I was pretty sure I felt Maxon’s teeth against my ear.
“Ow!” he exclaimed, and I felt him adjusting his position in the dark. “Are you hurt?”
“No. My hair and the hat took most of it.” If I hadn’t wanted that kiss so badly, I would have laughed.
As soon as we’d stopped, we started moving slowly in reverse. After a few seconds, the truck halted again and the engine cut off. Maxon switched positions, and it felt as if he was ducking low in a crouch, facing the door. I got into a similar position as one of Maxon’s hands come back to protect me, just in case.
The light of the streetlamp coming into the cabin was shocking, and I squinted against it as someone climbed into the back of the truck.
“We’re here,” said Officer Avery. “Follow me closely.”
Maxon stood and extended a hand to me. He let go to hop out of the truck, then reached up to help me down and immediately slid his hand back into mine. The thing I noticed right away was the large brick wall cornering us in the alley, followed by the stinging smell of something rotting. Aspen was standing in front of us, looking around intently, a gun held low in his hand.
He and Avery started moving toward the back entrance of the building, and we kept close to them. The walls surrounding us were high and reminded me of the apartment buildings back home with their fire escapes snaking down the sides, though this didn’t seem like an area where people lived. Aspen knocked on the grime-covered door and waited. It cracked open, a small chain there to protect whoever was inside. But I saw August’s eyes before the door was quickly shut again. The next time, it opened wide, and August ushered in all of us.
“Hurry,” he said quietly.
In the shadowy room was a younger boy and Georgia. I could see she was just as anxious as we were, and I couldn’t stop myself from bolting across the room to embrace her. She held me back, and I was happy to find I’d acquired an unexpected friend.
“Were you followed?” she asked.
Aspen shook his head. “No. But you should be quick.”
Georgia pulled me over to a small table, and Maxon sat next to me, with August and the younger boy beside him.
“How bad is it?” Maxon asked. “I have a feeling my father is keeping the truth from me.”
August gave a surprised shrug. “As best we can tell, the numbers are low. The Southerners are doing their typical destruction, but as far as the attacks on Twos specifically, it looks like it’s less than three hundred people.”
I gasped. Three hundred people? How could that be deemed low?
“America, it’s not that bad, all things considered,” Maxon comforted me, taking my hand again.
“He’s right,” Georgia said, her face warm. “It could have been so much worse.”
“It’s what I would expect from them: starting at the top and working their way down. We’re guessing they’ll pick it up before too long,” August interjected. “It looks like the attacks are still isolated on the Twos, but we’re watching and will alert you if or when that changes. We’ve got allies in every province, and they’re all trying to keep watch. But there’s only so much they can do without exposing themselves, and we all know what would happen if they did.”
Maxon nodded soberly. They’d die, of course.
“Should we cave?” Maxon suggested. I looked over at him, surprised.
“Trust us,” Georgia said. “They’re not going to get any better if you give in.”
“But there must be something more we can do,” Maxon insisted.
“You’ve already done something pretty empowering. Well, she did,” August said, dipping his head in my direction. “From what we’re able to tell, farmers are keeping their axes with them if they leave their fields, seamstresses walk the street with scissors clutched in their hands, and you’ll see Twos parading around with disarming spray. No matter the caste, everyone seems to have found some way to arm themselves, just in case. Your people don’t want to live in fear, and they’re not. They’re fighting back.”
I wanted to cry. For maybe the first time in all of the Selection, I’d done something right.
Maxon squeezed my hand, proud. “That’s a comfort,” he said. “Still, it doesn’t feel like enough.”
I nodded. I was so happy the public wasn’t rolling over, but there had to be a way to stop this once and for all.