The Knowledge of the Hidden

Chapter 24

Sienna is practically bursting to know what we saw.

"Start talking," she demands, as we walk. "Now."

I let Josh explain what we saw on the cameras, my own thoughts racing through my mind at a mile a minute. Josh thinks Erica was most likely negotiating with the president over food supplies, but I'm not so sure it's that simple.

"Maybe Erica is trying to find out what happened to our contact. Or maybe the officials have locked up the food supply or moved it or something and Erica is trying to convince them to change it back."

"Or," I counter. "It's about something else entirely and the leaders have been lying to us about the food shortage." I realize that on some level, I've suspected this since the day I learned that Wren had been denied permission to start a garden. "They have someone with a life power right here and they are refusing to let her help. Why? There's something bigger going on here."

"But what motivation would they have to lie? And purposely deprive us of food?" Josh challenges. "And let's not forget who the Eximius officials are. It wouldn't be unlike them to use food to manipulate us."

"But it would be unlike the leaders here?"

"Well, yeah."

"How would you know? You've been here, what, 6 months?"

"Longer than you have."

"Guys," Sienna interrupts us, "You're missing the real point here."

"Which is?" I ask.

"If Erica is in Eximius, your president knows about the camp and powers. Or, he does now, if he didn't before." Josh and I look at each other.

"No way," Josh shakes his head. "Erica must've found a way around it. Told him she was someone from Eximius or something. It wouldn't be that difficult. It's not like he knows everyone in town or anything."

I think back to the image on the screen, how Linding was leaning away from Erica, a look of terror in his eyes. "No, he would have called security if a random citizen was in his office, yelling at him like that. She has to be threatening him," I say, "And what better way to do that than to show him her powers?"

"You think that Linding knows about the camp and he's just going to allow it to continue?"

"Probably doesn't think he can stop it. Would you want to go up against a bunch of magics if you didn't even have any powers yourself?"

Sienna shakes her head. "Eximius way out numbers the camp. They could overtake us easily, just like they did to the rebellion. There's no way they'd just let us exist if they knew."

We reach the shelters, lowering our voices to barely audible whispers. Josh bids us goodnight and heads for his shelter, promising to think more about answers in the morning. When he's gone, I start to move to our shelter, but Sienna's voice stops me.

"What if something did happen to our contact and Erica has gone there to try to rescue them?"

Rescue them? Somehow I can't see Erica being so magnanimous. "She won't even let Griffin retrieve the 18 year olds any more. You really think she'd risk her life for our contact?" I ask.

"Depends who it is," Sienna says. "No one here seems to know. Not even my mom, and she's a leader. I guess it is to protect their identity or something, but I don't get why they are so secretive. It's not like any of us are going to reveal them to the leaders."

Sienna starts to head toward the shelter. This time it's my turn to stop her. "Sienna?" I say.

"Yeah?"