The Last Uprising (Defectors Trilogy) (33 page)

“This is all I want,” I said.

His arms tightened around me momentarily, and then the exhaustion overtook me.

The next morning, I awoke pinned to Amory’s side. I heard movement all around us, but I didn’t want to get up. I knew we had to face all the commune dwellers and hear what our role in the coup would be.

There was a long line for oatmeal and bread, and I used the time we were waiting to get a feel for the situation we’d walked into.

In the dark, all the rebels had looked scruffy, unwashed, and rugged, but in the light of day, I could see that there was a stark difference between the commune dwellers and the rest of Ida’s forces.
 

In fact, it was easy to tell all the different groups apart. The commune dwellers were pale, dirty, and skinny. If anything, they looked scruffier than Ida’s rebels, who had more meat on their bones and a controlled grunge about them. Rebels who had been roughing it in the wilderness for months were accustomed to shaving with their own knife next to a frozen creek, and the rebel women had learned how to conceal their greasy, unwashed hair in tight braids and ponytails.

The commune dwellers’ hair hung in matted tangles, and they wore their rebel blacks with a certain self-conscious distain. After eating perfectly portioned meals complete with out-of-season fruit from World Corp’s supercrops, I was sure the rebels’ offering of runny oatmeal and stale bread paled in comparison.

I could even tell Ida’s rebels apart from the rebels who’d come with us. While the westerners looked easygoing and capable, Ida’s rebels were watching Roman warily with a tightness to their faces that told me they knew he was infected.

But it didn’t matter where we had come from or the hardships we’d experienced. Tomorrow, we would all have our roles to play. If we failed, we would all be killed or imprisoned.

Once we’d eaten, Ida gathered everyone on the first floor of the building. I noticed that the different groups sat together, Ida’s rebels peering over at us with distrust. Everyone ignored the commune dwellers.

“With our numbers,” said Ida, “we should have over a thousand fighting in rebel black tomorrow.”

I looked around. Hundreds certainly, but I doubted very much if there were even near a thousand.

“We do not outnumber the PMC, but we have the element of surprise. We strike first to gain the upper hand. That is our only choice.”

Ida pointed to the map she had duct-taped to the wall and explained how she planned to attack the different bases throughout the city. She knew the routes the officers would take when they called in backup, and she planned to ambush them.

Once the moving parts were explained, Ida chose three leaders who would select their teams and lead each strike. I noticed she picked a commune dweller, a rebel from the west, and one of her own men to head up the groups. Ida was a terrific leader with a knack for bringing people together, but she wasn’t subtle.

“Once we’ve crippled most of their forces, we need to take out Aryus Edric in the Infinity Building.”

At Ida’s words, my chest seized up. A murmur of outrage whipped through the crowd. I’d been to the Infinity Building. It was the last thing I remembered before all my memories were taken.

“We
must
kill Aryus,” Ida continued. “Without him, their leadership will crumble. He has the vision. He symbolizes everything World Corp stands for.”

“It’s a suicide mission,” said a burly rebel from the back of the room.
 

I recognized that voice. It was Switch. Through the jungle of limbs between us, I could see the tense muscles in Switch’s neck working. His carrier scars stood out sharply in the bright light streaming in through the factory windows. “No one will ever get in and out of there alive.”

Logan and I exchanged an angry look. I couldn’t believe Switch was talking back to Ida like this. I knew Ida well enough to know she would ask for anyone with objections to come forward later, but he was just being rude.

“With all due respect, Switch,” said Ida, “there are those among us who have been inside the Infinity Building and lived to tell. They infiltrated the building to get their hands on the cure and spoke to Aryus themselves. They will guide the unit through what they know of the building and its security.”

Ida’s gaze flickered over Logan, Roman, and me, and my cheeks flamed as a few rebels looked curiously in our direction.

“It is my assessment that whoever goes into the Infinity Building will have to take down every officer on the way in before getting to Aryus. That’s the only way they can reach him and get out safely.”

“And who do you suppose is willing to take that on?” drawled Switch.
 

I wanted to hit him. Carrier survivor or not, he was being disrespectful. And at the moment, he was being a coward.

“I was going to open the floor to volunteers,” said Ida brightly, unruffled by his distain.

There was a hush of silence. Nobody moved.

Then two arms shot up in my peripheral vision. I looked over.
 

Amory was leaning back on his elbows, his arm in the air. There was a look of determination in his eyes. On his other side, Roman had thrown up his beefy arm.

A flash of anger rolled through me. I understood why Roman wanted to be the one to assassinate Aryus. He was the one who had started the virus. He had created the monsters that had slaughtered his family. He was the reason Roman was dying.

But Amory? I didn’t understand why he was undertaking such a dangerous task. He knew there was a strong possibility he would never even reach Aryus and a very slim chance he would come out of that building alive.

As I stared at him dumbfounded, his gaze fell to the side. He would not meet my eyes.

Without thinking, I raised my arm, too.
 

Now it was Amory’s turn to look shocked and angry.
 

On my other side, Logan put her hand up, and Greyson’s followed. A tight coil of dread settled in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t like this. The more of my friends who went inside the Infinity Building, the more I would lose. There was no chance we would all make it out unscathed.

I shook my head at Greyson, but he just grinned at me, as though we were going for pizza instead of assassinating a crazed corporate visionary who had overthrown the U.S. government, started an epidemic, and taken over two countries.

Ida looked surprised but pleased by our willingness. None of the other rebels had volunteered, but I couldn’t imagine she was thrilled at the prospect of us being responsible for taking out Aryus. This called for a team of Navy SEALs, not a handful of twenty-somethings whose training consisted of shooting at coffee cans and target practice on carriers.

“Right,” said Ida. “That’s about the gist of it. Of course, once we overtake the city, our work won’t be done. Other PMC units will come. Once we have the city stabilized and the civilians to safety, I am happy to simply imprison the rest of the officers.”

“What about the PMC leadership?” asked Amory.

The realization hit me in the gut like a sucker punch. Amory’s father was a captain. I could only imagine how he felt.

“Those who surrender peacefully will have to await the scrutiny of the U.S. justice system,” said Ida. Her voice was firm, but I could detect the gentle undertones there. “If we want a peaceful restoration of the federal government, that’s what we have to do. We cannot continue to operate as vigilantes. We will have to fall in line once the government knows which way is up.”

“And the carriers?” Logan asked. Her voice was small, but it carried through the crowd.

“They are not our biggest concern right now,” said Ida. “We don’t know how much of the cure has been produced. Once the Infinity Building has been secured, our number one priority will be recovering the formula. Hopefully, once the dust settles, we’ll be able to cure a substantial number of them.”

“By then it will be too late,” said another voice. It was Doctor Carson.

I looked at Roman, whose hands were balled into fists on his knees. The yellow around his irises was starting to spread. He looked feverish and slightly unhinged.
 

“Ida, be reasonable,” said Shriver. “The cure has the potential to save thousands of lives.”

“We will do what we can,” said Ida. “But neutralizing World Corp and the PMC should be our first priority.”

The crowd murmured in agreement. Clearly they didn’t believe the carriers were worth saving.
 

I knew differently. I had watched Logan and my mother succumb to the virus; I didn’t want to watch Roman’s slow decline.

“I need you all to come with me,” said Ida.

I looked up and realized she was addressing me and the other members of our little assassination squad.

She led us over to a table with a more detailed map of the city. Ida put a finger on one of the roads and traced a line to the center.

“This is your best route to get to the Infinity Building from here. If all goes according to plan, these bases will be neutralized. But if they’re not, we cannot wait. If we give Aryus enough time to flee, it will be nearly impossible to find him again. He has unlimited resources. Even with all international flights grounded, it would not be out of the question for him to charter a plane to another country.”

I nodded. I knew Aryus’s first priority would be self-preservation.

“Do not engage in the fighting,” said Ida. “Your only task is to get to Aryus.”

Her eyes lingered on Roman for a moment before snapping back to me. “Haven, I need you, Logan, and Roman to share everything you know about the building.”

I nodded, everything inside me screaming in protest. I didn’t want to tell them anything. I didn’t want them attempting the impossible.

I looked to Roman and Logan, but Roman was expertly avoiding eye contact. Since he had been working for the PMC at the time, I knew he was ashamed to be singled out, but we were beyond that now. This was about survival. I started talking, and Logan jumped in to relay everything we knew about the layout.
 

Greyson drew a diagram of the lobby with all the exits we could remember. I explained how the woman at the front desk controlled all the elevators.
 

We would need two people to stay behind in the lobby to kill any officers who entered the building after us and ensure we could get back to the first floor.
 

“Aryus had a few doses of the cure in his office,” I said. “But our best bet for the main supply is the lab. I don’t know where it is, though.”

I recalled the wretched nurse who had stood over my bed, but I had no memory of being brought there.

“It’s the twenty-fourth floor,” said Roman in a scratchy voice.

“How many officers can we expect?” asked Amory.

Ida shook her head. “It’s hard to say, but Aryus has grown paranoid. After Mariah and Jared sneaked in as uniformed PMC and Roman betrayed him, he doesn’t trust his own officers. He’s likely to have only those closest to him guarding his chamber.”

Amory nodded, his eyes cold. The full weight of what was about to happen hit me. We were really going to kill Aryus.

When Logan and I had exhausted everything we knew and formed a plan, Amory’s hand clamped over my arm, and he pulled me away from the others.

“Where are we . . .?”

He didn’t answer but continued to tug me toward the stairwell.

Once we were out of earshot, he whipped around, anger burning in his eyes.

“Haven, what the
hell
?”

I staggered back, unprepared for his fury.

“What?”

A dark cloud passed over Amory’s face, and a derisive laugh burst out of him. “What?
What
?
Why did you volunteer?”

“Because you volunteered!” I spluttered. “Did you think I was just going to let you go in there with Roman alone?”

“Yes!” he burst out. “And you should have. Do you think this is a game?”

Now it was my turn to feel the anger sour in my blood.
 

“A game?”

Amory caught my expression, and a tangle of emotions flew across his face: frustration, regret, and embarrassment.

“In case you’ve forgotten, I was the one who was in there. I talked to Aryus. I watched him cure Logan, not knowing if she would live or die. I watched Jared die trying to come back for me. Trust me — I know it isn’t a game.”

Now Amory’s face was all regret.

Realizing I’d been shouting, I lowered my voice. “Why is it so terrible for me to go but not for you?”

“Because I want you to
live
,” he said before he could stop himself.

“And you’re preparing to walk in there thinking you won’t?”

“N-No. I didn’t mean —” He sighed. “The more of us that go in, the lower the chance that we’ll all come out alive. I want to be able to walk in there knowing you’re safe.”

I took a step toward him, wanting to reach out and bridge the short distance between us. “But I won’t be. No matter what. You need a team, and I don’t want you doing this without me.”

Amory let out a burst of air in frustration, spinning away from me with his hands in his hair. “I can’t lose you, Haven!”

I stared at him, shocked by the terror and fury etched across his face. “That’s how
I
feel.”

“You don’t understand . . . there’s a good chance we
will
die.”

“I’m well aware of the facts. But after everything I’ve lost, I can’t lose you, too. At least not without putting up a fight.”

He sighed, and I sensed he knew I could not be persuaded to hang back.

“Wait . . . why did
you
volunteer?” I asked, peering up at him with suspicion.

“I have my reasons . . .”

He was sulking now.
Perfect
.

Rolling my eyes, I took two steps forward and wrapped my arms around his waist, closing the space between us. He stiffened, vaguely surprised, and then he relaxed into me and draped his arms over my shoulders.

“Tell me.”

Amory sighed. “I couldn’t let Roman go alone. I knew he would volunteer so he could try to get the cure.”