The Garden of Eden (Silent Moments Series: Book 5)

Chapter 21

Diyoza's voice was stern and unyielding over the radio. "I don't care how you do it, Kegan. Kill Octavia if that's what it takes, bring her to me in chains, or make her surrender. But I doubt your Red Queen is the surrendering type."

"We'll take care of it," I replied, feeling the heaviness of the choice we were being forced into.

"Then we have an understanding?" Diyoza pressed, her tone implying the gravity of our agreement.

"Yes, we do," I affirmed, the finality of our decision resonating through the room.

"Good. Call me back when it's done. We'll sort out the details of your crossing then. Over and out."

Bellamy's voice cut through the tense silence that followed. "No way. We are not killing Octavia, Kegan. I don't care how deranged she's become."

I tried to speak, but Bellamy was relentless. "We agreed on a plan. We run the loop, use the rover, and save our friends. You're veering off course. This is reckless."

"That was before Octavia appointed Madi as her second," I argued, trying to convey the dire nature of our new reality.

Bellamy, Harper, and Monty all paused, their expressions shifting to a mix of shock and understanding. Monty momentarily stopped his work on the computer, his attention now fully on the conversation.

"With Madi as her second, Octavia's army will march to war as soon as the eye is down. We can't allow that," I stressed, my voice laden with urgency.

"So we keep it a secret," Harper suggested quickly.

"They'll realize something's up the moment we leave," Monty added, his voice tinged with concern.

"Then we take Madi and go. Now," Bellamy stated, his resolve clear.

"Bellamy, Madi is right beside Octavia," I reminded him, my concern for Madi's safety evident.

"She's my sister, Kegan," Bellamy replied, his voice thick with emotion.

"I know, Bellamy. But what other choice do we have?" I asked, my frustration mirroring his.

"We stop the war," Monty interjected forcefully.

"How?" Harper looked at us, her eyes seeking a feasible solution.

Monty reached into his bag, pulling out his algae tube. "With this."

Before Monty could explain, Bellamy grabbed the tube from his hand. "That's enough, Monty."

Monty protested, reaching out to reclaim the tube. "Give it back!"

Harper jumped in. "Bellamy's right. Cooper is more dangerous than Octavia, no offense."

Bellamy, seeing the tension, handed the tube back to Monty. "And besides, the first batch almost killed Murphy. It's not ready yet—"

"The first culture," Monty corrected, holding the tube tightly. "We're not eating it this time. We feed it to the plants. If I can make the farm viable again, it might give us a chance."

As Monty concluded his passionate argument, the door burst open. Octavia strode in, her presence commanding and immediate. Her eyes zeroed in on the monitor, and a sinking feeling took hold in my chest. The fragile balance of our plan, the conflicting emotions in the room, and the potential fallout of Octavia's reaction hung in the air, fraught with tension and uncertainty.

Octavia's entrance was commanding, her eyes scanning the room with a leader's scrutiny. "The spy did her job?" she asked, her voice cutting through the tense silence.