If James wasn’t already confident in Lewis’ abilities after he successfully tormented Colin, surely, he must know by now. The first session made Colin compliant, the second time he broke him. It was abundantly clear to Lewis that Colin had lost his will to live—something he put in his report at the earliest signs—yet still he received no word from James.
He was required to keep his tablet on him at all times while he sat in wait for further orders, even though he questioned if they would ever come.
Will I even help with the launch? Or will I show up to an empty cage, with his meal in hand. Maybe I don’t rank high enough to see Colin depart this earth.
He tucked his elbows in as though he was about to block an opponent, then ducked, feigning to the side. The chains jolted as he delivered an uppercut, then unloaded a rapid succession of blows until the exertion left him winded.
He gripped the Velcro with his teeth to tear his gloves free, then carelessly tossed them to the ground. Without a backward glance, he walked to the drinking station and gulped down metallic-tasting mouthfuls of water.
As he leaned down to retrieve his gloves, he caught a flash of light out of the corner of his eye. He instantly turned to its source, his tablet. A notification had come through his secure line containing the instructions he felt would never come.
His eyes quickly scanned over the information, almost immediately disappointed by its contents. A trivial task.
At least it’s something.
He quickly showered and changed into a fresh set of fatigues, then jogged down the hall.
Drugging civilians was a regular part of his missions. There was a special cabinet containing such concoctions near every access point. He reached the closet dispensary and carefully selected the small envelope containing a powder, and a pre-filled injection of stimulant.
It appeared from the request that it was time to move Colin—Lewis presumed directly onto the spacecraft.
Once he had unceremoniously tainted and delivered Colin’s evening meal, he sat in wait for both Colin to fall asleep, and for further instructions to come.
The next time his tablet chimed, he cocked his head to the side, then pursed his lips as he reviewed the instructions. A weight landed firmly on his chest as he slipped into Colin’s cell and looked down at his motionless body.
What kind of game is James playing at? He winced and stepped forward to bind Colin’s limp hands. Whatever is going on, I don’t think it’s about colonization anymore. I don’t know if this is about the rebellion either. How deep could his rebellion ties run if they felt safe sending him to the colony world?
He lifted Colin out of his bed and gently placed him in a wheelchair. The wheels wobbled and made a high-pitched squeak as he rolled Colin down the hall into an interrogation room. He transferred Colin to a cold metal chair, bound his hands behind his back, and secured his ankles to the chair’s legs.
The empty wheelchair squeaked as Lewis returned it to the storage area and retrieved a spotlight and another chair. Once the room was set up as James had requested, Lewis confirmed the time and knew James would join them shortly. It was time to wake Colin. He retrieved the syringe from his pocket, removed the cap, and plunged it into Colin’s neck.
“Lewis,” James said as he strolled into the room. “I see everything is in place. Well done.”
James patted Lewis on his shoulder before taking a seat in the small metallic chair adjacent to Colin.
A soft moan escaped Colin as his head rolled around, eventually hanging forward as he opened his eyes.
James inched closer so their knees were practically touching. “Look, you and I need to have a little talk. I could torture you again, but I don’t think it would be effective as you have lost your will to live.” He paused. “So, I’ve decided instead, I’ll make you a deal.”
The corner of Colin’s lip upturned, and he jostled in a sarcastic laugh. “I don’t know what you want, but there is nothing you can offer me, so you might as well just kill me.”
James broke into a laugh and sat back in his seat. “Oh, on the contrary; I do have something you want: Freya.”
Colin’s head snapped upward, and he jolted against his restraints. “What have you done to her? Where is she? I’ll kill you, you bastard!”
James laughed again, and Colin continued to struggle to free himself of his bindings until his anger burned out, and desperation sunk in. “What have you done to her?”
“I haven’t done anything to her, Colin. She is working on the grounds of the State House. She is both healthy and safe, I assure you. She has, however, been rather melancholy in your absence.”
Colin did the last thing Lewis ever expected of him; he broke down and sobbed. Lewis was stunned, both by Colin’s emotional display, and from learning about his partner, Freya.
How could a rebellion member be coupled with someone in the State House? She had to be compliant if she worked there.
A feeling of disgust washed over Lewis. At that moment, he wished he could torture Colin again. Maybe kill him.
How could rebellious scum be allowed to get so close to the State House, or a compliant, upstanding citizen? Lewis was glad Colin was being separated from the woman he loved. She deserved someone better.
“Are you ready to hear our deal?” James asked.
Colin nodded and tried to gain control of himself.
“Good. You have come a long way, Colin—there’s hope for you yet. I need you to do something tomorrow, something incredibly important. You have always been a clever boy. I suppose you’ve guessed what this is all about?” Colin nodded, but James persisted. “I need you to tell me why you were brought here.”
Colin hesitated momentarily before responding in a flat tone. “The State is ready to build above ground. You want me to set up communications, and then to help in the general labor of building a new city.”
Anyone could do that. Why would they bother with Colin? He’s part of the rebellion.
“Very good, Colin. I’m glad to see my faith in you was not misplaced. Can you tell me why it is that we would need someone to set up a communication device?”
Colin sighed. “You need to keep most of the population here while we build. You will want someone to send progress reports so we can schedule migration out of the dome, or possibly establish trade.”
“Again, well done.” James beamed. “You see, Colin, I need you to perform for me. You only have to complete one simple task, but I need you to act a certain way while you do it.”
James paused, letting his words sink in before he leaned forward in his seat. “We are making history, so naturally, it will be recorded and broadcast. I need you to put on a suit, go to the surface, and board a vessel. I need you to do all of that, of course, without making a scene. A smile might even be a nice touch. You should look excited—this is a big step for us, after all.”
Colin raised an eyebrow. “Vessel? Where are you taking us? If we need a suit to board, then how can we build above ground?”
“Yes, you put that together rather quickly. You see, the area that we currently occupy was one of the more damaged areas on our planet. The environment immediately around us is still uninhabitable, but we have found space much further away that will be suitable.”
Lewis couldn’t understand why James was lying about where Colin was being sent. He had been right in assuming Colin had figured out he was being sent away, and he was training physically and mentally. Colin was intelligent, a trait he didn’t like to see in a rebellion member.
“So, we are going far then? How far?” Colin asked.
“You need not worry how far; it is a trivial matter. We will transport you, and the vessel will return to pick up others when the new colony is ready.”
Colin tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. “So that’s it? I go, get on like a boat or something, smile and wave to the cameras, and you send Freya on the next boat.”
Lewis hoped James was toying with Colin, that he didn’t
truly have any intent on sending his partner. It sounded as though Freya belonged here and deserved a different partner, someone better than this loser.
“Oh Colin, a boat? How archaic. No, since you paid attention in your history classes, your transport will resemble something much closer to an airplane, but you can call it a ship if you like. You get the idea.” James paused and smiled softly. “I can’t promise you that Freya will be on the next vessel. All I can promise is that she will be given the option.”
Colin flinched. “I don’t understand; why would you think she wouldn’t want to go?”
“I didn’t say she wouldn’t. I simply mean you are commanded to this project, but she is not. She is quite content working in the State House. I also don’t take Freya as the type of girl who has much of a sense of adventure. It might be difficult to persuade her, is all.”
Lewis smiled at hearing James’ words. He had no intention of reuniting the pair. He was merely toying with Colin by dangling Freya in front of him, to demand his compliance. Once Freya was free of Colin, she could continue on with her life, a better life without him. It appeared Colin was certain she would return to him, that she would choose him over a life of stability.
James continued to feed into his ruse. “Then do we have a deal?”
“Yes,” Colin answered.
“Good.”
Lewis stepped forward and lifted Colin by the elbows and escorted him out of the room.
“Hey Lewis, did you hear? I’m getting out of here. Are you going to miss me?”
“Of course.”
Colin laughed, with a tinge of his smugness returning.
I hate him. James was right.
Any compassion Lewis previously felt toward Colin disappeared with just one arrogant smirk.
How can he still be defiant? He learned nothing. Rebel scum.
He escorted Colin to the area where he would dress in an appropriate suit and move into the lineup for the spacecraft.
As he placed Colin in line, he knew his mission was complete. He watched Colin slowly move forward in the lineup until he was out of sight.
Good. This world will be a better place without you in it.
Chapter 5
Chastity
Chastity slipped down the stairwell into the military underground. Having Freya in the State House made her schedule more hectic than normal. There was a part of Chastity that enjoyed Freya’s company, but another part of her was looking forward to seeing her go home. Having to spend extra time dining with Victor wasn’t her idea of an enjoyable evening.
It wasn’t just Victor she despised; it was everything. The State, the dome, the fact she would never know if her mother was alive or dead, that she could never see or speak to her closest friend ever again.
When she moved into the State House after killing her partner, they had given her a series of antidepressants. As her life had fallen apart, she took them gladly. The State was conciliatory for placing her with an abusive partner—the abuse they claimed to have corrected out of him—which was possibly why they were lenient on Chastity.
Although she had nightmares regarding Lance, she rarely let herself dwell on him. She had taken the antidepressants to cope with her wasted life, all the lost opportunity with her mother. Even the idea that she could have met her father and lived on the surface tormented her. She let herself grieve for a few years before weaning herself off. Taking unnecessary medications raised too many questions, even with her troubled past.
She arrived at her destination and gave a curt knock on the door before she stepped inside. The military personnel present, Lewis, sat dutifully at the desk and nodded to her. She breezed right past him and headed into the firing range.
This firing range had become her drug, her replacement for what the State no longer provided. It had become an addiction, and it had been far too long since she had her fix.
With a flick of the lever, she moved the target closer for an easy warm-up round. Her body shifted into position as she methodically took her aim and fired a round and reloaded. She moved the target further back and fired again, aiming for the chest’s center where her bullet had already pierced the paper. She continued this sequence until the small inner circle of the target was ripped to shreds.
Firing off a few rounds always lifted her moods. The reverberation of the gunshots tingling through her arms made her feel powerful. It restored her inner calm.
Although being in the firing range immediately improved her mood, it wasn’t enough. She wanted to be perfect. Her aim was so true, it could put any military personnel to shame. Her skill with firearms far surpassed any requirement for her Council duties, but she didn’t equate her firearm with her Council position. It was her recreation, her only recreation.
Since Victor had invited Freya onto the Council, Chastity had questioned what purpose someone so young could serve. It didn’t add up. Freya was even younger than Chastity was when she received her invitation, and Chastity had never felt like she contributed all that much, even as the right hand to the Head of State. Freya was just a gardener. There were so many times she questioned if being a Council member meant anything at all.
Regardless of its purpose, she was grateful she had access to the firing range. Her mood had already lifted as she unloaded another round. The corners of her lips softly upturned as she saw her time spent away from the firing range had not impacted her aim.
Perfect.
This week was more difficult for her. She desperately ached to visit the firing range since formally learning of the State’s plan to colonize. Today was launch. That spacecraft contained a transport device her mother helped to create, yet not even she had the answers as to why colonization was sought after. With the surface being survivable, Chastity couldn’t understand what card the State had hidden up their sleeve. If she, with a prestigious civil duty such as her own, had only learned of the project a week in advance, it meant the State was more secretive than usual.
The knowledge was sparse at best. She knew nothing of who was selected to go or what the selection process looked like. She didn’t know how long it would take for those sent to land on the alien world, or if those brave travelers would ever see their loved ones again.
She fired off another round and realized if she continued, it may raise suspicion as her target was torn to shreds. She stripped her gear and returned it to the cupboard and returned up the steps.
Today was the big day. The spacecraft would launch and change the fate of humanity, forever. She had completed final revisions on Victor’s momentous speech before her visit to the firing range. It was time to join him in his office to witness the corruption of the State.
“Big day.” Victor’s eyes sparkled.
Chastity swallowed the dry air in her throat. “Most certainly.”
She activated the monitor and took her seat, ready to assist the Head of State as he addressed the nation.
Victor began his speech, and she nearly gagged at his performance. At least his address was brief, and she found her attention perked up at seeing the lineup of people waiting to board. As the cameras displayed the colonists inside the spacecraft, she couldn’t help but to notice how terrified they appeared.
The camera then focused on a boy walking toward his hibernation chamber. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him, knowing there was something familiar about him. She stopped watching the broadcast and pulled out her tablet, typing ferociously on the keyboard.
“What’s wrong?”
Chastity shook her head. “I don’t know. That boy looked familiar. I know him.”
Victor began typing on his tablet as well. With his higher clearance, he could retrieve a list of the colonists. He sent the information to her tablet, and she quickly scrolled through until she saw the face she recognized. As comprehension set in, she dropped her tablet and flung her hands over her mouth. The tablet’s screen cracked on impact.
“Chastity, what’s wrong?”
Chastity’s head snapp
ed in Victor’s direction. “Why did you let this happen?”
“Let what happen? I don’t understand.”
His words sounded soft and sympathetic, but she could see a glimmer in his eyes.
She turned squarely to him. “How could you do this? How could you take Colin from her?”
He scrunched his face. “I don’t understand.”
Chastity suddenly realized it was not Victor she should be speaking to at this moment. “Freya!”
She turned and ran toward Freya’s apartment. As she opened the door, she instantly saw Freya’s crumpled body on the floor. Chastity flailed downward beside her and shook Freya’s shoulders.
Victor cut into the tiny apartment. “What happened to her?”
Conspired: A Young Adult Dystopian Romance (The State Series Book 6) Page 3
