by Platt, Sean
“What did he do?” Adam whispered through his trembling lips.
“What didn’t he do?” Keller shrugged. “I don’t know how many of life’s atrocities you already know of, son, and I don’t wish to put anything inside your head that doesn’t need to be there or isn’t there already. My point in telling you Alex’s story is to make sure you don’t end up like him.” Keller paused, then leaned forward from his chair and said in a conspiratorial whisper, “You don’t want to end up in the Dark Quarters like Alex, do you?”
Adam swallowed, shaking his head furiously back and forth.
“Well, you don’t have to,” Keller reassured. “You’re not like these other deviants and lowlifes wasting God’s good air in the orphanage. You’re special. You weren’t born in Chimney Rock or sent here as punishment. You’re an unfortunate victim of circumstance. Just because your father committed an unconscionable act doesn’t mean you should suffer. You, Adam, are not your father, and don’t deserve to end up in prison, outside The Wall, or anywhere near the Dark Quarters.”
Keller let his words sink in. Adam wished he could melt through the floor. Keller leaned back again, setting the flat of his right foot on top of his left knee, quietly rocking.
“Before your father snapped, he was a good man and an excellent Watcher, one of the best Watchers we had. I was proud to have him serve my sector. He was a thorough officer, enforcing our laws proudly. But more than anything, your father was a friend. I loved how he always spoke of his family, like a schoolboy giddy for a pigtailed girl.” Keller laughed. “His enthusiasm stayed fresh, even after many years. It was you he spoke of more than anyone, Adam. Of course Jonah went on and on about all of you, always telling me how proud he was. As much as he loved Ana, his firstborn, you were his son, and he had a special spot in his heart that was only for you.”
Adam was doing his best to hold in his tears.
Keller then said, “You know how much he loved you, don’t you Adam?” which sent Adam into a flood. Keller didn’t seem surprised by the tears or their heavy flow.
“You wouldn’t want to let your dad down, would you, Adam?”
Adam shook his head, sobbing as he repeated the word “no” over and over. He collected his breath, then spilled every bean in one sentence:
“It was Daniel, Morgan, and Tommy,” he said. “And Starla, Melissa, and Kim too.”
Adam gave up everyone but Jayla, which he couldn’t bear to do.
Keller smiled. “You know your friends say you’re slow, don’t you?”
Adam nodded, wishing Keller hadn’t said that.
Keller waited for him to stop crying, then said, “Are you slow, Adam?”
“No, sir. I’m not,” he shook his head. “Just a little shy, and my mind wanders sometimes. But I’m not dumb; not at all. I used to have trouble making friends, but my dad helped me through that.”
Keller patted the top of Adam’s hand. “I don’t think you’re dumb, son. Hell, you’re already smarter than your sister and father. Know why?”
“Why?” Adam said, trying not to fall into any more tears, though it was hard once Keller started talking about his family again, and insulting them, no less.
Keller leaned farther forward and pressed his hand harder on Adam’s. “Because you told me the truth,” he said. “Tell me, Adam, do you want to be my friend?”
Adam nodded nervously, unsure what Keller was trying to say. He was scary looking, but then again, so were most adults, especially at Chimney Rock. Keller was the Chief, the highest ranking of all the Watchers — so surely he was one of the good guys, Adam figured.
Keller’s smile widened as he produced a delicate box from nowhere, setting it on the desk, lifting the lid, and filling Adam’s eyes with a small pile of gold-wrapped something or others. He smiled, then whispered, “Chocolate, Adam. Would you like one?” Keller slid the box forward across the huge desk. “I think you deserve it. Don’t you?”
Adam’s hand inched tentatively toward the box, slightly shaking on its way. He reached inside, pulled one of the chocolates out, then looked up at Keller, half expecting the man to snatch it away.
“Go on,” Keller said, still smiling.
Adam unwrapped the chocolate, took a nibble from the tiny ball, then started to chew as Keller spoke.
“You know what courage is, Adam?”
He nodded.
“I’m glad you think you do, but I’m going to suggest that maybe you don’t. Not your fault, of course. The same can be said for most children, though, since the schools are always teaching kids the wrong things about fear. Courage doesn’t mean you’re not scared. It means staring into the eyes of whatever terrifies you, then telling that thing to go fuck itself. Does that make sense?”
Adam laughed, then nodded.
“True courage, well, no one’s born with that. I’ve known leaders and soldiers, son, and not a one of them was ever what you’d call fearless, and even if they were, that sure as hell wouldn’t make them brave. If you’re fearless, well then, you’re probably reckless too, and reckless kids often end up in the Dark Quarters, and we both know you don’t want to ever wind up there, right?”
Adam wasn’t sure if he was supposed to agree or not, but since it seemed like Keller was waiting, he swallowed his nibble of chocolate and said, “Right,” then pulled more of the chocolate into his mouth.
“Let’s look at the men of Fire Watch, rushing into burning buildings to rescue people who need saving. Well, they’re scared to death for most every second, but they run into the fire anyway because regardless of their fear, being a hero is who they are. We’re making a big mistake teaching our kids that bravery is the absence of fear, and that being afraid is the same as being weak. Bury your fears, Adam, and they’ll bury you right back. I say if you’re afraid of dogs, it’s time to get a puppy.”
Keller smiled then tapped the box of chocolates, offering Adam another. “Do you think you can be brave?”
“Yes,” Adam nodded, taking one more chocolate from the box.
“Good,” Keller said with a smile. “We’re going to take a little walk, together, just the two of us, back into the TV hall so you can show me everyone who was in the kitchen with you.”
Adam froze. “What? But they’ll be mad at me,” Adam said, too whiny. He swallowed, then tried again. “I’m not afraid, but if I tell on them, then they won’t be my friends anymore.”
Keller closed the lid, made his chocolate box disappear, then leaned forward, closer than ever. For a moment his eyes flared, and Adam was certain Keller was angry. But he wasn’t. He set his hand over Adam’s, the one without the chocolate.
“They’ll get over it,” Keller said. “Besides, as I said, it was one of them who ratted you out to one of your counselors.”
Adam wanted to ask which friend it was, but was afraid he’d anger Chief Keller.
“You and I are friends now, Adam, and when you’re friends with me, people have no choice but to be nice to you.”
“Really?” Adam asked as he stood up from the desk to join Keller at the door.
“Really.” Keller winked. “Now let’s take that walk.”
**
Adam and Keller left the schoolmaster’s office in silence, walking the corridor then taking the elevator back upstairs before heading into the TV hall.
“Are you ready?” Keller asked, leaning into Adam as they approached his only friends in the world.
They stopped in front of Morgan, who turned to Keller with eyes so wide they looked like they would roll from their sockets. Morgan looked from Keller to Adam, then back to Keller and swallowed.
“Are these the friends who were with you in the kitchen?” Keller asked, turning from Morgan to Tommy, then over to Daniel.
Adam nodded, avoiding eye contact with any of them.
“Anyone else?” Keller asked, though he knew the answer already. He wanted Adam to say it.
Adam slowly nodded, then pointed across the room toward the trio of girls,
grateful that Jayla wasn’t with them at the moment.
“Just to be clear,” Keller asked, “these are the thieves who helped you steal the rations?”
“Yes, sir,” Adam said.
“Fucking liar,” Morgan screamed.
“Silence!” Keller roared. Before Morgan could take a step back, Keller’s hand tore across his face, sending his knees crashing hard into the floor. His cheek was bright red, glowing from the five-finger outline Keller left behind.
“Are you calling my friend, Adam, a liar?” Keller loomed over Morgan, glaring, his face red and scary.
Morgan whimpered, “No.”
“No, what?” Keller said, backhanding Morgan across the top of his head.
“No, sir!” Morgan yelped, putting a hand over his newest bruise.
“I’d like you to apologize to my friend,” Keller said, forcing Morgan to stand and say he was sorry right into Adam’s eyes. Tommy and Daniel shifted on their feet.
Keller turned to Adam, his face and voice suddenly calm, and said, “We’ll be speaking soon, Young Lovecraft. Thanks for being such a fine little Watcher.”
Keller tousled Adam’s hair, then turned to the group. “You will all be coming with me.”
Keller then led the pack over to the girls, instructed them to follow, and led the six of them from the TV hall as every accusing eye settled on the Chief Keller’s new friend, Adam.
CHAPTER 20 — Jonah Lovecraft
Jonah tried pulling free, but the rope bit deeper into his flesh, threatening to tear his wrists off if he continued.
His captors were smart, putting him in a room with no view of anything else and far from any sounds that he could identify. All he knew was that he was underground in an old train station, but he had no clue where he was in relation to the parts of The Barrens that were walled off for The Darwin Games or City 6.
To make matters worse, he had no idea what lay directly past the room he was in. Was he in a remote part of the refugee village, or right in the center of their version of a prison? Even if he could break free from the ropes, he had no idea what he’d be walking into. Nor did he have any idea which tunnels went back to the surface.
The tunnels went on for miles and were home to not only other refugees, but bandits, beasts, zombies, and closer to the City, they were monitored by hunter orbs. So even if he managed to break free, he had no guarantees of safety.
And even if he happened to run into Underground rebels friendly to the cause, it wasn’t as if they’d see him as a friend. He was a Watcher to them, his role in the Underground a secret, which none would believe. If they spotted him, they’d likely shoot him on sight.
He had to work on Egan. It was his only chance at freedom, and his only chance to help Ana.
A sudden crash pulled Jonah’s eyes to the doorway as Father Truth stumbled into the room and knocked a metal cart on wheels into the wall with a clang.
The dwarf was rubbing his hand on the side of his leg as he righted himself from his fall, his face lightly flushed as he looked over to Jonah.
“Wasn’t looking where I was going,” he said, turning his embarrassment into a smile.
Jonah smiled back. It was hard not to like Father Truth. He was calm and made every word easy to believe. Jonah wondered how much his name had to do with trust. That was the sort of shit the State did. There was nothing safe about a safety stick, which most non-Watchers called by their more appropriate names, shock sticks.
“Gods,” Father said, looking at Jonah’s face. “Did you run into a cart, too?”
“Something like that,” Jonah said.
Father reached into a satchel on his belt and removed a small tube, pressed some paste onto his hand, and then spread it over Jonah’s swollen cheekbone.
Jonah cringed at the touch.
“Hold on a moment,” Father said, and left the room, leaving the door partly open.
Jonah’s heart sped up as he began to pull at his bindings again, to no avail.
A few minutes later, Father appeared, dashing any hopes of escape. He was followed by Calla, holding a tin bowl.
“She’s going to wash your wounds,” Father said. “I hope you don’t mind. Meanwhile, I’m gonna give you something to ease the pain.”
Father pricked him with another of his needles and then stepped back as Calla approached him.
She dunked a gray rag into the bowl of water and brought it to Jonah’s face. As her hand got closer, Jonah flinched, expecting her to perhaps take an opportunity to add to the pain her father had inflicted.
Instead, her touch was gentle, and her eyes focused so she would not accidentally press too hard in the wrong spots. The water was cold and felt good, even if it hurt a bit.
She dipped the bloody rag into the water, then squeezed it out and brought it to his face again, wiping away at his bloody lip.
“Did my father do this?” she asked, her eyes locked on his.
“It’s OK,” Jonah said. “And thank you.”
Calla didn’t respond, but finished cleaning his wound, then looked at Father for approval.
“Good job, sweetie, thank you.”
Calla nodded at him, then looked at Jonah again and gave him a subtle nod.
“Thank you,” Jonah said again and watched as the girl left.
“She’s a good kid,” Jonah said, feeling overly emotional again.
The damned drugs!
“I thought you gave me something for the pain, Father, not more truth shit.”
“Both, actually,” Father said with a grin.
“Fine, fine,” Jonah said. “Could you please tell me what’s going on with my daughter, though? Last night, did she make it? Is she still alive?” He choked on the final question as Father shook his head.
“I don’t know,” Father said.
“Bullshit,” Jonah said, angry. “That doesn’t sound like truth to me, Father.”
Father smiled again, sadder than before. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. Truth is, I’m not allowed to say.”
“Well, what can you tell me?”
“What would you like to know?”
“Why are you here? To get me ready for my big trial?”
Father turned and pointed to the wall, at a slit running lengthwise beside one of the several faded train posters on the wall, so thin and draped in shadow Jonah hadn’t noticed it before, even though he’d been frantically searching for signs he was being watched.
“We have a camera in the wall,” Father said. “I came in to tell you to stop pulling at your restraints. You’re making my wrists hurt.” He turned from Jonah, then dragged a chair beside him and sat. “What else would you like to know?”
“Can you tell me about the trial?”
“Sure,” Father said. “What do you wish to know?”
“Anything? I mean, why have one at all? Seems like Egan’s mind is made up already. Hell, I don’t even know what I’m being charged with, but I know I’m guilty.”
“Because sometimes doing the right thing when everything else is wrong is all we have left.” Father crossed one leg over the other, and Jonah had to swallow a laugh despite it all. With the drugs working on him, the unusual man’s size invited giggles he’d normally not have.
“Nearly two hundred years ago, the Old Nation went to war with the East, and the president authorized leaders within the War Department to place all citizens living in the west coast of the Old Nation who were originally from the country they were fighting into detention camps. So they rounded up 120,000 citizens of the Old Nation and locked them away. Most had documentation, but the War Department granted themselves permission to evacuate and imprison any citizen they wanted, forgoing the time-honored right to a fair trial for the first time in The Old Nation’s history. The war lasted a few years, I’m not sure exactly how long, but through its entirety, not a single spy was arrested or convicted.”
Father shrugged. “Hard to say whether this was morally right or wrong. Who knows? The Old Nation was at wa
r, and they probably figured they were keeping citizens safe. But back when my father told me those stories, before I escaped The Dark Quarters and the City, he told me of a world where things like law weren’t just thrown aside at the first moment it became inconvenient to follow it. We’re different here than inside The City. Laws aren’t arbitrary, and justice means something.”
“So, I get a ‘fair trial’ so you can say you gave me one to keep an illusion of what, exactly?” Jonah shook his head. “That’s bullshit, and it means nothing. Egan’s already decided I’m guilty, so what’s the point? I’m just another prisoner in the camp, with formality to slow things down. I should be in The Barrens, looking for my daughter.”
“Egan isn’t in charge,” Father said. “We have a Council of Five. Egan is only one vote. Even if he’s decided, that makes 20 percent of the vote, and honestly,” Father met Jonah’s eyes, “I think you do Egan, and yourself, a grave disservice assuming his mind is so easily tainted.”
Father leaned forward. “Would you be so unfair?”
Jonah shook his head, then said, “Does the council know he’s gonna try me?”
“They’re aware of your crimes, yes,” Father said.
“I want to talk to Egan.”
“Why? Do you have new information? Would you like to confess to a crime? He won’t be interested in seeing you unless you do.”
“Yes,” Jonah said. “I have something I’d like to confess.”
“Really?” Father said, eyebrows arched. Something about his expression reminded Jonah of Duncan. He wasn’t sure why, but the feeling was unmistakable.
“Yes,” Jonah repeated. “I have something to confess.”
“Very well,” Father said. “I’ll be back.”
The dwarf left, disappearing up the stairway and returning moments later with Egan, as though he had been standing nearby waiting for Father to fetch him.
Father and Egan stood side by side. Egan said, “So, you have something to confess?”
“I do,” Jonah said.
“Then get on with it.” Egan crossed his arms, waiting.
