down at the explosives, Woody started to fumble with the wiring again.
Leland stopped at the foot of the stairs, his head turning from Woody to Ellyssa. “Did I interrupt something?”
Ellyssa gave Woody a hard look. “No. I was explaining how to set the timer.”
“Oh.” He sounded relieved. “It’s rather easy. Just like a kitchen timer.”
“Haven’t really used one of those,” Woody said. He set the bomb down with the others on the table. “But it seems relatively simple.”
Leland smiled. “Of course,” he said, setting the bag on the ground. “I have some stuff for you.” He pulled out a yellow wig, the color of sunflowers, and a small white container. He held the container out to Ellyssa. “You should find this interesting.”
“What is it?” she asked, taking it.
“Open it.”
Ellyssa unscrewed the lid. A flimsy lens floated in liquid. Although she’d never seen a contact lens before, poor eyesight being a thing of the past, she knew what they were. “Where did you get these?”
“Actually, I don’t even know. I request the item, and a day later, I have it. The Resistance is a lot bigger than you think. Bigger than what I even know.” Apparently pleased with himself, he smiled. “These don’t improve your eyesight. They change your eye color. Once we are done, no one will recognize you.”
“What about me?” asked Woody.
“I have a pair for you,” Leland answered, pulling out another container. “Your hair will be fine, especially for a job like the maintenance crew.”
Woody’s face reddened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means your hair color makes you acceptable for that type of work,” Leland said matter-of-factly, blind to how the words affected Woody.
Ellyssa squeezed Woody’s hand. “It’s how society runs,” she reminded him.
Leland reached back into his bag of tricks, like the mythical Santa Claus Ellyssa had read about, and withdrew two orange jumpsuits. He handed one to Ellyssa and one to Woody. “And you’ll need these.” From his pocket, he produced two badges, each with a barcode on one side and a magstripe on the other.
Ellyssa was taken aback. “How did you get these?” she asked, reading the name ‘Amanda Keller’.
“I made them,” he answered, as if creating fake identifications was something he did every day. “I learned more than one thing in all my years of service.” He wagged his eyebrows and handed Woody his.
“Impressive.”
“Very,” agreed Woody. He showed Ellyssa his badge. ‘Carl Mueller’ was printed above the bar code.
“We’re all set, then. Shift change,” Leland checked his watch, “in seven hours. You’ll be working nights. Easier to avoid personnel.”
“What about pictures?”
“As soon as you don your new looks, I’ll take care of them.” Leland touched Ellyssa’s upper arm lightly. It was the first time he’d ever tried such a gesture of friendship. “I promise, by the time you get to work, you’ll be in the system.”
The fall evening was much cooler than when she’d left The Center weeks ago. Crisp air blew from Lake Michigan, and Ellyssa pulled the collar of the long jacket tighter around her neck.
She blended in easily with the sea of blonds wearing orange jumpsuits under coats. Smiles plastered on their faces, they strolled to their respective jobs. Just another night of fulfilling their duties.
With Woody a few paces behind, she passed the white sign with bold, black letters—
The Center loomed ahead, reminding her of Frankenstein’s castle. She’d never thought she’d see her old home again, much less go inside, yet here she was. Her heart thumped, like a rising crescendo.
Anxiety. She’d left The Center fully feeling that sensation, and now, she returned with it.
Before the emotion could fully grip her, causing beads of sweat on her forehead—a sure sign in the cool temperatures that something was amiss—she concentrated on blocking the unproductive emotion. She had to keep calm.
For Woody’s sake.
For Rein’s.
At the thought of Woody, she peered over her shoulder. He walked behind her, head held high, gait strong and sure. The nervousness and uncertainty he’d displayed earlier in the day were gone.
Before they’d left, she’d worried that he wouldn’t be able to blend into society, but after the briefing with Leland, as he explained procedures to them, Woody was raring to go. His relaxed demeanor amazed her, especially since the backpack hanging from his back carried four bundles of explosives.
The dangerous job of arming the homemade bombs in engineering, two levels beneath the main floor of The Center, fell on Woody. Boilers, propane tanks, and gas heaters were jammed together on the lower level. It made sense to place the explosives there, but the problem was getting out in time.
Ellyssa didn’t like the idea of Woody endangering his life, but what choice did she have? She had to find Rein, and she knew the layout of the building. She had a pretty good idea of where Rein would be held; it was the getting there that would prove difficult. One hour from the time she and Woody parted was all she would have.
Following the line of workers, she entered her old home through a set of double doors. Immediately, all the color of the outside world washed away in brilliant white. A disinfectant smell wafted through the air, giving rise to a hospital-like atmosphere. The ceiling rose high above her to where three red banners with black swastikas hung; their colors contrasted sharply against the blinding white surrounding her. Toward the back, the day-workers exited the building. Neat and orderly, one set in, the other set out.
To the left, two guards in drab grey uniforms manned the check-in station. One perched on a stool in front of a computer, the other scrutinized the workers with a smile. He greeted a few of the people as they passed.
Ellyssa approached the security guard at the computer. He was an older male, about fifty, with grey streaks at his temples. He smiled at her, just as he smiled at everyone else.
“How are you today?” she asked, swiping her card.
“Fine. Thank you.”
He paused while he matched her face with the picture on the monitor. “You’re new?”
“Yes. Today is my first day.”
“You’ll love working here. I’ve been here for twenty years.”
“Really?”
Funny. Ellyssa had lived within these very walls for almost as long as he’d worked here, yet she’d never met him. Of course, she’d never met anyone other than the doctor and his assistants. Aside from a few field exercises, she’d never left the few approved floors, which were connected to the entrance by private elevators that could only be accessed with a special card.
Security was tight at The Center.
The guard nodded. “You’ll need to report to the maintenance office first, one level below, to fill out your paperwork. Go to the first set of elevators, push L1, and the office will be to your left when you exit. Just walk down the hall,” he said, dismissing her.
“Thank you.”
Ellyssa went to the elevator as directed and pushed the down button. While she waited, she turned toward the throng of people, searching for Woody. He’d just passed the guard station with the bag nonchalantly slung over his shoulder. He fixed his eye on her and made his way to the elevator.
“You’re new, too?” he asked.
She couldn’t help but smile at his role-playing. “Yes.”
“I hope you don’t mind if I accompany you to the office, then?”
“Not at all.”
The elevator doors slid open, and Ellyssa stepped inside. Woody trailed behind her. Alone in the little compartment, she pushed the button marked L1 before anyone else could join them. When the doors slid shut, his
