Elite

It was forever before Sylvie was able to pull away. But as she did, she could see instantly that she had hit her mark. Davis’s eyes took on a glazed and far away look and his hand, which had found its way to her waist, trembled slightly where it touched her. It was not the first time the two of them had shared a similar embrace, but it was the first time Sylvie had poured herself into it.

And it made her sick.

Sylvie lifted her hand to cover her mouth careful to make the gesture appear demure, when really it was an effort to bite back the distinct taste of bile that continued to rise in her throat. “Can we go?” she said, once she had regained her composure. “Now?” Sylvie drilled her eyes into Davis’ and prayed he read her request as the whims of a superficial girl instead of the thinly veiled agenda she was actually pushing. It was the first time that Sylvie had wanted to be underestimated, but she knew it would not be the last time someone made the mistake.

Davis smiled down at her, his expression such the perfect image of coddling superiority that Sylvie was certain his lot was cast with hers. “Let’s move out!” he said, speaking to the mass of soldiers, but never tearing his eyes away from hers.

“Captain Davis, are you sure—“ a nameless troop said, starting to contest the order, but Davis severed his comment so sharply, he might as well have used a blade.

“I said,” he reiterated, this time stepping away from Sylvie. “Let’s move out.” He waved his hand curtly in a circle above his head and without any other hesitation; the Elite soldiers readied themselves to go.

The huddled crows of Rebels were jostled to their feet and an instant later, Sylvie found herself surrounded by a sea of hateful stares. No one spoke their accusations aloud, but Sylvie could see them all in their eyes.

Liar. Traitor. Whore.

Each one was more articulated than the last. Trying her best to ignore the silent jabs, Sylvie scanned their faces for recognition instead. No Jules. She let go a shaky breath of relief. If her hiding place had been a success so far, then the chances of it lasting were definitely in her favor. Although with everyone else shackled and bound, Sylvie did not know what fate she was leaving her hidden friends to face. Jack, Rex, and the other men from the secret meeting Sylvie had witnesses were all accounted for—all of them except Doc. Sylvie scanned the faces one final time to be sure, but she was right. The one eyed man was nowhere to be found.

“Come with me,” Davis said, reappearing by her side. He cupped his hand on her elbow and guided her through the throng of captives, brushing them aside as he went. They made their way to the edge of the yard and through the winding hallways to the rear exterior of the school.

There, only mere feet from where Jack and she had last spoken sat a massive SolarCraft. The wings sprawled across the width of the old field and the body rose up as high as the stands next to it. Flickers of moonlight sparkled across the smooth silver like fingers tickling ivories. It was the first time Sylvie had ever seen one of the crafts up close. In the past, she had caught glimpses of them over New Eden, but only for mere moments before TechnoCamo blinked them out of sight.

She stared up at the sleek lines and polished surface, noting how out of place the advanced machine looked in a place like this. It was the same reaction she’d had to the OPTIC scanner when Doc had pulled the flashy device from his worn leather bag the day they had met. Slipping her hand into her pocket, Sylvie’s fingers tightened around the cool metal and she felt herself draw strength from its presence. She didn’t know yet exactly how the instrument would help her, but just having it made her feel like all was not lost.

As they approached the SolarCraft, Sylvie watched a panel on the side of the great machine slip away, making room for the ramp that slid silently to the ground. Sylvie’s heart lurched when she saw it settle into the exact spot where she and Jack had shared their last kiss. The exact spot where she’d left him with nothing but questions. The exact spot where she had abandoned him to this fate.

He had to have been one of the first apprehended, there had been no time for him to get away. If he hadn’t been there—meeting with her—it’s possible he could have avoided all of this. He could be somewhere safe, maybe with Doc, who Sylvie hoped was somewhere he could help those who were being herded like sheep up the metal incline to who knows where inside.

“What will happen to them?” Sylvie asked as she scanned the sea of faces for another glimpse of Jack. When Davis didn’t immediately answer, Sylvie feared her sympathies were showing and rushed to cover them again. “I hope they make them all Scabs.” She made sure to sneer when she said the word that only a week ago would have bore negative inflections without any effort. Sylvie was amazed at how much had changed in such a short period of time. Everyone she had met, everything she had learned, had altered her, changed not only her mind, but her. And there was no coming back from it now.

“Most will be,” Davis replied, seemingly oblivious to the universal shift in his companion. “But some—” His voice hovered there on the edge of his inflection, but Sylvie already knew she did not want to hear the rest of his sentence. “Some,” he said, malice painted like a picture on his face. “Will be dealt with more severely.”

As he spoke, Sylvie followed his eyes to the line of prisoners filing helplessly up the long ramp. There she found what she had been looking for. Jack approached the metal grate, his head tucked submissively into his chest. Sylvie willed him to look at her, to meet her eyes just once more so that maybe he would see her explanation there. But even as she wished it, Sylvie knew it was a fool’s errand. Jack knowing where her allegiance lay would help nothing but her conscience. And it would destroy any chance she may have to make any of this right.

“How severely?” Sylvie asked, careful to sound more curious than concerned. The more information she could get from Davis, the better off she would be. But Sylvie knew she had to be cautious how she got it.

“Oh!” Davis laughed, startlingly her with the cruelty of the sound. “Don’t you worry about that. They will all pay for what they did.” Unconsciously, Davis lifted his hand and rubbed it along the side of his head almost like he was rubbing away an old hurt.

And maybe he was.

The night she had been taken, Davis had left the Information Center and Sylvie had not seen him again until he had showed up here. She had never stopped to ask what had happened to him in the meantime. If the Rebels had injured him, the physical evidence was long since gone, but his wounded pride was undeniable. Sylvie considered asking him if he was ok, but decided it would only further inflame the assault on his ego.

Unfortunately, others did not opt for Sylvie’s silence. “This isn’t the end of this!” Rex screamed, fighting every step closer to the ramp of the SolarCraft. He was one of the last of the Rebel captives to be ushered aboard, but unlike the rest, he had not resigned himself to that fate. “We are going to burn your city to the ground!” With every threat he uttered, Rex was delivered a blow across his back. But rather than deter him, each lick seemed to fuel him on, amplifying his verbal assault. “And I’m going to take that one out myself!” Spotting Sylvie next to Davis, Rex’s eyes shot daggers at her so clear and sharp that a blind man could have seen them even in the darkness of night.

Instinctively, Sylvie flinched away and even though it was the slightest of actions, it was all Rex needed to sense her fear. As the soldier beside him raised up to dispatch another strike, Rex spun toward him and swept his feet bringing the guard down in one fluid motion. With his eyes locked on Sylvie, Rex labored against the restraints that bound his wrists. After a moment of resistance, his hands came free and seconds later were poised for Sylvie’s neck. But they never had a chance to find their mark.

Like bees from a hive, black clad soldiers swarmed around him, dragging the angry boy back down to his knees. Sylvie’s heart threatened to tear itself from her chest as she stared down into Rex’s hate filled eyes. His rage was almost palatable, but Sylvie knew there was no reason to fear him now. Instead, she felt a twinge of pity seeing him brought so low. Especially since despite his hostility towards her, she agreed with his plight.

“Step back,” Davis said, moving to stand between Sylvie and her third time would-be attacker. Giving Davis his breadth, she expected to see him produce another set of plastic cuffs to retrain Rex again. But what he did instead slowed time to a grinding halt.

Without another word, Davis lifted his weapon, the red dot of his sight illuminating his target for what felt like an eternity. A forever where Sylvie was pinned in place, helpless to stop what came next. And then the world around her shattered into a thousand tiny fragments of gunfire and smoke.