Resistance (The Institute Series Book 2) (22 page)

“Ah. Probably from last night actually,” Shilah says. “We informed everyone first thing this morning. No one has eaten; we’ve all gone into emergency mode.”

I spit the food back out and place the plate on the seat next to me. “Let’s go inside,” I say.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Licia asks.

“Yeah, I feel alright now. Just needed to sit for a bit, I think.” I’m starving, but there’s more important things to tend to before my stomach and I’m clearly not hungry enough to eat leftovers that have been sitting out for eighteen hours.

We walk to the town hall and as I enter, my face drops in disbelief and disappointment.

“Where is everyone?” Licia asks.

“This is it,” Shilah replies.

“Shit,” I let out in frustration, just loud enough for everyone to hear. I haven’t counted but there is about half the amount of people in here than we were expecting. Half as many as Drew told the Institute there would be.

“What is it?” Mum asks, walking over to us.

“There’s not enough. Drew told them there are at least thirty to forty of us.” I finally focus and count. There’s only twenty-two. “I guess we had higher hopes that more people would want to help.”

“Well I can’t say I blame them,” Mum says. I look at her confused. “You blindsided them, Lia. You forced them to make a choice instead of taking this to them first like we originally planned.”

“But Paxton was getting nowhere with the council. They never would’ve allowed us to put this plan to vote. You know that,” I say. “We had to do it. For Tate.”

“Why is Tate’s life more important than any number of ours?” Mum asks.

“It’s not just that, though. We have a chance to save others. Isn’t that what this whole cause is about? Or at least, meant to be about?”

“They’re all scared,” Mum emphasises.

I look at the people around us. A few faces I recognise – Hall, Hayden, some others from recruiting, and some who I don’t recognise at all. “What are we going to do?” I ask. “We don’t have enough. They’ll know there are others hiding. They’ll go searching.” I start to panic.

“You’re going to have to convince them,” Mum says.

“Me?” I exclaim.

“Well Drew and Paxton aren’t here to explain themselves. You’re the only one.” I’m suddenly wishing I had actually gone to the Institute last night as opposed to projecting there. “Ebbodine,” Mum turns to Ebb who has been standing here along with Shilah and Licia just listening to Mum and me argue. “Lia needs to go to the safe house. Can you take her? We don’t know how much time we have left before they come for us and we need to get more bodies in here before they do.”

Ebb looks at me like she doesn’t want to be the one to take me to my execution. It feels like that’s what Mum is asking her to do. I wasn’t even this nervous last night when I was actually walking to my possible execution. Although, I guess that doesn’t count because it wasn’t really me.

Ebb grabs my hand and we teleport to just inside the entry of the safe house. I arrive in the same spot as Ebb this time but I think it’s because she still has a hold of me. She drags me down the underground hallway past all of the apartments to the open courtyard at the end. I don’t even have time to pay attention to the nausea from teleporting this time, but I do notice it’s still there. Not as bad as earlier though.

In front of us, huddled inside the safe room courtyard is everyone who decided to stay. Nearly the whole Resistance is in there, and I have to face them. I tell myself to be a big girl – it’s true what Mum said. Drew and I did blindside them, just as he did to me once we got to the Institute. But just like his actions, I’m doing this for everyone. And I have every intention on telling them that … I just don’t know where or how to start.

“I don’t think I’m able to face all of them in there,” I say, pulling back from Ebb.

She turns and looks at me, “I know,” she says sympathetically. “But you have to.”

I throw my head back, look at the roof and fight off the tears that are threatening to start flowing.
You can do this. Stop being such a chicken shit. This is your fault – you need to deal with it.

“You’ll be fine,” Ebb reassures me.

I take a deep breath and enter the common room. No matter how many times you walk into a room and have every pair of eyes turn on you, you never get used to it.

“Well look who it is,” Cyrus announces. “The girl who screwed us all.”

I ignore him and give Ebb a look, one that says ‘I told you so’.

I scan the room, looking at the numerous faces staring at us. My eyes find Chad. He’s standing in the back corner of the room next to his mother, avoiding eye contact with me. He looks pained and I know that’s my fault. I search for words.

“It’s obvious you’re all angry with me,” I say stepping forward. I may be addressing this speech to everyone, but really my words are only for Chad. I don’t care what everyone else thinks of me. “It’s understandable you feel that way. I just need you all to know why I’ve done this. I don’t expect any of you to forgive me, or change your mind about helping us, but I need to explain.”

“So you can make yourself feel better for ruining everyone else’s lives?” Belle steps forward, moving in front of Chad in a protective stance.

“They say blood is thicker than water,” I say. I can tell I’m about to start rambling, but I try to reel my thoughts in. I’m not exactly ignoring what Belle just said, I’m just hoping to find a better reason as to why I’m explaining myself. I don’t want her to be right, but I don’t know if there is another reason. “And yet, all of you have formed bonds with each other, stronger bonds than most normal families have. You are all family here, even though there are hardly any blood ties between you. I know deep down that you all want to do what’s best for your family, just like me.

“Six months ago, my entire life was about protecting my brother Shilah. We grew up not knowing our mother, we were raised by a man who worked his hands to the bone to provide for us, so he wasn’t around as much as other dads. Shilah and I only had each other, so I would have done anything for him.

“While I was imprisoned by the Institute, I met someone who I consider to be just as important to me as my brother; someone who isn’t tied to me by DNA. When I first met him, I was recovering from an aggressive arrest, interrogation and beating. Our connection was instant, but I get the feeling he’s like that with everyone he meets. I’ve never met someone so thoughtful, so insightful, so selfless and kind. He taught me that being Defective doesn’t mean that I’m broken. We may not be ‘normal’ but we aren’t different either. All we really want is to belong and isn’t that what everybody wants? To fit in? To enjoy life?

“
Tate
is the one who taught me that my life shouldn’t be over just because I’m Defective. He taught me that everyone’s life has value, and if we have the power to save another person, we need to use it. I’m going to use it. I’m going to use all of my power to save Tate’s life. I saw him last night when I went back to the Institute. He’s alive, but he won’t be for long if we don’t do everything we can to get him out of there. I’m going to save him, even if it means hurting people; even people I love.” Chad finally looks up at me when I say this. It’s clear it was him I was referring to. I begin to walk out, but turn at the last minute to say one last thing. “Tate is still one of your leaders. If you believe in him, you should believe in what we’re doing. When this plan succeeds, we’ll all be free.”

Ebb and I turn to walk out as a low murmur breaks out in the crowd. Belle tries to talk rationality into the group. “By doing this, you’re only hindering our progress here,” she directs at me.

“Your progress?” I turn back and face the room. “All you’re doing out here is hiding. We have the chance to save hundreds of lives and prevent the torture of countless others. When we take over the Institute, our fight may not be over, but we will be working towards something. I can’t live out here and enjoy the freedom we have been blessed with without feeling immense guilt for the others who do not have that option.”

The room falls silent. I don’t know what else to say. I see movement out of the corner of my eye and watch as Nina steps forward.

“Nina,” Cyrus says. “You can’t.”

“Yes, I can,” she says, walking over to him. “I want my girls to grow up in a world where they don’t have to hide.” Nina caresses the side of Cyrus’s face. “You’re a good father and I know you will do a great job with them if … if I don’t return. I need to do this. I don’t want them growing up knowing I was a coward. I have a real chance to change everything. We all do.” She kisses him on the cheek lightly before making her way through the group of people that separates us.

Chad moves towards us too, but Belle grips his arm, trying to pull him back. “Remember what we talked about,” she says in a threatening tone.

“You know what, Mum?” Chad responds. “Give the council spot to someone else. I don’t want it, not like this. Tate’s still alive, it’s rightfully his.”

Well that certainly explains a lot.

Chad walks over to Ebbodine and me. I involuntarily smile up at him as he towers over me. “Are you sure?” I ask.

“What good is being on the council of a group who won’t need to exist in a few hours, right?” he says, still sounding a little unsure.

“I don’t want you to make the same mistake twice. You know, the whole defying your mother, chasing a girl and following her to the Institute.”

“The only mistake I made was not doing it sooner,” he says, smiling back at me. For a moment, I lose myself in his eyes. I barely notice the grimace on Belle’s face, but I do, and it makes me smile wider.

Ebb sticks her head in between us, “That’s great and all, but we really should be going. They could be coming for us any time now. We need to get back.”

I look to the crowd of people, uncertainty on a lot of their faces. “Anyone else coming?”

Chapter Eighteen

I’m shocked when twelve more people step forward to join us. It’s almost like they wanted to join us all along but just needed someone to push them over the edge, just like Paxton said they would. I finally start calming down – maybe this plan hasn’t gone to shit like I first suspected. Ebb and I teleport back to the town hall with Chad and now we just have to wait for everyone else to arrive. I’m really hoping that they get back here before the Institute come, we need them to, or we really will be screwed. They’ve had to take three cars from the safe house to fit everyone in. Ebb suggested that we could try to teleport them back instead of drive, but we agreed it would take a lot out of us, even going one at a time, and we need our energy for later. I understand now what she meant earlier about it being difficult.

Even though we should be helping prepare everything for the takeover, Chad and I find ourselves sitting against the shed wall, not talking to one another. He reaches over and takes my hand in his, but the silence still drags. We can’t even look at each other. It’s one thing to turn your back on everything you’ve been raised to believe in, but what comes next? What happens
after
your boyfriend makes the grand gesture? Awkwardness. That’s what happens. In our case, at least.

“So you really got to see Tate?” Chad finally breaks the silence.

“I did,” I half smile. “As angry as he was to see me, I think he is really glad we’re doing this.”

“Is he okay?”

I take in a deep breath, contemplating how to answer that. “He will be. When this is all over.”

“What have they done to him?”

“You know. The usual stuff for the Institute,” I reply vaguely. The disappointment on Chad’s face lets me know he’s not happy with my answer. “He’s okay,” I say, trying to reassure him. “He’s got a few bruises and hasn’t been fed for a while, but he’s okay.”

Chad sighs. “I guess I was naïve to think Brookfield would just let us walk away without any form of retaliation.” He runs his hands through his hair. “How did everything get so messed up? Between Tate and me, you and me … I screwed everything up. And for what? A seat on a council that even Tate felt uncomfortable being in.”

“He did?” I ask, surprised.

“He always used to tell me that he felt like a kid sitting at the grown-up table. He took over his mother’s position but it felt like they gave it to him not because he deserved it, but because they could bend him to their will.”

“To have another vote on their side,” I say.

Chad nods. “I want you to know that I wasn’t against you doing this because of the council position. I meant it when I said you’re more important than taking over the Institute. You’re everything to me. I thought that if I could get Tate’s position on the council, I could use it to get what
we
wanted without putting you in danger.” He shakes his head. “But Mum manipulated me without me even knowing it. Already I was making sacrifices I wasn’t willing to make.”

“You were doing what you thought was best for everyone here,” I say reassuringly. “You didn’t want to see me get hurt and I understand that. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you. Leaving you last night was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but I also knew that if I didn’t, I would’ve regretted it. I need to do this.”

“We all need to do this,” he says, bringing me closer to him, my head nuzzling into his shoulder. “Did you mean what you said? Back at the safe house?” he asks.

“I meant every word.” I don’t know exactly which part he is referring to, whether it’s the reasons I’m doing this or that I love him. I have a feeling it’s the latter but my answer sums it up anyway. I meant all of it. It’s funny how I basically poured my heart out in front of everyone in that room, and yet here I am alone with Chad and I struggle to say the words.

He kisses the side of my forehead and holds me tighter. I sit there in his arms, not wanting to get up. I don’t want to leave him again.

But it’s time. He stands and pulls me off the ground. He wraps his arms around me, and I breathe in his sweet scent. I pull back from his embrace just enough that our faces are almost touching. My breath catches in my throat and I try to squash the desire I have to start crying.

“Just think – if we’re successful—”

“
When
. When we’re successful,” he interrupts. “I can’t go into this thinking there’s a chance you won’t make it. We have to pull this off.”

“We will. And then it will be you, me, living wherever we want, doing whatever we want.”

“As long as it’s together, I don’t care where we go.” He leans in and kisses me, gentle and sweet. “Be careful out there.”

“You too.”

My feet refuse to cooperate, stumbling as we go our separate ways, but I force myself to keep going. We’ll meet up again later, after this is all done.

***

It takes close to an hour for the others from the safe house to arrive. My nerves are shot. It feels like I’ve had six cups of coffee, I’m shaking that bad. But now that they’re here, we’re ready. Everything is set. Nina, Licia, Ebb and I watch from afar as the cars start rolling in. Licia somehow convinced me to taking her back with us. I’d much rather know she was safe in the desert or at least back in the dorm at the Institute but she’s stubborn and we don’t have time to argue.

We’re watching from one of the upper cliffs, looking down where the plateau sits. Adrenaline floods my body, my heart beating against my chest, trying to find an escape. All we can do is watch as agents and guards from the Institute file out of their cars. Four wheel drives, hatchbacks, and sedans overrun the streets of our little town. They’ve got everyone working on this. I can’t make out which one Drew is but I assume he’s the one in front, leading the group of uniformed guards into the town hall. They’re all wearing protective vests, helmets and are all armed.

I grab Ebb’s arm to steady myself as I begin to wobble from the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. What if they don’t arrest them as planned? What if they start shooting? My whole family is in there.

“It will be okay,” she says trying to reassure me. “Come on, let’s get to work.”

We’ve stockpiled an arsenal into two oversized bags; guns, ammo, and knives to take with us. We gave the thirty-four people in the shed twelve guns between them, but that’s only for show. They plan to surrender them as soon as the agents go in there. As dangerous as it is arming them – if the agents see the guns, they may get trigger happy – it wouldn’t have made sense for them to be totally unarmed. We can’t make it too easy for them to be arrested, but we don’t want to make it too hard either. Too hard will result in the need for body bags.

Ebb starts dragging me away from the view of the street. “Wait!” I say. “I just want to see them being led out, to make sure they’re okay.”

Chad and Shilah are the first two to be brought out, no doubt because they’re ex-agents and viewed as the most dangerous. I can’t be sure, but I swear Chad looks up in our direction, flashing me a knowing smile. It’s enough to reassure me.

“Okay. We can go now,” I say.

“Where to first?” Ebb asks.

“Paxton’s office. I’ve never been there before but he explained where it is and I think I can get us there.”

“You think?” Ebb says a little uneasy. “You’re going to have to do better than ‘think’ if we’re going to make it.”

“That’s why Nina is here,” I gesture to her with a smile. “I’m confident we can get close enough and lead the way from there. No one will see us.”

Ebb starts to turn a shade of green. “Okay,” she almost whispers.

“Are you okay? Are you going to be able to do this?” I ask, pulling her away from Licia and Nina so they can’t hear.

“Yes. I can do it,” she replies confidently and a little angrily.

We turn to face Nina and Licia. “Nina can you cloak us all, for the entire time?”

“I can try, but I’ve never had to hold my ability for that long.”

“Okay, you stick with me and I can amplify it.”

All four of us link hands in a line. I focus on amplifying both Ebb’s and Nina’s abilities while thinking of the hallway near Lynch’s office at the Institute. Paxton said his office is at the end of that hallway.

I nod to Nina to do her thing and I see the others vanish. Looking down at my body, I’m invisible too.

“Okay, stick together,” I instruct. “Don’t let go or we won’t be able to find you again. We’re obviously invisible, even to each other.”

Breathing deeply, I close my eyes. The more I teleport, the less motion sickness I’m feeling each time, and when my eyes open again, we’re just outside Lynch’s office at the Institute.

Someone is coming towards us from the opposite direction. I flatten myself against the wall and pull on Nina’s hand, indicating for her and the others to do the same. My heart starts to pick up the pace as the adrenaline starts pumping through it again. Does one have an adrenaline limit? I have a feeling I will go through my stores today. I can feel myself going red from holding my breath. I slowly let some air out of my lungs and casually, ever so quietly breathe in again. I’m starting to think this plan was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. I hold my breath again as the woman walks by. She stops a few feet past us, like she can smell something. She lifts her nose in the air and I’m worried she can smell the fear coming out of me. Or maybe, I’m just sweating from the nerves of being caught.
That’s it. We’re caught. We’re done for.
After what seems like an eternity, she shakes her head and keeps walking.

I let out a small sigh of relief. Why on earth did I agree to do this?

We continue down the hall, passing offices on our left, each door with a different name. I begin to lose hope that we’ve actually come to the right place, when we reach the very last door that reads: ‘Paxton James’, with ‘Trainee supervisor’ underneath. We found it. I try not to let out a celebratory ‘Yes!’

I knock.

“Really? You’re knocking?” I hear Nina whisper.

“We need to make sure he’s alone before just randomly opening the door like some poltergeist,” I whisper back.

Paxton comes to the door, giving a confused look when he sees no one is actually there. I quickly glance around him and notice his office is empty before pushing him back into his office and following him in.

“What the—” he says before I reappear in front of him and he immediately takes me in his arms for a hug. It takes me a little off guard.

Nina appears next to me, then Licia, then Ebbodine. “Hey, Paxton,” Nina says casually.

“It’s actually happening,” he says with a smile.  He picks up the phone and presses one of the buttons on the receiver. “Hey… yeah it’s me. It’s on … yes now. Get everyone ready.” He hangs up the phone and looks back at us. “Let’s do this.”