Atlantic Island (29 page)

"We need to find a way to get word to the prisoners. We have to let them know that help is coming and that they need to start the battle from within. Does anybody have any idea how we can do that?"

"Getting a message to the prisoners is going to be impossible," said Brian. "I spent last night doing surveillance on the place. It's built into an old hotel, and every inch is manned by the Security Force. Cameras show every angle of the outside. I couldn't get anywhere close."

"If I may," said Andrew, "I've got a suggestion. It might be crazy…I don't know."

The group listened in as Andrew spoke. When he finished, Theo said, "Andrew, you're right. It might be a crazy plan, but it also might work."

At the next meeting, discussion turned to the attack on the Palace. Kylee wanted to get word to Carlos Menendez, to let him know what was coming. They decided to send Brian and Liz into the city to pass the message along.
 

Theo felt good about the progress they were making. Still, it was one thing to discuss the ideas for war, another thing to truly go out and fight. What was coming scared him to death. After the meeting, he walked down to the beach and sat in the sand, watching the waves. This had become his post-meeting ritual. The solitude and vastness of the ocean helped clear his mind of the multitude of worries that piled up every day.
 

"Mind if I join you, chief?" asked Bill.
 

"Nah, find a patch of sand. There are a few to go around."

"So… how are you handling all this?"

"What, sending people to maybe die? I'm handling it swimmingly."

"They aren't dying for you, man. If they die it's for themselves. For their families. For the good of everybody trapped on this island. And c'mon, it's not like you aren't taking on a hell of a lot of risk yourself."

"Yeah, I know. That's part of it too. All of it weighs on me. It's just a bizarre feeling. I know that in some weird way I'm meant to do this. I just… well, I kind of wish the responsibility could fall to someone else."

"I understand that. You're a pretty amazing dude, Theo. The way you've held all of us together has been beyond impressive. But you wouldn't be human if you didn't occasionally want to pass the buck. You're scared, which is a totally normal reaction. You want to know that you'll live to see the new world we are all fighting for. We all have those fears, but it's you who makes us believe that this is a cause that's bigger than any of us. We're all together in this. You've got a pretty heavy cross to bear, but we'll help in any way we can. That's what friends do for each other, right?"

"You're right, man. Again. I think without you and Kylee and Ry and everyone really I would go completely off the rails. Thanks for being there for me."

"You got it, buddy."

Suddenly a voice echoed, amplified through what sounded like a megaphone. "Bring out the traitor Theo Essex, by order of the Supreme Leader!"

 
"Well, would you listen to that," said Bill. "I think somebody's in trouble." The joking words were not reflected in Bill's face. He held out his hand and pulled Theo to his feet.
 

With his closest friend by his side, Theo walked through the sands and across the damaged boardwalk. At the place where the broken side street intersected Atlantic Avenue a crowd of people had formed. As Theo drew closer, his pupils straining in the darkness to properly see what was in front of him, he realized he wasn't seeing a gathering. He was witnessing a standoff.
 

Kylee, Ryan, Jamie, Brian, Liz, Andrew, Joseph and about ten of the women Theo now thought of as "Kylee's army" were holding various firearms pointed in the direction of a mass of Security Force agents, their own frightening military-grade weapons pointed back. In the middle of the Security Force stood Bertier, heavily armored.

"Well, well, well. If it ain't King Crap of Loserville." Bertier smiled with delight as Theo tentatively approached. Theo wondered how many of Bertier's friends were under the fearsome masks of the Security Force. Did they have night vision in those masks? Theo thought it was likely. He realized now how fortunate they had been that the guard outside the bank had not chosen to wear his mask.
 

Bertier continued to grin. "I heard you was some kinda' big deal, but look at you. You ain't nothin'."

"What do you want, Bertier?" he asked.

"It ain't what I want. It's what Supreme Leader Tiberius wants. It's simple, really. Starts with you getting arrested here tonight, ends with your public execution. Whatever you were planning, looks like it just ain't gonna work out. Damn shame."

Theo took a few steps closer. His team had their guns trained and unwavering. "How did you find me?"
 

"That Asian chick you hang out with, she sold you out real good, bro. Told the Supreme Leader exactly where you were hiding. Now let's go, I don't wanna have to start killing all your friends."

"You're not taking Theo anywhere," said Bill.

"Oh hey there, princess!" laughed Bertier. "Come to get your ass handed to you again? Lucky for you I've got strict orders to get the prisoner back ASAP. Sucks, man, I was lookin' forward to knockin' you around some more."

Bill's fists were clenched. Theo turned to him. "It's not worth it," he whispered. "You'll get your chance, Bill. This isn't the time."

Theo stepped forward, gently parting his line of guards. "I'll turn myself in, Bertier. But you leave these people alone. They have nothing to do with me."

"Not my call, little man. Sure as hell not yours. I'll leave 'em alone for now because that's what the boss says. But Supreme Leader Tiberius changes his mind, you can kiss all them people goodbye. But, you know, maybe he'll let me keep you, sexy," He made air kisses toward Kylee.
 

Theo looked around at his supporters. Their eyes pleaded with him to fight back. Instead, he walked straight up to Bertier and held his arms out in front of them. "Let's go."

"Man, you're really somethin', boy. I'm gonna love watchin' them kill you. Maybe I'll get to be the one to do it!" Bertier turned and was handed a pair of handcuffs. With sick glee he snapped them around Theo's wrists.
 

Theo turned to Kylee. He hated to see that she was fighting back tears. He leaned in as close as he could. "I'll be fine. You know what you have to do." She nodded.

"Enough already, loser," said Bertier. "Get your ass movin'."

He gave Theo a hard shove in the back. Some of the Security Force moved with them down Atlantic Avenue, while others lagged behind, keeping guns pointed at the rebels until they were well out of sight.
 

Theo kept his head down and walked calmly next to Bertier. Since Sam Lucas's death he had always anticipated that this day would come. He considered the possibility that all the planning and work might lead to nothing. He might die, executed in a public spectacle like Bertier had predicted, or maybe just taken out early because a guard got twitchy or Tiberius wanted to make an impact.
 

Could he face death like a man if and when the time came? He hoped so…thought so, really. But, of course, everything changes when the gun is pointed at your head. He knew his friends were worried about him. He knew that Bill was outraged that it was Bertier who made the arrest. He knew that Bill wanted nothing more than a chance to unload a year's worth of anger and frustration on Bertier's smug face, and Theo wished he could see it happen.

Theo walked on in the darkness. The closer he got to the city, the more lights he saw on in windows. He could imagine people looking out and seeing him go by with his frightening entourage. Would they know why he had been arrested? He couldn't say what kind of propaganda had permeated the city since his forced eviction. He wondered who was living in the apartment he had shared with Kylee. They had made some good memories there, in the middle of the madness. Maybe the Security Force was using it to store weapons. The thought made him laugh.

"Something funny, loser?" asked Bertier.

"Sure. The idea of you being given authority to do anything more complicated than tying your shoes."

A few seconds passed while Bertier processed the statement, trying to make sense of whether or not he had been insulted. Concluding that he had been, he moved close to Theo and spun his fist toward Theo's stomach. Bertier pulled back at the last minute. "Damn it, the Supreme Leader don't want you injured. You're lucky."

Theo raised his arms. The chain links of the handcuffs clinked. "Yeah, I feel really lucky right now."

When he finally arrived at the prison, he was utterly exhausted. The makeshift booking process took a long time, despite no attempt being made to fingerprint him. It was more of an effort to parade him around. Theo hoped he would see Menendez, but there was no sign of him. Theo was pushed into an elevator. The small car rose to the fifth floor. He was guided down what had been a hotel hallway. The hallway was narrow, due to the thick layers of cement coating the walls on each side.
 

"Here's where we say goodbye, loser." Bertier kicked Theo in his backside. He stumbled through an open door and fell to the floor, where he landed on a thin carpet. He sat up, rubbing his sore wrists, now unbound.
 
The sound of several heavy locks clinked behind him. He was in what had once been a hotel room. The furniture was gone, replaced by four dirty mattresses, one along each wall. Three other men were in there. One didn't even wake up. The other two eyed him suspiciously. Theo held up his hand in what he hoped was an "I come in peace" gesture.

He made his way to the remaining mattress, and sat against the wall, looking at the iron bars welded into the large window. He thought about Kylee. He imagined her looking up at the same moon he could see right now. He wished he could talk to her. He missed her, and he missed his friends, and he missed his family. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

Theo's friends watched as he was taken away to Atlantic Island's mysterious prison. When he was out of sight, Bill turned to Kylee. "I never thought it would be Bertier who would come to get him. How the hell did he get into power?"

"I know. It's sickening, isn't it?"

"It makes sense though," said Jamie, "I mean if you stop and think about it."

"How do you figure?" asked Bill.
 

"Well, first of all, Tiberius wants to stick it to Mayor Lucas, or at least thumb his nose at the guy's ghost. Lucas loved the idea of elevating the young people on the island into positions of power. So Tiberius puts one of the worst possible kids in power. Just as an insult to everything Lucas stood for. Second, we know Tiberius was keeping tabs on anybody connected to Theo and he has it in for Bill. Is it much of a stretch to think he found out about the fight between Bill and Bertier's people? I guess what I'm saying is that moron isn't in that position for any reason but to make a point to all of us."

"Makes a lot of sense, unfortunately," said Kylee.
 

"You're worried about Theo, aren't you?" asked Bill.

"Of course. He's alone right now… I know you've been in that position, Bill, but—"

"It's different. I was never really anybody's focus. Theo… he's a target. But it doesn't matter. We're going to get him out of there. It falls to us now, you know."

"I do," she said. "He's trusting us to do the right thing."

"So we will," said Ryan.
 

"It's going to be tomorrow, is it not?" asked Joseph.

"Yes, tomorrow night," said Kylee. "I think we all need to go get some serious sleep."

They walked back toward the house, following the armed women. Kylee looked at Ryan. "What is it, Ry?"

"Michelle. I need to know that she'll be safe."

"She'll be safe, Ry. As safe as we can make her."

"She really did it. Played her part."

"Yup. She did it."

They walked back into the house to begin the impossible task of getting sleep the night before a war.

"If I may," said Andrew, "I've got a suggestion. It might be crazy…I don't know."

"Okay," said Theo, "What have you got?"

"Well, what do you think about a Trojan Horse?"

"Smuggle our army inside?" asked Bill.

"The army is already inside," said Andrew. "All we need to smuggle in is a…catalyst. Someone to rally the troops and organize the uprising."

"Who can we afford to send?" asked Kylee.

"Simple," said Theo. "You send me."

"What? We can't!"

"Kylee, it makes the most sense. You're the one who leads the army. I don't know the first thing about organizing troops for combat. For whatever crazy reason it seems like people like to listen to me talk against Tiberius. If that's what I'm good at, that's what I should do. I need to get into that prison. I'll organize the prisoners, and start a riot."

"Okay," Kylee said, "Let's say that I agreed with your plan, and I'm not sure I do. How do we get you inside?"

"I don't know," said Theo.