No Return (The Internal Defense Series) (6 page)

The others were going to want to talk about the prisoners from the transport.

Becca could see it in the way they looked at her across the circle of chairs. She could feel it in their tense stillness as they watched the door of the support-group room, waiting for Jared to arrive and the meeting to begin. Alia’s clenched jaw revealed her anger; Meri’s downcast eyes made her grief plain. The look of betrayal on Peter’s face needed no translation.

Becca didn’t need them to tell her what had happened. She had watched the executions last night, the same as them. She had listened as, one by one, the prisoners listed their crimes in front of that familiar white backdrop, as they offered apologies for their disloyalty with broken voices.

She closed her eyes, preparing herself. They had to talk about the spies tonight. About Ryann Peters. And they couldn’t do that if the others derailed the meeting to argue about something they couldn’t change.

None of us wanted it to happen, but it’s over now,
she would tell them as soon as they brought up the prisoners. Or,
We need to focus on protecting the resistance—speaking of which, there’s something we need to discuss.
Or—

“Who the hell are you?”

Becca’s eyes snapped open.

Jared stood by the door, impassive as ever, looking to Becca for guidance as Alia flew out of her seat to confront him.

No. Not him. The person behind him.

Kara.

The sight of Kara brought it all back. The blackmail. Terrence’s death.

Get out. You have no right to come here.
She clamped her lips down on the words. Forced down the anger. Forced down the impulse to shove Kara right back out the door.

Why had Jared brought her here?

Kara stepped around Jared to face Alia. “My name is Kara Jameson.” She spoke calmly, with no hesitation. Her voice filled the space as if she belonged here. “I’m working with the resistance.”

“Nobody told us about any new members.” Raising a skeptical eyebrow, Alia turned to Becca for confirmation.

That’s because she isn’t working with—
Halfway to snapping out her answer, Becca stopped herself. If she told the others Kara didn’t belong here, they would regard her as a threat. Kara had seen their faces, after all; she knew where they held their meetings. But if she held off their worries by giving them Kara’s background, they would ask why Becca didn’t want her here.

And if she explained—if they found out about the blackmail—

They would know that Becca had risked her people’s lives—lost her people’s lives—for a mission that meant nothing.

They would know that for one night, Becca had lost control of the resistance.

So she nodded to Alia. “Kara is the one who told me about the spies.”

The mistrust in Alia’s eyes faded. “That’s good enough for me.” She held out a hand to Kara; Kara solemnly shook it. “Welcome to the resistance.”

Sean turned an accusing gaze on Becca. “You should have warned us you were bringing new people in.”

I would have, if I had known.
Becca turned to Jared, a question in her eyes.

“I assumed you wanted her here to discuss the situation with the spies,” he said in a low voice. Worry began to creep into his expression. “Was I wrong?”

No matter how quietly Jared spoke, Becca knew everyone had heard his question. And they would hear her answer, as well.

She shook her head. “You did the right thing.”

Jared’s lips twitched in what, for him, amounted to a smile. “Good.”

A thought made her tense up. “How did you get her past security?” The camera in this room wasn’t a problem, but the ones in the corridors would have gotten a good view of Kara. And then there was the reception desk. How had Jared gotten her through without an Internal ID?

“I arranged new identities for both of them yesterday,” Jared explained. “They’re set up to look like undercover Surveillance agents. It won’t hold up under close scrutiny, but…”

“But no one wants to risk getting on Surveillance’s bad side by looking at one of their agents too closely,” Becca finished.

Jared nodded. “Precisely.”

“And Micah?”

“Given his current notoriety, and his history with 117, we thought it would be best if he stayed behind. If you’d prefer him to be here—”

“No. You were right. It wouldn’t be safe.” Not only was Micah a wanted fugitive, he used to work in this building; even if the receptionist didn’t recognize him, someone he passed in the halls likely would. “I’m sure Kara can tell us everything we need to know.”

With another nod, Jared took his seat. Kara stayed where she was, surveying the room as if she owned it. Becca shot her a warning look.
Don’t start thinking you belong here. Not after the way you used my people.

The room’s silence grew charged as the others looked from Becca to Kara. Waiting.

“We need to talk about the tra—” Alia began.

Becca spoke over her before she could finish. “We need to talk about the spies.”

“We could have saved—”

“We need to save the resistance,” Becca interrupted. “Which is why the spies have to be our first priority.”

Kara opened her mouth to speak—maybe she thought that was her cue. With a slight shake of her head—
you don’t
have the right to speak to them
—Becca stepped forward. “I’ve learned a few more things since I spoke to you last.”

Quickly, she laid out what she had discovered. The cooperation between Investigation and Reeducation. Her relationship with Vivian, and her failed attempt to access the files. The number of spies Investigation claimed to have inside the resistance.

And Ryann Peters.

“We don’t know enough to determine whether or not she’s a threat,” she finished. “For now, we’re going to wait and gather more evidence. Meri has her informants in Surveillance looking into it. We have to figure out what kind of information we need on her, and how we’re going to find the other spies in the meantime.”

“We’re going to wait,” Alia repeated, voice flat. “Because waiting worked out so well for those prisoners.”

“We’re not just waiting.” Becca kept her voice steady. “We’re gathering evidence.”

“And in the meantime she could kill us all.” Alia made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat. “This is what you’re willing to risk the resistance for? Not to save innocent people, but to ‘gather evidence’ on some Internal spy?”

“Ryann is a valuable informant, and has shown a level of dedication we can’t afford to lose. And she’s one of us. We won’t take any action against her unless we’re certain it’s necessary.”
Calm. Confident. Don’t give them room to doubt.
Even if she wasn’t sure herself. Even if she didn’t know whether those were the real reasons she had agreed to wait, or whether Ryann simply reminded her of the person she used to be. The person she wasn’t supposed to think about anymore.

Meri nodded. “Becca is right. We won’t harm our own people unless we’re sure we have no choice.”

“The cause means more than any individual life,” said Sean in his usual monotone. “Even if she is innocent, as one of us she should understand this.”

“So you’d kill her, just like that?” Peter demanded. “A fellow dissident? A kid?”

“A spy,” Alia corrected, voice hard.

“We do whatever we have to do to preserve the cause,” said Sean. “If the spies destroy us, there will be no one left to spread our message.”

Peter shook his head so hard his wispy hair flew into his face. “We don’t hurt our own people. Never. If she’s what you think she is, it means she was tortured and brainwashed and forced to turn against us. It’s not her fault. We can’t…” He turned to Becca, eyes wide and pleading. “We never used to talk like this. Not before…” His voice trailed off.

Before the liberation, we didn’t
have
to talk like this.
“This isn’t the time for that conversation. Right now we need to—”

“So when is the time?” Alia interrupted. “After we’re all dead? After the spies have killed us all because you weren’t willing to do anything besides sit in a chair and talk?”

Jared turned his granite glare on Alia and Sean in turn. “If Becca says we wait, then we wait. End of discussion.”

“Becca’s lapdog agrees with her. Big surprise.” Alia surged up from her seat. “You’re too afraid to do anything that might actually help the resistance? Fine. Tell us where to find her, and we’ll take care of the rest.”

Hadn’t Becca said something similar to Meri only a couple of days ago? But that was before she had known the whole story.
Before I knew she was so much like—
She pushed the thought aside. “No one is ‘taking care of’ anything yet.”

“And we’re going to fix that.” Alia strode across the room to stand in front of Meri. “Well?” she demanded. “You’re always talking about keeping your network safe. Are you going to help us protect them, or would you rather sit around and argue until the Enforcers come for us?”

“Becca and I have already discussed this.” Meri’s eyes were kind, but her voice was steel. “Yes, there’s a sizable chance that Ryann is working against us. But until we know for certain, we won’t harm one of our own on a suspicion.”

“So you and Becca get to decide when to risk all our lives, is that it?” Alia leaned down until her face was inches from Meri’s. “Where is she?”

Meri’s lips thinned. She said nothing.

Behind Becca, Kara shifted, as if she wanted to speak. Becca gave her another warning look.
Don’t make this any worse.

Becca turned back to Alia, pitching her voice low. “Sit. Down.”

Alia straightened. “You don’t care about protecting your people anymore?” she said to Meri. “Fine. I have her name. I’ll find her myself.”

Sean rose from his seat. “No. You’ll have help.”

Becca was losing them. She opened her mouth, but realized she had no idea what to say.

“You heard Becca.” In one smooth motion, Jared crossed the room and caught their arms in his oversized hands. “Sit down.”

“Get your hands off me, Enforcer,” Alia spat. She tried to yank her arm free. Jared didn’t let go.

“Stop!” The word burst from Peter’s mouth.

Alia whirled on Becca, eyes blazing. “I stood by and did nothing while you let those prisoners die. But I won’t let you destroy the whole resistance.” She tugged against Jared’s grip again. “Call off your dog.”

“Jared—” Becca stopped. If she didn’t tell him to back down, it would mean using force against her people when they didn’t agree with her. If she crossed that line, there would be no turning back. But if she told him to let them go, they would track down Ryann, and they would kill her. Judging by the mood they were in, they wouldn’t be careful about it, either. The trail would lead Internal right back to them—and from them to the resistance.

Becca didn’t know how to stop them.

If she couldn’t control her people…

If she couldn’t be the leader they needed…

She closed her eyes. Took a long breath.
I will be who they need me to be.

But when she opened her eyes again, nothing had changed.

Sean’s body tensed. “Last chance, Jared,” he warned. “Let us go.” The monotone sound of his voice didn’t change, but Becca could hear the danger in it all the same.

Jared eyed Sean the way he might have regarded a buzzing insect. He said nothing.

Sean curled his free hand into a fist.

“If you kill the girl, and she’s working for Internal, they’ll know you’re on to them.” A new voice, quiet but authoritative, echoed through the small space.

Kara.

Becca couldn’t let Kara get involved in this. Not when the others were already on the verge of slipping away. Becca turned to shoot her another silent warning.
Don’t say anything. Don’t do anything. Don’t get any more of my people killed.

Then she stopped.

The room had gone silent.

She turned back to the others. Jared hadn’t loosened his grip on Alia and Sean, but Alia was no longer struggling against him, and Sean’s free hand had relaxed. They weren’t looking at Jared anymore. They were looking at Kara.

Kara stepped past Becca, into the center of the circle. She looked at Meri. “What kind of information do you have on her so far?”

“Not much beyond the basics,” Meri answered, still keeping a wary eye on Alia and Sean. “My informants are working on it, but they can’t risk anyone catching them conducting unauthorized surveillance, especially on a potential spy.”

“You’ve got time.” Kara turned in a slow circle, looking at each of the others in turn. “That goes for all of you. If the spies haven’t done anything yet, it means they have the long term in mind. They won’t try anything unless they find something big.”

Alia opened her mouth to protest. But Kara kept talking.

“If you make her think she’s on the verge of learning vital information, you could buy even more time for yourself.” Kara paced to the far side of the room and began circling the perimeter as she continued. “If you try too hard to keep her away from anything important, she might decide to cut her losses and use what she’s already got. Worse, she might realize you suspect her, especially if you’re too obvious about it.”

Alia closed her mouth.

Kara’s words picked up speed along with her feet. “You’ll also need to be careful about her resistance contact. Her current contact doesn’t know, right? So there’s the risk that he’ll give her information that she could use against us. But if you let him in on it, he might get too nervous around her, or too careful, and let her know something is up. Same thing if you give her a new contact.”

Sean, Meri, Peter, even Alia—every one of them had their eyes fixed on Kara, turning their heads to follow her as she paced. The only one not focused on Kara was Jared, who kept looking from Alia to Sean as if expecting them to try to break away at any moment.

Becca started to open her mouth to warn them, to break the spell Kara’s words had put them under.
Don’t trust her. Don’t listen. She doesn’t care about you. She put the entire resistance in danger—she got one of us killed—because she couldn’t see past her feelings for Micah.