“Please, Wren,” I prompted. “You can rest with them, you can trust them.”
“How do I know it’s not a trap?” she asked. The question crushed me. I thought I had won her trust. Obviously I was fooling myself.
“The people are part of the Resistance. They are against Stone. I’ve been working with them in secret. I don’t know how to convince you this is true but it is. I’ve had opportunities to hurt you before and I haven’t. I hope that counts for something.”
She chewed on her lip, one hand going up to rub the back of her neck. “The Resistance is real?”
Again, not the question I was expecting. “Yes, it is. Have you heard of it?”
“Whispers.”
“They’re real and they will hide you. When I find out something about Rocky, I’ll know where to find you.”
“Are you really going to find him?”
“I’m going to try, Wren. I promise you that.”
Her head started bobbing slowly, causing a rush of relief to flow through me. She was really going to listen and she was going to stay safe. I didn’t know how worried I’d been until I realized what her assent meant.
I gave her the address for Joseph and a brief rundown of directions. Hopefully my name would buy her entrance into their group. There was doubt in my mind whether it would but I had to try. They would at least be intrigued when they discovered who her Maker was.
Hopefully I was making the right decision and not sending her into the lion’s den.
A minute later and I was slipping from the shadows of the building. I left Wren with instructions to sneak out when the coast was clear, showing her the areas to avoid where our trooper stations were planted.
With my helmet firmly back on my head, I became the trooper I was supposed to be again. My feet marched in a silent rhythm as I rejoined my group.
Only then did I spot Dwyer.
He’d seen where I was.
Chapter 13: Wren
Reece said the Resistance was real. Like it was an actual thing and that crazy man in the sewers had told the truth.
But… how?
Stone’s government had been in power for many, many years – even before I was born. They were firmly ensconced in Aria City, ruling with an iron grip on all their people.
Citizens didn’t dare fight back.
It was a death sentence.
Reece could have been lying. He was a trooper, the most allegiant members of the city. They served their president every day, in every single action they did. Why would he help a group that fought against her?
He wouldn’t.
It had to be a trap.
But if it was, why was I still considering actually going to them? I only had the word of a boy I shouldn’t trust. Words meant nothing when spoken to Defectives. They were as useless as a room with no doors.
Pointless.
Hopeless.
Lies.
I risked a peek out the window, seeing the troopers patrolling the square below. Reece was easy to spot, even when he looked exactly like all the others. There was something about his gait. Even though only minute, I could see it, plain as day.
His steps were more troubled.
His spirit not as black.
Reece was different from the others, I knew that deep in my belly. He wasn’t sending me into a trap but I had no evidence to support my theory. If Rocky was there he would have thrown up his arms and told me I was nuts for considering it.
He would tell me not to go, that we were safer on our own.
I would have let him talk me out of it.
But I didn’t have him anymore. Rocky was gone and I had to find a way to get to him. If the trooper promised me he would help, then maybe he would. There was the tiniest fraction of a fraction that he wasn’t lying.
I watched the troopers as they marched their straight lines and turned neatly around corners. Their world was so clear and straightforward. Defectives’ lives were nothing but squiggly lines painted black.
There would be a moment when all four of the trooper groups pivoted at the same time. It would happen in a few seconds and Reece said that was the best time for me to leave the building. He said I would be able to slip into the cracks and head toward the address he had spelled out for me.
Three.
Two.
One.
I ran from the window to the door, my foot only slightly slowing me down. I slipped out and kept my head faced downward. I would give nobody a reason to look at me like I was anything but an ordinary citizen of Aria.
It would have been easier with two feet that worked.
My hands shoved into my pockets as I walked with purpose. I stuck to the side streets and tried to remember all the directions Reece had told me. He spoke too fast at times, throwing foreign words at me that I couldn’t process.
Especially when my brain was too full of Rocky and the Resistance.
A large part of me still didn’t believe there was an organization that was against President Stone. It was too dangerous, the people risked too much. I needed to see it with my own eyes before I could believe it.
Just when my feet started to ache, I found myself standing outside 2121 Battle Avenue. It didn’t look like a symbol of anti-government treason. It looked like every other house in the street. A letterbox, a front stoop, symmetrical windows, and a roof that pitched into a triangle.
It looked… normal.
Perhaps it was a trap.
Or the Resistance was far less impressive than I imagined it would be.
It was time to take a leap of faith and put all my trust into a trooper I didn’t even really know. It was do or die. Perhaps both. Perhaps neither.
I could run now. Listen to the words I had placed in Rocky’s mouth in his absence and go it alone. I could search every inch of the city until I found him and then we’d…
We’d what?
We didn’t have anywhere to go. There was only so far we could run within the city walls and we were still no closer to working out a way past them.
I stepped up to the door and knocked.
And waited.
Even though I couldn’t see them, I could feel a hundred sets of eyes fixed on me. They emanated from every shadow, lived in every crack. They were all there and they were all watching me.
I spun around suddenly, certain I had heard something behind me. But when my gaze scanned the area, there was nothing but the innocent houses and black tarred street. Just like there was before.
There had been something, though. There was a noise and it was loud enough to get my attention. All the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.
The urge to run was overwhelming. But I had to think of Rocky. He needed my help and that meant I had to get my own help from somewhere. Reece had given me the address and promised they would help me.
Unless it was a trap.
I knocked again.
If the occupants inside didn’t let me in, I was going to attract attention before too long. Any one of their neighbors could turn me into the troopers. It would only take them seconds to arrive and take me into custody.
One neighbor to notice.
A few seconds to end my life.
I definitely heard a noise that time. My head snapped around as my body turned to face the street. It had been a twig snapping or a rock thudding to the ground. It was only small but it had definitely been a noise that floated up to my ears and barreled into my head.
The eyes were still upon me, my hair still stood on end. I’d spent most of my life in a state of fear but standing on the stoop there in the middle of an average suburb was creepier than I’d experienced before.
Without warning, the front door behind me screeched open. I spun around quickly but it wasn’t fast enough. One strong male arm snaked around my waist and snatched me inside. I was powerless to stop them.
That didn’t stop me trying.
I kicked out as I pleaded with him. “Please put me down. I’ve been sent here.
I mean you no harm. Please, you’re hurting me.”
He carried me through the living room which seemed far too ordinary for what this house was supposed to hold. The chances of it being a trap were growing much more likely by the minute. I would never forgive myself for being so gullible and stupid.
For actually trusting a trooper.
And a human.
A hand was clamped around my mouth to shut me up. It was actually pretty effective, almost cutting off my air supply in the process.
The man carrying me took me down a set of stairs into a basement. The concrete walls were reinforced with steel plates. No windows allowed in light, only a single fluorescent strip lit the room and flickered slightly.
I was planted unceremoniously in the middle of the room, finally released from the iron grip of my captor. I instantly turned around to confront him.
And immediately was face to face with five people.
Three of them pointed guns at me.
The burly man stepped back to be behind the others. He was obviously the muscles, in charge of dealing with trespassers. The man at the front of the group was older than I was expecting, he had to be in his seventies.
“Who are you?” the older man asked, his voice tinged with an accent I couldn’t place.
“My name is Wren. Trooper Reece gave me your address, he said you could help me,” I said, all my words running together into each other even though I tried to remain calm.
It was pretty hard not panicking when there were so many guns pointed my way.
And I had nowhere to run.
Nowhere to hide.
The old man betrayed nothing with his expression. “Why would he think we could help you?”
“Because you’re in the Resistance.” The words didn’t sound right coming from my mouth. I still didn’t entirely believe the Resistance was a real thing. Half of me expected them to laugh in my face before they killed me.
He swallowed, which I couldn’t interpret as meaning anything. “Why do you need assistance?”
It struck me that they hadn’t noticed my foot or my birthmark when I was carried in. If they didn’t recognize my face and couldn’t see my defect, they wouldn’t know what I was. It was probably the first time in my life people were looking at me and believing I was human.
That moment felt wonderful.
But it wouldn’t last.
My gaze lowered to the floor as I muttered. “I’m a Defective Clone. They’re hunting me.”
Shuffling feet and a few simultaneous gasps arose from my small audience. I’d somehow managed to take them by surprise, almost like they’d done to me on the front stoop. My gaze dared to float up to them. Their shock was clear in their wide eyes.
At least I had their full attention.
The old man dared to take a step closer. Now was either the time he threw me out or decided to hold me hostage until the troopers were alerted to my whereabouts. I braced myself.
He held his hand out to me. I stared at it, not sure what I should do. Thankfully, he reached forward and took a hold of my hand, grasping it gently while shaking it. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Wren. I am Joseph.”
His kindness was so unexpected I could feel tears stinging my eyes. I swallowed down the lump in my throat. “You’re not going to call the troopers?”
“We will protect you for now.” He paused to wave the others away. They turned without argument and left us alone in the basement. Even the one with all the muscles was dismissed. Joseph addressed me again only after they left. “You must tell me your story. Start with your defect.”
I held out my left foot and slipped off my shoe. My deformed, shriveled foot was shown to him while the shame burned my face. I didn’t like people seeing my foot, it was my embarrassment to bear.
Joseph had a good look before he nodded. “You may put your shoe back on. Thank you for sharing with me. Is that your only defect?”
“Yes, it is. I have a birthmark on my neck too but that is a blemish rather than a defect.” Wasn’t that enough? It ensured I could never walk like a human, made certain I would never fit in where I didn’t belong.
He grabbed some steel chairs from a small adjoining room and offered me one while he sat on the other. The metal was cold underneath my legs. Even with his age, I was sure the chairs were for my benefit rather than his.
Joseph settled in as he crossed his legs and placed a hand over his knee. “How do you know Reece?”
“I don’t, really. He found me once and helped me escape from the troopers when they were doing a raid. They were looking for me and he let me go. I don’t understand why,” I replied. There was no point in lying, not when he had been so kind to me.
So far.
I wouldn’t be lulled into a false sense of security.
“So you know nothing further about Reece?” I shook my head while he thought it over some more. Questions about how he knew the trooper burned on the tip of my tongue while I was too afraid to ask them. Reece had to know them well or he wouldn’t have sent me there.
He trusted them.
But that didn’t mean I should too.
Joseph continued his interrogation. “Who is your Maker?”
It was the one question I had been dreading and the one I most wanted to avoid. Who my Maker was could get me into a lot of trouble. Even if these people did feel strongly against the president, it didn’t mean they would commit treason once they discovered who I was.
My gaze travelled all over the room, everywhere except at him. Perhaps it had been a big mistake coming there. Maybe I should have just stayed to myself and tried to find Rocky alone. It would have saved a lot of time if I hadn’t come there.
“Wren,” Joseph prompted. “It’s okay, you can tell me. You look familiar but I can’t quite place your face. Is your Maker famous?”
I nodded, my lips sealed.
“Is she powerful?”
Another nod.
He sighed. “Tell me who she is, Wren. We can’t help you unless you tell us the truth. We need to know who exactly you’re hiding from. Otherwise we can’t aid you.”
I’d arrived at a fork in the road. I wasn’t stupid, I knew I needed help. But to get that assistance I needed to tell them who my Maker was. Joseph’s reaction to that one name could not be predicted. They would either change their mind and throw me out or they would do as they said and help me.
There was a reason people hesitated at forks.
The unknown was far scarier than the singular path leading up to that point.
“My Maker is President Stone,” I said quickly, before I changed my mind. I felt like I was diving off a cliff, falling into the stark unknown where I could crash into rocks or soar into the sky.
I’d only ever felt the rocks before.
I never soared.
The old man stared at me like I just might be a ghost. All the blood drained away from his rosy cheeks until there was nothing left but thin skin spattered with tiny red blood vessels.
“You’re the one Reece was talking about,” Joseph said, more to himself than me. He was making some connection inside his mind, something he wasn’t going to share with me. He leaned forward to study my features in depth, at times nodding when he saw something he particularly recognized.
I sat completely still and silent, holding my breath while I waited for his next words. He still had a chance to change his mind, call the troopers and cash in on the large reward. If the Resistance was real I’m sure it could use the funds. They could rationalize it as for the greater good.
One Defective’s life for many.
An easy trade?
He touched my face as his hand gripped my chin and turned my head in all different directions. I wanted to pull away from him but I didn’t dare move.
“Ah, it’s true,” he finally declared. “You’re President Stone’s clone. Of course. I should have recognized you as soon as you walked in the door.”
“Are you still going to help me?” I asked, g
rowing impatient. I needed their confirmation so I could tell them about Rocky. They had to help me find him, take him back from the clutches of the troopers.
Joseph sat back in his chair again. I could still feel his cold fingertips on my chin for many minutes afterwards. “You cannot stay here.”
All the hope that had been lingering in my belly evaporated into thin air. It was silly to expect anything further. The Resistance wasn’t real. Or if it was they didn’t want to help Defectives. They wanted to protect humans, just like they all did.
“But you might be very useful to our cause,” he finished. “How would you feel about joining the Resistance?”
“I’m not entirely sure I believe it’s real,” I replied, deadpan. I needed to keep all the emotion out of my voice or the depth of my pain would be too obvious. I had to keep it hidden.
“Oh, we’re real. And our numbers are growing. A revolution is coming in Aria and we’re going to take down Stone and tear down the wall around our city.”
“What about the Defectives?” I asked. “Do they play into your grand plans at all?”
A hint of amusement flickered in his eyes. “My dear, they are the center of my plan. Cloning should never have been allowed in the first place and we plan on banning it. We want equal rights for those clones already in existence. The murders must cease.”
Mixed feelings swirled around my head at his words. I would have to sort through my emotions later, lock them away until I could properly deal with them.
For now, I needed to find Rocky.
“So how can I help?”
Joseph gave a big smile, I’d obviously said the right thing. “I’m not sure yet. Your sudden appearance here today has caught us all off guard. We will need to discuss the situation as a group before we decide on a way forward. In the meantime, you can stay at one of our safe houses.”
Hope kicked up again. “So you will help me? You’ll hide me from the troopers?”
“You have my word, Wren.”
One problem down, another one to go. “Thank you. I have a friend, his name is Rocky. Troopers took him today and I need to find him so I can get him back. Can you help with that too?”
“Is he a Defective Clone like you?”
Two Beating Hearts Page 13
