Chapter 2
A few hours later, Sam and Zeph returned—their faces a shade darker from exposure. I’d skipped eating, my stomach too nervous from fretting over the morning’s events. I’d never killed anyone before, though I knew that with our secret, the time would likely come. Zeph’s words came back to me. It was him or us. The hollow, sick sensation in my stomach told me that no matter how necessary my actions had been, living with the guilt of taking a life would be a high price to pay for our survival.
“What did you do with the body?” I set bowls of venison stew in front of Sam and Zeph.
Sam released a long, slow breath, the exertion and stress of the day showing on his face. The whirring of the generator filled the silence, reminding me of all that Sam had accomplished. He’d added solar panels to the house and barn, created several small vertical wind turbines that fed us electricity when we needed it, and built a huge greenhouse with environmental controls that provided us with a year round food supply. To protect it all, he’d devised a holographic image around the property that made it appear to be a continuation of the surrounding woods. I plunked the warm pot onto the table and waited for his answer.
“We buried him at the bottom of the ravine. No one will find him; don’t worry.”
I poured them both some iced tea and shifted my gaze between the two people I loved and trusted most in the world. Worry was all I’d done since I’d seen that man in the market, his eyes cold and determined, his tone threatening. “What about the vehicle?” I asked.
A grin spread across Zeph’s face. “We camouflaged it so we can go back later and strip what’s left of it for parts.” Sam nodded in acknowledgement and dug into the stew.
I trusted their ability to make just about anything blend into the surrounding landscape, but my nerves remained on edge. Sam’s engineering and mechanical expertise had allowed us to survive in the hills in relative comfort for a long time. He’d even managed to keep an old Land Rover running in case of emergencies, a tank of biofuel at the ready. We had an escape plan in place if we ever had to make a fast getaway, but the thought of being driven from our home made my knees feel weak and my chest ache. Life outside of Stanton would be vastly different, and likely dangerous. I set butter and a half a loaf of bread on the table.
I sank into a hard wooden chair as Sam dipped a thick slice of bread into his gravy. We still had plenty of potatoes, carrots, and onions, but we were running low on meat unless there was some animal caught in one of Zeph’s traps. I glanced at the door. The crack of sunlight peeking through the blind let me know that my window of opportunity to be outside was fading fast with the sun.
“Don’t look so worried, Lily. We have it under control. Nobody is going to know what happened and it’ll be a while before the Industry people come this way again.”
“What do we do then?” I searched Sam’s face and then turned to Zeph who was slurping gravy from his bowl like it was any other day. “What happens when they send someone else?” I demanded.
Sam set down his fork and rested his elbows on the table. “I’ve got a plan; trust me. But for today, you and your brother are safe. We can’t go worrying about what-ifs. Your mom used to say, ‘Let’s not borrow trouble’.” He picked up his fork and stabbed another piece of meat.
I sighed. At least we all had the same philosophy about not looking too far forward into the future. If I was charged with murder, falling into the hands of the Industry would only be the beginning. I rested my chin on my hands, exhausted from the tension that had my shoulders strung tight.
Sam had Mom’s warm brown eyes, and it was clear he had loved his younger sister. He’d taken us in and treated us as if we were his own. Having him smile the same way she did helped fill that deep well of sorrow I still felt when I thought of my parents. I had only foggy memories and mother’s medical journals to keep me connected to them.
“We have to keep the faith, Lily.” Sam’s voice drew me back from my gloomy reminiscing. He cleaned the bottom of his bowl with the last of his bread and looked at me hard. “You can’t let fear get the better of you. I’ve taught you everything you need to know about surviving in this world.” He looked from one to the other of us and sat back in his chair. “What you did today was save your brother and probably me, too. I owe you thanks for being brave and doing what had to be done.”
I pushed away from the table, stacked the bowls, and carried them to the sink as I blinked back tears and swallowed hard. Even with all of Sam’s training, I’d hoped I would never have to use it. “I don’t want or deserve your thanks,” I said softly. “I killed a man today, and I can’t ever take that back. I ran hot water in the sink and stared into the rising bubbles, wishing I could wash the guilt away as easy as I could clean the dishes, and wondering what my parents would think of me now.
The next thing I knew, Sam was behind me, his large warm hand resting on my shoulder. “You have a gift for healing, but you are as human as anyone, and survival comes first. That’s the way of nature, so let it go and accept that killing is as much a part of this life as surviving. Adapt, improvise, and overcome—remember?” Before I could respond, the chiming sound of an incoming telecom drew Sam’s attention to the other room. “I’ve got to take this call.”
He patted my shoulder and disappeared into the living room. I heard the swoosh from the secret panel sliding open to allow entrance to the lower level. The chime sounded louder and then faded again as the wall slid back into place.
Zeph grabbed his gear and headed for the door. “I guess I’ll go out and check the traps.”
“If you want to do the ones on the south and east end, I’ll check the others on my way back from the McKinley sisters’ cottage later.”
Zeph turned in the doorway. “Don’t sweat what happened earlier, sis.”
I nodded and watched him leave, but I knew in my gut that there would be consequences for what I’d done. Voices rose up from down below and I wondered who Sam was talking to. He kept his dealings with the Network as quiet as possible, reassuring me that the less I knew the better. I started the sanitizer for the dishes and snuck up to my room, determined to listen in on Sam’s conversation. I lifted the hatch to the laundry chute and activated the remote camera I’d set up for just that purpose. Sam wasn’t the only one in the house with skills. I let a small smile curve my lips as I turned on my handheld viewer.
Sam sat in a straight-backed chair, his gaze intent on the screen in front of him, his face aglow with light. He referenced the giant maps on the wall behind him and pointed out the regions and cities that had yet to be taken over by the new government.
“We have to stop them, no matter the cost,” he said to the voice on the screen. “Overthrowing the President and her Assembly won’t be easy, but it’s the only way any of us will survive.” His determined tone chilled me to the core.
I couldn’t see a face, but the distorted male voice behind the comp screen responded. “Speaking of surviving, how are you feeling?”
Sam’s shoulders straightened. “I’m hanging in.” He wouldn’t burden any of his colleagues with how sick he really was. Instead his righteous anger bubbled to the surface. “We wouldn’t have to worry so much about surviving if they hadn’t scrapped the space program. If they’re going to keep us on this floating death trap of a planet, the least they could do is give us access to the solar barrier technology that keeps all of them from frying.”
“But then they wouldn’t be able to recruit anybody to live in the cities. Let’s face it, unless they have a hold on people, no one would choose to live like slaves.” The man on the other end let out a tired sigh.
“Those slaves, as you call them, have access to free food, clothes, health care, and housing. I wouldn’t complain either if I had everything handed to me.” Sam tossed the pointer down onto the desk.
“Are you thinking of joining them?” The man asked, his voice taking on a sharp edge.
“Take it easy. I’m no traitor,?
?? Sam said. “And I won’t be giving up my freedom anytime soon. The government can spout all their propaganda about Better living through genetic evolution, but nobody’s going to turn me into a blind follower or a guinea pig no matter what amenities they offer. Besides, Kyle Perkins told me how they ration everything so people barely have enough food to survive. It’s not all as rosy as they would have us believe.”
Although I’d never been anywhere that was under the complete control of the new government, I’d seen plenty of city dwellers at the trading post in Albany, all dressed in their brightly colored uniforms. They all seemed to have the same pale, gaunt appearance, as if barely nourished and hollowed out inside, their expressions hopeless.
Sam’s Network associate added, “As long as the Assembly doesn’t catch on to our hacking into their satellites, we should be okay.”
Sam’s next words sent a shiver through me. “Unless they burn this place to the ground, they won’t ever find my tunnel system or discover what we’re up to.” A quick glance in the direction of my camera and Sam stopped speaking. I had disguised the mini-cam as part of the bin that caught my dirty clothes figuring he’d steer clear of anything to do with girl’s underwear. I shut the cam down as Sam’s large hand covered the lens and I heard him yell, “Lily!”