alaska.

.:chapter four:.

My heart pounded in my ears as I lost all ability to move. I stared at the corner, the figure returning my gaze with a raised eyebrow and lips set in a firm line. I thought he had left; why was he here?

"Alaska."

That was the only word that fell out of Jacob's mouth before he rose out of the chair and walked over to me. I was still helplessly frozen in place. Jacob took long strides, reaching me with only a few. When he did, he leaned against the table and sighed, crossing his arms.

"Why are you h-" I blurted, but was cut off by Jacob's finger raising in a signal for me to stop. He did not make eye contact, just stared straight ahead as if I wasn't there.
"I knew you were going to come find me. However, there wasn't any time for me to go on ahead to the House. New developments have risen and you're in more danger than I thought you would be at this point," Jacob said.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. I was in the dark about a lot of things but I knew I was not going to answers from him and it frustrated me. If I was going to leave everything, I had a right to know why.

"Look, you're being added to a watch list as we speak. I've been tagged as a suspicious character and anyone seen interacting with me in a way other than everyday activities is marked. I thought it would take longer, but I was careless in approaching you. The town has eyes, Miss Wolf. You're being tracked right now. You have to come with me; there's no more time to waste. I need you safe and your current predicament and location is not safe," Jacob elaborated.

I sighed. There really wasn't a point in arguing; if what he said was true, the longer we stayed here the more danger I was put in for whatever reason. However, one question scratched at the front of my head.

"Why do you need me? Why are you going through all this trouble just to take me to some place I've never heard of and mark me forever as a rebel, one of the bad guys?" I asked timidly.

Jacob whirled his head around and glared at me with a newfound intensity that caused my feet to move a few steps backwards in fear.

"We are not the 'bad guys'. You've lived such a sheltered life that you refuse to see the oppression and near-feudalism that the government has wreaked upon this country. Had you been born thirty years before you were, you would understand everything. The elder generations have seen the changes that Amerada has gone through but keep their mouths shut for fear of their lives. Your family, Alaska, held the key to what Amerada could have been. Had they gained a larger following, they very well might have overthrown everything. The 'rebels' you speak of are what remains of your grandparents'... cult, for lack of a better word. Your parents kept you and Dakota out of the loop, for protection. They came so close, but failed. Dakota..." Jacob was about to continue but stopped himself. My mind was whirling.

"Woah. Hold up. What do my grandparents have to do with this? And what do you know about Dakota?" I shot out. My grandparents lived fairly innocent lives, though they did not keep in touch. And Dakota... he died fighting with the army. Against the rebels... against the rebels.

Before Jacob could say anything, I started back up again.

"Dakota fought proudly with his army and died in an attack by your forces. You, and your men, killed my brother. Dakota is dead because of you! Why should I listen to anything you have to say? You're a cold-blooded murderer who enjoys nothing but wallowing in blood-lust and destroying the lives of other people and their families. You left me an orphan first with my mother. Then Dakota? I'm alone because of you. I am on antidepressants and anxiety pills because of you. You think that letter doesn't haunt my dreams every night? You think I can't see the same sentence over and over again? You think I don't relive the damage I wrought upon myself every day? You're wrong. You're a cold, pathetic, egotistical high-and-mighty waste of space, Forester. Two can play this game. I don't want anything to do with your delusional dreams of overthrowing a government that until now has left me alone and let me live a close-to-comfortable life. I don't care what my family has to do with this. They're all dead! I'm the last surviving piece of their memory and I refuse to die the same deaths that they did. I don't want to help you. I would rather die than let that happen!" I screamed.
Jacob seemed unfazed, like he knew things I didn't. Typical liar.