Numbers Ignite (27 page)

“I’ll come too,” Coltrane said.

“No,” Irina and I both said at the same time. She clamped her mouth shut and gestured for me to continue.

“Thanks for believing in me,” I told him. “But they’re right. I’ll only put you in more danger.”

“Let’s move out!” a man called, and the people began shuffling after him, families and packs in tow.

“You can’t wander out there alone,” Coltrane protested.

“I’m heading toward the mountains. I know the settlers weren’t sure about Ruby’s plan to follow the refugees, but I hope you can talk them into it. Maybe I’ll see you again soon.”

The old Coltrane would have opened his arms for a hug, but now he just stood awkwardly, looking at the ground. Then he swung the pack off his back and dug through the pocket, pulling out a handful of water packets and a tube of nutrition pills. “I don’t have much, but these will help you last a few more days.”

“What about you?”

“The elders won’t let me starve. I never liked those pills anyway. They make me sick.”

I gratefully took his offerings, ignoring the eyes of hundreds of refugees following me, and stuffed them into my pockets. I caught a glimpse of Ruby gathering her things. She moved slowly, carefully. “Take good care of Ruby. She’s not doing well.”

“I will.”

There were no belongings to retrieve. I headed back to the trail, watching the night sky thawing to the east. A new day had begun. Soon it would send heat and sun beating down upon my head. The farther I got while it was still cool, the better.

For the second time in weeks, I didn’t look behind me as I stepped out into the open desert.

My trial was the next evening. I wasn’t sure why Mills was even going through with it. My appearance—disheveled, unshaven, my arm in a sling—was enough to convince anyone I was a half-crazed murderer, even without the dozen guards that stood within arm’s reach, ready to grab me if I leaped into the crowd again. He had an entire bench of “witnesses” behind him.

The bench on my side of the platform was empty.

The audience stood back from the platform this time, whispering as the proceedings began. This time, though, the anger I’d seen in their faces was replaced with something else. Wariness. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

“You stand alone,” Mills said. “Where is your representative?”

“I represent myself,” I said.

Mills smiled, showing rows of straight teeth. “Very well. In that case, with your permission, honored ones, we will begin with the prosecution.”

“Naturally,” I muttered.

Mills began to pace as if collecting his thoughts, then he lifted the amplifier to his lips. “Assembly members and respected people, you’ve settled here to give your families the best possible chance at life. That is your right, and it is our pleasure to welcome you. We’ve enjoyed many decades of peace. Until today. Today, we have before us the most dangerous criminal our jail walls have ever seen.

“Last time we met, Hawking kindly demonstrated the horrors of a barbaric justice system. You watched it happen. Now, I ask you to consider his character. Is this the type of man we’d like to welcome into our delicate way of life? Can we trust him to keep our laws and our secrets? Can we look at this man and say with a surety that he is on our side?” Mills turned to look at me, his eyes dark. “Today young Hawking’s true character will be revealed. Witnesses, I ask each of you to stand in turn and tell us what happened three weeks ago, on that night of horrible devastation. Please keep it to five minutes each.”

One by one, they came forward and took the amplifier before accusing me of ditching my clan instead of going with them to the square. That part was true. The accounts ran together, one after another, all reliving the gruesomeness of the scene when they’d come upon it. Surprisingly, Anton never stepped forward. I had expected him to be first in line for the attack. Instead, he simply stood behind me, frowning, his arms folded.

Mills cut them off at the same point every time, the moment where they described the aftermath. He didn’t want the assembly to know what came after that. If they knew how I’d coaxed the bystanders to come help, how we’d worked together with NORA citizens to save lives, it wouldn’t help his case. My hands slowly formed into fists, and I ground my teeth.

Then four men I’d never seen before took their turns, all with red scars on their foreheads. They’d taken their implants out recently. Each one said I’d threatened him, even going so far as to blackmail the last one, and then helped them escape the electrified border wall after giving them instructions. They said the bomb had been right where I left it, buried in the hills outside NORA, and that it had belonged to my father and we’d stored it all this time, just waiting for the opportunity to take out our anger on the NORA government. Their testimonies were so outlandish that I snickered several times.

When everyone had spoken, Mills took the amplifier back. “Before I turn it over to the
defense
,” he said with a smile, eliciting chuckles through the crowd, “I have one more witness. Dean Rutner, please come forward.”

There was movement in the crowd. I caught a glimpse of Edyn’s face, and then Rutner emerged. He climbed onto the platform and stood in front of the witnesses, far from me, his steely gaze on the crowd. My father’s most trusted friend wouldn’t meet my eye. Rutner had always been respected by the clan, a hardworking and generous man, but he had a hard edge when crossed. In NORA, he’d kept track of the locations of our clan members as best he could, which was why I’d approached him in the first place. He was best equipped to contact them as part of our deal. They’d help Treena get the throne, and she’d let us all leave. It hadn’t taken much coaxing to convince him.

But if the witnesses had already testified about this part, why did Mills think it was so important Rutner confirm it as well? Edyn’s words came back to me, her warning about her father’s agenda, and I shook off the feeling that something was not right.

“I knew the Hawking family well,” Rutner said. “His father was a decent man, and Vance was raised with the best they could offer. I had almost as much a hand in his upraising as his father did. So believe me when I say it gives me no pleasure to tell you this, but for the sake of justice, it must be done.” He raised his voice. “I’ve been gathering evidence since the beginning. There is no doubt that Vance Hawking is a traitor. The real question is why. He has said he was only protecting his family. But if that’s the case, why has his own mother refused to visit him since her arrival? I think it’s because she knows he’s guilty.” He frowned at the audience, and I followed his gaze to my mother’s face. She, like most others in the crowd, was watching me. When our eyes locked, she looked away.

“A settlement like this operates upon a foundation of trust. And even before our clan was separated, we saw a pattern of reckless, challenging behavior from Vance. As soon as he could, he turned against us and exercised his newfound power. To answer Mills’s question, no, this is not a man we want standing with us.”

There were several nods in the audience. It didn’t matter that it was the word of one man. The fact that the one man was Rutner changed everything. I met Edyn’s gaze. She scowled at me as if to say,
Now do you want my help?

Mills took the amplifier back. “Thanks for your testimony. We’ll now let Vance’s representative call his witnesses.” He smirked. “Oh, dear. Looks like he has neither one.”

“Yes, he does,” a voice called out. Selia’s. She came running forward. The guards helped her onto the platform, and she stood between me and the edge as if forming a wall between me and the crowd. “He calls me as a witness.”

The senior elder leaped to her feet faster than she should have been able to. “You cannot simply jump up and offer your testimony. You must be called. This is ridiculous.”

“I call Selia Dunstrep,” I said and waved a hand like a performer. “Please tell us your story.”

“Thank you,” she said. There was a smile pasted on her face, but her eyes glinted with anger as Mills reluctantly handed her the amplifier.

“Weeks ago I sat on a transport train,” she began, “headed for the work camps. I was a prisoner, arrested by Vance Hawking. I had the task of comforting my children, telling them everything would be all right when I knew that it wasn’t. My children were about to be fostered out, sent to live who knows where, and I faced a lifetime of hard labor for the crime of buying food for my sick and starving children. Like most of you, I chose Vance as the target of my hatred.”

Her voice softened, and she looked down.

“But settlers, that was incorrect. It was wrong of me to do what was right for my family and then expect Vance not to do the same for his. The moment our settlement fell, we have all done exactly the same thing—protected ourselves instead of each other.” Her voice rose, sharp and accusing. “Some of you noted the bulging pockets and darting eyes of your smuggling neighbors. Rather than protecting them, you called in the tip and received a reward. And don’t pretend you banded together when we came here, either. Tell me why some of our clan live up top, while others languish near the bottom? I tell you this. If Vance is guilty, then we are all guilty.”

“What about the missile?” someone called out.

“Only the witness may speak,” the elder snapped.

Selia’s head raised, her jaw set. “I have done my own research, Rutner, and mine is far more than an opinion. I know exactly what happened that night. Vance Hawking intended to run. Who of us would stay in that situation? He went all the way to the border wall before overhearing the missile plan. It would have been easy for the boy to shrug it off and leave us on our own. I don’t know what changed his mind, but he came back. Vance put himself in the path of a
missile
, knowing where it would land, trying to save us all. He arrived too late and jumped in, trying to help the injured and dying, organizing rescue efforts. Mills asked about his character. I tell you, that is exactly it. Iron Belt’s clan, if this is what you saw, please raise your hands.”

At first nobody moved. But then I saw one reluctant arm go up, then another. Soon there were three times as many hands as there were witnesses on Mills’s bench. None of the witnesses raised theirs, but a couple of them nodded.

The guards muttered to each other behind me, and I turned to see Edyn climbing onto the platform. “Forgive me, assembly members, but I was detained. Please allow me to take it from here. Selia, are you finished?”

Stunned, Selia nodded. “I am.” She gave me a pitying look, then jumped down from the platform.

I whirled on Edyn. “I told you—”

“To be on time.” She shrugged. “I know. Sorry I’m so late. If we’ve heard from all the witnesses and examined all the evidence, allow me to make a closing statement.”

“I don’t need your help,” I told her.

She flinched, but her smile barely wavered. “I told you that I’d save your sorry life one way or another. Let me do this one last thing for you.” She turned to the crowd. “The second accusation is that Vance coordinated a missile attack on the people of NORA. We’ve had testimony on both sides of this issue. Although they cancel each other out, I’d like to say this: not a single member of his clan was hurt. Not one.” She looked pointedly at the assembly. “Those who were killed were citizens, not settlers. If anyone has jurisdiction for those actions, it’s NORA. Not us. The ridiculous accusation of mass murder should be dropped altogether.” She turned and handed me the amplifier. “Now it’s your turn, Vance. They need to know whose side you’re on.”

The crowd murmured. I raised it to my mouth, adjusting it in my grip. It was difficult with my arms chained at the wrists. “Those who have never worn numbers call us beaten, defeated. But I’ll tell you what I saw while I was on the other side, fighting to keep my family alive.”

The audience was silent. Even Mills stared at me, expressionless.

I paused, gathering my thoughts. “I saw people who waited, who fought pill sickness and dirty looks and hard labor. I saw kids who were spat upon, who held their heads high anyway. When we walked out of those borders, I saw survivors who had faced war and come out victorious. I saw people who did whatever they had to in order to survive.” I stared them down, face by familiar face. “We all had to adapt, some more so than others. But we made it. NORA did not destroy us. They tried, but they did not succeed. I am not your enemy. I didn’t try to destroy you. But someone here
did
.” I was practically shouting now. “Why is Mills so eager to have me convicted when none of our clan was hurt? That is the question you should be asking yourselves. Where was he on the night the missile launched? Who are his friends, these people who have mysteriously arrived and been integrated into your way of life? How many of them live here, and why? Mills is right. We are in danger. But I am not your enemy.”