Within the Walls

Chapter 22

Death creeps through the streets of the Convex Sector. It leaves its mark on us all. The ammonia stench lingers in alleyways and blows out of chimneys. Starvation is a routine. Executions and banishments are inevitable.

"Have the deaths and banishments increased since I touched the River?"

His jaw clenches and his eyes divert to the floor. "You won't like the answer."

"I think I do," I say.

He presses his lips together and then sighs. "At least once a week. Mostly because of the disease."

"It's spreading again," I say, fear stabbing my heart as my throat fills with stomach acid. "Why hasn't Sneya made a speech addressing it?"

"Oh, he will tonight. We're dressed as Tranqs so we could blend in to listen."

"Good. Now let's move," I say.

As I step away from the door, ignoring the taunting sign. Red permeates my mind as I imagine the virus killing Isabelle, slow and bloody. Grief digs its sharpened claws into my gut.

Ruben pulls out a small plastic card from his pocket. I recognise a mug shot of Doctor Hatchman; a grim, bitter look resting in his icy eyes.

"How did you get this?" I ask, furrowing my brows.

A distinctive smirk tugs at his lips and his eyes glimmer. "I stole it when we passed Hatchman in the hallway."

I almost roll my eyes, but my lips betray me with a smile.

His smirk turns into a grin as he faces the door and slides Hatchman's card into the electronic lock by the door. The small red light flashes green after a beat and the door clicks. I cringe as it hisses, sliding to the left. Ruben steps into the vault, but I glance around for any unwanted eyes. I am certain Hatchman will be at the top of the steps, grinning at our efforts. But I can only hear the faint rumble of scientists bustling through the rooms and hallways. The vault door hisses, sliding back to its original position. I slip through, just as it reaches the other side with a controlled thud.

Lights flick on, and I gasp at the vault holding the vaccinations. A biting chill sends a shiver through my body and I rub my arms. The room is round with white floors. The walls rise higher than the reach of any person. They cover every inch of the walls with shelves upon shelves of silver cases. There is a ladder on wheels hinged to the wall for retrieving cases. They divide the walls into sections, labelled alphabetically. A narrow stretch of the wall beside the vault door is bare except for the screen. At the top of the screen reads 'Infants due'. The screen depicts the name of a family with a child due. Today, 12 babies are due to be born, six tomorrow.

"Ruben, what is this place?" my voice quivers as I speak.

He bites his lip, swallowing. "I will explain later. Grab a case. We need to leave. We need to hide it and then attend Sneya's speech."

Without another word, Ruben treads towards the H section. I step beside him and catch those sharp green eyes scanning the rows upon rows of cases. His large hand shoots out, grabbing a silver handle. He lifts it from the shelf and turns to me, placing it in my hand. He then moves the remaining cases on that shelf as if we took nothing.

His jaw tightens, lips set in a grim line as he glances back at me. "Let's go. We have two hours to arrive at the square."

He marches towards the door, presses a large black button at the side of the door and once again, I cringe as it clicks and hisses, sliding on its hinges. We slip out of the vaccinations vault and wait for several beats as the vault door eases close. Ruben and I ascend the stairs and enter the main hallway of the research wing. Still dressed as Tranqs, we stride through the research wing. I expect every scientist we meet to query us carrying a case of vaccinations, but they press themselves against the wall, allowing us to pass. We make our way into the underground and into the cavern.

Do not look, Elle. Do not look.

But I look. My eyes flicker to Aston, who shovels salt into sacks. He rises to his full height, his eyes laced with pain as they meet mine. His brows knit together, his gaze following me as we march across the vast space. At last, we exit the cavern. Every fibre of my body screams to help him.

Instead, we descend into the tunnels and begin winding through the underground network. We stay silent. Both adrift in our own thoughts, our boots slapping against the stone ground and our hearts beating to hopeful rhythm beneath our chests.

---

As we unlock the door into the southern Tranquillity headquarters, the Tranq we encountered this morning waits for us at the door. As if he expected our return.

"Aha!" he yells, finger darting to the trigger of his gun. "You don't fool me, Red Leaf. Nor you, boy. I know what you are up to, I won't let you–"

My finger yanks the trigger and a dart whizzes out of my tranquil gun, embedding itself into the flesh at his bare calf. He barks out a curse. The bullet cracks, slamming into the ceiling as the Tranq collapse. Blood roars past my ears and my heart speeds up.

"We have to kill him," Ruben says as if he were suggesting we go to Barrett's stall and order a bowl of soup.

"Kill him?"

"Yes, he knows who we are, Elle. He can give us away!"

"They will catch up if we kill him, too!" I hiss, wanting to slap him. "Plus, it will make us no better than him."

"We have no other choice, Elle! We have come this far. There is no other choice!" he growls, running hands through his hair.

"What are we going to do?" I bite back, indignant anger boiling in the pit of my stomach. "Banish him from the Floodgates the way they did my parents and your mother?"

His jaw clenches, nostrils flaring. "Too far."

"This is too far, Ruben! We can't kill him."

"Fine," he says, at once calm. "We will not kill him. Let's just get our clothes and leave."

He marches toward the bunk and lifts the floorboard up with a screech. I cannot help but glance at the unconscious Tranq as if he will wake. Ruben snatches our clothes and tosses them to me. "Get changed," his voice cold as he faces the other way.

Drawing in a breath, quivering with anger, I change into my own clothes. Ruben will stay dressed as a Tranq. We agreed I need to show myself at the square tonight, as Sneya will look for me. But if Ruben's a Tranq, he can there too.

We stride out of the headquarters and into the tunnels. Just as we make our way again, Ruben stops, glancing at me. "I forgot something."

He turns and enters the headquarters once again, leaving me alone in the dimly lit corridor. "Ruben!"

My palms sweat as I peer into the black abyss for prying eyes. A sudden sharp boom of a bullet echoes from the headquarters and my heart sinks into my stomach. No.

As I stumble back into the headquarters towards the sickening sound, I find Ruben standing over the Tranq's limp, lifeless body. He still holds his gun at the Tranq's skull, and a single bullet wound strikes his forehead. A trail of deep blood runs from the wound and drips onto the floor at his side.