Final Truth

Chapter 18: Do Not Fail Me

Cade's point of view:

I climb up out of the hole in the ground, hoisting myself onto the pavement and hastily putting the stone back over the entrance to the bunker.

Glancing over my shoulders, I dart for the shadows of the alleyways to conceal myself, praying that nobody saw and that Cassia and the others will be safe for now.

I lean against the brick wall of a building, catching my breath and trying to collect myself.

I worry about Cassia, trying to understand why she held onto me almost the entirety of my visit instead of keeping the usual distance between us.

Not that I'm complaining of any sort; it just seemed so unlike the guarded girl I have come to familiarize myself with.

Not only was she holding onto to me, but she also finally admitted that she trusts me now; that in itself is a feat I never would've imagined she'd be able to accomplish. I can't blame her for her lack of trust considering everything they've all been through, but that small step in the right direction is enough to prove that she's changing, perhaps for the better.

I just wish there was a way they could've avoided seeing Julia's speech, but I couldn't have done anything to prevent it. Even I didn't know about the broadcast until they played it at the dome.

My words to Cassia were true: there's no way they killed Julia, not from all the trouble they went through just to get her to that prison.

Peter, however, was noticeably absent from the video, and a sickening feeling begins to rise up in my chest as I wonder if the gunshots at the end had anything to do with him.

I suppose Henley knows no limits to causing pain.

Shaking my head and composing myself, I stand up a little straighter and begin to walk back to the dome, thankful for the empty streets that were filled with angry crowds just hours ago.

As I start my trek, however, I get a familiar odd sensation as if I'm suddenly not alone anymore, that the presence of another person is right on my heels.

I don't make it more than ten steps before someone grabs my shoulder from behind and pins me against the wall, terror pushing its way up my throat.

"Come with me; I have a few things to discuss with you," the person demands, and I turn my head to see that it's a very angry Will.

Oh boy, I'm in for it this time.

************

In the next few minutes I find myself inside Adam's old office at the headquarters building, Will looking at me harshly from his seat at Adam's desk.

"I trust you saw the horrible failure of that broadcast," He says to me after a long moment of silence.

"Yes sir; myself and the other policemen had to restrain the citizens from storming this very building. They're all calling for your head," I explain.

Will rises from the chair and paces the room, stopping to gaze out the window that overlooks the small city.

"I'm a fool; I should've known my incompetent sister wouldn't be able to get Julia to cooperate," he admits.

I stay exactly where I am near the door, just in case Will becomes angry and decides to start blowing things up.

"Oh well, at least I know that Julia's been punished accordingly for her actions," Will says in a lighter tone, allowing a more content look to grace his frown lines.

A small pinprick of fear rises up in me at that. "If I may ask, how so has she been punished?" I question.

"Henley killed the boy...Peter was his name I think. Since Julia didn't care enough about him when she told the citizens to keep fighting, Henley figured he had no use anymore," Will explains.

I put a hand on the wall to try and steady myself, not able to believe what I've just been told. She actually did it this time...Henley managed to destroy the one thing that Julia relied on to always be there.

I find myself at odds with this, shaking my head in disbelief. I've never even met Peter, yet even I know it's too early in the game for death to be unfolding. She couldn't have really killed him...could she?

"Do you not agree with that form of punishment, Cade?" Will inquires, walking towards me with a suspicious look at my obvious disturbance at this news.

I hide my true thoughts and stand up straight, clearing my face and voice of anything other than indifference. "Of course I agree, sir; Julia is a traitor and deserves exactly that and more," I lie.

"Good," Will says, although I can tell he's still suspicious.

"Now Cade, you are a young man that is still naive enough to let his loyalties be swayed; should you ever encounter Adam and his group, I need to know that you would be strong enough to do what needs to be done. They have stolen from me and put our entire cause at risk, and I need to be able to rely on you to do what must be done," he says ambiguously.

A moment of silence passes, and I wipe the sweaty palms of my hands on my jeans, nervous at his words.

"Sir, what are you implying?" I ask.

"You are the only policeman on the force with any sense, so surely you understand: if you ever encounter Adam or anyone else of his group, you must end them. From here on out, that is your mission: find them, and make them pay. I want to see them suffer," Will says maliciously, causing my heart to pound.

I am many things, but a killer is not one of them.

"Find them, and do not fail me. I'll be watching you closely; don't think I haven't noticed your strange behavior lately, what with you hanging around outside my building well after dark," he pushes, perhaps trying to get an explanation out of me.

Fear clutches its fingers around my throat and chokes me with images of Will torturing Cassia and everyone else for what they've done.

"I will not fail," I lie to him, trying to shake my feelings of dread away.

Will leans against the wall, seemingly unsatisfied with my refusal to acknowledge my 'strange behavior,' but he thinks better than to push me into explaining my actions. He's tired, angry, and panicked; I am the least of his concerns at the moment.

"Good. You're dismissed," he tells me, and I turn on my heels and make a bee-line out of Adam's old office, racing down the stairs and out the door into the empty streets below.

The night is chilly with frigid winter air, but my insides are scalding hot with worry. I run my fingers through my hair, trying to figure out what to do.

There's no way I'll turn Adam and the others over to Will, not a chance. I know what he's doing is wrong, and Adam's the only one who can stop him. These citizens deserve better than Will.

However, how am I going to keep Cassia, Adam, Kyle, and Susan hidden? Will knows about the loose stone, and now I know that he's seen me hanging around outside near the stone.

The situation with the citizens' outrage over Julia's message might've bought us some time, but not much. Sooner or later, he'll investigate.

I suppose the only thing now I can do is stall even further to give Adam time to finish evaluating the box of powers, because I can't run the risk of Will actually seeing me messing with the stone this time.

It's time to leave them alone and continue my work up here. They'll be alright; they're stronger together.

One thing is for certain though:

I won't be seeing Cassia again anytime soon.