The Exiles

Chapter 2) The Transgressor

            “Mr. Atlas’s death looks to be the first in a series of attacks on the government. This morning, sources inside the Council Headquarters said that those responsible for Mr. Atlas’s death had inside help, and that a great deal of sensitive information was stolen from a Council database during yesterday’s events…”

            The words swam lazily into Violet’s mind from the television downstairs. She wished her father would come home. He’d been gone since dinner, and she didn’t want to go downstairs with her mother parked in front of the TV all night. She didn’t want to think about Mr. Atlas right now. Daniel hadn’t answered any of her texts, even though he was online. It annoyed her. She settled down in bed and tried to sleep, but the sound of the news droned on and on. 

            Violet walked to work in silence the next morning. She still hadn’t heard from Daniel, or her father. It was proving to be a rough day for the whole city. Everyone was tense, checking their phones more often than usual and speaking in hushed voices.

            When she reached the lobby of her office, she did a quick search for Daniel on the Grid to see if he was at work. Nothing came up. A pit dropped in her stomach. No one was off the Grid, not ever.

            When Violet stepped into the office, the room was alive with chatter.

            “Did you hear…?”

            “I think I met him. I never would have thought…”

            As she made the walk to her desk, heads swiveled in her direction. Whispers came from all around her.

            “Isn’t she the one who…“

            Violet glanced curiously at the two women nearest to her and they stopped talking immediately. A strange feeling took over her. As if in a daze, she logged into her computer and opened up the news.

            Daniel’s face stared back at her.

            “Daniel Reich, 22, junior associate at Miller Lee defense-contracting firm, has been revealed to be the spy who assisted a known non-citizen in accessing the Council Headquarters…”

            Violet’s mind went blank. She scanned the rest of the article for anything that could make sense to her, but it all felt like gibberish.

            …identity was discovered after a search of his database this morning following an unsolicited visit to Headquarters…

            …Mr. Reich is believed to be in league with Mr. Atlas’s murderer…

            …Reich’s citizenship has been revoked, pending further punishment.

            She read the article again. Mr. Reich. The picture was the same, but the man in the article sounded like someone else entirely. Daniel couldn’t have done any of that.

Violet pulled her phone out and called Daniel’s number, aware that every eye in the room was watching her. It went straight to voicemail. She frantically searched for his name on the Grid, but it was nowhere to be seen. If his citizenship had been revoked, his tracer would be shut off. He no longer existed as far as the City was concerned.

            Violet was on her feet before she knew what she was doing. The beige office walls with their flashing TV screens blurred as she ran past them. She didn’t know where she was going, but she had to get out.