The Republic of Linae (Book 1)

Chapter 22: Lydia

I should not have let Mrs. Dylis talk me into her plan. I should not have listened to her when she told me that it was the only way to get Allyson onto our side.

People are dead because of my actions.

Flicker stares at the aftermath of the ruined school building on the channel, analyzing the scene with inquisitive eyes. He hasn't left this room since the start of the report about what the Calamities were doing. What I helped them do.

"I need to go there," he claims. He rubs his chin as the report cuts to a different angle of the building. "I need to see what happened."

Immediately shaking my head, I stare at him in disbelief. "That place is crawling with guards," I point out. "You won't even be able to get close enough."

Red paces the room, her eyes also glued to the screen. "What were the Calamities even planning? They would have to be foolish to think that attacking a school full of children would get people onto their side."

I bite the edge of my lip to keep myself from arguing with them. Violence is not the Blue Sun's style and I am in no position to defend a group of people that got completely wiped out.

Especially since they probably brought a lot more trouble than before.

Tulip, a petite brunette with gentle green eyes, looks at Flicker. The burned scar of her face is hidden behind a current of her hair. "How is the president going to respond to this?" She asks in a quiet tone.

Unlike most people here, Tulip has a job on the outside as a school teacher. She has a life that she built up for herself since she "bought" her freedom. Since she teaches on the outside and she is also a witness to the mistreatment of Calamity and Grases students, Tulip is going to be directly impacted by any response.

Flicker finally drags his eyes from the screen to look at the woman. "Hopefully, nothing." He takes in a calming breath. "They are presuming that most of the Calamities have been taken care of by the bomb that went off."

If I were able to tell them the truth, I would tell them that the Calamities never planted a bomb. That was never part of their plans.

Mrs. Dylis was supposed to control the students in her class and get them to turn on each other. This way the Wolfani would start to turn on each other. Somewhere along the way, their plans must have fell through.

"Maybe we should withdraw from Operation London," Red claims. Her gaze darts toward me before moving back to the man in charge. "It's not safe for any of us out there."

Shaking his head, Flicker moves toward the round table. "Operation London is more important now than ever," he claims. "Because if Allyson Hansen is not on our side then that means we must go with Plan Zeta."

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. In the months that I have been here, they haven't once mentioned backup plans to Operation London. "Plan Zeta?"

Red's face hardens. Neither one of them seems inclined to answer my question.

Tulip places her hands firmly on the table. "We've been over this. Under no circumstances are we going to execute Plan Zeta." Her gaze moves toward Red, who is glaring in Flicker's direction. "Especially when we're talking about something that would endanger children."

"Children are already being endangered," Red argues. "As we speak, President Hansen is coming up with ways to get even. The public is going to demand such things from him."

I stare at the news broadcast, watching a repeated clip of Cameron walking out of the decimated building with Allyson in his arms. In a plan meant to make them scapegoats, the Hansen twins have come out as beacons of hope. They have persevered through assassination attempt after assassination attempt.

In all attempts to knock the twins down, we have only managed to raise them up. They are practically untouchable at this point.

"Do you know what people would do if they found out the truth about Allyson!?" Tulip demands impatiently. Her voice is gravelly, but louder than usual.

"Nothing," I answer. My gaze is still on the broadcast screen, reading the subtitles. All of the reporters are praising the Hansen twins' miraculous survival skills. Not many people stand in an exploding building and get to live. "The Calamities have made them too powerful. Even if you were to try and expose the truth, no one would believe you."

Red crosses the room to stand in front of me. "We have your memories. Flicker can broadcast them to the entire world."

Shoulders sagging, Flicker looks at the table in defeat. Even though I have come to this room dozens of times and looked at similar papers, I have never been able to understand the coded messages that sit on this table. "Lydia's right," he admits. "Allyson has survived several assassination attempts, and Lydia has confirmed that they had her tattoo removed. Even with Lydia's memories, they could explain them as delusions of a random girl." His heavy gaze falls onto Red, who is starting to look as hopeless as I feel. "Operation London is our only plan."

Unfortunately, that means that I really need to start stepping up my game.