Traitors

The Tunnel is busy with panicked rebels making sure anyone who had a job last night wasn't seen or discovered. Fingers pound away at keyboards followed by mouse clicks and disgruntled sighs. This isn't the first time one of us has been caught and put to death and it won't be the last. Anytime it happens, a sense of panic runs through our veins. It'll die down in a few days, but for now worry is our only emotion.

I hop over the metal bar and drop down into the plant. I slide into an empty computer station and start tapping into the news footage from last nights arson. I closely watch to make sure I wasn't seen. I was cautious because I knew there were cameras locked on that building, but I managed to remain unseen. I release a sigh of relief and notice Gabe is situated in front of everyone ready to speak. He clears his throat and the worrisome chatter dies down.

"I guess everyone has seen the news or at least heard about it." He chuckles. "Isn't hard to guess how we all are feeling right now. The important thing is to remain as calm as possible. From what I know, Jeremy remained loyal to the cause and has not mentioned any names or where we are hiding out." I hear a few sighs. "This is a touchy subject, but as always we need two representatives to go to the hanging. Any volunteers before I call you out?" Everyone glances around, nosy to see if someone actually volunteers. "Fine! Detope!" I let a growl escape my throat as I rest my head in my hands. "Your lucky day. You'll be going with Fierce. He was supposed to go to the last three, but he keeps dodging them somehow. Go talk some sense into him and when that doesn't work, drag him out there." Everyone returns to their own business. "Oh! And Detope," I glance up at him, "nice job last night." He smiles before disappearing down the hall.

I hear a few people clap around me and utter their praise. I give a forced smile before pulling myself up from the chair and go on a hunt for Fierce. I head for the training room first thinking he'd be in there throwing other rebels onto the mat and calling it "teaching." You can tell he gets a kick out of knocking people to the ground. He has purposely thrown me onto the mat too many times to count just to prove a point; he's stronger.

I look around the training room, but only Quela and Hunter are in here. Hunter is one of the three leaders of the rebellion, but he is the reserved one of the group. Gabe is the true leader. He makes the plans, selects your partner, and is the most outspoken one. Fierce is the muscle. He'll go into any situation blind no matter how much danger lies ahead. The three are best friends, even if they don't want to admit it. Quela stops moving and tilts her head in my direction.

"Who's there?" She asks me.

Quela isn't technically blind, but she chooses to be. She claims she's had vision issues since the bombing, but I think there's more to it than that. She says she can see, but it's blurry, distorted, and incapable of being fixed. Instead, she makes herself blind by wearing a red blindfold. She doesn't rely on her vision anymore, but that doesn't stop her from being one of the best fighters in the group of rebels. Hunter trains her constantly to make sure her loss of vision isn't a handicap.

"It's Phoe." I call to her. She smiles putting a hand on Hunter's chest to signal a break. "Have you seen Fierce? I have to drag him out to the hanging." Hunter rubs the back of his head with a frown.

"He's up the back stairs having a smoke. I can smell it from here." Quela walks over to the shelf in the corner, running her hand up the side. Her fingers graze over the shelving stopping on hers. She grabs her water bottle and takes a sip. "He's tense and upset, Phoe. Just be careful. Today won't be easy for him." As always, she knows more than what she's letting on. She turns her head back to Hunter. "Ready to go again?" She calls to him. He shakes his head yes and she sighs. "Hunter, I can't see you. You have to use your words, dumb dumb!" She giggles walking back over to him. "We going again?" He remains quiet making her frustrated. She reaches up for his head and he moves it up and down. "I wish you weren't so stubborn."

I smile at them as I leave the room. I've never heard Hunter speak before, but I know he can. He lets his actions speak for him. Gabe is just his opposite as he speaks too much. Then there is Fierce, who can talk to you all day and ignore you the next.

I peer out the glass window of the door which leads to the outside set of stairs. Sitting on the top step is Fierce with a cigarette wedged between his lips. He stares at the ground puffing smoke out of his nose. I push open the door and place myself on the other side of it. He doesn't acknowledge me, most likely lost in thought. I climb a few stairs trying to make eye contact with him. He's gone, far from here which gives me the opportunity to stare at his tattoos. I've always been hypnotized by the intricate designs he has which start from his finger tips leading up to his neck and chest. He has the number twenty-one tattooed on his cheek bone under his left eye. I catch myself realizing if I stare any longer, I'll be as lost as he is.

"Fierce?" I murmur softly. Smoke exits through his nose. "Can you hear me?" I step closer to him. "Logan?" His first name feels weird coming from my mouth, but it strikes his attention instantly.

"Detope!" He rips the cigarette from his mouth and throws it on the ground stomping it out. "How long have you been here?" His cheeks light up into a shade of red, close to the colour of my hair.

"Not long, promise." I smile trying to ease his embarrassment. I sit a few steps down from him. "Brestion sent me to find you. We have to go to the hanging." My smile fades quickly as he rubs his hand on the nape of his neck; a tick I've noticed he does that when he's uneasy and stressed.

"Gabe is sending you with me?" He smirks. "Fuck." He shakes his head. "Well, I guess that means I got to go, huh?" He looks up at me where I catch a glimpse of a smile. "No one can say no to you, Detope." He plants his hands on his knees and forces himself up. "We better get going then. It's almost noon."

He lowers his hand to me. I grip it and stand up. He pulls me up the rest of the stairs and we head across the street to the deserted parking garage. His black car is parked sideways taking up two parking spaces. I laugh as I climb into the passenger's seat. He wiggles his key into the ignition and the engine roars to life. He turns the dial and blasts the heat toward me.

The city is already packed. People marching down the street with pride in their hearts and smiles on their faces. My stomach turns thinking about Jeremy. I can't even begin to wonder how he was discovered. He was the most conscientious out of all of us. Fierce parks his car in an alley a few blocks away. He pops his hood up and jams a carton of cigarettes in his pocket. He glances over at me as I reach for the car door. He grips my arm freezing me in my tracks. He reaches across and flips the hood of my jacket up and stuffs my bright red hair inside. He breathes heavily before forcing his car door open. I follow his actions and meet him in front of his car.

We walk out into the streets to join the rest of the people gathering to witness the hanging. A lump in my throat begins to form as the rowdy world around me becomes quiet to my ears. My eyes gaze upon the staged hanging area making my feet incapable of movement. Fierce walks a few steps before noticing I'm alongside him. He turns back locking eyes with mine. He grabs onto my bicep leading me forward with him. I stumble on my feet not prepared for his roughness which makes him snicker.

We make a sudden right turn down another alley and into an abandoned building. The place is rustic and falling apart. The ceiling has caved which reveals the second floor if you look upward. I follow Fierce up the rotted stairs to the second level. He heads straight for the room which looks out onto the entire street. I peer down placing my right hand on the window. My hot breath fogs up the glass within seconds. I quickly wipe it away and watch the children below dancing. Putting a traitor to death is a happy ceremony for the puppets, but for the fellow "traitors" it's a mourning day. We're losing a colleague, a rebel, a friend. How I wish at this moment I was back at The Tunnel.

Fierce throws himself into a dusty chair resting his head in his palms. There's a pat at the microphone outside followed by a voice testing and counting. The crowd cheers as an older man takes the stage. Fierce looks up with a feared look written across his face and I know why.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mayor Fierce." The voice cheers along with the rest of the crowd. I had forgotten his father is one of the main problems. It's not something we discuss at The Tunnel.

"Thank you! You are all too kind!"" His husky voice vibrates into the room.

Fierce reaches in his pocket and pulls out a cigarette. He pats his coat with disappointment realizing he forgot a lighter. I smile as I pull mine out and toss it over to him.

"Can always count on you for a lighter, Detope." He chuckles softly.

"Today," Mayor Fierce continues, "we take care of another issue. Although he isn't the last of them, he will serve as a message to those traitors out there. They can't hide in this society; not when everyone is watching their every move." I fold my arms across my chest. "We are trying our best to find the rest of these traitors. Starting with that arsonist." I roll my eyes as I back away from the window. Fierce blows smoke out from his lips with a worried look, but I give him a small smile to reassure him. "They can burn down our buildings and mess with our heads, but in the end we will be victorious." The crowd begins to cheer which calls me to look back out the window. "Now I think it's time we get things started." Mayor Fierce calls into the microphone causing the crowd to go crazier than before.

The cheers quickly turn into swears and roars of an angry mob forming. They shove Jeremy onto the stage. I look over at Fierce who has his eyes squeezed shut, hating every minute of this. I force myself to watch for all of us. He has to know we're here for him. Jeremy scans over the crowd and then suddenly up at the window. We lock eyes and he gives me a smile. He is brave, braver than I'd be. His hands are secured around his back and they slip the noose around his neck. I take a deep breath keeping my eyes focused on him. He looks around the crowd, trying not to be obvious about our location.

The crowd chants a countdown which doesn't reflect when the executioner will actually pull the lever to end Jeremy's life. He pulls it whenever Mayor Fierce says so. I see the signal, but am too late to shield my eyes. The executioner pulls the lever and Jeremy drops. He kicks his legs frantically shocking everyone, including me, as we're all aware he's still alive. I hate watching, but I can't look away. Jeremy looks up at me one last time before his legs stop moving and his body becomes limp. The crowd cheers as it's now blatantly obvious he's dead .

I rest my back against the nearest wall and drop slowly down to the floor wishing I could have looked away. I stare blankly at the floorboards. Fierce gets up out of the chair and sluggishly walks toward me. He kneels in front of me trying to pull me out of my trance. He offers me his hand with my lighter resting on his palm. I blink quickly and look up at him.

"Let's go home, Detope. It's already been a rough day and it's only the start of the afternoon."

I rest my hand in his and follow him out of the building and back to the car.