Renegade (The Elysium Chronicles #1)(51)

“I removed their DNA from the computer. The camera caught them in the Square. If this turret went off, it was because it didn’t register their DNA.”





CHAPTER FIFTEEN



Conditioning is an important part of your daughter’s training. But there is no need to fear. All the Conditioning takes place while she’s asleep. She will feel nothing other than a quick sting of the needle filled with “happy juice” that will ensure the perfect atmosphere for Conditioning.





—EXCERPT FROM SO YOUR DAUGHTER HAS BEEN CHOSEN TO BE AN ENFORCER. CONGRATULATIONS! PAMPHLET





Of course it wasn’t a failure. Were they ever? Probably not. The computer was programmed to locate by DNA. All they had to do was delete the person from the computer, so it would think they were Surface Dwellers and open fire.

That was exactly why Mother wasn’t afraid to go down to the Detainment Center to speak with Gavin. She knew they wouldn’t go off.

Gavin and I wait for them to finish their conversation, hoping Mother will drop something else important, but she doesn’t, and I have to wonder if she knows I’m nearby and wanted me to hear that I’d been removed from the computer. I pray they don’t get smart and decide to check the booth. They’ll find us in a heartbeat.

They don’t, and I hope it’s because they think we ran with the crowd to blend in, even if I’m especially grateful we didn’t do that. How many more lives would we be responsible for if we had?

“I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not your fault,” Gavin says. He runs his hand down my arm and interlaces our fingers again.

I shake his hand away, not in the mood for his coddling. “Yes it is. I was stupid enough that I didn’t think Mother would pull our DNA from the computer. She used my own plan against me.”

“What else could we have done? How else would we get here?”

“I don’t know.” I clench my fist so hard my nails dig into my palm, breaking the skin. “Something. Anything would have been better than getting innocent people killed because of me.”

He takes my hand and straightens out my fingers. There are four little half-moon shaped marks in the heel of my palm. “Let’s put that off to the side for now. We need to get to the subs.” He pauses as he stares at me.

I shake my head, but he cuts off my refusal. “She’s going to kill you, Evie. The turret was planned to go after both of us. Not just me. I’m not leaving you here. You’re coming with me.” His tone becomes more forceful with each word and I’m pretty sure he’s close to demanding that I listen to him this time.

Even though I can’t imagine leaving my home, I don’t see a choice. If I stay, I’ll die. Mother will see to that. The wound in my shoulder is proof.

Slowly, I nod. “Okay.”

“No, you don’t— What?” He looks dumbstruck at my agreement and I have to laugh.

“I said, okay. I’ll go with you. You’re right. She’ll kill me if I stay.”

He closes his eyes and lets out a long breath. His features visibly relax before he opens his eyes again. “Great. How are we going to do it now if our disguises aren’t going to work?”

“I don’t know. Every time I plan something she’s one step ahead of me.” I rub my hands across my eyes. Voices are coming our way, along with the scraping of shoes against concrete. “We have to leave this room. The Guards have opened the station again. The booth worker will be back soon.”

He glances around until his eyes focus on the dark area to the right side of the booth. “The sensors didn’t seem to pick us up in the shadows. Let’s hide there for now, until we can think of something.”

I nod and we hide in the shadows just as a worker enters the booth from the other door.

It’s a woman; I can see her clearly through the window. If she looks closely she’ll see us, too. But she’s too busy fiddling with buttons on the control panel in front of her. Exactly above where we were hiding.

“Didn’t think I’d ever thank a Surface Dweller for anything, but he picked a good night to try to escape. Now that they’ve shut down the Tube, I’ll get to go to Festival and not have to keep coming up with excuses to keep people from going back to Three,” she says.

“But what about Miss Evelyn?” another female voice asks. I can’t see her, but it sounds like she’s on the other side of the booth, closer to the concrete wall.

The first woman turns around, confirming the other woman’s position for me. “I do feel sorry for her. Poor thing is so daft she probably doesn’t even know what’s going on.”

Narrowing my eyes, I fight the urge to tell her exactly what I think about her.

Gavin squeezes my hand and, when I glance over, he shakes his head.

I return the squeeze to reassure him I’m not going anywhere and go back to listening to the women’s conversation.

I freeze when I see how close she is. I dare not breathe in case she hears me, but she’s studying something on the wall. Not me.

“Ugh, the Guards took our first-aid kit. Now I’ll have to fill out a requisition before I leave,” she says.

“Would you like me to do it? I don’t mind. I didn’t really want to go to Festival anyway,” the other woman says.