Reliance [COMPLETED]

Chapter 11

The sun shines in my face. I open my eyes and forget for a moment that I'm not on the ground, but rather a couple feet up. Cordie, who's still snuggled up against me, breathes softly. Looking upward, I see Harlan. He looks peaceful, yet troubled. Then I spot it; the letter tucked away underneath him. He must've snuck it with him.

This is my chance to grab it. I ginergly remove my arm from Cordie, and crawl to the middle of the thick branch. I then stand, keeping my balance, and reach out to snatch the letter. My legs feel weak as I balance myself and dare not look down.

My fingers feel for the smooth paper, but I accidentally grab Harlan's pant leg as well. I swear silently as he shifts for a moment. I wait and then continue to remove the letter from underneath him until I feel it come loose.

I hold the letter in my hands, my eyes wide with curiosity. It's once again in my possession.

"What are you doing, Alannah?" says a whisper. I lose my balance from being startled, but catch myself. Cordie is staring at me, her eyes round.

"Nothing," I breathe, "nothing of your concern."

"It looks like a letter," she whispers, standing and joining me, "can I see?"

I pull the letter towards me, looking at Cordie. I remember how she trusted me with her secret about the market. I give a glance to the letter and sigh. If she can trust me, I can trust her.

"You're right, it is a letter," I say, lowering my voice, "but it's Harlan's."

Cordie stares at the letter, then at me.

"Did you read it?"

I shake my head. "I can't read."

"I can," Cordie beams.

I look at her curiously.

"How do you know how to read?"

Cordie shuffles her foot around. She bites her lip and stares at the ground.

"I learned during training," she speaks quietly.

"Training? When did you have training?"

I never had any training, and was never told anything about training.

"What's the training for?" I ask aloud.

"You don't know?"

I shake my head.

"Every year, Hainsworth takes a handful of people and trains them in the training facility he has to eliminate. Only the young go up, and are trained until they're 16 years of age."

I'm shocked. I always thought that Hainsworth hated everyone and never thought to show them how to survive.

"Why wasn't I trained?"

Cordie's eyes are still lowered.

"You're a profist."

"A what?" My voice becomes louder.

"Be quiet," Cordie hushes, "a profist. It's an exceptionally skilled soldier who can't go to training because they're the target that the rest of us are training to eliminate."

The letter shakes in my hand.

"That's Harlan's mission letter from Hainsworth," Cordie explains, "we're all given a target to eliminate. I've finished my job. My target was a threat to everyone, but the first chance I saw him, I killed him."

"Why does Hainsworth want profists killed?"

"He sees you as a threat to kill off everyone until there's no one left but profists. He doesn't want to train profists after we've all been killed. The problem is, I don't know why he won't train you to kill each other off."

I let all of this sink in, putting everything together.

"Why hasn't Harlan completed his mission?" I ask.

"He's looking for his target," Cordie replies, "that's probably why he went out hunting that one morning, remember?"

I nod. "Do you think they know I'm a profist?" I whisper.

"No, or they would've killed you by now," Cordie replies, "I won't kill you, but don't say anything about it, do you understand? If anyone asks, say you've eliminated your target already and you're just 'helping them eliminate'. That whole elimination talk the other day was perfect."

"How can you tell who's a profist and who isn't?"

Cordie holds up a small device the size of her thumb.

"This device picks it up...I stole it from the facility. I saw it and grabbed it, thinking it was some kind of weapon. Later on when I toyed around with it, it kept scanning profists."

"Wouldn't everyone get one?"

"It's Hainsworth's," Cordie mouths. I catch on. He could be listening to our conversation.

"Besides, I can tell by your quick thinking too." she whispers.

I shake my head, "but I've had quick thinking before."

"Not quick enough..yet. Jax, Maeve, and Harlan haven't noticed it. I'm sure Abel didn't notice it either, but he's long gone now," she pauses, "just don't think as much around them and you'll be fine."

I hear Harlan beginning to shift again and I panic, placing the letter back underneath his leg. Cordie climbs back the the trunk of the tree as I do the same. I can feel both my heart beat and Cordie's heart beat rapidly. Harlan looks below to us and gives a small wave.

"Good morning," he says drowsily, "sleep well?"

I nod, "I slept fine."

Jax and Maeve are awake now, and begin to climb down the tree. I let them go first, then I climb down after them with Cordie. My mind is filled with questions that need answers.

"What's the plan for today?" Jax asks, "no tunnels."

I shrug. "Harlan's in charge."

Harlan rises.

"Today we take it easy and hunt in the trees," he declares, "and hunt for food."

Everyone nods in agreement, including me. I've had enough already this morning.

Harlan says that we'll each take a tree around the area, but I need more questions answered.

"Can I go with Cordie?" I ask, "she hasn't been feeling well this morning."

"That's fine," Maeve says, waving her hand dismissively, "we just need people up in trees."

I anxiously climb up the tree with Cordie following. My heart races along with my head, full of questions.

Cordie, I hope, will have all of the answers.