Page 114 of The Order

“I can't see!” one of the men yells, clutching his head, unable to move.

I quickly find and connect to their chips using the controls on the screen. When I can see their chips blink green, I type in the command I hope will get us out of this mess. My hands shake as I watch Fallan sway where he stands.

Forget us. Forget Adam’s commands and leave.

I run the program with a tap on the screen.

Fallan leans into his couch, taking in several deep breaths as a thin trail of blood runs free from his nose. He quickly wipes it away, the side of his hand now coated in a streak of blood. Both Officials slowly start to open their eyes. They look confused. I draw in shaky breaths, focusing my energy on the unharmed Official’s ankle, ready to cripple him too.

“Don’t,”Fallan says, looking at me with a serious expression. “Any more injuries like that and it’ll look suspicious.”

The men both rise to their feet, looking around the space blankly. They remain silent as they make their way to the door. I fit the Re-Regulation Device back onto the injured Official’s belt, doing my best to avoid touching him.

“Out!” Fallan yells aggressively. The men move quicker as they fumble to adjust their uniforms. They give the space one last look before closing the door behind them.

Fallan quickly locks his door, pressing his head against the wood.

“Adam is looking for us behind my father’s back,” I say, dragging my hands up and down my arms as a chill comes over me.

“Adam doesn’t trust you,” Fallan says. “I don’t think Xavier does either.” My feelings towards the blonde official stir as I begin to question his role in all of this.

He was always there right when I needed him. Could that really be a coincidence?

“Xavier isn’t from here,” I say. Fallan finally turns to face me.

“How is that possible? There is nothing beyond the ward.” Fallan questions, moving back toward me.

He keeps his distance, doing all he can to remain true to his word and establish boundaries between us.

“When I was near him, I felt behind his ear for his scar,” I start, a hint of jealousy within Fallan slamming into me. “He had no scar, and he had no chip.”

“What was he able to tell you? If he has no chip, then is he-”

“Like us? As far as I can tell, no. From what I can tell, he’s got a general distaste for the regulations in place here. I don’t know whether to believe it or not. He might be our one way of finding out what this new Commander's plan is for our people and for New Haven,” I say, considering how much he really could know.

“Our people?” Fallan says, raising a brow at me.

“The Unfortunates,” I clarify, biting my inner cheek while scolding myself for not being more careful with my words.

“You aren’t one of us,” he whispers, moving farther away. “The sooner you realize that, the quicker we can move on from this nightmare you’ve caused.” His hands stay clenched at his sides.

“I can't hate you the way you hate me, Fallan.”

“You have to,” he says coldly. “Because the minute you do, this gets easier,” he finishes, running his hand through his hair.

I stand there for a moment, trying to digest what’s happening between us.

I can feel the moment Fallan reinforces his mental wall, closing me off from confirming the validity of his statements.

“So that's it, then? You feel me up, then shut me out?” I question, my voice breaking.

He takes a step toward me, his hand wrapping around my forearm. He leans toward me, squeezing tightly.

“That's it, Little Dove,” he pauses, opening his mouth to say more but stops.

I wait several seconds, growing more defeated the longer silence hangs between us.

“Are you sure?” I question, feeling a flicker of emotion hide behind his eyes.

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