Deliverance (7 page)

Their act begins. Keegan plays guitar and Lilith sings, just like she always said would happen.

I wish I could spill mustard all over her pristine, white dress.

When the song ends, I glance at Guard Nev. He seems unaware of Keegan, and he continues watching the stage. I hurry backstage, not caring if he follows me. Keegan and I can't say anything illegal in front of Lilith anyway.

Keegan smiles at me and sets his equipment on the ground as I rush toward him. He hugs me for real this time, while Lilith gapes at us.

“I was afraid you wouldn't be here,” I say.

“I told you I would come.”

“I know,” I say, glancing at Lilith. “I sort of got in trouble after last night, though.”

“Hana?” Guard Nev asks. He marches toward us, his frown still in place.

“I realized I knew the guitar player,” I explain. “And the singer. I just came to say hello.”

Guard Nev isn't convinced, but he steps back and crosses his arms.

“Hi Lilith,” I say.

Her frown is more mad and undignified than worried and confused. She doesn't return my greeting.

“I'm glad to see you,” Keegan says. “How are you adjusting to being in Greater City?”

“I've been training,” I say, careful not to say the wrong things. “It's been good. I like my professor.”

“That's great. Lilith and I started playing together about two weeks ago. This is our first show together.”

The words are stiff and uncomfortable. If only I could make Lilith and Guard Nev disappear then things would be so much better.

“I see you got your career working with the Lessers after all,” Lilith says. It isn't a compliment.

“And you got your singing career.”

“I always knew I would.”

We stand in an awkward circle, the three of us from Middle City 3. If only we could replace Lilith for Jamie, things would be perfect.

The thought of Jamie sends sharp pangs through my insides.

“I better go,” Keegan finally says. “It was good to see you, though.” The disappointment in his eyes is evident, but I can't bring myself to be disappointed. Seeing him is enough for me, enough to keep me going.

“It was more than good,” I say. “Maybe I'll see you again soon.”

“Not for a few days,” he says quickly. “Three days, to be exact.”

I laugh a little. It's the first time I've laughed in forever, and it feels good. “Got it. Thanks.”

He nods and smiles, then makes a quick retreat. Lilith scowls one last time before following him down the hallway.

“I take it he is the reason I was called to watch you,” Guard Nev says.

“You seem much more interested than a normal guard would be,” I snap.

My words make him frown deeper, and he shifts from foot to foot. “Can we go out now?”

I huff and move past him. I don't care to watch the rest of the show, so we head out of the arena and into the night air. It's surprisingly easy to adjust to being outside at night, but as we walk, my eyes move toward the lake, and the lights beyond. I glance at Guard Nev and he's looking across the lake as well.

“Are you a Middle?” I ask. I've never met a guard who was a Greater, only the military personnel, and even not all of them—like Mom.

“Yes,” he says, peeling his gaze away from the lights and putting it back on the city in front of him.

“How long have you been in Greater City?”

“Why so interested?”

I shrug. “If I'm going to be around you so much, then I think it'd be nice to know some things about you.”

He doesn't speak for several moments, and I'm not sure he's going to answer when he says, “I've been here for a year. You?”

“I just got here this week.”

He doesn't ask any more questions. Apparently he doesn't care to know me better.

“I'm sorry if anything I did tonight makes your job harder.” The breakout attempt and the mad dash to see Keegan might not look too good on his record.

Still he walks in silence.

I've just about decided he isn't worth befriending. When we reach my building, he follows me up the stairs, not complaining about using them.

“I'll be here in the morning to escort you to training.”

“OK. Thank you.”

He stands outside my room, shifting from foot to foot again. “What city are you from?”

“Middle City 3.”

“Are you Mya Norfolk's daughter?” he asks. “You have the same last name.”

I hold my breath, shocked by his question. “Yes,” I finally say.

“She was my instructor. You're a lot like her.”

He leaves me then, and I stare after him a moment before hurrying into my room. He knew Mom, and he has just given me the best compliment I've ever had.

 

 

 

 

11

 

Inside my room, I hurry to the perfume hidden in the night stand drawer. The scent wisps around me like a scarf and I inhale deeply. Mom is here with me. She is brushing my hair, asking me about my day, telling me I can make a difference in this world, wishing me goodnight.

Once I pull myself together and tuck the perfume safely in the drawer, I sit at the window in my apartment and wait for Guard Nev to leave. I don't want to get him in trouble, but getting inside Records is more important to me than anything. Keeping him happy isn't worth losing Mom forever.

As I wait, I scan the room for the small disks he'd called cam disks. From corner to corner the room looks clean, but I know enough to realize that doesn't mean much. My pillow still lies atop the clock, so they can't see me through that one, but there might be more.

One hour passes, then two. Guard Nev doesn't leave the building. Maybe he really is going to sleep in my lobby.

I finally admit that going to the Training Dome will have to wait, at least for now. I lay in my bed, trying to fall asleep. It takes what feels like hours, but I finally drift into a dreamless rest.

In the morning, my eyes are grainy and heavy. I don't know what time I fell asleep because I couldn't see my clock, but I'm sure it was late.

I shower and dress in the bathroom, and then I perch on the edge of the tub and read from my Bible while my hair dries. It's something Fischer suggested I do—read every day. He said there was no better way to learn about God than to read His words.

The food service brings my breakfast and I hurry to eat. Once I'm ready, I jog down the steps and meet Guard Nev. He stands, looking fresh and clean. It's on the tip of my tongue to ask if he slept well, but he might figure out I was waiting for him to leave. No need to tip him off.

We start through the crowd of people on the sidewalks. Transporters zip past us, and the general din of the city can be described in one word: Loud.

As we walk, I can't stop myself from asking what I've wanted to know since last night. “How long did you know my mom?”

He glances at me before returning his gaze to the sidewalk in front of us. “I trained with her for two years. She was a good teacher.”

“She was a good mom.”

“She must be proud of you,” he says softly.

She would be, yes. If she knew I was here. If she knew I had passed my Test at all. Only she doesn't, because Supreme Moon allowed her to be sent away without ever knowing what became of my future.

Anger bubbles to the surface and it takes all of my willpower to push it down.

Professor Higgins arrives at the Training Dome at the same time we do. His hair is disheveled, and he clutches a messy stack of papers to his chest. “Excuse me for being late. I didn't sleep well last night.”

“It's OK,” I say. “I didn't either.”

He smiles in understanding, and we step into the vac chamber together. I eye the papers in his hands, but when we start to move, they stay in place. There must be a trick to the vac chambers that I haven't mastered yet.

We stop a second later at the second floor. “I just need to grab the files we were reviewing yesterday,” he explains.

“You can't carry all that by yourself. I'll help you.” I step out of the chamber before he can protest, and Guard Nev hurries to catch up before the vac can suck him up.

“Why thank you,” Professor Higgins says. “I can't let you into Records, but you can hold these while I go in.”

“Absolutely.”

We pass one door, two doors, six doors. Records is at the end of the long, curving hallway. I hadn't noticed on the third floor, but the hallways follow the curvature of the domed building.

“Here we are,” Professor Higgins says. He hands me his stack and steps to the thumb scanner at the door.

I frown. I'll never be able to get past that scanner. I'll have to find another way into Records.

He reappears after a few minutes, and we finish the trek to room 314 on the third floor.

“I've been thinking about what we discussed yesterday,” Professor Higgins says as we take our seats. Guard Nev takes a chair by the door. So far he's keeping his word about staying out of my way.

“The Lessers receive almost no training. The ones who make a decent life are the ones with self-motivation. Everyone else falls into despair and ends up on the pills.”

“I don't understand the pills,” I say. The thought of them reminds me of Ava, and I grind my teeth.

Professor Higgins frowns, his forehead scrunching up. “Yes, well, it's unlikely we can do anything about those. Better to focus on the training. The problem is, the Greaters and Middles don't want to live in the Lesser cities to train the people, and no one wants to bring the Lessers to the Middle cities to allow them to be trained.”

It's a legitimate problem. I hope to visit the Lesser cities to find Mom and Jamie, and to see what I can do to help them, but would I want to live there?

No.

The realization makes me feel like a hypocrite. Like it's wrong. I push the thoughts aside.

“We need to create programs to combat this problem, then,” I say. “Can the self-motivated Lessers become the teachers?”

Professor Higgins pauses in his pursuit of the file in front of him. He glances up and smiles. “You may be on to something there.”

He returns to his file, but I smile and sit a little straighter. Maybe I really am cut out for this position.

“May I look at some of the other files?” I ask.

He slides the remaining files toward me and I try not to snatch them away. I flip through them, one by one, pacing myself to look more natural. When I get to the last file, I hold my breath. What are the chances it will be Mom?

Please, God.

I open it and gasp.
Ava Huckleberry
.

Professor Higgins looks up and frowns. “What is it?”

“I know her,” I say before I think.

His face changes in an instant and he snatches the file away. “You aren't permitted to look at that,” he says. “You mustn't see information on any person you may know.” He stuffs the file inside his bag.

I wait for him to say more, to explain.

Finally, he looks back at me, his eyes worried and untrusting. He clears his throat. “I'm sorry, Hana. I can't let you see that one.”

I breathe in and out. In and out. “I understand,” I say, but inside I am sad.

I have lost my trust in Professor Higgins. I thought he was different—that he believed in me—but now I see he is no different from anyone else doing Supreme Moon's bidding. I may give him hope but he isn't going to give me anything in return.

I glance at Guard Nev and he's watching me, too, as usual. This time his eyes seem sad. He is a Middle. He understands what it is to know someone who is a Lesser.

The rest of the afternoon passes in mostly uncomfortable silence as we look through files and make notes. When it's time to leave, Professor Higgins smiles at me. “Enjoy your Sunday,” he says. “Monday morning we will be joined by the rest of the students.”

I had almost forgotten I wouldn't be alone with the professor forever, and I glance at Guard Nev. Will he continue to escort me even when the room is full of trainees?

Professor Higgins makes it clear I'm not to follow him to Records this evening, and Guard Nev and I leave.

“It must be boring to sit there all day,” I say as we walk. I want to get him talking again. What does he think about Records and me seeing Ava's file?

“It's my duty,” he says. His tone doesn't invite further questioning, so I let it drop.

We walk in silence for a few minutes, and my eyes look to the direction of the lake. “Will you be tailing me again tomorrow, or do you get a day off, too?”

We've reached my building now and he pauses. “I actually don't know. I guess we'll find out.”

I nod and say goodnight, but I hope to see him in the morning. Tomorrow is my day off, and I know exactly how I want to spend it.

At my window, I look down over the city. Guard Nev knew Mom. If Professor Higgins isn't an ally, then maybe Guard Nev is. I have a feeling that having him on my side would make everything I want to do a whole lot easier.

 

 

 

 

12

 

The morning feels much later than eight o'clock when I wake up and realize the auto shutters have uncovered the windows. Dim light filters into the room and thunder rumbles in the distance. I wipe my eyes and climb from bed, then shuffle to peek at the outside world. A flash of lightning dashes across the sky as rain races toward the ground.

So much for my plans. Going out in this must be impossible.

But as I watch the streets, I notice that the rain isn't keeping anyone else inside. People come and go as usual, some with umbrellas, others climbing in or out of transporters. The city is as alive as ever. With a transporter, I could get to where I want to go.

My food arrives and I scarf it down before getting dressed. I'm about to hurry to the door when the small perfume bottle on my night stand catches my eye. I must have forgotten to put it away.