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Codex15111

The reporter on his video com link resembled a crow with long, slick black hair and piercing, enhanced black eyes. A beaked nose was saved from dominating his face thanks to a wide jaw and full lips.

"All the rebels that had come into New State had been captured or killed," the man said from outside his perch at the archives. "Those in prison would soon lead New State to their underground resistance. Of course, New State being the benevolent benefactor it was, the rebels would be reeducated and welcomed as citizens."

Commercials streamed across his eyes before a teaser for an upcoming interview with one of the leader's official statement about the raid.

Codey hoped it was all untrue. They couldn't all have been captured. Not that he even knew if Wren had been on the raid of the archives, but in her last visit, she'd hinted at the underground planning stuff.

He turned off his video com link and paced the floor in his kitchen. Finding Wren and rescuing his parents was the only recourse.

The front door opened, and he turned toward the light step of her feet pattering toward the kitchen.

Codey's mouth gaped open in surprise. His father embraced him, something Delta1129 had never done before. His return home was nothing short of a miracle. While tired, he was otherwise unharmed.

"Where have you been?" Codey jerked away. "I've been so worried. I thought you'd both disappear after they took you and Mom."

"What have you done, son." The older man chided. "We have a lot to discuss."

His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Come into the study." Once there, his father did something Codey would never have expected, and he disconnected from the central mainframe.

"We only have a minute, or New State trackers might notice. Tell me what you did and why your mother had to cover for you."

"Don't get mad."

"What did you do?"

"You have to promise not to turn me in to the police," Codex begged.

"Of course not, but your mother is being interrogated in prison over what you did. Explain how her clothes were tracked to the desert by the POOC."

"I'm sorry." Codey, spit the words like firecrackers. "I didn't mean for anything bad to happen. I don't mean to cause problems."

"Tell me." His father's voice remained soft and low.

"I was outside one night when I ran into a raider."

"What was she doing out there?"

His shoulders hitched. "Finding supplies. Anything useful."

"You talked to her?" He ran a hand through his hair. "Why didn't you tell us? We could have called the police. Put an end to this before anything serious happened."

"I wasn't hooked up. Mom told me why I'm different. I was staring at the moon when Wren came by."

"You have her name?" The words exploded from his father. When he sat, the weariness of everything that happened rolled through his body. "Go on," he said.

"I'd never seen a rebel before. It just happened."

"What happened after?" His voice returned to flat and unemotional.

"We weren't outside for long. A Phantom flew by, and I ran inside. That was the first time."

He told his father everything, and they made a pact and made a plan. They vowed never to tell anyone of his transgressions and planned to visit the New State authorities with a cover story to free his mother.

Zipping up his coat, Codey cruised around New State, trying to remain calm and engaged in his entertainment stream. His automated cycle circled the scenic path along the Great Gate. He surveyed the wall. Did they want to keep the Grounders out or the New State residents in?

The war of his emotions surprised him. As he headed home house, Codey realized how much he wanted Wren to return and to ask her advice on the situation. It wasn't smart to share the secrets with a Grounder, but he trusted her. Stupid? Maybe.

At this moment, Codey also hated her. Wren was the reason for his mother's arrest and this entire stupid predicament. It would have been better to have never met her.

That was exactly what Codey was obsessing over when the pebbles hit the window glass. He waited, not sure whether he should peek outside. It took a long time for him to decide to open the window and stick his blond head out.

Part of him hoped she would have left, but she hadn't. He hadn't changed into his white nights yet and sported a T-shirt announcing his participation in the annual computer festival.

"Hey," Wren called up to him. "I missed you."

She appeared tiny below him in the darkness. "You have to go away." He frowned at her.

"What? Why?"

"They arrested Mom and Dad. Dad's back, but I can't risk this." His hand went through his hair, causing it to form unruly spikes. "There was a break-in at the archive, and they believe my parents conspired to steal data. My mother was already in trouble at the University for proposing people hook up less, and now this. It's the clothes you took. They tracked it out to the desert and had surveillance of someone in her suit on the elevator. I can't compute how they tracked it, but they did. This is all your fault, and I have no idea how to fix it."

"I'm sorry." She lowered her gaze.

"I gave you that green suit. You didn't personally have anything to do with this, did you?"

Her foot sketched a pattern in the darkness. Her silence screamed.

"This was your fault." Codey pushed himself farther out the window. "I can't believe you. You're the reason my parents went to prison. Don't you realize what happens to people in New State when they're arrested?"

"I'd never put your family in danger. We've lost plenty of rebels to your jails. Only one person ever made it out."

"This is your fault," he repeated.

The accusation in his voice made Wren flinch.

"Let me come inside," Wren begged. "I'm sure we can figure something out. There has to be a solution."

"You're the last person I'll discuss this with. There's nothing more to say. I despise you. Leave me alone."

The window pane slammed. His name permeated the glass.

He watched from behind the curtain as she ran into the darkness, stars her only guide.

Even with his father back, his life was falling to pieces, and nothing could stop it.