There Once Were Stars (22 page)

“Over half the group disappeared after your parents were killed.”

“Who didn’t you include?” I ask, biting the inside of my lip.

“There are three of them. Carter works up in the Computer Room. We really need him to carry out the next stage of our plan after we retrieve your mother’s photos, so I hope we can trust him. Then there’s one of the Delegates. I am not ready to disclose his name quite yet. It’s too dangerous given his position. If he’s the one who betrayed your mother, and he knew we were on to him, then all of us would disappear.”

“Who’s the third?”

“Waldorf,” Roe says staring at me, blank faced.

My muscles tighten. “Waldorf,” I manage to whisper. “You must be wrong.” My pulse starts racing. “He talks of my mother all the time—they were close. He was close to her.”

“It’s no news that Waldorf was fond of your mother. A little too fond, if you ask most people. He was practically obsessed. She was too kind to turn him away. Instead, she tried to be friends. But he didn’t understand. I think he really thought she might leave your father for him one day.”

“Obsessing over someone is different from wanting to hurt them.” My voice comes out shaky.

“You know, he was out there that night.” Roe leans back in her chair. “He conveniently left before the attack.”

I look out the window of Roe’s door at where Waldorf is working at his station. He’s like a child, harmlessly talking to himself as he records artifacts from our last expedition. Every time he talks about my mother, he gets upset. Is that from loss or regret? I don’t know what to think.

“He’s the one who told her about the testing. The one who told her how they were trying to come up with a vaccine to cure the infected.”

“Infected don’t exist anymore,” I rattle back.

“Infected. No. The infection. Yes. Thanks to Waldorf, a small group of us know that the infection does in fact still exist. It exists in freezers on restricted floors in the Microbiology Division. And your mother said she would prove that they had hidden a test subject; someone stolen from the streets of the dome.”

“Where would they keep all the missing people? They can’t hide them here in the Axis.” I’m still trying to poke holes in this story. To think something so hideous has been going on all these years is almost too much to accept.

“The screams on B2,” Evan says, jumping out of his chair.

“You can sometimes hear them in the basement, yes.”

My mouth drops open. I know where the people are. “B3!” I jump up next to Evan. “They’re keeping them on B3.”

That’s exactly what we’re thinking.” Roe nods. “Up until you found that button, we had no idea where the testing was taking place.”

“It means,” Evan speaks up, his voice rising, “we need to get a map from Engineering to show us the layout on B3. That’s the only way we’ll be able to chart a way out once we blow up the generator.”

“What?” I step back, almost tripping against my chair. “What will that accomplish?”

“Nat,” Roe says firmly. “We need to shut down this dome. We need to shut down the tests and destroy the infected in the process. We can’t let them get out. Evan knows the layout of the domes.”

“But what about the people?” I ask. “What about the workers in the Axis? They’re innocent.”

“We aren’t going to go through with anything until,
one
, we evacuate the Axis; and,
two
, confirm there are no survivors on B3.”

“What about the residents?” I shake my head, still in shock. “They don’t have a choice in any of this.”

“They’ll finally have a choice.” Evan puts a hand on my arm. “They have the choice to stay and rebuild. They have the choice to venture outside. They will have nothing but choices.”

I shake his hand off my arm. “If you blow up the generator, you could bring down the Axis. There would be no dome left.”

“It’s a risk we need to take,” he says, resting his gaze on mine.

“You start working on a plan to get that Engineering keycard.” Roe redirects her attention to Evan. “I will be working on getting an Expedition booked right away.”

I stand there, still shaking my head, unable to accept the last part of their plan. How can they think blowing up the Axis is a good idea? They aren’t giving people choices; they’re going to force them to make one.

“What should I do?”

“Stay out of trouble,” Roe says. “I mean it.”

The plan is much more intrusive than I thought it would be. I never imagined we would be planning to bring down the Axis. I thought we would simply be exposing the Director and the Delegates, and bring down the government. I thought we would open the doors to the outside. But, this? No, this plan could get people hurt.

I look at Evan, who followed me out of the lab and is standing at the elevators with me. How could he think I’d be okay with this? How could I trust him? I barely know him. What kind of person would risk the lives of innocents? If their theory is true, it makes us as bad as the Director.

“I know Roe told you to stay out of trouble tonight,” Evan nudges my shoulder, “but for my plan to work, I need your help.”

“Like you need me for a cover?” I hit the elevator button a little too hard.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, isn’t it rather convenient that as soon as you show some interest in me, you’ve got better excuses for sneaking around this place? I would have helped you out without being strung along.”

“Whoa.” He follows me onto the elevator. “That’s not what this is at all.”

“Really? What is this, then? Because you’re still keeping things from me.”

He reaches past me and hits Floor 30, then grabs me by the shoulders and presses his lips against mine. I push him off and the elevator doors slide open, offering me an escape.

“See,” I say, leaving him behind on the elevator, “this is what I’m talking about.”

“What?” Evan asks. “I’m not allowed to kiss you anymore? Do you think I’m going to woo you into blindly following my plan to bring down the dome? No offense, but I don’t think anyone can charm you into submission.”

“What is it you want from me? Be honest for once, and tell me.”

“I want you.” Evan grabs my hand. “The rest I can do alone. I think I made it very clear in your room the other night that I really do want you. There were no people around to put on a show for, just me and you. Do you still think I have an ulterior motive?”

I don’t answer, unable to stop the doubt from gnawing away at the edges of my thoughts.

“I trust you.” Evan puts a finger to my chin and lifts my face up to his. “Now, you can start to trust me and join me this afternoon, or you can go back to the lab. Your choice.”

“Can I hear the plan first?”

“Okay, but hear me out all the way. I am going to the Engineering cafeteria, next. The cafeterias trade specialty dishes, and today is Sophie’s turn to trade one with Engineering. We will drop off the food, and get out. That simple.”

“But why are you really going?” I sift through his half-truth.

“To get an ID card,” Evan says.

I purse my lips and swallow. “Okay, let’s do it.”

Sophie is waiting for us behind the counter. “Put these on.” She shoves an apron at each of us. She leaves us with two trolleys, loaded with boxes. I have no idea what’s in them, but they’re light.

I follow Evan onto the elevator. “Do I need to be ready to run?”

“Trust me, Greyes.” He winks.

We get off the elevator at Floor 90, and I see the layout is the same as ours, 60 floors below. I laugh at myself for thinking way up here might be different. Every floor must be designed with the same efficiencies.

We wheel the trolleys to the cafeteria line and wait for the Head Cook. The cafeteria is pretty empty, aside from a small table of people. Sitting at the head of the table is Matthews, the Order member from last night. He makes eye contact with me for a second, then does a double take and looks back. I can tell he’s trying to place me.

“Ah!” The Head Cook for Floor 90 comes out from the back. “You’ve brought me Sophie’s delicious lefsa! I can never get this recipe correct. Tell her, thank you so much. I will send some of my staff down with my delicious mozza balls later.”

“Sounds good.” Evan shakes the Head Cook’s hand.

We turn to go and I keep my head down, hoping to get out of here unscathed.

“Hey,” Matthews calls over from his table. “You two. Come here.”

Evan stops in front of me and points his thumb to his chest. “Are you talking to me?”

I hold my breath, and slowly turn toward Matthews. I have a bad feeling about this.

“Haven’t I seen you two before?” he asks.

“You met us last night,” Evan says.

Matthews gets up from his table, blocking our path to the elevators. He crosses his arms in front of his chest and narrows his eyes at us.

“No.” Matthews shakes his head. “I’m sure I’ve seen you somewhere else.” He points to Evan. “Hey, you’re the Out—”

Before Matthews can finish, Evan knocks him to the ground. I freeze as they tussle—Evan on top of Matthews. A few of the Engineers run over and pull Evan off, and Matthews back to his feet. When they do, I notice Matthews’ eye is starting to swell.

“You’re going to pay for this!” Matthews screams at Evan.

“It’s worth it,” Evan says. A hint of vengeance twitches at the sides of his mouth.

The elevator doors open, and other Order members come running out. They grab Evan and me, before commanding the Engineers go back to their lunch tables.

“Damn Outsider.” Matthews spits at Evan. “You thought you were so smart, getting yourself out of B2. Well, guess what, you’re going straight back there—you and your pretty little girlfriend.”

The hair on the back of my neck rises. What was Evan thinking? We’re in a completely different section of the dome, away from all of our friends. Will they even know what happened to us, or will we end up like the others—missing?

“It’s a citation,” Roe says, stepping off the elevator, “not a trip to detainment.”

“Ma’am,” the Order members say, standing up straight and saluting.

“Ma’am,” Matthews interrupts, “he assaulted an Order member.”

Roe peers closely at Matthews’ face and tilts her head. “Looks like he did a good job of it.”

“Ma’am—” Matthews begins with a whine.

“Listen, Matthews,” Roe says sternly. “I’m aware of your position, but this isn’t a playground for you to air your dirty laundry. I understand you two have a history. You were one of the officers assigned to Evan’s original detainment here, correct?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Matthews says, smirking at Evan.

“Then I’d say you’re square,” Roe says curtly.

“Square!” Matthews moans. “He attacked me in public. I have witnesses.”

“Let it go, Matthews,” Roe says. “He’s getting a citation. I don’t want another peep out of you two over this. Got it?” She points her finger back and forth between Matthews and Evan.

“Got it.” Evan shrugs off the hands of the Order member. Mine lets go of me.

“Got it,” Matthews grumbles.

“Good,” Roe says. “Matthews, back to work.” She turns toward us. “You two, come with me, and I don’t want to see either of you back up on Floor 90 again.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I agree.

On the elevator, I turn to Evan. “What were you thinking?”

“It was payback,” he says without making eye contact.

“I’m not impressed.” Roe looks down her nose at him. “I don’t have time to babysit and monitor your every move in this dome, do you understand?”

“Are you impressed now?” Evan blocks the camera and flashes us an ID card.

I gasp. “Did that say
Engineering
?”

“I took advantage of the situation,” he explains. “When the Engineers ran over to help their Order member, I reached over and pulled this off one of them.”

“I am impressed.” She nods, offering nothing more than a half-smile. “Now report to Mrs. Watson.”

“Then back to the lab?” he asks.

“No. You have some toilets to scrub to pay off that citation.” The smile grows across her face.

“What!” Evan exclaims. “Can’t you make it go away?”

“I’m too busy for that.” She laughs. “Plus, we have to make it look like you were punished. I’ve got a last-minute expedition to plan. We go out in the morning.”

My stomach twists. I didn’t know we’d be going out again so soon. Will I find out my mother’s secret tomorrow?

The next morning the lab is chaotic with packing. Excitement is thick in the air for another day outside the dome, and everyone keeps bumping into one another as they scramble to make sure nothing is missed.

I don’t run around with the rest of them. Roe pulled Evan and I into her office as soon as we arrive, and advised us that we will be assigned to monitor the perimeter, like the first time, giving us the opportunity to look for my mother’s files. I’m excited to be alone with Evan, but I can’t seem to make my nerves relax. Today is the day I can carry out my mother’s wishes.

Evan seems to have his nerves under control; he’s upbeat, despite his night of manual labor. He bustles about from person to person, helping each get ready. How long has he been preparing for this opportunity?

As the trucks get ready to roll out, Evan slides in the back, next to me. Having his body close to mine helps me relax.

“I was thinking,” He waves his hands around. “We need a shovel and a box. We don’t know what we’re going to find.”

“Won’t we look suspicious walking off with a box and shovel?”

Evan nods. “I thought of that, too. There’s a lot of time to think when you’re scrubbing toilets. I’ve got a good idea for a cover. Trust me.”

“Only if you promise not to tackle anyone out there.” I nudge his shoulder.

“Not even you.” He glances sideways at me, grabbing my hand.

I lean against the back of the truck. If that was my only concern, I’d be fine. Nervousness trickles through my limbs, making my knee bounce. When we find my mother’s proof, what happens when we get back? How much time will I have to convince Evan not to destroy the dome?

We drive past the first site we’d visited, but this time turning to the right. Here, we skirt around the base of the hill instead of driving up it, and park near the other side of the forest.