[Contributor 02] - Infiltrator (2013) (23 page)

The next two days were an exercise in mental torment. Dara was convinced that Andersen knew what she was planning, that the Authorities would drag her and her father away, that she and Letizia would find themselves trapped in Andersen’s apartment. Unable to eat, it was all she could do to conceal the stabbing pain in her stomach. She couldn’t afford to let her mask slip again, a mistake that had caused one of her colleagues to ask her if she needed to go to the medical center. More than ever, she had to be careful to blend into the background.

She combed over the schematics Andersen had given her, searching for every shred of evidence she could find to prove the Free Thinkers’ theory correct. What if they were wrong? Maybe they were barking up the wrong tree. Maybe the intelligence they’d collected from Jasmine Shah was faulty; after all, she’d already proved that she was less than trustworthy.

But she was grasping at straws. The clues were everywhere, now that she knew to look for them. What had seemed like meticulous security measures meant to safeguard the well-being of everyone in the domes now struck her as signs of a group determined to protect itself at all cost. Andersen emanated an aura of invincibility, striding around engineering with supreme confidence, and she finally figured out what his payoff would be. He was on his way to a new life inside the state-of-the-art dome, and he would dispose of her, leaving her behind with everyone else.

Her suspicions had been right. The projects he’d given her, the data he’d allowed her to access, were all meant to distract her, to keep her out of his way. She wondered whether the idea had been his or the Creators’.

What difference did it make? Either way, it was clear the Creators would take care of themselves at the expense of everyone else. Safe in their new domes, they could push the Ballasts and Cores harder, demand more than they ever had before, and people like Dara would be powerless to fight back. It was bad enough they had to depend on the Creators for food, shelter, and work. What would happen when they had to beg for clean water and breathable air?

“Is there anything more I can do for you, sir?” she asked, packing up to go home on the evening she and Letizia were to break into his apartment. Dara had pushed herself to memorize everything she had seen and heard over the past couple of days. With any luck, they would find all the incriminating evidence they needed in Andersen’s apartment, but she wanted to be sure the Free Thinkers would have as much information at their disposal as possible. She ignored the whispered voice that taunted her, telling her she’d never have a chance to share it.

“No. Block out an hour on my calendar tomorrow morning. You and I will meet to discuss your progress, and I have a new project for you.”

“Of course, sir.” She pulled out her tablet and made the change. What a relief it was to know she wouldn’t have to suffer through another meeting with him, pretending to be the clueless dolt he thought she was. An exquisitely delicious sense of lightness flooded her, and she almost smiled.

Then she remembered what she was about to do, and a tide of anxiety swept the lightness away. If she failed, if she got caught, she’d never know what it was like to be safe, to enjoy a life without fear of surveillance and reprisals. A small, selfish part of her rebelled at the thought. Everyone asked too much of her. All she wanted was the life she’d thought she was going to lead, an uncomplicated life that would demand no more of her than that she work her hardest.

And cede all of her freedom, she reminded herself, sacrifice her family and give her work priority above all else. It quieted the rebellious voice in her, the voice that wanted to enjoy the spoils without incurring the risks that went along with fighting to win them.

“Until tomorrow,” Andersen said, dismissing her. She was halfway out the door when he casually added, “What did you think of the movie?”

Every muscle went rigid, every bone in her body stilled, and she struggled to project an image of easiness. She racked her brain, trying to remember if she’d mentioned going to the movies, but she knew she hadn’t. They never talked about anything of a personal nature. She had the disconcerting sensation that her body would snap and break if she forced herself to turn it back to face him, but she had to do it. He must know that she was aware of his surveillance of her, but if she showed any sign of being upset about it, he would assume she had something to hide.

“I thought it was riveting,” she said, staring into his eyes, her expression carefully controlled. Inside, she was rebelling. Inside, she was laughing in his face, telling him he would never get the better of her. Though she was still terrified of what might happen if she and Letizia were caught breaking into his apartment, she felt a steely determination to find whatever she needed to expose both him and the Creators. She was sick to death of doing nothing but gathering information, all the while indirectly helping the Creators work toward their goals. This, at last, was her moment, her chance to see everything for which the Creators had worked so hard shatter to pieces at their feet.

“What in particular struck you as riveting?” he asked, challenging her to provide him with more detail. She knew that smirk, knew what that look in his eyes meant. He was locked on his prey and ready to close in for the kill.

“The heroism in the film. The way people have the capacity to step up and do what needs to be done, no matter the risk to themselves. The thought that there are those so selfless they put the interests of others before their own. None of us would be here without the great sacrifices made on our behalf.”

Disappointment flickered in his eyes and was gone as quickly as it had appeared. “That is quite admirable, isn’t it? You continue to surprise me, Dara. Your commitment and dedication have been most unexpected.”

“Thank you, sir. That’s very kind of you.”

His smirk widened at the word “kind”. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

As she walked out of engineering, she hoped it was the last she’d ever have to see of Andersen’s face.

Joshua stayed late at headquarters. It was part of the plan he and Dara had devised during hurried, whispered conversations at they walked to and from their shifts, and as they shopped the day before. There wasn’t adequate time to come up with a better plan, and neither of them was very happy with their solution, but it would have to do. They both knew the best they could hope for was to buy themselves a few minutes here, another few minutes there, time enough to allow her and Letizia to get in and out of Andersen’s apartment, and the three of them to the rendezvous point. None of them suffered from any illusions about what they were about to do. The slightest wrench in their plan could throw the whole thing off.

When he arrived home, they would eat dinner, then they would decide to take a walk, his working past shift end their excuse for being out so late. Most first shift Contributors would be sleeping, making it an unusual time for walking, but there was nothing else for it. They could think of no other excuse for being absent from their apartment.

While she waited for her father, she feigned devoting time to her work. It did give her a chance to go over everything one last time, but concentrating was out of the question. With each bit of data she double checked, with each bit of editing she did to her reports, she thought of Magnum’s eyes on her. It would seem as though she was being meticulous about her work—no red flags there—but it made her queasy that every action was logged, every change sent through algorithms and scrutinized for inconsistencies. She wondered what kind of analysis they’d make of the data after her disappearance.

Dinner was a strained affair. Maintaining the appearance of normalcy was more than she or her father could take. He looked as if he’d aged a decade overnight. The last time she had seen him look so bad was when her mother had been injured. Mortal fear for his wife had haunted him, and that same fear haunted him again, though this time it was for his daughter.

“It’s so late to go for a walk,” he commented as they cleaned up after dinner. Neither of them had eaten a thing, and her hands shook so violently she was afraid she’d drop a plate and break it, but she managed to get them to the kitchen and into the sanitizer without incident.

“I know, and I’m sure you’re tired, but you’ll feel better after we go for a walk,” she said, injecting the slightest hint of admonishment in her tone. They’d felt it would be a good idea to imply that the walk was taken under some duress. It might otherwise strike someone as suspicious if the two of them were eager to get out and walk rather than sleep.

“We’ll go out for twice as long tomorrow.” He pretended to wheedle with her, and she had to stare at the wall because she couldn’t deal with the terror she saw in his eyes.

“And we’ll go out tonight.” Firm, that was how her voice sounded. No one would notice the way it had wavered. It was obvious only to her. She had to believe that.

“Oh, all right. You know I can never argue with you when you’re being stubborn like this.” He sighed, expelling his breath with such force that she jumped.

“Come on, let’s go. We could have been there and back by now.”

They continued to argue lightly as they headed outside, then they dropped all pretense. Dara wanted to cling to her father’s hand, but that would seem odd, so she settled for sliding her arm through his, leaning on him more heavily than she’d intended.

“I love you. Creators, I love you so much,” he whispered, sounding desperate.

She fought back the tears that blurred her vision. “I love you too. It’s going to be okay, Dad. You’ll see. We’ll make it.”

“Yes, we’ll make it.” He tried but failed to keep the apprehension from his voice, and she knew he was battling with all his might to convince himself.

They set off at a brisk walk, scanning their surroundings as covertly as they could to ensure that no one was following them. Before they separated, Joshua grabbed his daughter’s hand and squeezed it with such force that she had to bite her lip to prevent herself from crying out in pain. He hurried off to double back to the corridor leading to Andersen’s apartment, and she rushed to meet Letizia.

Dara longed to give in to the urge to run. The physical exertion might have helped burn off some of the adrenaline coursing through her, but it would raise eyebrows if anyone were to see her running through the corridors at this hour. She tried to make herself invisible, relieved that the corridors were deserted.

Letizia waited around the corner from Andersen’s apartment, hiding in the shadows in an attempt to make herself part of the scenery. Joining her, Dara flicked her eyes back and forth, back and forth, watching for other Contributors.

They didn’t speak until the appointed time arrived, then Letizia hissed through her teeth, “Now.”

Walking in step, they strode over to Andersen’s apartment, entering as if they lived there. Dizziness overcame Dara as the door closed, and she had to brace herself against it for a few seconds, until the sensation passed and she felt steadier. Letizia hadn’t hesitated. By the time Dara gathered herself, Letizia was already in Andersen’s bedroom, opening the door to his closet and searching for the false wall noted in the schematics.

“What if it’s not here?” Dara whispered, unsure if Letizia would be able to hear her. Breathing was unreasonably difficult, and she fought for control. She couldn’t lose it. She had made it through their transport breaking down in the wasteland last year. She would make it through this too.

“It is,” Letizia said, her words little more than a breath. She tapped gently on the wall, and Dara could hear the hollow space behind it. Not bothering to be inconspicuous about it, Dara snatched Andersen’s clothing off the rod and dumped it on the floor in the corner of the room, taking care to leave an unobstructed path so that she and Letizia could beat a hasty retreat.

Despite her steady fingers, Letizia’s face was so white in the wan light it seemed to glow. She pulled a small device from her pocket and attached it to the security pad on the door hidden deep in the closet’s recesses. They held their breath until they heard a faint click.

“Whatever happens, thank you for everything you’ve done for me and my family,” Dara murmured as she held a bag open so that Letizia could dump the contents of the safe into it.

“You’re the first friend I’ve had on the inside in ages, and I wish I hadn’t dragged you into all this.”

“This isn’t exactly where I’d like to be right now, but if it wasn’t for you, my mother would be gone.”

Biting her lip, Letizia didn’t look up, but she gave Dara a slight nod as she continued to empty the safe. “I’m glad you’re a part of my life.”

“I’m glad you’re a part of mine.”

“It’s empty.”

“Let’s go.”

They were midway to the door when Letizia’s communication device chirped, and for a split second they both froze, until Letizia shoved Dara, hard. “They’re coming. Run!”

Panic exploded in Dara’s chest. Locking her fingers around Letizia’s wrist, she dragged her to the door, flinging them both through it. She paused for a few seconds to scan the corridor, straining to hear past the blood roaring in her ears. The corridor was silent, but that meant nothing; the Authorities wouldn’t want to alert them that they were on their tail.

She caught a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye, on her left, and she shoved Letizia to the right. Giving up all attempts at stealth, they fled down the corridor, hearing a crackle behind them as an Authority radio came to life.

“The park,” Letizia hissed in Dara’s ear. The statues would provide them with cover, and it might be possible to lose the Authority within the park’s winding paths. Dara nodded and they bolted for the park, their pounding footsteps making it difficult to listen for sounds of pursuit.

As they tore into the main part of the park, Dara risked a glance over her shoulder, her heart plummeting as she caught sight of the three Authorities in pursuit. They would be surrounded. Dara felt herself crumble. Collapsing on the ground and sobbing was so tempting, but she had to keep moving, couldn’t give up. There was still a chance, however slim, that they could escape.