Fall of Venus (15 page)

Chapter
19

Getting
to the yard has proved to be almost as arduous as a twelve-year-old kid trying
to buy alcohol. Not only do I have to pass security at my own wing, but also at
three other gateways, plus they have to ensure that Marcus and Evie are not in
the yard with me simultaneously. It’s frustrating. Not necessarily the security
measures, but the lack of freedom. I know I’m only a few years out of school,
but to be treated like a child again stirs so much anger and resentment in me.
The old Pollen would sit in a corner and cry over it. That’s not me any more. I
am stronger than that.
Hold it together, Pollen. You’ll be out of here soon.

I’d
forgotten how long it’s been since I’ve seen the sun. My eyes instinctively
squint in reaction to the blazing rays that bask down on me.

Unfortunately,
the tension out here is no lighter than the inside. The once friendly sense of
community that was here before is gone. Nobody comes near me and some even
shoot daggers at me with their sideways glances. Enforcers are posted about
every twenty feet around the perimeter.
Really? As if I’m going to attempt
to scale an electric fence.

To
be honest I don’t know why I came out here. I know there is no way out from the
yard, but it’s good to know how many Enforcers are on duty at any given time.
Come to think of it, there are a lot more Enforcers now than there were when I
was first brought here. I wonder how that came to be. They must have an
excellent compensation package.

I
spend the next few days making observations and meticulously writing down
anything notable on a sheet of paper that I keep glued to the underside of my
desk, inside the drawer, using packets of maple syrup I’ve snatched from the
cafeteria. Mostly information about Enforcers that I see or overhear, like schedules,
posts, even personal information.

Then
one night, I spy Respa entering the shower room at an unusually late hour. No
doubt she’s coming back from a steamy tryst with Quorian. Most of the residents
in our wing are already in their rooms sleeping or preparing for bed. There are
a few night owls watching movies in the common area, so only one Enforcer is on
duty, in addition to the two manning the gate. But since they are outside the
gate they don’t even notice when I pass to go down the stairs.

The
Enforcer on duty downstairs is entranced with the television so I’m able to
enter the shower room unnoticed. The shower room is quiet except for the drone
of the running water and some occasional splashes. I sit on the edge of the
sink, waiting patiently.

The
squeak of a turning knob precedes the final splash of water hitting the floor.
The drip drop of a leaky faucet silence complements the silence, making the
hair on my arm stand on end.

As
Respa comes strolling around the corner, she almost drops her towel at the
sight of me.

“You
shouldn’t be here,” she says, glaring at me and readjusting her towel around
her chest.

“Well,
this is the only place I can think of to talk to you. Respa, what’s going on?”
I ask. “Why are you ignoring me?” She takes a wad of clothes from a shelf
against the wall and walks in my direction.

“I’m
not supposed to talk to you,” she says as she starts to open the door. But I
lunge forward, push the door back and turn the latch to lock it. Respa stands
back in alarm, my renewed strength startling her.

“You’re
not leaving here until you tell me what happened,” I say, glaring at her with
brows furrowed.

“Fine,”
she says and backs up to the sink and begins to get dressed. “I’ll tell you.
But know that there is nothing you can do now to change anything.” I nod,
although I’m not convinced that’s true.

“While
you guys were in the air duct, one of the Enforcers came into the laundry room
and saw the open vent. I did exactly as planned and told him I just went there
to do laundry and knew nothing of it. He didn’t believe me. I did everything I
could think of to stall him. Dropped a basket of clothes in front of him, faked
a stomach cramp, even dumped a bucket of soapy water on the floor so he’d slip.
But eventually he did get out and relay the message. And I was punished for it.
They put me in the hole for eight days. I thought I’d go mad down there,” says
Respa.

“But
what about Quorian?” I ask.

“What
about him? He couldn’t do anything. In fact he had to pretend he had nothing to
do with me just to keep himself from getting into trouble. Lucky for me he’s
still crazy about me, even if he doesn’t trust me anymore.” Respa stares into
the mirror, combing her hands through her hair.

“Respa,
I never meant…” I start, but she puts her hand up to stop me.

“It’s
not your fault. I chose to help you guys. I’m just as guilty as you. But when
they brought you back, they took me to a room and, well, did this.” Respa lifts
her arm to reveal a deep scarlet circle in her armpit. “They said if anyone saw
me with you, they wouldn’t put me in the hole again. They’d burn me again.
Pollen it hurt so bad. I can’t go back there.”

“I
understand,” I say gazing at the floor. I can’t let my guilt of what happened
to Respa cloud my mind. I have to remain focused. “Where’s Marcus?”

“I
heard he’s in the north wing. They want to keep you guys separated so you don’t
try to escape or cause an uprising or anything. Pollen, things are different
now. We’re no longer free to roam the premises. Each wing is guarded and
requires an escort to leave,” says Respa. I absorb that information for a
moment. Marcus is here. So close yet light years away. I will find a way to
reach him.

“And
Lynx?”

“I
don’t know. I haven’t seen her or Clover since you guys left,” she says.

I
tell Respa about everything that happened after the escape, including Clover’s
death. She looks down, dejected.

“I
should go,” she says quietly, still looking at the floor. I move away from the
door and unlatch it.

“Respa,”
I say just as she is opening the door. She looks back at me and I can see the
pain in her eyes. The tough girl she used to be is still in there somewhere,
but now all I see is a vulnerable child. I can’t bear to tell her about the
COPS and what they imputed. And I can’t bring myself to ask her about Gate 23.
She’s been through enough for now. Besides, I’d never convince her to escape
with us after what happened to her. But I resolve to repay her for what she’s
done for us if I can.

I
shake my head. “Never mind.”

I
wait a few minutes after Respa leaves so I don’t raise any suspicions. Now that
I know where Marcus is, the only thing on my mind besides escape, is finding
him.

The
following morning, I waste no time. I approach the gate at the entrance to the
east wing, which is where I am staying.

“I’d
like to visit the north wing,” I state. The female Enforcer holds up a scanning
device to my temple where the infinity fly is tattooed. She reads a screen on
the back of the device and says, “McRae, Pollen. Age twenty. Your access to the
north wing is denied.”

I
shrug my shoulders and say, “Okay.” I try to appear indifferent as I am walking
away, but deep down inside I am furious. There is a spark igniting in my soul,
just waiting for the right moment to explode.

Later
that morning I return from breakfast to find a note sticking out from under my
pillow. Maybe it’s from Respa, I think. I don’t know anybody else in this wing
so it would have to be from her. I slide it out and unfold it.

Dear Pollen,

I have to see you. Meet me in
the laundry room at 7 p.m. Love always.

The
note is unsigned with only a heart shape at the bottom, like the note Marcus
left me at home. Maybe Marcus figured out a way we could meet. Maybe even
escape. Excitement rushes through me and my heart sends out shockwaves as I
envision being in his arms again.

The
rest of the day goes by slow as a turtle trudging through molasses. For the
first time since I’ve been back, my mind is not taking in my surroundings or
running through escape plans, but idly fantasizing about meeting Marcus tonight
like a lovesick schoolgirl.

I
stop by the shower room to check myself in the mirror. I don’t think I’ve ever
been this self conscious around Marcus before. This is really the first time
I’ve accepted my feelings for him and it’d be too difficult and painful to
bottle them back up at this point. My hair looks a little stringy, so I do a
quick, loose braid down my right shoulder. There are bags under my eyes from
lack of sleep, but there’s nothing I can do about that. My scar has healed
nicely, leaving only a pale pink line in its wake. I splash some hot water on
my face to bring out the color before I make my way to the laundry room with my
armful of crumpled up clothes.

I
have to be escorted, of course, since the laundry room is outside the realm of
my wing. I wait at the doorway while the Enforcer checks the room to make sure
nobody is in there. Then he steps outside and waits by the door while I
proceed.

The
first thing I notice is the air vent. It has been covered by a steel
contraption that even a super hero would have trouble removing. Not that I had
any plans of repeating our first escape attempt, but it really confirms my
observations that security has been severely tightened as a result of that
event. I begin to load clothes into the washer, since I have to keep up
appearances. I wait about ten minutes and begin to wonder if he is coming.
Maybe they won’t let him in because I am in here. Or maybe he had forgotten or
had the time wrong. I glance back up at the air vent, thinking maybe he’s
figured out a way…no. That’s impossible. Pieces of my heart begin to chip away
every minute he’s late.

Voices
in the corridor interrupt my thoughts and through the small window on the door
I see my escort move aside. The door opens and a lump grows in my throat when I
see who enters. As he approaches me it takes every bit of restraint to hold
myself back from ripping his face off.

“Pollen,
we need to talk,” says Glenn tacitly. My fists curl so tightly my unkempt nails
dig into my palms, but it’s all I can do to control my outrage. I can’t lose it
now or we’ll never get out of here alive. There’s too much at stake. I have to
hold it together for Evie.

“There’s
nothing to talk about, Glenn,” I say through gritted teeth. He keeps his
distance from me this time, which helps me repress my ire. If he even tried to
touch me I’m not sure I wouldn’t scratch his eyes out.

“Pollen,
this isn’t about us,” says Glenn in a hushed tone. His green-flecked copper
eyes stare me down and I can’t bring myself to return his gaze. “There’s so much
going on here, so much more than you realize.” I think back to what Myra said
in the van that day. About the virus, the imprisonment of the population,
conspiracy theories. I’m also reminded of Evie’s excessive blood drawing. I
really
don’t
know what is going on. But
if Glenn does, maybe I should pay him a little more attention. I turn to meet
his eyes. There is no scowl anymore, just distress. He genuinely looks
concerned.

“I’m
going to tell you something.” Glenn walks back to the door, peering out the
window to make sure nobody is around. The Enforcer who escorted me must have
returned to his post when Glenn arrived. “The virus wasn’t part of the war. It
wasn’t developed in the south. It was developed and released right here, by the
people who run this country.”

“Are
you saying that our own government released this virus that killed billions of
people?”

“The
government is nothing more than a front, Pollen. This is way beyond
politicians.”

“But,
why?” I ask. That doesn’t make any sense. Why would our own country commit
suicide in the wake of a war with Deimos?

“There
are powerful people. People with more money than they could ever need in ten
lifetimes. So much money that the only thing they can’t buy is unbridled power.
Well, they figured out how to buy that by releasing that virus,” says Glenn.

 
“But, wouldn’t they die, too? How would
they know if they were immune?” I ask.

“I
don’t know. I’m not even supposed to know what I do now. I think the virus got
out of control, mutated or something. Word is, they’re hiding out in their
bunkers until a vaccine and cure can be developed. They released the virus on
Liberation Day. That way, they’d know everybody was out of the Web, and
vulnerable to the bug.”

“Who
is doing this? Whose in charge?” I ask, recalling the video they played when I
was first brought to Crimson.

“They’re
called the Trinity. The three most powerful moguls in the world. Edgar
Wisecraft, king of the oil industry. Marge Rosenfritz, of the biotech industry,
and Frasier Trident, head of the largest weapons manufacturing firm.”

“The
Trinity,” I whisper to myself. Myra was right.

As
the words sink in to my mind, I think back to all the people I’ve lost, all the
headstrong young men who enlisted in the military to defend our country, all
the innocents who have died for the selfish agenda of those inhuman beasts.
Then I think about Evie.

“They
keep taking blood from Evie. Why?” I demand.

“Apparently,
Evie’s genotype has some unique properties. I don’t know exactly what they are,
but the scientists are very intent on extracting some portion of her DNA,” says
Glenn. Now I’m even more determined to get Evie out of here. Maybe I can
convince Glenn to help me this time.