“You went to see Charlie.” Korwin passes his fingers over the bandage secured to the crook of my arm. Charlie isn’t the only medical professional working for the Liberty Party, but he’s the only one who treats us. As a Spark, our biology is different from everyone else’s, and he’s the only one who understands it. I won’t lie to Korwin, but I won’t worry him without good reason either.
“A checkup,” I say. “He wanted to do some tests.”
“Why?” Korwin leans his face close to mine, running his fingers along the inside of my arm in a way that makes my whole body tingle.
“I’ve had some trouble sleeping. Charlie wants to be sure there are no long-term effects of what happened with Konrad.”
“You mean the gas you inhaled?”
I nod. “And everything else.” We’re in the cafeteria, having lunch. It’s a stew of fresh vegetables and synthetic meat. Not bad, or maybe I’m just getting used to the flavors.
“Is he concerned there might be permanent damage?”
With a half grin, I shrug. “I’m sure there’s nothing Charlie can’t fix.”
Korwin strokes my hair behind my ear. “You seem, I don’t know, nervous or something.” He looks at our coupled hands. Usually when we touch there’s an exchange of energy that feels like the rush of warm water through our skin. Today, it’s been reduced to a mild tingle, even though I’m not blocking or holding back at all.
“Maybe I’m just tired from not sleeping well.” I scoop stew into my mouth.
He flashes a half smile. “In that case, you should eat the rest of that stew and then you should take a nap in my arms so that I can ensure the quality of your sleep.”
I laugh and lean in until my forehead touches his. “Are you trying to get me into bed?”
“Yes,” he says unashamedly.
“If I’m in bed with you, the last thing I’ll want to do is sleep.” I smile wickedly.
His eyes spark and his smile grows wider. The tingle in our coupled hands strengthens and energy pours in and out of our connection.
“There it is,” he says, leaning closer. “I wish I had my sketchbook. That’s a smile I want to remember.” He kisses me on the cheek.
With a shove, David wedges his hands between us and wrenches us apart by the shoulders. “Do you mind? People are eating.” He glances down at my Band-Aid and gives me a curt nod of approval. “The council wants to see you two, now.” He points toward the level one conference room adjacent to the cafeteria.
“Now?” Korwin asks. “We just started eating.”
“Finish up. This is important.” He knocks on the table twice and takes off in the direction he indicated.
I shovel in the rest of my stew, barely chewing, and stand to place my bowl in the receptacle near the kitchen.
“Hey, why did David just ogle your bandage like he expected you’d have one?” Korwin’s hazel eyes search mine.
I sigh. “I ran into him last night when I couldn’t sleep.” I hook my pinkie into his and smile. “Stop worrying. I’m fine.”
He grabs my face and plants a kiss on my mouth. “Now you’re fine.” Blue light sparks between our lips and we both laugh.
“You’re right. I needed that.”
A crumpled napkin hits me in the cheek and I turn to see Caleb, sitting next to Hannah as usual, at a nearby table. “Still eating here,” he says, pointing at his food.
A blush warms my cheeks.
“You seemed okay with kissing in public at assembly last week,” Korwin says with a half grin.
Caleb glances at Hannah and they both chuckle before resuming their meal.
I take Korwin’s hand and lead him through the tables of blue uniforms to the conference room David indicated. We slip inside to find the council already assembled.
“Ah. There you are,” Jonas says toward his notes, only his eyes flicking above his bifocals.
We take a seat at the two chairs left empty. The only people at the table who look happy are Warden and Mirabella Grant. Mirabella grins at me over a gigantic onyx ring, her hand supporting her chin as if she is posing for a portrait. David, Charlie, and Laura are shifty-eyed and less enthused.
“There’s been an exciting development,” Mirabella says. She taps the conference table and a hologram displays at the center. Alexandra Brighten, the news anchor for the Green Republic’s official news channel, begins to speak. The sound is muted.
“I can’t hear,” I say.
Mirabella holds up one bony finger. The scene breaks to a video clip and Mirabella taps a button on the console. The video freezes on a young woman with black bobbed hair.
I gasp. “Bella.” I look at Korwin, then at Mirabella.
“Do you recognize her?” Mirabella asks, suddenly transfixed.
“Yes. She was our friend in the Deadzone. We called her Bella.”
Mirabella’s lips spread to reveal aging yellow teeth. “Interesting. This young lady’s true name is not Bella. This is Trinity Pierce, the only daughter of Chancellor Pierce.”
“No,” Korwin whispers. “She was part of Red Dog leadership. Well established. Been there for years.”
“Two years and twelve days. She went missing after her mother’s fatal collapse at a Republic function. Before you ask, the mother’s death wasn’t our doing. We don’t know who was behind it, although speculation is that she was murdered. Kate Pierce was a vocal and political force for a more democratic republic.”
Korwin shakes his head. “I don’t understand. Chancellor Pierce has driven the Green Republic to a military dictatorship. Are you telling me that he used to be in favor of greater democracy?”
“No, I’m telling you his wife was, and then she died. In fairness, James Pierce was clearly more moderate up until the time of his wife’s death. Members of the Liberty Party have speculated over the years that someone within Pierce’s own party murdered Kate as a way to scare James into his current role. They had to make him feel the country was still at war, or he would have never agreed to a military dictatorship. Unfortunately, it seems our rushed attack on CGEF succeeded in pushing him over the edge and finishing what they started.”
I frown at the suggestion that the attack on CGEF brought about the military dictatorship. Her tone is slightly accusatory. Korwin and I were behind that attack. I get the sense that the comment is Mirabella’s way of blaming us for the current state of affairs.
“What does this have to do with Bella?” I ask, trying to get the conversation back on track.
“As I was saying, Trinity Pierce went missing the day after her mother’s murder. She’s back. Tomorrow night, her return is being celebrated not just on a personal level but as a symbol of the effectiveness of the regime that brought about her rescue. Her father is holding a ball in the heart of Crater City at a place called the Ambassador’s Club. The leaders of every province, all senators and dignitaries, anyone with any power in the Republic will be in attendance.”
Korwin slips his fingers into mine under the table and squeezes. “If you’re planning to bomb the place, I have a problem. There will be family members, hundreds of innocent people in attendance.”
Jonas holds up his hand and shakes his head. “We are not asking you to bomb the event. The Ambassador’s Club is in the Capitol building directly adjacent to CGEF. The location was intentional. The Uppercrust prefer unregulated access to power, and CGEF, as the nation’s hub for energy allocation, can provide that power. The two buildings are connected via an underground parking garage. We want both of you, along with Laura and David to pose as a family of dignitaries from Northern Province, a family who is currently our special guest in detention. Once inside, you will infiltrate Dr. Konrad’s laboratory at CGEF and find the specimens taken from Maxwell Stuart’s home.”
“Once we find them, how do we get them out without anyone noticing? Do you have a refrigerated purse or something?” I ask.
Warden taps his fingers together. “We don’t want you to take them out. Electrocute the vials. Kill everything inside but leave them exactly where they are. The best outcome of this mission is that the Republic never knows we were there.”
“We’ve worked diligently to convince the Green Republic the rebellion is dead,” Mirabella explains. “We want to disable any chance of Konrad using those cells without calling attention to the Liberty Party.”
“I don’t understand. Isn’t your goal to overthrow the Republic? Why not attack now?” I ask.
Mirabella glances at her husband. “Ideally, we’d like to lead a revolution, not a war. If we can convince Pierce that the rebellion is dead, he might revoke martial law and return the country to a more democratic republic. Once that happens, we have people on the inside who will work within the system to enact change. Our supporters grow in number every day. With patience, we might be able to sway the electorate to our ends without shedding a single drop of blood.”
I snort.
“You don’t believe we can do it?”
“It’s hard to believe the leader of the government that sanctioned our torture would ever be willing to give up his power.”
She smiles and keys something into the table console. “My second surprise for you.”
Alexandra Brighten’s face pops up between us again. This time, I can hear her. “Corruption in the capital. Dr. Emile Konrad, longtime director of military science and technology to Chancellor Pierce, resigned today after an official inquiry resulted in proof of misappropriation of funds. Konrad has been on medical leave for over a month during the course of the investigation. A replacement to his position has not been named.” Dr. Konrad’s scowl flashes across the screen.
“He’s been fired,” Korwin says.
“Resigned,” Jonas clarifies. “Although we expect it was a forced resignation. Seems he didn’t follow procedure when he interrogated you two. Good news for us. We believe the only reason the Greens haven’t found us here is the doubt raised by his head-butting with Pierce. He’s the wild card. He knows we’re here but doesn’t have the muscle to back it up. We need to ensure his successor doesn’t pick up where he left off if we expect Pierce to have a change of heart.”
“So, we break in and destroy his research but make it look like nothing is missing,” I say.
“Exactly.” Jonas closes the folder in front of him. “Of course, this is a delicate operation. They aren’t going to allow you to walk through the front door. Discretion is key. You’ll need to assume the identities of the Baltik family of Northern Province. David and Laura will facilitate a distraction, a folk dance in Trinity’s honor, and you two will do what you do best.” His eyes fall on Korwin and me.
Charlie takes a deep breath and gives me a knowing and concerned look. I presume he wants me to tell them about my wolf. I look him squarely in the eye and shake my head. There’s no reason to go that far. Sharing will only make them doubt me and could put the mission at risk.
Laura closes the folder in front of her and glances at David. “Are you up for learning a folk dance in twenty-four hours?”
David shrugs and flourishes his arm over his head.
“We’ll need disguises. Dress, masks, voice alteration.”
“We’ve got it. The best in the business,” Jonas says. His gaze darts between us. “If there are no objections, Operation Trinity will execute tomorrow at 1600 hours.”