Rehabilitation: Romantic Dystopian (Unbelief Series Book 1) (3 page)

We belong to the Soldiers, but they don’t do much with us. Sometimes they come through and ask for volunteers to join the ranks of their army, but it doesn’t happen a lot and when it does, they tend to take the younger people. I’m guessing it’s because soldiers work a lot better when they’re still relatively healthy.

I’ve always thought it kind of contradictory we have an army and soldiers while one of the Elite’s main big rules is to forgo war. I know better than to ask about it of course, and even if I did, I’m sure they would just tell me there’s no harm in being cautious. Jacob finds the irony amusing though, and I’m inclined to agree.

Official town name aside, most of us who live here just call it the Gate. I don’t know where we picked up that name, but Jacob says it’s because we’re right at the very edge of the After World. I think people just got tired of calling it Elite Sector Five. Kind of a mouthful.

“I think we did pretty well today,” Jacob says quietly as we head toward the courtyard in the middle of town. “I think we’ve got some things people will truly like.”

He glances into his bag as we walk, examining several books he decided were in good enough condition to take with us. When I notice what he’s doing, I grab at his bag to close it, eyes darting to and fro, nerves frayed, to see if anyone is watching.

Of course, no one is. In fact, there isn’t a soul in sight.
Thankfully
. I squeeze my eyes shut briefly, trying hard not to be aggravated with his bent for putting himself at risk.

“Hey,” Jacob objects. “I was just looking.” All the same, he leaves his bag closed and refrains from digging around in it, if only to keep me satisfied. My steps slow as I realize all of a sudden just
how
empty the town is.

“Jacob?” I say quietly, stopping and looking around at the mostly deserted area. There are small buildings that serve as homes, a couple of places that act as warehouses for incoming and outgoing goods, and a few others that are diners and health centers.

All but one of the health centers have closed signs displayed on the doors. I am hoping to sell some of my haul to the one that remains, because I know they need it, but I also know they won’t pay the best price. Which is why I’ll save some of the stuff for the higher bidders later.

“What is it?” Jacob asks, noticing me looking around and slowing to a stop too.

The sidewalks are completely empty, as are the roads. The roads are never driven by vehicles, except on rare occasions when the Elite come to town with their large trucks, so people use them to walk just as much as the sidewalks. Right now though, there is no one walking
or
driving.

“Where is everyone?”
 

It isn’t until I say it that he starts noticing it too. I can see him looking around, a frown forming on his face. We both turn opposite directions, eyes scanning the empty sidewalks and roadways.

I hear him say “I don’t know,” just as we come full circle.

Our eyes must see the tracks in the snow on the pavement at the exact same time, because when we glance back up and look at each other, the words come out in unison:

“Selection.”

I
hitch my pack up and start running as soon as the words are out of our mouths. Jacob is a fraction of a second ahead of me. If we get called for Selection and we’re not there, we’ll be in more trouble than either of us want to deal with. That’s the worst of it for me. For Jacob, the stakes are a heck of a lot higher.

I run until my legs ache and my lungs burn despite the frigid cold air, both Jacob and I desperate to get to the courtyard in the middle of the Gate before Selection happens. In the distance, I can see it. As soon as I do, I know we’re right. There’s a huge crowd in the courtyard and if I had to guess, most, if not all of the town has convened.

Everything is quiet as we reach the edge of the crowd. I skid to an unsteady stop just before entering it, but Jacob is ready to dive forward. I leap and grab his arm to stop him.

“Wait!” I hiss.

He shakes off my grasp, but nods and doesn’t run forward. He’s breathing hard, we both are, and sweating despite the cold. “I have to find her,” he manages to get out between deep breaths, blue gaze locking with mine, now dark with worry.

I nod, understanding immediately. “I know, but we can’t just dive into a quiet crowd like that. We’ll attract too much attention.”

He knows I’m right and
I
know he doesn’t like it, but it is what it is. Biting my lip, both our gazes turn back to the crowd, and sure enough, mine immediately pick out the handful of guards in rotation. They aren’t efficient enough—or maybe they just don’t care enough—to tally up who is and isn’t here prior to Selection, so they just post guards to watch for stragglers sneaking in, or people who try to break out of the crowd early.

Both types of course, automatically get taken during Selection. I haven’t been taken during a Selection for a while, almost a year now, but some people get taken every single time. It all depends on the type of life you lead.

“We need to get in there,” Jacob says to me in a hushed voice, pressing close against me with his breath right at my ear so only I will hear.

A shiver makes its way down my body, but I shake it off. Now is
not
the time to deal with stupid things like that. I shift my feet, body thrumming with impatience.

“We will,” I whisper, just as quiet. “Wait for that guard to pass, and we’ll slide in between that woman with the brown coat and the man with the holes in his hat.” I discreetly point with my chin so he can see who I’m talking about.

There is a lot of space between the two, maybe enough for two people to make it in unnoticed. I hope so, anyway. Jacob finds who I’m talking about with his eyes, judging the distance, then nods.

“Alright,” he says back.

I watch the guard as he moves around the yard, checking to make sure no one is dipping out early. Thankfully, it means he’s not looking too hard at the people trying to get
in.
When he rounds the next corner, I not so gently nudge Jacob with my elbow and we make a run for it.

Moving as quiet as we can, we dash into the yard, squeezing between brown coat woman and holey hat man.

The woman gives each of us in turn the dirtiest look ever, while holey man pointedly refuses to acknowledge our existence. Both are just forms of self-preservation, so I don’t take it too hard. I know it’s hard to trust people around here and were our roles reversed, I certainly wouldn’t trust us either.

I just hope that’s as far as things go. The last thing either of us need is a tattler.

It appears we’re all settled though and in the clear. Just in time, too, because the guard has come around again on a pass right by us. We wait, patient and quiet, before beginning to push through the people again.

The crowd is thick, but there are several pathways that come and go. These pathways are for the Selectors to walk so they can search for specific people. Townsfolk tend to be fanatical about avoiding them. Even though it’d be much more simple to cut through the throng by using them, no one is ever exactly keen to make their way down one. It’s kind of like waving your hands in the air begging Selectors to come over and talk to you. Instead, Jacob and I try to shove gently through the crowd, not enough to make huge ripples, but enough for us to get through them. We try to stay together, but there are a lot of people. As I follow behind, several people start to get between me and him. I shove around them, trying to keep up, but before I know it, I’ve already lost him in the crowd. I sigh, stopping for a minute to look around, trying to peer around the shoulders of those in front of me.

As I search around trying to land eyes on Jacob, I hear the Elite speaking overhead. It’s only the big screen, saying the same thing it always says about the three rules upon which our society is built. The Elite who are actually here are in the crowd combing through the denizens gathered, targeting certain people, kids mostly, to take during Selection and send to Trial. Most of it, I tune out, still focused on finding Jacob. There isn’t anything new about it I haven’t experienced many times before.

It isn’t until the crowd parts several people away from me that I pay attention to what’s going on again. One of the Elite is eyeballing the crowd and Selects a young girl with blonde hair. For a moment, I panic, an image of Samantha Moore, Jacob’s little sister popping into my head. But then the girl turns around and I can see her face.

It’s not her.

I let out a breath, relief pouring through me, but it may be too soon. I finally spot Jacob again, just in time to see him break free of the crowd and leap in the direction of the young girl, sheer panic on his face. My mouth opens on a small gasp, fear clenching in my belly. I know the same thought is crossing his mind as what crossed mine, that she was definitely little Samantha being Selected for Trial.

I
 
freeze, wanting to yell out to him that it isn’t her, to not do anything stupid, but it’s too late. I squeeze my eyes shut hard, before opening them again, futilely hoping I’m dreaming. No, not a dream. Jacob’s already there, yanking her away from the Elite who has chosen her. When he pulls her away, I can see him freeze. He’s seen her face now, too, and realizes who she is. Slowly, he releases the girl and straightens up. The Selector stares at him suspiciously. I’m almost vibrating as I watch, lifting a hand to my mouth and biting down on one knuckle, hard.

“What’s your name?” I hear the man ask.

I wish fervently Jacob will lie, but I know he won’t.

“Jacob Moore,” he answers after only a moment’s hesitation.

“And what is your connection to this little girl?” The man continues, gesturing to the girl. “She has been Selected for Trials... and it appears you were attempting to stop that.”

The accusation stings even from where I stand. The space surrounding the Elite and Jacob expands, no one wanting to stand next to either of the men everyone’s attention is now riveted to.

Jacob’s eyes never waver from the man. “I wasn’t. I only thought she was someone I knew. I wanted to wish her...”

Don’t say luck, don’t say luck,
I think urgently. Luck is almost as bad as superstition and superstition is just a hop skip and a jump away from religion and Believing.

“... a safe trip and tell her I would see her when she returned,” Jacob continues, his words smooth and without falter.

I heave a relieved sigh when he finishes, feeling a faint tickle of admiration for his quick thinking under pressure. Surely they wouldn’t find anything wrong with
that
statement, right? Unless, of course, they just didn’t believe it. Clenching my hands into fists at my sides, I wait, watching.

The man continues to scrutinize Jacob for several more tense moments, then gives him a frosty smile. “I see. Very well Jacob Moore. Now, if you’ll step aside and allow me to continue?”

Jacob obliges, sidestepping so the man can pass him, while dragging the little girl along behind him. It took a while, but eventually the crowd came back together, allowing Jacob and I to finally reunite without arousing any suspicions.

I feel faint with relief, and then start shaking with anger. “What were you
thinking?
” I demand, eyes hot and flashing as they lock with Jacob’s.
 

He shoves his hands into his pockets, jaw tight. He shrugs. “You saw her. She looked
just
like Sammy.”

I run a frustrated hand through my light brown hair, shoving a lock out of my eyes. “I know who she looked like, but stealing her away from a Selector wasn’t going to do her any favors you know. It’ll only make them look at her—and
you
—closer.”

He lets out a sigh, shoulders slumping. “I know,” he mumbles, tiredness oozing from his tone. “But I couldn’t just let them... there’s no way she could pass Trial.”
 

A man to our right gives us a curious look, as if maybe he’s been listening to our conversation this whole time. It makes me nervous so I nudge Jacob.

“This isn’t the place to be talking about this.”

I see him out of the corner of my eye nod in agreement. “I know. We’ll talk later.”

I want to shake my head and yell at him some more, maybe even shake
him
, but the man looking at us has me spooked. Jacob has already had enough attention for the day, I definitely don’t want to attract more. I clench my jaw, feeling mutinous, but keeping my mouth shut.