Not So Different

Chapter 19

Days went by without any visits by Argon or any attitude adjustments.  Jet and I were left to lick our wounds, figuratively of course, and wait for our daily rations of runny porridge.  Sparrow always brought the porrige to us, twice a day she told us, with small adidtions of water, medicine, some synth jerky from the Tea Partier rations suppy, etc.  She was quite quiet but Jet was gradually bringing Sparrow out of her shell, coxing sentences and smiles out of the winged girl.  Once Jet even got Sparrow to laugh.  Sparrow always brightened the cell up a little bit when she came in but she always had to leave quickly so as not to arouse suspicion from the other guards. 

Jet seemed totally trusting in Sparrow but I had my doubts.  She seemed like a great person, don't get me wrong, I never heard any lies or cruel emotions in her voice, but that didn't mean she was a wonderful person.  She was a Tea Partier after all, and her helping us didn't change the fact that she was.  It was quite possible she wasn't helping us out of kindness, but was being ordered to win our trust.  I didn't know why Argon would want her to earn our trust but I was still hesitant. 

"I don't know if we should trust Sparrow,"  I told Jet as she laid next to me, staring up at the concrete ceiling.  There wasn't much to do in the cell.  Most of the time Jet either talked with me, sometimes prayed, or mostly stared into space or slept.  Minus praying, I did mostly the same. 

"Why shouldn't we?"  Jet asked, sitting up with a confused look.  Despite her courage and intellegence, Jet, I had come to learn, was sometimes quick, maybe to quick, to trust people.  She had trusted me rather quickly after we met, after all. 

"We have no way of knowing if her helping us has some ulterior motive," I told her.  She looked as if she'd been slapped.  I bit my lip.  "Also, she's a Tea Partier.  Even if she is trying to help us sincerely, she is still under Argon's comand."

Jet oppened her mouth to say something back but she paused and shut her mouth.  She cocked her head to the side and I could practically see the gears turning in her head.  After a moment she opened her mouth once again.  "I really do think she is genuinely trying to help us, though you do have a point with the fact that Argon still has control over her.  If he found out, things would get bad for her and us."

We both shuddered, knowing precisely what Argon could dish out by way of punishment. 

"But do we really have a choice but to trust her?"  Jet asked me and I gave her a questioning look.  "I mean, we've been trying to find a way to escape without any luck and I don't think we can count on a Sentinel rescue."

"They could rescue us," I told her but the words sounded empty as they left my mouth.  We both knew it was unlikely the Sentinels would be able to find us. 

"I don't think they'd be able to," Jet told me, looking slightly despairing.  "This is Argon's control center, his most protected stronghold.  He thinks he has enough forces to take over the government.  The Sentinel's voulunteer army wouldn't stand a chance in a direct fight."  Jet paused.  "Trusting Sparrow is our only choice."

I didn't really have any arguement against that; she was right.  "Okay," I said resigned.  "I'm just sating we should tread carefully.  We don't want to dive head first into a trap."

"Okay," Jet agreed with a nod and one of her radiant smiles that I loved, but I could still see doubt and a glimmer of fear in her eyes. 

"Everything will be okay," I told her as her smile began to fade.  "We will find a way out of here, I promise."

"Don't make promises you don't know if you can keep," Jet told me in a even voice that didn't betray the sadness and fear on her features.