by Kyle Andrews
Dor could have stayed there all day, trying to figure out what was going on just by reading Collin's body language, but if she did that she would have missed her opportunity to get into Aaron's office without Collin seeing her.
She hurried down the hall and into Aaron's office. It was darker than the offices where she normally worked, and seemed more quiet than the hallways outside. Men and women were typing away at their keyboards while Aaron leaned over Simon's chair and read what was on the computer screen in front of Simon.
“Tash is wearing a microphone. She was probably doing an interview before she went out there. See if it was still on,” Aaron said in a quiet tone, and Simon nodded, already sifting through files.
Dor wasn't sure whether or not she should disturb the men, or if she should just let them work and go back later. Whatever they were working on was important, and she couldn't just step in and insist that they drop everything for the sake of her story.
Growing more uncomfortable with standing there, Dor turned away from where Aaron was and glanced at one of the other computer monitors. There, she saw the footage of the stadium, playing with the volume turned down low.
Had her mission succeeded? Was this what she'd been hoping to see for the last—she glanced at a clock. Had it really only been two and a half hours since the game was supposed to start? It felt like days.
She stepped closer to that monitor and watched as Mandi Hollinger was grabbed by a HAND officer. When she saw it, Dor couldn't help but gasp.
“Dor?” Aaron said from behind her.
Dor turned to face him, still trying to process what she had seen on that monitor.
“It worked?” she asked.
Aaron smiled. Not a happy smile necessarily, but one that let Dor know that she had succeeded. He said, “You got us into their archives. Not just the game.”
Dor couldn't help but smile as she said, “Their whole library?”
“Well, for that one station. It's not as impressive as some libraries.”
“Tell me about it. Their computers took up more space than the entire Campus, I think.”
This caught Simon's attention. He turned toward Dor and asked, “What did they look like?”
Dor shrugged and held up her hand saying, “About this high. Big box-looking things. Blinking lights. Fiber optic cables.”
Simon furrowed his brow and turned back to his computer. Dor walked closer to him as she said, “I plugged your drive into a computer that was attached to the bigger ones. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“I'll get back to you,” Simon told her.
She turned to Aaron and asked, “What can you tell me about the stadium?”
“Mandi Hollinger messed up her pledge. She revealed herself and her parents as Freedom members.”
“No way.”
“Her parents are probably dead. Mandi was taken.”
“We have to get her.”
“We will. We're working on it.”
“I should get down to the stadium. Find witnesses. See if they know where they took her.”
“If you go back out there, Collin will kill us both. I suggest you stay here and work up your story before one of your colleagues beats you to it.”
“Collin wouldn't publish them over me.”
Aaron shrugged as though he wasn't so sure.
“He knows?” Dor asked Aaron.
Aaron nodded.
Suddenly, Dor wanted to run to the stadium more than ever. The threat of horrible violence didn't seem so bad.
She was surprised to see that Aaron was amused by her fear.
“Huh...” Simon said, staring at his computer screen for a moment and then typing and sitting back to examine his findings.
“What?” Aaron asked, turning back to Simon and losing any hint of the amusement that was just on his face.
“I'm not sure, but...” Simon typed another command into his computer, and then turned toward one of the TVs that was hanging on the wall.
Dor turned toward the TV, but had no idea what she was looking for. She didn't see anything unusual. When she turned back to Simon, he was smiling. It was a big, goofy smile.
“Wow,” he said, standing from his chair. He walked to Dor, grabbed her head, and kissed her on the forehead. He then looked her in the eye and said, “I don't think that Collin is going to be mad. You beautiful, beautiful girl.”
“What's happening?” Dor asked Aaron, worried for Simon's mental health.
Aaron seemed to know as little as she did.
Simon's smile grew, which Dor didn't think was possible only a second before. He then released Dor's head and sat back down at his desk as he said, “You just got us into their broadcasting system. Access to their antenna, satellite feeds... You just gave us the ability to speak to the entire city.”
Dor's mouth fell open. She went numb.
It was Aaron who spoke the words that she couldn't, “Holy crap.”
15
“We need to move quickly,” Mig told Collin as they stood at the end of the hallway.
She was fuming mad, and Collin could understand where she was coming from. He wanted to charge into battle and save the Hollinger girl as much as the next person. He was just as tired of seeing their people captured or killed. At the same time, he couldn't help but think that it was a mistake to round up the troops and rush into battle without a larger plan.
“This is a fire, Collin. It's burning right now and if we don't put it out, it will destroy everything in its path. We don't have time to wait,” Mig argued, keeping her anger relatively subdued.
She turned away from him and put a hand on her head. It was obvious that she was overwhelmed. Freedom had fought their battles here and there, but they had never plotted an all-out attack on HAND before.
As much as Collin would have loved to believe that Mig was acting irrationally by wanting to jump right into battle, he knew that what she was saying was true. If they gave HAND enough time to get Mandi Hollinger out of the city, there was no hope of getting her back.
When she turned to face Collin once again, she asked, “Can we do this? Should we do this? For one girl?”
Collin had to stop and think about his answer. There was no doubt that putting countless lives on the line for one person could be a big mistake, but could he tell Mig that they should let Mandi go?
He could see the little girl's face in his mind. The fear. The tears. This wasn't just the fear of one little girl, it was the fear of an entire nation. How long would they allow one person to be taken here and another to be killed there? How long would they go on picking small fights that ultimately got them nowhere?
It was the same old question, wasn't it? Years later and after everything that had changed, he still found himself asking when the real war would begin. He had started with the idea, and people had embraced his words, but words didn't win freedom. Eventually, that idea needs to propel people into action. Now Mig was asking Collin if this was the time that he had been waiting for and he couldn't give her an answer. Or maybe he just didn't want to be the one to sway her decision.
There was a time, years earlier, when his was the life on the line. He was the person who people had rioted over and whom Freedom had taken action for. It was one of the first times that they had openly rebelled against the system. People were lost that night. For him, but for so much more than him. He could never believe that his life was worth any of that, but everything changed because of it. Could he honestly say that it wasn't worth it? He hated having to think in such terms.
Luckily for Collin, Mig wasn't asking his professional opinion. She was venting to a friend, and ultimately he might write about the decision made there that day, but he wouldn't be held responsible for it.
Finally, Collin said to Mig, “Mek is out there right now, trying to find that girl. I don't think we have a choice anymore. We just have to make sure that we do it the right way.”
As he said those words, Collin realized that Mig wasn't even
looking at him anymore. She was looking down the hallway, with concern all over her face.
When Collin turned, he saw Dor. She was standing in the middle of the hallway. He'd never seen the expression on her face before. She was breathing heavily. Tears filled her eyes. She looked scared as hell, and that scared Collin.
Dor took a step toward Collin and the next thing he knew, she was running toward him. When she was close enough, Dor wrapped her arms around Collin.
At first, Collin had no idea what was happening. He thought she was sobbing in his arms and this girl never sobbed. He didn't know what had happened on her mission, but he was prepared to let Mig and Aaron know exactly what he thought of their poor decision making.
Then he realized that Dor wasn't sobbing. She was laughing. She was laughing hysterically.
“Dor?” Mig asked, looking as completely dumbfounded as Collin felt.
Dor pulled back with a stupid grin on her face and asked Collin, “When's your birthday?”
Collin was confused. Birthdays weren't really a big deal anymore. They were more about record-keeping than celebrating. He answered her with a shake of the head and said, “Next month. Why?”
“Because I just got you the best present ever.”
16
Marti had her back turned to Governor Garrison as she walked down the hallway that led to one of the more private rooms in the ER. Though the Governor's son wasn't severely injured, the hospital staff would be treating him like royalty, lest they suffer the wrath of their state's king.
The ER was still hectic, with doctors and nurses moving around at high speeds. Some were covered with blood. At least one was covered in vomit. The smell carried through the hall and clung to the back of her throat. If Marti hadn't been used to that smell, she might have gagged. Instead, she smiled inwardly as she heard a gag from behind her.
She had never treated anyone this important before. Though city officials and their families came into the ER all the time, she had never been assigned to anyone of great importance. Now she was mere feet away from the Governor. What did that mean? What could she do with this opportunity?
The Governor had only minor injuries—nothing that she could use to kill the man and pass it off as a random complication. Unless it became infected, but she couldn't figure out a low-key way of making sure that his facial scratch would become so severely infected that it would lead to death. Still, there had to be some way to use this situation to her advantage.
As they walked, the Governor was quiet. No smalltalk. None of his underlings fluttering around, waiting to take orders. He was silent, save for the sound of his fancy leather shoes squeaking on the floor.
As they approached the room where his son was being treated, Marti put that sweet, girlie smile back on her face and looked over her shoulder as she said, “He's really okay. He has a few bumps, but nothing that a little bit of rest won't cure.”
The Governor said nothing. He didn't even look at her. He kept his eyes straight ahead, giving her the impression that she had spoken out of turn. She was a common citizen after all, and she shouldn't be speaking to her masters unless directly spoken to.
She imagined what his face would look like if severe infection did set in. Flesh rotting away. Agony. Death. These thoughts helped her keep that smile on her face as she opened the door to his son's room and held it for the Governor.
He walked past her and into the room, where a doctor named Fielding was standing over the young man who had come in with Justin. There was a nurse at the back of the room, Jackie. She was younger than Marti and had only recently started working at the hospital.
Once the Governor was inside, Marti walked to where Jackie was filling out some forms on the patient's chart, seeming to have a hard time with some of it.
Marti smiled wider and said, “These tablets can be difficult until you know how to use them.”
Jackie smiled at her nervously. She sensed the power in the room and didn't know what to do with herself. She seemed to be trying to decide between staying and going, and was probably just trying to look busy as she worked in the back of the room.
In a friendly tone, Marti said, “Why don't you let me take this? There are more patients that need help outside.”
Jackie looked relieved as she handed the tablet to Marti and hurried out of the room.
Marti held the tablet in her hand, tapping here and scrolling there. She wasn't doing much of anything, but she wanted to look busy as she listened to the conversation taking place.
“Your son is fine, Governor. We treated him for a number of—” Dr. Fielding started, before being cut off by the Governor.
“How long will he need to be here?” the Governor asked.
“I'd like to keep him over night. Nothing major, I'd just hate to see any complications arise. Blood clots and the like.”
The doctor was being overly cautious. Judging by Geo Garrison's chart, he could walk out of the room right now and sleep in his own bed without a care in the world. But if something did happen—even if it was a car accident on the way back to the palatial hotel where people like him stayed—the Governor might want someone to blame. Dr. Fielding was smart to be cautious.
“Fine. Call my office when he's ready to be picked up.”
“Yes, sir.”
Dr. Fielding apparently took that as his cue to exit. He walked to Marti and said, “Keep an eye on the patient and let me know if there are any changes.”
“Yes, sir,” Marti replied, echoing the words of the doctor from only seconds before as she kept pretending to work on the tablet.
“I hope you enjoyed your game,” the Governor said.
“It was exciting,” his son, Geo, replied.
“I've called the Mayor's office and canceled your internship. You'll be going home.”
“Yes, sir.”
Geo sounded just like anyone else when speaking to his father. For some reason, this surprised Marti. She thought for a moment or two that the Governor might have been concerned for his son, but this was looking less and less like the visit of a worried parent.
“If anything had happened to you,” the Governor said, “I would have been a laughingstock. The Governor's son, killed by Freedom... They would have had a field day with this, all because you couldn't listen for once in your damn life.”
“You mean Hate, Father,” Geo corrected.
“Shut your mouth. And the next time I tell you to stay home, you stay home. Next time I tell you to go somewhere, you go. You don't question me, especially in front of other people. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Call your mother. She's worried.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I have work to do.”
With that, the Governor turned and walked out of the room.
Marti wondered if there were any hint of fatherly love in there. The man didn't have to take the time to track his son down, after all. He could have had someone check on Geo if he really didn't care.
After the Governor was gone, Marti continued to work on her tablet. Her back was to Geo and the room fell completely silent for what seemed like forever.
Finally, Geo said, “You should see him when he's angry.”
Marti turned and smiled, but said nothing. It wasn't her place.
Geo smiled back, trying his best to lighten the mood in the room.
“How's the other guy?” Geo asked, “The one who saved me?”
“He's going to be fine.”
“That's good. I'd like to thank him when he's available.”
Marti looked over at Geo, wondering why he would possibly want to thank a HAND officer for doing his job. This was hardly typical.
Geo returned Marti's puzzled look, as though asking her why she thought that his request was so strange. Just the fact that he appeared to know what she was thinking made Marti uncomfortable. She smiled politely, but looked away from him.
“I'm Geo, by the way.”
“I know,” Marti
smiled, and then held up the tablet with all of his information on it. His name was clearly written at the top of the screen.
Geo nodded, “Right. I guess you know a lot about me.”
“I do.”
“And yet I know nothing about you.”
“You don't,” Marti replied. She caught herself being a little bit too relaxed toward someone of his social standing and quickly added, “Sir.”
“Geo.”
“I know your name.”
“You should use it.”
“It's not my place.”
“I command you to use my name,” Geo ordered in a somewhat sarcastic tone, waving his arm in the air as though he were knighting Marti with the power to use his name. He then winced, because waving his arm in the air caused him pain.
Marti couldn't help but smile.
She nodded and asked, “If I use your name, will you stop inflicting more pain on yourself? We already have our plate full around here.”
“So brazen. Do you not know who I am?”
Marti put the tablet down and walked to Geo's bedside. She looked down at him with sympathy in her eyes and said, “Geo.”
He grinned and gave her a pleased nod.
“And you are?”
“Your nurse.”
“Named?”
“People usually just snap their fingers and yell 'nurse.'”
“Is that what your boyfriend calls you?”
Marti shrugged suggestively, which just made Geo's grin grow that much wider. He liked her.
It wasn't unusual for patients to flirt with Marti. She was young and pretty, and she smiled like a sweet and innocent little girl whenever she spoke with them. She played dumb, which they liked. She rarely flirted back, but it suited her needs at times. Once or twice it gained her information which she could pass on to Freedom.
Geo was without a doubt the most well placed patient that had ever crossed her path, and yet he was flirting with her like every bottom feeder who came into that hospital.
