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Chapter 26

“WHERE?” TAYLOR ASKED. Everyone swung around to look at the people around them.

I closed my eyes, trying to feel out the shape I’d sensed a moment ago. But there was too much movement in the room. I couldn’t track down which one was Max.

“Everyone stop moving!” I shouted in frustration.

They stilled, but then I was thrown by the entire lack of movement. Where did he go?

I opened my eyes and tried to match up the objects I sensed with the things I saw. I gasped. “There!” I pointed. “Hunched by the door!”

He bolted toward the hallway at the sound of my voice.

I ran after him. I sent my telek ahead and locked on to him as he sprinted down the hallway. It was easy now that there was no one else around. I expanded outward as we ran, keeping the projection of the whole corridor in my head. My fury focused my telek. I was single-minded. When Max ducked into the training center, I easily followed him.

I knew what he was doing—trying to get lost among the shapes of all the other people—but I wouldn’t let him. Jilia and City looked up in surprise as I ran past, but my focus was only on Max. He was still invisible to everyone else, but I’d locked my telek around him. I knew when he looked over his shoulder. I could feel the adrenaline pulsing off him. I could probably use my power to stop him mid-step, but I didn’t dare do anything that might split my focus.

He made it out of the training center right as I got close. The door dropped shut behind him, and I slammed into it with my full body, unable to stop in time. The pain disrupted my telek for a second. I impatiently clicked the door open, the whole time feeling beyond it. I locked on to him again as he slipped through the next door into the equipment room. He was probably counting on me continuing to chase down the hallway, not realizing he’d stopped to hide. He’d either underestimated me or was too desperate to think straight. All he’d really done was trap himself.

I opened the equipment room door, then tore it off the tracks and lodged it mangled sideways into the door frame so it wouldn’t open again. Max wasn’t going anywhere.

“What have you done?” I screamed, barely conscious of the wild rage in my voice.

Only silence greeted me, but I could feel his form huddled in the far corner. I lifted my arms and shook the shelves around him with my telek.

He flattened down on the ground.

I lifted one arm, teleking a net around him and then hefting him upward by his neck. I heard a gasp of pain and walked closer, my arm still raised.

He flickered in and out of invisibility, probably from the shock of pain, and I could once again see his face. His hands were at his throat, trying to pry the invisible grip of my power off him. I threw him against the wall hard and pinned him there. I tightened my fingers, cinching his throat closed and lifting him higher off the ground.

“No more games. No more manipulation. Just the truth.” My voice was ice. “What has she done with him?”

I dropped him to the ground so he could answer. He doubled over gasping for breath. “I don’t know,” he said, his voice raw. “I only know she always planned to keep him alive. She needed his visions. I was just supposed to switch places with him, drop him in the bomb-safe bunker, and then get on the transport with any survivors so I could infiltrate the Rez.” His eyebrows furrowed. “Look, Zoe, you gotta believe me. I’ll tell you everything now, I swear.”

I scoffed. “Believe you? You’re the Chancellor’s spy. You helped her try to kill me during the raid!”

He bobbed his head and looked down. “I asked the Chancellor to use her compulsion to make me stop loving you. And she tried. For a while it worked. I hated you. But then,” he looked back up at me, “when I saw you again at the raid and the Chancellor wasn’t around to compel me, I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let you die. I cut the fuse that led to the explosives in the second half of the building. I’m trying to tell you I’ve changed.” His voice was pleading. “Coming back here with you, getting away from the Chancellor’s compulsion, I feel different. I see now that I was wrong—”

“Liar. You’re only saying that now because you’ve been caught!” I yelled. “Did you manage to get any messages to the Chancellor?”

Max paused, breathing heavily like he was trying to get his emotions in check. “I tried. I planned to use my own Link signal to contact the Chancellor until I found out that part of the security system here jams all wireless signals. I started looking for other ways to rig the system, but there’s a glitcher boy who’s always in the security hub. Any headway I’d make in my plans to get a message out, I’d forget the next day because of him. I started writing everything down.”

Max rubbed his throat and took a deep swallow. “But I was never a very good techer and Simin had insane redundancies for monitoring outgoing packet streams. I couldn’t find a way to get past them, especially while he was there and always watching.”

“What about the secret security project you were working on?” I asked, trying to reign in my anger and keep my voice as calm and reasonable as possible.

“There never was any project. I just made that up as an excuse for why I was busy all the time. I couldn’t handle being around you at first. I was still so angry.”

“And the kitchen fire,” I said, clenching my hands into fists. “That was you, wasn’t it? Not Saminsa.”

He nodded. “A diversion. I tried to get a message out while everyone was distracted. But Simin had the system locked down while we were at lunch. He trusted me enough by that point to share the security codes, but like most things he told me, I forgot them before I had a chance to write them down. Then I learned that you were able to Link yourself at night when you sleep. I knew it had to mean they’d opened up a wireless channel just for your Link frequency. I came up with the idea of piggybacking off your signal. There was a transmitter hidden in the necklace I gave you that copied the frequency.”

A rush of hatred choked me in spite of my determination to stay calm. He’d used me. Used my weaknesses and my trust. And then let it all fall on Saminsa. I ripped the necklace off and flung it to the floor.

“And then you dared to pretend to be him. All this time. You let me kiss you. That date—” I shuddered even thinking about it and rubbed my lips harshly, as if I could scrub away all traces of him. I felt like mud had been wiped over every inch of my skin he’d touched. I squeezed my eyes closed. To think that I’d mourned him when I thought he’d died. Everyone else could see what I’d let myself be blind to—there had never been any redeeming qualities in the monster in front of me.

“But I couldn’t bring myself to send the message, Zoe. I took the data from the necklace and was about to send the Chancellor a message. But then I couldn’t. I couldn’t do it, don’t you get it? I still love you.” He leaned toward me. I held up a hand, wrapping my power around him like a straight jacket to keep him away from me.

“Why did you blame it on Saminsa then?”

Max sighed, looking defeated. “Simin came in and saw the code ready on the screen, so I had to blame it on someone.”

I gritted my teeth, trying to hold in all the pain. I tried to get to the peaceful place, tried to touch the shining calm like I was able to do in meditation practice. But all I could feel was rage.

“Is that all?”

He nodded. “I swear, Zoe, that’s all.”

I grabbed him roughly by the arm and dragged him up off the floor. “If you try to get away again, I’ll kill you.”

Max’s eyes widened. He looked at me like he didn’t know me, and it was true—he didn’t. I realized in that moment I was capable of much worse, and that if something happened to Adrien, I might even enjoy it.

He nodded slowly.

“Good.” I forced him ahead of me with my grip like a steel band around his arm. The telek sang in my mind, a harsh screaming harmonic. I spoke into my arm com, trying to keep my voice as steady as possible. “I’ve got him. Meet me in the Caf.” I pushed the mangled equipment room door out of the way and steered Max out into the hallway.

Hurried footsteps pounded down the hallway toward us. I looked up just as a shrill voice called. “Max! Max!”

Molla, stomach protruding far in front of her, was running straight toward us.

“Stop,” I said, putting out an arm to keep her back with my power. Molla struggled like a wild animal against the soft invisible barrier my telek created. I heard more footsteps behind me and saw Cole and Juan running after her.

Tears gleamed in Molla’s eyes. “They said you’ve been here all this time…”

“I’m sorry,” Max said, his eyebrows knit in what looked like genuine remorse. But I knew him too well now. He slipped on masks like others did a fresh tunic. “I tried to talk to you, but you always turned me away.”

“Because I thought you were Adrien!” she shouted. “You didn’t come back for me, did you? You came for her.” She spun on me, hatred in her eyes. “Why is it always her?”

She launched herself at me, but Cole and Juan caught her and held her tight. She struggled against them.

“Calm down, Molla, please,” Max said, pleading. “Think of the baby.”

Juan looked at Cole. “Can you take her out of here?”

Cole nodded and swept the weeping girl up into his arms.

“I’m sorry,” Max called after her.

Juan looked at Max with loathing, pulling out a syringe from his pocket. “Jilia gave me this. He deserves much worse.”

“I’ll hold him still.” I turned to look at Max and poured my telek over him so he couldn’t move while Juan stepped closer and inserted the needle in his neck. “Take him to the Med Center and let Jilia know that Saminsa was innocent.”

“Wait, Zoe, I’m so sorry,” Max said. “You have to believe me, I’m so sorry—”

He slumped to the ground.

When I got into the Caf, I saw Adrien’s mother pointing at a 3-D satellite map hovering in the cube over the central table. The rest of my team was sitting around the table and several Rez fighters stood nearby. I hurried in and grabbed a chair.

“Ginni says Adrien is in Portston, and the Chancellor is with him.” Sophia pushed on the image and the map zoomed in. “Right here, in this building.” She pulled back. “So we need to organize an extraction mission. Can we get the schematics of the building?”

“Wait,” City said. “Shouldn’t we think about this? Won’t it be another trap?”

Sophia’s eyes flashed. “He’s my son!”

“And Bright is the Underchancellor of Defense.” City’s voice rose. “She has squadrons of Regs at her command. It’d be suicide.”

“The girl’s right,” said one of the Rez fighters, stepping forward. “We can’t risk countless lives on a mission just to rescue one person.” Things were quickly spiraling out of control, everyone arguing and panicking. The General slammed her hand on the table.

“Enough,” she said. She turned to the Rez fighter. “Normally I would agree with you. But he’s not just any boy. His visions make him an incredibly dangerous asset that is now in the Chancellor’s hands. Leaving him with her could endanger us all. The Chancellor will know every step before we make it. She’s already crippled us. If Adrien stays with her, she’ll be able to finish us off.”

“But you just said it. She knows every move we’ll make. She’ll see us coming if we try to rescue him,” City said.

Taylor looked at her calmly. “Yes, she will most likely see it coming. But we still have to try.”

“Even if we get past all the security measures she’s sure to have, there’s still her compulsion power to consider,” Tyryn said quietly. “She could use her power to make us surrender, or even turn against each other.”

“Tyryn’s right,” I said. “I’ve seen her make people throw themselves into concrete walls, stab themselves. As soon as you get within a hundred yards of her, she could make you all attack one another.”

“What about the gas? That could take out her power,” Xona said.

Taylor shook her head. “No one could get close enough to administer it without falling under her compulsion first.”

A terrifying realization settled in my bones. I felt cold. Really, I’d known it all along. There could be no other way. “It has to be me, and me alone.” My voice was loud in the suddenly still room.

Taylor nodded. I could see she’d long ago come to the same conclusions. “Yes. Every day he stays with the Chancellor is another day the Resistance’s secrets are compromised. More and more Rez cells are getting cracked. We thought it was because her network of spies was increasing, but it’s clear now it’s because she has access to Adrien and his visions. The only way we have a fighting chance is if we remove him and kill the Chancellor. Then all knowledge of the future Adrien’s already told her dies with her. She wouldn’t have trusted anyone else with those secrets.”

I nodded. “So I go in alone, kill her, and get Adrien.” The words sounded absurd to me even as I said them. I had the urge to laugh hysterically. It was beyond impossible. I balled my hands into fists instead.

“And if the girl fails?” asked one of the Rez fighters. “What then?”

“That’s why Zoel is not going alone,” Taylor said.

“But I have to—” I started, but she interrupted me.

“You can’t even operate a duo. How do you expect to get there?”

I thought about how much trouble Adrien had when he’d driven the thing during our escape from the alcove, and he’d grown up driving and flying. The panic I’d been trying to contain threatened to bubble out. “So what do we do?”

“I’ll fly you in as close as I can get and still be out of the Chancellor’s range of compulsion. We’ll land here.” She pointed to the rooftop of a building near where Ginni said Adrien and the Chancellor were. “There’s a skywalk connecting the two buildings.” She zoomed in and I saw a glass-enclosed walkway threaded between the top floors.

Sophia looked at the General. “But if the Chancellor does somehow manage to catch you in her compulsion web, you’ll tell her all the Rez’s secrets. I should be the one driving Zoel in. I’m no one, I don’t matter.”

“I will be taking her,” Taylor said, her voice hard. “I’m the best pilot here, and I’ve pulled myself out of the inner circle of intelligence for quite some time now, since I come and go so often. Not that it will matter. I won’t get close enough for the Chancellor to use her compulsion on me anyway.”

Taylor directed her attention back to me. “You stay on coms with Ginni and she can direct you to where Adrien and the Chancellor are in the building. The rest of the team will follow at a distance behind us in an attack transport in case we encounter any difficulties trying to leave. Once the Chancellor is dead, they can move in without risking falling under her compulsion.”

“But what if it doesn’t work?” pressed the Rez fighter who’d spoken up earlier. “What if the girl is unable to kill the Chancellor? Then we’ll have lost valuable resources and the Chancellor will still have the seer.”

“That’s the other reason I will be leading this mission,” the General said. “Adrien’s knowledge is too powerful a weapon. Many more will die if he’s allowed to remain the Chancellor’s pawn, so I take the burden on myself. Should Zoel fail, I will bomb the building with Adrien in it.”

Her words were like a punch to my chest.

“No!” Sophia screamed. “You can’t!”

“Restrain her,” Taylor said, her voice steady. Two Rez fighters grabbed Sophia’s arms to hold her back. She kicked and fought against them. “I’m sorry, Sophia, but there is no other choice. We will try to save him if we can. You will remain in lockdown until the mission is finished, one way or the other. Take her away.” The Rez fighters dragged her from the room. My heart was in my throat as her screams echoed from the hallway.

Taylor turned her flinty gaze toward me, waiting to see if I too would object. But what could I say? If Adrien stayed with the Chancellor, I couldn’t deny that others would certainly die because of the foreknowledge he would be forced to share. I tried to quiet the sudden wave of panic rushing to my head. I was Adrien’s only hope. I must succeed.

“How do I get in?” I asked with only a slight tremor in my voice.

Taylor looked back at me. “Any way you can.”

I nodded and swallowed hard.

She looked around at the rest of the group. “The second transport team will remain outside the city until the extraction is performed. We leave in two hours.”

They nodded. Before anyone could ask any more questions, Taylor strode from the room.

I stepped into my dorm room to put on my biosuit. I put my legs in and pulled it up to my waist, consumed with worry about Adrien, when I stopped, startled. Saminsa was sitting on her pallet, back against the wall, watching me.

“Ginni said you are going to kill the Chancellor,” Saminsa said, her voice quiet. She looked up, her dark eyes piercing. “Is that true?”

I paused, surprised. I’d barely heard her speak two words strung together since we rescued her during the raid.

“Look,” I said. “I’m so sorry for everything that was done to you. We should have—”

“I’m coming with you.”

“Oh.” Of all the things that might have come out of her mouth at the moment, that was the last thing I would have expected.

“Jilia flushed the meds from my system. I could be an asset. I’m coming with you.”

I paused, confused. “But why would you help us?”

“I don’t care about helping you. I want my revenge.” She didn’t say anything for a moment, but then continued. “Do you remember how it went silent when you attacked?”

I nodded.

“His name was Din.” She closed her eyes as if remembering. “In the part of the Sector where I lived, we stopped school at twelve and went to work in the factories. The machines were so loud. But then the Chancellor found me out and I met Din. For the first time in my life, I had quiet.” She smiled a little, even though it looked like the memory brought her pain. “Being around him was so peaceful.

“Bright promised that if we helped her kill you we could be free.” She shook her head. “It was my fault. I’m the one who spotted you and sent the com that triggered the explosives. I should have realized she considered us expendable. I thought his death was my fault for a long time. But then I realized that I may have pushed the button, but she’s the one who killed him.” Her voice broke, but she gritted her teeth.

She looked up at me, her eyes hard. “I want the Chancellor dead. If you’re the person who can make that happen, I want to go with you.”

I hesitated. She could be lying. But then I looked at the fierceness in her face. I believed her. And Adrien had had a vision about her—that was why we’d brought her back with us from the raid in the first place. She may have some part yet to play in all this. I looked at the clock on the wall. “We leave in a little over an hour. Go find Tyryn, he’ll tell you what to do.”