Among the Enemy

Chapter Fifteen

Halt!" the lead officer yelled, even though Matthias I clearly wasn't moving. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Matthias gaped at them. Look surprised but innocent, he told himself. He made himself blink once or twice, slowly. He let them march right up to him.

"I—," he started. "I was just—"

He had to work so hard to keep from glancing over at the man in the tree. He didn't want to give the man away.

"Just what?" the officer demanded. He stepped closer to Matthias and glared down his nose.

Then, before Matthias had a chance to answer, a flurry of gunshots rained down on the four Population Police officers. Three of them fell instantly, but the fourth, the one closest to Matthias, had time to pull a gun out of his shirt. He dived behind Mrs. Talbot's car and began returning fire.

And Matthias, standing by himself out in the open in the middle of the gun battle, suddenly understood. The man in the tree had been waiting to ambush the Population Police. He'd been trying to get Matthias out of the way so Matthias wouldn't get hurt too.

Matthias turned, ready to run back for the safety of the cabin. Then he froze. Mrs. Talbot was in the cabin. What if he led the Population Police right to her? What if the Population Police officer killed the man in the tree? What would happen to Percy and Alia then?

Matthias veered away from the cabin and slid down behind the front bumper of Mrs. Talbot's car. He slithered over to the Population Police officer.

"There are dozens of them!" he whispered in the officer's ear. "They're circling around behind us. Get in the car!"

The officer gave him a startled look, but when Matthias opened the car door, the officer slipped through it. Matthias shoved him on over to the passenger side and slid into the driver's seat.

The Population Police officer and the man in the tree were still shooting at each other. Matthias ducked down low, twisting wires together and praying. He'd seen other boys on the street hot-wire cars. He'd never actually done it himself before, but maybe, maybe…

The engine roared to life, and Matthias stomped on the accelerator. He had to stretch his leg out as far as he could, and still his toes barely touched the pedal. But the car lurched forward. At the last minute, Matthias managed to swerve to miss the side of the cabin, and a few final bul-lets pinged off the back of the car.

And then they were out of range of the man in the tree.

The Population Police officer still kept his gun trained toward the woods. He fired over Matthias's head, shatter-ing the window. Shards of glass rained down on Matthias, but he only ducked down lower and pressed the accelerator harder. He heard an angry squawk off to the side, behind them.

"Oh," the officer muttered. "That one was just a bird."

The officer let his body sag back against the leather seat. Matthias could see the beads of sweat along his hairline.

"You… saved… my life," the officer whispered.

Matthias hadn't thought of it that way. He felt more like he'd been involved in a kidnapping. He kept his foot on the accelerator, putting even more distance between them and the cabin.

"That's… not how it usually works," the officer said. He sounded dazed. "Population Police officers are supposed to fight to the death. Never give up."

"I don't see how it would have hurt the, uh, bad guys if you died," Matthias said, because he had to say something. It was strange talking to someone he might have wished dead a few minutes earlier.

The officer wiped the sweat off his face with the back of his hand.

"I could say I made an executive decision to go back for reinforcements," he mused. "Since there were so many rebels." For a minute, Matthias feared that the officer was making fun of Matthias's lie: There are dozens of them... But the officer's expression was serious. Matthias remembered how the bullets had seemed to come all at once. Maybe there really were other men in other trees, he thought.

"Let me drive now," the officer ordered.

Matthias took his foot off the accelerator. He had to slide practically his whole body down under the steering wheel to reach the brake. It was a good thing he hadn't needed to stop quickly.

The officer slid over into the driver's seat, and Matthias opened the door and circled around behind the battered car.

I could take off running into the woods now, Matthias thought. But would the officer chase me? Would I put Percy and Alia and Mrs. Talbot and the man in the tree in even more danger?

The officer still had his gun; he was watching Matthias in the rearview mirror. Matthias got back into the car on the passenger's side.

What will Mrs. Talbot do without her car? he wondered. Will she and the man in the tree find each other now that the Population Police are out of the way? What if the man in the tree was lying about Percy and Alia being safe?

Not knowing made Matthias ache all over. Oh, God, protect Alia, oh, God, protect Percy kept running through his mind, to the same rhythm as the wheels.

The Population Police officer was still watching Matthias, glancing back and forth between Matthias and the road ahead.

"You know, you never did answer my questions," the officer said. He was going very fast now, much faster than Matthias would have dared to drive. He kept one hand on the steering wheel and one hand on his gun.

"Questions?" Matthias repeated.

"Why were you standing there in the middle of the road?"

"Oh, I was just passing by," Matthias said vaguely.

"Passing by? Out here in the middle of nowhere?"

Matthias heard the suspicion in the officer's voice; he saw the officer's blue eyes narrow and his mouth harden into a distrustful line. And Matthias couldn't help watch' ing the gun. The officer wasn't pointing it toward the woods anymore. He had the barrel turned almost casually toward Matthias.

The only thing Matthias could think of was the story Mrs. Talbot had concocted.

"I was on my way to join the Population Police," Matthias squeaked.

The officer laughed, giving off a great guffaw that seemed to roar through the entire car.

"You? What are you — six? Seven? Eight? Granted, I've been away from headquarters for a while, but last time I checked, we weren't signing up kindergartners."

Matthias drew himself up to his full height, which admittedly wasn't much.

"I'm thirteen," he said in what he hoped was a dignified voice. He didn't know why he picked that age — he didn't know if the Population Police were any more likely to accept thirteen-year-olds than eleven-year-olds, the age he'd given the last time anyone had asked, back at Niedler School. But he felt like he'd aged a lot in the last few days. He felt thirteen.

It was an unlucky number, after all.

The Population Police officer was studying Matthias's face.

"My apologies, then," he muttered. He stopped the car and turned to face Matthias directly. The gun went back down to his side. "Who am I to question the young man who saved my life? I can't imagine any better start to a Population Police career than the one you just had. In fact, I'll induct you right now. What's your name?"

Matthias had to struggle to remember the name on the fake I.D. he'd taken from the safe in the cabin.

"Uh, Roger Symmes," he said.

"Well, then, Roger Symmes, I hereby inaugurate you into the grand tradition of the Population Police. I believe you're already in line for a medal for meritorious service. Congratulations." He reached over and shook Matthias's hand. And, for a final touch, he took off his own official Population Police cap and settled it on Matthias's head. It was much too large and slipped down, almost entirely covering his eyes.

And Matthias, in the midst of still praying, Oh, God, protect Alia, oh, God, protect Percy, had to force himself not to flinch at the touch of the Population Police officer, of the Population Police cap.

Oh, God, can you protect me, too? he wondered.