Many books.
One for every day of the week.
We were fighting for everything we ever dreamed of and it was going to start today. Whatever happened in the next twenty-four hours was going to change everything.
Everything.
That single word was a key to opening up the gateway of possibilities. I would be able to get a job, buy any kind of food I wanted, go to classes and learn about whatever I wanted, never have to run in fear again, have a family, have Reece by my side, die of old age and not a minute before.
Everything.
Would.
Change.
There would be no going back, no changing the actions that were about to occur. If we failed then we would die. If we succeeded then it would be a step closer to a certain future.
A step closer to being able to love Reece without people spitting at us.
A step closer to waking up and not fearing for my life.
A step closer to reuniting with Rocky.
A step closer to having food in my belly every day.
Just one day and one fight was going to change everything.
I prayed I was ready for it.
Reece was still asleep when I found Joseph in the kitchen. I had been unable to sleep, nervous energy flowing through me. I had dressed for battle in thick black pants with a black long-sleeved top. I looked like a guard because today I was fighting like one.
“Ah, good morning, Wren,” Joseph said as he stirred his cup of tea. “You’re up early.”
“I want to ask you for something,” I started tentatively. It was difficult asking anything from the leader of the Resistance, but this was important to me.
“What do you need?”
“I want Stone to be mine. I want to look her in the eyes and tell her I won before she dies.”
Joseph was quiet for a very long time. I held my breath while I waited, expecting a negative answer that I would have to turn around. Finally, he said, “It’s yours. If there is an opportunity for there to be a choice, I will make sure it is yours.”
I was stunned into silence before remembering my manners. “Thank you.”
“If there is anyone that deserves to look Stone in the face, it is you, Wren. I understand your desire to take her down. I couldn’t deny you that kind of closure.”
“Can we keep this between us? I’d rather Reece didn’t know about it. He’ll worry,” I said. He would try to stop me and I didn’t want him to have the added stress. His mind needed to be clear for the fight. It would only be that way if he thought I was safely tucked away and far from the snake they were hunting.
“You have my word,” Joseph replied. He then made me a cup of tea, sweetened with too much sugar, the way I liked it.
Everything seemed too calm. Like it was just another day and we would be playing games and sipping tea all day long. The sun was still trying to rise, refusing to be kept down when it wanted to shine so badly.
I knew how it felt.
Today I was going to be as determined as the sun.
Outside, the world was still waking up, yawning and stretching itself into the day. It had no idea what would await them by nightfall.
A revolution.
It was the day we took our city back.
They wouldn’t like it. They would be fearful, their president’s voice echoing warnings in their head. They would think we were the bad guys, the ones they needed to be fearful of.
Eventually they would come around.
When the clones were free and those living in poverty had food in their bellies, they would whisper Joseph’s name like he was a savior.
But it all had to start somewhere and today was it.
The beginning.
Of a very long day.
As soon as Reece was up and everyone had eaten their breakfast, we snuck out of the house and headed over to the warehouse. Everyone was already awake there too. The air buzzed with anticipation and nerves. It crackled with unspoken trepidation and unbridled enthusiasm.
Joseph stood on the milk crate that doubled as the stage. Everyone hushed as they waited to hear what he was about to say. I stood next to Reece, his hand wrapped around mine and squeezing it whenever I needed a reminder that he was still there.
“Welcome to the revolution,” Joseph started. He had to pause as everyone cheered and crossed their arms over their chests. “Today is the day we make history. We take down President Stone and her whole wretched government. We replace them with people elected, those that will take care of the poor and oppressed.”
I guessed I was one of the oppressed.
It sure felt like I was.
He continued. “It’s not going to be easy. You are going to do things today that you are uncomfortable with, maybe even scared of. But know this…” He paused for a long time. “Know that this change is happening because of you and everyone you love.”
I thought about Sunny, Rocky, and everyone from the Defectives’ village. I even thought about little Twig who would have no idea what was going on in the world and what dream he would grow up to realize.
They were all my loved ones.
They had all suffered and were going to continue that way unless we made a difference today.
I was fighting for them all.
“Change is such a small word, sounding almost insignificant as it rolls off our tongues. But really, change is more powerful than anything else in the world.” Joseph looked around at the faces upturned toward him. “Change is important. Today we are causing change. While you are out there today, working on your mission, remember that you are a pebble, and when dropped into the ocean, your ripples will change Aria in the most significant of ways. We each have our roles to play and we will play them well.”
My role was to sit and wait.
Hardly significant.
“Fight well today, my brave warriors. We can rest tomorrow after we’ve taken back our city. May luck be with you.” Joseph finished to a rapturous round of applause and whistles.
When the noise died down Samson took his place and started to give information about the groups and where everyone needed to assemble for their missions. It was like a choreographed dance as everyone started moving.
Joseph walked past me, whispering in my ear, “Stay close, Wren. Wait for your moment.”
I nodded and he kept going.
Maybe I wasn’t going to be as insignificant as I suspected.
Reece pulled me close to him, wrapping me up in a bone-crushing hug before I was released. “We don’t have much time,” he said.
“Please be careful today,” I replied. It was only a tiny portion of everything I wanted to say to him. He needed to come back to me. Fight the good fight and then return so we could start the rest of our lives together.
He had to come back.
He just had to.
“I’m so glad you’re staying here. Wren, I don’t know what I would do if I lost you. If something goes wrong and the troopers come here, promise me you’ll run. Promise me you’ll do everything you can to leave Aria and never look back.”
I didn’t want to make promises I knew I couldn’t keep. If something went wrong today I would search for him. I wouldn’t give up until Reece was back with me or I was dead.
But if that was what he needed to believe at that moment, then he would hear the words he longed for. “I promise. You have to do the same thing. You have to flee too so we can live together outside the wall. Whatever’s out there.”
“Not without you. I won’t go anywhere without you.”
“Then I’ll be waiting right next to the gate.”
He offered me a smile which I accepted and gave him one in return. “I’m not going to say goodbye.”
“Don’t. It’s just ‘see you later’.”
“When I do see you later…” Reece said, his eyes glittering with water. “It’s going to be just the start. We’re going to live in a house and fill it with happiness and laughter. We’re going to be free to
walk the streets and we’ll have picnics in the park every week. I’m going to serve you breakfast in bed every day and you’re never going to think about Stone again.”
My eyes were filled with tears of my own. “That sounds perfect. Please stay safe out there. Reece, I can’t…”
“I know. I’ll return to you, Wren. That’s my promise.”
We hugged and kissed one last time.
Hopefully not for the last time.
I watched Reece walk away with my heart in his hands.
Wondering if he would ever return.
Chapter 16: Reece
Walking away from Wren was more difficult than I could ever have imagined. Only the thought of her being safe in the warehouse kept my feet moving.
I was fighting for my brother today.
I was fighting for my parents.
I was fighting for Wren.
And I was fighting for me.
We were doing the right thing, making changes like Joseph said. Change was difficult but it had to start somewhere and today was that somewhere.
The time was now.
Samson slapped my back as he caught my attention. “We’re all set to go. You ready, Thompson?”
“More than ready,” I replied.
He ran through the teams, ticking them off on his fingers as if he might have forgotten something.
One team was sent to the gate, closing it off. It was possible Stone and her parliament would try to flee if they felt they were on the losing side. We wanted them to stick around so we could make sure they weren’t any more trouble.
Another team was tasked with taking out the communications tower. We couldn’t have our enemies talking with one another and reporting back what was going on. If we could silence them, they would all be stuck without information.
A third group were heading to the troopers’ base, another for the guards. They were going to have it tough. Their mission was to infiltrate the bases and take the leaders hostage. Without orders, the troopers and guards wouldn’t have any direction. The protocol writers never thought they would have to deal with something so massive.
Other teams were to spread out over the city. They were to wait and act as backup if needed. They would be highly mobile and able to get to the action quickly by staying close.
My team were going directly to Aria Square.
I assured Samson everything was under control and filed out to my assigned transport. The same adrenalin I used to feel when I was a trooper surged within me. The next few hours were going to change everything.
Samson was with my team. We sat in the back of the van shoulder to shoulder, rocking with the movements. Nobody spoke, not even the most talkative of people. We had gone way past the point of joking. The time now called for serious focus.
Otherwise people would end up dead.
And we needed each and every one of them.
The burden of the mission was weighing heavily. We had the hardest of jobs, taking out Stone herself. The place was going to be crawling with troopers and guards, ready to swarm on anyone that looked twice at the president.
Plenty of ordinary citizens would be in the square too. We had to make sure they didn’t get hurt in the process. We were only after the guilty today, the innocent were going to be set free.
The van pulled up with a few blocks to go, the roads cut off for President’s Day. We walked the rest of the way, splitting up and merging with the crowd as we tried to blend in. My gun was snug in the small of my back, ready to be grabbed at a moment’s notice.
It felt like the whole city had turned out to commemorate the day. Nobody dared insult the president by staying away on her special day. Nobody wanted a knock on the door by a trooper, suspecting them of treason.
Like my parents had received.
Like my brother had received.
There were plenty of troopers around the square, suspiciously watching the crowd and making sure they behaved themselves. The last time Stone gave a speech in this square someone had been shot dead for their defiance.
Hopefully that wouldn’t happen again today.
I shuffled through the crowd, pretending to look for someone. I managed to squeeze up toward the front, close enough that I could see what was happening around the waiting podium.
Dwyer was standing guard. I hoped that was a good sign, a lucky omen that said everything was going to go smoothly and as planned today.
A band was just starting to fire up to my right. They were in a cordoned off area, holding their shiny brass instruments and puffing into their mouthpieces. The sound coming from them was loud enough to float over the voices of those waiting in the warm sun.
It would have been nice to have the opportunity to ask Dwyer if he left the door to the antechamber, the one just off the square, unlocked. If I knew the answer it would take away a whole lot of anxiety. But that wasn’t going to happen, not with so many people watching.
Instead of the nerves weighing me down, they were fueling me today. I took every fear and uncertainty within me and used it to charge my movements.
It was almost time.
We were so close I could feel it.
Samson had made his way to the front, too. He caught my eyes just once so I knew he was there. Another five were in the crowd somewhere, all counting down the moments until the action began.
The band finished their song and launched into the austere tune of our city anthem.
It was go time.
The room to my left opened before Stone and her entourage of guards burst through and marched for the stage. All the black uniforms formed a semi-circle at her back while she stepped up to the microphone.
The music stopped and there was nothing but eerie silence for a few moments before Stone cleared her throat and launched into her big speech.
“Welcome, ladies and gentleman. I am so glad you could all be here today and help me celebrate President’s Day. This day, thirty years ago, I was elected to my office here in Aria. I was eighteen years old and so eager to serve my city. We have not looked back since.” She laughed as if she’d made a joke but nobody else found it funny.
She’d been president for thirty years too many.
Just the look of her made me angry. I clenched and unclenched my hands while my heart raced in my chest. It was almost time, almost our moment.
This was going to be Stone’s last President’s Day.
While she talked, I slowly moved closer to her. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the others doing the same. It wouldn’t be long now.
“Being the president of Aria gives me great responsibility,” Stone continued. She loved hearing her own voice reverberate through the square. “I am tasked with protecting all of you and making sure the dissidents are not given a voice. But this, I’m afraid, is not something I can do alone. I need every one of you to remain vigilant, look for those that intend to do our fair city any harm. And then report them. I will not have my city interrupted.”
She banged her hand on the podium, making the microphone shake. Trust her to use the speech as an opportunity to remind people that if they didn’t follow her, they would be caught by their neighbors – if not the troopers.
“They will not win!” Stone yelled.
Firecrackers exploded at the back of the crowd, sending colored lights flying into the sky. Everyone moved, startled by the sudden noise.
People screamed as bodies scuttled everywhere. They didn’t know if it was part of the celebrations or something more sinister. Everyone was sent into a panic as they tried to get away from the firecrackers, nobody paying any attention to the podium anymore.
Which was entirely the point.
It was time.
I surged ahead for the stage as I was joined by the others. They started struggling with the guards while I grabbed Stone around the waist. She clawed at my arms, trying to pry my fingers away one by one.
I dragged her toward Door A, hoping beyond hope that it would be open and Dwyer had done the righ
t thing. The sound of struggles followed me all the way there as the guards fought to get to Stone and rescue her.
Stone wailed like a banshee as she swore every curse word under the sun in my direction. I had expected her to put up a fight but I didn’t think she’d have the strength she was now showing.
My hand extended to reach the handle, my heart stopping while I waited to see if it would turn.
If it didn’t, we wouldn’t have anywhere to run.
We would be trapped.
Ready to be rounded up and killed by the guards and troopers.
It turned.
Thank goodness for Dwyer.
I pushed open the door and hurried to get inside. One by one the other Resistance members joined me, bringing with them the guards that were trying to get in our way.
Two heavy hands grabbed me from behind, the force making me stumble awkwardly and let go of Stone. She tumbled forward while I swung around at my attacker.
A guard in his pristine black uniform was getting ready to punch me. I got in first, giving him a sucker punch to the belly. The wind was momentarily knocked from his lungs before he charged at me again.
My jaw copped the brunt of his anger. My cheek cut on my teeth, making me taste blood quickly. I swiped a hand back at him, doing nothing but hurting myself on the edge of his helmet.
A quick glance around and I saw all the Resistance members caught up in their own fight. We were outnumbered and they had the upper hand with their big guns and armor.
It was only a matter of time until they picked us off one by one.
And Stone was nowhere in sight.
Our mission had failed.
Chapter 17: Wren
My eyes were glued to the holographic television as all channels broke through their regular programming with big news. Aria Square was under attack by terrorists and nobody was safe.
Apparently.
The scene looked completely chaotic as people ran everywhere trying to flee. The unauthorized fireworks spread smoke across the square, making it even more difficult for the citizens to know what was going on.
Cameras kept zooming in on the podium, showing Stone gone. They were reporting her abduction, a confused story about someone grabbing her before the guards went into action.
One Spark of Hope Page 16
