Veracity (The Seven Cities Book 1) (23 page)

In one fluid motion he draws his gun and fires. The close range shot throws his mother against the wall, a dark stain blooming against the green of her gown. For a moment, the world stops turning. Everyone, including the General is frozen in place, too shocked to move. The spell breaks when Marilyn slumps to the ground, grabbing her chest. When an eerie wail of pain begins to echo through the courtyard, the crowd breaks, screaming in panic. They trample each other in their attempt to flee back to the safety of their homes.

The General turns to me, his madness clearly the only thing in control. He lifts his arm to shoulder level, aiming for our balcony. Gone is the supportive father figure and in his place is the personification of hate. We make eye contact, and he sneers at me as he steadies his arm to fire. A heartbeat later, his hand explodes in a meaty, bloody mess. He howls as he grips his mangled hand. My eyes find Grayson. He gun is still raised, the smoke from the barrel drifting in the wind. He looks from it to me, every bit as shocked as I am. Before I can even think, to even begin to process what has happened, he is grabbing my hand and we are running.

I can still hear the General's howl as we run back down the hallway to my suite. Grayson takes off down the hallway to lock the doors of his father's balcony, trapping him momentarily, before dragging me into my room. The entire city is chaos, and I know it will only be a matter of time before the soldiers make their way through the crowd. Will it be us they come after, or the General?

Grayson throws open the door to my suite, and tells me to change my shoes and gown. I am going to need to be able to run. Jack bursts through my balcony door a second later, and Grayson instinctively raises the gun in his direction. The two face off for a moment, Jack's hands held up in a sign of surrender. Grayson frowns but lowers the gun, and they stand together by the doors to my bedroom while I look for the shortest dress and flattest shoes I own.

It takes me all of five minutes to dress, but it was five minutes too long. The General is waiting in the sitting room when we walk out, his eyes glazed and his hand pumping blood onto the floor. Without thinking, I grab Grayson's gun, holding it level to the General's face.

"Let us past and I won't shoot you."

"I will never stop hunting you," he says. "I will find you and I will make you pay for murdering my wife and son."

He brings his gun up with his good hand, fumbling a bit with the unfamiliarity of using it, and I shoot him. Without thinking, I pull the trigger and put a bullet into the body of another human being. Grayson grabs his gun from my hand and we run. We take the stairs two at a time and sprint toward the front door. I hear my name being called behind me, and turn to find Sadie chasing us. I reach out and grab her by the arm, dragging her along with us. I wish I could find Maggie, but there is just no time.

I just shot the General.

Distant screams fade into a blissful silence as we push our way through tall rows of corn. The cawing of blackbirds and the crisp rustling of stalks fill the air instead, punctuated by the desperate sounds of labored breathing. Feet pounding against the earth, we stir up a choking cloud of dust; it wraps around me, clogging my airway with dirt and debris. Lungs burning and legs cramping, I struggle against the shackles of exhaustion, the memory of the General's crazed expression pushing me on.

Grayson and Jack run ahead of Sadie and I, unified in their determination to get us somewhere safe. Through a haze of sweat and tears, I watch them, my heart pulled in two directions at the sight. What a complicated story we weave . . . murder, deception, love, and loyalty. Not to mention, pride, anger, and pain, so much pain. We feel the loss of the ones we love with every step, just as surely as we feel the wind on our face or the fear in our hearts. No one speaks, but one question weighs on us, so heavy we could fall into surrender from its implications. I feel it in the way Sadie clings to my hand as we run, and see it in Grayson's dark expression when he looks back at me. What happens now?

Bursting through the last row of the tall stalks, we take only a few steps in open air before plunging into the next field. Jack leads us on without hesitation, and we blindly follow, trusting this outsider who obviously knows our city far better than we do. His pace never slacks, the walls of corn, wheat, and hemp flying by as we run. Sadie falters, and I cry out to Grayson, who scoops her up in his arms, cradling her tired body against him as he runs.

Jack takes a sharp right, and my heart jumps in my throat as we step out of the field and into the front yard of Sadie's family farm. Why would Jack run here? He bursts through the door without knocking, pulling us in after him before slamming the door shut. Without a word, he collapses on the old, threadbare sofa, breathing hard with his head in his hands. Grayson gently lowers Sadie into a chair near the barren fireplace, and I slump to the floor next to her. For a heartbeat we just stare at each other, panting like a pack of wild dogs.

"What do we do now?" I ask.

"I go back, and you hide," Grayson says grimly.

"You want to go back there, alone, while I run and hide? I don't think so."

"This isn't up for debate. I need to return as quickly as possible. My father has committed an unforgivable crime, and has to be dealt with. The city will look to me to put things right, and I can't have them thinking I ran away."

"That still doesn't explain why I have to go into hiding."

"I don't know where my father is, or what his plans are. He could be dead, in custody, or still roaming armed through the city. Not to mention there could be others in the city blaming you for my mother's death. That crowd was out of control. You are going nowhere near the Big House until order is restored."

"I understand that it is dangerous, but you don't have the right to make that decision for me."

"Thanks to my father's mental breakdown, I am the new General, and I have every right to make that decision for you. This is not an open discussion. I go back alone."

"Not completely alone," Sadie pipes up. "I have to go with you."

"You can't go back there!" I cry.

"I have to," she says. "If I stay gone too long, I will be counted as a deserter. You can look at me like I'm crazy all you want, but it is safer for me there. The only reason I left in the first place was to make sure you were safe. Don't worry, the only thing I fear right now is whether anyone scans me to find you."

"I can make sure that no one scans you," Grayson says, "and I would appreciate your help with the staff. We need to get them organized and productive as soon as possible. Jack, do you think you can get Kat somewhere safe for a few days? I need her hidden away from my father and anyone who might support his idea that she is at fault."

"I can take her through the train tunnel out to the elder camp. It's the perfect place to hide."

"What train tunnel?" Grayson asks.

"The train tunnel under the Big House."

"You must be confused. I have lived in the Big House my entire life," Grayson says. "If there was a train under my home, I would know."

"There is an endless list of things you don't know," Jack laughs.

"Enlighten me," Grayson says menacingly.

"Calm down General, someday we will have that long talk, but today is not that day. As much as I hate to agree with you, heading back as soon as possible is the best plan; the longer you are gone, the harder it will be for you to get the city under your control. Kat and I can't get to tunnels through the Big House until you do, so we will have to take an alternate route."

"Which is?"

"I would be a fool to tell you that," Jack smirks. "You're the General now, and who knows what kind of leader you are going to be. When things settle down, I will show you how to get to the tunnel from inside the Big House, but my way stays secret for just a little while longer."

"What makes you think the elder camp is going to be safe?" I ask, changing the subject.

"No one visits the elder camp. Even the guards assigned to it only check in once or twice a year. When someone new is brought in, the soldiers just dump him or her at the gate. Those old folks have to hike about a mile to find the camp."

"So when do we go?" I ask.

"We go now before Sadie's family gets back."

"That's a wonderful idea," Sadie says, eyeing Jack. "The sooner we get out of this house the better."

"Wait," I say confused. "How do you know this is Sadie's family farm?"

"A story for another time, love."

"A story I would like to hear as well," Grayson grumbles.

Resigned to our course of action, Grayson walks over to offer his goodbye. Helping me off the floor, he holds tight to my hands, not wanting to let go, but unable to stay. He leans over and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, and my heart breaks that things are so strange between us; neither one able to push past Travis' death. Our guilt acts as a pendulum, swinging back and forth between us, offering only brief glimpses of affection through our grief.

Refusing to acknowledge the awkwardness, I wrap my arms around him, pulling him into a fierce hug. He kisses my forehead with a request to be careful. Choked up, I can only manage a small nod before pulling away. He turns from me, helping Sadie to her feet, giving her a strange look as she grimaces from the effort. My blood runs cold when I see the questions in his eyes. In a panic I pull her to me in a quick embrace, whispering a warning in her ear. She laughs at my worries, but the sound is hollow. She is just as afraid as I am.

Jack thrusts a hand at Grayson, which he takes, giving a firm but empty shake. More business transaction than an act of friendship, their entire relationship can be summed up in that one gesture.

"Asking me to protect Kat takes a great amount of trust," Jack says. "I appreciate that."

"I am trusting you with Kat against my better judgment." Grayson growls.

"Against your better judgment?" Jack scoffs. "How could you still doubt me? I am the only one in this entire city who has ever done anything to keep her safe."

"You almost get her killed, and you have the audacity to claim to be her protector?"

"Your crazy father nearly killed her, all I did was tell the truth. Isn't that what your city is built on? Why is it that you guys make such a big deal about being honest, and then turn around and lie to everyone? Your kind is more than eager to make the rules, but sure as heck don't want to follow them."

"You should watch your words Jack, you forget you are a fugitive in my city. If I didn't need your help, your situation would be a lot different right now."

"Would you two stop it already?" I cry. "Jack will keep me safe. I trust him and so should you. All you should worry about is getting Sadie back home and getting the Big House in order."

Grayson puts his arm around an obviously exhausted Sadie and ushers her to the door. With one hand on the knob, he throws me a look that says much more than can be expressed with words. Love, regret, hope, sadness . . . it's all there.

"Come back to me Kat," he says. "We are going to figure this out, and we will get back to where we once were, I promise."

"Of course we will. Now hurry, and be safe."

"I was just about to say the same thing to you," he says.

"She will be safe," Jack says. "I will always keep her safe."

The door shuts softly behind Grayson, and Jack lets out a long sigh, plopping back on the couch. Anxious to leave, I stand by the door, slightly irritated by his smug look. We both know Grayson will be hiding somewhere in the field, waiting to see what direction we leave in, and Jack is being cruel for making him wait. Sprawled out on the sofa, Jack wiggles his eyebrows comically in an attempt to cheer me up, patting the small space next to him. To his amusement, I choose Sadie's chair near the fireplace instead.

"So how do you know Sadie?"

"She is my cousin," he says grinning.

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Of course not, I am being serious. Our mothers are sisters."

"So you are from Axiom? Why didn't Sadie say anything when she saw you? She must have been shocked to see you here."

"Yes, I am from Axiom. She didn't say anything because she already knew I was here. I went to see her the night before I tried to rescue you."

"She didn't have anything to do with me being taken did she?"

"No way. Her and old Mags left Axiom a good week before you and your parents left. The only people who were involved were Lucas and a couple of his men. I haven't figured out which ones yet; I have found zero leads. It is possible he had them killed."

"And what role did you play?"

"I just kept you hidden. I thought I was protecting you against a plot on your life. That's what Lucas told me. I had no idea that he was behind the whole thing."

"So you really were just trying to keep me safe?"

"Isn't that what I've been saying all along?" he says, smiling.

His self-righteous grin is both adorable and irritating. Jack has had his fun, and Grayson needs to get Sadie back to the Big House. Taking the hint, Jack jumps up and opens the door for me with a gentlemanly bow.

I am amazed at how quickly he has recovered from his near execution. It seems just moments ago that he was crying out his last words, and now he is jovial, as if all was right in the world. I walk out, scanning the fields for any sign of Grayson. The crops sway slightly in the wind, seemingly void of human life. My hope is that I am wrong, and he hasn't made poor Sadie wait before taking her home.

"He's out there somewhere," Jack whispers in my ear, "Don't doubt that for a second. There is no way he is going to miss seeing which direction I'm heading."

Jack takes my hand with a wink, and pulls me in the direction of the city gate, away from Grayson and the Big House. Every few feet I look back behind me, trying to catch some movement. Even though I know it is just Grayson and Sadie, the thought of having someone watching me makes my skin crawl.

"If you spend all your time watching where you have been, you'll miss the journey," Jack says. "Before you know it, the future will be the past, and the only thing you will have to show for it is a sore neck."

"That's some sage advice coming from someone who is constantly trying to get me to remember my past."

"A means to an end. The difference is that I am not your past. I'm your future. You may not realize it yet, but you will. The world has changed. You have changed. This life you are living now . . . it's not real. You and Grayson are trying to cling to a past that doesn't exist anymore. You are trying to shove yourself into a mold you no longer fit in. One day you will understand exactly what I mean."

"Understanding what you mean would take a lot less time if you would just explain it to me."

"Where is the fun in that?" he laughs.

"I am glad you are finding amusement in my situation."

"Don't get upset, love. I promise to tell you everything soon enough . . ."

"I wish you wouldn't call me that, and when exactly is "soon enough"?"

"When I say it is."

"And just so you know, Grayson and I are not clinging to anything. We haven't even talked about it."

"Give him some time," Jack says softly. "He will need to process what happened with his brother before he is ready to talk about love. Don't worry, as much as I hate it, that conversation between you two is coming."

We walk until the fields are out of sight, ducking behind an old barn near the wall. Jack raises his finger to his lips, breathing out a soft shush, quieting my questions before I have time to ask them. We sit in the soft grass, leaning our backs against the barn, the peeling paint giving off a rusty smell as it separates from the moldy wood beneath it. In a city of perfectly placed, starched white bricks, the quietly rotting barn seems out of place; a forgotten blight on an otherwise flawless city.

We are waiting, although for what I couldn't guess. To hide my impatience, I pick at the paint, watching as it drops into the grass below, a red stain against the pale green of late summer. Jack makes no explanation of why we have stopped, and my attempts to ask are rewarded with additional shushing. He is in no hurry to move, just smiling that crooked grin of his while braiding and twisting tall stalks of grass. He gently lifts my hand, tying the braided grass around my wrist. It is a soft gesture, a sweet attempt at intimacy that elicits the strongest feeling of déjà vu.

When the sun starts to dip below the wall, Jack stands, reaching out to help me to my feet. My calves and thighs protest at the movement, a combination of our run and sitting idle for so long. My gown sticks to my legs uncomfortably, and the skirt is covered in dirt and grass.

"I miss blue jeans sometimes," I sigh.

"That's what you miss?" he laughs.

"Well, yes, I mean . . . sometimes."

Jack bends down and takes a handful of my long gown, pulling the hem up to my waist and tucking it into my belt. My legs are now bare up to my knees, and the relief is instant.

"If I had my knife I would cut it for you, but they took it away when they tried to hang me."

"How can you talk about nearly being executed with such nonchalance? You can't stand here and pretend it wasn't horrible. I was there remember? It was traumatizing, and I wasn't even the one on the end of the rope."

"Don't worry about me," he says, pulling a stalk of grass from between his lips. "I made peace with death long ago. When you live a life like mine, you have to."

"That's a terrible thing to say!"

"It's true, though. I would have been fine with my fate if I hadn't seen you standing there."

"I thought you would hate me," I say quietly. "And when you broke down, I hated myself. You had been so strong and brave, and I ruined that for you. I never would have forgiven myself if you had died that way because of me."

"Are you crazy? Seeing you there was one of the happiest moments of my life. They had told me you were dead, Kat. They even swore to it on a scanner. When I saw you standing there, just as perfect and beautiful as I had left you, I lost it; but it wasn't hate. I'm not sure what you would call it, but I have never felt so much relief and fear at the same time."

"Still, you must think I'm an idiot."

"Why would I think that?"

"Because it's true. Part of me knew I should have gone with you when you asked, but I ignored it. I just felt so safe here, like I had a home and a family. I look back now, and I just can't believe I didn't ask more questions. I didn't even try to figure out the world around me, just accepted everything they told me at face value. Who does that?"

"Someone raised in the city, that's who. You were programmed from an early age to accept what you are told. It is in your very nature not to question. If you hadn't spent time away from the city with me, we wouldn't even be here right now. You would have turned me in the very first day I came to you, and never would have raised that gun to defend yourself."

"Do you really think that is what I was like?"

"I know for a fact that you were. You were indoctrinated sweetheart, and you shouldn't blame yourself. You had almost no control over who you were. Who you become now, on the other hand, is all on you."

Jack leads me around the side of the barn, back in the direction of the farmhouse. His steps are much slower than before, and his attention drifts off, lost in thought. The silence between us is not uncomfortable but it is thick, each taking the time to ponder over paths taken and choices made. I am not surprised that we are heading back into the city, a secret tunnel wouldn't stay secret for long if it had been anywhere near the wall.

"We were waiting behind the barn to give Grayson time to give up and leave weren't we?"

"Yes, and thankfully no one stumbled on us there. I wouldn't normally put you at risk like that, but I can't be too careful. There are other people I have to protect as well, people who have risked everything to help me, and others like me, to move through the cities.

Just when I think I have things figured out, we return to Sadie's family farm. I suppose I should have realized there would be a good reason for Jack running here in the first place. I don't want to say anything to Jack, but there is a good chance Grayson is going to realize that. As smart as Jack is, deep down, he must already know.

The farmhouse is still deserted when we return to it. Without Sadie's gregarious relatives filling the place, the house feels more like a tomb than a home. Instead of the pitter-patter of children's feet, the empty halls ring out the echoes of our footsteps. The sound gives me chills as we make our way through the maze of hallways.

Jack leads me to the back of the house and into the kitchen. The hearth is cold, and the air is filled with the smell of ash and burned tinder rather than cooking food. We slip through an unassuming, wooden door located near the stove, and I find myself in a surprisingly large pantry. Like most of its kind, it boasts walls covered in shelves packed full of dry and canned goods. Bouquets of drying herbs hang from the ceiling rafters, and sacks of potatoes and rice fill one corner of the floor. The entire room smells rich and earthy.

As we walk in, one of Sadie's boy cousins looks up from a book. I had almost missed him there, snuggled into the sacks of rice. With a nod, the boy jumps up, and he and Jack begin to move the bags to the other side of the room. As they move each bag, a trap door is slowly uncovered, much like the one in the closet of our cabin.

Jack drops down through the door, disappearing into the dark space beneath. Standing at the edge, I can see just his hands as they reach up for me. I want to scream as I lower myself into his arms; the darkness of the hidden room swallowing me whole as Sadie's cousin closes the hatch. Clinging to Jack, I begin to shiver. We stand there together in the darkness until our eyes begin to adjust to the dim light filtering through the floorboards.

The room we are in is small, just large enough for the two of us to stand in. We are surrounded on three sides by dirt walls, with the fourth housing a small tunnel roughly hewn out of the dirt. A rush of panic moves through me at the sight of the small cramped opening. Only waist high on the wall, the roof of the tunnel will only clear our head by inches if we crawl. Shaking my head in disbelief I take a step back. He wants me to go into the very earth itself, without any light or guarantee of an exit. There isn't even enough space to turn around if we encounter a problem. I can feel myself suffocating just looking at it.

"I can't do this."

"Yes, you can. It's only this small for a little bit. It opens up into a bigger tunnel, I promise."

"Jack, I can't."

"I know you are scared, but this is the way we have to go. This tunnel has been here for a very long time, and I swear to you it is safe. You go first, I will be right behind you."

"Why do I have to go first?"

"If you start to panic I can't help you if I am in front of you."

"That's reassuring." I say almost in tears.

"Kat, you can do this. I know you can do this. You can trust me."

"You say that a lot," I say nervous.

"I am going to keep on saying it until you believe me."