Delivered: A Young Adult Dystopian Romance (The State Series Book 7)

by M. J. Kaestli

  She pulled away, blinking back the moisture in her eyes. “I know. We need to gather everyone. Could you take care of his body and just let me wait here?”

  “Yeah.”

  She wiped away at her eyes. “Aakil, can you please find Gwen and come down here? We need a new plan.”

  “Got it,” Aakil’s voice came through the speaker.

  Colin pushed Lewis’ body, still tied to the chair. She watched as Colin rolled Lewis out of the office, out of the State House, and out of her life. But this time, she knew he was really gone.

  Chapter 25

  Freya

  The cumbersome chair made an ear-splitting noise as Freya dragged it to the office. With one quick glance around the space, she realized she’d made a mistake.

  I don’t want to be here. I’d rather never step foot in this office again.

  This space was filled with nothing but death and deceit. Images of Victor flashed through her mind—the man she saw as a father until he betrayed her. She shot him at the very desk she took from him, and then Lewis died in the same chair where they had all sat.

  The scraping sound resumed as she dragged the chair back to the large dining table on the balcony. It was an old habit to have meetings inside the office, yet the balcony was equally private. There were no State House workers bustling around who could overhear sensitive topics.

  Even if there were others around to overhear, there were no more secrets. Her decisions impacted everyone, and the people deserved transparency. That was the new world they would build, even if it was inside a cage.

  Colin appeared from around the corner. He donned a black T-shirt and camo pants which hung just above his ankle.

  The visual caused a shock to her system, cementing their new reality in her mind. The State no longer ruled them, but it didn’t feel any different. Being here. Seeing Colin wearing fatigues. Sitting around the State House dining table. Stagnant air. It was suffocating.

  Colin noticed her expression and looked down at his clothing; his face fell. “I’m sorry. This was all I could find to change into. I know these were his.”

  Freya waved him off dismissively. “It’s not that. Seeing you wear that, it looks like you’re one of them. I spent too much time surrounded by the military—not just Lewis. And it just makes me feel sick to think of us living here, especially with you wearing that.”

  Colin closed the gap between them, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Hey, this is just temporary. None of us thought to bring a change of clothes with us—something we’ll fix immediately. And just because we have to live here for a bit, doesn’t mean it’ll be anything like it was before. Besides, after that shower, I have to admit that I’m excited to have hot, running water. Electricity. Hell, I’m excited to have temperature control. But regardless of where we are or what we have, we’ll be safe. And that’s what really matters.”

  She leaned into his warm embrace, letting him hold her for a moment before she said, “Remind me to bring clothing up at our meeting.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “It’s not going to be that long, or formal. We just need to make sure we all understand our roles and get going on our plan.”

  Freya heard the main entrance to the State House open, and she pulled away from Colin. “Hello?”

  Gwen stepped around the corner into the main living space. “Hey. Aakil told me you needed to talk to me.”

  Freya gestured toward the large table. “Yes, please take a seat.”

  Gwen narrowed her eyes as she strolled toward the balcony. “Am I in trouble or something?”

  “No more than the rest of us.” Colin gave a dry laugh at his own joke. Freya shot him a piercing look. “Sorry.” He winced. “Kind of inappropriate.”

  Sadly, it was totally appropriate. They were all in trouble. Unless they committed to living inside the dome with constant guards at every access, they were very much in trouble. And with so many guards needed, how would they spare the labor for everything else? It would take a lot of pooling resources just to survive, providing a life that may feel too familiar to the colonists.

  Freya took a seat at the table after everyone settled in. “Thank you Gwen and Aakil for joining us. Colin and I wanted to discuss what we have discovered, and the immediate plan we need in place.”

  Gwen perked up in her seat, where Aakil seemed to sink lower.

  She looked over to Colin as though he might like to start, but he raised his brows in response. “Gwen,” Freya began with a heavy sigh, “I know that we came here hoping for victory, but instead, we again find ourselves caged by our undefeatable enemies.”

  Aakil rubbed his face, sinking even lower into his seat.

  “Can we just cut to it?” Gwen asked.

  “We have taken the dome,” Freya proceeded, “but it has hardly even inconvenienced the High Council. We don’t know how long it will take for them to figure out we’re here, but we need to get everyone and everything into place before they do.”

  “So, what do you need from me?”

  Gwen was always so eager, which seemed to make Aakil’s sulking even more dramatized.

  “They want us to all live together under the dome,” Aakil huffed. “If we guard the entrances well enough, the State can’t ever touch us in here.”

  Gwen looked between them. “Well, that’s good, isn’t it? I mean, we had to leave our home anyway because of that drone. And this place isn’t so bad. I mean, the air is kind of stale, but there are lots of beds for everyone. I’ll miss being outside during the summer, but in the winter I bet this place will feel like a real treat.”

  Freya nodded encouragingly. “Yes. We feel it will be safer here than Idaho, or Hope. What we need is an immediate evacuation of all the people in your community, and we think it would be good to also bring in as many supplies as we can muster. Food. Clothing—”

  “Bring your radio so we can talk to Hope,” Colin threw in.

  “Yes!” Freya perked up. “That will be much faster than sending people back and forth. Maybe if we could prioritize the radio on the first supplies trip, we can coordinate with Hope immediately.”

  “All right.” Gwen nodded. “Everyone, all dry rations—”

  “Booze,” Aakil interjected.

  Freya narrowed her brows. “I suppose you could bring a few bottles of whatever you have lying around.”

  Aakil pushed up in his seat. “No. Bring everything. Everything you have. Every piece of equipment. Every empty bottle, and every bit of fruit you have in those greenhouses to make more. We didn’t have alcohol here, and Lord knows, we’re going to need it.”

  “Well, harvest the greenhouses,” Freya concurred. “It won’t hurt to have the extra food. And I’m sorry to say this, but they will probably bomb your home. So, why waste it?”

  “Gwen,” Colin leaned forward in his seat. “Can we count on you to coordinate your people and take care of this as quickly as possible? Aakil and I are the only ones who currently know how to use the Security system, and Freya needs to be here for if anyone from inside the mountain calls or shows up.”

  “Sure.” Gwen jumped up from her seat. “I suppose I should get started immediately, then?”

  “Yes,” Freya nodded. “That would be best. We know Lewis did monthly broadcasts, but we didn’t catch when they normally check in. The more people and supplies we move over, the safer we’ll be. And we don’t know how much time we have, but let’s act as though an attack could come at any moment.”

  Without another word, Gwen spun on her heel and headed for the door.

  “And don’t forget the booze,” Aakil yelled to her back. “Seriously. You’ll thank me. After a couple of weeks here, we’ll all be rushing to make more.”

  “Aakil,” Colin began slowly, “let everyone from Idaho make their own opinions about this place. They may love it here.”

  Aakil scoffed. “There’s nothing about this place to love.”

  “Aakil, stop.” Freya held up a hand to silence him. “Coli
n’s right. We need to let each newcomer experience this place for themselves. We have negative memories surrounding the State. But now, this is just a home, and one that has more comforts and technology than they’ve ever experienced.”

  “Yeah,” Colin jumped in. “Tell me how you feel at night in the middle of summer or winter when the temperature is always just right. Besides. We need to stay positive. There isn’t anything we can do about this, and the longer people go without bickering, the better off we’ll all be.”

  Aakil remained silent, but the scowl he wore expressed volumes. Freya understood exactly why he was upset. She didn’t like it herself. But this was their new reality. Safety had to be their top priority until they had a plan everyone could believe in.

  “Aakil,” Colin said, “Did you find the work crews?”

  He nodded, biting his nail. “Yeah. They threw their hands in the air the second they saw guns. We’ve got groups bringing them to the atrium so you guys can decide what to do with them. They may be there already, actually.”

  “Good.” Freya nodded. “Thank you. I think with Gwen’s evacuation orders, it’s best we detain them.”

  Colin leaned forward. “Detain them? As in, inside the prison cells in the military underground?”

  His veins bulged in his throat as he spoke. She almost winced at her own decision, at how easy it had been. “We need to put them somewhere out of the way, somewhere they can’t cause any trouble. Do you have any other recommendations?”

  “What about the physical activity center?” Colin asked. “There is only one entrance, easy to guard.”

  Freya thought for a moment before responding. “Sure. That sounds fine—as long as we have the people available to sit guard.”

  Colin nodded and stood from the table. Freya knew that if they were to live in the dome, eventually, they would have to use those prison cells. She just didn’t know if Colin could accept it.

  Chapter 26

  Freya

  Colin jogged to catch up with Freya. “Wait up.”

  She turned around to face him. “What’s up? I’m just heading off to see the prisoners.”

  Colin grimaced. “I figured. I don’t know if that’s such a great idea. Can it wait?”

  Freya’s brows knitted together. “Wait. Why?”

  Colin shoved his hands in his pockets. “I just don’t know if you should go in there alone.”

  Her face fell. There were times she found his protective nature comforting, but not right now. “Colin, we’ve got two people guarding them, and I’m a better shot than anyone we’ve got here. I can take care of myself.”

  “I’m not saying you’re fragile, I just wonder if this couldn’t wait till after we finish evacuating Idaho? There’s just a lot going on right now. I don’t want to worry about you in there alone.”

  She took a deep breath. They were on the same side, something she needed to remind herself at times. “Colin, I’m sure those workers abandoned in the dome are scared and confused. If I can at least help them understand what’s happening, I think it will work out better for everyone. The sooner I talk to them, the sooner I can assess if they are civilians, and where their loyalties lie.”

  He hissed out a heavy breath.

  “Colin, I’ll be fine.”

  He nodded, then leaned in, planting a small kiss on her forehead. “I know.”

  She reached up, gently caressing his cheek. “I promise. I can handle this. You and Aakil need to be here to help with the evacuation. The second that radio comes through, work on contacting Hope. We need to get everyone out of here. Fast.”

  “Got it.”

  As the elevator rose higher, she straightened her suit jacket and smoothed her hair. She didn’t know what to expect. Would they remember her? And if they did, would they notice how disheveled she appeared? Without Chastity to help smooth her hair or press her clothing, she knew she looked different. Or maybe it was all in her head. Maybe she looked exactly the same, but it was inside that had changed.

  A chime rang as the doors slid open, exposing the large bright space. There were people lying on the exercise matts, some sitting with their backs propped up against the wall, and some were taking advantage of the room, jogging around the track or peddling on the bikes.

  Slowly, one by one, the group noticed her. It didn’t seem to matter if they were running or lying around. An electricity shot around the room as they all noticed her, all frozen in place.

  The guards on either side nodded respectfully, recognizing her authority even though she was never their leader.

  Next, she took a moment to look at each of the captives, really look at them. They wore matching linen jumpsuits, something she remembered all too well. The work crews were all male with sturdy frames, making it difficult to rule out the military. But as she slowly looked each of them in their eyes, she saw nothing but awe, shock, and fear.

  They knew her. Remembered her. Each carried a faraway gaze, as if they were collectively trying to wake from a dream.

  “Am I correct in assuming that you all know who I am?”

  Some nodded vacantly, unable to tear their gaze from her. Others looked around to their peers, as though to seek confirmation. But eventually, one of them whispered, “Yes, Madam Head of State.”

  She smiled softly. “You do remember me.”

  Many nodded, but one narrowed his eyes at her. “But you were killed. How are you here?”

  Freya shrugged. “I guess you can’t believe everything the State tells you.”

  “But we saw it! We saw the video. They still play it now.”

  She flinched. “Still?”

  A few looked back and forth before responding. “Yes. They show it to us once a year, to remind us of everything the rebellion took from us. They shot you and then took your body to the colony world through the transport device.”

  Freya took a few steps further into the room. “Well, that’s an interesting story. Completely untrue, clearly, but interesting. As you can see, I’m very much alive. And I’m sure they also told you we were on a colony world 22-light years away, but that was also untrue. No one ever traveled to a new world, only this one. Colonization was a hoax the State used to purge the rebellion and make their remaining civilians more compliant than ever.”

  One man looked confused. “But you were the Head of State. How can you talk about them planning all that when you were in charge?”

  Freya smiled softly. “No. I held no power. Another ruse. They let me and many of you think I was in charge, but in reality, the people who hold the actual power always remain hidden.”

  The men were silent as they processed the State’s lies.

  “I came here to meet you, to share with you that the dome has fallen under a new government, filled with new people living inside. You’re welcome to join us, or, if you wish to remain loyal to the State, you will have a choice to walk out of this dome toward the mountain to join them.”

  Many of their faces paled, but one of them responded. “And you wouldn’t consider imprisoning us instead?”

  Freya’s brows stitched together until she realized their meaning. It was strange. She had somehow forgotten that they believed the dome existed for their protection.

  She pursed her lips, choosing her words carefully. “I’m offering you your freedom, not a death sentence. The surface is perfectly safe. Weather the State will receive you once you’ve traveled outside the dome, I can’t say. But we would rather avoid use of the prisons.”

  “The outside is safe?”

  “Yes. I’ve been living there myself since I left here. As I said, there was no colony planet. But the State attacked our community, killing most of our people. We have come back to take the dome from them, as well as people from two different surviving communities. We are going to live here as one people, under our rule. You are free to join us, free to choose a partner, or remain independent; you are also free to leave.”

  The men looked at each other again. “Are there any single
women in your group?”

  Freya nearly laughed.

  Poor Aakil. He’s got competition now.

  “Yes, actually, we do. We have many single women amongst us. I will give you some time to think about it and decide whose side you want to be on. I won’t deny it: our intention is to declare war against the State and draw them out of their mountain.”

  One man sprung to his feet. “I’m in.”

  A few more moved closer. “Me too.”

  A flicker of doubt rippled through her core, but she pressed it down. There was no way to know if she could trust these men. But there was no reason not to. Their only crimes were ignorance and blind obedience, something she was once guilty of herself.