Rebellion by J. A. Souders Read Free Book Online Page B

Someone else had to have done it.”
    â€œOr maybe he just wanted the box,” Asher says, his voice almost a shrug.
    â€œHe wouldn’t have risked it. Not with his life on the line. He was looking for the cubes.”
    â€œWhere would he have been running to then? He wouldn’t have been able to get to the Surface, right? Not without forgetting everything he was supposed to do or even why he was there in the first place.”
    â€œMaybe he was looking for us,” Asher says. “Or at least you, Evie. It’s not too much of a stretch to think that if you escaped, he could, too. And that, Gavin, you’d do whatever it took to get Evie’s memories back. With the connection between Eli and my grandmother, he was probably hoping that somehow Evie would know to go to my grandmother.”
    I shake my head. “There’s too many ways that can go wrong. Too many long shots to rely on. I can’t imagine he’d take that risk.”
    â€œHe obviously knew if he was going to stay, he’d die. Better to take a chance, than have no hope at all.”
    â€œEven if he did find them and get out,” Gavin says, holding up a hand. “Nobody would have been able to read what’s on the cubes. We don’t have anything up there like the computers here.”
    â€œHere then. Maybe,” Asher replies. He lays his head back against the wall behind his bed and rests his eyes. “If he was important enough to save, he was probably important enough to be trusted with this location.”
    I raise an eyebrow. Now that’s a possibility . “Nadia did say his work was important to them.”
    â€œYou think Dr. Moreau was telling the truth about Dr. Friar being the only one who could get around the device?”
    â€œProbably. He’s the only one Mother trusts. And there’s no way Mother would permit a device that could kill her without there being a way around it.”
    â€œUnless she doesn’t have nanos,” Asher says.
    There’s that heavy silence again.
    â€œSo … we’re screwed?” Gavin finally asks.
    â€œNo,” Asher replies. He glances at me and I shake my head quickly.
    â€œDon’t.” I know what he’s going to say, and if he does, Gavin won’t let it go. I won’t be able to stop him from going to get help, because there’s no way he’d just sit by and do nothing when I’m in danger.
    â€œWhat?” Gavin demands.
    â€œMy grandmother would be willing and probably able to not only make that thing useless, but neutralize the nanos completely. What if instead of removing Mother, we could remove her Citizens ? Leave her here. All by herself where she can’t hurt anyone.”
    â€œThere are other options…” I say quickly, but I can already see Gavin thinking it over.
    He squeezes my toes. “What are they?”
    My mind’s a blank slate. “We’ll figure something out.”
    â€œEvie…”
    â€œI’m not losing you again, Gavin. Don’t do this … please.”
    â€œIt’s the only way. You’ve said you don’t want to kill Mother, and she’s not going to leave willingly. But your people might. If we can convince them. But none of that even matters if the nanites aren’t taken care of.” He gently sets my feet to the floor and leans over to take my hands. “I can do this. There’s not much I can do here. Hell, I can’t even protect you with the Enforcers and that damned death machine—not that I had any hope before either—but I can get Lenore and bring her here to help you.” His hand cups my cheek and his fingers slide into my hair. “You know I don’t want to leave you here. Especially now. But if I can get you out of here … safely … I will do whatever needs to be done.”
    This was never going to be a fight I could win. Today was proof of that. I can’t