The Bleeding Crowd (13 page)

“I...” Ben hesitated. “I just heard it
around. I can know what the names of letters are without—”

“Ben, can you read?”

He opened his mouth, and then shut it again,
nodding at last. “Yes.”

“Why in the world would you lie about
something like that?”

He shrugged and waited.

“Ben,” she snapped.

He chewed on the inside of his lip. “People
are less cautious about what they leave lying around when they
think we can’t read it.”

She pulled her robe tighter around her.
“You’re a spy?”

“Well...” He considered what to say. “Spy is
a strong word.”

“What word is more appropriate then?”

“I’m...” He paused. “An observer.”

“An observer of what, exactly?”

“Of... you. All of you. Womankind.”

“So, I’ve been a case study for you?”

“No.”

“You’ve been observing me.”

“No, well, yes, but you aren’t high enough up
to be of any real use to us. I was supposed to try to get you to
send me back weeks ago.”

“What were you hoping for? Someone who could
give you government secrets? A way to...” She trailed off.

“Okay, I’ve learned you stopping midsentence
is never—”

“Revolution?” She cut him off.

Ben pressed his lips together and didn’t say
anything.

“You’re planning on...” She paused a moment.
“And you found someone you could get to hide you. Apparently I’ve
been very useful.”

“No.” He frowned. “Well, you’ve been
unwittingly very helpful, but it wasn’t all about just getting your
help. I like you.”

She scoffed. “Why should I believe that,
Ben?”

“Because it’s the truth.”

“I don’t know if I think anything you’ve said
to me has been the truth.”

“It is the truth, Lia,” he insisted.

She pressed a few buttons on the pad.

Ben frowned. “What did you do?”

“You can read,” Dahlia snapped, nodding at
the wall. “You figure it out.”

“Lia, I swear, I wasn’t using you. Well, I
guess I was in a way, but it wasn’t all about, whatever. I—”

“I’m sending you home,” she said. “I don’t
trust myself not to be rash right now, so you’re going home until I
sort things out.”

“Dah—”

“Don’t talk to me right now.” She pointed at
him. “You don’t want me to think about this anymore right now.”

“Please,” he said in a quiet voice.

“Really. Don’t.” She frowned, moving to the
bathroom.

“Lia,” he said, listening as the bathroom
door slammed and locked.

He released a breath, sitting down and
resting his head in his hands before finally standing again,
pulling his clothes on. He felt the slight lump in his pant leg and
paused. He looked at the doors, first the bathroom, then the front
and then the sliding window one, and moved to her medical bag.
Quickly he found bottles that she had used on him before, the ones
that he had a vague recollection of what they should be used for,
and slipped them into the pockets, distributing them equally and
separating them with gauze and other, nonmetallic, first aid
supplies. He shut the bag again and checked the time. It would take
another ten minutes or so for them to reach him.

He stood, hesitating for a second, and then
went to the bathroom door. “Dahlia?”

She didn’t answer.

“If you’re listening, I never meant to hurt
you. I just wanted to say that.”

There was no sound to show whether she heard
him.

He sighed, disappointed. “Thank you. For
everything.”

He smoothed the slight bulges at the bottom
of his pants, and sat on the bed to wait for the guards.

* * * *

Jude watched in silence as Ben emptied his
pockets. He shook his head. “Damn.”

“Well, I doubt I’m going back,” Ben said
tersely. “I figured if there was any time when I should stock up,
it was now.”

Jude frowned. “What did you do?”

“Nothing,” Ben lied. “Well, nothing dangerous
to us at least. I just pissed her off.”

“So, you thought you’d complete that entire
situation by stealing from her?”

“We need supplies.” Ben shrugged.

Jude nodded. “So, we don’t have her?”

“It would seem that way, yeah.”

“But we have Heather, and...”

Ben held up his hand for him to stop. “We
have a plan. Call the guys together; we’re going to finalize
it.”

“Can do.” Jude smiled.

* * * *

“What’s up with you?” Cassandra looked at
what she could see of Dahlia across the table.

“Nothing.” Dahlia looked up from her menu.
“Why?”

“You have this weird look on your face.”

Dahlia shook her head. “I’m just deciding
what to eat.”

“Bull,” Cassandra said.

“Fine, I’m deciding if it’s worth switching
men, or just not calling this one up anymore. I’m bored with
him.”

“Well that’s what happens when you don’t have
sex with them.” Cassandra grinned at her.

“How often do you switch?”

Her friend appeared to think about it.
“Generally around a month or so. Depends on the guy.”

“So then I’m overdue,” Dahlia said. “Been
over two months.”

“So you’d have to switch soon anyway,”
Cassandra said. “Why don’t you switch and actually choose a guy
you’re interested in this time?”

“How about you let me decide my own sex
life?”

“Just saying, you don’t know what you’re
missing.”

Dahlia looked back at her menu. “So, how
about that party last night?”

“Nice transition.” Cassandra rolled her
eyes.

“Well, it’s all Audrey talked about this
morning.”

“Probably all she can think about,” Cassandra
said. “I think she hasn’t slept yet. Came straight from the party
to work.”

“I’m surprised you weren’t with her.”

“I ended up trying to figure out where you
went.”

“I was tired,” Dahlia said. “I told Zoë to
let you know I left.”

“What? Are you eighty?” Cassandra looked her
over.

“Yes, yes I am.”

“Are you at least coming tonight?”

“I was thinking of resting up tonight so I
could actually last the full time tomorrow,” Dahlia said

“You’re so boring, Lia. Why am I friends with
you again?”

“Because you need someone who won’t be
sitting in the cell next to you to bail you out when you’re
arrested for disturbing the peace?”

“That happened once.” Cassandra held up her
index finger.

“Once more than it’s happened to me,” Dahlia
said.

“Because you’re boring. So, what was my
original point?”

“Did you have an original point?”

Cassandra shook her head. “You sure you don’t
want to come downtown tonight?”

“Sleep is my friend.”

“I’ll take a lot of pictures to show you what
you missed.”

“I’m sure you will.”

“I think Claire isn’t going either,”
Cassandra continued. “You two can commiserate about what you missed
tomorrow.”

“We’ll start a support group,” Dahlia
said.

Cassandra sighed. “You’re seriously not
going?”

“Seriously,” Dahlia said.

“I’ve obviously failed somewhere with you.”
Cassandra shook her head.

“Indeed you did.”

Chapter Eight

In her room, Dahlia sat at her desk, tapping
the pen against the desk. If there was ever something she wanted on
paper rather than where someone could see it, this was it. She
released a breath.

Pros: No odd questions. Another three months before I
have to choose again. I’m going to have to anyway.

Cons: Don’t know who will end up in the lineup. Yet
another guy to deal with.

Dahlia paused. Never see Ben again. Something
in the back of her mind that she couldn’t shut up nagged making her
stomach knot again. She refused to write that down. Refused to
acknowledge it. Even if she cared, he had a good two weeks left
with her anyway. No reason to plan around two weeks. Two weeks she
didn’t even care about to start with.

The door opened and then shut with a click.
She froze and turned cautiously. Ben stood in the doorway, his face
serious, determined, somehow hard. She turned away, looking at the
paper in front of her. “You don’t want to be here.”

“Yes I do.” Ben didn’t move from the
doorway.

“Oh really.” She hardened herself, looked at
him.

“I had to talk to you,” he said.

“I haven’t called anyone on you thus far,
Ben.” She stood flexing her hands nervously. “You really want to
make me reconsider that decision?”

“Fine,” Ben called her bluff, holding his
hands out as if invite her to hit him. “Turn me in.”

“Maybe I will.” She crossed her arms over her
chest.

“Fine.” Ben nodded once. “Just let me speak
my piece first.”

She didn’t answer.

He paused. “Please?”

She still didn’t say anything, but gave a
slight nod.

He didn’t attempt to couch it. “We are
starting a revolution.”

The annoyed look on her face morphed into one
of utter shock until she recovered and hardened her features again.
“You’re trying to mess with my head.”

“No,” he said. “We’re getting as many men as
we can together, and we’re fighting our way out or going to die
trying.”

“Why are you telling me this?” She
frowned.

“Because.” He took a breath. “Because if we
succeed, if we get out, I want you to join us.”

“Join you,” she repeated.

“We need a doctor with us. We’re fighting for
our lives, for our freedom. We need all the help we can get.”

“So why come to me?”

“Because you’re a good person,” he said.
“Because you know me. Because we have no other recourse. You have
your society, but only because you’re subjugating an entire half of
the human race. Do you really think that’s right?”

She swallowed. “It’s not up to me to try to
judge morals. It’s not my place. It’s not my job.”

“It’s everybody’s place. You don’t just have
to follow along with what everyone says.”

“We were tested, scanned, placed where we’re
meant to be. Assigned to what we’re best at,” Dahlia insisted. “I’m
good at healing people. I have no aptitude for philosophizing.”

“Will you shut up and think for once, Lia?”
he snapped, caught himself and lowered his voice. “Maybe they don’t
have all the answers, Lia. You really think this is the best system
out there?”

“Maybe not,” she allowed, “but it’s better
than the alternative.”

“Which is?”

Dahlia frowned. “What?”

“What is the alternative?”

“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “War?
Famine?”

“We’re doing this,” Ben said. “Who knows?
Maybe we’ll all be mowed down before we reach the gate. If we
somehow make it, I want to know you’ll be behind us.”

“What makes you think I would even consider
that?”

“I have no right to ask you for anything,” he
said. “We need help. I... I have no one else to ask.”

Her jaw worked as she considered his words
before speaking. “I’m sorry, Ben. I can’t have anything to do with
this.”

“Lia—”

“If you’re smart, you’ll go home and forget
this whole crazy idea.”

“You know that isn’t going to happen,” he
said.

She looked at him for a long moment before
moving towards the window. “I’m sending you home. You can’t come
here anymore.”

“After tomorrow I won’t be able to.”

Her hand hovered over the pad on the wall.
She didn’t touch it, turning her body just enough to see him.
“You’re serious.”

“Tomorrow night I’ll either be free or I’ll
be dead. Either way I won’t be here.”

She took a long breath. “Go home and sleep
this off, Ben. You don’t want to do this.”

“Believe me, I do.”

She still didn’t move.

“So, either you turn me in right now or, as
you’ve said, you’re just as responsible for whatever happens as I
am.”

“Oh believe me, I’m tempted to turn you in,”
Dahlia said. “If only to protect you from yourself.”

“I’m a grown man,” he said. “I don’t need a
woman to think rationally for me. I know exactly what I’m
doing.”

“Fine then.” She looked at him, eyes hard.
“If you find out there’s an afterlife, see if you can find a way to
let me know. I’ve always sort of wondered.”

His jaw twitched, but otherwise he remained
stoic. “I’m sorry to have wasted your time.

She sucked in a pained breath, paused, and
then pulled her shoulders back stiffly. “No problem. I was just
reading.”

“Something interesting, I hope,” he said so
tersely it bordered on bitter.

“Interesting enough.” Her hand finally
touched the pad.

An uncomfortable silence fell between them.
He looked at her. She studied the wall.

“Dahlia,” he said at last.

She turned her head just enough to see him
out of the corner of her eye.

He studied her face for a moment and then
shook his head. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter.”

She didn’t move for a long moment before
giving a short nod and walking to the bathroom. She paused. “They
should be here soon. You can let yourself out.”

* * * *

The next morning, Dahlia released a heavy
breath as the chimes started at eight giving her a grand total of
three hours of sleep. It hadn’t been more than an hour before
sunrise when she had given up trying to sleep and had knocked
herself out with a mild sedative. She was sure she looked awful,
but all the same, she got out of bed hoping enough makeup work make
her look more awake. It only succeeded in making her look a bit
drained. With a long sigh, she picked up her bag.

Cassandra approached as she headed to work.
“How was your night at home?”

She hadn’t even made it across the
street.

“I slept horribly,” Dahlia said.

“See? You should have come out last
night.”

“
What’s the logic in that?”

“If you had come out, you would have worn
yourself out and would have slept better.”