Xavier’s steps paralleled Rupert’s as best he could, ducking branches and stepping over brush and twigs, trying his best to remain unnoticed. He maintained what visual he could of Rupert, but it was limited to glimpses of clothing through the thick growth—flashes of white and blue to follow.
His cart slogged through the rain-soaked grass and mud. Rupert strained to keep it moving along, pulling at it, slowly making his way. There wasn’t a straight path to the trenches, only a winding progression—mostly forward. The usual cut-through was ruined by the storm, filled by puddles and debris. The rain had truly added an extra layer of misery.
Once there, Rupert stopped the wagon and unloaded his shovels and a rake, shaking his head and mumbling to himself. Xavier moved closer. He settled in to catch his breath. He now had a perfect view of Rupert and could almost hear him. Rupert thrust the head of the shovel into the ground and rested his foot upon its edge. He continued his rant, punctuating the words with gestures of his hands. His face lit up with anger as he spoke. His hateful drivel spewing forth. This conversation was going to be interesting. He was already so worked up.
“Psst,” Xavier projected it as low and straight as he could.
Rupert stopped his muttering and looked around.
“Psst, hey.” A little louder.
Rupert pulled the shovel from the ground and held it across his body like a Bo staff.
“Right here. It’s Xavier.” He crashed through the woods, his hands open out in front of him. “It’s me. Don’t hit me.”
“That’s not a good enough reason.” Rupert raised the head of the shovel over him as if to strike, and Xavier backed away. “I’m not going to hit you, dumb shit.” He lowered the shovel, and Xavier expelled the breath he was holding. “Why the hell are you watching me?”
“I’m not. I’m— I need a favor.”
“Good luck with that.” Rupert scoffed and spoke over his shoulder as he turned away from Xavier, “You’re not even supposed to be out here, so I don’t know what you’re up to.”
“I’m not doing anything.”
“How’d you even get out— You know what… I don’t even want to know.” Rupert readied his shovel for the trenches.
“Me and Grant left yesterday. I figured everyone knew.” Xavier began to worry. He has to know something. “Didn’t Grant come back yesterday?”
“Don’t know and don’t care.” Rupert began dumping the buckets, spreading it as evenly as he could within the trench. He crammed his shovel into a large pile of dirt and shook it over the waste. Layer by layer, he buried the excrement, sealing the stench of decay as best he could. “Now you really are watching me. What do you want?”
“I need to get back in.”
“Then go.” Rupert continued shoveling. “They’ll let you.”
“These S.A. people don’t know me.”
Rupert worked in silence.
“Come on, look,” Xavier pleaded, “I just need to talk to Sam. Have you seen him?”
“No.”
“It’s important.”
“He can’t talk to you… Not after what they did to him.”
“You saw it?”
“Hell no!” Rupert drooped the bandana from his face and shoved the wooden handle from one palm to the other. “Had I…” A breath. “Things would’ve been different. Would have popped that guy’s head right off, messing with Sam like that.”
Xavier’s mouth sat open, dumbfounded. That’s right. How could he have forgotten that Sam and Rupert were close? It made sense. The two of them notoriously disgruntled—a perfect match.
Rupert continued bad mouthing the Second Alliance, and all Xavier could do was nod in agreement. His ranting leaned the same way. The Second Alliance had bludgeoned his friend, leaving him unresponsive, wasting away somewhere in the school. There’s no way Rupert would settle for that.
“…and those folks don’t know what they got themselves into. People aren’t going to stand for that. No way. I’m not. I just…”
Xavier continued listening to him ramble. Rupert seemed more on board with this than he could have ever imagined. Rupert made it seem as if the whole school was buzzing with revolt—that the Second Alliance was finished in River’s Edge, as if no one could look past what they did to Sam. Xavier had only witnessed people submit after seeing the strike. They were scared. Rightfully so. People had suppressed their true feelings and were now ready. It was really going to happen.
“…crazy that it even happe—”
“How do I get to Sam?”
“Why do you care so much?” Rupert asked.
“Look.” Xavier sighed. “I just need to talk to him. Are you going to help me or not?”
“Haven’t decided yet, but you’re gonna need me to talk to him anyways.”
“Why’s that?”
“Haverty said that I’m gonna be the first talk to him,” he said, almost bragging. “So wrap yourself around that.”
“You talked to Haverty about Sam? Why?”
“Don’t really trust the bastards,” Rupert said. “It’s that— I needed to know he’s good.”
“But he’s not the only reason you don’t trust them.”
Rupert shook his head.
“What then?”
Rupert shoveled some more and ignored Xavier’s prying.
“I’m not leaving until you’re finished.”
“Gonna be awhile.”
Frustrated, Xavier stood watching Rupert’s lethargic pace of shoveling. “I’m not sure what you’re so afraid of. Why can’t you say? We want the same thing. Just say it!”
“Who’s afraid?” Rupert dropped the shovel to the ground and turned toward Xavier. “What is it you think? Huh? What do I want?” Rupert rushed him.
“Hey, hey, hey.” Xavier back-pedaled, stumbling, ultimately falling to the ground. “All I’m trying to say is we want the same— We want the S.A. gone, not just for what they did to Sam, but everything.”
Rupert stood over him, not saying a word.
“The two meals,” Xavier started, “the craziness with supplies. All of that’s driving everyone mad.”
Rupert left Xavier on the ground and turned away. “It doesn’t matter. Most are cowards and would never stand up to them. They’re going to take us over. Just a matter of time.”
“Exactly!” Xavier scrambled to his feet. “That’s why now is the time. I know Sam will help. We just have to find him. People will listen to him. He’s a leader.”
Rupert pulled the bandana back over his nose and shoveled some more, “I hear you. Just not convinced.”
“How’s this…?”
Nothing.
“Rupert!”
He looked to Xavier.
“We left yesterday for downtown. Me and Grant with an S.A. Guard. We all got into a… Well, someone— someone fired on us and killed our escort. But it turned out that the guy was carrying a letter from Haverty to the leader of the S.A. I grabbed his pack and ran. Found the letter inside. Everything is in it.”
“And?”
“It proves what they did. That they don’t want a partnership. They want full control. Come on! That’s why you should care.”
“What makes you think Sam will help?”
“The reason he got hit is why!” Xavier’s voice continued to rise. “He sees it coming. He knows. Just like you and me. Without a doubt, he’ll help. We’ve all worked so hard on this place and now, just to hand it all over is insane!”
“You’ve lost your mind. A kid against the world?” Rupert laughed loudly and began pulling the cart to another stretch of the trenches. “You’re an idiot.”
What’s going on in his head?
Xavier had no choice but to wait for Rupert to finish. Even if he couldn’t convince Rupert, at least he’d be able to get in without a confrontation with the Sentries. He didn’t expect much more than that, but some of the conversation gave him hope. Some of that hope lay with Rupert—most of it with Sam.