Revolt Read online

  “Eight movies?”

  “We’ll have time. Like Atari told me when I first arrived, you’re going to be here a while.”

  She almost believed him.

  1:23 PM

  Quadrant DC-001

  Kevin stepped into the Analysis and Integration Department’s suite of offices and addressed the young man seated at the reception desk. “Is Mr. Fischer available?”

  Before the assistant could pick up his phone, Jack Fischer stuck his head out of the inner office. He was tall and thin, about Kevin’s age but with prematurely gray hair. A grin broke out on his tired face as he crossed the room to offer Kevin a firm handshake. “Look at you! Long time no see.” He led Kevin inside, gestured toward a chair, and settled in behind a desk on which stacks of paperwork at least a foot high covered every available inch of space.

  “Man, talk about a meteoric rise! You’re assistant director! How does the other half live, anyway? We miss seeing you among the commoners.”

  Kevin dismissed the comments with a wave of his hand. “It’s …” then he couldn’t help grinning too. “It’s pretty freaking cool, actually.”

  “I bet! No more slogging away in the trenches.”

  “Jack, don’t downplay the importance of what you do in Analysis and Integration. Your department is the last line of defense between the public and a potential attack.”

  “So they tell me. We’re so overwhelmed with reports from the professional Watchers—and private citizens too—that sometimes I wonder if we’d recognize a real terrorist if we saw one.”

  “You’re getting slammed, huh?”

  “Yeah. Ever since the people quit taking CSD the reports of terrorist activity have tripled. People accuse their neighbors, friends—sometimes they even turn in their relatives. The Resistance and the CXD movement make the so-called law-abiding citizens nervous. Bunch of alarmists is what they are. Mostly.” He rubbed his eyes. “Who can tell anymore?”

  “That’s one of the reasons I wanted to speak with you. I need a reality check. How many people have you investigated that turned out to be no threat to public safety?”

  “About ninety-nine-point-nine percent of them pose no threat. But we can’t cut back on the number of people we investigate. What if we do, and miss a real terrorist?”

  “What if you change the focus of your investigations? You could eliminate a huge threat to our country.”

  Kevin got up, closed the office door, and took a chip drive out of his jacket pocket. “I need you to handle this one personally. Top Secret, okay?”

  Fischer took the chip. “Seriously?”

  Kevin nodded. “Seriously. And Jack, I’m not kidding about keeping this under your hat. The information in that file can bring down a major terrorist. But if word gets out about this investigation, it could get us both killed.”

  “Who? Is it someone in the public eye?”

  “Yeah.” Kevin met Fischer’s gaze and mouthed, Madalyn.

  Fischer’s hand trembled as he held the chip drive. He ran the fingers of his other hand through his hair. “Are you out of your tree?” he whispered. “What if … oh, hell. I can’t. No way.” He held the chip out to Kevin, who folded his arms.

  “I used to think I couldn’t either. But I need your help.”

  “Linking is just for the kids. Kids aren’t threats. Now the teenagers, maybe …”

  “No. Linking the kids is just the beginning. I’m afraid Madalyn’s not going to stop until we’re all Linked. The safety features for kids were just a way to get people on board with the idea. No one can leave the country, or even their quadrant, unless they’re willing to abandon their children.

  “The lawmakers in our government are just as paralyzed by fear as the average American. They’re afraid of doing the wrong thing, of getting blamed for some tragedy, so they blindly follow Madalyn’s whims.

  “The Link isn’t a solution for national security. It’s a giant step toward slavery and oppression. We have to make sure people understand that—when the time is right. Please. I came to you because I trust you. Read this file. If you determine that she’s no threat then destroy it. But I believe you’ll agree with me—that we have to destroy her.”

  Chapter 6

  2:05 PM

  Quadrant OP-439

  Tom Bailey led his co-conspirator Eduardo Rodriguez into his home office and shut the door. He’d never actually spoken to Eduardo in all the years he’d been the Baileys’ postal carrier, but now he recognized him as a brave and valuable ally. Eduardo had put his own safety on the line to rescue Tommy twice, and he’d been the one who’d established a line of communication between the Resistance and the White House. Eduardo glanced at his cell phone every few seconds. When it rang, he jumped and answered it. “Hello? Yes, I’ll hold for the president.”

  Tom grinned as Eduardo put the call on speaker. President Christopher Wright came on the line.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. President.”

  Wright cut straight to the chase. “It’s clear we’re going to need to work outside the usual channels to get Madalyn Davies out of power. Congress has been reluctant to challenge her. I think we’ll have a better chance of success if the Resistance is able to join forces with a few key government officials, myself included.”

  “Agreed, sir. Our plan is in motion already, and we’d like to go over it with you and firm up some of the logistics. We’re concerned about the long-term ramifications of the Link program. We need to neutralize Madalyn before she does any more damage.”

  The president cleared his throat before he spoke. “Madalyn and I haven’t been on good terms since before I rescinded the Restriction on food sales and distribution. Back when she tried to get everyone to take the transitional CSD, she threatened to stage a terrorist attack if I didn’t support her agenda. I thought the university bombing was her retribution.”

  Tom skirted the bombing reference. “Terrorists seek to destroy our freedoms and undermine our society. By passing laws that limit our civil liberties, we’re playing right into their hands. In this particular case, however, I consider the OCSD the terrorist. Madalyn knows how to exploit people’s fears. Even yours, sir.” Tom paused to let that sink in. “I’ve been thinking. What if Senator Renald were to introduce a Joint Resolution that called for downgrading the OCSD’s powers?”

  “I’m afraid it would take too long to pass. If Madalyn heard about it, she’d do everything she could to halt the process. She has a great many supporters in Congress.”

  “There might be another way around her.” Tom sat on the edge of his desk. “One of Congress’s functions is to investigate and oversee the executive branch of the government. In this case, we could make a case that their powers should extend to include the OCSD. It’s practically the fourth branch of the government.”

  “True.”

  “What if you call an extraordinary session of Congress during the State of the Union address?”

  “I am supposed to recommend measures that I deem necessary and expedient. It’s not usually done like that though.”

  “All the better. Madalyn won’t see it coming, so she won’t be able to rally her supporters. You could ask for an immediate vote.”

  “Madalyn sidestepped my plan to appoint Senator Renald to the assistant director post at the OCSD. She’s always behaved as though her power eclipses mine, and, God help us, it does. We need to attack without advance warning.”

  “We also need to move quickly, before her Link program gets off the ground. How soon can the address take place?”

  “How about New Year’s Eve?”

  “Perfect.”

  “Can you come to the capital? I’ll set up a meeting with Renald and Garrick.”

  “We’ll leave tonight.”

  “Do you have a safe method of travel?”

  “Yes. We’ll be fine.”

  “Then I’ll look forward to seeing you both in person.”

  Tom ended the call, and Lara walked in, laptop in hand, just i
n time to witness the two men high-fiving each other.

  “Why the celebration?”

  Tom changed the subject. “I didn’t know you still had your laptop.”

  Lara deflected the parry with a shrug. “The QM never found it when they searched the house, and I never mentioned it because it’s my personal laptop. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, personal space has been at a premium lately.” She eyed the cell phone in his hand. “Where did you get that?”

  Eduardo spoke up. “It’s mine. We just spoke to the president. He’s asked us to come to the capital and meet with him and Senator Renald about making Madalyn’s crimes public during the State of the Union address.”

  “Well then, let’s go. I can be ready anytime.”

  Tom shook his head. “You and Jaycee should stay in OP-439. You can sleep at Eduardo’s while we’re gone.”

  “Oh, I see. Are you going to tell Mitch you’re going, or are you shutting everyone else out as well?”

  Eduardo glanced at his watch and excused himself. “I need to find Jaycee.”

  As soon as they were alone, Tom took on an authoritative tone. “Mitch doesn’t want to repair our country. He only wants to see it destroyed. Why are you reluctant to allow our paths to diverge? Don’t say it’s just because of Jaycee. As far as I’m concerned, she’s welcome to stay with us even if we cut ties with Mitch. We can resist and work for change in tandem with the salvageable parts of the existing government.”

  “The Resistance needs you! You’ll weaken our chances for change if you disaffiliate from the group. You’ll leave Tommy vulnerable. And Careen. David, Grace, and Trina too. Everyone you so nobly went to the capital to try and protect.”

  “But I can’t continue my association with Mitch. He has no qualms about sacrificing other members of the Resistance. Don’t forget, he staged a number of terrorist attacks and blamed them on me. He expressed no remorse when Careen was taken into OCSD custody. Since his brother’s death, he doesn’t seem to care about anyone, including Jaycee. He’s too great a liability.”

  She seemed desperate to change his mind. “But the State of the Union address is the perfect forum for Trina’s part of the plan. It’s all going to come together. Just work with Mitch until Madalyn’s out of power. We all want the best possible outcome.”

  “Lara, is there something going on between you and Mitch?”

  “No. At least nothing personal, if that’s what you mean. It’s complicated.”

  “Don’t you think we should be honest with each other?”

  She pressed her lips into a hard line before she nodded.

  He stood. “Good. Though it’s going to have to wait until after I return. If I’m apprehended, the less I know about your secrets, the better.” His kiss on her forehead was perfunctory.

  2:20 PM

  Jaycee Carraway braided her unruly, rust-colored hair into one long braid and fastened the clasp on a glass vial necklace she’d found on Tommy’s nightstand. Then she pulled on a dark gray sweater of his, which hung almost down to her knees. It was her first mission for the Resistance, and she knew she should feel excited, but instead, she was dead inside. The Resistance wasn’t noble, like she had always believed. Their leader was liar and a murderer. He was also her father.

  She’d learned Mitch had been behind the bombing that had killed Careen’s dad when she’d been eavesdropping on Tom and Lara’s conversation the previous Saturday night. Now that she was a spy, she had to be able to control her emotions and act as though nothing was wrong. She made a face at herself in the mirror and then practiced looking calm and unconcerned before she headed down the hall. When she heard voices below, she paused out of sight at the head of the stairs.

  She heard Tom say, “I’m not sure I want any part of Mitch’s plan from here forward. Is it right to put Jaycee in danger when we don’t have to?”

  Lara responded, “There’s no reason not to go along with this part of the plan. The objective is to get the coins into circulation. The danger is minimal.”

  “Coins are contraband. If she’s not careful, she could be arrested.”

  “Eduardo will be there to watch over her.”

  Jaycee started down the stairs and Lara looked up, smiling brightly. “Ready to go?”

  The girl nodded and went out the back door to meet Eduardo, who was waiting in the truck. Neither spoke during the short trip to the university, but as they drew near to the outdoor market, she stared at the people grouped around the stalls. This crowd, in her experience, was second only to one that had thronged the distribution hub at the memorial service in OP-441—and it looked like lots more fun. A smile broke out on her face, but she quickly sobered.

  Eduardo pulled into a parking space and cut the engine. “Remember—don’t come across as too knowledgeable or bargain too much. You’re a young girl, not an expert.”

  She nodded, got out of the truck, and threaded her way through the crowd. She stopped in front of a booth where a gray-haired woman had laid out trays of cinnamon rolls and an eclectic mix of clothing and household items Jaycee assumed she’d taken in trade.

  Jaycee rubbed the fabric of a brightly colored scarf between her fingers. “This is pretty. Do you take”—she cautiously showed a handful of coins from her coat pocket—“cash money instead of trade?”

  The woman smiled. “Where did you get cash money, sweetheart?”

  Jaycee shrugged and fibbed. “We found a jar of these coins in my grandpa’s things when he passed. I figured it couldn’t hurt to try.”

  “I see. Several people have been interested in trading for coins lately. I’m sure you and I can strike a bargain.”

  Jaycee laid the scarf and a wooly knit cap on the table, and after a swift look around to make sure there were no marshals in sight, she counted out coins until the woman nodded. The woman scooped the coins into a pouch at her waist, and Jaycee pulled on the cap as she turned away from the booth. She tucked her braid inside her collar and wrapped the scarf around her neck. This mission was going to be fun.

  Over the next few hours, Jaycee was aware of Eduardo watching her from a distance as she added two sweaters, a pair of jeans, a messenger bag like Careen’s, and a dozen assorted pastries to her purchases. She layered on the sweaters and slung the messenger bag across her body. She’d tried to spread out her purchases among many vendors, and she was down to her last handful of coins when she spied a dinner plate in the same pattern as the ones of Lara’s that had been smashed during a QM raid.

  She gave the man at the booth the rest of her coins and two of the pastries in trade and concealed the paper-wrapped plate inside her new messenger bag. She couldn’t help doing a little hoppity-skip as she headed back to the truck and was passing between the stalls when she heard raised voices. She ducked behind a display of handbags and watched as a quadrant marshal grabbed something out of the woman’s hand at the booth where she’d made her first purchase.

  “This is contraband,” she heard him say to the vendor. “Why did you accept it? Who passed it to you?” The woman tried to back away, but the marshal grabbed her by the arm, ripped the apron from around her waist, and dumped its contents on the table.

  Jaycee watched the scene in horror, clutching the upright post in front of her. She recognized that marshal. He’d acted a lot nicer when she’d met him at Wes’s funeral. Someone clutched her arm and she jumped, smothering a scream. Eduardo shushed her and drew her away with him.

  “Vamos. You cannot help. Your part of the mission is done.”

  Chapter 7

  3:30 PM

  Quadrant DC-005

  Tommy carried the books they’d selected back to their room and stacked Careen’s on the desk next to his. “You up for more of the tour?”

  She glanced at the books and shrugged.

  “You’re going to have plenty of time to read. Come check this out.”

  She followed him into the hall again, and this time he led her away from Command Central to the outer edge of the building.
“The day Atari Linked you, we began to put together a plan. We were going to extract you during the Inaugural Link Ceremony.”

  “Really?”

  “Who do you think set off the explosion? That’s Atari’s signature move. Anyway, it was so hard to stand there in the crowd watching you. I thought you recognized me, but I guess you didn’t. I looked different, but so did you. You looked older in a business suit.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Atari was the photographer. I was supposed to grab you in the confusion after the explosion, but I missed my chance. The guards got you out of there too fast.”

  She seemed bewildered. “Why didn’t I recognize either of you?”

  “I’ll show you.” Tommy opened the door to Wardrobe. “Welcome to another of Atari’s playgrounds. I’ve been out of the safe house twice so far in different disguises, and no one recognized me.” He motioned her inside. “Who do you want to be today?” She hesitated before she wandered into the racks of clothing.

  The elevator key and Logan Daniels’ ID badge, which he’d used to gain entry to the OCSD, were on the dressing table where he’d left them. He picked up the short brown wig and glasses he’d worn to the Inaugural Link ceremony. This time when he put them on, the guy he saw in the mirror looked familiar.

  She came back wearing a shapeless pair of coveralls.

  “That’s a little utilitarian, don’t you think?”

  She folded her arms. “I’m an anonymous member of the custodial crew. You look like Clark Kent in those glasses.”

  Tommy stuck out his chest and grasped the front of his sweater as if he was about to rip it open. “You should see what I’ve got on under this. I’ll show you if you show me what you’re wearing under that uniform thing.”

  She frowned.

  “Or leave it on. I’m only kidding. You look better in it than Atari does.” Her face fell even more, and he stopped joking for a moment. “It’s all right to have fun for a few minutes. Why don’t you take a break from being Careen Catecher? Pretend to be someone else.”