There Once Were Stars (25 page)

“I need you to go find Samson and take him to Roe’s office right now. It’s urgent. Once you’re gone, I’m leaving this room.”

“Is something wrong?” she asks. “I think he’s going upstairs with the Director.”

“Catherine, you two must go see Roe. Now. Do not take anyone else with you, do you understand?” I want to warn her about Waldorf, and tell her to save her husband, but I can’t risk him tipping off the Director. With any luck, Waldorf will take out the most crooked man inside the dome, and offer the rest of us the distraction we need.

Catherine stares at me for a moment, looking genuinely confused, but rushes out of the filing room. I can only hope she’s trustworthy. I peek out and watch her get on the elevator. When the doors close, I sneak back into the hallway and into the Director’s office.

His office is just as I remember it. The bar with the truth serum sits along the left wall, and to my right is a row of bookcases. I scurry to the large mahogany desk and sit in the Director’s chair. I don’t dare turn the light on and draw attention.

The Director’s voice comes from the hallway. Damn! I hurry and feel for the button, finally locating its circular dimple in the wood. As I press my finger against it, a grinding noise comes from the row of bookshelves. Two slide open, revealing an elevator.

I run toward the elevator as the Director’s office door opens. Inside there’s one button without any label. It’s now or never. As my finger releases the button, Jak and the Director walk into the office and turn on the lights. Their heads turn toward me at the same time. Anger crosses the Director’s face; nothing but shock spreads across Jak’s. For that split second, relief washes over me. Jak knows nothing about B3.

The elevator doors click shut, and I descend to the unknown. I have no idea what to expect when those doors open. All I care about is finding Evan.

The elevators open to a dark hallway. Fluorescent lights flicker along the ceiling as if to replicate the stars that peer through the darkened clouds outside. The screams Mrs. Watson described are ringing out from the empty hallways that stretch in front of me. I hesitate from fear, then timidly take a step into the unknown.

I make my way down the hallway and approach a large steel door with a small glass window. I crawl up and peek inside. Empty. Down the hallway, I continue looking in rooms, getting braver as each is as vacant as its predecessor.

When I glance into the window on the last door, two hands bang against the glass from the other side. My heart jumps, and adrenaline shoots through my limbs. The hands leave streaks of blood across the glass. I force myself to take a closer look.

Through the glass a woman clutches her face with her fingers, pulling at skin that droops from her face. Her hair has fallen out, and a chunk hangs limp from her scalp. My stomach lurches at the sight of one of her eyes, hanging limp from its socket. I tear myself away from the window. She’s infected.

The end of the hallway splits into two directions, and I follow it to the right. Here, the same cell doors line the walls, but instead of opening to tiny rooms, each houses a lab on its other side. Next to each door, a large glass window displays operating tables and surgical equipment. What did they do to people down here?

The end of the hallway starts to curve to the left and footsteps approach from the other side. I open the door closest to me, and slip inside, letting the heavy steel close behind me.

The lights in the room blink on. They must be motion-activated. A groan comes from behind me and I quickly spin around, only to see an infected tied down to an operating table. Thankfully, it has not seen me yet.

A shadowy figure walks past the window. Did the Director follow me? I peer over the ledge and see Evan walking down the corridor. I forget about the infected and knock on the window to get his attention. He jumps and turns to me, his eyes widening at the sight of me.

The infected on the table starts to shriek as it desperately fights against its restraints. Its blood-red eyes focus on me. One of its arms gets free and it starts clawing in my direction. I run toward the door and push against it. The door doesn’t budge. I try again. Nothing. I turn back and see that the monster has both arms free. It tries to stand up but falls from the bed, releasing one of its legs. There is only one restraint holding it back from attacking me.

“Evan!” I scream as I bang my hands against the door. “Help me!”

He’s already on the other side and pushes the door open. I fall into the hallway, and he pulls the door shut as the infected lunges at the door. The door clicks shut and we both freeze, standing in the middle of the hallway.

“What are you doing down here?” His eyes practically jump out of his skull as he glares at me.

“I should ask you the same question.”

“You could have been killed.”

“You could get infected.”

“No, Nat.” He shakes his head. “I can’t. I’m immune. But you aren’t.”

“How did you know?”

“Alec.”

“I am now,” I advise him. “Waldorf gave us an immunity serum.”

The infected hurtles itself at the window, and Evan grabs my arm, pulling me with him out of sight. As soon as we’re away, the banging stops. It seems our very presence is what sets it off.

“Everything is in motion upstairs,” I explain. “Waldorf had my mother’s files.”

“I guess I don’t need these, then,” Evan says holding up a tiny camera. “Around the curve there’s an entire pen of them.”

“All those poor innocent people?” I shake my head. “Why do they need so many?”

“It’s as if they’re building up a defense,” Evan says.

“Or an army,” the Director’s voice comes from behind us. I spin around and find Jak, the Director, and several Order members on either side of them. I turn to run.

“Don’t.” Evan grabs my hand. “There’s nowhere to go.”

“Listen to your
boyfriend
,” the Director says.

Order members come up behind us, from the other end of the hallway. Evan grips my hand tightly as we stand trapped between a throng of infected and their creators. I look over at Jak. Just how innocent was he in all of this?

“We know what’s going on down here.” I hold my ground.

“You’re smart, like your mother,” the Director says. “Unfortunately, it didn’t get her very far in life. You, however, will be given a second chance.”

“I don’t need any favors from you.”

“It’s not your favor,” the Director says smugly. “It’s for Manning. The poor boy is head over heels for you. The best I could promise him is to send you to the Learning Institute for reprogramming.”

“No.” I shake my head. “I won’t go there.”

“You will, or you’ll die,” the Director warns. “Peace. Love. Order. Dome. Is that such a bad life?”

“You’re nothing but a liar.”

“Careful, Miss Greyes.” He raises his hand in the air. “I’ll even sweeten the deal for you. Evan will be sent home where he can spread the word that Dome 1618 is not to be opposed. It is a force to be reckoned with. Attack us again and we’ll release the infected on your people.”

“I’d love that opportunity.” Evan curls his lip into a snarl.

“Jak,” I plead. “You aren’t like this. Listen to him. He would hurt innocent people.”

“War is war.” Jak holds his chin in the air.

“Look around you, Jak,” I continue. “This floor is for testing. Who do you think the test subjects are? Volunteers?”

He looks around at the empty rooms, then back at me.

“It’s the people who have been listed as missing. They’ve been kidnapped and brought down here. People like me, who aren’t immune to the virus.”

Jak looks around, unsure of himself. As if on cue, the infected in the lab room throws itself against the window beside them. Jak jumps, and I can see doubt cross his face.

“Please, Jak.” I try one last time. “Please. I know you’re not like this. I know you care.”

“Enough!” the Director commands. “Take them away.”

Once back in the Director’s office, Evan is dragged to the elevators by the Order members. I’m left alone with the Director and Jak.

“You will take her there now,” the Director insists, banging his fist on his desk. “Let them know it’s an emergency entry. I can’t come; I need to go see Waldorf and finalize the list of these rebels.” He leans in close to my face, and the stench of his breath makes my nose scrunch. “Your mother’s work will finally be brought to an end.”

I spit in his face, and his eyes widen for only a second. “They’ll come for you. If not us, Evan’s dome will, one day. You will pay for all of this.”

A smirk spreads across his lips as he wipes my saliva off with his handkerchief. “I have no doubt they will be coming. Not only will it solidify my point that the outside is dangerous, but it will also give me a chance to show the people why we need to utilize the virus. How can they deny the importance of our work when it saves them in a war against the Outsiders?”

“You can’t be foolish enough to release the virus back into the world. Don’t you understand? That was the point of the domes. To protect people.”

“Sometimes people need to be protected from themselves,” the Director says, tossing his handkerchief into the garbage can. “Manning, take her away now.”

I’m hauled out of the Axis by an Order member Jak calls over to help. The member is Matthews. He smirks as soon as he lays eyes on me.

“Take her down to my car,” Jak says. “I have to grab some paperwork from my office.”

“I’ll take good care of her,” Matthews says, pushing me in front of him, toward the elevator.

As the doors slide shut, Matthews corners me. “Where’s your buddy?”

I stare over his shoulder at the doors, keeping my head high.

Matthews punches the door and I clench my eyes shut. “Where is he?”

“They’re sending him home.” I open my eyes as a sneer crosses my lips. “I guess you won’t get your revenge after all.”

“Impossible,” he says. “I saw them take him upstairs. Where are they keeping him?”

I shake my head. Upstairs? Maybe they are letting Evan gather his things to go home. A quiver ripples in my stomach. Will I ever see him again, and if I do, will I remember who he is?

I barely stay on my feet as Matthews pushes me through the lobby. Leta’s counterpart stands from her desk, like a deer in headlights. Poor thing. Axis not all you thought it’d be?

When we reach the car, Matthews pins me against its side. “You think you’re special, working with that Outsider, don’t you? Well, look at you now.” He presses his finger against my chest. “You aren’t so smug, are you? You’re just a little rat, from the apartment sector—”

“Get off her, now.” Jak’s voice cuts through the air like a knife. Matthews steps back, and I cross my arms as I catch my breath, feeling the pain left behind from the force of Matthews touch.

“Sorry, sir,” he explains. “I was reminding our girl who she’s dealing with.”

Jak eyes the member, and steps in close toward him. “And who would you be?”

“Officer Matthews, sir.”

“I won’t forget that.” Jak’s jaw tightens. “And she’s
my
girl. Got it?” Matthews nods. “Dismissed.” Jak waves his hand in the air and Matthews scurries back into the Axis.

“Thank you—”

“Don’t.” Jak shakes his head, not looking at me. He hasn’t looked at me since I left B3. He opens the car door for me, almost slamming it closed against my leg as I get in the vehicle.

“Why would you do this?” I ask, when he gets in on the other side.

“You aren’t thinking straight, Nat,” Jak says.

“How could you do this to me?” I ask with tears filling my eyes. “I thought you were my—”

“Friend?” Jak scoffs. “Of course I am. I always will be, right? Nothing more than a friend.” Jak’s voice breaks, giving away his true feelings. He still loves me, buried beneath his hate and all that propaganda he’s been fed.

“Don’t do this, Jak. Don’t let him control you like this. Remember your dreams to make this a better place? You could still do that. You aren’t like them.”

“Leave me alone, Nat.” Jak scowls at me. I can see the pain stretched across his face. He pulls the car over at the side of the road. I try to wipe away my tears, but I’m drowning in them. My heart flops against my chest as pain rips through it. I start to sob, unable to catch my breath. I’ve been best friends with Jak since childhood. He was there for everything. I knew he’d be hurt. I knew he’d be angry. But I never expected him to betray me like this.

Jak gets out and opens my door. He grabs me by the hand and pulls me out of the car. I can’t stop him. I can’t resist any longer; I’m defeated. “Maybe you’ll like the new Nat better,” I cry.

“Open your eyes, Nat,” Jak says, shaking my shoulders.

I open my eyes and see we’re in front of my grandparents’ apartment building. I spent the entire drive begging him, and I didn’t see where he was taking me. But what does this mean? What’s going on?

“Things are happening at the Axis right now,” Jak warns. “It’s not safe. This whole rebel thing has the Director beside himself. He’s wild and out of control. Get your grandparents and get out of the dome. Take as many people as you can. That’s all I can say.”

Jak grabs my hand, gripping it tight as he closes it into a fist, then kisses me. I don’t pull away, but I don’t kiss him back either. It’s a goodbye kiss. His way of letting me go. He lets go of me, his eyes watery, and I watch as he gets in the car and drives away.

My entire body is numb. I stumble into the lobby. With my back against the cold brick I take a few deep breaths. The pain returns to my chest. The pain of rejection and loss. That’s when I feel the pain cutting into my clutched hand.

I look down at my palm, where Jak had closed it into a fist, and see Jak’s ID card and a note. I look around, half-expecting him to reappear, then unfold the note. My heart drops.

Dearest Nat,

I’m sorry for how I treated you. You’ll always be my first love. No matter how hurt I am, I could never intentionally hurt you back. They’re taking Evan back down to B3. He will not be released. Here’s my key card in case your friends can rescue him. Be safe.