Among the Free

Chapter Four

Luke stared in amazement. Could it really be that easy? Tell the Population Police no — and they back down? Had anyone else ever thought to try that approach?

But Officer Houk wasn't backing down.

"I'm not wasting a bullet shooting her here, where no one else can see," he said. "Carry her out to the town square and I'll execute her there. Where all of Chiutza can learn a lesson."

He was talking to Luke. Luke was supposed to lift up this woman in his arms and take her to another place to be killed.

I have a choice. . I can make up my own mind. . The woman's words still seemed to be echoing in the room, reverberating in Luke's mind. Do I have a choice? he won' dered. If he refused Officer Houk's order, he didn't think Officer Houk would smile and put his gun away and say, Oh, you're right. We'll just leave this old lady alone. Have a nice day, ma'am. Officer Houk would probably decide to shoot the woman and Luke.

But if he obeyed… if he played a role in her death…

Oh, Trey, why didn't you think about something like this happening, back when you said we should sabotage the Population Police from within? Luke agonized.

"Pick her up now!" Officer Houk shouted. "Do it!"

Luke stumbled forward and scooped the woman into his arms. Her body was incredibly light, like chicken bones. He thought about running out the back door to carry her to safety, but Officer Houk had the gun pointed at both of them now. Luke couldn't ever run fast enough or far enough.

Luke lowered his head, putting his face against the woman's cloud of white hair.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'll try—"

The woman gave no sign that she'd heard him.

Officer Houk guided them out the doorway. Luke tripped over the broken sidewalk, and barely managed to keep from dropping the woman.

"Watch it!" Office Houk hissed.

"It's because of my leg," Luke tried to explain. "When the door hit—" His leg was throbbing now, and even the woman's slight weight seemed too much of a burden.

"Put her down here, then," Officer Houk said, pointing to a spot on the ground in front of a gathering crowd.

It seemed wrong to just drop such an old woman into the mud. But she surprised him by sliding down and standing on her own two feet. The crowd took in the sight of the regal old lady being held at gunpoint and fell silent.

"This woman," Officer Houk shouted at the crowd, "refused to obey a direct order from a Population Police officer. This is treason. This is punishable by death. I hereby proclaim her sentence. Do all of you understand her crime?"

The crowd stayed silent. Luke saw tears rolling down the face of a girl in the front row. He saw a man holding his hand over his mouth, in horror.

And he heard from behind him a muffled "Sir?"

It was the driver, back in the jeep. "Sir," he hissed. "The radio — I think you should listen…"

Officer Houk frowned, obviously annoyed by the interruption. He glanced back and forth between the jeep and the crowd, between the straight^backed, silent woman and the radio the driver was holding out to him.

"Here," Officer Houk said, thrusting the gun into Luke's hand. "Keep pointing it at her," he whispered.

The metal of the gun handle seemed to burn against Luke's skin. I have a choice. ., I have a choice. . The words seemed to roar in Luke's ears, blocking out almost every sound. Dimly, Luke was aware of Officer Houk walking back toward the jeep, muttering into the radio. Was the crowd murmuring now, too? What was Officer Houk hearing over the crackle of static?

"… resistance in Ryana… facing hostilities in several towns… calling all units back for reinforcement…"

Had Luke really heard that?

Officer Houk was lowering the radio from his ear, turning to face Luke and the woman again.

"Shoot her," he said. "Shoot her and let's go."

The gun shook in Luke's hand. He remembered one other time he'd held a gun in his hand, held all the power. I have a choice. . I have a choice. .

"Shoot her now!" Officer Houk screamed.

Refused to obey a direct order. . This is treason. . punishable by death. .

Luke dropped the gun and ran.