The Alliance (9 page)

 

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins
Publishers

....................................

Chapter
23

I have convinced my friend to avoid joining the group for the past two months, but she has announced she is going with or without me. I do not want to stay out here alone but am uneasy about whatever this new regime has to offer.

—­The diary of Megan Jean

The car came to a stop and Mia's eyes flipped open. She did not feel any more rested.

“I need to secure the perimeter,” Agent Barker said. “I'm sure your security team will want to join me. Please remain in the vehicle.”

He exited the SUV without waiting for a response. Mia rubbed her eyes, hoping to wake up more.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“The youth home,” Flo said.

Under normal circumstances, Mia would have been curious to see these places, but with the task of destroying the Registry looming over Mia's head she was focusing hard on calming her nerves. Spending time around ­people she didn't know was not helping her situation.

“Why couldn't we have flown to the capital in an American plane after we landed?” Mia asked.

“Because then I wouldn't get the chance to complete my goodwill mission,” Flo said. “I need to report back all my findings to my government and you wouldn't get this firsthand knowledge that is necessary for your education.”

Mia's attention was diverted when she saw Andrew and Carter walk past the tinted windows. She leaned closer to the door and watched as they circled the building. Mia had expected a big city, or at least a city at all, but the youth home was just a long building surrounded by dirt and loose gravel.

“I pictured these being closer to civilization,” Mia said.

“We've been driving on dirt roads for over an hour,” Albin said. “I am surprised you slept.”

“I didn't sleep much last night,” Mia said. “How long was I asleep for?”

Albin checked his watch.

“Almost nine hours,” he said.

This information woke Mia up even more. At first she didn't believe Albin. There was no way the car would have lasted that long without stopping. These were American vehicles and required fuel.

“How did the car last that long without stopping for gas?” Mia asked.

“We did stop,” Flo said. “Twice. We are bordering the Midwest area now and not a lot of stations are along the way so there are gas cans in the back. This is our last stop, so I would make sure you use the restrooms while we are here.”

Mia wondered where they were. She closed her eyes and tried to picture the American territories. She wasn't that skilled with geography and wished she could get her hands on an actual map.

“It will be quick,” Flo said. “Then we will continue on our way.”

Flo's statement broke Mia's concentration. Her attention returned to the building. Andrew had spoken a little about his time in an orphanage and none of it sounded pleasant. The French children were taken care of and Mia thought the American boys would prove a sharp contrast. She did not want to try to keep calm while viewing children in deplorable states.

“Think of this as a learning experience,” Flo said. “You should always want to help those less fortunate than you, and who is in more need of care than abandoned children?”

Pangs of guilt worked their way toward Mia's heart. Mia's face warmed as she looked into Flo's eyes. This was the type of person she wanted to become. Selfless but self-­aware at the same time.

“That's odd,” Albin said.

Mia's attention shifted outside the window. Andrew's group was nearing the building, but behind them were seven additional RAG agents, bringing their total to fifteen. Flo's security was outnumbered nearly three to one.

“Why are there so many of them now?” Mia asked.

“They want to make sure they stay in control,” Flo said. “We must have picked up an additional SUV.”

“Why all this protection?” Mia lowered her voice and continued. “Do you think they suspect something?”

Flo raised her finger to her lips, urging Mia to stay quiet. Mia felt bad for her slipup, but she wanted to know the answer.

“Both of you stop,” Flo said. “I am sure this is standard procedure.”

Mia watched as the group walked away from the car. She assumed every one of them was armed and wondered if Zack and Andrew had the same protection.

“Did they take away our guards' weapons?” Mia asked.

“Not that I'm aware of,” Flo said. “They won't disarm their own countrymen.”

If the RAG agents' numbers were only meant to intimidate it was working. Mia hoped her men would keep their cool. She spotted Agent Barker heading back toward the car and turned away from the window; hoping to appear uninterested, she stared at her nails. He pulled open the car door.

“Everything looks good,” Agent Barker said. “We're ready for you.”

Mia tried to focus her thoughts on the young men she was about to meet. With any luck their lives would soon be changed forever. Mia needed to focus on that and ignore whatever dreadful conditions she was about to encounter.

 

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins
Publishers

....................................

Chapter
24

Our new society is coming along. We are up to almost five thousand members and more come every day. Everyone is the same age and from a military background except for me. I've brought this fact up to the general, who continues to focus on the now and not the future.

—­The journal of Isaac Ryland

The RAG agents wore sunglasses. Andrew was sure their suits were made of lower-­quality material, but outside of that minor detail he fit right in with them.

“So are you still in the middle of your ser­vice?” one of them asked.

Andrew nodded.

“I figured,” he said. “You have the look of someone with a lot left to lose still. Once your time is over you will start to relax. My name is Quillian; I just got out last year. France is a sweet station. I bet you don't see a whole lot of violence though.”

“How did you get the RAG position?” Andrew asked. He'd always heard the RAG agents were the best of the best.

Agent Quillian raised his eyebrows a few times in a row. “I saved my commander's life,” he said. “An armed civilian in Canada tried to shoot him. I spotted the man in time and took him out. A single shot through the forehead. I have awesome aim. So once I was done he pulled some strings for me.”

“You were stationed in Canada?” Andrew asked. Canada was America's closest ally; he didn't think many troops were stationed there.

“For a year,” he said. “Real far north. Apparently ­people get a little forgetful about who their friends are when they're surrounded with cold all the time.”

“Agent Quillian,” another RAG agent said. “Please keep conversation to a minimum.”

The young RAG agent stopped talking to Andrew and went back toward his unit.

“Hey,” Carter said. “I still need to talk to you . . . alone.”

Another RAG agent walked by and Andrew watched the man walk toward the building.

“We're not alone now,” Andrew said.

“It's about my dad,” Carter said. “We need to make a plan.”

Andrew looked at Carter. The blond man's jaw was clenched. His eyes burned into Andrew. He didn't have time to explain to Carter that his father was dead.

“Later,” Andrew said. “Come on, we have to get moving.”

Carter sped up, not waiting for Andrew. The two had always had a contentious relationship, most likely spurred on by the fact that they both were interested in Mia at one point. Andrew guessed he did consider Carter a friend though. He was curious why Carter was so certain Rod was alive. Zack stopped at the door to the orphanage. The rest of the crew lined up next to him, waiting for Mia and Florence to exit their vehicle.

When Andrew was a youth in one of these homes he didn't have any friends. During his time on the fighting circuit nobody had bothered to get to know one another. There was a good chance that you would end up in the ring on opposite sides and you would have to end up killing your opponent. The experience had made him so hard he had never socialized with the other boys when he ended up at Mia's father's farm. Andrew wasn't sure he knew how to be someone's friend.

“Where are all the boys?” Carter asked.

Zack gave him a stern look.

“Soldier, I'm surprised to hear you speak so freely,” Agent Barker said. “Your command unit seems to have a lot of relaxed regulations.”

“This is a private mission,” Zack said. “Private Logan knows better than to speak out of turn, but he does have a point.”

Neither Carter nor Zack had ever had to live in one of these units. Andrew's had been in an urban environment, but he did remember there were always boys running around. He figured being in the middle of nowhere would make them more inclined to make noise.

“The prime minister's tour is limited to facilities only,” Agent Barker said. “The young men who live here have been sent away for the day.”

Andrew was pleased to hear that. During his stay he had been lucky if he showered once a week. It was the same for everyone staying in the overcrowded structure. This would be easier to get through if he didn't have to see poor, dirty children. He gulped and came to a realization: he was nervous.

The roof leaked water onto Andrew's bed, waking him up. As soon as the rain stopped he could climb outside himself and patch the holes. He was almost thirteen, about to get discharged into the real world and more than capable of balancing outside. He deserved to spend his final days there in a bed that wasn't constantly wet.

Andrew sat up. The rest of his classmates were sleeping. He heard one of the other children snoring across the room. Andrew was glad his bed was far enough away from the noise. He rose and walked to the open staircase that led to the floor below. He needed water. Maybe once he was done with his drink he would sleep with the cup positioned in his hands to catch most of the rain.

The orphanage had five floors. The basement housed the babies and the female workers owned by the government responsible for their care. The second floor had the classrooms and the kitchen. The third was for the children aged four to seven. The fourth was the communal bathrooms for the entire facility and the health ward, which was always at capacity. The top held Andrew's group, ages eight to thirteen. Their age group was much larger because not all of the seven-­year-­olds would see age eight and some who did opted to run away instead.

Andrew walked into the bathroom. The fluorescent lights were on round the clock here. The long wall had eight showerheads sticking out for the three hundred boys who resided here. They only blasted cold water. Andrew ignored them and went to the sinks. He turned the handle and waited for the brown water to turn clear before grabbing a cup off the ledge and filling it up.

“Could I have some?”

The voice made the hair on the back of Andrew's neck stand up. He spun around to see a younger boy, definitely one from the four-­to-­seven age range. His hair was shaved off and there were big black bags under his eyes.

“Please?”

Andrew handed the cup down to him and the kid gulped down the rest of the water.

“We had a lice breakout,” he said. “In the clinic. That's why my head is shaved.”

On instinct Andrew backed away from the child. He had managed to avoid a stay in the clinic his entire life and did not plan on visiting during his final year.

“Could you get some more for me?” The boy held the now-­empty cup out to Andrew.

Andrew responded by sliding down the sink away from the child, never breaking eye contact.

“I'm so thirsty,” he said.

Then the young man started coughing. That was a sign for Andrew that it was time to leave. He started running toward the exit.

“Wait,” he said. “Don't leave me.”

Andrew didn't respond. Instead he ran up the stairs and straight toward his bed. The leak didn't seem so bad now. He hoped whatever that kid had it hadn't been passed on to him.

Whoever the boy was from Andrew's past, he never saw him again. Andrew was ashamed of his twelve-­year-­old self's behavior. He should have helped that kid, not run away from him. But a part of Andrew knew his behavior was acceptable. If that kid had been contagious Andrew could have caught his disease. Still, Andrew shook his head, knowing that whatever the kid had it was brought on by their terrible living situation.

That was seven years ago. He knew whatever was on the inside of this orphanage wouldn't be much different from the environment he was raised in. Andrew could deal with seeing the inside of the dirty building, especially if he didn't have to see the children who were forced to live there.

 

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins
Publishers

....................................

Chapter
25

We arrived today in the new city. My friend is filled with relief, but I am apprehensive. We gave an inventory of our skills, but the way the men are looking at us, I have a feeling what we are capable of does not matter to them.

—­The diary of Megan Jean

The men formed a gauntlet and Mia kept her chin up as she walked through them, trying her hardest to fake the self-­confidence Flo possessed. Agent Barker opened the door to the building and Mia hustled inside. She prepared for the worst, but once she entered her jaw dropped open.

Mia was standing in a large blue room. There were matching brown couches set up with a television set hanging from the wall. On the opposite side were a few tables and some bookshelves, filled with board games as well as books. The room had a very warm feeling. Any comfort Mia felt quickly vanished when Agent Barker walked in front of her. She heard the footsteps of the other RAG agents walking behind her, but none of them entered the space.

“Surprised?” Agent Barker asked.

“This is a nice space,” Albin said.

He started walking toward the tables in the back, touching the couches as he moved. “We are not the barbaric society your ­people make us out to be,” Agent Barker said.

“Impressive,” Flo said. “But let us see the rest of the facility. Where is our guide?”

“You're looking at him,” Agent Barker said. “I am more than familiar with the layout of this place. About once or twice a month I come and entertain the boys. They love me here.”

Something was missing. Mia could tell. She closed her eyes and envisioned the youth home in France. There were drawings all over the walls and scuff marks on the floor from children's shoes. This place looked untouched.

“How many ­people live here?” Mia asked.

“This is one of our larger accommodations,” Agent Barker said. “One hundred children, six teachers, and two principals.”

“Principals?” Albin asked.

“The teachers are all unwed women,” Agent Barker said. “The principals are the men in charge of their care. Every youth home has at least one teacher per twenty-­five students. Follow me and we can continue our tour.”

Agent Barker pushed open a swinging door toward the back of the room. Albin followed, trailed by Flo and then Mia. She heard footsteps behind her but didn't look to see if it was her boys or more RAG agents. She assumed a mix of the two.

The next room was a decent-­size kitchen. There was a large island with stools surrounding it and pots and pans hanging from the ceiling. An industrial-­size fridge and freezer were against the walls along with a large stove and double oven. Cooking had once been Mia's main passion and this was one of the finest kitchens she had ever come across. Agent Barker opened the fridge and walked inside.

Mia glanced at Flo and Albin. Both wore casual expressions of approval. Mia continued to look around the room and saw three agents were accompanying them. She only recognized one, Andrew. He was looking upward at the ceiling and she noticed his heavy breathing. Mia felt her heart jump. She could read Andrew too well and he was trying his hardest to keep whatever he was feeling bottled up. He wouldn't look at her and Mia didn't want to draw any attention toward him. She wanted to tell him it was okay and to focus on the future, not the sham of the orphanage Agent Barker was presenting. The man stepped out of the cooler with his hands full of food.

“I wanted to give you an example of how the young men eat,” he said. “As you can see we offer a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. I am certain you noticed but the climate around here can't support farming. We have fresh food delivered to them twice a week.”

He tossed an apple at Mia. Her reflexes were on edge and she caught it with ease.

“Take a bite,” he said.

Mia didn't want to play his game, but she forced herself to focus on what really mattered: getting through this and on to the next phase. She hoped Andrew was thinking the same way. Mia bit into the fruit. The flavors exploded in her mouth and Agent Barker's smug smile returned to his face.

“Let's visit the sleeping quarters,” he said.

He walked out of the kitchen with Flo and Albin following. Mia wanted to wait for Andrew, do anything she could to give him some reassurance, but it wasn't worth blowing their cover. Instead, Mia continued out of the kitchen and back into the main room. Agent Barker walked to the other side and opened a closed door. The group walked down a hallway. He stopped and entered another room on his left.

“I don't want to spend a lot of time here,” he said. “This is one of our four bathrooms. All of them are identical. Each boy has a personal cabinet to hold his belongings. Then there are five shower stalls and ten toilets.”

Mia stuck her head in the room. It was a pale green color and the lighting was warm. She glanced at the giant vanity that spread across the long wall that included four sinks. The bathroom looked like it was meant for girls more than boys.

When she pulled out of the room she used the opportunity to glance at Andrew. He was staring straight ahead. Mia didn't think he was looking at anything. The brown orbs of his eyes looked empty, like his mind was taking him somewhere else. She felt a hand on her arm and whipped her head forward. Flo was lightly touching her.

“You will have much to talk about with your friends,” Flo said. “Once we are back in France of course.”

Mia nodded. She hoped Flo was the only one who had noticed her checking up on Andrew. Agent Barker shut the door and continued down the hall. He passed many other rooms, not opting to open them up. He stopped at the last door on his left and swung it open. Albin led the way and the group walked inside.

There were three bunk beds taking up the wall space with three matching chests of drawers. An open closet took up the rest of the wall. Mia noticed dress pants, shirts, and ties hanging.

“Six boys to a room,” he said. “As you can see there is plenty of room for them. Only dress clothes allowed in the closets.”

“Why do they need dress clothes?” Mia asked.

“We have some formal events,” Agent Barker said. “Our young men are quite cultured.”

“Is this your newest home?” Albin asked.

“Not at all,” Agent Barker said. “The youth homes across the country are all similar. Men, wouldn't you agree?”

The two unknown RAG agents nodded their heads. Andrew remained motionless.

“I know you're American,” Agent Barker said to Andrew. “You weren't feeding our foreign friends lies about your living situation, were you?”

Mia watched Andrew. She wanted to will him to speak. He had to know they all knew this was a façade.

“This is identical to my experience as a youth,” Andrew said.

Mia turned back toward Agent Barker. The man continued to smile at Andrew. Mia was sure Andrew wasn't about to break eye contact with him.

“May I use the restroom before we leave?” Mia asked.

“Of course,” Agent Barker said. He slowly broke eye contact with Andrew and looked toward Albin. “I think you have seen enough to get the idea. We have a lot of driving ahead of us. Agent Quillian will wait outside the restroom for you.”

Agent Barker led the group back out of the room. When the group passed the bathroom Mia went inside. She made a break for the sink first and poured cold water on her face. She breathed heavily and looked in the mirror. Mia was relieved and proud Andrew had managed to keep his cool for the most part. Only a few more days and they would arrive at the capital and be finished with the charade. She was certain the group could hang on until then.