“I have to find him.” He made a noise of frustration, but I could see in his eyes he’d expected this answer.
“You’d better hurry,” said Cara.
Something about her tone made my blood turn cold.
“Why?” She hesitated, and I kneeled beside her. “Why, Cara?”
She took another swig of pills and in a flash of fury I slapped it from her hand. What few remained spilled across the dusty carpet.
“The walls are about to come tumbling down.”
I rose slowly.
“We’re going to bomb Charlotte,” she said. “Just the way they bombed us in Chicago. Just like they did with the safe house.”
CHAPTER
21
IT took a moment for her words to sink in, to push past the buzzing in my brain.
“We have bombs?” Sean asked.
“They have bombs,” she said. “Long distance explosive devices. We have access to their control panels.”
And access to the census reports for each base, as I’d seen documented in the radio room. We knew how many soldiers in each region would be attending to Charlotte for the chief’s party. The amount of damage we could do took my breath away.
“Three has people working in the FBR,” I said, remembering what Rocklin had told Chase and I our first night there. “It’s how they assured that Endurance wouldn’t get bombed like the safe house or Chicago.”
Some good that did. They found Three’s base anyway.
“That doesn’t make sense,” said Sean, crossing his arms over his chest. “If that were true they wouldn’t have let the safe house get hit.”
“We had no choice.”
Sean and I turned to find Jesse, his face and clothing smeared with grime, striding through the door. He wiped his palms on his pant legs as he crossed the room to where Cara lay.
“Hey, Jesse,” she said, eyelids heavy.
They knew each other. How, I had no idea.
“What does that mean, no choice?” asked Sean.
When Jesse didn’t answer, Sean blocked his path, standing between him and Cara. Next to Sean, it was clear how much taller and physically imposing Jesse was. The tattoo on his neck glistened under a fine layer of sweat. For a moment I thought he might fight Sean—his bloodshot eyes flashed with something feral and dangerous—but when Sean lifted his chin in challenge, Jesse rocked back on his heels and put his hands on his hips.
“The location of the safe house had already been compromised. Our men on the inside had no choice but to follow the Bureau’s orders and take it down.”
“What are you talking about, our men?” I gripped my side, feeling weak, as another piece fell into place. “You knew they’d bomb the safe house. That’s why you weren’t there.”
He didn’t answer. He didn’t even look at me.
“All those people died,” said Sean. “You’re saying that Three killed them?” He sent a dark glance my way, confirming that every suspicion he’d had about this place had been true. The triple scar on my chest tingled uncomfortably.
“Three didn’t kill them, the Bureau did,” said Jesse, passing Sean to reach Cara.
The Bureau may have killed them, but Three let it happen.
“They could have at least warned them. They could have tried to evacuate.”
Jesse twitched. “I tried to warn them. I wasn’t fast enough.”
He’d told us he’d been in the woods. Sarah had been by the beach. He’d saved her, she’d said.
“How long have you been with Three?” I asked. The location of the president’s hideout in the mountains. The men Jesse had killed in Chattanooga. The soldier in the cage at the cemetery. He’d known all along Endurance would be there, that they’d bring us in without question.
Cara snorted. “Oh, I’d say awhile, huh, Jesse?”
He kneeled beside her, picked up the nearly empty pill bottle and with a grim look stuck it in his pocket. “There are choices we have to make that aren’t easy. Save the safe house, or save the mission. Either way we lose good people.”
“You could have stopped it,” Sean said.
“And lost the chance to strike back,” countered Jesse. “Right now our people are outside of Charlotte, waiting for it to fall. Ready to claim our victory.”
This had been the plan all along, the orders that the fighters would receive once they arrived. Without knowing it, I’d called the people to join them.
“Chase could be in Charlotte.” My knees grew weak, and I leaned against the side of the couch for support. “Your nephew could be in Charlotte.”
Jesse stood rigid, filling the whole room.
“Yes,” he said.
“You’re going to stop it, then. You’re going to get him out.”
“It’s too late.”
I did not believe that. I would not believe it. But the evidence was thick and heavy and filled me with dread.
“You’re bombing it tonight. For the chief’s party.” To kill one man they would risk hundreds more.
Jesse’s jaw twitched.
“We all make sacrifices,” he said.
A veil of red passed before my eyes. I thought of how he’d taken Chase away when I was twelve, how he’d left him when he was sixteen in Chicago to fend for himself. I hated Jesse then. I hated him for not even trying.
I’d wanted to believe in Three so much I’d neglected to see it for what it really was. Just another group of insurgents trying to tear apart the system. They didn’t care about the truth—that our injured had been murdered, that the prisoners were dying each day, that Chase was gone and Tucker had been used as bait—they only cared about the outcome.
Jesse had scooped Cara up in his arms and was making for the entryway. He twisted, reaching for the handle to open the door without bumping her splinted leg.
“We’re leaving,” he said, carrying her to the porch and down the steps to where the Lost Boys waited on the patchy front lawn.
I followed him outside, Sean on my heels. The standalone garage where Rebecca and I had fought off the pack of dogs was behind the parked white moving truck. The sun hid behind the thick thunderclouds, but was climbing, counting down the minutes to the Chief of Reformation’s party.
“Where?” I called.
“Tampa,” he answered bluntly. The nasty boy, Charlie, rose, and helped him lift the back gate of the moving truck. Gently, Jesse settled Cara on the flatbed.
My nerves cracked like a whip. I was not going to Tampa. I was going to Charlotte. I needed to get to Chase before the bombs hit, and the only way I knew to do that was to sneak in.
“I need this truck,” I said. I glanced at Sean. “I’m sorry,” I mouthed. He needed it, too, to get back to Rebecca.
“Don’t test me, neighbor.” Jesse didn’t turn around.
My gun was missing, and before Sean could stop me I’d snatched his from behind his back. I released the safety but kept it lowered. Jesse, hearing the noise, turned slowly.
“Don’t test me,” I said, trying to stop my hands from shaking. “I’m taking this truck.”
“Put down the gun,” said Jesse.
“Give me the keys.” It occurred to me that I didn’t know how to get to Greeneville. I didn’t even know how to drive. It didn’t matter. I’d figure it out. Fast.
I glanced to my right, to Sean, his stare shifting between me and Jesse. The eyes of the children had all turned my direction, and I couldn’t help but feel a little bad for that.
“You’re not going to shoot anyone,” said Cara from inside the truck.
I lifted the gun and fired into the air. The adrenaline kicked down my arm.