I lean against the wall, wishing for some aspirin. Wyatt takes a seat next to me.
“Perez seems rational,” he says hopefully. “Maybe she’ll tell him to pack it up and head north.”
“Hamilton will never let us go from this. We took his daughter. We disobeyed orders. He seems like a man who wants everyone to follow orders. Especially his.”
The guard shifts down the hall and the metal latch groans. He speaks with someone outside the door and glances over at us. The door swings open further and Sophia walks in. Her eyes are hard. “Stand up. The Council is waiting.”
“Sophia, we need to talk to Councilwoman Perez. We have information about Hamilton. Serious information from before the crisis.”
“Sorry, there won’t be any time for you to speak to Ms. Perez. Stand up so we can go.”
I lurch to my feet, swaying from the drugs. Wyatt offers his shoulder since his hands are tied behind his back. I lean into him, steadying my feet. Sophia walks past us, moving in the wrong direction, protected by two soldiers.
“Wait.
We’re not going to the meeting room?”
She shakes her head. “Colonel Hamilton is here. You’ve been summoned to witness his presentation to the entire town.”
“Where is that?” Wyatt asks. We’re headed down a long hallway, maze- like in the back of the government building.
I try once more. “Hamilton isn’t who you think he is. He started this. Way back—with my sister. They conspired to destroy the world and all the weak along the way. You can’t let him gain control over the Safe Cities.”
We travel down a long flight of stairs. Four more guards stand in the doorway. Badges over their hearts point out their allegiance. Two from Winston-Salem. Two from New Hope. The door pushes open into underground parking. A jeep with blacked-out windows idles at the curb.
I keep trying. “The only person that can stop this is Perez. If she’s willing to separate herself from Hamilton—she’ll have access so the Mutts can protect the city. And there are others,” Sophia gives me a look, “other cities. They aren’t on board with Hamilton either.”
I think I may have her attention but the guard pushes me and then Wyatt into the back of the Jeep, slamming the door. The ride doesn’t take long but it feels like it does. A black sheet separates the front so we can’t see out. Wyatt and I sit in the dark. His hand grazes mine.
“We’ll get out of this,” he whispers.
The gnawing in my gut tells me otherwise.
The Jeep comes to a lurching stop and the air is cool and crisp against my face when the guard opens the door. We’re at the entrance of a concrete tunnel with a slanted ramp. Light pours in from the other side.
Wyatt’s eyes narrow. “A stadium?”
The guard nudges us forward and when we reach the light at the end I’m startled to see a sea of faces. A huge crowd has been assembled and they sit among the black and gold school colors of the local university. A few people wait on a platform in the middle of the field. As we move closer I spot Walker, Davis, and Jackson. All in clean uniforms. All betrayers.
There are others on the far side of the staging area. Parker and Jude. Mary Ellen stands next to them. My eyes graze her belly and she offers me a quick, grim look. My knees buckle at the sight of the next two people. Jane and my father.
“What are they doing here?” I ask Sophia. “Where’s Zoe? What’s happening?”
“A celebration. The merging of our communities. We’re building a bigger future.”
Wyatt holds up his bound hands. The black plastic band cuts at his skin. “And this? What does this represent?”
Her eyes dart to the ground. “Hamilton’s request. He plans on using you as an example.”
“Sophia…” I start but she holds up her hand.
“It’s too late, Alex. The deal has been made. The council approved it.”
“The council has but have the people had a chance to vote? Do they even know what’s outside the fence? What he’s done?”
She doesn’t answer and again I’m pushed along. I’m glad to see my friends and family are not restrained, or at least I think they’re not until I get closer. Sophia ushers us to the front of the stage, next to Jane and my father. I smile gratefully at just seeing them—despite the circumstances.
“Are you okay?” I whisper as we pass. Jane nods. My father looks a mixture of relief and worry. There’s nothing I can do to quell his fear. “What did you give Walker? Cole is dead—she said it was something you made!”