared at me. Pressing the tip of the knife against my cheek, he slid it down, my skin slicing open underneath it. He pulled it away when he got to my chin. I tried to keep calm as he stared at me, his eyes full of hatred and lust.
The other guards were watching us. Everyone else had been thrown into the room already, which I was grateful for. I wouldn’t want any of them to see what this guard was doing to me. He put one hand on my throat, more to hold me back than to choke me. With his other hand, he drove the knife through my stomach.
“Just to give you a taste of what’s coming your way,” the guard said as he held the knife inside of me. I choked on my sobs as he pushed it in deeper. I didn’t want to scream out in pain. I couldn’t.
He finally yanked the knife back out and threw me into the room. I hit the ground hard, pain erupting in my arm as well as my wound. I closed my eyes and focused on each breath as the door slammed shut and the lock clicked into place.
On a cold winter night nineteen years ago, I reached over and shook Philip awake. My water had broken, soaking my pants. Philip called the infirmary to let them know I was in labor. While we waited for them to arrive, he got dressed and went to wake Derek.
As soon as they knocked on the door, Philip picked me up and carried me outside. He pushed past the ambulance driver who had knocked and rushed me to the back of the van. Derek ran as fast as his little legs would let him. An infirmary worker picked Derek up and placed him in the back of the van with us.
Rise (New Haven Book 3) Page 10
