In The Shadows

Chapter Twenty Eight

The next week was brutal with endless training and workouts, stopping only to sleep and eat. I saw Irine twice, and Lauren, James, and Sam once. They all reported that they were doing well, still training. Thomas and Kaylie were also doing well, but I wasn't able to see them because they went to lunch with the other little kids.

Irine overheard that they were training in preparation for an upcoming date, which was approaching rapidly, although the objective remained unclear.

"Oh wait," I hesitated, sitting back down at the cafeteria table. Irine glanced up at me and set her tray back down. It was just the two of us, since the others had training during this time.

"What's up?"

"So you know that assignment I went on a few days ago?"

"Yeah, the one where that girl Crystal freaked out on you and everything." She waved her hand around, signaling for me to go on.

"Exactly. Okay, well when I was looking through the guy, Xanthus's, stuff, I found that envelope and letter." I looked up and she nodded. "But on the front of the envelope, there was a symbol that I remember seeing before, but I just can't figure it out."
"What did it look like?"

"It was just two "R"s, one forward and one backward, and connected with the same line. Chase said it stood for the Roman Rebels, a rebel alliance."

"Wait a minute," Irine paused, moving her tray aside. "Did it look like this?" She traced the symbol on the table with her finger.

"Yeah," I started to get excited. "Have you seen it before too?"

"Yes I have. But you can't tell anybody." Irine leaned across the table, her voice lowering.

"Where?"

"At home."

"Home?" I asked, my voice louder than expected. Irine gave me a stern look and I leaned in again, regaining my composure. "What do you mean? You mean home home? Where at home?"

"Yes, Debbie was part of it," She whispered. "That's why she kept us so far outside of town, why we didn't buy anything or run a business. That's why she kept us out of the public. She was actually one of the leaders."

My head spun, dots connecting like stars in the sky. "How do you know?"

"One time I saw her in just a t shirt, instead of one of those sweaters she loved to wear. She's got the symbol tattooed on her shoulder." Irine pointed to the spot on her shoulder, and just like that, I started to remember. "Another time, I saw her come in late from one of their meetings and I asked her about it. At first, she wouldn't tell me. But then, I pointed out her tattoo and she told me the short version."

"And?" I prompted, my throat catching on the single word.

"And she told me that the army was the force behind a power movement to first take over this country, and then other countries. They were doing horrible things to people, unimaginable and inhumane. She told me that we were in the safest part of the country, that's why she kept us so secluded."
People around us started to get up and leave, stacking their trays by the bins. Irine's green eyes flicked around the lunchroom before quickly finishing with her story. "The Roman Rebels was a group created by a guy whose brother, apparently named Roman, was one of the first ones to be brutally killed by the army. It's the first and largest rebel alliance," Irine stood up and interrupted herself, "Now come on, we have to get going before they yell at us." She threw her trash away and placed her tray on top of the others.

"Wait." I grabbed my tray, placing it on the stack, and ran after her. "Who is the guy that started it?"

"I'm not sure, he goes by a different name now apparently." She shrugged.

We stopped in the hallway, in the spot where we needed to split up and go our separate ways. I held on to her arm, desperate to keep pulling out more information, information she didn't even know was valuable.

"Did Debbie ever meet him?" I asked.

"No." Irine shook her head, trying to think. "I think she mentioned how he never usually showed his face in the alliance, he usually just operates from the background."

"Usually?" I cocked an eyebrow, questioning her word choice.

"Hey!" An officer yelled, pointing a thick finger at Irine and I. "Get to your assignments."

We both nodded, but I held on to Irine's elbow, forcing her to answer my question first.

"I don't know," Irine replied earnestly. "I might have overheard a conversation or read somewhere that he was playing a role on the inside, but-"

"Now!" The officer interrupted, stomping closer to us.

"We're going," I quickly assured, mouthing "Thank you" to Irine before hurrying down the hall in the direction of the stairs.

Playing a role on the inside.

Debbie was not only in it, but she was a leader.

The thoughts bounced around my head like bears around honey, large and intrusive. I couldn't believe I never realized it, never noticed how we would take random camping trips or how she would always where a long sleeved shirt. All of the information made sense, but it covered my thoughts with rust, like my memories were steel, strong and impenetrable, but with a fine layer of corrosion wrapping them like a blanket.

My boots echoed throughout the stairwell as I made my way to the training room. I stopped on a landing, pausing a moment to close my eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply. Listening to the external silence, I tried to sedate my internal screams and questions, slow them down so I could focus. Tomorrow was my day to be posted as lookout. I had the training, both the physical combative training and the mental decision making training. I could do this, but I couldn't let these thoughts rule me and determine how I acted. I could ask questions later, observe when necessary, but I could not mess up tomorrow.

I had made a promise to myself, before we were even taken, that even though this world was a spider's web, sticky and expanding with more lies and secrets, that I would not get caught in it. It would be easy to stay there, my arms and legs immobile, my heart rate slowing down, and my blood becoming sluggish in my veins. But this was just one more secret, one more piece to add to the puzzle. Instead of sinking into the quicksand of fear and doubt, I inhaled one more time, holding the oxygen in my lungs for a couple of seconds before opening my eyes and exhaling. It was time to fly, time to stand up confidently and face everything thrown at me with a heart of stone and brick.

******

Ahh! Did you see this coming - how Debbie was part of this rebel alliance? 

What do you think of Amber's attitude? Would it be how you would react?

Vote and comment what you think - I'd love to hear it! 

Payton :)