Polaris Rising (Consortium Rebellion, #1)(108)

Bianca interrupted me. “You’re coming back.”

“I aim to,” I told her.

“You’re coming back,” she said again, more forcefully.

“Just in case I don’t, this is information you need to know. You are my backup plan, Bianca. If you don’t hear from me in an hour, release everything. You know information is my only hope.”

She looked sick to her stomach but she agreed.

“Are you planning to storm the place single-handedly?” Ian asked.

“Yes,” I said.

“Do you think that’s going to work?” he asked.

No. “Maybe.”

He sighed and shook his head. “I can get you to the High Chamber, but I can’t be seen,” he said. “Once I get you in, you’re on your own.”

“Why would you help me at all?” I asked.

“I’m repaying a debt.”

I didn’t have time to question help, so I nodded. I pulled out my com and sent an emergency message to Rhys and Veronica. It should be morning there, so they would get it as soon as it bounced through the gate. I asked them to come to Earth and be prepared for a hot pickup.

I attached an official invite, which would allow them to bypass a lot of the RCDF checkpoints. I kept the details to a minimum because even the extra encryption was no guarantee the message wouldn’t be intercepted, but I told them to contact Bianca for more information if they couldn’t reach me.

I hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

“I will meet you back here in ten minutes,” Ian said as the transport dropped us off. “Don’t be late.”

I nodded, hugged Bianca, and ran for my room.

In my closet, I stripped off my dress and shoes. After a moment’s hesitation, I put on the red dress Loch had bought me. I told him I’d wear it on the day he got pardoned and that day was today, one way or another. My boots didn’t exactly go with the dress, but I put them on anyway.

After all, sturdy boots were a must when running for your life.

I slid aside the panel in my bedroom that concealed my armory and picked up two blasters, two stun pistols, a handful of plastech ties that could be used for handcuffs, and two thigh holsters. The full skirt of my dress concealed the weapons and ties. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but it would have to do.

I gazed around the room one final time, hoarding memories. I’d barely settled in but it still hurt to leave again. Last time I left, I’d naively thought Father would give up after a year or two. This time I was under no such illusion.

Bianca waited for me in the hallway. She hugged me fiercely. “You don’t have to do this—you know that, right? Is he worth it?” she asked.

The thought of Loch dying alone while I stood aside and did nothing tore holes in my heart. “He’s worth it,” I said.

She hugged me tighter. “Please don’t die,” she breathed.

“I’m not planning to,” I said. “And I’ll do what I can to keep Director Bishop out of trouble.”

That startled a watery laugh out of her. “Good luck,” she said. “Let me know how that works out for you.” She let me go and stepped back. “I’ve already set up my scripts to release everything in an hour unless I intervene, so even if they grab me, you’ll be protected.”

“Thank you,” I said. I had my own set of safeguards that needed to be reset every few days. Nearly everyone in the Consortium did. Mutually assured destruction was one of the reasons so few assassinations were attempted.

I left Bianca and ran for the entrance. Even so, a cloaked man was already waiting for me. I stopped short. Had someone else figured out my plan?

“It’s me,” Ian said from the depths of the hood.

I squinted at him in the dim light. He wore dark fatigues and a black shirt. I never would’ve guessed it was Ian Bishop under the cloak, which I guess was the point. I didn’t know he owned anything other than a suit. A black balaclava covered the lower part of his face. He looked intent and dangerous. In fact, he reminded me of Loch.

He gestured to the unmarked transport waiting for us. “I’ll brief you on the way.”

I climbed in and he followed. We set off for a service entrance of the main Consortium building.

“Do not call me by name once we are inside,” he said. “I don’t have the authority to override their security logs. I can get you as far as the High Chamber door. You’re lucky that it’s after hours and a special meeting they want to keep secret. There should only be two guards posted outside, but you will have to deal with them on your own.”

“I’ll take care of it,” I said.

“There is an auxiliary guard station just down the hall, so don’t linger. But neither security personnel nor surveillance are allowed inside the High Chamber.” At my disbelieving look, he continued, “Tell me about it. I’ve been trying to change it for years, but the councillors don’t want their meetings recorded in any way.”

He continued, “Once you get inside the High Chamber, there is a panic button on the control panel near the door. Pushing it will lock the room from the inside. Each councillor’s seat has its own panic button and override. If you want the room to stay locked, you need to get them away from the buttons. Once the room is locked down, only a councillor’s identity chip and the override can unlock it. And once the room goes into lockdown, expect a shit-ton of RCDF troops to be waiting outside when the doors open.”