Nine-Tenths (17 page)

Leonard sighed.

“For the time being,” she snapped, “you’ll have to make due with what I put on the table.”

“I love your meals.”

“Good. Love them. While your loving them you can put up with the DID cafeteria food, or we’re going to have even smaller meals with less variety.”

He consented sheepishly.

Eventually, she unfolded her arms and put one hand in his. “I’m sorry. It’s just that sometimes you seem like such an alien.”

They walked in silence for several minutes making their way home. Leonard, lost in his thoughts as they approached their yard, muttered, “I wish I were.”

Alina patted him gently on the arm and leaned into his body as they sauntered up the walkway. The scent of Alina’s skin crept into Leonard’s mind, chasing away the disheartening images of zombie-faced Watchers and pulsing red dots. He fantasized about whisking the love of his life upstairs, lounging on the bed, sharing intimacies in an elusive corner of untainted privacy. A warm sensation traveled up his body and nearly intoxicated him before an anguished cry from the Tramers’ backyard yanked him back to reality.

“Leave me alone, Garrett!”

It was Natalia.

Chapter Fourteen

Alina jolted at the sound of her estranged son’s name. She ran toward the front gate, but Leonard grabbed both of her shoulders and held her back.

“No,” he whispered harshly in her ear. Fearing that Garrett would bombard them with another onslaught of verbal abuse, Leonard wished to spare his wife a reprise of Saturday night’s tirade. “Let’s go around back and see what’s going on. Stay in the shadows.” He led her to the side. “
Don’t
let him see you.”

Opening the back gate as gingerly as possible, Alina and Leonard tiptoed into the backyard and hid behind the oak tree. From that vantage point, they had a fairly clear view of Garrett and Natalia standing by the bushes. Natalia appeared even more panic-stricken than she had at dinner. Garrett, his back to Leonard and Alina, held a small plastic bag in his right hand.

“Damn you, Natalia,” Garrett shouted. “I can’t believe you would betray us like this.” He threw the bag at the terrified girl, smacking her straight in the face.

Natalia screamed and sank to the ground. “Leave me alone.” She tossed the bag aside as if it were a filthy rag.

“My sister. My own sister. Fucking running solo. Did you think you could hide this forever?”

“Go away.”

“It’s your duty, Natalia. Is this how you show your gratitude to the Brigade?”

No longer diminutive, Natalia glared at her brother in utter disbelief. “My gratitude? For what?” She stood slowly, her hands clenched.

“We’re creating a whole new world here.” He spoke passionately. “We are the
stewards
of The New Direction. It’s an honor. You…” He tempered his tone, speaking through his teeth. “You are a traitor.”

Natalia held her voice steady, clearly intimidated but trying not to show it. “I didn’t sign up to create a whole new world, Garrett. I didn’t sign up, period. The Brigade is your obsession. I never wanted any part of it.”

He spat on the ground near her. “Why me? My sister is a soloist. And that thing you call a
mother
is a counterrevolutionary, I’m sure of it. I’ve notified the Watchers on several occasions—”

“You ratted on Mom?”

“It’s my duty to report suspicious behavior.” He sulked. “Only those pinheads didn’t take me seriously. They think I’m a teenager with a vendetta.”

Informant is a relative of the subject, so testimony is in conflict of interest.

“I am
so
glad I’m moving into CAPERS Housing Project 513. What a relief to be rid of you all.”

Natalia folded her arms. “Well, go then.”

Garrett chuckled — a low, sinister laugh. He stepped forward and, with a swift, menacing gesture, cupped her cheek in his hand. Her eyes flew open wide, the familiar look of terror plundering her confidence.

“Not so fast. I’ve already committed you.”

“You can’t commit me.”

He slapped her face. “I can do whatever the hell I want. You’re an L-5. A
confirmed
L-5. He’s an L-4. Do you realize how rare you are?” he cooed, touching her again, almost incestuously. The hostility in his voice had all but vanished, yet Natalia flinched and took a step back.

He continued to press in on her. “The Brigade is not going to allow you to renege on that commitment.”

“Make your own commitment then. You’re an L-5, too.”

“I already nailed your friend. They’ll let me know when I can be of use again.”

Natalia grimaced and looked at the ground. “Just leave me alone and go away.”

“You don’t want to end up taking classes with the Inbreeds, do you?”

“I’d rather.”

“Clearly you failed your political education classes.”

“Actually I got all A’s,” she said smugly.

“Competitive, too. You really disgust me.”

“I could say the same.”

“Be there at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. You know where.”

“You can’t make me.” Her voice betrayed doubt.

Losing his temper again, Garrett shouted, “You know, you just may find yourself contracting a spontaneous case of CARS.”

“I tested negative.”

Garrett guffawed. “Dumbshit. Haven’t you noticed how many false negatives have been
discovered
lately?” He sneered. “Why do you think they’re retesting? I know of at least three kids who were relieved of the burden of one or both of their parents in the last month.”

“What are you saying, Garrett?”

“Man, you’re stupid. You
are
an Inbreed, aren’t you?”

“They are
infecting
people with CARS?”

“They don’t have to. Just ship ’em to the infirmary. Who’s going to know?”

Natalia trembled but attempted to appear indignant. “You think you can convince someone to send me to the infirmary?”

“It wouldn’t take a lot of persuading. Turning in counterrevolutionary relatives is in vogue these days.” He grinned. “Friday at four, or you’re toast.” Garrett made a cutting motion across his neck and slipped out the front gate.

Natalia’s knees buckled and she fell to the ground. Alina leapt forward, but Leonard held her back, hushing her. “A moment longer. If Garrett sees us, we’re all going to the infirmary. We still have hope now.”

“Hope for what?” she spat.

Not expecting this response, Leonard faltered. He merely spoke the words of comfort as a formality. He didn’t have a clue what was going on or what he would do to untangle the mess. Lightheaded, he stumbled backward, losing his grip on Alina. She took advantage of his lapse in concentration and rushed to Natalia’s side.

“Sweetheart. I’m so sorry. Garrett’s turned into a monster. Did he hurt you?” She gently examined Natalia’s cheek.

Natalia gaped as her father approached. “You…you were here?”

Leonard nodded.

“And you didn’t stop him?”

“We…uh…”

“It’s okay,” Natalia said. “He would have had the Feds on you for something within twenty-four hours. He’s become quite connected since he joined the Youth Brigade.”

“Yeah,” Leonard acknowledged, a knot forming in his stomach. It was bad enough that he sat idle watching Garrett abuse Natalia. It was another matter altogether that she felt the need to console her father when it was obvious that she was the one in need of comfort.

His eyes drifted to the bag near the bushes. It resembled the bag he saw Natalia sneaking out of the house. In fact, they stood very near the bushes in which Natalia had stashed the bag last night. Leonard’s fingers itched to touch it, but his apprehension left him immobile.

Alina put her arm around Natalia and led her to the house. She settled her daughter on the couch tenderly and turned on the television before joining her. Leonard looked around, eventually deciding upon the recliner to the left of the couch.

He cleared his throat and tried to sound important. “We’ll get you out of whatever mess Garrett’s got you tangled up in.” He paused, allowing his words to sink in. “But you’ll have to be straight with us. What the hell is going on?”

“Leonard—”

“What is Garrett doing to you? What are you burying behind the house?”

Alina turned, puzzled. “What?”

“You want to know what I’m burying?” Natalia asked, incredulous.

“Yes.”

“You want to know what’s in that box you found in my room?”

“Damn straight.” Leonard caught a hint of authoritative confidence in his voice, and he was quite pleased with himself for setting a fatherly tone.

“I’ll show you.” Natalia leapt from the couch and raced up the stairs.

“Leonard. What’s gotten into you?” Alina stood, intending to follow her daughter, but a moment later Natalia reappeared carrying the box, tears pouring down her face. She clutched the box protectively, looking helpless and terrified. In a burst of anger, she threw the box on the ground.

“The box, Dad. There’s the
stupid
box.”

Alina grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.

A woman’s voice enthusiastically declared, “
The White House garden is especially lovely this summer. Look at the vibrant greens and reds just bursting with joy.”

Leonard tuned out the programming and focused on Natalia’s box. It reeked of citrus. He quashed a wave of nausea as he fumbled with the combination lock.

“And look. There’s the First Lady carrying a scrumptious basket of fruit. A gift from a visiting dignitary? Perhaps a gesture of gratitude from a devoted citizen?”

Leonard’s gag reflex nearly triumphed.

“Give it to me,” Natalia said, standing over his shoulder. She wrenched the box out of his hands, placed it on the coffee table, and fiddled with the combination lock. Leonard’s heart pounded. Swishing her arms dramatically, Natalia stood and scattered the contents onto the ground. White paper bundles tumbled out, crackling as they interacted on their journey to the floor. Squares and cylinders. Leonard reached down and grabbed one of the cylinders. It was like a very small popsicle with no stick. Making a small tear in the paper he took a peek. All at once, he repelled the object away from him across the room.

Natalia’s sobs intensified.

Alina put her hands on her hips and glowered at her husband. “Really, Leonard. Grow up.” She turned to her daughter. “Is this what you’ve been hiding? Oh, sweetheart.”

Natalia turned away abruptly and stomped on one of the paper bundles. Her tears gave way to rage.

“You don’t have to be ashamed,” Alina said sweetly. “You’re becoming a young lady. It’s beautiful.”

“Are you kidding me? This?” She pointed at her abdomen. “This is not beautiful. It’s a curse.”

“I know, sometimes it feels that way, but—”

“You
don’t
know,” she shouted, her voice cracking. “You don’t know anything, Mom!”

“Are you worried that I’ll be mad?” She picked up a cylinder and smiled. “These are from my smuggled stash, aren’t they?”

Natalia nodded.

“I was saving those for you. Who did you think they were for? I haven’t needed them for a number of years now. I’m glad you found them. They are a rare luxury.” She reached down and held up a square bundle. “I would have bought you the pads though. Where did you get the money to—?”

Leonard broke in. “You’re hiding tampons in the backyard?”

Both women turned and glared at him.

“I mean, can’t you just flush them or put them in the regular garbage?”

“It’s kind of hard to slip tampons unnoticed into the elaborate garbage ritual we have going on over there.” She gestured in the direction of the kitchen.

“But, sweetheart,” her mother said. “You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I’m not ashamed,” she cried. “I’m…”

“It’s okay.”

“I’m afraid,” she said, barely audible above the White-House-infatuated commentator on the television.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. You should have come to me. I’d have shown you everything. I’d have bought you the supplies. I would have
loved
to share this with you.”

“But then, Garrett…” She gasped, swiftly taking in a long overdue breath of air.

Leonard sat on the table. “What did Garrett do?”

“He…he…” She sat down. “You have no idea what’s going on.”

Leonard touched her arm. “Then explain it to me. This has something to do with the Youth Brigade? You have to join the Youth Brigade now that you’re menstruating?”

She sighed. “The Youth Brigade is like the elite circle. You see, on the bottom, there’s the Inbreeds. Sorry, the L-1s and L-2s. Then come the Melting Pots. After that there’s us, the regular L-Plusses, and then there’s the Youth Brigade. Only L-Plusses can join the YB.”

“You’ve totally lost me.”

“You didn’t have any L-Stats or segregated education when you were growing up?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

She sighed. “Mom has Italian grandparents as well as one French grandfather and a Brazilian grandmother. They met in Paris.”

“Right,” Leonard and Alina concurred in unison.

“Dad. Your Mom is a second-generation Irish immigrant and your father came directly to this country from Germany.”

“Correct.”

“That makes me an L-5. A confirmed L-5 because we have family records. Not just a generic American Melting Pot.”

Alina and Leonard glanced at one another in bewilderment.

“The Youth Brigade believes that the future of humanity lies in careful genetic blending. That the human race will evolve rapidly, producing more intelligent and beautiful people, as long as we merge genes of radically different origins in a very deliberate and precise fashion.”

Leonard’s head was spinning. Natalia’s mature words, delivered professionally and purposefully, confounded him. A sickly sensation brewed in his gut.

“Pairing Melting Pots is not very efficient, because you could just be mixing the same genes over and over again, stirring an aimless potion. Pairing L-1s and L-2s borders on revolting to some of the fanatics. So when a confirmed L-Plus is paired with another confirmed L-Plus of a different heritage, the militants are in ecstasy. In my case, Garrett committed me to an L-4 of an Asian-African background. I don’t know all the details, but I know he’s a confirmed L-4.”