Page 25 of Dissent

Sasha tipped her head to the side, listening intently. “Go on…”

“If you want me to risk everything to help you, then there has to be something in it for me, too. Somethingmorethan just getting to go live in afreeTelvia. Because honestly, I couldn’t give a crap about afreeTelvia right now. Not when there’s absolutely nothing for me to go back to.” I took in a deep breath, steadying myself as best as I could. “If I help you, and you win this war, you do everything in your power to make sure Jacob gets out aliveandfully pardoned. That’s the deal. That’s the only way I’m willing to play along. Got it?”

“Mara—”

“Jacob,” my volume rose, bordering on shrill, “makes it outaliveandpardoned.” I was feeling cocky now. I didn’t know where this was all coming from, but the power trip felt…well,good. Maybe I was just sick and tired of always being treated like crap, or tired of being pushed around. Maybe…maybe I just had nothing to lose at this point. Whatever it was, I was driving it home, because a world without my brother just wouldn’t work for me. “Deal?”

Her eyes studied me, weighing out her options. I stuck out my chin, being sure to sit up straight, with shoulders pulled back. I would not back down from this. Not when it meant a future with my brother in it.

She clicked her tongue once, twice, before tipping her head to the side once more. “The rebellion needs to gain more favor from the citizens of Telvia. Currently, Raúl’s censorship of history, books, and film…it leaves the people blind to their true history and what really exists outside their walls. We need their support. With his reelection upon us, we are hoping to bring more people to our cause.”

Where was this going? Dread was pooling in my gut, but I did my best to hold firm, hoping the sweat beading up on my forehead wasn’t too obvious.

“We need to create more destabilization throughout the three districts. Throwing Telvia into chaos will help facilitate disorganization, confusion, and fear. This will encourage individuals to question Raúl’s capacity to lead them. The more chaos and fear, the more people will push back against him, and the more individuals will rally to our cause.” She paused, giving me a moment to stew in the silence. “I gain much from your allegiance to our cause, child. Having the First Daughter of Telvia speak to the Telvian citizens, to the Sympathizers, to the other regions, all to support a free Telvia, could help us greatly in recruiting new Dissenters.”

I swallowed hard, trying to ease the tightness growing in my chest. I was having second thoughts about this wholehelping the rebelsthing.

“If you join us, I will do everything in my power to ensure your brother’s survival, and I guarantee he will receive a full pardon when this is all over.”

There it was…

Every muscle in my body felt as though it had turned to stone. I felt heavy and completely frozen. This was it. It was now or never. I either joined them, hoping to keep my brother alive, or I turned her down. In which case, I didn’t know what would happen next. I had nowhere to go, nowhere to run. It wasn’t much of a choice now, was it? I tried to shake off the unease. “Deal. I help you, you save Jacob and set him free.” As the words left my lips, the uncertainty grew deeper, taking root in my soul. Something told me I was going to regret this, but I saw little option. If I ran back to Telvia, I was dead. If I stayed here, at least I was alive and, if I made it through this whole shitshow, I would be alive with a potential future and with Jacob.

Sasha smiled, her eyes glinting with the victory. “You drive a hard bargain, Mara, but I’m glad we could come to an agreement.” She stood up, her hands on the table to support her. “Let’s discuss the rules of the camp.”

“Rules?”

“Chelsea and Matias,” she called out, “please join us.” I turned to see the flap of the tent open, and Chelsea sauntered in, followed by the boy. “Matias, you’ll continue to serve on security detail. You’ll provide personal security to Miss de la Puente, ensure her safety, and make sure she’s comfortable.”

He stood up straight and nodded, “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Chelsea, I know you served Mara in the Presidential Palace. I ask that you continue to work with her.”

Chelsea’s face grew stern, the smug smile gone from her lips. “What! Why?”

Sasha ignored her tone, moving on as though the protest never happened. “I believe you have space in your corridors. She’ll stay with you in your tent. Help her find her way around the camp.”

She glared at me, her tousled curls framing her sharp features. “Fine,” she grumbled.

Well, this ought to be fun. She was going to be the biggest pain in the ass to deal with. I faced Sasha. “Can you explain to mewhyI have to be followed everywhere?”

Her warm smile returned, but I couldn’t help but notice a hint of smugness in her expression. “Child, the woods are not a place to tread lightly. There are mountain lions, bears, and wolves in these mountains. Most everyone travels in pairs. Frankly, you’re no use to me if you’re dead.” The words dropped like a fifty-pound weight. “You’ll find this base is quite large. Getting lost is inevitable unless you have someone to help you learn the camp, which Chelsea and Matias can do well.” She cleared her throat before sighing slightly. It didn’t take a mind reader to know that she was tired. “Now that you’ve joined us, you’ll need to be trained in combat.”

“Combat? Hold up just a second. Whycombat? I didn’t agree to go into anycombat.”

Sasha closed her eyes as her long, delicate fingers scratched her forehead. “Nor do I hope you ever see combat, child, but thisisa rebellion and I know war will knock on our doorstep before long. It would behoove you to learn to defend yourself.”

Yup, just as I suspected. I was already regretting this.

“Tomorrow, Chelsea will take you to the training center and introduce you to Drill Sergeant Wynters. He’ll instruct you further on your schedule.” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Chelsea’s brow arch as a devious smile slipped onto her lips. “Now, there is one more matter to address.” Sasha walked around the table toward me. “In your arm you have a tracking implant. It’s been temporarily disabled, but we can’t risk the REG enabling it again. It will need to be removed.”

“What?” My hand flew to my left wrist, covering it protectively. “Removed? Can’t you just turn it off or something?” Everyone in Telvia had a tracker inserted at birth, and the thought of them removing it sounded nuts to me.

Sasha shook her head. “The virus we implanted in the Council’s software disrupted the tracking system and allowed us to steal the information for your particular device. This allowed us to access it remotely from our systems. Unfortunately for us, your brother is quite gifted. He was able to halt our virus before we could complete our mission. The control we have over your tracking implant will not remain in our control for long. We need to have it removed immediately and destroyed before the REG can re-establish a connection.”

Sasha stepped in front of me and leaned back against the table. Her eyes showed genuine warmth, but there was still something there I couldn’t pin down, and it made me uneasy. “I have no doubt that the Presidential Palace has realized your absence by now, and I can only imagine how desperate your brother must be to find you. He’ll be making quick work of reversing the damage caused by our virus.”

“Do you want me to take her to the medical bay?” Chelsea was bored, the contempt gone from her expression, and her hand resting on her hip.

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