Numbers Game (19 page)

29

I
pull you out of the gutter, give you a second chance,” the empress said slowly, “and this is how you repay me?”

I’d expected to be shot down the moment I walked in. If not that, maybe arrested by a pair of waiting monitors. But her first words only confused me. I snuck a glance at Vance, who looked as surprised as I felt.

The empress sat on a chair that looked ridiculously similar to a medieval throne, golden and gaudy. Her tight-fitting silver robe, glittering with jewels, brushed the ground. After a moment, she stood and walked to the window, her hips swinging way more than seemed physically possible. The buildings outside were bright with the late-morning light. I couldn’t see it, but I knew the streets were full of citizens riding their bicycles to work and school, unaware of the quiet battle taking place in the empress’s chambers.

“Well? Don’t you have anything to say, child?”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, actually.”

“Of course you are. You’re a bright girl, so let’s be honest with each other. I don’t usually trust young reds with weapons and responsibility, so you owe me the truth, at the very least.”

“What do you want me to say?”

She gave a dramatic sigh. “Did you, or did you not, allow a smuggler to go free because she was your friend?”

I blinked. Tali? “I—I, uh . . .”

Vance spoke up. “The smugglers jumped Treena. She was lucky to escape before they knocked her unconscious, and even then she distracted them for as long as she could. If it weren’t for her, we would have caught half as many.”

He was covering for me, making it sound like I knew what I was doing. But his words stabbed my heart. If it weren’t for me, would some of those eleven smugglers be alive? Even if my best friend hadn’t been one of them, hearing that nearly made my knees buckle in grief. I had been so, so selfish.

She took a step back and glanced at the tribune, who stood beside her throne. If she really was the person who wanted me dead, what was she waiting for?

The empress cleared her throat. “Despite this boy’s outburst, I have several sources who claim Ametrine allowed her friend to go free without any attempt of arrest. What shall we do with you now, child? I certainly can’t leave you in EPIC, and I can’t send you home with that dreadful Rating and no assignment.”

“Is it to be a work camp, then, Your Highness?” the tribune asked with a bored tone.

“Fair enough,” she replied as if the idea hadn’t occurred to her. “Ametrine, you will keep your Rating, as it suits you perfectly. Tribune, make sure she’s assigned somewhere far from here and everything familiar to her. Now get her out of my sight.” She waved her pointy finger away as if shooing away a pesky insect.

“Wait,” I said. “What about the other matter?”

“Excuse me?”

“You said you’d order a Rating reconsideration.”

“
If
you fulfilled your assignment, which you most definitely did not.”

“I did.”

Vance turned to me, but I held my ground.

“Really.” A frown appeared on the woman’s face as she looked at him. “You found the traitor? Tell me who it is, then.”

The surprise in her voice told me everything I needed to know. There had never been a spy. My mission was a hoax.

I took a deep breath. “None of them.” Vance jerked, but I spoke more quickly. “None of the EPIC guys are betraying you. In fact, they’re the most loyal, hardworking guys I’ve ever met. The only spy there was me, working for you. Can I have my Rating reconsidered now?”

She threw her head back and laughed, a sound so fake it reminded me of Dresden’s plastic smile. “Oh, that’s funny. Really, girl. If we adjusted your Rating, it would only plummet.”

“I’m willing to take the chance,” I said.

“What are you
doing
?” Vance hissed.

The empress stood again and walked over to me, looking deeply into my eyes for the first time. Her indifference had been replaced with carefully masked uncertainty. “What are you trying to do, child? See how low you can sink into the depths of your society?”

“No,” I said. “I just want justice.”

She stared at me, and I lifted my chin. Her gaze hardened, and I knew she’d caught the double meaning of my words. The empress wanted me dead, and she knew that I knew. And even more important, I could see the desperation behind her stony expression. This woman would kill me before she let the Raters review my score. In that moment I knew I wasn’t safe anywhere, not even in a work camp. No matter where they sent me, she’d win. Vance was right.

“Your Highness,” the tribune said from the corner. “Pardon the reminder, but I do believe the law still requires a Rating adjustment in this case. This must occur before she leaves. It is simply the order of things—otherwise her Rating will not reflect what she has done.”

Rather than arguing, the empress stalked to her throne and plopped into it. “Fine. Guards, put her in the political prison until we hear from the Raters.”

The guards, two young, bulky soldiers with chiseled features, took my arms.

Vance’s mouth was tight as he watched. He didn’t believe the empress’s act either.

“What of the EPIC soldier, Your Grace?” the tribune asked. “This report says he has a pattern of questionable behavior recently.”

“This is the Integrant, yes?” She stood again and made her way over to him. “Hawking’s son, if I recall. Denoux was rather insistent with this one.”

“You murdered my dad,” Vance said.

The guard’s slap came so fast I barely saw it. Vance’s head whipped to the side, then he slowly turned back toward the empress with hatred in his eyes.

“Increase the intensity of his cuffs,” the empress ordered. “My instincts tell me there is still a traitor in your ranks, Integrant. Perhaps EPIC has outlived its usefulness after all.”

“We’ve done nothing but enforce your laws.” His voice sounded strained. “You know, laws—those inconvenient Standards that condemn murder. There are more direct ways than poisoned pills and assassins to get rid of innocent girls, you know.”

The empress slapped him this time. It echoed sharply against the white walls. Vance barely winced, but the guards must have upped the intensity of his cuffs even more because suddenly he arched his back and his face contorted in agony.

“He’s stark mad,” she said to the tribune. “Send him back. I have a surprise in store for him.” She waved a hand in dismissal.

The guards yanked me backward then, and I would have fallen if they hadn’t held on to my elbows so tightly. The last thing I saw before turning into the sterile white hallway was Vance, standing tall, head turned toward me, his face twisted in anguish.

And then he was out of sight.

30

T
reena’s
gone,” Poly guessed when he saw my face.

I just nodded. The other guys stood motionless, wanting to ask but unsure how.

“As in gone—” Neb said, “or dead?”

I slammed the door shut and slid the lock into place. “If she’s not dead yet, it won’t be long.”

“But why were you escorted back?” Daymond asked, eyeing what was probably a red mark on my cheek. I scowled and rubbed my wrists, trying to get rid of the pins-and-needles feeling the cuffs had left behind. I’d hoped that my outburst would anger her enough that she’d send me to prison with Treena. It didn’t seem like the empress to let a known enemy roam free. Something was definitely wrong here.

When I didn’t answer, Neb spoke up. “Did Treena really let a smuggler slip through?”

I pushed away a stab of irritation. “She did her job, and she did it surrounded by enemies. She’s done nothing to deserve what she’s getting.”

Semias pushed his way through the group to stand in front of me, arms folded. Someone had apparently freed him from his bonds now that Treena was gone. “She’s a red, Vance. She played you with that innocent act.”

“You know nothing about her.”

“Oh, and you do? After the disgusting looks you’ve been giving each other and your secret talks in the washroom? I bet you know everything about her. And I mean
everything.
”

“Shut up, Semias.”

“Seriously? You guys really thought Vance was training her?” He snickered. “Running errands together, always picking her for his partner, protecting
his prize. And those early morning workouts? Yeah, I’ll give you one guess as to what exactly they were working out—”

My fist flew toward his mouth and would have smashed it in if Semias hadn’t been ready. He stepped to the side and threw a punch at my nose, trying to catch his balance. I turned my head just in time, and his hand grazed off me. With a growl, I lunged.

“Vance!” Poly yelled. “That’s enough!”

I landed on top of Semias, enraged, ready to pummel his face in. But he rotated midair and landed on his side, covering his head with an elbow. I jumped to one foot and kicked him in the ribs again and again, making him double over in pain. “Why were you supposed to kill her?” I shouted, putting all my weight behind the next kick.

“I . . . don’t . . . know!” Semias managed to say.

“Stop this,
now
!” Poly was behind me now, grabbing my shoulders in an iron grip. Hot anger pulsed through my veins. I slipped one foot behind his and shot an elbow to Poly’s nose. He grunted and released me.

Suddenly Neb was in my face. He positioned himself between me and Poly. Blood poured from Poly’s nose, dripping down his chin and mixing messily with the dark hair on his bare chest. There was murder in his expression.

“Vance, please,” Neb whispered. “You’re upset. Just—just go take a break. Okay?”

Jessop and Tensom dropped to their knees beside Semias, who was still moaning on the floor. The rage I’d felt at his words pulsed hot in my ears.

Poly stepped forward and grabbed my collar, his other hand clasping his nose, blood dripping through his fingers. His voice was ice-cold. “If you ever touch me again, I will kill you. Understood?”

My breath shuddered as I struggled for control. “Yes,
sir.
”

“Hold on,” Neb said. “What’s that?”

The room stilled. A thumping noise rang from the direction of the training room door.

Footsteps, dozens of them, banged their way down the steps.

Poly stiffened, looking at me with heavy dread. There was only one reason for the soldiers to come down here. It made sense now why the empress had sent me back.

I also understood why the commander had stationed us here. I’d suspected it for a long time and installed the deadbolt for that very purpose. This was the perfect spot for us—cool, hidden from society, and far beneath the tranquility of the Council Building.

And above all, there was no escape.

“Weapons,” Poly said sharply. “Now.”

31

T
he
prison cell was basically a large glass box with a metal sink jutting out from the wall and a tightly-made bed in the center. A hamster wheel would have completed the ensemble nicely. There was a tiny slit in the glass near the ceiling, barely wide enough for a hand to slip through. An oxygen vent.

The cool darkness didn’t bother me, but the silence kept me on edge. I hadn’t been truly alone in a long time, and it felt wrong. I sat on the bed, surprised at how hard it was, and pulled my legs in. My mind couldn’t shake that last glimpse of Vance. I’d give anything to feel his embrace right now, to feel his fingers gently stroking my hair. Where was he now? Would I even see him again?

“Feeling sorry for yourself?” a muffled voice said.

I leapt to my feet, looking frantically around for the source of the voice. “Who’s there?”

“Over here.”

The man’s voice came from the cell across the hall, but I couldn’t see anyone. Then a flicker of movement came from the distant bed, and I realized there was someone under it. A head popped out, and he climbed out and stood. It was an older man with sagging features and peppered hair that didn’t quite cover his 652 Rating. He wore a prisoner’s uniform: a gold jumpsuit with a black stripe across the arm. By the condition of the uniform and its wearer, they’d both been living across the hall for a very long time.

“I prefer sleeping under the bed,” the man said with a smile. “It’s softer.”

When I didn’t answer, his eyes flicked to my forehead and took in my Rating. There was no reaction—no surprise, no disgust. He approached the glass.

“So what did you do? Trip a monitor? Steal a transport and go for a joyride?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

He sighed. “First visitor in three years, prettiest in six, and she won’t talk about it. Figures.”

He was trying to get me to smile, but it wouldn’t work. The pain threatened to overwhelm me again. I put my head in my hands.

“It must’ve been pretty bad to end up here. This place is only for political prisoners—the ones the empress wants to keep a close eye on. Or the ones she doesn’t want the people know about.”

“Please,” I begged. “Just leave me alone.”

The man leaned against the glass, making his palms turn white. “Fine. When a lady says please, I obey.” He turned away and headed for a chair in the corner. “But,” he called over his shoulder, “whatever you did, I guarantee it’s not half as bad as my indiscretions.”

I wanted to collapse on the bed and let sleep capture my aching mind, but I knew I couldn’t sleep. I sighed. “Sorry. I’m just not in a talking mood right now. But if you are, I’ll listen.”

The man returned to the window and stood there, staring at me for an uncomfortable minute. Finally he said, “What did you say your name was?”

“I didn’t. It’s Treena.”

“Nice to meet you, Treena. You look as if you carry the weight of the world on those shoulders.” It almost set me off again, but I bit my lip. Hard. He chuckled bitterly. “I suppose we are in prison, eh? Not a place for counting butterflies.”

A bell rang somewhere overhead, and he stepped back like a robot. There were footsteps down the hall, and a guard appeared. It was the woman who had escorted me earlier. She opened a hatch to the strange man’s cell—I hadn’t noticed the hatch before—and placed something in it, then she closed it again. It opened from the inside so the prisoner could remove it. He popped the object into his mouth and swallowed.

The guard turned to me. “Your nutrition pill is still being prepared,” she said simply, then left.

“Ooh, you really ticked off the empress,” the man said when the footsteps disappeared.

“Why do you think that?” I asked.

“Just do yourself a favor and don’t take the pill when it comes.”

The realization hit. “You think it’s poisoned?”

“Whenever a pill is ‘being prepared,’ the prisoner drops dead in his cell. I’ve seen it happen. It’s the cleanest way to kill someone.”

I sat on the bed, stunned. A poisoned pill again. Why would the empress have me killed so secretly when she could have ordered an execution earlier? It made no sense at all.

“How long do I have?” I asked.

“They usually do it around midnight. Easier to dispose of the bodies.”

Midnight. I had a few hours, then. “So the empress wants me dead, but she doesn’t want people to know about it.”

“Probably. You must have a very interesting story to tell, young lady.”

I gave him a sideways look. “How long have you been down here?”

“Almost twelve years,” the man said. “I wasn’t always this chatty. I suppose you could say I’ve been saving up words.”

Twelve years?
The horror must have been evident in my expression because he laughed.

“They won’t kill me. Sometimes I wish they’d just get on with it, but they can’t. The empress is still in love with me.”

If I had been stunned before, now I was horrified. Was this where they put the crazy people? Or maybe his captivity had caused his insanity. Twelve years in prison could definitely make a man believe the empress was his girlfriend.

His mood quickly became somber. “I know. It sounds insane. Maybe this cell has rotted my mind. But I swear to you, the empress and I were in love once.” His expression softened. “She even nominated me the Ratings councilman.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You were her lover
and
Ratings councilman?”

He snickered. “
Were
is the right word. As soon as we stopped seeing eye to eye—which was all about her
eye, apparently—she tossed me in here like a piece of refuse. Appointed some idiot to my post and forgot about our years together.” He shook his head. “It’s what I get for leaving my wife and child for the empress. It only took a few years for the fates to return the favor.”

The information whizzed through my head at a breakneck pace. “That’s quite a sad story,” I said, hardly feeling sad at all. The man really did deserve what he’d received. And yet there was something about him that felt strangely important.

“Sir,” I said slowly. “What’s your name again?”

“Jasper,” he replied.

I nearly fell off the bed, catching myself just in time. “J-J-Jasper?” I stammered.

He seemed alarmed at my sudden shock. “Have you heard of me? Do they talk about my work with the Ratings?”

He left his wife and child . . .

“Was your wife’s name Lanah?” I asked quietly.

The color drained from his face. It was all the answer I needed.

“Ametrine,” he whispered.