I tried screaming for Edgar and Robert, but the hand was pushed too hard against my mouth. They dragged us into the elevator and tapped the button for the top floor. Once the doors shut and we started to move, they released us.
My first reaction was to scream for Edgar and Robert. But once I thought things through, I realized there was a chance Edgar and Robert hadn’t been discovered yet. I didn’t want these officers knowing there were others. Thank God Ashton didn’t scream for help, either.
I turned around to get a good look at the two men who released us. They were officers as well, dressed in black uniforms, guns on their waist. One of them had short red hair, and the other had long brown hair.
“What are you guys doing down here?” the man who had been behind me asked.
“Nothing,” Ashton said. “We were just messing around.”
“And broke in?” the other officer asked. We didn’t say anything. “I don’t think so. You’re up to something.”
“No, we’re not,” I pleaded. My voice cracked.
Great.
They didn’t believe me. “There’s only one way you could’ve gotten in,” one of the officers behind us said. “Somebody gave you the code. You are up to something.”
“We’re not,” Ashton and I said in unison.
They watched us closely. Ashton was giving one of the officers a nervous look, which made it so obvious we were lying.
“You’ll have to take it up with him,” the red-headed man said.
Him? Man, this night was not turning out so great. I thought of Edgar and Robert. I wondered if they’d realized we were gone yet. I waited impatiently, not knowing who we were about to meet.
The elevator stopped at the tenth floor. The doors slid open with another ding. There, standing feet wide apart, arms crossed, was a tall man. His brown eyes beamed at us while he gave us a crooked smile. This man was quite different from the others. He wore a full gray suit with a black tie that looked far better than any suit I had seen. Light bounced off his bald head. I saw the time change to 8:48 on his fancy golden watch.
“Hello,” he said in his deep voice. “Come.”
He motioned for us to follow him down a particular hall. Ashton and I exchanged looks. There was nothing else we could do. We followed the tall, bald-headed man with the two officers staying close behind us, making it impossible for us to make a run for it.
Ashton and I kept our distance from the man, until he stopped at a particular door, opened it, and waved us through. We walked in and stopped.
Like everything else, the office was clean, elaborate, and organized. In the middle, there was a dark, mahogany desk with a clock that ticked quietly, several green plants, and a lamp so shiny my reflection bounced off it. A huge, white cushiony chair sat behind the desk. Across from it were two black chairs.
At the center of the desk was a computer much similar to the ones I had seen at the Starbucks. The only difference was this didn’t have the hologram shining from the box and into the air. It must’ve been turned off.
Pictures of landmarks and people I had never seen were displayed all around the room, and several shelves matching the mahogany desk stood firm alongside the walls, holding a few books, small boxes similar to the computers, and many majestic figurines. The one that caught my attention the most was a porcelain giraffe that looked as if was made of gold.
The door slammed behind us, causing me to gasp.
The bald-headed man passed us and went to his white chair. Before seating himself, he motioned, again with his hand, for us to have a seat.
Ashton and I took a seat and watched the man get comfortable in his white chair. Once he’d situated himself, he clasped his hands together, sat them on the table, and said, “I’m President Cornelius.”
Immediately, I looked at Ashton who looked more frightened than I did. He knew the guy as the Grand Imperial. I was still figuring it out. But there was one thing for sure. Edgar was wrong: there were people inside the building. We were definitely in trouble.
“Surprised?” he asked, snickering to himself.
My heart was pounding so hard, I couldn’t get one single word out.
“What are two young boys such as yourselves doing in one of my office buildings?” Cornelius asked.
“We were just messing around,” Ashton answered a little too quickly.
“Oh?” Not giving us a chance to prepare, Cornelius shouted for the guards standing outside the door. Again, I thought my heart was going to explode. I nearly fell out of my seat.
The door opened immediately.
“Go see if there are any others,” Cornelius said.
“Are you sure, sir?” the red-headed asked.
“I can be alone with these two,” he said. “They can’t do anything.” The officer obeyed, shutting the door behind them.
“What’re your names?” Cornelius asked, looking at Ashton first.
“Ashton,” he replied slowly.
Cornelius turned to look at me. “And you?”
I remembered what Edgar had told me. I was in danger of Grandfather. If President Cornelius really was the Grand Imperial, then I didn’t want them knowing who I was. I gave him the first name that came to mind. “Jim,” I said, stumbling over the name. “I’m Jim.”
Cornelius smiled at me. He glanced at Ashton, whose eyes were flickering between Cornelius and me. “Tell me,” Cornelius started. “What’s your real name?”
“That is my real name,” I answered too quickly. It was obvious I was lying.
“I’ve told many lies in my lifetime,” he said, glaring at me. “I’m quite good at it, so do believe me when I tell you I know when somebody is lying to me.”
Ashton and I stayed silent. He’d caught us. But that didn’t mean I was going to give him my real name.
“Who helped you get in?” Cornelius asked. “I know you didn’t do it alone.”
“I already told you, sir,” Ashton said. “We broke in. We thought it would be funny.”
Cornelius chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. “If you say so, Ashton. I guess we’ll find out when my security gets back.” He got into a desk drawer, shuffled something around, stood up, and made his way to the door. “Don’t bother trying to get out,” he said. “I’ll know.” He left the room, shutting the door behind him. Ashton waited a few seconds before saying anything.
“Don’t give anything away,” he told me.
“Do you really think I’m gonna give something away?” I asked. “Do you think I’m stupid?”
“Well, who knows about you?”
“Just be quiet,” I said.
We were silent for a few seconds. “I just hope they don’t find Edgar and Robert,” I said.
“They won’t,” Ashton said, glancing around at the door. “Come on.” He stood up.
“Ashton, he’s going to know,” I said, staying seated, remembering what Cornelius had said.
“What’s he going to do, Carsyn?” he argued. “I’m not just going to sit here when the leader of Grandfather is here. We have to get out.”
Ashton walked to the door. I couldn’t stop him, so I had to join him. I followed his lead. He opened the door and walked out. We didn’t get far.
“Where you going?”
We both jumped, looking to our right to see Cornelius walking toward us, smiling. He was amused.
We froze.
“Get back in there,” he said calmly.
We didn’t move.
“Now!” he shouted, causing my body to jolt. We did so quickly, and sat down in the same chairs.
Cornelius shut the door behind us and reclaimed his seat. “You know,” he started, “you guys aren’t from around here, are you?” He shuffled through the same drawer and took out a clear device. It looked like a piece of glass. It looked very similar to what I saw people using on the streets around the coffee shop. Cornelius touched the screen and it lit up.
“We’re from here,” Ashton insiste
d.
“Oh, really?” he asked.
Ashton and I nodded.
“Tell me, what is this?” Cornelius pointed at the device he had just taken out.
Ashton didn’t respond.
“A phone,” I said.
Cornelius nodded. “Surely you have one. Everyone inside any city wall has one.”
Ashton responded slowly. ”We lost ours.”
Cornelius chuckled. He pushed a large green button, and I heard a recording of Ashton’s voice, followed by mine. It was everything we had just said after Cornelius left the office, including my actual name. Ashton dipped his head down in defeat.
“Edgar and Robert,” Cornelius repeated once the recording stopped. “I had a feeling there was somebody else with you.” He sat the phone onto his desk. The screen disappeared.
Cornelius’s gaze settled upon me. He had the same crooked smirk. “How interesting,” he said. “Who would’ve guessed that you, Carsyn, would come to me?” He leaned back in his seat, crossed his legs, and clasped his hands together. I noticed a huge black ring on his finger. It was plain. Didn’t even shine. It was kind of ugly.
I glared at Ashton for giving my name away. I wouldn’t let him forget about that. “What do you want?” I asked, looking back at Cornelius.
“I found the orphanage you were in.”
“So,” I replied. “I don’t care.”
“Feisty, aren’t you,” he said. He kept smiling and stayed calm. I wondered if he actually cared. “I discovered the orphanage but only to find you were missing.”
“I ran away,” I told him. “I hated it there.”
“Perhaps you hated it,” he said. “But you didn’t run away.” He looked at Ashton. “So you are with the rebels as well?
Ashton didn’t reply.
“Shy?” Cornelius asked.
“No,” Ashton finally said after a few seconds of silence. “You’re the Grand Imperial,” he said.
Cornelius erupted in laughter. He stood up, and walked behind us, still laughing. I didn’t dare turn around. I thought about Edgar and Belladonna. They weren’t looking like lunatics anymore. There was some truth. I was learning.
“Ashton,” he said. “I’m very interested in people with interesting pasts. I bet anything that scar has a story behind it. Perhaps it’s why you joined the rebels. How did you get it?”
Ashton looked like he had just been shot. Cornelius noticed this. He placed a hand on each of our shoulders.
“What do you guys hope to accomplish with the rebels?” he asked.
“Stopping you,” Ashton replied through his teeth.
Again, Cornelius erupted in laughter. “Really?” he asked, amused once again. “Please tell me . . . how?”
“That doesn’t concern you,” I answered for Ashton.
“And it no longer concerns either of you,” he said. “I’m afraid you won’t be going back.”
We had only one hope to get away, and that hope was being hunted down. I hoped the officers didn’t actually find Edgar and Robert. Cornelius took his hands off of our shoulders and walked to the front of his desk again. This time, he just stood there.
“So it’s all true?” I asked him, buying some time before he did whatever it was he planned on doing to us. “You’re the leader of Grandfather. The Grand Imperial.”
“Such an honorable title,” he replied. “One that would never suit either of you.”
Ashton snickered. “That’s the title of somebody who thinks he has power. I wouldn’t want it.”
Cornelius suddenly frowned, glaring at Ashton. He turned his attention back to me. “So I’m guessing somebody figured out my whole scheme . . . got to you before I could. Don’t you want to know why I want you?”
I did want to know. Really bad. I just didn’t understand how I was important when I didn’t know anybody. I sat silently, waiting for an answer.
“You’ll find out,” he said. “Soon enough.”
He was playing me.
Cornelius was about to sit down when the two officers burst into the room. “It’s gone,” one of them said, gasping for air.
“What’s gone?” Cornelius asked, straitening his body.
“Sub X,” the other replied.
I glanced at Ashton. We knew what that meant. Edgar and Robert had gotten away with the vials, but to where?
Cornelius’s nostrils flared and his right eye began twitching. I had never seen somebody go from calm to completely angry in a nanosecond.
“There are two of them, and I want you to find them!” he screamed. “Go!” He picked up his phone and threw it as hard as he could. I expected it to shatter as it slammed into the wall, but it didn’t. The officers rushed away in panic.
Cornelius stood there for a second, taking a deep breath. He then walked to his phone, picked it up, and dialed a number once the screen came to life. “We’ve got a security breach,” he said before hanging up.
A siren sounded immediately throughout the entire building. A red light flashed in the room and I imagined all the others. Cornelius kicked the wall, his foot going all the way through the drywall. He jerked it out and turned to us. “You guys won’t ruin this.” He stomped to the door. My eyes bolted to the lamp. Without thinking, I leaped for it, taking and flinging it so hard my joints popped. It slammed against Cornelius’s head, knocking him down. His head slammed against the door handle before he flopped onto the floor, motionless.
“Let’s get out of here, now,” I ordered, my adrenaline running high. That was the first time I had hit anybody and man, it felt good.
Ashton didn’t hesitate. We ran toward the elevator. I knew it was only a matter of time before more security reached the building, so we had to get out of the building quick. I hit the down button on the elevator. It opened immediately. I tapped the button for the first floor.
“Do you believe now?” Ashton asked.
“Now’s not the time to rub it in my face,” I shouted over the loud sirens.
He didn’t say anything else. Good. He was probably afraid I’d hit him too.
The elevator reached the first floor. Luck must’ve been on our side, which was the first for me. As soon as the door slid open, Edgar and Robert just happened to be running by, each carrying two briefcases, one in each hand. They stopped and looked at us. “Thank God,” Robert said.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Edgar shouted, motioning us toward the front door. “Talk later. “
I was not arguing with that. I wanted to get as far from the building as possible.
We made a speedy exit and rushed across the street. Our timing was perfect because three fire trucks rounded the corner and braked in front of the building. In the air, a square aircraft hovered over the building, not making a single sound.
Edgar led us around the corner and past the familiar Starbucks. The crowd was less dense than before, so it was easier to move around. Some of the pedestrians looked curious as we ran by while most ignored us, living in their own world.
When the white vehicle came into site, we kicked into a whole new gear. Edgar was running so fast, and it looked like he had lost control of his body, which would’ve been funny under other circumstances.
“I think there’s a fire,” a woman was saying behind us.
Robert jumped into the front seat and this time I got lucky, claiming the window seat behind the driver. Robert didn’t even have to say anything, because before the doors were even closed, the driver floored it.
The entire ride through the city was nerve-wracking for me. I just knew we’d get caught. But Edgar and Robert . . . they had already caught their breath and seemed to be enjoying the ride like nothing had happened.
We left the city the same way we came in. Once I felt we were out of trouble’s reach, I was able to catch my breath. I twisted my body around to get one last look at the city, which at night was more spectacular than during the day. The towers seemed to light up th
e whole city. Different colors flashed off of signs and buildings, keeping the city alive after dark. I turned back around. The city was great to see, but after what had just happened, I didn’t think I wanted to go back for a while.
“Hold on to that briefcase,” Edgar said.
I knew he was mostly referring to me. And I didn’t really blame him because we had a deadly virus just inches from us. One mistake and we could all be dead. My stomach turned and I gripped the briefcase even tighter. Ashton did the same with his.
We climbed the mountain, and this time it was a lot scarier. The only light came from the vehicle and, honestly, they weren’t that great. I really hoped this guy was a good driver.
Finally, the driver pulled to the side. I couldn’t help but wonder how he knew exactly where to stop. Perhaps he was just so used to driving Edgar and Robert around that he knew.
“Give ya 50 bitcoin this time,” Edgar said, swiping the card as I had seen him do before. Again, a red light flashed as Edgar waved the card over the front headrest.
“We appreciate it as always,” Robert said, jumping out.
Once we were all out, I watched again as the car disappeared behind the curve ahead.
Edgar turned on his flashlight and shined it into the pitch-black forest. If it wasn’t for the moon, I was sure the light wouldn’t have helped all that much. “Be careful with the briefcases,” he warned again. I was holding it so tightly my hand was beginning to cramp.
Edgar’s light shined on a carved arrow, and we followed it.
We were silent for a few minutes, gathering our thoughts after everything that had happened. I was finally able to catch my breath and think about what I had heard. Cornelius really did need me. Edgar was right. And Cornelius really was the Grand Imperial.
Grandfather wasn’t dead. I didn’t know what that meant to me exactly, but one thing I was sure of. Everything Edgar and Belladonna had told me was true so far. I bet I was in danger. What would Cornelius have done to me if we didn’t get away? I didn’t even want to think about that. From what I had seen of him, he wasn’t exactly a nice guy.
“What happened?” Robert finally asked once we passed another arrow.
We told him everything from the officers finding us to me hitting Cornelius in the head. Edgar and Robert laughed at that last part. Robert hoped the lamp had left a mark.
“How did they not find you guys?” Ashton asked.
“We finished pretty quickly,” Robert said. “We were leaving the refrigerated room when we heard whispering.”
“Knew it wasn’t you two,” Edgar said.
“So we hid and went out looking for you,” Robert said.
At that moment, I remembered what Edgar had said. “What about nobody being there?” I asked him angrily. “You were wrong, and it almost got us killed.”
“Hey,” Edgar snapped. “We all make mistakes. Now be glad you got away.”
“Well, I’m not doing anything like that again,” I said.
Edgar looked at me and grinned. “But you learned,” he said. “Learned the damn truth, didn’t you?”
I didn’t answer.
“I can’t believe it was the Grand Imperial,” Robert said.
“Would’ve never guessed he would be there,” Edgar said. “These vials must’ve been a priority.”
“Good thing we stole them,” Robert said. “And a good thing we destroyed the security footage. And any proof that Edgar used his fingerprint to get in.”
“Does it matter?” Ashton asked. “They know who Carsyn is. They know we exist.”
“Only a matter of time before they figured that one out, eh,” Edgar said. “Not a thing we can do.”
“Hopefully they don’t make the virus again,” I said, remembering all the experimental vials we saw in the basement. “Who knows what they’ve been trying to make down there.”
Edgar snickered.
“What?” Ashton asked.
“Lit the place on fire,” Edgar said.
Robert laughed with him. “Didn’t want them coming up with any other dangerous substances.”
Wow. They really thought of everything. That explained the fire trucks, too.
We soon reached the trap door, and we all climbed down the ladder, holding our briefcases more careful than ever. Half way down, only having one free hand, I nearly fell. Edgar nearly had a heart attack as he saw me start to topple over. Good thing I was able to balance myself and readjust.
Edgar shined the flashlight down the hall and we walked through the tunnels until we reached the room Belladonna sat in. As soon as we entered, she jumped up from beside the radio. She looked at us, wide-eyed.
“What happened?” she asked immediately. She turned down the radio. “It’s all over the news.”
“What are they saying?” Edgar asked.
“Just that someone broke in and tried to light the place on fire. Cornelius was there.”
“We know,” Edgar said. We each sat down the briefcases onto the table very cautiously. “We started the fire,” Edgar said, then pointed at Ashton and me. “These two met him.”
I didn’t think Belladonna’s eyes could grow any wider, but they did. “Tell me everything,” she said, sitting back down.
We each took a seat except for Robert. He stood next to the table. We spent the next thirty minutes telling her everything that happened starting at the Starbucks. She asked us what it was like meeting The Grand Imperial. We told her about what he looked like and how quickly he got angry.
“I’m sorry you had to find out that way,” Belladonna told me. Edgar went over to the kitchen, grabbed four glasses, filled them up with water, and handed one to Robert, Ashton, and me. Yeah, stealing from the president made me thirsty. I chugged mine while Ashton told Belladonna how I had saved the day by knocking out Cornelius. I wasn’t expecting such praise.
“It was quick thinking,” he said, for once grinning at me.
Belladonna carefully took one of the briefcases and slowly opened it. “Sub X,” she whispered, her eyes gazing at the dangerous vials. “We can’t let anybody know this exists,” she said. “I know just the place to hide it.”
“Agreed,” Edgar said.
“Where?” I asked, curious.
She took one of the vials and examined it. “The fewer that know, the better.”
Edgar agreed. “If Grandfather ever gets a hold of any of us, we truly won’t know where it’s at. Best few know.”
Made sense.
Belladonna, who was frantic when we walked in, was now back to her calm self. I supposed after listening to the radio, she suspected something bad had happened to us. But seeing everybody was fine and that we had succeeded in the mission, all was well.
“I’m guessing Cornelius didn’t tell you why he needs you, did he?” Belladonna asked. “Or else you would’ve told us.” She placed the vial back into the briefcase and locked it away.
“He didn’t,” I answered. “But he said I’d find out soon enough.”
“That was when he thought we weren’t getting away,” Ashton said.
I agreed. “You guys were right,” I said. “All of you. President Cornelius is their Grand Imperial. It seemed so impossible earlier. I mean, I had no idea who you people were and you told me that he needed me. I knew nobody. You have to see why it was so hard for me to believe.”
Edgar and Robert seemed satisfied.
Belladonna offered a genuine smile. “I knew you needed time,” she said. “You were right as well. It’s best to prove something with your own ears and eyes.”
Everyone stared at the table in silence. I replayed the meeting with Cornelius. It was all true, and I was still in disbelief. And now that I knew it was all true, I wanted to know more. Why did Cornelius need me? And what was their next plan? Those people underground . . . they weren’t just a bunch of lunatics. Yeah, maybe Edgar was odd and really annoying. But he wasn’t crazy. I didn’t think.
 
; I didn’t know a lot about Grandfather, so my mind was still everywhere. What exactly was Grandfather doing? Was the tracking law actually their idea? Whatever they were all about, it couldn’t be good, and these people underground really believed they could expose him. Whether or not I liked it, I was now involved. No turning back. I had to learn more and find out how I played a role in it.
“I think we all need sleep,” Belladonna said slowly. She touched one of the briefcases. “I’ll lock these away in the morning.”
I yawned. Everything that had happened did make me tired. Before Ashton and I left, I turned to Belladonna. “Thanks for letting me go,” I told her. “That’s what I wanted; to find out on my own.”
She grinned at me. “I’m glad you’re with us. You’re going to come in handy one day.”
Ashton and I were quiet until we approached my room. I expected him to keep walking. He didn’t. He stopped at my door. “I’m sorry about earlier,” he said tiredly. “I get carried away.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “You were right anyways.”
“Yeah, but you were right, too. Belladonna is right. It’s best to discover something yourself . . . don’t believe random people you don’t know.”
Ashton placed a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s start over. There aren’t a whole lot of people our age down here. Maybe we can be friends.”
I agreed.
Just as I was about to walk in my room, I heard a girl yell out, “You’re back!” We both turned to find Marley standing in the distance. “And you’re safe.” She ran toward both of us and hugged us tightly. It was kind of awkward. We barely knew each other, yet she hugged me as if we had known each other our entire lives.
Marley wanted to know everything, and there was no way she was waiting until morning. I allowed them both into my room so Ashton and I could fill her in. I really hoped they wouldn’t see that as an invitation to be knocking on my door all of the time.
Marley was upset we got so close to Grandfather’s leader but glad we were safe and I now believed.
“And the way he took out Cornelius,” Ashton told her. “It was perfect. Man I really underestimated you. I wish I could’ve seen Cornelius’s face when he came to.”
I didn’t know how to respond, so I just laughed. People never bragged on me or complimented me on anything. It was weird.
They left me alone. I didn’t go to bed right away. My mind was racing, replaying everything. I couldn’t believe Cornelius knew me. How did he know me? As I had told Edgar before, I knew nobody, and nobody knew me. Or at least I thought nobody knew me. Cornelius knew who I was, and I promised myself I would get an answer soon. But until then, I was going to have to get some sleep.
Chapter Seven