She knows I wasn't with the Rebels yet so the last question is pointless.
“Have you found the information you’ve been seeking?” she asks, babbling on. “The Mexicans. Bad folk.”
My fury rises with every word she speaks. The information I need about the Mexicans could come from her but she refuses to cooperate. I storm from the room before she is finished. The last question is a clue, I've known it since she first asked. It tells me that she knows something and it’s big. I nod to the guards to go in and do their thing. I can't stomach the torture, even though I despise that woman. Her screams echo down the hall and seem to bounce off the walls, amplifying them. When they finally stop, I go back in.
“Sir,” one of the guards says, “she says she'll talk.”
“Okay. You may leave us,” I reply.
When they are gone, I take a seat on the floor directly across from Tia Cole's huddled form. Miranda always says a general should not sit on the floor but I prefer to look into a person's eyes as they speak to me.
“Tia,” I say gently, coaxing her out of her scared and painful state. She starts to rock back and forth.
“Weapons in the wrong hands. Kill us all,” she mutters repeatedly.
“What weapons, Tia?” I ask. “Explain. What are you talking about?”
Right here I make two classic mistakes. I raise my voice and I reach out to touch her. She falls away from me and then she passes out yet again.
Chapter 11 : The General
The weapons are more than just a rumor, then. What did she mean about them being in the wrong hands? Who has this weapon? Is it really strong enough to kill us all? She hadn’t spoken of the weapon before today so I know very little about it.
That interrogation left me with more questions than answers and that just irritates me. I hurry straight to Jonathan Clarke's cell. We had no choice but to lock him up after he showed his true colors. The anger had eaten away at him and given way to near insanity. There would never be peace with him free.
Every time I look at him, I see the boy from London. I was a high ranking Rebel as well as a high ranking soldier so I was privy to a lot of information. Jonathan's father died and his mother had an affair with the district commander. That made it possible for Jonathan to be seen as his son. The amount of information he passed on to the Rebels was amazing but he was just a kid. He was a sweet kid. I never agreed with the use of children in our war.
When the commander found out the truth, Jonathan was sent to Floridaland to work in the orange groves. At the time, the Rebels in the colonies were falling apart and needed a strong leader. No one had done as much for our cause as Jonathan so I helped him escape. I couldn’t go myself because the Rebels were better served having me as the general in Floridaland. I failed to see what would become of Jonathan and it saddens me. I look into his eyes and no longer see the young boy who I befriended in England.
“Nolan,” Jonathan says as he stares at me.
Leaving out my rank is just another sign that Jonathan thinks he should still be in command. In that moment, I see that any love for me that he ever possessed is gone.
“Hello, Jonathan,” I reply.
“What do you want today? Need to talk about that ex-wife of yours?” he asks as he pretends to be thinking hard. “No, no the great General doesn't have feelings. Are you finally going to torture me like you've been doing to my neighbor in the next room? I don't think that's it either. You still care about me and you're not sure I have any information of value. Well, you're wrong on that count but I don't respond well to pain. I tend to keep my mouth shut.”
“You've been a Rebel your whole life,” I begin. “I have known you almost as long. You still have loyalty in there among all the anger and the hate. You are a loyal man, Jonathan.”
“Loyalty gets you nowhere,” he says harshly before laughing. “It just gets you a prisoners ration and a screaming neighbor. Thrown out with the trash, that’s what’s been done with me.”
He cocks his head as I decide what to say next.
“I need to know if you've heard about some kind of weapon in Mexico,” I say. I'm tired of these games so I try directness.
“That's what you want to know?” he asks. . “Well, you’re in for a surprise then.” He pauses. “The Texas that you are using all of our resources to rebuild, they built the weapon.”
As the information clicks in my brain along with everything else I know, a sense of dread fills me. It must show on my face because Jonathan laughs again.
“You’re just now thinking about those labs and the experiments, aren’t you?” Jonathan asks. “That’s right, Nolan, the Texans developed a biological weapon.”
“You’re lying,” I state, unsure if a word he says is true. Can I afford not to trust him?
“That’s okay,” he starts. “Go and take your time finding out if I am right.” He leans back against the concrete wall and sighs. “I’ll still be here when you come back to tell me I was.”
I turn to leave and, with my back to him, I say, “It wasn’t loyalty that got you thrown in this cell. Remember that.”
Chapter 12: Dawn
Ryan and Corey were brought in a few days ago and I was so relieved that I couldn’t wait for them to wake up to see them. Emily and I sat by Ryan’s bed each day. They were half dead from starvation and exhaustion but they regained their strength and woke up. They had been searching for me for days when a group of Freedom Fighters came upon them. They had no strength left to fight and they doubted that I was even still alive.
Ryan looked as if a burden had been lifted when he saw his sister. His eyes became clear again. That was four nights ago. Today he's been told that his parents have been killed back home and the sadness returns. He has too much on his mind to be curious about this place. He's even been kicking himself for not knowing this was here. I tell him that the town was built to stay hidden but that doesn't help. He’s already mapping out escape plans. I let him since it keeps him busy but I know that there is no way we'd make it out of the wastelands without a guide.
The name of this town is New Penn and I still know very little about it. I know the water is plentiful and warm so the showers are pleasant. I know that there are more acres of farmland than anywhere else. I know that much of the fuel comes from some kind of corn. The people here are friendly and helpful. Their leader, Riley, seems okay, but I've been fooled before.
What I don't understand is why my father would want the town expanded immensely even though no one occupies over two thirds of the homes. Riley is the only person who seems to know the purpose of that but his lips are sealed.
I am headed back to check on Ryan when I run into a large man with a bare chest and an eagle tattoo. My pulse quickens immediately as I stare up at him. These men are the stuff of nightmares and here they are, just walking through town. Riley says they live on the outskirts and provide protection for the town.
“Sorry,” he says.
I startle because I've only ever heard them speak once and that time I was being yelled at and attacked.
“It's okay,” I say as I lower my eyes and walk around him. I practically sprint the rest of the way.
Once inside Ryan's room, I shut the door and lean against it.
“You alright, Dawn?” he asks.
I squeeze my eyes shut and when I open them, my breathing has steadied.
“Yeah,” I respond. “But I think it's time for us to get out of here.”
“It's past time,” he says. “I think I’ve come up with a plan.”
“We can't just run,” I groan. “We'd never make it back to base.”
“We have to try,” he replies.
“No, we don't,” I pause. “I think Riley will let us go. I even think he might help us.”
“Are you kidding me?” he asks harshly. “The guy kidnapped my sister.”
“That's not how they see it,” I say. “She was alone near a battle. They probably thought they were saving her. Most of these women ar
e so much better off here than anywhere else.”
“I never thought you were dumb enough to believe them,” he snaps.
“Ryan, even if you can't trust these people, you can trust me,” I reply. “You know that right?”
“She's right Ryan,” Corey says as he opens the door and joins us. “I've been checking out the perimeter for days now and I wouldn't even know which way to go. We aren't getting out of the Wastelands by ourselves. If Dawn thinks we can trust Riley, then that may be the only option.”
Corey and I leave Ryan to stew and walk outside.
“You're sure we can trust him?” he asks me.
“Not totally, no,” I answer honestly.
“I think we can,” he says almost to himself.
I find Riley in one of the uninhabited sectors of town. A clip board rests on his forearm and he is writing furiously as he walks.
“What are you doing?” I ask as I fall into step beside him.
“Finishing a report for your father,” he says without looking up.
“Why is he so interested in the Wastelands?”
“That is a question you should ask him. It's classified,” he answers.
“Oh, okay,” I mumble. I don't know what else to say.
“You are leaving.” Riley states when he finally looks at me and sees the startled expression on my face. “That is what you want, right?”
“Yes, but...” I stammer.
“You didn't think we'd just let you go,” he says, finishing my sentence. “I know much of what you've been through, Dawn. This is not Floridaland or Texas. The people here are good people. One day you will need to trust us. Everything might depend on it.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“You'll find out in due time. Now, get prepared, you leave this afternoon. The cooks already know to prepare supplies for you and your escorts are ready to go. They will stay with you until you reach the Rebel base.”
“You’re letting us go?” I ask.
“We’ll be joining forces soon enough,” he answer cryptically.
“What about Emily?” I ask.
“Dawn, we don't hold people against their will. If she wants to go, she can, although, the Rebel base is no place for a young girl. Your companion Corey has decided to stay and that might make her decision much easier,” Riley answers as he hands me a packet of papers before he continues to walk and leaves me behind, stunned that Corey didn't tell me he wasn’t coming back to base.
Maybe I shouldn't be surprised. He's been wanting out since the second we walked through his door. We were responsible for the death of his parents. He must have been talking escape just to satisfy Ryan.
I look down at the document I have been left with. The front page says classified in big red letters and my father’s name in smaller letters.
Chapter 13: Dawn
“Do I have to go?” Emily asks me once Ryan has gone to pick up our supplies.
“It's your decision Em, not Ryan's,” I answer.
“It's just that, I like it here. I have friends and it's really a good place to live,” she says as she tries to justify the hardest decision of her life.
“You should be saying all of this to your brother,” I chide.
“He's going to hate me,” She starts to cry and I wrap my arm around her shoulders.
“He could never hate you,” I soothe.
“He could stay here too, right?” she asks. The tiny bit of hope in her voice is enough to bring tears to my eyes.
“You know he'd never do that,” I say. “The peace here won't last if the rest of the colonies are at war. He needs to be a part of it all. As do I. You, on the other hand, can stay here and experience the peace that we are all fighting for.”
“So you're trying to convince her to stay now?” I hadn't seen Ryan come in and now his face is contorted into a mask of rage.
“Ryan, I...” I start, but I don't get the chance to finish because Emily gets up and hugs her brother. His face softens.
“For so long, I've been so scared. In Cincinnati. In Texas. I don't want to be scared anymore,” Emily says. He strokes her hair in silence for a few minutes.
“You know I love you little sis,” he whispers.
“I love you too big brother,” she responds.
And just like that, we are leaving Emily behind.
The escorts Riley mentioned are a group of freedom fighters. If I could, I would stay here just so I didn't have to travel with these people. A tall, half-naked, man with graying hair walks towards me.
“Dawn?” he asks, his voice gruff.
“That's me,” I respond, trying to sound like he doesn't scare the shite out of me.
“My name is Hunter and these are my men. We will take you to the Rebels.”
I nod and keep my distance from them. I am still terrified every time I look at them. I would feel much safer if Corey was around. He's not though, and Ryan refuses to even look at me. He needs someone to blame for leaving his sister behind.
We head out into the maze of trees and charred earth and I don't recognize a thing. I shudder to think how long we would be lost in the Wastelands without the help of our terrifying new friends.
Chapter 14: Gabby
I couldn't sleep tonight and my walls felt like they were closing in on me. I just needed some air and this is where my feet took me. This is always where my feet take me. In uniform, I no longer have to worry about curfew because most people just assume I'm on duty. With the influx of Rebel soldiers and troops that have been pulled back from the Mexican front, no one really knows what anyone else is doing, meaning many of the rules go out the window.
I run my hands along the exterior bricks of the lab building as if they too call out for help. None of the screams can be heard from out here but they still fill my head. I can't think of anything else.
Adrian assures me that all experiments have stopped and the labs are now a place to house the very sick. They can't get out for fear of causing some sort of contagion. I haven't been able to see that for myself but tonight may be the night. I spent most of the day wading through more files in Adrian's office and I spotted a delivery schedule on his desk. Any minute now, a truck is going to pull up to the back door of this building. The door will then be open for about ten minutes. I've seen enough of these deliveries to know how they work. If Tia were still in charge, I'm sure they wouldn't be so sloppy as to leave the door open, but Adrian is their leader now and they don't worship him or fear him. They respect him, sure, but fear is a much bigger motivator.
When the delivery men have gone inside, I slip through behind them. The supplies go in the last room so I can easily make it to the cell block door before they come back this way. As soon as I step through, I am bombarded with moans and pleas for help. Are these the sounds of the sick? Or the sounds of people that have been part of the experiments? I would like to believe Adrian when he says that he's put a stop to those experiments, but I don't trust anyone. I'll probably never completely trust Adrian after watching what he did in this very room.
I skirt the place on the floor where I saw Elle's body drop and I can almost see Adrian throwing his gun to the floor. As I enter the cell block, I see the place where I was dragged across the room. It is also the place where two Rebels saved me. I quicken my pace to get out of this room as soon as possible. I stop when I reach the cell I was kept in. It has a new occupant.
The prisoner is a round man with blood soaked hair and a bruised face. He turns over and I get a better look. I close my eyes in horror. It's Landon. The happy man with the illegal hooch. The man who risked everything to get me and my sister out of town. I hit the glass to catch his attention.
“Landon!” I yell. He looks at me with no sign of recognition. His eyes are cloudy as he rolls over to get a better look. “Landon!” I yell again. Before I can say anything else, the door at the end of the hall slams open and a security guard walks through. I hadn't even thought about the cameras.
“No one is
supposed to be in here Miss Nolan,” he says.
Of course he knows who I am. I ignore him and turn back to Landon who has moved closer to the door.
“Listen to me Landon, I will get you out of here. Do you understand me?” I ask. “I am coming back for you.”
He shows no sign of hearing me so I yell louder, “Do you understand me?”
As the security guard grabs my arm, I see Landon nod once and lay back down.
I let the security guard escort me out of the building where, to my surprise, Adrian is waiting. He must have been called before I was apprehended.
“What the hell do you think you were doing in there?” he asks, trying hard not to yell.
“You don't really think I am going to trust everything you say, do you? I had to see it for myself.”
“I told you the experiments were over. Do you believe me now?” he asks.
“Sort of,” I respond. I didn't see much beside the cell block so I have no idea if the experiments are continuing. I don't want to fight about that right now, though. I have other things on my mind.
“Well, then can we go back to bed? Are you finished?” he asks.
“No,” I say defiantly.
He turns away, exasperated, but I grab his arm and he faces me.
“Did you know Landon was in there?” I ask.
I see a flash of pain cross his face. He knew. He knew that his own friend was in there and didn't do anything about it. Adrian introduced me to Landon. How can he think about his friend and not hate himself every second of every day?
“I don't even want to look at you,” I growl as I try to get away from him.
“He was already sick when I took over,” Adrian tries to explain as if that changes anything. “My uncle had already infected him with a disease they were experimenting on.”
Unable to untangle my hatred of Darren Cole and my disappointment in Adrian, I keep walking.
“There was nothing I could do!” he yells after me.
“There is always something you can do when you care about someone enough!” I yell back.
Eve of Tomorrow (Dawn of Rebellion Series Book 3) Page 4
