The Expedition

by Chris Babu

  CHAPTER 5

  His head spinning, Drayden followed the ginger giant back the way he had come, up Broadway toward Wall Street. He’d tried to say something to her before they left, but she’d covered his mouth with her banana hands and instructed him to follow her, without looking like he was following her. When he attempted to ask her a question again, she’d whispered forcefully, “Shut your piehole.”

  He tried to act casual, as suggested, despite the woman’s brisk pace. It was challenging to seem like he wasn’t following her when he had to walk so hastily. But he needed to talk to her. Although she was scary and this whole scenario was dangerous and uncomfortable, she was evidently the key to unlocking the puzzle of Lily Haddad’s note.

  She disappeared left down an alley. Drayden followed.

  It was dark inside, about ten feet wide, and smelled like wet cement. A giant gray stone building towered on the right. On the left, a building constructed of glass and dirty brown brick rested atop huge brown stone pillars. The woman was waiting about halfway down, now wearing pants and a button-down shirt, her coat and hat in a pile on the ground.

  When he reached her, Drayden extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Drayden Coulson.”

  She regarded it as if it were poison. “I know who you are, kiddo. Obviously.”

  “Okay. Who are you?”

  “My name is Kimberly Craig. I run surveillance for all of New America. Right over here, 90 Trinity Place,” she said, tilting her head back. “I know you’re confused and probably a little scared, and I’m going to do my best to explain what’s going on. But I also need to ask you some questions, because I’m a little confused too. Yeah?”

  “Um, sure.”

  She blew out a long breath, puffing her cheeks out. “A decision was made about you. To bring you in. I don’t know why yet, but that’s what we’re going to figure out. You were contacted by Lily Haddad? With that poem I recited?”

  Drayden nodded. “Yes. What does it mean?”

  Craig made a face. “Hell if I know. I’m no poet. It was a code for this scenario we’re in right now, so we could be sure to trust each other. It’s not like Lily could call on a phone and tell me what’s up. Communicating with her is very difficult, particularly with Thomas Cox gone.”

  It occurred to Drayden that just because this woman knew the poem didn’t mean he could trust her. The new Dorm rep, Dennis Robinson, had read the note. What if he’d shared it? How could he be sure she wasn’t an agent of the Bureau digging into Lily Haddad? He decided to play along for now.

  “Got it.”

  “I found you because certain people think you should be in. I’m here to make sure it happens. What I don’t understand is why Lily wants you in. How do you know her?”

  In for what? Drayden wondered.

  “I’m one of the kids from the Dorms that passed the Initiation,” he said. “I only met Lily once, the day before the test.”

  “What did you talk about?”

  “I asked her if she had any idea why the Bureau exiled my mom. My brother had mentioned she’d been spending a lot of time with Lily, which I found odd because I didn’t recall them ever socializing.”

  “What was your mom’s name?”

  “Maya. Maya Coulson.”

  Her eyes widened. “Ah. Maya was your mom. What did Lily tell you?”

  “That she had no idea what happened. My mom was accused of conspiring against the Bureau, but Lily said that was shkat.”

  Kimberly Craig hesitated, scratching her head. “Is there anything else you’re not telling me? About you and Lily.”

  “Uh…I…” Drayden recalled how he’d hid in her office.

  She put her hands on her hips. “What is it, kid? I need to know everything.”

  Now was the moment he’d have to decide if he trusted this woman or not. Any further information could expose him, or Lily, or who knew who else. He recalled that his best friend Tim had often told him to stop thinking so much and trust his gut. Sure, the context was often in regard to a fight or jiu-jitsu, but it applied during the Initiation as well. Maybe her bulk reminded him of Wesley, the most trustworthy person he knew. Plus, she seemed authentic. His gut told him to trust her.

  “I didn’t think Lily was telling me the full story. I broke into her office to press her. Then I heard her approaching with Thomas Cox. It was too late for me to escape, so I hid under her desk. She and Cox had a conversation, then left. After they were gone, I snuck back out.”

  A lightbulb appeared to go off. “Did anyone see you leave?”

  Oh yeah, he’d forgotten about that. “Yes. Her receptionist. She yelled after me, but I ran.”

  “In that case, Lily would have found out you’d been in her office.” Craig rubbed her temples. “That means she knew you overheard what she discussed with Cox. What were they talking about?”

  Drayden hesitated again. “I—I don’t want to get Lily in any trouble.”

  Kimberly Craig smirked. “Do you have any idea why we’re talking here? I run surveillance. I know where all the cameras and microphones are in this entire city. We’re secure right here. This is one of the only places not monitored besides the Meadow. I’m on Lily’s side, sonny boy. You can tell me; it’s fine.”

  Why wasn’t the Meadow surveilled?

  He hoped his gut instinct was right. “They were talking about getting rid of Premier Holst. Cox said they needed to move swiftly. Lily said they weren’t even close to being ready, and expressed fear that Cox was going to get them exiled. Cox told Lily about the power outages and the exiles in the Dorms. The Bureau couldn’t produce enough food to feed everyone. He said exiles would skyrocket. He actually said nobody was safe in the Dorms. It’s one of the main reasons I entered the Initiation.”

  “Now we’re getting somewhere,” Craig said. “Lily knew you were in her office and overheard that conversation. She knows you uncovered the plan, and that you were upset about your mother’s exile. That, combined with you being smart enough to pass the Initiation, explains why they had me find you. I get it now.” She checked up and down the alley for people.

  “I’m lost, lady.”

  She stepped back a little. “You’re clearly a smart kid. We need you in our movement and I’m here to officially recruit you. I was sent to find you. You’re an asset, yes, but you’re also too big a risk to keep on the outside considering the information you possess. Get it? We can’t have you running around out there aware of a plot against the Bureau. I can’t tell you many details yet. What I can say is there’s a plot, and Thomas Cox’s execution did nothing to slow it. There are people in all zones involved, including some Bureau members. I control surveillance. If I’m aware of a sensitive conversation that’s taking place, I’ll shut those cameras or microphones off. If someone screws up and gets recorded, I’ll guarantee that feed never sees the light of day.”

  “Ms. Craig, how did Thomas Cox get caught then?”

  “You are sharp, aren’t you? Let’s just say Cox screwed up. Had a conversation outside, in an unexpected place, where he was overheard yapping before I could do anything about it. Jeez, now that I think about it, it might have even been the day you were hiding under the desk.”

  Drayden connected the dots. “That would mean the Bureau knows about Lily.”

  “They can’t touch her, Drayden. She’s the leader of the Dorms. The Bureau knows her exile would lead to a revolt.”

  Craig stepped closer to him and puffed up like a balloon. “Now we’ve got a little dilemma here. You might be questioning why I’m telling you all this since we just met. It’s because you don’t leave here today without either joining us or dying. It’s one or the other. Many people would be executed if this information got out. What you knew before I found you today is enough to blow the whole thing. The safest thing for me to do is kill you. It’s possible that’s why Lily connected us. I could, by t
he way. Like that,” she said, snapping her fingers in his face. “However, I don’t think so. They want you to be a part of this and felt you’d be on board, based on your mother’s exile and having suffered through the Initiation. A kid smart and brave enough to pass the Initiation would be quite a tool in our box. What do you say, string bean?”

  Drayden imagined this mountain of a woman killing him with her bare hands. But it was more than that. The Bureau had exiled his mother, killed his best friend Tim, and put him through hell in the Initiation. This was a no-brainer.

  “I’m no fan of the Bureau, and I’d love to see the walls knocked down. I’m in, on one condition.”

  “Your choices are join us or die. You don’t get to set conditions.”

  After years of bullying, Drayden wasn’t getting bullied anymore. “You can’t kill me right now, Ms. Craig. I may have already told other people about this. If you kill me, you won’t know who they are.”

  To be fair, he hadn’t told anyone, but he’d thought about confiding in Catrice.

  She smiled. “I like you, Drayden Coulson. Call me Kim. What’s your condition?”

  “Can you help me figure out why my mom was exiled? Who was responsible, who ordered it, if it was random? Anything about it.”

  She tilted her head back and forth. “That information is highly classified. I can try, though.” She checked her watch. “Meet me right here at noon tomorrow. Do not speak a word of this to anyone. I think you know what that would mean for you. And them.”

  Drayden sported a pair of beat-up red boxing gloves, pounding away at a heavy bag inside the Guardian fitness center. After his fortuitous meeting with Kim Craig, he needed to think, to strategize. He was no longer sure if an uncomfortable confrontation with Nathan Locke made sense. Recounting the events of his mother’s exile had also gotten him fired up and he needed to blow off some steam.

  One–two: left jab, right cross. Repeat. He’d picked up a few combinations from the Guardians during their training. Huffing and puffing, dripping sweat, Drayden collapsed with his back against the wall, resting the bulky gloves on his knees.

  Finally, a solid lead had emerged, and just in the nick of time. Whatever her reasons, Lily Haddad had connected him with Kim Craig, the first person to offer support. Kim’s demeanor was a tad surly, but her toughness somehow enhanced her authenticity and appeal. You got the sense she was totally upfront about everything. Nothing was masked behind pleasantries.

  Still, Drayden wasn’t sure he could trust her. How could he know for sure? She hadn’t revealed anything he didn’t already know, except mentioning the Meadow wasn’t under surveillance, and that seemed to have been an accidental slip. Meanwhile, Drayden had sung to her like a canary, telling her everything he knew.

  He had little choice in the matter since he needed her help and she had threatened to kill him. He was firmly on the rebels’ side in theory, he just wasn’t sure he wanted to be directly involved in this overthrow plot. While he’d welcome the Bureau’s destruction, there was a broad gap between being an idealistic supporter and an active participant. He imagined many overthrow plots had been concocted over the years, and each one had failed, its rebels executed. Perhaps Lily and Kim and the few other members of each zone had a brilliant scheme. Yet witnessing firsthand how strong the Palace Guardians were, the idea of a rebellion seemed laughable.

  He could cooperate until Kim produced the information he needed about his mother, then afterward tell her, “Yeah, nah. Thanks anyway.” Drayden snorted out loud at the thought. Kim would snap his neck on the spot.

  He should have asked if his mother was involved in this plot. Kim recognized her name, so she could have been, or they sought to recruit her. He couldn’t imagine his mother associating herself with anything that would jeopardize her ability to care for her children. If that was true, her exile had nothing to do with this plot. Not to mention, Kim controlled surveillance. If a camera or microphone caught Mom talking about it, Kim would ensure the clip disappeared. That basically ruled out her exile having anything to do with the conspiracy.

  As a result, two possibilities remained. She was randomly exiled to match the declining power and food production with the population size, or it was something else altogether. Like, Nathan Locke. The affair between his mother and Locke still ate away at Drayden. Her exile and the fling were simultaneous shocking events. How could they be unrelated? What were the odds?

  Drayden’s supposed involvement in the plot to overthrow the Bureau overlooked one major problem—he would be leaving New America in two days. Despite the assurances from everyone, he gave himself a fifty-percent chance of returning alive and healthy. He wouldn’t be much good to the movement outside the city.

  He got up and returned to the heavy bag. Having never seen Nathan Locke’s face, he pictured a creepy old guy’s mug on the bag. The anger simmering inside him, he pummeled it with all his strength.

  Kim Craig could come up empty tomorrow, and he couldn’t leave any stone unturned. He’d been avoiding this, not just because it was risky, but because it would be difficult. The decision was clear. He needed to confront Nathan Locke.

  CHAPTER 6

  Drayden rode the dimly lit elevator up to fourth floor of Twenty-One Broadway. The building smelled old and musty. Since the offices to the left were dark, he headed right, reaching a door that read “Food Distribution Center Main Office” etched into translucent glass.

  Nathan Locke ran all the food distribution centers, or FDCs as they called them in the Dorms. Drayden’s mother had been the manager of the local one on East Thirtieth Street. Until Wesley told him about her affair with Locke, Drayden barely knew who he was. Even now he didn’t know much about the man. Locke supposedly visited the Dorms on Mondays and Fridays. That was the extent of Drayden’s knowledge.

  Despite his not knowing Locke, Locke might know him, or at least his name. If he wanted to make sure Locke agreed to meet, he’d have to lie about his name. He couldn’t imagine Locke would desire a sit-down with the son of a woman with whom he’d had an affair and possibly exiled.

  Drayden opened the door and entered.

  Immediately to the left was a dark wood desk. A stunning girl, not much older than he was, reclined in a chair with her face buried in a book. She read for another few seconds, twirling her luminous brown hair before looking up. She dropped the book on the desk, scooted her chair in, tucked her hair behind her ears, and smiled.

  Butterflies fluttered in his stomach. He felt guilty for finding her attractive, thinking about Catrice. Dammit, she was gorgeous, though. Drayden suddenly wished he’d dressed cooler, instead of wearing imitation jeans and a wrinkled T-shirt. He called to mind his best friend Tim and how he would own this situation. He’d get in to see Locke and leave with a date.

  Drayden tried his best to channel Tim’s gift of gab. “Hi. How are you?” He started to lean on the desk but decided that was stupid and straightened.

  Her smile faded a bit. “Can I help you?”

  “Oh, yeah. I’m Dr—Charlie. Charlie Arnold. What’s your name?”

  She furrowed her brow. “Hi, Dr—Charlie. What can I do for you today?” She was becoming increasingly businesslike by the second.

  How did Tim make it look so effortless? “I’m here to see Mr. Locke. I have a message for him.”

  She pulled out a notepad and pen. “Why don’t you leave the message with me, and I’ll pass it along to Mr. Locke?”

  Drayden surveyed the room. Lacking the elegance of the headquarters’ offices, it was functional rather than aesthetic. Dented metal filing cabinets, notebooks, and stacks of papers littered the space. Fluorescent white light brightened the room, which featured an ugly turquoise rug. Like the offices at headquarters, however, two rather bulky Guardians flanked Locke’s door.

  “I was instructed to deliver the message to Mr. Locke myself. It’s from Dennis Robinson, the Bureau
rep for the Dorms. He’s sick and couldn’t come. I know Mr. Robinson because I’m from the Dorms. I joined the Bureau last week.”

  Her blue eyes lit up. “Oh my God, you’re one of the kids who passed the Initiation?” She excitedly rubbed her hands together. “I can’t believe I’m meeting one of you! Though, no offense, Charlie, I’m dying to meet Drayden.”

  You’ve got to be kidding me.

  He stood there for a moment, paralyzed by the irony. You couldn’t make this up. He might as well have some fun with it.

  “Yeah, Drayden is incredible. They say he’s one of the smartest kids ever. Strong and brave too. And funny, with unconventional good looks.”

  She stood and extended her hand. “I’m Katelyn.” She gave him a solid shake. “Let me tell Mr. Locke you’re here and I’ll show you right in.” She walked to the door, knocked twice, and poked in her head. After saying something, she opened the door a tad further, and returned to the desk. “Go right in, Charlie,” she said with a sultry smile.

  “Thank you, Katelyn.” Drayden took a deep breath and approached the door.

  Now that he was here, he waffled on the proper approach. He could go super aggressive, or play dumb and pretend he didn’t know about the affair. Maybe he wouldn’t even reveal his identity. After walking through the door and closing it behind him, he faced Locke.

  Locke was sixty-something, overweight with a round belly, and had a receding line of flawlessly coifed gray hair. He also carried an air of authority about him. Classic bureaucrat. He’d risen from his desk and approached, a jolly grin on his face. He stopped in his tracks five feet from Drayden and his smile faded, inverting into a frown. “Hello, Drayden.”

  How did he know? There were no pictures. Drayden racked his brain to recall whether he’d met the guy once while visiting Mom. Or, Locke might have seen her in his features. “Mr. Locke, may I take a seat?”