by Jess Petosa
The man sat down in the lone chair in the room, and the General leaned against the desk.
“What’s your name?” The General asked.
And so began a long afternoon of question after question and prisoner after prisoner. The first two had committed smaller crimes, ones that made it seem silly for the General to use Marnie for questioning. Then she realized that he was testing her abilities, and whether or not she would tell the truth.
The remaining four prisoners were all Rebels from outside Zone D, captured and brought in by soldiers. Their minds were filled with horrible thoughts and plans for murder and destruction in Zone D. She was having trouble writing their thoughts down and had to request that the General pause a few times.
She wished that Evan were there to talk through it all with her. It might have made her slightly more comfortable. Maybe.
The interrogation of the six prisoners lasted until well after dinner. Before the last two prisoners a soldier had delivered her some dinner, which Marnie had scarfed down. After the General had dismissed her, she was escorted back to the large, steel door she had entered through.
She sighed with relief when she saw that Evan stood on the other side. He offered her a small smile and turned to lead her back to her room.
“So, how was it?” he asked once the door behind them had closed.
“Long. Frustrating. Almost unbelievable,” she responded. She knew she could come up with more descriptive words if she tried.
“I’m guessing they had your listen in on Rebel interrogations? Those are the ones the General takes most seriously.”
She nodded. “I’ve only heard a story here or there about the Rebels. I had no idea that they caused so much trouble or that they had such bad plans for Zone D.”
“They are getting worse,” Evan told her. “They are getting bolder and finding new ways to be destructive. They’ve been breaking into Zone D and a few of the southern Sectors these past few months. I can tell the General is thinking about taking a bigger action against them.”
“From what I heard in their minds, I think that is a good idea.”
They stepped onto the elevator and Marnie braced herself against the wall as it started to move.
“Do you think the General can stop the Rebels?” she asked.
Evan looked over at her. “I think he can. It will just be a matter of whether or not it’s too late when he finally decides to try.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
[ ally ]
It had been a week since Ally moved in with Big Sal and he had been nothing short of kind to her. The first night she had paced endlessly in front of the fireplace, worrying about Sabine. Big Sal had watched her from the couch, listening to her ramble on and on. Finally, he grabbed her arm and spoke the only words that could calm her.
“I made sure that the boy who ended up wit Sabine was on my side,” he said.
Ally had spent a minute telling him off for letting her worry all night, and then promptly asked him to explain how he planned to help. She had learned that there was a small group of men in the town that wanted to take over the leadership. They didn’t like the way Big Eli ran things.
“This just don’t feel right,” Big Sal told her. “The way we treat the women and littles. The way we live.”
After hearing more about the day-to-day life in New Eden, Ally actually thought they had a good concept. The townspeople worked as a whole to keep the place running. The work ethic reminded her of the settlements. But then Big Sal went on to talk about the relationships in the town. How the women weren’t supposed to speak unless spoken to and they weren’t supposed to make eye contact with the men. How the children were supposed to stay hidden and quiet, and any other action was at the guilt of the mother. How the men were meant to be served and honored.
Ally was no stranger to the inequality, but something about this felt different. It felt scarier.
“How do you live in yer town?” he asked Ally.
Ally tried her best to explain the settlements to Big Sal.
“I knew it,” Sal said with a fist slam to the table. “Big Eli says this is how things are supposed ta be. He says that we’re one’a the last towns.”
“Oh Sal,” Ally said. She had taken to removing the Big from his name. She hoped it would be a first step in changing things. “This isn’t how things are supposed to be at all.”
“In eight nights,” Sal explained. “The men go on a hunting trip. A big one, ta pull in a good store of meat and food for the winter. That’d be a good time ta go.”
Ally nodded along with him. “When’s the last time you did a big hunting trip?”
Sal shrugged. “Last year this time.”
“Sal, you need to know about something. Something out there far worse than you can imagine.” She went on to explain the Rogues to him. “You need to be prepared, in case they find New Eden.”
One day until the men left for their hunting trip. One more day without knowing how Luke and Stosh were doing. One more day without knowing if Max was still alive. He had to be either healed or dead by now, the transition wouldn’t take this long.
“Your men took our guns, the ones that can stop the Rogues,” Ally explained to Sal for the tenth time. “You need to know where those are, in case of an attack.”
“And you say these mutants will look different. Different than yer boy?” Sal asked.
Ally nodded. “Green or pale gray skin. Yellow eyes. They may not look like much at first but they are strong. Stronger than any Excep… mutant you’ve ever seen.”
“Ugly,” Sal responded.
Ally laughed. “Yes, ugly.”
Ugly. A term she had used to describe Sal the first time she saw him. It was hard to see him that way still though, now that she knew his heart.
“We need ta do a walk-through of the town,” Sal said. “I need ta show you where to go.”
Ally hadn’t left the house yet. It had been one long week stuck inside. She had had more time to think than she ever needed. Sal gave her one of his widow’s dresses to wear. She didn’t dare ask him how she died, and didn’t say a word about how wrong it felt to wear something of hers. Ally used a brown rag to tie up her hair and even went as far as to take some dirt from the back porch and rub it on her skin. She had tried hard to stay clean with the fresh water Sal brought in every day, but it seemed like the women of New Eden didn’t care about hygiene and she wanted to look like she was trying to fit in.
Sal led her out the front door and onto the main street. Ally ran over the rules over and over again in her mind.
Head down.
Do not make eye contact.
Do not talk, unless Sal asks me too.
Stay a half step behind.
Ally kept her eyes trained on Sal’s feet as they walked. Every now and then he would stop to talk with another man, and Ally would wait patiently by his side. Curiosity was nearly getting the best of her but she managed to keep her gaze on the dirt road.
They finally stopped for good and Sal angled toward her, keeping his voice low.
“We’re back in the middle of town now, the place where you and yer friends were brought, and then you and yer girl friend were sold.”
Ally pretended to scratch her nose, forcing her head to move back and forth. She could see the dirt circle in the middle of town.
“There are wood fences aroun’ the whole town,” Sal said. “Except where we brought ya in.”
Ally had several questions already, but kept quiet.
“There will be guards there while we gone,” he continued. “Youngins’ but still armed. Let’s walk.”
From what Ally could gather, the entrance to town was to their right, because the path to the jail was straight ahead. Sal led her left and they walked for ten minutes before stopping.
“Look up,” he said.
Ally did as he asked, noticing they stood alone in a deserted area of town. The buildings here were fallin
g apart, and it was apparent no one had lived here in awhile. A tall, wooden fence sat behind the row of houses in front of them.
“You see that house there, with the yella roof?” Sal asked.
Ally followed his hand. Someone had half painted a caved in roof yellow. Before or after it collapsed, she didn’t know.
“Yes,” she responded.
“Behind that house there is a hole in the fence, big enough fer one of ya to fit at a time. Remember, ya leave right after we do. I put two bags with supplies in that house for ya. We are facing straight south here, so that should help ya with direction.”
Ally nodded. “Yellow roof. Hole in fence. Leave after hunting party leaves.”
Sal would visit Sabine tonight and tell her the idea of the plan. It would be Ally’s job to get them to the escape point.
“I’ll be doin’ my part on the trip,” Sal said.
Sal had told Ally how he planned to go after Big Eli on the trip. There was only one way to claim leadership in this town, and it wasn’t something Ally wanted to dwell on. Sal and the others would go on after she had left.
“Can we go to the jail? Right now?” Ally asked.
Sal shrugged. “I don’t see why not. I can tell Big Eli it’s a matter of spiritual closure for ya.”
Ally nodded and went back to staring at the ground. The ten minute walk back to the town center felt longer somehow. She was working hard to not think about what she might find in the cell. Sal had told her that the boys were likely to be executed after the hunting trip. The town had a big feast the night the men returned, and the execution would make for great entertainment.
There was a guard outside of the jail door, and Sal was immediately given permission to enter. The few other prisoners in the jail didn’t pay any attention to her, so she moved past them quickly and to the back cages.
“They’re empty,” she cried out. “Sal, the cages are empty!”
“They must be doing the execution before the trip,” Sal said softly.
Ally turned and ran back for the main door.
“Ally wait!” Sal called behind her. “You can’t go runnin’ out there. They’ll know somethin’ is up.”
“I can’t let them get executed!” she yelled back.
“They ain’t doin’ it now. There’s a bell right before, like a five minute warnin’.” Sal responded.
A bell sounded outside.
Ally wrenched the door open and ran into the courtyard. She had trouble running in her long, thick dress but managed to make it to the town center. Other townspeople were already starting to gather, so no one really noticed her hasty arrival. Where the small platform had stood a week ago, now stood a stage of sorts.
“Ally!” Sal yelled behind her. He caught up and grabbed her arm.
“I need to get up there. We need to stop this right now!” she said back.
“Okay, lemme think,” he responded.
Ally ignored him and pushed her way to the front of the crowd. A few of the women grumbled at her, and others passed her small smiles. She reached the front and gasped. Three large, crooked poles stood out of the stage. At the top of the poles hung rope, and that rope was wrapped around the neck of three boys she knew very well.
Luke, Max, and Stosh.
Their arms were tied behind their back.
Max was being supported by one of the men but at least he was still alive.
Ally’s heart fluttered.
His eyes were still closed though, and being this close she could hear him groan. Big Eli climbed up onto the stage and raised his hands in the air, silencing the crowd.
“We have ‘ere these three boys who traveled into our territory. The council voted, and we’ve decided ta send ‘em to their final restin’ place.”
The men in the crowd cheered. The women were silent, their expressions unreadable. Ally wanted to scream and shout at them, to ask for them to have a reaction of any kind. At least they were looking up, since Big Eli was addressing everyone.
“One mutant, an’ two regulars,” Big Eli added.
“Ally,” a hushed voice said near her ear.
Ally turned to see Sabine standing beside her, dressed up just like the other women in town.
“We have to stop this,” she pleaded. “What should we do?”
Ally looked back at the stage. Luke looked furious, and was staring straight ahead. Max wobbled and the man behind him caught him and stood him back up. Stosh caught her eyes and then looked directly at Sabine.
His mouth moved slowly.
I love you.
Sabine choked on a sob.
“Stop! You can’t do this!” Ally yelled out suddenly.
She felt all eyes fall on her, and Big Eli’s face turned red.
“BIG SAL!” he yelled out. “What you doin’ lettin’ yer woman talk to me like that!”
Sal made a quick appearance in front of the stage. “She can talk ta whoever she wants.”
A few men in the crowd let out some “Yeah”s.
Big Eli’s face appeared to darken and Ally imagined that under all of that dirt it was turning a deep shade of red.
“Maybe I’ll jus’ hang yer friends here first, and then you and the other gal next.” He pointed at Ally and then Sabine. “But not until ya learn some respect. Big Dean, bring ‘er up here.”
“No! Ya can’t!” Sal yelled, but two men grabbed at him.
Big Dean appeared from the crowd and took a hold of Ally, dragging her up onto the stage. Big Earl grasped her arm firmly and Ally bit back a cry.
“This here should be a lesson to all ya women that think they can talk outta turn,” he said.
He raised his hand and brought the back of it across Ally’s face. She definitely cried out now. Her face was on fire, and the way her left eye was already closing told her that it was probably going to bruise.
Ally could hear someone in the crowd crying. Sabine maybe?
From her good eye Ally could see Luke and Stosh struggling against their ropes. Both looked at her with desperation, and Luke definitely looked like he wanted to kill Big Eli.
Max groaned and opened his eyes slowly, raising his head toward Ally.
Ally gasped.
Violet. Violet eyes.
Max’s groan turned into a growl and he stood straight up, breaking the rope around his neck with a single pull. His weakness had been an act. Just an act.
He let out an inhuman roar and threw his hands out to either side, a bright light filling the space around him and glowing outward.
“Max!” Ally screamed.
Suddenly he was more of a threat than Big Eli. She remembered the feeling of power when she turned Exceptional. She remembered how powerful she had been as she threw Tighe across the room.
“MAX!” she screamed louder, but it was no use.
With another roar, the stage they were all standing on splintered and exploded.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
[ ally ]
Chaos erupted all around them. Women rushed away screaming, the men close behind them. Ally’s legs were covered in wooden planks, but for the most part she felt whole. Nothing felt broken, except maybe her cheek bone.
“I’ve got you.” Luke appeared above her and lifted the wood off of her with ease. She noticed that the cuffs around his wrists were gone. He leaned down and lifted her out of the debris.
“We have to get the others,” she cried out.
Luke pulled her away from the debris. “Max is getting Sabine and Stosh.”
“What about Sal? What happened to Big Eli?”
Luke pulled her harder. “I don’t know, Ally.”
“I know a way out,” Ally said.
They had reached the jail and Luke paused beside her. He reached over and brought a hand to her face. She flinched as a sharp pain surrounded her eye.
“That’s going to bruise,” he said.
She nodded.
“I hope he di
ed in the blast. If I didn’t have just myself to worry about I’d go back there and make sure.”
Ally stared up at Luke, her mouth parted slightly. Hearing him act so protective of her did something to her insides.
“Ally!” Sabine came running up beside Max, who had an unconscious Stosh thrown over his shoulder.
“Is he okay?” Ally asked, helping Max lower Stosh to the ground.
“Oh my gosh,” Sabine said. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh.”
A large, splintered plank stuck out of Stosh’s side. Blood soaked his shirt around the wound, and his skin was pale.
“Ally, we need to move. They’ll be coming after us soon,” Luke said.
“What do we do?” Ally looked up at Luke. “I’m not leaving him behind.”
Sabine took a deep breath beside her and knelt down quickly. “I can do this. I can help him, but we need to work fast.”
She wrapped her hands around the wooden plank.
“Wait, should you pull that out?” Ally asked.
“We can’t move him with it in. I should do it before he wakes up,” Sabine responded. “As long as it hasn’t punctured anything important, we should have time.”
“Should?!” Ally said.
“I don’t have a choice!” Sabine yelled at her.
“Quickly,” Max growled above them. “The dust is settling. That big guy on stage is dead, but the others looked mad.”
Ally couldn’t even look at him right now. She had gone from being thrilled that he was alive to pissed that he exploded like that on stage. He could have killed them all.
“I need a cloth or a rag,” Sabine said. “Something big.”
Luke reached over his head and pulled his shirt off. “Will this work?”
“Perfect!” Sabine said.
She tightened her grip on the plank, closed her eyes, and pulled quickly. She dropped the wood and threw her hands over the wound, which was now oozing blood.
“The shirt!” she yelled.
Luke thrust the shirt at her and she wrapped it tight around Stosh’s body.
