stupidly.
“Of course,” Ben says. “All of the secret
trains have been maintained by the Resistance for many years.”
“The Resistance…” I murmur, remembering my
history lessons. From what I can remember, the Resistance was
formed and destroyed in the same year, in 475 Post-Meteor, before I
was born. My father and his armies crushed the Resistance like a
bug before it could ever really do any real damage to the
government. “But the Resistance was destroyed,” I say.
“You’ve been reading sun dweller history
books, I see,” Ben says. “The real story is much darker and more
complicated than your father wants anyone to believe.”
My mind whirls. But if there are still secret
trains maintained by the Resistance, then that means the
organization still exists. That there are still people out there
fighting. “Tell me,” I say, my throat aching from swallowing too
much water.
“Maybe later—we’ve got a train to catch.”
I have so many questions, but Ben hasn’t led
us astray yet, so I follow him to the train doors, which open
automatically as he approaches. Elsey is clinging to his side.
“Will the train whisk us away to a better
place?” she asks innocently.
“I can’t see how it could take us to a worse
place,” Roc grumbles.
“We’ll see, Elsey, we don’t know whether
subchapter 1 has been hit yet,” Ben says, not sugarcoating the
situation, even for his youngest daughter. I can see how Adele got
so tough. Her father probably always gave it to her straight—the
real story, not some children’s fairy tale. A harsh truth perhaps,
but the truth nonetheless.
We step onto the train, which is spotless, in
better condition than even the sun dweller trains. The seats are
gray and hard, lined up efficiently along the edges like a military
convoy, with plenty of room in the middle for satchels of weapons
and ammunition. At least that is how I guess the space was being
used by the Resistance. Correction: is being used by the
Resistance. I’m still trying to get my head around what Ben
said.
While Roc and I take a seat with Elsey
between us, Ben presses a black button on the wall and speaks into
an intercom. “It’s Ben, requesting immediate train transport from
subchapter 26.” His leg is covered in blood, and I start ripping
shreds off my tunic so he can bind his wound.
There’s a bit of static, and then a female
voice comes through loud and clear. “Ben? Is it really you? We
thought…we thought you were dead.”
“It’ll take more than a traitor prison camp
to kill me.”
“And Anna?”
“Anna is below. My daughter is going after
her.”
“Do you think she’s—”
“Yes,” Ben says firmly, glancing at us.
“She’s alive, I know it.”
“Adele has been all over the news,” the voice
says.
“Look, Jinny, I’d love to catch up, but…”
“Right, sorry. I’ll get you moving right
away. We’ll have plenty of time to talk later…but Ben?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sure glad you’re alive—and we’ll be
pulling for Anna, too.”
“Thanks. Over.”
Before Ben can sit down, the train starts
moving, beginning slowly and picking up speed as the lights flash
off and we’re thrust into absolute darkness.
I feel a scrape against my arm as Ben sits
next to me, grunting slightly. “Mr. Rose—I mean Ben—are you okay?”
I ask, handing him the strips of my tunic.
“Thanks,” he says, taking the fabric. “I
think so. I’m not sure, but I think the bullet missed the bone and
lodged in the muscle. At least that’s what I’m hoping.”
“What happened to your ear?” I ask in the
dark.
“That horrible soldier with the sword sliced
it off,” Elsey interrupts from my other side. I turn,
half-expecting to see that face that reminds me so much of Adele,
but see only a black void.
I turn back and say, “He cut your ear
off?”
Ben chuckles, which seems odd
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