She didn’t answer immediately. A few minutes later, she thought,
“Fight back,” I said out loud. “We’re going to fight back.”
The scene on the roof of Twelve was organized noise. I didn’t see Trek or Irvine, but Thane was issuing directions to small teams of people.
“Status,” I barked as he sent a group of five men into the sky.
“Jag,” he practically sighed. “There you are.” He gripped my hand in a shake that lasted only two seconds. He hugged Vi in a fatherly gesture. “As soon as we saw Darke’s army, Zenn made new transmissions and Irv sent them out over the lines. He asked anyone who wanted to fight for a different future to come to Rise Twelve. The Rise is choked with people.”
“Nice,” I said. “Keep talking.”
He held up his hand for me to wait as he gave a destination to another group, this one all women. They wielded tasers, and determination flashed in their eyes.
“I’m sending out the groups. Trek and Irv have outfitted them all with protective gear and tasers, and Starr blitzed over from Six to help organize them into groups of five by like talents.”
“Like talents?”
“Starr can read minds incredibly well. She’s putting people with flying skills together. People with math skills. People with problem-solving skills. The leader of each group brings me a paper.” He took one from a man in the next group. “Based on their noted skill set, I give them a section of the city to defend.” He turned to the group and assigned them the prison camp in the south orchard. “Detain the prisoners by force if necessary,” he told them before they lifted into the air.
“We’ve recalled our traveling teams. Hope that was okay,” Thane said as he scanned the paper for the next group.
“Sure, fine,” I said, surprised he’d practically asked. I clutched Vi’s hand and watched as Thane sent out team after team after team. Pride welled inside me at the efficiency of my Resistance. From Irvine to Starr to Trek to Thane, everyone had risen to the task at hand.
“Where do you need us?” I asked after Thane had sent another team to Rise Six to put out a still-smoldering fire. “And what’s Zenn’s status?”
“Why don’t you go find out?” Thane said. “He’s in his flat in Rise Nine. And do something about the fire while you’re there. Trek just said we’ve assigned all the volunteers.”
“How many?” I asked.
“Thousands.”
“How many did Darke bring?”
“A lot more.” Thane’s voice pinched with worry. “Clones, most of them.”
“You stay here,” I said. “Work with Irv to keep the transmissions flowing. Maybe we can create a frequency only Darke’s clones can hear. Can we brainwash them that way?”
“I don’t know,” Thane said. “I’ll talk to Irvine.” He disappeared down the stairwell, leaving me and Vi on the roof.
The smell of ash and burnt metal filled the air. The city flickered with flashes of tech and flame. We launched from the shallow lip of the roof and aimed ourselves toward Rise Nine.
“You know the flat?” I asked Vi.
“Yeah,” she replied, the first words she’d spoken in twenty minutes. She led me to the balcony, and we both pounded on the glass door with our fists.
Laurel opened it not two seconds later, her face drawn. “Jag,” she said. “Thank the stars.” Laurel gathered Vi into a hug and drew her into the flat. Her relief at seeing her daughter alive was touching, but we didn’t have much time for that.
Raine and Gunner hovered in the corner near the kitchen, watching the flashes of fire outside. “Where’s Zenn?” I asked, noting his absence.
“You just missed him. He left to record another set of transmissions,” Laurel replied. Her voice held no tone, no emotion. “I came over after Starr went to Twelve to help with the volunteers.”
I frowned as Vi asked, “Another set of transmissions?”
“Irvine thinks he can isolate the feed to be heard only by Darke’s army,” Laurel said. “He needed Zenn to record the new transmissions.”
How did Irvine communicate with Zenn? How had he known to go? “Why Zenn?” I asked. Something didn’t sit right with me. My voice was four times what Zenn’s was. Gunner’s at least double. “Who asked for him?”
“Irvine,” Laurel repeated.
“Are you sure it was Irv?” I felt sick. “We were just at Twelve. Why couldn’t Thane have done the transmissions? I was there; I could’ve done it. We’ve been gone, what? Five minutes?” I started pacing. “Something isn’t right. When did Zenn leave?”
“I don’t know,” Laurel said. “Ten minutes ago?” She stepped next to Raine and Gunn and looked out the window.
“Who asked for Zenn?” I asked, knowing it hadn’t been Irvine. “Who brought the message?”
“Saffediene,” Laurel said. “She said the message came in while she flew past Twelve on her way here. She went with Zenn.”
Vi gasped. “No,” I said.
Could they abandon us now? Would they?
Everyone looked at me. Gunner and Raine. Vi and Laurel.
“Let’s fly,” I said. “Gunner, you get to Twelve and report to Thane. Tell him to check on the transmissions there. Send anyone you can to help us look for Zenn and Saffediene.”
I was surprised my hoverboard achieved any lift what with the sinking feeling in my stomach.
Zenn
54.
I followed Saffediene until she turned away from Rise Twelve and flew toward the western wall. Something wasn’t right—had she lied to get me out of my flat so we could run away? Now?
I called after her, but she didn’t turn. Her blond hair streamed loosely behind her unwavering back. I stalled in midair, a war brewing inside me. I could fly away amid the confusion. Leave. Find a tiny apartment in a tiny city and live out my days with Saffediene by my side.
I could join the troops Ian Darke had brought back with him, though I knew there’d be no going back to the Resistance after that.
Or I could fly to Twelve and see where my talents were most needed.
Saffediene had said she believed in me. That I used to speak with conviction. I’d recorded the transmissions to urge people to make their own choices. All around me, people had done exactly that.
But Saffediene had made this decision for me. “Zenn?” She hovered in front of me now. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“Someplace safe,” she said.
“I can’t abandon the Resistance,” I said. “Not again.” I swung my hoverboard away from the wall and faced the fighting before me. “We can’t leave.”
I’d left before. I’d left Vi to face the hovercopter pilot alone, when I was thirteen.
I’d left Blaze standing in that alley to await his death.
I’d left Jag without a contact in the Goodgrounds.
I’d left Vi to attend training with the Special Forces.
I’d left my brother in Castledale, and now I didn’t know where he was, or if he was still alive.
I’d left my father’s memory in the recesses of my mind, never thinking about him, never doing anything to
