Three (Article 5 #3)(85)

“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.

“She’s gonna shoot someone,” said Charlie.

“The keys!”

Jesse reached into his pocket, teeth bared.

“I knew you’d be a pain in the ass.” He tossed me a silver key ring.

I heard footsteps on my right, and felt Sean stand beside me.

“Get out of here,” he said quietly. “Do what you’ve got to do.”

“What’s your plan?” Jesse asked him. “How are you going to get back to your girl?”

“The Horizons truck in the garage,” said Sean. I’d forgotten about that—we’d pulled supplies out of the back the first time we’d been here.

“The tires are flat,” said Jesse.

“A lot of kids here,” he said. “I’m sure we can find a few spares.”

“You just need to make it to Endurance,” I said. “There’s one more car left in the lot.” It would be a tight fit with all the kids, but I had confidence Sean would make it work.

He nodded.

“Hey, sister,” called Cara weakly. I glanced over at her, half expecting her to have a gun pointed in my direction, too. Instead, she wore a lopsided grin. “If you’re breaking into a base, make sure you dress the part.” She winked.

Clearly she’d had too much pain medicine.

Jesse made a move toward me, but Sean blocked his way. “Uh-uh,” he said with a firm shake of his head. Jesse could have flattened Sean if he’d wanted to, but something had him falling back. He swore, and then reached into the truck to help Cara out.

“Think about this,” Jesse said. “The first bomb hits Charlotte at midnight. The rest follow every fifteen minutes. Chicago, Atlanta, Knoxville, and Lexington.”

Every major base between here and the middle of the country.

The breath trembled in my lungs. After the bombing, Three would attack Charlotte. If the Statutes I’d put my name on worked, the same thing would happen across the country.

“You’re sure?” whispered Sean over his shoulder.

“I’m sure,” I said.

“Then get going.” He nudged me toward the door. I saw in his face he wasn’t coming. Better that way. He needed to find Rebecca.

I looked into his bright blue eyes, flooded with memories of him helping me escape from the reformatory. Here he was, doing it again. Being the friend I needed him to be.

I gave him a quick hug, our only good-bye.

“Tampa,” he said. “I’ll see you there.”

I nodded, throat hot. I jumped in the front seat, slammed the door shut, and pushed the key into the ignition. Driving couldn’t be so hard; I’d seen Chase do it tons of times.