by AR Colbert
I was instantly annoyed at him for forcing me out of sight as I heard the crinkling of the plastic bag Cato opened in his lap. I’d been waiting two days to find out what was inside, and now I risked missing my only shot. The group began to murmur quietly, and I hoped the boy beside Cato had turned his attention back to the bag as well. But to be safe, I decided to peek around from the other side of the podium this time.
I didn’t see the rat. And I don’t think the rat saw me. If it did, it paid no mind as it scampered across the back of my hand. But I minded. I minded a lot.
I flung my hand out the moment I felt its disgusting little feet touch my skin. Its warm, furry belly made contact with my skin for a fraction of a second before it went flying across the church, squealing through the air. In any other circumstances, I probably would have been proud of my reflexes, nudging Cato, asking him if he saw how quickly I reacted. But this was not the time or the place to brag to my brother.
I heard the group jump to their feet as I pulled myself into a tight ball behind the podium. Maybe they didn’t suspect any foul play. Maybe rats went flying through their secret church meetings often. Maybe I’d survive this whole night unscathed.
Or maybe not.
“Who’s there?” Whoever shouted did not sound afraid. His voice was strong and clear, ready to fight. I suspected it was the old man.
“Check behind the podium. I thought I heard something back there a minute ago.”
The second voice was deep and smooth, and I pictured the dark eyes that were searching for me moments earlier. I’d rather have the furry rat back.
Two sets of footsteps made their way toward me, and I debated whether I’d be safer if I made a leap for the window. The hair on my arms stood on edge as they neared, and my legs were like springs, ready to pounce. But a click of metal told me I wouldn’t make it very far. Of course they had weapons. Why wouldn’t they?
I was defenseless, but my brother sat just twenty feet away. They seemed to like him. Without a second thought I came out from behind the podium, both arms in the air.
“I’m with Cato,” I said quickly. The breathless sound of my own voice was a little unnerving.
The old man and Dave were blocking my view of the group, and Dave held a gun.
“Please don’t hurt me,” I said. “I mean no harm. I was just looking after my brother.”
“Claren?” Cato said. The men parted slightly, giving me a view of my brother’s pale face. He was wide-eyed, and his mouth remained slightly ajar.
“Get her!” yelled the boy farthest from me. I knew now why he looked familiar earlier. This boy wasn’t an Outsider. He was one of my classmates.
“That’s the girl who got Sam killed!”
CHAPTER 7
The old man dragged me back to the group standing in the center of the church auditorium. His grip on my arm was unnecessarily firm. I wouldn’t dare try to run, especially not with that gun Dave was wielding. He was a shifty looking guy even without a weapon.
“Cato, do you know this girl?”
My brother slowly nodded as he processed the scene before him. It took a minute before he was able to snap back to reality.
“Yeah, that’s my sister. I’m just not sure what she’s doing here.” His eyes widened and his brows lifted. He was trying to communicate something to me, but all I could process was fear.
“I know what she’s doing here.” Dax O’Neil, the boy I recognized from school, was glaring at me. “She’s working for the government. I saw her get in the car with some officials after she got Sam killed.”
Sam. That must’ve been his name. I blinked away the tears that sprang to my eyes as I recalled the young man at the aptitude test. Suddenly Cato’s broody temperament after the exam made a world of sense. I wondered how close they had been. Was I spared because of Cato?
Guilt covered me up like a heavy blanket. I knew Sam wouldn’t have succeeded either way, but I truly hoped I didn’t play a part in getting him killed. Maybe if I hadn’t drawn attention to the knife...
“Did the government send you here?” Dax took another step towards me, and another— one with each sentence he spoke, drawing my attention back to the current situation. “Are you supposed to bring them some intel so they can come back and wipe us out? Well you can tell them we won’t go down easily. We’re ready to fight!”
He stopped just a foot away from my face, and I felt his saliva hit my cheek as he spat out the last word. His cheeks were red and his breathing was fast and heavy. I needed some space between us, but I was stuck in the grips of Dave and the old man.
“Shut up, Dax. Let her speak,” said one of the women. Dax quit shouting, but he didn’t step back.
“No,” I said. “I told you. I’m here with Cato.”
“That’s funny, because we met Cato out front. And he was alone,” said the short man with the limp. He stepped up beside Dax, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intimidated. I knew he wasn’t quick with that bad leg, but his broad shoulders and wide chest told me he was hiding lots of strength under his black coat.
I shook my head. “He didn’t know I was following him.” I shifted my gaze to the floor, embarrassed to admit that I had been watching my brother. I didn’t want him to be disappointed in me.
“See!” said Dax. “She’s admitting it. She came to spy on us.”
I looked back up to see an infuriated Dax with his head cocked to one side. His mouth was held in a tight line as he stared me down. “Admit it!”
“No, it’s not true.”
The accusations were crushing. The lantern’s light dancing across the faces that circled me added to the eerie ambiance, and I didn’t know how much of the chill in the air could be contributed to the weather.
“Why are you here, Claren?” Cato’s eyes were glossy and his voice gentle, full of concern. Beside him stood the boy with the dark eyes, looking equally concerned. At least they weren’t all out to get me.
“I heard you leave. And I saw the black bag in your hands. I know you said it was dangerous, but I was worried.” Cato winced when I mentioned the bag. He never wanted me to see it in the first place. Judging by the looks of the rest of the group, they didn’t like me knowing about it either.
“I couldn’t stand the thought of you getting caught in a dangerous situation, so I followed you. And when I saw... strangers take you inside the church, I had to make sure you were okay.” I didn’t want to call them Outsiders. We all knew that’s what they were, but it somehow felt disrespectful to say it in front of them. Not that they were showing me any respect.
Cato was contemplative, staring at the bag sitting off to his left. The dark-eyed boy beside him was staring right at me, however. No, he wasn’t just staring at me, he was staring into me. I met his eyes and felt the same searching sensation I’d experienced with Emmaline.
He was looking for information, and I had a sense he was finding more than he let on. The corner of his mouth turned up just a touch. His lower lip was full and his mouth was surrounded by a five o’clock shadow, his scruff the same shade as the espresso colored muss of hair on his head. The smile was barely perceptible, yet it made my heart pound.
“So we’re supposed to believe that you’re some kind of bodyguard for Cato?” The man with the limp laughed, looking me up and down. “He doesn’t need you!”
After being accused of murder, lying, and spying for the government, I’m not sure why that was the comment that set me off. But it definitely did. I wasn’t as big or strong as my brother, but he was underestimating my abilities.
My burst of energy surprised my captors, and I was able to wiggle out of Dave’s grip with a drop of my body and an upward swing of my arms. The old man acted faster though, and he grabbed my arm with his opposite hand when I dropped down. I swung my body around behind him, hoping to knock him off of his feet and get loose again, but the dark-eyed boy was already there to catch me. He wrapped his arms tightly around me, trapping my arms down against my sides. I
considered slamming my head backwards into his face, but something about his touch calmed me.
My anger was soothed in an instant, and I knew he was an Empath. Emmaline had the same power over me in the interrogation room. His grip loosened around me, and for half a second I wished he wouldn’t let go. But he did.
Dax looked around at the others, his smug face just begging to get hit. “See?” he said. “She already took out Sam. Now she’s trying to get Dave and Frank, too. Anyone else wanna argue with me about getting rid of her?”
“I didn’t kill Sam!” I yelled, and a tear finally escaped my lower lid. “Look, I told you I came here to look after my brother. I’m not some kind of spy, and I’m not a killer.”
Cato’s face glowed in the low light. I turned and spoke only to him as if we were the only two people left in the room. “I’m so sorry for your loss.” My heart ached along with his.
“I didn’t know him. But he was obviously a really special guy. It was clear even in just the brief moment I saw him.” I turned to address everyone, another tear warming the wet streak trailing down my cheek. “I would bring him back if I could, I swear. I didn’t want him to get hurt. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”
Cato pulled me into an embrace, and I allowed myself to melt into his arms. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “It’s okay.” I was overwhelmed by the grief of the room, and Cato always had a way of helping me to recenter my thoughts. I found my strength again after a few deep breaths.
The hug seemed to have recharged my brother as well. He released me and stood a little taller as he turned to address the others.
“I can assure you my sister isn’t here for any nefarious reasons. We look out for each other.” He gave me a small wink.
“So we can ask her to leave if you want, but there is no one I trust more in this world.” He leaned down and picked up the black trash bag, turning to me. “I meant it when I said the contents of this bag were dangerous. This is your last chance, sis. Once I open this up, there’s no going back. You’re one of us.”
I surveyed the room with my eyes. Cato and the two women looked hopeful. The dark-eyed boy showed no emotion. His expression was flat and empty. Frank, the older man, looked genuinely curious. And the other three— Dax, Dave, and Mr. Limp were exchanging looks of disgust.
I didn’t really want to be one of them, but I couldn’t leave my brother behind. My suspicions of him entertaining rebellious thoughts had been confirmed in this meeting. He was socializing with Outsiders. With his record just one mistake, a single slip-up would have him exiled.
“So what do you say? Are you ready and willing to break a few rules?”
I forced a small smile. “I’m ready if they’ll have me.”
One of the women gave me a huge grin and turned to Frank, looking for his approval. The old man nodded.
“She's honest and loyal. And strong!” he added with a chuckle. “If Cato says she’s trustworthy, then I don’t mind if she stays.”
Dax rolled his eyes and let out a groan. Frank gestured to Dave, who put away his gun, and then we all took a seat in the slightly larger circle on the floor. I sat between Cato and Frank.
“Alrighty then,” Cato said with his signature grin. “Now that that’s settled, maybe we should begin with a more civilized introduction. Ladies and gents, meet my sister, Claren Greenwood.”
“Hi,” I said, looking nervously at the mixed emotions around the circle. My gaze stopped once again on the dark-eyed boy. His eyes looked amused, but his face remained expressionless. I wondered if he was still reading me like a book.
“This is Raf,” Cato said, gesturing towards the dark-eyed boy. “He was a year ahead of me in school. Now he works in the office at the sanitation headquarters.”
Raf. Funny, I didn’t ever recall seeing Raf around Cato and his buddies growing up. I definitely would have remembered him. And I'd never seen him at Cato’s work, either. Then again, I had never actually been inside the headquarters.
“That’s Elizabeth beside him. Dax I think you know from school.” I smirked at him and struggled to hold in a giggle at his frustration. He looked like he was about to throw another temper tantrum.
“Then we have Dave, Sarah, Tim, and Frank. Frank is kind of like the leader of the pack here, so don’t get on his bad side... again.”
Frank smiled kindly toward me. “We’re wiping the slate clean. It’s nice to meet you, Claren.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” He was so gentle for an Outsider. His clothes were ragged and his salt and pepper hair was a little too shaggy, but he had a refined strength. I’d never seen anyone quite like him.
“So you’re probably wondering why we’re all gathered here,” Cato continued.
I shot him a glance from the sides of my eyes. I didn’t actually wonder. It was fairly obvious that these were a bunch of rebels planning attacks like the one Sam tried to pull off a couple of days earlier. He ignored my look.
“We call ourselves ‘The Ember Society.’”
Elizabeth cackled, and Dax rolled his eyes. Dave shook his head with a smirk.
“We don’t call ourselves anything,” said Sarah. She was the girl who soothed Tim at the start of the meeting. She looked to be in her mid to late twenties, and her fiery red hair was smoothed back into a ponytail at the nape of her neck. Tim looked at her with affection in his eyes as she spoke.
“Come on, guys. You know that’s an awesome name!” Cato grinned again, waving his hands in the air before him as though he was presenting something dramatic. “From the embers they rose... their fire burned on... things are really heating up...”
Even Dax cracked a smile at the last one.
“Actually,” said Frank. “We’re just ordinary people. There’s no secret group or team name. Sorry, Cato’s just doing some wishful thinking. Most of us grew up on the Outside, as I’m sure you’ve guessed. But we’ve made some good lives for ourselves out there. Many people have. And now that we’re finding a community of our own, I thought it would be nice to educate some of you in the cities about the freedom that exists Outside.”
Freedom Outside? That was preposterous. The only people who lived outside were criminals who had been exiled from the cities— the worst of the worst. In the cities we received food, shelter, careers, a standard wage, and even suitable matches for our life partners. We had everything we needed. Why would anyone choose to go live Outside? They had nothing. I pictured Frank living in a cave, feasting on grubs, and shuddered.
But who was I to judge what made them happy? I smiled politely and nodded. After all, I wasn’t in the meeting for myself. My only goal was to keep Cato out of trouble, out of the Outside. I couldn’t let these people get into his head.
Raf’s eyes were practically burning a hole in the side of my face, but I refused to turn and meet his gaze. I didn’t want to make his mind-reading any easier. He didn’t need to know I didn’t support Frank’s mission to “educate” the city dwellers. He just needed to know that I supported Cato.
“Right,” my brother said. “So I’ve got some really interesting proof for us.”
He dumped the contents of the bag into the middle of the circle. A few glass bottles clinked across the floor, followed by some sort of small screen, a handbag, and some small metal and plastic objects I didn’t recognize. It was a bunch of trash.
Frank leaned in close to examine some of the small objects, turning them over in his hands. Several eyebrows raised around the circle, and Elizabeth looked downright giddy. I snuck a glimpse in Raf’s direction to see if he was finally showing any form of emotion, but he immediately met my gaze. I quickly turned away, cheeks flushing. Our looks back and forth felt like some kind of mental cat and mouse game, and I refused to get caught.
“You were right!” Dax shouted, gleefully. “I can’t believe it. Look at this stuff!”
I was so confused. These people really loved trash. The excitement in the room was palpable.
Elizabeth was rubbing
her hands across the handbag, examining its details. She lifted it to her nose and inhaled deeply. “Real leather,” she said, before passing it to Dax.
“What do you think?” Cato asked Frank. The look on his face reminded me of old times. It was the kind of look he would give Dad after sweeping the patio or mending the leak under our sink. It was a look of hopeful respect. He was seeking Frank’s approval.
Frank gave a small nod, his eyes twinkling with excitement. “You did it. This is exactly what we thought. They’ve got advanced technology.”
Sarah must have noticed the confusion on my face. “This stuff is from inside the walls,” she said to me. “We’ve suspected for a while now that the Leaders within the city walls live differently from the rest of you. They preach equality, but there’s a whole different world inside the Center. A better world.”
I shook my head. “We see scenes from the Center all the time on television. They live just like we do. I’ve seen their houses and their storefronts. We all earn the standard wage. Even the Leaders. There’s no way they can afford to live any differently than we do.”
“You only see what they want you to see.”
“But Cato’s been inside the walls,” I argued. “He goes in there every day to collect their waste. Tell them Cato. It’s just like where we live, only better protected.” I inhaled sharply. The walls protected them from the Outsiders, the very people I was sitting with. I hoped they weren’t offended by the truth.
No one seemed to notice my words. Or maybe they just didn’t care.
“It’s true that everything inside looks the same from the streets,” Cato said. “But we think maybe they’re hiding the truth underground.”
I laughed. He was being ridiculous. I knew my brother had a tendency to get carried away with crazy ideas, but this was too much.
“Cato is in a unique position,” Sarah continued. “There aren’t many people allowed to enter the Center walls. They think nothing of him as a trash collector, but he knows more than he lets on. So we’ve asked him to keep an eye on things. As he collects their waste, he watches for anything that looks... different. Anything that might prove the Leaders within the walls have more, live a higher quality of life than the rest of us.”
