by Melissa West
“Ari?”
My throat closes up as I reach out, desperate to feel him, and he does the same, only to have a shock rock through him when he touches the bars, his teeth gritting together as his body shakes, landing him back hard against his bed. Tears rush down my face as I watch him tense in pain. Finally the tremor stops and I step away, afraid I set something off. Though why didn’t it shock me?
“Are you okay? What happened?” But he isn’t moving now. “Jackson? Jackson!”
“He is surrounded by an electrical field.”
I release a slow breath and turn to see Kelvin a few feet away, his arms crossed, two Ops at his sides. I’d been so distracted I didn’t even hear them approach. “He’s unconscious now.”
I start for him before logic overcomes my nerve. There are only three of them—I can kill them all and free everyone in these cells before anyone comes down here. But then what? I still won’t have any answers at all. The Ops step in front of Kelvin, but he only laughs, his eyes daring me to act. I can see it in his face—he wants me to attack him. He wants to test me, to see if I am as reckless as he thinks I am. After a moment, he cocks his head, a smile still on his face. “No need. She isn’t foolish enough to attack. Especially since I have Operatives manning her parents’ room, ordered to shoot them should I give the order. They are listening in to this conversation now. One word, and they are gone. Would you sacrifice your parents for this boy?”
Rage rockets through me, my hands shaking from the effort to not Take him. I could. I could suck the very life out of him right this second. “Release him.”
Kelvin tilts his head again, considering, then focuses again on me. “I think not. I think you have information I need. Or perhaps he holds the information, but either way, one of you is going to tell me what I need to know.”
“We don’t know anything! Why can’t you see that? Only Zeus knows his plan.”
“Maybe.”
“You aren’t listening. Or perhaps you really are this delusional. Zeus is the Ancient leader, and he intends to attack Earth. Why would he tell us anything?”
Kelvin takes a step. “Silly girl. I don’t think he would intentionally reveal his plan to you. I think he would slip. Say something that could be valuable to us. Or perhaps you were too distracted by romantic interests to pay attention.”
I jerk upright at the accusation, but I can feel his words down to the bone. Had I focused so much on Jackson that I’d ignored other things? Would I have seen Lydian for the traitor she was? Would I have caught Zeus before he escaped? I’ll never know. My gaze travels down the hall before returning to Kelvin. “Why are these people down here?”
Kelvin’s expression shifts to hate. “They aren’t people. They are Ancients. All of the RESs. I won’t allow a militant Ancient to be released in the Underground.”
“Then why am I not down here?”
“Who’s to say you weren’t at one time?” He turns to the Op on his left. “Bring Mr. Castello to the holding room for questioning.” Then to the other he says, “Take her to the interrogation room. We’ll begin early today.” Kelvin turns and walks away, and everything in me wants to scream at him to tell me what’s going on, tell me what he wants from us. But then the Op is inside Jackson’s cell, kicking his leg to try to wake him, the other is holding a gun on me, and Kelvin is in the elevator. I wait until I know it’s in motion before I fly at the Op, steal his gun, and raise it, poised to shoot either of them if they move.
“Freeze. Now. Or your guts will be on the wall behind you.”
One of them smirks. “You can’t shoot us.” Of course, he’s right, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to allow them to hurt us, either.
“Try me.”
The other Op doesn’t look as convinced as his friend. “Look, we’ll take you without hurting either of you. But he’s right. You can’t shoot us. Everyone will know. You’ll never escape.”
I squint at him, wondering if I know him, why he’s being nice. Maybe he used to work with my dad or is still loyal to him. Regardless, I refuse to trust anyone who stands beside Kelvin.
I bite back the urge to get smart, to tell him exactly what I can do. “I don’t need this gun to kill you. Know that now. If I see either of you hurting Jackson while we are in those rooms, I will personally rip out your hearts with my bare hands. Do you understand? And if you don’t think I can, ask one of them.” I nod toward the cells of RES Ancients, then take a step. “I can make it so you can’t move while I slowly kill you. And I will do it when you least expect it. Not one hair on his body is to be harmed. Understand?” For effect, I focus on the Op beside Jackson, slowly turning his gun on him until he is pointing it at himself, his own finger twitching at the trigger. “Dare me.”
“All right. Okay!” he shouts. “Nothing will happen to him. We’ll make sure of it.”
“You do that.” I release him and toss the gun in my hand back to the Operative I’d stolen it from and walk toward the elevator. “They won’t let us go up together, will they?”
“No. I have to take you first.”
“Will your friend there hurt him?”
The Op laughs. “Doubtful, after what you just did.”
I peek over at him, sensing an ally, though I don’t let my guard down. “What’s your name?”
“Bryant. Eric Bryant. I used to work with your dad.”
So I was right. He is an ally.
Bryant pushes the elevator button to close the doors. “In my eyes, I still work for your dad. And I’m not the only one here who feels that way.”
I turn to him, studying his face. I hadn’t noticed the fear there before. “What happened here? On Earth?”
“Kelvin happened.”
Chapter Seven
The doors open before I can press Bryant for more information, and we’re back in front of the interrogation room, where Kelvin has questioned me each day.
“Stay strong, Ari,” he says before leaving me in the room to stare through the window, waiting for Jackson to appear. It takes longer than it should, and growing impatient, I press my hands onto the glass, curious if I can break it if I must. The window trembles under my touch, and I release my hold just as the door opens and Kelvin and Law step inside.
“I trust you are feeling better now?” Kelvin asks, stopping a few steps in front of me. “I will allow you this one breach in my trust. Do it again and I will have you in lockdown. Understand?”
My back tenses at his threat. “What do you want from me?” I ask, frustrated. “I don’t know anything.”
“Oh, I disagree. You know plenty. But you are correct. There is something I want, or rather, something you will do for me.”
I stare at Law, him refusing to look at me. When did he become such a coward? “What do you want?” I ask, my voice full of the hate I feel for both of them.
Kelvin walks to the wall across from the view window and presses a button. The wall slides open, exposing a map of America, broken down by each of the four divisions. Four lights shine out from each, and Kelvin motions to them before turning to me. “Do you know what these lights represent?”
I study them. “They’re Op bases, one in each section of the country. They’ve been used to maintain civil order.”
Kelvin nods once. “Yes, well, they have a different purpose now.” He eyes Law, who pulls out a tablet and transfer pen. He passes the tablet to me, and I contemplate throwing it back in his face. I don’t want anything from him.
“Look at the numbers,” he says, his voice low, like he knows it’s taking effort for me not to attack him.
I eye the tablet, yanking it into my hand as I peer down at the Op numbers at each of the bases. “Is this accurate? That can’t be right.” My gaze lifts to Kelvin.
“Over half our defensive forces are down, leaving the bases barely manned. The northern base is down to 38 percent. I’m sure you can imagine what this means.”
Of course I know. If our numbers of trained soldiers are down, Zeus’s
army will overrun the bases and humanity will be defenseless when the war hits the ground, which it’s sure to do at some point.
“Where did they go?”
It’s Law who answers. “Some rebelled against the new government, disappearing among the populace. Some turned Ancient and left for Loge. We have no idea which of those have returned and which are still there. And then there are those that never survived the neurotoxin.”
I start for the view window. They’ve yet to bring Jackson into the room. “Where is he?” I ask, turning to Kelvin. He knows exactly whom I mean.
Kelvin’s face twitches in some twisted version of a smile. “He’s at the laboratory for testing.”
I search Kelvin’s thoughts for what sort of testing he’s talking about, but he’s a master at hiding his mind around me. It makes me wonder if he developed a filter of some sort, something Ops can wear to block out the RES device that allows me (and all other RESs) to decipher their thoughts and emotions. After an excruciating amount of time, me staring at him, him showing too much pleasure at holding all the cards, I race to him, prepared to rip that smirk off his face if I have to.
“If you hurt him,” I say, “I will end you. Don’t doubt what I’m capable of. Your minions may kill me, but not before I kill you.”
Law grips my arm to stop me, and all my emotions rush to the surface—confusion, sadness, hatred. I jerk free and deck him in the jaw so hard he stumbles, unable to maintain his balance. Shock fills his face. “It doesn’t feel good, does it? Having someone you care about hurt you. But you are no longer on that list for me, Lawrence Cartier. You are an enemy to me. From this point on, you are no safer than him.” I point at Kelvin, who considers the exchange for a long time before speaking.
“Bring him in.”
The door in the adjoining room opens and I’m back at the window, watching as a pair of Ops pull Jackson in and drop him back into the same seat. He looks different, showered and in clean clothes. His hair is still wet. His face shows hints of sustenance. Why did Kelvin do this?
As though reading my thoughts, he says, “I thought you would appreciate seeing him in better condition. So you would see how well Jackson can be treated if you follow my orders. Or if you deny my request, the Jackson Castello you saw yesterday will be nothing compared to the version you will see when we are done with him.”
I grit my teeth together. “What do you want from me?” I ask, though Dad already told me. I want to hear it from Kelvin.
Kelvin steps between me and the glass so he is the only person, the only thing in my view. “I want you to travel with a team to each of the bases and train the Operatives there as you were trained on Loge. I want you to teach them everything the Ancients know, and ways to defend against Zeus’s army. I want you to ensure we win this battle.”
“And if I refuse?”
Kelvin nods to the Op still standing beside Jackson and the guard pulls a Senso-Taser from his pocket and presses it to Jackson’s chest, causing a shock to speed through him that will numb each of his senses in its wake. I set my jaw, tears welling in my eyes. I remember the Taser from the maze during Pre-Ops training, remember using it on Lane. It feels like an eternity ago. I know that Jackson is feeling excruciating pain as each sense returns, and a part of me wants to beg Kelvin to stop, to say I’ll do whatever he wants, but instead I focus on him, my resolve all I have now.
“I won’t be scared into helping you. I won’t be bullied.”
Kelvin smiles. “We shall see.”
I glance at Jackson once more to find him watching me, his expression unreadable, but his eyes are full of fire. I want to tell him that I’m okay, we’re okay, but I don’t know if it’s the truth myself. For now our lives are day by day, only here and breathing as long as we’re useful to Kelvin.
I push out of the room and start down the hall, ignoring the looks from Kelvin. First things first—he needs to know that I don’t respect him. I’m not one of his followers, willing to do and act as he says. I’m not Law. Second, I need to convince him that the only way I’ll train his leftover Ops is if Jackson is beside me. He would be a better trainer anyway. After all, he led the RESs, trained many of them himself. He knows how to mobilize an army.
The thought swirls though my mind, the start of a plan, when I hear fast footsteps, followed by shouting.
I round the corner to see three Ops standing at the elevator, tension rolling off each of them. Then their thoughts hit me—Cafeteria. Divide.
Riot.
“This is taking forever!” one says, then another suggests the stairs and points to the end of the hall. And then I’m racing to get there first, leaping down ten at a time to make it to level two. I hear the commotion even before I’ve opened the stairwell door. Idiots. It was only a matter of time before something happened between the Ancients and humans.
As soon as I’m inside the cafeteria, I see the conflict building, barely contained. I can’t make out what has happened, but at the center of the argument is a young human boy, his Lead Op father behind him, scowling at the person across from him. I push through the crowd until I’m beside them, and that’s when I see who it is—Madison.
“What happened?” I ask, and her eyes dart to me, relief pouring over her tear-streaked face.
“Ari, tell him I’m not lying. Tell him.”
“Oh, honey, I’m sure he doesn’t think you’re lying,” I say, but before I can say another word, the father starts yelling.
“That Ancient accused my son of stealing her apple. He’s never stolen a thing in his life!” Assent rises all around him, more and more humans coming over, glaring at the Ancients who’ve sided with Madison.
I peer down at the boy, and the truth circles him, red and green swirling together, the stealing and then the guilt from being caught. My eyes flash to the man. “He did it. He’ll confess if you ask him.”
The man looks as though he could explode any second, and the boy’s eyes go wide. I see something else there, too. Fear. He’s petrified of what his father will do to him. There’s no winning in this situation.
“Look, this isn’t a big deal. Everyone’s fine. It’s just an apple. You won’t do it again, right?” I say to the boy, and then before he can respond his father speaks.
“You don’t think I know that you’re one of them? You’re no better. Your blood is as dirty as theirs.”
The Ancients begin to yell, the humans firing back, and suddenly the argument over an apple turns heated, men and women inches from one another, screaming at the top of their lungs, and I’ve had it. Had it with the judgment. Had it with the hate. Had it with the complete and total selfishness. We’re entering a war. We don’t have time to argue over trivial things anymore. It’s every life now. Not human or Ancient, but unified, or we’re all destined to find our deaths.
“Stop,” I shout, my voice carrying over the crowd. “We are not fighting today. Or tomorrow. Or ever.”
The father jumps in my face, pushing me back. “You don’t make the rules around here. Nor does your father. Step aside, Ancient.”
The events from the morning—Jackson in his cell, the questioning from Kelvin—all rush to the surface, and I take a step toward the man. “You don’t want to fight me. You can’t compete against me. Or any of the other Ancients, for that matter.”
The rage in his eyes overwhelms him, rocking through his body. His fists clench, and I can see his actions in his mind even before it happens—him preparing to strike while others in the crowd do the same. I focus on the man in front of me, prepared to hold back his body with my mind, when everyone in the room stops moving, their voices suddenly mute, the chaos replaced by silence. I peer around, lost as to what’s happening. Then I see her—Emmy.
Her arms are raised to her sides, hovering just over the height of the tables, like she needs them there for balance, a means to hold the control she’s exuding over the room. Her eyes aren’t closed, like mine would be if I were concentrating that hard, controlling this many p
eople, but instead they squint into sharp lines, anger etched through her face, her body rigid, and for the first time, I realize just how powerful Emmy is. How great of an ally she can be…or an enemy to the wrong person.
And then as though my mind picked up on that very thing—that very person—my gaze snaps to the left, to the open doorway to the cafeteria, where Kelvin stands, his arms crossed as he stares at Emmy, and I know with certainty that her days are now numbered.
I have to do something before he makes today her last day.
I step in front of her, forcing her to look at me, though it takes several long seconds for her to meet my eyes.
“Emmy. You can stop now.”
Her arms shake, the effort of holding them up so long too much. “He hurt you,” she says.
“No,” I say shaking my head. “He didn’t hurt me. You know he can’t,” I add, hoping to lighten the mood.
She laughs now, full-out, crazy, and I wonder if maybe she is crazy now. Maybe losing someone so important to you does that. I think of Vill and me at the gate, Jackson gone, and I have my answer. Because I was completely demented the moment Jackson disappeared, and even now that I know he’s okay on some level, it’s taking every bit of my control to follow Kelvin’s rules instead of going for Jackson now and killing anyone who stands in my way.
“Emmy,” I try again as I notice Kelvin nearing. “Please. I need you to release the control over them.”
She eyes me. “Why don’t you release it? You can, you know? You can do what I am doing. More, perhaps.”
I shake my head. “No. You’re wrong. I can handle one or two at a time. I could never do this.” There’s awe in my voice. She’s immobilized fifty or more people and can still talk to me without the slightest waver. If not for her arms shaking I would think the effort was nothing at all.
She smiles, the smile I remember, the gentle warmth that spreads through me when she takes my hand. This is the Emmy I know and love. “I’m never wrong,” she says. And then as quickly as she overtook the room, she releases, but instead of chaos resuming, as I’d assumed, everyone turns to stare at us, Ancient and human alike. Their faces show a myriad of emotions—fear, pride, curiosity, hope.
