Two Beating Hearts

by Campbell, Jamie

  It seemed fitting.

  I took a seat next to Rocky as he handed me a bread roll. I picked the mold off the edges and tore it apart with my hands, checking for weevils and other pests. This one seemed clear, I took a bite and forced myself to eat it slowly.

  The conversation took a while to get going as everyone was concentrating on their food. Only when bellies started to get full and quiet down did mouths start to speak.

  Spider spoke with food still in his mouth. “I heard the troopers talking when they made the delivery.”

  Daisy looked at him with wide eyes. “What did they say?”

  “Said they wouldn’t have to make the deliveries for much longer. They had a good laugh about it too. They’re going to round us up, I can feel it in my defective bones.”

  Looking around at the faces of my people, the closest I had to a family, the thought of losing them all was too much. None of us deserved to be herded like animals and put to the slaughter. We were made in the images of humans, surely they couldn’t look into our eyes and see nothing there?

  Of course they did.

  They did it every single day.

  Spider continued, purposefully swallowing his mouthful first. “If you want my opinion, I’m with Rocky.”

  All eyes turned to the boy beside me, including my own. “And what’s that?” I asked.

  Rocky had the slightly startled look of a rabbit being caught in an open field with nowhere to run. His deformed stump of an arm slightly trembled as he fought to hold his bread. “I think we should all split up and hide. Leave the village for good.”

  He had told me that plan on many late nights while we were huddled together in our shack. He thought we had more chance for survival if the humans could not easily locate us in the one place.

  What surprised me now wasn’t hearing his opinion but the fact he had shared it with others. And Spider of all people. Everyone knew he didn’t keep secrets to himself.

  How much exactly had he discussed with him?

  Daisy spoke, interrupting my own thoughts. “But if we run away and hide, who will feed us? We’re stronger together, right? Back me up here, Wren.”

  Now it was my turn to wear the stunned rabbit’s expression. “I don’t know.”

  Daisy wasn’t pleased with my answer, she pursed her lips. “Well I think splitting up is stupid. Plus, who will look after any new deliveries? There will be no-one to look after the babies, they’ll perish by themselves.”

  “The Makers wouldn’t leave the babies to die. They’d keep them in the laboratories until they were old enough to take their organs,” Sunny added, always the voice of knowledge and wisdom.

  I imagined the laboratory where we were all created in a petri dish by scientists who were paid handsomely for their services to humanity. They probably would keep the babies, secure them in cages until they grew old enough to harvest their organs. They would have no life, no chance.

  At least we had a few years to ourselves before we died to Serve Our Purpose.

  The conversation flowed around me like a stream but I was an island. I could not participate when it was my presence putting them all at greater risk. Soon I would be gone and that would ensure the troopers patrolled the village less and less.

  It wasn’t long before the raised voices brought me back to the conversation.

  Spider stood, planting his feet on the ground stubbornly. “We have to do something. I’m not going to stick around and wait for them to put pieces of me in a freezer. If that is your plan, then you’re all stupid.”

  “He’s right,” Rocky said, standing beside him. This wasn’t going to end well.

  A girl my age, Iris, stood across the fire from them. “Daisy is right, we’re stronger if we stick together. They can’t fight us all at the same time but they can pick us off one by one if we scatter.”

  “Of course they can fight us all,” Spider countered. “They’re the ones with the guns, remember? Don’t think for a moment they won’t shoot you. There’s plenty of places a bullet can pierce without damaging any of their precious organs.”

  Iris wasn’t having any of it. “I’d rather die here than run like a rat and live in the sewers.”

  “Then your life will be much shorter,” Rocky countered.

  Acorn, Iris’s partner, was the next to participate in the conversation, standing to join them as the shadows of the flames flickered over his face. “You’re one to speak.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You hang around her.” Acorn nodded toward me and every part of my insides cringed. “She’s going to guarantee we’ve all got shorter lives.”

  Rocky saw red.

  Everything happened so fast I could barely take it all in. Rocky launched himself at Acorn, their bodies colliding mid-lunge before wrestling to the ground.

  Fists flew in all directions. I lost track of which knuckles belonged to who as they smashed against jaws and temples. Iris screamed along with me, begging for the men to stop.

  Rocky copped a punch to his cheek, sending his head flying backwards as the sound of skin on skin contact punctuated the air. Blood started pouring from his nose.

  He didn’t stay down.

  Making a new lunge for Acorn, Rocky’s one good hand fisted and collided with his jaw. Acorn stumbled a few steps backwards, his hand flying up to rub at the impact zone.

  Iris screamed as she tried to get between them. I rushed for Rocky, attempting to pull him away but to no avail. His rage was making him stronger than he normally was, unable to see the sense in the situation.

  Others joined in the fight, picking a side quickly as the fray increased. Sunny stood on the edge, yelling at everyone to stop fighting and making threats if they didn’t.

  Nobody was listening.

  Rocky and Acorn moved dangerously close to the fire. Another moment and their clothes could easily have caught on fire. They struggled with each other, wrestling to fight for control. With their defects, they were almost evenly matched. Acorn had a slight size advantage.

  My body trembled with fear and adrenalin as I clawed at Rocky and tried to pull him away. My hands kept slipping from his clothes, unable to grab a good hold on him.

  Iris’s screams were louder than them all. “Shut up!” I snapped at her. She didn’t even hear me, I wasn’t on her radar.

  Acorn’s arm snapped away from Rocky and hit me – hard. I stumbled, my bad foot getting caught up with my good one and tripping me up. I went down, falling backwards until my back struck the log on the ground.

  All the air was pushed from my lungs as I waited for my head to stop spinning. The sharp sting in my back started to throb as the pain took over.

  Still, they fought.

  Sunny yelled louder than anyone, everyone completely oblivious to her warnings. All they saw were their enemies as they attacked one another like animals.

  “Wren!” My name snapped my foggy head upwards. Rocky was standing over me, quickly crouching down to be by my side. He offered me his good hand. “Are you okay?”

  I could see two of him.

  Blinking several times, they merged back into one. I took his hand as he helped me into a sitting position. I caught a glimpse of Iris standing between us and Acorn, holding him back with her pleading wails.

  Blood was pooling in Rocky’s left eye while the skin around it threatened to swell it closed. They were so stupid for arguing, especially when it was over me.

  He was a silly, beautiful boy.

  “I’ll be fine,” I said, testing my back. It didn’t appreciate the movement but there would be no lasting damage. I gently touched Rocky’s cheek. “You’re worse off than I am.”

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  I couldn’t disagree. Rocky helped me to my feet. I needed to rest against him for a moment while the earth stopped spinning around me.

  “You shouldn’t come back,” Acorn called out to our departing figures.

  I vowed we wouldn’t.

&nb
sp; Chapter 8: Reece

  If I didn’t move now I would lose my chance.

  If I moved now, and was caught, my life would be over.

  I didn’t really have a choice either way. I had to meet with my contact or he would believe I changed my mind. This is what I had signed up for. Everything I had done in the past few months was for the mission. This was just another task I had to fulfill.

  Looking around one last time, everything appeared to be clear. All I had to do was scale the fence and then I would be over the base. If I stayed the course I would manage to avoid all security cameras and looking posts.

  If.

  It was a big if.

  I ran at the fence and jumped, landing halfway up with my fingers digging into the wire and my feet scrambling for purchase. The moment I was still I started crawling up the wire. I had forty seconds to breach the fence before the new shift started and eyes would be watching the cameras.

  The wire bit into the skin on my fingers, threatening to tear it from the bone with every new grip. I pushed through until I reached the top and dropped down on the other side.

  Checking my watch, I had nine seconds to get into the surrounding forest and then run like hell.

  I took off.

  My feet pounded with the same rhythm of my heart. Thud, thud, thud through the silent witnesses of the trees. Loose leaves rustled with my tread, announcing my arrival a few seconds before I was visible.

  I was trained for this. My physical condition was at its peak. I could run with the best in my troop, relishing in the burning of my lungs and ache in my thighs.

  Cameras were placed in the forest, keeping an eye on anyone who dared to approach the base. I ducked around trees and down pathways that ensured I would stay out of their range. I hadn’t volunteered for fence-line security detail every day for a month for nothing.

  Finally, I breached the edge of the forest and made it out to the urban area on the other side. I jumped on the first bus I saw and sat in the back, trying to be as unmemorable as possible.

  It took me three buses and a hike to get to my meeting place. It was a home I had been to only once before when I had pledged my dedication to the cause.

  To anyone looking on from the outside, the single-story house was like all its neighbors. Brick veneer, black tiled roof, and a red letterbox. Nothing screamed that it was one of the most dangerous places in Aria.

  Joseph greeted me with the same warmth of the North Pole as he ushered me inside. At only five foot four and with more wrinkles than any one person should have, he was a difficult man to read. His hard eyes let no emotion through, his voice betrayed nothing.

  He was stoic.

  There was never a person more qualified to be described that way.

  “Come in, Reece. Don’t stand out in the open for the entire neighborhood to gawk at you,” Joseph said as he waited for me impatiently. I stepped inside and he quickly closed the door. I felt like a giant standing next to his small frame.

  “I had a message that you wanted to speak with me,” I replied, getting straight to business. It was too dangerous to deal with small talk. Both Joseph and I were keenly aware of that fact.

  “I did. Tell me what is happening on base. What have you heard?” He invited me to sit on the sofa while he perched on the edge of an armchair.

  “There are rumors the Defectives will be dealt with en masse. Some are concerned that they are not worth the hassle and may start to cause trouble.”

  Joseph nodded thoughtfully. I wished I could see into his mind, work out how he processed the information he gathered from hundreds of spies around the city.

  The silence was deafening. I had the urge to fill it with my ramblings. Few people could have that effect on me. “They are cracking down on sympathizers too. Using any kind of excuse to get rid of them.”

  “You must stay off their radar. Give them no reason to doubt your loyalties.”

  “Of course.”

  “I need you to find out more about their plans for the Defectives. We must know when they are planning to strike before they do. We must have time to act. Do you understand, Reece?” His hard eyes pierced me, pinning me in place until I was uncomfortable.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You must not be caught.”

  “Trust me, I’m doing everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen.” I would have laughed at his unnecessary warning if the situation wasn’t so somber.

  “We will meet again soon,” Joseph said by way of dismissal. But I wasn’t done yet. I’d risked my neck getting there and I wasn’t going to leave until I received some information.

  “Sir, I have to ask, how hard would it be to get a Defective out of Aria?” I didn’t realize I was holding my breath waiting for an answer until Joseph spoke and I could exhale again.

  “It’s too dangerous. For now we must act within the city limits.”

  “But she’s not safe here.”

  Joseph arched one eyebrow, the most emotion I had ever seen out of him. “Who is this girl’s Maker?”

  “She’s rich… and powerful.”

  He stared at me intently while he thought it through. Once again, I wished I could open a window to his brain and know everything that was going on inside.

  “Who is she?” he finally asked.

  “I can’t say.”

  “Then I cannot help.”

  The man wouldn’t change his mind, I knew that for certain. He did not manage to rally an entire hidden army within the city by bowing to pressure and personal whims.

  But I could not betray Wren either. I shouldn’t have even been talking about her. She was the most wanted person in Aria, guaranteed to bring death to anyone who hid her from the president.

  “Just tell me how I can get her out, please?”

  Joseph shook his head. “It would take many people to get one clone out. Twice that for a Defective. If you cannot tell me who this girl is then I am unable to ascertain her particular level of difficulty.”

  “Could she be smuggled through the wall patrols?” I pressed. I needed an answer and this might have been my only shot. I promised Wren, I couldn’t let her down.

  I wasn’t sure why she affected me the way she did but the need to help her was greater than my level of diplomacy.

  “I cannot help you,” Joseph repeated. “Tell me who she is and then we may discuss this further. I do not deal with ghosts.”

  Our eyes locked and there were no doubts he was completely sincere. To help Wren I had to betray her. I hoped it was for the best. “She is President Stone’s clone.”

  For the first time since I met him – and possibility for the first time in his life – Joseph gasped. For just a moment he let his façade fade and I caught a glimpse of the real man standing before me. It terrified me more than any of the sergeants back on the base.

  “It is impossible,” he stated simply. “Our illustrious president has eyes all over the city and they are all searching for her and her alone. To help the girl would be suicide.”

  “She needs someone’s help.”

  “Not ours.”

  “She’s a Defective like the rest of them. Can’t you show her as much compassion as every other one?” I asked. I had crossed a line but didn’t care. This was important, far more important than manners and pretty words.

  Joseph crossed his arms over his chest, placing a mental barrier between us. “She is as good as dead already. Forget about the girl and concentrate your efforts on the ones we can save.”

  “But—”

  “This conversation is over, Reece. If you want to help the Resistance you must forget about her. You are no good to us dead and that is exactly where she will lead you. May luck be with you.”

  I should have listened to his wise words and followed his orders. I should have decided right then and there to rid my thoughts of Wren and everything about her.

  Should have.

  Couldn’t have.

  Wren was not President Stone. She had emot
ions and feelings, she was as vulnerable as her namesake. There was no possible way for me to forget about her and leave the girl to succumb to her fate. She deserved to be free like the rest of them.

  Outwardly, I made the appropriate gestures and words to convince Joseph I agreed with him. Inwardly, I only strengthened my resolve.

  I would keep Wren alive.

  At all costs.

  Joseph led me to the door and wished me a safe journey. I took different bus routes back to the suburb closest to the forest and entered through the trees. As it started to descend on us, the night swallowed me up.

  I waited by the tree line for the next change in shifts. They changed regularly on base, always trying to keep the troopers on their feet so they didn’t fall asleep on the job.

  It took over an hour of keeping my eyes glued to my watch before it was time. I scampered up the fence and dropped onto my feet on the other side.

  My belly rumbled for some food but I headed for my room instead of facing the mess hall. My allocated eating time wasn’t for a few hours yet, my hunger would have to make itself at home for a while longer.

  The halls were busy by base standards as troopers mingled around, talking in hushed tones. My paranoia was sparked as I picked up snippets of their conversations as I passed by.

  Someone was a traitor.

  And he was the hot topic of conversation.

  I may as well have been covered with red paint, making me stand out and look as guilty as I felt. But surely they couldn’t be talking about me? I’d only been gone for a few hours at most. That wasn’t enough time to discover what I was doing.

  Right?

  My desperation grew by the second.

  It would only have taken one person to recognize me off base. One person to be suspicious enough to follow me. One person to report me to my superiors.

  One person could have given me a death sentence.

  My gaze went to the floor as I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked at a pace that would discourage anyone from stopping me. I walked like I was on a mission.

  The door to my dorm was unlocked, warning me Dwyer was inside. I stepped in and secured the handle, ensuring we would have no surprise visitors. I was acting just as paranoid as I felt and it was the wrong thing to do. I knew it, but that didn’t mean I could alter my behavior.